Page 17 of 21
Re: Japanese cult cinema thread
Posted: 30 Dec 2017, 17:14
by HungFist
That looks pretty cool. Need to add that to my rental list.
Re: Japanese cult cinema thread
Posted: 25 Mar 2018, 09:53
by Guro Taku
Arguably one of the few anime titles to deserve inclusion in this thread, Toyoo Ashida's FIST OF THE NORTH STAR 劇場版 世紀末救世主伝説 北斗の拳 (1986) is getting its world premiere on BD from Discotek Media May 29th.
As expected, this will be the exact same master that Toei prepared for their own DVD release 10 years ago, so the gore will still be partially obscured by pixels and soft focus.
Re: Japanese cult cinema thread
Posted: 15 May 2018, 07:04
by HungFist
I extracted all the TV and VoD reviews to a new thread:
Rare Japanese Cult Cinema reviews (No DVD / BD).
The rationale was that some of you guys might get frustrated with me posting so many Japanese TV / VoD reviews of films that can't be purchased from abroad in the JP Cult thread, and I didn't want that to happen. Hence I created a new thread.
There's no strict rules, though. Discussion of rare films is just fine in both thread. But the idea was that this thread would focus on films that are or might become available for purchase, while reviews of films only available on Japanese TV broadcastings and streams that are next to impossible for anyone outside Japan to access could go in the new thread.
(
Classic Japanese Exploitation thread still covers both films available and not available on DVD/BD).
Re: Japanese cult cinema thread
Posted: 15 May 2018, 08:08
by HungFist
Re: Japanese cult cinema thread
Posted: 26 May 2018, 12:03
by Guro Taku
Arrow Video have finally announced a new Toei/Fukasaku release and it's not the much-speculated upon Hokuriku Proxy War or Wolves, Pigs & Men but rather STREET MOBSTER 現代やくざ 人斬り与太 (1972).
Release date is August 7th.
Re: Japanese cult cinema thread
Posted: 19 Jun 2018, 14:10
by HungFist
Re: Japanese cult cinema thread
Posted: 24 Jun 2018, 15:58
by HungFist
Re: Japanese cult cinema thread
Posted: 06 Jul 2018, 13:57
by HungFist
Re: Japanese cult cinema thread
Posted: 06 Jul 2018, 19:32
by Guro Taku
HungFist wrote: ↑06 Jul 2018, 13:57And no, Sato hasn't died (as far as I know).
A lot can happen in the 5 months before the DVDs come out. Maybe Toei's higher ups know something we don't.
Morbid jokes aside, it's good to finally see some more catalogue releases from Toei. It's certainly been a while since the last batch!
Re: Japanese cult cinema thread
Posted: 01 Aug 2018, 14:18
by HungFist
Happinet will release
Tatsumi Kumashiro's debut film Front Row Life (かぶりつき人生, Kaburitsuki jinsei) (1968) on DVD 2018/9/4
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http://www.happinet-p.com/jp3/releases/digs-1055
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https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vaFt93q9v04
Re: Japanese cult cinema thread
Posted: 08 Aug 2018, 06:12
by HungFist
Re: Japanese cult cinema thread
Posted: 19 Aug 2018, 14:16
by HungFist
Takuzo Kawatani x 3 ! I've warmed up to this fella over the years.
Song of Ossan of Kawachi (河内のオッサンの唄) (Japan)
Takuzo Kawatani, Toei's loud mouth punk bit player and comic relief, somehow landed starring a role in this short running series. This first film is a countryside drama/comedy with a yakuza undercurrent. Kawatani is fun to watch as good hearted village ossan (middle aged man) with no patience at all for anything, but the film doesn't utilize his talent for loud mouthing and tragicomedy as much as it should. There's too much non-eventful drama with supporting characters (young trucker guy Koichi Iwaki, his gal Emi Shimizu, and even a grumpy grandma) in what is a family friendly affair on top of all (light violence and brief boobs only). The film only becomes genuinely entertaining when Kawatani goes against Tokyo yakuza Kenji Imai at the end... largely because in spite of his overly optimistic attempts he nearly always gets his own ass kicked.
Song of Ossan of Kawachi: Yokita no ware (河内のオッサンの唄 よう来たのワレ) (1976)
Now we're talking! This is the Takuzo Kawatani show the first film should've been! The ossan runs into a sympathetic conman (excellent Kunie Tanaka) whom he mistakes as a gambling genius. He agrees to shelter his gal (spunky Hiroko Isayama) which sends all kinds of sparks flying with his wife, the other piranhas and gangsters. And then there's Hideo Murota taking the piss out of Kawatani at every turn! This is a very enjoyable sequel that omits the dull drama of the first film and replaces it with fast pace and likeable characters. Also included is a cool soundtrack, a gambling duel that makes most proper gambler movies pale in comparison, and lots of hilarious moments with the short tempered Kawatani haunted by objects that are destined to land on his face. For a comparison especially apt for this film, Kawatani was the Donald Duck of Toei!
