Search

Release: June 18, 2024

$7.99

Description

Constructed in the late nineteenth century to house political prisoners, Japan's infamous Abashiri Prison served as the inspiration for a popular and prolific run of yakuza movies released between 1965 and 1972. The Masters of Cinema series is proud to present the first three entries in this landmark series, directed by the "King of Cult" Teruo Ishii (Shogun's Joy of Torture) and starring a titan of Japanese genre cinema, Ken Takakura (The Bullet Train). In Abashiri Prison, Takakura stars as Shinichi Tachibana, a yakuza sent to Abashiri as punishment for an attack on a rival gangster. He intends to serve his time as a model prisoner until he is shackled to the bullish Gonzo Gonda (Kōji Nanbara), unwittingly roped into an escape attempt orchestrated by Heizo Yoda (Tōru Abe) and forced to face the frozen wilderness of Hokkaidō. In Another Abashiri Prison Story, Tachibana has just been released when he stumbles across a stash of diamonds recently stolen in a bank heist - and attracts unwanted attention from criminals and cops alike. Finally, in Abashiri Prison: Saga of Homesickness, Tachibana reunites with his former yakuza associates, who are trying to go straight. That is, at least, until old rivals come looking for trouble... Ken Takakura would reprise the role of Tachibana in another seven films under the Abashiri Prison banner - all of them helmed by Teruo Ishii - before the series was rebooted as New Abashiri Prison in 1968, leading to a further eight instalments with Takakura in the lead. It all began with these early entries, presented here for the first time ever on Blu-ray from brand new restorations of the original film elements by Toei. BONUS FEATURES: 1080p HD presentation of all three films from restorations of the original film elements supplied by Toei Optional English subtitles newly translated for this release Original Japanese audio (uncompressed LPCM mono) Brand new audio commentary tracks by Tom Mes, Chris Poggiali and Mike Leeder & Arne Venema Tony Rayns on Abashiri Prison – brand new interview with critic and Asian cinema expert Tony Rayns Brand new video appreciation by Jasper Sharp and Mark Schilling Trailers Top About this item Similar From the Brand Reviews Prison Walls: Abashiri Prison I-III

Release: June 11, 2024

$7.99

Description

The Valiant Ones is perhaps the last true wuxia film directed by celebrated Taiwanese filmmaker King Hu, an undisputed master of the genre. Shot back-to-back with The Fate of Lee Khan (but not released until two years later), it stands as a worthy follow-up to his earlier works Come Drink with Me, Dragon Inn and A Touch of Zen. During the reign of the Jiajing Emperor (Chao Lei), China's coastal regions have come under attack by wokou - Japanese pirates under the leadership of the infamous Hakatatsu (Sammo Hung). To combat this threat, the Emperor tasks a trusted general, Zhu Wan (Tu Kuang-chi), with assembling a group of skilled warriors to find and eliminate the pirates. Under the command of General Yu Dayou (Roy Chiao), the band of soldiers - including husband-and-wife sword-fighters Wu Ji-yuan (Wing Bai) and Wu Ruo-shi (Feng Hsu) - set out to draw Hakatatsu, his ally Xu Dong (Han Ying-chieh) and their pirate clan into a series of spectacular showdowns. Inspired by historical events and featuring several storied figures drawn from Chinese history, The Valiant Ones is a standout wuxia film produced during the dying days of the genre, as audience tastes were shifting towards more grounded kung fu cinema. The Masters of Cinema series is proud to present the film on 4K Ultra HD for the first time. BONUS FEATURES: 4K (2160p) UHD Blu-ray presentation, presented in Dolby Vision HDR from a 4K digital restoration of the original negatives gifted by director King Hu to the Hong Kong Film Archive Uncompressed original Mandarin mono restored from the original soundtrack negative Optional English subtitles newly translated for this release Brand new audio commentary by Asian film expert Frank Djeng (NY Asian Film Festival) Tony Rayns on The Valiant Ones – Brand new interview with critic and Asian film expert Tony Rayns Brand new video essay by David Cairns The Life of a Lucky Stuntman – Brand new interview with stuntman Billy Chan My Father and I – Brand new interview with actor Ng Ming-choi Archival 2003 interview with actress Hsu Feng by Frédéric Ambroisine Archival 2003 interview with Roger Garcia (Hong Kong International Film Festival Society) by Frédéric Ambroisine Archival 2016 interview with actor Ng Ming-choi by Frédéric Ambroisine