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Post by morrisondylanfan on Sept 17, 2019 2:39:47 GMT
Hi all,going in knowing nothing about the feature,I found it a fascinating hidden gem (it has no IMDb reviews.) Note: I know the image feature nakedness but this is far from being a mere "Adult" flick. Student Guerilla/ Jogakusei gerira (1969) 9 “All in all,this was a too small battle.” Leaving film making behind in the 70’s to join the armed militant/terrorist organization the Japanese Red Army, writer/directing auteur Masao Adachi & cinematographer Hideo Ito ignite the school rebellion in a stark Japanese New Wave (JNW) stylisation,cutting the ground in raw black and white, trimmed by restrained wide-shots glimpsing the utter wilderness. Backed by a pitch-perfect unnerving, stray instruments score by Meikyu Sekai, Adachi carves the film with small splinters of colour lighting the battle that the girls want to win. Stating near the end of the film that the battle was too small, the excellent screenplay by Adachi takes a clinical dissection on patriarchal insistence within leftist movements aimed at social disruption The pure revolutionary vision the girls have eventual is torn apart by male jocks looking to enjoy something hip,and the bruised egos of soldiers, (who the women have sex with in coldly shot scenes) who want to unleash their brittle masculinity on the students over a small battle.
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Post by morrisondylanfan on Sept 18, 2019 3:21:09 GMT
Hi all, after a hectic day,I decided that I would finish the day by turning the phone off,and watching a swift Pinku. Female Leopard (1985) 7 Featuring butterflies prominently in the feature, director Koyu Ohara sharply contrasts their brightness for what would be his final film, by decorating the walls of the Takuya household in a pristine chic white,which unwraps a peculiar atmosphere, via the sleazy sex and murderous perverted antics of the family unfolding against a perfect, clean backdrop. Backed by a pure 80’s dark synch score, Takuya takes the (un- credited) Pinku incest drama of the script, and with the support of the pristine whites, pushes it into a heightened Soap Opera of slo-mo and even wind machines set on the hair of every actress. Returning to her family, pretty Kozue Tanaka gives a enticing performance as Yuko, whose ill-fitting status within her family over the relationship with her brother is wonderfully plucked by Tanaka,as a female leopard walks pass.
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Post by morrisondylanfan on Sept 19, 2019 2:35:18 GMT
Hi all,after a little delay I got back to FPS at last,and wow,talk about taking things up a level! Female Prisoner Scorpion: Jailhouse 41 (1972) 10 Unlike the first film, Eureka present an unbelievably poor transfer.Clearly a VHS rip,the hard English subtitles don’t translate scenes where songs are sung, and the image is studded with blotches and black lines. Opening by looking down into the solitary confinement pit Matsu has been in for a year, returning co-writer/(with Fumio Konami and Hiro Matsuda) director Shun'ya Ito returns to the series he made his debut on,and with debuting cinematographer Masao Shimizu takes the outline of the prison sentence in the first,and extends it into the truly startling. Tracking Matsu and her fellow six convicts on the run from cops across a mountain wilderness which leaves them standing out like figures in a landscape, Ito and Shimizu lock the blunt-force violence of the WIP genre behind bars of hyper-stylisation surrealism, exploding with waves of ravishing colours weaving a fantasy atmosphere (!) hitting in bullet shots of blistering blues,oranges and reds peaking at the past of Matsu’s fellow convicts, all captured in bewitching rolling Dutch angles, shotgun-fired whip-pans/first person take-downs,and surrealist dissolves. For a genre not known for being subtle, the writers slice their WIP adaptation of Tooru Shinohara’s Manga with a distinctively raw feminist cut, via a focus on the plight of Matsu and her fellow convicts, whilst turning the (all-male) hard-nosed cops and guards of the first film into mocked, weakly minded, attempted rulers of their lives. Speaking just five words in the whole film, returning Meiko Kaji gives an immense performance as Matsu, bringing out in her simmering body language and downcast face the hurt, but still resilient spirit of Matsu to attack the guards with her scorpion sting.
