Eureka Releasing Legend Of The 8 Samurai

[Ian Jane Administrator Find all posts View Profile Close Ian Jane]

Coming 2/17/25.

A Japanese box-office sensation directed by the revered Kinji Fukasaku (Battle Royale), Legend of the Eight Samurai brings together an impressive ensemble cast, including Hiroko Yakushimaru (Sailor Suit and Machine Gun), Hiroyuki Sanada (Ring), Sonny Chiba (Message from Space) and Etsuko Shihomi (The Street Fighter), in a sweeping epic that blends fantasy with historical drama.

The Satomi Clan have been all-but wiped out by their mortal enemies: the ghoulish members of the undead Hikita Clan. The last Satomi survivor is Princess Shizu (Yakushimaru), who goes into hiding to avoid meeting the same fate as her family. Left to wander on her own, she eventually becomes entangled with farmer-turned-soldier Shinbei (Sanada) and then a pair of warrior monks who reveal themselves to be two of eight fabled Hakkenden – or “Dog Warriors” – who can lift the curse that has been placed upon her family. Together, they must find the rest of the Hakkenden and take on the leader of the Hikita Clan: the evil Tamazusa (Mari Natsuki).

Following Message from Space, which transported the story to a science fiction setting, Legend of the Eight Samurai is Fukasaku’s second loose adaptation of Toshio Kamata’s Shin Satomi Hakkenden, itself an adaptation of Kyokutei Bakin’s earlier epic novel Nanso Satomi Hakkenden. The Masters of Cinema series is proud to present the film on Blu-ray for the first time in the UK from a new 4K restoration.

SPECIAL FEATURES

Limited Edition (2000 copies)
Limited edition O-Card slipcase featuring new artwork by Chris Malbon
1080p HD presentation on Blu-ray from a brand new 4K restoration
Uncompressed original Japanese audio and alternate English dub track Optional English subtitles
Optional English subtitles
New audio commentary by Japanese cinema expert Joe Hickinbottom
New Interview with Kinji Fukasaku's son, filmmaker Kenta Fukasaku
New video essay by film historian and critic Stuart Galbraith IV
Theatrical trailer
A limited collector’s booklet featuring a new essay by Tom Mes, co-founder of Midnight Eye (2000 copies)

[agent999 Senior Member Find all posts View Profile Close agent999]

I hope they didn't pay for that artwork. It would look better in a plain brown wrapper.

[mjeon Senior Member Find all posts View Profile Close mjeon]

An extra samurai. Take that, Kurosawa!

[Takuma Senior Member Find all posts View Profile Close Takuma]

In a way this could be considered a sister film to Message from Space. And yet, while I found Message from Space space a struggle to get through (certainly one of Fukasaku's weakest movies), Eight Samurai is a total blast full of monsters, samurai, blazing pop music, and Hiroko Yakushimaru! Oh and Chiba is in it too. I must have seen this more than half dozen times, including once in 35mm at Film Archive in Tokyo.

I'd get this immediately if I didn't already own the Kadokawa UHD.

(the Eureka artwork is pretty terrible, though. I can't even recognize the actors from that....)

Here's my Kadokawa release:

[Lorne Marshall Senior Member Find all posts View Profile Close Lorne Marshall]

I hope they didn't pay for that artwork. It would look better in a plain brown wrapper.

Unless it's in there and I'm just not seeing it, it's missing the centipede, one of the most memorable elements in the movie.

[Ian Jane Administrator Find all posts View Profile Close Ian Jane]