"Director: Kinji Fukasaku"

• Battle Royale | Blu Ray | (16/04/2012) from £10.99   |  Saving you £9.00 (100.11%)   |  RRP £17.99

  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!

• The Yakuza Papers: Proxy War | Blu Ray | (08/08/2016) from £13.04   |  Saving you £N/A (N/A%)   |  RRP £N/A

  The celebrated Battles Without Honour and Humanity series continues with its second episode, Hiroshima Death Match, setting aside part one protagonist Shozo Hirono (Bunta Sugawara) to follow a side story showcasing genre icons Sonny Chiba (The Street Fighter) and Meiko Kaji (Female Prisoner 701: Scorpion). Hiroshima, 1950. Demobilized kamikaze pilot Shoji Yamanaka (Kinya Kitaoji) is released from prison and finds himself hungry and broke. Following a bust up with a local gang, he earns the psychotic wrath of local underboss Otomo (Chiba), but Yamanaka's suicidal impulses are soon put to good use as a hitman for another gang, befriending series hero Shozo Hirono in the process. Despite a budding but forbidden romance with the boss's niece (Kaji), Yamanaka's instability and recklessness soon begin to make him a dangerous liability. Taking an even more fatalistic turn than the series' original entry, Hiroshima Death Match tells the story of the ultimate loser, based on a true story uncovered by screenwriter Kazuo Kasahara while interviewing real-life Hiroshima yakuza for part one. A prosperous era may be dawning for the protagonists, but one with new characters and new grudges to draw them more deeply into its world of blood and betrayal.

• Battle Royale 2 - Requiem | DVD | (23/08/2004) from £4.89   |  Saving you £10.10 (206.54%)   |  RRP £14.99

  Three years after the events of the original Battle Royale survivor of the game Shuya Nanahara is now an internationally-known terrorist and leading his group known as Wild Seven is determined to bring down the government. To counter this new threat the government enacts the ""New Century Terrorist Counter - Measure Alternative"" program (a.k.a. the Battle Royale II act) and sends the forty-two students of Shikanotoride Junior High Class 3-B to hunt Nanahara and his cohorts do

• Battle Royale - Special Edition | DVD | (13/12/2010) from £N/A   |  Saving you £N/A (N/A%)   |  RRP £29.99

  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!

• Tora Tora Tora Steelbook | Blu Ray | (02/06/2014) from £104.79   |  Saving you £-80.54 (N/A%)   |  RRP £22.99

  The OSCAR - Winning classic is a stunning Blu-ray presented with an arsenal of special features! From the early military missteps to the fury of the attack on Pearl Harbour this thrilling depiction 'recreates...with frightening realism' (Leonard Maltin) one of the most tragic days in U.S. history. Never before seen outside of Japan.

• Battle Royale | DVD | (21/01/2002) from £7.14   |  Saving you £7.85 (109.94%)   |  RRP £14.99

  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!

• 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.

• Tora! Tora! Tora! | DVD | (17/04/2019) from £7.94   |  Saving you £12.05 (151.76%)   |  RRP £19.99

  Here is just one of the many mishaps chronicled in Tora! Tora! Tora!: "Sir, there's a large formation of planes coming in from the north, 140 miles, 3 degrees east." "Yeah? Don't worry about it." The epic film shows the bombing of Pearl Harbour from both sides in the historic first American-Japanese coproduction: American director Richard Fleischer oversaw the complicated production (the Japanese sequences were directed by Toshio Masuda and Kinji Fukasaku, after Akira Kurosawa withdrew from the film), wrestling a sprawling story with dozens of characters into a manageable, fairly easy-to-follow film. The first half maps out the collapse of diplomacy between the nations and the military blunders that left naval and air forces sitting ducks for the impending attack, while the second half is an amazing re-creation of the devastating battle. While Tora! Tora! Tora! lacks the strong central characters that anchor the best war films, the real star of the film is the climactic 30-minute battle, a massive feat of cinematic engineering that expertly conveys the surprise, the chaos and the immense destruction of the only attack by a foreign power on American soil since the Revolutionary war. The special effects won a well-deserved Oscar, but the film was shut out of every other category by, ironically, the other epic war picture of the year, Patton. --Sean Axmaker, Amazon.com

