The Rambling Guitarist

Solid programmer. The lead character is like a combination of Elvis and Zatoichi; not that he is blind or a swordsman.. but at least he is a drifter like Ichi. It wasn't a surprise to find out that this is actually part of a long series of films. I liked the color cinematography with seaside exteriors and the film even has some action onboard a fishing vessel. It's under 80mins and could have used some time to flesh out the characters. Jo Shishido has a memorable role as a thug with a code.

A solid if unremarkable crime film starring Akira Kobayashi. Akira Kobayashi is in a lot of crime and gangster films and I always feel like he's miscast, that aside he is decent enough in this even if he gets overshadowed anytime he shares a scene with Jô Shishido.

On one hand, it's a rather average Nikkatsu. Although it has a singing lead (in Kobayashi's contract, I suppose) it becomes even more average by the film's attempt to turn Shinji into a kind of itinerant, loner do-gooder a la Zatoichi. Clearly it never took off.