"Actor: Chiaki"

• Battle Royale - Two Disc Special Edition | DVD | (23/02/2004) from £6.63   |  Saving you £13.36 (201.51%)   |  RRP £19.99

  This ultra violent satire from Japan tells of 42 teenagers taken to a remote island where they are told that if they wish to survive they must kill all of the others!

• Throne Of Blood | DVD | (22/10/2001) from £22.89   |  Saving you £-2.90 (-14.50%)   |  RRP £19.99

  A champion of illumination and experimental shading, Kurosawa brings his unerring eye for indelible images to Shakespeare in this 1957 adaptation of Macbeth. By changing the locale from Birnam Wood to 16th-century Japan, Kurosawa makes an oddball argument for the trans-historicity of Shakespeare's narrative; and indeed, stripped to the bare mechanics of the plot, the tale of cut-throat ambition rewarded (and thwarted) feels infinitely adaptable. What's lost in the translation, of course, is the force and beauty of the language--much of the script of Throne of Blood is maddeningly repetitive or superfluous--but striking visual images (including the surreal Cobweb Forest and some extremely artful gore) replace the sublime poetry. Toshiro Mifune is theatrically intense as Washizu, the samurai fated to betray his friend and master in exchange for the prestige of nobility; he portrays the ill-fated warrior with a passion bordering on violence, and a barely concealed conviviality. Somewhat less successful is Isuzu Yamada as Washizu's scheming wife; her poise and creepy impassivity, chilling at first, soon grows tedious. Kurosawa himself is the star of the show, though, and his masterful use of black-and-white contrast--not to mention his steady, dramatic hand with a battle scene--keeps the proceedings thrilling. A must-see for fans of Japanese cinema, as well as all you devotees of samurai weapons and armour. --Miles Bethany

• Rashomon (DVD) | DVD | (21/09/2015) from £18.38   |  Saving you £3.37 (20.28%)   |  RRP £19.99

  This 1950 film by Akira Kurosawa is more than a classic: it's a cinematic archetype that has served as a template for many a film since. (Rashomon's most direct influence was on a Western remake, The Outrage, starring Paul Newman and directed by Martin Ritt.) In essence, the facts surrounding a rape and murder are told from four different and contradictory points of view, suggesting the nature of truth is something less than absolute. The cast, headed by Kurosawa's favourite actor, Toshiro Mifune, is superb. --Tom Keogh

• Yokai Monsters Collection | Blu Ray | (21/02/2022) from £26.79   |  Saving you £N/A (N/A%)   |  RRP £N/A

  From the makers of Daimajin comes a trilogy of terror ripped from the pages of Japanese folklore, with ghosts and monsters from ancient myths and legends brought to life through stunning special effects, alongside an epic, big-budget reboot of the series from a modern-day master of the macabre. In the first film in the trilogy, 100 Monsters, a greedy slumlord's attempts to forcefully evict his tenants invite the wrath of the titular spirits when a cleansing ritual is botched, with terrifying results. The second film, Spook Warfare, tells the tale of an evil Babylonian vampire inadvertently awoken by treasure hunters, and a brave samurai that teams with the yokai to defeat the bloodthirsty demon. In the final film, Along with Ghosts (released only 12 months after 100 Monsters), the yokai are roused to defend a little girl on the run from deadly yakuza. Decades later, none other than Takashi Miike (Audition) helmed The Great Yokai War, a loose remake of Spook Warfare that used cutting-edge digital effects to renew the franchise for a new generation. In it, a young boy is given a grave responsibility: to band together with a group of yokai to defend humanity against a vengeful and powerful demon that has sworn retribution against modern-day Japan. Special Edition Contents High Definition (1080p) Blu-ray™ presentations of all four films Optional English subtitles on all four films Reversible sleeves featuring original and newly commissioned artwork by Jolyon Yates Disc One 100 Monsters Original uncompressed Japanese mono audio Hiding in Plain Sight, a documentary giving a primer on yokai for Western audiences, featuring interviews with experts Matt Alt, Zack Davisson, Kim Newman, Lynda E. Rucker, and Hiroko Yoda Theatrical trailer US re-release trailer Image gallery Disc Two Spook Warfare / Along With Ghosts 4K restoration of Spook Warfare by Kadokawa Pictures Original uncompressed Japanese mono audio for both films Theatrical trailers for both films US re-release trailers for both films Image galleries for both films Disc Three The Great Yokai War DTS-HD MA 5.1 original Japanese and dubbed English audio Audio commentary by Japanese cinema expert Tom Mes Archive interviews with the cast and crew, including Takashi Miike Short Drama of Yokai, two shorts detailing the further adventures of the yokai Another Story of Kawataro, two shorts featuring the continuing story of the kappa character in the film World Yokai Conference, a publicity event where Miike speaks about the film Promotional Events, video of the press conference to announce the start and completion of filming, as well as the premiere in Tokyo Documentary on the film's young star, Ryunosuke Kamiki, and his experience making the film Theatrical trailer Image gallery

