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Conscience and Guilt

In a mountainous region of Japan, Lord Arakawa kidnaps the men of nearby villages to use as slave labor, producing gunpowder from his sulfur pits. A band of young boys decide to rescue their enslaved fathers on their own.

Tora-san, an itinerant peddler who is thrown out of his father's house twenty years before but reconnects with his aunt, uncle and sister Sakura. Tora wreaks some havoc in their lives, like getting drunk and silly at a marriage meeting.

Yuka is a “good-time girl” from Yokohama who is persuaded by her papa to sleep with a foreign business executive so that he can close an important deal. Nakahira presents a shrewdly observed portrait of a modern, sexually assertive woman—an unsettling character for a changing but still patriarchal society.

The star crossed romance of Yu LiYing, an office worker at the local bottling plant, and Weiming (Kelly Lai Chen), an independently wealthy young man who likes Bonsai, has TB, and is likely to die in a few years. They meet when she is swimming with coworkers and sees him standing on a cliff above. She goes to him fearing he is going to commit suicide, then feels embarassed by the mistake. He, however, is smitten and soon they both fall for each other and marry despite his condition.

Ginjiro was born to a family of nobility, though he yearned for freedom. To earn this freedom, he affiliates himself with the worst of the worst. Swearing his allegiance to the notorious Kuroiwa crime syndicate, the yakuza family known for its thirst for blood, Ginjiro equips for battle. When a rival family raids their gambling parlor, he slashes a masked henchman. Unbeknown to him, his victim was no henchman.

After committing murder, businessman Atsushi is blackmailed into keeping a suitcase of embezzled money. What follows is a descent into lustful, reckless actions and regret.

In a Toei all-star effort, Matsukata Hiroki, Otomo Ryutaro, and Konoe Jushiro combine to create an exciting black and white sequel to the classic story of 17 Ninja, one of the most famous films from that noted studio. In the year 1651 the Kishu clan is about to rise against the Tokugawa shogunate using a stash of muskets being guarded by Jinza the leader of the Koga ninja. The Iga ninja are called upon to stop the revolt under the leadership of Hattori Hanzo setting off a spy versus spy battle of silent ninja stealth. Through all the turmoil, Shizaburo and Yuka have broken the taboo of ninja falling in love and strive to achieve the forbidden life of happiness that is denied to all members of the ninja class.

The delinquent gang 'The Seven Brigands' consists of the unruly rich heir Peter Ko, sister Connie, classmates Lisa, B.B. Jane and sister Angel, Tommy and Tong Wong. The good-natured Peter and Lisa want to put the gang back on the right track, but with Lisa falling out with the group following a row, Peter reverts to his former self.

A cynical samurai is left as the sole survivor to fulfill a plot to assassinate the puppet of a villain intent on usurping the shogunate in the 17th century. A Shogunate Elder connives to rule Japan by making his puppet, the Shogun's brother Tsunashige, the next Shogun. The best strategist in Japan, Yamaga, leads a plot to stop the Elder, but his cabal is betrayed and most of the conspirators are captured and tortured.

Private eye Chang Wen Chiang receives a telephone call from his girlfriend Li Lan Hsing. He rushes over and finds her dying in a pool of blood.

Michi's first encounter with Nobuyuki Ishida, secretary to the chairman of a private school, takes place in the drawing room, when she attempts to swindle him out of two million yen for alleged rape by his son. Akie, Ishida's wife and the chairman's daughter, offers her a million, but he gives her what she demands. Now Michi is not only satisfied, but she has a mad desire for Ishida and calls him every day asking for a date. His sympathy for her gradually evolves into love, and he soon allows her insatiable passion to strip him of his decency.

At the age of 16 Zhou Lian, who lost her parents at the age of two and was raised by a stepmother, marries Jiang Mei, a progressive young man from Changsha No. 1 Normal School. Jiang Meiqing has also lost both of his parents. The couple has two sons, Liqun, Xiaoqing and daughter Xiaolian. The film follows the family through turbulent times from 1924 to 1930.

Taiwan Wuxia Film.

Unusual volcanic activity in Japan awakens Gyaos, a bloodthirsty flying monster with the power to slice things in half with an ultrasonic ray. While scientists and the military scramble to devise a way to stop this new threat, a young boy forms an alliance with Gamera; a monster no one else seems to trust.

A film about the construction of the Kasumigaseki Building, the first high-rise building in Japan.

A suspenseful Ninja fantasy based on Shiba Ryotaro's novel, woven with the mysterious fate and romance of Shinzo and a beautiful Princess who find themselves at the center of an intrigue surrounding the legendary land of Yasurai in the mountains of Kumano. Hidden gold, the love of a beautiful Princess, and the approaching evil sword all contribute in bringing you a Ninja action thriller that only the legendary actor Okawa Hashizo and the genius director Kato Tai could produce!

The 22nd film in the Shacho comedy series.

A middle-aged factory engineer trains, marries, and ultimately loses a teenage bride after she enslaves him to her whims.