Hiroko Isayama
Kunie Tanaka
Hideo Murota
Osman Yusuf!
Piranha Corps (ピラニア軍団 ダボシャツの天) (1977)
The third and final mid 70s Takuzo Kawatani starring vehicle, unrelated to the two Ossan of Kawachi films. Kawatani is a small time Osaka thug hanging out with his scarred aniki Isao Natsuyagi. There's a wonderfully pathetic fight at the end with Kawatani and fellow piranha just scratching each other's faces and crying their eyes out, but other than that there's not much truly outrageous stuff in the film, nor as much piranhas as the title would have you expect. The film is neither very funny nor too violent, which was perhaps to be expected from director Kosaku Yamashita. In the 60s his name served as automatic recommendation for any film he made. In the 70s he somehow lost his touch, perhaps not keen on the modern yakuza mayhem, and his films became lifeless. Note: this was a standalone film with no follow-ups. The other Piranha Corps film listed by Chris D. and IMDb does not exist.
Re: Japanese cult cinema thread
Posted: 24 Aug 2018, 15:29
by HungFist
Happinet will release Chusei Sone's
“BLOW THE NIGHT!” 夜をぶっとばせ (1983) on DVD on 2018/12/04
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http://www.allcinema.net/prog/show_dvd. ... id=1028289
Re: Japanese cult cinema thread
Posted: 07 Sep 2018, 19:25
by Guro Taku
Speaking of Sone, Happinet will also re-release his 元祖大四畳半大物語 (1980) on October 2nd. This is a slice-of-life comedy based on a manga by Leiji Matsumoto about a country bumpkin moving into a tiny apartment (the 4 and a half tatami mats of the title) in Tokyo and the wacky shenenigans that ensue. It was previously available on DVD from Pioneer but that release is long OOP.
Re: Japanese cult cinema thread
Posted: 07 Oct 2018, 06:50
by HungFist
Re: Japanese cult cinema thread
Posted: 07 Oct 2018, 06:51
by HungFist
Re: Japanese cult cinema thread
Posted: 07 Oct 2018, 06:53
by HungFist
Re: Japanese cult cinema thread
Posted: 07 Oct 2018, 07:08
by HungFist
HungFist wrote: ↑24 Aug 2018, 15:29
Happinet will release Chusei Sone's
“BLOW THE NIGHT!” 夜をぶっとばせ (1983) on DVD on 2018/12/04
Guro Taku wrote: ↑07 Sep 2018, 19:25
Speaking of Sone, Happinet will also re-release his 元祖大四畳半大物語 (1980) on October 2nd.
Happinet is also releasing Sone's thriller
Demon's Room (悪魔の部屋) (Akuma no heya) (1982) on on DVD on January 9th.
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https://www.amazon.co.jp/dp/B07HGFBWNF
This was a Roman Porno film, but the DVD release is not part of Happinet's ongoing Roman Porno release series.
I've tried watching the film, but gave up after 25 minutes after being bored to death.
Re: Japanese cult cinema thread
Posted: 06 Nov 2018, 16:30
by HungFist
Re: Japanese cult cinema thread
Posted: 16 Dec 2018, 15:55
by Guro Taku
Speaking of the Viper Brothers..
HungFist wrote: ↑29 Jul 2018, 15:40
The Viper Brothers: Just Out of Jail (懲役太郎 まむしの兄弟) (Japan, 1971) [DVD] - 2/5
Part 1 in a long running (8+1 films) action/comedy/melodrama series about a pair of short tempered, amoral, but not evil chinpira (Bunta Sugawara and Tamio Kawaji) thinking too big of themselves. Cinematically unspectacular, save for the fine chemistry between Kawaji and Sugawara, it is nevertheless interesting to place this film in the cinematic cannon. Made just prior to the jitsuroku era, before Sugawara established his image as the bad boy of gangster cinema, the direction Japanese cinema was heading to was already evident in how this film frequently portrays its "heroes" in unflattering light. Sugawara and Kawaji may have their comedy moments and emerge as heroes at the end, but only after bullying innocent people, making fools of themselves and even trying to rape a woman.
