What asian film/series have you just seen.. marks out of 5

[HungFist]

Zatoichi at Large (Japan, 1972) [BD] - 2/5
Part 23. Zatoichi picks up a baby from a dying mother on a road. Her other kid witnesses the tragedy and thinks Zatoichi killed her. As a result he keeps throwing stones at him (fun at first) and giving him trouble (not fun for long) for the rest of the film. Frustratingly, he's not the only one as there's a seemingly endless cavalcade of characters whose misunderstandings are used as cheap plot device. Later Zatoichi arrives a town terrorized by your usual nasty yakuza gang. There's also a super irritating street performer troupe providing mostly unfunny comedy. Thankfully the action is entertaining, there are some nice touches on the soundtrack, and a couple of the supporting characters are interesting. Katsu himself is great.

Lone Wolf and Cub: Sword of Vengeance (Japan, 1972) [35mm] - 4.5/5
The first (but not the best) film in the series established the unique formula, an assassin with a child. What gets mentioned a bit less often is how well director Kenji Misumi utilizes nature in the series, rooting the fantastical storylines to a living world, and bringing the world to life, in a way that many other movies don't. With Misumi's handling of the nature, as well as the father-son relationship, the series got a director that such exploitative films rarely got to enjoy. Equally important was Tomisaburo Wakayama, a prolific yakuza film actor and frequent comic relief prone to over-acting, who landed the role of his life with the series that put his silent charisma and impeccable sword handling skills to a full use. The first two sequels would further improve with even better action, pacing and character direction. The first film suffers a tiny bit for being a "beginning story". Lone Wolf and Cub would soon become stuff of the legends, and such mythical heroes are only hurt by too much background exposure.

[HungFist]

Zatoichi in Desperation (Japan, 1972) [BD] - 3/5
Part 24. This was Katsu's second directorial effort following the yakuza film The Boss (1971). In Katsu's hands the film came out quite dark and realistic compared to most Zatoichi films. Zatoichi saves a woman from a brothel, however, she's not all that grateful as she didn't really mind her job. Interesting twist! There's also quite a surprise at the end, which is better not spoiled. A lot of the film is spend witnessing evil yakuza boss Asao Uchida being mean, even bullying children and retarded people. Unfortunately a lot that plays just like these scenarios usually do these kinds of films (Toei's ninkyo output offers tons of similar examples). Action scenes are unfortunately filmed and edited in a way that it makes it a bit difficult to see what is going on.

Lone Wolf and Cub: Baby Cart at River Styx (Japan, 1972) [35mm] - 5/5
The 2nd and best film in the series excels with terrific direction and writing. Especially interesting is the symbiosis between characters and the natural world that is done subtly enough for not every viewer to pay attention to it a on conscious level. The ninja troops move with the wind, the kunoichi women march by the riverside, and the nature heals the injured hero. In the boat scene fire first threatens the protagonist, then water saves him, and few scenes later the climax is set in a desert. There's also a constant feel of thread "in the air", something director Misumi handles amazingly well via top notch use of sound and silence. The atmospheric, near perfect film also comes with memorable characters and amazing action scenes, including a riverside scene that is not only the best scene in the series but one of the finest scenes in any movie. Simply mind blowing. An extra mention must be given to the 4 year old Akihiro Tomikawa who plays Daigoro with amazing silent intensity.

[HungFist]

Rica (Japan, 1972) [DVD] - 3.5/5
The term Pinky Violence, as originally coined by J. Taro Sugisaku, excludes films made by studios other than Toei. There are, however, movies by other studios that fit the bill even better than some of Toei's own efforts. Here's a case in point, an energetic and mean spirited delinquent girl exploitationer scripted by arthouse name Kaneto Shindo for Toho. Rika Aoki makes a terrific lead as half breed girl who leaves home after being raped by US soldiers and then by her step father (on the same day) and finds new life on the streets and on a gangster owned club where she sings. Loaded with outrageous scenarios, groovy music and a strong lead, the film's got almost everything you'd wish from a Pinky Violence film. The stumbling point is, ironically, Shindo's extremely episodic script that fails to establish any kind of plot until last 15 minutes. The lack of a plot makes the film feel longer than it is. Thankfully, much is forgiven for the ultra-cool ending credits sequence alone.