Set in 1926 when Japanese tradition was much stronger, this drama looks at the inner workings of a small family, especially the relationship between a sister and brother.

A story loosely based on the affair between Empress Kōken-Shōtoku and the monk Dōkyō, set during the Nara period (710–794 A.D.).

This is the story of a vagrant samurai – the solitary, savage and scrupulous Kiba – who arrives at a village to defend a beautiful, blind woman against a sinister plot. Her assailants then send against him another samurai, named Sana, who is without scruples. The fight between them will become personal, for the honor and love of the blind woman.

After a salary-man's fiancée attempts suicide, he recounts his gruesome family history which saw generations of his ancestors suffer and sacrifice themselves for the sake of their cruel lords.

This gripping story centers on the romance between Wang Chin Lung and Sue San. Although they may be perfectly matched when it comes to their love for one other, the two come from remarkably different social ranks. While Chin Lung is the son of a respected government official, Su San is a prostitute, albeit a famous one.

A look at the lives of a troupe of geishas working in a small seaside resort town. For the most part, their lives consist of greeting boatloads of oversexed businessmen and providing bawdy entertainment through the evening followed by private companionship at night, interspersed with occasional catfights with the rival geisha house. Their routine is suddenly thrown off by the appearance of an abandoned baby in the geishas' dormitory, followed by its disappearance only a short time later. Who could be responsible for such a thing?

Agent Jiro Kitami attempts to stop a smuggling ring from shipping arms to Vietcong guerrillas.

Inosuke, a former gangster, and his friends struggle to make a living as simple fishermen in this tale of chivalry and friendship among yakuza in the northern regions.

A greedy developer, in league with a corrupt Shrine Magistrate, brutally tries to drive people out of a tenement building and destroy the shrine in back. But he makes the fatal mistake of hosting a 100 Ghost Stories ceremony without the closing cleansing ritual, opening the door for the Yokai Monsters to punish the wicked.

Rambler Shinji arrives in town armed with nothing but a guitar. With assistance from an old gun-for-hire friend, he sets about to stop the mob from turning an honest ranch into a gambling resort.

Kuramoto, who works for a large trading company, is a skilled employee who is well-liked by the company president. He is engaged to an employee named Nishino Etsuko, but he used her for his own career advancement and kills her so that he can marry the company president's daughter. When Kuramoto returns from his honeymoon with his new wife, Etsuko's brother shows up in search of the whereabouts of his missing sister.

Scholar Yuen Man-lung leads a double life as Vigilante Golden Cat. Yuen is separated from his lover Tso Oi-lan by her snobbish father who promises her to Tsui Tai-fei, son of the magistrate and incriminates him as the wanted burglar. Yuen sneaks out of prison and wreaks havoc in Golden Cat's name; the exasperated magistrate has to release him. Before leaving for the imperial exams with the runaway Oi-lan, Yuen stages one final heist for his friend's sake. The officials trail Golden Cat to his house where his nocturnal costume is retrieved. His father is arrested as the criminal. Drawing a plan up her sleeves, Oi-lan's sister Oi-ling whisks the elder out of the execution ground. Despite failing at the exams presided over by corrupt examiners, Yuen saves the emperor on his homecoming journey, and returns triumphant as a duke.

The Dai-bosatsu toge trilogy is based on Kaizan Nakazato's unfinished long series of novels (41 books, written from 1913 to 1941). Set in the last period of the Tokugawa Shogunate, Daibosatsu Toge tells the story of Ryunosuke Tsukue, a nihilistic swordmaster who doesn't hesitate to kill anyone, bad or good.

"Let's Build a Family" was made in memory of the late director Mok Hong-si in the name of the "Eight Brothers". Based on Mok's classic work "Crossroads" (1955), it features four households in a shared apartment, resulting in a series of hilarious events.

A vengeful contractor hires a series of young killers to target a woman muckraker. Trouble brews when an amateur marksman shows up his eclectic competition.

Story of a woman, Saiko, who divorces her doctor husband when she is given a baby by a stranger who claims it is the husband's child. Saiko embarks on an affair with her cousin's husband, but a crisis threatens when she discovers that her ex-husband is about to remarry.

A Toho film featuring the comedy duo Konto 55, (コント55号), comprised of comedians Kinichi Hagimoto and Jiro Sakagami.

A man who hunts for women and sells them to bars and cabarets. This film depicts the lives of men and women who breathe the dark side of the city and live with a mysterious strength amidst vice. The fourth film in the Night Youth series by the duo Umemiya Tatsuo and Midori Mako.

A skilled country doctor's talents are such that he can even perform operations as difficult and novel as removing a patient's kidney for the first time in Japan. Unfortunately for him, however, his wife's addiction to gambling is of such a magnitude that he is down to selling his underwear to make money. The image sticks and he becomes known as the 'underwear doctor.' On the other hand, his successful surgery's patient is so grateful he himself wants to become a physician.

