Tokijiro: Lone Yakuza, originally appearing as a stage play in the 1920s and being adapted to film several times since then, is the story of a wandering samurai named Tokijiro (Kinnosuke Nakamura) who works for gangsters in exchange for shelter for the night. They give him a bed and food, and he agrees to kill…
Shinobi [Radiance Films] Blu-ray Box Set Review
In Shinobi: Band of Assassins, Goemon Ishikawa (Ichikawa Raizo) is a promising young pupil who is shown particular favor by shadowy ninja clan master Sandayu (Yunosuke Ito). Sandayu secretly sets up Goemon in a scheme to push him to assassinate the Japanese warlord Ode Nobunaga who is trying to consolidate power amidst the feuding territories….
The Bounty Hunter Trilogy [Radiance] Blu-Ray Review
The first film in the Bounty Hunter Trilogy, Killer’s Mission, introduces us to the titular bounty hunter (but also doctor?), Shikoro Ichibei (played by the great Wakayama Tomisaburo who would go on to star in the awesome Lone Wolf & Cub films), who is given an assignment by the shogun to go investigate a Dutch…
Ghost Warrior (Kino Lorber) Blu-ray review
J. Carroll’s Ghost Warrior (aka Swordkill) is the story of an ancient samurai brought back to life and must learn how to live, cope and survive in modern day Los Angeles which at this point was the eighties. Yoshi (Hiroshi Fujioka, Kamen Rider, Yamato Takeru) is a 400-year-old samurai warrior that is discovered in Japan…
Samurai Girls/Samurai Bride Complete Series [Sentai Filmworks Blu-ray] Review
Our anime-loving friends at Sentai Filmworks brings us a new complete collection release of Samurai Girls and its second season Samurai Bride. They had previously been released in separate older releases that are now out of print which is good news for anyone craving some super ecchi samurai harem action! Yagyuu Muneakira is the new…
Samurai Marathon (Well Go USA) Blu-ray Review
After the arrival of Commodore Matthew Perry (Danny Huston) and his “Black Ships”, feudal Japan suddenly becomes aware of the issues of being closed off from the rest of the world. Fearing the unknown changes that will happen with the country opening up and agreeing with trade with the western world, the different regions try…
Solid Metal Nightmares: The Films of the Shinya Tsukamoto (Arrow) Blu-ray review
Solid Metal Nightmares: The Films of the Shinya Tsukamoto is one of the best home video releases of 2020. It may be a little early to say this (it’s August as I write this), but this is my favorite release of the year. This boxset is a love letter to one of the most transgressive…