Zen and Sword: Limited Edition Box Set – Eureka Video (Blu-ray)

Theatrical Release Dates: Japan, 1961 (Miyamoto Musashi), Japan, 1962 (Miyamoto Musashi II: Showdown at Hannyazaka Heights), Japan, 1963 (Miyamoto Musashi III: Birth of the Two Sword Style), Japan, 1964 (Miyamoto Musashi IV: Duel at Ichijyo-ji), Japan, 1965 (Miyamoto Musashi V: Duel at Ganryu Island)
Director: Tomu Uchida (All Films)
Cast: Kinnosuke Nakamura, Wakaba Irie, Chieko Naniwa, Rentarô Mikuni, Michiyo Kogure, Ryôsuke Kagawa, Mikijirô Hira, Ken Takakura, Chieko Higashiyama, Kei Satô, Koreya Senda, Takahiro Tamura, Kôtarô Satomi

Release Date: February 23rd, 2026
Approximate Running Times: 110 Minutes 15 Seconds (Miyamoto Musashi), 106 Minutes 39 Seconds (Miyamoto Musashi II: Showdown at Hannyazaka Heights), 103 Minutes 59 Seconds (Miyamoto Musashi III: Birth of the Two Sword Style), 127 Minutes 58 Seconds (Miyamoto Musashi IV: Duel at Ichijyo-ji), 120 Minutes 50 Seconds (Miyamoto Musashi V: Duel at Ganryu Island)
Aspect Ratio: 2.35:1 Widescreen / 1080 Progressive / MPEG-4 AVC (All Films)
Rating: 15 (UK)
Sound: LPCM Stereo Japanese (All Films)
Subtitles: English (All Films)
Region Coding: Region B
Retail Price: £54.99 (UK)

"A swordsman, writer and artist who lived between 1584 and 1645, Miyamoto Musashi is a near-mythic figure in Japanese history and an icon of Japanese popular culture. The first film based on his life was produced in the silent period, followed by dozens more made over the next decades. In the early 1960s, Toei launched into an entire series focused on the legendary samurai – a five-part saga adapted from the works of Eiji Yoshikawa and completed under the direction of Tomu Uchida between 1961 and 1965.

Miyamoto Musashi charts the origins of the eponymous swordsman (Kinnosuke Nakamura) following his participation in the Battle of Sekigahara and traces his path towards the way of the samurai. In Miyamoto Musashi II: Showdown at Hannyazaka Heights, Musashi emerges from a period of learning and contemplation, soon coming into conflict with a rogue group of ronin. Then, in Miyamoto Musashi III: Birth of the Two Sword Style, the samurai develops his personal style of swordsmanship and first encounters Kojiro Sasaki (Ken Takakura), who will become his arch-rival. His feud with Sasaki intensifies in Miyamoto Musashi IV: Duel at Ichijyo-ji and Miyamoto Musashi V: Duel at Ganryu Island, ultimately leading to an epic final battle.." - synopsis provided by the distributor

Video: 4.25/5 (All Films)

Here’s the information provided about this release's transfer, "rom new 4K restorations by Toei."

Miyamoto Musashi and Miyamoto Musashi II: Showdown at Hannyazaka Heights come on a 50 GB dual layer Blu-ray.

Disc Size: 44.2 GB

Feature: 21.8 GB (Miyamoto Musashi), 21.2 GB (Miyamoto Musashi II: Showdown at Hannyazaka Heights)

Miyamoto Musashi III: Birth of the Two Sword Style and Miyamoto Musashi IV: Duel at Ichijyo-ji come on a 50 GB dual layer Blu-ray.

Disc Size: 44.8 GB

Feature: 19.6 GB (Miyamoto Musashi III: Birth of the Two Sword Style), 24.1 GB (Miyamoto Musashi IV: Duel at Ichijyo-ji)

Miyamoto Musashi V: Duel at Ganryu Island comes on a 50 GB dual layer Blu-ray.

