What Asian Films Have You Been Watching Recently?

[Takuma]

Kanto Street Peddlers Clan (関東テキヤ一家) (Japan, 1969) [Streaming] – 3.5/5
The first in a five film series focusing on tekiya / street peddlers, a lesser covered breed of yakuza than their sexier cousins, the bakuto / gamblers. It's very much a ninkyo film, but set in modern day and starring Toei's new hell raiser Bunta Sugawara instead of the stoic old timers Takakura or Tsuruta. Director Norifumi Suzuki adds his own brand of fun with comedy, nudity (wait for silly vice cop Toru Yuri visiting a strip club) and one of the defining Takuzo Kawatani moments when the beloved bit player gets his ass kicked by a team of female wrestlers. Sugawara plays a slightly reckless but good hearted tekiya who promised old oyabun Kanjuro Arashi to keep his dagger sealed, something made increasingly difficult by villains Fumio Watanabe and Bin Amatsu. There's also a rather charming romantic subplot with Sugawara and fellow gang member Kyosuke Machida falling for the same woman, and a solid ninkyo backbone in form of friendly enemy Tatsuo Terashima who earns Sugawara's trust by trying to prevent unnecessary bloodshed between gangs. Completing the cast are Sugawara's allies boss Minoru Oki and female boss Hiroko Sakuramachi, the latter of whom adds a bit of colour to the mix. All in all, a surprisingly entertaining and visually good looking film that started Suzuki's first own film series (he'd helm four of the five entries). It's no surprise the film was a success since in addition to being filled with humour, action and romantic emotion, Sugawara is great as a short tempered but lovable yakuza hero who is not entirely unlike the protagonist in Suzuki & Sugawara’s later Truck Yaro series. This film would be even better if not for a couple of overly talkative autopilot scene.



Kanto Street Peddlers Clan: Violent Loyalty (関東テキヤ一家　喧嘩仁義) (Japan, 1970) [Streaming] – 2/5
Disappointing routine sequel lacks the action, romantic emotion and stylish visual touch of the original film. The first 20 minutes is filled with comic relief, followed by a good 70 minutes of talking heads before the standard bloodbath ending. Most surprising however is that for a Bunta Sugawara film there is very little Bunta Sugawara in it. He’s absent from roughly every other scene, and even when he does bother showing up he often fades to the background. Could it be that he was too busy to fully commit to this production? That might just be it, considering this was already the 5th movie he appeared in in 1970, and it was only March! He would find his way into 15 more movies by the end of the year (yes, that’s a total of 20 films for 1970).

P.S. the film’s title is incorrect on IMDb where it’s spelled as Kanto tekiya ikka: Goromen jingi. It’s actually Kanto tekiya ikka: Goromentsuu.

Kanto Street Peddlers Clan: Royal Temple Duel (関東テキヤ一家 天王寺の決斗) (Japan, 1970) [Streaming] – 2.5/5
The third film brings the series a bit more back on track after the disappointing part two. Sugawara still plays the same Kanto street peddler, who this time ventures to Osaka where he defends a blind girl at a street market. The area is targeted by rotten Asao Koike and Tatsuo Endo, who have lured local senior female boss Nijiko Kiyokawa’s rebellious but not entirely indecent son Goro Ibuki to their side. This isn’t a particularly accomplished film, still mostly lacking the visual touch and the romantic pathos of the first movie, but at least Sugawara is firmly present this time (he was absent from large portion of the previous film despite playing the protagonist) and Suzuki handles the narrative with just enough energy to keep the viewer entertained. Also worth mentioning is fan favourite Yumiko Katayama as Koike’s mute woman, though sadly she’s given little to do other than look mean.

