Japanese cult cinema thread

[HungFist]

Even more DVD releases coming from Toei’s 70th Anniversary line-up. Feb. 9, 2022:

- Seven Fugitives (お尋ね者七人) (1966)
- The Turkish Bathhouses of Japan (札幌・横浜・雄琴・博多 トルコ渡り鳥) (1975)
https://www.toei-video.co.jp/special/toei70th-2nd/

[EvaUnit02]

https://twitter.com/mediablasters1/stat ... 6232766469
Media Blasters recently announced Sukeban Deka (2006) for blu-ray release.

They've been busy over the last year or so, releasing a bunch of Japanese and Korean films.
https://www.rightstufanime.com/category ... RS?show=96

[HungFist]

Tokyo Drifter 2: The Sea is Bright Red as the Color of Love (続東京流れ者 海は真っ赤な恋の色) (1966)
A surprisingly good sequel to the Seijun Suzuki classic. Nikkatsu’s youth film director Kenjiro Morinaga (of the excellent Youth a Go Go, 1966) takes helm and executes it as a more traditional Nikkatsu Mood Action. Watari plays the same character as in the original film. The opening sees him arriving in a harbour town, with a hitman on his tail. He’s come to meet an old buddy, and while waiting for him also crosses paths with local beauty Kazuko Tachibana, who likewise is waiting for someone. Watari is also offered shelter by old man Zenpei Saga, whose son is in trouble with bad guy Nobuo Kaneko and in love with cutie Chieko Matsubara. Watari of course chooses to get involved. This is a surprisingly entertaining film with 1st rate cinematography and art direction. The locale is particularly well captured. It is however missing Suzuki’s wilder pop art experimentation, and may not be what foreign audiences would expect from a Tokyo Drifter sequel. That is of course because Suzuki was something of an outlier in the genre, while this movie is a more traditional entry in the Nikkatsu Action line. It’s a shame none of the recent Blu-Ray releases of the Suzuki classic have bundled this with it.

This has been released on Japanese DVD by the budget label Office Y.K. about 10 years ago. I don't know how's the quality, but it could even be an old non-anamorphic print (they also put out many Roman Porno films, mostly old VHS masters with an occasional new HD master in between). The screencaps are from a 2021 Japanese TV broadcasting on Neco.

[HungFist]

Toho is finally releasing some of their remaining Kiyoshi Nishimura films on DVD: the masterful thriller Too Young to Die (死ぬにはまだ早い) (1969), the socio-political actioner Attack on the Sun (白昼の襲撃) (1970) and the excellent Hong Kong set hitman action / romance Target of Roses (薔薇の標) (1972).

There are also re-releases of several other Toho New Action flicks, such as Sun Above, Death Below (狙撃) (1968), Bullet Wound (弾痕) (1969), The Creature Called Man( 豹（ジャガー）は走った) (1970) and Beast Hunt (野獣狩り」(1973).

All coming July 20, and priced at 2750 yen. Shame about no BDs, though.

[EvaUnit02]

Blow out news from Anime Expo 2022:-

• Macross Frontier and Delta BD boxsets coming from Nozomi Entertainment (Rightstufanime.com's production company). Assuming for the NA market only.
• Macross Plus BD set coming from Anime Ltd for UK, Eur, US.
• Macross II coming from AnimEigo.

I'm definitely keen on Frontier and Plus. I'll file M II under "maybe"

Hopefully we'll get news regarding releases of the OG SDF Macross series and Zero.

[HungFist]

Tokyo, 1934. Gang boss Arakawa is too ill and a successor must be named. The choice falls on Nakai, but being an outsider he refuses and suggests senior clansman Matsuda instead. But Matsuda is in jail and the elders won’t wait for his release, so they appoint the younger and more malleable Ishido to take the reins. Clan honour and loyalties are severely tested when Matsuda is released, resulting in an increasingly violent internal strife. An atmospheric tale of gangland intrigue written by Kazuo Kasahara (Battles Without Honour and Humanity) and starring Tomisaburo Wakayama, (Lone Wolf and Cub, The Bounty Hunter Trilogy) and genre legend Koji Tsuruta, Big Time Gambling Boss is one of the all-time classics of the yakuza genre. Paul Schrader called it the richest and most complex film of its type, while novelist Yukio Mishima hailed it as a masterpiece. Radiance Films is proud to present this crucial re-discovery for the first time ever on Blu-ray.

