Based on the popular manga by Lone Wolf and Cub creators Kazuo Koike and Goseki Kojima, Bohachi Bushido: Code of the Forgotten Eight is one of the standout films in the career of Teruo Ishii (Shogun's Joy of Torture), known in Japan as the "King of Cult." A bloody and erotic samurai tale starring an assassin with a death wish, it paved the way for Takashi Harada's spiritual successor Bohachi Bushido: The Villain. Code of the Forgotten Eight sees a nihilistic ronin, Shino Ashita (Tetsuro Tanba, Three Outlaw Samurai), join the sadistic Bohachi clan, a group of corrupt samurai who operate a prostitution ring. With nothing else to live for, he acts as their assassin in a war with a rival clan that poses a threat to their business. Then, in The Villain, the condemned criminal Kyushi Issho (Goro Ibuki, Hokuriku Proxy War) falls in with the infamous Bohachi samurai - and he too is drawn into a world of wanton violence and sexual sadism. Prime examples of the ero guro jidaigeki (or, in other words, period films with a focus on eroticism and the grotesque), Code of the Forgotten Eight and The Villain are perfect portraits of the shifting depictions of sex and violence in Japanese cinema of the 1970s. The Masters of Cinema Series is honoured to present both films for the first time on UK home video.
Region Code:Region Free 4k, Region B Blu-ray
Duration:164 minutes
Original Language:Japanese
Extras:Language(s): Japanese, Subtitles: English, Interactive Menu, Screen ratio 1 - 2.35:1, Mono, Booklet, Commentary: 'Code of the Forgotten Eight': Tom Mes (East Asian film expert/'Midnight Eye' co-founder); 'The Villain': Arne Venema (genre cinema expert) and Stefan Hammond (film writer), Documentaries: 'From Codes to Chaos'; 'Remembering Teruo Ishii', Interviews: Yuriko Hishimi (actor); J-Taro Sugisaki and Takao Nakano (film-makers), Limited Edition O-card slipcase featuring new artwork by Poochamin, Trailers
