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Belladonna of Sadness Blu-ray

Belladonna of Sadness
Hardcover, approx. 220 pages
9 × 12 in.
22.86 × 30.48 cm.

$60
LTD. $120

PREORDER

Belladonna of Sadness, the final film in the adult-oriented Animerama trilogy, is one of the great forgotten masterpieces of Japanese anime. Loosely inspired by Jules Michelet’s 1862 history of witchcraft and the occult, La Sorcière, Belladonna of Sadness tells the story of a young woman who makes a pact with the devil to exact revenge after being raped and driven from her home. This brief synopsis, however, does no justice to the visual spectacle of the film, which proceeds as a series of still images flashing onscreen. Spectacular watercolor paintings by Kuni Fukai, marry the art nouveau artifice of artists like Aubrey Beardsley to ’60s psychedelia; the film’s North American distributor, Cinelicious Pics, describes it as “equal parts J.R.R. Tolkien and gorgeous, explicit Gustav Klimt-influenced eroticism.” A legendary cult classic, Belladonna of Sadness has never been officially released in the United States—until now. This publication accompanies the restored film’s North American release.

Beautifully produced in a colorful, large-format edition, this volume provides an indispensible companion to this incredible animated masterpiece, including script outtakes, stills and other ephemera from the film, a text about the film’s painstaking restoration and interviews conducted with the film’s illustrator and composer, and director Eiichi Yamamoto.

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The Limited Edition includes the upcoming Blu-Ray release of the restored feature film by Cinelicious Pics; the official U.S. theatrical one-sheet 27"x39" poster; an alternate theatrical poster featuring artwork only available with the limited edition; a Belladonna enamel jewelry pin; and a promotional postcard.

Edited by Jessica Hundley and J.C. Gabel
Designed by Morgan Ramsey
Hat & Beard Press #4
Split release with Cinelicious Pics

Extremely transgressive, BELLADONNA is fueled by a mind-blowing Japanese psych rock soundtrack by noted avant-garde jazz composer Masahiko Satoh. The film has been newly restored by Cinelicious Pics using the original 35 mm camera negative and sound elements and including over 8 minutes of surreal footage cut from the negative. On par with Rene Laloux's FANTASTIC PLANET and Ralph Bakshi's WIZARDS as an LSD-stoked 1970s head trip, BELLADONNA marks a major rediscovery for animation fans. If Led Zeppelin had a favorite film, this would be it. In other words, Stairway to Hell.

Special Features:
- New Video Interviews with Director Eiichi Yamamoto, Art Director Kuni Fukai, and Composer Masahiko Satoh
- Red Band Trailer, Green Band Trailer, Original Trailer
- 16 page booklet