Movie Going Madness in Japan

[Takuma Senior Member Find all posts View Profile Close Takuma]

I knew I did the right choice last year not wasting my time and money on digital Taifu Club when it was playing in Tokyo! There's gonna be a 35mm screening in Institut Francais (uhm, yeah) in Tokyo next month.
- http://www.institutfrancais.jp/tokyo...ema1506251900/

My second most favorite film of all time! I must have seen it at least 6 or 7 times on DVD!

Laputa Asagaya is having Ryo Ikebe series at the same time, the 1969 Toei ninkyo film Toseinin retsuden is screening around that time. And Cinema Vera, Shinbungeiza, Jinbocho and Meguro Cinema haven't announced their program yet so with a bit of luck should be a worthy trip.



Speaking of Somai, cinema Vera is having a retro for Kei Ijichi who produced lots of his films. They are screening about half of Somai's films: Tonda Couple, PP Rider, Sailor Suit and Machine Gun, Luminous Woman, Lost Chapter of Snow: Passion, Ohikkoshi and The Friends. I'm considering making a quick trip and catch the first 5 if I can. The irritating thing is that PP Rider is a digital print, while the same film is playing on 35mm in Institut Francais one day later! Unfortunately I can't make it there... I'd miss either Lost Chapter of Snow: Passion or Caste of Owls (1963) which playing at National Film Center as part of Toei Jidai Geki series.

[Takuma Senior Member Find all posts View Profile Close Takuma]

The Somai talk reminded me about this excellent Kazuhiko Hasegawa interview in which he talks about Roman Porno, Director's Company, how Somai was losing all the money etc.
- http://eigagogo.free.fr/en/interview...o-hasegawa.php

Just a few quotes below:

About Roman Porno:

"At the very beginning, you could say it was servile because there was a sense of humiliation. Even if nobody actually did, it seemed everyone wanted to say “At last, glorious Nikkatsu has plumbed the depths and has started making pornography”."

"Erotic scenes were mandatory because they were produced as a part of the Roman Porno line-up, but as long as those scenes were there, you were allowed to do anything you wanted, and the shooting locations were filled with a free spirit and a taste of anarchy."

One time, they suspended our shooting plans for Nureta Koya wo Hashire (Retreat Through the Wet Wasteland directed by Yukihiro Sawada, released in 1973) for which I wrote the script [5]. They insisted: “This script represents the ideas of a Trotskist who unnecessarily provokes authority”.

About Somai and Director's Company:

"The worst director for constantly being in the red was Shinji Somai. There was nothing I could do with him --- having a deficit of nearly JPY 0.2 billion for a project with a budget of JPY 0.2 billion! I seriously thought I would kill him one day (laughs)"

About working with Leonard Schrader on The Man Who Stole the Sun:

"He was very reluctant, saying, “Goji, the subject will become too heavy and that will cause the film to fail”. In response I said with excitement, “Asshole, how can a movie about a nuclear weapon NOT be heavy? It definitely should be super-heavy, and at the same time it needs to be super-hilarious and striking in a way never imagined!”"

Note 1: Hazuhiko Hasegawa is a criminally unknown (in the west) but legendary director and writer. He only ever directed two films: The Youth Killer (1976) and The Man Who Stole the Sun (1979). He also wrote films like Retreat Through the Wet Wasteland (1973).

Note 2: The Man Who Stole the Sun (1979) is a criminally unknown (in the west) but legendary film about a high school teacher who builds his own A-bomb and starts blackmailing the Japanese government.

Note 3: Retreat Through the Wet Wasteland (1973) is a criminally unknown (in the west) but (nearly) legendary film about a bunch of beast cops who are hunting their former colleague who escaped from mental institute and might possibly reveal their crimes to the public.



Note 4: Director's Company is criminally unknown (in the west) but legendary company. It was basically Art Theatre Guild the 80s version, only even more interesting. Shinji Somai, Sogo Ishii, Kiyoshi Kurosawa, Toshiharu Ikeda... and produced films like Taifu Club... enough said!

[Takuma Senior Member Find all posts View Profile Close Takuma]

I was supposed to be in Tokyo right now, but I found out 10 minutes before I went to sleep the night before the flight that Nobuhiko Obayashi all night event is sold out! Fuck! I didn't even stand a chance to get a ticket because they were only sold from the theatre.

I had this ridiculous/genius plan to watch Obayashi flicks until 5am, then take the first train to the airport, fly back home and celebrate by girlfriend's birthday. But with no Obayashi I decided to call off the whole trip.

I guess I should be happy I didn't find myself in Takadanobaba in the middle of the night with neither tickets nor accommodation. Still, can't help but to feel pretty gutted for missing House, and some non-Obayashi stuff I was supposed to see, like Taifu Club on 35mm...

