Wolf Guy

If you like Sonny Chiba, you will enjoy this movie. It has a slice of literally everything that made 70s movies cool: martial arts, action & stunts, horror with gore, crime/detective mystery, revenge, Yakuza, and even a bit of X-Files. Imagine R-rated Blade mixed with Shaft, starring Sonny Chiba and made in Japan. It is wonderfully weird and unapologetic.

Everytime you think you have this movie figured out it throws you a new curveball.

The fight scenes are classic Sonny Chiba, hard hitting and realistic. Whoever in the special effect department that was in charge of blood was working overtime.

And the viral "Sonny Chiba eating a steak" video ain't even the tip of the iceberg.

Wolf Guy (1975)

** 1/2 (out of 4)

Sonny Chiba plays a detective who also happens to be the last member of a family of werewolves. On the force he uses his wolf senses to help solve crimes but the latest group of murders he's trying to solve won't be easy. People are screaming into a madness talking about a "tiger" when the next thing you know their bodies are being ripped apart. It's up to Chiba to try and figure out exactly what's going on.

WOLF GUY is a film that pretty much came out of nowhere to me. I'm a fan of Arrow Video so when they announced it most people were scratching their heads as to what it was. If you're looking for downright bizarre and surreal movies then you've got exactly that with this thing. It's part horror movie, part gangster film, part crime, part sci-fi and just about every other genre out there. You've even got long running stretches where the plot deals with syphilis as if this was one of those nutty sexploitation movies from the era! There's a lot going on here but sadly the film runs out of gas before it's over but more on that in a bit. There's still plenty of great stuff on display here so recommending the film is easy.

For starters, you get some outrageous and over-the-top gore scenes here that will have any gore hound screaming in joy. The scenes of the bodies being ripped apart and blood spewing everywhere certainly would have gotten the film a X-rating had it been released in America. If you thought Chiba's THE STREET FIGHTER was violence you ain't seen nothing' yet! Of course, Chiba is martial arts master so there are a great number of scenes where he has to battle a variety of men. The stunts are well-done and there's no doubt that they add some extra entertainment value. The film also offers up a lot of nudity and some bizarre sex story lines.

As you can tell, WOLF GUY is pretty wild on all exploitation levels. With that said, the film's third act does run out of steam and there's a great stretch of running time where the violence stops. It's really too bad they didn't keep up the pulp level but at the same time there's no question that the film deserves to be better known.

Composer Fukamachi Jun was having an absolute ball. With keyboards, theremin, and juicy electric guitar all over the place, the music both atmospheric and upbeat distinctly recalls contemporary Pink Floyd in all their psychedelic, meandering glory, with some additional influence from funk and otherwise prog rock. Why, I wouldn't mind tracking down a copy of the soundtrack here for my collection, and I barely listen to music any more. Yes, the tunes in 'Wolf guy' are a blast. And that's good, because the first impression that this flick makes is that the music will be the most consistent highlight. That's hardly to cast aspersions on the remainder, but the direction feels a tad loose from the outset, and the cinematography overzealous in a manner seen all too often in subsequent years that's intended to swap out the earnest impact of stunts and effects for, if you'll pardon me, "Whoa-oa-oa! Look at this camera, just flying all over the place!" Plot development is also decidedly brusque and clunky, and sometimes all but incohesive, accentuated by that moment when our first female character is abruptly introduced and then, oh, I guess we're in a sex scene now. When the progression does come across as a tad more lucid, it's almost as if the filmmakers suddenly realized in the midst of the shoot that there was an actual narrative they were supposed to be imparting, too.

Don't get me wrong, I know what type of film I sat to watch. Or at least, I understood very quickly after I pressed "play." I've seen the exploitation flicks and low-budget, low-grade fare churned out by the likes of Jesus Franco and Jean Rollin; I've seen one-shot OVAs that just forged ahead and told their story, nevermind judicious sense or care. Director Yamaguchi Kazuhiko, cinematographer Nakajima Yoshio, writer Konami Fumio, producer Yoshida Toru - well, they were just here to have a good time, weren't they? This title cares about flavor and style, not function or substance, and by Jove, if you're in the audience, you had best be on board with that ethos. A lot of action violence, something something supernatural, and all the stunts, effects, blood, gore, and physical, spirited acting you could want to bring these to bear: and that's a movie! Sure, there's a plot here, too, and apparently it's an adaptation of a manga. And it's fine. But the plot is almost beside the point in this corner of the medium, isn't it? Likewise for characters who are only here either to die, or to be painted with broad ideas. The plot is duly compelling such as it is (if not completely satisfying as it presents), and the scenes are vibrant in providing the fuel for the cast and crew to bring the seedy tableau to life. Maybe, after all, this is all that 'Wolf guy' needed to be.

If you want action, you'll get it, including one brief late sequence that's straight out of Eon Productions' James Bond franchise. If you want skin, you'll definitely get some. If you want a sordid tale of crime, violence, drugs, and women, you'll get it. If you come here for the suggested element of horror, you'll sort of get it, in scattered bits and pieces, and of course more so as the length draws on. For the record, though, the name of the piece, and a supposed core trait of Sonny Chiba's protagonist, doesn't meaningfully come into play until late in the runtime, and even then, not in the way one would assume from the outside looking in. In fairness, taken in and of itself the story is solid, and there are excellent ideas in here ripe for genre cinema. It's just that this feature, as it exists, is far less concerned about that story than it is about the violence, gnarly imagery, and rip-roaring entertainment for which the foremost ideas could be a vehicle. And it shows, again and again. Perish the thought of balance or earnest, careful plot; exactly how much one will get out of the viewing experience will vary greatly from one person to the next. For my part I did enjoy 'Wolf guy,' and I think it's worthwhile on its own merits even if it didn't really meet its full potential; it's also likely best left to watch on a quiet day when you're having a hard time deciding on something else. Take that as you will.

