Versus

A relentless one-of-a-kind sensory assault chock-full of hyperkinetic fight scenes, gangster shootouts, sword-slashing violence, and gory zombie horror, Versus was a key title amongst the barrage of innovative horror and action movies that appeared as if from nowhere from Japan at the turn of the millennium, leading to a new wave of appreciation for Asian extreme cinema.A mysterious face-off in a wooded clearing between two escaped convicts and a carload of sharply dressed yakuza holding a beautiful woman captive ends in hails of bullets and showers of blood. The location for this violent encounter is the mythic Forest of Resurrection, the site of the 444th portal of the 666 hidden gates that link this earthly domain to the netherworld—and it didn’t get this name for nothing. As one of the surviving prisoners escapes with the girl into the darkness of the forest, disgruntled gangsters soon become the least of their worries as an earlier battle between a lone warrior against hordes of zombie samurai is carried over from a millennium ago into the present day...Versus caused a sensation both in Japan and internationally upon its release, launching the careers of director Ryûhei Kitamura (Godzilla Final Wars, Midnight Meat Train) and action star and fight choreographer Tak Sakaguchi (Battlefield Baseball, Yakuza Weapon). Arrow Video is proud to present this mythic cult title in a director-approved restoration.Special Edition Content2K restoration from original film elements by Arrow Films, approved by director Ryûhei KitamuraHigh Definition (1080p) Blu-ray presentationOriginal lossless Japanese 5.1 and 2.0 stereo audio and English 2.0 stereo audioOptional English subtitles for the Japanese soundtrackOptional English subtitles for the deaf and hard of hearing for the English soundtrackAudio commentary by Kitamura and producer Keishiro ShinAudio commentary by Kitamura, cast, and crewVisual essay on the career of Kitamura by Japanese cinema expert Jasper SharpBehind Versus, a two-part behind-the-scenes documentary exploring the film’s productionTak Sakaguchi’s One-Man Journey, an archival featurette on the actor’s visit to the 2001 Japan Film FestivalFilm festival screening footageTeam Versus, a brief look inside the Napalm Films officeDeep in the Woods, an archival featurette featuring interviews with Kitamura, cast, and crewThe Encounter, an archival interview with editor Shûichi KakesuDeleted scenes with audio commentary by Kitamura, cast, and crewNervous and Nervous 2, two “side story” mini-movies featuring characters from the main featureFeaturette on the making of Nervous 2Versus FF Version, a condensed, 20-minute recut of the filmMultiple trailersImage galleryReversible sleeve featuring original and newly commissioned artwork by Chris Malbon