HIS MOTORBIKE, HER ISLAND (1986)
Label: Cult Epics
Region Code: Region-Free
Rating: Unrated
Duration: 90 Minutes 1 Second
Audio: Japanese PCM 2.0 Dual-Mono, DTS-HD HD NA 2.0 Dual-Mono with Optional English Subtitles
Video: 1080p HD Widescreen (1.85:1)
Director: Nobuhiko Obayashi
Cast: Riki Takeuchi, Kiwako Harada, Noriko Watanabe
Following a painful breakup, macho biker Koh (Riki Takeuchi) skips town and hits the road on his beloved Kawasaki W3 650. On his countryside excursion, he encounters the free-spirited Miyo (Kiwako Harada, older sister of Obayashi favorite Tomoyo Harada) who quickly takes interest in both the leather-clad Koh and his motorbike. Koh and Miyo fall in love even as Miyo's prodigious biking talent and thrill-seeking tendencies heighten Koh's fear that she may push it all too far. A nostalgia-filled reminiscence, Nobuhiko Obayashi's monochromatic dream playfully worships the biker culture of yesteryear, delivering a sentimental and liberating take on young love.
Audio/Video: REVIEW COMING SOON!
Special Features:
- Audio Commentary by Samm Deighan
- Becoming the Wind: His Motorbike, Her Island and the Biker Movie - Visual essay by Esther Rosenfield (25:11)
- Her Island: Onomichi Pt. 1 - Visual essay by Alex Pratt (21:18)
- Director Nobuhiko Obayashi Archival Interview (14:44)
- Nobuhiko Obayashi Theatrical Trailers His Motorbike, Her Island (1:32), School 8n the Crosshairs (1:55), The Island Closest To Heaven (1:41), The Girl Who Leapt Through Time (2:48)
- New improved English subtitles
- New Slipcase design by Sam Smith
- Reversible sleeve with Japanese original poster art
- First Pressing includes repro 24-page Japanese booklet (pamphlet)
Sales Points
- For Japanese film lovers
- Each with Exclusive Slipcase Artwork by Sam Smith who had previously designed the iconic art for the Criterion video release of House (1977)
- The first of the four Obayashi-Kadokawa Films
- North American premiere on Blu-ray and DVD
- Nationwide Theatrical screenings February - September 2025
- From the director of HOUSE (1977)
Press Quotes
Japanese cinema is filled with visionary filmmakers, yet few possess the wildly inventive spirit of Nobuhiko Obayashi. While many associate his name with the cult horror classic House (1977), his filmography extends far beyond its psychedelic absurdity. Obayashi spent the 1980s crafting a deeply personal and visually audacious body of work, blending youthful exuberance with dreamlike storytelling.
—Jesse James, Stupiddope
His Motorbike, Her Island is a hidden gem of Japanese cinema, offering a unique blend of romance, drama, and fantasy. If you enjoy unusual, artistic films with a touch of magic, this one's definitely worth a watch.
—Simkl.com
[His Motorbike, Her Island] is yet another fantastic reminder that Obayashi was so much more than his beloved 1977 hit, House.The staples of Obayashi’s oeuvre are all here: the gleeful jump cuts, the pockets of absurdity, and the interplay between color and black-and-white film stock. Ultimately, His Motorbike, Her Island becomes an ode to the transience of youth and the faint memories of long-gone summers, where everything is remembered with a wistful warmth.
—Marta Djordjevic, Rewind & REVIVE
Screenshots from the Cult Epics Blu-ray:
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