Massacre
Gun (1967/MVD/Arrow Video Blu-ray w/DVD)
Picture:
B+/B- Sound: B+/B- Extras: B+ Film: B-
PLEASE
NOTE: This
is a limited edition release of only 3,000 copies!!!
I've
always been a fan of black and white Japanese Yakuza films,
especially those of Seijun Suzuki such as Branded To Kill and
Tokyo Drifter (see elsewhere on this site), it's no
coincidence that Suzuki's former assistant Yasuharu Hasebe's
1967-directed film Massacre Gun feels a lot like a Suzuki
film. It boasts beautiful cinematography and great direction against
a rather formulaic but effective crime story.
This
exceptional release from Arrow features an incredible booklet and
collectible packaging, loads of extras, and a beautiful new transfer
and sound mix to boot. This is a must for fans of Japanese cinema
and the first time that this disc has been available on Blu-ray disc.
In
the film, Kuroda (Jo Shishido) is a mob hitman who has to turn on his
employers after being forced to execute his lover. Joining forces
with his similarly wronged brothers who aren't afraid to take things
into their own hands, Eiji (Tatsuya Fuji) and Saburo (Jiro Okazaki),
the trio escalate their mob retaliation to all-out turf war where
only one man is left standing!!!
This
new 1080p transfer looks gorgeous on Blu-ray disc with a widescreen
aspect ratio of 2.35:1, really brings out black and white with high
contrast and beautiful textures. As for the audio, the original
Japanese language Mono PCM lossless track sounds fantastic restored
as much as the image, then the set includes new translated and
updated English subtitles from previous releases. The DVD version
also included is in standard definition that looks fine for the
format but doesn't match the Blu-ray, of course.
Extras
include
-
Brand new interview with star Jo Shishido
-
Interview with renowned critic and historian Tony Rayns
-
Original theatrical trailer
-
Gallery featuring rare promotional images
-
Reversible sleeve featuring original and newly commissioned artwork
by Ian MacEwan
booklet
featuring new writing on the film by Japanese cinema expert Jasper
Sharp, newly illustrated by Ian MacEwan and featuring original
archive stills
All
in all, a fantastic release from Arrow and great disc to add to the
collection!
-
James Lockhart
https://www.facebook.com/jamesharlandlockhartv/