Kanto Street Peddlers Clan: Violent Fire Festival (関東テキヤ一家　喧嘩火祭り) (Japan, 1971) [Streaming] – 3.5/5
The fourth film in the series and the first sequel to rival part one is quality. This has a dynamite opening with silly detective Tatsuo Endo (basically in a Toru Yuri role) assigning tekiya truckers Bunta Sugawara and Toshiaki Minami to assist in a chase to catch a girl gang lead by Yukie Kagawa. It’s hard not to see this and several other scenes in the film foreshadowing the Truck Yaro series, especially considering the chemistry between Sugawara and Minami, the presence of trucks and festivals, and of course a mix of action/comedy/drama. More good stuff follows when Sugawara sides with female boss Yumiko Nogawa to fight evil Hiroshi Nawa, who at one point employs rebellious young hood Tsunehiko Watase and Kagawa (wearing the same black jump suit as Miki Sugimoto later in Girl Boss Guerilla, and Marianne Faithfull before them in The Girl on a Motorcycle, 1968). Tatsuo Umemiya also shows up as a cool, leather jacket gunman who gains Sugawara’s respect despite playing for the opposing team. What eventually keeps this film from being as good as the first is the loose script that doesn’t really tie all the fun stuff into a coherent package. Much is forgiven however when the last 20 minutes arrives with several visually striking set pieces (including one death scene stylized to the point of ridiculousness) and a terrific final massacre. This was Suzuki’s last contribution to the series; the fifth and final picture would be helmed by Takashi Harada.



Kanto Street Peddlers Clan: Shallow Clan Honor (関東テキヤ一家　浅草の代紋) (Japan, 1971) [Streaming] – 3/5
Norifumi Suzuki headed to pinkier pastures with his newfound muse Reiko Ike (something this film makes very obvious by featuring a billboard for the first Girl Boss film in one scene), leaving this fifth and final entry in Takashi Harada's somewhat mediocre hands. He had already worked with Bunta Sugawara several times in the Wicked Priest sequels. He helms this film in similar fashion, without much originality, but hitting the genre notes with action, comedy, and some nudity in a very Suzuki esque context when Sugawara's boys try to make money with nude photos. Hiroki Matsukata makes a series debut playing the usual conflicted foe/fried character whose incarnation can be found in every entry in the series, but it is Noboru Ando as a retired gangster with a mysterious past who gets the film's best role. Now, as stated there's not much originality to the film... until the fantastic climax where Takada somehow manages to do western and slasher in one scene, before taking the bloodshed to an eerily desolate early morning city street. Great ending to a pretty good film, and a fitting farewell to the entire series.

[Takuma]

Centipede Horror (Hong Kong, 1982) [BD] - 3.5/5
A long sought after Hong Kong cult horror isn't quite as original as one might expect, but the last 20 minutes delivers the notoriety is spades. This is yet another tale of urban Hong Kongers venturing to South East Asia were they get a wicked curse laid upon them (the Shaw Brothers made several similar films with higher production values). The film proceeds as an entertaining, but slightly mediocre horror picture until the jaw dropping gross-out last 20 minutes that alone earn the film a minor classic status. Animal splatter is thankfully kept near zero, limited to some mistreatment of centipedes and a chicken losing some of her feathers. The new BD release by Error 4444 offers an optional animal cruelty free version, which however only eliminates about 30 seconds of not particularly shocking footage, alongside the full uncut version.



Seeding of a Ghost (Hong Kong, 1983) [BD] – 3.5/5
A slightly out of ordinary premise in this Shaw Bros. horror as it has the protagonist using black magic against adulterers and criminals rather than the other way around. This is a solid entry though it doesn’t reach heights of Bewitched or The Boxer’s Omen, or the prominent smaller studio output like Red Spell Spells Red, partly because the Hong Kong setting lacks their exotism. It is also a bit mediocre in terms of directing and editing, though it doesn’t matter too much in the end. Where this delivers is the special effects, gore, concept, and abundant bare skin. The climatic black magic ceremony, which among other things includes a rotten corpse having sex with a fresh corpse, may have the biggest gross-out factor of any of the films mentioned above. It’s another lovely relic of a bygone era to be cherished as these type of films are surely never to return again.

