What Asian Films Have You Been Watching Recently?

[Randy G]

Takuma, for the films you list as being seen on TV: do they show older Japanese films this regularly on TV or is there a specific channel dedicated to older films, like a Japanese TCM?

[Takuma]

Yagyu Chronicles 1: Secret Scrolls (柳生武芸帳) (Japan, 1961) [TV] - 3.5/5
A charmingly old fashioned samurai / ninja programmer with Jushiro Konoe as Yagyu Jubei. The famed swordsman must protect the clan’s secret scrolls that could compromise their position as the Shogun's martial arts instructor. Two other parties, an enemy clan wishing to overthrow the Yagyu, and a princess of a wrongfully accused clan travelling with loyal servant (Shingo Yamashiro in a non-comedy role) are after the scrolls. This was the first film in Toei's 9 part "Yagyu Scolls" series, preceded by two Toshiro Mifune Yagyu Scrolls films at Toho in the late 50s. It's nothing profound, but with lots of action, fast pacing, and thoroughly enjoyable performances, it does exactly what it sets out to. Very entertaining.

Yagyu Chronicles 2: The Secret Sword (柳生武芸帳　夜ざくら秘剣) (Japan, 1961) [TV] - 3.5/5
A direct follow-up to the previous film. They were most likely shot back to back since both films were released in March 1961. This is an even more entertaining and action packed adventure than the first film, with an enemy ninja clan swearing to steal the Yagyu scrolls and teaming up with a high a ranking lord to plot the Yagyu's downfall. The cast is largely the same as before, but Shingo Yamashiro now plays Tokugawa lemitsu instead of a clansman. The final duel between Jubei and his ninja opponent is terrific!



Yagyu Chronicles 3: Valley of the Outlaws (柳生一番勝負　無頼の谷) (Japan, 1961) [TV] - 3/5
This is a departure from the first two films, which focused the Yagyu scrolls. This third movie is a less plot driven affair with a clan of vengeful ruffians harassing Jubei and targeting his brother who has taken an oath to refrain from the sword. While some narrative compactness is lost in the new approach, the film succeeds in creating fairly good characters, mainly Shingo Yamashiro as an easily manipulated ruffian, and Naoko Kubo as a woman unable to decide if Jubei means love or business to her.

Yagyu Chronicles 4: One Eyed Swordsman (柳生武芸帳　独眼一刀流) (Japan, 1962) [TV] - 3.5/5
It appears the previous film's departure from scrolls was premature as the Yagyu papers are back again. It was probably for the best since this is another very enjoyable entry with solid b-film plot and a beautiful cinematic form. What's new is Hiroki Matsukata as a young, inexperienced sword master with a vendetta for the Yagyu. Similarly to Toei’s later ninkyo yakuza films, film builds net of conflicting duty and humanity obligations around this new character, who becomes both Jubei's friend and enemy at the same time (and it must be said Matsukata is a brilliant piece of casting: he is the series star Jushiro Konoe’s real life son). Another new addition is the tad more political approach to the Tokugawa rule depicted in the series.

Yagyu Chronicles 5: Jubei's Redemption (柳生武芸帳 片目の十兵衛) (Japan, 1963) [TV] - 3.5/5
Uneven but highly entertaining entry resets (only) some of the earlier plot conclusions, making it both a follow-up and partial reboot. That used to be common in Japanese cinema before continuity ruined film franchises. It may also have been due to crew and cast changes (new director and writer, re-casting several major supporting characters, etc.). Anyhow, Matsukata is back as a challenger, and villains are again after the scrolls again. Frankly, repeating the same premise yet again feels a bit forced. But the film is beautifully shot and packed with superb, bloody action sequences where blades sink into faces and limbs are cut off amid expertly choreographed sword fights. The spaghetti western style climax (before spaghetti westerns really even existed) is a stand out.



Yagyu Chronicles 6: Yagyu List (柳生武芸帳　片目水月の剣) (Japan, 1963 [TV] – 2.5/5
The shogunate, fearful of conspirators, has abolished several small clans and ordered the remaining ones to have family members reside in Edo, essentially holding them hostage. Jubei must stop the ones rebelling against the rule. This entry has a bit darker political frame, in which the heroic Jubei is serving a not entirely decent shogunate, at its core. But the film soon reverts back to the usual scroll hunt. It's action packed, but somehow lacking the style, charm and brutality of the earlier films. It's still entirely watchable, though.

Yagyu Chronicles 7: The Buried Conspiracy (柳生武芸帳　剣豪乱れ雲) (Japan, 1963 [TV] – 3.5/5
Another moderately political entry with the nobles (proponents of the emperor) vs. the shogunate (officially below the emperor but in practice the real ruler of the country) at its core. The former discover a 33 year old conspiracy that if revealed could restore their power and send the shogunate into chaos. Jubei must stop that... and find some scrolls once again. This is a good entry with solid story, good action and some highly unorthodox cinematography, including a horse chase filmed just like a car chase and a POV assassination scene. We also get Junko Fuji in a delightfully strong early role, beautiful and armed if not quite a full-fledged fighter.



