Blah-Ray Dept.

It's beginning to look a lot like the Blu-ray edition of Ran scheduled for domestic release is the crummy upsampled master, and not Criterion's own direct-from-the-negative 1080p transfer. Here's a review of the Optimum import version, which is also region A; that alone is enough to make me think our version is going to be the same crummy piece of work.

Between this and the unbelievably bad Ghost in the Shell BD, it's as if there's a hex on some of my favorite flicks from every coming out domestically in decent HD editions.

Criterion is notoriously tightlipped when it comes to talking about rights negotiations for titles, so I wouldn't be surprised if there was some serious bitterness from their side about all this.