When we think about cyberpunk as a genre, the idea of ‘punk’ often becomes deeply subservient to the idea of ‘cyber’. While movies like Blade Runner and Akira present a host of counter-culture ideologies and expressions of technological innovation, what captivates us most is a vision of a humanity entirely consumed by computer integration. We dream of (or fear) a world where our virtual life is lived in direct parallel to our physical existence; where our work, play, and passion is as tied to our avatar selves in cyberspace as it is to our bodies in the real world.
More in sync with David Cronnenberg and the “New Flesh” than William Gibson’s posthumanism, Shinya Tsukamoto’s vision of human-and-technology-integrating-as-one very much places ‘punk’ at the forefront of the cyberpunk experience. Nowhere does he make that more clear than his grinding, gruesome masterpiece Tetsuo: The Iron Man—a nasty hedonistic expression of the fear of man’s increasing integration with an ever more tech-focused world.
The movie is accompanied by a pulse pounding score from Japanese industrial music icon Chu Ishikawa. A complete audio-visual trip on every level.
This collection also included Tetsuo II: The Body Hammer, the Adventure of Denchu-Kozo, highly regarded cult classics Tokyo Fist and Bullet Ballet, A Snake of June, Vital, Haze, Kotoko, and Killing.
Special Features (via arrowvideo.com)
- High Definition Blu-ray™ (1080p) presentations of all ten films
- Original lossless PCM 1.0 mono audio on Tetsuo: The Iron Man, Tetsuo II: Body Hammer, The Adventure of Denchu-Kozo and Tokyo Fist
- Original lossless PCM 2.0 stereo audio on Bullet Ballet and Haze
- Original lossless DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 on A Snake of June, Vital, Kotoko and Killing
- Optional lossless PCM 2.0 stereo audio on Tokyo Fist
- Optional lossless DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 on Bullet Ballet
- Optional English subtitles for all films
- Audio commentaries by Japanese cinema expert Tom Mes on all ten films
- Japanese Cinema's Provocateur Extraordinaire, a career-spanning interview with Shinya Tsukamoto
- An Assault on the Senses, a visual essay on the films and style of Shinya Tsukamoto by Japanese cinema expert Jasper Sharp
- Multiple archival interviews with Shinya Tsukamoto, covering every film in the collection
- Shooting A Snake of June, an archival behind-the-scenes featurette on the film's production
- Archival The Making of Vital featurette
- Archival behind-the-scenes featurette on Vital's world premiere at the Venice Film Festival
- Archival featurette on Vital's special effects
- The Making of Haze, an archival behind-the-scenes featurette on the film's production
- Kaori Fuji at the Locarno Film Festival, an archival featurette focusing on Haze's lead actress
- Archival Background to The Adventure of Denchu-Kozo featurette
- Tokyo Fist, Bullet Ballet and Vital music clips
- Multiple trailers and image galleries
- Reversible sleeves featuring newly commissioned artwork by Gilles Vranckx, Gary Pullin, Jacob Phillips, Chris Malbon, Tommy Pocket, Peter Strain and Tony Stella