The Yagyu Chronicles 8: The One-Eyed Ninja (柳生武芸帳　片目の忍者) (Japan, 1963) [TV] - 3.5/5
Yaguy Jubei tries to curb a rebellion against the Tokugawa shogunate after a weapons shipment goes missing. He gathers together all the Yaguy ninjas, but among them comes in a young impostor (Hiroki Matsukata playing a different character again). This is one of the best entries in the series: a stylishly filmed ninja suspense tale full of action, including something you might describe as a ninja version of the Battle of Normandy in form of a massive 25 minute action climax. Another cool idea is the concept of there being various Yagyu ninjas who have been living in the hiding and need to be brought together for one mission, adding an almost mythical layer to the plot.

P.S. this is a rewrite of an older review, without having rewatched the film, for the sake of not skipping one review.

Yagyu Chronicles 9: Assassin’s Sword (十兵衛暗殺剣) (Japan, 1964 [TV] – 3/5
The last in the series. This continues in the same mass battle oriented path as part 8 but takes it even further, making this essentially a war film. Jubei and his selected 10 men are lured to an island where their adversary has employed dozens or perhaps hundreds of pirates to ambush them. The film's entire last third consists of team Yagyu fighting for their lives against an army of enemies. For better or worse, the film feels grittier and gloomier than any of the earlier entries, lacking their old fashioned innocence and fairy tale quality.

[AngelGuts]

Wasn't aware it's coming out. But will pre-order lickety-split.

[Takuma]

Thanks once again, Takuma, for these excellent reviews of often obscure Japanese film. Now dying to see the Sawada film. Shame his ASSAULT! isn't more widely available as it's superb.

I managed to see THE PROCURER and liked it quite a bit.

Always appreciate your fine work.

Thanks! You're probably aware but Rape Frenzy is coming out on DVD in July.



- https://www.amazon.co.jp/dp/B09VLB5SBB/

[AngelGuts]

Thanks once again, Takuma, for these excellent reviews of often obscure Japanese film. Now dying to see the Sawada film. Shame his ASSAULT! isn't more widely available as it's superb.

I managed to see THE PROCURER and liked it quite a bit.

Always appreciate your fine work.

[Takuma]

The Youth of the Night series

The Procurer (ひも) (Japan, 1965) [VoD] - 3.5/5
Naive, penniless teenager Mako Midori falls under the charms of big city playboy Tatsuo Umemiya, who treats her till she's in love, and then dumps her in a hostess bar he’s associated with. A week later he shows up begging for help, as he has supposedly burned all his money on her and can't pay back to the yakuza he borrowed money from… unless she'd be willing to lend her young body for earning some cash. This was the first film in the Youth of the Night series (1965-1968), sometimes indistinguishable from the later Song of the Night series (1967-1974). Both consisted of loosely linked entries. This specific film is grittier than most however, and better written (by Masashige Narusawa). It gets particularly interesting after Midori has had her falling out with Umemiya, which sends her drifting in the night and leaves Umemiya alone with his abusive yakuza buddies. She grows stronger, he gets progressively weaker. The film does quite a good job at capturing the neon lit, jazz tuned night that crushes dreams, feeds people with glimpses of hope, and then poisons them with opportunism.



Night Hunter (いろ) (Japan, 1965) - [VoD] - 3/5
Part 2 in the Youth of the Night series. Umemiya is a son of a bitch bartender who bangs anything that moves, and then proceeds to cheat them out of their money. Midori is a naïve girl who walks into his bar with her best friend and falls in love, not realizing Umemiya is taking turns sleeping with them both as well as Midori's little sister Reiko Ohara. Umemiya then figures he could make money by selling Midori to rich geezer Nobuo Kaneko, only not telling her about it... This is another stylishly filmed nocturnal noir in black & white, with excellent performances by Umemiya and Midori. There are quiet little moments that are surprisingly powerful, as well as other good bits like the one where Takakura's Abashiri Prison theme is playing in a bar. But the film is not as good as The Procurer. Masashige Narusawa's scrip is less complex, and gun for hire director Shinji Murayama fails to reach the same level of cinematic dynamics, even if he does otherwise fine.

Fancy Man (ダニ) (Japan, 1965) [VoD] - 3/5
Umemiya is a young yakuza who has to find a new way to support himself after his gang disbands. He sets up various scams where he blackmails adulterous husbands with the help of his girlfriend who serves as bait. When one wealthy businessman refuses to pay, Umemiya proceeds to seduce his wife… This was the 3rd film in the Youth of the Night series. It's again a small step down in terms of visual breeze (largely shot indoors in small apartments) and character development, although directed by Hideo Sekiguchi who also did The Procurer. But the film is saved by a terrific ending, a superb musical score, and small bits of riveting drama here and there. Once again Umemiya is in his element, perhaps more so than ever before, as a charismatic scum who delivers destruction and misery to everyone he encounters until his luck finally runs out.