Disc Size: 44.2 GB

Feature: 33.3 GB

All of the sources are in excellent shape; flesh tones and colors look correct, image clarity and black levels are strong, compression is solid, and there are no issues with digital noise reduction. That said, Miyamoto Musashi IV: Duel at Ichijyo-ji has one sequence that reverts to black and white, while every other moment from each film is in color.

Audio: 4.5/5 (All Audio Tracks)

Each film comes with one audio option, a LPCM mono mix in Japanese with removable English subtitles. All tracks are of high quality; dialogue is always clear, the sound is well-balanced, and ambient effects are effectively represented.

Extras:

Extras on disc one include a theatrical trailer for Miyamoto Musashi (3 minutes, LPCM mono Japanese with non-removable English subtitles), a Toei Bulletin for Miyamoto Musashi (3 minutes 14 seconds, LPCM mono Japanese with non-removable English subtitles), a theatrical trailer for Miyamoto Musashi II: Showdown at Hannyazaka Heights (3 minutes 7 seconds, LPCM mono Japanese with non-removable English subtitles), a Toei Bulletin for Miyamoto Musashi II: Showdown at Hannyazaka Heights (3 minutes 48 seconds, LPCM mono Japanese with non-removable English subtitles), an audio commentary with Japanese cinema expert Jonathan Wroot for Miyamoto Musashi, and an audio commentary with film critic and Japanese cinema specialist Jasper Sharp for Miyamoto Musashi II: Showdown at Hannyazaka Heights.

Extras on disc two include a theatrical trailer for Miyamoto Musashi III: Birth of the Two Sword Style (3 minutes 10 seconds, LPCM mono Japanese with non-removable English subtitles), a theatrical trailer for Miyamoto Musashi IV: Duel at Ichijyo-ji (3 minutes 16 seconds, LPCM mono Japanese with non-removable English subtitles), and Toei Bulletin for Miyamoto Musashi IV: Duel at Ichijyo-ji (2 minutes 21 seconds, LPCM mono Japanese with non-removable English subtitles).

Extras on disc three include still galleries: Miyamoto Musashi (88 images), Miyamoto Musashi II: Showdown at Hannyazaka Heights (79 images), Miyamoto Musashi III: Birth of the Two Sword Style (65 images), Miyamoto Musashi IV: Duel at Ichijyo-ji (61 images), and Miyamoto Musashi V: Duel at Ganryu Island (89 images), a theatrical trailer for Miyamoto Musashi V: Duel at Ganryu Island (3 minutes 8 seconds, LPCM mono Japanese with non-removable English subtitles), a Toei Bulletin for Miyamoto Musashi V: Duel at Ganryu Island (2 minutes 26 seconds, LPCM mono Japanese with non-removable English subtitles), an new appreciation of Toei’s Miyamoto Musashi saga by film critic Tony Rayns titled A Legendary Swordsman (27 minutes 37 seconds, LPCM stereo English, no subtitles), an interview with Japanese cinema scholar Jennifer Coates on female representation in Toei’s Miyamoto Musashi saga titled On Otsu and Other Women (17 minutes 6 seconds, LPCM stereo English, no subtitles), and Live by the Sword a video essay on Miyamoto Musashi in history and popular culture by Jonathan Clements, author of A Brief History of Japan: Samurai, Shōgun and Zen: The Extraordinary Story of the Land of the Rising Sun (15 minutes 25 seconds, LPCM stereo English with removable English subtitles for Japanese film clips).

Other extras include a hardbound slipcase (limited to 2,000 copies) and a 100-page book (limited to 2,000 copies) with cast & crew information for each film, an essay titled Two Paths to the Way: Miyamoto Musashi on Screen in Post-War Japan written by Joe Hickinbottom, an essay titled Heart vs Head: Opposing Star Personas in Miyamoto Musashi written by Jennifer Coates, a translated writing by Miyamoto Musashi titled The Book of Five Rings, a translated writing by Miyamoto Musashi titled The Way of Walking Alone, posters, glossary of terms, and information about the transfer titled Notes on Viewing.