• Battle Royale Limited Edition | Blu Ray | (26/04/2021) from £59.53   |  Saving you £N/A (N/A%)   |  RRP £N/A

  The kids of Third Year Class-B Shiroiwa Junior High School are back, in a brand new 4K restoration of the classic cult shocker adapted from the controversial novel by Koushun Takami. Presenting an alternate dystopian vision of turn-of-the-millennium Japan, Battle Royale follows the 42 junior high school students selected to take part in the government's annual Battle Royale programme, established as an extreme method of addressing concerns about juvenile delinquency. Dispatched to a remote island, they are each given individual weapons (ranging from Uzis and machetes to pan lids and binoculars), food and water, and the order to go out and kill one other. Every player is fitted with an explosive collar around their neck, imposing a strict three-day time limit on the deadly games in which there can only be one survivor. Overseeing the carnage is ˜Beat' Takeshi Kitano (Sonatine, Hana-bi, Zatoichi) as the teacher pushed to the edge by his unruly charges. Playing like a turbo-charged hybrid of Lord of the Flies and The Most Dangerous Game, the final completed work by veteran yakuza film director Kinji Fukasaku (Battles without Honor and Humanity, Graveyard of Honor) helped launch a new wave of appreciation for Asian cinema in the 21st century. Also included in the set is the incendiary sequel Battle Royale II, the directing debut of Kenta Fukasaku (after his father passed away during production), in which a new class of delinquents are recruited by the government to hunt down the survivor of the deadly games of the first film. LIMITED EDITION CONTENTS Brand new 4K restoration of the Original Theatrical Version and Special Edition Director's Cut of Battle Royale from the original camera negative by Arrow Films, approved by Kenta Fukasaku High Definition Blu-ray (1080p) presentation of both versions of Battle Royale High Definition Blu-ray (1080p) presentation of the Battle Royale II: Requiem theatrical cut and the Battle Royale II: Revenge extended cut Original 5.1 DTS-HD Master Audio and 2.0 stereo Optional English subtitles Original soundtrack CD for Battle Royale [Limited Edition Exclusive] Kinji Fukasaku: Man of Rage, an exclusive 120-page monograph on the director by Japanese cinema expert Tom Mes [Limited Edition Exclusive] Illustrated collector's booklet featuring new essays by Matt Alt and Anne Billson and archival articles Exclusive Battle Royale collectors' Trump Card set [Limited Edition Exclusive] Reversible poster with new artwork [Limited Edition Exclusive] DISC ONE BATTLE ROYALE: ORIGINAL THEATRICAL VERSION Brand new audio commentary by critics Tom Mes and Jasper Sharp Battle Royale at 20: Back to School, an exclusive new 42-minute documentary about the legacy of Battle Royale Bloody Education: Kenta Fukasaku on Battle Royale, a brand new exclusive interview with the film's producer and screenwriter The Making of Battle Royale: The Experience of 42 High School Students, documentary featuring footage from the shooting of the film and cast and crew discussions The Slaughter of 42 High School Students, a look behind the scenes of the shoot Behind the scenes footage with comments from the cast and crew Filming on Set, a look at the shooting of key scenes from the film Conducting Battle Royale with the Warsaw National Philharmonic, archive footage of Masamichi Amano conducting the soundtrack rehearsal DISC TWO BATTLE ROYALE: SPECIAL EDITION DIRECTOR'S CUT Shooting the Special Edition, on-location featurette with footage of the cast and crew reuniting for the shoot of the Special Edition Royale Rehearsals, featurette on Kinji Fukasaku directing the film's young cast Masamichi Amano Conducts Battle Royale, archive featurette Takeshi Kitano Interview, filmed on location with the Japanese star The Correct Way to Fight in Battle Royale, instructional video explaining the rules of the game The Correct Way to Make 'Battle Royale': Birthday Version, a new version of the original instructional video made to celebrate Kinji Fukasaku's birthday Premiere Press Conference, preceding the film's first public screening Tokyo International Film Festival Presentation, with footage from the gala screening at the Tokyo International Film Festival Opening Day at the Marunouchi Toei Movie Theatre, archive footage of the Japanese opening Special Effects Comparison showing how the film's violent killings were created Original Trailers and TV spots Kinji Fukasaku trailer reel, a collection of original trailers for Fukasaku's classic yakuza films from the 70s Image Gallery DISC THREE BATTLE ROYALE II: REQUIEM Bloody Graduation: Kenta Fukasaku on Battle Royale II, an exclusive brand new interview with the director and screenwriter of Battle Royale II Behind the Scenes of Battle Royale II, on-location featurette during the film's shoot Rehearsals footage of the auditions and pre-production rehearsals War and Struggle, featurette of the cast discussing their thoughts on war Alternate Piano Scene The Recording of the Music Score, archive footage of Masamichi Amano and the Warsaw National Philharmonic Orchestra. Opening Gala with the Orchestra, featuring a public introduction by the director and main cast Battle Royale II Premiere, a featurette on the film's first screening at the Marunouchi Toei Movie Theatre Trailers and TV spots Image Gallery DISC FOUR BATTLE ROYALE II: REVENGE [Limited Edition Exclusive] A Tribute to Kinji Fukasaku, featuring scenes of Kinji Fukasaku on the location of Battle Royale II Kinji Fukasaku's 73rd Birthday: A Speech by Kenta Fukasaku, paying public tribute to his father DISC FIVE BATTLE ROYALE SOUNDTRACK CD [Limited Edition Exclusive] CD featuring the complete score to Battle Royale by Masamichi Amano and the Warsaw National Philharmonic Orchestra

