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  • #31
    Crazed Fruit (Japan, 1956) [DVD] - 3/5
    The seminal Sun Tribe film that defined the rebellious Japanese post-war generation, caused a moral panic, and launched its controversial writer Shintaro Ishihara and his actor brother Yujiro Ishihara to stardom. To be precise, however, what the film really did was depict the mindscape and rebellious dreams of the mid-50s Japanese youth than their reality (which lacked the motor boats and fine clubs), and that's probably why it was so popular and feared. Ishihara co-stars as rich kid who falls in love with the same girl (Mie Kitahara) as his innocent little brother (Masahiko Tsugawa). The film has stylish and energetic first and third acts, but the middle part tends to get a bit less than engaging with its now-predictable story.

    Jigoku no okite ni asu wa nai (Japan, 1966) [DVD] - 2.5/5
    A passable but underwhelming modern day yakuza film with ninkyo themes. Takakura plays a yakuza who was taken in by a gang boss when he was a small boy. Now the rival gang is trying to make him join them. A bit surprisingly the film is at its best in romantic scenes between Takakura and the female lead. There's plenty of beautiful location photography in the film's seaside setting, and fantastic tragic ending. As a gangster movie, however, the film is unoriginal and largely uninspired. The storyline lacks interest and the supporting characters, who receive too much screen time, are nothing but fillers.



    Decapitation of an Evil Woman (1977) [DVD] - 3/5
    Director Yuji Makiguchi's resume, especially as the director of Shogun's Sadism, has perhaps given this period piece a false reputation as violent exploitation film - something that Toei's wildly exaggerated poster art with a topless woman trying to escape the decapitator's sword hasn't helped to change. In the film, she's actually fully clothed in that scene. The "true story" is actually a semi-comedic road movie following four outlaws - two men and two women - trying to escape the long arm of the law. It's a pretty well paced, entertaining and laidback mix of crime film and romance, all set to a groovy score, and impossible to take too seriously. The film's R-18 rating is somewhat a mystery: there are only a couple of bits of graphic violence plus some mild sex scenes.

    Misono Universe (Japan, 2015) [DCP] - 3/5
    Nobuhiro Yamashita is one of the few Japanese indie favourites who never lost their distinctive style even after going mainstream. In fact, he appears to be unable to make a bad movie. Misono Universe is a pure crown pleaser on the surface - a gangster with a memory loss becomes a pop star after he is taken in by a small band - but Yamashita helms it with his usual deadpan humour, slow pace and attention to detail. He does a lot of small things against mainstream norms, e.g. the short beating in the beginning leaves the protagonist's face scarred for the rest of the film. As a whole, however, probably due to the script penned by Tomoe Kanno instead of Kosuke Mukai, the film is not a good as Yamashita's other movies. Pop star Subaru Shibutani is decent in the lead role, but it's the hugely talented Fumi Nikaido who is the real star of the film. Her acting is such a pleasure to follow even in scenes where supposedly nothing is happening.

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    • #32
      Yubari 2015

      Makeup Room (Japan, 2015) [Yubari Fanta] - 4/5
      This year's Yubari Grand Prix went to AV veteran Kei Morikawa, whose resume contains more than a 1000 porn films. Makeup Room, one of his first mainstream releases, is an utterly hilarious look behind the scenes of a porn shoot. The movie, which takes place entirely in one room, follows a makeup artist who is trying to prepare the female stars on time for the shoot that is taking place in the next room. However, the day escalates into an apocalyptic farce when everything imaginable goes wrong. Lead star Aki Morita aside, the cast is made up of real AV stars. It's a very funny, well made film that gets funnier scene by scene. And yes, there's boobs. From the typically cynical Western perspective, however, it is surprising how the AV industry is presented in a very positive light: chaotic shoots aside, people are nice and working is rather fun. Director Morikawa said he never even dreamed of winning the main price, let alone international recognition. That's exactly what the film is now heading for with UK's Third Window Films prepping it for UK release and pushing it to international film festivals.

