Movie Going Madness in Japan

[Takuma]

I managed to visit Cinema Vera's Meika Seri retro briefly.

Festival poster. Signed by Seri.


Graveyard of Honor and Red Light District: Gonna Get Out


Secret Chronicle: Crimson Goddess In Paradise, Wet Lust: 21 Strippers and Kigeki Tokudashi: Himo tengoku


I can't believe I didn't recognize Reiko Ike in the Himo tengoku poster until now. I saw the poster already in Laputa Asagaya in 2014 in their Seri retro where I missed film. The film is an alright drama-comedy about strippers and their managers (boyfriends, husbands etc.). Ike shows some acting range as a senior stripper and Seri is good as a girl who seems completely out of her head all the time (and usually pisses on hersef on the stage), but it's cop Takuzo Kawatani who gives the best and funniest performance (I'm starting to warm up to this guy). Director Azuma Morisaki shows some eye for drama and occasional realism, but ultimately it feels like a talented crew improving material that just isn't quite that special.

True Story of a Woman In Jail: Sex Hell, Wet Lust: 21 Strippers, Sapporo, Yokohama, Nagoya, Ogoto, Hakata: Toruko wataridori


True Story of a Woman In Jail was a tiny bit better than I remembered. Some decent moments with good cinematography and score. But still pretty boring trash. I only watched it because it was a double feature with 13 Steps of Maki.

Wet Lust: 21 Strippers and Sapporo, Yokohama, Nagoya, Ogoto, Hakata: Toruko wataridori


I've missed Sapporo, Yokohama, Nagoya, Ogoto, Hakata: Toruko wataridori already three times. The first miss came a few years ago when I decided to stay for the full Shunji Iwai triple feature instead of just the first two in Meguro Cinema. This time I was going to see Toruko wataridori after my arrival on Saturday evening, but thanks to a surprise school assignment I had to delay my flight. I was then going to see it on Tuesday just before my departure, but I got sick and left for the airport to hunt for an earlier flight. Cursed film it seems. I don't know if it's any good.

Kigeki Tokudashi: Himo tengoku and Wet Lust: Opening the Tulip


I found Opening the Tulip to be pretty boring. Clearly one of those films Kumashiro did cause he, too, needs to work to make a living. A Roman Porno pachinko film. Yeah, sounds like something he came up while having a big beer at a bar. It's Kumashiro so of course it has good moments (and satire), but those moments just underline the fact that they didn't really have a solid idea for a feature film.

Wet Lust: Opening the Tulip and Shitakari Hanjirí´: (Maruhi) kannon o sagase.


Shitakari Hanjirí´: (Maruhi) kannon o sagase is rare enough not to have an English title (or IMDb page). A pleasantly ridiculous ninja / period drama / sexploitation film with Iga ninja Goro Ibuki searching for a mating partner for the shogun. The previous girl gave birth to a snake (yes, a snake) so the folks are understandably a bit upset. A magician takes him to River Styx and tells them they need to find a woman with a special womb to bear the child. As the only clues, he tells them that the woman will have a small mole in her forehead, and her vagina will shine brightly when she's at the peak of her pleasure (seriously, I'm not making this up). Time for Ibuki to show his amazing sexual skills.

The film is pretty much everything similar modern film are not. Shot on film, with great production values, lavish colours and costumes, and without a hint of self irony! Contains unbelievable scenes like Ibuki jumping upside down on a cross to have sex with a woman who is about to be executed and throwing bombs around to keep the guards at a distance. Good pacing and sex scenes are pleasantly short, if plenty. The film also develops a very romantic tone towards the end. I would have liked more action but there are two enjoyable fights, the latter featuring Ibuki vs. a magician who keeps escaping into paintings. Oh, and did I mention this is based on a Kazuo Koike manga?

Here are a few stills from the film (the orig. title is下苅り半次郎　㊙観音を探せ, btw).






