"Actor: Akira"

• Godzilla | Blu Ray | (11/11/2024) from £29.99   |  Saving you £N/A (N/A%)   |  RRP £N/A

  Godzilla (a.k.a. Gojira) is the roaring granddaddy of all monster movies. It's also a remarkably humane and melancholy drama, made in Japan at a time when the country was reeling from nuclear attack and H-bomb testing in the Pacific. Its rampaging radioactive beast, the poignant embodiment of an entire population's fears, became a beloved international icon of destruction, spawning more than thirty sequels. A thrilling, tactile spectacle that continues to be a cult phenomenon, the original 1954 Japanese version is presented here, along with Godzilla, King of the Monsters, the 1956 Americanized version.Film Info¢ Japan¢ 1954¢ 96 minutes¢ Black & White¢ 1.37:1¢ Japanese¢ Spine #5944K UHD + BLU-RAY SPECIAL EDITION FEATURES¢ New 4K digital restoration, with uncompressed monaural soundtrack¢ [4k ONLY] One 4K UHD disc of the film and one Blu-ray with the film and special features¢ High-definition digital restoration of Godzilla, King of the Monsters, Terry Morse's 1956 reworking of the original, with uncompressed monaural soundtrack¢ Audio commentary for both movies by film historian David Kalat¢ Interviews with actors Akira Takarada and Haruo Nakajima and special effects technicians Yoshio Irie and Eizo Kaimai¢ Interview with legendary Godzilla score composer Akira Ifukube¢ Featurette detailing Godzilla's photographic effects, introduced by special effects director Koichi Kawakita and special effects photographer Motoyoshi Tomioka¢ Interview with Japanese-film critic Tadao Sato¢ The Unluckiest Dragon, an illustrated audio essay featuring historian Greg Pflugfelder describing the tragic fate of the fishing vessel Daigo Fukuryu Maru, a real-life event that inspired Godzilla¢ Trailers¢ PLUS: An essay by critic J. Hoberman¢ Cover by Bill Sienkiewicz

• Harakiri (Dual Format Blu-ray & DVD) | Blu Ray | (26/09/2011) from £13.35   |  Saving you £6.64 (49.74%)   |  RRP £19.99

  Of all Masaki Kobayashi's attacks on the cruelty and inhumanity perpetrated by authoritarian power (including The Human Condition and Samurai Rebellion) perhaps none are more brilliant than his visceral mesmerising Harakiri [aka Seppuku]. In a magnificent performance Tatsuya Nakadai (Yojimbo The Face of Another Ran) stars as Hanshiro Tsugumo a masterless down-and-out samurai who enters the manor of Lord Iyi requesting to commit ritual suicide on his property. Suspected of simply fishing for charity Hanshiro is told the gruesome tale of the last samurai who made the same request - but Hanshiro will not be moved... With its intricate structure and pressure-cooker atmosphere Kobayashi's first jidai-geki period drama is a full-scale demolition job of samurai ideals and feudal hypocrisy filmed with artistry and surgical precision and scored by celebrated composer Toru Takemitsu. Adapted from the same source novel in 2011 by notorious auteur Takashi Miike the original - winner of the 1963 Special Jury Prize at Cannes - still stands as a startling moment in Japanese cinema.

• RAN (Vintage World Cinema) | Blu Ray | (19/07/2021) from £19.99   |  Saving you £N/A (N/A%)   |  RRP £N/A

  One of the most important and influential film makers in cinematic history, Akira Kurosawa directed 30 films in a career spanning 57 years. His final masterpiece, RAN has been beautifully restored in 4k, approved by Director of Photography Shôji Ueda. A reimagining of Shakespeare's King Lear set in feudal Japan, RAN tells the story of Lord Hidetora Ichimonji (Tatsuya Nakadai Yojimbo, Kagemusha) an aging warlord who, after spending his life consolidating his empire, decides to abdicate and divide his Kingdom amongst his three sons Taro (Akira Terao - Letter from the Mountain, Dreams), Jiro (Jinpachi Nezu The Man in White, Red Shadow: Akakage) and Saburo (Daisuke Ryû Tôno Monogatari, Gojo reisenki: Gojoe). This leads to a brutal and bloody war between the brothers for absolute power of the kingdom. Extras: A.K. Feature Length Chris Marker Documentary On Akira Kurosawa Interview With The Director Of Photography Shôji Ueda Interview With Ms Mieko Harada Interview With Michael Brooke Author/Journalist Stage Appearance At Tokyo International Film Festival 2015 Ran: The Restoration

