"Actor: Yumi Takigawa"

• 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

• Gonin 2 | DVD | (22/07/2002) from £11.08   |  Saving you £8.91 (80.42%)   |  RRP £19.99

  Takashi Ishii's sequel to the brutal 'Gonin' is another two-fisted mix of blood and bullets. Instead of a quintet of five desperate men 'Gonin 2' features five very angry women all from different backgrounds. The film begins as Masamichi Toyama a man with a large gambling debt is tracked down by his Yakuza lenders and forced to endure a beating and the rape of his wife. Humiliated Masamichi sets out for revenge with only a sword but events escalate as his path crosses the Gonin

• Graveyard Of Honour | DVD | (24/02/2003) from £N/A   |  Saving you £N/A (N/A%)   |  RRP £15.99

  Rikio Ishikawa is a brutal street thug who is drawn into the powerful Kawada gang in 1946 Tokyo. His insubordination and rebelliousness encourage him to start his own Yakuza family but he decides the easiest way would be to challenge his own Godfather whom he brutally attacks. This disrespect to his boss brings the ultimate form of disgrace upon himself and his 'family'. For his own safety he surrenders to the police and spends more than a year in jail. But Ishikawa's dishonourable

• The Triple Cross | DVD | (27/05/2002) from £N/A   |  Saving you £N/A (N/A%)   |  RRP £19.99

  The Triple Cross is a Japanese crime thriller that follows the bloody aftermath of a heist. Three robbers are double-crossed by new accomplice, Kazuya Kimura, and Kenichi Hagiwara takes the Lee Marvin Point Blank road, tracking him down amid escalating carnage and spectacular car chases. The film is littered with homages to crime classics, from the outlaw lovers of A Bout de Souffle to Hagiwara sporting a nose plaster in recognition of Jack Nicholson's Chinatown. Sonny Chiba is wasted in a supporting role but, given that the movie is being promoted as Reservoir Dogs-meets-John Woo, it's worth noting that Chiba is among Quentin Tarantino's favourite actors and stars in his forthcoming Kill Bill (2003). The Triple Cross (the American title Double Cross is far more accurate) is a well-crafted collection of gangster clichés, but suffers from a very uncertain tone, being pitched uneasily between serious crime drama and tongue-in-cheek comic-book action. Released following the success of director Kinji Fukasaku's Battle Royale (2000) this film from 1992 nonetheless anticipates many of the themes and attitudes of post-Tarantino crime cinema with remarkable prescience. Those who prefer their cinema to recognise civilised values or any sense of morality best look elsewhere. On the DVD: The Triple Cross disc has a 1.78:1 anamorphically enhanced transfer that is slightly soft in many shots, while the night-time scenes, filmed with very high contrast, are overly dark and lack detail in the shadows. The film was released theatrically in Dolby Stereo and though the packaging states 2.0 Dolby Digital the reality is very flat and dull Dolby Prologic mono. Explosions are squibs and gunshots lifeless. For a 1992 action movie the result is lamentable, but at least the subtitles are clear and free of the howlers that plague many comparable Hong Kong films. The DVD also features the original Japanese trailer and eight additional trailers for films on the Tokyo Bullet label. There is a gallery reproducing the original promotional stills, and well-written and reasonably extensive biographies and/or filmographies for five of the cast. --Gary S Dalkin