• Blade Of The Immortal | Blu Ray | (02/04/2018) from £N/A   |  Saving you £N/A (N/A%)   |  RRP £N/A

  Manji, a highly skilled samurai, becomes cursed with immortality after a legendary battle. Haunted by the brutal murder of his sister, Manji knows that only fighting evil will regain his soul. He promises to help a young girl named Rin avenge her parents, who were killed by a group of master swordsmen led by ruthless warrior Anotsu. The mission will change Manji in ways he could never imagine...

• Azumi / Azumi 2 | DVD | (17/10/2005) from £N/A   |  Saving you £N/A (N/A%)   |  RRP £24.99

  Azumi (2003) In war-torn Shogunate Japan Azumi (Aya Ueto) is a beautiful young girl who has been trained from childhood with nine other orphans to become a fearless assassin. Martial arts master Gessai (Yoshio Harada) has raised the ten children in complete seclusion in the hope that his protgs will one day defeat the merciless warlords and restore peace to the land. To test that they are the ruthless killers they will need to be for the mission Gessai orders them to pair o

• Street Fighter Alpha - The Movie | DVD | (16/04/2001) from £7.89   |  Saving you £10.10 (56.10%)   |  RRP £17.99

  Street Fighter Alpha is an animated film aimed less at admirers of the comic strip from which it derives than aficionados of the arcade computer game which is the best known embodiment of the material; as such, the narrative line is mostly an excuse for balletic fights in which eyes glare and sides of buildings fall off. Ryu is a brilliant young fighter worried that his technique may yet corrupt him into monstrousness; the boy Shun appears, claiming to be his brother and already well on the way to corruption by the technique known as the Dark Hadou. When Shun is kidnapped by an evil scientist, Ryu goes after him in spite of the possible cost to his own moral status; his friend Ken and Interpol agent Chen go along to help him, and if necessary to kill him to prevent his corruption. This is largely by-the-numbers martial arts anime, but at times exciting or beautiful for all of that; devotees of the game will love it. On the DVD: The DVD is generously stacked with English and Japanese soundtracks and English subtitles. There are interviews with the artists, creators and voice actors, a making-of documentary and various trailers and previews. --Roz Kaveney

• Hidden Fortress | DVD | (25/03/2002) from £25.63   |  Saving you £-5.64 (N/A%)   |  RRP £19.99

  A story of rival clans hidden gold and a princess in distress The Hidden Fortress is a thrilling mix of fairy story and samurai action movie. It was Kurosawa's first film shot in the widescreen process of Tohoscope and he exploited this to the full in the film's rich variety of landscape locations including the slopes of Mount Fuji. The Hidden Fortress became Kurosawa's biggest box-office hit to date and won several awards including the Golden Bear at the 1959 Berlin Film Fest

• Battle Royale 3 Disc Edition | DVD | (28/02/2011) from £31.70   |  Saving you £-11.71 (-58.60%)   |  RRP £19.99

  ONE DEAD. 41 TO GO. Battle Royale is back. It's time to return to the island and kill your friends because the cult Japanese movie that defines twisted action and sickening violence is ready to shock you all over again. In a world where teenagers have no respect and adults are losing control there can be only one solution: Battle Royale! Now see what happens when you let a high school class loose on an island arm them and then give them a simple choice... Kill your friends or have them kill you; with poison cross-bows machetes and dynamite. `Beat Takeshi Kitano (Violent Cop Zatoichi) is a teacher pushed to the edge by his unruly charges. Kidnapped and gassed his class wake up with exploding metal rings around their necks. If they rebel they could lose their heads. Now they have three days and only one is permitted to survive this grisly battle to the death. Directed by the master of 70s Yakuza thrillers Kinji Fukasaku and featuring Kill Bill star Chiaki Kuriyama Battle Royale is the movie that helped to define extreme Asian cinema in the 21st Century.

