"Actor: Shintarô Katsu"

• Daiei Gothic Vol 2 - Japanese Ghost Stories (Limited Edition) | Unknown | (13/10/2025) from £44.99   |  Saving you £N/A (N/A%)   |  RRP £N/A

  Japan's classic ghost stories are brought to the screen by masters of the genre, Tokuzo Tanaka (The Snow Woman) and Kimiyoshi Yasuda (Yokai Monsters: Spook Warfare). In The Demon of Mount Oe, a group of mighty warriors is sent to eliminate a demon who steals women from the imperial capital of Kyoto. On the way, they face a satanic bull, a giant spider and a diabolical witch, but the closer they come to their goal, the more they realise that the demon they've been ordered to kill is far more human than they were led to believe. In The Haunted Castle, a blind monk is killed in a cowardly manner by a samurai lord. When the monk's sister is ordered to become the lord's concubine, she commits suicide and transfers her grudge to their black cat, who assumes the human form of one of the lord's ladies-in-waiting and begins to wreak havoc around the castle court. The lord's machiavellian right-hand man (Rokko Toura, Kuroneko) and a young swordsman (Kojiro Hongo, The Bride from Hades) combine forces to solve the mystery and stop the supernatural menace. In The Ghost of Kasane Swamp a samurai's wife tries to repay her husband's debt with her body but is caught in bed with the money lender and they are both murdered by her husband who dumps their bodies in a nearby swamp. Shingoro and Oshiga, the money lender and samurai's children, find a curse has been passed to them as they each try to recover the money. Newly restored in 4K, three more stories from the Daiei studio represent the japanese ghost film at its most lavish and chilling.LIMITED EDITION BOX SET SPECIAL FEATURESNew 4K restorations of each film by Radiance FilmsUncompressed mono PCM audio for each filmOptional English subtitles for all filmsNewly designed box and booklet artwork by Time TomorrowLimited edition 80-page perfect bound book featuring new writing by Amber T, Jasper Sharp, and Tom Mes, plus archival writing by Daniel O'Neill and original ghost stories The Goblin of Oeyama and The Vampire CatLimited Edition of 4,000 copies presented in a rigid box with full-height Scanavo cases for each film and removable OBI strip leaving packaging free of certificates and markingsTHE DEMON OF MOUNT OENew interview with period film historian Taichi Kasuga (2025)Blade of the Demon Slayer - a visualessay by Tom Mes (2025)TrailerReversible sleeve featuring original and newly commissioned artwork by Filippo Di BattistaTHE HAUNTED CASTLENew interview with J-horror filmmaker Mari Asato (2025)A visual essay by ghost story scholar Zack Davisson (2025)TrailerReversible sleeve featuring original and newly commissioned artwork by Filippo Di BattistaTHE GHOST OF KASANE SWAMPNew interview with J-horror filmmaker Norio Tsuruta (2025)Select-scene audio commentary by horror film scholar Lindsay Nelson (2025)TrailerReversible sleeve featuring original and newly commissioned artwork by Filippo Di Battista

• Zatoichi - The Blind Swordsman | Blu Ray | (18/02/2019) from £189.85   |  Saving you £N/A (N/A%)   |  RRP £N/A