Calamity of Snakes (Taiwan, 1983) [BD] – 2.5/5
Notorious, but underwhelming Taiwanese shocker released around the same time as the similarly themed Hong Kong productions Centipede Horror and Red Spell Spells Red. This one however lacks their cinematic style and merely relies on excess. The storyline is simple: a greedy construction boss has thousands of snakes massacred to make way for an apartment complex. 10 months later the snakes take revenge against the construction workers and new inhabitants. That does result in a couple of standout scenes, such as an old kung fu master taking on a giant snake, and the film’s last 15 minutes which likely features more snakes than any other movie has ever has. Unfortunately the film makes for needlessly heavy viewing due to its colossal amount of animal cruelty. The more civilized version offered as alternative on the Unearthed BD cuts a whopping 10 minutes from the film, and might actually be a partial improvement not only for toning down the genuine cruelty displayed on screen, but also for shortening the severely overlong snake sequences, even if it may become a bit incoherent in the process. As it stands, the film is more of an interesting curiosity than a genuinely well made exploitation film.

Red Spell Spells Red (Hong Kong, 1983) [BD] – 4/5
The 2nd and superior Nikko International production, following the previous year’s Centipede Horror. This one goes all the way, even to the unfortunate authentic animal kills. The plot is the usual one, with a Hong Kong documentary film crew having a slight mishap in South East Asia where they unleash a vicious spirit who wants to kill them all. The spirit gives them just enough time to relocate to a primitive village (whose people sacrifice animals and humans alike, and invite visitors to deflower their daughters) before they start dropping dead. There’s some obvious resemblance to Centipede Horror in how the film plays out, but with an added Cannibal Holocaust influence to the plot and violence. It’s also tighter paced film and somewhat expanded in scale compared to Centipede Horror, with a hugely spirited black magic battle climax in which lead lady Poon Lai Yin is rotated in a huge water wheel while a chorus chants about Jesus Christ. Curiously enough, both this and Centipede were scripted by a woman, Amy Chan, who was also in charge of handling scorpions (frequently placed on people’s bodies and faces) on the set! Speaking of which, reviewed here is the animal cruelty free version which runs approx. three minutes short compared to the uncut version which is also included on the Error 4444 BD. The edits are noticeable, but not particularly jarring, and save you from some animal slaughter that appears worse than anything in Centipede Horror (which I viewed uncut).

[Takuma]

I have the HK dvd, too. But it did see it first in a Chinatown Cinema in Melbourne. Four times!

That's awesome!

[AngelGuts]

I have the HK dvd, too. But it did see it first in a Chinatown Cinema in Melbourne. Four times!

[Takuma]

Takuma, interesting takes on the HK films, Takuma.

My disagreement is with your IN THE LINE OF DUTY 3 comments. I think the action, with the exception of the first scene, is extremely stylish and inventive: the fashion show massacre/shootout; the brutal fight in the warehouse; the sex scene with the Japanese couple where male's hair comes out because he has cancer.

Part 3 actually used to be my favourite. I still have the old HK DVD though it must be more than 15 years since I've last viewed it.

[AngelGuts]

Takuma, interesting takes on the HK films, Takuma.

My disagreement is with your IN THE LINE OF DUTY 3 comments. I think the action, with the exception of the first scene, is extremely stylish and inventive: the fashion show massacre/shootout; the brutal fight in the warehouse; the sex scene with the Japanese couple where male's hair comes out because he has cancer.

[Randy G]

TCM showed a quite good but dubbed print of Crippled Masters last night. Sounds like it will be getting a BD release.

[mjeon]

I am glad that you are broadening your scope. I look forward to more HK reviews from you.

[Takuma]

Takuma, have you moved? Are these Japanese blu-rays? Do they have English subtitles?