Summary:

Tomu Uchida directed these five Miyamoto Musashi films. He’s known for Bloody Spear at Mount Fuji, The Mad Fox, and A Fugitive from the Past.

Miyamoto Musashi: After being on the losing side of the Battle of Sekigahara, Takezo’s life becomes embroiled in turmoil, and he embarks on a journey of self-discovery.

Miyamoto Musashi II: Showdown at Hannyazaka Heights: After a period of self-reflection, Takezo is reborn as Miyamoto Musashi and embarks on a quest to become the most skilled swordsman.

Miyamoto Musashi III: Birth of the Two Sword Style: In his quest for knowledge, Miyamoto Musashi crosses paths with Sasaki Kojiro, a swordsman who would become his archrival. 

Miyamoto Musashi IV: Duel at Ichijyo-ji: In his continued search for swordsmen who can challenge him, Miyamoto Musashi encounters Kojiro, his most formidable opponent to date.

Miyamoto Musashi V: Duel at Ganryu Island: Only Sasaki Kojiro stands in the way of Miyamoto Musashi completing his journey.

The first film not only serves as an origin story for Takezo, who becomes Miyamoto Musashi, but also does an excellent job introducing and fleshing out characters who will play a role throughout the five films. When Takezo’s friend Matahachi runs away with a woman and her mother, who saved them, Matahachi’s mother blames him for her son’s death. Although her son is still alive, this sets in action a series of events that make Takezo a fugitive. After a series of failed attempts to capture Takezo, it is a monk named Takuan who brings him to justice. For his punishment they hang him from a tree and let the weather conditions slowly break him down. Nearing death, a woman’s act of kindness saves him from certain death. Later on when he crosses paths with Takuan, instead of turning him in, he becomes his mentor.

Miyamoto Musashi II: Showdown at Hannyazaka Heights picks right up where its predecessor left off. The protagonist, a free man, has been reborn as Miyamoto Musashi and embarks on a journey as a wandering swordsman, challenging all opponents. While he tries to strengthen his skills as a fighter, someone from his past who holds a grudge tries to derail him by sabotaging his training and challenging him to a duel that threatens his progress.

Miyamoto Musashi III: Birth of the Two Sword Style begins in the aftermath of the events that concluded Miyamoto Musashi II: Showdown at Hannyazaka Heights. This film introduces two new characters in Miyamoto Musashi’s journey, a young boy who he mentors, and Sasaki Kojiro, a gifted swordsman whose path is destined to collide with Miyamoto Musashi’s. This time around he faces new obstacles and old grudges.

Miyamoto Musashi IV: Duel at Ichijyo-ji begins with a recap of the three films that preceded it. Although characters from the protagonists' past play a role in the unfolding story, the main conflict arises from a clan that refuses to accept defeat. When Miyamoto Musashi kills two of their men in duels, they abandon chivalry in their quest to kill him. The main action set piece features a duel between the protagonist and 73 fighters, transitioning from color to black and white. This shift in color enhances the scene's impact.

Miyamoto Musashi IV: Duel at Ichijyo-ji begins with a lengthy 9-minute recap of the four films that preceded it. When the narrative picks up where its predecessor left off, we find Miyamoto Musashi in anguish after killing a child who was one of the leaders of the clan that tried to ambush him. Along the way he meets a young boy whose father has just died and left him alone, and Miyamoto Musashi finds retribution by taking him in. The finale and series climax see Miyamoto Musashi duel Sasaki Kojiro.

