Tekkonkinkreet is a landmark in the increasing cross-pollination between Japanese and American animation: Based on a manga by Taiyo Matsumoto, the film was made in Japan at Studio 4C, but directed by American Michael Arrias. The story unfolds in Treasure Town, a scabrous metropolitan slum so gritty it makes the viewer want to clean under his fingernails. Orphans White and Black share an existence at the fringes of an already marginalized subculture. White seems naive, if not learning disabled: at 11, he can't tie his shoes or dress himself. But he has an uncanny sixth sense about what's happening in Treasure Town. Older, streetwise Black looks after White and receives the emotional support he needs in return: they're two halves of a damaged whole. The arrival of a murderous yakuza boss who wants to demolish Treasure Town and build an amusement park draws Black and White into an escalating spiral of physical and emotional violence. Although the ending of Tekkonkinkreet feels needlessly obscure, it's a striking and often powerful film from a first-time director. (Contains violence, grotesque imagery, brief nudity, alcohol and tobacco use) --Charles Solomon, Amazon.com
To stop Makoto Shishio who aims to conquer Japan Kenshin arrives in Kyoto and tries to face off against Shishio’s troops. However his enemy has begun its course to start invading Tokyo with the steel-reinforced battleship. To save captured Kaoru who is thrown into the sea by Shishio’s men Kenshin also dives in after her but is washed ashore alone unconscious. Kenshin recovers with the help of Seijuro Hiko the master of Kenshin who happens to find him on the shore. He realizes he is no match for Shishio unless he learns the ultimate technique of his sword style and begs the master to teach him. In the meantime Shishio finds that Kenshin is still alive and puts pressure on the government to find Kenshin and execute him in public for his sins during his days as the “Battosai the Killer”. As Kenshin faces his biggest challenge can Kenshin really defeat his fiercest enemy Shishio and be reunited with Kaoru?! Click Images to Enlarge
Arrow Video is proud to present Blade of the Immortal, the thrilling, action-packed 100th feature from the Japanese master of genre films, Takashi Miike (Audition, 13 Assassins). Based on the Manga series of the same name by Hiroaki Samura, Blade stars Takuya Kimura (Love and Honour) as Manji, a highly skilled samurai, who becomes cursed with immortality after a legendary battle. Haunted by the brutal murder of his sister, Manji knows that only fighting evil will regain him his soul. He promises to help a young girl named Rin (Hana Sugisaki) avenge her parents, who were killed by a group of master swordsmen led by ruthless warrior Anotsu (Sôta Fukushi). The mission will change Manji in ways he could never imagine... This blistering samurai film matches impressive performances with an impossibly high body-count and expertly-filmed scenes of combat. Blade is set to become one of its directors most revered films, and is presented here by Arrow Video with a wealth of special features. Features: Standard Definition DVD presentation Original 5.1 surround sound Optional English subtitles Takashi Miike on Blade of the Immortal, a new interview with the legendary director filmed exclusively for Arrow Video at the 2017 London Film Festival Audio commentary by Asian cinema expert Tom Mes Manji vs. 300, behind the scenes featurette documenting the shooting of the film's thrilling climax Extensive cast and crew interviews filmed on the set during production Stills gallery Original trailers Reversible sleeve featuring Arrow Films theatrical poster art and original artwork
!Sakura Minamoto dreams of becoming an idol. Unfortunately, reality hits her like a truck, and she dies in a sudden traffic accident. Ten years later, she wakes up in Saga Prefecture, only to find herself a zombie with no memory of her past. While still coming to terms with her demise, she meets a man named Koutarou Tatsumi, who explains that he has resurrected her and six other zombie girls from different eras for the purpose of economically revitalizing Saga by means of an idol group. Assuming the role of an abrasive manager, Koutarou begins scheduling events; the girls go along with it, eventually deciding to name their idol group Franchouchou. An absurdly comedic take on the idol genre, Zombie Land Saga tells the story of Franchouchou's heartwarming struggle to save Saga Prefecture while hiding their zombie identities and rediscovering their past lives.
The latest volume in the BFI's ongoing releases of the works of Japanese master Yasujiro Ozu focuses on his crime films. These rare, silent works mix the thrills of western filmmaking with compositions that served as a forerunner to his renowned, mature, post-war style. All films are here presented with newly commissioned scores by Ed Hughes. Episode Comprise: Walk Cheerfully That Night's Wife Dragnet Girl Special Features: The only surviving fragment of A Straightforward Boy
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...