I also saw 13 Steps of Maki. I think this was a different print from what I saw 4 years ago in Laputa Asagaya. Not only was it brighter, it seemed like a different cut! I could swear the last time I saw the film, the girls tied to the railway tracks in the opening scene had their shirts ripped off and breasts exposed. Not so this time, although the print wasn't exactly lacking in nudity. Could someone with an access to the film's old TV print (?) see how the opening scene plays out?

The film is perhaps Shihomi's most enjoyable, and certainly her sleaziest. Shihomi is girl gang leader straight out of a comic book, constantly saving her girls who keep getting in trouble. It's basically a pinky violence movie done with a karate heroine. Although there is little plot, the film is well paced. Lots of solid action, no irritating supporting characters or comic reliefs, very little in terms boring side plots, and just when you might start getting a bit tired of it they throw Shihomi in prison and the film goes all WIP. Great theme song too! Someone really need to put this film out on DVD or BD.

[Takuma]

Theatre Introduction: National Film Center (Tokyo)

This is one of the best - as well as one of the more frustrating - places to see films in Tokyo.

Positives
- The 35mm prints from NFC's collection are likely to be some of the best you'll ever see.
- Massive retrospectives (e.g.Kenji Misumi retrospective: 51 movies + TV show episodes, all 35/16mm).
- Very cheap prices.
- Decent screen.

Negatives
- A limited number of retrospectives / screenings. Several weeks may pass without program.
- Only two screenings per day when screenings are held.
- 1.5 - 2.5 hour break between screenings (waiiitiiing)
- No photography allowed in the lobby.
- Kind of auditorium-like seats.

This is a national film archive and in some ways its atmosphere resembles a museum more than a cinema. It's a shame that they don't have more screenings, and that they have 1.5 - 2.5 hour break between movies. I often end up seeing only one film even if I was interested in both. Most of their customers are elderly men; I don't think I've ever attended a screening without someone falling asleep and snoring. Program consists mostly of "respectable classics", so don't expect exploitation retrospectives. That being said, they don't shy away from including exploitation and Roman Porno films for example in their massive R.I.P. series that is held once every two years and features a couple of films by every notable Japanese actor and filmmaker who has passed away during that period. Their screen is fine, their 35mm prints usually absolutely gorgeous (they really put most BD releases to shame) and the prices are ridiculously cheap (student price is 310 yen, normal price should be around 500 yen).

Since photography is forbidden inside, I can only share photos from outside the theatre.

[Maito Guy]

Kinda awesome day at school. White haired, white bearded 60+ year old male professor is lecturing about the history of education and gives some examples about the societal change in the 70s Japan. So he plays Momoe Yamaguchi's Hitonatsu no keiken from Youtube... and the video is full of bikini and half-nude pictures of Yamaguchi, who was probably underage in many of them.

And half of the students in the class are first year girls who just graduated high school.

Lol ...things possible in Japan only ... gotta love it

The class just got more awesome when he got to Ryu Murakami and pulled out a Love & Pop VHS! I've got two DVD releases of the film!

One of my favourite movies.

Have a copy of this here but never came around watching it. Guess I finally have to check it out!

[Takuma]

Kinda awesome day at school. White haired, white bearded 60+ year old male professor is lecturing about the history of education and gives some examples about the societal change in the 70s Japan. So he plays Momoe Yamaguchi's Hitonatsu no keiken from Youtube... and the video is full of bikini and half-nude pictures of Yamaguchi, who was probably underage in many of them.

And half of the students in the class are first year girls who just graduated high school.

The class just got more awesome when he got to Ryu Murakami and pulled out a Love & Pop VHS! I've got two DVD releases of the film!



One of my favourite movies.

[tetrapak]

An October retrospective on Ichiro Araki at Cinema Vera, I wish I could watch some of the films...









it seems that "Girl Boss Blues: Queen Bee's Challenge" is missing from the list

[Takuma]

Now we got some great shit! Nicolas Cage All Night screening in Shin Bungeiza. And no crappy classics, only recent films!

