42 Students, Three Days, One Survivor, No Rules Source: Madman Entertainment
Kinji Fukasaku`s acclaimed and controversial cult hit BATTLE ROYALE (?????????, Batoru Rouaiaru, 2000) will be released on Region 4 DVD in February by Madman Entertainment. The new release will be a "director`s cut" version never before available in Australia. In the near future, Japan is in a state of collapse. With high unemployment and a generation of youth out of control, the government enacts the Battle Royale programme. Each year, a randomly chosen school class is pitted against itself on an abandoned island in a cruel game of survival. With a former teacher (Takeshi Kitano) overseeing the game, this is a fight to the death with only one winner. The rules are simple: It lasts 3 days - Each player starts with food, water and a random weapon - If more than one player survives, everyone dies - There is no escape. As the roll call begins, each kid grabs a backpack and stumbles away towards death or murder. As the game progresses, terror and panic challenge the students` fragile trust in each other. Some suspect everyone, blindly striking down those who cross their paths. Others form alliances dreaming of a peaceful solution with multiple survivors. Despite the game`s brutality, the adolescent players maintain their school obsessions with crushes, petty grudges and their dreams. But as the game approaches its shocking final stages, even this semblance of normality disintegrates. BATTLE ROYALE launched the careers of many Japanese actors. Tatsuya Fujiwara later starred as Light Yagami in the DEATH NOTE films, Chiaki Kuriyama in KILL BILL and THE GREAT YOKAI WAR, Kou Shibasaki in DORORO and SINKING OF JAPAN, and Masanobu Ando in SUKIYAKI WESTERN DJANGO. A Hollywood remake is now being developed. Asian film remaker extraordinaire Roy Lee is producing a new version with New Line, currently slated for 2014. Format: DVD (Region 4, PAL) SRP: $29.95 Catalogue: EYE378 Release Date: February 15, 2012 Year Of Production: 2000 Audio tracks: Dolby 5.1, DTS 5.1 Languages: Japanese Subtitles: English Runtime: 122 minutes Special Features: Making of BATTLE ROYALE BATTLE ROYALE documentary Instructional Video: birthday version Audition and rehearsal footage Special Effects comparison Tokyo International Film Festival 2000 Basketball Scene rehearsals Behind the Scenes Filming on set Special Edition TV Special Edition TV Spot: Tarantino version Theatrical trailer
About Madman
Madman is Australia`s leading independent theatrical, home entertainment distribution and rights management company, specialising in the wholesale distribution of DVD and BLU RAY product into sales channels throughout Australia and New Zealand. Other rights management activities undertaken by madman include theatrical distribution, as well as licensing for television, video-on-demand, hotel, airline and merchandise. Madman proudly showcases the best in collectable and special interest genres including Australian film, world cinema, TV, kids content, anime, sports and more.
For more information on BATTLE ROYALE, please see the earlier coverage here on SciFi Japan:
