yudai yamaguchi

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ONE-PERCENT WARRIOR: Win A Copy Of Tak Sakaguchi’s New Action Thriller On Blu-Ray From Well Go USA!

If you’re on Twitter/X a good deal and you follow Tom Mes, you’re welcome to scan his page and you’ll get a hint at why nowadays I find myself likely closing a chapter (if not temporarily) in my film coverage, namely as we approach the release of one of Well Go USA’s recent acquisitions out of the far East, One Percent Warrior starring Tak Sakaguchi. Otherwise, the film is due out on March 12 on Blu-Ray, and I’m giving away a few copies to readers. All you need to do is send us an e-mail at filmcombatsyndicate@gmail.com with your favorite Tak Sakaguchi film or fight scene. That’s it. Plain and simple. The contest runs through March 11 at 11pm, EST as of this post. Otherwise, enjoy the clips below, and good luck! International action sensation Tak Sakaguchi (Bad City, Versus) — “one of action cinema’s reigning kings of on-screen fighting…lightning […]

ONE PERCENT WARRIOR: Tak Sakaguchi Unrelents In The Official U.S. Trailer!

Lee B. Golden III

Oh, I’m sorry. Did you want more Tak Sakaguchi in your life? Don’t fret! Well Go USA has the official trailer rolling for its release of director Yudai Yamaguchi’s cut throat new action thriller hereby titled One Percent Warrior for its upcoming release on Digital and Blu-Ray beginning March 12, followed by its streaming launch on Hi-YAH! from April 5. After his devastatingly fast, samurai-style combat approach sets filmmakers against him, a legendary action star (Tak Sakaguchi) films his own movie—on turf claimed by feuding yakuza gangs, including Japan’s deadliest martial arts assassin. Tak fans and anyone who has become fond of CQC-style action cinema – or more explicity Tak’s WAVE brand of cinematic action these days – will take a liking to Yamaguchi’s new flick. As I iterated in my Fantastic Fest review last year, there’s a subtle psychological nod akin to the likes of David Fincher that makes […]

Fantastic Fest XVIII Review: In ONE-PERCENTER, Tak Sakaguchi Demonstrates The Method To The Madness!

Lee B. Golden III

“There are many martial artists in the world. Only one in every hundred master their art. Those are the ‘One-Percenters.’” …That’s a line spoken in the international trailer and newest incumbent feature from writer/director Yudai Yamaguchi, a man imbued with a wealth of knowledge and experience when it comes to working with actor and genre cinema favorite, Tak Sakaguchi. The pair have done various types of movies together, with Sakaguchi in roles that have seen him merc the undead, partake in explosive baseball battles, and even wipe out henchmen as a bionically-weaponized gangster, among other projects the two have collaborated on with other directors. It would be in 2005 that fans of Sakaguchi would see the actor embark a little more on his own quest into action direction, clearly looking to up his station in the craft following the success he gained from his previous credits. Alas, after more than […]

ONE-PERCENTER Trailer: Watch As Tak Sakaguchi Lights ‘Em Up And Takes ‘Em Down!

Lee B. Golden III

Two ruthless yakuza gangs interrupt the shooting of an action flick at an abandoned factory. The action star isn’t too pleased. One hundred yakuza against one? Pfff, too easy! Slated for a world premiere in Brussels is One-Percenter, the newest action thriller from director Yudai Yamaguchi in his latest reunion with action star Tak Sakaguchi in a veritable partnership that spans more than twenty years. The film screens April 12 at the 41st BIFFF and will be sure to hit more festival stops along the way ahead of its November release in Japan as tickets are already available via the official wiiber website. Read on for the rest of the programming notes: Big action star Takuma Toshiro has succeeded in riling up the whole profession against him by declaring that cinematographic fights should be closer to reality than these choreographed ballets, where shrimps without talent tickle each other with foam […]

ONE PERCENTER Short Promo Teases Tak Sakaguchi’s Latest Gangbuster Action Thriller

Lee B. Golden III

I knew there had to be a reason why I woke up this morning. Enter Re:Born and Crazy Samurai Musashi star Tak Sakaguchi who, a decade after once announcing his retirement from film, has graciously found himself thriving on and off-screen, which also brings us to the first short teaser for One Percenter, pairing him with none other than Yudai Yamaguchi who has been in Sakaguchi’s corner in a career space they’ve shared since Ryuhei Kitamura’s 2000 cult hit, Versus. Action film actor Toshiro Takuma is a man with only one goal: the perfection of action film acting… But when his samurai-approach to the profession clashes with an industry addicted to wires, CGI and quick edits, Toshiro and his trusty apprentice Akira decide to make their dream film themselves. When actual violence finds its way onto their film set in the form of yakuza mobsters looking for a hidden cache […]

1%er (ONE PERCENTER): Tak Sakaguchi Reteams With Director Yudai Yamaguchi For ‘Real Action Road’ Thriller Next Year

Lee B. Golden III

Filmmaker Yudai Yamaguchi is reteaming with action star Tak Sakaguchi for 1%er (One Percenter), according to an announcement from Sakaguchi’s WiiBER production label. The film marks a reunion between the star and director with numerous shared credits in their wake, dating back to Sakaguchi’s 2000 breakout zombie action thriller, Ryuhei Kitamura’s Versus, on which Yamaguchi served as screenwriter. Not much is yet known about the project, save for the most recent announcement made via Twitter that basically hints at a story about a man on a journeys onto the road less traveled to “master the path”, that is of the “real action road”. That’s basically what I got from the tweet’s auto-translation, though admittedly, the tweet itself might lend something better than what I could offer for its aesthetic. What should go without saying is the level of action fans can expect given what Sakaguchi has brought to the table […]

HIGH & LOW: THE RED RAIN Review: Action And Drama Hit Hard And Heavy With Sentiment And Swagger

Lee B. Golden III

Director and screenwriter Yudai Yamaguchi, best known for arousing regional cult film fandom with respective credits such as Battlefield Baseball, Deadball and Yakuza Weapon, as well as Ryuhei Kitamura’s Versus and Alive, cuts to the long-awaited chase in the High & Low universe, spinning off with High & Low: The Red Rain. Exile Tribe’s multifaceted in-house talents: Takahiro of Exile, and Hiroomi Tosaka of J Soul Brothers, reprise their roles respectively as Masaki and Hiroto Amamiya, otherwise infamously known as the Amamiya brothers, who are long heralded as two of the fiercest fighters among all the established gangs that make up the S.W.O.R.D. district. As the High & Low franchise presents thusfar up to this point, the Amamiyas have long been searching for their missing brother, Takeru (Takumi Saito). Highlighting a prelude to current events, High & Low: The Red Rain takes off in high octane fashion with the Masaki […]