Battles Without Honor and Humanity: The Complete Collection (1973-1974)

[hallospaceboy]

Originally Posted by duketogo84

It's a beautiful set. Would love to hear what people who have actually not seen the films before think? These are some fantastic flicks.

I just ordered mine from B&N, never saw it before so I am looking forward to it. The set looks great.

with 25% off at B&N today it was about $85

[Blu Titan]

Originally Posted by duketogo84

It's a beautiful set. Would love to hear what people who have actually not seen the films before think? These are some fantastic flicks.

Awesome/gritty Japanese crime movies. Film lovers would be well served by viewing these .

[Petey Parker]

I got my copy from Target. The box is crushed in three places. It's not due to Target's packaging either because the box it came in is fine. Also the first disc case has a tear at the bottom of the plastic which also tore the paper, the second disc case is cracked at the bottom so that the middle flipper doesn't stay in place. Also I opened the book and the first few pages are torn to shreds. This isn't the result of Target because the package was still sealed. It came that way. Target is now sold out of this set so I can't get an exchange. If I reach out to Arrow will they do anything?

Edit: Target says I can return it in store even though it's opened. I used the B&N 25% coupon to knock it down to $80.54 there. After tax it's a little more than I spent before but if I get a good copy it will be worth it.

On a side note, I did watch the first film earlier and I loved it. This is my first experience with the series. Looking forward to watching the other films.

[darkness2918]

Originally Posted by duketogo84

It's a beautiful set. Would love to hear what people who have actually not seen the films before think? These are some fantastic flicks.

I've never seen them before, missed out on the DVD set before & didn't wanna spend over $100 for it. After seeing every film in this set, they have become some of my favorite Japanese films ever. This is one of the very few times I love every film in a box set, looking forward to viewing them again. I liked them so much I looked into other Fukasaku Yakuza films. This is a set I'd recommend to any fan if Asian or gangster/crime films. It's violent, gritty but also realistic in also showing the consequences of that lifestyle.

[DukeTogo84]

Originally Posted by darkness2918

I've never seen them before, missed out on the DVD set before & didn't wanna spend over $100 for it. After seeing every film in this set, they have become some of my favorite Japanese films ever. This is one of the very few times I love every film in a box set, looking forward to viewing them again. I liked them so much I looked into other Fukasaku Yakuza films. This is a set I'd recommend to any fan if Asian or gangster/crime films. It's violent, gritty but also realistic in also showing the consequences of that lifestyle.

Have you seen any other Fukasaku gangster films? After these came out I went out and checked them all out.

I think his best is actually Yakuza Graveyard. It's more of a corrupt cop becoming friends with a yakuza film, but it's damn good.

The three Another Battle Without Honor films are great films and would them at the same level of the 3-5 Battles Without Honor Films. Sympathy of the Underdog is another classic. So many to chose from. If you haven't checked them out, you'll be in for a treat if you ever watch them.

I really want Arrow to release Fukasaku films that have never had an English release like Outlaw Killers: Three Mad Dog Brothers, the three New Battle Without Honor films, and Hokuriku Proxy War (which I've never seen and was Fukasaku's final gangster film before he went into big budget films)

[Blu Titan]

Originally Posted by duketogo84

Have you seen any other Fukasaku gangster films? After these came out I went out and checked them all out.

I think his best is actually Yakuza Graveyard. It's more of a corrupt cop becoming friends with a yakuza film, but it's damn good.

The three Another Battle Without Honor films are great films and would them at the same level of the 3-5 Battles Without Honor Films. Sympathy of the Underdog is another classic. So many to chose from. If you haven't checked them out, you'll be in for a treat if you ever watch them.

I really want Arrow to release Fukasaku films that have never had an English release like Outlaw Killers: Three Mad Dog Brothers, the three New Battle Without Honor films, and Hokuriku Proxy War (which I've never seen and was Fukasaku's final gangster film before he went into big budget films)

Great post . We need this set to sellout .

[darkness2918]

Originally Posted by duketogo84

Have you seen any other Fukasaku gangster films? After these came out I went out and checked them all out.

I think his best is actually Yakuza Graveyard. It's more of a corrupt cop becoming friends with a yakuza film, but it's damn good.

The three Another Battle Without Honor films are great films and would them at the same level of the 3-5 Battles Without Honor Films. Sympathy of the Underdog is another classic. So many to chose from. If you haven't checked them out, you'll be in for a treat if you ever watch them.

I really want Arrow to release Fukasaku films that have never had an English release like Outlaw Killers: Three Mad Dog Brothers, the three New Battle Without Honor films, and Hokuriku Proxy War (which I've never seen and was Fukasaku's final gangster film before he went into big budget films)

Yes, I own the Yakuza Graveyard Kino Video DVD. I'm also looking to get Cops vs Thugs, Street Mobster & Sympathy for the Underdog some day soon.