  The Adventures Of The Legendary Blind Swordsman In A Killer, Twenty-Five-Film Set The Colossally Popular Zatoichi Films Make Up The Longest-Running Action Series In Japanese History And Created One Of The Screen'S Great Heroes: An Itinerant Blind Masseur Who Also Happens To Be A Lightning-Fast Swordsman. As This Iconic Figure, The Charismatic And Earthy Shintaro Katsu Became An Instant Superstar, Lending A Larger-Than-Life Presence To The Thrilling Adventures Of A Man Who Lives Staunchly By A Code Of Honour And Delivers Justice In Every Town And Village He Enters. The Films That Feature Him Are Variously Pulse Pounding, Hilarious, Stirring And Completely Off-The-Wall. This Deluxe Set Features The String Of Twenty-Five Zatoichi Films Made Between 1962 And 1973. Includes 25 Films: The Tale Of Zatoichi The Tale Of Zatoichi Continues New Tale Of Zatoichi Zatoichi The Fugitive Zatoichi On The Road Zatoichi And The Chest Of Gold Zatoichi'S Flashing Sword Fight, Zatoichi, Fight Adventures Of Zatoichi Zatoichi'S Revenge Zatoichi And The Doomed Man Zatoichi And The Chess Expert Zatoichi'S Vengeance Zatoichi'S Pilgrimage Zatoichi'S Cane Sword Zatoichi The Outlaw Zatoichi Challenged Zatoichi And The Fugitives Samaritan Zatoichi Zatoichi Meets Yojimbo Zatoichi Goes To The Fire Festival Zatoichi Meets The One-Armed Swordsman Zatoichi At Large Zatoichi In Desperation Zatoichi'S Conspiracy Blu-Ray Special Edition Features: New Digital Restorations Of All Twenty-Five Films, With Uncompressed Monaural Soundtracks The Blind Swordsman, A 1978 Documentary About Zatoichi Portrayer And Filmmaker Shintaro Katsu, Along With A New Interview With Its Director, John Nathan New Interview With Asian-Film Critic Tony Rayns Trailers New English Subtitles Plus A Book Featuring: An Essay By Critic Geoffrey O'Brien Synopses Of The Films By Critic, Novelist And Musician Chris D The Tale Of Zatoichi, The Original Short Story By Kan Shimozawa Twenty-Five Illustrations Inspired By The Films, By Twenty-Five Different Artists

• Hanzo The Razor (3 DVD Special Edition Box Set) (UNCUT) | DVD | (06/04/2009) from £N/A   |  Saving you £N/A (N/A%)   |  RRP £12.99

  Love samurai films? Wish they were... dirtier? Welcome to Hanzo the Razor'sderanged world of crazy swordplay and sexploitation set to a 1970s funk soundtrack. Uncut for the first time ever in the UK this cult 1970s Japanese pinku trilogy was seemingly influenced by Dirty Harry and Shaft but there's no doubt who has the 'longer arm of the law'! Shintaro Katsu (best known as the blind swordsman in the original Zatoichi) stars as Hanzo - a rebellious yet obsessively moral samurai police officer who slashes his way through the backbone of crime uncovers corruption at higher levels and tortures relentlessly using his own unique techniques. Shocking audiences even today the hardest man in Edo regularly unleashes his special weapon in the form of his oversized penis which he uses to 'interrogate' female suspects into pleasured compliance. Despite the knuckle-biting graphic violence there is an underlying social commentary testifying to the noble honour of the samurai and emphasising Hanzo's status as the people's champion. In Sword of Justice Hanzo overturns his own gutless superiors; in The Snare he breaks into a temple used by local magistrates for the sadistic torture of young girls. In Who's Got the Gold? the shogunate treasury is being looted by its own officials. From the creator of the Lone Wolf and Cub series (used as the basis for Shogun Assassin and a direct influence on Tarantino's Kill Bill) the Hanzo the Razor trilogy is presented here for the first time in the UK complete and uncut.

• Zatoichi - The Blind Swordsman | Blu Ray | (19/11/2018) from £203.75   |  Saving you £N/A (N/A%)   |  RRP £N/A