      Mizo (South-Korea, 2014) [Yubari Fanta] - 1.5/5
      A young hooker comes to town looking for her parents who dumped her in the trash as a baby. She starts working for a local pimp until a maniac ex-cop claims her as his personal rape toy. Might one of these two gentlemen be her father? Perhaps. Add tons of rapes, violence, ultra-cruelty, a close-up of an erect penis, and even a bit of cannibalism, and pretend it's a poignant drama. The film is a far cry from the likes of Kim Ki-duk, Park Chan-wook or Kim Ji-woon, who have dealt with similarly dark topics with tons of style and skill. Mizo feels merely amateurish, and in places, unintentionally comical.

      Haman (Japan, 2015) [Yubari Fanta] - 3.5/5
      A high school girl's first sexual experience comes to an abrupt end when the teeth in her vagina bite the boyfriend's dick off. It's not exactly a sophisticated premise, but debut director Tetsuya Okabe (former AD for Miike and Nishimura) has a few surprises in his back pocket. Not only is the film pretty well acted, it is actually a moody, melancholic horror drama about a lonely girl who cannot control her body and knows she can never fall in love without endangering other people's lives. The film never falls for idiotic post modernism or humour, nor does it contain any kind of vengeance / slasher element. On the minus side, the film's CGI blood is absolutely atrocious.



      Use the Eyeballs! (Japan, 2015) [Yubari Fanta] - 3/5
      2015 was the 4th year in the row Naoya Tashiro has had his new film screened in Yubari. Most of his earlier works (e.g. Naked Sister, 2013) were amusing short movies. Use the Eyeballs is his first movie to be shown in the competition series. It's also his first not to feature any kind of horror or splatter elements. In fact, it's a bizarre love comedy about a bullied schoolboy Kotaro. His problem is the eyeballs - not the normal pair, but the additional pair that pops up from his nose whenever he gets nervous. Needless to say, girls usually run away screaming. Tashiro is a fanboy director whose films are full of references (e.g. Kotaro gets self-confidence by watching The Toxic Avenger on VHS) and insider jokes. There's also an amazing cameo at the end of the film. It's by no means great cinema, and some of the jokes miss the target (e.g. Tokyo Tribe parody), but it's pretty fun and oddly sympathetic overall. Supporting roles are full of familiar faces like Eihi Shiina (mom) and Asami (evil office ninja).

      The Limit of Sleeping Beauty (Japan, 2014) [Yubari Fanta] - 3/5
      Here's a director to keep an eye on. The 23 year old Ken Ninomiya has already made quite a few interesting short and feature films, some of which have played on international film festivals. This medium length movie challenges Tsukamoto, Aronofsky and Alex de la Inglesias, and although it ultimately falls short, it's amazing how Nimomiya has managed a film that is technically better looking than anything Tsukamoto has done in more than a decade. The film's main problem is the lack of originality: a 29 year old actress-wannabe stuck as circus assistant and losing her mind (add hallucinations, pills of all colours, and mad clowns) isn't exactly an original premise to anyone who is familiar with the works of the fore mentioned directors. But the film does look - and sound - stunningly good a lot of the time.

      Control of Violence (Japan, 2015) [Yubari Fanta] - 2/5
      Takahiro Ishihara has created a small franchise of yakuza/violence indie dramas: Violence P.M. (2011), Osaka Violence (2012), Snake of Violence (2013) and now Control of Violence (2015). The latest unfortunately feels like a step down from the slightly larger budgeted Snake of Violence which starred Tak Sakaguchi. In Control of Violence ex-yakuza (Arata Yamanaka) is suspected of killing local gangsters until it turns out there's a new player in town: a mysterious yakuza hating stranger (Kiyohiko Shibukawa) who is gathering a lynch gang to take out as many yakuza as possible. The B&W shot film feels a bit amateurish, from visuals to dialogue. It gains momentum as the violence begins, and Ishihara once again makes good use of the Osaka locations; however, the failure ending manages to undo a lot of what the film had accomplished by then.

      Kim (Fuzakerun ja neyo) (Japan, 2014) [Yubari Fanta] - 4/5
      A terrific, hard hitting and intelligent medium-length film by film school student Shunpei Shimizu, who proves to be a more competent director than most mainstream professionals. The film follows an injured boxer who hates Zainichi Koreans, whom he feels are exploiting the Japanese society and giving him a bad name - even though he's the worst type of Zainichi himself. Unable to fight in the ring, he vents his frustration on the streets by beating people and burns his social welfare money on a housewife-gone-part-time-prostitute who is dreaming of better life. It's a thought provoking, technically competent, and uncompromising film. Shinya Tsukamoto's Tokyo Fist comes to mind a few times; however, Shimizu refuses the over-the-top antics of Tsukamoto and goes for utter, yet intelligent, bleakness. There is neither happy ending nor epic downfall waiting for its sad anti-hero.



