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S E A R C H D V D B e a v e r |
(aka 'Koroshi no rakuin" or "Branded to Kill")
Branded to Kill, the wildly perverse story of the yakuza’s rice-sniffing “No. 3
Killer,” is Seijun Suzuki at his delirious best. From a cookie-cutter studio
script, Suzuki delivered this brutal, hilarious, and visually inspired
masterpiece—and was promptly fired. *** When Japanese New Wave bad boy Seijun Suzuki delivered this brutal, hilarious, and visually inspired masterpiece to the executives at his studio, he was promptly fired. Branded to Kill (Koroshi no rakuin) tells the ecstatically bent story of a yakuza assassin with a fetish for sniffing steamed rice (the chipmunk-cheeked superstar Joe Shishido) who botches a job and ends up a target himself. This is Suzuki at his most extreme—the flabbergasting pinnacle of his sixties pop-art aesthetic. |
Posters
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Theatrical Release: June 15th, 1967
Reviews More Reviews DVD Reviews
Review: Criterion - Region FREE - 4K UHD
Box Cover |
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CLICK to order from: Bonus Captures: |
Distribution | Criterion - Region FREE - 4K UHD | |
Runtime | 1:31:54.967 | |
Video |
2.39:1 2160P 4K Ultra HD Disc Size: 60,113,865,763 bytesFeature: 59,031,728,064 bytesVideo Bitrate: 79.62 MbpsCodec: HEVC Video |
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NOTE: The Vertical axis represents the bits transferred per second. The Horizontal is the time in minutes. |
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Bitrate 4K Ultra HD: |
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Audio |
LPCM Audio Japanese 1152 kbps 1.0 / 48 kHz / 1152 kbps / 24-bit |
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Subtitles | English, None | |
Features |
Release Information: Studio: Criterion
2.39:1 2160P 4K Ultra HD Disc Size: 60,113,865,763 bytesFeature: 59,031,728,064 bytesVideo Bitrate: 79.62 MbpsCodec: HEVC Video
Edition Details: 4K Ultra HD disc • feature film in 2160P
Criterion - Region 'A' - Blu-ray
• Video piece featuring new
interviews with director Seijun Suzuki and assistant
director Masami Kuzuu (12:10 in 1080i)
Transparent 4K Ultra HD Case Chapters 15 |
Comments: |
NOTE:
The below
Blu-ray
and
4K UHD
captures were taken directly from the respective
discs.
NOTE: 64 more more full resolution (3840 X 2160) 4K UHD captures, in lossless PNG format, for Patrons are available HEREWe have reviewed the following 4K UHD packages to date: Picnic at Hanging Rock (software uniformly simulated HDR), Two Orphan Vampires, The Shiver of the Vampires, Drowning By Number (software uniformly simulated HDR), Serpico (software uniformly simulated HDR), Cool Hand Luke (software uniformly simulated HDR), The Seventh Seal (software uniformly simulated HDR), The Maltese Falcon (software uniformly simulated HDR), Mildred Pierce (software uniformly simulated HDR), Tár (software uniformly simulated HDR), Marathon Man (software uniformly simulated HDR), Dazed and Confused (software uniformly simulated HDR), Three Colors: Blue (software uniformly simulated HDR), Invaders From Mars (software uniformly simulated HDR), Death Wish (software uniformly simulated HDR), The Taking of Pelham One Two Three, The Cabinet of Dr. Caligari (no HDR), High Plains Drifter (software uniformly simulated HDR), Mystery Men (software uniformly simulated HDR), Silent Running (software uniformly simulated HDR), Dressed to Kill (software uniformly simulated HDR), The Power of the Dog (software uniformly simulated HDR), Escape From Alcatraz (software uniformly simulated HDR), I, the Jury (no HDR), Casablanca (software uniformly simulated HDR), In the Mood For Love (NO HDR applied to disc), The Werewolf vs. the Vampire Woman (software uniformly simulated HDR), Blow Out (software uniformly simulated HDR), Night of the Living Dead (NO HDR applied to disc), Lost Highway (software uniformly simulated HDR), Videodrome (software uniformly simulated HDR), The Last Picture Show (software uniformly simulated HDR), It Happened One Night (software uniformly simulated HDR), The Mummy (1932)(software uniformly simulated HDR), Creature From the Black Lagoon (software uniformly simulated HDR), Bride of Frankenstein (software uniformly simulated HDR), The Amityville Horror (software uniformly simulated HDR), The War of the Worlds (1953) (software uniformly simulated HDR), The Incredible Melting Man (software uniformly simulated HDR), Event Horizon (software uniformly simulated HDR), Branded to Kill (software uniformly simulated HDR), The Killing (software uniformly simulated HDR), Killer's Kiss (software uniformly simulated HDR.) On their 4K UHD, Criterion use the same linear PCM mono track (24-bit) in the original Japanese language - as found on their 2011 Blu-ray and Arrow's 2014 BD. "Branded to Kill" is filled with various types of brutal violence that comes through authentically flat but with impacting bass. The, much-discussed, score is by Naozumi Yamamoto (Outlaw: Gangster VIP, Massacre Gun, Gate of Flesh and many of Yoji Yamada's Tora-San series) including Killing Blues sung by Atsushi Yamatoya. The score coolly supports "Branded to Kill" varying between minimalist subtleties and typically bombastic irreverence with the use of harmonica, jazzy drums and prosaic harpsichord. Like the video - this is also a flawless transfer. Criterion include optional English subtitles - and is, like all 4K UHD, region FREE, playable worldwide.
There are no extras on the
4K UHD disc. The
included second disc
Blu-ray,
is the Criterion one from 2011 which offers the film in 1080P with a video
piece (July 2011) featuring separate interviews with director Seijun Suzuki
and assistant director Masami Kuzuu who recall the production and release of
Branded to Kill for over a dozen minutes in HD. There is also a
10-minute interview with actor Joe Shishido - star of Branded to Kill
- also recorded this year and a March 1997 interview with Suzuki recorded
during a retrospective of his work by the Japanese Foundation and Los
Angeles FilmForum at the Nuart Theater in L.A. Lastly we get a 3-minute HD
trailer and a booklet featuring an essay by critic and historian Tony Rayns. |
Menus / Extras
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CLICK EACH BLU-RAY and 4K UHD CAPTURE TO SEE IN FULL RESOLUTION
1) Criterion - Region 0 - NTSC - TOP2) Criterion - Region FREE - 4K UHD BOTTOM |
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1) Criterion - Region 'A' - Blu-ray - TOP2) Criterion - Region FREE - 4K UHD BOTTOM |
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1) Arrow - Region 'B' - Blu-ray - TOP2) Criterion - Region FREE - 4K UHD BOTTOM |
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1) Sandrew Metronome - Region 0 - PAL - TOP2) Criterion - Region FREE - 4K UHD BOTTOM |
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1) Criterion - Region 'A' - Blu-ray - TOP2) Criterion - Region FREE - 4K UHD BOTTOM |
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1) Sandrew Metronome - Region 0 - PAL - TOP2) Criterion - Region FREE - 4K UHD BOTTOM |
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More full resolution (3840 X 2160) 4K Ultra HD Captures for Patreon Supporters HERE
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Box Cover |
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CLICK to order from: Bonus Captures: |
Distribution | Criterion - Region FREE - 4K UHD |
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S E A R C H D V D B e a v e r |