Yakuza Papers DVD Box Set

[analogzombie]

Does anyone know what's happening with the Kinji Fukusaku Yakuza Papers Box set?? Homevision originally had it scheduled for a 10/19 release, then it was pushed to 10/26, now it's not on their release calender at all! DeepDiscountDVD and DVDPlanet have both pulled it, but Amazon still has it listed for the 26th.

help help help Mac?

[analogzombie]

thanks for the help guys.

official word is that it's coming out late november, early december, but definately by the end of the year.

[Gold Trumpet]

I hear definitely by the end of the year, but the reason I hear has to do with the packaging. Seems the digipaks don't quite fit in the metal box created for the set. Minor fuck up, but I am really looking forward to getting this box set myself.

[analogzombie]

yes it seems many are looking forward to this release. I am curious as to how HVe's recent releases of Japanese genre films have been selling. Must be doing pretty good considering that Criterion, after saying they had no further plans to release any more Seijun Suzuki films has just announced two coming out in January. I'd also be interested to see a graph of sales of Tokyo Drifter and Branded to Kill, before and after Tarantino started giving interviews about Kill Bill's influences. It's obvious that his ramblings about that movie has prompted the release of Thriller, Lady Snowblood, and the Baby Cart series to have been accelerated to take advantage of the free press. I wonder if his words hd the same effect on Criterion and HVe.

[analogzombie]

Amazon.com is now reporting the release date as Dec. 7.

Does anyone else think it is odd this is coming out on the anniversary of Pearl Harbor?

[analogzombie]

It's confirmed for Dec 14

[Weak2ndAct]

Have you seen this whole series?  I've begun watching Fukasaku flicks (Black Lizard is absolutely ridiculous and wonderful!) and have contemplated a blind buy.

[analogzombie]

I've seen vol 3: proxy war on a bad vhs tape. very fun.

I would recommend checking out Street Mobster and Graveyard of Honor before purchasing this set. If you like them then this purchase would be a good idea. These movies came in between those. Combined, the seven films account for a dramatic shift in the way the Yakuza genre was presented in film. Fukusaku shows them as extremely flawed and non-heroic.

Street Mobster begins this trend, it hits its peak with the Battles w/o Honor series (the Yakuza Papers), and comes to extreme fruition with Graveyard of Honor.

There is nothing quite like the Yakuza Papers series b/c it's 5 demented yakuza films that carry on the story of one gang, from beginning to end. The cast is a who's who of Japanese actors of the genre and period including Bunta Sagawa, Noboru Ando, and Sonny Chiba.

If your a fan of the genre, or just looking for heavily stylized, viciousness packaged in super cool suits you could do no better. The cheapest price right now is $70 for the box set, but DeepDiscount might have one of their 20% sales when it comes out, around christmas. but like i say, i'd netflix street mobster, and graveyard of honor first.

[dufresne]

anyone seen Fall Guy?

[wiped_out]

I started with Street Mobster and really enjoyed it! So I purchased this set and my set came with two Proxy wars,thats two volume 3's and I was left without a 4, lucky i purchased a volume 4 solo and, havent seen the series in like 4 years...I was into it then got to volume 4 was left hanging cause I refused to watch them out of sequence, however I gotta revisit this and complete it...

I have not seen Fall Guy? Whats that about? Whats the deal with Graveyard of Honor?
Also whats Black Lizard?

Lets keep the Kinji Fukusaku discussion brewing