Hell in the Pacific

Amazon.com essential video

Lone Japanese soldier Toshiro Mifune diligently scans the ocean from his island lookout as he must have thousands of times before, but this time he spies an abandoned life raft resting on a rocky bluff. Within minutes he's face to face with American sea-wreck survivor Lee Marvin and the two begin an elaborate game of cat and mouse. Director John Boorman presents this two-man war as a deadly game between a pair of overgrown children, who finally tire of it (as kids will) and settle into tolerated co-existence and then even something resembling a friendship. With impressionistic strokes, Boorman paints a lush tropical paradise in colors you can drink from the screen, capturing the texture of their experience as refracted through the cinema: the look of the island as seen through the haze of smoke, the sound of a sudden rainstorm as it hushes the island in a calming roar, the timelessness of life outside of civilization. The story seems almost secondary, an allegorical drama that comes alive in the excellent performances by Marvin and Mifune (who soon enough converse despite their complete inability to understand each other's language) and the visceral immediacy of Boorman's gorgeous widescreen images. Hell in the Pacific is not a tale told as much as a film experienced. --Sean Axmaker

Description

From the director of Excalibur and Deliverance comes this "gripping" (Leonard Maltin)adventure about two wartime enemies trapped alone on a desert island. Academy AwardÂ(r) winner* Lee Marvin (The Dirty Dozen) and Toshiro Mifune (The Seven Samurai) deliver "striking and well-etched performances" (LA Herald-Examiner) in this searing psychological drama that packs "plenty of action and excitement" (Motion Picture Herald)! From the instant they meet, a marooned American soldier (Marvin) and his Japanese counterpart (Mifune) have the same objective: killing each other. But it soon becomes apparent that the only way they will survive isby forging an uneasy truce and cooperating with each other. Can they rise above the hatred that divides them long enough to stay alive?

Customer Reviews:

Hell in The Pacifc.......2007-05-07

I'm one of the big fan of Mifune. He is the first and last big Japanese actor approved in the world, I think. And also, Lee Marvin is one of my favourite US actors. These two big in Japan and US in one film. I think we never miss it...

I didnt go through hell.......2007-03-25

The movie was great, and an absolute classic. The characters wre well established and thought out. I reccomend this film to everyone, with no exceptions......

A Different Kind of War Movie.......2006-07-15

Watch it English,then in Japanese with Subtitles. Well done acting and visuals. There is a lot here. Meaningful to all.

Hell of a good movie!.......2006-06-25

For a 1968 Hollywood-bankrolled war movie, HELL IN THE PACIFIC was almost right up there with the best of "foreign" films of the Sixties. Featuring only two characters throughout---a Japanese officer and an American office marooned together on a otherwise unpopulated Pacific island in 1944---the film puts us immediately into the difficulties facing the two men, who are enemies by their circumstances and literally cannot understand each other. The story of how they deal with their plight unfolds in ways that make perfect sense, and both Lee Marvin and Toshiro Mifune as the two exiles give performances that are both believable and affecting. In fact, the only thing that keeps this from being a five-star movie for me is the very end, which feels like it was grafted on at the behest of the studio heads; the alternate ending, included on this DVD release, makes much more sense and would have been better. But up until then you're watching one of the best war movies ever made.

Hell in the Pacific.......2006-03-18

This is a quirkey and unique little movie. Definitely not perfect, but different, rewarding, and thought prevoking on several levels. I am not a Lee Marvin fan but I thought he and Toshiro Mifune did an excellent out-of-the-box acting job in this movie. If you liked the "The Gods Must Be Crazy" movies you will probably like "Hell in the Pacific".

Average customer rating:

Hell Girl Starter Set
Starring: Hell Girl
Manufacturer: Funimation Prod
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

General | Anime & Manga | Genres | DVD | Video

General | Animation | Genres | DVD | Video
Similar Items:

ASIN: B000UR9TEG
Release Date: 2007-10-23

Description

According to rumor, a mysterious message board exists, accessible only at midnight. Those who find the site have the ability to post a grudge they harbor against someone, and the Jigoku Shojo (Hell Girl) will carry-out the revenge and then transport that person's soul to hell.The Hell Girl Starter Set includes: Butterfly v.1and three exclusive art cards!

