Ishii Sōgo's Crazy Thunder Road on Third Window Blu-ray in February
12 January 2022
Third Window Films has announced the first video release (in any format) outside of Japan of Burst City and Gojoe director Ishii Sogo's punk classic, Crazy thunder Road [Kuruizaki Sandā Rōdo], featuring a new restoration supervised by the director alongside many new and exclusive extras.
Hailed as Japan's Mad Max, Ishii Sogo's high-octane, loud-and-proud breakthrough hit was one of that country's great success stories, a graduation project from a film school punk rocker bought by Toei Studios and released nationwide.
The plot involves Ken, a gang leader dreaming of a quiet life with his girlfriend Noriko, and Jin, Ken's maverick successor, who isn't about to let yakuza kingpins or right-wing nutjobs tell him what to do or whom to kill. Jin's violent individualism in a world where even outlaws follow the bosses' orders references the doomed anti-establishment heroes of Kinji Fukasaku, but Crazy Thunder Road points toward a new style of genre filmmaking-fast-paced, quick-witted and brilliantly stylized.
Crazy Thunder Road will be released on UK Blu-ray by Third Window Films on 21 February 2022 at the RRP of £19.99.