      The Maidroid (South-Korea, 2015) [Yubari Fanta] - 3/5
      Here's a Korean otaku fantasy that doesn't try to hide its Japanese influences. A normal guy receives a mysterious package which contains a maid droid which looks just like a Japanese AV star (but of course, she's played by the Japanese AV gone mainstream star Aino Kishi). It's only intended for housework, but, well, you can guess what happens. It's a relatively fun, romantic and light hearted erotic comedy. Director Noh Jin-soo has openly admitted his influences, stating he loves Japanese pink cinema and wanted to do something similar in Korea. On the minus side, the film lacks any originality and features a pretty terrible score that constantly underlines what's happening on screen. The film was shot in 60 hours because of Kishi's schedule. She's alright in the film, but not comparable to her excellent performance in the romantic comedy Rubbers (2010). Overall, the film is pretty decent fun for boys dreaming of their own maid droid.

      The End of the World and the Cat's Disappearance (Japan, 2014) [Yubari Fanta] - 2/5
      The world's food supplies have been contaminated in a mysterious accident in 2011 (read: Fukushima). Tokyo has become a wasteland. Cats have disappeared. Young people have cute little mutations, like cat tails. And an asteroid is about to end it all soon. Despite the sci-fi premise, this is an in and out idol film created for its star Izukoneko via crowd funding. Her popularity has more to do with her anime-like idol act and all things cat, than her singing voice. The movie is a bit like that, too. Izukoneko is surely one of the most huggable creatures on earth, and the film looks pretty lovely at times, but it's just doesn't have much else going for it. It's neither especially stylish nor too energetic. Fans of Izukoneko shouldn't be complaining, though.

      Luv Ya Hun! (Watashitachi no haa haa) (Japan, 2015) [Yubari Fanta] - 4/5
      4 high school girls run from home to attend a concert on the other side of the country. Their plan is to ride all the way with bicycles and sleep under the sky - a plan that obviously isn't going to get them far. This is an excellent, fresh and non-judgemental film that captures the foolhardiness and excitement of youth - and omits the dull moral lessons. You could call it a coming of age film without the coming of age part. Excellent performances and energetic camerawork (mostly POV) complete the film. Although not directly comparable, fans of Hideaki Anno, Shunji Iwai and Shinji Somai ought to love it. The best movie at Yubari Fanta this year.



      Hentaidan (The Perverts) (Japan, 2015) [Yubari Fanta] - 3.5/5
      This is the filthiest film Noboru Iguchi has ever done (excluding his AV work). The medium-length movie (approx. 50 min) brings together all kinds of perverts from shit lovers to piss drinkers. It starts all silly and ridiculous, e.g. with a segment about a man who's dreaming about a school girl idol's crap, but gets gradually darker and darker. Towards the end we get a suicide bus and a scene where a woman is slowly hammered to death by a pervert who gets sexually aroused by the sound of breaking bones. Though darkly humorous throughout, it was in scenes like that where even the hardened Yubari audience went totally silent. Impossible to evaluate as a movie, but it certainly is an experience, and not for everyone. Think of John Waters with an Iguchi spin. It just might be the best thing Iguchi has done in nearly a decade.

      Damager (Japan, 2015) [Yubari Fanta] Film - 3/5, Live Experience - 4.5/5
      Noboru Iguchi is on fire for a change. This 25 minute half-fiction was born when an ordinary Japanese salaryman Yu Kazama approached Iguchi to realize his lifelong dream to star in a superhero film. Iguchi though the idea was great and would help Kazama find his first ever girlfriend. After all, what's cooler: to have a profile on a dating site, or to be able to tell the girls you starred in a superhero movie? Iguchi brought together his usual team, had a superhero suit designed, and wrote a theme song. Kazama paid the bills. The film opens with footage from Iguchi's office before proceeding to the fiction film which stars Kazama as Damager, a superhero whose superpowers can only be activated via pain (e.g. 40 punches in the stomach to travel back in time). He must now save a pretty high school girl (Airi Yamamoto) from her murderous boyfriend (Demo Tanaka). It's silly and cheap, but also fun and sympathetic! The film finally cuts back to Iguchi's office where Kazama receives a copy of the completed movie.

