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on Virtual Recall (2010) ReviewOkay, this movie sounds abysmal, but makes for a witty review. Thanks, Paul.…
on Virtual Recall (2010) ReviewWas Larry Cheung trying to be like Alejandro Jodorowsky?
on Acclaimed ‘Versus’ filmmaker Ryuhei Kitamura is getting into the amusement park business with ‘Thrill Ride’One good movie: Midnight meat train. The rest: crap.
on Lama Avenger, The | aka The Three Avengers (1979) ReviewWell, hopefully they can squeeze this one on the next Volume with "The Man, T…
on Lethal Combat: Techno Warriors 2 | aka Digital Warriors (2000) ReviewCheers Scott. To assist with some total recall, you commented on my review of…
on Bruce Lee protege Dan Inosanto is getting a Hollywood BiopicThey got Dan Inosanto's name wrong in the films credits: calling him DAM INOS…
on John Travolta and Nicolas Cage to return for a sequel to John Woo’s ‘Face/Off’?The original film is currently free on YouTube.
on Quentin Tarantino has dropped his 10th and final project: does this mean a ‘Kill Bill Vol. 3’ is back on the table?as was released in 2 parts... yes. But as part of the 4hr cut he screened to…
on Shadow Fist Hunter | aka The Shadow Chaser (1973) ReviewCan you please upload this film?!
on Quentin Tarantino has dropped his 10th and final project: does this mean a ‘Kill Bill Vol. 3’ is back on the table?That makes a lot of sense. I'm not all about "cutting", but it seems like one…
Category Archives: Japanese
Battles Without Honor and Humanity Vol. 5: Final Episode (1974) Review
Director: Kinji Fukasaku Writer: Koichi Iiboshi, Koji Takada Producer: Goro Kusakabe Cast: Bunta Sugawara, Akira Kobayashi, Kinya Kitaoji, Joe Shishido, Junkichi Orimoto, Kunie Tanaka, Shingo Yamashirom Hiroki Matsukata, Goichi Yamada, Goro Ibuki, Nobuo Kaneko, Asao Uchida, Isao Konami Running Time: 98 min. By Kyle Warner The Battles Without Honor and Humanity series was hugely successful when they were first released in the early 1970’s and the films remain highly regarded … Continue reading
Posted in All, Japanese, News, Reviews
Tagged Akira Kobayashi, Bunta Sugawara, Jo Shishido, Kinji Fukasaku, Kinya Kitaoji, Kunie Tanaka, Nobuo Kaneko
Attack on Titan: Part 2 – End of the World (2015) Review
Director: Shinji Higuchi Writer: Yusuke Watanabe, Tomohiro Machiyama Based on Manga by Hajime Isayama Cast: Haruma Miura, Hiroki Hasegawa, Kiko Mizuhara, Kanata Hongo, Takahiro Miura, Nanami Sakuraba, Satoru Matsuo, Shu Watanabe, Ayame Misaki, Rina Takeda Running Time: 90 min. By Paul Bramhall The second installment of Shinji Higuchi’s adaptation of the Attack on Titan manga reached Japanese cinema screens just a month after the first one came to the end … Continue reading
Battles Without Honor and Humanity Vol. 4: Police Tactics (1974) Review
Director: Kinji Fukasaku Writer: Koichi Iiboshi, Kazuo Kasahara Cast: Bunta Sugawara, Akira Kobayashi, Takeshi Kato, Tatsuo Umemiya, Hiroki Matsukata, Nobuo Kaneko, Hideo Murota, Shingo Yamashiro, Kunie Tanaka, Shinichiro Mikami, Ichiro Ogura, Asao Koike, Asao Uchida, Harumi Sone, Tatsuo Endo Running Time: 101 min. By Kyle Warner The Battles Without Honor and Humanity series is best viewed back-to-back and never is that more true than with Proxy War and Police Tactics. … Continue reading
Posted in All, Japanese, News, Reviews
Tagged Akira Kobayashi, Bunta Sugawara, Kinji Fukasaku, Kunie Tanaka, Nobuo Kaneko
Battles Without Honor and Humanity Vol. 3: Proxy War (1973) Review
