Third Window Films Releases “Zokki” on Blu-ray on April 25, 2022

Third Window Films will release anthology comedy “Zokki” on April 25th.

This film is based on a manga by Hiroyuki Ohashi, the creator of On-Gaku, the hit animated film. The manga contains many stories with humorous and pointed observations on life and these were brought to the screen by three top actors working as directors on each of the segments: Naoto Takenaka, Takayuki Yamada, Takumi Saitoh. Perhaps, due to to their star power, they have assembled a brilliant cast.

Don’t go in expecting too many laugh-out-loud moments, it’s a quiet dry comedy and very poignant in parts. It also has one VERY scary sequence that leans into the tragic then the comic. It’s very much worth watching it.

Details on the Blu-ray release follow below:

Third Window Films Brings “Onoda: 10,000 Nights in the Jungle” to UK Cinemas from April 15th, 2022 and blu-ray on May 16, 2022

Third Window Films are set to release Arthur Harari’s award-winning war movie Onoda: 10,000 Nights in the Jungle in UK cinemas on April 15th.

This French-Japanese co-production is based on a true story of a group of Japanese soldiers led by Hiroo Onoda who terrorised the Philippines It opened the Un Certain Regard section of last year’s Cannes Film Festival and went on to win prestigious accolades like Best Original Screenplay at the 47th Cesar Awards and Best French Film at the 74th French Association of Film Critics.

This title looks really exciting, a proper war film that looks at combat from the unique point of view of that troubled and troubling figure and it is done via a French filmmaker who cites Golden Age directors like Kurosawa and Mizoguchi as influences. You can listen to the director talk about his film on the Third Window Films podcast.

Details on cinema screenings and the blu-ray release follow below:

Third Window Films Unleashes the Weird and Wild World of Director UJICHA with His Films “Violence Voyager” & “Burning Buddha Man” on January 25th 2021

Kyoto Saga Art University graduate Ujicha is a talented artist who uses hand-made and painted paper cut-outs for models and moves them by hand like marionettes to tell horror stories. He has dubbed it “Geki-mation” and he directs, writes, draws, edits, his own work and it is clear to see his skill is undeniable. Third Window Films are going to release a set of his works entitled UJICHA: Violence Voyager / Burning Buddha Man on January 25th on blu-ray & digital. 

Here are the details!

2 DISC LIMITED EDITION BLU-RAY CONTENTS    

 

Disc 1: Violence Voyager

Uncut original Japanese language version
Audio commentary from director Ujicha and producer Reo Anzai
Interview with director Ujicha (20min)
Short Film: Tempura (4min)
Storyboards
Teaser of Ujicha’s latest film
Original Trailer

Disc 2: The Burning Buddha Man 

Short Film: The Retnepac2 (16min)   
Short Film: Space Yokai War (9min)
Original Trailer

Reversible sleeve artwork
Slipcase
Region B

Here are the trailers and synopses and a little extra info that I wrote when each film came out:

GEMINI 双生児 -GEMINI- (1999) Dir: Shinya Tsukamoto

This year’s Halloween movie review is back and I am returning to a familiar name for this year’s chosen film, Shinya Tsukamoto. There are slight spoilers in here.

Gemini   

双生児 -GEMINI- 「そうせいじ ジェミニ 」

Release Date: September 15th, 1999

Duration: 83 mins.

Director: Shinya Tsukamoto

Writer: Shinya Tsukamoto (Script), Edogawa Rampo (Original Story – Souseiji: Aru Shikeiin ga Kyoukaishi ni Uchiaketa Hanashi)

Starring: Masahiro Motoki, Ryo, Yasutaka Tsutsui, Shiho Fujimura, Akaji Maro, Masako Motai, Renji Ishibashi, Tomorowo Taguchi, Tadanobu Asano, Naoto Takenaka, Yuriko Hirooka,

IMDB

Gemini (1999) is an adaptation of the Edogawa Rampo story ‘The Twins’ by Shinya Tsukamoto. Now, tone down any expectations of hyper-stylised violence and prepare yourself for psychological horror as a doppelganger forces a doctor to confront class issues in Tsukamoto’s first period film.

It is Meiji-era Japan and as the country goes through growth pains Yukio (Masahiro Motoki) has been blessed with good fortune. Following his unscathed return from being a military surgeon on the bloody frontlines of an unspecified war, he has followed in his father’s footsteps and taken over the practice in his family’s beautiful home. He is handsome, highly educated and refined, a naturally talented doctor, and well-respected by those who can afford him. To cap things off, he has a beautiful wife, Rin (Ryo). The only wrinkle in his picture-perfect life is that Rin has no past for she has amnesia and nobody knows a thing about her and her social status, something which rankles his parents. Despite this, Yukio is happy.

Third Window Films Release Europe’s first Blu-ray and the UK’s first release of Shinya Tsukamoto’s “GEMINI” on November 02nd

Third Window Films are going to bolster their stable of  Shinya Tsukamoto films by issuing a (Region B) blu-ray release of Gemini, his 1999 horror title, on November 02nd.

