DETONATION: VIOLENT RIDERS 88 Films Blu-Ray Review: Japanese Biker Gangs Ride Fast And Live Faster In Teruo Ishii’s 1975 Classic

Detonation: Violent Riders arrives on Blu-Ray on July 21 from 88 Films.

Japanese gangland film lore is back on the radar these days with the upcoming release of Detonation: Violent Riders, from 88 Films. The 1975 film is directed by celebrated auteur Teruo Ishii whose works continues to prove monumental to cinephiles, and anyone with an affinity for the Toei brand.

Iwaki (Kôichi Iwaki) is a motorcycle mechanic with dreams of becoming a professional racer. He’s also the coolest, which, much to the chagrin of other bikers, makes him either admirable or just downright insufferable. This is especially the case for Mitsura (Yusuke Natsu), leader of the Red Rose Gang after losing to Iwaki in a contest over the beautiful Michiko (Tomoko Ai).

What follows is Iwaki’s meteoric rise to popularity as the reluctant leader of the Black Panther Biker Gang, and a prospective romantic connection with Michiko that gets ensnared by her protective brother, Tsurugi (Sonny Chiba). Little do they know that Michiko’s pining will result in a grave incident that, with the deceptive machinations of the Hell Dogs, will result in an explosive showdown with cataclysmic results.

I’d say given this summary, the title is certainly fitting. Beyond that, the story doesn’t have a whole lot going for itself, while the performances themselves are worth the film’s runtime, as is the film’s Ametoru appeal for its Bosozoku genre titles. Iwaki is full of charisma on screen and highly watchable, as are Ai and the rest of the cast; We also meet Junko Matsudaira who plays the Red Rose gang’s Queen Bee, the fast moving Mayumi who sets her sights on Iwaki. It’s a fling at first, but it’s a precursor to a devious twist in the scheme of things.

The biggest name on the roster though, in my view, is actor Sonny Chiba whose name definitely proliferates the film better, his limited screentime notwithstanding. He and our leading man share the film’s only notable fisticuffs situating the film’s action scenes – all of which are nearly comprised of enjoyable motorcycle riding sequences, coupled with frenzied cinematography for the more riotous moments. There’s no real action here to see so it’s all really just a vibe if you’re down for it.

Detonation: Violent Riders is one in a whole raft of Bosozoku films for Toei. It’s a neat little dive into a classic era of Japanese film for anyone interested, especially if you don’t mind certain aspects of the film not aging well as most haven’t, particularly on matters of rape and what counts as revenge. The film ends with a bit of a shocker, which is contrary to something I thought would bode as more romantic if not stoic or just bittersweet.

I didn’t love this film, but I do appreciate its place in history, and plenty of it is discussed in the film’s audio commentary Ashley Darrow and Jonathan Greenaway of The Horror Vanguard podcast, as well as Nathan Stuart’s video essay on the film and the studio. There’s a fifteen page booklet on the film as well titled “No One Will Cry For Me: Love in the Time of Bosozoku” by author and critic Michelle Kisner, with 88 Films’ back/front art and stills from the film, and detailed input on the film, the characters, gang culture and more.

Additionally, a stills gallery and trailer can be found on the disc. 88 Films also touts an individually numbered OBI Strip for its release.