Average customer rating:

Ughhh
Deceiving Packaging for a poor film
Disappointment
So awesome that my teeth hurt.
the worst of the worst

Lady Death - The Motion Picture
Starring: Christine M. Auten , Greg Ayres , Laura Butcher , Shelley Carlene-Black , and Dwight Clark
Director: Andy Orjuela
Manufacturer: Adv Films
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

General | Horror | Genres | DVD | Video

General | Anime & Manga | Genres | DVD | Video

General | Animation | Genres | DVD | Video

Animation | Science Fiction & Fantasy | Genres | DVD | Video

DVDs Under $7.49 | Today's Deals in DVD | Special Features | DVD | Video

( L ) | Titles | Features | DVD | Video
Similar Items:

ASIN: B0002MFG0K
Release Date: 2004-10-05

Amazon.com

Based on the comic book series by Brian Pulido, Lady Death exemplifies the ongoing cross-pollination between anime and the American film industry. Produced by Houston-based ADV Films, Lady Death was animated overseas in a style that suggests a cross between Wicked City and a Boris Vallejo illustration. Hope, an innocent girl in medieval Sweden, discovers her father is Lucifer in disguise. She prays to him while being burned at the stake, then leads a revolt against him in the afterlife. Aided by Cremator, the former chief armorer of Hell, Hope takes the name Lady Death and crams her pneumatic figure into a miniscule bikini and thigh-high boots. The plot is a hopeless muddle and the dialogue unintentionally hilarious: "In all my days in Hell... I have never met a soul like you." A guilty pleasure for hormonal adolescent males, Lady Death will quickly alienate other viewers. (Rated age 17 and older: graphic violence, violence against women, grotesque imagery) --Charles Solomon

Description

Set in 15th Century Sweden, Hope, the beautiful daughter of Matthias-believed to be a skilled mercenary, but who in actuality is Lucifer, the Lord of Lies-is accused of being the devil's consort following a hellish incident witnessed by local villagers. Ultimately, Hope is sentenced by the town priest to be burned at the stake. Writhing in pain and unable to think clearly, she accepts Lucifer's offer of life in Hell-presented by the malevolent Pagan-over a hideously painful death. Lucifer's grand plan to corrupt a soul of pure innocence meets unanticipated resistance, as Hope rejects Lucifer's scheme and eventually, transformed into the powerful warrior LADY DEATH, challenges the Lord of Lies for control of Hell itself. A powerful story of innocence lost, savage betrayal and glorious rebirth.

Customer Reviews:

Ughhh.......2007-08-28

I just wanted to add to everyone else, and say that this movie sucked if your a fan of the comic or just someone who like more adult animation please skip this movie. The animation is terrible, and the voice acting is craptastic. When the devil is speaking you cant even hear what he is saying. The audio on his voice is way lower then the rest of the cast. The frame rate on the animation is so pore that sometimes the characters look like they are moving in slow motion. I am a fan of the comic and I can say that this movie diserves a 1 out of 5.

Deceiving Packaging for a poor film.......2007-06-25

I just finished watching this movie and I can honestly say I am truly dissapointed. I am not very fussy with animation as I am a big fan of the genre but I highly doubt this will remain in my collection. The cover art is soooooo good you just can't wait to get home and watch it but the animation is actually very poor (for a motion picture) and lacks that detail and shading you enjoy in most anime's. It is of the quality of your saturday morning cartoons (I have seen some with better). I also found a lot of the action sequences very repetitive. The story moves too fast and you feel no connection with any of the characters introduced. This is a real shame as I can see potential in these characters.

In regard to the dvd the sound and picture quality are fine and it has a couple of extra's.

In conclusion don't waste your money unless it's super cheap!! You will enjoy Vampire Hunter D or the short film Blood much much more than this.

Disappointment.......2007-06-12

When I first saw previews of this film, my expectations of it shot through the roof. I thought it was going to be the greatest thing since Jesus. It wasn't a huge disappointment, but they could have done so much more w/ the film.

So awesome that my teeth hurt........2007-06-01

I've noticed that a lot of viewers gave this film rather not so good reveiws. Well, I thought this movie was awesome. Did it have second maybe third rate animation? Yes. Were the voices like something out of a 80's saturday morning cartoon show? Yes. Was it a far fetched story line with totally unrealistic stuff going on? Yes. But it was all these things, as well as the little touches that made this film righteous. It was in many ways a lot like Army of Darkness mixed with World of War Craft, Legend, Spwan and Disgaea. To me, I enjoyed the details like Lucifur's little harem of demon women, the part where this Duke of Hell puts this beautiful women into an iron maiden, and of course the bloody decapitations. But demons, swords, crazy magic stuff, hell dogs, I mean it's all there. And who really cares if that stuff is unrealistic? It's cool as all... hell? Lucifur looks a lot like Tim Curry's character in that old movie no one remembers called, "Legend". The plot moved a long a little fast, but I think it all came together pretty well. I've never read the comics, I haven't even herd of Lday Death untill I saw the movie tonight, but it definately rates a spot up there with "Akira", "Casshern", and "Vampire Hunter D". Cheesiness mixed with blood is awesomeness here people. It's gold!

