"Actor: Choichiro Kawarazaki"

• Profound Desires of the Gods - Dual Format (Blu-ray+DVD) | Blu Ray | (24/10/2011) from £N/A   |  Saving you £N/A (N/A%)   |  RRP £19.99

  The culmination of Imamura's extraordinary examinations of the fringes of Japanese society throughout the 1960s, Profound Desires of the Gods was an 18-month super-production which failed to make an impression at the time of its release, but has since risen in stature to become one of the most legendary - albeit least seen - Japanese films of recent decades.Presenting a vast chronicle of life on the remote Kurage Island, the film centres on the disgraced, superstitious, interbred Futori family and the Tokyo engineer sent to supervise the creation of a new well - an encounter which leads to both conflict and complicity in strange and powerful ways.A tragic view of a passing epoch that teeters on the edge of grotesque farce, Imamura's merciless gaze combines with spectacular colour 'Scope photography to create a mythic saga convulsing with earthly impulses.

• Profound Desires of the Gods | Blu Ray | (21/06/2010) from £N/A   |  Saving you £N/A (N/A%)   |  RRP £19.99

  The culmination of Shohei Imamura's extraordinary examinations of the fringes of Japanese society throughout the 1960s Profound Desires of the Gods was an 18-month super-production which failed to make an impression at the time of its release but has since risen in stature to become one of the most legendary - albeit least seen - Japanese films of recent decades. Presenting a vast chronicle of life on the remote Kurage Island the film centres on the disgraced superstitious interbred Futori family and the Tokyo engineer sent to supervise the creation of a new well - an encounter which leads to both conflict and complicity in strange and powerful ways. A tragic view of a passing epoch that teeters on the edge of grotesque farce Imamura's merciless gaze combines with spectacular colour 'Scope photography to create a mythic saga convulsing with earthly impulses.

• Profound Desires of the Gods | DVD | (21/02/2011) from £26.98   |  Saving you £-6.99 (N/A%)   |  RRP £19.99

  The culmination of Shohei Imamura's extraordinary examinations of the fringes of Japanese society throughout the 1960s Profound Desires of the Gods was an 18-month super-production which failed to make an impression at the time of its release but has since risen in stature to become one of the most legendary - albeit least seen - Japanese films of recent decades. Presenting a vast chronicle of life on the remote Kurage Island the film centres on the disgraced superstitious interbred Futori family and the Tokyo engineer sent to supervise the creation of a new well - an encounter which leads to both conflict and complicity in strange and powerful ways. A tragic view of a passing epoch that teeters on the edge of grotesque farce Imamura's merciless gaze combines with spectacular colour 'Scope photography to create a mythic saga convulsing with earthly impulses. From the director of Vengeance is Mine and Warm Water Under a Red Bridge the Masters of Cinema series is proud to present this unforgettable work for the first time in the UK on DVD in an exclusively restored high-definition transfer released on 21 February 2011.

• Fukasaku Trilogy | DVD | (23/06/2008) from £27.00   |  Saving you £-7.01 (N/A%)   |  RRP £19.99

  The breakout success of the fantastic Battle Royale resulted in long-overdue global recognition of the films of Kinji Fukasaku. This prolific Japanese filmmaker who died in 2003 had already made himself a name in his home country as an auteur who favoured outrageous style and biting social commentary. This collection brings together three exciting and colourful early films from Japanese cinema's most exhilarating director. Titles Comprise: Blackmail Is My Life: Tautly paced and fueled by a trendy soundtrack synthesis of whistled themes and electric rock Blackmail Is My Life centers on a quartet of young daredevil hipsters who discover blackmail as a means to enjoy the booming economy from which they've been excluded. These rebellious youths tread a deadly line by blackmailing both sides of society- namely the Yakuza kingpins and top government officials. Blackmail Is My Life is a bloody wake-up call to Japanese culture and budding criminals and a perfect example of the director working in his prime. Black Rose Mansion: A feverishly perverse 1969 film noir oddity starring female impersonator Akihiro Maruyama. When wealthy Kyohei hires singer Black Rose to perform in his exclusive men's club he gets more than he bargains for when she attracts scores of homicidal past lovers. The film takes a bizarre twist when Kyohei's son falls victim to the femme fatale's unique charm. If You Were Young: If You Were Young highlights the other side of post-war Japanese prosperity focusing on the throngs of young people who missed out on the boom. We follow a group of young men that can't seem to get ahead despite their willingness to try. Then one hits upon a plan - to work together to save for a dump truck and thus become independent contractors and be their own bosses at last. Ultimately life presents obstacles: jail for one violence at the hands of the police for another and a girlfriend and subsequent children for the third. An early Kinji Fukasaku gem that imports the freewheeling style of the French New Wave and the hip detachment of American noir.