Director: Kinji Fukasaku Cast: Bunta Sugawara, Akira Kobayashi, Takeshi Kato, Mikio Narita, Kunie Tanaka, Nobuo Kaneko, Shingo Yamashiro, Nobuo Kaneko, Tsunehiko Watase, Hideo Murota, Tatsuo Umemiya, Asao Uchida, Tatsuo Endo Running Time: 102 min. By Kelly Warner Hiroshima Death Match is a strong film and a fine example of the yakuza film genre. However, it was little more than a side-story in the Battles Without Honor and Humanity series and … Continue reading
Posted in All, Japanese, News, Reviews
Tagged Akira Kobayashi, Bunta Sugawara, Kinji Fukasaku, Kunie Tanaka, Nobuo Kaneko, Reiko Ike, Tetsuro Tamba
Battles Without Honor and Humanity Vol. 2: Hiroshima Death Match (1973) Review
AKA: Deadly Fight in Hiroshima Director: Kinji Fukasaku Cast: Kinya Kitaoji, Sonny Chiba, Bunta Sugawara, Meiko Kaji, Mikio Narita, Hiroshi Nawa, Asao Koike, Shingo Yamashiro, Hideo Murota, Tatsuo Endo, Yoshi Kato, Kinji Nakamura, Gin Maeda, Nobuo Kaneko, Toshie Kimura Running Time: 100 min. By Kelly Warner After the huge financial success of Battles Without Honor and Humanity in January 1973, two sequels were fast-tracked and released that same year. Based … Continue reading
Posted in All, Japanese, News, Reviews
Tagged Bunta Sugawara, Kinji Fukasaku, Kinya Kitaoji, Meiko Kaji, Nobuo Kaneko, Sonny Chiba
Battles Without Honor and Humanity Vol. 1 (1973) Review
AKA: The Yakuza Papers Vol. 1 Director: Kinji Fukasaku Cast: Bunta Sugawara, Hiroki Matsukata, Kunie Tanaka, Eiko Nakamura, Tsunehiko Watase, Goro Ibuki, Nobuo Kaneko, Toshie Kimura, Tamio Kawaji, Mayumi Nagisa, Asao Uchida, Shinichiro Mikami, Hiroshi Nawa Running Time: 99 min. By Kelly Warner Throughout the 1960s, yakuza were typically depicted as honorable outlaws in Ninkyo eiga, or “chivalry films.” Often starring fan-favorites like Ken Takakura or Koji Tsuruta, these films … Continue reading
Posted in All, Japanese, Reviews
Tagged Bunta Sugawara, Kinji Fukasaku, Kunie Tanaka, Nobuo Kaneko
Yakuza Apocalypse (2015) Review
Director: Takashi Miike Cast: Hayato Ichihara, Riko Narumi, Lily Franky, Reiko Takashima, Sho Aoyagi, Kiyohiko Shibukawa, Yayan Ruhian, Mio Yuki, Masanori Mimoto Running Time: 125 min. By Kelly Warner Even in the wild and diverse filmography of director Takashi Miike, Yakuza Apocalypse is one weird movie. What’s interesting is how it keeps its lunacy hidden away like a dirty secret until you feel like you’re settled in for a crime/horror … Continue reading
Posted in All, Japanese, News, Reviews
Tagged Masanori Mimoto, Takashi Miike, Yayan Ruhian
Seoul (2002) Review
Director: Masahiko Nagasawa Cast: Tomoya Nagase, Choi Min-Soo, Hoon Jang, Sung Choi, Jin-myung Go, Shim-young Hahm, Hun-suk Jung, Ki-won Kang, Dong-wook Kim, Ji-youn Kim, Chan-young Lee, Do-hyung Lee, Kyung-hwan Park Running Time: 110 min. By Paul Bramhall Seoul is an interesting curiosity of a movie. It looks, feels, and sounds like an early 2000’s Korean action flick, however it is in fact a Japanese production. Distributed by the legendary Toho … Continue reading
Attack on Titan: Part 1 (2015) Review
Director: Shinji Higuchi Writer: Yusuke Watanabe, Tomohiro Machiyama Based on Manga by Hajime Isayama Cast: Haruma Miura, Hiroki Hasegawa, Kiko Mizuhara, Kanata Hongo, Takahiro Miura, Nanami Sakuraba, Satoru Matsuo, Satomi Ishihara, Pierre Taki, Jun Kunimura, Rina Takeda, Shu Watanabe, Ayame Misaki Running Time: 98 min. By Paul Bramhall Attack on Titan was a production which had the odds stacked against it from the start. Putting aside the fact that it’s … Continue reading
Matango | aka Attack of the Mushroom People (1963) Review
