On October 28, Transformer will release Ishii Sogo DVD-Box Vol.1 featuring all of Sogo Ishii's films from 1976-1983 (excluding Burst City*):
-Panic In Highshcool (1976)
-Solitude Of One Divided By 880,000 (1977)
-Charge! Hakata Gangsters (1978)
-Shuffle (1981)
-Crazy Thunder Road (1980)
-Asia Strikes Back ～2005 Remix Live Version～ (1983)
-Bonus Disc (180 mins)

Plus a 100 page booklet, Asia Strikes Back soundtrack CD, Tatsuo Yamada audio commentary on Crazy Thunder Road, and more.

Price will be 24990 yen (including tax).

*Burst City is not included because Toei owns it. Toei released it on DVD last summer.

The official website for the box set:
http://www.transformer.co.jp/special/ishii.html
The website is frequently updated with news about the box set.

The trailer for the box set:
http://www.transformer.co.jp/products/trai...ideoFile=ishii2

Start saving now. This and the follow-up box set will offer the definitive editions of his films.

Obviously the HIGH SCHOOL PANIC presentation - a great film, though I credit its success more to its co-director than to Ishii - if the rt of 17 minutes and 4:3 aspect ratio are correct, is a somewhat different version to the previous release!

That's because the box set will contain the original 8mm version of the film.

I wasn't aware there was one, of if I was I'd subesquently forgotten about it. So what's the history of the film? That Ishii made a short which he showed to Nikkatsu and then was allowed to co-direct a full-length feature version of?

Does the website say anything about subtitles?

No subs whatsoever, not even in Japanese which is a shame. If I'm correct, most of these (or all?) are without a subtitled release. I'd love to see these early works and those extras sound yummy.
Would be great if, for example, Discotek would pick these up to complement their just released Burst city and Electric dragon 80.000V.

Yes, the Nikkatsu version is a remake.

The name of the box set has been changed to "Sogo Ishii: Punk Years 1976-1983" and the official website has posted the artwork for the box set:



It is now up for pre-order at Amazon (25% off):
http://www.amazon.co.jp/gp/product/B000HWY2PA/

Has anyone of you ordered this?
It's out for over a week and amazon has still not sent anything.

Yes, I got it. I will post a quick review of it later this week.

I hope they just forgot to send a confirmation.

This set has been quite extensively promoted in Japan, with Ishii making several personal appearances in stores such as Disc Union. There was also a 3 night event at Loft, and I went the second night in order to catch a rare live performance by Friction (which caused it to sell out); in-between acts various video clips were shown, presumably all from the DVD Box. Various promotional t-shirts have also been available, both for the Loft event and the DVD.

Volume 2 is announced now... coming December 22nd and contains the following titles:

- Crazy Family
- Master of Shiatsu
- Dumb Numb DVD Live Friction (Concert Film)
- Tokyo Blood
- August in the Water
- Mirrored Mind
- Bonus DVD with Lonely Planet and Making-Of footage of August in the Water.

100-pages Booklet and Soundtrack of Crazy Family...