NOTE: The below Blu-ray captures were taken directly from the Blu-ray disc.

ADDITION: Arrow Blu-ray (February 2025): Arrow have transferred Yasuzō Masumura's Play it Cool to Blu-ray. While on a dual-layered disc with a max'ed out bitrate - the 1080P shows inherent softness. This is consistent reflecting the production values. The visuals are thick and heavy.

NOTE: We have added 82 more large resolution Blu-ray captures (in lossless PNG format) for DVDBeaver Patrons HERE

On their Blu-ray, Arrow use a linear PCM mono track (24-bit) in the original Japanese language. Play it Cool has few aggressive moments that come through with modest depth. The jazzy, moody score is by composer Hikaru Hayashi (Irezumi, Blind Beast, Death By Hanging, Voice Without a Shadow, Onibaba, Kuroneko, The Naked Island) sounding authentically flat but clear and audible with minor effects. Arrow offer optional English subtitles on their Region FREE Blu-ray.

The Arrow Blu-ray offers a new commentary by Jasper Sharp (author of Historical Dictionary of Japanese Cinema) and professor and Japanese literature specialist Anne McKnight (Nakagami, Japan: Buraku and the Writing of Ethnicity.) They discuss it for the costuming (colors,) revenge cinema in the 1970s, and pre-existing stories similar to Play it Cool. Sharp is a massive fan of Yasuzō Masumura (Giants and Toys, Black Test Car, The Black Report, Irezumi, Red Angel, Hanzo the Razor) and expands on the director and his work with Daiei Studio (before its bankruptcy in 1971,) Jonathan Rosenbaum's coverage, the unofficial six-part series this is considered part of, the water and the locals bars utilized, actors Mari Atsumi, Yusuke Kawazu, Akemi Negishi etc.. It's an excellent commentary - they work well together. Too Cool for School is a brand new 3/4 hour video essay on Play it Cool and the career of writer-director Yasuzō Masumura by Japanese film scholar Mark Roberts (Masumura Yasuzô and the Cinema of Social Consciousness.) Also included is an original theatrical trailer and an image gallery. The package offers a reversible sleeve (see below) featuring original and newly commissioned artwork by Tony Stella and an illustrated collector’s booklet featuring new writing on the film by Earl Jackson (Spectacle and Scrutiny: The Analytic Image in Japanese Cinema.).

Yasuzō Masumura's Play it Cool is a provocative Japanese drama with a mix of melodrama, crime, and erotic undertones, produced by Daiei Film. It’s a gritty, stylish exploration of survival and sacrifice, set against the backdrop of urban Japan’s seedy nightlife. The film showcases Masumura’s knack for blending social commentary with sensational storytelling, a hallmark of his work like Blind Beast or Red Angel. The director studied under Michelangelo Antonioni, Federico Fellini and Luchino Visconti at Italy's Centro Sperimentale di Cinematografia. Akemi Negishi’s role in Play it Cool as Tomi is brief but impactful. She portrays a weathered, fiercely maternal figure whose love for Yumi drives her to murder, setting the story in motion. Negishi, known for roles in films like Akira Kurosawa’s Donzoko (The Lower Depths,) Dodesukaden, and Ikimono no kiroku (I Live in Fear) plus King Kong vs. Godzilla brings a raw intensity to Tomi, contrasting with Atsumi’s youthful resilience. The film’s visual flair - sharp cinematography by Setsuo Kobayashi (Fires on the Plain, The Burmese Harp) amplify its tale of innocence lost in a predatory world. Play It Cool trades rural superstition for urban cynicism, focusing on personal survival rather than communal unraveling. It’s less a thriller and more a character-driven drama, though also shares a bleak view of human motives. Director Yasuzō Masumura cast Mari Atsumi as a young woman thrust into Tokyo’s nightlife after her mother (played by Negishi) is imprisoned for murder. Atsumi brings a compelling mix of innocence and steely resolve to Yumi, who uses her poker skills to maintain control in a world of predatory men. Her performance anchors the film’s blend of melodrama and exploitation, showcasing her ability to convey both vulnerability and defiance - a hallmark of her screen presence. She had a memorable career unfolded during a transformative period for Japanese cinema. She emerged in the mid-1960s as part of Daiei Film’s stable of young talent, a studio known for prestige dramas like Rashomon and later for genre fare like the Gamera series. Atsumi’s screen presence - marked by a delicate beauty and a quiet strength - made her a natural fit for roles that bridged innocence and resilience, a duality that defined much of her work. I was squarely in my wheelhouse with the Arrow Blu-ray to simply see the film in 1080P, the expert commentary, video essay, booklet and more. Fans of the genre will not want to miss this one.

Gary Tooze