The Viper Brothers: Cruel Gratitude (まむしの兄弟 お礼参り) (Japan, 1971) [DVD] - 2/5
Part 2. More of the same with a bit less edge to the main characters who behave better this time. There are some energetic club scenes and Noboru Ando has a decent if familiar silent tough guy supporting role, though. The director is Tatsuo Honda, a long time assistant director who only ever directed two films. This was the first, followed by one pink film in 1975. He'd go on to work as writer and producer.
The Viper Brothers: Prison Gang 13 (まむしの兄弟 懲役十三回) (Japan, 1972) [DVD] - 1.5/5
Part 3. This one is set in 1935, continuity be damned (the first two were post WWII). Sugawara and Kawaji nevertheless seemingly portray the same characters. Such disregard to continuity is actually beautiful! That's about as far as this film's excitement goes, unfortunately. Routine chinpira comedy lacks the grittiness of the first film. Instead it features Sugawara becoming a babysitter.
The Viper Brothers: 18 Extortion Threats (まむしの兄弟 傷害恐喝十八犯) (Japan, 1972) [DVD] - 2/5
Part 4. Sugawara tries to overcome a traumatic experience of getting in bed blindfolded with a girl who turned out to be an old granny. Later he and Kawaji try to settle down in a neighbourhood harassed by businessman yakuza Bin Amatsu. Very little to remember here. Like many of the Abashiri Prison sequels, this series seemed to be running on the fumes of its star power - which the audience did not mind. Four plus one more films were to come.
The Viper Brothers: Jail - Living for 4 1/2 Years (まむしの兄弟 刑務所暮し四年半) (Japan, 1973) [DVD] - 3/5
Part 5. Delightful start with Tatsuo Endo as a nice guy prison guard! How many times have you seen that? He does mention he's a former inmate for having killed 4 men but oh well. The rest of the film isn't half bad either. Kosaku Yamashita, well past his prime by 1973, manages some characterization that reminds of his 60s films and come with surprisingly moving results. Sugawara and Kawaji's chemistry is even more evident here than usual, the storyline is alright if melodramatic, and we got Kyosuke Machida (henchman) with cool beard and the always good Tsunehiko Watase (young hood) on board as well. One of the best films in the series.
The Viper Brothers: Extortion Plot for 3,000,000 Yen (まむしの兄弟 恐喝三億円) (Japan, 1973) [DVD] - 3/5
Part 6. Another really funny opening with Sugawara just out of prison (every film in the series starts this way) and having to hitch hike a ride with a group of vacationing grannies. This was Norifumi Suzuki's entry in the series, and it shows. The humour is lowbrow, women fall in love with their rapists, and the film is uneven with several early scenes directed on auto pilot. There's also great action, good laughs, more boobs than in any other film in the series, and just when you least expect it Suzuki pulls out genuinely touching characterization with gangster's subordinate Hiroki Matsukata, a discriminated man of Chinese ethnicity, always reminded that he's no better than a dog. There's great sadness behind his superficially cool sunglassed look, skilfully conveyed by Matsukata.
All 6 of the above plus the 7th part are getting priced-down ¥2800 reissues from Toei on February 6th, probably to coincide with the release of
The Scoundler vs. The Viper Brothers (極道VSまむし) (1975) and to replace the out-of-print original releases.
Re: Japanese cult cinema thread
Posted: 17 Dec 2018, 12:19
by HungFist
Cool. Thanks. Small correction, though: it's parts 3-8 that are getting low priced in February. 1&2 already went low before, I think.
In addition to the parts 1-6 above, I've also seen part 8 (not very good). Got part 7 in the digital pile waiting for viewing.
Re: Japanese cult cinema thread
Posted: 06 Jan 2019, 13:18
by HungFist
Holy shit! I just found out via Mr. Mike Haack that Nikkatsu's
Cat Girl Gambling (1965-1966) trilogy came out on BD in France last year.
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https://www.amazon.fr/dp/B07DQ99FLQ/
Re: Japanese cult cinema thread
Posted: 06 Jan 2019, 15:08
by DenPryan
They have released a number of other Nikkatsu films on Blu-Ray.
And that was a year ago, you learned it too long
The films are really cool.
Re: Japanese cult cinema thread
Posted: 06 Jan 2019, 15:22
by HungFist
Cool to hear. I just ordered the set.
It seems the Cat Girls are the only ones that are world premieres on home video... am I right?
Re: Japanese cult cinema thread
Posted: 06 Jan 2019, 16:13
by DenPryan
Another Black Tight Killers, Yasuharu Hasebe, was previously released only on DVD