Oh well, another try next month when Cinema Vera is having Meiko Kaji retro, Jinbocho is having manga adaptation live action film special, National Film Centre is screening Takakura and Sugawara flicks, and Laputa plays 1960s Toei crime films.

The following films (and more) are screening within a period of 6 days. All 35mm of course.

[Takuma Senior Member Find all posts View Profile Close Takuma]

Meiko Kaji film festival

Festival poster


Front


Yakuza Graveyard (1976), Dí´myaku rettí´ (1975), Stray Cat Rock: Sex Hunter


Women's Police (1969), Kyoka retsuden shumei tobaku (1969), Dí´myaku rettí´ (1975)


Lady Snowblood 2: Love Song of Vengeance (1974)


Lady Snowblood (1973)


Double Suicide of Sonezaki (1978), Nihon zankyoden (1969), Monument to the Girl's Corps (1968)


Female Prisoner Scorpion: Grudge Song (1974)


Posting from a capsule hotel... more movies tomorrow!

[Ian Jane Administrator Find all posts View Profile Close Ian Jane]

I'm more than a little jealous. What a great opportunity.

Thanks for keeping up with this thread, the pictures are great and it's really interesting.

[Takuma Senior Member Find all posts View Profile Close Takuma]

I enjoy making you jealous

And I hope that in 10 years when these theatres are probably gone and film is dead, these photos will have some documentary value.

(the first picture was missing from my post, corrected now)

[sukebanboy Senior Member Find all posts View Profile Close sukebanboy]

Just rubbing our noses in it eh Takuma??

Jeslous is not a strong enough word this time..that alL looks AWESOME.
You should maybe get all this stuff up on a website or blog too...like you said....not sure this kind of thing will be around much longer.....

And ..if u feel like stealing some of those posters..mail them to me and I will keep them safe for you

[Takuma Senior Member Find all posts View Profile Close Takuma]

I went to Sion Sono exhibition in Koenji, Tokyo, which runs until July 26.
- http://chimpom.jp/artist-run-space.html

The photos pretty much explain everything you need to know.

The exhibition building


Girls


Tokyo GaGaGa


Television screen


Project Hachiko


Hachiko replica


Whispering Star


The exhibition had three themes:

1. Tokyo GaGaGa. You're probably aware that Sono originally emerged as an angry poet back in the mid 1980s. Tokyo GaGaGa was a major guerilla poetry movement lead by Sono in the 1990s. It had a few hundred members who would roam the streets of Tokyo screaming and always giving the police trouble. They didn't really have a clear ideology or political agenda, it was more about punk, poetry and feeling all at the same time. The name is supposed to mean something like "the voice of the soul".

2. Project Hachiko. Back in the 1990s Sono and Yoshihiro Nishimura built a replica of the beloved Shibuya landmark dragged it around Shibuya, pretending they've stolen it. You could call it Tokyo GaGaGa spin off activity. There was a great video of a high school girl dragging Hachiko and normal people trying to stop her, and then she started screaming something about love.

3. Whispering Star. Sono's new ultra-minimalist black&white scifi film, shot in the now deserted areas of Fukushima. Looks like something comparable to his early films, e.g. The Room and Keiko desu kedo. Opens next year. The exhibition played several long scenes from the film.

And here's an old photo of young Sono with Tokyo GaGaGa

[Takuma Senior Member Find all posts View Profile Close Takuma]

Here's what I would consider one of the best discoveries I've done this year, seen in Laputa Asagaya a few months ago

Car 33 Doesn't Answer (33 gosha otonashi) (1955)

A terrific, gritty crime film follows two policemen riding around Tokyo in their patrol car, picking up drunks, hookers, junkies and killers on what seems like a never-ending Christmas night. They finally run into professional criminals who highjack their car and take them as hostage. This is a realistic, atmospheric film that beautifully captures the post-war streets of Tokyo on film while also telling a great story with excellent characters. Akira Kurosawa's masterpiece High & Low would be a good comparison point; however, it's remarkable how much time director Senkichi Taniguchi spends documenting the policemen's everyday work and encounters with random people before turning on the plot gear. A rarely seen gem entirely worthy of a Criterion release. Unfortunately it has never been released on DVD even in Japan.

A few images from the film:



And some artwork and pictures related to the film from the theatre:






The film played in Ryo Ikebe retrospective, which also contained a few dozen other movies, like Gorath and Pale Flower (the poster in the photo below).





That weekend I also visited Meguro Cinema where they had a double feature consisting of The Youth Killer (1976) and Ryuji (1983). Unfortunately I'm no fan of Ryuji: I think it's a prime example of the tiresome Japanese 1980s "serious" gangster cinema where action and exploitation were replaced with uninspired drama and realistic characters who spent most of the film sitting in the kitchen because life is hard. The Youth Killer is an interesting film with a mixture of gritty realism, social commentary, and highly theatrical acting. At the same time, however, it's a hard film to stomach with almost no entertainment value whatsoever except for Mieko Harada`s naked body, some very darkly humoristic moments, and a great soundtrack by Godiego. Very much an arthouse film for the arthouse crowd, and not a feel-good film in the least.