While these films are about a protagonist looking to strengthen his skills as a swordsman, their narratives tend to heavily favor dialogue over action. The action sequences in these films are expertly crafted and consistently impactful, despite their brevity. Each film reserves its most significant action moments for the finale. Most of these scenarios see Miyamoto Musashi greatly outnumbered, including one scene where he faces 73 opponents.

All around, the cast are outstanding in their roles, especially Kinnosuke Nakamura’s (Revenge) portrayal of Miyamoto Musashi. He delivers an exemplary performance that not only showcases his character's physical prowess but also his contemplative side. Another performance of note is Wakaba Irie (The Island Closest to Heaven) in the role of Otsu. Although Otsu’s love for Miyamoto Musashi is strong, his singular focus is his destiny as a swordsman, and it's not until the fourth film that he finally professes his love for her. Although Ken Takakura (Abashiri Prison) had been in 89 films over 7 years before Miyamoto Musashi III: Birth of the Two Sword Style, most of these roles were unnamed characters or bit parts. The Miyamoto Musashi films gave him an early notable role before he had his breakout as an actor.

While it can be challenging to match the quality of the first film, each of the following films maintains a high standard. Some films feature more action than others, and among them, Miyamoto Musashi III: Birth of the Two Sword Style stands out with the fastest pacing of the five films. All of these films excel in an area that can sometimes be overlooked in similar productions: the significant amount of time they dedicate to the stories of not only their protagonists but also their supporting characters. In conclusion, Tomu Uchida’s Miyamoto Musashi is an epic series where everything comes together seamlessly, making it a must-see for fans of samurai films.

Eureka Video has done an exceptional job with this release; each film comes with a solid audio/video presentation, and there is a wealth of insightful extras, notably an outstanding 100-page book. That said, Zen and Sword is a leading contender for release of the year; it's a must-have for fans of samurai cinema, and it's the type of release that should convince you to go region-free, if you are not already. Highly recommended.

Written by Michael Den Boer

Saucy 70s! - A British Sex Comedy Threesome: Deluxe Collectors Edition – 88 Films (Blu-ray)

Theatrical Release Dates: UK, 1973 (The Sex Thief), UK, 1972 (Au Pair Girls), UK, 1969 (Zeta One)
Directors: Martin Campbell (The Sex Thief), Val Guest (Au Pair Girls), Michael Cort (Zeta One)
Cast: Jennifer Westbrook, David Warbeck, Henry Rayner, Gerald Taylor, Michael Armstrong, Terence Edmond, Diane Keen, Christopher Neil, Harvey Hall (The Sex Thief), Astrid Frank, Johnny Briggs, Gabrielle Drake, Me Me Lai, Nancie Wait, Joyce Heron, Daphne Anderson, Geoffrey Bayldon (Au Pair Girls), James Robertson Justice, Charles Hawtrey, Robin Hawdon, Anna Gaël, Brigitte Skay, Dawn Addams, Valerie Leon, Lionel Murton, Yutte Stensgaard (Zeta One)

Release Date: December 19th, 2022
Approximate Running Times: 93 Minutes 9 Seconds (The Sex Thief), 84 Minutes 29 Seconds (Au Pair Girls), 85 Minutes 50 Seconds (Zeta One)
Aspect Ratio: 1.66:1 Widescreen / 1080 Progressive / MPEG-4 AVC (All Films)
Rating: 18 (UK)
Sound: LPCM Mono English (All Films)
Subtitles: English SDH (All Films)
Region Coding: Region B
Retail Price: £35.00 (UK)

"From the era that also bought us the seedier Carry On films and the Confessions… movies there also came a run of other ‘delightfully of their time’ British sex comedies. This beautifully presented set brings together three of those typically silly and salacious soft porn romps in Zeta One (1970), Au Pair Girls (1972) and The Sex Thief (1973). Combining elements of science fiction, crime and plenty of smut these movies could only have sprung from that strangely odd time which fell somewhere between the dying sixties and the Deep Throat generation.