      While not exactly a masterwork by itself, the film was an amazing live experience in Yubari with Iguchi, Kazama and the rest of the cast in attendance. The audience was cheering for Damager (almost unheard of with the typically dead silent Japanese audiences) and singing the theme song together with the staff. Kazama, moved by the audience's enthusiasm, promised to finance a sequel as well. Let's home Mr. Kazama is a man of his word - and also that he finds a cute girlfriend soon.

      More about the screening in the Japan thread:
      http://www.rockshockpop.com/forums/s...l=1#post107520

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      • #33
        wow...you certainly get through a decent amount of movies!!!

        Shame they cant ALL be great though!!!

        Those two Noboru Iguchi movies look interesting....both for different reasons of course!!

        Comment


        • #34
          It's amazing what you can fit into three days when you plan it well.

          Friday
          08:00 [bus to Yubari]
          11:00 Control of Violence (83 min)
          14:00 Haman (95 min)
          16:00 Kim (41 min)
          17:30 Make Room (86 min)
          21:00 Noboru Iguchi Wonder Gravity: Damager + Hentaidan + lots of naked guys
          23:00 [run to Nishimura event]
          02:50 [back to hotel]
          03:25 [cup noodle party in hotel room]


          Saturday
          09:30 [wake up, take a piss, run to movies]
          10:00 The Limit of Sleeping Beauty (min 43) + Use the Eyeballs (min 78)
          12:30 [compensate for the lack of sleep the previous night] (zzzzzz)
          15:40 [wake up and run to movies]

          16:00 Seikai no owari no izukoneko (88 min) + [eat cookies to avoid death]
          18:00 [lunch! Had no time to eat before]
          19:30 Telekura Canonball (130 min)
          21:30 [stove party]
          22:00 [something top secret
          0:00 [back to hotel]

          Sunday
          09:30 [wake up, take a piss, run to movies]
          10:00 Maiddroid (75 min)
          12:00 Watashitachi no haa haa (93 min)
          14:00 Mizo (72 min)
          16:00 Awards Ceremony
          18:00 [lunch! Again I had no time to eat before]
          19:00 Short Film Set E
          20:45 [fucking deers!] (edit: deers on the road! Not sex with deers!)
          21:00 [die] [goddamn tired]
          22:00 [bus back home]
          0:05 [hoooome]
          Takuma
          Senior Member
          Last edited by Takuma; 04-13-2015, 06:51 AM.

          Comment


          • #35
            HAha.....Time well spent my good man!!!

            Lots of junk food and running to screenings!!!


            But what is this....

            22:00 [something top secret]

            Comment


            • #36
              Originally posted by sukebanboy View Post
              But what is this....
              Uhm, top secret

              Seriously, everyone who was there was forbidden to ever tell anyone they were there
              Takuma
              Senior Member
              Last edited by Takuma; 04-13-2015, 12:06 PM.

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              • #37
                NOISY REQUEIM - Yoshihiko Matsui (1988)

                I had this one one the back burner for the longest time. I dreaded having to sit through 2 hours plus of this experimental schlock & I quit halfway through many times but finally got around to watching the whole thing. I have his other 'infamous' work, PIG CHICKEN SUICIDE too & hope to get around to it fairly soon.

                Comment


                • #38
                  Originally posted by 47lab View Post
                  NOISY REQUEIM - Yoshihiko Matsui (1988)

                  I had this one one the back burner for the longest time. I dreaded having to sit through 2 hours plus of this experimental schlock & I quit halfway through many times but finally got around to watching the whole thing.
                  I had hard time getting through it as well. There are some scenes that I absolutely love, but also a lot that I don't, and the thing just goes on forever. It's kinda easier appreciated than enjoyed.

                  Comment


                  • #39
                    PIG CHICKEN SUICIDE I have seen....Very bizarre...About two Koreans living in Japan who experience racism and split up....Definitely individual scenes are better than the whole.....It seemed to me that the director couldn't QUITE get what he wanted to do with all his experimental footage...and found it hard to make it into a feature length...

                    I remember it being VERY weird....although most people told me NOISY REQUIEM is his best movie.....PIG is shorter so maybe easier to get through....

