"Actor: Atsuo Nakamura"

• Kwaidan (Masters of Cinema) Standard Edition Blu-ray | Blu Ray | (14/09/2020) from £14.29   |  Saving you £N/A (N/A%)   |  RRP £N/A

  Winner of the Special Jury Prize at Cannes, Kwaidan features four nightmarish tales adapted from Lafcadio Hearn's classic Japanese ghost stories about mortals caught up in forces beyond their comprehension when the supernatural world intervenes in their lives: The Black Hair, The Woman of the Snow, Hoichi the Earless, and In a Cup of Tea. Breathtakingly photographed entirely on hand-painted sets, the film is an abstract wash of luminescent colours from another world. The Masters of Cinema Series is proud to present the complete 183-minute original Japanese cut of Masaki Kobayashi's masterpiece on Blu-ray. Special Features: 1080p presentation on Blu-ray from Criterion's 2K digital restoration of Kobayashi's original director's cut Original monaural Japanese soundtrack Optional English subtitles Kim Newman on Kwaidan a new interview with the film critic and writer Shadowings [35 mins] a new video essay by David Cairns and Fiona Watson Original trailers PLUS: A collector's booklet featuring reprints of Lafcadio Hearn's original ghost stories; a survey of the life and career of Masaki Kobayashi by Linda Hoaglund ; and a wide ranging interview with the filmmaker, the last he'd ever give

• The Water Margin: Complete Series | Blu Ray | (05/09/2016) from £62.15   |  Saving you £17.84 (28.70%)   |  RRP £79.99

  Finally after years of waiting, The Water Margin finally gets its release on Blu-ray. The Japanese producers made a full HD restoration of the Japanese materials and these were then merged with the UK titles and soundtrack. The restoration includes many deleted and shortened scenes never ever seen before. This is as good as it gets for Water Margin fans! The ancient sages said, Do not despise the snake for having no horns, for who is to say it will not become a dragon? So may one just man become an army. Nearly a thousand years ago in ancient China,at the time of the Song Dynasty, there was a cruel and corrupt government. These men riding are outlaws, heroes who have been driven to live in the water margins of Liang Shan Po, far to the south of the capital city. Each fights tyranny with a priceon his head, in a world very different from our own. The story starts in legend even then, for our heroes, it was said, were perhaps the souls reborn of other, earlier knights.

• The Bloodthirsty Trilogy | Blu Ray | (14/05/2018) from £18.89   |  Saving you £N/A (N/A%)   |  RRP £N/A

  Inspired by the runaway success of the British and American gothic horror films of the sixties, Toho studios brought the vampiric tropes of the Dracula legend to Japanese screens with The Vampire Doll, Lake of Dracula, and Evil of Dracula three spookily effective cult classics collectively known as The Bloodthirsty Trilogy. In The Vampire Doll, a young man goes missing after visiting his girlfriend's isolated country home. His sister and her boyfriend trace him to the creepy mansion, but their search becomes perilous when they uncover a gruesome family history. Lake of Dracula begins with a young girl suffering a terrifying nightmare of a vampire with blazing golden eyes. Eighteen years later, the dream is revealed to be a hellish prophecy when a strange package containing an empty coffin mysteriously turns up at a nearby lake. In Evil of Dracula, a professor takes up a new post at an all-girls school only to discover the school's principle conceals a dark secret and the pupils are in grave danger. Abounding with images of dark thunderous nights, ghostly mansions and bloody fangs, Michio Yamamoto's trilogy emphasises atmosphere and style and is sure to please both fans of classic gothic horror and Japanese genre cinema. Features: High Definition Blu-ray (1080p) presentation transferred from original film elements Uncompressed Mono 1.0 PCM audio Newly translated English subtitles Kim Newman on The Bloodthirsty Trilogy, a new video appraisal by the critic and writer Reversible sleeve featuring original and newly commissioned artwork by Matt Griffin FIRST PRESSING ONLY: Collector's booklet featuring new writing on the film by Japanese film expert Jasper Sharp

• Pleasures Of The Flesh | DVD | (08/09/2008) from £N/A   |  Saving you £N/A (N/A%)   |  RRP £19.99

  Katsuo Nakamura stars as a man blackmailed by a thief who makes him hold on to some stolen loot while the thief serves a jail sentence. Nakamura is led into temptation by all that money sitting around so he decides to spend it on wild partying and sex before killing himself to avoid retribution.