No, I have not moved. Those are the 88 Films and Vinegar Syndrome BDs.

https://mvdshop.com/products/in-the-...dition-blu-ray
https://vinegarsyndrome.com/products...-kong-volume-1

[mjeon]

Takuma, have you moved? Are these Japanese blu-rays? Do they have English subtitles?

[Takuma]

Yes Madam (Hong Kong, 1985) [BD] - 3.5/5
Largely comedic “second” (but filmed and released first) In the Line of Duty film is redeemed by an insanely good action finale. The climax is master class in stunts and film editing. What comes before is not that bad either, with Tsui Hark and the boys providing some amusing comedy and Michelle looking very cute, but it is the climax that makes the film.

Royal Warriors (Hong Kong, 1986) [BD] - 3/5
Popular “first” (but filmed and released second) In the Line of Duty film comes with solid action and a cool synth score, but lacks unforgettable scenes. Worse yet, the drama is the dullest in the series and Michael Wong is at his most annoying. Kudos to having Japanese characters speak Japanese, but the dialogue, as performed by Hong Kong voice actors, comes out heavily accented and there are even bits of complete gibberish.

In the Line of Duty III (Hong Kong, 1988) [BD] - 3/5
The most violent and even sexiest entry in the series (thanks to Michiko Nishiwaki spending a few seconds topless during a sex scene); unfortunately a bit lesser than its predecessors in terms of film making craft. Action is explosive enough, but captured without the kind of stylish lensing and great editing that Yes Madam had. Cynthia Khan is quite alright as the new lead: she's cuter than Michelle Yeoh but a lesser action performer. The Japanese characters are all dubbed in Cantonese this time, which was probably for the best.

In the Line of Duty IV (Hong Kong, 1988) [BD] - 3.5/5
Ridiculously action packed fourth film won't win any awards for screenwriting or acting, but it does deliver fights and stunts in spades. Yuen Woo Ping may even have raised the action bar a bit too high as there’s an unusually high number of shots where Cynthia Khan is only filmed from behind (stunt double?). Donnie Yen’s scenes are not affected by this, and he delivers one of the series' highlights with the famous rooftop fight with Michael Woods.

Erotic Nightmare (Hong Kong, 1999) [BD] – 2.5/5
Anthony Wong dreams of schoolgirls until the dreams bite him in the ass. Late 90s CAT III film delivers what the title promises, but something seems to be missing. Perhaps it’s heart, as odd it may sound. The film comes out somehow cold and mechanical compared to the more spirited early 90s Hong Kong madness. That being said, it’s still a passable film.

The Demon’s Baby (Hong Kong, 1998) [BD] – 2.5/5
Uneven period piece horror with an army general’s concubines bearing demon babies. It doesn’t really take off until the last half an hour when it turns into a mad sfx showcase whose makers must have been inspired by Rob Bottin’s work in The Thing. Until that, however, the focus is on a romantic plot involving two poor servants. Anthony Wong appears in a Mr. Vampire / Lam Ching-ying type priest role. Also worth nothing is that despite starring Elvis Tsui as sex maniac army man, the film is free of any on-screen sex or nudity, and carries a CAT II rating.

Deadly Camp (Hong Kong, 1999) [BD] – 1/5
A bunch of annoying teens camp on an island inhabited by a chainsaw wielding maniac and his annoying son. This frustratingly amateurish slasher, often referred to as Hong Kong’s Friday the 13th, does absolutely nothing right. The film is ineptly shot, the characters are nerve-wrecking, the violence takes place outside of the frame, and there’s not even nudity beyond one very brief scene. This was, in fact, a CAT II film. Anthony Wong appears briefly in an extended cameo.

