Label boss Francesco Simeoni, drawing on over two decades worth of experience in the world of film distribution, has launched the new Blu-ray label Radiance Films, in a bid to release films that otherwise might not see the light of day. Utilising his expert knowledge of where and how to source visionary filmmaking, some of it ultra-rare, and driven by a desire to shine a light on these wonderful, and sometimes wonderfully-obscure titles, Radiance Films is an idiosyncratic and adventurous new label.

Francesco Simeoni says about Radiance Films: “Every film is a journey into the unknown. I find it thrilling to explore new areas of cinema. Different periods, tropes, styles, politics, sensibilities, I find it all absolutely fascinating - it’s art, history, biography, and lots of emotion. With Radiance I want to encompass the whole of cinema.”

Tokyo, 1934. Gang boss Arakawa is too ill and a successor must be named. The choice falls on Nakai, but being an outsider he refuses and suggests senior clansman Matsuda instead. But Matsuda is in jail and the elders won’t wait for his release, so they appoint the younger and more malleable Ishido to take the reins. Clan honour and loyalties are severely tested when Matsuda is released, resulting in an increasingly violent internal strife. An atmospheric tale of gangland intrigue written by Kazuo Kasahara (Battles Without Honour and Humanity) and starring Tomisaburo Wakayama, (Lone Wolf and Cub, The Bounty Hunter Trilogy) and genre legend Koji Tsuruta, Big Time Gambling Boss is one of the all-time classics of the yakuza genre. Paul Schrader called it the richest and most complex film of its type, while novelist Yukio Mishima hailed it as a masterpiece. Radiance Films is proud to present this crucial re-discovery for the first time ever on Blu-ray.

Limited Edition Special Features:

- High Definition digital transfer of the film
- Uncompressed mono PCM audio
- Visual essay by genre expert Chris D on the film and its place within the period and genre (2022)
- Ninkyo 101: A masterclass with Mark Schilling, author of The Yakuza Movie Book (2022)
- Trailer
- Reversible sleeve featuring original and newly commissioned artwork by maarko phntm
- Limited edition booklet featuring new writing on the film by author Stuart Galbraith IV, and critic Hayley Scanlon
- Limited edition of 2000 copies, presented in full-height Scanavo packaging with removable OBI strip leaving packaging free of certificates and markings