Can anybody explain why no US company (or even HK, for that matter) has released a Sabu film? There are lots of them, at their worst they are still pretty good, and some of them have been out for years. I have even seen Postman Blues on IFC, so obviously someone in the US has done some business.

Kiyoshi Kurosawa, Miike, Fukasaku, and Suzuki are all seeing extensive releases of their back catalogues. I love those guys, but surely some company can slip a Sabu in their release schedule somewhere.

I've seen 5 of his movies, and I'd love to buy some of them (certainly Drive and Postman Blues), but I don't like buying DVD-Rs and I don't like buying bootlegs, and I can't justify spending a huge amount of money on a Japanese DVD that probably won't have english subs. Does anyone know why no company has touched these, or if any company plans to? Is there some sort of rights problem or just a lack of interest? Where are Tokyo Shock, Adness, Home Vision, or any of the quality niche providers?

Oh, THAT Sabu! My first thought on reading your header was: but, LOTS of his films are in release: ELEPHANT BOY, THIEF OF BAGDAD, JUNGLE BOOK, SONG OF INDIA... But now that I think of it, there are lots of Sabu films that I haven't seen on tape or disc, e.g. COBRA WOMAN (1944) and all those low-budget '50s movies he did, like JAGUAR and a bunch of others I've never seen because they never showed on TV. I remember SABU AND THE MAGIC RING from long-ago TV showings. That one would be welcome because it's got William "Blacula" Marshall as the genie.

Interestingly, Sabu was the last (and first) Indian star of Hollywood movies and we may yet have another one if Aishwarya Rai makes the crossover. (Although Sabu would still hold the distinction of not having been a star in Indian movies first.)

You may be surprised to learn that almost all of his films have been licensed in the US. The discs are probably in the middle of production, or the payment terms may neccessitate delay. They may be scheduled for release late in 2006, or the licensors may be attempting a limited theatrical run first. I don't know who has them, I only know that they are currently unavailable which means they have sold.
I gotta admit that I'm not a big fan of Sabu's, though. His films strike me as a bit obvious, but a little slow. I can see the appeal, I'm just not a fan.

I'd love to see Monday and Blessing Bell on DVD in the US. These are 2 of my favorite Asian comedies.

Who has licensed them? I have spoke to Phil over at Artsmagic about releasing some of his titles. They are very keen into grabbng a few of them to release over here. Sabu is certainly my favorite Japanese director, except for his last two attempts, HARDLUCK HEROS and BLESSING BELL. Though they aren't bad overall, they are certainly a step down from his classic films like MONDAY, DRIVE, POSTMAN BLUES and UNLUCKY MONKEY. It would certainly be a treat to see all his films finally make their way to the Region 1 domain! ;)

I'd agree that the last couple of Sabu films were kind of weak. Hard Luck Hero had a great beginning, high energy, fun, great musical numbers and good comedy, but quickly became repetitive and tedious. Blessing Bell was just s-l-o-w - I'm glad he's trying to change his style, but that wasn't the way to go. Plus, I feel like he thought up the punchline - then made up a story to match it. Not bad, but not great.

Let me just add to this thread abit, what would you consider to be you favorite Sabu film? In my opinion, I would have to say MONDAY to be my favorite as it seems to highlight all of the usual elements that Sabu likes to use in many of his film. Correlating a series of events through the journey of a major character's experiences, threading a storyline around it and ultimately showing the impact this has on several other situations etc.

I'll add my support to the "Hard Luck Hero and Blessing Bell are Sabu's weakest films" group :)

My favourites - all the rest! In order, err, probably DRIVE->POSTMAN BLUES->DANGAN RUNNER->UNLUCKY MONKEY->MONDAY?

I'd say that after Blessing Bell and Hard Luck Hero -- which I agree are a step below his other films -- that Dangan Runner is the next weakest link. I thought it was a little monotonous in comparison to Unlucky Monkey, Monday or Postman Blues. I feel like Drive is a bit different from the other good ones, although I'm not sure if it wraps up a little too cute, or if I think it's his best film. I probably enjoyed it the most, although perhaps I respect the other three as the most distinctive when comparing them to other films. Overall I'd say all four are fantastic films, it's a shame so few people have seen them.

charlie

What most call slow, I call subtle and idiosyncratic. Blessing Bell is easily my favorite Sabu film which does in fact deviate from his usual style of storytelling but is also what I found refreshing, unique and peculiarly funny. At times it felt let a Kaurismaki film.