Tokyo Drifter - The Criterion Collection (Blu-ray) (Import)

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 anything-goes, in-your-face 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. Special Edition Features New high-definition 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