BCI Spills Details On Their New Ronin Entertainment Label and Tony Jaa’s Spirited Killer

“SPIRITED KILLER”

Two-Disc Special Edition From BCI’s Kung Fu Theater Series;
Available September 19th for $14.98

Los Angeles, CA – He’s been called the successor to Bruce Lee, Jackie Chan and Jet Li, and one of his early films is now available from BCI, a wholly owned subsidiary of Navarre Corporation. “Spirited Killer,” starring martial arts phenom Tony Jaa, will be available in a special two-disc edition September 19th at a suggested retail price of $14.98.

A group of travelers visiting the exotic forests of Thailand is suddenly attacked by a multi-weapon wielding maniac—the Spirited Killer (Panna Rittikrai). While some in the party manage to escape, others perish from the killer’s merciless blows. This forest dweller is hell-bent on destroying anyone who sets foot in his jungle.

Rittikrai, a major action star/fight coordinator/director in Thailand, is the long-time mentor to Tony Jaa. Rittikrai, Jaa and most of the production crew were responsible for the subsequent action epics “Ong Bak” (a huge hit for 20th Century Fox) and “The Protector,” being released by The Weinstein Company this August. The second disc in the special edition will be full of new bonus content created for this release, focusing on Jaa.

Special features on disc two include:
• “Master of Action: Panna Rittikrai” interview and profile
• “Best of Panna” action fight scenes
• “Thailand Dangerous: The Other Action Cinema of the East
• Tony Jaa interview
• “Tony Jaa: Thailand’s Favorite Son”
• Muay Thai Boran: Ong Bak’s deadly fighting art

NAVARRE CORPORATION’S BCI ANNOUNCES ITS RONIN ENTERTAINMENT DIVISION

New Brand To Focus on Icons of Japanese Cinema;
Initial Titles Featuring Films of Acclaimed Director Akira Kurosawa and Action Film Star Sonny Chiba

Los Angeles, CA – With its already successful line of martial arts films, BCI, a wholly owned subsidiary of Navarre Corporation, has announced the formation of Ronin Entertainment, a new division that will focus on product from Japan including films and television series, with initial titles being licensed directly from the Japanese film studios Toei Co. Ltd. and Kadokawa Pictures. The announcement was made today by Cliff MacMillan, Director of Acquisitions, BCI.

“With the influx of Japanese films being remade in this country, there has been a tremendous resurgence of interest in original Japanese film and television programming,” said MacMillan. “Kurosawa and Chiba represent two different ends of the Japanese entertainment spectrum, and both have become cultural icons. We’re fortunate to have the opportunity to release titles from both of these legendary figures.”

The initial titles to be released from the Ronin Entertainment line include:

The Quiet Duel—Based on a play by Kazuo Kikuta, this early Akira Kurosawa film tells the tale of Dr. Kyoji Fujisaki (Toshiro Mifune), an army surgeon who gets contaminated with syphilis during an operation. With his faith as his only guide, Dr. Fujisaki must return to saving people’s lives, including that of the man from whom he contracted the disease.

“The Quiet Duel” is the first release in BCI’s new Directors Series, which features a variety of extras. Special features in “The Quiet Duel” include: original Japanese theatrical trailer; news reports from the movie set; interviews with cinematographer Setsuo Kobayashi; actress Miki Sanjo; and composer Akila Ifukube; and liner notes by Stuart Galbraith IV, author of The Emperor and the Wolf: The Lives and Films of Akira Kurosawa and Toshiro Mifune.

Features the entire, 27 episode first season of the series, in a seven-disc box set, and will be available on September 5th at a suggested retail price of $19.98.

Sonny Chiba Action Pack—Japan’s popular action star is featured in a three film set:
Virus
In the post-apocalyptic future, a military-engineered virus has wiped out most of the human population. A handful of survivors trapped in Antarctica struggles to desperately find a way to resurrect the human race.

Golgo 13
Sonny Chiba is Golgo 13, an international assassin assigned the job of eliminating a drug kingpin in Hong Kong. Hot on his trail is Smith, a detective who wants to wipe out the drug syndicate entirely.

Bullet Train
In the film that was released before “Speed,” the captain of a passenger train (Chiba), has the daunting task of protecting his passengers, as the train is rigged with a bomb that is set to go off if the train goes below a certain speed.

Each film in the “Sonny Chiba Action Pack” has been digitally remastered, and is presented in anamorphic widescreen format, in the original uncut versions in Japanese, with English subtitles. “Golgo 13” and “Bullet Train” include an English dubbed track. The suggested retail price of the three-pack is $24.98, and will be available on August 22nd.

Sister Street Fighter Collection—A four disc box set featuring “Sister Street Fighter;” “Sister Street Fighter: Hanging by a Thread;” “Return of the Sister Street Fighter;” and “Sister Street Fighter: Fifth Level Fist.”

The original “Sister Street Fighter” is available for the first time in its original, uncut version, in both Japanese with English subtitles and with an English dubbed track, plus it’s presented in its original anamorphic widescreen format. The three sequels are being released in the U.S. for the first time.

Bonus features include a DVD booklet with rare stills, and liner notes by author Patrick Macias. The suggested retail price of the four-disc collection is $44.98, and will be available on September 5th.

Shadow Warriors—Starring Japanese cult action hero Sonny Chiba, this classic Japanese action series portrays the battles between the Iga and Koga clans when the political situation fell into chaos not long after Tokugawa Ietsuna succeeded to the position of the Fourth Shogun.

Features the entire, 27 episode first season of the series, in a seven-disc box set, and will be available in November for $69.98.