                    Not seen EMPTY RUSTY CAN either.....

                    Comment


                    • #40
                      Originally posted by Takuma View Post
                      I had hard time getting through it as well. There are some scenes that I absolutely love, but also a lot that I don't, and the thing just goes on forever. It's kinda easier appreciated than enjoyed.
                      Originally posted by sukebanboy View Post
                      PIG CHICKEN SUICIDE I have seen....Very bizarre...About two Koreans living in Japan who experience racism and split up....Definitely individual scenes are better than the whole.....It seemed to me that the director couldn't QUITE get what he wanted to do with all his experimental footage...and found it hard to make it into a feature length...

                      I remember it being VERY weird....although most people told me NOISY REQUIEM is his best movie.....PIG is shorter so maybe easier to get through....

                      Not seen EMPTY RUSTY CAN either.....
                      That reminds me guys -- I also recently re-watched Sano's UNDER THE CARP BANNER & was listening to JS's commentary track and he mentioned Sano's first film, ODE TO THE EARTHWORM & his first pink film, LAST BULLET. Apparently the gist of that movie is a teenage boy who manages to acquire a handgun and aims to get revenge on the the man who sodomized him. Sounds very interesting indeed! Have either of you seen those films?

                      Thanks for the synopsis sukebanboy. The only thing I recall about PIG CHICKEN SUICIDE is that Matsui showed it to Shuji Terayama & Terayama thought it was utter rubbish.

                      wow! just looked up how much NOISY REQUEIM is going for on Amazon.jp & it's $250 new! Must be the fancy wooden box.
                      Last edited by 47lab; 05-07-2015, 11:50 AM.

                      Comment


                      • #41
                        Review of LAST BULLET here.....never seen it myself

                        http://www.fareastfilm.com/easyne2/L...Documento=3115

                        The only thing I recall about PIG CHICKEN SUICIDE is that Matsui showed it to Shuji Terayama & Terayama thought it was utter rubbish.
                        But apparently he also showed him his first movie EMPTY RUSTY CAN...and Terayama loved it!!!

                        I am gonna try and get to see NOISY REQUIEM at some point (though I aint buying it at that price!!)

                        Comment


                        • #42
                          Originally posted by sukebanboy View Post
                          Review of LAST BULLET here.....never seen it myself

                          http://www.fareastfilm.com/easyne2/L...Documento=3115



                          But apparently he also showed him his first movie EMPTY RUSTY CAN...and Terayama loved it!!!

                          I am gonna try and get to see NOISY REQUIEM at some point (though I aint buying it at that price!!)
                          Thanks for the link. :up: yea, I know it's a Limited Edition HD remastered 3 disc set & all but yikes! that was some sticker shock even taking into account the outrageous pricing of Japanese media.

                          You can actually watch the entire movie on YT right now w/ English subs:



                          Off Topic but I'd appreciate if you or Takuma can point me in the right direction. I recently had a HD go kaput & lost a bunch of video files. I was able to source most of them again (after much effort) but I couldn't track down Eisuke Naito's LET'S MAKE THE TEACHER HAVE A MISCARRIAGE CLUB. I still have the english sub .srt file though.



                          Please PM me if you guys or anyone else reading this board has an alternate source where I can obtain a copy or willing to burn me a DVD-R or even a data disc with the file. I was thinking of picking up the R2 DVD as a last resort. Thanks in advance. :up:
                          Last edited by 47lab; 05-07-2015, 07:09 PM.

                          Comment


                          • #43
                            Originally posted by Takuma View Post
                            Yubari 2015

                            Makeup Room (Japan, 2015) [Yubari Fanta] - 4/5
                            This year's Yubari Grand Prix went to AV veteran Kei Morikawa, whose resume contains more than a 1000 porn films. Makeup Room, one of his first mainstream releases, is an utterly hilarious look behind the scenes of a porn shoot. The movie, which takes place entirely in one room, follows a makeup artist who is trying to prepare the female stars on time for the shoot that is taking place in the next room. However, the day escalates into an apocalyptic farce when everything imaginable goes wrong. Lead star Aki Morita aside, the cast is made up of real AV stars. It's a very funny, well made film that gets funnier scene by scene. And yes, there's boobs. From the typically cynical Western perspective, however, it is surprising how the AV industry is presented in a very positive light: chaotic shoots aside, people are nice and working is rather fun. Director Morikawa said he never even dreamed of winning the main price, let alone international recognition. That's exactly what the film is now heading for with UK's Third Window Films prepping it for UK release and pushing it to international film festivals.


