Bohachi Bushido: Code Of The Forgotten Eight DVD (NTSC Region 1)

Bohachi Bushido: Code Of The Forgotten Eight DVD (NTSC Region 1)
Japanese cult movie guru Teruo Ishii (HORROR OF MALFORMED MEN; BLIND WOMAN’S CURSE) directs this deranged, over-the-top adaptation from the original manga by Kazuo Koike (creator of LONE WOLF AND CUB, LADY SNOWBLOOD and RAZOR HANZO) about a privileged samurai gang in charge of recruiting women for prostitution in old Edo’s pleasure quarter. It’s a perfect match for unapologetically decadent, phantasmagorical, softcore sex and bloody, sword-swinging sadism. Fascinating, brilliant and amoral, a tour through an ancient subculture obsessed with cruel, violent death and cruel, violent sex. Tetsuro Tanba (ZERO WOMAN: RED HANDCUFFS, YOU ONLY LIVE TWICE) is a standout as the hardboiled mercenary swordsman caught in the middle between the sex slave business, the corrupt Shogunate and rival gangs. When he goes into action, blood sprays, and heads and limbs fly. Mesmerizing entertainment.

47 Ronin DVD (Kon Ichikawa) (NTSC Region 1)

47 Ronin DVD (Kon Ichikawa) (NTSC Region 1)
When a beloved feudal lord is forced to commit seppuku (ritual suicide) for assaulting a rude court official, 47 of his loyal retainers vow to avenge his death for the sake of honor. After patiently waiting and planning for over a year, they launch an epic assault that culminates in a final act of vengeance and, inevitably, their own inescapable demise.

• NTSC Region 1
• Japanese with English Subtitles

Oppai Chanbara: Striptease Samurai Squad (2008, DVD Review)

aka Chanbara Striptease
Director Akira Hirose
Cast: Ryo Akanishi, Shouichi Matsuda, Ruru Anoa, Sasa Handa
Tokyo Shock / Region 1 / Unrated / 1.78:1 widescreen / Dolby Digital Stereo Japanese / English subtitles / 67 minutes
Extras: Trailers
——————-
I keep my expectations of movies that are obvious gimmicks in check the best I can, though sometimes I’m sucked in by my dumb curiosity. Oppai Chanbara: Striptease Samurai Squad is a lower class version of Onechanbara: Bikini Samurai Squad, a zombie/samurai action fest, based on the popular video game. Though Onechanbara was a simple and predictable film, it managed to serve up fun action, zombies, and cool chicks scantily dressed and wielding sharp swords and guns. Piece-of-cake formula. So how can a spin-off with similar simple aspirations fail? Well…

Shinsengumi

It is 1863. The arrival of Commander Perry's Black Ships have forced the already-feeble Shogunate to open Japan to western trade. Rebellious Daimyo, seeing a chance to seize power, are campaigning for the restoration of Emperor to a position of actual power (with them, of course, providing “guidance”).

Sword and Desperation

He was sentenced not to death, but to life

Expert swordsman KANEMI Sanzaemon is, first and foremost, a man of principle. In order to save his clan from the corrupting influence of his lord's favorite concubine, he publicly assassinates her, fully expecting it will result in his own death by seppuku.

Instead, he is sentenced to solitary confinement for an entire year, then released under one inexplicable condition: he must now serve as the lord's bodyguard.

Sanjuro (1962) - Akira Kurosawa

Language: Japanese (English srt subtitles included)

Country: Japan

Genre: Action | Adventure | Comedy | Drama

Director: Akira Kurosawa

Starring: Toshiro Mifune, Tatsuya Nakadai, Keiju Kobayashi, Yuzo Kayama

Synopsis: Toshiro Mifune swaggers and snarls to brilliant comic effect in Akira Kurosawa’s tightly paced, beautifully composed Sanjuro. In this sly companion piece to Yojimbo, jaded samurai Sanjuro helps an idealistic group of young warriors weed out their clan’s evil influences, and in the process turns their image of a “proper” samurai on its ear. Less brazen in tone than its predecessor but equally entertaining, this classic character’s return is a masterpiece in its own right.

Shoretsu shinsengumi - bakumatsu no doran: Shinsengumi – Last days of the shogunate (1960) - Ko Sasaki

Movie Info:
Director: Ko Sasaki
Cast: Chiezô Kataoka, Tomisaburô Wakayama, Yataro Kurokawa, Sentaro Fushimi, Kusuo Abe
Original Title: Shoretsu shinsengumi - bakumatsu no doran
Production Country: Japan 1960

Review:
From its earliest beginnings as a group of ronin brought from Edo to protect the Shogun when he is in Kyoto to see His Imperial ighness, the group had to face difficulties both from within and without. Commander Serizawa Kamo's corrupt practices threaten the group's very existence, as they try to recover from the bad reputation he left them with. Their redemption comes when they learn of Katsura Kogoro plans to gather men at Kyoto's Ikedeya Inn for his attack on the city. Along with Hijikata Toshizo and Okita Soji, Kondo leads the group in an attempt to save Japan from the rebels.