[Takuma]

I was trying to nail the Love & Pop still here

No wonder I got such a good match. That's the same fucking beach! I just realized today





Sunayama beach, Miyakojima, and island 300km from Naha.

And because I'm a perfectionist, I also visited the other shooting locations (I just didn't know it)

Maehama Beach:





And East Henna Cape:





My photo is taken from the tower, which you see behind the girls.

I always loved the ad campaign for Love & Pop, which depicts events that take place after the end of the film. The footage only exists in trailers, music video, and stills. But I never knew nor realized where it was shot until today.

This isn't the first time I'm replicating movie shots by accident. In 2006, after my first visit to Japan, I was watching Lost in Translation on TV and realized that, while in a bullet train travelling about 300km/h, I had taken a photo of the same damn building that Scarlett Johanson sees when she looks out for a about 2 seconds during her Kyoto trip.

[Maito Guy]

Beyond jealous on every post Takuma makes in this thread ;-) ... But it's a great resource on the other hand also. Will definitely have to read through it again more thoroughly in preparation for my next journey to Japan end of this year.

[Takuma]

I was in Okinawa recently and although I was trying to have a break from movies, I ended up walking into a movie themed izakaya in Naha completely by chance. I guess I can't run my destiny!







Some fantastic beaches there btw. Miyakojima:



I was trying to nail the Love & Pop still here

[Takuma]

I also visited Shin Bungeiza's all night screening the other week. Their all nighters are a real mixed bag. Sometimes you get BD screenings, even DVD, and sometimes you get all night of 35mm greatness. This time it was J Taro Sugisaku's "Film School" Vol. 2.

Program

22:30 Talk show
23:25 Minato no Yoko, Yohohama, Yokosuka (1975) (35mm)
01:05 Girl's Pleasure: Man Hunting (1977) (35mm)
02:25 Rugby Yaro (1975) (35mm)
04:15 Trail of Blood (1972) (35mm)
05:45 Finish

That's what I call a quality program. Four interesting films, none of which are available on dvd in Japan (Trail of Blood has a R1 dvd release, though, and Girl's Pleasure is available for streaming in Japan; the other two are impossibly difficult to see), and all on 35mm!

Only Trail of Blood of Blood was screened from the Mikogami trilogy, but they'd put up posters for the whole trilogy + 1 additional film




Minato no Yoko, Yohohama, Yokosuka and Girl's Pleasure: Man Hunting


Minato no Yoko, Yohohama, Yokosuka




From the right: Hayato Tani, J Taro Sugisaku, a guy whose name I forgot


Shin Bungeiza's 10m screen is totally awesome.


Minato no Yoko, Yohohama, Yokosuka was a real discovery. A crazy disco dance youth film plays out like a Japanese Saturday Night Fever with a murder suspect plot. Expect psychedelic clubs, dance till you drop dead all night dance marathon competitions and Downtown Boogie Woogie Band whose song gave the film its title and who appear in the super cool intro scene.

Girl's Pleasure: Man Hunting I have already discussed elsewhere, Rugby Yaro will be reviewed in the Chiba thread in the future, and Trail of Blood probably doesn't need further introductions (I'll probably post a mini-review somewhere later anyway).

So, yeah, that was an awesome nigh. I managed to get back to my capsule hotel by 7 am, sleep till 13:30, then head to Cinema Vera and Laputa Asagaya for three more movies. Learn from the pro, kids!

[Takuma]

There was another Norifumi Suzuki retrospective in Shin Bungeiza about two years ago. I don't think I have posted pictures before.

Outside the theatre


Lobby. Posters for other program


Suzuki Retro program + mini posters on the left. 28 films in total.




They screened 9 of the 10 Truck Yaro films. One was excluded because there was no decent 35mm print available








Dolls of the Shogun's Harem + Ninja's Mark


Onsen geisha films


I saw the two Onsen Geisha films, which are fun but forgettable time wasters (and feature underage Reiko Ike!), Dolls of Shogun's Harem, which was amazing to see on large screen, and Ninja's Mark, which is a pretty cool ninja exploitation film.