It has a sparkling transfer that is pin-sharp and accentuates the colours and the extras, which the disc is packed full of, do a brilliant job of going into the background of the film. Here are the details:

 

 

Extra features
New HD transfer
Audio commentary by Tom Mes, author of Iron Man: The Cinema of Shinya Tsukamoto
Making of Gemini” featurette directed by Takashi Miike
Behind the Scenes
Make-up demonstration featurette
Venice Film Festival featurette
Original Trailer
First 1000 units come with slipcase featuring new artwork illustrated by Ian McEwan

Here’s the trailer and synopsis and a little extra info:

The Taste of Tea 茶の味 Dir: Katsuhito Ishii (2004)

The Taste of Tea   

茶の味  「Cha no Aji」

Release Date: July 17th, 2004

Duration: 143 mins.

Director: Katsuhito Ishii

Writer: Katsuhito Ishii (Screenplay),

Starring: Tadanobu Asano, Takahiro Sato, Maya Banno, Satomi Tezuka, Tatsuya Gashuin, Tomokazu Miura, Anna Tsuchiya, Ikki Todoroki, Hideaki Anno,

IMDB

Katsuhito Ishii is probably best known for making weird films and while The Taste of Tea is one of his most restrained, it is probably his most popular work. At its simplest, The Taste of Tea is a cross between Yasujiro Ozu’s gentle comedy Good Morning (1959) and the playfully bizarre Survive Style 5+ (2004). Try to imagine the styles of the two melding with and diluting each other and you come close. The result is a film where everyday characters and their small dramas are given the odd flights of fancy that burst out from beneath the surface of normality.

Like in a typical Ozu film, we follow multiple generations of a family. Here, we are spending time with the Haruno family who live in an old-fashioned house in a small mountain town just north of Tokyo. They consist of the mother, Yoshiko (Satomi Tezuka), Nobuo (Tomokazu Miura), the father, their son Hajime (Takahiro Sato), Sachiko (Maya Banno), their daughter, and eccentric grandfather Akira (Tatsuya Gashuin). They will soon be joined by uncle Ayano (Tadanobu Asano) who is taking a break from his job as a music producer to visit for a few days.

Third Window Films Release World’s First Blu-ray Edition of Gentle Warped Comedy “The Taste of Tea” on October 05th, 2020

Third Window Films are going to issue the world’s first blu-ray release of the offbeat comedy The Taste of Tea on October 05th. Here are the details on the extras on the disc.

Extra features:    

Extra features (*in standard definition):
90 minute Making Of
‘Super Big’ – Animation
Reversible sleeve art

Here’s the trailer and synopsis and a little extra info:

Third Window Films Release dual-edition DVD/Blu-ray of hitman black comedy “Melancholic” on September 07th, 2020

Third Window Films are going to issue a dual-edition DVD/blu-ray release of the indie film Melancholic on September 07th with a selection of great extras typical for TWF.

Extra features:

Dual Format (Both DVD and Blu-ray included)
Behind the Scenes
Q&A with director and cast
Melancholic Short Film
Trailer

Here’s the trailer and synopsis and a little extra info:

Fish Story フィッシュストーリー Dir: Yoshihiro Nakamura (2009)

Fish Story   

フィッシュストーリー 「Fisshu Suto-ri-」

Release Date: March 20th, 2009

Duration: 112 mins.

Director: Yoshihiro Nakamura

Writer: Tamio Hayashi (Script), Kotaro Isaka (Original Manga)

Starring: Kengo Kora, Atsushi Ito, Kiyohiko Shibukawa, Noriko Eguchi, Gaku Hamada, Mikako Tabe, Mirai Moriyama, Nao Omori, Hidekazu Mashima, Toshimitsu Okawauchi (of the band Drive Far),

 IMDB   Third Window Films

If I were to tell you just some of the many different things going on in Fish Story, you would say that the title must be a perfect fit for such an outrageous yarn and that it cannot possibly work in a movie. But the film’s story gracefully ties a huge range of things together to make an unconventional and warmhearted tale that shows how no struggle is fruitless and everything in life can go on to have great meaning.

Fish Story is based on Kotaro Isaka’s same-named novel and consists of many distinctly different and seemingly unconnected storylines taking place at different points over 77 years to explain how a punk rock song nobody bought saves the world from an asteroid on a collision course with the Earth.

Third Window Films Release the First Blu-ray Edition of “Fish Story” on August 10th, 2020

Third Window Films are going to release the world’s first ever blu-ray edition of the much-loved music-fantasy FISH STORY on August 10th.

This is going to be released to mark 10 years since Third Window Films first released it on DVD.

Extra features (*all in standard definition):
Making Of
‘Gekirin’ various Live Performances
‘Gekirin’ Talk Show
Director & Cast Q&A
Deleted Scenes

It has a 15 certificate and has an RRP. of £19.99. As well as this release, it is on DVD and video on demand platforms.

Here’s the trailer and synopsis and a little extra info: