Photo courtesy of Arrow Films. ©KADOKAWA CORPORATION 1970
Source: Arrow Films, MVD Entertainment
Special Thanks to Derek Stubinski
Daiei's crime drama PLAY IT COOL (でんきくらげ, Denki Kurage, 1970) from the director of BLIND BEAST, RED ANGEL, and AFRAID TO DIE will be released in March in a limited edition Blu-ray from Arrow Films.
Photo courtesy of Arrow Films. ©KADOKAWA CORPORATION 1970
PLAY IT COOL is a chic and erotically charged drama starring popular Japanese singer of the day Mari Atsumi as a college girl negotiating her way through the male-dominated hierarchies of Tokyo's seductive but treacherous nightclub culture.
Yumi (Mari Atsumi) is a pretty fashion student who shares a cramped home with her mother Tomi (Akemi Negishi, THE SAGA OF ANATAHAN) and good-for-nothing stepfather Ryoichi. Tomi works at a local hostess bar and hopes for a better fate for Yumi. When Ryoichi violently forces himself upon her blossoming daughter, Tomi is not afraid to take action to protect her, an act which lands her in jail. Left to fend for herself, Yumi is taken in by her mother's former place of employment, where she finds herself fighting off the unwanted attentions of the men who swarm around her. Then one day, a rescue by handsome former lawyer Nozawa (Yusuke Kawazu, CRUEL STORY OF YOUTH) from a vicious gangster seems to offer an escape into an altogether glitzier world, albeit one that turns out fraught with similar dangers.
Arrow Films is proud to release this little-seen gem by one of Japan's most highly regarded directors of the 1960s, Yasuzō Masumura (GIANTS AND TOYS, IREZUMI), a filmmaker known for his social satires and powerful portrayals of women, as PLAY IT COOL is released for the very first time for the home video market outside of Japan in a brand new high-definition transfer.
PLAY IT COOL Limited Edition Blu-ray
Running Time: 94 Minutes
Number of Discs: 1
Language: Japanese
Subtitles: English SDH
Audio: Mono
Aspect Ratio: 2.35:1
Photo courtesy of Arrow Films. ©KADOKAWA CORPORATION 1970
US
Region Code: 0
SKU: AV637
UPC: 760137170556
Street Date: 03/04/2025
List Price: $39.95
UK
Region Code: A/B
Barcode: 5027035027449
UK Rating: 18
Street Date: 03/03/2025
RRP: £29.99
Bonus Materials
- High Definition (1080p) Blu-ray presentation
- Original uncompressed mono audio
- Optional English subtitles
- Brand new audio commentary with critic and Japanese cinema specialist Jasper Sharp and professor and Japanese literature specialist Anne McKnight
- Too Cool for School, brand new video essay on Play it Cool and the career of writer-director Yasuzō Masumura by Japanese film scholar Mark Roberts
- Original theatrical trailer
- Image gallery
- Reversible sleeve featuring newly commissioned artwork for both films by Tony Stella
- IIllustrated collector’s booklet featuring new writing on the film by Earl Jackson
Photo courtesy of Arrow Films. ©KADOKAWA CORPORATION 1970
Photo courtesy of Arrow Films. ©KADOKAWA CORPORATION 1970
Photo courtesy of Arrow Films. ©KADOKAWA CORPORATION 1970
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 DVDs, with special strength in music concert films, horror movies, documentaries, comedy, cult classics, and much more.