Video Home Invasion: Third Window Films Looks To The Future

I have had a ton of fun looking through Third Window Films' catalog and chatting with head honcho, Adam Torel.  However, as with everything, eventually this part of Video Home Invasion has to end, but not without taking a look into that crystal ball and trying to see what Third Window has in store for we, the lucky consuming public, in the future.

One film up Adam's sleeve that I haven't even mentioned is Gen Takahashi's Confessions of a Dog.  A film so controversial that it was never even shown in theaters in Japan until 5 years after it was completed.  Third Window is giving the film a royal treatment.  They are hosting and have hosted a few screenings in the UK with the director on hand for Q & A with Jasper Sharp of The Midnight Eye.  In addition they are preparing the very first English subbed version of the three-hour plus epic with loads of bonus features, many of which are exclusive to Third Window's release. 

Confessions of a Dog deals with police corruption and brutality in a way that no other Japanese film has ever dared.  The film was made with the cooperation of the police at first, but once the completed version was ready to go, no distributor or cinema would touch it, and so it remained a victim of soft censorship within Japan for five years.  Only with its recent festival showings and Third Window's support is it starting to get the respect it deserves, even making a few 2010 top ten lists.  I certainly expect this to be among Adam's top 3 releases so far, here's what he has to say about the DVD release:

The DVD comes out March 14th and will be a double disc set containing a Making Of featuring deleted scenes, Interview with director Gen Takahashi, Panel Discussion at the Shinsedei Film Festival, Post-screening Q&A at the Shinsedei Film Festival, Theatrical Trailer and Trailers of other Third Window releases. Also, the first 1,000 pressed copies will include a Limited Edition collectable postcard with a 35mm film cell from the theatrical print inserted.

Next up on Third Window's plate is the theatrical release of Tetsuya Nakashima's Oscar short-listed drama, Confessions.  We've already talked a bit about this film in the Nakashima section of VHI, but there is impending awesomeness about to hit UK cinemas this very Friday:

Theatrical starts in the UK February 18th, though will initially only play around 6/7 cinemas across the UK and Ireland starting from that weekend, then will expand to 15+ cinemas during a 'tour' which will hit up cities like Edinburgh, Liverpool, Wolverhampton, etc.

Pretty damned cool, I wish I could be there, as the film has no American distributor, and I'll have to wait for Third Window's home video release to see this one.  Adam is, again, going for broke (hopefully not literally) in the home video versions of Confessions, releasing the film to DVD and Blu-ray of April 25th:

DVD/Blu-Ray release is April 25th. These will both be 2 disc sets, with the film on the first disc (film only on the blu-ray and dvd 1st disc) and the 2nd disc being a dvd of extras including:"Final Confession" by Tetsuya Nakashima (approx. 70 min.) / "Real Confessions" by Students / Interview with Tetsuya Nakashima / Theatrical Trailer / Trailers of Other Third Window Releases

I'm super excited, as the word on this one is that it should have made the Oscar telecast and it is Nakashima's most accomplished film yet.  It has been reviewed to universal praise (even at 100% on RottenTomatoes for whatever that's worth), and it will make you rethink everything you expect to see from a Tetsuya Nakashima film.

Following that one, Third Window keeps on blowing minds by releasing Sion Sono's Cold Fish to UK cinemas.  Sono is one of those filmmakers who keeps getting better as he matures, but never loses the fire to make movies that no one else can match, and from all appearances, Cold Fish is no exception.  April 8th is D-Day for cinemas on that film, and nothing is set in stone yet.  Adam is hoping for a largish opening, somewhere around what Confessions will do, but he assures us that all will be revealed on the Third Window homepage (and here) in due time.  DVD/Blu-ray details are not yet sorted.  Look for that sometime in July, and keep checking back here for more details.

The last of Adam's confirmed plans comes for indie melan-comedy Sawako Decides.  The film will get a small cinema run in late May to be followed on home video later in the year.  It is far too early to tell what exactly all of that will entail, but I would expect a DVD only release for that one.  I'm still looking forward to picking it up, as Third Window does not release junk.

That's it for confirmed plans, and when I talk to Adam about his plans for the future, I get the feeling that he's shooting straight with me that nothing else is certain at this point.  He has mentioned looking into Sion Sono's Guilty of Romance, his feature currently in production, but tells me that whether or not Third Window picks that up with be dependent upon the success of Cold Fish and the quality of the film itself.  This is reassuring, as it guarantees quality, no writing blanks checks for directors just because they've been good in the past, I respect that.  He also mentions keeping an eye on future projects from Third Window favorites Miki Satoshi and Tetsuya Nakashima, but neither of them are ready with new stuff, so no solid plans there either.  As far as I can tell, the most solid lead Adam has is Cannes, he is looking to bring something home, though he's not sure what yet.  Whatever it is, I'm sure it will be great, and we, the Japanese film loving audience, will thank him for it.

I want to say thanks to Adam Torel of Third Window.  He has been nothing but gracious and open with his time.  Every single question I've asked him he has answered to the best of his ability and with complete candor.  I look forward to updating you guys on Third Window's future plans as they become more concrete, and also putting up a review of Memories of Matsuko on Blu-ray as soon as it hits my door step (and hopefully others in the future if Adam doesn't mind). 

I also want to remind you all to please buy Third Window releases!  There isn't a stinker in the bunch and companies that work hard like this deserve our support!  Cheers, and watch this space, I've got more to come in the future from other niche video companies who work just as hard as Adam and also deserve our patronage and respect!