Ronin (Blu-ray SteelBook) (Zavvi Exclusive) [UK]

[lenticularis]

Release date: December 18, 2017 November 11, 2018
Purchase link: Zavvi (not live yet)
Price: £14.99 (TBC)

Spoiler

 

[steelbobawny]

Rubbish release would have had to be really good artwork to consider it, as the disc is going to be inferior soon, I'll be buying the Arrow Remaster that's coming out soon.

 

[eLviS1987]

Release date: December 18, 2017

 

[virkia]

Best option is to pick up this cleverly designed steelbook in a Zavvi sale for a tenner and then the Arrow release in one of HMV's "5 Arrow blus for 30 quid" and make the marriage. As least that's my plan (lol).

Definitely a cool design . . . with the blue, white and red colouring clearly meant to represent the French tri-colour which is of course the setting for the action.

Other more modern meanings for the word Ronin (trad: "masterless man, outcast, outlaw," 1871, from Japanese, from ro "wave" + nin "man." ) is - a college dropout or douchbag (Japan ) - and yet in the U.S. last year there were 600 baby boys named Ronin and 11 baby girls.

The Ronin influence can be seen in Hollywood films most recognisably in the iconic persona of Clint Eastwood as the travelling Ronin or "Man With No Name" - his "Fistful of Dollars" being a close re-make of "Yojimbo" (bodyguards) - not forgetting "The Magnificent Seven (Ronin)" remake of "The Seven Samurai".
In more modern times there's a character called Ronin voiced by Colin Farrell in the animated adventure "Epic", a Frank Miller written and drawn 1983 limited DC series "Ronin" and so on.

Not one on my favourite John Frankenheimer films by a long shot . . . especially when compared to his earlier stuff such as BIRDMAN OF ALCATRAZ, THE TRAIN, SEVEN DAYS IN MAY and last but certainly not least SECONDS.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
RE: ARROW AMARAY ARTWORK:-

Spoiler

Best artwork for the film is not from an original poster but *newly commissioned from *Jacob Phillips . . . used here for the alternate artwork on the upcoming Arrow release . . . with its cool perspective foreground of the three cars inversely balanced by three of the main characters in the drama (de Niro as the BMW E34 535i, Natascha McElhone as the Peugeot 406 and Jean Reno as the Citroen ZX) it's the best I've seen for the film

Product description - "Reversible sleeve featuring original and newly commissioned artwork"

Not surprised to see the cars in the foreground of the artwork as the famous car chase is just about the only reason to watch this . . . unlike the class act that is BULLITT which is so much more than its own justly famous car chase:-
Alternate newly commissioned artwork ............................................................................. Original poster design artwork . . .

* The U.S gets the newly commissioned art on a slipcover (v. cool!). U.K. also gets the slip (first pressing only?)

Best quote?

The other Jacob Phillips design for the RONIN Arrow release:-

Spoiler

 

[jailbird_joey]

Happy to be tipped off by this thread, about the Arrow amary release // cheers

 

[Noodles]

Decided to have a go at making a concept using one of the official posters... in hindsight I wish I would've used something different, as it looks a bit monotone overall. At least mine actually features the characters though I suppose.

 

[StifflersDad]

Decided to have a go at making a concept using one of the official posters... in hindsight I wish I would've used something different, as it looks a bit monotone overall. At least mine actually features the characters though I suppose.

View attachment 326382

I'd buy that in a heartbeat

 

[Steelselecta]

Fantastic film, shite steelbook!

What a wasted opportunity

 

[ariba266]

Decided to have a go at making a concept using one of the official posters... in hindsight I wish I would've used something different, as it looks a bit monotone overall. At least mine actually features the characters though I suppose.

View attachment 326382

Stunning

 

[TheHutt]

Decided to have a go at making a concept using one of the official posters...

Might not look as monotone with a red title, like on the official posters.

 

[ChrisIW]

It may look awful, but at least it's expensive.

 

[Noodles]

I'd buy that in a heartbeat

Stunning

Thank you both.

Might not look as monotone with a red title, like on the official posters.

Appreciate the feedback.

I did actually stick with red until the last minute when I changed it to white... the red stood out too much and distracted from the artwork IMO.

 

[SteelbookGenius666]

Decided to have a go at making a concept using one of the official posters... in hindsight I wish I would've used something different, as it looks a bit monotone overall. At least mine actually features the characters though I suppose.

View attachment 326382

Excellent mate, don't like digging people out but this concept makes a mockery out of @virkia early claim that there are zero posters to use to make a good steel for this film.

 

[Noodles]

Excellent mate, don't like digging people out but this concept makes a mockery out of @virkia early claim that there are zero posters to use to make a good steel for this film.

Thanks mate.

Yeah, the film has a few decent posters IMO... for a film from the 90s anyway lol.

 

[TheJoker]

Got the Arrow release on preorder, no need for this...
View attachment 325443

Now this is the artwork the steelbook should of had. Also with this being an Arrow release, the sleeve should be reversible to have alternate artwork. I didn't know that Arrow were doing a release, and short of Zavvi teaming up with @Noodles and using his artwork, I think I'll be skipping this steelbook for the Amaray release.

 

[BDDB]

This has to be a contender for worst Steelbook of the year.
The only way they could make it worse is if they print it out of focus, though that could be argued as an improvement.

 

[steelbobawny]

While were talking about the artwork I found some other artwork for this movie that exists, from one of my sources, yeah it's a pity what we ended up with for this release.

I put the image size down for the upload, anyone wants the full quality one just contact me.

 

[ariba266]

Is there a way to submit the Noodles concept to Zavvi so that they suggest it to MGM or to the water-filled head that has validated this thing?

 

[Noodles]

Is there a way to submit the Noodles concept to Zavvi so that they suggest it to MGM or to the water-filled head that has validated this thing?

I really appreciate the thought mate... Zavvi have seen my concept (they liked it on Twitter -- I also tagged MGM in it as well), but it's more than likely out of their hands, and I'm sure the process of getting this steelbook made is already underway.

 

[ariba266]

I really appreciate the thought mate... Zavvi have seen my concept (they liked it on Twitter -- I also tagged MGM in it as well), but it's more than likely out of their hands, and I'm sure the process of getting this steelbook made is already underway.

Maybe not, the release date is on December 18th. We can hope.

 

[Noodles]

Maybe not, the release date is on December 18th. We can hope.

I'm not sure how long the whole process takes (it probably varies), but I wouldn't be surprised if the artwork has already been submitted to Scanavo and is on their schedule to be made in time for release... I'd love to be proven wrong though and see a change in artwork, but dreams very rarely come true lol.