The Daimajin Trilogy
Blu ray – All Region
Arrow Films
1966
Starring Miwa Takada, Kojiro Hongo, Hideki Ninomiya
Cinematography by Fujio Morita, Shozo Tanaka, Hiroshi Imai
Directed by Kimiyoshi Yasuda, Kenji Misumi, Kazuo Mori
Japanese monsters seem to bring out the best in home video companies—Arrow Films’ The Daimajin Trilogy is the most beautifully wrought Blu ray release since Criterion’s momentous Godzilla set. Though the films themselves don’t match the kaleidoscopic allure of Matt Frank’s cover illustrations, the Daimajin movies remain rousing entertainment for both monster-crazy kids and seasoned movie fans who should appreciate the sky-scraping samurai’s exciting if utterly predictable adventures.
Predictable, because each film in the trilogy is essentially the same movie—same beginning, same middle, same end. Utterly predictable but then so are the Bond films—the lack of any real surprises is fundamental to their comfort food aesthetic. Produced one after another in...
Blu ray – All Region
Arrow Films
1966
Starring Miwa Takada, Kojiro Hongo, Hideki Ninomiya
Cinematography by Fujio Morita, Shozo Tanaka, Hiroshi Imai
Directed by Kimiyoshi Yasuda, Kenji Misumi, Kazuo Mori
Japanese monsters seem to bring out the best in home video companies—Arrow Films’ The Daimajin Trilogy is the most beautifully wrought Blu ray release since Criterion’s momentous Godzilla set. Though the films themselves don’t match the kaleidoscopic allure of Matt Frank’s cover illustrations, the Daimajin movies remain rousing entertainment for both monster-crazy kids and seasoned movie fans who should appreciate the sky-scraping samurai’s exciting if utterly predictable adventures.
Predictable, because each film in the trilogy is essentially the same movie—same beginning, same middle, same end. Utterly predictable but then so are the Bond films—the lack of any real surprises is fundamental to their comfort food aesthetic. Produced one after another in...
- 8/14/2021
- by Charlie Largent
- Trailers from Hell
After the sprawling success of the first film, Daiei Studios returned to the fabled stone warrior Daimajin for a second round of feudal-set tokusatsu action. Bringing even more storyline elements from the Jewish fable of the Golem into the picture than the first film, jidaigeki master Kenji Misumi manages to produce a no less entertaining but far less impactful retelling, in a different location in this second entry in the trilogy, available in a Blu-Ray collection from Arrow Video.
After conquering a village, evil warlord Danjo (Takashi Kanda) sets his sights on another one by the lakeside. He kidnaps village local Katsushige Nakoshi (Koichi Uenoyama) and offers an ultimatum to the villagers to hand over one of their protectors, Lord Juro (Kojiro Hongo), in exchange for the release of Katsushige. However, Lord Juro, his sister Sayuri (Shiho Fujimura and the brave people of the village defy the...
After conquering a village, evil warlord Danjo (Takashi Kanda) sets his sights on another one by the lakeside. He kidnaps village local Katsushige Nakoshi (Koichi Uenoyama) and offers an ultimatum to the villagers to hand over one of their protectors, Lord Juro (Kojiro Hongo), in exchange for the release of Katsushige. However, Lord Juro, his sister Sayuri (Shiho Fujimura and the brave people of the village defy the...
- 7/27/2021
- by Don Anelli
- AsianMoviePulse
Japanese cinema’s earliest attempt to depict the full impact of the 1945 atom-bomb attack is one of the best anti-Nuke movies ever… yet it somehow stayed under the radar of American awareness for decades. The bombing is seen from only eight years’ distance, when the nation was seemingly resisting coming to terms with its social and political implications; Hideo Sekigawa’s account includes some subtle commentary on the indifferent political response to the plight of the victims… even in 1953. Arrow’s extras include a Jasper Sharp video essay that fills in a lot of blank cinema history between Enola Gay and Godzilla. The impressive music score will seem familiar; it’s by Akira Ifukube.