Featuring an eclectic mix of talent including James Robertson Justice (Doctor in the House), Me Me Lai (The Man from Deep River), Charles Hawtrey, (Carry on up the Jungle) and Diane Keen (Here We Go Round the Mulberry Bush) these films are at least guaranteed to raise a smile if nothing else…

Daring, daft and unspeakably naughty, here is a threesome you’ll never forget." - synopsis provided by the distributor

Video: 3.75/5 (Zeta One), 3.25/5 (The Sex Thief, Au Pair Girls)

Here’s the information provided about this release's transfers, "The masters of Zeta One, Au Pair Girls and The Sex Thief were transferred in High Definition from best possible archive film materials and supplied by Tigon Film distributors.

Additional restoration was carried out by 88 Films at ITV Studios in 2022 to remove excess dust, instability and flicker."

The Sex Thief comes on a 50 GB dual layer Blu-ray.

Disc Size: 40 GB

Feature: 27 GB

Au Pair Girls comes on a 50 GB dual layer Blu-ray.

Disc Size: 29.1 GB

Feature: 23 GB

Zeta One comes on a 50 GB dual layer Blu-ray.

Disc Size: 33.1 GB

Feature: 24.9 GB

Though none of these transfers are reference quality, they are all still better than what has come before on home media. Zeta One is the best-looking of these three films, while the other two look similar quality-wise.

Audio: 3.5/5 (Zeta One), 3/5 (The Sex Thief, Au Pair Girls)

Each film comes with one audio option, a LPCM mono mix in English with removable English SDH. The Sex Thief and Au Pair Girls have sibilance issues. The dialogue is consistently clear, the overall sound is well-balanced, and the audio range is satisfactory.

Extras:

Extras for The Sex Thief include overseas version (intro only) from hardcore version of The Sex Thief (2 minutes 53 seconds, Dolby Digital mono English with burnt-in Dutch subtitles), an interview with Michael Armstrong titled To Catch a Thief (11 minutes 10 seconds, Dolby Digital stereo English, no subtitles), a featurette titled It Must Be Burglary - Making The Sex Thief, featuring production accountant David Ball, composer Michael Vickers, editor Peter Musgrave, art director Tony Noble, stunt arranger Paul Weston, and actress Veronica Doran (32 minutes 5 seconds, Dolby Digital stereo English, no subtitles), and an audio commentary with Kim Newman and Barry Forshaw.

Extras for the Au Pair Girls include a theatrical trailer (2 minutes 16 seconds, Dolby Digital mono English, no subtitles), three extended scenes from the Export version (5 minutes 56 seconds, Dolby Digital mono English, no subtitles), and a featurette titled Au Pair Appeal (10 minutes, Dolby Digital stereo English, no subtitles), featuring actor John Standing, camera operator Geoff Glover, and first assistant editor Tariq Anwar.

Extras for Zeta One include a theatrical trailer (2 minutes 1 second, Dolby Digital mono English, no subtitles), an interview with actress Angela Grant titled Outerspace Girl (10 minutes 2 seconds, Dolby Digital stereo English, no subtitles), an interview with actor Robin Hawdon titled Zeta Man (9 minutes 2 seconds, Dolby Digital stereo English, no subtitles), a featurette titled Earning a Crust, featuring assistant editor Jonathan Morris, and camera operator Geoff Glover (7 minutes 17 seconds, Dolby Digital stereo English, no subtitles), and an audio commentary with Kim Newman and Barry Forshaw.

Other extras include a double-sided fold-out poster, and a 80-Page Perfect-bound Book with cast & crew information for each film, an essay titled Boobs on Screen, Bums on Seats written by Simon Sheridan, Why i Made Sex Comedy an archival interview with director Val Guest, archival reviews for each film, archival images and other promotional materials, and information about the transfers.

Summary:

Besides being British, the other commonality of these three films is that they were produced or distributed by Tigon Films.

