Based on an ancient folktale, The Ballad of Narayama (1983) was the first of two works from the director to win the prestigious Cannes Palme d Or. Imamura s magnum opus depicts the members of an extended farming family eking out their existence in the mountainous north of Japan against the backdrop of the changing seasons before village lore decrees they make the sacrifice of abandoning their aged mother on the top of a nearby mountain when she reaches her seventieth year.
Making its HD debut, Zegen (1987) takes a satirical look at Japan s prewar colonial expansion through the unscrupulous eyes of its flesh-peddler antihero as he establishes a prostitution enterprise across Southeast Asia.
Finally, the harrowing Black Rain (1989) details the precarious existence of a household of atomic bomb survivors as, five years after being caught in the blast of Hiroshima, they struggle to find a husband for their 25-year-old niece.
These three works epitomise the director s almost documentary style of filmmaking, exposing the vulgar yet vibrant and instinctive underbelly of Japanese society through a sympathetic focus on peasants, prostitutes, criminal lowlife and other marginalised figures to explore the schism between the country s timeless premodern traditions and the modern face it projects to the world.
You can pre-order HERE.
LIMITED EDITION CONTENTS
- Restored High Definition Blu-ray (1080p) presentations of all three films
- Original lossless Japanese PCM 1.0 mono soundtracks
- Optional English subtitles
- Brand new audio commentaries on all three films by Japanese cinema expert Jasper Sharp
- Brand new, in-depth appreciations of all three films by Japanese cinema expert Tony Rayns
- Alternate colour ending to Black Rain, shot by Imamura but removed from the film shortly before its release
- Archival interviews on Black Rain with actress Yoshiko Tanaka and assistant director Takashi Miike
- Multiple trailers and image galleries
- Original Japanese press kits for The Ballad of Narayama and Black Rain (BD-ROM content)
- Limited edition 60-page booklet containing new writing by Tom Mes
- Limited edition packaging featuring original and newly commissioned artwork by Tony Stella
Zoolander is back but a lot has happened since 2001! Rest assured the Ben Stiller comedy features familiar faces and a few new ones with plenty to get you excited. Read more
Zone 414 is an upcoming American science fiction thriller film written by Bryan Edward Hill and directed by Andrew Baird. The film stars Guy Pearce, Matilda Lutz, Jonathan Aris, Jóhannes Haukur Jóhannesson, Olwen Fouéré, Colin Salmon, Antonia Campbell-Hughes, Read more
Homemade horror-comedy feature Zomblogalypse received its UK premiere at Dead Northern Film Festival - in association with Fangoria and Shudder - at City Screen York on 26th September 2021. The Read more
Tony Todd is back in an all new zombie movie: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IBlWz-n-nec When the world is in shambles, plagued by a zombie outbreak, only the strong will survive, but just how Read more
Columbus, Tallahasse, Wichita, and Little Rock move to the American heartland as they face off against evolved zombies, fellow survivors, and the growing pains of the snarky makeshift family... https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SL6NTQhEqn4 Read more
In Zombieland 2: Double Tap, Columbus, Tallahasse, Wichita, and Little Rock move to the American heartland as they face off against evolved zombies, fellow survivors, and the growing pains of Read more
Zombie With A Shotgun is the feature adaptation of the popular web series of the same name. Aaron and Rachel are on the run due to the fact that Aaron is Read more
Directed by Anthony C. Ferrante, Zombie Tidal Wave aims to pick up where the Sharknado franchise left off. More serious in tone, the film plays more like the original Sharknado Read more
It's a Zombie Tsunami! From the same twisted minds behind Sharknado comes an all-new disaster: Zombie Tidal Wave starring Ian Ziering. Watch the world premiere Saturday August 17th at 9/8c Read more
11 years ago, a zombie virus killed many people, while others had their family members turned into zombies. Society is still angry, and so outside the city, a zombie fight Read more
Haiti, 1962. A man is brought back from the dead to work in the hell of sugar cane plantations. 55 years later, a Haitian teenager tells her friends her family Read more
After surviving the 'Multipocalypse', Ben tries to live a normal life, hiding the fact that he is infected with a zombie plague. His new friends have just found out ... Read more
On her first holiday without her father, Zoey attempts to create a magical Christmas for her family just like the ones Mitch used to do. Zoey's Extraordinary Christmas, an all-new Read more
Zoe Kravitz has been cast to play Catwoman/Selina Kyle in The Batman, a role she recently voiced in The Lego Batman Movie. Kravitz was also recently in Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse Read more
From the mind of the iconic Gene Simmons! Return to the world of Zipper - an alien trapped on Earth fights his way home to Etheria. In his absence, he Read more
A UFO lands on Earth, unleashing a giant monster that is half lizard, half gorilla - Zillafoot! The monster rampages, decimating any military response and even awakening a strange dinosaur. Read more
Directed and starring James Franco, Zeroville follows a young actor who arrives in Hollywood in 1969 during a transitional time in the Industry... https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ew7FZRAfAog
The trailer has been revealed for Zero-One Others: Kamen Rider Metsuboujinrai. The movie is written by Yuya Takahashi and directed by Masaya Kakehi. It will have a limited theatrical release Read more
Directed by Rick Dugdale, Zero Contact stars Academy Award® winner Sir Anthony Hopkins (The Silence of the Lambs), Chris Brochu, and Aleks Paunovic. This high-tech thriller chillingly reimagines our isolated, virtual Read more
Law & Order: Organized Crime’s Allison Siko stars with Braeson Herold, in his Freakshow award-winning performance, in Zero Avenue – available now to rent or buy on Apple TV via Read more
Brett Summers
Brett founded CultFaction.com in 2014 a website and podcast that deals with cult film and tv. He also has a strong interest in grappling martial arts both as a practitioner and as a historian.