[Takuma]

A few photos from Norifumi Suzuki festival in Cinema Vera

















I'm sure they will have new posters on display later when films like Killing Machine screen. Unfortunately I could stay only for a few days. I caught School of the Holy Beast, Star of David, Red Peony Gambler 2, Roaring Fire, The Great Chase, and Shogun's Ninja. All 35mm. So much fun!

[Takuma]

A few pictures from the Noboru Tanaka retro in Cinema Vera. Unfortunately some of the most beautiful posters had already been taken down by the time I got there as those films were not playing anymore.



I was happy to see strong attendance in the screenings, especially on Thursday which was a national holiday. I counted about a dozen females in the Abe Sada screening, including two pretty girls sitting in front of me. Most of them seemed to have come alone or with a female friend.

Village of Doom & Monster Woman '88


Beauty's Exotic Dance: Torture & A Woman Called Sada Abe


Midnight Fairy


Amorous Family: Like a Fox and a Racoon


Noboru Ando's Account of Filthy Escape into Sex


Female Teacher


I wrote mini-reviews of some of the films I saw.

Amorous Family: Like a Fox and a Racoon (Japan, 1972) [DCP] - 1/5
It is odd that Noboru Tanaka, one of the most talented arthouse directors who worked in the Roman Porno series, is also responsible for possibly the most nerve shattering idiot comedy the genre ever produced. It's about a family who are all after the dead-sick grandmother's hidden family jewels. Leading girl Mari Tanaka aside, the characters are all amazingly irritating cartoon caricatures constantly goofing around and making the viewer feel suicidal. This is the first time in 10 years that I've slept in cinema, and it was entirely intentional as I just couldn't take it anymore. Terrible, absolutely terrible.

Midnight Fairy (Japan, 1973) [DCP] - 4/5
A desperate young man ditched by his girlfriend hooks up with a mentally challenged prostitute. Together they set out for a journey that includes kidnapping, raping and kissing goodbye for the rules of the society. This is a superb, overlooked arthouse Roman Porno by Noboru Tanaka. Tanaka lets his camera wander on the streets, beautifully capturing the early 1970s locations and atmosphere. He also creates fantastic, carefully staged images such as baby on a bar desk. It's pretty poignant too: Tanaka seems to suggest that in a civilized society the only innocent person is a retarded prostitute who is too dumb to lie, cheat, and use violence. The film never feels pretentious, though; rather the contrary. It's fun, playful and relatively fast paced. On the minus side the continuity and logic don't always hold water, though Tanaka and supporting actor Nobutaka Masutomi seem to acknowledge this sometimes makes fun of it.

Noboru Ando's Account of Filthy Escape into Sex (Japan, 1976) [35mm] - 3/5
The recently deceased gangster film star Noboru Ando was the real deal: a former yakuza leader who was sent to prison after his man nearly killed a blackmail victim on his order. After his release, Ando became an actor, starring in several fictional movies as well as films based on his own life. The accuracy of these films is probably best demonstrated by the fact that Ando sometimes dies at the end of the story. This film, directed for Toei by Nikkatsu import Noboru Tanaka, shows Ando's fugitive days before his capture. According the Chris D, his sexual exploits were exaggerated "just a wee bit" and that's easy to believe. Here Ando spends his time hiding from the police by taking turns banging his 3 girlfriends and several one night (or one afternoon in front of the pool) stands. It's moderately fun and sleazy, and Ando has his dangerous charm, but one wishes there would be more violence and crime film imagery. The ending is quite a delighting "fuck you" to the police, though.

