"Actor: Ken Takakura"

• Jakoman and Tetsu | Blu Ray | (21/04/2025) from £16.99   |  Saving you £N/A (N/A%)   |  RRP £N/A

  Jakoman and Tetsu is an early action masterpiece from Kinji Fukasaku (Battles Without Honor and Humanity, Battle Royale), adapted from a script written by the legendary Akira Kurosawa. Set in 1947 in a small coastal village among the majestic snowy landscapes of Japan's northernmost island of Hokkaido, Ken Takakura (the Abashiri Prison series, Ridley Scott's Black Rain) is Tetsu, the prodigal son who returns from the war to help out his father Kyubei with the family herring fishing business. His arrival coincides with that of a one-eyed miscreant named Jakoman, played by Tetsuro Tamba (Harakiri, You Only Live Twice), who bears a long-standing grudge against Kyubei and is intent on causing as much mayhem among the hordes of seasonal fishermen as possible.

• WOLVES, PIGS AND MEN | Blu Ray | (26/08/2024) from £17.95   |  Saving you £N/A (N/A%)   |  RRP £N/A

  Ferocious, dynamic yakuza thriller from Kinji Fukasaku Eureka Entertainment to release WOLVES, PIGS AND MEN; Kinji Fukasaku's blood-soaked yakuza masterpiece. Presented on Blu-ray from a new 2K restoration. The first print run of 2000 copies only will exclusively feature a limited edition O-card slipcase. A standout yakuza film directed by a master of the genre in Kinji Fukasaku (Battles Without Honour and Humanity), Wolves, Pigs and Men is an uncompromising treatise on brutality and brotherhood starring Rentarô Mikuni (Harakiri), Kin'ya Kitaôji (Battles Without Honour and Humanity: Final Episode) and the inimitable Ken Takakura (Abashiri Prison). Kuroki (Mikuni), Jirô (Takakura) and Sabu (Kitaôji) are three brothers born into poverty. Kuroki, the eldest, finds an escape from his squalid beginnings by turning to organised crime - and soon both Jirô and Sabu have followed him into the yakuza lifestyle. But none of the brothers see eye to eye, each of them showing more loyalty to their criminal comrades than to their siblings. Following a stint in prison, Jirô convinces Sabu to help him pull off a potentially lucrative heist, leading to a series of betrayals and horrifically violent acts that will test the bonds of blood to their breaking point. Blending the staple themes of the Japanese gangster film with narrative and aesthetic qualities borrowed from the French New Wave and American film noir, Wolves, Pigs and Men stands as one of the finest yakuza movies of the 1960s. The Masters of Cinema series is proud to present the film on Blu-ray for the first time in the UK from a new restoration of the original film elements by Toei. 1080p HD presentation on Blu-ray from a restoration of the original film elements supplied by Toei | Original Japanese audio track (uncompressed LPCM mono) | Audio commentary track by Jasper Sharp | Interview with screenwriter Jun'ya Satô | Interview with producer Tatsu Yoshida | Interview with Kinji Fukasaku's biographer, Sadao Yamane | Trailer | PLUS: A collector's booklet featuring new writing by Japanese cinema expert Joe Hickinbottom

• THE BULLET TRAIN | Blu Ray | (24/04/2023) from £14.84   |  Saving you £N/A (N/A%)   |  RRP £N/A

