Blu-ray, VOD Release: Belladonna of Sadness

By
Laurence
– July 12, 2016Find Others: Blu-ray, Movie, New Release, NewsGet More: ,

VOD Release Date: July 12, 2016, Blu-ray Release Date: July 12, 2016
Price: Blu-ray $39.99
Studio: Cinelicious

Considered to be one of the great lost masterpieces of Japanese animation, 1973’s Belladonna of Sadness follows the mad and sensual tale of Jeanne, an innocent young woman who makes a pact with the devil.

belladonna_1_optThe last in the adult-themed “Animerama Trilogy” produced by the godfather of Japanese anime and manga Osamu Tezuka, Belladonna of Sadness is directed by Tezuka’s long-time collaborator Eiichi Yamamoto (Astro Boy, Kimba The White Lion). Filled with explicit Egon Schiele-inspired eroticism, the film is a swirling, psychedelic light-show of medieval tarot-card imagery, fully loaded with horned demons, haunted forests and sexual transgressions. It’s all set to a Japanese psych rock soundtrack by avant-garde jazz composer Masahiko Satoh.

All but lost since the its original release, the film was restored by Cinelicious Pics using the original 35mm camera negative and sound elements, including over 8 minutes of footage cut from the negative. This newly restored edition (in 4k) marks its first official U.S. release.

The Blu-ray offers the following bonus features:

-New video interview with director Eichi Yamamoto, art director Kunai Fukai and composer Masahiko Satoh.
-Red Ban trailer
-Green Band trailer
-Original 1973 trailer
-16 booklet with essay by Dennis Bartok

Buy or Rent Belladonna of Sadness
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About Laurence

Founder and editor Laurence Lerman saw Alfred Hitchcock’s North by Northwest when he was 13 years old and that’s all it took. He has been writing about film and video for more than a quarter of a century for magazines, anthologies, websites and most recently, Video Business magazine, where he served as the Reviews Editor for 15 years.