Bohachi Bushido: Code of the Forgotten Eight – Mondo Macabro (Blu-ray)

Theatrical Release Date: Japan, 1973
Director: Teruo Ishii
Writers: San Kaji, Kazuo Koike, Goseki Kojima
Cast: Tetsurô Tanba, Gorô Ibuki, Tatsuo Endô, Ryôhei Uchida, Yuriko Hishimi, Keiko Aikawa, Rena Ichinose, Shôki Fukae

Release Date: July 8th, 2025
Approximate Running Time: 81 Minutes 12 Seconds
Aspect Ratio: 2.35:1 Widescreen / 2160 Progressive / HEVC / H.265
Rating: NR
Sound: DTS-HD Mono Japanese
Subtitles: English
Region Coding: Region A
Retail Price: $29.99

"The legendary actor Tetsuro Tanba stars as Shiro, a master swordsman who is weary of the world of samurai honor and samurai killing, and so attempts suicide rather than finishing a fight. He is saved by the Bohachi clan, a gang of pimps who have forsaken all honor and whose cynicism outruns even his own. But ultimately, he even tires of their nihilistic worldview, leading to a final showdown in the snow ...." - synopsis provided by the distributor

Video: 4/5

Here’s the information provided about the transfer, "Brand new 4K restoration from the original negative."

Bohachi Bushido: Code of the Forgotten Eight comes on a 50 GB dual layer Blu-ray.

Disc Size: 32.6 GB

Feature: 22.3 GB

The source looks excellent; that said, there are a few instances that are not as strong. Flesh tones look healthy, colors look great, black levels are strong, image clarity and compression are solid, and there are no issues with digital noise reduction.

Audio: 5/5

This release comes with one audio option, a DTS-HD mono mix in Japanese with removable English subtitles. The audio sounds excellent; dialog comes through clearly, everything sounds balanced, and ambient sounds are well-represented.

Extras:

Extras for this release include a theatrical trailer (3 minutes 11 seconds, Dolby Digital mono Japanese with removable English subtitles), an archival introduction with Pinky Violence expert J-Taro Sugisaku, Cult movie director Takao Nakano and Yoshiki Hayashi (42 seconds, Dolby Digital stereo Japanese with removable English subtitles), an archival interview with Yoshiki Hayashi titled What is Pinky Violence? (15 minutes 33 seconds, Dolby Digital stereo Japanese with removable English subtitles), an archival interview with actress Yuriko Hishimi (21 minutes 5 seconds, Dolby Digital stereo Japanese with removable English subtitles), an interview with Shinya Tsukamoto about Bohachi Bushido: Code of the Forgotten Eight and the career of Teruo Ishii (17 minutes 44 seconds, Dolby Digital stereo Japanese with removable English subtitles), an archival audio commentary with J-Taro Sugisaku, Takao Nakano and Yoshiki Hayashi, and an audio commentary with Japanese film expert and author Tom Mes.

Summary:

Teruo Ishii directed Bohachi Bushido: Code of the Forgotten Eight. His other notable films include Shogun’s Joys of Torture, Inferno of Torture, Orgies of Edo, Horrors of Malformed Men, The Blind Woman’s Curse, and The Executioner. Bohachi Bushido: Clan of the Forgotten Eight was adapted from a manga written by Kazuo Koike, who also created these series: Hanzo the Razor, Lady Snowblood, and Lone Wolf & Cub.

Shiro is a wanted assassin who is tired of being chased by the law and sees suicide as his only way out. His attempt at suicide is foiled when he is rescued and brought back to health by members of a clan known as the Bohachi. Shiro agrees to help the Bohachi dispose of their enemies; in return, they will provide him sanctuary from the law. Can Shiro trust the Bohachi to uphold their end of the bargain, or will they cut him loose after he serves his purpose?

Bohachi Bushido: Code of the Forgotten Eight stylish openings do a phenomenal job drawing you in. The protagonist, while crossing a bridge, finds himself surrounded by four assassins who are soon joined by additional men. Although he manages to dispose of many of them, he realizes the odds are insurmountable and decides to jump off the bridge into the river below. The carnage in this sequence, like those that follow, are geysers of blood and severed limbs. There is a surreal quality to this sequence that continues throughout.

“To die is hell, but to live, is also hell” are words spoken by the protagonist throughout. He is a man with no regard for life; he is willing to sacrifice his own at any moment. The narrative revolves around his dealings with a clan known as Bohachi, who have removed servitude, loyalty, trust, propriety, justice, conscience, shame, and religion from their code of honor. The Bohachi subjugate women, forcing them into submissive sexual slavery and risking their lives to serve their masters. The remaining characters consist of rival clans and corrupt government officials.

All around, the cast are excellent, especially Tetsuro Tamba (Zero Woman: Red Handcuffs) in the role of Shiro. Another performance of note is Yuriko Hishimi, who portrays Oman, one of the Bohachi women who are assigned to help protect Shiro while he kills all their enemies. The Bohachi women's loyalty is perfectly encapsulated in a scene where Shiro is surrounded by a ring of fire. They roll around until the fire is put out, then they remove their clothes and continue to fight in the nude.

Visually, Teruo Ishii has a knack for creating some of the most fantastically perverse set pieces that are equally brutal and laced with sex. There is plenty of nudity, including sword and hand-to-hand fighting by the female cast. Don’t let their beauty fool you; they are equally, if not more, dangerous than their male counterparts. In the most memorable scene the protagonist is drugged, and an orgy of carnage erupts when his enemies try to take advantage of the situation. Though all of the flight sequences are exemplary; the best is saved for the finale. Ultimately, Bohachi Bushido: Clan of the Forgotten Eight is one of the most remarkable and unforgettable films to emerge from Toei’s Pinky Violence cinema cycle.

Bohachi Bushido: Code of the Forgotten Eight gets an excellent release from Mondo Macabro that comes with a solid audio/video presentation and a wealth of insightful extras, highly recommended.

Written by Michael Den Boer