                            Mizo (South-Korea, 2014) [Yubari Fanta] - 1.5/5
                            A young hooker comes to town looking for her parents who dumped her in the trash as a baby. She starts working for a local pimp until a maniac ex-cop claims her as his personal rape toy. Might one of these two gentlemen be her father? Perhaps. Add tons of rapes, violence, ultra-cruelty, a close-up of an erect penis, and even a bit of cannibalism, and pretend it's a poignant drama. The film is a far cry from the likes of Kim Ki-duk, Park Chan-wook or Kim Ji-woon, who have dealt with similarly dark topics with tons of style and skill. Mizo feels merely amateurish, and in places, unintentionally comical.


                            Haman (Japan, 2015) [Yubari Fanta] - 3.5/5
                            A high school girl's first sexual experience comes to an abrupt end when the teeth in her vagina bite the boyfriend's dick off. It's not exactly a sophisticated premise, but debut director Tetsuya Okabe (former AD for Miike and Nishimura) has a few surprises in his back pocket. Not only is the film pretty well acted, it is actually a moody, melancholic horror drama about a lonely girl who cannot control her body and knows she can never fall in love without endangering other people's lives. The film never falls for idiotic post modernism or humour, nor does it contain any kind of vengeance / slasher element. On the minus side, the film's CGI blood is absolutely atrocious.



                            Use the Eyeballs! (Japan, 2015) [Yubari Fanta] - 3/5
                            2015 was the 4th year in the row Naoya Tashiro has had his new film screened in Yubari. Most of his earlier works (e.g. Naked Sister, 2013) were amusing short movies. Use the Eyeballs is his first movie to be shown in the competition series. It's also his first not to feature any kind of horror or splatter elements. In fact, it's a bizarre love comedy about a bullied schoolboy Kotaro. His problem is the eyeballs - not the normal pair, but the additional pair that pops up from his nose whenever he gets nervous. Needless to say, girls usually run away screaming. Tashiro is a fanboy director whose films are full of references (e.g. Kotaro gets self-confidence by watching The Toxic Avenger on VHS) and insider jokes. There's also an amazing cameo at the end of the film. It's by no means great cinema, and some of the jokes miss the target (e.g. Tokyo Tribe parody), but it's pretty fun and oddly sympathetic overall. Supporting roles are full of familiar faces like Eihi Shiina (mom) and Asami (evil office ninja).

                            The Limit of Sleeping Beauty (Japan, 2014) [Yubari Fanta] - 3/5
                            Here's a director to keep an eye on. The 23 year old Ken Ninomiya has already made quite a few interesting short and feature films, some of which have played on international film festivals. This medium length movie challenges Tsukamoto, Aronofsky and Alex de la Inglesias, and although it ultimately falls short, it's amazing how Nimomiya has managed a film that is technically better looking than anything Tsukamoto has done in more than a decade. The film's main problem is the lack of originality: a 29 year old actress-wannabe stuck as circus assistant and losing her mind (add hallucinations, pills of all colours, and mad clowns) isn't exactly an original premise to anyone who is familiar with the works of the fore mentioned directors. But the film does look - and sound - stunningly good a lot of the time.

                            Control of Violence (Japan, 2015) [Yubari Fanta] - 2/5
                            Takahiro Ishihara has created a small franchise of yakuza/violence indie dramas: Violence P.M. (2011), Osaka Violence (2012), Snake of Violence (2013) and now Control of Violence (2015). The latest unfortunately feels like a step down from the slightly larger budgeted Snake of Violence which starred Tak Sakaguchi. In Control of Violence ex-yakuza (Arata Yamanaka) is suspected of killing local gangsters until it turns out there's a new player in town: a mysterious yakuza hating stranger (Kiyohiko Shibukawa) who is gathering a lynch gang to take out as many yakuza as possible. The B&W shot film feels a bit amateurish, from visuals to dialogue. It gains momentum as the violence begins, and Ishihara once again makes good use of the Osaka locations; however, the failure ending manages to undo a lot of what the film had accomplished by then.