Limited Edition Special Features:

High Definition digital transfer of the film
Uncompressed mono PCM audio
Visual essay by genre expert Chris D on the film and its place within the period and genre (2022)
Ninkyo 101: A masterclass with Mark Schilling, author of The Yakuza Movie Book (2022)
Trailer
Reversible sleeve featuring original and newly commissioned artwork by maarko phntm
Limited edition booklet featuring new writing on the film by author Stuart Galbraith IV, and critic Hayley Scanlon
Limited edition of 2000 copies, presented in full-height Scanavo packaging with removable OBI strip leaving packaging free of certificates and markings

- https://www.radiancefilms.co.uk/product ... ng-boss-le

[HungFist]

- https://twitter.com/discotekmedia/statu ... 0458254337

[HungFist]

Radiance Films, who are releasing Big Time Gambling Boss (博奕打ち　総長賭博) (1968) in January, also have Yakuza Graveyard (やくざの墓場　くちなしの花) (1976) coming later in 2023 as revealed by their new trailer.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eyDfNN7r3PM

[Takeuchi_Yoko]

Do you know if there is an eta for Yamashita's Big Time Gambling Boss?
Oh and did you read the book about Yamashita, 将軍と呼ばれた男?

[HungFist]

Do you know if there is an eta for Yamashita's Big Time Gambling Boss?
Oh and did you read the book about Yamashita, 将軍と呼ばれた男?

Jan. 2, 2023.

No, I haven't read the book. Thanks for bringing it to my attention.

[Takeuchi_Yoko]

Thank you \o/
Do you want the chapters/content list? (Received the book some days ago.)

[HungFist]

Thank you \o/
Do you want the chapters/content list? (Received the book some days ago.)

Sure. Would be interesting to see what's in there.

[Takeuchi_Yoko]

That's a short one as it's essentially centered around Yamashita's interview

[HungFist]

Radiance Films, who are releasing Big Time Gambling Boss (博奕打ち　総長賭博) (1968) in January, also have Yakuza Graveyard (やくざの墓場　くちなしの花) (1976) coming later in 2023 as revealed by their new trailer.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eyDfNN7r3PM

Yakuza Graveyard

When he falls for the beautiful wife of the jailed boss of the Nishida gang, things start to spiral out of control for detective Kuroiwa (Tetsuya Watari, Graveyard of Honour). In a world where the line between police and organised crime is vague, he finds himself on the wrong side of a yakuza war when his superiors favour Nishida’s rivals, the Yamashiro gang. Co-starring the iconic Meiko Kaji (Lady Snowblood) and featuring Nagisa Oshima as chief of police, Yakuza Graveyard sees director Kinji Fukasaku (Battles without Honour and Humanity) at the peak of his powers.

Blu-ray Limited Edition Special Features:
-High-Definition digital transfer
-Original uncompressed mono PCM audio
-Appreciation by filmmaker Kazuya Shiraishi (2022, 15 mins)
-The Rage and the Passion - A visual essay by critic Tom Mes on Meiko Kaji and Kinji Fukasaku’s collaborations (2022, 12 mins)
-Gallery of promotional imagery
-Easter Egg
-Trailer
-Newly improved English subtitle translation
-Reversible sleeve featuring original and newly commissioned artwork by Time Tomorrow
-Limited edition 32-page booklet featuring new writing on the film by Mika Ko on the representations of Koreans in the yakuza film, and newly translated re-prints of a contemporary review and writing by screenwriter Kazuo Kasahara
-Limited edition of 3000 copies, presented in full-height Scanavo packaging with removable OBI strip leaving packaging free of certificates and markings

Also available in USA/Canada from our partners MVD, Diabolik and Grindhouse - links coming soon!

Year: 1976
Cert: 15
Format: Blu-ray
Region: AB
RAD002BDLE
EAN: 5060974680023
Release date: 15/05/23

[10vodkaredbull]

Tokyo, 1934. Gang boss Arakawa is too ill and a successor must be named. The choice falls on Nakai, but being an outsider he refuses and suggests senior clansman Matsuda instead. But Matsuda is in jail and the elders won’t wait for his release, so they appoint the younger and more malleable Ishido to take the reins. Clan honour and loyalties are severely tested when Matsuda is released, resulting in an increasingly violent internal strife. An atmospheric tale of gangland intrigue written by Kazuo Kasahara (Battles Without Honour and Humanity) and starring Tomisaburo Wakayama, (Lone Wolf and Cub, The Bounty Hunter Trilogy) and genre legend Koji Tsuruta, Big Time Gambling Boss is one of the all-time classics of the yakuza genre. Paul Schrader called it the richest and most complex film of its type, while novelist Yukio Mishima hailed it as a masterpiece. Radiance Films is proud to present this crucial re-discovery for the first time ever on Blu-ray.