[Takuma]

The Japan Derby Race (日本ダービー　勝負) (Japan, 1970) [Streaming] - 1/5
Junya Sato's epic dud covering 40 years of Japanese horse racing history, based on real life jockey and trainer Tokichi Ogata. I was willing to give this film some slack because it’s obviously not one aimed at me (I couldn’t care less about the topic). But when the film climaxes with a dozen back to back horse races (shown as live TV footage), taking almost all of the film’s last third, you can't help but to wonder had Sato gone insane? Even pink films don’t have sex scenes as plenty and prolonged as this film’s horse racing parts. Tatsuya Mihashi stars, with Ken Takakura, Tomisaburo Wakayama, Bunta Sugawara, Tatsuo Umemiya and Junko Fuji in supporting bits, none of them getting nearly as much screen time as the damn horses.

Thugs of Shinjuku (新宿の与太者) (Japan, 1970) [Streaming] – 3/5
This lightweight gangster movie is probably most notable for possibly being part of the Modern Yakuza series. Most sources nowadays consider it the 3rd movie in the series, and Toei producers and directors have given comments along these lines. However, the series title is nowhere to be found in the film or any of its Japanese promotional materials (any titles found in English language databases with the Gendai Yakuza / Modern Yakuza header are made-up). There is even a self-referential joke in the film when the main characters come out of a movie theater and spot a poster for this film, Thugs of Shinjuku. The poster actually states “Screening next: Thugs of Shinjuku - The 1st film in a new Bunta Sugawara film series”. It’s one of the many humoristic scenes in the film that set this apart from the more seriously minded entries that preceded and followed. Title debates aside, this is a harmless and perhaps forgettable film that however quite nicely captures its era and locations on film. The violent climax for instance is set on a bustling city street in broad daylight with Sugawara navigating between thousands of ordinary people as he chases a rotten yakuza boss. And when the last drop of blood has been shed, Bunta’s charming amateur ballad “Juku no yotamono” plays to bid us a farewell. Most of the film may not fare that well, with Bunta leading his comical gang of good-for-nothings through a routine plot, but one doesn’t feel like being too critical on the film when it has such charming bits in it.

Note 1: The Japanese title Juku no yotamono is actually more consistent with the first two films, Gendai yakuza: Yotamono no okite and Gendai yakuza: Yotamono no jingi than with the next two, Gendai yakuza: Sakazuki kaeshimasu and Gendai yakuza: Chizakura san kyodai.

Note 2: The last film in the series was Fukasaku’s Gendai yakuza: Hitokiri yota (Street Mobster). It was followed by Hitokiri yota: Kyoken san kyodai (Three Mad Dog Brothers), which despite being a sequel is not considered part of the Modern Yakuza series.

Note 3: Thugs of Shinjuku is the only one of these films that Toei has not released on DVD. It’s also the only one that isn’t airing on Toei Channel whereas the rest are frequently aired back to back.

Note 4: Though Shinjuku no yotamono would be the orthodox reading of the kanji title, it’s actually Juku no yotamono as per the accompanying furigana.



Father of the Kamikaze (あゝ決戦航空隊) (Japan, 1974) [DVD] – 4/5
Long, detailed, and engaging World War II docudrama focusing on Takijiro Onishi, the father of kamikaze warfare. Toei and Toho had already produced loads of kamikaze melodramas in the 60s through early 70s, but few (if any) had the massive scope of this. A product of the jitsuroku yakuza film era, this is essentially Battles without Honor and Humanity the war film edition, detailing the entire war from start to finish, from each strategic decision to the devastating end. Perhaps not surprisingly, it was also written by the same man as Battles without Honor and Humanity, Kazuo Kasahara. It’s also a controversial film for it taking the point of view of the men who believed in kamikaze warfare, which makes it both interesting and potentially objectionable depending on how you see it. Regardless, Koji Tsuruta is terrific as Onishi, a man who is burdened by his decision to sacrifice thousands of lives yet stubbornly believes it’s the only way to go. Akira Kobayashi is solid as his close ally, and Bunta Sugawara excels as extreme nationalist who is even more devoted to continuing the war than his superiors. The rest of the cast features just about every big name from Noboru Ando to Hiroki Matsukata, Kinya Kitaoji, Tsunehiko Watase, Ryo Ikebe, and many more.

