Win SURVIVOR BALLADS: THREE FILMS BY SHOHEI IMAMURA Blu-ray Box Set From Arrow Video US and MVD Entertainment!

Win the SURVIVOR BALLADS: THREE FILMS BY SHOHEI IMAMURA Blu-ray Box Set from Arrow Video! Photo courtesy of Arrow Video. © Toei Co., Ltd.

Source: Arrow Video US, MVD Entertainment Group press release Special Thanks to Clint Weiler

Image courtesy of MVD Entertainment. Toei Co., Ltd.

Arrow Video US and MVD Entertainment are offering SciFi Japan readers a chance to win the new Blu-ray Box Set SURVIVOR BALLADS: THREE FILMS BY SHOHEI IMAMURA. The three films in this collection have won 36 international awards with an additional 18 nominations, including the Cannes Film Festival and the Independent Spirit Awards. Throughout the 1980s, Shōhei Imamura (THE PORNOGRAPHERS, PROFOUND DESIRES OF THE GODS), a leading figure of the Japanese New Wave era of the 1960s, cemented his international reputation as one of the most important directors of his generation with a series of films that all competed at Cannes to great critical acclaim. This exclusive box set from Arrow Academy presents restored versions of three late career classics from the legendary filmmaker. Based on an ancient folktale, THE BALLAD OF NARAYAMA (楢山節考, Narayama Bushikō, 1983) was the first of two works from the director to win the prestigious Cannes Palme d'Or. Imamura's magnum opus depicts the members of an extended farming family eking out their existence in the mountainous north of Japan against the backdrop of the changing seasons before village lore decrees they make the sacrifice of abandoning their aged mother on the top of a nearby mountain when she reaches her seventieth year. Making its HD debut, ZEGEN (女衒, 1987) takes a satirical look at Japan's prewar colonial expansion through the unscrupulous eyes of its flesh-peddler antihero as he establishes a prostitution enterprise across Southeast Asia. Finally, the harrowing BLACK RAIN (黒い雨, Kuroi Ame, 1989) details the precarious existence of a household of atomic bomb survivors as, five years after being caught in the blast of Hiroshima, they struggle to find a husband for their 25-year-old niece. These three works epitomize the director's almost documentary style of filmmaking, exposing the vulgar yet vibrant and instinctive underbelly of Japanese society through a sympathetic focus on peasants, prostitutes, criminal lowlife and other marginalized figures to explore the schism between the country's timeless premodern traditions and the modern face it projects to the world. SURVIVOR BALLADS: THREE FILMS BY SHOHEI IMAMURA is now available from Arrow Video US and home video retailers. All three movies feature High Definition (1080p) presentations with the original lossless Japanese PCM 1.0 mono soundtracks and optional English subtitles. Extras include new audio commentaries by Japanese cinema expert Jasper Sharp, the alternate color ending to BLACK RAIN, archival interviews, trailers, image galleries, original Japanese press kits for THE BALLAD OF NARAYAMA and BLACK RAIN, and packaging featuring original and newly commissioned artwork by Tony Stella. This first pressing also comes with a 60-page illustrated collector’s booklet featuring new writing by Tom Mes. The suggested retail price is $99.95.

Photo courtesy of Arrow Video. © Toei Co., Ltd.

OFFICIAL CONTEST RULES and INFORMATION

Prize: A. There are two (2) prizes, each consisting of one (1) SURVIVOR BALLADS: THREE FILMS BY SHOHEI IMAMURA Blu-ray Box Set. B. The prizes will be shipped to the contest winners so entrants must include a valid mailing address. This contest is only open to participants in the United States and Canada. C. In the event that a winner chooses not to (or cannot) accept a prize, he or she forfeits all claim to that prize. D. One entry per person. Prizes are non-transferable. No substitution of prizes allowed. Duration of contests: A. The "SURVIVOR BALLADS: THREE FILMS BY SHOHEI IMAMURA" contest runs from December 9 until 11:59pm on December 23, 2020. How to enter: A. Submit your name, email address, and mailing address for the random drawing. B. Be sure to write " SURVIVOR BALLADS: THREE FILMS BY SHOHEI IMAMURA " in the subject header of your email entry. SciFi Japan often runs multiple contests at the same time, so any entries without "SURVIVOR BALLADS: THREE FILMS BY SHOHEI IMAMURA" in the subject header will be discarded. Determination of winners: A. Only contestants who have submitted the requested information will be entered in the final drawing. The first two randomly drawn eligible entries will be judged the winners for this contest. B. SciFi Japan is not responsible for typographical, electronic or other errors in Internet operation affecting the offering, outcome, administration of the contest or the announcement of prizes. Void where prohibited or restricted by law. C. The decision of Arrow Video US and SciFi Japan is final. Entrants agree to be bound by these Official Rules and by the decisions of the SciFi Japan judges, which are final and binding in all respects. D. Following the drawing, winners will be notified via email.

"SURVIVOR BALLADS: THREE FILMS BY SHOHEI IMAMURA" CONTEST

Email the following info to "SURVIVOR BALLADS: THREE FILMS BY SHOHEI IMAMURA" at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. and you're in the contest. Good luck! Name: Email address: Mailing Address:

About Arrow Films

Arrow Films is a leading independent entertainment distribution company, established in 1991. Operating in the UK, the Republic of Ireland, United States of America and Canada, Arrow Films is dedicated to supporting upcoming and established filmmakers of dynamic new cinema and developing an enviable slate of quality films that enjoy a lasting legacy across its award-winning branded labels, channels, and platforms.

About MVD Entertainment Group

MVD Entertainment Group is a full service music and movie distribution firm, exclusively representing thousands of audio and visual products for DVD, Bluray, CD, vinyl, and digital rights, worldwide. MVD also exclusively distributes a growing line of merchandise including limited edition collectibles, tee shirts, and more. “Serving Artists and Audiences” is MVD’s purpose statement; it represents a commitment to the interests of the musicians, filmmakers, record labels, producers, managers, and every link in the supply chain. The customers are the Audience, from wholesalers, sub-distributors, major retail chains, online retailers, specialists, and independent mom and pop stores, all the way to the consumer. MVD Entertainment Group was founded in 1986 by Tom Seaman, an industry veteran with prior experience with The Record Hunter, Sam Goody, CBS Retail, and JEM Distribution. Tom, along with his family Elinor, Eve and Ed, initially focused on music videotapes. At the turn of the century, with the advent of DVD, MVD built a large catalog of exclusively distributed audiovisual content on DVD’s, with special strength in music concert films, horror movies, documentaries, comedy, cult classics, and much more.