                            Kim (Fuzakerun ja neyo) (Japan, 2014) [Yubari Fanta] - 4/5
                            A terrific, hard hitting and intelligent medium-length film by film school student Shunpei Shimizu, who proves to be a more competent director than most mainstream professionals. The film follows an injured boxer who hates Zainichi Koreans, whom he feels are exploiting the Japanese society and giving him a bad name - even though he's the worst type of Zainichi himself. Unable to fight in the ring, he vents his frustration on the streets by beating people and burns his social welfare money on a housewife-gone-part-time-prostitute who is dreaming of better life. It's a thought provoking, technically competent, and uncompromising film. Shinya Tsukamoto's Tokyo Fist comes to mind a few times; however, Shimizu refuses the over-the-top antics of Tsukamoto and goes for utter, yet intelligent, bleakness. There is neither happy ending nor epic downfall waiting for its sad anti-hero.



                            The Maidroid (South-Korea, 2015) [Yubari Fanta] - 3/5
                            Here's a Korean otaku fantasy that doesn't try to hide its Japanese influences. A normal guy receives a mysterious package which contains a maid droid which looks just like a Japanese AV star (but of course, she's played by the Japanese AV gone mainstream star Aino Kishi). It's only intended for housework, but, well, you can guess what happens. It's a relatively fun, romantic and light hearted erotic comedy. Director Noh Jin-soo has openly admitted his influences, stating he loves Japanese pink cinema and wanted to do something similar in Korea. On the minus side, the film lacks any originality and features a pretty terrible score that constantly underlines what's happening on screen. The film was shot in 60 hours because of Kishi's schedule. She's alright in the film, but not comparable to her excellent performance in the romantic comedy Rubbers (2010). Overall, the film is pretty decent fun for boys dreaming of their own maid droid.


                            The End of the World and the Cat's Disappearance (Japan, 2014) [Yubari Fanta] - 2/5
                            The world's food supplies have been contaminated in a mysterious accident in 2011 (read: Fukushima). Tokyo has become a wasteland. Cats have disappeared. Young people have cute little mutations, like cat tails. And an asteroid is about to end it all soon. Despite the sci-fi premise, this is an in and out idol film created for its star Izukoneko via crowd funding. Her popularity has more to do with her anime-like idol act and all things cat, than her singing voice. The movie is a bit like that, too. Izukoneko is surely one of the most huggable creatures on earth, and the film looks pretty lovely at times, but it's just doesn't have much else going for it. It's neither especially stylish nor too energetic. Fans of Izukoneko shouldn't be complaining, though.

                            Luv Ya Hun! (Watashitachi no haa haa) (Japan, 2015) [Yubari Fanta] - 4/5
                            4 high school girls run from home to attend a concert on the other side of the country. Their plan is to ride all the way with bicycles and sleep under the sky - a plan that obviously isn't going to get them far. This is an excellent, fresh and non-judgemental film that captures the foolhardiness and excitement of youth - and omits the dull moral lessons. You could call it a coming of age film without the coming of age part. Excellent performances and energetic camerawork (mostly POV) complete the film. Although not directly comparable, fans of Hideaki Anno, Shunji Iwai and Shinji Somai ought to love it. The best movie at Yubari Fanta this year.



                            Hentaidan (The Perverts) (Japan, 2015) [Yubari Fanta] - 3.5/5
                            This is the filthiest film Noboru Iguchi has ever done (excluding his AV work). The medium-length movie (approx. 50 min) brings together all kinds of perverts from shit lovers to piss drinkers. It starts all silly and ridiculous, e.g. with a segment about a man who's dreaming about a school girl idol's crap, but gets gradually darker and darker. Towards the end we get a suicide bus and a scene where a woman is slowly hammered to death by a pervert who gets sexually aroused by the sound of breaking bones. Though darkly humorous throughout, it was in scenes like that where even the hardened Yubari audience went totally silent. Impossible to evaluate as a movie, but it certainly is an experience, and not for everyone. Think of John Waters with an Iguchi spin. It just might be the best thing Iguchi has done in nearly a decade.

