I own a movie thats never been commercially released???

So I was just bored today and decided to google a movie I watched a while ago that I own on dvd... turns out according to wikipedia this movie has never been "commercially released". https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Japan_Japan#Production.

I'm 90% sure I bought this from Amazon years ago https://www.amazon.com/Japan-Imri-Kahn/dp/B001PM106U (even though for some reason it isnt in my order history???) ...do I own a dvd that has been "distributed through the underground network of illegal art distribution"?? Im so confused.

I'm not an expert on the legalities of unreleased DVDs, so take this information with a grain of salt, but I sell collectibles at comic conventions, and I know several vendors who make a living selling DVDs of unreleased movies and TV shows.

My understanding is that there's a fine line between what these vendors are allowed to sell and what they're not allowed to sell. While the DVDs might technically be illegal, some companies look the other way at DVDs of unreleased movies and TV shows, and allow them to be sold because they consider these DVDs to be a form of advertising.

I've had vendors give me DVDs for free at the end of a convention because they found out that an official DVD release of a movie or TV show was announced, and they won't be allowed to sell it at the next show, so they just give away what they have left of that title to the other vendors to get rid of it before the official release.

So while the DVD that you have might technically be illegal, that doesn't necessarily mean that the company that owns the rights to it cares that it's out there for people to buy.

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Very interesting. Thanks for the response.

So correct me if Im wrong, but are you saying its possible that the dvd I have is just something some person decided to make themselves? Like they had a digital copy (eg. mp4 file) of the film and then burned(?) it onto dvd discs, created art work for it to have on the dvd case, then sold it either directly on Amazon or sold/gave it to other people (who eventually sold it on Amazon)?

And to clarify, my concern isnt really whether or not my dvd is illegal and what kind of consequences that could have on me, my concern is I would prefer to only have legit official dvds in my dvd collection. Or at the very least I want to know which ones are official and which ones arent.

I have another, specific detail about this issue to ask but I dont have the time at the moment to think and explain it properly- Ill ask it later.

I did just see this quote from the director's website:

https://liorshamriz.com/japan-japan/

"*** AVOID the Japan Japan DVD which is sold in the U.S. The distributor stretched the image in the process of creating the DVD. ***"

Which I think is Water Bearer Films? I also found this: https://web.archive.org/web/20101024...apanjapan.aspx

Seems like maybe wikipedia is wrong? Seems like it was sold by a distrubitor.

Yes, it could be just an mp4 file that was burned onto a DVD, and sold with artwork in a DVD case.

There are a lot of these types of DVDs out there, but very often, they are low quality copies. They are usually, (but not always), listed as Region 0 DVDs, so they should be able to play in any region DVD player.

There are even websites that specialize in these types of DVDs. They are usually listed as either "Rare" or "Hard to Find" DVDs because they have not been officially released.

What do you think about what I found that I shared on the post under the one you replied to?

I'm not familiar with this specific title, but it's possible that Wikipedia is wrong. They mention a distributor, so it seems that somebody has the rights to distribute it in the U.S.

Usually DVDs that are "gray-area" DVDs are lower quality images and region 0 discs. Those are things that you can look for on the DVD that you have.

Another indication of a "gray-area" DVD is that they tend to lack a good menu when the disc loads, and rarely have any special features like commentary, featurettes, or even just a trailer for the movie.

Also, check the quality of the cover art. If it looks like it could have been printed on a home printer instead of a high quality commercial printer, that could be another indication of a "gray-area" DVD.

mmm well the thing I used to play dvds recently broke so Id have to get a new one first but the back cover does say "Extras: Deleted Scenes, Interactive Menu, Wide Screen" I cant find a region indicator though. It also says in fine print "Package design Copyright @ 2009 Water Bearer Flims, Inc. All Right Reserved, including artwork, printed matter and promotional material. Unauthorized duplication is a criminal violation of Federal Copyright laws. No right of commercial exhibition or performance is granted by the sale or purchase of this video cassette. INTENDED FOR PRIVATE USE ONLY. Retail and wholesale distribution exclusively through Water Bearer Films, Inc. and its legally authorized agents or distributors." Theres also a barcode?

In terms of the cover art...it looks fine i guess? The front cover art looks decent but theres a small image of the main actor on the back thats fuzzy.

Based on the wording on the back cover, and especially the barcode, it sounds like it's probably an official release.

What could be the possible reason?

Paanch
https://m.imdb.com/title/tt0356982/?ref_=nv_sr_srsg_0



The filmmaker went to make several films, including the magnum opus Gangs of Wasseypur, which Scorsese deems as one of his favourite movies.


But his movie Paanch was never released officially. Most of people have watched the pirated version, which the director himself leaked.