• Battle Royale | DVD | (10/04/2017) from £6.99   |  Saving you £N/A (N/A%)   |  RRP £N/A

  With the Japanese currently leading the way in thought-provoking cinematic violence it’s only fitting that Kenta Fukasaku’s Battle Royale is being touted as A Clockwork Orange for the 21st century. Based on the novel by Koshun Takami, the film opens with a series of fleeting images of unruly Japanese schoolkids, whose bad behaviour provides a justification for the "punishments" which will ensue. To be honest, anyone who has grown up with Grange Hill will view these aggressive teenagers’ acts as pretty moderate, but in the context of Japanese culture, their lack of respect is a challenge to the traditional values of respecting your elders. Once the prequel has been dispensed with the classmates are drugged and awaken on an island where they find they have been fitted with dog collars that monitor their every move. Instructed by their old teacher ("Beat" Takeshi) with the aid of an upbeat MTV-style video, they are told of their fate: after an impartial Lottery they have been chosen to fight each other in a three-day, no-rules contest, the "Battle Royale". Their only chance of survival in the "Battle" is through the death of all their classmates. Some pupils embrace their mission with zeal, while others simply give up or try to become peacemakers and revolutionaries. However, the ultimate drive for survival comes from the desire to protect the one you love. The film looks like a war-flick on occasions, with intense Apocalypse Now-style imagery (check out the classical score blasted over the tannoys with sweeping shots of helicopters). Yet, Battle Royale works on many different levels, highlighting the authorities’ desperation to enforce law and order and the alienation caused by the generation gap. But whether you view the film as an important social commentary or simply enjoy the adrenalin-fuelled violence, this is set to become cult viewing for the computer game generation and beyond. On the DVD: Battle Royale has been re-released in this new and improved version. Now offered in progressive scan, utilising NTSC technology which has enhanced the picture quality. Please be aware though that not all DVD players are compatible, if unsure your best to opt for the first release.--Nikki Disney