The Dupe (かも) (Japan, 1965) [VoD] - 2/5
Another nocturnal melodrama, this time with asshole Umemiya as a hostess club manager bringing in new girls and taking advantage of them behind his wife's (who is a hooker in a Turkish bath) back. His latest recruits include naive Ohara and overly eager but inexperienced Midori. This was already the 4th Youth of the Night film made in 1965, and the third one for Sekigawa & Narusawa. This one brings very little new to the table and fails to reach the level of nihilism, style or atmosphere found in its predecessors. But it does feature a scene where Umemiya gets his arse kicked by a bunch of karate practitioners, so it's not entirely without merits.

Bad Woman of the Night (夜の悪女) (Japan, 1965) [VoD] – 1.5/5
The 5th and worst film in the Youth of the Night series. This is bad from the beginning with Umemiya, by now Toei's veteran pimp and nightlife scumbag, playing a schoolboy in the opening scene! It's impossible to take the film seriously after that. It turns out it wasn't even meant to be. The film jumps forward a few years with Umemiya now a full full-fledged entrepreneur running a paid date service he inherited from jailed boss Ryohei Uchida (he'll be back later). Midori is his eccentric, loud-mouth no. 1 girl who gets from one comical trouble to another. Umemiya's misadventures have the same humoristic undertone, with little signs of the emotional brutality seen in the earlier films. It was probably the logical next step for a series that was putting out its 5th instalment in the same year. Thankfully the series would return to form in the next film, Bitches of the Night, which even featured Sonny Chiba in a brief supporting role.

Bitches of the Night (夜の牝犬) (Japan, 1966) [VoD] – 3/5
Part six in the Youth of the Night series. This is a return to form after the comedic part 5, despite being made by the exact same people. Umemiya is a bartender who pretends to be gay in order the approach women. He is in cahoots with another opportunist, a young woman (Mako Midori) who trying to seduce a rich married man. Their attempts at making easy money can only end tragically. This is a rather aged morality tale about sinful life in urban metropolis, but it captures the era, the cityscapes and the atmosphere quite nicely. It's also becomes rather touching when Umemiya fools a naive country girl (heartbreakingly played by Reiko Ohara) into living with him. Oh, and it should be mentioned Sonny Chiba has a very brief supporting role as a policeman looking for his sister. He only appears in two scenes.

P.S. Toei really dropped the ball not printing character posters for this film. Just imagine the taglines… “Sonny Chiba is a Bitch of the Night!”. “Tatsuo Umemiya is…”

P.S. 2 This is my old review from 2016. I slightly re-wrote it now that I’ve been watching the other films in the series for the first time. I was too lazy / busy to actually rewatch this, but thought I should post something about it rather than skip one film with my reviews.

Glowing Red Vermin (赤い夜光虫) (Japan, 1966) [VoD] – 2.5/5
The 7th film in the Youth of the Night series, and tonally different from the rest. It begins as a straight existential adult drama, largely void of the more scandalous approach found in many if the earlier films, before finally reaching its operatic climax where everyone is left unhappy, or dead. Playboy Umemiya and cohort Tani are mere supporting characters with curious youngster Ohara getting the most screen time. She ventures into an Osaka lesbian bar and is initially attracted to short-haired man-hater Midori, but scared off when Midori has more than just harmless girls' chat in her mind. Director Murayama unfolds the story in his usual solid but somewhat unspectacular fashion, with some dead moments before the fast, bloody and even funny last 30 minutes. But the ending aside, the film looks and sounds more low-key than the other entries in the series, and also feels different for setting half of its action in a lesbian bar. That aspect could’ve been developed further since the film is stuck somewhere between exploring and exploiting its topic matter, but not really doing either one in much depth. Still, it’s an alright film overall.



Night Guy (夜の手配師) (Japan, 1968) [VoD] - 2.5/5
The last film in the Youth of the Night series. Hustler of the night Umemiya seduces beauties, deals girls to hostess clubs and does a bit of gigolo work himself. But he's still a small timer, a 60s Japanese pimp version of John Travolta in Saturday Night Fever. This isn't a particularly good film, but it does radiate the vibes of the night in a way some of the lesser (and particularly later) Umemiya films don't. The melodramatic, never-ending web of deceptions, seductions and dreams by everyone in the film almost requires a pen and paper from to keep track of. Oh and the film has a great opening scene with Umemiya taking a beating from gangsters after slipping into the boss' woman's bed. Such an Umemiya-like mistake to make!

P.S. this also a re-write of of my 2020 review without having actually rewatched the film.

