New on Blu-ray: BLOOD OF REVENGE / MEIJI KYOKYAKUDEN - SANDAIME SHUMEI (1965) - Limited Edition

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Product Description: Osaka, 1907. The upstart Hoshino gang tries to assassinate the boss of the Kiyatatsu syndicate, who are in charge of the construction business. The attempt fails but sets in motion a spiral of violence, as the Hoshino sabotage building sites and kill a junior Kiyatatsu member. When the old boss dies of his wounds, senior lieutenant Kikuchi (Koji Tsuruta, Big Time Gambling Boss) decides to take on the Hoshino gang alone. Director Tai Kato's first yakuza film is a feast for the eyes, with bold set design, vivid colours and daring shot compositions bringing to life a timeless tale of honour and vengeance. Co-written by Red Peony Gambler creator Norifumi Suzuki and featuring a stunning central performance from Tsuruta, this is one of the finest of Toei's classic "chivalrous" yakuza films.

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THE TALE OF OIWA'S GHOST (1961) - New on Blu-ray

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Product Description: When the daughter of an elite family takes a shine to poor Iemon, he sees an opportunity to go up in the world. He just needs to get rid of his wife When the daughter of an elite family takes a shine to poor samurai Iemon (Tomisaburo Wakayama, lone wolf and cub), he sees an opportunity to climb the social ladder. He just needs to rid himself of his only obstacle: his loving wife Oiwa. He poisons her and dumps her corpse in a nearby swamp, but she returns as a horribly disfigured ghost to haunt Iemon on his wedding night. Crime film specialist Tai Kato (I, the Executioner) brings the famous Ghost Story of Yotsuya to the screen as a gritty tale of murder and greed, with an intense lead performance by Wakayama (The Bounty Hunter Trilogy, Big Time Gambling Boss).

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New on Blu-ray: RED PEONY GAMBLER I-III (1968-1969) - 3-Movie Collection

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Product Description: The illustrious Junko Fuji stars as the beautiful and badass Oryu, the eponymous and benevolent female gambler who uses her incredible might for right. In the series' premiere she rambles into town searching for her father's killer with a wallet left at the crime scene as her only clue. At a card game she meets a kindred spirit, the noble and handsome yakuza Katagiri (Ken Takakura) and soon they are a force to be reckoned with. Part 2 finds Oryu under the arm of the kind gang boss of a silk farming town. When ruthless loan sharks encroach and their treachery leads to murder, it is Oryu's sworn duty to exact justice. Maestro of Japanese cinema Tai Kato simultaneously satiates and transcends genre tropes in his masterful direction of the celebrated third film in the series. From it's classically melodramatic opening set piece involving an oncoming train, the stage is set for a visually rich tale of good versus evil.

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New on Blu-ray: EIGHTEEN YEARS IN PRISON / CHOUEKI JUHACHI-NEN (1967)

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Product Description: Trying to survive in the ruins of post-war Japan, Kawada (Noboru Ando, By a Man's Face Shall You Know Him) and Tsukada (Asao Koike, Sympathy the Underdog) run afoul of the military police after stealing valuable copper wire. Kawada is arrested and sent to prison, but Tsukada uses their gains to start a yakuza gang. Facing violent inmates and a cruel warden (Tomisaburo Wakayama, Big Time Gambling Boss), Kawada vows to escape and stop his former partner. Tai Kato directs this epic prison story with characteristic visual flair, while gangster-turned-actor Ando delivers a stunning performance charged with real-life gravitas. As an examination of the deep scars of wartime, this genre classic is also a clear precursor to Kinji Fukasaku's epoch-making Battles Without Honour and Humanity series.

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