For the Japanese Challenge on ICM,I decided that I would open up some of the Blu-Ray sets by UK company Arrow. Having found the first one (also reviewed) to be a knock-out, I decided to reunite with the Street Fighter.
View on the film:
Keeping the swords shiny, Arrow present another winning transfer, with the picture being crisp, (and not blurring during any of the active camera moves) and the clang from the swords on the soundtrack being kept clean.
Stepping forward for a second round,Etsuko Shihomi gives a spellbinding turn as Koryu, whose fighting moves Shihomi again performs with a graceful passion,this time welded by Shihomi to Koryu's raw emotions to get revenge. Proving that diamonds are forever, Hideo Murota steals the movie as boo-hiss baddie Osone, thanks to Murota bringing out a gleefully sadistic, cackling harshness in Osone.
Made just a few months after the first SST, returning writer Masahiro Kakefuda is joined by Norifumi Suzuki in taking the outline of SST 1,and twisting it in a new off the wall direction. Returning to smugglers being the villains,the writers joyfully present them in a dastardly, pulp manner, slicing into the world of Grindhouse when the smugglers surgically implant their diamonds into the buttocks of Hong Kong prostitutes who are then sent to Hong Kong. Jumping back into another round, the writers drive Koryu's force in taking down the gang with a wicked personal touch of her sister being involved with them.
Joining Kakefuda and Shihomi in this reunion, director Kazuhiko Yamaguchi & cinematographer Yoshio Nakajima take their frantic karate chops of SS1,and dice them with a blazing atmosphere that crosses over into the Pinky Violence genre. Backed by Shunsuke Kikuchi's terrific twang score, Yamaguchi twirls a gloriously excessive sleazy atmosphere, springing from naked fitties, slick whip-pans on every bloody finishing move, a dip into tasty Lucio fulci-style eye gouging,all loaded in bubbling brash vibrant colours oozing 70's Grindhouse fumes, ultra-stylised zoom-ins and wah-wah freeze frames catching Sister Street Fighter hanging by a thread.
View on the film:
Keeping the swords shiny, Arrow present another winning transfer, with the picture being crisp, (and not blurring during any of the active camera moves) and the clang from the swords on the soundtrack being kept clean.
Stepping forward for a second round,Etsuko Shihomi gives a spellbinding turn as Koryu, whose fighting moves Shihomi again performs with a graceful passion,this time welded by Shihomi to Koryu's raw emotions to get revenge. Proving that diamonds are forever, Hideo Murota steals the movie as boo-hiss baddie Osone, thanks to Murota bringing out a gleefully sadistic, cackling harshness in Osone.
Made just a few months after the first SST, returning writer Masahiro Kakefuda is joined by Norifumi Suzuki in taking the outline of SST 1,and twisting it in a new off the wall direction. Returning to smugglers being the villains,the writers joyfully present them in a dastardly, pulp manner, slicing into the world of Grindhouse when the smugglers surgically implant their diamonds into the buttocks of Hong Kong prostitutes who are then sent to Hong Kong. Jumping back into another round, the writers drive Koryu's force in taking down the gang with a wicked personal touch of her sister being involved with them.
Joining Kakefuda and Shihomi in this reunion, director Kazuhiko Yamaguchi & cinematographer Yoshio Nakajima take their frantic karate chops of SS1,and dice them with a blazing atmosphere that crosses over into the Pinky Violence genre. Backed by Shunsuke Kikuchi's terrific twang score, Yamaguchi twirls a gloriously excessive sleazy atmosphere, springing from naked fitties, slick whip-pans on every bloody finishing move, a dip into tasty Lucio fulci-style eye gouging,all loaded in bubbling brash vibrant colours oozing 70's Grindhouse fumes, ultra-stylised zoom-ins and wah-wah freeze frames catching Sister Street Fighter hanging by a thread.