• The Yakuza Papers: Hiroshima Death Match | Blu Ray | (08/08/2016) from £14.55   |  Saving you £N/A (N/A%)   |  RRP £N/A

  The celebrated Battles Without Honour and Humanity series continues with its second episode, Hiroshima Death Match, setting aside part one protagonist Shozo Hirono (Bunta Sugawara) to follow a side story showcasing genre icons Sonny Chiba (The Street Fighter) and Meiko Kaji (Female Prisoner 701: Scorpion). Hiroshima, 1950. Demobilized kamikaze pilot Shoji Yamanaka (Kinya Kitaoji) is released from prison and finds himself hungry and broke. Following a bust up with a local gang, he earns the psychotic wrath of local underboss Otomo (Chiba), but Yamanaka's suicidal impulses are soon put to good use as a hitman for another gang, befriending series hero Shozo Hirono in the process. Despite a budding but forbidden romance with the boss's niece (Kaji), Yamanaka's instability and recklessness soon begin to make him a dangerous liability. Taking an even more fatalistic turn than the series' original entry, Hiroshima Death Match tells the story of the ultimate loser, based on a true story uncovered by screenwriter Kazuo Kasahara while interviewing real-life Hiroshima yakuza for part one. A prosperous era may be dawning for the protagonists, but one with new characters and new grudges to draw them more deeply into its world of blood and betrayal. SPECIAL EDITION CONTENTS: High Definition Blu-ray (1080p) and Standard Definition DVD presentation Original Mono audio (uncompressed PCM on the Blu-ray) Optional English subtitles Man of Action a new interview with series fight choreographer Ryuzo Ueno Original trailer Reversible sleeve featuring original and newly commissioned artwork by Reinhard Kleist

• Battle Royale (Director's Cut) | Blu Ray | (10/07/2017) from £15.75   |  Saving you £N/A (N/A%)   |  RRP £N/A

  With the Japanese currently leading the way in thought-provoking cinematic violence it’s only fitting that Kenta Fukasaku’s Battle Royale is being touted as A Clockwork Orange for the 21st century. Based on the novel by Koshun Takami, the film opens with a series of fleeting images of unruly Japanese schoolkids, whose bad behaviour provides a justification for the "punishments" which will ensue. To be honest, anyone who has grown up with Grange Hill will view these aggressive teenagers’ acts as pretty moderate, but in the context of Japanese culture, their lack of respect is a challenge to the traditional values of respecting your elders. Once the prequel has been dispensed with the classmates are drugged and awaken on an island where they find they have been fitted with dog collars that monitor their every move. Instructed by their old teacher ("Beat" Takeshi) with the aid of an upbeat MTV-style video, they are told of their fate: after an impartial Lottery they have been chosen to fight each other in a three-day, no-rules contest, the "Battle Royale". Their only chance of survival in the "Battle" is through the death of all their classmates. Some pupils embrace their mission with zeal, while others simply give up or try to become peacemakers and revolutionaries. However, the ultimate drive for survival comes from the desire to protect the one you love. The film looks like a war-flick on occasions, with intense Apocalypse Now-style imagery (check out the classical score blasted over the tannoys with sweeping shots of helicopters). Yet, Battle Royale works on many different levels, highlighting the authorities’ desperation to enforce law and order and the alienation caused by the generation gap. But whether you view the film as an important social commentary or simply enjoy the adrenalin-fuelled violence, this is set to become cult viewing for the computer game generation and beyond. On the DVD: Battle Royale has been re-released in this new and improved version. Now offered in progressive scan, utilising NTSC technology which has enhanced the picture quality. Please be aware though that not all DVD players are compatible, if unsure your best to opt for the first release.--Nikki Disney

