YAJU NO SEISHUN - "Wild Young Rebel Brute" (1963)

Let's see, yesterday was Valentines Day, and being the consumate romantic that I am, Valentines Day always makes me think of gangsters, so I see no better time to throw this film at you, Japanese Psycho A Go Go, vintage 1963,
"Yaju No Seishun" or a crappy title in English, "Youth Of The Beast!" No monsters for sure, but a real gas to watch with an extra large dose of eye and ear candy to keep you zoned in and zoned out!! The brilliant music is by Hajime Okumura who only did the score for eight other movies, but out of those eight, you have two "Bastard" flicks and the "Million Dollar Smash And Grab!" The music swings hard not unlike some of Peter Thomas' best, which is a comparison I don't use lightly! It's Impressive!!!

It's a simple but complicated tale about a murder/suicide, and one man's journey in search of the truth! How could a good honest career cop who wasn't even really comfortable around women end up with such a fate??

So the next thing you know, here comes this cat walking down the street randomly kicking the snot out of every individual he comes in contact with!

Exit stage right!!

He ends up here, in this fancy strip club! This wild cat's name is Joji 'Jo' Mizuno and he's played by world class actor Jo Shishido, a man with 99 credits with no Kaiju flicks, almost all strictly detective and adventure. Jo Shishido was still working as of last year! I read that he actually had plastic surgery to get that infamous 'I'm storing some nuts for the winter' cheeks look!

Big spender Jo just happens to not have any money!! Major thought process flaw in modern society, spending and paying are not the same thing!!!

Turns out it was all just an impressive act, because all Jo was trying to do was, get a job, and even though he did manage to get behind the scene, he still needs to go deeper if he wants to meet the real Boss!!

This is the Boss!! Akiji Kobayashi, as the rough and tough Nomoto Tatsuo!!

UltraPop theatre and gum chewing scenes are a staple in this Seijun Suzuki directed masterpiece!

Just in case you don't have enough motivation already, here's another good reason why it's not good to be beholding to anybody, especially gangsters!

Turns out Jo was going to all this trouble because the murdered cop at the beginning of the film was his ex-partner, who had helped take care of his family while Jo was doing time for a crime he didn't commit! You know, that whole scene!

Jo spends a lot of time seeking information and all the while, he's playing both sides against the middle!!

Everybody needs a freakin' splitface two tone 17 phone!! Well, I do, anyway!!

Those Japanese gangsters are a pack of cards, all jokers and everything wild!!!

But when all the joking around stops, the real pain begins!!

I just put this shot in for all you model airplane aficionados, so you can slobber all over yourself looking at the decor of this pad!

Time for the big Rumble, and nobody's called for a fair fight, so rumble 'em right!

That Jo is a seriously tough S.O.B.!

And it turns out that Detective Takeshita's wife was not quite all as innocent as she was presumed to be! Like not even close!!

Jo is one worn out party by the time it's all over, and I'll tell you one thing, this film is so tough, it will beat you up as you watch it, so keep your guard up, and you might even consider wearing a mouthpiece!!!