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"We Are X" DVD release confirmed

Kurenai_Akari · 16109

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Offline magucathy

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Reply #60 on: May 27, 2017, 07:44:10 PM
It looks nice! I need to order it soon.  ;D
It's good that you received it today, you will have the whole weekend to watch it! Have fun.  8)



Offline Kurenai

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Reply #61 on: May 30, 2017, 10:43:44 AM
I'm thinking of buying this movie and I have a few questions for anyone who has already seen it (sorry if any of these has been asked before):

1. Is there anything new or interesting for longtime fans of X or is this more of a movie that introduces the band to new fans (things we already know)?

2. Any rare photos/footage that we've never seen?

3. How long do the other band members (other than Yoshiki) speak for? Because if this movie is 90% Yoshiki talking about himself and being dramatic, then I don't want to buy it lol

4. Does the movie go into depth about each band members' history? I really want to know more about the lives of hide, Taiji, Pata, Heath, Toshi and even Sugizo before they joined X Japan and there is hardly any information about them online. I want to get to know them better.



Teemeah

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Reply #62 on: May 30, 2017, 01:48:31 PM
They are not talking about the members' personal lives or history. This is not that kind of documentary, it would have been only released on DVD then and no need to put it in the movie theatres because nobody would watch except hardcore fans, if you go into details of the lives of 7 unknown Japanese guys... It would have been pretty boring to regular moviegoers or film festival audiences - and this movie was clearly aimed at keeping moviegoers in their seats.

It's more like a dramatic movie, centered around Yoshiki and the various losses he experienced, hide's death, Toshi's departure and how the band came back together. There is nothing about Pata or Heath or Taiji's childhood or anything like that. They give short interviews in the movie, like, really short. Kijak said that they were pretty reclusive (Pata and Heath) and they didnt want to go for the very formal Japanese interpretation. The DVD has extra interviews with the members included.

The film itself is rather visual, and very much dramatic, slated to invoke sympathy and curiosity from viewers. I don't think you will learn a lot from it if you are a long time fan. There are some bts scenes of the Madison Square Garden concert and they visit hide and Taiji's gravesite. Other musicians and celebrities talk about X and Yoshiki (Marilyn Manson, Stan Lee, Richard Fortus, Gene Simmons, Sir George Martin). There's color footage of hide's funeral.

It's more like telling X's story through Yoshiki's life and that makes sense for this kind of movie, as this was clearly aimed at an international (and new) audience, it's not your average documentary about "they released Blue Blood in 1989 and went on a tour in XYZ cities" type of documentary. Not chronological, and gives little statistics or dry facts. It's more about the emotions than anything else. But it is visually amazing, very well put together, relatable, and if you are sentimental like me, it's gonna make you cry several times. They integrated X's music very well and based on what I read from critics, it pretty much succeeds in introducing this largely unknown band to the West, with pretty high conversion rates of "new fans" :) That was the goal I think. Maybe we will get a "normal" X Japan documentary later, aimed at fans' curiosity, who knows.

They did use some nice unique footages from Yoshiki's personal archive. :)

(On a sidenote, Pata and Heath were never really very open about their lives, childhood or anything, I don't see why they would suddenly open up for a docu crew... Sugizo's life is pretty well documented, check his Wikipedia page ;) his autobio book also talks a large portion of his childhood, though I could not find an English translation, I read the Russian translation of some of the chapters.)



Offline returner

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Reply #63 on: May 30, 2017, 05:56:37 PM
They are not talking about the members' personal lives or history... except for Yoshiki. They go into his childhood and why he got into rock and how he met Toshi and everything. They do touch lightly on Toshi but barely on hide. They touch more on Taiji than hide, perhaps due to the fued between Taiji and Yoshiki. The band does acknowledge Taiji and Yoshiki's troubles.

Even though it is 90% about Yoshiki's struggles (they even interview his mom and follow him to the doctor) the movie itself does share things fans have never seen before. It also shows the band interacting in a real way, like when they're all gathered around a negative American news article and Sugizo asks if it has to do with racism.

