This podcast focuses on Criterion’s Eclipse Series of DVDs. Hosts David Blakeslee and Trevor Berrett give an overview of each box and offer their perspectives on the unique treasures they find inside. In this second episode of a two-part series, David and Trevor are joined by Pablo Knote to discuss two films (Cruel Gun Story and A Colt is My Passport) from Eclipse Series 17: Nikkatsu Noir.
About the films:
From the late 1950s through the sixties, wild, idiosyncratic crime movies were the brutal and boisterous business of Nikkatsu, the oldest film studio in Japan. In an effort to attract youthful audiences growing increasingly accustomed to American and French big-screen imports, Nikkatsu began producing action potboilers (mukokuseki akushun, or “borderless action”) that incorporated elements of the western, comedy, gangster, and teen-rebel genres. This bruised and bloody collection represents a standout cross section of what Nikkatsu had to offer, from such prominent,...
About the films:
From the late 1950s through the sixties, wild, idiosyncratic crime movies were the brutal and boisterous business of Nikkatsu, the oldest film studio in Japan. In an effort to attract youthful audiences growing increasingly accustomed to American and French big-screen imports, Nikkatsu began producing action potboilers (mukokuseki akushun, or “borderless action”) that incorporated elements of the western, comedy, gangster, and teen-rebel genres. This bruised and bloody collection represents a standout cross section of what Nikkatsu had to offer, from such prominent,...
- 3/11/2017
- by David Blakeslee
- CriterionCast
Note: Certain aspects of the film’s plot are discussed, which may cause those allergic to spoilers to convulse.
Takumi Furukawi’s Cruel Gun Story, which was released in 1964, is a snappy, suspenseful heist film centered around a great performance by Joe Shishido. The central character is Togawa (played by Shishido), an ex-con who is sprung out of prison early by the mob. In exchange for his freedom and some cash, the mob asks Togawa to rob an armored car carrying 120 million yen in gambling money from a race track. Togawa is skeptical, but his desire to help his sister Rie (Chieko Matsubara), who was crippled in a car wreck, leads him to at least entertain the idea. Togawa is given the names of three crooks to help him pull off the job. With the help of his old buddy Shirai (Yuji Odaka), Togawa tests the mettle of his potential partners in crime,...
Takumi Furukawi’s Cruel Gun Story, which was released in 1964, is a snappy, suspenseful heist film centered around a great performance by Joe Shishido. The central character is Togawa (played by Shishido), an ex-con who is sprung out of prison early by the mob. In exchange for his freedom and some cash, the mob asks Togawa to rob an armored car carrying 120 million yen in gambling money from a race track. Togawa is skeptical, but his desire to help his sister Rie (Chieko Matsubara), who was crippled in a car wreck, leads him to at least entertain the idea. Togawa is given the names of three crooks to help him pull off the job. With the help of his old buddy Shirai (Yuji Odaka), Togawa tests the mettle of his potential partners in crime,...
- 8/29/2009
- by Rodney Perkins
- Screen Anarchy
Way back in the ancient year of 2007, a retrospective entitled Nikkatsu Action made the rounds at festivals such as Fantastic Fest and Fantasia. For many, this series was the first introduction to this unique and stunning style of action and crime films from Nikkatsu. On August 25, 2009, Eclipse, which is a Criterion sub-label, released a Region 1 box set of five DVDs entitled Nikkatsu Noir. The set includes Takashi Nomura’s exceptional A Colt is My Passport (1967), which played as part of the Nikkatsu Action retrospective, as well 4 other titles: Koreyoshi Kurahara’s I Am Waiting (1957), Toshio Masuda’s Rusty Knife (1958), Seijun Suzuki’s Take Aim at the Police Van (1960), and Takumi Furukawa’s Cruel Gun Story (1964). Reviews of the films in the set will appear on Twitch in the near future, but do not wait: seek out this set as soon as possible.
- 8/27/2009
- by Rodney Perkins
- Screen Anarchy
Ratings History: Opening in theaters in Thailand this past weekend, Yuthlert Sippapak's Buppah Rahtree 3.2: Rahtree's Revenge made history as "the first Thai film to be classified under Thailand's new motion-picture ratings system," reports Wise Kwai at his Thai Film Journal. The latest installment of a series that began with one of my favorite comedy / horror films of all time, Rahtree's Revenge is "suggested only for viewers aged 18 and older." Wise Kwai points out that Quentin Tarantino's Inglourious Basterds probably has the honor as the first film from any country to be rated under the new Thai system.
Classic Film Noir on DVD: The next edition of Fantastic Fest in Austin, Texas, is fast approaching; meanwhile, one of my personal highlights from two years ago will finally be released on DVD tomorrow. Eclipse Series 17: Nikkatsu Noir, a five-disc box set from the Criterion Collection, features Takashi Nomura...
Classic Film Noir on DVD: The next edition of Fantastic Fest in Austin, Texas, is fast approaching; meanwhile, one of my personal highlights from two years ago will finally be released on DVD tomorrow. Eclipse Series 17: Nikkatsu Noir, a five-disc box set from the Criterion Collection, features Takashi Nomura...
- 8/24/2009
- by Peter Martin
- Cinematical
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