Movie Going Madness in Japan

[Takuma]

So I went to see Cannibal Holocaust yesterday. The film is given a nationwide theatrical 4K re-release to celebrate its 40th anniversary (*). It’s been booked to 21 theaters so far. In Sapporo where I saw it, it plays twice a day on Satsugeki’s biggest screen (of four), which comes with 200 seats. There were about 100 people in the audience in the first screening. Let’s see if this will go on for a 2nd week.

* 40th Anniversary counting from the original Japanese theatrical release in 1983, when the film was the 9th highest grossing foreign film of the year at the box office, and reportedly a huge hit on video (I do not believe the internet tale of this outperforming E.T. on video however. Surely it did not. In theaters at least E.T. was not only the no. 1 highest grossing film of 1982, but 1983 as well, and by a huge margin).

As advertised, Cannibal Holocaust was fully uncensored this time, which I assume wasn’t the case in terms of nudity back in the 80s. Naturally lacking the convenient animal cruelty free option of the US home video editions, I had to resort to manual eyelid censorship during those regrettable scenes.

Nevertheless, it was great to see this in theater, especially on a nice screen. The red coloured no. 1 screening room at Satsugeki has been in operation for decades. I’m not sure when it was built but Toho operated a theater there until around 2010, then it was out of regular use for a decade until Satsugeki moved into the premises a few years ago. The audience was the usual-for-the-theater young(ish) adult crowd, mostly men but quite a few women as well. At least one was wearing Hardcore Chocolate’s new Cannibal Holocaust t-shirt.

The audience was also given rather cool Cannibal Holocaust artwork cards upon entrance (Yoshiki Takahashi’s name is on the reverse side).

After the film I briefly considered having yakiniku for dinner, but settled for raw fish by the river (take out sushi) before heading to the next theater for a 4K restoration of Vanishing Point.

[Jason C]

Hmmm. Not sure how I'd feel watching Cannibal Holocaust in a theater. I love it but its a bit of a downer. Kind of a secret shame of a film.

[Takuma]

Cannibal Holocaust is getting a nationwide theatrical 4K re-release in Japan from this Friday. And I don't mean some limited special screenings, I mean full theatrical run. Got my ticket reserved already.

https://syokujin4k.com/

T-shirt was also released:

https://core-choco.shop-pro.jp/?pid=174165612

[Jason C]

So cool. Your pictures really make me wish I could be there. So jealous.

[Takuma]

Thanks. I'll try to remember to post more mini-reviews soon.

[AngelGuts]

Thanks, Takuma, for this always wonderful coverage. I've been missing your reviews, so am grateful for this. Must try to catch CHIVALROUS WOMAN : I REQUEST SHELTER.

[Takuma]

Two weeks ago I found time to visit Tokyo briefly for a one night / six films trip to Laputa Asagaya’s massive Ninkyo Yakuza retrospective and Cinema Vera’s Umetsugu Inoue retrospective. A couple of photos + chirashi scan below.

When you've got four movies ahead, you better start your day with proper yaro don.


Laputa
















The Viper Brothers: Just Out of Jail (侠客列伝) (1971). I’ve been a bit critical about this film before, and I still think its main characters are a bit mean spirited and the movie isn’t among Nakajima’s best. But I quite enjoyed how it captures the 70s landscape on film, something that came through much better via organic 35mm presentation than it did on DVD.

Histories of the Chivalrous (懲役太郎 まむしの兄弟) (1967) was likewise second viewing. I’m not a huge Masahiro Makino fan, and I often get the feeling he was more interested in making melodramas focusing on period detail within the studio mandated yakuza film frame than straight genre pics. But in this one his approach works, the storyline (partially inspired by Chushingura) is good, and Tomisaburo Wakayama has a fantastic supporting role.

I had seen Chivalrous Woman: I Request Shelter (女渡世人 おたの申します) (1971) before as well and remembered it was good, but I didn’t remember it was this insanely good! Emotionally draining late ninkyo masterpiece which strips the genre of its trademark romanticism, and features what I might consider Junko Fuji’s best performance ever. One of the TOP 5, maybe even TOP 3 ninkyo films for me.

“The yakuza are flowers that bloom in the shadows. If you try to bloom under the sun, you will only bring misery to yourself”. This line by Bunta Sugawara in Chivalrous Woman really stuck to me.


