One of the movies I've been looking for, for years now, is Katsuhiro Otomo's live action WORLD APARTMENT HORROR. Am I justified in waiting? Has anyone seen it? Is it available? Will it ever be released?

And if you'll indulge me the same question, concerning these titles:

Beast City 1 ('95) & 2 ('96, both starring Mickey Curtis)
Burst City ('82 Sogo Ishii)
Capitol Story ('88, Hiroshi Aramata)
Crazy Thunder Road ('80 Sogo Ishii)
Diva in the Netherworld ('80, Takafumi Nagamine)
Face of Another (66 Hiroshi Teshigahara)
Grass Labyrinth ('79 Shuji Terayama)
Hellywood ('92 Takafumi Nagamine)
Kuroneko ('68 Shindo, sequel to Onibaba)
Living Dead in Tokyo Bay (a.k.a Batle Girl, '92 Kazuo Komizu)
Mirage Theater ('81 Seijun Suzuki)
Pastoral: To Die in the Country ('74 Shuji Terayama)
Under the Cherry Blossoms ('75 Masahiro Shinoda)
Virus ('80 Fukasaku)
Walker in the Attic ('76 Noboru Tanaka, '94 Akio Jissoji)
Yumeji ('91, Seijun Suzuki)
Zigeunerwisen ('80 Seijun Suzuki)

Thanks!
Boaz

KURONEKO is exceptional, and direly in need of a dvd release. I think it's much better than Onibaba (which it's not a sequel too in terms of story, characters etc, but maybe in style to a degree), and one of the best horror films I've ever seen (not that it's a genre I spend a lot of time with).

These three were released in a Japanese DVD box set that is now out of print, but the individual discs in the set should still be available (except the bonus disc, which was only available in the box set). These DVDs do not have English subtitles, if that's a consideration.

Dave

The only one on your list I've seen is VIRUS (1980), which I've seen only in its cut American release version. It's interesting, but more for its moments and for its unusual cast than for its execution. The story is actually a good one and the location shooting is good, but...something's wrong with the direction/editing. No suspense. No excitement. No urgency. Too much distance. I don't know that the longer version is going to be any better, although I'm sure I'll see it someday. But still, I love any cast that includes Glenn Ford, Henry Silva, George Kennedy, Bo Svenson, Chuck Connors, Robert Vaughn, Edward James Olmos, Sonny Chiba and Olivia Hussey.

FACE OF ANOTHER and Teshigahara's feature debut PITFALL are scheduled to come out in Feb (with Tony Rayns commentaries on both) as part of the UK Masters of Cinema line.

FACE OF ANOTHER:
http://www.eurekavideo.co.uk/moc/006.htm

PITFALL:
http://www.eurekavideo.co.uk/moc/005.htm

I've seen a VCD copy of UNDER THE CHERRY BLOSSOMS released by Hong Kong label Mei-Ah in a local store a few years back...it's long out of print and I've regret of not picking it up then. :( They've also released 2 other Shinoda's: BURAIKAN and BALLAD OF ORIN (under the title MELODY IN GRAY). BURAIKAN is a weird and stylish adaptation of a kabuki play by Mokuami Kawatake adapted by Shuji Terayama...I don't remember much of the plot but it's basically about a 2-bit gambler played by Tatsuya Nakadai who aspired to become a great kabuki actor and another storyline on some revolutionaries who wanted to overthrow the oppressive goverment that banned plays and other entertainment. It's nothing great but worth seeking out for the curious. YesAsia still has it in stock. Note that none of these HK discs have English subtitles. :(