• Kwaidan | DVD | (29/05/2006) from £N/A   |  Saving you £N/A (N/A%)   |  RRP £19.99

  Winner of the Special Jury Prize at Cannes Masaki Kobayashi's Kwaidan features four nightmarish tales adapted from Lafcadio Hearn's classic Japanese ghost stories. This lavish 'scope production drew extensively on Kobayashi's own training as a student of painting and fine arts. For the first time in the West The Masters of Cinema Series is proud to present the complete 183-minute original Japanese cut. Its poetic expression is said to be unmatched in all of Japanese cinema;

• Kwaidan (Masters of Cinema) Limited Edition Blu-ray | Blu Ray | (27/04/2020) from £N/A   |  Saving you £N/A (N/A%)   |  RRP £N/A

  Winner of the Special Jury Prize at Cannes, Kwaidan features four nightmarish tales adapted from Lafcadio Hearn's classic Japanese ghost stories about mortals caught up in forces beyond their comprehension when the supernatural world intervenes in their lives: The Black Hair, The Woman of the Snow, Hoichi the Earless, and In a Cup of Tea. Breathtakingly photographed entirely on hand-painted sets, the film is an abstract wash of luminescent colours from another world. The Masters of Cinema Series is proud to present the complete 183-minute original Japanese cut of Masaki Kobayashi's masterpiece on Blu-ray for the first time in the UK. SPECIAL FEATURES Hardbound Slipcase 1080p presentation on Blu-ray from Criterion's 2K digital restoration of Kobayashi's original director's cut Original monaural Japanese soundtrack Optional English subtitles Kim Newman on Kwaidan a new interview with the film critic and writer Shadowings [35 mins] a new video essay by David Cairns and Fiona Watson Original trailers PLUS 100-PAGE Perfect Bound Illustrated Collector's book featuring reprints of Lafcadio Hearn's original ghost stories; a survey of the life and career of Masaki Kobayashi by Linda Hoaglund; and a wide ranging interview with the film maker the last he'd ever give

• The Water Margin: Complete Series | DVD | (22/08/2016) from £45.75   |  Saving you £14.24 (31.13%)   |  RRP £59.99

  Tells the story of the 108 Heroes who stood up against a corrupt government. Each hero has his own unique fighting skill, but they are all willing to die to uphold justice.

• The Water Margin - Vol. 1 | DVD | (03/02/2003) from £13.86   |  Saving you £1.13 (8.15%)   |  RRP £14.99

  Nearly a thousand years ago in ancient China at the time of the Sung dynasty there was a cruel and corrupt government. These men riding are outlaws heroes driven to live in the water margins of Liang Shan Po far to the south of the capital. Each fights tyranny with a price on his head in a world very different from our own... Nine Dozen Heroes And One Wicked Man: ""One man can move a people and a wronged people can move the world."" None Will Ever Escape Alive:

• The Water Margin - Complete | DVD | (07/02/2005) from £N/A   |  Saving you £N/A (N/A%)   |  RRP £99.99

  `Do not despise the snake for having no horns for who is to say it will not become a dragon?' Undoubtedly the ""Crouching Tiger Hidden Dragon"" of its day the classic cult TV series 'The Water Margin' is a timeless epic and very much a touchstone for anybody who grew up in the mid-to-late 70s. Now for the first time ever the entire 26-episode serial is being made available on this complete DVD box set. It is ancient China one thousand years ago; the time of the Tsung Dynasty.

• The Water Margin - Vol. 8 | DVD | (12/05/2003) from £6.67   |  Saving you £8.32 (124.74%)   |  RRP £14.99

  Nearly a thousand years ago in ancient China at the time of the Sung dynasty there was a cruel and corrupt government. These men riding are outlaws heroes driven to live in the water margins of Liang Shan Po far to the south of the capital. Each fights tyranny with a price on his head in a world very different from our own... Episodes 15 and 16.

• The Water Margin - Episodes 1-13 | DVD | (15/01/2007) from £N/A   |  Saving you £N/A (N/A%)   |  RRP £34.99

  It is ancient China one thousand years ago; the time of the Tsung Dynasty. A cruel and corrupt government has driven many upright law-abiding citizens to rebel becoming outlaws determined to end the tyranny of their unscrupulous and murderous leader Kao Chiu (Kei Sato). A renegade force of ""nine dozen heroes"" is forced to hide out in the water margins of Liang Shan Po where steadily growing in strength they plot to overthrow their oppressors. Struggling to maintain his honour and nobility former army officer Lin Chung (Atsuo Nakamura) becomes the reluctant driving force behind the rebellious band of brothers as they embark on their epic and heroic fight for liberty.