[mjeon]

Sunrise, Sunset

AngelGuts: "Appreciate the SUNSET, SUNSET review. Sounds like a must-see."

A Japanese movie with Rosemary Dexter? It sounds like the greatest film in the world!

(Of course, many thanks to Takuma.)

[The Silly Swede]

Red Shield fairley generic early 90s HK cop actioner with Danny Lee. But since I love the genre, I gave it a go. Craptacular German release which was basically ported over from some old HK release, complete with engrish subtitles. Still worth it though, even if this was nowhere near the top of the genre.

[Takuma]

Been watching Nikkatsu movies on TV...

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) (Japan, 1966) [TV] – 3.5/5
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.



A Record of Love and Death (愛と死の記録) (Japan, 1966) [TV] - 4/5
Printing shop worker Tetsuya Watari and record shop clerk Sayuri Yoshinaga fall in love in once nuclear devastated Hiroshima. But the romance comes with a heavy baggage when it turns out he, exposed to nuclear radiation as a little boy, has no guarantees of growing old. Objectively speaking, this isn't so different from the box office smashing tear jerker garbage that has infested Japanese cinema for decades. But somehow this is so much better. Perhaps it's because of Watari and Yoshinaga's charming performances. Maybe it's because of new wave director Koreyoshi Kurahara, whose energetic helming is equally romantic and gritty. Perhaps it’s because there’s a real, living city in the background captured with an almost documentary like touch. Or maybe the story just seems more poignant than some purely fictional setting with a schoolgirl / boyfriend / uncle / dog dying from cancer. Probably it's all of that. The film has also been distributed under the title The Heart of Hiroshima.



Three Wives: Wild Nights (妻三人 狂乱の夜) (Japan, 1972) [TV] - 1.5/5
An early Masaru Konuma film that fares a little better than the title would suggest. This is actually a lightweight family satire / comedy about a rich man, his son, and their women / wives / housekeepers, all of whom have trouble keeping their pants on. Modestly entertaining for a while, and relatively restrained compared to the later Roman Porno sleaze fests, I nevertheless lost interest (and count of the wives) after the first 35 minutes. There appeared to be no reason to care, really.

Rape Frenzy: Five Minutes before Graduation (卒業五分前　群姦) (Japan, 1977) [TV] – 3.5/5
With a title like this, you think you know what you’re in for. Well, what do you know? This is one of action director gone rogue pink helmer Yukihiro Sawada’s best pictures, a youth drama following stressed-out, confused male and female students on their last day before high school graduation, facing an uncertain and bleak future. The film is far more reminiscent of Nikkatsu’s early 70s youth pictures and the following year’s Panic in High School (1978) than anything the title (which may or may not have been a commercial after-thought) would have you expect. There are several good scenes with the alienated protagonist finding himself detached from the people around him, his friend trying to escape the patronising society with a girlfriend and a shotgun, and live rock music performed in party scenes. And then some sexual assaults (half of them performed by girls or women against boys) springing from societal frustration and personal insecurity. The cinematography is excellent, with loads of those lovely ‘lonely people walking the city streets in solitude’ shots. The ending is a little underwhelming but perhaps fittingly low-key, and does not, by the way, deliver any kind of rape frenzy five minutes before the graduation. For other fine Sawada Roman Porno films see his beast cop thriller Retreat through the Wet Wasteland (1973) and the Peckinpah influenced Assault! (1976).



Revolver (リボルバー) (Japan, 1988) [TV] - 3/5
Toshiya Fujita's last film. A lazy-ass Kyushu cop (Kenji Sawada) loses his gun to a thieving salaryman head-butted by love life, triggering a chain reaction where the gun travels from one character to another and causes misery. But you'll have to wait 35 minutes for the gun even to go missing, and twice as long before most of the film's nearly dozen main characters (a troubled schoolboy and his non-girlfriend, a bar girl with a violent friend from the past, a duo of slacking gamblers etc.) meet in a Sapporo set climax. Also, having been made in the 80s, when action was frowned upon and non-eventful character drama celebrated in Japanese cinema, the missing gun ends up playing secondary role to all the human relationship sub-plots. The good news is that Fujita handles it better than most, keeping the viewer moderately interested in the drama, without forgetting to include dry humour, casual sex, nudity, and one brutal rape, all served in 80s mainstream film wrapping.

[Takuma]

Police Department Story 6 (警視庁物語 夜の野獣) (Japan, 1957) [TV] - 2.5/5
Toei Scope! The first entry in widescreen, following the introduction of the new aspect ratio at Toei some 8 months earlier (The Lord Takes a Bride, April 1957). It's also the longest entry yet, with a 83 min running time. The detectives are tracking a professional pickpocket gang who has left a dead body behind. There is some extra attention to the police work, abetted by the extended running time, and a voice over further enhancing the documentary touch. But it's only a good film, hardly exceptional, like most films in the series, by today's standards.