Old Military Arts of Japan (武道ドキュメント　剣豪の祭典) (Japan, 1974) [Streaming] – 3/5
"We are witnessing a martial arts boom. Where did it come from?" asks the narrator at the beginning of this theatrical Toei martial arts documentary, which was released in the middle of Toei's karate film boom and frequently re-uses music from those films. The documentary covers notable Japanese martial arts from Okinawa Karate to Ninjutsu, Kendo, Shorinji Kenpo, sword fighting techniques popularized by the Lone Wolf and Cub series, and even firearms. None of it comes with very much depth, and the film was obviously an attempt to capitalize on the popularity of martial arts films and further promote them, but it is not without value. Various martial arts masters, from Shorinji Kenpo founder Doshin So to Japan Karate Association’s Masafumi Suzuki (who also frequently appeared in Toei’s karate films) and a supposedly 102 year old Okinawa Karate practitioner are brought in front of camera for interviews and martial arts demonstrations. We also get street interviews with random high school girls to find out if they’ve seen Bruce Lee films (some have, yes). All in all this, this is quite a passable and certainly more down-to-earth exploration of the topic than Toei's later, outrageous The Karate Professionals (1976). The film is not ruined with excessive length either, running only 45 minutes. It was released theatrically as a double feature with the 3.5 hour war film Father of the Kamikaze.



Festival Champ (お祭り野郎　魚河岸の兄弟分) (Japan, 1976) [Streaming] – 3/5
Norifumi Suzuki made this largely forgotten film between the 2nd and 3rd Truck Yaro films. Perhaps unsurprisingly, it feels a lot like them, only without trucks. Hiroki Matsukata is a fish market worker and a fanatical Japanese festival rascal. He also falls in love with a stripper while delivering his colleague's love letter to her but forgetting to mention it's from another man. As stated, this shares a lot with the Truck Yaro series, from festivals to the mix of drama and comedy (like many Suzuki films, it can accelerate from silly comedy to teary melodrama and then bounce back to laughs in a matter of minutes or even seconds). But the lack of action, save for a number of fist fights, and memorable characters make this a lesser affair. Dead fish are a poor replacement for Dekotora, and there’s nothing to rival the Sugawara & Aikawa pairing of the trucker films. The supporting cast does come with a couple of big names in minor parts, most notably Koichi Iwaki and Etsuko Shihomi, whose Fifth Level Fist was the supporting feature for this film in theatres. Speaking of Shihomi, it’s a real shame she never got cast in any of the Truck Yaro films: she'd have made a great rival driver for Bunta.

A Cheerful Yakuza (愉快な極道) (Japan, 1976) [Streaming] – 2/5
A loose follow-up to Tomisaburo Wakayama's popular but not particularly good action comedy series “Scoundrel”. This was a theatrical release, but feels more like a television film which may have been a symptom of the era: by 1976 the days of no holds barred genre films were starting to be over. Perhaps most baffling is that this isn't really a yakuza film at all, but instead a humoristic human relationship drama about taxi driver Wakayama whose daughter is about to get married. It is said Toei president Shigeru Okada was trying to go after the success of Shochiku’s Tora-san series, and this film was the result. It’s not until halfway into the film that Renji Ishibashi walks into the picture as blackmailing yakuza scum and introduces a bit of conflict leading up to an action scene near the end. And there lies another key point: “near the end”! The film does not end after that action set piece, like any 60s Scoundrel film would, but instead goes on for another 10 full minutes with family drama. Now, the most insane thing about the film was its release: it seems to have premiered as part of a triple bill with Female Ninjas: In Bed With the Enemy and Virgin Breaker Yuki II: Western Licensed District making a completely mad mix one coffee table drama and two adult films into a triple bill that no one under the age of 18 could see.

