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1973 anime ‘Belladonna of Sadness’ to be restored in 4K and released theatrically in US for the first time

1973 anime ‘Belladonna of Sadness’ to be restored in 4K and released theatrically in US for the first time

Belladonna of Sadness © Cinelicious Pics

The history of anime films is a rich and varied one that has gone back for decades. One of the most notable entries in the genre is the 1973 film Belladonna of Sadness, also known as Kanashimi no Belladonna. The film, which was the third entry in the adult-oriented Animerana trilogy and was adapted from the 1862 novel La Sorciere, never received theatrical distribution in the US during its year of release, leading to American fans only being able to watch poor duplicated versions that failed to display the scope of the film.

Now, however, the film will finally be making its way to US screens following a 4K restoration using the original 35mm camera negatives and sound elements. The restoration was done by Cinelicious pics following a viewing of one such duplicate by Cinelicious President Paul Korver and company EVP Dennis Bartok, who then tracked down the rights holders and conducted the restoration in-house. The film will play at a number of film festivals next year, which will be followed by a theatrical, VOD, and Blu-ray release in 2016, marking the film’s official US release, over 40 years after its debut.

Here’s a trailer for the film from 1973.

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