  THE ADVENTURES OF THE LEGENDARY BLIND SWORDSMAN IN A KILLER, TWENTYFIVE FILM SET! The colossally popular Zatoichi films make up the longestrunning action series in Japanese history and created one of the screen's great heroes: an itinerant blind masseur who also happens to be a lightningfast swordsman. As this iconic figure, the charismatic and earthy SHINTARO KATSU became an instant superstar, lending a largerthanlife presence to the thrilling adventures of a man who lives staunchly by a code of honour and delivers justice in every town and village he enters. The films that feature him are variously pulse pounding, hilarious, stirring, and completely offthewall. This deluxe set features the string of twentyfive Zatoichi films made between 1962 and 1973. Includes 25 Films: THE TALE OF ZATOICHI THE TALE OF ZATOICHI CONTINUES NEW TALE OF ZATOICHI ZATOICHI THE FUGITIVE ZATOICHI ON THE ROAD ZATOICHI AND THE CHEST OF GOLD ZATOICHI'S FLASHING SWORD FIGHT, ZATOICHI FIGHT ADVENTURES OF ZATOICHI ZATOICHI'S REVENGE ZATOICHI AND THE DOOMED MAN ZATOICHI AND THE CHESS EXPERT ZATOICHI'S VENGEANCE ZATOICHI'S PILGRIMAGE ZATOICHI'S CANE SWORD ZATOICHI THE OUTLAW ZATOICHI CHALLENGED ZATOICHI AND THE FUGITIVES SAMARITAN ZATOICHI ZATOICHI MEETS YOJIMBO ¢ ZATOICHI GOES TO THE FIRE FESTIVAL ZATOICHI MEETS THE ONEARMED SWORDSMAN ZATOICHI AT LARGE ZATOICHI IN DESPERATION ZATOICHI'S CONSPIRACY Features: Digital restorations of all twentyfive films, with uncompressed monaural soundtracks The Blind Swordsman, a 1978 documentary about Zatoichi portrayer and filmmaker Shintaro Katsu, along with a 2013 interview with its director, John Nathan Interview from 2013 with Asianfilm critic Tony Rayns Trailers PLUS: A book featuring an essay by critic Geoffrey O'Brien; synopses of the films by critic, novelist, and musician Chris D.; The Tale of Zatoichi, the original short story by Kan Shimozawa; and twentyfive illustrations inspired by the films, by twentyfive different artists

• Zatoichi - The Blind Swordsman | DVD | (14/05/2007) from £N/A   |  Saving you £N/A (N/A%)   |  RRP £19.99

  Back in the misty 19th century when miracles could still happen a blind man roams the Japanese countryside making his living as a masseur and a gambler. Hidden beneath his peaceful facade however lurks a master swordsman - one of Japan's favorite film heroes. In this adventure Zatoichi befriends two geishas who've come to the same small mountain town he's happened upon to avenge the murders of their parents on the tip of the local samurai ronin's sharp sword.

• Zatoichi: The Blind Swordsman | DVD | (09/01/2012) from £22.95   |  Saving you £-12.96 (N/A%)   |  RRP £9.99

  He doesn't need to see you to kill youZatoichi... A warrior so highly skilled, his lack of sight is no barrier to the removal of your arms and legs with one sweep of his cold steel blade. Across dozens of movies, the sightless fighter has fought injustice and oppression but this one is the bloodiest, most gore splattered yet!Zatoichi finds himself trying to protect the poor and weak against injustice in a vicious turf war between two warring Yakuza clans as he battles trained killers on both sides who want to bring him down. Luckily, with super sensitive hearing, lightening reactions and virtuoso blade skills, each will die in a fountain of crimson blood.See this hyper-violent classic from the creators of Lone Wolf & Cub and Hanzo the Razor which blends exploitation, slapstick, splatter and sensitivity in one deranged swordplay classic.

• Zatoichi Box Set | DVD | (31/05/2004) from £N/A   |  Saving you £N/A (N/A%)   |  RRP £19.99

  Takeshi "Beat" Kitano, the Japanese actor-director best known in the US for his quirky, ulraviolent gangster movies (Fireworks, Brother, Sonatine) and in the UK (among satellite and cable viewers, at least) for the bizarre It's a Knockout-meets-Endurance gameshow Takeshi's Castle, applies his off-kilter sensibility to the samurai genre in The Blind Swordsman: Zatoichi. A blind masseur (Kitano with his hair dyed white) wanders into a small town divided up by rival gangs. Though hunched and shuffling, Zatoichi soon reveals his deadly skills as a swordsman. He befriends a pair of geisha girls with secrets of their own and helps them hunt down the bandits who killed their parents. But one of the gangs has just hired a ronin, a masterless samurai, whose fighting skill may equal the blind swordsman's. Zatoichi mixes a melodramatic storyline, deadpan comedy, and dazzling, CGI-enhanced swordfights into a supremely entertaining package. In Japan, Zatoichi is a recurring character in popular action movies, but Kitano places his own unique stamp on the series. --Bret Fetzer