• The Water Margin - Season 1 - | DVD | (03/02/2003) from £N/A   |  Saving you £N/A (N/A%)   |  RRP £69.99

  The Water Margin is a sprawling Chinese television series from 1977 that tells the story of a group of legendary heroes who battled corruption at the time of the Sung dynasty 1,000 years ago. Made in two seasons of 13 episodes and shown on BBC television in a dubbed version narrated by Burt Kwouk, the central figure is Lin Chung (Atsuo Nakamura), an army officer who comes, Robin Hood-style, to lead a rebellion against the evil Kao Chiu (Kai Satu). The result plays like something somewhere between Seven Samurai and Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon. Though not without humour, this is a much more serious saga than Monkey (1978), adapted by the same team and similarly a hit for the BBC. Bolstered by wirework in the excellent fight scenes, this is traditional Kurosawa-influenced adventure, a saga of rebels against an oppressive empire with as much appeal to Star Wars fans as to martial arts devotees. Each episode tells a self-contained tale within the wider framework and the strong production values and compelling storytelling are not too compromised by the dubbing, which is carefully done to a high standard. This is a lavishly made TV epic that remains hugely entertaining a quarter-century after it first aired. On the DVD: The Water Margin is presented in a beautifully designed fold-out package with a small poster and an episode guide leaflet. The 13 43-minute-long episodes are spread across six DVDs. The extras are identical throughout, apart from episode-specific photo galleries, reflecting the fact that each disc is also sold separately. There are 16 character profiles, synopses of all 26 episodes, production notes and previews of the Monkey DVDs and Blake's Seven videos. Other than the restoration of some violence, the episodes are exactly as they were shown on the BBC; there's no option to watch the original Chinese versions. The sound is unexceptional mono, the picture grainy, a little soft and shows some print damage. Unfortunately the 4:3 transfers also demonstrate obvious pixilation in fast moving and visually complex scenes, the quality being more like digital TV than state-of-the-art DVD. --Gary S Dalkin

• Princess From The Moon | DVD | (13/01/2003) from £N/A   |  Saving you £N/A (N/A%)   |  RRP £19.99

  Toshiro Mifune stars in this enchanting film based on the traditional Japanese fairytale 'Kaguya' as the male half of a country couple who find a baby girl in the bamboo and raise her as their own until the truth is revealed when she is taken back...

• The Water Margin - Season 2 - | DVD | (17/05/2003) from £N/A   |  Saving you £N/A (N/A%)   |  RRP £69.99

  `Do not despise the snake for having no horns for who is to say it will not become a dragon?' Undoubtedly the ""Crouching Tiger Hidden Dragon"" of its day the classic cult TV series 'The Water Margin' is a timeless epic and very much a touchstone for anybody who grew up in the mid- to late-70s. Now for the first time ever the entire 26-episode series is being made available on DVD in a choice of two box sets or individual box sets courtesy of Fabulous Films/Fremantle Home Ent

• Zatoichi In Desperation | DVD | (02/02/2003) from £N/A   |  Saving you £N/A (N/A%)   |  RRP £19.99

  On his ceaseless journey Zatoichi crosses paths with an old woman on an ancient bridge. Unintentionally causing her death Zatoichi charges himself with the task of finding the old woman's daughter Nishikigi to give her the tragic news. The blind swordsman sets off to the town of Chosi. There he finds the daughter working in a geisha house and a bond of fifty ryo has her trapped until it has been repaid. The town is ruled over by an ambitious boss Mangoro who has bullied the

• The Water Margin - Vol. 2 | DVD | (03/02/2003) from £N/A   |  Saving you £N/A (N/A%)   |  RRP £14.99

  Nearly a thousand years ago in ancient China at the time of the Sung dynasty there was a cruel and corrupt government. These men riding are outlaws heroes driven to live in the water margins of Liang Shan Po far to the south of the capital. Each fights tyranny with a price on his head in a world very different from our own... Epsiodes 3 and 4.

• The Water Margin - Vol. 12 | DVD | (14/07/2003) from £13.99   |  Saving you £1.00 (7.15%)   |  RRP £14.99

  Episode titles included in this DVD are: A Concubine's Dowry Liang Shan Po And The Millionare.

• The Water Margin - Vol. 4 - Episodes 7 And 8 | DVD | (10/03/2003) from £N/A   |  Saving you £N/A (N/A%)   |  RRP £14.99

  Nearly a thousand years ago in ancient China at the time of the Sung dynasty there was a cruel and corrupt government. These men riding are outlaws heroes driven to live in the water margins of Liang Shan Po far to the south of the capital. Each fights tyranny with a price on his head in a world very different from our own... Episodes 7 and 8.

• The Water Margin - Vol. 3 - Episodes 5 And 6 | DVD | (10/03/2003) from £4.98   |  Saving you £10.01 (201.00%)   |  RRP £14.99

  Nearly a thousand years ago in ancient China at the time of the Sung dynasty there was a cruel and corrupt government. These men riding are outlaws heroes driven to live in the water margins of Liang Shan Po far to the south of the capital. Each fights tyranny with a price on his head in a world very different from our own... Episodes 5 and 6.

• The Water Margin - Vol. 5 | DVD | (14/04/2003) from £13.21   |  Saving you £1.78 (13.47%)   |  RRP £14.99

  Nearly a thousand years ago in ancient China at the time of the Sung dynasty there was a cruel and corrupt government. These men riding are outlaws heroes driven to live in the water margins of Liang Shan Po far to the south of the capital. Each fights tyranny with a price on his head in a world very different from our own... Episodes 9 and 10.