  Eureka Entertainment to release The Bullet Train, Junya Satō's edge-of-your-seat thriller, starring the legendary Sonny Chiba and Ken Takakura. Presented as part of the Eureka Classics range in its UK debut on Blu-ray presented from a 2K restoration. Available from 20 February 2023, the first print-run of 2000 copies will feature a Limited-Edition O-card Slipcase. Ken Takakura stars as a mad bomber who plants a device on a high-speed Japanese train, programmed to detonate if the train's speed drops below 80 kilometres per hour. The trains conductor (Sonny Chiba) must keep the train moving whilst the police track the madman down. Most well-known for inspiring the 1994 Hollywood blockbuster Speed, The Bullet Train is a remarkably tense thriller from director Junya Satō, and Eureka Classics is proud to present it in this definitive edition for its UK debut on Blu-ray, from a 2K restoration of the original film elements. Product Features Limited Edition slipcase featuring new artwork by Tony Stella (First Print Run of 2000 copies) 1080p presentation on Blu-ray from a 2K restoration of the original film elements Original Japanese theatrical version and alternate dubbed International version included Optional English subtitles Brand new audio commentary by Jasper Sharp and Tom Mes Brand new interview with author / critic Kim Newman Brand new interview with Tony Rayns Big Movie, Big Panic: Junya Sato on The Bullet Train archival featurette Trailers PLUS: A limited edition collectors booklet featuring a new essay by film writer Barry Forshaw (First Print Run of 2000 copies) *All extras subject to change

• PRISON WALLS: ABASHIRI PRISON I-III (Masters of Cinema) Special Edition Two-disc Blu-ray | Blu Ray | (27/05/2024) from £29.99   |  Saving you £N/A (N/A%)   |  RRP £N/A

  Constructed in the late nineteenth century to house political prisoners, Japan's infamous Abashiri Prison served as the inspiration for a popular and prolific run of yakuza movies released between 1965 and 1972. The Masters of Cinemaseries is proud to present the first three entries in this landmark series, directed by the King of Cult Teruo Ishii (Shogun's Joy of Torture) and starring a titan of Japanese genre cinema, Ken Takakura (The Bullet Train).Abashiri Prison, Takakura stars as Shinichi Tachibana, a yakuza sent to Abashiri as punishment for an attack on a rival gangster. He intends to serve his time as a model prisoner until he is shackled to the bullish Gonzo Gonda (Kōji Nanbara), unwittingly roped into an escape attempt orchestrated by Heizo Yoda (Tōru Abe) and forced to face the frozen wilderness of Hokkaidō. In Another Abashiri Prison Story, Tachibana has just been released when he stumbles across a stash of diamonds recently stolen in a heist and attracts unwanted attention from criminals and cops alike. Finally, in Abashiri Prison: Saga of Homesickness, Tachibana reunites with his former yakuza associates, who are trying to go straight. That is, at least, until old rivals come looking for trouble Ken Takakura would reprise the role of Tachibana in another seven films under the Abashiri Prison banner all of them helmed by Teruo Ishii before the series was rebooted as New Abashiri Prison in 1968, leading to a further eight instalments with Takakura in the lead. It all began with these early entries, presented here for the first time ever on Blu-ray from brand new restorations of the original film elements by Toei.Extras:Limited edition O-card slipcase featuring new artwork by Tony Stella [First print run of 2000 copies only] | 1080p HD presentation of all three films from restorations of the original film elements supplied by Toei | Optional English subtitles newly translated for this release | Original Japanese audio (uncompressed LPCM mono) | Brand new audio commentary tracks by Tom Mes, Chris Poggiali and Mike Leeder & Arne Venema | Tony Rayns on Abashiri Prison brand new interview with critic and Asian cinema expert Tony Rayns | Brand new video appreciation by Jasper Sharp and Mark Schilling | Trailers | PLUS: A collector's booklet featuring new writing by Mark SchillingKen Takakura would reprise the role of Tachibana in another seven films under the Abashiri Prison banner all of them helmed by Teruo Ishii before the series was rebooted as New Abashiri Prison in 1968, leading to a further eight instalments with Takakura in the lead. It all began with these early entries, presented here for the first time ever on Blu-ray from brand new restorations of the original film elements by Toei.