Lone Wolf and Cub: Baby Cart to Hades (Japan, 1972) [BD] - 5/5
This was the first movie with the Bohachi Clan, which would later star in their own two films, starting with Teruo Ishii's mind blowing Bohachi Bushido: Code of the Forgotten Eight (1973). The villainous yakuza clan's portrayal in this film is far more restrained, yet it happens to be Ogami's encounter with the clan's female leader that is the film's most intense scene. That can once again be attributed to Kenji Misumi. His direction is amazing throughout the film, both in terms of how he handles characters and in how he shows great restraint in proceeding to the fights. There are many great moments where he lets DoP Chikashi Makiura's camera observe, rather than cut right to the action or use music to tell us what is about to happen. This film is a example of the naturalistic approach that Misumi utilized so successfully in his Lone Wolf films, and which created a perfect counterforce for the storylines that were pure samurai pop fantasy. The film's climax marks the first 1 vs. 100 battle in the series, however, it is the duel between Ogami's and a melancholic ronin that follows that is the best fight. The film's last reel also sees - or rather hears - Wakayama performing a wonderful theme song. An amazing film.

[HungFist]

Rica 2: Lonely Wanderer (Japan, 1973) [DVD] - 2.5/5
Considering how good the first film was, this sequel is a bit disappointing. It doesn't have the energy of the first film, and it tones down the violence and sex in favour of a more comedic approach. Thankfully, it still comes with some great scenes like Rica singing at a club and yet another fantastic closing credits sequence. There's also plenty of entertaining (but unexceptional) action. If you're able to put aside comparisons to the first movie, and approach it modest expectations, you should be able to find it quite enjoyable however. In fact, feel like I'm being a little harsh here. A three star rating wouldn't be out of question.

Lone Wolf and Cub: Babycart in Peril (Japan, 1972) [BD] - 4.5/5
Another supremely entertaining, only slightly lesser entry. This one was directed by Buichi Saito, a Nikkatsu action director gone freelance after his former employer went Roman Porno. He was not quite Kenji Misumi's equal, which shows in how he places music where Misumi would've used silence - this applies to both action and drama - and tends to give characters unnecessary amounts of exposure with frequent flashback sequences. That is a bit of a shame as the supporting character of Oyuki, a bare breasted swordswoman beating her opponents with her short sword as well as looks, is great. The film also contains wonderful shots of Ogami travelling in the countryside, a beautifully atmospheric hot springs scene, and a shrine ambush that remains shocking to this day in its graphicness. There's also a cool tattoo sub-theme that reminds of Teruo Ishii's films, as does the casting of Asao Koike. Speaking of casting, Retsudo is played in this film by Toei slime bag Tatsuo Endo rather than Yunosuke Ito like in part 1.

[HungFist]

Rica 3: Juvenile Lullaby (Japan, 1973) [DVD] – 1.5/5
It’s strange how the Rica series went from the mean spirited original to the manga esque girl gang comedy complete with cartoonish sound effects that is this third film. This is closer to the following year’s (horrible) Lupin III live action film than almost anything else in the girl gang genre. If it wasn’t for the occasional raping, you could label it as a family flick. The only saving graces are occasional glimpses of skin by star Rika Aoki and the usual racial themes. Not only is the protagonist (and many supporting characters) half breed, but many of the villains are also foreigners or Japanese people who became villains after being traumatized by gaijin bastards! How's that for political incorrectness?