• Zatoichi | DVD | (20/09/2004) from £N/A   |  Saving you £N/A (N/A%)   |  RRP £24.99

  Zatoichi Meets Yojimbo The gentle breeze the murmur of a babbling brook the scent of plums. These memories call Zatoichi the blind swordsman back to a once-loved village. But memories are deceptive and he arrives to find things much changed. The former boss Hyoroku has been reduced to a carver of statues of Jizo the Buddha of Healing and his daughter Umeno has become a hostess and as she describes herself one of the bad ones. Control of the village is split between a former travelling merchant Eboshiya and his son Masagoro. Eboshiya befriends Zatoichi and seeks his aid against Masagoro's minder the drunken samurai Yojimbo the crooked crook. When a masseur is killed amidst rumours that a large amount of gold has been secreted in the village the two factions begin to size each other up. It is at this point that Masagoro's younger son suddenly decides his father needs more protection and calls on the services of the contract killer Kuzuryu... Zatoichi's Pilgrimage A girl is assaulted on the highway and Zatoichi is embarassed to find himself acting as midwife to a dying woman. Entrusted with the baby he embarks on a mission to the village of Dashu to deliver the baby to the father Satoro. When there he is waylaid and cheated by Seji a young stooge of the local gang whose ageing father is Dashu's law enforcement officer. To add to his miseries he is dogged by a boy who delights in stoning him and running away. Dashu's loan shark gamblers are on the point of seizing Satoro's sister Oyae to become a sex slave in forfeit for an unpaid debt and with the arrival of Satoro the town begins to heat up. In the process of resolving Oyae's financial difficulties Zatoichi reveals himself as master of a wide range of martial skills as well as finding time to teach certain hoodlums the intricacies of nude dancing... Zatoichi At The Blood Fest The endless travels of the blind swordsman have unexpectedly led him back to the town of Kasama. Zatoichi's arrival has coincided with a welcome home feast for Shinbei his childhood friend. Shinbei has returned home a successful businessman and pays the town's taxes which it cannot afford apparently due to the poor rice harvest. But Shinbei's motives are far from pure. With the peasants now in his debt he is free to plunder their quarry and to sell their stone across country. In order to save his hometown Zatoichi must confront his former friend and end the conspiracy of rice and stone. Zatoichi Meets The One Armed Swordsman A one-armed swordsman saves the life of a young boy sentenced to death for stopping an official procession. The local peasants however suffer in the aftermath as all are massacred and Zatoichi is caught up in the maelstrom...

• Roningai | DVD | (28/07/2003) from £N/A   |  Saving you £N/A (N/A%)   |  RRP £19.99

  On the outskirts of old Tokyo stands an eatery which is a hangout for prostitutes. When the prostitutes are murdered one by one and a squad of samurais arrive in the area at the same time denouncing the whores as vermin who deserve death it is up to the local ronin to put an end to the injustice...

• Zatoichi at the Fire Festival | DVD | (02/02/2003) from £N/A   |  Saving you £N/A (N/A%)   |  RRP £19.99

  It is Tempo-era Japan in the nineteenth century. Zatoichi is on his travels again. They will bring him to a village where the Boss of All Bosses Yamikubo holds sway a man known as the Prince of Darkness. This is a place where women can be bought at auction... and if the bidder is unlucky enough to purchase the wife of one particular nameless samurai the commission on the sale is his life. It is a town where fate introduces Zatoichi to another blind man the Boss of All Bosses who proceeds to unravel the ways of destiny for him and illuminates the duty of the blind. Here Zatoichi teaches Umeji a boy who is a pimp the way to be a man... and nearly loses his second virginity in the process. It is back to this place that he is invited by his newfound guru the blind boss. And at this party the father of his female companion Okiyo is to take Yamikubo's place as the Boss of All Bosses. This is a party where human flesh will fuel the flames in an incandescent night where love and hate are seen to be the same thing observed from a distance by the shadowy figure of the masterless samurai.