the worst of the worst.......2005-11-01

the box art is fantastic... but the film blows... my friend got this DVD for free at best buy.... gee i wonder why it was free.... it sucked.... it is disguised as an anime with frickin awesome box art but it is trash in disguise.... countless attacks to christianity and all things sacred in anime... like good graphics, voices, and a story line.

with names like cremator it totally blows.... lol..... not even worth getting as a free copy.... we caved half way through and put in something else.... full metal panic was a better thing to watch on halloween.

the company that put out the animation is like korean or something.... well any how it is definately not anime.... and it really sucked.... you will benefit better by cleaning your closet than watching this film.

Gregory Horror Show - The Guest from Hell (Vol. 2)

Average customer rating:

Gregory Horror Show - The Guest from Hell (Vol. 2)
Starring: Gegory Horror Show
Manufacturer: Geneon [Pioneer]
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

General | Anime & Manga | Genres | DVD | Video

General | Animation | Genres | DVD | Video

DVDs Under $9.99 | Today's Deals in DVD | Special Features | DVD | Video

( G ) | Titles | Features | DVD | Video
Similar Items:

ASIN: B0002Q9VVG
Release Date: 2004-11-23

Description

Gregory Horror Show is a CG-animated horror/comedy program, set in an alternate dimension and populated by surreal and imaginative characters. Each episode is dominated by Gregory, the evil proprietor of Gregory House. On the surface, each inhabitant of this "hotel for lost souls" represents a universal, everyday fear. But even this appearance is camouflaged by the bright plumage of insecurity hiding inner conflicts and subtley of character. Each episode will be partly funny, partly scary and always challenging for the viewer as well as being unrelentingly entertaining! Though not meant to be educational, there are cores aspects of empowerment, tolerance, patience, imagination, self-exploration and overcoming fear in nearly every episode. So enjoy your stay in Gregory House. As Gregory himself says, "If you're here, you've already paid for your room well in advance."

Lone Wolf and Cub - White Heaven in Hell

Average customer rating:

too much hollywood influence
White blah-blah in hell, the one Lone Wolf/Cub not to see
A bloodbath of carnage.
Works for me...
The sixth and final film in the "Lone Wolf and Cub" series

Lone Wolf and Cub - White Heaven in Hell
Starring: Tomisaburo Wakayama , Akihiro Tomikawa , Junko Hitomi , Goro Mutsumi , and Daigo Kusano
Director: Yoshiyuki Kuroda
Manufacturer: ANIMEIGO
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

General | Action & Adventure | Genres | DVD | Video

General | Art House & International | Genres | DVD | Video

General | Foreign & International | Stores | DVD | Video

DVDs Under $14.99 | Today's Deals in DVD | Special Features | DVD | Video

( L ) | Titles | Features | DVD | Video
Similar Items:

ASIN: B0001Z934S
Release Date: 2004-07-13

Customer Reviews:

too much hollywood influence.......2007-05-12

got some ideas from the '007' and 'shaft', even the sound track music scores were too modern 'shaft' alike. lost the original taste and blended into a too far-fetched dramatized stunt showmanship. cart carried the cute child got machine gun and mechanic blades also got a some ideas from the scenes of 'ben hurr'. now in this last segment, even black magic witchcraft resurrected the dead corpses crawling around in the water, dirt and the snow. walking dead still got fresh blood, ain't it a bit too ridiculous?
this 'lone wolf and cub' series suffered a lot to the bad influence from the hollywood. although the wolf was still a lone wolf, the cub still the cute little one, all the scenario and plot of the storyline became outlandish. a waste of the great actor who played the lone wolf with such rarity of pure force and swordsmanship. a final curtain call ended in a quite bad western taste.

White blah-blah in hell, the one Lone Wolf/Cub not to see.......2005-05-27

In this sixth (but not final) installment of the movie series, what we get is little story and too much senseless action (with a sprinkling of hot tub sex). This is a very disappointing film. Although it is the last such LWnC movie from this creative team, it does not end the storyline (with 28 volumes in the manga series, we probably would have needed another 3-7 films). So the patient, constant viewer gets instead a hack-and-slash film of mid-caliber.

The ending -- an over-extending action sequence set on a snowy slope -- is very unsatisfying; so are the characters: unlike other LWnC films, we do not get to meet any new incidental characters. As a result, the film is less about "Edo" soceity (which one cannot argue is the secondary if not primary goal of the manga team) and instead just a big showdown waiting to happen...waiting, waiting to happen. The film is way too long and its pacing is horrible.

