Black Society Trilogy Blu-ray Movie

Rating summary

Movie		3.5
Video		3.0
Audio		4.0
Extras		4.0
Overall		3.5

Black Society Trilogy Blu-ray Movie Review

Reviewed by Jeffrey Kauffman February 15, 2017

If you’re not already familiar with Takashi Miike, you could spend several hours getting to “know” him via any of several of his films, many of which have been released on Blu-ray. And what an incredible assortment they are: Audition, Ichi the Killer, The Happiness of the Katakuris (my personal favorite), Sukiyaki Western Django, Crows Zero, Zebraman 2: Attack on Zebra City, 13 Assassins, Hara-Kiri: Death of a Samurai, Over Your Dead Body and Yakuza Apocalypse will provide more than ample evidence that Miike is both intentionally provocative as well as incredibly protean. Miike has become almost infamous due to some of the depictions and story elements in films like Audition and Ichi the Killer, and that proclivity is certainly on hand in each of the three films contained in this set, though perhaps not in the same context as those two aforementioned entries. Kind of ironically, this so-called Black Society Trilogy (which is also known under some alternative names, including Black Triad Trilogy and—just for good measure—Triad Society Trilogy) really isn’t a trilogy in a standard sense, for each film exists as a standalone entry and can only be linked to the others tangentially in terms of overall plot dynamics featuring criminals and, in some cases, shared casting.

For reviews of the three films included in this set, please click on the following links:

Shinjuku Triad Society Blu-ray review

Rainy Dog Blu-ray review

Ley Lines Blu-ray review

Black Society Trilogy Blu-ray Movie, Video Quality 

Video quality of each release is assessed in the above linked reviews.

Black Society Trilogy Blu-ray Movie, Audio Quality 

Audio quality of each release is assessed in the above linked reviews.

Black Society Trilogy Blu-ray Movie, Special Features and Extras 

This two disc set offers Shinjuku Triad Society and Rainy Dog on one disc, and Ley Lines on another. Supplemental features linked to each individual film are detailed in the above linked reviews. Additionally, the second (Ley Lines) disc offers these general supplements:

• Takashi Miike: Into the Black (1080p; 45:07) is an appealing interview with Miike, conducted in Montreal in 2016, where the director gets into some of his history (including his love of Bruce Lee) while also discussing this release's trilogy.


• Show Akawa: Stray Dog, Lone Wolf (1080p; 21:40) is another well done piece done with Akawa in 2016 in Tokyo where the actor discusses his early cinema work and his collaborations with Miike.

As is typical with Arrow releases, the insert booklet has some good essays and lots of pictures.

Black Society Trilogy Blu-ray Movie, Overall Score and Recommendation 

If you're a newcomer to the often bizarre world of Miike, I frankly am not sure I'd start with these three films, even though they helped to put him on the international cinema map. That said, each, while disturbing and opaque at times, has something quite unique to offer. Those already indoctrinated into the Miike way of doing things will no doubt find a lot of the director's flourishes well in evidence here, and will be more willing to overlook some technical limitations of these presentations. As always, Arrow has done a nice job including some good supplements. For Miike fans if for no one else, Recommended.