Today, Tartan Video sent over a press release for a couple of DVD releases set for May, as well as an update on NATUARL CITY.
First up is probably the most controversial film of the 2005 Cannes, Toronto and Sundance film festivals, BATTLE IN HEAVEN. Why was it controversial? Glad you asked! Turns out that the Carlos Reygadas-directed film was pulled from its original screening location inside a local high school when school officials found out about the film’s scenes of graphic sex. Just the thing you want in a film cast entirely with non-professionals about a man and his wife kidnapping a baby for ransom money but the infant dies. This unfortunate event leads the man (Marcos) to confess his guilt to Ana, the daughter of the general he works for. Incidently, Ana does some prostitution on the side for pleasure. See where this is going?
Next is BOOTH, another title for the Tartan Asian Extreme line directed by Yoshihiro Nakamura. The newest film in Japan’s New Generation Thriller series, the film centres around Shogo (Ryuta Sato), an arrogant and condescending star of a popular call-in radio-show, who must temporarily broadcast out of Studio 6: A creepy and dilapidated booth abandoned since its last DJ committed suicide several years ago. Suddenly, Shogo begins receiving disturbing calls, the voice on the line whispers “Liar” over and over. Is the joke on him, has someone discovered the truth about his sinister past, or has the curse of Studio 6 been unleashed again? In this Booth, all sins will be atoned for.
BATTLE IN HEAVEN is set for release May 9th, and will include:
- Spanish Dolby Digital 5.1 and DTS Surround Sound 5.1
- English subtitles
- anamorphic widescreen
- Behind-The-Scenes documentary
- interview with Director Carlos Reygadas
- clips from Carlos Reygadas’ 1st film JAPON
- original theatrical trailer
- trailers of Tartan Video’s upcoming releases
Meanwhile, BOOTH is set for release two weeks later (May 23rd), and features:
- Japanese Dolby Digital 5.1 and DTS Surround Sound 5.1
- English and Spanish subtitles
- anamorphic widescreen
- deleted scenes
- original theatrical trailer
- trailers of Tartan Asia Extreme’s upcoming releases.
Lastly, NATURAL CITY (which you first heard about here) has had it’s release bumped back from February 28th to April 4th. Extras and the like remain unchanged.