• Black Rain | DVD | (04/09/2000) from £6.91   |  Saving you £6.08 (87.99%)   |  RRP £12.99

  A guilty pleasure if ever there was one, Black Rain is a ridiculously entertaining thriller by Ridley Scott (Alien), starring Michael Douglas as a tough New York cop who--along with his partner (Andy Garcia)--goes to Japan to deliver a local mobster. When the latter escapes, Douglas's brand of gonzo crime fighting rubs his Japanese hosts the wrong way. Slick, mechanistic, and absurd, the film is all surface action and attitude (not to mention Scott's incredibly busy, trademark art direction); and one can get lost in the sheer indulgence of it. However, if you can buy Douglas as an iconoclastic lawman, you can buy anything else here, including the notion of Kate Capshaw as a blonde escort highly desired by Japanese businessmen. -- Tom Keogh, Amazon.com

• Black Rain | HD DVD | (17/09/2007) from £12.99   |  Saving you £17.00 (130.87%)   |  RRP £29.99

  From Oscar-nominated director Ridley Scott (Gladiator) comes this stylish star-powered crime thriller that crackles with heart-pounding action and taut suspense. Academy Award-winner Michael Douglas is electrifying as Nick Conklin a rough-and-tumble NYC detective under investigation for corruption. Ordered to escort a cold-blooded killer named Sato back to his native Japan Nick and his partner Charlie (Oscar nominee Andy Garcia) unwittingly deliver Sato into the hands of his own gang. With assistance from a by-the-book Japanese cop (Ken Takakura) and a beautiful club hostess (Kate Capshaw) the American cops chase Sato through Osaka's seamy underworld as Nick fights to recapture something as important as the criminal he lost: his honour.

• THE VALIANT RED PEONY: Red Peony Gambler I-III (Masters of Cinema) Standard Edition Two-Disc Blu-ray | Blu Ray | (27/01/2025) from £N/A   |  Saving you £N/A (N/A%)   |  RRP £N/A

• GOLGO 13 (Eureka Classics) Special Edition Blu-ray | Blu Ray | (17/07/2023) from £15.79   |  Saving you £N/A (N/A%)   |  RRP £N/A

  Eureka Entertainment to release GOLGO 13, the 1973 action classic directed by Junya Satō (The Bullet Train) starring Ken Takakura as Takao Saito's deadly assassin. Presented on Blu-ray as part of the Eureka Classics range in its UK debut on home video from a stunning 2K restoration. Available from 17 July 2023, the first print run of 2000 copies will feature a Limited-Edition O-card Slipcase and Collector's Booklet. The first film adaptation of the long-running manga series by Takao Saito, director Junya Satō cast Ken Takakura (who was the original inspiration for the character) as the mysterious and stoic killer-for-hire who always completes his assignment (usually with his signature scoped M16 rifle). Almost impossible to see outside of Japan for many years, Eureka Classics is proud to present Golgo 13 in its UK debut on home video in a definitive Blu-ray edition. Product Features Limited Edition slipcase (First Print Run of 2000 copies) featuring new artwork by Tony Stella 1080p presentation on Blu-ray from a 2K restoration of the original film elements Optional English subtitles Lucky 13: Junya Sato's biographers on Golgo 13 Brand new interview with film writer Tatsuya Masuto and film critic Masaaki Nomura Brand new video piece on the career of Ken Takakura Trailer PLUS: A Limited Edition Collectors Booklet (First Print Run of 2000 copies) featuring new writing on the film by Tom Mes *All extras subject to change

• THE VALIANT RED PEONY: Red Peony Gambler I-III (Masters of Cinema) Special Edition Two-Disc Blu-ray | Blu Ray | (17/06/2024) from £27.35   |  Saving you £N/A (N/A%)   |  RRP £N/A

