Digital Meme offers digitized masterpieces of Japanese silent film, classic anime, and documentaries on DVD, equipped with subtitles in English, Japanese, Chinese, Korean, and other languages.

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Digital Meme to Release Masterpieces of Japanese Silent Films on DVD

Digital Meme has news that is sure to excite film aficionados around the world. We will soon release Talking Silents, our long-awaited next series of products, featuring masterpieces of Japanese silent films. In Japan, silent films were not really "silent." Back in the age of silent films, the movie theaters in Japan fascinated audiences with exciting performances in which screenings were accompanied by live music and Benshi narration. Through its new DVD product Talking Silents Digital Meme brings back to life this unique Japanese cultural heritage in a digital format.

¥4,980 (excluding tax) / ¥5,229 (with tax)

• Taki no Shiraito (Water Magician)
  Produced by Irie Production, 1933
  98 minutes / 24 fps
  Cast: Takako Irie, Tokihiko Okada, Ichiro Sugai
  
  
• Tokyo Koshinkyoku (Tokyo March)
  Produced by Nikkatsu Uzumasa, 1929 
  28 minutes / 24 fps
  Cast: Shizue Natsukawa, Reiji Ichiki, Isamu Kosugi
  Comment on the film by Mr. Tadao Sato (Film Critic)

• Orizuru Osen (The Downfall of Osen)
  Produced by Daiichi Eiga, 1935
  90 minutes / 24 fps
  Cast: Isuzu Yamada, Daijiro Natsukawa, Ichiro Yoshizawa
  
  
• Tojin Okichi
  Produced by Nikkatsu Uzumasa, 1930
  4 minutes / 24 fps
  Cast: Yoko Umemura
  Comment on the film by Mr. Tadao Sato (Film Critic)

• Orochi (Serpent)
  Produced by Bantsuma Production, 1925
  74 minutes / 24 fps
  Directed by Buntaro Futagawa
  Cast: Tsumasaburo Bando, Misao Seki, Utako Tamaki
  
  
• Gyakuryu (Backward Flow)
  Produced by Toatojiin, 1924
  28 minutes / 16 fps
  Directed by Buntaro Futagawa
  Cast: Tsumasaburo Bando, Benisaburo Kataoka, Teruko Makino
  Comment on the film by Mr. Tadao Sato (Film Critic)

• Koina no Ginpei, Yuki no Wataridori (Koina no Ginpei, Migratory Snowbird)
  Produced by Bantsuma Production, 1931
  60 minutes / 24 fps
  Directed by Tomikazu Miyata
  Cast: Tsumasaburo Bando, Kikuya Okada, Reiko Mochizuki
  
  
• Kosuzume Toge (Kosuzume Pass)
  Produced by Makino Tojiin, 1923
  39 minutes / 16 fps
  Directed by Koroku Numata
  Cast: Banya Ichikawa, Shinpei Takagi, Tsumasaburo Bando
  Comment on the film by Mr. Tadao Sato (Film Critic)

• Kurama Tengu
  Produced by Arakan Production, 1928
  71 minutes / 24 fps
  Directed by Teppei Yamaguchi
  Cast: Kanjuro Arashi, Takesaburo Nakamura,
  Reizaburo Yamamoto, Kunie Gomi and Keiichi Arashi
  
  
• Kurama Tengu Kyofu Jidai (The Frightful Era of Kurama Tengu)
  Produced by Arakan Production, 1928
  38 minutes / 16 fps
  Directed by Teppei Yamaguchi
  Cast: Kanjuro Arashi, Reizaburo Yamamoto, Kunie Gomi and Keiichi Arashi
  Comment on the film by Mr. Tadao Sato (Film Critic)

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Talking Silents 6: Nishikie Edosugata Hatamoto to Machiyakko (The Color Print of Edo: Hatamoto to Machiyakko) and Dokuro (Skull) starring Utaemon Ichikawa

• The Color Print of Edo: Hatamoto to Machiyakko (1939, Shinko Kinema, 65 min.)
  Directed by Kazuo Mori
  Cast: Utaemon Ichikawa, Yaeko Kumoi, Shinpachiro Asaka, Wakako Kunitomo
  
  
• Skull (1927, Ichikawa Utaemon Production, 32 min.)
  Directed by Sentaro Shirai
  Cast: Utaemon Ichikawa, Kokuten Takado, Ritsuko Niizuma
  Comment on the film by Mr. Tadao Sato (Film Critic)

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Talking Silents 7: Starring Denjiro Okochi
Oatsurae Jirokichi Koshi (Jirokichi the Rat) and Yajikita Sonno no Maki, Toba Fushimi no Maki (Yaji and Kita Yasuda’s Rescue, The Battle of Toba Fushimi)

