THE DANMAN CAN

"You're the coolest girl in the world." "I don't know what any of it means." "I just don't want to be a loser anymore."

Learning after the fact that Kinji Fukasaku ’s  Doberman Cop  (1977) is based on a manga —written by Buronson , writer of the Fist Of The North Star (1983–1988) manga (my review of the 1986 film here )—explains a lot. The hardboiled  Shin'ichi (Sonny) Chiba starrer has loads of wild energy, frenetic action and camerawork, and a plot that is all over the place. One part crime drama, one part goofy charm, and one part killer '70s soundtrack (plus one cute pig), DC is great fun. Recommended for fans of Tokyo Drifter (1966),  Dirty Harry  (1971), and  poliziotteschi .

Overwrought.

Many people hold Battle Royale  (2000) in very high regard. While I think the film is a lot of fun, it is far from exceptional. Each time I watch it, it means a little less to me. When I saw it in 2000 or 2001, from a bootleg DVD c opy, I thought it was the coolest shit in the world. These days, it's a film I still enjoy, but it hasn't aged as well as many films. Honestly I think it's the same type of popular entertainment that The Hunger Games   probably is (haven't seen it yet), with more gore. But I won't form a true opinion on that, not having seen THG —that film could be terrible and pandering.