I’ve been wanting to see the 87-minute documentary on “The Making of Tampopo” ever since I first read of its existence perhaps fifteen years ago. And now – or soon, anyway – I can. A German special edition Blu-ray of “Tampopo” by the fantastic director Jûzô Itami has been released that includes it. I checked to be sure and it does have English subtitles on the disc, not just German. I found out about it while idly reviewing search results for “Tampopo” shortly after I watched it yet again last night.
Here’s the trailer for the film, which was first released 30 years ago in Japan:
I just ordered the new Blu-ray release from a fellow in Germany, but I’ll have to wait a while before viewing it. While my current internationally modified (read: electronics hacked) LG Blu-ray player can play all DVD regions and convert PAL/SECAM to NTSC, it can only play Blu-ray discs for Zone A; this disc is Zone B. I just found a modified Samsung all-region DVD, all-zone Blu-ray player with PAL/SECAM converter; support for DLNA/NAS/Internet play and search; data discs on CD/DVD/BD-R; support for AVI, WMV, MP4, MKV, MP3, and other files; and DivX, Xvid, WM9, and other formats. All for US$20 less than my modified LG player cost four years ago, but I will resist the temptation to use credit and again practice delayed gratification until I have the cash to get it – possibly in the next two to six weeks.
“Tampopo”, the only film I’ve watched more times than “2001: A Space Odyssey” – that equates to ‘a heckuva lot’ – for the first time in full high definition and with dts-HD audio, plus its “making of” documentary…it’s a dream come true.
Just spent an excellent evening watching Tampopo; wish I could return to Japan and eat another bowl of noodles.
[…] just watched the 90-minute “Making of Tampopo” documentary and thoroughly enjoyed seeing how thoroughly enjoyable the film was for its […]
Is The alternate cover any better?
A 2006 or so K.Watanabe seems so weird.
The only alternate cover I’ve seen is even stranger, having nothing whatsoever to do with the film:
Does the German Blu Ray have the final scene involving the businessmen at lunch, after the film finishes with the spaghetti scene, and shows them leaving the dining room with the young man who was at the back of the group and who carried all the briefcases into the dining room leading the group out of the dining room, as the clear leader? This scene is missing from every version of Tampopo I’ve been able to find.
Sorry to say that it segues from the pasta-eating lesson to the room service delivery & shenanigans and then to the tour of ramen shops. You never see the red-faced businessmen again. (I never even noticed their bright red makeup until this Blu-ray came along, by the way.)