I think the fault with the film lies in these two things:
1) the writers/filmmakers chose poor source material. The "five wheel" assassin team denies Itto and son the chance to mingle with regular Edo joes. As a result, you do not get as I argued the best part of the series: the rich detail of Edo life.
2) the filmmakers must have been overwhelmed with James Bond films like "On Her Majesty's Secret Service" and whatnot with their decision to make this movie "samurai on skis". After the first few minutes of fighting on the snow, I was thinking "Enough already, I get it: samurai can be badass even on slippery surfaces!"

Watch the first five and forever skip this sixth installment.

A bloodbath of carnage........2005-05-24

There's a twenty-two page text introduction on the LONE WOLF AND CUB: WHITE HELL dvd. It explains a lot - what one in Japan calls their mother and father and respected elder. What one used to call their mother and father and respected elder. It also contains a capsule history of Japan, from the eighth century or so onward. In all, a fairly imposing prelude.
Fortunately, all my study went for nought. It turned out, after all, that I didn't need to know the proper and improper use of the term `sensei,' or the history of the city of Edo. Best yet, inadvertently starting this six-part series at part six didn't present many problems, either. WHITE HELL is a wonderfully uncomplicated and undemanding action movie. I enjoyed it very much without fussing over minute details.
Ogami Itto, the Lone Wolf of the title, travels about pushing a baby carriage containing his son, Cub. The time is winter, the carriage is on skis rather than wheels, and it's armed and plated in a manner that would do a James Bond movie proud. Itto's sworn enemy Retsudo enlists a series of champions to kill Lone Wolf, and presumably Cub, as well. These highly efficient killers include Retsudo's daughter, a knife-wielding cutie, and three young men who are buried underground for 42 days and emerge as burrowing, fast moving, earth worm-ish assassins. As Retsudo exclaims when he cracks the men out of their clay pots - `Innocent people will die. There will be a bloodbath of carnage and a tempest of death!' What more could an action movie fan ask for?
The largest ski attack ever filmed, I suppose. This fun, escapist movie has that, too. Strongly recommended.

Works for me..........2004-12-08

Great stuff. I have been looking for these films for years, now I can get them easily. Lucky for you too.

There is nothing like Lone Wolf and Cub, it has all the elements that I like in a martial srts flick. This is a no-holds-barred type of film, full of bloody slashing and hacking but always done with a sense of style.

Get the entire series.

The sixth and final film in the "Lone Wolf and Cub" series.......2004-11-17

"Lone Wolf and Cub: White Heaven in Hell" ("Kozure Ôkami: Jigoku e ikuzo! Daigoro") is the sixth and final film adapted from the "Lone Wolf and Cub" manga written by Kazuo Koike and illustrated by Goseki Kojima. Koike wrote the screenplays for the first four films, but Tstuomu Nakamura did the script for the last two, which might explain why the climax of the finale seems to be more appropriate for a James Bond film rather than a samurai assassin film. There were several interesting issues of "Lone Wolf and Cub" that dealt with winter settings, but Nakamura does not really avail himself of them for this script. As always, it is interesting to see how familiar stories are brought together in the film, which was directed by Yoshiyuki Kuroda.

This time there are four distinct acts to the action. First, Retsudo Yagyu (Minoru Ohki) is sending his daughter and last child, Lady Kaori (Junko Hitomi), who has perfected the falling dagger technique, after Lone Wolf and Cub (#79 "Sayaka"). Meanwhile, Ogami Itto (Tomisaburo Wakayama) has brought Daigoro (Akihiro Tomikawa) for a final visit to the grave of his mother (#58 "A Poem for the Grave") before they make their way for Edo. On the road they will encounter Lady Kaori. Second, assassins who have buried alive are reborn as divine spirits (#77 "Incense for the Living") and sent after Lone Wolf and Cub. Their strategy is to kill everybody whom father and son have contact with on the road to Meifumado (#76 "Five Wheels of the Yagyu"), which means a lot of innocents are getting killed until Ogami Itto goes off into the wildnerness to force the Yagyu's hand. Third, Retsudo attempts to persuade his illegitimate son, Hyoei (Isao Kimura) to kill Ogami Itto. When he refuses, Retsudo tries to get Hyoei's sister, Lady Azusa (Mayumi Yamaguchi) to persuade him to act. Hyoei agrees, seeing it as an opportunity to take over the Yagyu clan. However, Ogami Itto must first deal with the cancellation of an assassination because of the threat of the Yagyu (#80 "Clouds of Silk"). Then he faces Hyoei and forces him to issue a challenge for a duel (#67 "The Hojiro Yaguy") and Retsudo is forced to deal with Hoyei's final effort to usurp his position.

