The Ferocious 1970s Movie Magic Of Sonny Chiba

[@dogzdad123]

Terry: Thanks so much for featuring Sonny Chiba. I haven’t heard his name referenced in a long time. And didn’t know that he succumbed to Covid (along with other western actors). Shame.

[@terrytalksmovies]

Indeed it is. Hell of a movie star.

[@douglascarter2078]

The music in "Street Fighter" when Terry turns the tables in a fight is so awesome and gets me so hyped up. "Mean and nasty."

[@terrytalksmovies]

Japanese soundtracks of the era are really underrated.

[@nobo1982]

Found him because of a comic shop i hung out at would play his movies behind the counter. Chiba is king

[@terrytalksmovies]

Absolutely. He paid his dues in the 60s and it paid off in the 70s.

[@digitalpollution]

I love Sonny Chiba movies, Street fighter, Wolf guy and The Bullet Train are just a few of my favourites

[@terrytalksmovies]

I have to see The Bullet Train.

[@captlazer5509]

Had martial art movies on local cable during the weekends in the 80's, Sonny is well remembered.

[@terrytalksmovies]

His movies are anarchic fun.

[@luisvelazquez5420]

Great Episode, I have been a Sonny Chiba fan for along time. I have been blessed to have met him met him twice and was going to talk to him via Zoom but Sadly he passed away. I am happy that they are now releasing alot of his work. I am hoping they release the Yakuza Deka series and Tokyo Seoul Bangkok movie. I have these movies but on DVDs. Thank you for posting this video on a great actor.

[@terrytalksmovies]

My pleasure. Sonny Chiba was such a cool actor.

[@fletchkeilman2205]

I'll never forget Bronson, but Chiba is right up there. I couldn't decide who I admire more. Ironically, Bronson's Hard Times was originally callled "The Street Fighter" (and still was in parts of Europe) but changed the title abruptly because New Line Cinema acquired Chiba's Killing Fist....which was making big bucks at the cinema under the title "The Streetfighter"!

[@terrytalksmovies]

I like Bronson but Chiba has a randomness and unpredictability that I really love.

[@VortexBunche]

I have been obsessed with Chiba since first encountering The Street Fighter in it edited version on Warner Brothers VHS. (It was the butchered version from the US theatrical release.) I loved the story and its intensity, so I longed to see it uncut. As luck would have it, one of my friends at the time was (and still is) one of America's leading experts on Asian cinema and Asian martial arts films in particular, and he had a friend in Japan who used the Japanese laser disc of The Street Fighter to restore the excised fight scenes back into the American edit. My friend gifted me a copy on VHs, and it was a revelation. This was years before Tarantino released a legit uncut version on home video.

[@terrytalksmovies]

American distributors often butchered Asian cinema. It's a pity because they often cut out the weirdest and best bits.

[@adambenton9673]

Sonny is world treasure. I still need to catch up with Wolfguy, thanks for reminding me. I'm late with that homework assignment

[@terrytalksmovies]

Enjoy, Adam!

[@m.e.3862]

I really like the savagery of Chiba movies. Jimmy Wang Yu films are like that too. The 70s really ushered in a visceral martial arts style kinda like the violent revenge of the Death Wish movies...

[@terrytalksmovies]

Jimmy Wang-Yu became a real life tong enforcer in Taiwan after he stopped making movies.

[@timeliebe]

Tammy got me into Sonny Chiba and the STREET FIGHTER movies! Over here in the U.S. the first one was originally rated "X" (the MPAA rating nobody wanted, including the MPAA-they didn't even trademark it, which was why pornographers used it so freely!) for violence. I think it was the X-Ray of Chiba's Terry Surugi shattering the top of one of the guys he's fighting's skull that put it over.

[@terrytalksmovies]

The x-ray shots really sell the blows. It's a genius move.

[@jackfriend4u]

have got collection 1 of the Sonny Chiba films ,...but now i'm determined to get the 2nd collection as well as the Classic Tokusatsu Collection which looks like a hell of a lot of fun

[@terrytalksmovies]

The Tokusatsu collection has some great deep cuts in it.

[@davidmouser596]

As a kid I liked Phantoma the Australin dub of the animated Ogan Bat tv series, so yeah I had to watch the Ogan Bat movie as well.

[@terrytalksmovies]

The Ogun Batto movie is weird fun.

[@davidmouser596]

@@terrytalksmovies It had a gold caped skeleton fighting a fuzzy, crab clawed, four eyed teddy bear with bunny ears, what do you mean weird?

[@unclepatrick2]

I saw most of Chiba films a few years ago when TCM showed them one month .

[@terrytalksmovies]

Nice! Good to see he's getting honoured.

