"Actor: Chizuru Kitagawa"

• The Invisible Man / The Invisible Man vs The Human Fly | Blu Ray | (15/03/2021) from £16.55   |  Saving you £N/A (N/A%)   |  RRP £N/A

  Finally released outside Japan for the very first time, these unique riffs on H.G. Wells' classic character (though undoubtedly also indebted to Universal's iconic film series) are two of the earliest examples of tokusatsu (special effects) cinema from Daiei Studios, later the home of Gamera. In The Invisible Man Appears, written and directed by Nobuo Adachi in 1949, a scientist successfully creates an invisibility serum, only to be kidnapped by a gang of thugs who wish to use the formula to rob a priceless jewel. In addition to being the earliest surviving Japanese science fiction film ever made, the film's entertaining special effects were an early credit for the legendary Eiji Tsuburaya, five years before he first brought Godzilla to life. Eight years later, Mitsuo Murayama's exciting The Invisible Man vs. The Human Fly tells the story of a series of mysterious murders where the only clue is strange buzzing noise at the scene of the crime could this be linked to secret wartime experiments in shrinking humans to the size of insects? And can a scientist who's just invented an invisibility ray be the one to stop it? SPECIAL EDITION CONTENTS: High Definition (1080p) transfers of both films on one Blu-ray disc Original lossless Japanese mono audio on both films Optional English subtitles for both films Transparent Terrors, a newly filmed interview with critic and genre scholar Kim Newman on the history of the Invisible Man in cinema Theatrical trailer for The Invisible Man Appears Image galleries for both films Reversible sleeve featuring new and original artwork by Graham Humphreys FIRST PRESSING ONLY: Illustrated collectors' booklet featuring new writing by Keith Allison, Hayley Scanlon and Tom Vincent

• Bloody Spear At Mount Fuji | Blu Ray | (03/09/2018) from £9.35   |  Saving you £N/A (N/A%)   |  RRP £N/A

  Praised by Japanese film critics and much admired by his contemporaries Akira Kurosawa and Yasujirô Ozu, Tomu Uchida nonetheless remains a little-known in the west. His 1955 masterpiece Bloody Spear at Mount Fuji is an excellent entry point for the newcomer. Set during the Edo period, Bloody Spear at Mount Fuji is a tragicomic road movie of sorts, following a samurai, his two servants including spear-carrier Genpachi (Chiezô Kataoka) and the various people they meet on their journey, including a policeman in pursuit of a thief, a young child and a woman who is to be sold into prostitution. Winner of a prestigious Blue Ribbon Award for supporting actor and Kurosawa regular Daisuke Katô, Bloody Spear at Mount Fuji is a film deserving of much wider international recognition. SPECIAL EDITION CONTENTS: High Definition Blu-ray (1080p) presentation Original uncompressed mono audio Optional newly translated English subtitles Brand-new audio commentary by Japanese cinema expert Jasper Sharp, recorded exclusively for this release Reversible sleeve featuring original and newly commissioned artwork by Corey Brickley FIRST PRESSING ONLY: Illustrated collector s booklet featuring new writing on the film by critic and filmmaker James Oliver