An Unforgettable Grudge

Oda Nobunaga (1534–1582) was a major daimyo during the Warring State period of Japanese history. He was the second son of Oda Nobuhide, a deputy military governor with land holdings in Owari province. Nobunaga lived a life of continuous military conquest, eventually conquering a third of Japanese daimyo before his death in 1582. Telling the story of his rise to prominence as he leads an army of 4,000 men against the 40,000 troops of Lord Imagawa Yoshimoto to prevent the arrogant daimyo from crushing the Oda clan and taking control of the entire nation. From a newly restored anamorpic widescreen print, this is the ultimate warlord movie.

In the early 1990s, a Japanese samurai detective series was aired in Australia and became a cult success. Titled in Japan Ronin Suiri Tentai (meaning roughly Deductive Reasoning Ronin), it was soon known in the West as Top Knot Detective. The original series was legendary in Japan, a cultural train wreck led by Takashi Tawagoto, a crazy writer, producer, director and lead actor; one who could not act, fight or write at all.

Over a century ago, Sagar Mitchell and James Kenyon roamed Britain and Ireland filming the everyday lives of people at work and play. For around 70 years, 800 rolls of nitrate film sat in sealed barrels in the basement of a shop in Blackburn. Miraculously rediscovered by Nigel Garth Gregory and later restored by the BFI, this now ranks as one of the most exciting film discoveries of recent times. Mitchell & Kenyon in Ireland is a unique and vivid record of Ireland at the start of the twentieth century. The collection contains 26 films made in Ireland between May 1901 and December 1902. Much of this material was unseen for over 100 years. The films include street scenes of Dublin, Wexford and Belfast; the Cork International Exhibition, scenic routes from Cork to Blarney Castle and more. They are accompanied by piano and fiddle music and commentary read by Fiona Shaw.

A film projectionist longs to be a detective, and puts his meagre skills to work when he is framed by a rival for stealing his girlfriend's father's pocketwatch.

Masami is a guitarist who dreams of his band “Rhythm Head” winning the Grand Prix at the Japan Music Carnival. History, and the warlords of 16th century feudal Japan are the very last thing on his mind. But when Rhythm Head are performing in Nagoya, a mysterious lightning strike causes not only a power blackout, but also a “time slip”, in which two of Japan’s preeminent samurai-era figures, Nobunaga Oda and Hideyoshi Toyotomi are transported to present day Japan. To Rhythm Head’s manager, the duo are the perfect vehicle for the band to transition to an idol group, increase their chances of becoming famous, winning accolades and taking away the Japan Music Carnival top prize. Could this be the beginning of a new type of music, courtesy of a brand new band Samurai Rock?

Guitar Men: The Darkest Secret of Rock 'n Roll

An auto racer driving through a small town finds himself tangled up in a local political controversy, an election and a mystery that surrounds a supposedly "haunted" car that speeds through town with no driver and disappears before anyone can catch it.

Vladica lost the only thing that mattered to him - an amateur karate championship. Now he's back in his home town looking for a job, love and redemption.

Returning to their lord's castle, samurai warriors Washizu and Miki are waylaid by a spirit who predicts their futures. When the first part of the spirit's prophecy comes true, Washizu's scheming wife, Asaji, presses him to speed up the rest of the spirit's prophecy by murdering his lord and usurping his place. Director Akira Kurosawa's resetting of William Shakespeare's "Macbeth" in feudal Japan is one of his most acclaimed films.

Trouble Over Swords and Women: A Woman's Mind

film directed by Tai Katô

Young Cabiria is kidnapped by pirates and sold as a slave in Carthage. Just as she's to be sacrificed to Moloch, Cabiria is rescued by Fulvius Axilla, a good-hearted Roman spy, and his powerful slave, Maciste. The trio are broken up as Cabiria is entrusted to a woman of noble birth. With Cabiria's fate unknown, Maciste punished for his heroism, and Fulvius sent away to fight for Rome, is there any hope of our heroes reuniting?

Two sailors who are always competing against each other set their sights on the same girl. When she chooses one over the other, their friendship ends acrimoniously. However, things change when one the men is in a submarine trapped beneath the ocean and the other, a diver, is sent down on a rescue mission.

The stormy tale of the Shinsengumi is told from its birth by master filmmaker Sasaki Yasushi, with an all-star cast based on the original story by Shirai Kyoji. The battles between the royalists and Shogunate supporters come to a fever pitch during the Gion Festival as the exclusionists plot to burn Kyoto and kidnap the Emperor. From its earliest beginnings as a group of ronin brought from Edo to protect the Shogun when he is in Kyoto to see His Imperial Highness, the group had to face difficulties both from within and without. Commander Serizawa Kamo's corrupt practices threaten the group's very existence, as they try to recover from the bad reputation he left them with. Their redemption comes when they learn of Katsura Kogoro plans to gather men at Kyoto's Ikedaya Inn for his attack on the city. Along with Hijikata Toshizo and Okita Soji, Kondo leads the group in an attempt to save Japan from the rebels.

Okawa Hashizo as 'Young Lord', the unlikely sleuth sets out to untangle the riddle of what went on at the Inner Palace, where a young woman who had served the Shogun came home in fear for her life. Will the Young Lord uncover the truth of what went on at the Palace, and does it relate to a series of murders that have been occurring just before the festival?

A family is brutally murdered in their own home and the official government's sake dealer is framed as a rebel by a corrupt member of the Shogun's Council of Elders. Young Lord decides to take on the Shogun's vile chief attendant.

A murdered pawnbroker found clutching a blood-soaked wedding gown, the kidnapped daughter of a Shogun vassal, mysterious robberies, brutal killings, a vault with no key, a suspect killed while in police custody. This fragmented trail of clues could well be one of the most baffling cases that Young Lord has ever had to solve as he attempts to unravel the mystery and bring the guilty party to justice.

All is not well in an a small fishing village not far from Edo. Mysterious goings-on are happening at Echigoya’s Red Crane Mansion, and when Young Lord comes to relax he finds no peace until he can unravel the mystery rooted in the past when a beautiful samurai princess prayed for a handsome bridegroom to take her away. When a body turns up on the riverbank it is high time for Young Lord to delve into the case, while avoiding dangerous gangsters who have taken over the town. This is the 7th case that Young Lord is called upon to solve. Leaving only the mystery of who he is and where he came from! As always, Okawa Hashizo plays the role to perfection.

Among the great ‘Warlords’ in Japanese history, Oda Nobunaga holds a unique place. In effect, his military success led to the ultimate unification of the country. This historically accurate portrayal of Nobunaga’s life and times is highlighted by many of Japan’s biggest stars, most notably Watanabe Ken in the lead role. Bloody realistic fighting, massive battles, and castle intrigues all drawn from historical sources bring this 2 part drama to new heights in storytelling.

One of the great stories from Japan’s rich history comes to life in this true tale of the bloody showdown between two rival yakuza gangs in the 1840’s. The battle between Boss Sukegoro of Iioka and Boss Shigezo of Sasagawa has been portrayed many times, most notably in the first Zatoichi film, where the blind man befriends the tubercular ronin Hirate Miki, before cutting him down in one of the great duels in cinema history. This all-star extravaganza pulls out all the stops, with appearances by virtually all of the great actors and actresses from Toei’s studio at the time. Ichikawa Utaemon’s portrayal of the kind-hearted, noble yakuza boss Shigezo of Sasagawa contrasts sharply with the devious Sukegoro of Iioka. Corrupt as he may have been, his men were all willing to give up their lives for him.