Beauty's Exotic Dance: Torture (Japan, 1977) [35mm] - 4/5
Leave it to Noboru Tanaka to deliver the most intelligent SM film found in the Roman Porno genre. The final and best film in Tanaka's Showa Mad Love trilogy, it's a true account of a writer/artist with an obsession on the beauty of female torture. After his own wife has been consumed by the physical stress, he hooks up with a bar girl (Junko Miyashita) who, likewise, goes thru an enormous amount of physical stress until her mind and body give up. Tanaka is more interested in the mental aspect of an SM relationship, and its consequences on both body and mind, than exploitation. The usual villain-victim angle is completely ignored. He creates an interesting character drama with several haunting scenes, using silence especially well, and some impressive images in the brutal winter nature where most of the SM scenes are set. Newcomers be warned, though, it's still a rough film and the line between misogynist exploitation and character drama may not always be so clear.

Village of Doom (Japan, 1983) [35mm] - 3.5/5
As a truly odd move, Roman Porno director Noboru Tanaka went to "family film studio" Shochiku for a movie that is not only full of sex, but also so violent it would've been considered a prime example of a video nasty had it been released in the UK back in the days. It's a film that belongs to a genre I like very much: the "something odd going on in a small village" movies. The film follows a young man, unfit for army, who is left practically alone with all the women after the other men are sent to war. He ends up getting seduced by the horny housewives, then dumped by everyone when their husbands return. He eventually goes crazy and conducts an amazingly bloody massacre, the kind that hasn't been seen in Japanese cinema since then until Miike's Lesson of Evil. A fascinating movie, and very bleak. Potentially harmful for mental health. And based on true story. Co-star Misako Tanaka is very cute, btw, and gets naked.

Monster Woman '88 (Japan, 1988) [35mm] - 2.5/5
Noboru Tanaka's final movie is a trendy fantasy / mystery / love story with video game programmers as main characters! A dead woman begins communicating with a young video game programmer via his computer. What's going on? This is one of those movies that keep your interest from beginning to end without ever being especially good. It's strictly a mainstream affair without any exploitation, but the programmer angle is pretty cool indeed. There's also an amusing otaku love story side plot with the guys hiring a pretty girl with big boobs to help them beat the coding deadline, despite her complete lack of programming skills.

My return flight did not go quite as planned. My flight got cancelled due to bad weather and I was left in Tokyo without accommodation. So what does Takuma figure out? "There's a clown movie all nighter in Shin Bungeiza. Problem solved!" I stayed there from 23:00 until around 4am and then went to wait for the first train... which broke down after 15 minutes. Somehow I still managed to get to the airport by 5:45 and miraculously managed to board the 6:05 flight.

Of course it was just my luck that the films played were in German, Japanese and Spanish (and no, my Japanese subtitle reading skills still aren't up to much), and the only English language film played after I had left. But there was positive irony to the one Japanese film being Tanaka's Watcher in the Attic, which I missed at the retro because it screened before I landed in Tokyo. The last time I had seen the film was on Finnish TV about 7 year ago.

[Takuma]

Thursday: Poster for A Haunted Turkish Bathhouse (Bakeneko Toruko furo) (1975)


A Haunted Turkish Bathhouse was a bit like a dress rehearsal for Wolfguy (1975), only different genre and a bit less outrageous. Nikkatsu actress Naomi Tani is the star of the first third, playing a poor wife tricked by evil husband Hideo Murota to work in a brothel. She's eventually killed by Murota and his lover, but her spirit returns to haunt them, first as a cat, and then as a white faced creature that looks like a runway cast member from a CATS musical. Boobs, violence, supernatural horror that isn't scary in the least, ultra-funky score, occasional apocalyptic sunsets, and bloody cat attacks (where the evidently bored and not-aggressive-at-all cat is being thrown through the air by the staff). It's a fun film and never boring, but the climax isn't quite as far-out as one would wish, especially when compared to the amazing Wolfguy. Consider it Yamaguchi's House-lite, Toei Porno style.

I scanned a few still photos from Sugisaku's pinky violence book. Quality is poor, though, and they make the film look more violent than it really is. Anyway.







And here's two tiny color pics from the internet

[CrumpsBrother]

I love this thread! Thanks, Takuma.