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Post by morrisondylanfan on Sept 20, 2019 2:52:18 GMT
Hi all,just before wrapping up this box set (feeling very good about finally wrapping these up!) I wanted to ask if anyone has seen or read a English language interview with Meiko Kaji? I've been looking round online and can't find anything. After delaying the viewings for so long,I now find this a trilogy which is easily a match for the best trilogies I've seen from Europe or the US. Female Prisoner Scorpion: Beast Stable (1973) 10 After the shameful transfer of the second film, Eureka redeem themselves with a neat transfer to end their DVD box set,with the colour tones being kept even on the picture,and the soundtrack remaining clear. Closing this era of the franchise which he had made his film making debut on, director Shun'ya Ito reunites with cinematographer Masao Shimizu, and remarkably takes the series in a new direction for the third time (!) Chopping the arm of a cop off before the credits have even rolled, Ito and Shimizu move away from the gritty WIP sleaze of FPS1,and the utterly unique surrealism of FPS2, to boil up a rich Gothic Horror atmosphere, brimming in strikingly composed shots of Matsu trying to hide from the cops while on the run in a lush blue dress lightly covered in shadows casting her as a avenging Gothic Horror princess. Twisting the reflecting surrealism of the first two into thrilling horror, Ito goes down an outstanding extended set-piece in the sewers, slinging the camera down in ultra-stylised tracking shots keeping up on Matsu’s attempt to outrun the cops, coming up for air made of cut-throat Dutch angles and haunting close-ups on Matsu eyeing her next cut to freedom. Hiding out on the side streets and brothels of Japan, the screenplay by the returning Hiro Matsuda continues from the second in featuring a feminist political element, in this case thugs taking the choice away from their slaves/ women on if they do,or do not want a abortion, leaving the victims severely psychologically scared. Keeping the one remaining long arm of the law after her, Matsuda threads a intense cat and mouse exchange between Matsu and Detective Kondo, which is coiled into a wonderfully haunting final exchange of glances. Joined by a wonderfully agitated Mikio Narita as Kondo, Meiko Kaji gives a outstandingly layered turn as Matsu, thanks to Kaji balancing a single tear of fragility on a blade, with a clinical, survival instinct of escaping from the beast stable.
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Post by morrisondylanfan on Sept 20, 2019 23:09:09 GMT
Hi all,on the way home I looked in the local DVD store,and found this film (which I've not heard of before) for £1! Takashi Miike's Fudoh: The New Generation (1996) 9 “A guy can see a big tree in front of him,but fails to see the forest.” Whilst looking for info,I found the film with Eng Subs on YT: www.youtube.com/watch?v=IZcjocscUfYHolding the page of opening credits back from being turned until 15 minutes into the film, directing auteur Takashi Miike unleashes a action-packed, 15 minutes pre-credits blizzard on the viewer, coming in from Miike & one of his regular cinematographers Hideo Yamamoto kicking Miike’s unique brand of quirky, gory humour landing in the lap of the viewer, being welded to Heroic Bloodshed-style gangster assassinations igniting a explosive atmosphere of red spray and broken walls scatted across the screen. Backed by a great jet-set elite synch score from Chu Ishikawa, Miike breaks the ranks of the gangs and continues to extend on his thread of earthy surrealism, glowing here in a sexual romance (which in a rare Miike move,is not violent) between hermaphrodite Mika and bi-sexual Jun Minoru,whose from fading-to brightened tattoo display that even in the bedroom,they can’t fully be freed from the ties of the gangs (with tattoos and LGB romance being recurring motifs in Miike’s work.) Peeling the Manga origins onto the screen,Miike and Yamamoto attack all the gangs with cannonballs stuffed with Miike’s distinctive animated extreme violence, rolling from decapitated heads spinning and a stripper who has a unique killing method, to ultra-stylised whip-pans landing on each killed rival gangster, all tied with Miike’s brittle ambiguous ending. The first of two times he worked with the film maker, (the other being Blues Harp (1998) ) the screenplay by Toshiyuki Morioka excitingly sets out the future recurring themes that would feature in Miike’s works, fuelled by the abrasive masculine urge for revenge Riki Fudoh (a great Shosuke Tanihara,who matches young buck swagger with a unbreakable pain for revenge) after secretly witnessing his dad make a “Sacrifice” of his younger brother. Foot soldiers of Riki’s team sharing the goal to take down the powerful group of underworld gangsters his dad has a head role in, Morioka places a focus on the most peculiar members on Riki’s side, (something which Miike would continue with) storming in a cyborg Aizone (played by a comedic brute Kenji Takano) and the deadly vixen duo of Touko and Mika ( Tamaki Kenmochi and a scene-stealing Miho Nomoto)all leading the charge of the new Fudoh.
