From Arrow Video, this limited edition set includes A Certain Killer (aka Aru koroshi ya ) from 1967 and A Killer’s Key (aka Aru koroshiya no kagi), also from 1967. Both films star Raizô Ichikawa as the titular killer.
A Certain Killer (1967)
In the first of the two films, a former soldier working in a restaurant finds himself in the employ of the yakuza as a killer. Here, the characters are set-up their connections established. The lead is shown as a man of conviction, one doing the work he must and keeping mostly to himself. He is soon joined by a young woman who pushes her way into his life. The film here is one solid assassin film, one that is of its time, so it is dated yes, but the writing by Yasuzô Masumura and Yoshihiro Ishimatsu (based on a novel by Shinji Fujiwara), and directed by Kazuo Mori are all solid, so it makes the film one that is a must-watch. The cast here is fantastic as well with Raizô Ichikawa giving a sometimes-stoic performance as the lead, Yumiko Nogawa as the young woman who joins him is great at bringing a bit of levity. The rest of the cast works incredibly well here too. The film is also well-shot and edited, giving the viewer and easy watching experience and one that may remain with them as a bit of a cinematic education.
A Killer’s Key (1967)
The sequel here follows the lead as he continues his life, doing the best he can. Lead actor Raizô Ichikawa is back and joined by another solid group of actors who all work well together, giving the film a strong ensemble cast. The script here is by Mitsuro Kotaki and Yasuzô Masumura (again based on a novel by Shinji Fujiwara), and the direction by Kazuo Mori, bringing the viewer a film that is directly connected with the first and easy to watch back-to-back, almost like one long film. The cinematography and editing here work just as well as the first film’s.
This new release here is presented in 1080p with mono audio and newly translated subtitles which all look and sound really good here. The mono source for the sound is a bit limiting but it works well. The images look fantastic here, likely as good as they can from the source material. The set comes with a good amount of great quality extras. Of course, it has trailers and an image gallery with new cover art and new writing in the included booklet. The features on the disc are where the best extra content is at with a new audio commentary by Tony Rayns, an Asian cinema expert, and 30-minute introduction by Mark Roberts, a Japanese cinema scholar.