• The Sky Crawlers | DVD | (31/05/2010) from £11.98   |  Saving you £10.00 (100.10%)   |  RRP £19.99

  The Sky Crawlers is set in an alternate history where, although the world is at peace, in order to ease the tension of a populace accustomed to war and aggression, private companies contract fighter pilots to stage combat against each other for show.

• The Sky Crawlers | Blu Ray | (31/05/2010) from £N/A   |  Saving you £N/A (N/A%)   |  RRP £24.99

  The Sky Crawlers is set in an alternate history where, although the world is at peace, in order to ease the tension of a populace accustomed to war and aggression, private companies contract fighter pilots to stage combat against each other for show.

• Hell's Paradise - Season 1 | Blu Ray | (28/10/2024) from £57.85   |  Saving you £N/A (N/A%)   |  RRP £N/A

  Betrayed by his clan's leader, damn near immortal, and stuck on death row far from his love, Gabimaru is given a chance at freedom. The task? Venture deep into an island filled with competing convicts and demonic beasts in a race for the Elixir of Life.64-Page Art Book, 5 Art Cards

• Gonin | DVD | (27/12/2001) from £N/A   |  Saving you £N/A (N/A%)   |  RRP £9.99

  Takashi Ishii's visually sumptuous gangster movie Gonin ("The Five") is fascinating in its violence, its perversity and its quirkiness, even though its basic plot premise is fairly standard. Disco owner Bandai (Kouichi Sato) owes money to the yakuza boss Ogoshi and decides to rob him rather than pay him--the first part of the film shows him recruiting a crew of the damaged and despairing to help with the job, and disaster follows. Ogoshi hires the more or less unstoppable one-eyed hit man Kyoya ("Beat" Takeshi) and everyone ends up dead--robbers, gangsters and assassins--in an escalating sequence of reprisals. What is different about the film is the odd tangents the plot shoots off at--the sudden sexual attraction between Bandai and the con-man Mitsuya, the truth about the phone calls the desperate sacked salary man Ogiwara keeps making to his family--and its strong visual style. Crucial events take place in the background of shots, the sudden shift from neon-lit back al! leys to sunlight in the last sequence hits you like a blow in the face. Terrifying in its casual violence and impressive in its bleak nihilism, Gonin is one of the most interesting genre films of the 1990s.--Roz Kaveney

• Hanasaku Iroha PT2 BLU-RAY | Blu Ray | (15/07/2019) from £27.89   |  Saving you £N/A (N/A%)   |  RRP £N/A

  Ohana's job at Kissuiso continues. Just when she grows accustomed to her daily tasks as a hot spring inn attendant, Kissuiso's financial stability is called into question. An opportunity to have a movie filmed at Kissuiso causes a big to-do, but will that be enough to revitalise interest in the inn and keep everyone's dream alive?

• Rashomon | DVD | (22/10/2001) from £N/A   |  Saving you £N/A (N/A%)   |  RRP £19.99

  This 1950 film by Akira Kurosawa is more than a classic: it's a cinematic archetype that has served as a template for many a film since. (Rashomon's most direct influence was on a Western remake, The Outrage, starring Paul Newman and directed by Martin Ritt.) In essence, the facts surrounding a rape and murder are told from four different and contradictory points of view, suggesting the nature of truth is something less than absolute. The cast, headed by Kurosawa's favourite actor, Toshiro Mifune, is superb. --Tom Keogh

• Azumi 2 | DVD | (17/10/2005) from £9.63   |  Saving you £13.35 (201.05%)   |  RRP £19.99

  Picking up shortly after the events in the first film Jpop sensation Aya Ueto continues her foray into the cinema fold in reprising her role as Azumi the young ninja assassin charged with the burden of preventing her nation falling into civil war. However rival Masayuki Sanada (Mikijiro Hira) is the government official determined to upset the delicate balance of national unity and steer Japan away from its destined course... Set around the beginning of the Tokugawa Shogunate perio

