The Vintagent Classics: The films that inspired us.

DETONATION! VIOLENT RIDERS aka BAKUHATSU! BOSO ZOKU (1975)

Run Time: 1:26:00
Producer: Toei Tokyo
Director: Teruo Ishii
Writer: Teruo Ishii, Isao Matsumoto
Key Cast: Shin’ichi Chiba (Sonny Chiba), Kôichi Iwaki, Tomoko Ai

FILM MAKERS

Detonation: Violent Riders is the first installment in Toei’s series of bosozoku biker gang films. Toei started producing films in 1953 and established itself as a major producer of Japanese B-movies through the 80’s. Bosozoku gangs received notable media attention in the 1970’s as newspapers and magazines cashed in with the phenomena and even took it out of its original frame. Toei was quick to smell easy box office revenue as the bosozoku hysteria provided an opportunity to combine their established cinematic formulas with a current and talked about real life phenomena. Much like with karate films, director Teruo Ishii got assigned to the job despite his lack of interest for the genre.

SUMMARY

Wild-hearted mechanic boy Iwaki falls in love with the innocent but gang tied Michiko.

Leather up and get ready for the ride of your lives, in this high-octane biker movie from Toei by cult director Teruo Ishii (Horrors of Malformed Men) with a cast headed by the return of Sonny Chiba!

Iwaki (Koichi Iwaki) is a motorbike mechanic with big dreams of racing professionally. Then temptation arrives in the shapely form of Mayumi (Junko Matsudaira), the wild and free lover of Mitsuda (Yusuke Natsu), the leader of the Red Rose Gang, a pack of speed freaks tearing up the town. Iwaki meanwhile has his sights set on the sweet and innocent Michiko (Tomoko Ai), but any potential romance is hampered by her overprotective brother Tsugami (Sonny Chiba) and Mitsuda’s bullish plans to make Michiko his own trophy. Does Iwaki take the straight and narrow option, or opt for a more dangerous road? –  88 Films

RELATED MEDIA

Buy the newly released, limited edition Blu Ray release including English subtitles, and extra features at 88 Films!

Classics Film Narrative