Guest Daisho2004 Posted May 29, 2007 Share Posted May 29, 2007 Has anyone seen these movies? I thought I had seen Pistol Opera but I really can't remember, any info would help. They are available for online rental from Netflix, I just want to know if there worth watching. This set contains the films BLACK ANGEL I, BLACK ANGEL II, and PISTOL OPERA. BLACK ANGEL: The fetching Riona Hazuki (PARASITE EVE) stars in this Japanese crime film as Ikko, a woman who calls herself the Black Angel and is out to get her revenge on a yakuza boss named Nogi. When she was a girl, Nogi had Ikko's family slaughtered, and she was saved only because a mysterious woman known as the Black Angel saved her life. Having decided to emulate her savior, Ikko heads down a dangerous path as she attempts to destroy Nogi, now one of the most powerful Yakuza bosses in Japan. Directed by former manga artist Takashi Ishii (GONIN), BLACK ANGEL is a visual marvel. Filled with beautiful wide angle camerawork that distorts and dramatizes the cramped urban setting, BLACK ANGEL is an excellent and entertaining thriller. BLACK ANGEL II: Yuki Amami is the Black Angel, in this sequel to the original film. The Angel is ordered to hit a powerful syndicate boss. However, the hit goes awry when the boss's guard steps in, who turns out to be none other than Yamambe, the man who rescued her from being raped years ago and with whom she has been in love ever since. However, when she is ordered to carry out the hit again, the Black Angel faces a difficult decision. PISTOL OPERA: Seijun Suzuki, the legendary Japanese director probably best known for the cult hit BRANDED TO KILL, returns with this movie about a league of killers for hire. Something of a sequel to BRANDED TO KILL, the film stars Makiko Esumi as a killer named Miyuki Minazuki but known as "Stray Cat," the number three assassin in Japan's professional killer guild. As in its predecessor, number three is contacted by the guild and ordered to kill number one. Knowing that if she succeeds she will become number one, Miyuki embarks on a difficult and dangerous mission to kill the elusive number one. Told in Suzuki's trademark style that blends a fractured narrative with lurid and heavily stylized action sequences, PISTOL OPERA is another brilliant work from a great director. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest morgoth Posted May 29, 2007 Share Posted May 29, 2007 I hated Pistol Opera. HATED IT!!!!!!!!! BA 1 and 2 are good. Part 2 isn't a sequel. I liked part 2 a little more. Less action, but I loved the story. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest pressureworld Posted May 29, 2007 Share Posted May 29, 2007 I will co-sign on the Black Angel films they are pretty good & worth picking up as for Pistol Opera I wasn't impressed Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest RANDY1974 Posted May 30, 2007 Share Posted May 30, 2007 I picked these up today from Best Buy $14.95, for three flicks with girlsa dn guns, seems like a no brainer.IM a big fan of suzuki's earlier films, like Branded to Kill..but i don't expect Pistol Opera to be that good. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Mr Dragula Posted June 19, 2007 Share Posted June 19, 2007 Pistol Opera is certainly a major decline from the chaoticly riveting effort of Branded to Kill, but it's not a completely horrible watch either. Easily worth picking up for the 12$ price tag you can find the box set available for online, and well worth watching at least once for fans of the original or of more abstract film. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Member Takuma Posted December 6, 2010 Member Share Posted December 6, 2010 Haven't seen Pistol Opera but I did pick up Black Angel 1 & 2 recently. The first film is typical V-Cinema without even being V-cinema. It's got some good characters and typically stylish visual design (as expected from Ishii) , unfortunately largely wasted on rushed filming and too low budget. But it still has its moments and a strong cast with tough guys Jinpachi Nezu and Kippei Shiina in supporting roles. Some of the music is recycled from earlier Ishii films, which isn't entirely unusual for an Ishii film. There's music from at least Alone in the Night (1994) and Gonin 2 (1996). The sequel is amazing. Gone are all the problems of the first film. Action still isn't that great but that's beside the point really. The screenplay is incredibly strong, Ishii's best since Love Hotel (1985). Visually the film doesn't quite reach the level of Ishii's best early 90's neo-noir but nevertheless looks and sounds very good and is thoroughly atmospheric. One of the best Japanese crime films of the 90's. trailer: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FEM3pCdjj-s The two films are hardly related at all. Different characters, unrelated story. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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