Detective Bureau 2-3: Go to Hell Bastards! – Arrow Video (Blu-ray)

Theatrical Release Date: Japan, 1963
Director: Seijun Suzuki
Writer: Gan Yamazaki
Cast: Jo Shishido, Reiko Sasamori, Naomi Hoshi, Tamio Kawaji, Yûko Kusunoki, Kotoe Hatsui, Nobuo Kaneko

Release Date: July 9th, 2018 (UK), July 10th, 2018 (USA)
Approximate running time: 88 Minutes 8 Seconds
Aspect Ratio: 2.35:1 Widescreen / 1080 Progressive / MPEG-4 AVC}
Rating: 15 (UK), NR (USA)
Sound: LPCM Mono Japanese
Subtitles: English
Region Coding: Region A,B
Retail Price: £24.99 (UK), $39.95 (USA)

"Detective Tajima (Shishido) is tasked with tracking down a consignment of stolen firearms, as the investigation progresses things take an anarchic, blood-drenched grudge match." - synopsis provided by the distributor

Video: 4.25/5

Here’s the information provided about the transfer, "Detective Bureau 2 - 3: Go to Hell, Bastards! has been newly transferred in High Definition by Nikkatsu Corporation."

Detective Bureau 2-3: Go to Hell Bastards! comes on a 50 GB dual layer Blu-ray.

Disc Size: 31 GB

Feature: 23.9 GB

The source used for this transfer is in great shape; details look crisp, colors are nicely saturated, black levels remain strong throughout, and there are no issues with compression.

Audio: 4/5

This release comes with one audio option, a LPCM mono mix in Japanese, and included with this release are removable English subtitles. The audio is in great shape. There are no issues with background hiss or distortion; dialog comes through clearly, and everything sounds balanced.

Extras:

Extras for this release include an image gallery of original production stills, an interview with film historian and Japanese cinema expert Tony Rayns (29 minutes, LPCM stereo English, no subtitles), reversible cover art and twenty-page booklet (limited to first pressing) with cast & crew information, an essay titled Detective Bureau 2-3: Go to Hell Bastards! written by Jasper Sharp and information about the transfer.

Summary:

Detective Bureau 2-3: Go to Hell Bastards! was directed by Seijun Suzuki, a prolific director who directed forty films for Nikkatsu Studios over a twelve-year span (1956–1967). Some of his standout films as a director include Underworld Beauty, Youth of the Beast, Kanto Wanderer, Gate of Flesh, Story of a Prostitute, Tattooed Life, Fighting Elegy, Tokyo Drifter, Branded to Kill, and A Tale of Sorrow and Sadness.

The screenplay for Detective Bureau 2-3: Go to Hell Bastards! was written by Gan Yamazaki. His other notable screenplays include Inn of the Floating Weeds, Fighting Delinquents, and Tokyo Knights (all three of these films were also directed by Seijun Suzuki). The screenplay for Detective Bureau 2-3: Go to Hell Bastards! was adapted from a novel written by Haruhiko Oyabu. Several other films, like Youth of the Beast, 3 Seconds Before Explosion, and Beast to Die, were also adapted from novels written by Haruhiko Oyabu.

The score for Detective Bureau 2-3: Go to Hell Bastards! was composed by Harumi Ibe. His other notable scores include A Colt Is My Passport and Golgo 13: Kowloon Assignment. Detective Bureau 2-3: Go to Hell Bastards! features one of Seijun Suzuki’s most frequent collaborators, cinematographer Shigeyoshi Mine. Some of their most memorable collaborations include Kanto Wanderer, Gate of Flesh, and Tokyo Drifter.

Seijun Suzuki had a knack for making films that were equally entertaining and subversive. Though the subject matter in Detective Bureau 2-3: Go to Hell Bastards! is not anywhere near his more outlandish pop cinema concoctions, it still manages to reel you in and keep you on the edge of your seat. Detective Bureau 2-3: Go to Hell Bastards! opens with a bang as one gang ambushes another and steals the cargo they were transporting. The criminals in this story are running circles around the inept police, who, in an act of desperation,take a private detective up on his offer to go undercover and bring these gangs to their knees. The narrative has just enough to move things along, while the main attraction here is the action set pieces. In between double crosses and shootouts, Seijun Suzuki mixes things up with a few cabaret musical numbers.

Jo Shishido (Massacre Gun) is cast in the role of the private detective who goes undercover. Fans of Nikkatsu action cinema of the 1960s will recognize Jo Shishido from his performance as Hanada Goro in Seijun Suzuki’s last film at Nikkatsu studios, Branded to Kill. The most engaging performance in the film comes from Reiko Sasamori, who is cast in the role of one of the crime boss's girlfriends. Ultimately, Detective Bureau 2-3: Go to Hell Bastards! is another fast-paced thrill ride from director Seijun Suzuki.

Detective Bureau 2-3: Go to Hell Bastards! gets a solid release from Arrow Video that comes with a strong audio/video presentation and an informative interview, highly recommended.

Written by Michael Den Boer