• Battle Royale Limited Edition | Blu Ray | (26/04/2021) from £N/A   |  Saving you £N/A (N/A%)   |  RRP £N/A

  The kids of Third Year Class-B Shiroiwa Junior High School are back, in a brand new UHD restoration of the classic cult shocker adapted from the controversial novel by Koushun Takami. Presenting an alternate dystopian vision of turn-of-the-millennium Japan, Battle Royale follows the 42 junior high school students selected to take part in the government's annual Battle Royale programme, established as an extreme method of addressing concerns about juvenile delinquency. Dispatched to a remote island, they are each given individual weapons (ranging from Uzis and machetes to pan lids and binoculars), food and water, and the order to go out and kill one other. Every player is fitted with an explosive collar around their neck, imposing a strict three-day time limit on the deadly games in which there can only be one survivor. Overseeing the carnage is ˜Beat' Takeshi Kitano (Sonatine, Hana-bi, Zatoichi) as the teacher pushed to the edge by his unruly charges. Playing like a turbo-charged hybrid of Lord of the Flies and The Most Dangerous Game, the final completed work by veteran yakuza film director Kinji Fukasaku (Battles without Honor and Humanity, Graveyard of Honor) helped launch a new wave of appreciation for Asian cinema in the 21st century. Also included in the set is the incendiary sequel Battle Royale II, the directing debut of Kenta Fukasaku (after his father passed away during production), in which a new class of delinquents are recruited by the government to hunt down the survivor of the deadly games of the first film. 4K ULTRA HD LIMITED EDITION CONTENTS Brand new 4K restoration of the Original Theatrical Version and Special Edition Director's Cut of Battle Royale from the original camera negative by Arrow Films, approved by Kenta Fukasaku 4K (2160p) UHD Blu-ray presentation of both versions of Battle Royale in Dolby Vision (HDR10 compatible) High Definition Blu-ray (1080p) presentation of the Battle Royale II: Requiem theatrical cut and the Battle Royale II: Revenge extended cut Original 5.1 DTS-HD Master Audio and 2.0 stereo audio Optional English subtitles Original soundtrack CD for Battle Royale [Limited Edition Exclusive] Kinji Fukasaku: Man of Rage, an exclusive 120-page monograph on the director by Japanese cinema expert Tom Mes [Limited Edition Exclusive] Illustrated collector's booklet featuring new essays by Matt Alt and Anne Billson and archival articles Exclusive Battle Royale collectors' Trump Card set [Limited Edition Exclusive] Reversible poster with new artwork [Limited Edition Exclusive] DISC ONE BATTLE ROYALE: ORIGINAL THEATRICAL VERSION (4K UHD BLU-RAY) Brand new audio commentary by critics Tom Mes and Jasper Sharp Battle Royale at 20: Back to School, an exclusive new 42-minute documentary about the legacy of Battle Royale Bloody Education: Kenta Fukasaku on Battle Royale, a brand new exclusive interview with the film's producer and screenwriter The Making of Battle Royale: The Experience of 42 High School Students, documentary featuring footage from the shooting of the film and cast and crew discussions The Slaughter of 42 High School Students, a look behind the scenes of the shoot Behind the scenes footage with comments from the cast and crew Filming on Set, a look at the shooting of key scenes from the film Conducting Battle Royale with the Warsaw National Philharmonic, archive footage of Masamichi Amano conducting the soundtrack rehearsal DISC TWO BATTLE ROYALE: SPECIAL EDITION DIRECTOR'S CUT (4K UHD BLU-RAY) Shooting the Special Edition, on-location featurette with footage of the cast and crew reuniting for the shoot of the Special Edition Royale Rehearsals, featurette on Kinji Fukasaku directing the film's young cast Masamichi Amano Conducts Battle Royale, archive featurette Takeshi Kitano Interview, filmed on location with the Japanese star The Correct Way to Fight in Battle Royale, instructional video explaining the rules of the game The Correct Way to Make 'Battle Royale': Birthday Version, a new version of the original instructional video made to celebrate Kinji Fukasaku's birthday Premiere Press Conference, preceding the film's first public screening Tokyo International Film Festival Presentation, with footage from the gala screening at the Tokyo International Film Festival Opening Day at the Marunouchi Toei Movie Theatre, archive footage of the Japanese opening Special Effects Comparison showing how the film's violent killings were created Original Trailers and TV spots Kinji Fukasaku trailer reel, a collection of original trailers for Fukasaku's classic yakuza films from the 70s Image Gallery DISC THREE BATTLE ROYALE II: REQUIEM (BLU-RAY) Bloody Graduation: Kenta Fukasaku on Battle Royale II, an exclusive brand new interview with the director and screenwriter of Battle Royale II Behind the Scenes of Battle Royale II, on-location featurette during the film's shoot Rehearsals footage of the auditions and pre-production rehearsals War and Struggle, featurette of the cast discussing their thoughts on war Alternate Piano Scene The Recording of the Music Score, archive footage of Masamichi Amano and the Warsaw National Philharmonic Orchestra Opening Gala with The Orchestra, featuring a public introduction by the director and main cast Battle Royale II Premiere, a featurette on the film's first screening at the Marunouchi Toei Movie Theatre Trailers and TV spots Image gallery DISC FOUR BATTLE ROYALE II: REVENGE (BLU-RAY) A Tribute to Kinji Fukasaku, featuring scenes of Kinji Fukasaku on the location of Battle Royale II Kinji Fukasaku's 73rd Birthday: A Speech by Kenta Fukasaku, paying public tribute to his father DISC FIVE BATTLE ROYALE (SOUNDTRACK CD) CD featuring the complete score to Battle Royale by Masamichi Amano and the Warsaw National Philharmonic Orchestra