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Post by morrisondylanfan on Sept 21, 2019 1:28:45 GMT
Female Prisoner #701: Scorpion (1972) 10 Placed in a cell a few years before Blu-Rays appeared, Eureka’s DVD transfer still stands up,with the aesthetic of the image being kept,but the colour tone being presented nice and clean,along with the soundtrack remaining crisp. I liked Meiko Kaji a lot in Lady Snowblood. Would really love to see this film too. Thanks for your rec, Dylan! Hi AJ,I hope you are having a good weekend,and thank you for bringing Fires on the Plain (1959)to attention (and thanks for the YT link.) The descriptive review you posted makes Fires sounds extraordinary. On the FPS,I think it is a trilogy you might enjoy,with each entry being made in a drastically different style from each other. Having picked up the set during the last Arrow sale,I'm crossing my swords that I get a chance to see Kaji in her third iconic film role/series.
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Post by teleadm on Sept 21, 2019 16:02:50 GMT
morrisondylanfanThanks so much for keeping this thread alive and vital! Many movies I've never heard of, has made me very interested, I have no idea were to find them, but that is a later problem.
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Post by manfromplanetx on Sept 21, 2019 22:07:37 GMT
Hotaru no haka , Grave of the Fireflies (1988) Directed by Isao Takahata he also wrote the screenplay which was based on a semi-autobiographical novel written by Akiyuki Nosaka in 1967. The emotionally charged story is an innovative brilliantly conceived mature age anime film. Set in Kobe at the closing of WWII the film tells the harrowing tale of a nine year old boy and his younger sister who were separated from family during the intensive firebombing of their homes. The director himself was nine at the time a survivor he experienced first hand the tragic human reality which is the foundation of this touching heartfelt story Director Isao Takahata insisted the film was not an anti-war film and that he wanted to convey an image of the brother and sister living in hardship within a desperate society, his greatest wish to invoke sympathy, particularly for younger people in their teens and twenties, to build a sense of compassion and empathy. There are no spoken anti war messages, however the dynamic dramatic visuals evoke a sense of horror and absolute outrage as the lives of the innocent are shattered by the devastation of war. Reflecting on factual detail the films skies darken, sirens wail, incendiaries dropped from masses of American B-29s carpet-bomb targeting with lethal and indiscriminate precision the civilian population and the timber dwelling infrastructure of Kobe. An incredibly imaginative, beautifully composed thought provoking drama … Highly Recommended !!