Lone Wolf and Cub: Babycart in the Land of Demons (Japan, 1973) [35mm] - 4.5/5
Kenji Misumi returned to the series with this 5th film without quite reaching the finesse of his finest work. This time Ogami is hired to assassinate a local lord and his entire family. It's a fascinating and morally ambiguous storyline that comes with very strong parts but also some sequences that underline the father-son relationship a bit too much. Daigoro getting in trouble is an example of this. In parts 2 and 3 Misumi was able to achieve similar results more subtly and without words. Another drawback is cinematographer Fujio Morita, whose work lacks the clarity and naturalistic touch of Chikashi Makiura who shot parts 1-3. Ultimately though, these are small flaws in a tremendously entertaining film that comes with loads of wonderful scenes (desert sledge, young lord giving a kill order etc.), fascinating spiritual dimensions and an immersing fantasy world populated by swordsmen, masked clansmen and assassins sailing to a sunset.

[HungFist]

Bankaku Rock (Japan, 1973) [TV] - 3/5
One of the lesser known Toei girl gang films. This one has a fantastic opening with school girls walking to the train station where they strip down to their panties and change to casual wear in front of everyone as they just don't give a damn. From here on, despite the usual gang rivalry plot, the film takes a bit more serious and character driven path. There is relatively little action and the film offers a more credible portrayal of the lower class (gang) life than most films of its kind. It feels perhaps closer to Nikkatsu Action than Toei's Pinky Violence, no doubt partly due to screenwriter Atsushi Yamatoya. Further enhancing the Nikkatsu feel is rock band Carol that not only contributes the soundtrack but is also seen playing in the club sequences. Unfortunately the film's climax is exceptionally low key, realistic it might be. One can't help but to feel that the ending should've been a bit wilder, after all.

Lone Wolf & Cub: White Heaven in Hell (Japan, 1974) [BD] - 4.5/5
Under-rated 6th film sometimes gets criticized because it doesn't bring the storyline to a conclusion - thankfully so, because legends like this should not have an ending. The film's first third, which follows Retsudo's daughter seeing vengeance, ranks among the most beautiful segments in the series - and concludes with one of the best duels. Immediately after this the film cuts to funky blaxploitation tunes (not unlike Hanzo the Razor) and then takes a wild turn to the supernatural (Ogami vs. undead ghost warriors) before reaching its huge climax at the snowy mountains. Truly a film of opposites. It all works surprisingly well with a cartful of odd scenes not to be found in any other film of its kind. The huge final battle reportedly took 6 weeks to film and was a great way to retire the series. Direction by Yokai Monsters director Yoshiyuki Kuroda is solid, although not on par with Misumi's. The biggest liability is Isao Kimura who makes an uncharismatic villain.

[HungFist]

Blind Beast (Japan, 1969) [DVD] - 4/5
Yasuzo Masumura remains one the most under-appreciated Japanese filmmakers. He has always been difficult to categorize because he made both melodramas and genre films. I actually dislike half of his movies, but the rest, they are amazing. This Rampo Edogawa adaptation is probably his most notorious film, a psycho sexual story about a blind sculptor who abducts a nude photo model (Mako Midori). He locks her in a warehouse full of human body parts that he has created, including two giant, 20 metre full body models. What begins as a simple abduction tale grows into a twisted relationship study with a devastatingly powerful and disturbing ending. Midori, a fearless (former) Toei actress, always deserved to be directed by someone of Masumura's calibre. Masumura uses her well, especially her face. The film also features one of the most memorable movie sets ever created.



Fujunna kankei (Japan, 1984) [DVD] - 4/5
It often happens with Roman Porno that when the film is good, you know it from the very first shot. Shogoro Nishimura nails it here with a man (Akira Sakai) sitting on a fence by the road on a cold night, with neon lights out of focus in the background, breathing warm air to his hands and waiting for a taxi that brings a young girl to him. She (lovely Natsuko Yamamoto) is hopelessly in love with him, and he takes her home while his wife is away. Next day just when he has brought a friend home for an after-party the wife doing laundry finds a stain and hair that doesn't belong to her in the bed sheets. Terrific scene! Former yakuza film director gone prolific but half-steam one man porno factory Nishimura delivers a major surprise with this well written, superbly directed relationship drama with exceptionally good characters that you really care for. The real stand out is the wife, played by the beautiful, underrated, eccentric Ako whose career was a mixture of Roman Porno, Arthouse Guild, Toei, Shochiku, and Toho films. The film's soundtrack is terrific as well. This is the beauty of Roman Porno: just when it starts to wear your out you'll stumble across a hidden gem. This currently ranks as my favourite Japanese film of 1984.

