4 Star

Assassins, Prostitutes, Drugs and lots of Money.

This fantastic release comes from prolific director Takashi Miike (Audition, The Happiness of the Katakuris) and this marks his seminal cinema releases for the adults in the family. Black Society Trilogy is a hard hitting delve into the seedier side of life in Japan and Taiwan and how the cultures of Japan and China do not mix, but when services are required they will deal with each other. Covering 1995 to 99 these films cover subjects of the role of the police to those on the other side of the law, to the disaffected youth of the small towns dreaming of the freedom of the big city.

Shinjuku Triad Society is a hard hitting detective who uses questionable methods verses a gang boss who has his loyal followers.

Kiriya (Kippei Shîna, Outrage) is after gang boss Wang (Tomorowo Taguchi, Tetsuo, the Iron Man) after one of his lovers kills a beat cop. Wang is from Taiwan, he absconded after killing his father, but now he has made his money through prostitution and drugs he funds a children’s hospital back in rural Taiwan.

One of the problems Kiriya has is that the apple of his parents eye is his lawyer little brother, who works for Wang. This does not sit well with Kiriya and when he goes missing what will a brother do to make him safe?

Rainy Dog is set in Taiwan where gang assassin Yuji (Shô Aikawa, Dead or Alive) has been stranded when his boss is killed and his brother takes over, thus rendering a return impossible. He takes work from local crime boss Mr Ke who gets him to assassinate people who have wronged him. An easy job for Yuji until a former lover unceremoniously dumps her mute young son on him forever.

Like a stray dog Ah-Chen follows Yuji as he goes about his jobs and to relax he finds prostitute Lili (Xianmei Chen, Wu yan de shan qiu) who hates the perpetual rain and wants to leave Taiwan.

When Yuji executes a boss who was delivering the weekly take, Yuji gives Lili the money to escape the country, but the crime boss has a brother that is out for revenge.

Ley Lines is set in the countryside of Japan where the disaffected youths want to escape to the big city to make their mark on society. Bad boy Ryuichi (Kazuki Kitamura, The Raid2) and his friends Chan (Tomorowo Taguchi, Tetsuo II: The Body Hammer) and Shurei (Michisuke Kashiwaya, Kids Return) get the train to the big city but fall foul of prostitute Anita (Dan Li, Peking Man). Penniless Ryuichi bumps into Toluene seller Barbie (Samuel Pop Aning, Senrigan) and they meet the main guy Ikeda (Shô Aikawa, Zebraman) and get the job selling bottles of Toluene on the big city streets.

Life in the big city isn’t easy, everybody from Lili to the boys want an easier life and the money to attain it is always in somebody else’s hands, what can they do to see their dreams come to fruition?

A great trilogy of films for the lover of action, crime, drama, this release should adorn your shelves.

“It’s all about the Money!”

Available to Order Online Now.