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Post by morrisondylanfan on Sept 22, 2019 0:51:19 GMT
Hi all,for my 20th Japanese viewing of the month,I felt like seeing a Umetsugu Inoue (his Hong Kong Musicals are gorgeous!) title after reading manfromplanetx review for Inoue's Washi to taka (1957),but I also wanted to see Machiko Kyô for the first time. Looking at Kyo's credits,I was shocked to find that instead of never the twain shall meet,Kyo had made a film with Inoue! Black Lizard (1962) 10. “The best daughter in Japan, the best diamond in Japan,and the best private detective in Japan.” For anyone with the Criterion streaming service (is it US only?) they have surprisingly put it on the site! www.criterionchannel.com/black-lizardGreeting the viewer in the 4th wall breaking pre-credits intro,directing auteur Umetsugu Inoue with cinematographer Yoshihisa Nakagawa continues to build upon his distinctive, lavish ultra-stylisation, here dipping into surreal startling lights, flashing on the shared inner thoughts (spoken at the viewer) between the Black Lizard and Akechi. Intelligently using the catchy Jazzy songs to set a Caper atmosphere, Inoue sets Black Lizard’s target to be the Iwase household, lavishly decorated in graceful panning shots eyeing Black Lizard’s in the midst of her kidnapping games against immaculately styled Technicolor walls, perfectly colour-coded by Inoue to Black Lizard’s sparkling costumes and her magnificently brash, funky lair. Adapting Rampo Edogawa’s novel and Yukio Mishima’s earlier stage version, the screenplay by Kaneto Shindo moves at a incredible pace, breaking from any risk of stage-bound by fluid Caper twists of Lizard and her team of minions snapping at the heels of the Iwase household. Giving Lizard all the glamour of a master thief, Shindo smoothly crosses the Caper antics with a utterly delightful underlining romance between the thief and obsessive detective Akechi, causing Black Lizard to kiss a sofa (!) and for Akechi to bring out a fitting bitter sweetness which walks into the bright light final. The person everyone wants to get their hands on, cute Junko Kano gives a great turn as Sanae Iwase,who Kano takes from a biting back sharpness,to a quick- witted eye to slip out of Lizard’s grasp. Loving the mastery of the legendary thief,exceptional Minoru Oki hits laid-back cool notes as Akechi gets into the groove of trying to remain one step ahead. Performing her misdeeds with a seductive relish, alluring Machiko Kyo gives a fabulous performance as Black Lizard/ Mrs. Midorikawa,whose heart is filled by Kyo with a love for the art of the (stealing) deal.
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Post by manfromplanetx on Sept 23, 2019 0:07:43 GMT
Hi all,for my 20th Japanese viewing of the month,I felt like seeing a Umetsugu Inoue (his Hong Kong Musicals are gorgeous!) title after reading manfromplanetx review for Inoue's Washi to taka (1957),but I also wanted to see Machiko Kyô for the first time. Looking at Kyo's credits,I was shocked to find that instead of never the twain shall meet,Kyo had made a film with Inoue! Black Lizard (1962) 10. “The best daughter in Japan, the best diamond in Japan,and the best private detective in Japan.” Hi again MDF A fabulous review of this terrific film, have you seen the 68 remake ? I don't think it is nearly as good , the Black Lizard is a very different character Director Umetsugu Inoue had a wonderfully unique style, an exciting and very entertaining edge to his cinematic art... I have enjoyed your excellent recent reviews and posts here there just seems no end to discovering the wonders of Classic Japanese cinema ! "Auteurs in '64" week sounds like a fascinating challenge there are so many excellent International works from the year , and there are heaps of great Japanese productions... Directed and written by, edit... Onibaba Kaneto Shindô my top pick A couple of highly regarded recs , you may know of already ? from Tadashi Imai Adauchi (1964), Yasuzô Masumura , Manji (1964), Teruo Ishii , Gokinzo yaburi (The Shoguns Vault) and Narazumono (An Outlaw) (1964)
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Post by morrisondylanfan on Sept 23, 2019 3:26:29 GMT