Is there a name for this overly earnest and shouty type of acting? Does my head in. Worse, when I saw the muted Sun Above Death Below just before.

[HungFist]

Film Movement, who recently released Hideo Gosha's Violent Streets and Samurai Wolf 1&2 on BD, have added a whole bunch of Toei films to their site.

- Red Peony Gambler 1 (緋牡丹博徒) (1968)
- Red Peony Gambler 2: Gambler's Obligation (緋牡丹博徒 一宿一飯) (1968)
- Red Peony Gambler 3: Flower Cards Match (緋牡丹博徒 花札勝負) (1969)
- Violent Panic: The Big Crash (暴走パニック 大激突) (1976)
- Wolves, Pigs and Men (狼と豚と人間) (1964)

https://filmmovement.com/red-peony-gambler
https://filmmovement.com/red-peony-gamb ... obligation
https://filmmovement.com/press/film/red ... cards-game
https://filmmovement.com/violent-panic-the-big-crash
https://filmmovement.com/wolves-pigs-and-men

Hopefully all coming to BD at some point. I'd love to update my Toe DVDs. Violent Panic is one of the best car chase movies ever made anywhere! This film is absolutely insane! I've seen it a half dozen times, including once or twice in 35mm.

As for Wolves, Pigs and Men, Arrow had this before, but apparently didn't release it because they lacked good enough master. That however has now changed as Toei's new remaster premiered on TV last month.











Really hoping the rest of the Red Peony Gamblers get picked up as well. Part 5 is my favourite yakuza film of all time, and one of my favourite films period.

[HungFist]

Received my Stray Cat Rock: Beat `71 (野良猫ロック 暴走集団'71’) t-shirt from Hardcore Chocolate and it's a beauty!
- https://core-choco.shop-pro.jp/?pid=172273810

[HungFist]

Fukasaku's best film from the 60s, coming from Arrow in September!
- https://www.arrowfilms.com/blu-ray/the- ... 31781.html?

[HungFist]

This 2-disc special edition release contains a double-bill of films from Chusei Sone focusing on youth gangs, drugs, sex and violence in ‘80s Japan.

Scars of the Sun (1981) 太陽のきずあと

Chusei Sone’s 1981 film Scars of the Sun departs from the director’s previous works in the field of Roman Porno, with this Toei youth-drama starring Kenichi Kaneda. Kenichi plays Shuhei, a member of a rough-and-tumble gang whose customs are broken apart when Kenichi is reunited with his estranged brother whose girlfriend’s entry into the group starts to cause friction between its members and the traditions they follow.

Blow the Night (1983) 夜をぶっとばせ

The first film from Chusei Sone’s production company “Filmworkers” is a hard-hitting Docu-drama based on the stories of Namie Takada: a 15 year old thinner-sniffing, girl-gang member.

Namie stars in the film as herself to tell a brutal tale of wild youth in early 80s Japanese society.

Special Features
Limited edition set (2000 copies)
0-Ring with illustrated artwork from Ryan Quackenbush
Full-height Scanavo packaging w/reversible sleeves & artwork from both films.
Booklet with writing from Miriam Balanescu

Disc 1: Scars of the Sun
Jasper Sharp feature audio commentary
"The Sun Sets on Chusei Sone" - Dakota Noot Video Essay
Original Trailer

Disc 2: Blow the Night
Producer Kunihiko Ukai interview
Tom Mes feature audio commentary
“Juvenile Delinquency in ‘80s Japan” - James Balmont Video Essay
Original Trailer


Blow the Night is a small gem, a low-key and more realistic than usual delinquent girl docu-drama. Now I can finally retire my DVD.

(also it has the best production company logo ever... the only time I ever fell off the sofa for laughing so hard at a company logo).

Scars of the Sun is even better! This feels almost like an 80s update of Crazed Fruit (even more so than the actual Crazed Fruit remake that came out around the same time - that one is a fantastic film also). This one has never been released on video, though I caught it in a Chusei Sone retrospective more than 10 years ago. I liked it so much I bought the theatrical pamphlet too... half of which is dedicated to Shaolin Wooden Men because Toei released this as a double feature with the Jackie film!