Blu-ray release: ‘Shinobi’ boxset

By   |  Mar 7, 2024

Radiance Films are bringing the first three films from the ‘Shinobi’ (忍びの者 / Shinobi no Mono) series to UK Blu-ray on May 27, 2024.

Starring “the Japanese James Dean” Raizo Ichikawa alongside Tomisaburo Wakayama and Ayako Wakao, the ‘Shinobi’ series was an epoch-making success and became a social phenomenon that left deep marks on Japan of the 1960s, from children’s playgrounds to the leftist counter-culture. Packed with spectacular and oft-copied action scenes, it also established the ground rules for all ninja movies that followed, introducing such classic tropes as the shuriken throwing star and the iconic black mask and suit.

Shinobi: Band of Assassins (1962)
Ishikawa Goemon (Raizo Ichikawa), a talented young ninja, becomes ensnared in a twisted scheme to assassinate Oda Nobunaga, an evil warlord hell-bent on ruling feudal Japan with an iron fist. Deceit, treachery, and entire gangs of enemy ninja lurk around every corner as Goemon travels the countryside to complete his task, win back his honour, and save his skin!

Shinobi: Revenge (1963)
Confident that he has destroyed the Iga Ninja, the evil Oda Nobunaga continues his quest to conquer Japan. Meanwhile, Ishikawa Goemon (Ichikawa Raizo) has settled down with his wife and child and wishes only to live in peace — a wish that will not be granted. As mighty warlords battle and connive, Goemon must once again try to assassinate Nobunaga, in order to save the Buddhist religious community that has come to mean so much to him. But the path to success is once again a twisted one, full of scheming samurai and nefarious traps!

Shinobi: Resurrection (1963)
When we last saw the intrepid ninja Ishikawa Goemon (Raizo Ichikawa), he was about to be boiled alive. But a good ninja is both hard to find and even harder to kill. With the help of the enigmatic Hattori Hanzo, Goemon lives to skulk another day and sets his sights on bringing down the warlord who tried to turn him into soup — Toyotomi Hideyoshi. And as always, in the background, the subtle hand of Tokugawa Ieyasu is pulling strings as he plots to rule all of Japan!

Features:
• HD digital transfer of each film presented on two discs
• Uncompressed mono PCM audio
• New and improved optional English subtitles
• Interview with Shozo Ichiyama about director Satsuo Yamamoto
• Visual essay on the ninja in Japanese cinema by Mance Thompson
• Interview with film critic Toshiaki Sato on star Raizo Ichikawa
• Trailers
• Six postcards of promotional material from the films
• Reversible sleeves featuring artwork based on original promotional materials
• Limited edition booklet
• Full-height Scanavo packaging with removable OBI strip [3000 copies only]

The ‘Shinobi’ boxset is available to pre-order now from Amazon.co.uk or Radiancefilms.co.uk.

Phil Mills
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