The final act is where this film goes off the rails. Although the setting is similar to when father and son first made their way through the snow covered mountains (#64, "The Moon in the East, the Sun in the West") the story gets well beyond watch the baby cart being used as a sled. We are talking samurai on skis, ninjas on skis, and samurai on sleds. At least Ogami Itto does not get on skis, but he does some serious sledding. It is just that all of the shots of samurai swinging swords while jumping over the camera on skies get to be a bit much, and when a horde of them (including Retsudo), ski (or sled) right by their prey we were definitely into shark jumping territory. The bad news is that this is not a fitting end to the cinematic saga of Lone Wolf and Cub, but the good news is that are a dozen more volumes of the original manga as published by Dark Horse Comics that will get you to the true end of the story (although clearly they did not know this sixth film would be the final one in the series).

I know all of these movies were edited and dubbed into "Shogun Assassin" in 1980, but I must insist that you take the high road and avoid that butchery in favor of the original sextet of films. In order these are: (1) "Kozure Ôkami: Kowokashi udekashi tsukamatsuru" ("Lone Wolf and Cub: Sword of Vengeance," 1972); (2) "Kozure Ôkami: Sanzu no kawa no ubaguruma" ("Lone Wolf and Cub: Baby Cart at the River Styx," 1972); (3) "Kozure Ôkami: Shinikazeni mukau ubaguruma" ("Lone Wolf and Cub: Baby Cart to Hades," 1972); (4) "Kozure Ôkami: Oya no kokoro ko no kokoro" ("Lone Wolf and Cub: In Peril," 1972); (5) "Kozure Ôkami: Meifumando" ("Lone Wolf and Cub: Baby Cart in Land of Demons," 1973); and (6) "Kozure Ôkami: Jigoku e ikuzo! Daigoro" ("Lone Wolf and Cub: White Heaven in Hell," 1974). The above list does not include literal translations of each Japanese title but rather the name given their most recent U.S. releases (I believe the original U.S. releases in the 1970s just numbered these as "Swords of Vengeance" I-VI). The literal translation of this sixth film in the series would be "Lone Wolf and Cub: Go to Hell, Daigoro," so you can see why that leaves a bit to be desired.

Average customer rating:

do you have any more skewers?
Not One Of Japan's Better Horror Films!
probably won't win an Oscar
DON'T FORGET YOUR BUG SPRAY

Hiruko the Goblin
Starring: Kenji Sawada , Naoto Takenaka , Masaki Kudou , Hideo Murota , and Megumi Ueno
Director: Shinya Tsukamoto
Manufacturer: Fangoria Int'l
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

General | Art House & International | Genres | DVD | Video

General | Horror | Genres | DVD | Video

General | Anime & Manga | Genres | DVD | Video

General | Foreign & International | Stores | DVD | Video

DVDs Under $9.99 | Today's Deals in DVD | Special Features | DVD | Video

( H ) | Titles | Features | DVD | Video
Similar Items:

ASIN: B0008FPINQ
Release Date: 2005-05-10

Description

The Story of a radical Archeologist and a junior high teacher that believes the doorway to Ancient evil spirits dimension is located under his School.

Customer Reviews:

do you have any more skewers?.......2007-04-28

alright now, i think this film happens to be a little misunderstood. there's no way it aims to be artsy, amazing, or even a "great film" depending on your definition of such. it's meant to be a fun little slice of z-movie camp for the fans of that old school cheese. and i think it pulls this off successfully. if you're looking for a cheesy comedy/gore/horror flick complete with the classic stop motion animation technique, this film is a valentine to people such as yourself. you won't see any CG crap in this one. it's all low budget puppets and mechanics baby(old school). now that doesn't necessarily make anything automatically good, but it should give you an idea about what to expect.

the story itself is decent, but nothing to expect much out of. there's a loose goblin that goes by the name of hiruko, and it's running amok the school grounds taking people's heads. enter heida and masao to attempt to save the day. that's pretty much all you need to know. i think the film begins to slightly fall apart near the end, with the best of it being shown in the middle with some classic abandoned school scares. but even then i was captivated to the end by the strange charm of this japanese title.

i'm a pretty big fan of tsukamoto, and while i realize this is definitely not one of his best works out there, it still shouldn't be forgotten. i think a handful of the viewers that came out disappointed were expecting some sort of artsy film that they could pretend they understood and discuss their loose interpretations of it. hiruko is NOT that. this is just a classic cheesy horror romp meant for some popcorn viewing and that's it. go in with a grindhouse attitude, and you should leave entertained by this strange japanese title.

