New on Blu-ray: ROARING FIRE / HOERO TEKKEN (1981) Starring Hiroyuki Sanada

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Product Description: Emmy© Award winner Hiroyuki Sanada (MORTAL KOMBAT) stars in this wild, action-packed film, available for the first time on Blu-ray! On the death bed of his adoptive father, Texas-raised rancher Joji learns a shocking family secret - he has a twin brother and sister he never knew about. Determined to find his brother, Joji travels to Japan only to discover he has been mysteriously killed. As he stays with his sister and digs deeper, Joji uncovers his uncle's involvement in criminal enterprises, including plans to obtain a priceless 130-carat diamond known as the Queen of Sheba. Betrayal and vengeance unfold as Joji confronts his corrupt uncle and fights to avenge his family. ROARING FIRE had a brief U.S. theatrical release by New Line Cinema in 1982 and features an all-star cast including Sonny Chiba, Etsuko Shihomi, legendary wrestler Abdullah the Butcher and is directed by veteran filmmaker Norifumi Suzuki (SHOGUN'S NINJA, SEX & FURY).

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New on Blu-ray: G.I. SAMURAI / SENGOKU JIEITAI (1979) Starring Sonny Chiba

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Product Description: G.I. Samurai sees action superstar Sonny Chiba (The Street Fighter) heading the cast in a rip-roaring time-slip action blockbuster in which guns, tanks and helicopters come up against katana-wielding warriors on horseback!

During a routine military exercise, modern-day soldiers led by Second Lieutenant Iba (Chiba) find themselves transported back in time four hundred years to war-torn feudal Japan. Facing attack by samurai warriors from rival clans, frictions rapidly emerge among these modern-day soldiers, whisked from a time of peace, freed from the strictures of a higher authority and stranded in one of the bloodiest and most decisive periods in Japan's history.

Based on a novel by Ryo Hanmura and directed by Kosei Saito (Ninja Wars), G.I. Samurai's epic battle scenes wowed Japanese audiences upon release in 1979 and are now more awe-inspiring than ever in a new 4K restoration by Kadokawa Pictures.

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New on Blu-ray: HOKURIKU PROXY WAR (1977) - Limited Edition

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Product Description: Loose-cannon gangster Kawada rebels when his two-timing boss forms an alliance with a major crime syndicate. The syndicate's main rivals see Kawada as their perfect proxy, but his furious temper quickly rubs them the wrong way, leaving Kawada to face overwhelming forces. Fukasaku's final yakuza film features some of the strongest women's roles in his career, plus a raucous central performance from Hiroki Matsukata (Cops vs Thugs) and support from the legendary Sonny Chiba.

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New on Blu-ray: LEGEND OF THE EIGHT SAMURAI (1983) - Limited Edition

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Product Description: Japanese box-office sensation directed by the revered Kinji Fukasaku (Battle Royale), Legend of the Eight Samurai brings together an impressive ensemble cast, including Hiroko Yakushimaru (Sailor Suit and Machine Gun), Hiroyuki Sanada (Ring), Sonny Chiba (Message from Space) and Etsuko Shihomi (The Street Fighter), in a sweeping epic that blends fantasy with historical drama. The Satomi Clan have been all-but wiped out by their mortal enemies: the ghoulish members of the undead Hikita Clan. The last Satomi survivor is Princess Shizu (Yakushimaru), who goes into hiding to avoid meeting the same fate as her family. Left to wander on her own, she eventually becomes entangled with farmer-turned-soldier Shinbei (Sanada) and then a pair of warrior monks who reveal themselves to be two of eight fabled Hakkenden - or Dog Warriors - who can lift the curse that has been placed upon her family. Together, they must find the rest of the Hakkenden and take on the leader of the Hikita Clan: the evil Tamazusa (Mari Natsuki). Following Message from Space, which transported the story to a science fiction setting, Legend of the Eight Samurai is Fukasaku's second loose adaptation of Toshio Kamata's Shin Satomi Hakkenden, itself an adaptation of Kyokutei Bakin's earlier epic novel Nanso Satomi Hakkenden. The Masters of Cinema series is proud to present the film on Blu-ray for the first time in North America from a new 4K restoration.

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New on Blu-ray: THE BULLET TRAIN (1975)

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Product Description: English dub, Japanese language, 1080p high definition, Region A disc. Ken Takakura stars as a mad bomber who plants a device on a high-speed Japanese train, programmed to detonate if the train's speed drops below 80 kilometres per hour. The trains conductor (Sonny Chiba) must keep the train moving whilst the police track the madman down. Most well-known for inspiring the 1994 Hollywood blockbuster Speed, The Bullet Train is a remarkably tense thriller from director Junya Satō. This remastered version includes the original Japanese version with English subtitles, and the US English dubbed version!

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New on Blu-ray: SHOGUN'S SAMURAI - THE YAGYU CLAN CONSPIRACY (1978)

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Product Description: Japanese language, English subtitles, 1080p high definition, Region A disc. An epic film of greed and power, starring some of the biggest names in classic Japanese cinema! Following the death of the Shogunate, it became evident that his death was no accident. He was poisoned because he wanted his eldest son to be heir to his throne. A war between the eldest and his younger brother erupts. Warriors take to each side swearing devotion to the prospective lords. The plot to pit brother against brother is secretly being controlled by the Yagyu clan, a group of warriors who have trained the Shogunate’s family in the art of swordsmanship. A group of imperial nobles are also secretly pulling the strings of this plot, hoping to weaken the power of the Shogunate and restore power to the emperor. Directed by Kinji Fukasaku (Battle Royale), and starring the legendary Sonny Chiba! This brand new remastered version is available in 1080p high definition for the first time on Blu-ray! In the original Japanese language, with English subtitles!

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