NO BORDERS, NO LIMITS: Nikkatsu Action Cinema (Cinema Classics (Paperback))

Kudos and accolades are in order for Mr. Schilling's herculean efforts in helping to spread the word regarding the wonderful world of Nikkatsu Action Cinema to English-speaking movie buffs!This book is an absolutely marvelous introduction to a sadly overlooked body of brilliant, vibrant films that are every bit as exciting and entertaining today as they were in Nikkatsu studio's glory days of the 1950's and 1960's.The text is as crisp and clean as one of Ishihara Yujiro's suits and reads as smoothly as ace killer, Shishido Jo, can dispatch a contract. And if that isn't reason enough to snag a copy of this book ASAP-- the many photo illustrations are more than worth the price of admission.Excellent stuff!Arigato gozaimasu, Mark Schilling-san!!

At some time in the late 1950's, Japanese film got cool. Really cool. The Western influences of cowboy flicks, bop jazz and big American cars imported during the Post-occupation era left a powerful mark, and movie makers discovered how to distill all of these foreign ingredients into their base elements, then mix them together with Japanese style to produce a unique genre known as the "borderless action" film. The term comes from the merging of East and West, creating a world with the best of both, filled with hardboiled hoodlums and beautiful but deadly dance hall girls.Looking to re-jump their business, which had been put on hold during the War years, Nikkatsu studios was the cutting edge of this new style, pumping out hits and rising stars the likes of which had never been seen before. Starting with Sun Tribe flick  Crazed Fruit , which introduced superstar Ishihara Yujio, Nikkatsu dug into the amoral world of Japan's youth. Sex, drugs and jazz & roll. It wasn't the lifestyle everyone was leading, but it was the one everyone wanted to be leading.Mark Schilling's "No Borders, No Limits" is a history lesson on the Nikkatsu action films. An often underappreciated genre, these films rarely held the West's appreciation in the same way as the Samurai genre, probably due to their lack of "Japanese-ness" with nary a ninja nor geisha in sight. However, due largely to Tarantino bringing things full circle by producing Nikkatsu-influenced  Kill Bill  and the  Grindhouse  series, there has been a renewed and deserved interest in the Nikkatsu golden age.Understanding the relative unfamiliarity, Schilling has put together a guided tour through these borderless territories, introducing you to the major players, the actors and directors whose energy and youth made these dynamic flicks popular. Essentially a series of articles rather than a continuous book, Schilling introduces such powerhouses as the Nikkatsu Diamond Line, the four young men who could bring a nation of women to their knees with a well-placed swagger or snarl of the lip, and Suzuki Seijun, whose sometimes bizarre style would cause him to be fired by his own study, but become legendary overseas.On top of that, there are a few interviews, including the fabulous Shishido Joe ( Youth of the Beast , Tokyo Drifter ) and director Masuda Toshio ( Girl Boss Revenge ). It is great to read the personal stories and opinions of these film giants, and to get a glimpse backstage. Full color reproductions of the posters for the various films are and added treat as well, giving you a taste of the style and flair found in the Nikkatsu of this time.If there is any problem with "No Borders, No Limits", it is that DVD companies have not kept up. You are going to want to see pretty much every flick that gets showcased, but not all of them are readily available. Some of the famous ones, like  Stray Cat Rock: Sex Hunter , will wet your appetite but leave you hungry for gems like "A Colt is my Passport" and "Slaughter Gun". However with the current revival and recognition of Nikkatsu action flicks, these will be likely to be released soon.

Even if you don't have much interest in action films this book is worthy of being in the library of any lover of Japanese cinema.

Mark Schilling's Yakuza Guide was a brilliant guide to classic Yakuza films but his Nikkatsu Guide is just as good with a large collection of little gems. Mark gives an interesting history of the genre and company: while Toei churned out Samurai Films, Nikkatsu released films that were hybrids of Foreign films that combined different genres such as Japanese Westerns or Japanase Noirs such as "Cruel Gun Story" which is like watching an American Heist Film with Japanese Actors or the more successful films like "A Colt is My Passport" which is like watching one of Jean Pierre Melville's existential crime films. Another bonus is the book's collectable design with it's cool photo on cover from A Colt is my Passport (strangely does not appear in the film) and the beautifully reproduced high quality artwork inside the book for various films. The only thing that bothers me is Mark's misguided praise for Seijun Suzuki who deserves absolutely none of the praise he gets in the West, his films are incoherent and idiotic yet because they filmed in a surreal manner and boast pop-art imagery are praised in the West as a "brilliant", and irritatedly only Suzuki's Nikkatsu films are available on DVD while classic directors like Toshio Masuda's films remain in the shade and unavailable on DVD. Criterion have released a dissapointing Nikkatsu Noir boxset that lacks some of the classics mentioned in this book, I would like to see another boxset with "Masscre Gun" "Gangster VIP" and "Velvet Hustler."

A great read. Buy it right now. It's a must.

A truly great book

Livre écrit avec passion et surtout connaissance. On peut le lire rapidement et surtout le consulter ensuite come réferénce. Il donne détails utiles quand l'on peut voire - chose pas facile du tout - quelcun des films japonais du genre et mieux comprendre pas seul le film, mais meme la societé japonaise d'ou il se sont passés.