"Actor: Kyoko KAGAWA"

• Mothra (Masters of Cinema) Blu-ray | Blu Ray | (15/11/2021) from £14.29   |  Saving you £N/A (N/A%)   |  RRP £N/A

  One of the most iconic Japanese kaiju, Mothra has appeared in over a dozen feature films. Presented here is her debut, a gloriously vibrant piece of filmmaking that forever changed how kaiju eiga would be produced in Japan. Following reports of human life on Infant Island, the supposedly deserted site of atomic bomb tests, an international expedition to the heavily-radiated island discovers a native tribe and tiny twin female fairies called Shobijin who guard a sacred egg. The overzealous expedition leader kidnaps the Shobijin to exhibit in a Tokyo stage show but soon they summon their protector, hatching the egg and releasing a giant caterpillar. When Mothra arrives in Japan and transforms into her final form, the nation and its people face their destruction. Psychedelically colourful, with an intelligent, benevolent protector as its lead kaiju, Mothra was radically different to every other monster movie that had come before it, and it remains a classic of the genre to this day. The Masters of Cinema Series is proud to present Ishirō Honda's Mothra on Blu-ray. Special Features Includes both Japanese and English versions Original audio presentations English subtitles (Japanese version) and English SDH (English version) Audio commentary with film historian and writer David Kalat Audio commentary with authors and Japanese sci-fi historians Steve Ryfle and Ed Godziszewski Kim Newman on ˜Mothra' an interview with film critic and author Kim Newman on the history and legacy of Mothra Stills Galleries featuring rare archival stills and ephemera Trailers PLUS: A collector's booklet featuring an essay by Japanese cinema expert Jasper Sharp (Midnight Eye) and an extract from Steve Ryfle and Ed Godziszewski's Ishirō Honda biography

• Chikamatsu Monogatari/ Uwasa no Onna | DVD | (25/02/2008) from £N/A   |  Saving you £N/A (N/A%)   |  RRP £24.99

  Based on a centuries old tale with roots in real events Chikamatsu Monogatari tells the hauntingly tragic story of a forbidden love affair between a merchant's wife Osan (Kyoko Kagawa) and her husband's employee Mohei (Kazuo Hasegawa) in an era when the punishment for adultery was crucifixion. When a series of innocent events lead to the false accusation of an affair between Osan and Mohei the accused pair are forced to flee an almost certain death sentence. On the run the outlaw couple grow closer together drawn inexorably towards the romantic crime of which they are accused. Released the same year Uwasa No Onna offers a contrasting portrait of attitudes concerning love and relationships. Set in a modern Kyoto geisha house the film revolves around Hatsuko (Kinuyo Tanaka) madame of her own geisha house. When Hatsuko ends up pursuing the same man as her daughter Yukiko (Yoshiko Kuga) both women are forced to confront their attitudes towards each other and the family business.