Police Department Story 7 (警視庁物語 七人の追跡者) (Japan, 1958) [TV] - 3/5
Shinji Murayama is back in the director's chair (after the disappointing part 5) in what is best entry in the series so far! There's an instantly evident change of pace in the energetic camerawork, with pans and crane shots replacing the largely static images in the earlier films, and an almost operatic score. The prolonged ending is particularly thrilling, almost like Sergio Leone directing a police stakeout. The film's middle part is slower-paced, as usual. However, there is quite an interesting bit of police work involved when an autopsy is performed to discover what the victim ate during in her last days alive. That will serve as a clue to trace the victim's movements and find possible witnesses.



Police Department Story 8 (警視庁物語 魔の伝言板) (Japan, 1958) [TV] – 2/5
The most talkative of the early films. Most of the police work here is done at the station, with little in terms of outdoor scenes. This is quite a turnabout after the previous film, the most stylish and energetic one so far, curiously made by the exact same people from director (Murayama) to writer (Hasegawa) and producer, cinematographer, production designer etc. Considering there was only two weeks between their release dates, and they were the only instalments in 1958, it's highly likely they were shot back to back.

Police Department Story 9 (警視庁物語 顔のない女) (Japan, 1959) [TV] – 2.5/5
Another big scale production with an 83 min running time, inspired by the Black Dahlia case. This has an oddly playful opening, interrupted by school kids finding a woman's torso floating in a river. The head and all limbs have been cut off. It's disturbing even for modern viewers, let alone 1959 audiences. The film then stagnates as the detectives engage in talking heads investigation, until around halfway it picks up the pace again with a car chase and strippers. There's some solid camerawork as well, though nothing comparable to part 7. Note: the film is only available on streaming and TV; the new DVD box set omits this film and part 18 for unspecified reasons. It could be due to print damage; the presentation here is full of scratches, though seemingly complete and entirely watchable.

Police Department Story 10 (警視庁物語 一〇八号車) (Japan, 1959) [TV] –3/5
A police officer of 'patrol car no. 108' (the film's Japanese title) is gunned down during a routine check of a seemingly abandoned vehicle. The case is transferred to the detectives who attempt to track down the vehicle and the killer inside. Although not a particularly eventful entry, this is still a captivating film that doesn't overstay its welcome at just 54 minutes. What this entry brings to the table is the endless long hours put in the office as part of the detective work, as they try to identify a potential suspect by going through thousands of pages of traffic violations records. The film was co-directed by Shinji Murayama and newcomer Eijiro Wakabayashi, who had debuted in 1958 with the two Planet Prince tokusatsu pictures, later re-edited into one film as Prince of Space. Wakabayashi would go on to helm a total of 20 theatrical movies in a career that lasted less than 5 years until 1963 (it is possible that TV work followed, but finding confirmation is difficult).

Police Department Story 11 (警視庁物語　遺留品なし) (Japan, 1959) [TV] – 2.5/5
Another good, but unexceptional entry. This a rather talkative film, but not without some valuable location work on real streets. The most interesting and still timely aspect of the film, however, is the plot premise featuring a murderous lady-killer who is taking advantage of women desperate to get married. Even today there's a saying in Japan that "the world is cruel at unmarried around-30 women", suggesting women are expected to marry before they turn 30. Should they fail to do that, they risk being seen as misfits or there being "something wrong with them", being unable to land a husband by that age.

[Takuma]

Rashamen (らしゃめん) (Japan, 1977) [VoD] -1.5/5
Yuji Makiguchi's (Shogun's Sadism) final theatrical film is a tame melodrama based on a novel. The heroine (Haruko Wanibuchi) is a woman married against her will to an American diplomat during the early years of Meiji Restoration. She is to serve as his temporary wife in Japan. She spends the film's first third crying and panicking. Thankfully we also have ATG director and Return of the Street Fighter villain Claude Gagnon as raging sex crazy gaijin in the house. But the fun is over before the film has run 35 min, with the American sent back home and the lady trying to go on in life with a tarnished reputation. Geisha house melodrama ensues till the film calls it quits at 77 minutes. This isn't as much a terrible film (it has its moments, a decent musical score, and an uncredited Takuzo Kawatani role as a waiter abused by Hideo Murota!) but the further it gets, the duller it becomes. Makiguchi would earn his bread on TV from here on, directing shows like Sonny Chiba's Shadow Warriors.

