Contents of the GRAVEYARDS OF HONOR Blu-ray Set. Photo courtesy of MVD Entertainment. Toei Co., Ltd.Source: Arrow Video US, MVD Entertainment Group press release
Special Thanks to Clint Weiler
Box art courtesy of MVD Entertainment. Toei Co., Ltd.Two peerless masters of Japanese cinema — Kinji Fukasaku (BATTLES WITHOUT HONOR AND HUMANITY, BATTLE ROYALE) and Takashi Miike (DEAD OR ALIVE, AUDITION) — present their own distinctive adaptations of yakuza expert Goro Fujita’s gangster novel Graveyard of Honor, each tapping into the zeitgeist of a distinct period of Japanese history, in this exclusive two-disc set.
Set during the turbulent post-war years, Fukasaku’s original 1975 film charts the rise and fall of real-life gangster Rikio Ishikawa (Tetsuya Watari, OUTLAW GANGSTER VIP). Shot through with the same stark realism and quasi-documentarian approach as Fukasaku’s earlier Battles Without Honor and Humanity, Fukasaku nonetheless breaks new ground through his portrayal of a gangster utterly without honor or ethics, surviving by any means necessary in a world of brutal criminality.
Meanwhile, Miike’s 2002 retelling transplants the story to Tokyo at the turn of the millennium. Less a direct remake of Fukasku’s film than a radical reimagining of the same overarching premise, Miike’s film captures both the hedonism and nihilism of the modern Japanese crime scene in deliriously stylish fashion, resulting in a fascinating companion piece to the original that nonetheless stands as its own entity.
With both films making their High Definition debut in a sumptuous limited edition packed with new and archival bonus content, Arrow Video is proud to present these two intertwined but unique crime thrillers from two celebrated filmmakers at the peak of their creative powers.
Format: Blu-ray
SKU: AV286
UPC: 760137407881
Street Date: 09/08/20
Label: Arrow Video
Genre: Horror
Run Time: 225 mins
Number of Discs: 2
Region Code: 0
Audio: Stereo
Language: Japanese
List Price: $69.95
Bonus Materials
• Limited edition packaging featuring newly commissioned artwork by Ian MacEwan
• Illustrated collector’s booklet featuring new writing on both films by Jasper Sharp
■ DISC ONE – GRAVEYARD OF HONOR (仁義の墓場, Jingi no Hakaba, 1975)
• High Definition Blu-ray (1080p) presentation
• Original lossless Japanese PCM 1.0 mono soundtrack
• Optional English subtitles
• New audio commentary by author and critic Mark Schilling
• “Like a Balloon: The Life of a Yakuza,” a new visual essay by critic and Projection Booth podcast host Mike White
• “A Portrait of Rage,” an archival appreciation of Fukasaku and his films, featuring interviews with filmmakers, scholars, and friends of the director
• “On the Set with Fukasaku,” an archival interview with assistant director Kenichi Oguri
• Theatrical trailer
• Imagery gallery
• Reversible sleeve featuring original and newly commissioned artwork by Ian MacEwan
■ DISC TWO – GRAVEYARD OF HONOR (新・仁義の墓場, Shin Jingi no Hakaba, 2002)
• High Definition Blu-ray (1080p) presentation
• Original lossless Japanese PCM 2.0 stereo soundtrack
• Optional English subtitles
• New audio commentary by Miike biographer Tom Mes
• New visual essay by author and critic Kat Ellinger
• Archival “interview special” featuring Miike and cast members Goro Kishitani and Narimi Arimori
• Archival “making-of” featurette
• Archival “making-of” teaser
• Archival press release interviews featuring Miike, Kishitani and Arimori
• Archival “premiere special” featuring Miike, Kishitani and Arimori
• Theatrical trailer
• Imagery gallery
• Reversible sleeve featuring original and newly commissioned artwork by Ian MacEwan
Scene from Kinji Fukusaku’s GRAVEYARD OF HONOR. Photo courtesy of MVD Entertainment. Toei Co., Ltd.About Arrow Films
Arrow Films is a leading independent entertainment distribution company, established in 1991. Operating in the UK, the Republic of Ireland, United States of America and Canada, Arrow Films is dedicated to supporting upcoming and established filmmakers of dynamic new cinema and developing an enviable slate of quality films that enjoy a lasting legacy across its award-winning branded labels, channels, and platforms.
About MVD Entertainment Group
MVD Entertainment Group is a full service music and movie distribution firm, exclusively representing thousands of audio and visual products for DVD, Bluray, CD, vinyl, and digital rights, worldwide. MVD also exclusively distributes a growing line of merchandise including limited edition collectibles, tee shirts, and more.
“Serving Artists and Audiences” is MVD’s purpose statement; it represents a commitment to the interests of the musicians, filmmakers, record labels, producers, managers, and every link in the supply chain. The customers are the Audience, from wholesalers, sub-distributors, major retail chains, online retailers, specialists, and independent mom and pop stores, all the way to the consumer.
MVD Entertainment Group was founded in 1986 by Tom Seaman, an industry veteran with prior experience with The Record Hunter, Sam Goody, CBS Retail, and JEM Distribution. Tom, along with his family Elinor, Eve and Ed, initially focused on music videotapes.
At the turn of the century, with the advent of DVD, MVD built a large catalog of exclusively distributed audiovisual content on DVD’s, with special strength in music concert films, horror movies, documentaries, comedy, cult classics, and much more.