ODA NOBUNAGA-THE LUCKY ADVENTURER

Oda Nobunaga (1534–1582) was a major daimyo during the Warring State period of Japanese history. He was the second son of Oda Nobuhide, a deputy military governor with land holdings in Owari province. Nobunaga lived a life of continuous military conquest, eventually conquering a third of Japanese daimyo before his death in 1582. Telling the story of his rise to prominence as he leads an army of 4,000 men against the 40,000 troops of Lord Imagawa Yoshimoto to prevent the arrogant daimyo from crushing the Oda clan and taking control of the entire nation. From a newly restored anamorpic widescreen print, this is the ultimate warlord movie.

EPIC CHUSHINGURA BOX SET 1 Discs 1-6 EPIC CHUSHINGURA BOX 1 (Daichushingura Episodes 1-12) 1971

EPIC CHUSHINGURA (Daichushingura) is a television dramatization of the events of the 47 Ronin. The first episode aired on January 5, 1971, and the 52nd and final episode appeared on December 28 of the same year. The NET network broadcast it in the Tuesday evening 9:00–9:56 prime-time slot in Japan.

The series featured an all-star cast. The central actor was MIFUNE Toshiro, who portrayed Oishi Kuranosuke; with TSUKASA Yoko as his wife Riku; ONOE Kikunosuke as Asano Takumi-no-kami.

KAGERO (Shimmering Heat) 1990

One of the last works by Master filmmaker, Gosha Hideo, this tale of a Lady Gambler and her epic game of chance with the mysterious expert 'Unmovable Tsune' puts her life on the line. As with all of Gosha's films there is intrigue, betrayal, sex, and awesome violence. Nakadai Tatsuya is perfect in his role, hiding a secret that can make his life a fiery Hell, and threatens to take everyone else with him! The beautiful Higuchi Kaneko is the star, though, giving a performance for the ages as she searches for vengeance while helping her brother fight off the Yakuza who have taken over the town.

ZATO ICHI'S PILGRIMAGE

When Zato Ichi goes to Shikoku on a pilgrimage to visit the 88 shrines on that island, he is forced against his will to take up the sword. An expert in the crossbow wants a match with the blind swordsman. How Ichi contends with this most dangerous weapon is one of the highlights of this great film. Injured, and needing help, Ichi must then protect the sister of a man he killed… even though she has attacked him in the past. Shades of High Noon in this exciting film as the village is terrorized by gangsters running wild.

Starring: KATSU Shintaro
YASUDA Michiyo, TANAKA Kunie, YAMAGATA Isao

Directed by: IKEHIRO Kazuo

Samurai III - Duel at Ganryu Island

"Samurai III - Duel at Ganryu Island" 1956 Directed by Hiroshi Inagaki In the final part of this samurai trilogy, Miyamoto resolves the personal and professional tensions in his life, confronting the emotional pain of the two women who love him and the roguish swordsman who challenges his domain. With Toshiro Mifune, Koji Tsuruta, Kaoru Uashigusa and Takashi Shimura. Japanese with English subtitles. 105 minutes.

Samurai II - Duel at Ichijoji Temple

"Samurai II - Duel at Ichijoji Temple" 1955 Directed by Hiroshi Inagaki In the second part, Miyamoto's technical skills are perfected and his transformation to savage warrior is complete. He undergoes a mythic spiritual quest for inner harmony, disrupted by the presence of a rival samurai and the loss of the woman he loved. With Toshiro Mifune, Koji Tsurata and Sachio Sakai. Japanese with English subtitles. 102 minutes.

Samurai I - Musashi Miyamoto

"Samurai I - Musashi Miyamoto" 1955 Directed by Hiroshi Inagaki The first part of Hiroshi Inagaki's trilogy about Japan's most notorious 17th century swordfighter, Mushashi Miyamoto (Toshiro Mifune), details his odyssey from farmer to disaffected killer. Having fought on the losing side during the civil war, he returns as a manic outlaw caught between his feelings for a beautiful village girl and a sympathetic Buddhist priest. "The beauty of wooded sequences, several mass battle scenes and other settings is extraordinary" (Variety). With Rentaro Mikuni, Karuo Yashigusa and Koji Tsurato. Japanese with English subtitles. 92 minutes.

Throne of Blood

"Throne of Blood" 1957 Directed by Akira Kurosawa Kurosawa's brilliant interpretation of Shakespeare's Macbeth shifts the action to 16th century feudal Japan, where a samurai is motivated by his ambitious wife and spirit to kill his friend. The movie balances stylized action and movement of the Noh theater with the intensity of the American western. Kurosawa and cinematographer Asaichi Nakai create a foreboding atmosphere in the castles and landscape. With Toshiro Mifune, Isuzu Yamada and Minoru Chiaki. Japanese with English subtitles. 110 minutes.

