Big Time Gambling Boss (1968) (Radiance Films)

[MifuneFan]

Radiance Films have announced their initial launch slate, and one of the titles is the Japanese Yakuza film Big Time Gambling Boss (1968), releasing on January 3rd, 2023.

https://www.diabolikdvd.com/product/...-ray-preorder/

Limited Edition Special Features:

• High Definition digital transfer of the film
• Uncompressed mono PCM audio
• Visual essay by genre expert Chris D on the film and its place within the period and genre (2022)
• Ninkyo 101: A masterclass with Mark Schilling, author of The Yakuza Movie Book (2022)
• Trailer
• Reversible sleeve featuring original and newly commissioned artwork by maarko phntm
• Limited edition booklet featuring new writing on the film by author Stuart Galbraith IV, and critic Hayley Scanlon
• Limited edition of 2000 copies, presented in full-height Scanavo packaging with removable OBI strip leaving packaging free of certificates and markings

Tokyo, 1934. Gang boss Arakawa is too ill and a successor must be named. The choice falls on Nakai, but being an outsider he refuses and suggests senior clansman Matsuda instead. But Matsuda is in jail and the elders won’t wait for his release, so they appoint the younger and more malleable Ishido to take the reins. Clan honour and loyalties are severely tested when Matsuda is released, resulting in an increasingly violent internal strife. An atmospheric tale of gangland intrigue written by Kazuo Kasahara (Battles Without Honour and Humanity) and starring Tomisaburo Wakayama, (Lone Wolf and Cub, The Bounty Hunter Trilogy) and genre legend Koji Tsuruta, Big Time Gambling Boss is one of the all-time classics of the yakuza genre. Paul Schrader called it the richest and most complex film of its type, while novelist Yukio Mishima hailed it as a masterpiece. Radiance Films is proud to present this crucial re-discovery for the first time ever on Blu-ray.

[DukeTogo84]

Love this film, and honestly never expected a Blu-ray, so welcome news. Love more some Tomisaburo Wakayama.

[NathanLurker]

I'll be picking this up . Is this movie comparable to any other japanese films I might have seen ? I have a feeling this is a more atmospheric and restrained type of film than other Yakuza films that Arrow and others have been releasing ?

[DukeTogo84]

Originally Posted by NathanLurker

I'll be picking this up . Is this movie comparable to any other japanese films I might have seen ? I have a feeling this is a more atmospheric and restrained type of film than other Yakuza films that Arrow and others have been releasing ?

Have you seen this?



If so, you'll kinda a get a feeling of the tone. Either way, it's a safe bet as it's a pretty good film.

[NathanLurker]

Originally Posted by DukeTogo84

Have you seen this?



If so, you'll kinda a get a feeling of the ton. Either way, it's a safe bet as it's a pretty good film.

Haven't seen that, no. I'll add it to the list of things to look out for though.

[MifuneFan]

Diabolik DVD Pre-order: https://www.diabolikdvd.com/product/...-ray-preorder/

[DukeTogo84]

Originally Posted by MifuneFan

Diabolik DVD Pre-order: https://www.diabolikdvd.com/product/...-ray-preorder/

Excellent. Just placed a pre-order.

[puffketeer]

I mainly know about this movie because two of the characters in a Japanese erotic PC game I worked on the english version of go to see it (it's funnier in context)

guess i'll have to see it for real

[DukeTogo84]

Up for pre-order on Amazon

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0BF7K5Q1Y...s%2C260&sr=8-1

[Telstar]

Originally Posted by DukeTogo84

Up for pre-order on Amazon

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0BF7K5Q1Y...s%2C260&sr=8-1

Yikes - $34.95
Hope there's a discount at some point, or maybe even some sales somewhere sometime.

[DukeTogo84]

Originally Posted by Telstar

Yikes - $34.95
Hope there's a discount at some point, or maybe even some sales somewhere sometime.

I'm sure it will go down. It's $24.99 at Diabolik which is usually more expensive than Amazon.

[Rayjg]

Maybe they can establish a relationship with Barnes & Noble. Besides Criterion, Indicator, Arrow and Cohen have had 50% off sales through them. Some Indicator and Arrow titles are even carried in store.

[NathanLurker]

Mmmm I wonder where will be the best place to order this from for Canadian customers. I've just canceled my prime membership in an attempt to cut amazon out of my life and wonder if I'll be able to get this from UnobstructedView or Wowhd. Anyway it's not yet available on amazon.ca

[Takuma]

I love the fact they are releasing part 4 of a series. Don't get me wrong, there are several films in the Gambling Den series that are very good (I like part 6 in particular). But this recent "release them all or no purchase" attitude has been killing our chances of getting so many great films. Either a long series don't get released at all, or one series gets released and then we've reached the quota already. I'd much rather get 10 masterpieces from 10 different series than one 10 film series where half of the entries are mediocre.

Anyway, great to see this coming. I can finally retire my old Toei DVD.

[DukeTogo84]

Need help everyone. I've uploaded a screenshot of the cover and put in the ASIN from Amazon, but the main page of Big Time Gambling Boss is still missing the cover and no link to Amazon. Does anyone know what I'm doing wrong.

Here is the link to Amazon

https://www.amazon.com/Time-Gambling...s%2C481&sr=8-1

Here is the main page for the film.

https://www.blu-ray.com/movies/Big-T...lu-ray/323962/

Just not quite sure if I'm doing this right. I want to learn how to do this so I don't have to keep asking others, but not sure if I'm missing a step somewhere.

[Takuma]

I think Flower Cards Chivalry (花札渡世) (Hana fuda tosei) (1967) would be a perfect match for this label. Directed by the accomplished screenwriter Masashige Narusawa, it is Toei’s most lyrical, breathtakingly beautiful yakuza film. It’s basically the Ashes of Time of yakuza films, what Wong Kar Wai would have done if he had made a ninkyo yakuza film in 1967. It also very much delivers as a yakuza film, with the best gambling scenes I've seen and a stunning action finale. Though I’d perhaps like to see something else come out between it and Big Time Gambling Boss, just so that newcomers to the ninkyo genre can fully appreciate how extraordinary Flower Cards Chivalry is.

Below are a few screencaps from Toei Channel’s TV broadcasting.

[Show spoiler]

[MifuneFan]

Reverse sleeve:

[DukeTogo84]

Pretty good price

https://grindhousevideo.com/products...cmsHDZRq296Ctg

[MifuneFan]

A couple in-hand pics from member hanz0

Originally Posted by hanz0

[hanz0]

some quick caps, PNGs

[Show spoiler]