Takashi Miike`s legendary AUDITION comes to Blu-ray next month. © 1999 Omega Project

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

Image courtesy of MVD Entertainment. © 1999 Omega Project

One of the most shocking J-horror films ever made, AUDITION (???????, ?dishon, 1999) exploded onto the festival circuit at the turn of the century to a chorus of awards and praise. The film would catapult director Takashi Miike to the international scene and pave the way for such other genre delights as ICHI THE KILLER (????, Koroshiya Ichi, 2001) and THE HAPPINESS OF THE KATAKURIS (????????, Katakuri-ke no K?fuku, 2001). Recent widower Shigeharu Aoyama is advised by his son to find a new wife, so he seeks the advice of a colleague having been out of the dating scene for many years. They take advantage of their position in a film company by staging an audition to find the perfect woman. Interviewing a series of women, Shigeharu becomes enchanted by Asami, a quiet, 24-year-old woman, who is immediately responsive to his charms. But soon things take a very dark and twisted turn as we find that Asami isn`t what she seems to be... Pulling the audience into a story that will lead to one of the most harrowing climaxes in cinema history, Miike twists and turns us through delirious editing and shocking visuals for one of the most depraved nightmares of all time! Product Details Format: BLU-RAY SKU: AV187 UPC: 760137220282 Street Date: 02/12/19 Label: Arrow Video Genre: Horror Run Time: 115 mins Number of Discs: 1 Audio: Stereo Territory: US Language: Japanese Subtitles: English SRP: $39.95 Bonus Materials • Brand new 2K restoration of original vault elements • Original 5.1 Dolby Surround Audio • Optional English subtitles • Audio commentary with director Takashi Miike and screenwriter Daisuke Tengan • Brand new commentary by Miike biographer Tom Mes examining the film and its source novel • Introduction by Miike • Ties that Bind: A brand new interview with Takashi Miike • Interviews with stars Ryo Ishibashi, Eihi Shiina, Renji Ishibashi and Ren Osugi • Damaged Romance: An appreciation by Japanese cinema historian Tony Rayns • Trailers • Reversible sleeve featuring original and newly commissioned artwork by Matthew Griffin • FIRST PRESSING ONLY: Illustrated collector`s booklet featuring new writing on the film by Anton Bitel

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.