Oh and if you're wondering what was the 4th film, it was Terror Beneath the Sea (海底大戦争) (1966) in Laputa's Late Show Science Fiction retrospective.
http://www.laputa-jp.com/laputa/prog...ience_fiction/

[AngelGuts]

Thank you for this excellent entry. I'd love to see the HANZO films in 35mm like you just did. Love the series so much, especially the second THE SNARE.

Appreciate the bonus final shot, too. :-)

[Takuma]

June - Part 2/2

It seems I haven’t picked up much pace with these reports. Let’s see what I can still remember about this trip.

My 2nd destination was Shin bungeiza, who had a theater renewal last year (but I forgot to mention about it). They upgraded their equipment (sound system, 4K projector), set up online ticket store, and moved the cash register’s place. In practice the place looks much like before, and they kept their 16mm and 35mm projectors as well. The online seat reservation system is convenient, but takes something away from the more traditional theater experience, plus I feel bad for all the tech handicapped ojiisans. The program is the same as before: a mix of Japanese film retrospectives played in double features (mostly 35mm), special screenings of Western films (digital), and semi-recent films that have just left mainstream theaters (DCP).







I've never been a big fan of their lobby. It's functional but too modern and cold compared to something like Laputa Asagaya. Recently they've also started displaying less and less original posters, replacing them with self-printed copies. At least they have some movie books to browse and an ice cream vending machine!

The screening room however is great. The seats are very comfortable (even for an all nighter) and the 4.2 x 10m screen does justice to Hanzo's manhood. The photo really lies here: the screen looks small, but in fact if you sit any closer than row H (row 8) you won't be able to see the entire screen.



Bungeiza were doing a mini Shintaro Katsu retrospective with 35mm screenings of the Hanzo the Razor trilogy, a couple of Zatoichi films, Kayoyaku, as well as digital screenings of the entire TV show Keiji K. I couldn’t afford to miss the Hanzo films since I had already done just that. About 5 years ago I had flights and capsule reserved for a Tokyo trip (Hanzo in Bungeiza, Sukeban films in Laputa) when I got sick just before the trip and couldn’t go. This time I was fine.

Not much to post here, just self-printed mini posters.


Hanzo the Razor is a film that just keeps getting better as the world around us gets more sensitive. Katsu is the Dirty Harry of Edo, who takes no shit from corrupt officials and uses his giant dick as interrogation tool against evil women (there are some great training sequences, too). All this via solid production values and master Kenji Misumi’s helming, set to blaxploitation inspired score (most likely inspired by the April 1972 release of Shaft. Japan didn’t experience much of a blaxploitation boom, but Shaft was influential, especially music-wise, and the theme song still plays on radio frequently). I wonder if any company in the West would dare to release these films on BD (Toho has HD masters ready). The 1st sequel is even better, adding ninjas and better (and bloodier) action sequences, and the 3rd film is enjoyable even though it brings little new to the table.

For some reason there were not many women in these screenings...

I also caught Zatoichi Goes to Fire Festival... for the 2nd time. I had seen this before from Film Archive's dead drop gorgeous print. Bungeiza played the standard studio print which wasn't as good but still solid. Speaking of prints, the Hanzos varied from good to very good. The first film was missing some frames and was slightly murky but otherwise solid. The sequels both looked beautiful.

That was it for my Tokyo trip. Two days of Hanzo, Zatoichi, debut films, rare Chiba and crap pinku, all from 35mm prints.

And finally, here's a street snapshot with some suspicious business promotion activity in front of a girl bar and an adult dvd shop located across the street from Shin bungeiza.

[Takuma]

Bloody excellent post, Takuma. Wish I could join you for these.

Congrats on your marriage.

Japan is finally open, so time to reserve flight?

And thanks!

[AngelGuts]

Bloody excellent post, Takuma. Wish I could join you for these.

Congrats on your marriage.

[Takuma]

Sorry for the lack of updates recently. I’ve done two big Tokyo trips in the last three months, and married an incredible Japanese beauty between those, so I haven’t had much time to post.

