Never to be outdone, Criterion has once again grabbed up a title I thought I would never see in a legitimate edition: Blast of Silence, a New York City noir of such amazing nihilism that it's no wonder it almost disappeared without a trace after its release.

The U.S. version of 5 Centimeters Per Second hits shelves on March 4.

Discotek, a favorite "tiny" label of mine, swings back into action with a Teruo Ishii adaptation of a Kazuo Koike (Lone Wolf and Cub) story: Bohachi Bushido: Legend of the Forgotten Eight.  Looks like it's loaded with extras, too...

Tokyo Shock has a Sukeban Deka two-fer coming up — a great way to get both yo-yo-slinging flicks for the price of one.

Sessue Hayakawa's The Dragon Painter is also getting a release; this is something I will definitely want to check out up-close.

Also worth checking out: a little masterpiece named The Quiet Room, in what I believe is its first domestic pressing.