More February Film News from Radiance

Just as Spring follows Winter (well, we can hope), a new month means a new announcement from Radiance: May will bring us Sadao Nakajima's 1974 Thriller The Rapacious Jailbreaker. This is a new one to me so excited to discover what gem Radiance has found for us. Pre-orders can be made directly from Radiance.

Synopsis:

In the free-for-all chaos after World War II, black marketeer Ueda (Hiroki Matsukata, Cops vs Thugs) is robbed of a pound of morphine. He takes his brutal revenge, but is arrested for murder and sentenced to 20 years. He escapes and is caught, but no matter where they send him, Ueda won’t let prison walls stop him. Directed by a master of the genre and based on the real exploits of a seven-time prison escapee, this ranks as one of the rawest entries in the 1970s cycle of Japanese true-account crime films.

Though not from what I can see officially announced, Zavvi and HMV have listed three 88 Film titles, all available in April:

Hideo Gosha's 1986 Yakuza Wives

Kinji Fukasaku's 1964 Jakoman and Tetsu

Noboru Tanaka 1972 Roman Porno Night of the Felines

Yakuza Wives:

Hideo Gosha (Samurai Wolf 1 & 2, Violent Streets) breathes new life into the yakuza genre in this epic tale of mob rivalry based on a serialized account of the lives of real-life wives of Japanese gangsters. Shima Iwashita puts in a commanding performance as Tamaki, who takes over the reins of the Domoto clan while her husband is doing time in jail. Family relations are strained past breaking point when her younger sister Makoto embarks on a relationship with a member of a rival gang.

Jakoman and Tetsu:

Jakoman and Tetsu is an early action masterpiece from Kinji Fukasaku (Battles Without Honor and Humanity, Battle Royale), adapted from a script written by the legendary Akira Kurosawa. Set in 1947 in a small coastal village among the majestic snowy landscapes of Japan's northernmost island of Hokkaido, Ken Takakura (the Abashiri Prison series, Ridley Scott's Black Rain) is Tetsu, the prodigal son who returns from the war to help out his father Kyubei with the family herring fishing business. His arrival coincides with that of a one-eyed miscreant named Jakoman, played by Tetsuro Tamba (Harakiri, You Only Live Twice), who bears a long-standing grudge against Kyubei and is intent on causing as much mayhem among the hordes of seasonal fishermen as possible.

Night of the Felines:

Roman Porno maestro Noboru Tanaka (Watcher in the Attic, The Oldest Profession) brings his characteristically poetic approach to this vibrant collage of the lives, loves and dreams of a group of sex workers at a 'soapland' bathhouse massage parlour in Tokyo. Masako (Tomoko Katsura), and her out-of-hours relationship to her next-door neighbour Honda (Ken Yoshizawa; Ecstasy of Angels, Guts of a Beauty) is the focus of this love letter to the vibrant Kabukicho entertainment district in its early 1970s heyday.

We've also been made aware of an exciting Chinese film being released by Blue Finch Film Releasing, Brief History of a Family, that is hitting cinemas from 21st March.

A taut and wicked tale of privilege, rivalry and secrets as a middle-class family's fate becomes intertwined with their son’s enigmatic new friend in this dark and suspenseful thriller from director Lin Jianjie. Charismatic Wei and quiet Shuo became fast friends after an accident at school. Soon Shuo is a frequent guest at Wei’s family home, but as he embeds himself deeper into their lives, cracks begin to show. The perfect family have old wounds and dark secrets that cannot stay hidden. Brief History of a Family is directed by Lin Jianjie and stars Zu Feng, Guo Keyu, Sun Xilun and Lin Muran. The film has played to acclaim at international festivals including Sundance, Berlin International Film Festival and Karlovy Vary.

Check out the trailer: