British distributors Arrow Video have detailed their upcoming Blu-ray release of Teruo Ishii's Japanese cult classic
Blind Woman's Curse (1970). The release will be available for purchase online and in stores across the country on March 31.
From "The King of Cult" Teruo Ishii,
Blind Woman's Curse (also known as
Black Cat's Revenge) is a thrilling yakuza film featuring eye-popping visuals, sensational fight sequences and the gorgeous Meiko Kaji (
Lady Snowblood, Stray Cat Rock) in her first major role.
Akemi (Kaji) is a dragon-tattooed leader of the Tachibana yakuza clan. In a duel with a rival gang Akemi slashes the eyes of an opponent and a black cat appears, to lap the blood from the gushing wound. The cat along with the eye-victim go on to pursue Akemi's gang in revenge, leaving a trail of dead yakuza girls, their dragon-tattoos skinned from their bodies.
A bizarre blend of the female yakuza film and traditional Japanese ghost story, with a strong dash of grotesque-erotica (the same movement was a sensibility of Edogawa Rampo whose works were adapted by Ishii in Horrors of Malformed Men), Blind Woman's Curse is a delirious mash-up of classic genre tropes, of which Ishii was no stranger, having directed everything from Super Giant films to biker movies!
Special Features:
- New high definition digital transfer of the film prepared by Nikkatsu Studios
- Presented in High Definition Blu-ray (1080p) and Standard Definition DVD
- Uncompressed mono PCM audio
- Newly translated English subtitles
- Audio commentary by Japanese cinema expert Jasper Sharp
- Original Trailer
- Trailers for four of the films in the Meiko Kaji-starring Stray Cat Rock series, made at the same studio as Blind Woman's Curse
- Reversible sleeve featuring original and newly commissioned artwork by Gilles Vranckx
- Collector's booklet featuring new writing on the film by Japanese cinema expert Tom Mes, illustrated with original archive stills.