The Seven Samurai

"The Seven Samurai" 1954 Directed by Akira Kurosawa Set in medieval Japan, Kurosawa's epic centers on a group of impoverished peasants who enlist the protection of seven unemployed samurai to defend their property and harvest from the brutal bandits who terrorize their village. The film is groundbreaking for its visual intensity, stylistic command of movement, space and action, and its expressive emotional range and social criticism. The battle sequences are frightening, devastating and eerie. Cinematography by Asaichi Nakai. With Takashi Shimura, Yoshio Inaba and Toshiro Mifune. Japanese with English subtitles. 208 minutes.

Kagemusha (1980)

SYNOPSIS: When a warlord dies, a peasant thief is called upon to impersonate him, and then finds himself haunted by the warlord’s spirit as well as his own ambitions. In his late, color masterpiece Kagemusha, Akira Kurosawa returns to the samurai film and to a primary theme of his career—the play between illusion and reality. Sumptuously reconstructing the splendor of feudal Japan and the pageantry of war, Kurosawa creates a historical epic that is also a meditation on the nature of power.

AVAILABLE IN DOUBLE-DVD AND BLU-RAY SPECIAL EDITIONS:

• Restored high-definition digital transfer (with DTS-HD Master Audio 4.0 soundtrack on Blu-ray edition)
• Audio commentary by Kurosawa scholar Stephen Prince
• Lucas, Coppola, and Kurosawa, a 19-minute interview piece in which directors George Lucas and Francis Ford Coppola discuss Kurosawa and Kagemusha
• A 41-minute documentary on the making of the film
• Image: Kurosawa’s Continuity, a 44-minute video piece reconstructing Kagemusha through Kurosawa’s paintings and sketches
• Suntory Whiskey commercials made on the set of Kagemusha
• Gallery of storyboards painted by Kurosawa and images of their realization on-screen
• Theatrical trailers and teasers
• PLUS: A 48-page booklet featuring an essay by scholar Peter Grilli, an interview with Kurosawa by renowned critic Tony Rayns, and biographical sketches by Japanese film historian Donald Richie (NOTE: Richie’s piece not included in Blu-ray edition)

Ran (The Criterion Collection) (1985)

SYNOPSIS: With Ran, legendary director Akira Kurosawa reimagines Shakespeare’s King Lear as a singular historical epic set in sixteenth-century Japan. Majestic in scope, the film is Kurosawa’s late-life masterpiece, a profound examination of the folly of war and the crumbling of one family under the weight of betrayal, greed, and the insatiable thirst for power.

Disc Features
New, restored high-definition digital transfer
Audio commentary featuring film scholar Stephen Prince
An appreciation of the film by director Sidney Lumet
A.K., a 74-minute film by director Chris Marker
A 30-minute documentary on the making of Ran, from the Toho Masterworks series Akira Kurosawa: It Is Wonderful to Create
A 35-minute video piece reconstructing Ran through Kurosawa’s paintings and sketches, created as part of the series Image: Kurosawa’s Continuity
Video interview with actor Tatsuya Nakadai
Theatrical trailers
New and improved English subtitle translation
Plus: A booklet featuring an essay by critic Michael Wilmington and interviews with Kurosawa and composer Toru Takemitsu




Japan
1985
160 minutes
Color
1.85:1
Japanese

Spine #316

Throne of Blood

SYNOPSIS: One of the most celebrated screen adaptations of Shakespeare into film, Akira Kurosawa’s Throne of Blood reimagines Macbeth in feudal Japan. Starring Kurosawa’s longtime collaborator Toshiro Mifune and the legendary Isuzu Yamada as his ruthless wife, the film tells of a valiant warrior’s savage rise to power and his ignominious fall. With Throne of Blood, Kurosawa fuses one of Shakespeare’s greatest tragedies with the formal elements of Japanese Noh theater to make a Macbeth that is all his own—a classic tale of ambition and duplicity set against a ghostly landscape of fog and inescapable doom.

 

Disc Features

• New high-definition digital transfer
• Audio commentary by Japanese-film expert Michael Jeck
• Original theatrical trailer
• New essay by Stephen Prince (The Warrior’s Camera: The Cinema of Akira Kurosawa)
• Two alternative subtitle translations: a new version from renowned Japanese-film translator Linda Hoaglund, and Kurosawa expert Donald Richie
• Notes on subtitling by Linda Hoaglund and Donald Richie
• New and improved English subtitle translation
• Optimal image quality: RSDL dual-layer edition

• Japan
• 1957
• 109 minutes
• Black and White
• 1.33:1
• Japanese
• Spine #190

Azumi 2 - Love or Death DVD (NTSC Region 3)

Azumi 2 - Love or Death DVD (NTSC Region 3)
Young assassins Azumi and Nagara continue their mission to prevent a civil war. In their hunt for Masayuki Sanada, who is heavily protected by a small army of killers, but on the way they encounter a colourful gang of bandits, one of whom, Ginkaku, is a dead ringer for the late, lamented Nachi...

• Import DVD
• NTSC Region 3
• Japanese Audio
• English Subtitles
• Anamorphic Widescreen