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MIIKE TAKASHI'S
ZATO ICHI-THE STAGE PLAY
(Zato Ichi) 2010 166 min.
Anamorphic Widescreen (16:9)
Starring: AIKAWA Show Written and Directed by: MIIKE
Takashi
In one of the most
remarkable productions in many years, noted filmmaker Miike
Takashi has created a stage play version of the Zato Ichi story.
Based on the character created by Shimozawa Kan and
popularized worldwide by the great Katsu Shintaro, this
version is everything that the 'Beat' Takeshi film was not. The play
is at once exciting, charming, suspenseful, humorous, and features
superb swordsmanship. The Japanese classical theater, or Kabuki, has
a long history of samurai era productions which eventually led to
the rise of motion pictures. This play carries on that tradition and
breathes new life into a beloved character in a surprising way.
Regular Website price: $29.95
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Shipping starts Tuesday
Dec. 8
EDOGAWA
RAMPO'S BEAST IN THE SHADOWS
(Edogawa Ranpo no Inju) 1977
118 min. Academy Standard (4:3) Bonus feature: 2 Trailers w/English subtitles
Multiple murders, red herrings and sadomasochistic sex are the order
of the day in this ground-breaking mystery from Edogawa Rampo,
Japan's foremost writer of suspense novels. The year is 1930 and the
chance meeting of a novelist and one of his fans
opens the door to a series of mysterious events culminating in the
death of a wealthy industrialist who may have been leading a double
life. Aoi Teruhiko and Kayama Yoshiko star along with 2 of Japan's
most famous and highly respected actors, Otomo Ryutaro and
Wakayama Tomisaburo. In a departure from the samurai genre in which
he made his name this is director Kato Tai's masterpiece.
A true work of cinema art comes to life in this deadly tale of love
and betrayal!
On June 5, 1864 the Shinsengumi raided anti-Shogunate
activists
at Kyoto's Ikedaya Inn. This act not only kept the former capital
from
being burned to the ground, but saved the Emperor from being
kidnapped
by Choshu clan radicals with nothing left to lose.
This is the story of the Shinsengumi, founded by Serizawa Kamo
and Kondo Isami, two of Japan's most capable swordsmen.
The group's undying devotion helped delay the fall of the nearly 300
year old Tokugawa Shogunate as Japan was torn apart by extremists
bent on restoring imperial power. Motion picture star Matsukata
Hiroki shines as Kondo Isami, the master swordsman with a will of
iron and a blade of steel. Swordfights galore in this tale of blood
and honor!
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A classic battle between good and evil pits an unscrupulous
fortuneteller who has been preying on the good citizens of Edo
against a masterless samurai who founded a school for
underprivileged children in a poor neighborhood. Into the mix comes
a young woman running away from a forced marriage disguised as a
teenage boy and becomes a student of the beloved Sensei, while he
staves off the advances of a skilled pickpocket and prepares for a
bloody showdown against a direct retainer of the shogun!
Regular Website price: $29.95
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Tuesday Dec. 8
THE EDO OFFICIAL
AND APPRENTICE
(Edokko Hangan to Furisode Kozo) 1959
It's an extravaganza of entertainment as famous magistrate in
disguise, Toyama no Kinshiro attempts to confront the elusive thief
known as the
"Long-Sleeve Burglar". Played to the hilt by Misora Hibari in
a delightful
performance highlighted by singing, dancing, and swordplay with a
unique
story within a story twist that starts to unfold in the city jail as
a playwright
is brought into custody and meets the famed Long-Sleeve Burglar
himself.
Misora Hibari is totally captivating in this gender bending role as
the famed
thief whose expoits can only be stopped by the great Kin-san
himself!
Starring: KATAOKA Chiezo, MISORA Hibari
Directed by: SAWAJIMA Tadashi
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HEAVENLY DRAGON
(Tenryu Haha Koi Gasa) 1960
From the opening theme song to the grand finale, you know that you
have found something special as this exciting movie stars the great
Misora Hibari in one of her most memorable performances as
she plays Shintaro and Oharu, a brother and sister,
the children of a lumber dealer who had been murdered by the evil
boss Kumagoro who plots to take over Shintaro's family
business with the help of a corrupt deputy who has fooled the family
into believing that he is on their side. This is not the usual
lightweight type of film you'd expect from this cast, but something
much better verging on a genuine classic!
Starring: MISORA Hibari, WAKAYAMA Tomisaburo
Directed by: KUDO Eiichi
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HAPPILY TIED TO
THE ROAD
(Oshidori Dochu) 1959
With flashing swordwork and a terrific story, wandering gambler
Kusama Hanjiro
inspires the wrath of Boss
Jirotaro who has been terrorizing travelers along the
route through his territory. When Hanjiro steps in to gamble with
him one-on-one
it leads to a deadly vendetta that will show no mercy. Along the way
Hanjiro is
called upon to help sisters with no one else to depend on. Will the
feud end in
tragedy, or can the honest wanderer prevail against the bloodlust of
an angry
yakuza boss whom he had scarred for life?
This is a comedy about a free-spirited man Ohara Shosuke
whose life is turned upside down when he is
ordered to serve the clan lord. Having lost his fortune and leading
a life of leisure, he is ill-prepared for the rigorous life of a
samurai, the very definition of which is "To Serve.." But before
that, he must solve the dilemma of two down-on-their-luck ronin who
stand before him ready to duel to the death! This superb
swordfighting comedy is filled with clever exchanges and glimpses of
the powerful Japanese battle swords that were popular in that day.
Starring: OTOMO Ryutaro, MISORA Hibari
Directed by MATSUDA Sadatsugu
Regular Website
price: $14.95
Subscriber special cost: $10.00
Available now
FREE
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