Hi all,last week I decided along with viewing Japanese titles to do a "Auteurs in '64" week,involving watching 6 films (it was gonna be 7,but notes on other 6 took longer than expected to write!) And I ended it with a viewing of: Seijun Suzuki's Our Blood Will Not Forgive(1964) 10 Glancing from outside at the last happy moments the family share together before a murder ignites the fuse of revenge down the line, directing auteur Seijun Suzuki & cinematographer Shigeyoshi Mine take the leap years into the future to immaculately de-construct the Yakuza/revenge Noir genre. Dividing the brothers between one who works at a ad agency and one who has become a down and out Noir loner Ronin-like figure, Suzuki binds them together with his impeccable Japanese New Wave stylisation fanning obscured framing of shots, slick panning camera moves and exaggerated zoom-ins. Sitting in a car together discussing revenge, Suzuki takes the classical film making of Hollywood,and twists it into a surrealist delight splashing the ad agency in lush, vibrant colours, which seep into a excellent use of rear screen projection in driving sequences where pelts of rain hit the windows as waves of oceans float in the background, bringing out a three dimensional quality. Decades before the Heroic Bloodshed sub-genre set the city on fire, Suzuki and Mine compose a breathtaking Bullet Ballet final, sweeping the rugged terrain real location as gangsters fall to the ground, hitting a beautiful, blood- drench, tragic heroism final shot landing. Coming face to face with the murderer of their dad when he knocks on the front door of the family home years later, the screenplay by Takeo Matsuura cleverly studies the divide between brothers Shinji and Ryota in how to advantage the killing and display the force of their Yakuza gang within a modern society backdrop. Poured from Ryota having a cosmopolitan outlook which blends Yakuza traditions with the smooth professionalism of being the head of a business, counted by the red hot blooded temper of Shinji, whose devil may care attitude for life and revenge, causes him to get entangled on the wrong side of other gangs. Calling out for each other in the haunting final, Hideki Takahashi and Akira Kobayashi give excellent turns as brothers Shinji and Ryota, thanks to the youthful, hot-wire grit Takahashi gives Shinji being matched by Kobayashi rubbing off Ryota’s professionalism as the family loyalty sends his life into a tailspin of revenge as their blood ties will not forgive.
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Post by morrisondylanfan on Sept 24, 2019 1:03:35 GMT
Hi all,after somehow getting the title mixed up for Killers on Parade,I finally watched this movie (thanks for terrific rec manfromplanetx ) Black Tight Killers (1966) 8. Roaring to life from psychedelic colours splashed over sexy Go-Go dancers moving to the opening credits, Yasuharu Hasebe makes a sparkling directing debut,pointing to the expert use of primary colours which would be painted across his credits. Hasbe & cinematographer Kazue Nagatsuka spin a hip,Pop-Art atmosphere, drizzling to scatter-gun zoom-ins on the glamorous, Rock star swaggering,Black Tight gang busting killer fighting moves against a vibrant, colourful backdrop, and landing on slick panning shots tied to the exploding golf balls and killer records used in this chase for the gold. Tapping into the spirit which made the earlier Michio Tsuzuki adaptation Danger Pays (1962-also reviewed) fizz, the screenplay by Ryuzo Nakanishi lands Daisuke Honda on his feet when he steps off the plane, only to send him straight off to a break-neck adventure which playfully taps at the Euro Spy jet-set chic. Keeping the romance between Honda and Sawanouchi bubbly even when killer RPM records are being thrown from all directions, Nakanishi makes brightly drawn sketches of each gang, bouncing along on Power-Pop joy to the ninja Black tight gang ,hitting the sweating with greed rival (all-male) gang wanting Sawanouchi to give them her keys to the prize. Not only being head over heels in love but over his head in what deadly games he’s caught up in, Akira Kobayashi takes inspiration from 007 with his great turn as Hondo,who Kobayashi keeps as swave and sophisticated. Believed by all to be the key to unlock her dad’s gold bundles, pretty Chieko Matsubara gives a smooth performance tinged with vagueness as Sawanouchi, who keeps the level of her knowledge closely under wraps,from the black tight killers.