[@unclepatrick2]

@@terrytalksmovies it got me to buy a number of his box sets

[@evilpixie96]

the screen shots of Bodyguard Kiba 1 reminds me of Get Carter

[@terrytalksmovies]

Very different vibe. More nightclubs and fewer northern working men's clubs. 😀

[@VortexBunche]

Have you see Maki's 13 Steps? It's an Etsuko Shihomi showcase, and it's action-packed from start to finish. See also Sonny Chiba's Dragon Princess.

[@terrytalksmovies]

Thanks for the tips! 😀

[@the3rdpillblog934]

I have seen a few of his films. From the 70s I think my favs are: The Bullet Train Doberman Cop Wandering Ginza Butterfly: She-Cat Gambler and the 2 The Executioner movies (but I am still disappointed by them because I wanted "more" from Teruo Ishii films). From the 80s I love: Legend of the Eight Samurai Virus Samurai Reincarnation (I have to rewatch this one, can't remember much)

[@terrytalksmovies]

Good choices. I need to find a copy of The Bullet Train.

[@Skaramine]

I've been a fan of Sonny since I first saw Revenge of the Street Fighter. I've seen the Golden Bat anime, is the Tokusatsu version as wild?

[@terrytalksmovies]

The Tokusatsu version is wild. It's in B&W but it's a fun entertainment with some great production designs.

[@jdsantibanez]

My introduction to Sonny Chiba was a great TV show called "Key Hunter," where he was one of the members of an elite police unit. He was the cool fighter. His boss was played by Tetsuro Tamba, another well known Japanese actor at the time. kzbin.info/www/bejne/gqKXpIltr7lkeKssi=PeKD2rvqrkDqCmYT

[@terrytalksmovies]

Cool!

[@taker68]

Watch the beginning of the American version of Bodyguard Kiba and you'll recognize a bit pinched. by someone else. I've seen some Chiba films but often can only find the dubbed, edited, por quality versions. Really need to find a good upgraded set. I have the Street Fighter films, seen Sister Street Fighter, Wolfguy, Bullet Train, Golgo 13: Assignment Kowloon, G. I. Samurai, Legend of the 8 Samurai, Fall of Ako Castle & Virus.

[@terrytalksmovies]

Not sure I want to see the US version of Kiba I'm kinda glad we have updated and unmessed up version of Chiba flicks to choose from.

[@taker68]

@@terrytalksmovies Just the first 3 minutes and nothing else.

[@nealepaterson3496]

From the YT transcript: "Hi and welcome to Terry dogs movies..." 🙂 I think you're going to have to change the channel's name...

[@terrytalksmovies]

Or I can sue KZbin for a mint for denigrating my channel name.

[@fletchkeilman2205]

One more thing...have you seen Chiba's Yellow Fangs yet?

[@terrytalksmovies]

Not yet.

[@fletchkeilman2205]

@@terrytalksmovies it's the movie......based and an actual,. Very brutal event..that practically bankrupted China. It is a decent film, and was a really good showcase for some of Henry "Duke" Sanada's stunt work and skills. It just didn't cut the mustard, unfortunately. It is a decent film. Definitely try and see it. I warn you ahead of time.that it might be had to swallow in some parts. But overall, well worth a watch

[@fembotheather3785]

Has them on DVD

[@terrytalksmovies]

Cool

[@fembotheather3785]

@@terrytalksmovies I have the season one disk set of "Shadow Warriors", a Japanese TV series where he plays "Hattori Hanzo". There are other sets and DVDs. Some disks are ebay offerings of dubious status, but good prints of otherwise unobtainable movies. I also recently upgraded to the restored blueray Street Firgter set. I've also got a fair selection of Etsuko Shihomi movies.

[@ricogomez4020]

I saw STREET FIGHTER on laserdisc and don't see what all the fuss is about Sonny Chiba. I rather watch Jimmy Wang Yu.

[@terrytalksmovies]

Wang Yu ended up as a criminal in Taiwan. Chiba ended up a legend. 🙂

[@ricogomez4020]

@@terrytalksmovies I don't get why. I really don't. I see Bruce Lee, Steven Segall, Van Damn why they are.

[@fletchkeilman2205]

Tha Americn footage of The Bodyguard is juat godawful....NYC Karate Socialite Aaron Banks is filmed doing what Chiba. "should do" in some sort of situation, all the while looking pretty silly (Banks was really just a business man that opened up many schools..making his karate more of a business....something that wqs sone quite often then.....the birth of the McDojo). The American cut is dubbed well, but for some reason the fight scenes were just too blurry.....perhaps to avoid a harsh rating. It's been a long while since i have seen it. I was shocked as to how much better the Japanese original was

[@terrytalksmovies]

The US version is on the disk but I don't think I need to see it. The OG version works.