[Takuma Senior Member Find all posts View Profile Close Takuma]

Here's a bit more on Taiyo no kizuato, which I saw at the Sone festival last year



Taiyo no kizuato (1981)
The year 1981 saw two modern sun tribe films hit the screens almost simultaneously. Kichitaro Negishi's brilliant updating of Crazed Fruit (1956) was released by Nikkatsu in April. Chusei Sone's Taiyo no kizuato came out already bit earlier from Toei. The excellent youth film follows a delinquent boy who runs into his shy little brother, and his innocent girlfriend, for the first time in 11 years. He brings them to his beach crib where he's having fun with his no-good friends. This initiates an interesting psychological game where the big brother never seems quite sure if he wants to protect or destroy his brother's innocence. The film also packs literally every single genre cliché in the most enjoyable form: car chases, boat chases, motorcycles, fist fighting, sex, nudity, disco scenes, and rock music. Ken Ogata has a terrific supporting role as the main character's father, an alcoholic university professor who is constantly holding parties and couldn't care less if his son has raped some random girl or not. Probably director Sone's best film, but unfortunately this too has never been released on DVD or VHS.

A few stills from the film






I also bought the original pamphlet for it






The film was originally released as a double feature with Shaolin Wooden Men, so the pamphlet also dedicates (more than) half of the pages for the Jackie Chan film




And here's a few more words about Red Violation.

Red Violation (1980)
This is one of Chusei Sone's best films, a terrific music docudrama released in the Roman Porno series, but actually far more fit for Art Theatre Guild's catalogue. The film follows the real life rock band Devils, played by the band's members, as they perform on clubs, compose new songs, and have their misadventures in private life. The film concludes in an utterly fantastic 10 minute scene where when band is practicing and refining their new song, which must be one of the best scenes of its kind ever filmed. Also of interest is that this is one of the few Japanese movies that dedicates a large portion of the film to an American cast member, The Devils member James Hunt, whose character is treated with no prejudice at all. On the minus side, the lack of strong plot, as well as a few unnecessary sex scenes, sometimes slow the film down a bit. A very strong slice of life picture that beautifully captures its era. Unfortunately, this film too has never been released on DVD or VHS.

Unfortunately there is very little image material available to post.

Here are two stills



Here's an cover for one Devil's records. James Hunt is the guy on the left


Another cover (Hunt on the left again). This these songs are also in the film


And here's the poster one more time. I think this is a beauty, even though in typical Nikkatsu fashion they've put a girl who plays a suppporting role (Megumi Saki) in the front (and what is she holding in her hand... a whip? Certainly has nothing to do with the film) and the guys who star in it in the back.



I originally intended to write more about both films, but it doesn't seem like I'll ever find the time...

[Takuma Senior Member Find all posts View Profile Close Takuma]

Another one bites the dust. Pink theater Shin Sekai Nikkatsu in Osaka to close down September 30, 2015. Interestingly enough, they state the reason for the closure is (not bad business but rather) customers who lack common sense. They don't explain in more detail what that means...

I've never visited the place, but they played pink films by both Nikkatsu and other studios. It seems the program was geared at the the more typical pink film audience rather that film buffs like in Shimbashi Bunka (R.I.P). You actually can see the difference quite well if you compare their final weekend programs: Shimbashi Bunka played films by Kichitaro Negishi, Noboru Tanaka, Tatsumi Kumashiro and Yasuharu Hasebe; Shin Sekai Nikkatsu plays an S&M triple feature.

[sukebanboy Senior Member Find all posts View Profile Close sukebanboy]

I too would like to know what they meant by that explanation

[Ian Jane Administrator Find all posts View Profile Close Ian Jane]

Once again, not much to add except my appreciation (and jealousy!). Great stuff.

[Sundance Senior Member Find all posts View Profile Close Sundance]

Red Violation (1980)
Unfortunately there is very little image material available to post.

This is from it right? (My scan, yay! Right click and view image shows it a bit bigger.)

I actually have the full set of 8 b&w stills that were shown at theaters at the time (I guess). If you behave I might show them someday somewhere. ;)
But they are not really anything special and like maybe 5 or 6 of them feature a nude woman so not sure if anybody wants to see something like that.

[sukebanboy Senior Member Find all posts View Profile Close sukebanboy]

maybe 5 or 6 of them feature a nude woman so not sure if anybody wants to see something like that.

Are you mad lol...OF COURSE we want to see them

Lobby cards were cool...even to mainstream movies i used to enjoy looking at them before entering the theater..another classic thing that has disappeared