Added to your basket
Arrow Films
Japanese maverick director Yasuzo Masumura (Blind Beast) helms a bitingly satirical espionage thriller set in the heart of the Japanese auto industry in his 1962 landmark Black Test Car, which launched a series of similarly themed "Black" films.
In a bitter, take-no-prisoners corporate war between the Tiger Motorcar Company and their competitors, the Yamato Company, undercover spies have infiltrated both sides. As Tiger prepares to launch its newest "Pioneer" car and a prototype bursts into flames, Toru (Hideo Takamatsu, The Last Emperor) heads a secretive task force to root out Yamato's spy, and find out what they can about the competitor's familiar-looking new model.
Making its worldwide Blu-ray debut, Black Test Car is paired here with the English-language video premiere of its follow-up The Black Report, also directed by Masumura.
Special Features
- High Definition Blu-ray™ (1080p) presentation of Black Test Car and The Black Report
- Original uncompressed Japanese mono audio on both films
- Optional newly translated English subtitles on both films
- Newly recorded critical appreciation by Jonathan Rosenbaum
- Theatrical trailers for both films
- Image galleries for both films
- Reversible sleeve featuring newly commissioned artwork by Tony Stella
- Arrow Video
- 95 and 94 mins approx
- 15
- Japanese
- 1
- Arrow Video
- Yasuzô Masumura
- Jirô Tamiya
- Junko Kanô
- Ken Utsui
- Hideo Takamatsu
English
- 1962
- B
Black Test Car & The Black Report Blu-ray
Earn 180 reward points when purchasing this product*
RRP: £24.99
£18.00
Save: £6.99
In stock
Live Chat
Average connection time 25 secs
Average connection time 25 secs
Arrow Films
Japanese maverick director Yasuzo Masumura (Blind Beast) helms a bitingly satirical espionage thriller set in the heart of the Japanese auto industry in his 1962 landmark Black Test Car, which launched a series of similarly themed "Black" films.
In a bitter, take-no-prisoners corporate war between the Tiger Motorcar Company and their competitors, the Yamato Company, undercover spies have infiltrated both sides. As Tiger prepares to launch its newest "Pioneer" car and a prototype bursts into flames, Toru (Hideo Takamatsu, The Last Emperor) heads a secretive task force to root out Yamato's spy, and find out what they can about the competitor's familiar-looking new model.
Making its worldwide Blu-ray debut, Black Test Car is paired here with the English-language video premiere of its follow-up The Black Report, also directed by Masumura.
Special Features
- High Definition Blu-ray™ (1080p) presentation of Black Test Car and The Black Report
- Original uncompressed Japanese mono audio on both films
- Optional newly translated English subtitles on both films
- Newly recorded critical appreciation by Jonathan Rosenbaum
- Theatrical trailers for both films
- Image galleries for both films
- Reversible sleeve featuring newly commissioned artwork by Tony Stella
- Arrow Video
- 95 and 94 mins approx
- 15
- Japanese
- 1
- Arrow Video
- Yasuzô Masumura
- Jirô Tamiya
- Junko Kanô
- Ken Utsui
- Hideo Takamatsu
English
- 1962
- B
Customer Reviews
Top Customer Reviews
Where reviews refer to foods or cosmetic products, results may vary from person to person. Customer reviews are independent and do not represent the views of The Hut Group.
Criminally overlooked
Black Test Car: The parallels this film draws between military and corporations turn it into something brilliant. A very engaging corporate espionage thriller, about the lengths people will go to reassert their status among the corporate ranks. Occasionally dark and grim, yet pretty fun to follow. Amazing style and cinematography with some stellar performances throughout. Lies, deceit, blackmail, corruption, the various struggles and the gradual loss of humanity in a capitalist world make for a compelling drama and some tense thrills throughout. This, next to Toys and Giants, is one of the best films of its type. Black Report: A concise procedural. Phenomenal performances. It is not on the same level as the other film here, but still worth checking out. The included essay by Mark Downing Roberts is very informative and interesting. Makes me wish that the other films form the  Daiei Black series were released by Arrow, I'd buy them in no time if they are even half as good as either of those. Really lucky Arrow released this, otherwise I might have never gotten to know these. One of the best blind buys I did.
Was this helpful?
