This Tokyo media group owns the former Daiei Film library, acquired in 2002, alongside the Kadokawa Pictures films it has produced since the 1970s. Japanese Blu-rays and 4K UHDs from new 4K restorations of Daiei and Kadokawa titles (Rashomon, Sansho the Bailiff, The Inugami Family) come from here, sold through its KADOKAWA store. Its Kadokawa Yōga Selection line licenses foreign films for Japanese Blu-ray and DVD, such as Midnight Cowboy.
Kadokawa
Best 4K release by tier:
- Excellent1
- Disappointing1
How we pick the best Kadokawa releases
1 in 4K
Best video release on UHD Blu-ray or 4K streaming
6 in HD
Best video release on Blu-ray or HD streaming · by Letterboxd rating
Director: Wong Kar-Wai
Best English-Friendly:
2010 US Kino Lorber or 2012 UK Artificial Eye
Video Notes:
2017 JP Kadokawa Blu-ray has the best encoding out of all the older discs.
Kino Lorber and Artificial Eye Blu-ray use the same master, between the two the PQ on Kino's release is slightly better, but the difference is negligible. However, Artificial Eye also includes the 2.0 stereo mix in addition to the 5.1 mix, while Kino only includes 5.1 mix.
The 4K restoration (Criterion, 4K etc) are cropped to 2.35:1, have revisionistic colour grading and other changes.
Caps: old master, old master vs 4K restoration
Wong Kar-Wai on the framing:
With Fallen Angels, I have changed the format to cinemascope, because it was originally what I had intended to release the film in. When we were cutting the film, we accidentally turned the Steenbeck on anamorphic instead of standard. I felt that the film looked much more interesting because it enhanced the distance of the characters on top of the extreme wide angle that we shot on. Back then, it was impossible to shoot a film in standard and release it in anamorphic. With this restoration, we have successfully fulfilled this wish.
Best Video:
France StudioCanal or Kadokawa Blu-ray, 4K restoration
Best Audio:
Director: David Lynch
Video Notes:
Criterion 4k resto, but it was AI upscaled although supervised and approved by Lynch https://www.reddit.com/r/davidlynch/comments/12klbw9/inland_empire_and_ai_upscaling/
See another detailed review: https://www.dvdexotica.com/2015/05/lets-get-serious-about-inland-empire.html
Director: Akira Kurosawa
Director: Henri Colpi
1 with a weaker 4K
Best 4K release rated Disappointing or Worse Than BD · by Letterboxd rating
Director: Wong Kar-Wai
Best English-Friendly:
2010 US Kino Lorber or 2012 UK Artificial Eye
Video Notes:
2017 JP Kadokawa Blu-ray has the best encoding out of all the older discs.
Kino Lorber and Artificial Eye Blu-ray use the same master, between the two the PQ on Kino's release is slightly better, but the difference is negligible. However, Artificial Eye also includes the 2.0 stereo mix in addition to the 5.1 mix, while Kino only includes 5.1 mix.
The 4K restoration (Criterion, 4K etc) are cropped to 2.35:1, have revisionistic colour grading and other changes.
Caps: old master, old master vs 4K restoration
Wong Kar-Wai on the framing:
With Fallen Angels, I have changed the format to cinemascope, because it was originally what I had intended to release the film in. When we were cutting the film, we accidentally turned the Steenbeck on anamorphic instead of standard. I felt that the film looked much more interesting because it enhanced the distance of the characters on top of the extreme wide angle that we shot on. Back then, it was impossible to shoot a film in standard and release it in anamorphic. With this restoration, we have successfully fulfilled this wish.
4 for audio only
The best audio is Kadokawa's; the video and English-friendly picks are other releases · by Letterboxd rating
Director: Charlie Chaplin
Best Audio:
2016 Kadokawa Blu-ray
Best Video & English-Friendly:
1936 version: Image Entertainment DVD
Video Notes:
Cut info: https://www.nitrateville.com/viewtopic.php?t=31209
Director: Mike Nichols
Know a film where the Kadokawa release is the one to buy? Suggest it