Yokohama BJ Blues: Limited Edition – Radiance Films (Blu-ray)

Theatrical Release Date: Japan, 1981
Director: Eiichi Kudô
Writer: Shoichi Maruyama
Cast: Yûsaku Matsuda, Mari Henmi, Toby Kadoguchi, Haruko Mabuchi, Kôji Tanaka, Taiji Tonoyama, Yûya Uchida, Tatsuo Yamada, Rikiya Yasuoka 

Release Date: December 16th, 2024 (UK), December 17th, 2024 (USA)
Approximate running time: 111 Minutes 49 Seconds
Aspect Ratio: 1.85:1 Widescreen / 1080 Progressive / MPEG-4 AVC
Rating: 15 (UK), NR (USA)
Sound: LPCM Mono Japanese
Subtitles: English
Region Coding: Region A,B
Retail Price: £14.99 (UK), $39.95 (USA)

"When his police detective best friend is killed, down-at-heel private eye and part-time blues singer BJ (Yusaku Matsuda, The Game Trilogy) gets the blame. He must start his own investigation to clear his name, but what he uncovers is a tangled web involving crooked cops, drug-dealing gangsters, the city’s underground gay and biker scenes, and even his own past." - synopsis provided by the distributor

Video: 4.25/5

Here’s the information provided about the transfer, “Yokohama BJ Blues was transferred in High-Definition by Toei Company, Ltd. and supplied to Radiance Films as a High-Definition digital file."

Yokohama BJ Blues comes on a 50 GB dual layer Blu-ray.

Disc Size: 41.5 GB

Feature: 32.6 GB

The source is in great shape; flesh tones look healthy, colors look correct, image clarity and black levels are strong, compression is solid, and there are no issues with digital noise reduction.

Audio: 4.25/5

This release comes with one audio option, a LPCM mono mix in Japanese with removable English subtitles. The audio sounds clean, clear, and balanced; range-wise, the score sounds appropriately robust.

Extras:

Extras for this release include a theatrical trailer 2 minutes 9 seconds, LPCM mono Japanese with removable English subtitles), an interview with writer and Yokohama expert Toru Sano (18 minutes 4 seconds, LPCM stereo Japanese with removable English subtitles), an interview with screenwriter Shoichi Maruyama (22 minutes 13 seconds, LPCM stereo Japanese with removable English subtitles), an interview with actress Mari Hemmi (13 minutes 48 seconds, LPCM stereo Japanese with removable English subtitles), reversible cover art, removable OBI strip leaving packaging free of certificates and markings and a 28-page booklet (limited to 3000 copies) cast & crew information, an essay titled Mitsuru Kurosawa and Toei Central: A Creative Producer in the Post-Studio Era written by Dimitri Ianni, a review of Yokohama BJ Blues written by Satoshi Takahashi, and information about the transfer.

Summary:

Eiichi Kudô directed Yokohama BJ Blues. He is also known for making the films 13 Assassins, The Great Killing, The Fort of Death, and Shadow Warriors.

A private detective and aspiring blues singer gets a case linked to the murder of his friend, a police officer.

Yokohama BJ Blues is a crime/drama with Neo-noir elements. Its protagonist, a private detective and aspiring blues singer named BJ, is a Philip Marlowe-like antihero. He only works as a private eye to make a living, and he does not discriminate when it comes to choosing his clients. That said, though he starts off not concerned with morality, by the end of the film he finally finds something he cares about.

So much of what makes Yokohama BJ Blues work is Yûsaku Matsuda’s (The Beast to Die) portrayal of the protagonist. He’s an actor who always exudes cool no matter what role he’s portraying. He delivers a phenomenal performance that elevates the rest of the cast. When it comes to the rest of the cast, they are filled with a rogues gallery of nefarious characters.

Yokohama BJ Blues is all over the place tone-wise; one moment is lighthearted, then the next is bursting with intensity. The narrative does not follow a straightforward path; there's an ample amount of twists and turns. Everything builds to its most jarring twist, a poignant, melancholy ending that serves as a perfect epitaph.

In its early moments, Yokohama BJ Blues makes it clear that it is going to take you to a dark place. Most of its characters lack morality, and even less of them deserve sympathy. Its narrative does a superb job creating tension, and pacing is never an issue with key moments given ample time to resonate. Also, its blues-infused soundtrack perfectly reinforces the mood. Ultimately, Yokohama BJ Blues is an abyss of darkness that explores the darker sides of humanity.

Yokohama BJ Blues gets a solid release from Radiance Films that comes with a strong audio/video presentation and insightful extras, highly recommended.

Written by Michael Den Boer