- Film
The Exit 8
Release date Thu 9 Apr
Year
1990
Language
Japanese spoken, English subtitles
Director
Okawa Toshimichi
Duration
76 min
The third and final instalment in the series was released within a year of the original. All the familiar elements are present and are executed even more convincingly. Joe once again investigates a shadowy crime syndicate that threatens the life of his colleague (this time female).
Joe returns to his ex-lover Serika, unaware that she is the mistress and puppet of Mexican-Japanese mob boss Nicol (Shimizu Kentaro from Ikeda Toshiharu's Mermaid Legend). Joe's superiors see Serika as a suspect and member of Nicol's gang, so when she disappears, Joe has to call in outsiders to get her back. His sympathetic female colleague Sunny and a former member of Nicol's gang help him in this endeavour.
The third film was largely shot on the island of Guam, to create a more American atmosphere. Actors from the first two films return in different roles, including regular Matano Seiji. This Italian-Japanese actor would become V-Cinema's answer to Sly Stallone. The icing on the cake is the welcome return of Takeuchi Riki, now a V-Cinema superstar in his own right and in a much bigger role than his brief appearance in the first instalment. He even speaks a few lines in English before he and Joe (wearing a bandana, of course) come together for an impressive and explosive finale that surpasses the first two instalments, also in terms of weaponry.
Focus: V-cinema
The Japanese direct-to-video phenomenon V-Cinema emerged in the late 1980s and left a lasting mark on contemporary film culture. V-Cinema was created in response to the rise of video rental: filmmakers began making films that would not be released in cinemas. This approach allowed directors to work quickly, on a small budget and with a great deal of creative freedom.
With this Focus programme, IFFR is turning its attention to V-Cinema films, a combination of early works by established names and films that have rarely been shown outside Japan. In the Forum, you can see a selection of films from the Rotterdam programme.
Agenda
There are no new dates planned (yet) for Crime Hunter 3: Killing Bullet.
IFFR in Groningen
The International Film Festival Rotterdam is coming to Groningen!
From Wednesday February 4 to Sunday February 8th.
IFFR in Groningen is the perfect opportunity to explore unknown, international gems or to discover the special titles of the upcoming film year.
