11. Graveyards of Honor: Two Films by Kinji Fukasaku & Takashi Miike (Arrow Video)
The 1970s were arguably the busiest period within the career of esteemed Japanese director Kinji Fukasaku. While continuing the “New Battles Without Honor and Humanity”-series of movies, he adapted his unique take on the yakuza movie on other projects as well, adding new aspects to the themes of his work, the portrayal of post-war Japan, the link between crime and politics, as well as the destructive male behavior. Even though he had already introduced many notable characters in his movies, perhaps his interpretation of Rikio Ishikawa, the protagonist of Fujita Goro's work on the life of this real-life yakuza, is the most unforgettable. In “Graveyard of Honor”, Fukasaku explores the nature of self-destructive behavior, making a bold and quite bleak statement about the direction his home country was heading for in the 1970s.
“Graveyards of Honor” is a film about the abyss, devotion and love as well as violence and destruction. With superb performances by Gorō Kishitani and Narumi Arimori, a wonderful score by Kōji Endō and Miike's usual concepts of the outcast, social and political criticism, “Graveyard of Honor” is one of the best works of the director, one which should be named along with his great works such as “Ichi-The Killer”, “Audition” and “Blues Harp“. This is Takashi Miike at his bleakest, most nihilistic and also at his most accomplished. (Rouven Linnarz)
12. Made in Hong Kong (Eureka Entertainment)
The new 4k restoration for Fruit Chan's “Made in Hong Kong” might have gotten a blu-ray release in Hong Kong prior to this, but Eureka blew that out of the water for the definitive edition to own of the film. Included in the disc are interviews with director Chan and producers Doris Yang and Daniel Yu, while an included supplementary booklet features new writing by film historian Alexandra Heller-Nicholas & Tony Rayns, Fruit Chan's director's statement from the film's original 1997 press release and an interview with director Fruit Chan from 2017, after the film's restoration. (Rhythm Zaveri)
13. Solid Metal Nightmares: The Films of Shinya Tsukamoto (Arrow Video)
Shinya Tsukamoto, though being well-loved by the audiences in America, didn't get much love in terms of high-definition physical media release, compared to Region-B, where Third Window Films really championed his films. All of that, however, changed with this glorious release from Arrow Video, which included ten of his films, including all that Third Window Films had previously released in UK and some that they are yet to release, like “Vital”. (Rhythm Zaveri)
Note: This release is now sold out!
14. Gemini (Third Window Films)
Speaking of Tsukamoto, Third Window were also not to let Arrow Video take all the limelight, as they brought one of his most demanded films, “Gemini”, to the British shores on blu-ray in a lovely edition with a limited edition slipcase. The special features on the release also includes the “Making of Gemini” featurette directed by none other than Takashi Miike himself. (Rhythm Zaveri)
15. The Taste of Tea (Third Window Films)
Some wonderful Japanese quirkiness thanks to Third Window Films, who showed love to Katsuhito Ishii's vastly successful and much applauded “The Taste of Tea” in its worldwide blu-ray debut. Though light on special features, the fact that fans are now finally able to own this bizarre but wonderful narrative in high-definition is incentive enough to add this release to your collections. (Rhythm Zaveri)
16. Godspeed (Spectrum Films)
Unlike Robert Warshow's American Gangsters, the Taiwanese gangsters travel at the margins of the cities and dwell in the rural area. Instead of money and power, what they gain at the end of their journeys is a sense of mutual understanding and respect. (I Lin-liu)
17. Melancholic (Third Window Films)
What starts off as a coming-of-age film, morphs towards an ode to V-Cinema and Hong Kong action films, and finally, emerges as a touching human drama. In his debut feature, “Melancholic”, director Seiji Tanaka and actor/producer Yoji Minagawa create a menagerie of overused but fun Yakuza movie plotlines, scenes of familial domesticity, dating life, friendship, young vs old, and notions on college education. It's the lens in which the story is framed, the eyes through which we see through, and how elements of other genres are woven together that make it such a unique and fantastical debut. “Melancholic” succeeds In that genre blending, in a way that many films have not been able to master. (Andrew Chavez)
18. The Untold Story (Unearthed Films)
Landmark Cat III film “The Untold Story” finally got an English-friendly blu-ray release courtesy of boutique US label Unearthed Films. The release, which comes with a limited edition slipcase, includes a high-definition version of the feature, as well as the documentary “Category 3, The Untold Story of Hong Kong Exploitation”, an audio commentary with director Herman Yau and another with Anthony Wong, all with English subtitles. Go on, get your pork buns while they're fresh! (Rhythm Zaveri)
19. Hiroshima (Arrow Academy)
An essential film on the bombing of Hiroshima and its devastating after-effects, Hideo Sekigawa's film, gets its deserved blu-ray release from Arrow Academy, who bring a high-definition presentation of the feature in its complete version, restoring the footage from the international edit that was released in the United States in 1955. Special features include an interview with actress Yumeji Tsukioka and a 73-minutes documentary titled “Hiroshima Nagasaki Download”, which features interviews with survivors of the Hiroshima and Nagasaki atomic bombings now residing in the United States, with an introduction by the director Shinpei Takeda. (Rhythm Zaveri)
20. Takeshi Kitano Collection (BFI)
All three films included in BFI's Takeshi Kitano Collection release, namely “Violent Cop“, “Boiling Point” and “Sonatine“, have seen English-friendly releases elsewhere, but BFI did justice to the legendary Japanese director's early crime films by releasing them together in a lovely boxset which includes a book with new writings by Japanese cinema experts. The discs themselves contain hihg-definition transfers of all three films, feature-length commentaries on both “Violent Cop” and “Sonatine” and another on “Boiling Point”, as well as various other featurettes. (Rhythm Zaveri)
