Overview: In this deep dive into the world of the Yakuza, meet the violent men who rule the Japanese underworld and the cruel punishments inflicted on those who transgress them.

Ergo 'Yakuza Law' is a story of yakuza lynching during the Edo, Taisho, and Showa periods.

Blu-ray Verdict: Director Teruo Ishii ('Blind Woman's Curse', 'Horrors of Malformed Men') and the true Godfather of "J-sploitation", presents 'Yakuza Law' (aka 'Yakuza's Law: Lynching') a grueling anthology of torture, spanning three district periods of Japanese history and bringing to the screen some of the most brutal methods of torment ever devised!

Reminiscent of 'Casino' and 'Zatoichi' in its nature and necessarily violent as it depicts the renowned Yakuza law of an old-school variety, this film is a solid watch for those interested in old and new Yakuza films.

In the violent world of the Yakuza, if you break the rules then you must pay the price. Since this usually involves the removal of a body part with a sharp knife or sword, or even a hideous death, members of these bloodthirsty Japanese crime families had better think twice before screwing over their pals.

Spanning several centuries, starting in feudal japan and ending in the present day (ie. the late 1960s), 'Yakuza Law' consists of three stories all dealing with betrayal and punishment within the Yakuza system. These tales are rather mundane in nature but are lifted by some wonderfully gruesome acts of brutality.

In the first two segments, fingers are removed, eyeballs and tongues are cut out, and sword slashes result in fountains of blood. In the last segment, the modern day Yakuza get creative, dragging victims along by helicopter, encasing them in cement, and crushing them in car compactors.

I consider the jazz-scored groovy last section to be the best of the stories, since it also has a rather sleazy feel to it, with sexy babes also involved in the nasty goings on.

On the whole, I certainly wouldn't class this movie as essential viewing, per say, but it should be of interest to fans of Japanese cinema, crime films, and, of course, gory exploitation flicks. This is a Full Screen Presentation (4:3) enhanced for 16x9 TVs and comes with the Special Features of:

High Definition Blu-rayTM (1080p) presentation
Original lossless mono Japanese soundtrack
Optional English subtitles
New audio commentary by author and critic Jasper Sharp
Erotic-Grotesque and Genre Hopping: Teruo Ishii Speaks, a rare vintage interview with the elusive director on his varied career, newly edited for this release
Image gallery
Reversible sleeve featuring original and newly commissioned artwork by Jacob Phillips
+ FIRST PRESSING ONLY: Illustrated collector's booklet featuring new writing on the film by Tom Mes