In this jazzy gangster film, reformed killer Phoenix Tetsu's attempt to go straight is squashed when his former cohorts call him back to Tokyo to help battle a rival gang. This onslaught of stylized violence and trippy colours got director Seijun Suzuki (Branded to Kill) in trouble with Nikkatsu studio heads, who were put off by his anythinggoes, inyourface aesthetic, equal parts Russ Meyer, Samuel Fuller, and Nagisa Oshima. Tokyo Drifter is a delirious highlight of the brilliantly excessive Japanese cinema of the sixties. Features: New highdefinition digital restoration, with uncompressed monaural soundtrack Video piece featuring new interviews with director Seijun Suzuki and assistant director Masami Kuzuu Interview with Suzuki from 1997 Original theatrical trailer New and improved English subtitle translation PLUS: A booklet featuring an essay by film critic Howard Hampton
In this ""free-jazz gangster film "" ""Phoenix"" Tetsu drifts around Japan awaiting his own extinction until he's called back to Tokyo to help battle a rival gang. Equal parts Russ Meyer Nagisa Oshima and Frank Tashlin this ""barrage of aesthetic violence visual gags and mind-warping color effects"" once again put director Seijin Suzuki in trouble with Nikkatsu studio heads who had ordered him to ""play it straight this time""...
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