[Markgway]

A Girl at My Door (2014-South Korea) **½
A 14-year-old girl, having suffered years of physical and mental abuse at the hands of her adoptive father and his mother, latches on to the new police chief, a lesbian transferred to a rural area due to past indiscretions (that may have involved an underage girl).
Not quite sure how to feel about this one. Both female leads are sympathetic, but potentially dangerous. Sometimes the development is so subtle, you're left to fill in the blanks in your own head, and perhaps I've got it wrong... if I'm right, the ending is creepy. If I'm wrong, it's happy.

[HungFist]

Woman's Body and the Wharf (女体棧橋) (Japan, 1958) [DCP] - 3/5
"A town in the centre of Japan that is not Japan!" Teruo Ishii's moody noir about two detectives trying to bring down an international woman trafficking ring operating in the seedy night clubs of Tokyo. Stylish and delightfully shot at 75 minutes, but perhaps a bit too talkative. Ishii regular Yoko Mihara (still young and slim) appears in a major role.

Horrors of Malformed Men (江戸川乱歩全集　恐怖奇形人間) (Japan, 1969) [35mm] - 4.5/5
A nothing short of legendary Edogawa Rampo adaptation combining multiple source stories into a single narrative. The tale begins as an enjoyable mystery that later turns into a Japanese version of The Island of Doctor Moreau during its final and most remarkable third. It is during this segment that Teruo Ishii excels with some of his career-best sequences. While the film may not be half as gory as some expect, it's an atmospheric movie with a great mysterious score, great imagination, and a wonderful antagonist played by the unearthly Butoh dancer Tatsumi Hijikata. The film was elevated to cult reputation partly because Toei withdrew all prints just weeks after its release in 1969 following complaints about the film's politically incorrect nature. The original Japanese title, which more accurately translates as "The Horrifying Malformed Men" or even "The Terror of Malformed Men" depending on interpretation, was part of the issue in the post WWII, nuclear traumatized Japan. Up till this day the film has never been distributed on home video or broadcast on TV in Japan, although there are 35mm screenings almost every year.

[saltysam]

Wolf Guy 3/5
Not the stone cold classic i was expecting and the climax is weak but the always charismatic Chiba carries it through.

Lone Wolf & Cub: Baby Cart In Peril 3/5
For me one of the weaker entries in the series, the blood continues to flow but i find this entry to be fairly plodding at times.

[HungFist]

Secret Agent 101: Bodyguard Murder (神火101殺しの用心棒) (Japan, 1966) [35mm] - 2/5
Fast paced, but ultimately disappointing Shochiku action shot on location in Hong Kong and Macao. The messy film is basically a mash up of spy flicks and gangster movies. There's some entertainment to be had thanks to the locations, undone towards the end by the dumb script and insufficient production. There are some frustrating bits like a woman who's just been saved from gangsters deciding to go back to the same damn place because her lover is there. The long action / stunt finale featuring a the hero (Muga Takewaki) dodging bullets (and occasionally hanging by a rope) from small airplane counts as one of the sloppiest action set pieces I've seen in ages. The trick shots are laughably bad and it's obvious the scene required more footage than the filmmakers were able to film. Teruo Ishii later admitted that Shochiku was no place for filming modern action.

Inferno of Torture (徳川いれずみ師　責め地獄) (Japan, 1969) [35mm] - 4/5
Ishii expands the tattoo episode from The Joy of Torture into a feature length film. This time there are two tattoo artist, one decent and one depraved, both in love with the same woman who's been promised to the winner of a tattoo contest. The two artists get their human canvas from an odd bunch of noblemen yakuza who run a woman trade ring. Of course the beauty of the women every so often causes mishaps to the men around them, punishable by ultra-brutal death of course. It is not only the fascinating tattoo theme giving the film a strong identity - with hellish visions of the inferno tattooed on beautiful women's backs - but also Ishii's colourful, highly visual imaging of a mysterious, cruel and fascinating (fantasy) Tokugawa era that make this a terrific film. There are only some minor issues with the storyline drifting around at times, and a couple of silly comic reliefs - something that is probably due to hasty pre-production (Ishii directed and wrote 7 movies that year). Shocking, beautiful, and fascinating, one of Ishii's finest films.