[Bates_Motel]

Originally Posted by Blu Titan

Amazon is now selling the set for $110. Taking this an indication that the set is selling out . Seriously, this is a top release and Arrow did a great job on it

Right after it came back down to $84 yesterday.

[fdm]

Originally Posted by Blu Titan

Amazon is now selling the set for $110. Taking this an indication that the set is selling out . Seriously, this is a top release and Arrow did a great job on it

Well they'll have my damaged copy back next week or so, so that will be at least one more they can ship out to somebody. Maybe two, but hope it doesn't come to that (replacement arrives Saturday, weather permitting).

[fdm]

Originally Posted by fdm

... (replacement arrives Saturday, weather permitting).

Weather didn't permit on Saturday, but got it today and luckily it's in much better shape. It's a keeper.

[Blu Titan]

Just watched Battles Without Honor and Humanity and it was a great time . The PQ is very good can't imagine it looking better.

[darkness2918]

Originally Posted by Blu Titan

Just watched Battles Without Honor and Humanity and it was a great time . The PQ is very good can't imagine it looking better.

And you've only just started the saga. It gets better with every film

[MTRodaba2468]

Just got my shipping notification from Amazon...

[Telstar]

I'm loving this set. These films are absolutely incredible.

[CoenP]

Very eager to watch this. Zavvi just shipped my copy (57 pounds, 86 dollar)

[Blu Titan]

Originally Posted by Telstar

I'm loving this set. These films are absolutely incredible.

Same here brother...just made a quick stop for a refreshment from the fridge . Watching the second film in the set and....loving it!

[Blu Titan]

Just finished #3 and it is only getting better . I will admit that it is hard to keep up with all the bosses, captains, and underbosses .

[Dr. Humbert]

Originally Posted by Blu Titan

Just finished #3 and it is only getting better . I will admit that it is hard to keep up with all the bosses, captains, and underbosses .

Yeah and the included charts in the booklet are even more complicated than the movies.

[DaveyJoe]

This weekend I watched Battles Without Honor and Humanity the legendary 1973 Yakuza film directed by Kinji Fukasaku. Hugely influential, the film spawned a series of sequels that are often compared to The Godfather. It's more like The Godfather if it had started when Michael Corleone killed Sollozzo and Captain McClusky in the restaurant. At 90 minutes, it's tight, exciting, funny and frenetic. In just the first five minutes a dozen characters are introduced, a future criminal stops a couple of American GIs from raping a Japanese villager, and a local crime lord punishes an encroaching thug by chopping off his arm. It's full of 70s flair, the title bursts onto the scream with wailing trumpets, gangsters are framed in dutch angles, and iconic moments are savored with freeze frames.

The opening credits play over shots of Hiroshima torn apart by the bomb that America dropped. The city is left as a lawless hellhole, waiting to be taken over by the corrupt. Yet the world of Yakuza is a contradiction, as honor is very important to Japanese culture. As is pride. The film follows ex-soldier Shozo, who is thrust into the world of Yakuza after helping his friend whose honor was insulted. He finds himself in prison where he pledges brotherhood to a local Yakuza who needs Shozo's help with a bold escape plan. They don't have sake to share which is customary with a Yakuza pact, so they cut each other's arms and drink blood. And it's just one of the first instances of bloodshed to be found in Battles Without Honor and Humanity.

Shozo finds himself embroiled in the world of Yakuza, he's offered work and money, but at the cost of loyalty in the gang war that inevitably erupts. Can honor really exists in the realm of crooks? Will his own loyalty be returned by the boss he's pledged his life to? The film is filled with a myriad of colorful characters with questionable loyalties and motivations. In fact, it can be quite difficult to keep track of everybody and what they're up to, even with the fact that the film lists the name of each character as they are killed in the turf disputes. Of course there's no time for sentimentality, the movie plunges forward to the next thrilling conflict. Despite being a fan of the genre, I'm amazed that I've gone this far without seeing this movie, it lives up to the hype. While it may not have the depth of The Godfather, it was a riveting glimpse into the seedy underworld of Japanese crime, and I can't wait to watch the next movie in the series.

[Herry Dunston]

While I can't say I'm a fan of the series overall, I do appreciate how it's grounded in reality in how the clan system generally works. The violence may be stylized, but the politics within the clans are anything but, and that should be respected given we're living in the times where it's commonplace in cable dramas.

Hiroshima Death Match is my favorite of the five films, even if it's largely a side-story.