June - Part 1/2

I had been eying a June Tokyo visit ever since Laputa Asagaya announced an impossible-to-see-at-home Sonny Chiba screening (more about that in a moment), with the “50 Director’s Debut Films” program still running at the same venue as well as a Pink Film 6th Anniversary Program. Then when Shin bungeiza dropped the bomb - they’d be doing a Shintaro Katsu mini retro at the same time – it was decided in a split second. Flights, capsule, films, here I come.





The primary reason for the trip was Love School (1962), a charming little love comedy playing in Laputa’s Morning Show in the Mayumi Ozora program. In the film best friends Yoshiko Sakuma and Mayumi Ozora go boy hunting (looking for dates) with the former at one point finding herself harassed by an old geezer. To rescue comes young man Sonny Chiba, driving a vintage vehicle that looks like a slightly upgraded version of T-Ford. This is quite a progressive youth film for Toei, from trendy English title (spelled Renai gakko in kanji, but Love School is the intended furigana reading) to a charmingly modern heroine, and an underlying message 'follow your heart, not your family'. For Chiba fans these romantic films predating his tough mofo reputation by a decade are a most pleasant discovery. Fantastic print too!

Love School


Love School (alternative poster)


Love School wasn’t the only thing to see in Laputa. I ended up with quite a pink streak watching Virgin Breaker Yuki (50 Debuts program), Angel Guts: Red Vertigo (50 Debuts program) and Bondage Tattoo on Wet Skin (Pink Film 60th Anniversary series) in a row. Virgin Breaker Yuki was better than I recalled, a mean little film that also contains the kind of visual poetry that only a 35mm screening does full justice. Great Takuzo Kawatani turn as angry castrated hobo and yes, Masumi Jun’s breasts are a sight to behold.

Red Vertigo about as good as I recalled – a near excellent psychological erotic drama with Takashi Ishii’s instantly recognizable visual neo-noir flair. The screening was affected by unintended melancholy as Ishii had passed away just a few weeks earlier. Oh and just for the record, while the print was a little scratched, I think the blue push in the colour front was intentional.



Last and absolutely least was Bondage Tattoo on Wet Skin. I felt obliged to watch this Mamoru Watanabe Shintoho S&M film just because it was screening in 35mm (*). A soldier (Shiro Shimomoto) comes home from war, only to find his sweetheart (Mai Hana) missing. She's actually in the attic, tied up on ropes and tattooed from ankles to neck, under intensive yakuza care. What's curious is that she's fully engaged in self-torture, tying herself up and even pulling herself up in the air on ropes by herself when there's no one to whip her. It's slightly spectacular to look at and supposedly adds a psychological layer to the sleaze. Meanwhile he proceeds to bang other women... a lot. That’s it. Watching this back to back with Toei's Virgin Breaker Yuki and Nikkatsu's Red Vertigo, and it's painfully evident how much lower the production values and filmmaking quality are here.



* With most pink theatres having gone tits up, and the few remaining ones gone fully digital, Shintoho pinks have become nearly impossible to see in 35mm outside of Laputa's retrospectives.

I also grabbed a few photos inside the screening room.







And outside. Lobby is on the right, screening room up the wooden stairs in the 2nd floor

[Takuma]

I had 9 hours to spare between flights in Tokyo, so of course I headed to Jimbocho to catch a movie. They were doing a series for actors and filmmakers celebrating their 100th anniversary. I watched the stylish Daiei noir Escape Man (脱獄者) (1967), which I don't think has been ever released on video. Slightly damaged but perfectly watchable 35mm print.

Poster on the right, ad for the upcoming Fujita & Kumashiro joint retrospective on the left




Hedorah...


Escape Man in the middle

[Takuma]

I was in a local small multiplex (*) watching Night of the Living Dead (1968) (4K DCP) the other day, and found myself having a private cinema.





In all honesty, two other viewers did show up on the last moment before the film started.

Also, good to see A Serbian Film is going for a nationwide theatrical re-release. Touted as new 4K remaster. Obviously gonna be optically censored for some of the nudity, however, so no watch for me.



* 4 screens, with program catered for the young and trendy adults.
Screening now: https://www.sugai-dinos.jp/cinema/sapporo/now_showing/
Coming soon: https://www.sugai-dinos.jp/cinema/sapporo/coming_soon/

[Oily Maniac]

Tokyo-Osaka, part 3/3, the second half

So close but so far. Telling myself to use the hotel/train/food money to buy a TV while trying to keep my composure.