Harry and His Geisha Girls (生贄の女たち) (Japan, 1978) [TV] - 3/5
The film that brought Harry Reems to Japan! The titular character arrives in Japan to have his peanut sized willy replaced with a more respectable member, as persuaded by his lovelorn Japanese wife. The medical operation is successful, but there are side effects, namely, a personality change (now there's an interesting research topic for some curious academic). This is a bizarre, but surprisingly funny addition to Toei's line up of erotic films with imported leads. They first brought in Sandra Julien, Christina Lindberg and Sharon Kelly in 1971-1974 for 1-2 films each, and now, Harry with his big... moustache. It probably had something to do with Toei having distributed Deep Throat theatrically in 1973, and produced its Japanese follow-up Deep Throat in Tokyo in 1975. Anyway, here we have Harry in Japanese yukata and headband serving customers in a restaurant, running for his life from mad women, and running afoul with yakuza who want to cut off his new sausage because they believe it was formerly used for smuggling diamonds from Hong Kong. And let’s not even talk about a couple of hilarious (dick) twists the plot comes with. It’s all quite amusing, and frankly more entertaining than most Japanese erotic comedies, even by Toei. Oh, and isn’t that Osman Yusuf doing the (highly amusing) English/Japanese dubbing for Harry? No one is credited for it, but it sure sounds like him.



Devil's Flute (悪魔が来りて笛を吹く) (Japan, 1979) [TV] - 1.5/5
Toei’s time machine to the future: an annoying, pretentious 80s murder mystery made in 1979s. This is actually an adaptation of a 1950s mystery novel of the same name, featuring the famous fictional detective Kosuke Kindaichi. He is trying to solve a murder case in a large, remarkably off-putting European-style mansion inhabited by a family of rich cunts. 135 minutes of hysteric characters, confusing plotting and pretentious artistic references to demons follow. This was a Toei film with Haruki Kadokawa serving as the executive producer. His own company would have been a more fitting home for this, having already made The Inugami Family, another Kindaichi tale, two years prior for Kadokawa.

Four Seasons: Natsuko (四季　奈津子) (Japan, 1980) [TV] – 3/5
Lively, if slightly pretentious slice of life drama with blue collar Kyushu girl Setsuko Karasuma taking a Tokyo photographer's offer to appear in nude photos because, why not? She heads to the capital to start a new, more exciting life. There are some excellent scenes, such as the breezy relationship play between her and her boyfriend, as well as some relatively bland episodes, and an admiration of female nudity that very much smells of a man’s idea of art. Newcomer Karasuma was set to star in a Kinji Fukasaku / Yusaku Matsuda yakuza film after this, but she announced she'll have nothing to do with Toei from here on, feeling the studio had exploited her (boobs) in the film's marketing. It shouldn't have happened, but seeing her shred her clothes in the film, one can certainly understand why it did!



Flakes of Snow (ひとひらの雪) (Japan, 1985) [TV] – 3/5
Another Kichitaro Negishi x Haruhiko Arai collaboration. This is a high brow Toei literature film, an adult audience production, and a women’s film all in one, originally meant to be brought to the screen by Kinji Fukasaku and Keiko Matsuzaka before they abandoned the project. What it really amounts to is a more tolerable than usual piece of 80s greyness. A divorcing, middle aged architect (Masahiko Tsugawa) takes turns banging his semi-lolita secretary (Naomi Oki) and a noble lady ex (Kumiko Akiyoshi) while none of them seem to be having a clear idea where their lives are heading. It’s all meant to say something profound about… lives that have little profound or cinematic about them. The very essence of 80s Japanese cinema that is! This remains moderately interesting nevertheless, thanks to the Arai x Negishi pairing. But one feels they were limited by the topic matter and source material (a Junichi Watanabe novel). Negishi in particular was at his best depicting the dysfunctional youth; his films about the corporate type adults lacked the same spark. The Japanese audience and critics disagreed: the film was a financial and critical success, particularly among women.

[Takuma]

White Powder Terror (白い粉の恐怖) (Japan, 1960) [TV] – 3.5/5
Near excellent noir about undercover narcotics cop Rentaro Mikuni bustling in the Tokyo night. He's using a young drug addict (Hitomi Nakahara) to establish a connection with the bigger fish while taking extreme precautions to cover his own back. This film has more depth than most similar films from the era, perhaps for being based on a novel. Particularly impressive is the level of detail in which the undercover job is depicted, and the protagonist's attempt to lead casual family life while not on the streets. But the film is equally rich in nocturnal street atmosphere and gradually increasing tension, enhanced by low key approach and minimal use of music. The early scenes with the undercover cops being driven around the city at the back of a truck are especially good. The only weakness is the rather silly, overly preachy closing scene, perhaps the influence of Three Evils fighter Tsusai Sugawara, who briefly pops up in the film. Still, this is one of workman director Shinji Murayama's best pictures!



Yakuza Mounted Bandits (馬賊やくざ) (Japan, 1968) [TV] – 2.5/5
Travelling yakuza Koji Tsuruta runs afoul with corrupt Japanese army imperialists in Manchuria, joins local resistance after he becomes a fugitive. Not a bad action film with a more original premise than most. But one feels more could have been done with the theme, keeping Tsuruta a mere companion rather than making him a member of the rebel bandits being a major missed opportunity. Also, do not expect to see Tsuruta to hop on a horse in full-on bandit mode, despite that being depicted in one of the promotion stills.

