1968 • Japan • Directed by Takashi Harada

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! In the second film in the series, Wicked Priest 2: Ballad of Murder, Shinkai agrees to escort a young boy to his home village to live with his grandfather, jiu-jitsu master Iwai. The town is run by the local mob, headed by ruthless boss Goda (Toru Abe, Lady Snowblood: Love Song of Vengeance), and Iwai and Shinkai are among the few brave enough to stand up to them. But Goda fiendishly hires Shinkai's nemesis, the Zatoichi-inspired fighting monk Ryotatsu (Bunta Sugawara, Battles Without Honor and Humanity), hellbent on revenge against Shinkai for blinding him. 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!