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Post by morrisondylanfan on Sept 24, 2019 1:20:32 GMT
morrisondylanfan Thanks so much for keeping this thread alive and vital! Many movies I've never heard of, has made me very interested, I have no idea were to find them, but that is a later problem. Hi Tel,I hope you had a good weekend,and thank you for the very kind words. During the month,I've kicked myself a number of times,over regretting how long I've let these DVD's/Blu's sit on the shelf un-watched for so long. The two biggest surprises I've found this month, is that unlike most late franchise titles where everyone is visible bored,it's clear in the likes of Stray Cat Rock 4 that a passion to try new styles of film making remained strong,plus,I now get why Meiko Kaji is such a big name in cult classics. The other eye-opener to me has been,that despite the superb work by Criterion, Arrow etc, the vast amount of classics only around with subs made by dedicated fans, with the likes of Student Guerilla/ Jogakusei gerira (1969) looking ready-made for Cri etc,but remaining untouched.
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Post by morrisondylanfan on Sept 25, 2019 0:01:58 GMT
Hi all,I know his most famous works are from 2000's-now,but does anyone have thoughts on Sion Sono's output. I've only seen Tokyo Tribes (2014) and was left breathless by how off the wall it is! Teachers of Sexual Play: Modelling Urns with the Female Body (2000) 6 I don't remember Demi Moore doing anything like this in Ghost! Made just one year before he became a big name with Suicide Club, co-star/writing/directing auteur Sion Sono gives the impression of just wanting to knock one out,and add it to his credits. Appearing to be mostly filmed in a real pottery workshop, Sono & cinematographer Kazuhiro Suzuki leave the rooms dimly lit as they are, and hold the camera wide across the room. Moulded from the Pinku, Sono makes the title stand out in the genre,by keeping the steamy sex scenes mutually pleasurable for the men and the women. Bringing out his distinctive,off-beat humour, Sono spins clay into the sex scenes and crafts a quirky atmosphere, that in it’s own odd way touches on the love which goes into Japanese craftsmanship.
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Post by morrisondylanfan on Sept 25, 2019 2:03:33 GMT
Hi all,for my 20th Japanese viewing of the month,I felt like seeing a Umetsugu Inoue (his Hong Kong Musicals are gorgeous!) title after reading manfromplanetx review for Inoue's Washi to taka (1957),but I also wanted to see Machiko Kyô for the first time. Looking at Kyo's credits,I was shocked to find that instead of never the twain shall meet,Kyo had made a film with Inoue! Black Lizard (1962) 10. “The best daughter in Japan, the best diamond in Japan,and the best private detective in Japan.” Hi again MDF A fabulous review of this terrific film, have you seen the 68 remake ? I don't think it is nearly as good , the Black Lizard is a very different character Director Umetsugu Inoue had a wonderfully unique style, an exciting and very entertaining edge to his cinematic art... I have enjoyed your excellent recent reviews and posts here there just seems no end to discovering the wonders of Classic Japanese cinema ! "Auteurs in '64" week sounds like a fascinating challenge there are so many excellent International works from the year , and there are heaps of great Japanese productions... Directed and written by, edit... Onibaba Kaneto Shindô my top pick A couple of highly regarded recs , you may know of already ? from Tadashi Imai Adauchi (1964), Yasuzô Masumura , Manji (1964), Teruo Ishii , Gokinzo yaburi (The Shoguns Vault) and Narazumono (An Outlaw) (1964) Thank you for such a outstanding list of enticing films from '64 Man,the only one I knew of/have is Manji (1964) (going to try watch it this week.) I only found out about the Black Lizard remake after viewing the glorious original. Having now seen a few by him, Inoue actually reminds me of Willi Forst! Not only in their shared love of putting music on screen, but also the level of care they both have in creating a lavishly stylised production.