A man is involved in a fatal car accident, and though he is blameless, his company transfers him to a remote branch in a small town. Before he leaves, he gives the man's widow a large sum of money that she uses to move back to her hometown.

Set in Kawaguchi in the early 60s, this simple story chronicles the lives of foundry families and one girl's dreams of higher education.

The last Japanese soldier in 16 years who survived

Zatoichi comes upon a dying man who asks him to give a bag of money to "Taichi". Zatoichi has no idea who this is but when he comes upon a small town harassed by gangsters, he finds that "Taichi" was the man's young son. Along his travels he also met a blind monk who makes Zatoichi question his murderous lifestyle. In trying to help the town, Zatoichi kills some gangsters and becomes a hero to the boy. He must make a choice of whether to use non-violence and set a good example, or violence and set the boy on the wrong path in life.

'Agent Number Two' Lee Kwok-wai of the resistance troops Red Rattlesnake sets off for Guangzhou to assist Agent Number One in rescuing their comrade Pang Yau-lan from the puppet army. Lee approaches his former lover Lam Ying-tsi, the mistress and trusted aide of the puppet commander Wong Tai-wai, who has fallen prey to the lip service of the beautiful and smart songstress Pak Lai. Following the vandalism of the arsenal, Pak is quick to point the finger of blame at a spy at work. Lam combs their home for clues and finds Lee's recording devices. Furnishing Lee with misleading information, Lam has Lee and associates arrested. Pak appears to their rescue, revealing herself as Agent Number One. The dauntless spy sabotages the enemy's ammunition and communication network, captures the commander before joining her comrades to celebrate a successful withdrawal. (Synopsis based on audiovisual materials)

Eight Murderers

The fifth film of the desperado outpost series directed by Senkichi Taniguchi

Hsiao Yun's rise to fame all results from a lucky break, as she's forced to substitute for another singer at the last second. The girl makes the most of her fortuitous opportunity, creating a huge splash in her debut as an entertainer, a fact which forever changes her life! However, this newfound meteoric rise to fame begins to take a toll on her personal life. For one thing, it starts to complicate her burgeoning romance with her pianist lover. And secondly, she soon finds herself the receiver of some sexual overtures from the producer of her show. What will poor Hsiao Yun do? And will blue skies be smiling at her by story's end?

The time was 1948, the place was Nanking. The two students Chi Ping and Chang Chung Yao were staying in a room rented from the Han family. Yin Len, the elder daughter of the Han family, fell in love with art student Chi Ping; and soon they were engaged. Chi Ping left for Paris to study art and asked Chang Chung Yao to take good care of Yin Len during his absence. Few months later, just before Nanking was to fall into Communist hands, Chang Chung Yao took Yin Len to Taiwan and lost contact of Chi Ping...

A princess seeks adventure and true love, with help from her loyal servant.

A crazy swordsman is on the loose, wreaking havoc and devastation in his wake. Before long a beautiful swordswoman is deployed to put an end to his vile antics.

Ichi is staying at an inn when a woman dies. Her dying wish is that Ichi take her son to his father, an artist living in a nearby town. After arriving in the town, Ichi finds out that the father has been forced by a local boss to create illegal pornography to pay off his gambling debts. Ichi makes it his mission to save the man and reunite the family, even though it brings him into conflict with a samurai he sort of befriended on his way to the town.

Warlord Oda Nobunaga seeks to unite a fractured Japan. A young man trained in the arts of ninjitsu is manipulated by a ninja master into attempting to assassinate the warlord before he completes his task.

With his penultimate film, Uchida revisited one of his popular prewar titles, 1936’s Theatre of Life, an adaptation of Shiro Ozaki’s eponymous novel. Three-time Seijun Suzuki collaborator Goro Tanada wrote a gangsterized adaptation of Ozaki’s story for Uchida at a time when the yakuza had eclipsed the samurai genre as Toei's main cash crop. Protagonist Hishakaku murders a man in a quarrel over a barmaid and goes to jail. In his temporary absence, his girlfriend Otoyo, a former geisha, falls for Hishakaku’s brother, inciting a dangerous love triangle that, in typical yakuza fashion, ends tragically.

Three tales of women that resided in the Shogun's harem (o-oku) during the Edo period.

Men are being murdered by a killer who uses a matter-transmitting device to locate his victims.

Love at Twenty unites five directors from five different countries to present their different perspectives on what love really is at the age of 20. The episodes are united with the score of Georges Delerue and still photos of Henri Cartier-Bresson.

[Period covered: 1582-1594]. As the film opens, the warlod Nobunaga Oda rides to Iga Ayanokuni shrine. He is asked if he thinks he has destroyed all the ninja who opposed him and answers that he suspects that there may be more. A servant brings water and tests it first. The paige dies and we hear gunshots as two ninja flee the scene. His suspicions confirmed, Nobunaga oversees the execution of captured ninja and decides that, in the future, he needs a much crueler method of execution. The daimyo Hideyoshi comes to visit.