  Eureka Entertainment to release THE VALIANT READ PEONY: Red Peony Gambler I-III, the high stakes melodrama starring the iconic Junko Fuji as an honourable and stoic gambler and swordswoman. Presented for the first time ever on Blu-ray from brand new restorations. Available in 2024 as part of The Masters of Cinema Series, the first print run of 2000 copies only will feature an O-card slipcase. Originally released between 1968 and 1972, the Red Peony Gambler series is a cornerstone of the ninkyo eiga genre and a clear influence on such cult favourites such as Lady Snowblood and Quentin Tarantino's Kill Bill. The Masters of Cinema series is proud to present the first three Red Peony Gambler films, starring Junko Fuji (13 Assassins) and directed by three titans of Japanese genre cinema in Kōsaku Yamashita, Norifumi Suzuki and Tai Katō. Set during the Meiji era, Red Peony Gambler stars Fuji as Ryuko Yano, the daughter of a gambler. When her father is murdered, Ryuko takes on a new name derived from the crimson flower tattooed on her shoulder - Oryu, the Red Peony - and sets out for revenge. Then, in Red Peony Gambler 2: Gambler's Obligation, Oryu falls in with a group of yakuza attempting to monopolise the silk trade. When machinations within the gang lead to a betrayal, the Red Peony takes action. Finally, in Red Peony Gambler 3: The Flower Cards Game, Oryu meets a pair of star-crossed lovers as she becomes embroiled in a conflict between rival yakuza clans. Fuji would go on to play the Red Peony five more times, cementing the character as the archetype for many of the vengeful women to follow in Japanese cinema and beyond. These early entries in the Red Peony Gambler series are presented here for the first time ever on Blu-ray from brand new restorations of the original film elements by Toei. Extras: Limited edition O-card slipcase featuring new artwork by Grégory Sacré (Gokaiju) [First print run of 2000 copies only] | 1080p HD presentation of all three films from restorations of the original film elements supplied by Toei | Original Japanese audio tracks (uncompressed LPCM mono) | Brand new audio commentary tracks on all three films | Tony Rayns on Red Peony Gambler - brand new interview with critic and Asian cinema expert Tony Rayns | Trailers | PLUS: A collector's booklet featuring new writing by Jennifer Coates (Making Icons: Repetition and the Female Image in Japanese Cinema, 1945-1964) and Joe Hickinbottom

• Golgo 13 | DVD | (18/02/2002) from £N/A   |  Saving you £N/A (N/A%)   |  RRP £19.99

  Live For Passion... Die For Vengeance. Everyone's favorite assassin is back in his most exciting mission yet! Code Name: Golgo 13 - Professional assassin Duke Togo aka GOLGO 13 is an assassin for hire the most proficient sharpshooter in the known world and a completely amoral man with few redeeming qualities. Indestructible to his enemies and irresistible to his women GOLGO 13 is shrouded in mystery and anonymity. When solicited extermination is 100% guaranteed. Based on the dramatic Gekiga (Graphic Novels) by Saito Takao the world of Golgo is a harsh one filled with violence intrigue gadgetry and sex. Golgo must remain cold and calculating just to stay alive but can he survive the combined forces of the FBI CIA The Pentagon and the U.S. Army before pitting his wits against the superhuman powers of the Snake and the twin evils of psychopathic mercenaries Gold and Silver?

• 47 Ronin | DVD | (25/11/2013) from £16.00   |  Saving you £-0.01 (N/A%)   |  RRP £15.99

  Keanu Reeves leads the cast as Kai, an outcast who joins Oishi (Hiroyuki Sanada), the leader of the 47 outcast samurai. Together they seek vengeance upon the treacherous overlord who killed their master and banished their kind.

• Black Rain | Blu Ray | (08/09/2008) from £N/A   |  Saving you £N/A (N/A%)   |  RRP £19.99

  An American Cop in Japan. Their country. Their laws. Their game. His rules. Black Rain is centered around two New York City police officers Michael Douglas and Andy Garcia who arrest a member of the Japanese Yakuza and must escort him back to Japan. Once there he escapes and the two police officers find themselves dragged deeper and deeper into the Japanese underworld.