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Post by morrisondylanfan on Sept 27, 2019 3:59:59 GMT
Hi all,after seeing her two other major series,I decided that this was the perfect time to view the third. Lady Snowblood: Blizzard from the Netherworld (1973) 9 Surpassing the high quality of their SCR set, Arrow present a fantastic transfer,with the picture being pristine and the soundtrack being as sharp as a sword. Snowed in from the Manga pages of Kazuo Koike, director Toshiya Fujita & cinematographer Masaki Tamura break open the pages with a beautiful watercolour pallet, flourishing in light greens,blues and whites backstrokes creating the impression of being taken off the pages,whilst also acting as a backdrop to the glorious deep red sprays of blood dripping on the pure snow. Linking each of Snowblood’s revenge attacks with on-screen chapter titles and overlapping transition shots,Fujita initiates the blizzard with razor-sharp spinning whip-pans on each cut Snowblood makes, gliding back to the vision of Snowblood leaving the life from her targets to melt away with the snow. Whilst slicing open action scenes, Fujita and Tamura place revenge on a doom-laden,Melodrama knife-edge. Fluidly striking out in mesmerising jump-cut close-ups eyeing the sorrow Snowblood carries from the killing of her family and the rape of her mum, hit with the stark utter lack of pleasure on her face inflicting revenge,which in the end gets screamed into the snow of a icy final note. Bringing a air of the supernatural in on the 20 years of training she puts in for revenge, the screenplay by Kazuo Kamimura and Norio Osada brilliantly dice into the motives behind her drive for revenge by weaving a silky, simmering Melodrama between the present and flashbacks into Snowblood’s past, binded by the viciousness inflicted by the tormentors towards her family in the past, which melts over to a ruthlessness to stop Snowblood getting revenge. For a film specially written with her in mind, Meiko Kaji gives a mesmerising turn as Snowblood, bringing out a excellent subtle touch to the avenger in dialogue-free sequences Kaji expresses in her body language the mix of pain and anger as she looks on the floor and sees snowblood.
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Post by wmcclain on Sept 27, 2019 12:59:09 GMT
An Autumn Afternoon (1962), directed by Yasujirō Ozu. In some ways this is similar to the director's Late Spring (1949): a widowed father must give up his daughter to marriage, which may not increase her happiness and will certainly increase his loneliness. We have the same slice-of-life view of Japanese households, and the director's love of floor-level camera angles. Different this time: - Less countryside, more urban industrial offices.
- In Late Spring (1949), for scene transitions we would have restful views of nature. Here he uses still corridors or tavern signs.
- We explore the lives of the salaryman office workers, drinking too much after work and neglecting their families.
- The father blames himself for waiting too long to find a match for his daughter. He's motivated to do more after hosting a dinner for an old teacher and seeing the loneliness of his spinster daughter who never married.
- His daughter also waited too long. She had a dream of romantic love but the fellow was taken. So she has to make do with the expected arranged marriage.
- Dad is going through a rough patch in other ways. He meets a bar hostess who reminds him of his late wife, and memories of the war make him sad.
I don't recall a scene like this one in any other Japanese film of the period: Dad was a destroyer captain and shares drinks with an old shipmate, who says something like: "What if we'd won the war? We'd be in New York City and those blue-eyed kids would be wearing our haircuts and playing our instruments. Now our kids shake their backsides to Western music". Dad, considering: "Maybe it's best we lost". (Aside: for some reason this reminds me of a comment by George MacDonald Fraser, who fought in Burma and admitted to a life-long prejudice against the Japanese. But, he said, I look at the old enemy veterans my age in their flowered shirts, watching the world going to hell with unhappy bewilderment, and I feel a bond with them). Chishû Ryû is the father in both films. He has 264 acting credits in the IMDB and was in 38 Ozu films. Ozu uses many visual linkages and correspondences between scenes. Not exactly gimmicks or gags, more like artful compositions that his fans watch for. The director's last film. He died the next year on his 60th birthday. Available on Blu-ray from Criterion with distinct natural grain. The commentary track is a meticulous analysis of the visual composition of the film, along with good info on Japanese culture and the historical context. He says Japanese fascination with America began early in the 20th century, long before WW2. It shifted into a sort of hyper-consumerism after the war.
