"Actor: Akiji Kobayashi"

• Akio Jissoji: The Buddhist Trilogy | Blu Ray | (19/08/2019) from £29.99   |  Saving you £N/A (N/A%)   |  RRP £N/A

  Akio Jissôji created a rich and diverse body of work during his five decades in Japan s film and television industries. For some, he is best-known for his science-fiction: the 1960s TV series Ultraman and 1998 s box-office success Tokyo: The Last Megalopolis. For others, it is his 1990s adaptations of horror and mystery novelist Edogawa Rampo, such as Watcher in the Attic and Murder on D Street. And then there are his New Wave films for the Art Theatre Guild, three of which This Transient Life, Mandara and Poem, forming The Buddhist Trilogy are collected here. Winner of the Golden Leopard award at the 1970 Locarno Film Festival, This Transient Life is among the Art Theatre Guild s most successful and most controversial productions. The film concerns a brother and sister from a rich family who defy the expectations placed on them: he has little interest in further education or his father s business, instead obsessing over Buddhist statues; she continually refuses a string of suitors and the prospect of marriage. Their closeness, and isolation, gives way to an incestuous relationship which, in turn, breeds disaster. Mandara, Jissôji s first colour feature, maintained the controversial subject matter, focussing on a cult who recruit through rape and hope to achieve true ecstasy through sexual release. Shot, as with all of Jissôji s Art Theatre Guild works, in a radically stylised manner, the film sits somewhere between the pinku genre and the fiercely experimental approach of his Japanese New Wave contemporaries. The final entry in the trilogy, Poem, returns to black and white and is centred on the austere existence of a young houseboy who becomes helplessly embroiled in the schemes of two brothers. Written by Toshirô Ishidô (screenwriter of Nagisa Ôshima s The Sun s Burial and Shôhei Imamura s Black Rain), who also penned This Transient Life and Mandala, Poem continues the trilogy s exploration of faith in a post-industrial world. LIMITED EDITION CONTENTS High Definition Blu-ray (1080p) presentations of This Transient Life, Mandara and Poem Original uncompressed LPCM mono 1.0 audio on all three films Newly translated optional English subtitles Introductions to all three films by David Desser, author of Eros Plus Massacre: An Introduction to the Japanese New Wave Scene-select commentaries on all three films by Desser Theatrical trailer for Mandara Theatrical trailer for Poem Limited edition packaging, fully illustrated by maarko phntm Illustrated 80-page perfect-bound collector s book featuring new writings on the film by Anton Bitel and Tom Mes

• Gamera 2 - Attack Of Legion | DVD | (19/01/2004) from £6.73   |  Saving you £13.26 (66.30%)   |  RRP £19.99

  A classic Kaiju (monster) movie from Japan! A freak meteor shower near Sapporo Japan brings with it more than just a killer light show. Electrical problems over-grown plant life and a whole slew of rather irritable critters also drop in to threaten the human race! Local science instructor Midori Honami (Miki Mizuno) is called to assist the brave Colonel Watarase (Toshiyuki Nagashima) in the military's oft-confused attempts to save mankind. With giant flying turtle Gamera (Gua

• Takeshi Kitano Collection: Violent Cop, Boilingpoint, A Scene At The Sea, Sonatine, Getting Any?, Kids Return | DVD | (06/10/2008) from £68.83   |  Saving you £-18.84 (N/A%)   |  RRP £49.99

  Violent Cop: Japanese superstar Beat Takeshi Kitano makes his directorial debut in this critically acclaimed action film in which he also stars as Azuma an urban cop at the end of his rope. Not above using violent tactics in order to punish the lawless Azuma's daily routine involves a new partner and a mentally challenged sister. When his violent ways cause the death of a friend his short fuse comes dangerously close to reaching its' end... Boiling Point: When Masaki a gas station attendant and local baseball player incurs the wrath of the local yakuza the notorious Japanese criminal organization he heads to Okinawa to buy a gun so he can stand up for himself. While there he is joined in his quest for revenge by a former gangster (Kitano) who seemingly has his own reasons for revenge. Violence escalates until the mild-mannered Masaki takes an oil truck from his gas station and drives it straight into yakuza headquaters... A Scene At The Sea: Kitano relates a touching story about a deaf-mute garbage collector who takes a passion in surfing. His mute girlfriend accompanies him and even though he is hindered at every point he never lets this dampen his passion. The couple does not exchange a single word throughout the entire film Kitano embracing the power of silence and love that transcends words. Sonatine: Takeshi is Murakawa an established and ruthless Yakuza sent outside his usual turf to intervene in a gang war on the tropical island of Okinawa. Things go badly wrong and he and his gang get caught in the crossfire. Forced to retreat to a seaside hideaway they kill time and fool around on the beach but then their enemies start picking them off one by one. Murakawa decides to go on the offensive for a final and breathtaking showdown... Getting Any?: Middle-aged Asao's sole goal in life is to have sex but in order to achieve his dream he is thrown from one wacky situation to the next. From robbing banks to becoming invisible to transforming into a super-sized fly monster Asao will do anything to get any! Kids Return: Two old friends revisit their old schoolyard to remember the times they shared together at school before they left and found their own ways in life one as a boxer and one as part of a local gang. They have done well but revisiting their memories reminds them of their undisciplined ways.

• Babycart At The River Styx | DVD | (07/08/2004) from £N/A   |  Saving you £N/A (N/A%)   |  RRP £19.99

  Ogami Itto is dead - Lone wolf lives on, continuing his blood spattered journey through the land he calls Hell. As he remorselessly seeks the secretive shadowy Yagu clan, they continue in their efforts to destroy him, first sending their female warriors, the vicious Akashi ninja. ; ; Beyond them, barring his way, the self proclaimed Gods of death, sadistic warriors with a lust for blood. Lone Wolf must defeat them to justify the 500 pieces of gold that have bought his sword once more.

• Baby Cart at the River Styx | DVD | (03/11/2008) from £42.14   |  Saving you £-22.15 (N/A%)   |  RRP £19.99

  For the first time in the UK Babycart At The River Styx has been created from a new print supplied by Toho with the digitisation and cleansing process carried out by Technicolor. Ogami Itto is dead - Lone wolf lives on continuing his blood spattered journey through the land he calls Hell. As he remorselessly seeks the secretive shadowy Yagu clan they continue in their efforts to destroy him first sending their female warriors the vicious Akashi ninja. Beyond them barring his way the self proclaimed 'Gods of Death' sadistic warriors with a lust for blood. Lone Wolf must defeat them to justify the 500 pieces of gold that have bought his sword once more.