AKA: Fungus of Terror Director: Ishiro Honda Cast: Akira Kubo, Kumi Mizuno, Kenji Sahara, Hiroshi Koizumi, Yoshio Tsuchiya, Kenji Sahara, Kenji Sahara, Hiroshi Tachikawa, Miki Yashiro, Hideyo Amamoto Running Time: 89 min. By Kelly Warner Before 1954, director Ishiro Honda worked in multiple genres, including romantic dramas, documentaries, and war pictures. After directing the original Godzilla in 1954, Honda became Toho’s go-to man for their kaiju films and special effects … Continue reading
Posted in All, Japanese, News, Reviews
Tagged Akira Kubo, Hiroshi Koizumi, Ishiro Honda, Kenji Sahara, Kumi Mizuno, Yoshio Tsuchiya
Stray Cat Rock: Beat ’71 (1971) Review
AKA: Alleycat Rock: Crazy Riders ’71 Director: Toshiya Fujita Writer: Tatsuya Asai, Hideichi Nagahara Cast: Meiko Kaji, Takeo Chii, Tatsuya Fuji, Yoshio Harada, Takeo Chii, Yoshio Inaba, Bunjaku Han, Michiko Tsukasa Running Time: 87 min. By Kyle Warner Director Toshiya Fujita returns to the Stray Cat Rock series for the fifth and final installment, Stray Cat Rock: Beat ’71 (aka Stray Cat Rock: Crazy Rider ’71). While I thought that the previous … Continue reading
Posted in All, Japanese, News, Reviews
Tagged Meiko Kaji, Tatsuya Fuji, Toshiya Fujita, Yoshio Harada
Stray Cat Rock: Machine Animal (1970) Review
AKA: Alleycat Rock: Machine Animal Director: Yasuharu Hasebe Writer: Ryuzo Nakanishi Producer: Masami Kuzu Cast: Meiko Kaji, Tatsuya Fuji, Bunjaku Han, Jiro Okazaki, Toshiya Yamano, Eiji Go, Yasuhiro Kameyama By Kyle Warner The Stray Cat Rock series continues with the fourth entry, Machine Animal. Like the films that came before it, Machine Animal was a quick production, filmed over just two weeks and released a little over two months after … Continue reading
Posted in All, Japanese, News, Reviews
Tagged Bunjaku Han, Meiko Kaji, Tatsuya Fuji, Yasuharu Hasebe
Asia-Pol | aka Asiapol Secret Service (1967) Review
AKA: Asiapol Director: Ma Chi Ho Writer: Gan Yamazaki Producer: Kenzo Asada, Run Run Shaw Cast: Jimmy Wang Yu, Ryoriko Asaoka, Wong Hap, Cheung Pooi Saan, Yuen Sam, Jo Shishido, Takashina Kaku, Chan Sing, Gam Tin Chue Running Time: 97 min. By Matthew Le-feuvre When Sean Connery announced of his unexpected departure from the James Bond franchise in early ’67, and that You Only Live Twice would be his final … Continue reading
Posted in All, Chinese, Japanese, News, Reviews, Shaw Brothers
Tagged Chan Sing, Cheung Pooi Saan, Jimmy Wang Yu, Jo Shishido, Matsuo Akinori (Ma Chi Ho), Wong Hap
Stray Cat Rock: Sex Hunter (1970) Review
AKA: Alleycat Rock: Sex Hunter Director: Yasuharu Hasebe Producer: Masayuki Takagi Cast: Meiko Kaji, Rikiya Yasuoka, Tatsuya Fuji, Jiro Okazaki, Yuki Arikawa, Tomoko Aki, Yoko Takagi, Akemi Nara Running Time: 93 min. By Kyle Warner I first saw Stray Cat Rock: Sex Hunter almost a decade ago. At the time, I was totally unaware that it belonged to a series of films (Part 3 of 5, in fact). When I … Continue reading
Stray Cat Rock: Wild Jumbo (1970) Review
AKA: Alleycat Rock: Wild Jumbo Director: Toshiya Fujita Producer: Toshiya Fujita, Shuichi Nagahara Cast: Meiko Kaji, Bunjaku Han, Takeo Chii, Tatsuya Fuji, Yusuke Natsu, Soichiro Maeno, Akiko Wada Running Time: 94 min. By Kyle Warner After the success of Stray Cat Rock: Delinquent Girl Boss, a follow-up film was rushed into production and released just three months later. Stray Cat Rock: Wild Jumbo is a messier, cheaper looking film than … Continue reading
Posted in All, Japanese, News, Reviews
Tagged Bunjaku Han, Meiko Kaji, Takeo Chii, Tatsuya Fuji, Toshiya Fujita
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