Yokohama BJ Blues | Blu-ray

Every country should have their own sub-genre of shabby detective fiction. Detectives are, by their nature, already a rundown, hangdog group of people. It only makes sense to craft stories that emphasize that fact.

Pulling liberally from Robert Altman's The Long Goodbye (and especially Elliott Gould's performance as Philip Marlowe), Eiichi Kudo directs a tale of murder and intrigue centered around blues singer/private eye BJ and the murder of his former partner and close friend.

Alongside the traditional neo-noir elements, the film also explores Japanese LGBTQ culture in the late 70s & early 80s. A seedy exploration of counter culture, crime, and some quality music along the way. An essential piece of Japanese mystery fiction.

Special Features (via radiance.co.uk)

• High-Definition digital transfer, world premiere on Blu-ray 
• Uncompressed mono PCM audio
• Interview with star Mari Hemmi (2024, 14 mins)
• Interview with screenwriter Shoichi Maruyama (2024, 22 mins)
• Interview with writer and Yokohama expert Toru Sano on the film and a look at the locations (2024, 18 mins)
• Trailer
• Newly translated English subtitles
• Sleeve featuring design based on original posters