Sonny Chiba plays the only survivor of a clan of werewolves who relies on his feral, full-moon-activated superpowers to solve mysterious crimes. One night, a bizarre and bloody death in the Tokyo streets plunges him into a far-reaching conspiracy populated by crooked politicians, naked women, an invisible phantom tiger, and a shadowy organization known as the J-CIA.

Steve Kopian writes, "If you look up WTF in the dictionary, one of the top five definitions will be this film." He is not wrong. While this may not be one of he five most bizarre movies out there, it certainly makes every attempt. And if "weird" isn't your thing, there are also copious explosions and a great deal of gun play and squibs in the later scenes, evincing a definite Sam Peckinpah influence. So, there's that.

As author Bryan Senn points out, even though the title is "Wolf Guy", one of the strange things is that Chiba never actually becomes a wolf at all. He has his strength fluctuate based on the lunar cycle, and at its peak he can deflect bullets or even reverse the effects of being disemboweled. But at no point does he howl or even grow the slightest bit of hair.

If one person can be blamed for this bizarre mash-up, it must be writer Fumio Kônami (1933–2012). By this point in his career, he had already made a name for himself with "Female Prisoner #701: Scorpion" (1972) and "New Battles Without Honor and Humanity" (1974), both of which are available in the United States thank to Arrow Video. Director Kazuhiko Yamaguchi's first impression upon being given the story was actually, "Is this worth making a movie out of?" Luckily someone said yes.

On top of all the awesome visuals, there is an unbelievably funky score that I need to have. As noted in other reviews, it would be great is Arrow (and others) would more frequently add a bonus music disc to their Blu releases. We need more love for the soundtracks, too.

For decades the film was presumed lost, and remains tragically little known. Thankfully, Arrow Video has brought it out of the depths and on to Blu-ray. They also give us new video interviews with actor Shinichi "Sonny" Chiba (14 minutes), director Kazuhiko Yamaguchi (10 minutes), and producer Toru Yoshida (17 minutes).

When three of four members of the band The Mobs, are killed under mysterious circumstances- by what seems to be a tiger- a young reporter starts to investigate.

He was the closest thing to a witness during the third murder, where the victim was frantically ranting about someone named Miki turning into a tiger, and cursing him.

So he goes to the only remaining member of the band to get some answers.

This man has become a wandering drunk, begging for booze...but tells him what he needs to know, nonetheless.

Miki was a young singer, whom they passed around as a sexual object.

It turns out, that as a result of this, one of the men gave her syphilis...which, in turn, drove her to become a heroin addict.

However, the reporter believes someone else had ordered them to rape her.

Which would explain why she's out for vengeance.

The reporter isn't the only one looking for this man, though.

The yakuza are also trying to get their hands on him.

For, the order was apparently given by a producer named Manabe Pro, who sought to punish the girl for having an attitude problem.

And he sent the Tsukada gang to clean up his mess.

Miki's only crime was falling in love with the son of a conservative politician, who sought to arrange a marriage between his son and the daughter of a financial mogul.

It was at his behest, that Manabe Pro was acting, when he handed Miki over to The Mobs, and ordered them to rape her...knowing she would contract syphilis from the encounter.

And that this could be used to sabotage their relationship.

Now, Miki has resorted to working at strip clubs, simply in order to scrape up enough money to secure her daily fix.

And the reporter truly understands her plight, so he seeks to help her.

For his family was previously wiped out in a violent attack.

Where, upon her deathbed, his mother endowed him with a curse of his own.

One that renders him invincible each month on the 15th day of the lunar cycle.

Thus, he's in a perfect position to help her get rid of the demons that haunt her...once and for all.

But, before he gets the chance...they are both captured by the politician's hired goons...who exploit Miki's powers in order to murder their rivals.

So he is forced to bide his time, until he can use his own powers...to free them both.

The goons want him to join their forces as well, however, and, thus, subject him to intense medical torture in order to convince him to do so.

These scenes are so incredibly realistic...that they legitimately made me cringe.

The cabal believe, that if they transfer his blood into their own guinea pig, that it will also transfer his abilities.

They want their own supersoldier, so they can just dispose of him...because he is unwilling to capitulate to their demands.

Luckily, he somehow manages to survive until the 15th day, when he is able to heal himself.

Now, he's hellbent on vengeance, himself...and out for blood.

This film is a badass rock and roll kung fu horror action fest, that is as unpredictable as it is awesome.

It goes in all sorts of directions that you would never expect, without pushing the limits so far as to get you get lost in the foray.

And, considering it's all based on a manga series, the more supernatural elements of the storyline manage to retain their believability.

Plus, the soundtrack is bangin'!

It's such a fun film, with vibes akin to a combination of Riki-Oh and Lone Wolf, especially in the latter half.

And it's all highly entertaining.

By the time it ends, it's almost like you're watching a totally different film, from when it began!

But somehow they manage to tie everything in to the conclusion.

And, even though it goes from being bizarrely sexilicious...to ending on a sad note...you simply can't help but smile and laugh at what you just experienced.

What an epic journey!!!

8 out of 10.