The Sex Thief: A novelist who writes trashy novels by day becomes a masked jewel thief by night, seducing his victims when he gets caught in the act.

Everyone must begin their journey at some point. That said, it's head-scratching that Martin Campbell, who directed films like GoldenEye, The Mask of Zorro, and Casino Royale, began his career directing sex comedies like The Sex Thief. Though the premise of The Sex Thief is absurd and the narrative predictable, the direction is solid, particularly in the exaggerated sex scenes.

There is nothing memorable about the performances; David Warbeck (The Beyond), in the role of the protagonist, a novelist masquerading as a jewel thief, spends most of his time having sex. The humor, most of which is sexually laced, misses more than it lands. The funniest joke is how all of the women who have been robbed give different descriptions: a 6-foot-6 Russian who disguises himself as a midget. Worst of all, the narrative just plods along, never gaining any momentum. Ultimately, The Sex Thief is a forgettable comedy whose negatives far outweigh its positives.

Au Pair Girls: Four women from foreign countries go to England to work as au pairs, and sexy shenanigans unfold. 

Au Pair Girls was helmed by a director that one does not usually associate with sex comedies. Up to that point in his career, Val Guest was most known for his 14 collaborations with Hammer Films and his work in the science fiction genre. That said, Au Pair Girls would mark a shift in his career; most of his films after it would be in the comedy genre.

The main attractions of Au Pair Girls are the four actresses who portray the au pairs: Astrid Frank (The Resort Girls), Gabrielle Drake (There's a Girl in My Soup), Me Me Lai (Man from Deep River), and Nancie Wait (The Amorous Milkman). Each of these four women’s characters is given a different nationality, and the humor takes advantage of their traits. Of course, all of them shine their brightest when their more than ample assets are on display.

You have to give Au Pair Girls credit for never straying too far from its strengths. Though the focal point is a series of sexual rendezvous, that is not to say that sufficient time is not devoted to exposition. Au Pair Girls is filled with sexually laced humor that rarely misses its mark, and its gratuitous amount of nudity is a plus. Ultimately, Au Pair Girls is a fun time waster that holds up better than most 1970s British sex comedies.

Zeta One: A secret agent encounters a group of alluring women from another dimension who abduct women from Earth to repopulate their planet.

Co-written and directed by Michael Cort, Zeta One would be his only feature film. The camera just lets characters take center stage; his direction is flat, never delivering any personal flourishes. That said, it is not surprising that he did not direct another feature film.

Considering the premise—a film filled with beautiful, scantily clad women from another dimension—its lack of nudity feels like a missed opportunity. Another area that is not as strong as it could be is the narrative structure; it uses a wrap-around with a secret agent character whose retelling of his adventure with the women from another dimension. Before he even begins this story, there is a lengthy game of foreplay between him and a woman he works with. Needless to say, though Zeta One is a mess, it is not a complete loss.

The most surprising aspect is its cast of recognizable faces: Dawn Addams (The Thousand Eyes of Dr. Mabuse), Valerie Leon (Blood from the Mummy's Tomb), Yutte Stensgaard (Lust for a Vampire), and James Robert Justice (The Guns of Navarone), who portrays a major whose capture tortured some of the women from another dimension. In the case of the latter, it is documented that he was ashamed of working on a film like Zeta One. That said, the performance suits the story that unfolds.

Though billed as a fantasy film, it often employs its humor with tongue firmly in cheek. The planet Angvia, where the women from another dimension are from, is an anagram for vagina. The special effects are atrocious; the women from Angvia have fingers that are a deadly weapon, which they shoot like a gun. There are a lot of James Bond references; the secret agent character is a spoof of James Bond, and his boss's name is W. Ultimately, somehow, despite its shortcomings, Zeta One manages to be a mildly entertaining film in a campy way.

Saucy 70s! - A British Sex Comedy Threesome gives the three films in this collection their best home media release to date, recommended.

Written by Michael Den Boer