• The Yakuza Papers: Battles Without Honour and Humanity | Blu Ray | (08/08/2016) from £13.99   |  Saving you £N/A (N/A%)   |  RRP £N/A

  When Battles Without Honour and Humanity first hit Japanese screens in January 1973, partially inspired by the success of The Godfather, it blasted out a new Ground Zero for crime cinema not only in Japan, but in the rest of the world, and spawned a legendary series that would lead to additional episodes, spin-offs, and countless imitations. 1947. Ex-soldier Shozo Hirono (Bunta Sugawara), after proving his ability with a gun, emerges from the teeming black markets of postwar Kure City into the professional world of the yakuza. Shozo makes his way from prison to boss in the newly-formed Yamamori family via gang feuds, assassinations and the shifting allegiances of his fellow mobsters, despite his own growing disillusionment with the men he is supposed to respect. Based on the true account of a Hiroshima mob boss and supplemented by meticulous research by screenwriter Kazuo Kasahara, this ferocious, violent saga was directed in a dynamic, newsreel-like style by Kinji Fukasaku, and stunned cinemagoers in Japan upon its release. Like a head-spinning mixture of Martin Scorsese and Paul Greengrass, the film's frenetic cinematography, colourful characters, and iconic score by Toshiaki Tsushima will leave you thrilled and exhausted, as you embark on one of the world's greatest gangster film series.

• Tora! Tora! Tora! | Blu Ray | (07/06/2010) from £24.99   |  Saving you £-5.00 (N/A%)   |  RRP £19.99

