"Actor: Shingo Yamashiro"

• The Yakuza Papers: Final Episode | DVD | (08/08/2016) from £13.29   |  Saving you £N/A (N/A%)   |  RRP £N/A

  The Final Episode of the Battles Without Honour and Humanity series brought a new, more contemporary mood to the film and its characters. The yakuza may be starting to resemble a legitimate business, but director Kinji Fukasaku, working with new screenwriter Koji Takada, never lets the audience forget their violent origins, and their tried-and-true methods of accomplishing their business. 1966. After a police crackdown, the gangs of Hiroshima and Kure have formed a massive, multi-family political and economic coalition called the Tensei Group, seeking a way forward into the 1970's as part of Japan's economic bubble. Shozo Hirono (Bunta Sugawara) finds himself increasingly alienated from this semi-legitimate form of corruption, particularly as acting Tensei Group chairman Matsumura (Kinya Kitaoji) tries to put the gangs on a new, more business-like path. But old habits die hard, and when rivalries surface once again, they bring with them the promise of more bloodshed. The long-awaited conclusion to the epic series is an elegy for the bad guy, with the harsh realization that Japan's economic growth came about only through the sacrifice of the blood of its young men, victims of twenty long years of Battles Without Honour and Humanity.

• Graveyards of Honor | Blu Ray | (31/05/2021) from £14.99   |  Saving you £N/A (N/A%)   |  RRP £N/A

  Two peerless masters of Japanese cinema Kinji Fukasaku (Battles without Honor and Humanity, Battle Royale) and Takashi Miike (Dead or Alive, Audition) present their own distinctive adaptations of yakuza expert Goro Fujita's gangster novel Graveyard of Honor, each tapping into the zeitgeist of a distinct period of Japanese history. Set during the turbulent post-war years, Fukasaku's original 1975 film charts the rise and fall of real-life gangster Rikio Ishikawa (Tetsuya Watari, Outlaw Gangster VIP). Shot through with the same stark realism and quasidocumentarian approach as Fukasaku's earlier Battles Without Honor and Humanity, Fukasaku nonetheless breaks new ground through his portrayal of a gangster utterly without honor or ethics, surviving by any means necessary in a world of brutal criminality. Meanwhile, Miike's 2002 retelling transplants the story to Tokyo at the turn of the millennium. Less a direct remake of Fukasaku's film than a radical reimagining of the same overarching premise, Miike's film captures both the hedonism and nihilism of the modern Japanese crime scene in deliriously stylish fashion, resulting in a fascinating companion piece to the original that nonetheless stands as its own entity. Arrow Video is proud to present these two intertwined but unique crime thrillers from two celebrated filmmakers at the peak of their creative powers. Special Features Two-disc set featuring two different versions of Graveyard of Honor, the 1975 film by Kinji Fukasaku and the 2002 film by Takashi Miike Special edition packaging featuring newly commissioned artwork by Ian MacEwan Reversible sleeves featuring original and newly commissioned artwork by Ian MacEwan DISC ONE GRAVEYARD OF HONOR (1975) High Definition Blu-ray™ (1080p) presentation Original lossless Japanese PCM 1.0 mono soundtrack Optional English subtitles Audio commentary by author and critic Mark Schilling Like a Balloon: The Life of a Yakuza, a visual essay by critic and Projection Booth podcast host Mike White A Portrait of Rage, an archival appreciation of Fukasaku and his films, featuring interviews with filmmakers, scholars, and friends of the director On the Set with Fukasaku, an archival interview with assistant director Kenichi Oguri Theatrical trailer Imagery gallery DISC TWO GRAVEYARD OF HONOR (2002) High Definition Blu-ray™ (1080p) presentation Original lossless Japanese PCM 2.0 stereo soundtrack Optional English subtitles Audio commentary by Miike biographer Tom Mes Men of Violence: The Male Driving Forces in Takashi Miike's Cinema, a visual essay by author and critic Kat Ellinger Archival interview special featuring Miike and cast members Goro Kishitani and Narimi Arimori Archival making-of featurette Archival making-of teaser Archival press release interviews featuring Miike, Kishitani and Arimori Archival premiere special featuring Miike, Kishitani and Arimori Theatrical trailer Imagery gallery