• Kurosawa's Dreams | Blu Ray | (22/04/2024) from £29.99   |  Saving you £N/A (N/A%)   |  RRP £N/A

  Unfolding in a series of eight mythic vignettes, this late work by Akira Kurosawa was inspired by the beloved director's own night time visions, along with stories from Japanese folklore. In a visually sumptuous journey through the master's imagination, tales of childlike wonder give way to apocalyptic apparitions: a young boy stumbles on a fox wedding in a forest; a soldier confronts the ghosts of the war dead; a power-plant meltdown smothers a seaside landscape in radioactive fumes. Interspersed with reflections on the redemptive power of creation, including a richly textured tribute to Vincent van Gogh (who is played by Martin Scorsese), Akira Kurosawa's Dreams is both a showcase for its maker's artistry at its most unbridled and a deeply personal lament for a world at the mercy of human ignorance.Product Features 4K digital restoration, supervised by cinematographer Shoji Ueda, with 2.0 surround DTS-HD Master Audio soundtrack One 4K UHD disc of the film presented in HDR and one Blu-ray with the film and special features Audio commentary featuring film scholar Stephen Prince Feature-length documentary from 1990 shot on set and directed by Nobuhiko Obayashi Interviews with production manager Teruyo Nogami and assistant director Takashi Koizumi Documentary from 2011 by director Akira Kurosawa's longtime translator Catherine Cadou, featuring interviews with filmmakers Bernardo Bertolucci, Alejandro G. Iñárritu, Hayao Miyazaki, Martin Scorsese, and others Trailer PLUS: An essay by film critic Bilge Ebiri and Kurosawa's script for a never-filmed ninth dream, introduced by NogamiCover painting by Akira Kurosawa

• Godzilla | DVD | (13/02/2006) from £39.99   |  Saving you £-20.00 (N/A%)   |  RRP £19.99

  The legend begins... Released to coincide with the film's 50th anniversary - the original unexpurgated uncut and subtitles version of the film has rarely seen by British audiences. After American nuclear testing in the Pacific Ocean several ships are sunk in mysterious circumstances. The Japanese authorities close in on the neaby Odo island where natives relate tales of a devastating monster whom they call 'Gojira'. An expedition to the island by Professor Kyohei Yamane (Shi

• Psycho-Pass: Season 1 - Part 2 | Blu Ray | (01/09/2014) from £47.23   |  Saving you £N/A (N/A%)   |  RRP £N/A

• Psycho-Pass: Season 1 - Part 1 | Blu Ray | (14/07/2014) from £47.23   |  Saving you £N/A (N/A%)   |  RRP £N/A

• Retaliation | Blu Ray | (11/05/2015) from £28.00   |  Saving you £-8.01 (N/A%)   |  RRP £19.99

  In 1969 future sexploitation specialist Yasuharu Hasebe (Stray Cat Rock: Sex Hunter) teamed up with the inimitable Jô Shishido (Tokyo Drifter Branded to Kill) for a follow up to their yakuza hit Massacre Gun. A tale of gang warfare that features a raft of the period’s most iconic stars Akira Kobayashi (Battles Without Honor and Humanity The Flowers and the Angry Waves) is a yakuza lieutenant who emerges from jail to find his gang dispersed and his aging boss in his sickbed. Shishido is the rival waiting to kill him and a young Meiko Kaji (Lady Snowblood) is the girl caught in the crossfire. Gritty and cynical Retaliation is a hardboiled precursor to Kinji Fukasaku’s revisionist yakuza pictures of the 1970s. SPECIAL EDITION CONTENTS: Limited Edition Blu-ray (3000 copies only) Restored High Definition Blu-ray (1080p) and Standard Definition DVD presentation on Blu-ray for the first time in the world! Original uncompressed mono PCM audio Newly translated English subtitles Brand new interview with star Jô Shishido Interview with renowned critic and historian Tony Rayns Original theatrical trailer Gallery featuring rare promotional images Reversible sleeve featuring original and newly commissioned artwork by Ian MacEwan Booklet featuring new writing on the film by Japanese cinema expert Jasper Sharp newly illustrated by Ian MacEwan and featuring original archive stills