Troops of Darkness (悪の親衛隊) (Japan, 1971) [VoD] – 2.5/5
A little seen Kazuhiko Yamaguchi film released between the last Delinquent Girl Boss and the first Wandering Ginza Butterfly. Tokyo boss Tetsuro Tamba brings a trio reckless hoods lead by Tsunehiko Watase to Shinjuku to fight a turf war for him. This is a programmer inside out, with plenty of semi-comical mayhem eventually leading to something resembling a plot thread (two in fact). It's obvious no one had much of a winning idea for a film here, but one had to be produced anyway. That didn't stop Toei from throwing in everything and the kitchen sink in terms of star power: beside Tamba, Watase and Jerry Fujio, there are supporting turns by Fumio Watanabe and Bunjaku Han, cameos by Tatsuo Umemiya and Shingo Yamashiro, and a whole bunch of musical /club performances by The Mops. There was a (Toei) audience for this kind of lightweight yakuza / action / comedy mayhem, and it is at the very least intermittently entertaining, but certainly not among Yamaguchi's best films.



Hitozuma kyofu: Jigoku doro (人妻恐怖・地獄道路) (Japan, 1973) [TV] – 2/5
“Housewife’s Horror: Hell Road”. This is another 45 minute TV film in Toei and MBS TV's Suspense Series. Sonny Chiba and Etsuko Shihomi's karate packed Kazuo Koike manga adaptation Modern Witch Tale: Murderous Love premiered in the same series 2 weeks later. This one, helmed by Yasuo Furuhata, is a lot less exciting. Housewife Yoko Nogiwa and her annoying kid are taken as hostage by criminals Rinichi Yamamoto and Nobuo Yana while her husband Tadao Nakamaru is banging another woman. Routine and clichéd all the way to the ultra-conservative ending that tells us women should be grateful to their husbands, even if they are having harmless little affairs while their family gets kidnapped.

Student Yakuza (学生やくざ) (Japan, 1974) [VoD] – 3/5
A hugely interesting yakuza / karate / school gang mash-up that doesn't live up to its full potential. Tsunehiko Watase is a schoolboy gangster armed with fast fists and karate kicks who, after beating a fieldful of local rivals, gets sent to Osaka by his family (incl. gray-haired Bunta Sugawara). Immediately upon arrival he runs into a schoolgirl gang (lead by Rika Aoki of Toho's Rica series) lynching a fellow sailor suit on the street. He later lands work at a construction site whose workers are being harassed by Kenji Imai's Osaka yakuza, but also defended by a violent student radical group (echoing the real the early 70s student unrest in Japan). What a premise! This was helmed by Toei's assistant director since 1962 Akira Shimizu (his only other directorial effort was Rugby Yaro in 1976) but perhaps more importantly written by Takayuki Minagawa, the AD on The Street Fighter (released 2 weeks prior to this) and the writer / AD on the Girl Boss series. They deserve criticism for the lack of strong plot and above average execution, but there's lot of fun to be had here: a fair bit yakuza stuff, a little bit of sukeban thrills, and way more karate than you'd expect, in the usual mix of violence, nudity and anti-social mayhem. University karate club alumni Watase does well-enough in the action scenes (fresh off Bodyguard Kiba 2, and to soon star in Wicked Kempo later) and looks like a Watase-version of Tomisaburo Wakayama's Gokudo-series protagonist.

[AngelGuts]

Appreciate this latest round-up. Saw DEMON quite a while ago and liked it a lot.

WINTER'S FLOWER sounds like a winner.

Nice backstory on the YAMAGUCHI GANG. Wow.

[Takuma]

Path of the King (日本やくざ伝　総長への道) (Japan, 1971) [TV] - 2.5/5
A mostly meagre ninkyo film that is, however, an interesting reflection of the times. There's little to spark curiosity about the standard storyline (though it manages without excess comedy and sobbing). The cast however is top notch. This film finally dares to pit Toei's top two stars, Takakura and Tsuruta, openly against each other. Their climatic duel alone warrants a viewing, may it have been a desperate commercial move on Toei's part. But much more could have been done with this confrontation (it only becomes meaningful near the end) and supporting players Wakayama (only present in a handful of scenes) and Matsukata (might as well not be in the film). Note the full Japanese title "Tales of Japanese Yakuza: Path of the King". This was indeed intended as a new series to follow “Tales of Japanese Chivalry”. But the genre was already past its prime, and no sequels followed.