  Here is just one of the many mishaps chronicled in Tora! Tora! Tora!: "Sir, there's a large formation of planes coming in from the north, 140 miles, 3 degrees east." "Yeah? Don't worry about it." The epic film shows the bombing of Pearl Harbour from both sides in the historic first American-Japanese coproduction: American director Richard Fleischer oversaw the complicated production (the Japanese sequences were directed by Toshio Masuda and Kinji Fukasaku, after Akira Kurosawa withdrew from the film), wrestling a sprawling story with dozens of characters into a manageable, fairly easy-to-follow film. The first half maps out the collapse of diplomacy between the nations and the military blunders that left naval and air forces sitting ducks for the impending attack, while the second half is an amazing re-creation of the devastating battle. While Tora! Tora! Tora! lacks the strong central characters that anchor the best war films, the real star of the film is the climactic 30-minute battle, a massive feat of cinematic engineering that expertly conveys the surprise, the chaos and the immense destruction of the only attack by a foreign power on American soil since the Revolutionary war. The special effects won a well-deserved Oscar, but the film was shut out of every other category by, ironically, the other epic war picture of the year, Patton. --Sean Axmaker, Amazon.com

• 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!

• Battle Royale | DVD | (03/10/2011) from £N/A   |  Saving you £N/A (N/A%)   |  RRP £9.99

  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!

• 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

• New Battles Without Honour & Humanity | Blu Ray | (21/08/2017) from £21.99   |  Saving you £N/A (N/A%)   |  RRP £N/A

  NEW BATTLES WITHOUT HOUNOUR AND HUMANITY: THE COMPLETE TRILOGY New Battles Without Honour and Humanity New Battles Without Honour and Humanity: The Boss's Head New Battles Without Honour and Humanity: Last Days of the Boss In the early 1970s Kinji Fukasaku's five-film Battles Without Honour and Humanity series was a massive hit in Japan and kicked off a boom in realistic modern yakuza films based on true stories. Although Fukasaku had intended to end the series Toei Studio convinced him to return to the director's chair for this unconnected follow-up trilogy of films each starring Battles leading man Bunta Sugawara and telling separate but fictional stories about the yakuza in different locations in Japan. In the first film Bunta Sugawara is Miyoshi a low-level assassin of the Yamamori gang who is sent to jail after a bungled hit. While in stir family member Aoki (Lone Wolf and Cub's Tomisaburo Wakayama) attempts to seize power from the boss and Miyoshi finds himself stuck between the two factions with no honourable way out. In the second entry The Boss's Head Sugawara is Kuroda an itinerant gambler who steps in when a hit by drug-addicted assassin Kusunoki (Tampopo's Tsutomu Yamazaki) goes wrong and takes the fall on behalf of the Owada family but when the gang fails to make good on financial promises to him Kuroda targets the family bosses with a ruthless vengeance. And in Last Days of the Boss Sugawara plays Nozaki a labourer who swears allegiance to a sympathetic crime boss only to find himself elected his successor after the boss is murdered. Restrained by a gang alliance that forbids retributions against high-level members Nozaki forms a plot to exact revenge on his rivals but a suspicious relationship with his own sister (Chieko Matsubara from Outlaw: Gangster VIP) taints his relationship with his fellow gang members. Making their English-language home video debut in this limited edition set the New Battles Without Honour and Humanity films are important links between the first half of Fukasaku's career and his later exploration of other genres. Each one is also a top-notch crime action thriller: hard-boiled entertaining and distinguished by Fukasaku's directorial genius funky musical scores by composer Toshiaki Tsushima and the onscreen power of Toei's greatest yakuza movie stars. LIMITED EDITION CONTENTS: High Definition digital transfers of all three films High Definition Blu-ray (1080p) and Standard Definition DVD presentations Original uncompressed mono audio New optional English subtitle translation for all three films Beyond the Films: New Battles Without Honour and Humanity a new video appreciation by Fukasaku biographer Sadao Yamane New Stories New Battles and Closing Stories two new interviews with screenwriter Koji Takada about his work on the second and third films in the trilogy Original theatrical trailers for all three films Reversible sleeve featuring original and newly commissioned artwork by Reinhard Kleist Illustrated collector's book featuring new writing on the films the yakuza genre and Fukasaku's career by Stephen Sarrazin Tom Mes Hayley Scanlon Chris D. and Marc Walkow

• 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.