• Cops vs Thugs | Blu Ray | (22/05/2017) from £N/A   |  Saving you £N/A (N/A%)   |  RRP £N/A

  Considered by many to be director Kinji Fukasaku's greatest single-film achievement in the yakuza genre, Cops vs Thugs was made at the height of popularity of Toei Studios' jitsuroku boom: realistic, modern crime movies based on true stories taken from contemporary headlines. Returning to the screen after completing their Battles Without Honor and Humanity series together, Fukasaku joined forces once again with screenwriter Kazuo Kasahara, composer Toshiaki Tsushima and star Bunta Sugawara to create one of the crowning achievements of his career, and a hard-boiled classic which is still ranked as one of the best Japanese films of the 1970's. It's 1963 in the southern Japanese city of Kurashima, and tough-as-nails detective Kuno (Sugawara) oversees a detente between the warring Kawade and Ohara gangs. Best friends with Ohara lieutenant Hirotani (Hiroki Matsukata), he understands that there are no clear lines in the underworld, and that everything is colored a different shade of gray. But when random violence interrupts the peace and an ambitious, by-the-books lieutenant (Tatsuo Umemiya) comes to town, Kuno's fragile alliance begins to crumble. Greedy bosses and politicians alike seize the opportunity to wipe out their enemies, and Kuno faces the painful choice of pledging allegiance to his badge and keeping a promise to his brother. Echoing the great crime films of Sidney Lumet and Jean-Pierre Melville, in Fukasaku's world, there's no honor among thieves or lawmen alike, and the only thing that matters is personal honor and duty among friends. Kasahara's shattering screenplay and Fukasaku's dynamic direction support an all-star, ensemble cast to create one of the most exciting, and deeply moving films about cops and criminals ever made. SPECIAL EDITION CONTENTS: High Definition digital transfer High Definition Blu-ray (1080p) and Standard Definition DVD presentations Original uncompressed mono audio Optional English subtitles Audio commentary by film scholar Tom Mes New video interview with film scholar & Fukasaku biographer Sadao Yamane Sympathy for the Underdog, a new visual essay on Fukasaku's career by Marc Walkow Reversible sleeve featuring original and newly commissioned artwork by Ian MacEwan FIRST PRESSING ONLY: Illustrated collector's booklet featuring new writing on the film

• Cops vs Thugs | DVD | (01/10/2002) from £N/A   |  Saving you £N/A (N/A%)   |  RRP £15.99

  It is 1963 and the police of Kurashima City have spent the past seven years eradicating the Yakuza gangs which have caused so much strife in the city. The last two remaining gangs Ohara and Kawade are in tatters with the Ohara Boss in prison. But with the police force full of corrupt officers the gangs begin to flourish once again. The Kawade gang sensing the opportunity to strike their enemies while their leader is incarcerated decide to stage a raid on a club owned by their rivals but the attention of the police is drawn to both gangs again. Ken Hirotani is running the Ohara gang while the Boss is in jail and he soon discovers that a childhood friend Kuno is now a police detective assigned to clean up the underworld. But Kuno's loyalties lay more with his friend than his career and his honour is tested time and time again. When a major property deal goes bad the police are able to persuade the two gangs to come to a truce but there are elements of both sides who don't like what their superiors are negotiating. Soon it's not only Cops vs Cops as loyalties are strained and honour pushes the boundaries of the law with an epic showdown looming.

• Babycart in the Land of Demons | DVD | (03/11/2008) from £N/A   |  Saving you £N/A (N/A%)   |  RRP £19.99

  Baby Cart: In The Land Of Demons