• Evangelion 3.33 - You Can (Not) Redo | Blu Ray | (29/02/2016) from £9.98   |  Saving you £N/A (N/A%)   |  RRP £N/A

  After the 'Third Impact', Shinji awakens to an existence he does not recognise. Earth lies in ruins. Those he once fought valiantly to protect have cruelly turned against him. With Rei Ayanami nowhere to be seen, could his efforts to save her have been in vain - and what friendships can he now rely on? Trapped in a harrowing cycle of death and rebirth, Shinji continues to courageously battle the Angels - even as the world spirals toward a tragic end. Evangelion 3.33: You Can (Not) Redo, is the third feature-length film in creator Hideaki Anno's rebuild of the ground-breaking 1995-1996 anime series, Neon Genesis Evangelion. Following on from the cataclysmic finale of Evangelion 2.22: You Can (Not) Advance, the third film takes the Evangelion storyline in a startling new direction. With its heady mix of cutting-edge animation spectacular giant robot action, heightened emotion and deep philosophy, Evangelion 3.33: You Can (Not) Redo is an absolute must see experience!

• Lost In Translation | DVD | (28/06/2004) from £6.88   |  Saving you £13.11 (190.55%)   |  RRP £19.99

  Two Americans meet in Tokyo and spark off a surprising friendship which will lead both to discover a new belief in life's possibilities.

• VIOLENT STREETS | Blu Ray | (20/02/2023) from £13.85   |  Saving you £N/A (N/A%)   |  RRP £N/A

  One of the finest directors of Japanese chambara (sword fighting) films, Hideo Gosha (Sword of the Beast, Three Outlaw Samurai) also directed a number of films in the yakuza genre. The most outstanding of these was Violent Streets; a baroque crime thriller about a retired yakuza who gets pulled into a violent gang war by his former associates. A former yakuza member, Egawa (Noboru Andô) is now a brooding world-weary nightclub owner. Some of his former associates are released from prison and want to regain a foothold in the criminal underworld by igniting a gang war between the local yakuza, and an out-of-town clan led by veteran actor Tetsurō Tanba (Harakiri). A bold and colourful entry in the yakuza genre, Hideo Gosha's Violent Streets makes its worldwide debut on Blu-ray from a new restoration completed by Toei Company, Ltd. Product Features Limited Edition slipcase featuring new artwork by Tony Stella 1080p presentation on Blu-ray from a 2K restoration of the original film elements Optional English subtitles An introduction to Violent Streets and the works of director Hideo Gosha by film critic Tony Rayns Jasper Sharp on Violent Streets PLUS: A collector's booklet featuring a new essay by Japanese cinema expert Tom Mes *All extras subject to change

• Unforgiven (Yurusarezaru mono) | DVD | (28/07/2014) from £N/A   |  Saving you £N/A (N/A%)   |  RRP £19.99

  For the first time in Japanese cinematic history an American Academy Award is coming to life. Released worldwide in 1992 Unforgiven starring and directed by Clint Eastwood was hailed by critics as a cinematic masterpiece. It was nominated for nine Oscars and bought home four including Best Picture and Best Director. Inspired by the film Korean-Japanese filmmaker Lee Sang-il presents Yurusarezarumono a story set in Japan during the same period as the original film with globally renowned Japanese actor Ken Watanabe in the lead role Jubei Kamata a relix of the Tokugawa Shogunate. The story takes place at the dawn of the Meiji Era in 1880 set in Ezo (now Hokkaido) the northernmost island of Japan. After the fall of the Shogunate Jubei fought in a series of battles then vanished. More than ten years have passed. Poverty leads Jubei to abandon his resolve to bury his sword. Once again he finds himself ensnared in a life of violence. With his former comrade-in-arms he confronts hypocrites who profess to represent justice.

