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Tag Archives: Jo Shishido
Cruel Gun Story (1964) Review
Director: Takumi Furukawa Cast: Jo Shishido, Chieko Matsubara, Tamio Kawaji, Shobun Inoue, Yuji Odaka, Minako Kazuki, Hiroshi Nihonyanagi, Hiroshi Kondo, Saburo Hiromatsu Running Time: 87 min. By Henry McKeand In the 1960s, the Japanese studio Nikkatsu made a string of hard-edged crime thrillers that became known as “borderless action” films. They received this distinction because they borrowed from international influences, combining classic American noir and French New Wave gangster cool … Continue reading
Posted in All, Japanese, News, Reviews
Tagged Jo Shishido, Takumi Furukawa
Detective Bureau 2-3: Go to Hell Bastards! (1963) Review
Director: Seijun Suzuki Writer: Iwao Yamazaki, Haruhiko Oyabu Cast: Joe Shishido, Reiko Sasamori, Tamio Kawachi, Nobuo Kaneko, Kinzo Shin, Naomi Hoshi, Asao Sano, Yuko Kusunoki, Kotoe Hatsui Running Time: 89 min. By Kelly Warner Like most people, my first Seijun Suzuki film was the infamous Branded to Kill. It was unlike any crime movie I’d seen before; weird, visually inventive, playful, and shocking. Jo Shishido got off on the smell of rice, there were all … Continue reading
Boy Who Came Back, The (1958) Review
Director: Seijun Suzuki Cast: Sachiko Hidari, Akira Kobayashi, Ruriko Asaoka, Toru Abe, Makiko Aoi, Akemi Ebata, Shoki Fukae, Ayako Fukuda, Akinori Hanamura, Ikuhiro Hashiguchi,Eiko Higashitani, Kaoru Higuchi, Akira Hisamatsu, Kyoko Hori Running Time: 99 min. By Kelly Warner Famed director Seijun Suzuki was fond of saying that his films “made no sense and made no money” and indeed we know him best for the bizarre action movies that led to his … Continue reading
Posted in All, Japanese, News, Reviews
Tagged Akira Kobayashi, Jo Shishido, Seijun Suzuki
New Battles Without Honor and Humanity (1974) Review
Director: Kinji Fukasaku Cast: Bunta Sugawara, Hiroki Matsukata, Nobuo Kaneko, Tomisaburo Wakayama, Tsunehiko Watase, Kunie Tanaka, Noboru Ando, Seizo Fukumoto, Reiko Ike, Ryuji Katagiri, Takuzo Kawatani, Yoko Koizumi Running Time: 98 min. By Kelly Warner When Toei’s Battles Without Honor and Humanity came to a close in 1974 with Final Episode, audiences still in love with the series demanded more, and the studio was more than happy to oblige. Over the next three years, … Continue reading
Posted in All, Japanese, News, Reviews
Tagged Bunta Sugawara, Jo Shishido, Kinji Fukasaku, Kunie Tanaka, Nobuo Kaneko, Reiko Ike, Tomisaburo Wakayama
Murder Unincorporated (1965) Review
Director: Haruyasu Noguchi Cast: Jo Shishido, Yoko Yamamoto, Kon Omura, Yumiko Nogawa, Eiji Go, Daizaburo Hirata, Hiroshi Cho, E.H. Eric, Kanbi Fujiyama, Tonpei Hidari, Hiroshi Hijikata Running Time: 85 min. By Kyle Warner Before the Nikkatsu logo even hits the screen, one of Murder Unincorporated’s characters directly addresses the audience. “Hey, you!” he shouts with a snarl. “If you don’t laugh when you see this movie, I’m going to execute you!” … Continue reading
Danger Pays (1962) Review
AKA: Danger Paws Director: Ko Nakahira Cast: Joe Shishido, Ruriko Asaoka, Hiroyuki Nagato, Arihiro Fujimura, Eiji Go, Bokuzen Hidari, Kojiro Kusanagi, Torahiko Hamada, Daizaburo Hirata, Toyoko Takechi, Zenji Yamada Running Time: 82 min. By Kyle Warner Danger Pays is an odd little movie. It shifts from wacky comedy to violent action at the drop of a hat. You wouldn’t know it at first, but the opening credits theme song is … Continue reading