Sakura Minamoto dreams of becoming an idol. Unfortunately, reality hits her like a truck, and she dies in a sudden traffic accident. Ten years later, she wakes up in Saga Prefecture, only to find herself a zombie with no memory of her past. While still coming to terms with her demise, she meets a man named Koutarou Tatsumi, who explains that he has resurrected her and six other zombie girls from different eras for the purpose of economically revitalizing Saga by means of an idol group. Assuming the role of an abrasive manager, Koutarou begins scheduling events; the girls go along with it, eventually deciding to name their idol group Franchouchou. An absurdly comedic take on the idol genre, Zombie Land Saga tells the story of Franchouchou's heartwarming struggle to save Saga Prefecture while hiding their zombie identities and rediscovering their past lives.
Sakura Minamoto dreams of becoming an idol. Unfortunately, reality hits her like a truck, and she dies in a sudden traffic accident. Ten years later, she wakes up in Saga Prefecture, only to find herself a zombie with no memory of her past. While still coming to terms with her demise, she meets a man named Koutarou Tatsumi, who explains that he has resurrected her and six other zombie girls from different eras for the purpose of economically revitalizing Saga by means of an idol group. Assuming the role of an abrasive manager, Koutarou begins scheduling events; the girls go along with it, eventually deciding to name their idol group Franchouchou. An absurdly comedic take on the idol genre, Zombie Land Saga tells the story of Franchouchou's heartwarming struggle to save Saga Prefecture while hiding their zombie identities and rediscovering their past lives.
To stop Makoto Shishio who aims to conquer Japan Kenshin arrives in Kyoto and tries to face off against Shishio’s troops. However his enemy has begun its course to start invading Tokyo with the steel-reinforced battleship. To save captured Kaoru who is thrown into the sea by Shishio’s men Kenshin also dives in after her but is washed ashore alone unconscious. Kenshin recovers with the help of Seijuro Hiko the master of Kenshin who happens to find him on the shore. He realizes he is no match for Shishio unless he learns the ultimate technique of his sword style and begs the master to teach him. In the meantime Shishio finds that Kenshin is still alive and puts pressure on the government to find Kenshin and execute him in public for his sins during his days as the “Battosai the Killer”. As Kenshin faces his biggest challenge can Kenshin really defeat his fiercest enemy Shishio and be reunited with Kaoru?! Click Images to Enlarge
Opera-oratorio in two acts. Poem after Sophocles by Jean Cocteau.
Two years after leaving the grungy cyberpunk calling card of the original Tetsuo, Shinya Tsukamoto re-enters the world of flesh and metal metamorphoses with Tetsuo II: The Body Hammer, a more narratively ambitious film that is neither sequel nor remake, but a rethinking of the ideas on a bigger scale with more impressive effects. The film begins in the recognisable world of the thriller, where a young middle-class couple see their son kidnapped by mysterious hoodlums, and then takes an abrupt turn into an underworld of cybermen led by a mad scientist performing twisted experiments. The father (Tomoroh Taguchi, returning from the first film), filled with rage and shame at his powerlessness, suddenly transforms into a robotic warrior and becomes overwhelmed by the power, simultaneously terrified and ecstatic. Unlike in the original, Tsukamoto offers an explanation, for what it's worth, but the power lies not in the story but the nightmarish imagery and the themes of the marriage of flesh and technology, metal and magic. With an ample budget at his disposal (not to mention colour), Tsukamoto ups the conflict to a battle of biblical proportions while maintaining the brooding, terrifying, nightmarish quality. Tsukamoto's gory, violent vision of technology run amok is not for everyone, but fans of David Lynch and David Cronenberg will find his dangerous visions just as creatively disturbing.--Sean Axmaker
Created in Kochi in 1954, Yosakoi incorporates modern music and classic Japanese dance into a unique fusion performed in teams. However, while Yosakoi has become a growing phenomenon with huge festivals held across Japan, it's never been more than a blip on high school student Naru Sekia's cultural radar. Not that much has ever really grabbed Naru's attention. She's average in grades, average in sports and in art really, the only thing that has ever caught her fancy is reading fairy tales. Until the day she encounters her own personal fairy : Hana, an American exchange student who is determined to start a Yosakoi dancing club at their school. Entranced by Hana's beauty and skill, Naru and her friends find themselves caught up in the whirlwind world of Yosakoi. It won't be easy and just getting the club sponsored will be a trial, but between the movement, the melodies, and the friendship, Naru may have finally found a fairy tale of her own in Hanayamata! Contains episodes 1-12. Special Features: Clean Opening & Closing Animations. Spoken Languages: English, Japanese, English subtitles
Director Michio Yamamoto's early 1970's 'Blood Thirsty Trilogy' classic Japanese vampire tales rarely seen in the Western world! Legacy Of Dracula: When Kazuhiko visits the grave of his girlfriend Yuko he is shocked by what he finds... Following his subsequent disappearance his sister and her boyfriend follow his tracks to Yuko's ancestral home. Lake Of Dracula: When 5-year old Akiko witnesses a bloody murder by a hideous golden-eyed vampire she grows up forever
Please wait. Loading...
This site uses cookies.
More details in our privacy policy