Not One Of Japan's Better Horror Films!.......2007-01-24

"Hiruko The Goblin," by director Shinya Tsukamoto is not a very good film. In fact, it's pretty bad. If strange and weird Japaneses films are your delight, however, this one will definitely sate your appetite. My wife usually puts up with many of my films, especially my Japanese films, but this one was the cake for her a few years back. She actually left the room. Now, I don't blame her. Afterall, she has put up with quite a few of my Foreign films. And as the reviewer below has written: "This film won't win any Oscars." The director of this particular film, Shinya Tsukamoto, is also the director of the TETSUO films.

Without giving away too much in the film, the main character, Hieda Reijirou (Kenji Sawada) is an archaeologist who likes inventing things from kitchen utensils. As the film begins, he has made an archaeological discovery [a mound over a school house]. The film then moves to the other characters named Takashi Yabe (Naoto Takenaka) and Tsukishima Reiko (Megumi Ueno) who are both exploring a cave when some unseen force chases after them. Apparently, a Goblin inhabits the cave, and Heida must attempt to seal off the mound before this Goblin makes people saw off their heads. It [the Goblin] has a head for a body and spider-like legs.

To make a long story, of a pretty bad film short, both Heida Reijouro and Masao Yabe [the son of Takashi Yabe from the earlier cave scene] get together to try and solve this mystery. There is plenty of gushing blood and gore in the film, if these are the types of films you like. However, if you are looking for complex characters or a good plot, you will find yourself at a loss. This is not a very good film, however, I have seen worse. Recommended only if like me you love Japanese films, and refuse to take advice from friends when it comes to viewing Japanese films, and therefore must watch it yourself. I must admit however, it is a very weird and strange film. [Just don't expect too much from the film, however].

probably won't win an Oscar.......2005-11-15

i found this to be an entertaining slice of Japanese horror/camp with an obvious nod to previous films,both horror and otherwise.A definite sense of humor is evident thru-out,so i think to fully appreciate this one must bear that in mind.This is no "art film",but an attempt at simple fun that doesn't tax the brain.
personally, i think it achieves that!

DON'T FORGET YOUR BUG SPRAY.......2005-07-19

How Shinya Tsukamoto could follow up his cult classic Tetsuo: The Iron Man with this pile of dung is beyond me. This movie is one of the worst I have ever seen. Severed heads seemingly sprout bug legs and terrorize a local high school which happens to be located on top of an ancient goblin tomb. Pulling references from Ghostbusters, The Thing and even Raiders of the Lost Ark Tsukamoto flops back and forth from semimetal drivel to horror scene and back. The special effects are laughable and give new meaning to low budget. If you want to throw your money away, find a better cause than supporting this kind of movie making.

Average customer rating:

Macross, Vol. 7: Hell's Fury
Starring: Macross
Manufacturer: Adv Films
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

General | Anime & Manga | Genres | DVD | Video

General | Animation | Genres | DVD | Video

( M ) | Titles | Features | DVD | Video
Similar Items:

ASIN: B000J3FBV6
Release Date: 2006-12-19

Description

As any Otaku will tell you, the anime epic that came to be known as Robotech was woven together from three separate sci-fi series. Macross is one of these series. Now for the first time anime fans can enjoy Macross as it was originally presented to Japanese TV audiences more than 20 years ago!

Average customer rating:

Hell Girl - Vol. 1
Starring: Hell Girl
Manufacturer: Funimation Prod
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

General | Anime & Manga | Genres | DVD | Video

General | Animation | Genres | DVD | Video
ASIN: B000UR9TEQ
Release Date: 2007-10-23

Description

Average customer rating:

Don't judge a book by its cover...
A shocking anime to come to the US - Oh my!
Freakin Hilarous
What were they thinking?

