Wicked Priest Collection (Blu-ray)

Most famous for his role as the stoic Ogami Itto in the legendary Lone Wolf and Cub series, Tomisaburo Wakayama shows a different side in the ebullient martial arts comedy series Wicked Priest, where a devout man of the cloth doesn't let a little thing like his vows keep him away from women, booze and brawls! Wakayama plays Shinkai, a Buddhist monk with a penchant for drinking and gambling, setting sinners straight with judo throws rather than sermons. In the first film, he's placed on probation for fighting off a gang of thugs, but when he hears of rogue priests in his order consorting with yakuza, he returns to punch them towards enlightenment. The first sequel sees Shinkai run afoul of the local mob who then hire his nemesis, the Zatoichi-inspired fighting monk Ryotatsu (Bunta Sugawara, Battles Without Honor and Humanity), hellbent on revenge against Shinkai for blinding him. In the third film, Shinkai joins the fight to defend a coastal village against dynamite-wielding pirate revolutionaries, whilst still finding the time for bawdy misadventures and fighting off the tenacious Ryotatsu. Shinkai returns to his snowy hometown for his mother's memorial in the fourth film, and must encourage the local community to fight back against the yakuza who are exploiting them. Finally, Shinkai must face off against the vengeful Ryotatsu once last time in the series' concluding instalment. Wakayama shines as the rascally Shinkai whose roguish ways attract the ire of his superiors before they're won over by his righteousness and affinity for roundhouse-kicking ruffians. A thrilling blend of raunchy humour and explosive karate fights, the Wicked Priest series is the Nirvana of Japanese 60s action comedy!