• The Snow Woman | Blu Ray | (23/06/2025) from £14.99   |  Saving you £N/A (N/A%)   |  RRP £N/A

  Two woodcutters head into the mountains to fell an ancient tree. Caught in a snowstorm, they spend the night in a mountain lodge, where a female spirit appears and takes the life of one of the men. She spares the other man's life on the condition that he never tell anyone what happened that night. The woodcutter (Akira Ishihama, Harakiri) goes on to marry the mysterious beauty Yuki (Shiho Fujimura, Shinobi) and together they have a child. But Yuki catches the eye of a lecherous lord, whose advances force her to reveal a dark secret. Period film specialist Tokuzo Tanaka, a former assistant to both Akira Kurosawa and Kenji Mizoguchi, creates a broodingly atmospheric tale in which the viewer fully empathises with the ghost. Featuring a score by original Godzilla composer Akira Ifukube. SPECIAL FEATURES New 4K restoration Uncompressed mono PCM audio Appreciation by filmmaker Masayuki Ochiai Visual essay by Lafcadio Hearn scholar Paul Murray Trailer Newly improved English subtitle translation

• Ran (Digitally Restored) | Blu Ray | (02/05/2016) from £54.99   |  Saving you £-32.00 (N/A%)   |  RRP £22.99

  One of the most important and influential film makers in cinematic history, Akira Kursawa directed 30 films in a career spanning 57 years. His final masterpiece, RAN has been beautifully restored in 4k for the first time. A reimagining of Shakespeare's King Lear set in feudal Japan, Ran tells the story of Hidetora Ichimonji (Tatsya Nakadai Yojimbo, Kagemusha) an aging warlord who, after spending his life consolidating his empire, decides to abdicate and divide his Kingdom amongst his three sons Taro (Akira Terao - Letter from the Mountain, Dreams), Jiro (Jinpachi Nezu The Man in White, Red Shadow: Akakage) and Saburo (Daisuke Ryu - Tono monogatari, Gojo reisenki: Gojoe). When Saburo voices concerns about the wisdom of his father's plan, claiming that treachery within the family will be inevitable, Hidetora mistakes these comments for a threat and when his servant Tango comes to Saburo's defense, he banishes both of them. This allows Taro and Jiro to take charge, unopposed, leading to a brutal and bloody struggle for the absolute power of the warlord.

• Godzilla (Criterion Collection) UK Only | Blu Ray | (11/11/2024) from £14.99   |  Saving you £N/A (N/A%)   |  RRP £N/A

  Godzilla (a.k.a. Gojira) is the roaring granddaddy of all monster movies. It's also a remarkably humane and melancholy drama, made in Japan at a time when the country was reeling from nuclear attack and H-bomb testing in the Pacific. Its rampaging radioactive beast, the poignant embodiment of an entire population's fears, became a beloved international icon of destruction, spawning more than thirty sequels. A thrilling, tactile spectacle that continues to be a cult phenomenon, the original 1954 Japanese version is presented here, along with Godzilla, King of the Monsters, the 1956 Americanized version.Film Info¢ Japan¢ 1954¢ 96 minutes¢ Black & White¢ 1.37:1¢ Japanese¢ Spine #594¢ High-definition digital restoration of Godzilla, King of the Monsters, Terry Morse's 1956 reworking of the original, with uncompressed monaural soundtrack¢ Audio commentary for both movies by film historian David Kalat¢ Interviews with actors Akira Takarada and Haruo Nakajima and special effects technicians Yoshio Irie and Eizo Kaimai¢ Interview with legendary Godzilla score composer Akira Ifukube¢ Featurette detailing Godzilla's photographic effects, introduced by special effects director Koichi Kawakita and special effects photographer Motoyoshi Tomioka¢ Interview with Japanese-film critic Tadao Sato¢ The Unluckiest Dragon, an illustrated audio essay featuring historian Greg Pflugfelder describing the tragic fate of the fishing vessel Daigo Fukuryu Maru, a real-life event that inspired Godzilla¢ Trailers¢ PLUS: An essay by critic J. Hoberman¢ Cover by Bill Sienkiewicz

• Akira Kurosawa's Dreams | Blu Ray | (21/11/2016) from £N/A   |  Saving you £N/A (N/A%)   |  RRP £N/A

  Unfolding in a series of mythic vignettes, this late work by AKIRA KUROSAWA (Seven Samurai, Ran) brings eight of the beloved director's own night time visions, informed by tales from Japanese folklore, to cinematic life. In a visually sumptuous journey through the master's unconscious, tales of childlike wonder give way to apocalyptic visions: a young boy stumbles on a fox wedding in a forest; a soldier confronts the ghosts of the war dead; a power-plant meltdown smothers a seaside landscape in radioactive fumes. Interspersed with reflections on the redemptive power of art, including a richly textured tribute to Vincent van Gogh (played by MARTIN SCORSESE), Akira Kurosawa's Dreams is both a showcase for its maker's imagination at its most unbridled and a deeply personal lament for a world at the mercy of human ignorance.