Ping Pong Club Rots in Hell
Starring: Ping Pong Club
Manufacturer: Software Sculptures
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

General | Anime & Manga | Genres | DVD | Video

General | Animation | Genres | DVD | Video

DVDs Under $7.49 | Today's Deals in DVD | Special Features | DVD | Video

( P ) | Titles | Features | DVD | Video
Similar Items:

ASIN: B00005LP49
Release Date: 2001-12-11

Amazon.com

Oddly, the first release in the U.S. of this 1995 TV series contains the final episodes (which last only 12 minutes apiece). The Ping Pong Club chronicles the gross-out antics of the boys' table tennis sports club at Inachu Junior High. The membership includes the handsome players, Kinoshita and Takeda; Takeda's volatile girlfriend, Kyoko; and the four losers at the core of the show: smelly American exchange student Tanabe, diminutive Tanaka, lecherous Izawa, and Maeno, the school windbag. Although Ping Pong Club has been compared to Beavis and Butt-Head and South Park, the crude quartet is neither as mean-spirited as the former nor as foul-mouthed as the latter. But with endless and often explicit gags about flatulence, voyeurism, sex, and urination, this series is not for the easily offended. Unrated; suitable for ages 18 and up: Explicit nudity, sexual situations, bodily function jokes, violence, alcohol use. --Charles Solomon

Description

A criminal mastermind is loose in the ping pong club! Lunches and club dues are missing-who is the culprit? Maeno uncovers the team's deepest, darkest secrets, and incriminating photos come to light in the most shocking, idiotic episode you'll ever see!

Customer Reviews:

Don't judge a book by its cover..........2002-01-02

Hahaha!! This anime DOES keep its sickness like the true and wonderful South Park, but... it's too bazaar for any human to handle... but if you happen to run upon this... Be prepared for the worst... because your going to laugh your ass off of this crazy anime, and after watching it once... you know your hooked... if not... well... use it as a freesbie for your dog!!

Ja'

A shocking anime to come to the US - Oh my!.......2001-11-26

When I saw this DVD at a local electronics store, I was shocked! Why? It's because this anime is very perverted. No, it's not hentai (adult anime) and it's not anything like those type of anime.

Think of it as mixing "South Park" with the perverted jokes that you hear in the locker room. Juvenile humor at it's best with plenty of fart jokes, mooning and an extra load of perverted humor. That's what "The Ping Pong Club" is about. So, if you don't like this type of humor...stay away!

For those familiar with Japanese television shows, think of it as a live version of "Giragameshu".

I first heard about this series a few years ago through my friends and a female friend from Japan collected the manga and I just remembered how interesting the character designs were for the anime. I also remembered how interesting this anime after watching the episode, so once I saw this DVD for sale, I asked myself this question: "Is America ready for The Ping Pong Club"? I guess this remains to be seen.

The story is about a group of interesting individuals who are members of a Ping Pong Club. The stories feature the lecherous duo Maeno and Izawa who are perverted but have an ability disguising themselves. These guys are truly off the wall. Then the other members. One is a guy who has a problem with body odor and a belly button with an extreme outtie, the president is your normal guy who likes the beautiful but overly tough girl of the club, then there is the short member with a big head who likes to get his thrills from animals and the playboy of the group. Each make up the "Ping Pong Club".

This series really is off-the-scale perverted humor and what do you know, it's available in the US and on DVD but the weird thing is, Software Sculptors released this DVD not from episode 1 but starting at TV episode 23 through episode 34.

Yes, television episodes and most likely shown late night.

Well, don't worry...the show doesn't necessarily have a typical anime series plot. Each episode is different.

The episodes are similar to the "Urusei Yatsura" and "Crayon Shin Chan" series. Each half hour episode contains a total of two 15-minute episodes.

So, what kind of humor will you find in these episodes?

One episode has Maeno and Izawa helping an elderly ventriloquist after they busted his doll. So, Maeno is forced to disguise himself as a doll and together with the ventriloquist performs at a local school of young kids. Unfortunately, Maeno's perverted mind kicks in.

Another episode features the group trying to find their missing membership dues. Someone in the club took the money but what this member is using the stolen money for is shocking.

Again, this anime is not hentai. There is quite a bit of nudity and fart jokes, so you know where this anime is going.

As for the DVD, it features a trailer, title free OP credits and Software Sculptors trailers.

It's actually quite entertaining and if you are in a mood to watch something unusual, funnier, raunchier and more entertaining than "South Park", this anime is definitely for you!

Freakin Hilarous.......2001-10-26

This DVD is hilarious. Think anime South Park. Definitely a little odd though.

What were they thinking?.......2001-10-17

I absolutley love the Ping Pong club. Own the first VHS volume, and now the DVD. I was shocked when upon putting in the (first) Ping Pong club DVD, It starts at Episode 23. What the?! One would think the first DVD collection for a series would start at the beginning of said series.. Not towards the end. Aside from that, I've been having numerous problems with the subtitles not working. Many instances where they're talking and Subtitles do not appear. Often you can skip bac kand watch the scene again and said subtitles will appear. This happens alot. and it's absolutley infuriating. Happens on both my DVD rom drive and RCA stand alone DVD player. The English dub is horribly bad. And The video quality is adequate at best.

