Black
Society Trilogy
(1995 - 1999/Takashi Miike/MVD Visual/Arrow Films Blu-ray Set)
Picture:
B Sound: B Extras: B Films: B/B/B-
Director
Takashi Miike is one of the most recognizable names in international
filmmaking and is known mainly to American audiences for this more
violent films such as Ichi:
The Killer,
Audition,
and 13
Assassins
to name a few.
Here,
we get a chance to see some of his early works with the action packed
Black
Society Trilogy (also
known as Triad
Society)
which is comprised of three films: Shinjuku
Triad Society
(1995), Rainy
Dog
(1997), and Ley
Lines
(1999). Taking on the gangster worlds of both the triads and the
yakuzas, the three films don't connect or tell a full story, but are
separate entities (though some cast members do return).
Shinjuku
Triad Society
takes place during a Chinese (triad) and Japanese (yakuza) mafia war
where a lawyer for the Chinese mob finds a rift forming between him
and his corrupt police office brother. In Rainy
Dog,
a Japanese assassin stranded in Taiwan must take work from a local
crime boss to make ends meet when suddenly a woman from his past
delivers a son to him. In Ley
Lines,
a group of Chinese youths living in Japan struggle to make their way
in life and eventually find trouble with the local crime syndicate.
The
films star Kippei Shiina, Tomorowo Taguchi, Kazuki Kitamura, and
Naoto Takenaka.
All
three films have been remastered to 1080p high definition with a
widescreen aspect ratio of 1.85:1 (all shot on 35mm film) culminate
into virtually flawless presentations that bring the masterful
cinematography to new heights. The audio mix has also been
remastered to original Japanese 2.0 stereo tracks presented in
uncompressed PCM 2.0 Stereo that aren't necessarily mind-blowing, but
due to the budget and nature of the films, sound perfectly fine.
Special
Features...
New
interview with director Takashi Miike
New
interview with actor Show Aikawa (Rainy
Dog,
Ley
Lines)
New
feature length audio commentaries for all three films by Miike
biographer Tom Mes
Original
theatrical trailers for all three films
Reversible
sleeve featuring original and newly commissioned artwork by Chris
Malbon
(First
Pressing Only) Illustrated collector's booklet featuring new writing
on the films
These
films are definitely worth checking out for fans of Miike, and fans
of international action films that center around gangs. Full of
violence, the films also have some pretty funny moments and inspired
filmmaking that makes them notable. Arrow has done a great job, as
usual, with this release!
-
James Lockhart
https://www.facebook.com/jamesharlandlockhartv/
