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Double Suicide Masahiro Shinoda Faithful to the Bunraku puppet theater tradition for which it was originally written, Shinoda's surrealist, overtly sexual and erotic film concerns Jihei, a merchant of paper products, who has neglected his business because of his relentless pursuit of Koharu, a prostitute. Despite the efforts of both his wife and brother to help him, the business is failing, and a business rival wants to buy out his contract. Based on the play by Chikamatsu Monzaemon. Japanese with English subtitles. Japan, 1969, 104 mins. DVD | $44.95
Rebel Samurai: Sixties Swordplay Classics Masahiro Shinoda/Kihachi Okamoto/Masaki Kobayashi/Hideo Gosha Four late-1960's entries in the Japanese samurai genre, in which traditional chanbara elements have been subverted in favor of anti-hero protagonists, double crossing plot lines, and pitch-black humor. Includes Samurai Rebellion (Masaki Kobayashi, 1967, 121 mins.), starring Toshiro Mifune as a peaceful man who decides to take a stand against injustice. Sword of the Beast (Hideo Gosha, 1965, 85 mins.) follows a clan defector as he teams up with a motley band of fighters to bring about reform. Samurai Spy (Masahiro Shinoda, 1965, 100 mins.) stars Tetsuro Tamba in a violent epic marked by deceit, ninja spies, and back-stabbing double crosses. Finally, Kill! (Kihachi Okamoto, 1968, 114 mins.) plays samurai film conventions for kicks in a darkly comic maelstrom of swordplay based on the same source novel as Kurosawa's Sanjuro. 4-DVD set. Criterion Collection Edition. Letterboxed. Includes essays, director interviews, trailer, and more. In Japanese with English subtitles. Japan, 1965-1968, 420 mins. DVD | $119
Pale Flower Masahiro Shinoda One of cinema's finest yakuza films. Upon release from prison for murder, a mobster gets involved in a destructive relationship with a woman that leads him back to his prior life. The doomed love and the mobster's existential dilemmas in the subterranean gloom of Tokyo's underworld are made brilliant through Masahiro Shinoda's stunning visual style and Masao Kosugi's stark black-and-white photography. A classic. Includes an interview with director Masahiro Shinoda, with rare stills; a Shinoda filmography; and more. In Japanese with English subtitles. Japan, 1964, 96 mins. DVD | $44.95
Samurai Spy Masahiro Shinoda A spy's defection from the shogun throws the world of swordsmen into violent conflict in this visually striking samurai classic from Masahiro Shinoda (Double Suicide). Following Koriyama's defection, Sasuke Sarutobi (Koji Takahashi) tracks the traitor across the countryside, only to discover that a mysteriously veiled figure is trailing them both. Shinoda keeps the action moving in a complex narrative rife with deceit, double crosses, and unexpected surprises. Criterion Collection Edition, includes video interview with director Masahiro Shinoda and essay by film scholar Alain Silver. In Japanese with English subtitles. Japan, 1965, 100 mins. DVD | $44.95