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Post by morrisondylanfan on Sept 29, 2019 3:17:26 GMT
Hi all,expecting to see more of the same,I was surprised by how different this sequel is. Lady Snowblood 2: Love Song of Vengeance (1974) 7 Continuing the standard set with the first, Arrow present a wonderful transfer,featuring a picture quality pure as the driven snowblood and a clean soundtrack. Having the easy option presented to them of just doing a re-run of the original, the screenplay by Kiyohide Ohara/ Norio Osada and the returning Kazuo Kamimura take the welcomed option of drawing swords from a different direction in their adaptation of Kazuo Koike’s Manga, this time clashing to political skulduggery. Out for her own revenge the first time, the writers build tension on this return by placing Snowblood in the middle of the battle between head of secret police Kikuib and enemy of the state rebel Tokunaga,who brings out a great alteration in the mind-set of Snowblood, thanks to her initial mission to spy on Tokunaga, becoming laced with doubt as she learns who Tokunaga (and the ruthless Kikuib really are.) Displaying some signs of having been over-ambitious on a limited budget, returning director Toshiya Fujita reunites with cinematographer Tatsuo Suzuki, and fills in on the political battles of the era with drawings and a narration, both of which feel misplaced within the sparkling visuals the rest of the movie is filled with. Building upon the action in part 1,Fujita & Suzuki true showmanship in the thrilling Pinky Violence Action set-pieces,expanded here to graceful wide tracking shots catching each move from Snowblood, and landing into hyper-stylised first person sword fights (!) jabbed with the spray of red mist scattered across the screen. Entering undercover as a spy, Fujita brings Snowblood onto Tokunaga’s side with excellent long panning shots into the hidden surroundings of Tokunaga’s life. Coming back in a blaze of glory,Meiko Kaji gives a exciting performance as Snowblood, whose shoulders Kaji has this time weighed down with the desire of wanting to help the needs of others for the love song of vengeance.
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Post by morrisondylanfan on Sept 29, 2019 19:40:53 GMT
Hi all,for my 30th Japanese film of the month,I decided to watch a film I've been saving for a while. Even after 29 different films, this one stands out,due to it being one I really liked due to seeing what the makers were trying to do,but I think it's a film that could really click with other viewers, (I think you'd find it interesting Fox in the Snow)such as those who have given it glowing reviews: letterboxd.com/film/i-am-keiko/The film is 61 mins,and has Eng Subs: www.youtube.com/watch?v=aj4XjXGbmIUI Am Keiko (1997) 6 Breaking the 4th wall with a clapperboard click in the opening shot,writer/directing auteur Sion Sono threads the audience on the passage of time across the reels of film, ringing in to long, stilted shots of a clock fading to clocks facing the camera as Keiko faces the viewers. Sitting down in just one room, Sono continues to display the developmental in his eye for colour, via looking towards Keiko with strikingly bright plain red,green and blue backdrop, subtly highlighting the darkness in the dialogue. Talking directly to the audience, the screenplay by Sono opens the box on a thoughtful study of depression, unwrapped in Keiko talking about the death of her dad from cancer, and the feeling of time and life continuing to countdown to a emptiness which beeps on a blank answer machine. Later working with Sono again on Suicide Club (2001) Keiko Suzuki gives a delicate turn as Keiko, bringing out in her fragile voice the withdrawn state of Keiko.
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Post by Fox in the Snow on Sept 30, 2019 3:20:40 GMT
Hi all,for my 30th Japanese film of the month,I decided to watch a film I've been saving for a while. Even after 29 different films, this one stands out,due to it being one I really liked due to seeing what the makers were trying to do,but I think it's a film that could really click with other viewers, (I think you'd find it interesting Fox in the Snow)such as those who have given it glowing reviews: letterboxd.com/film/i-am-keiko/Looks good MDF, thanks for the recommendation. I've really liked what I've seen so far from Sion Sono and have been meaning to see some of his earlier and lesser known titles. Great that it's up on YouTube. Will try and give it a watch soon.
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