[HungFist]

Lake of Dracula (呪いの館 血を吸う眼) (Japan, 1970) [35mm] 1.5/5
Part 2 in Toho's Dracula trilogy. I haven't seen the others, and based on how boring this one is, it shall remain that way. The dull, bloodless film attempts to relocate Hammer style horror to Japan, but the characters are dull, the style is lacking, and the storyline about a woman who ran into vampires as a kid and at the end of the film realizes it wasn't a dream after all fails to spark any interest. The vampire himself (not actually Dracula, but a descendant), played by the usually interesting Shin Kishida, is but a pale shadow of Christopher Lee, and his "castle" is more like a big cottage by a lake. The pale faced vampire make up (that no one in the film particularly pays attention to) looks especially ridiculous.

Orgies of Edo (残酷異常虐待物語　元禄女系図) (Japan, 1969) [35mm] - 3/5
This fun but unremarkable vintage exploitation romp, which I reviewed a while back, is quite a bit less violent than Ishii's earlier film The Joy of Torture. There's a bit of confusion about the "series title" for these Ishii films. In Japan they are more or less officially referred to as the "Abnormal Love" series, which started with History of the Shogun's Harem (1968). That term applies especially well to this film, but also to the others are there is always a love story of sorts to be found behind the cruelty. Western distributors only caught up with the series with The Joy of Torture, thanks to which the films became known as the "Joys of Torture" series in the West. In Germany they were billed as the "Tokugawa" series, including this film which is not even set in the Tokugawa era. Another term frequently associated to the films is "ero-guro", but that also doesn't cover some of the films like Yakuza's Law, which is very guro but not ero at all. Ultimately it doesn't matter that much, though. The filmmakers were never as concerned about thematic continuity as they were about entertaining the audience using any means that seemed interesting.

[HungFist]

Prisoner's Black List (監獄人別帳) (Japan, 1970) [35mm] 2.5/5
Teruo Ishii returns to the genre that originally made him a successful director: gangster films. This film basically plays out like an unofficial Abashiri Prison sequel with lots of added scatological humour. It even features Kanjuro Arashi as Onitora, the supporting character he played in Abashiri Prison. The rest of the cast is different, however, as this is technically speaking a loose follow up to another Ishii film, Killer's Black List (1970). The first 2/3 of the film is set in a prison (housing both male and female convicts, both equally silly), followed by an action packed escape. Modestly entertaining and at times very stupid, but the last 15 minutes is disappointingly by-the-numbers bang-bang action without anything particularly stylish about it.

Love and Crime (明治大正昭和　猟奇女犯罪史) (Japan, 1969) [35mm] - 3/5
A true account of crimes of passion, played for little else than shock value. There's something admirable about such sleazy premise even if this doesn't rank among the better entries in the Abnormal Love series. Adhering (to a degree) to facts appears to be the biggest hindrance as the kind of wild imagination and inspired execution that could be found in Ishii's best films is somewhat lacking here. Once again Ishii uses the episode film structure with four main stories accompanied by a couple of mini-stories. The 1st story is the best, delivering both the skin and the guts as young wife and her lover go on a rampage. The 2nd is the weakest, Ishii mainly getting credit for being an early bird on the Abe Sada story and bringing the lady herself in front of the camera for a cameo - everything else was done better later by Oshima and Tanaka. The decent 3rd and 4th story focus on a serial rapist murderer, and Oden Takahashi, the last woman executed by decapitation in Japan. The film benefits from its production era, coming with the charm of somewhat dated if gross 60s exploitation rather than convincing nihilism that might have been too much given the topic. Followed by a weak semi-sequel Bizarre Crimes of Post-War Japan (1976) by Yuji Makiguchi.

