Inflatable Doll of the Wastelands (1967) Limited Deluxe Edition - Blu-ray

INFLATABLE DOLL OF THE WASTELANDS
(Kôya No Dacchi Waifu, 1967, 86 min.)

“Every day at 3 o’clock I’ve been ending you in my daydreams,” murmurs low-rent hitman Shô (Yûichi Minato), haunted by the death of his girlfriend years earlier and seeking revenge on the gangster responsible. Director and writer Atsushi Yamatoya crafts an eerie, dreamlike noir filled with fractured storytelling and time-bending elements reminiscent of John Boorman’s Point Blank and Christopher Nolan’s Memento.

Yamatoya also co-wrote Seijun Suzuki’s Branded to Kill (released the same year), and the two films share a similarly offbeat style. Strange flashbacks, unconventional dialogue and song lyrics, moments that break the fourth wall, and a dissonant free-jazz score all contribute to the film’s distinctive tone.

Produced by Keiko Satô, one of the few female producers working in Japan’s underground film scene at the time, the film reflects the experimental spirit of late-1960s independent cinema. Its stark black-and-white cinematography and surreal atmosphere create a hypnotic viewing experience.

Recently rescued from the only surviving 35mm film elements by Rapid Eye Movies in Germany and newly restored by Craig Rogers for Deaf Crocodile.

Special Features

• New commentary by film historians Arne Venema and Mike Leeder
• New video interview with film professor Alexander Zahlten on the Japanese pink film subgenre
• New video essay by journalist Ryan Verrill (The Disc Connected) and film professor Dr. Will Dodson
• Blu-ray authoring by David Mackenzie of Fidelity In Motion
• New reversible wrap art by Beth Morris

Deluxe Edition Bonus Content

• Slipcase featuring new illustration by Tony Stella
• 60-page illustrated book
• New essay by film historian Alexandra Heller-Nicholas
• New essay by Japanese film expert and musician Chris D.
• New essay by film critic Walter Chaw
• Interview with producer Keiko Satô of Kokuei Films, conducted by producer Hiromi Aihara of Bewiz