Third Generation Yamaguchi Gang (山口組三代目) (Japan, 1973) [TV] - 3.5/5
Toei's biggest yakuza film of 1973 - this beat Battles without Honor and Humanity at the box office - and shameless promotion for the country's biggest criminal organization. The film chronicles Yamaguchi Gang boss Kazuo Taoka's rise to ranks in pre WWII Japan, based on his serialized biography in Weekly Asahi Geino magazine. Curiously enough it was brought to the screen by Ken Takakura and Kosaku Yamashita as their first jitsuroku film. What the film amounts to is an oddly entertaining fusion of cinematic styles, a true account that plays out like a ninkyo film. There are moments of ultra-violence (Taoka's trademark move is sticking his fingers in the opponent's eyes like a pre-war Sonny Chiba!) and documentary style jitsuroku touches sprinkled throughout of what is ultimately a romanticized gangster tale of male bonding and honour. The word is Toei producer Okada went full-on bromance with Taoka and even hired Taoka's non-yakuza son to serve as producer, in addition to the cast partying and hanging out with the still-active gangster boss, something that should instantly cast a doubt on exactly how truthful the film is. And yet, in its own flawed way, this is one of the most interesting films of the jitsuroku movement.



Path of Japanese Chivalry: Story of All-Out Attack (日本任侠道　激突篇) (Japan, 1975) [TV] - 3/5
1972 was essentially the end of chivalrous yakuza films. Queen Fuji retired, Wakayama fled Toei, Brutal Tales ended, and the audience no longer bough the old fashioned ninkyo ideology. Then came Battles without Honor and Humanity which initiated a new era of grit and realism. And yet, here we have a Kosaku Yamashita / Ken Takakura ninkyo film made years after the genre's practical demise. This one tries to be a little more realistic by refraining from overt melodrama and romantics in its depiction of gang life under noble boss Takakura. Unfortunately the low-key approach more often than not translates as non-eventfulness. The film doesn't really come to life until the last 35 min, which surprisingly dials up the action and drama to very enjoyable heights. Loose cannon Joe Shishido and lusty hothead Takuzo Kawatani are to thank for triggering the mayhem. Also, it's curious to see Ken Takakura in an oyabun role, another sign the change of times. Trivia: this was originally intended as the 3rd Yamaguchi gumi film (following Third Generation Yamaguchi Gang, 1973, and Third Generation Boss, 1974) before Toei gave in to political pressure to stop promoting the Yamaguchi clan, and the project was re-written into a fictional ninkyo tale. The realism and Takakura's oyabun role may be leftovers from the original project.

Winter's Flower (冬の華) (Japan, 1978) [TV] - 3.5/5
Takakura returned to Toei for this film after breaking off with them three years earlier. It's easy to see why he came back. Takakura is a middle aged yakuza released from prison after serving 15 years for murder. He has spent the time financially supporting a little girl he orphaned, pretending to be an uncle living abroad. He intends to go straight and face the girl, but that turns out easier said than done. This is a fine film with an excellent performance by Takakura. There's quite a bit more character depth than most yakuza films, a beautiful (if overused) theme tune by Claude Ciari, and no excess sex or violence. It strikes a pretty satisfactory balance between the already disappearing 70s yakuza grit and the soon to come 80s human relationship drama (that would eventually kill yakuza films) with an eccentric artistic touch. But it falls just short of being great. The script does a lot right, and Yasuo Furuhara (replacing Kosaku Yamashita, who left the project after being denied script changes) directs reasonably well, but the little nuance, the final touch to push it to excellence and shake the audience, is a lacking. There are bits of great mixed with bits of standard. Still, this is essential genre viewing for the terrific Takakura performance, and for capturing an in-between era in yakuza cinema.



Demon (夜叉) (Japan, 1985) [TV] - 3.5/5
Takakura and Furuhata are back in another mature yakuza drama, this time at Toho. Takakura is a former gangster living in a small, snow-covered fishing village with wife and son, trying hard to leave his past behind. None of the villagers, including close friend Kunie Tanaka, know about his past. Then young beauty Yuko Tanaka from Osaka's red light districts arrives the town to run a bar, soon followed by her dope-pushing boyfriend Takeshi Kitano. As a yakuza film of the 80s, this has its fair share of small town human drama and clumsy flashbacks, having been made in an era when yakuza films were stripped of their sex and violence and transformed into something that housewives and television audiences could enjoy. But this is also much better than the many lesser films of the era. It is really quite effective at depicting the main character's anguish as he has to face what he really is deep inside, feeling more relaxed around an ex-hostess from Osaka's yakuza circles than at home with people who come from a different world than him. Takakura is in his element here.

[AngelGuts]

Appreciate the rating card here.

Big shame that ASSAULT! is only available as an average VHS rip and a couple titles are MIA completely.

An enterprising distributor could do well bumping it to HD as it's a perfect action/Roman Porno hybrid -- a gateway flick. A RETREAT and ASSAULT! double Blu wouldn't go astray.