Shinjuku Outlaw (1994) is a semi-sleazy, unremarkable slice of yakuza propaganda. It’s enjoyable and competently made, but its only real point of interest is that it was directed by a young Takashi Miike, who at this point had a mere seven films under his belt (a decent number for any normal human, but consider the fact we’re talking about Miike – who now has over ninety titles to his name). It’s always interesting tracking a director’s development in their early years, and though Shinjuku Outlaw is nothing spectacular, there are hints of the Takashi Miike we know and [some of us] love. The best example of this is a wild montage featuring a sect of foreign gangsters gunning down local yakuza and occasionally pulling dodgy dance moves – it serves as a prototype for more polished works to come, like Dead or Alive (1999) and Ichi the Killer (2001).