• Battle Royale (3 Disc Edition) | Blu Ray | (30/04/2012) from £N/A   |  Saving you £N/A (N/A%)   |  RRP £22.99

  One Dead. 41 To Go. Battle Royale is back. It’s time to return to the island and kill your friends, because the cult Japanese movie that defines twisted action and sickening violence is ready to shock you all over again. In a world where teenagers have no respect and adults are losing control there can be only one solution: Battle Royale! Now, see what happens when you let a high school class loose on an island, arm them and then give them a simple choice... Kill your friends or have them kill you; with poison, cross-bows, machetes and dynamite. ‘Beat’ Takeshi Kitano (Violent Cop, Zatoichi) is a teacher pushed to the edge by his unruly charges. Kidnapped and gassed, his class wake up with exploding metal rings around their necks. If they rebel, they could lose their heads. Now they have three days and only one is permitted to survive this grisly battle to the death. Directed by the master of 70s Yakuza thrillers Kinji Fukasaku and featuring Kill Bill star Chiaki Kuriyama, Battle Royale is the movie that helped to define extreme Asian cinema in the 21st Century. 3 Disc Edition Features: Collector’s booklet by Tom Mes, author of ‘The Midnight Eye Guide to New Japanese Film’ illustrated with stills, artwork and a printed interview with director Kinji Fukasaku Brand new restored transfer in glorious high definition 1080p of the Theatrical Version and Director’s Cut Brand new subtitle translation on both features Disc 1 – Theatrical Cut: Special Features Original theatrical trailer The making of Battle Royale: The Experience of 42 High School Students Disc 2 – Special Edition [Director’s Cut]: Special Features Conducting Battle Royale with the Warsaw National Philharmonic Orchestra Special Edition Trailer TV Spot: Tarantino Version Shooting the Special Edition Takeshi Kitano Interview The Correct Way to Make Battle Royale [Birthday Verion] Tokyo International Film Festival Presentation Disc 3 – Special Features Opening Day at Marunouchi Toei Movie Theatre The Slaughter of 42 High School Students Premiere Press Conference The Correct Way to Fight in Battle Royale Royale Rehearsals Masamichi Amano conducts Battle Royale Special Effects Comparison Behind the Scenes Featurette Filming on Set TV Spots, Promos and Commercials Kinji Fukasaku Trailer Reel

• Hanasaku Iroha Pt 1 BLU-RAY | Blu Ray | (17/06/2019) from £27.79   |  Saving you £N/A (N/A%)   |  RRP £N/A

  Hanasaku Iroha Part1 When Ohana's mother flees with her boyfriend to avoid paying his debts, Ohana is sent off to live with her grandmother, who owns the hot spring inn, Kissuiso. Upon arriving, Ohana is put to work at the inn. Thrust into a life where the customers always come first, she struggles to find her place at the inn and fit in with her coworkers.

• EXTE | DVD | (14/07/2008) from £6.95   |  Saving you £6.04 (86.91%)   |  RRP £12.99

  Customs agents discover a huge amount of human hair along with the bald corpse of a young girl. This arouses the curiosity of Yamazaki a mortuary employee with a hair fetish particularly since the girl's hair continues to grow. Now a mad hair-peddler with an endless stock of locks Yamazaki sells her ever-growing hair to salons to be used for extensions. Meanwhile Yuko an up-and-coming hair stylist is entrusted with the care of her timid and frightened niece Mami whose body bares the signs of abuse. It's not long before death surrounds them and their extension-wearing clientele. The hair it seems has a life of its own with lethal vengeful intentions. And Yuko and Mami must untangle the mystery before more deaths occur. Directed by Sion Sono Hair Extensions will make your hair stand on end!

• I Live In Fear | DVD | (28/03/2005) from £11.99   |  Saving you £8.00 (66.72%)   |  RRP £19.99

  When a wealthy foundry owner and bullying patriarch decides to move his entire family from Tokyo to Brazil to escape the nuclear holocaust which he fears is imminent his family tries to have him declared mentally incompetent... Made at the height of the Cold War when the superpowers were engaged in series of nuclear tests this blazing attack on complacency was one of the director's most deeply-felt but least commercially successful films. Nonetheless it deserves to be more widely