Hiroshima
Blu-ray
Arrow Academy
1953 / B&w / 1:37 flat / 104 85 min. / Street Date July 14, 2020 / 24.99
Starring: Eiji Okada, Yumeji Tsukioka, Yoshi Katô, Masayuki Tsukida, Takashi Kanda, Isuzu Yamada.
Cinematography: Shunichirô Nakao, Susumu Urashima
Film Editor: Akikazu Kôno
Original Music:...
Hiroshima
Blu-ray
Arrow Academy
1953 / B&w / 1:37 flat / 104 85 min. / Street Date July 14, 2020 / 24.99
Starring: Eiji Okada, Yumeji Tsukioka, Yoshi Katô, Masayuki Tsukida, Takashi Kanda, Isuzu Yamada.
Cinematography: Shunichirô Nakao, Susumu Urashima
Film Editor: Akikazu Kôno
Original Music:...
- 8/22/2020
- by Glenn Erickson
- Trailers from Hell
Arrow Video restores a rare title from director Yasuharu Hasebe with his sophomore directorial effort, Massacre Gun. A late 60’s yakuza narrative, the film displays Hasebe’s influence of American film noir, but defined by a striking amount of violence that makes it feel ahead of its time despite a familiar premise. Fans of genre icon Jo Shishido should be especially excited for this restoration, and it bodes well as a reconsideration for the work of Hasebe, a once prominent name that’s fallen into relative obscurity in cinematic conversations.
Ryuichi Shishido (Jo Shishido) is a mob hitman ordered to execute his lover. He follows through with the tasking but is visibly bothered by it, causing his younger brother, Saburo (Jiro Okazaki), an aspiring boxer, to directly challenge the dreaded mob boss Akazawa (Takashi Kanda). For his hubris, Saburo is badly beaten, leading his older brothers Ryuichi and Eiji (Tatsuya Fuji...
Ryuichi Shishido (Jo Shishido) is a mob hitman ordered to execute his lover. He follows through with the tasking but is visibly bothered by it, causing his younger brother, Saburo (Jiro Okazaki), an aspiring boxer, to directly challenge the dreaded mob boss Akazawa (Takashi Kanda). For his hubris, Saburo is badly beaten, leading his older brothers Ryuichi and Eiji (Tatsuya Fuji...
- 4/14/2015
- by Nicholas Bell
- IONCINEMA.com
Stars: Jô Shishido, Tatsuya Fuji, Jirô Okazaki, Ryôji Hayama, Takashi Kanda, Hideaki Nitani, Ken Sanders, Tamaki Sawa | Written by Yasuharu Hasebe, Ryûzô Nakanishi | Directed by Yasuharu Hasebe
Gangster movies have always been popular, especially with the likes of The Godfather Trilogy and Goodfellas almost defining what we see as masterpieces of the genre. When we look to world cinema though, and especially Japan there are some movies that fans should look at to broaden their perspective. Massacre Gun (Minagoroshi no kenjû) is one of them which gets a release on Blu-ray from Arrow Video this week.
When hitman Kuroda (Jô Shishido) is ordered by his employers to kill the woman he loves he joins forces with his brothers Eiji (Tatsuya Fuji) and Saboruo (Jirô Okazaki) to gain revenge on the wrongs that have been done to them. As their power rises and the violence escalates Kuroda knows the inevitability is...
Gangster movies have always been popular, especially with the likes of The Godfather Trilogy and Goodfellas almost defining what we see as masterpieces of the genre. When we look to world cinema though, and especially Japan there are some movies that fans should look at to broaden their perspective. Massacre Gun (Minagoroshi no kenjû) is one of them which gets a release on Blu-ray from Arrow Video this week.
When hitman Kuroda (Jô Shishido) is ordered by his employers to kill the woman he loves he joins forces with his brothers Eiji (Tatsuya Fuji) and Saboruo (Jirô Okazaki) to gain revenge on the wrongs that have been done to them. As their power rises and the violence escalates Kuroda knows the inevitability is...
- 4/8/2015
- by Paul Metcalf
- Nerdly
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