• Oatsurae Jirokichi Koshi (1931, Nikkatsu, 61 min.)
  Directed by Daisuke Ito
  Cast: Denjiro Okochi, Naoe Fushimi, Nobuko Fushimi, Minoru Takase
  
  
• Yajikita Sonno no Maki (1927, Nikkatsu, 15 min.)
  Directed by Tomiyasu Ikeda
  Cast: Goro Kawabe, Denjiro Okochi
  
  
• Yajikita Toba Fushimi no Maki (1928, Nikkatsu, 8 min.)
  Directed by Tomiyasu Ikeda
  Cast: Goro Kawabe, Denjiro Okochi
  Comment on the film by Mr. Tadao Sato (Film Critic)

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Talking Silents 8 Directed by Torajiro Saito

• Kodakara Sodo (1935, Shochiku Kamata, 33 min.)
  Directed by Torajiro Saito
  Cast: Shigeru Ogura, Yaeko Izumo
  


• Akeyuku Sora (1929, Shochiku Kamata, 71 min.)
  Directed by Torajiro Saito
  Cast: Yoshiko Kawada, Mitsuko Takao
  Comment on the film by Mr. Tadao Sato (Film Critic)

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Talking Silents 9 Directed by Masahiro Makino

• Roningai Dai Ichiwa (1928, Makino Production, 8 min.)
  Directed by Masahiro Makino
  Cast: Komei Minami, Juro Tanizaki, Toichiro Negishi
  


• Roningai Dai Niwa (1929, Makino Production, 72 min.)
  Directed by Masahiro Makino
  Cast: Komei Minami, Hiroshi Tsumura, Toichiro Negishi
  
  
• Sozenji Baba (1928, Makino Production, 32 min.)
  Directed by Masahiro Makino
  Cast: Komei Minami, Shinpei Takagi, Toroku Makino
  Comment on the film by Mr. Tadao Sato (Film Critic)

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Talking Silents 10 Directed by Shozo Makino

• Jitsuroku Chushingura (Chushingura: The Truth)
  Produced by Makino Production, 1928, 64 min.
  Directed by Shozo Makino
  Cast: Yoho Ii, Tsuzuya Moroguchi, Kobunji Ichikawa, Yotaro Katsumi
  


• Raiden
  Produced by Makino Production, 1928, 18 min.
  Directed by Shozo Makino
  Cast: Toichiro Negishi, Arata Kaneko, Masahiro Makino
  Comment on the film by Mr. Tadao Sato (Film Critic)

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Japanese Anime Classic Collection [4-DVD box set]
(Japan, 2007, DVD. All regions. NTSC. In Japanese, with available Japanese, English, Chinese, and Korean subtitles.)

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» Comment on the film by Mr. Tadao Sato (Film critic)

• Product Format: Box set collection of 4 DVDs
• Total number of titles: 55
• Language: Japanese
• Subtitles: Japanese, English, Chinese, Korean
• Region code: All regions
• DVD Format: NTSC
• Production: Digital Meme
• Copyright: Digital Meme
• Price: ¥12,800 (approx. US$128)

This four-DVD set of vintage anime presents 55 titles from the 1920s and 1930s, the Golden Age of Japanese silent film. With unprecedented multilingual translation, this collection is the first to offer international audiences many of these classic anime as they were originally experienced by Japanese viewers, with accompanying benshi narration. Entertaining, exciting, and startling, the collection will be treasured by enthusiasts and researchers as a valuable tool for retracing Japanese animation from its earliest roots.

Special features include:

• Live narration on many titles by such beloved benshi as Midori Sawato
• A rare opportunity to compare two separate benshi performances on a single title, Danemon’s Monster Hunt at Shojoji
• A collection of “record talkies,” anime that came to theaters together with a gramophone record to provide a simultaneous audio track with music, voice, and effects … now synchronized with the film.

Bantsuma: The Life of Tsumasaburo Bando [DVD]

• Language: Japanese
• Subtitles: Japanese/English
• Region code: All regions
• NTSC
• Price: 3,980 yen
• ©Digital Meme
• Planning/Production: Digital Meme

• Bantsuma Digital Album, with over a hundred photographs, posters, and memorabilia
• An accompanying booklet with an essay by famed benshi Midori Sawato
• Interviews with directors Daisuke Ito and Hiroshi Inagaki, fencing coach Ryu Kuze, and actors Takahiro Tamura, Shizuko Mori, and Utako Tamaki
• Produced by Matsuda Film Productions
• Producer/Director: Shunsui Matsuda
• Planning/Interviewer: Tadao Sato

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