Though I had a vague clue that Takeshi Kitano’s Yakuza classic Sonatine (1993) was influenced by Kinji Fukasaku’s Bakuto Gaijin Butai, aka, Sympathy for the Underdog (1971), I was rather astonished when I came across the fact that John Woo’s visceral gangster epic A Better Tomorrow (1986) was […]
Actor Bunta Sugawara has died. Sugawara is probably best known for his work in Kinji Fukasaku’s The Yakuza Papers/Battles Without Honor And Humanity film series. Sugawara also appeared in Norifumi Suzuki’s Trucker Yaro series, Spirited Away (2001), Tales From Earthsea (2006), Wolf Children (2012) and Kon Ichikawa’s Actress […]
Actor Ken Takakura has died. Takakura starred in films such as Brutal Tales of Chivalry (1965); Red Peony Gambler (1968); Miyamoto Musashi: Duel at Ichijoji (1955) and Miyamoto Musashi: Duel at Ganryu Island (1956); as well as in co-productions like The Yakuza (1974); The Bullet Train (1975); Black […]
Japan Review interviews Natsuo Kirino, an author best known for her dark crime novels: “I don’t think I exclusively tell stories of women criminals. However, being a woman in this society is mainly an anonymous existence. I don’t think the fact that the environment is such that women […]
Filmmaker Noribumi Suzuki has died. Suzuki was probably best known for School of the Holy Beast (1974), Sex and Fury (1973) and his Torakku Yarõ / Truck Yaro / Trucker Guys films starring Bunta Sugawara. Here Suzuki talks about working with actresses Reiko Ike and Miki Sugimoto, who […]
“Bury Me In A Shallow Grave: When The Yakuza Come Calling,” a free . pdf chapter from Jake Adelstein’s book, Tokyo Vice.
All the red carpet interviews and post-screening question and answer sessions from this year’s Midnight Madness Programme at the Toronto International Film Festival. And all conducted by friend of The Gutter and Soldier of Cinema, Robert Mitchell! [Update: Link fixed!]
Find t-shirts, mugs, totes and more at our new Guttermart location at Teepublic!
Look as fancy as you can in Disreputable, the signature nailpolish designed for us by My Pretty Zombie Cosmetics.
