British distributors Third Window Films have announced that they will add a number of new Asian titles to their Blu-ray catalog. Amongst them are new restorations of Takeshi Kitano's
Hana-bi a.k.a.
Fireworks (1997),
Kikujiro (1999), and
Dolls (2002).
Fireworks
Takeshi Kitano directs, writes and stars in this downbeat thriller. Monosyllabic detective Nishi (Kitano) leaves the force after his partner Horibe is seriously wounded and two colleagues are killed in pursuit of a gunman. Dedicating his life to caring for his terminally ill wife, as well as providing for the wheelchair-bound Horibe, Nishi accrues crippling debts. After robbing a bank to ease his financial worries, Nishi takes his wife on a final holiday, pursued by loan sharks and the police. New 2K restoration. STREET DATE: OCTOBER 2015.
Kikujiro
Multi-talented filmmaker Takeshi 'Beat' Kitano takes a break from the violent gangster films which made his name outside Japan to deliver this story of the friendship between a small boy and a washed-up yakusa. When young Masao (Yusuke Sekiguchi) discovers a picture of his long-lost mother at his grandmother's house, he decides to leave the city and go in search of her. Travelling with the lazy, small-time gangster Kikujuro (Kitano), Masao's journey gets off to a bad start when the pair lose all their money at the racetrack and are forced to continue on foot. As their journey develops, and as they reach their final destination, the pair begin to appreciate that the most important thing about their quest has been the time they spent together. New 2K restoration. STREET DATE: NOVEMBER 2015.
Dolls
Three short stories inspired by Japanese Bunraku puppet theatre. The first story concerns a young couple roaming the countryside, bound by a red cord. In the second, an elderly yakuza returns to the park where he used to meet the girlfriend he abandoned. Whilst in the third story, when a pop star becomes a recluse after an accident, one of his fans visits him to prove the extent of her devotion. New 2K restoration. STREET DATE: DECEMBER 2015.
Other upcoming TWF releases:
Jan 26th - Greatful Dead (グレイトフルデッド) - DVD/Blu-ray
(Black & unique horror/thriller similar to Sion Sono's Love Exposure)
April 13th - Han Gong-ju (한공주) - DVD/Blu-ray
(One of the biggest award-winners of the past year from debut director Lee Sujin)
May 11th - Fukuchan of Fukufuku Flats (福福荘の福ちゃん) - DVD
(the latest from Fine, Totally Fine director Yosuke Fujita)
May 25th - Be My Baby (恋の渦) - DVD
(Satire on Japanese youth from director of Moteki - Love Strikes)
June 22nd - The World of Kanako (渇き) - DVD/Blu-ray
(the director of Confessions brings us into dark descent into a dirty cop's hell)
August/September - A Snake of June (六月の蛇) - Blu-ray
(the first ever Blu-ray release of Shinya Tsukamoto's erotic classic)