• Ran | DVD | (03/05/2004) from £17.50   |  Saving you £2.49 (14.23%)   |  RRP £19.99

  Akira Kurosawa's brilliantly conceived retelling of Shakespeare's 'King Lear' magically mixes Japanese history Shakespeare's plot and Kurosawa's own feelings about loyalty in this epic masterpiece. Set in 16th century Japan an aging ruler Lord Hidetora (Tatsuya Nakadai) announces his intention to divide his land equally among his three sons. This decision to step down unleashes a power struggle between the three when Hidetora falls prey to the false flattery bestowed upon him by the two older sons and banishes the youngest when he speaks the truth. The ruthless betrayal ultimately drives Hidetora insane destroying his entire family and kingdom. Deep human emotion and outstanding acting combine to create one of the most acclaimed foreign films of all time.

• Parasyte The Maxim Collection 2 (Episodes 14-24) Deluxe Edition Blu-ray | Blu Ray | (01/08/2016) from £N/A   |  Saving you £N/A (N/A%)   |  RRP £89.99

  PART 2 of Season 1 They arrived in silence and darkness, descending from the skies with a hunger for human flesh. Parasites - alien creatures who must invade and take control of a human host to survive have come to Earth. No one knows their secret except high school student, Shinichi Izumi, who's right hand has been invaded by an alien parasite. Shinichi and Migi, the parasite in his hand, begrudgingly form a friendship and find themselves caught in the middle of a war between humans and parasites.

• Girls' Last Tour Collection Collector's Edition BLU-RAY | Blu Ray | (13/05/2019) from £51.98   |  Saving you £N/A (N/A%)   |  RRP £N/A

  Girls' Last Tour CollectionThe world we knew is gone. The massive cities, once filled with people, lie silent, empty and decaying. There are no more forests filled with animals; no more birds in the sky. But life hasn't disappeared completely; not just yet. Amidst the rubble two small figures, young girls, travel together, scavengingwhat they need to survive as they explore the remnants of a world that they are too young to remember. It's a strange journey, but one that's filled with wonder as each new day brings another discovery, another echo of the devastated past or moment of unexpected beauty. And as long as Chito and Yuuri have each other, they have a reason to keep pressing forward. As long as there's still life, there's still hope for a future.

• Ran Collector's Edition (Vintage World Classics) 4K UHD + BD | Blu Ray | (21/07/2025) from £104.59   |  Saving you £N/A (N/A%)   |  RRP £N/A

  One of the most important and influential film makers in cinematic history, Akira Kurosawadirected 30 films in a career spanning 57 years. His final masterpiece, RAN a reimagining ofShakespeare's King Lear set in feudal Japan, celebrates its 40th anniversary this year.RAN tells the story of Lord Hidetora Ichimonji (Tatsuya Nakadai Yojimbo, Kagemusha) an agingwarlord who, after spending his life consolidating his empire, decides to abdicate and divide his Kingdomamongst his three sons Taro (Akira Terao Letter from the Mountain, Dreams), Jiro (Jinpachi Nezu TheMan in White, Red Shadow: Akakage) and Saburo (Daisuke Ryû Tôno Monogatari, Gojo reisenki:Gojoe). This leads to a brutal and bloody war between the brothers for absolute power of the kingdom.This special 40th anniversary edition includes a 100 page booklet, 2 posters and the original soundtrack CD.Feature UHD + Feature BD [Disc 1 + Disc 2]RAN Bonus BD [Disc 3]A.K. documentaryAkira Kurosawa: The Epic and The IntimateInterview with director of photography Shoji UedaThe Art of the SamuraiInterview with Michael BrookeInterview with Ms Mieko HaradaStage Appearance at Tokyo Film Festival 2015AKIRA KUROSAWA BY CATHERINE CADOUTHE SAMURAI