KARATE KILLER (1973)

Remember the scene in THE BODYGUARD where Sonny Chiba punches through a door, rips off an assassin's arm, pulls the bloody arm through the hole in the door, then kicks open said door, charges into the room and flings the arm at another assassin, knocking him on his ass? Nothing in this sequel even comes close to that level of savage hilarity, though I'm happy to report that it is a better film overall. It certainly moves faster than the first one. Bodyguard Kiba destroys special guest star Masashi Ishibashi for blinding his sister Maki (Etsuko Shihomi) during a dispute between karate schools, gets sent to prison, befriends Okinawan crook Nanjo (Tsunehiko Watase) behind bars, is let out of prison and picked up by a beautiful woman (Yukiko Kuwahara) with a job offer, all in the first 10 minutes! Kiba's latest gig is protecting nightclub owner Akamatsu (Akiyoshi Fukae) from backstabbing business partner Tatsumi (Hideo Murata) and his pack of karate thugs. Years earlier, both men were part of a team that killed some American MPs during a robbery of $420,000 and double-crossed Nanjo, who has just been released from prison and is looking for his share of the loot. There are a few too many coincidences in the storytelling, and for a movie called KARATE KILLER it seems a little light on karate, but it's never boring and the bit where one of Tatsumi's thugs tries his hardest not to pour a beer for Chiba is very funny.

WANDERING GINZA BUTTERFLY (1971) and WANDERING GINZA: SHE-CAT GAMBLER (1972)

Reviewed by Nathaniel Poggiali

Cult actress Meiko Kaji bolted from Nikkatsu Studios following her work in the STRAY CAT ROCK youth gang series to go under contract for Toei, a partnership that eventually resulted in the hugely popular FEMALE PRISONER #701: SCORPION and its three sequels.

In WANDERING GINZA BUTTERFLY she stars as Nami, former head of the Red Cherry Gang, released from prison after a three-year stint and working as a nightclub hostess under gentle Madam Sae in the Ginza section of Tokyo. Easily the most aggressive hostess on the payroll, Nami steals a truck owned by a construction worker refusing to pay for drinks and pulls a knife on one of her co-workers. Sae and her irresponsible fiancé, Shin, find themselves in money trouble with businessman/gangster Owada. Nami challenges Owada to a game of billiards to clear her employer's debt, but when the hired player blows his cool and his game, Owada welches and has Shin killed. Our heroine throws on a kimono, grabs a sword and goes after Owada and his men with the help of best friend/comic relief Ryuji.

A cheerfully erratic drama that plays like THE HUSTLER re-imagined as a contemporary samurai picture, GINZA finds director Kazuhiko Yamaguchi (SISTER STREETFIGHTER, KARATE WARRIORS) grabbing at anything for the sake of a good show. Incredibly, he succeeds. I had a lot of fun viewing this fast-paced, stylish entertainment, and was surprised at the level of coherence and intensity that Yamaguchi brings to the crucial billiard game (one wild highlight is Owada's player imploding from narcotic withdrawal). As a heroine of fierce loyalty and anger management issues, Meiko commands the screen with coolness and beauty and, as usual, sings a catchy theme song.

Toei's only sequel, WANDERING GINZA: SHE-CAT GAMBLER (WILDCAT GAMBLER) (1972), has the more traditional revenge story. Meiko returns as a hanafuda (flower card) player seeking her father's murderer. There are no other returning players and Nami seems like a different character, so viewers may consider this more of a "reboot" than a proper sequel. The first film's charming anything-goes approach is ditched in favor of a plot akin to the RED PEONY GAMBLER series featuring Junko Fuji. SHE-CAT GAMBLER has the tighter story -- and Shinichi "Sonny" Chiba is very amusing in a rare comic role -- but it plays a familiar game and never really trumps the unexpected pleasures of Part 1.

THE BAR GIRL
(GINCHÔ WATARIDORI / WANDERING GINZA BUTTERFLY)
Honolulu opening: September 12, 1972

RED CHERRY NAMI
(GINCHÔ NAGAREMONO MESUNEKO BAKUCHI /
WANDERING GINZA: SHE-CAT GAMBLER)
Honolulu opening: April 27, 1973

Movie Ads of the Week: Sonny Chiba in New York!

THE STREET FIGHTER
January 29, 1975

RETURN OF THE STREET FIGHTER
August 13, 1975

THE KILLING MACHINE
January 21, 1976

CHAMPION OF DEATH
October 20, 1976

SISTER STREET FIGHTER
March 11, 1977

THE BODYGUARD
September 30, 1977

THE EXECUTIONER
July 19, 1978

"The Sonny Chiba Film Festival"
January 12, 1979

THE STREETFIGHTER'S LAST REVENGE
April 6, 1979

THE ASSASSIN
November 23, 1979

"Big Triple Show"
January 4, 1980

KARATE WARRIORS
June 6, 1980

DRAGON PRINCESS
January 9, 1981

ROARING FIRE
December 10, 1982

WANDERING GINZA BUTTERFLY (1971)

Reviewed by Nathaniel Poggiali

Cult actress Meiko Kaji bolted from Nikkatsu Studios following her work in the STRAY CAT ROCK youth gang series to go under contract for Toei, a partnership that eventually resulted in the hugely popular FEMALE PRISONER #701: SCORPION and its three sequels.

Meiko stars as Nami, former head of the Red Cherry Gang released from prison after a three-year stint and working as a nightclub hostess under gentle Madam Sae in the Ginza section of Tokyo. Easily the most aggressive hostess on the payroll, Nami steals a truck owned by a construction worker refusing to pay for drinks and pulls a knife on one of her co-workers. Sae and her irresponsible fiancé, Shin, find themselves in money trouble with businessman/gangster Owada. Nami challenges Owada to a game of billiards to clear her employer's debt, but when the hired player blows his cool and his game, Owada welches and has Shin killed. Our heroine throws on a kimono, grabs a sword and goes after Owada and his men with the help of best friend/comic relief Ryuji.

A cheerfully erratic drama that plays like THE HUSTLER re-imagined as a contemporary samurai picture, GINZA finds director Kazuhiko Yamaguchi (SISTER STREETFIGHTER, KARATE WARRIORS) grabbing at anything for the sake of a good show. Incredibly, he succeeds. I had a lot of fun viewing this fast-paced, stylish entertainment, and was surprised at the level of coherence and intensity that Yamaguchi brings to the crucial billiard game (one wild highlight is Owada's player imploding from narcotic withdrawal). As a heroine of fierce loyalty and anger management issues, Meiko commands the screen with coolness and beauty and, as usual, sings a catchy theme song.

Toei's only sequel, WANDERING GINZA: SHE-CAT GAMBLER (WILDCAT GAMBLER) (1972), has the more traditional revenge story. Meiko returns as a hanafuda (flower card) player seeking her father's murderer. There are no other returning players and Nami seems like a different character, so viewers may consider this more of a "reboot" than a proper sequel. The first film's charming anything-goes approach is ditched in favor of a plot akin to the RED PEONY GAMBLER series featuring Junko Fuji. SHE-CAT GAMBLER has the tighter story -- and Shinichi "Sonny" Chiba is very amusing in a rare comic role -- but it plays a familiar game and never really trumps the unexpected pleasures of Part 1.