Radiance Films has announced its November 2025 lineup, featuring four major titles that span Japanese political cinema, Greek satire, French crime thrillers, and gritty urban action. The slate includes a box set from Nagisa Oshima, a premiere edition of a Greek classic, a trio of genre films by Robert Hossein, and the debut title from Radiance’s new Transmission imprint.
Radical Japan: Cinema and State (UK)
Leading the lineup is Radical Japan: Cinema and State, a 7-disc box set collecting nine works by director Nagisa Oshima. The set includes seven feature films, an experimental short, and Oshima’s 1995 documentary.
This world premiere release presents a body of work widely regarded as essential to postwar Japanese cinema. The collection includes:
- The Catch – A WWII-era village is shaken by the capture of a pilot.
- Death by Hanging – A failed execution throws the justice system into crisis.
- Diary of a Shinjuku Thief – A bold depiction of Tokyo’s 1960s counterculture.
- Boy – A vivid portrait of a family surviving through scams.
- The Man Who Left His Will on Film – Oshima’s response to the protest movement.
- The Ceremony – A critique of how traditions suppress youth.
- Dear Summer Sister – Explores Japan’s colonial legacy in Okinawa.
Special features include new commentaries, interviews with Oshima, Tadanori Yokoo, and Kazuo Goto, a visual essay, archival documentaries, and a 160-page book.
- Limited to 5,000 copies.
The Ogre of Athens (UK/US)
The Ogre of Athens arrives in a world premiere edition for both the UK and US. Directed by Nikos Koundouros, the 1956 film follows shy bank clerk Thomas (Dinos Iliopoulos), who is mistaken for “The Ogre,” a notorious criminal who rules the streets of Athens.
Suddenly respected and feared, Thomas finds his new role has consequences. Initially a box office failure, the film has since become a foundational work of modern Greek cinema, blending crime satire with physical comedy.
The disc includes:
- New introduction by Jonathan Franzen
- New interviews with critics and Greek film experts
- Limited edition booklet featuring new writing by Andreas Giannopoulos
- Limited to 2,500 copies.
Wicked Games: The Films of Robert Hossein (UK/US)
Radiance spotlights French director Robert Hossein in Wicked Games, a collection of three of his genre films, presented in English-subtitled Blu-ray premieres. The set includes:
- The Wicked Go to Hell – Two inmates join forces to stage a daring escape.
- Nude in a White Car – A drifter is tempted into a night of passion by a mystery blonde.
- The Taste of Violence – A revolutionary kidnaps the daughter of a dictator to negotiate a prisoner swap.
Special features include:
- Audio commentaries by Tim Lucas
- Appreciation by Alex Cox
- Essays by Samm Deighan, C. Courtney Joyner, and more
- Booklet featuring writing by Walter Chaw and Robert Hossein
- Limited to 3,000 copies.
Night of the Juggler – Transmission Imprint Launch (UK)
Radiance launches its new Transmission imprint with Night of the Juggler (1980), a gritty New York City thriller starring Dan Hedaya. When a young girl is kidnapped in a case of mistaken identity, her father — an ex-cop played by James Brolin — tears through Manhattan to find her.
The UK Blu-ray release includes:
- 4K restoration presented in Dolby Vision
- New interviews with James Brolin and Dan Hedaya
- New audio commentary
- Visual essay
- 40-page bound book
- Poster and postcard set
- Limited edition.
A Bold November Lineup of Radical and Rediscovered Cinema
Radiance’s November slate offers a bold cross-section of politically charged, stylistically daring, and long-overlooked films. These releases highlight the label’s continued dedication to essential and challenging cinema from across the globe.
All titles will release in November 2025, with pre-orders now open at Radiance Films in the UK and select pre-orders at DiabolikDVD in the US.
