JAPAN ORGANIZED CRIME BOSS (1969)
Label: Radiance Films
Region Code: A,B
Rating: Unrated
Audio/Video: Japan Organized Crime Boss (1969) makes its worldwide Blu-ray debut on region A/B Blu-ray from Radiance films in 1080p HD framed in 2.35:1 widescreen, sourced from an new 4K HD master provided by Toei Films. The image looks quite pleasing, colors look accurate, blacks are solid, film grain is intact. At times it veers a bit soft, which looks to be inherent to the source and no fault of the scan or transfer, but overall this is another solid looking Radiance Films Blu-ray. Audio comes by way of English DTS-HD MA 2.0 dual-mono with optional newly improved English subtitles. The track is clean and well-balanced, no issues with hiss or distortion were detected, a solid audio presentation.
Duration: 96 Minutes 17 Seconds
Audio: Japanese PCM 2.0 Dual-Mono with Optional English Subtitles
Video: 1080p HD Widescreen (2.39:1)
Director: Kinji Fukasaku
Cast: Koji Tsuruta, Tomisaburo Wakayama, Noboru Ando, Bunta Sugawara, Michitarô Mizushima, Ryôhei Uchida, Sanae Nakahara, Seizaburô Kawazu, Asao Uchida, Rin'ichi Yamamoto, Yoshi Katô, Hideo Murota, Harumi Sone, Hiroshi Hasegawa, Takashi Hio, Genji Kawa, Keiichi Kitagawa, Nenji Kobayashi
Japan Organized Crime Boss (1969) is a hardboiled Yakuza crime flick from director Kinji Fukasaku (Yakuza Graveyard), dealing with Yakuza factions from Tokyo and Osaka battling over control of Yokohama during the post-war period. Amid this unrest Tsukamoto (Koji Tsuruta, Big Time Gambling Boss) is released from prison after an eight-year stint, finding out that his wife has since killed herself,. Not long after The Danno Organization, led by Boss Danno (Asao Uchida) and Tsubaki (Ryōhei Uchida), murder his boss, forcing him to assume leadership, with his boss's dying words asking him to keep the Danno Organization out of Yokohama. At first, realizing that their chances are slim, Tsukamoto looks to form a truce with Danno, but eventually settling on revenge, but trying doing so with a strict sense of Yakuza honor, remaining true to the code while attempting to stop an all out proxy war between the different clan vying for power, which proves increasingly impossible. The film is heavy with terrific characters and familiar faces, including Tomisaburo Wakayama a (Sympathy for the Underdog) as the drug-addled Miyahara, leader of the Hokuryu Kai clan, who steals all the scenes, and Noboru Ando (Eighteen Years in Prison) shows up as the one-armed assassin Ooba, as well as Bunta Sugawara (Violent Streets) who portrays Tsukamoto most loyal gangster Kazama. The film is well-made and told in the gritty and realistic style that director Kinji Fukasaku went on to be known for, the story itself is quite captivating, and the moments of violence that punctuate the flick are quite effective, the finale culminating in violence that is both tragic, honorable, and a little poetic.
Japan Organized Crime Boss (1969) is a hardboiled Yakuza crime flick from director Kinji Fukasaku (Yakuza Graveyard), dealing with Yakuza factions from Tokyo and Osaka battling over control of Yokohama during the post-war period. Amid this unrest Tsukamoto (Koji Tsuruta, Big Time Gambling Boss) is released from prison after an eight-year stint, finding out that his wife has since killed herself,. Not long after The Danno Organization, led by Boss Danno (Asao Uchida) and Tsubaki (Ryōhei Uchida), murder his boss, forcing him to assume leadership, with his boss's dying words asking him to keep the Danno Organization out of Yokohama. At first, realizing that their chances are slim, Tsukamoto looks to form a truce with Danno, but eventually settling on revenge, but trying doing so with a strict sense of Yakuza honor, remaining true to the code while attempting to stop an all out proxy war between the different clan vying for power, which proves increasingly impossible. The film is heavy with terrific characters and familiar faces, including Tomisaburo Wakayama a (Sympathy for the Underdog) as the drug-addled Miyahara, leader of the Hokuryu Kai clan, who steals all the scenes, and Noboru Ando (Eighteen Years in Prison) shows up as the one-armed assassin Ooba, as well as Bunta Sugawara (Violent Streets) who portrays Tsukamoto most loyal gangster Kazama. The film is well-made and told in the gritty and realistic style that director Kinji Fukasaku went on to be known for, the story itself is quite captivating, and the moments of violence that punctuate the flick are quite effective, the finale culminating in violence that is both tragic, honorable, and a little poetic.
Audio/Video: Japan Organized Crime Boss (1969) makes its worldwide Blu-ray debut on region A/B Blu-ray from Radiance films in 1080p HD framed in 2.35:1 widescreen, sourced from an new 4K HD master provided by Toei Films. The image looks quite pleasing, colors look accurate, blacks are solid, film grain is intact. At times it veers a bit soft, which looks to be inherent to the source and no fault of the scan or transfer, but overall this is another solid looking Radiance Films Blu-ray. Audio comes by way of English DTS-HD MA 2.0 dual-mono with optional newly improved English subtitles. The track is clean and well-balanced, no issues with hiss or distortion were detected, a solid audio presentation.
Extras include an Archival interview with Kinji Fukasaku; Interview with yakuza film historian Akihiko Ito; Visual essay on Koji Tsuruta’s collaborations with Fukasaku by yakuza cinema expert Nathan Stuart; and the Trailer. The single-disc release arrives in a clear full-height Scanavo keepcase with a Reversible Sleeve of Artwork featuring original and newly commissioned artwork by Time Tomorrow. We also get Radiance's signature Removable OBI Strip which leaves packaging free of certificates and markings if you so wish. With this initial Limited Edition (of 3000) pressing we also get a 24-Page Illustrated Booklet featuring ‘A Transitional Triumph’ essay by Stuart Galbraith IV, plus an archival review of the film, as well as notes about the cast, crew, transfer, and release credits.
Special Features:
- New 4K restoration by Toei Company
- Uncompressed mono PCM audio
- Archival interview with Kinji Fukasaku (34:00)
- Interview with yakuza film historian Akihiko Ito (15:15)
- Visual essay on Koji Tsuruta’s collaborations with Fukasaku by yakuza cinema expert Nathan Stuart (23:32)
- Trailer (2:19)
- Newly improved English subtitle translation
- Reversible sleeve featuring original and newly commissioned artwork by Time Tomorrow
- Limited edition 24-page booklet featuring new writing by Stuart Galbraith IV and an archival review of the film
- Limited Edition of 3000 copies, presented in a rigid box with full-height Scanavo cases and removable OBI strip leaving packaging free of certificates and markings
- Uncompressed mono PCM audio
- Archival interview with Kinji Fukasaku (34:00)
- Interview with yakuza film historian Akihiko Ito (15:15)
- Visual essay on Koji Tsuruta’s collaborations with Fukasaku by yakuza cinema expert Nathan Stuart (23:32)
- Trailer (2:19)
- Newly improved English subtitle translation
- Reversible sleeve featuring original and newly commissioned artwork by Time Tomorrow
- Limited edition 24-page booklet featuring new writing by Stuart Galbraith IV and an archival review of the film
- Limited Edition of 3000 copies, presented in a rigid box with full-height Scanavo cases and removable OBI strip leaving packaging free of certificates and markings
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