I still recommend it but since it does go against what you're hoping to see, maybe buy and then watch it on a day when you're hopelessly bored/tired and shut in. You'll be more apt to accept the storyline as is that way.
« Last Edit: May 30, 2017, 05:59:14 PM by returner »

We are not trying to keep the legacy—we are trying to move forward, so our sound is going to change. I’m ready to be criticized, for example by fans saying "you should rather be this style." I’m ready for it, I’m okay with any concept of criticism-Yoshiki


Teemeah

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Reply #64 on: May 30, 2017, 08:44:58 PM
It also shows the band interacting in a real way, like when they're all gathered around a negative American news article and Sugizo asks if it has to do with racism.

wow then this version is a different cut from what has been shown in London (I've seen that one and there was no such scene in it...).

I can't wait to watch the bluray as soon as I can.



Offline AsukaMiyu

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Reply #65 on: May 30, 2017, 08:54:04 PM
Ah yeah the Wembley version was lacking quite some stuff! I watched it again at the cinema with a friend the day after the concert and we were wondering whether this or that was shown or not. Since they had to shorten it they cut some stuff that wasn't so important in the flow of the movie I guess.

Anywaaaay, Kurenai, I was really really sceptical of the movie as I was annoyed about how yoshiki-centric it seemed to be. But when seeing it I didn't mind it at all actually. Yoshiki's interviews are way more annoying then what he says in the movie. :P I really enjoyed the movie and can only recommend it, at least if it's not too much troube to get your hands on it! (The DVD on amazon is quite cheap)

...When the morning begins
I'll be in the next chapter...


Offline returner

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Reply #66 on: June 01, 2017, 05:13:13 AM
wow then this version is a different cut from what has been shown in London (I've seen that one and there was no such scene in it...).

I can't wait to watch the bluray as soon as I can.

That's too bad  :-\ I watched one of the earlier showings... the SXSW one. It's had a lot of changes since then according to what I've heard from other fans.

I believe I watched the same version that won them their award at Sundance.

We are not trying to keep the legacy—we are trying to move forward, so our sound is going to change. I’m ready to be criticized, for example by fans saying "you should rather be this style." I’m ready for it, I’m okay with any concept of criticism-Yoshiki


Offline Guruxo

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Reply #67 on: June 02, 2017, 02:16:25 PM
I saw the UK cinema version and the Wembley version... I'll definitely buy the DVD to see what scenes I missed out on



Teemeah

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Reply #68 on: June 03, 2017, 10:18:41 AM
Watched it last night. I say, definitely a must watch, even for hardcore fans who know every tidbit of info. There are some really nice exclusive shots from the past, too, and while the member interviews are really standard ones, nothing special, it's nice to hear them talk and we get to know some new facts of Heath :P Pata is very untalkative and his answers are mostly like yes, no and I don't remember. Man, he really needs to quit boozing, he looked totally unfocused. Yoshiki also visits the X Museum, maintained by fans, and you can see some early equipments and photos and props from their very beginnings. My favourite part was when Yoshiki said, "I created a stronger Yoshiki and I'm performing him daily". If there is something you can take away from this movie is that Yoshiki is one incredibly lonely soul, entirely shut into his own world of memories and addicted to pain. I seriously just wanted to hug someone and cry after finishing the movie. On the upside, there are close-up shots of his butt in the Lynch BTS video. LOL. :D That was... incredible to watch in HD. :DDDD



Offline magucathy

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Reply #69 on: June 14, 2017, 09:00:01 PM
Yes, I know, I am a little bit late. I received the special edition bluray from amazon UK yesterday.
I have watched the film but haven't manage to watch the Bonus yet.
I cannot tell what is the difference between this version and the one they shown in Wembley - I think I was too high and excited to remember anything.  ;D

My hubby is not a fan at all. He sat next to me with his iPad while I was watching the film. He was not really watching the film but he said Yoshiki is such a crazy and messed up guy, and the film is very depressing.
 



Offline Kurenai_Akari

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Reply #70 on: June 14, 2017, 09:19:45 PM
Ah, are we doing reactions from our significant others? Well, I got my boyfriend to watch/listen to the movie the week I my DVD was released. He knew some things about the band & Yoshiki in general from my hearsay & I think he thought that movie was okay. I think the most notable reactions were a confused expression over seeing Yoshiki's butt on the David Lynch video & irritated was with hide's funeral & the fact that fans had killed themselves.