I’ve previously written at length about the joy of discovering new films and filmmakers through Radiance Films — one of which was I, The Executioner (1968), a brutal neo noir which introduced me to Akira Kurasawa’s former apprentice Tai Kato. Radiance are clearly passionate about restoring and celebrating his work, […]
Yakuza
Black Tight Killers (1966) a chic and funky throwback to simpler, stylish times (Review)
Golgo 13 (1973) Ken Takakura at his Effortless Best (Review)
The Game Trilogy (1978/9) Classic Japanese Carnage with a Huge Slice of Cool (Review)
Standing at 6 feet tall and having an effortlessly cool demeanour, Yusaku Matsuda stood head and shoulders above his contemporaries in every sense of the term. His baby face masked by the always present sunglasses and a slender physique gave manga and anime artists their template for the next two […]
Yakuza Graveyard (1976) A Chaotically Rewarding Yakuza Classic That Demands All of Your Attention (Review)
Toei had already garnered a reputation for being the studio that made Yakuza movies. Between their ninkyo-eiga (“chivalry”) pictures of the 1960s to the harder-hitting jitsuroku-eiga (“actual record films”) popularised by the likes of Director Kinji Fukasaku and writer Kazuo Kasahara, Toei Company had a winning formula that brought in […]
Violent Streets (1974) Channels the Spirit of John Cassavetes and Kinji Fukusaku (Review)
Big Time Gambling Boss (1968) An Essential for anyone with a penchant for Yakuza Cinema (Review)
Sailor Suit and Machine Gun (1981) The Cutest Yakuza Film in Town (Review)
Melancholic (2018): Darkly Hilarious Romantic Dramedy with added Yakuza violence (Review)
Before launching into Third Window Films latest release – Seiji Tanaka’s Melancholic – allow me the indulgence of explaining why I adore East Asian cinema. Japanese, Chinese and Korean cinema use their time as a canvas to evolve, expand or become something else entirely. Outside of the few high profile […]
First Love (2019) Miike’s Fountain of Gonzo Youth (Review)
First Love is film number 103. Back in 1991, however, Takashi Miike directed a film called “Toppuu! Minipato tai – Aikyacchi Jankushon“, a comedy about a daring policewoman dressed in a leotard who defeats criminals using gymnastics. An odd subject for a debut but such is the Japanese studio system. […]