Shogun Assassin

UPC: 737187011290

Studio: Animeigo

MPAA Rating: R   Contains:[Violence, Nudity, Adult Situations, Not For Children, Gore]

Summary: More a "greatest hits" movie than an actual stand-alone film of its own, Shogun Assassin is the delirious hybrid of two episodes of the popular Baby Cart series dubbed into English and fused together into a hyper-violent bloodbath ballet that's sure to entertain the samurai-film enthusiast with a strong stomach. The swords fly fast and furious as a wondering shogun is forced into exile after being framed and his wife murdered. Giving his infant son the choice between the merciful release of death (represented by a ball) and the life of constant threat and danger (a sword) the child reaches for the sword, marking the beginning of a brutally violent struggle for survival among a sea of would-be assassins. From this point on plot is secondary, focusing instead on a series of violent vignettes in which limbs fly freely in a furious blur of lightning swords. Utilizing masterful swordsmanship in addition to a cleverly designed and lethal baby carriage, father and son are in a constant state of ultra-alert adrenalized awareness, conscious that instant death may lurk beyond every carefully chosen path. ~ Jason Buchanan, Rovi

Category: Adventure

Features: Program notes
Daigoro's history lesson
Restoration gallery
Original theatrical trailers

Shogun Assassin

Format: Digital Video Disc (DVD)

Release Date: 07/11/2006

Aspect Ratio: 2.35:1 Cinemascope

Audio: DD2 Dolby Digital Stereo

Runtime: 85 Minutes

Sides: 1

Number of Discs: 1

Language(s) English

Region: USA & territories, Canada

Chapters: Disc #1 -- Shogun Assassin
1. My Dad [5:15]
2. A Bad Memory [:58]
3. My Choice [2:19]
4. Our Third Choice [1:59]
5. The Shogun [:57]
6. In the Wheat [1:31]
7. Checking In [2:30]
8. A Warm Bath [2:41]
9. Another Memory [1:16]
10. In the Water [1:19]
11. Female Ninja [3:46]
12. Signs in the Snow [3:53]
13. Dad's Mission [2:23]
14. Keeping Count [2:13]
15. Deadly Radishes [1:48]
16. The Supreme Ninja [1:35]
17. In the Forest [3:06]
18. Taking a Rest [1:31]
2. Their New Plan [1:00]
20. Helping Dad [2:10]
21. Nightfall [8:08]
22. On the Boat [4:57]
23. Below Deck [3:33]
24. The Fire [3:28]
25. Staying Warm [5:15]
26. She Failed [1:00]
27. The Rebel Ambush [4:42]
28. Masters of Death [3:36]
29. The Shogun's Brother [1:40]
30. End Credits [4:11]

Jason Buchanan

Driven by the desire for blood-lusting vengeance and an ample supply of the red stuff, Shogun Assassin chops, slices, dices, and minces its way through 86 minutes of sheer visceral samurai fury. Barely given a chance to breathe before the fearsome Lone Wolf begins his impetuous quest to avenge the tragic murder of his wife, Shogun Assassin provides a blusteringly brutal contrast to the comparatively restrained feudal endeavors of Akira Kurosawa. With its endearingly inadequate dubbing, strikingly choreographed fight sequences, startling gore that would make George Romero wince, and quirky gadgetry of the deadly baby cart in which his son (who also provides the narration) travels, Shogun Assassin's reputation as a cult film has endured, insuring its resurfacing every few years to a new and unexpecting audience, even if they are initially unaware that it is little more than the fusion of two films in a more detailed and complex series. It is for this reason that Shogun Assassin serves as an entertaining and stylized introduction to the grandiose samurai tradition in Japanese film, reeling in unfamiliar audiences while whetting their palate to find out more about the wildly popular story from which it derives. ~ Jason Buchanan, Rovi

Cast and Crew: Shoji Kobayashi  Actor 
Shintaro Katsu  Producer 
Mark Lindsay  Composer (Music Score) 
Robert Houston  Director 
Robert Houston  Screenwriter 
W. Michael Lewis  Composer (Music Score) 
Kenji Misumi  Director 
David Weisman  Director 
David Weisman  Producer 
David Weisman  Screenwriter 
Kazuo Koike  Screenwriter 
Hideakira Sakurai  Composer (Music Score) 
Hisaharu Matsubara  Producer 
Tomisaburo Wakayama  Actor 
Masahiro Tomikawa  Actor 
Kayo Matsuo  Actor 
Shin Kishida  Actor 
Lamont Johnson  Actor 
Marshall Erwin Efron  Actor 
Sandra Bernhard  Actor 
Lennie Weinrib  Actor 
Mark Lindsay  Actor 
Robert Houston  Actor 
David Weisman  Actor 

Country: Japan,USA