[HungFist]

Bohachi bushido: Code of the Forgotten Eight (ポルノ時代劇　忘八武士道) (Japan, 1973) [35mm] 4.5/5
A nihilist samurai (Tetsuro Tamba) is hired by a villainous yakuza clan to wipe out another clan's prostitution businesses in Teruo Ishii's most enjoyable film. Ishii had already left ero-guro films when his friend Tamba spoke him over to helming this Kazuo Koike comic book adaptation. It turned out an exceptional film. Ishii creates a wonderfully decadent world full of sleazy yakuza, deadly swordsmen, psychedelic colours and ridiculously awesome action scenes such as the one where naked female bodyguards are attacked by a Kurokawa ninja (the same clan that haunts Ogami Itto in the Lone Wolf and Cub series). While Ishii is at his inspired best here, he is greatly assisted by a terrific script that keeps the film on a constant move and allows perfect pacing. It's also a rare treat to see the charismatic Tamba in such a film (original: Porno jidaigeki). Usually movies like this were marketed purely with female stars and their assets - of which there is no lack in this film. I must've seen this movie half dozen times, and now for the first time in 35mm. This is exactly the kind of fascinating, sexy, sadistic and mysterious world that only gets more awesome in movie theatre.



Saburai: Way of the Bohachi (忘八武士道　さ無頼) (Japan, 1974) - 2/5
A disappointing follow-up to Teruo Ishii's chanbara masterpiece Bohachi Bushido: Clan of the Forgotten Eight (1973). Ishii mention in an interview he didn't even know Toei had made a sequel to his film. This movie is very much a re-telling of the original, with Goro Ibuki playing Tetsuro Tamba's role, althoug it's not clear whether the protagonist is the same character or not. The storyline is almost the same with many scenes remade from the original. It has its own trashy appeal as the film is even more violent than Ishii's movie and features just as much sex. However, the film is entirely incoherent in its characterization and storytelling, and lacks the style, pace and originality of Ishii's film. It feels like a copy made by a lesser filmmaker, the man being the mediocre Takashi Harada. A good comparison would be the Female Prisoner Scorpion series, where the originals (1972-1974) had their own surreal, twisted logic to them while the remakes (1976-1977) were just nonsensical. Ibuki and Harada, however, teamed up for a much better sexploitation chanbara the following year, Shitakari Hanjirô: (Maruhi) kannon o sagase, which, like this film, was based on a Kazuo Koike comic book.

[HungFist]

Chikan to nozoki: Shitagi mania (痴漢と覗き 下着マニア) (Japan, 1991) - 1.5/5
A pervert real estate agent inserts cameras and peepholes into cribs he's renting out. Tons of sleazy sex scenes follow and one romantic one at the end when cameras have been gotten rid of and the couple can make happy love in privacy. Ah yes, this is genuine early 90s pink cinema with no artistic ambitions, and as such it comes with its own cultural appeal. That films like this were once shot on 35mm for theatrical distribution in pink joints where old men in raincoats would line up to see tits, ass and women fondling themselves - and that they still continue to be shown in the few surviving pink theatres for an audience whose average age is around 65 - comes with its own appeal. The film itself is something of a skeleton of a movie where the only flesh is found in the women's chest area. At least the leading lady is rather pretty. Original title: Chikan to nozoki: Shitagi mania ("Molester and Peeper: Underwear Mania"); re-release title: Hitozuma no nozoki-kata: Yogoreta shitagi o nerae ("Housewife Peeper: Targeting Dirty Underwear").

+ Roman Porno treasure hunt: part 43

Warmth of Love (愛のぬくもり) (Japan, 1972) [VoD] - 1/5
Married university professor falls in love with a young party girl (Mari Tanaka) who is not into long term relationships. The poor old man is willing to put his career and marriage at stake to win her over. Shabby Roman Porno melodrama deals with generation gap, but comes out silly and boring. Although not the worst film out there, it's ultimately free of any merits, and Tanaka's character is unusually irritating. Even the club scenes are boring.

