UK-based distributors Third Window Films and Arrow Video will release hard-copy Japanese cult classics come September. Among the titles include Macoto Tezka's musical “The Legend of the Stardust Brothers” (1985), Seiji Tanaka's low-budget, high concept feature “Melancholic” (2018), and Katsuhito Ishii's Cannes opening film “The Taste of Tea” (2004). Read below for exact release dates.
Black Test Car / The Black Report: 24 August; blu-ray only
Japanese maverick director Yasuzo Masumura (Blind Beast) helms a bitingly satirical espionage thriller set in the heart of the Japanese auto industry in his 1962 landmark Black Test Car, which launched a series of similarly themed “Black” films.
Making its worldwide Blu-ray debut, Black Test Car is paired here with the English-language video premiere of its follow-up The Black Report, also directed by Masumura.
Melancholic: 7 September; blu-ray only
From Third Window Films: Despite having graduated from the prestigious Tokyo University, Kazuhiko is unemployed and living with his parents without any plans for the future. Everything changes, however, when he takes up a job at a local bathhouse and discovers that it is used by the yakuza as a convenient place for executions and corpse disposal. Dual Format Release (both DVD & Bluray included) includes Behind the Scenes, Q&A with director and cast, ‘Melancholic' Short Film, Region B.
Our take: A grand idea tackled in the film is the idea of old vs new, the traditional versus the contemporary. It's a through-line within the film with the stage set for young adults versus middle-aged and older adults…Tanaka also uses this as a metaphor for the filmmaking itself. “Melancholic” does not belong solely to one genre. By taking the heart, guts, and tropes of V-Cinema, and subverting them, Tanaka reinvents and invents a beautiful and contemporary genre hybrid. (Andrew Chavez)
Graveyard of Honor: 7 September; blu-ray only
From Arrow Video: 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. With both films making their High Definition debut in a sumptuous limited edition packed with new and archival bonus content, Arrow Video is proud to present these two intertwined but unique crime thrillers from two celebrated filmmakers at the peak of their creative powers.
Our take: “Graveyard of Honor” by Kinji Fukasaku is a continuation of the themes the director has explored in his other works, while it also is an especially bleak study on self-destructive behavior and corruption within post-war Japan. Within the ensemble cast, Tetsuya Watari's performance clearly stands out as the heart and soul of this film, highlighting the search of a man for acceptance as well as the bitter disappointment when the world does not deliver on that wish. (Panos Kotzathanasis)
The Legend of the Stardust Brothers: 18 September, vinyl, blu-ray and digital
From Arrow Video: Newly remastered for vinyl: 12 inch LP & 7 inch EP combi set. ALL REGION bluray/dvd/soundtrack CD set (less than 100 copies left).
Our take: There's even influence of the elder Tezuka's much-loved “Astroboy” series in some of the futuristic looks and sets in the film. Eichii Osawa's camerawork is kinetic, moves with the same brisk speed as the story and is well represented in the new restoration. Haruo Chicada's soundtrack, the very reason this film exists, is a delightful mix of pop, synth pop, soft rock and ballads with lyrics as bizarre and intriguing as the film itself. … “The Legend of the Stardust Brothers” is a loud, bizarre, over-the-top film truly deserving of cult status, for reasons good and bad. (Rhythm Zaveri)
The Taste of Tea: 5 October; blu-ray and digital
From Third Window Films: Filmmaker Katsuhito Ishii takes a break from the post-Tarantino excess of such highly-stylized outings as Shark Skin Man and Peach Hip Girl for this low-key look at an eccentric family residing in a quiet countryside town just north of Tokyo. Bluray Special Features include 90 minute Making Of, ‘Super Big' animation, special features in standard definition, reversible sleeve with original release artwork, Bluray region B.
