Graveyards of Honor

[DarkImbecile]

Two peerless masters of Japanese cinema – Kinji Fukasaku (Battles without Honor and Humanity, Battle Royale) and Takashi Miike (Dead or Alive, Audition) – present their own distinctive adaptations of yakuza expert Goro Fujita’s gangster novel Graveyard of Honor, each tapping into the zeitgeist of a distinct period of Japanese history.

Set during the turbulent post-war years, Fukasaku’s original 1975 film charts the rise and fall of real-life gangster Rikio Ishikawa (Tetsuya Watari, Outlaw Gangster VIP). Shot through with the same stark realism and quasi-documentarian approach as Fukasaku’s earlier Battles Without Honor and Humanity, Fukasaku nonetheless breaks new ground through his portrayal of a gangster utterly without honor or ethics, surviving by any means necessary in a world of brutal criminality.

Meanwhile, Miike’s 2002 retelling transplants the story to Tokyo at the turn of the millennium. Less a direct remake of Fukasku’s film than a radical reimagining of the same overarching premise, Miike’s film captures both the hedonism and nihilism of the modern Japanese crime scene in deliriously stylish fashion, resulting in a fascinating companion piece to the original that nonetheless stands as its own entity.

With both films making their High Definition debut in a sumptuous limited edition packed with new and archival bonus content, Arrow Video is proud to present these two intertwined but unique crime thrillers from two celebrated filmmakers at the peak of their creative powers.

LIMITED EDITION CONTENTS

• Exclusive two-disc set featuring two different versions of Graveyard of Honor: the 1975 film by Kinji Fukasaku and the 2002 film by Takashi Miike
• Limited edition packaging featuring newly commissioned artwork by Ian MacEwan
• Illustrated collector’s booklet featuring new writing on both films by Jasper Sharp

DISC ONE – GRAVEYARD OF HONOR (1975)

• High Definition Blu-ray™ (1080p) presentation
• Original lossless Japanese PCM 1.0 mono soundtrack
• Optional English subtitles
• New audio commentary by author and critic Mark Schilling
• Like a Balloon: The Life of a Yakuza, a new visual essay by critic and Projection Booth podcast host Mike White
• A Portrait of Rage, an archival appreciation of Fukasaku and his films, featuring interviews with filmmakers, scholars, and friends of the director
• On the Set with Fukasaku, an archival interview with assistant director Kenichi Oguri
• Theatrical trailer
• Imagery gallery
• Reversible sleeve featuring original and newly commissioned artwork by Ian MacEwan

DISC TWO – GRAVEYARD OF HONOR (2002)

• High Definition Blu-ray™ (1080p) presentation
• Original lossless Japanese PCM 2.0 stereo soundtrack
• Optional English subtitles
• New audio commentary by Miike biographer Tom Mes
• New visual essay by author and critic Kat Ellinger
• Archival “interview special” featuring Miike and cast members Goro Kishitani and Narimi Arimori
• Archival “making-of” featurette
• Archival “making-of” teaser
• Archival press release interviews featuring Miike, Kishitani and Arimori
• Archival “premiere special” featuring Miike, Kishitani and Arimori
• Theatrical trailer
• Imagery gallery
• Reversible sleeve featuring original and newly commissioned artwork by Ian MacEwan

[knives]

I haven't seen the original, but the Miike is pretty great.

[Adam X]

Me either, though I've been wanting to, and a new BD's usually a better place to start than an old out-of-print DVD! It's funny, I went to a festival screening of Miike's film when it was first released, and walked out on it within half an hour, finding it far too generic for its own good and I'd rather go find something to eat! I guess I'd maybe seen too many Japanese Yakuza films at the time? Regardless, finally watching the full film a year or two ago, I'd definitely agree. It's a really good film, and I'm looking forward to seeing what Fukasaku's original is like.

[knives]

Generic is part of the idea. On the old DVD there's a great interview with him talking about how yakuza cinema has gotten to be so much about itself he was curious if it was possible to make a film following the classical model. He particularly praised the lead's willingness to get a punch perm which was viewed as a radical move in Japan. Miike seemed to think the lead actress was not good though

[J Wilson]

Per someone on the bluray.com forum, this is apparently low stock title already, according to Diabolik DVD. So order early if you want it.

[The Elegant Dandy Fop]

I went ahead and ordered it as I'm a Fukasaku fanatic and want to grab this before it goes out of print. I haven't seen the original Graveyard of Honor in twelve years, but recall it being as excellent as the best of his seventies work.

[Telstar]

I was hoping to pick this up at Deep Discount and found that it's no longer listed on their website, not even as a Backorder.
Does this mean that they don't anticipate being able to get any more copies in stock?

[The Elegant Dandy Fop]

I don't listen to any film podcasts, so I have no clue who Mike White is (I for a second thought it was the Chuck & Buck guy). I was fascinated by his special feature for Fukasaku's Graveyard of Honor not because it's little more that a Fukasaku 101, but because I'm surprised how much information he gets wrong in it. I love Arrow and will forever buy their releases as their encodes are the best in the biz and they stack their releases, but I'm surprised this sloppy thing slipped through.

[Adam X]

He hosts the long-running podcast, The Projection Booth, amongst other things. I think the podcast at least is more interesting for it’s interviews and discussion with each episode’s guests, than specifically for any encyclopaedic film knowledge on Mike White’s part. He’s very open about what he does & doesn’t know about x film, and more often of late has used the podcast as an excuse for exposing himself to films he’s never seen. The podcast possesses a refreshing honesty & genuine interest in exploring the background & ideas found in every film discussed, no matter the genre or origin.

That said, I’ve not seen the featurette in question, so I can’t comment on how the two compare.

[impossiblefunky]

I don't listen to any film podcasts, so I have no clue who Mike White is (I for a second thought it was the Chuck & Buck guy). I was fascinated by his special feature for Fukasaku's Graveyard of Honor not because it's little more that a Fukasaku 101, but because I'm surprised how much information he gets wrong in it. I love Arrow and will forever buy their releases as their encodes are the best in the biz and they stack their releases, but I'm surprised this sloppy thing slipped through.

I'd love to know what I got wrong! This is a great learning opportunity for me and would appreciate your help. Thanks!

[The Elegant Dandy Fop]

I don't listen to any film podcasts, so I have no clue who Mike White is (I for a second thought it was the Chuck & Buck guy). I was fascinated by his special feature for Fukasaku's Graveyard of Honor not because it's little more that a Fukasaku 101, but because I'm surprised how much information he gets wrong in it. I love Arrow and will forever buy their releases as their encodes are the best in the biz and they stack their releases, but I'm surprised this sloppy thing slipped through.

I'd love to know what I got wrong! This is a great learning opportunity for me and would appreciate your help. Thanks!

Aw shucks. Now I feel like a monster for even criticizing, especially as I Googled you after and saw that you seem like a well liked and respected individual on top of being a nice person.

It wasn't anything severe. Due to my great embarrassment of even bringing it up, the only thing I can immediately recall is you attributing the book Outlaw Masters of Japanese Cinema to Patrick Macias, not Chris D. Perhaps my arrogance of having digested each piece of Fukasaku information had me talk as such.

[impossiblefunky]

Oh no! I can't believe that I did that! I had both of those books guiding me and I must have written down the wrong one on the 3X5 card. My face is red (in the sunset).