Posted in All, Japanese, News, Reviews
Tagged Hiroyuki Nagato, Jo Shishido, Ko Nakahira
Rambling Guitarist, The (1959) Review
Director: Buichi Saito Writer: Gan Yamazaki Cast: Akira Kobayashi, Ruriko Asaoka, Sanae Nakahara, Nobuo Kaneko, Jo Shishido, Misako Watanabe, Kyoji Aoyama, Mari Shiraki, Hiroshi Nihon’yanagi, Yuzo Kiura, San’emon Suzuki, Hyosuke Kanbe, Tsuneo Katagiri Running Time: 78 min. By Kyle Warner The Rambling Guitarist is a film that has very clearly taken some notes on what was popular at the time in Hollywood. What begins as an Elvis-inspired drama about a … Continue reading
Voice Without a Shadow (1958) Review
Director: Seijun Suzuki Cast: Hideaki Nitani, Yoko Minamida, Jo Shishido, Shinsuke Ashida, Kotoe Hatsui, Taketoshi Naito, Keisuke Noro, Toshio Takahara, Kaku Takashina, Kenjiro Uemura Runnning Time: 92 min. By Kelly Warner In the old days, a film studio would have its contract actors who appeared in multiple releases each year and there was very little cross-pollination of actors working on films for other studios. Of course the bigger stars headlined … Continue reading
Posted in All, Japanese, News, Reviews
Tagged Hideaki Nitani, Jo Shishido, Nobuo Kaneko, Seijun Suzuki
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
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
Retaliation (1968) Review
Director: Yasuharu Hasebe Writer: Yoshihiro Ishimatsu, Keiji Kubota Cast: Joe Shishido, Meiko Kaji, Hideaki Nitani, Tamio Kawachi, Eiji Go, Tatsuya Fuji, Jiro Okazaki, Shoki Fukae, Shoki Fukae, Kaku Takashina Running Time: 94 min. By Kyle Warner There are two primary types of yakuza film. The genre began with films about chivalrous gangsters. These classics depicted yakuza as outlaws, yes, but they lived by a code, they were often romantic, and … Continue reading
Posted in Japanese, News, Reviews
Tagged Akira Kobayashi, Jo Shishido, Meiko Kaji, Tatsuya Fuji, Yasuharu Hasebe
Massacre Gun (1967) Review
Director: Yasuharu Hasebe Writer: Yasuharu Hasebe, Ryuzu Nakanishi Cast: Jo Shishido, Tatsuya Fuji, Jiro Okazaki, Ryoji Hayama, Takashi Kanda, Hideaki Nitani, Ken Sanders, Tamaki Sawa, Yoko Yamamoto Running Time: 89 min. By Kyle Warner One look at the credits of popular Japanese action movie tough guys like Jo Shishido, Ken Takakura, and Bunta Sugawara lets you know that we in the West have only seen but a sampling of their … Continue reading
Posted in Japanese, News, Reviews
Tagged Jo Shishido, Tatsuya Fuji, Yasuharu Hasebe
Colt is My Passport, A (1967) Review
Director: Takashi Nomura Cast: Jo Shishido, Chitose Kobayashi, Jerry Fujio, Akiyoshi Fukae, Zenji Yamada, Hideaki Esumi, Jun Hongo, Akio Miyabe, Toyoko Takechi, Kojiro Kusanagi, Ryotaro Sugi, Takamaru Sasaki, Asao Uchida, Zeko Nakamura Running Time: 84 min. By Kelly Warner In the 1960s, the Japanese studio Nikkatsu was cranking out action films at a rapid pace. They were often made fast and cheap, but they were also wildly inventive, and gave … Continue reading
Branded to Kill (1967) Review
Director: Seijun Suzuki Cast: Jo Shishido, Mari Annu, Mariko Ogawa, Koji Nambara, Isao Tamagawa, Hiroshi Minami Running Time: 91 min. By Milkcan I must say I am very glad to have seen this film. Did it make me a better person? No. Did it teach me things about the cinema I never knew? Well, no. But it did, along with “Super Ninjas”, remind me of how much mindless fun movies … Continue reading
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