The Karate Professionals (世界最強の格闘技　殺人空手) (Japan, 1976) [TV] – 3/5
A ridiculous karate documentary helmed by Kazuhiko Yamaguchi as one of Toei's last domestic martial arts productions of the 70s. There had been a slightly more down to earth martial arts doc called Old Military Arts of Japan two years prior, but now in the waning days of the karate film boom it was time to drop all pretensions and facts. The film follows the walking definition of violent machismo, the All Japan Professional Karate Association founder and part time Toei performer Go Otsuka as he faces challengers and trains his skills. Right at the beginning we are treated a nasty bit of (partially staged?) animal cruelty as Otsuka kills a wild boar with his bare hands. Not to be outdone, another fighter finds a viper in the grass and bites it to death. Looking after the fighters is the association's own certified doctor ("You've got three broken bones. No worries, they’ll heal in no time."). Much of the film is built around ring fights which cut to flashbacks showing the fighters honing their skills (e.g. why settle for running up and down stairs when you can run up mountains and have a fight at the top with whoever happens to be there). At the end of the film Otsuka travels to Hong Kong (where he's almost instantly attacked by half dozen kung fu fighters), Malaysia and Nepal, proving no one in Asia can neither match not assassinate him. This "documentary" is obviously to be approached with some reservations, but for fans of 70s karate films and true account cinema that blurs the line between truth and blatant lies there's 74 minutes of bone-headed, mostly staged fun to be had. Content wise it's not far from Yamaguchi's fully fictional films as far as the fights, performers, over the top narration and partially (or fully?) recycled Shunsuke Kikuchi score go. As documentary, it’s probably an accurate depiction of the mindset many of these fighters had.

[Takuma]

I've always considered The Great Chase my least favourite Shihomi film. Too goofy and the action choreography is the weakest of any Shihomi film IMO. I've seen the film on DVD as well as in 35mm, and it always feels underwhelming. Strange considering I love Suzuki, including all of his other martial arts films.

Dragon Princess, 13 Steps of Maki and Sister Street Fighter are my favourite Shihomi films, probably in that order.

[BW Haggar]

I really like 'The Great Chase'!

In fact I think it might possibly make my top 3 of films in which Etsuko plays the lead (alongside '13 Steps of Mako' and the first 'Sister Streetfighter').

My recollection is that it starts off pretty much like a family friendly action-adventure movie, then suddenly this maniac in a bear suit is clawing up naked girls with a huge nazi flag in the background, and... "oh yeah - Norifumi Suzuki directing - figures".

I agree the fights are a bit lacklustre and poorly edited (a problem I increasingly have with a lot of Toei's mid-'70s action films TBH; maybe I've just been spoiled by watching all that great HK stuff recently?), but the crazy stunts and general zany charm more than make up for it in this case (the cable car scene is pretty awesome).

[Jason C]

The Great Chase (Japan, 1975) 6/10

This is close to being amazing. Etsuko Shihomi is adorable as always. It’s hilarious the way she plays master of disguise in this film, while being a secret agent/racecar driver. Why not, right? Its also fun seeing many of the familiar Toei faces, especially Eiji Go. And while this film is Shihomi being adorable, there is plenty of reprehensible sleaze taking place around here. Like a few of her other films it provides a weird shift in tone that I really dig. You have politician raping girls while wearing a bear costume (or maybe a rodent). A young woman is tortured by being placed in a knight’s suit-of-armor and, in a really cool scene, Etsuko knocks it off with a sword. Nuns are transporting heroin in a coffin so we get a nude girl’s corpse getting cut open. This is classic 70’s Toei sleaze. All this while Shihomi is runnoig around playing Scooby Doo. Where it falls down is the fight choreography. Etsuko does have some cool jumps and moments but hits rarely come close to connecting. It’s very distracting and heart breaking. That said, the finale where Etsujko has bombs going off around her in a mine is amazing. It’s one of her coolest stunts and I feared for her safety. And during that scene I belly laughed when one of the main villains blew up. Its bonkers. This is a fun film that will be well worth revisiting.