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 ›
When people say that art should be political, what they really mean is that they don’t want to ingest films that might challenge their political views. They want to be entertained, not preached to. This is a childish perspective because… Read More ›
Tales of mistaken identity are a feeding ground for all genres in cinema. There’s action (Galaxy Quest), comedy (The Big Lebowski), horror (Tucker and Dale vs. Evil), thriller (Lucky Number Slevin), and drama (El Mariachi) — and these are just… Read More ›
Photosensitivity Warning: Occasionally black and white films will possess a flicker and its continuous presence within The Betrayal may prove disorienting to photosensitive viewers. One of the greatest mistakes in humanity is incuriosity, this notion that all you know is… Read More ›
What would you do for love? Would you fight? Would you protect? What would you build? What would you sacrifice? Polish filmmaker Grzegorz Królikiewicz (The Dancing Hawk), having previously made a series of short films, released his feature debut, Through… Read More ›
If someone is asked to identify their favorite war-related films, most likely they’ll name American-made films, not because they’re inherently better but because they are often more prolific. The truth is that war is one of the few concepts that… Read More ›
Writer-director Todd Solondz’s fifth feature Palindromes (2004) — a film of taboos, hypocrisies, and uncomfortable hard truths – is an exercise in cynical, cruel comedy. Known as one of independent cinema’s favorite misanthropes, Solondz paints his twisted portrait of motherhood,… Read More ›
When people talk about stories standing the test of time, at least in America, it’s usually in a hyperbolic sense, talking about the awesome impact and influence that a specific tale has infiltrated since conception. We certainly have stories to… Read More ›
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 ›
Content Warning: Themroc includes implied incest and cannibalism, which may be disturbing to some viewers. One of the best human experiences is discovery; that feeling of coming across something you’ve never heard of, seen, or discussed. Opportunities abound like this… Read More ›
In January of 2025, Radiance Films released Underworld Beauty, a 1958 yakuza drama from filmmaker Seijun Suzuki, the second restoration by the boutique distributor of the filmmaker’s work. Now, with A Tale of Sorrow and Sadness (1977), Radiance Films offers… Read More ›
What would you do to make amends with your past? For some, it means rolling up your sleeves and doing the hard work to atone; while, for others, it means living a life of abstinence. Both can be viewed as… Read More ›
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 ›
“There is no honor among thieves.” This idea is often at the center of confidence or crime tales within any genre or medium. The people who you trust to pull a job just might be the same people who will… Read More ›
Art is chaos and chaos is life, therefore, art is a manifestation of the chaos of life. Our experiences, our views, everything that is “us” is transported into what we create. In some instances, what is absent from it is… Read More ›
When it comes to prison break films or life in prison films, there’s a certain level of escapism to be expected. Whether it’s Frank Darabont’s poignant 1994 hit The Shawshank Redemption or Don Michael Paul’s silly but fun-as-hell 2002 flick… Read More ›
The shuriken throwing star, the black mask and suit, the high-flying moves — the few identifiers synonymous with the ninja archetype. Radiance Films brings home one of the most respected and influential ninja films of all time with the Shinobi… Read More ›
Trigger Warning: The Shape of Night contains an exploration of sex work, the narrative of which may prove difficult to endure for those who’ve suffered sexual assault. In 1929, Japanese film studio Shochiku was established, transitioning from the theatrical arts… Read More ›
The lone wolf archetype is a figure that has lived on in many samurai and action spectacles — the man who walks alone and walks a fine line of morals and principles, fighting for the common good, and the common… Read More ›
Anytime there’s an opportunity to talk movies, I’m going to take it, and this is no exception. Having been invited to join fellow NC-based film critic Adam Long on his podcast, Adam’s Corner, to discuss the home releases for February,… Read More ›