Listmania!
My Favourite Japanese DVD's
Hana-Bi [1998]Hana-Bi [1998]
Buy new: £4.98 / Used from: £3.93
Probably my favourite film of all time ..a beautiful and moving Kitano masterpiece (extra features:making of doc and Kitano interview)
IkiruIkiru
Buy new: £8.08 / Used from: £8.50
Kurosawa made lots of great films but this tops them all IMO, Takeshi Shimura is excellent (no interesting extra features)
Ichi The Killer [2003]Ichi The Killer [2003]
Buy used from: £4.90
Takashi Miike's extreme piece of live action Manga (includes commentary and M.T interview)
Seven Samurai [1954]Seven Samurai [1954]
Buy used from: £10.50
One of the all time greats (poor extras as usual from BFI)
Yakuza Papers / Yakuza Graveyard / Street Mobster [1973]Yakuza Papers / Yakuza Graveyard / Street Mobster [1973]
Buy new: £19.99
Great value box set from one of the most underrated masters of Japanese cinema (lacking in extras)
Dead Or Alive [1999]Dead Or Alive [1999]
Buy new: £14.99 / Used from: £3.74
The best of the DoA trilogy by a mile (some cast interviews)
Sonatine [1993]Sonatine [1993]
Buy new: £5.87 / Used from: £4.99
Another Kitano masterpiece , shame about the lack of extras on this DVD
Tokyo Story [1953] (REGION 1) (NTSC)Tokyo Story [1953] (REGION 1) (NTSC)
Buy used from: £19.75
Not my personal favourite Ozu but one of only 2 currently available on DVD (Brilliant extras from Criterion .. 2 hour Ozu documentary)
Kikujiro [1999] (REGION 1) (NTSC)Kikujiro [1999] (REGION 1) (NTSC)
Buy used from: £9.50
Great film and an amazing soundtrack by Joe Hisaishi (minimal extras)
Audition [2001]Audition [2001]
Buy used from: £6.99
Slow paced psychological thriller from Miike Takashi (M.T interview)
Battle Royale [2001]Battle Royale [2001]
Buy new: £6.87 / Used from: £5.99
Overrated IMO but still a good movie (poor extras, try the special edition)
Boiling Point [1990]Boiling Point [1990]
Buy new: £5.87 / Used from: £1.99
Probably one of my least favourite Kitano films but still quality (poor extras)
Ran [1985] (REGION 1) (NTSC)Ran [1985] (REGION 1) (NTSC)
Buy used from: £10.89
The last of Kurosawa's samurai epics and one of the best (2 commentariess)
Brother [2001]Brother [2001]
Buy new: £9.99 / Used from: £5.00
Kitano in America .. intersting idea but not one of his best (wow at last some quality extras! Hour long Kitano documentary and an interview)
The Happiness Of The Katakuris [2003]The Happiness Of The Katakuris [2003]
Buy new: £14.69 / Used from: £3.99
A Miike Takashi musical .. crazy (M.T and cast interviews, making of.. and Audio commentary . excellent)
Rashomon [1950]Rashomon [1950]
Buy used from: £15.49
Mifune at his best (lacking in extras)
Yojimbo [1961]Yojimbo [1961]
Buy new: £13.19 / Used from: £8.00
See above (see above)
Violent Cop [1989]Violent Cop [1989]
Buy used from: £13.52
Kitano's gritty directorial debut (poor extras)
Red Beard [1965]Red Beard [1965]
Buy new: £14.48 / Used from: £8.99
Yet another Kurosawa classic (extras = poor)
Musashi Miyamoto [1955]Musashi Miyamoto [1955]
The first and best part of Inagaki's Musashi trilogy (no extras)
Dolls [2003]Dolls [2003]
Buy new: £14.98 / Used from: £10.98
Takeshi Kitano does a love story!? Surprisingly this actually works (poor extras again though)
The Realm Of The Senses [1976]The Realm Of The Senses [1976]
Buy new: £5.98 / Used from: £6.50
Uncut version of Nagisa Oshima's erotic masterpiece (poor extras)
Sanjuro [1962]Sanjuro [1962]
Buy new: £9.28 / Used from: £9.90
Kurosawa and Mifune's follow up to Yojimbo .. nowhere near as good but worth buying just for the final scene (intro by film historian)
Ringu [2000] (REGION 1) (NTSC)Ringu [2000] (REGION 1) (NTSC)
Buy used from: £4.52
One of the most overrated films ever IMO .. at least its got some decent extras (Interviews, trailers)