Amazon.com

Part portrait of war-torn Feudal Japan and part ghost story, Portrait of Hell will satisfy Japanese film buffs who love epic battle scenes mixed with filmic interpretations of the spiritual drama that accompanies death. Toho Films director Shiro Toyoda, renowned for his literary adaptations of Medieval Japanese tales, turns author Ryunosuke Akutagawa's (Rashomon) tragedy Jigokuhen into a potent Buddhist moral lesson about human suffering. Filmed in Tehnicolor, rural Japanese landscapes, royal court scenes, and the four seasons during which the film takes place make this movie visually beautiful as a way to infuse the deeply tragic plot with high romance. Set in 10th century Heian province (Kyoto), Yoshihide, Lord Horikawa's court-appointed painter, vows to experience Hell before portraying it on canvas, as a way to communicate to his corrupt king the poverty and hardship he witnesses in the community. Yoshihide's paintings of bloody corpse piles representing battle scenes that occur outside the castle cause demons to temporarily haunt Lord Horikawa, but the Lord is so impressed by Yoshihide's talent that he challenges the painter to paint Hell after his obstinate refusal to paint Paradise. Not until Horikawa kidnaps and enlists Yoshihide's only daughter, Yoshika, to become his concubine does the artist have fuel enough to unleash Hell upon the Lord. When Horikawa forces Yoshihide to witness his daughter burnt alive, the Lord realizes, with much fear, that the painter will succeed in creating his ultimate masterpiece, a Portrait of Hell in which both Yoshihide and Horikawa are eternally tortured by hubris and regret. More akin to Antigone in its spiritual darkness, Portrait of Hell actually contains little blood and gore, making it a good candidate for squeamish viewers. --Trinie Dalton

Description

Film legend Tatsuya Nakadai (Sword of Doom, Ran) stars as the troubled artist who is commissioned to paint a beautiful picture, but instead only paints the death and famine he sees in the world around him. Written by one of Japan's best known writers, Ryunosuke Akutagawa (Rashomon), Portrait of Hell's canvassed story-line is a journey of revenge, love and despair, which eventually leads to a horrific, fiery conclusion.

Customer Reviews:

I See Hell Everywhere.......2006-06-03

Based on a short story by one of Japan's modern literary masters Akutagawa Ryuunosuke, Portrait of Hell takes place during the decaying end of the Heian Period. Known as Japan's classical era, the Heian Era gave birth to many forms of poetry, long fiction, courtly aesthetics, and many cultural elements that are deeply entrenched in Japanese culture. During this long period the Fujiwara family, through marriage and political alliances, cemented itself as the true ruler of Japan while the emperor, who often had a mother from the Fujiwara family and thus whose grandfather was the de facto leader of the country, was merely a puppet who was quite often retire from his position as emperor when he began to have his own ideas. While the arts flourished and the culture of the court grew more elegant, the nobility began to cloister itself away from the outside world and let others such as the Minamoto and the Taira families for them. It is in this world that Horikawa rules in his blissfully ignorant way. While the common people make it through their wretched lives by stealing the clothing and hair of corpses, Horikawa lives in his world of perfumes, silks, and art.

Included amongst his artisans is the master painter Yoshihide. From Korea, like many of the other great artists and statesmen during this period, Yoshihide artistic skill is unmatched. However, of a totally dour, gloomy nature, Yoshihide's art is filled with harshness. Unable to turn a blind eye to the world rotting around him, Yoshihide puts on paper with his brush the reality that Horikawa refuses to see. More amused than angered by his stone-voiced artist, Horikawa continues to order Yoshihide to paint. However, it seems that the spirits of those wronged by Horikawa haunt Yoshihide's paintings. Unnerved by his nightly visitors, Horikawa seems to finally have the upper hand over the painter when Yoshihide's precious daughter Yoshika comes into his possession. However, with two men whose will and pride are so strong can there truly be a winner?

Like many other movies filmed during the late 1960s, Portrait of Hell is awash with striking colors and scored with a stirring soundtrack that keeps a steady beat and helps progress the action of a film that is primarily a dialogue between two characters. Nakadai Tatsuya truly steals the screen in this film. Yoshihide is at times unsympathetic and quite harsh, he tortures one of his pupils to help him visualize hell, but one can feel the true intensity in his desire to produce art that will cut Horikawa to the core and put before his eyes the suffering that he has brought to Japan.

Toyoda ends the film with this quote from Akutagawa:

Jinsei wa jigoku yori jigoku teki de aru. Life is more hellish than hell itself.

DVD:

DVD

DVD