Embraced by the Dark (闇に抱かれて) (Japan, 1982) [DCP] 3/5
A pretty good follow-up to director Kazunari Takeda's beautiful, melancholic Roman Porno drama A Woman's Trail: Wet Path (1980) from two years earlier. A young woman experiencing relationship problems hooks up with a middle aged suicidal man (imagine a bearded hippie author kind of type) to travel to an island where they intend to end their lives. Her best friend (Yuki Kazamatsuri) goes searching for her together with the girl's lover. This is basically A Woman's Trail: Part 2. Both films are sedate stories about encountering people that have an influence on your life, and the passing of time, set against natural landscapes. Both films also have a story that resembles road movies. A Woman's Trail was more lyrical, but this one isn't bad either. I'm not a huge fan of actress Kazamatsuri, but can appear very natural in front of camera as she does here.

[chazgower01]

Yakuza Graveyard (1976) 3.5/5 directed by Kinji Fukasaku
Tetsuya Watari stars as Kuroiwa, a hot headed cop who doesn't want to get mixed up with the Yakuza, but just seems to continually get drawn in, no matter how hard he tries not to. Meiko Kaji as Keiko, the wife of the imprisoned big boss, doesn't make it any easier, as he can't seem to resist her. Tatsuo Umemiya as Iwata 'The Bull', voted in as the new boss, is as hot headed and unpredictable as Kuroiwa, but that machismo becomes an interesting bond. Some wild and frantic fist and gun fights, along with Fukasaku's 70's period shaky camera, mixes well with some standard noir characterization, and a downbeat ending.
But as with all really good noir, there is no reward for good intentions and no punishment for those without honor, and this movie holds nothing back. It slowly pulls you in until, you suddenly realize it's actually a pretty decent little movie.

Directed by Kinji Fukasaku, who for years cranked out some great work in Japan, but would really make a name for himself worldwide, 24 years later with 'Battle Royale'.

[saltysam]

Tough Guy (Aka Kung Fu The Headcrusher) 3/5
It's a 70's basher and it stars Chen Sing- so you know what to expect,an entertainingly non stop 85 or so minutes. Chen plays an undercover cop who infiltrates a gang to gain evidence-cue mucho bashing. Good cast on show here including Henry yu Yung, Mars,Hark-On Fung. Most of the cast including the three main baddies were also in Fists Of The Double K,in fact the climax looks like it was filmed in the same area.

[Killer Meteor]

In America, it was called Kung Fu Master: Bruce Lee Style!

[grim_tales]

Master of the Flying Guillotine: 3.5/5

Bonkers villains including a Thai boxer, an Indian Yoga master and an evil priest (?) with a hat with knives concealed inside, plus so many different martial arts styles make this film fun to watch. I watched the R4 DVD (I think from 2004) which was apparently restored but sometimes the picture looked very bad due to print damage.

[Killer Meteor]

The 2004 re-master of MofFG looks worse than the 2002 non-anamorphic DVD, as the negative had deteriorated significantly.

Definetly one of my favourite movies, and the pirated soundtrack introduced me to my favourite band, Tangerine Dream!

[grim_tales]

Which version/DVD do you mean?
AFAIK there are 2 R1 DVDs from Pathfinder (1 is 1 disc and the other 2 disc) and both are anamorphic, there's a non anamorphic HK DVD, some are full frame too.
I found it very distracting when the colour/tint seemed to keep jumping from pink/mauve to slightly less pink in places.
As I understand it, this film was considered "lost" for some time, so the fact its on disc at all is something, I guess.

[Markgway]

The 2004 re-master of MofFG looks worse than the 2002 non-anamorphic DVD, as the negative had deteriorated significantly.

Makes you wonder what they were doing to it in those two years.

[Killer Meteor]

Using it to make prints for festivals and screenings, but not making a new dupe negative.

[saltysam]

Master Of The Flying Guillotine is possibly the greatest film i've ever watched.

[Markgway]

Better than PLAN 9?