Hiroki Matsukata – Elements of Madness

Close-up of a man in sunglasses with a reflective scene, and another man in a suit smoking a cigarette in the background.

A classic sprawling epic of power and politics within a powerful crime syndicate, Sadao Nakajima’s “The Japanese Godfather Trilogy” finally arrives on Blu-ray, courtesy of Radiance Films.

By Blak Cinephile on March 24, 2026 • ( 0 )

Sadao Nakajima’s Japanese Godfather Trilogy is a collection of three yakuza films made between 1977 and 1978 based on the true story of Japan’s largest crime syndicate. Taking some inspiration (both thematically and visually) from Francis Ford Coppola’s 1972 gangster… Read More ›

Toei classic “The Rapacious Jailbreaker” escapes onto Blu-ray thanks to Radiance Films.

By Andrew J. Eisenman on May 20, 2025 • ( 0 )

In the visual essay “Rule Breaker: An Introduction to Sado Najajima” (2025), film critic Tom Mes calls director Sadao Nakajima (The Great Okinawa Yakuza War; Jeans Blues: No Future) one of “the Three Aces of Toei,” and laments that this… Read More ›

The deadly film “Hokuriku Proxy War” debuts on Blu-ray by way of Radiance Films.

By Andrew J. Eisenman on February 25, 2025 • ( 1 )

There is an all-time great story of betrayal, recklessness, and tragedy told about the events that took place among the yakuza of Japan’s snowy north coast, and it’s told through around 50 minutes of interviews included as special features on… Read More ›