• Sonny Chiba Collection - Vol. 2 | DVD | (19/09/2005) from £N/A   |  Saving you £N/A (N/A%)   |  RRP £24.99

  Three great films from the Japanese king of hardboiled ass-kicking Sonny Chiba! Timeslip (aka G.I. Samurai) (1979): A Japanese Army unit is mysteriously transported 400 years back in time to the warring states period of Japanese history and ends up facing an army of Samurai warriors... Golgo 13 (1973): Sonny Chiba stars as the underworld's no.1 hitman in this hardboiled action-packed adaptation of Japan's all-time bestselling manga... The Bullet Train (1975):

• Riding Alone for Thousands of Miles | DVD | (13/08/2007) from £9.98   |  Saving you £10.01 (100.30%)   |  RRP £19.99

  For the first time in years aging fisherman Takata Gou-ichi boards a bullet train to Tokyo when he learns his estranged son is gravely ill. But at the hospital his son refuses to see him. Daughter-in-law Rie urges Takata to watch a videotape of a documentary his son was filming in rural China. Moved by what he sees Takata vows to complete his son's work. Though laden with obstacles his odyssey into the heart of China and the kinship he develops with a fatherless boy and the villag

• Golgo 13 - Queen Bee | DVD | (02/08/2004) from £N/A   |  Saving you £N/A (N/A%)   |  RRP £17.99

  Code Name: Golgo 13 - Professional assassin. Target: Queen Bee - leader of a dissident South American liberation army. Mission: Terminate the infamous Queen Bee before she kills a high profile presidential candidate Problem: Queen Bee is not your average guerilla radical. As a child she was ripped unmercifully from her home and left to fend for herself on the streets. As a woman cunning and powerful she lives only for passion and revenge; her brand of honey is deadly. Once

• The Bullet Train | DVD | (19/09/2005) from £N/A   |  Saving you £N/A (N/A%)   |  RRP £12.99

  A madman (Ken Takakura) plants a bomb on one of Japan's prestigioss Shinkansen (bullet train) from Tokyo to Hakata the Hikari 109. Threatening to blow it up unless his demands are met if the train slows below 80km/h it will be destroyed. While the police try to track down the culprit it's up to a heroic train conductor (Sonny Chiba) to find the bomb and disarm it in time... Pre-dating ""Speed"" (and its Korean homage ""Tube"") by almost two decades ""Bullet Train"" is gripping edge of

• Golgo 13 | DVD | (19/09/2005) from £6.46   |  Saving you £6.53 (50.30%)   |  RRP £12.99

  Sonny Chiba stars as the underworld's no.1 hitman Golgo 13 who is hired to kill a drugs kingpin in Hong Kong. Plans go awry when a competing assassin beats him to the punch and Golgo finds himself hunted by a legion of cold-blooded killers and a vigilant cop Detective Smith (Callan Leung) who will stop at nothing to get his man and bring down the crime syndicate... Chiba protege Etsuko Shihomi (Sister Streetfighter) co-stars as a feisty undercover cop who goes head to head wi

• Yakuza Box Set | DVD | (17/04/2004) from £N/A   |  Saving you £N/A (N/A%)   |  RRP £19.99

  Three tough thrillers from the acclaimed director of 'Battle Royale'. Graveyard Of Honour: Rikio Ishikawa is a brutal street thug who is drawn into the powerful Kawada gang in 1946 Tokyo. His insubordination and rebelliousness encourage him to start his own Yakuza family but he decides the easiest way would be to challenge his own Godfather whom he brutally attacks. This disrespect to his boss brings the ultimate form of disgrace upon himself and his 'family'. For his own

• Never Give Up | DVD | (20/06/2005) from £8.08   |  Saving you £-2.09 (N/A%)   |  RRP £5.99

  Following a mass murder in rural Japan ex-special forces soldier Ajisawa (Ken Takakura) adopts the sole survivor of the massacre an amnesiac young girl. Intending to put the past behind them the pair instead find themselves in conflict with the corrupt and powerful leaders of a small town. As the girl's memories begin to emerge Ajisawa must call upon all of his killer instincts to ensure their survival...

• Demon | DVD | (28/10/2002) from £9.99   |  Saving you £10.00 (100.10%)   |  RRP £19.99

  A yakuza member Shuji turns his back on his gangster lifestyle and moves to a remote fishing village. His past is kept hidden as is the yakuza style 'demon tattoo' on his back. But when another gangster comes to the town ensnaring the fishermen with all the night drinking gambling and drugs Shuji's secret is revealed. Shuji must either pursue his new found freedom or the demon on his back.