                            Damager (Japan, 2015) [Yubari Fanta] Film - 3/5, Live Experience - 4.5/5
                            Noboru Iguchi is on fire for a change. This 25 minute half-fiction was born when an ordinary Japanese salaryman Yu Kazama approached Iguchi to realize his lifelong dream to star in a superhero film. Iguchi though the idea was great and would help Kazama find his first ever girlfriend. After all, what's cooler: to have a profile on a dating site, or to be able to tell the girls you starred in a superhero movie? Iguchi brought together his usual team, had a superhero suit designed, and wrote a theme song. Kazama paid the bills. The film opens with footage from Iguchi's office before proceeding to the fiction film which stars Kazama as Damager, a superhero whose superpowers can only be activated via pain (e.g. 40 punches in the stomach to travel back in time). He must now save a pretty high school girl (Airi Yamamoto) from her murderous boyfriend (Demo Tanaka). It's silly and cheap, but also fun and sympathetic! The film finally cuts back to Iguchi's office where Kazama receives a copy of the completed movie.

                            While not exactly a masterwork by itself, the film was an amazing live experience in Yubari with Iguchi, Kazama and the rest of the cast in attendance. The audience was cheering for Damager (almost unheard of with the typically dead silent Japanese audiences) and singing the theme song together with the staff. Kazama, moved by the audience's enthusiasm, promised to finance a sequel as well. Let's home Mr. Kazama is a man of his word - and also that he finds a cute girlfriend soon.

                            More about the screening in the Japan thread:
                            http://www.rockshockpop.com/forums/s...l=1#post107520

                            I'm anticipating Third Windows release of MAKE ROOM (guess that's the working title for the international release). Caught Adam Torel with Kei Morikawa and Lily Kuribayashi picking up some award at FEFF 17.



                            Agree about Mizo. What a shame because the material was there for an interesting movie. I was disappointed in director, Nam Ki-Woong because his debut feature, NEVER BELONGS TO ME was bonkers & a wild ride! The new face actress Lee Hyo playing the eponymous character did ok playing the shattered innocence type but just couldn't rise above the lackluster script. Like you mentioned this appeared to be a tired retread of KKD or Lee Sang-woo's work. Nam Ki-woong needs to stick with comedies. Btw, speaking of KKD, I got ONE ON ONE (unfortunately the copy I have has some hilariously bad English subtitles) on my watch list but just haven't got around to it. I've been anticipating that one.

                            Looking forward to THE MAIDROID too. I imagine Koreeda's AIR DOLL is going to be high art compared to this but what the hell. It can't be worse than HELLO, MY DOLLY GIRLFRIEND right?

                            I hope CONTROL OF VIOLENCE gets picked up by Pathfinder because I really enjoyed the other two flicks in the "violence" trilogy.

                            Just caught a STONEMAN earlier today. It's an absolutely horrible even by B-movie standards early 90s wuxia flick starring wilson lam and Vivian Chow. She is as lovely as ever but not even her beauty was enough to make it sit through this drek. Avoid at all costs! :down:

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                            • #44
                              Originally posted by 47lab View Post
                              Please PM me if you guys or anyone else reading this board has an alternate source where I can obtain a copy or willing to burn me a DVD-R or even a data disc with the file. I was thinking of picking up the R2 DVD as a last resort. Thanks in advance. :up:
                              I was just about to link you to amazon...

                              Originally posted by 47lab View Post
                              Looking forward to THE MAIDROID too. I imagine Koreeda's AIR DOLL is going to be high art compared to this but what the hell. It can't be worse than HELLO, MY DOLLY GIRLFRIEND right?
                              Well, it is indeed better than Dolly Girlfriend. And I think Air Doll is high art even without The Maidroid

                              Originally posted by 47lab View Post
                              I'm anticipating Third Windows release of MAKE ROOM (guess that's the working title for the international release). Caught Adam Torel with Kei Morikawa and Lily Kuribayashi picking up some award at FEFF 17.
                              The Japanese title is Make Room (メイクルーム) but the problem is that that's "Japanese English", not English English. The title should be Makeup Room in proper English, and I believe that's what they intend on calling it. More info here:
                              - http://twitchfilm.com/2015/02/yubari...top-award.html

                              Comment


                              • #45
                                Originally posted by Takuma View Post
                                I was just about to link you to amazon...
                                Thanks! Having lived in Japan for a few years now, I guess you've gotten used to the outrageous pricing for DVDs but I always try & pick up a cheaper HK or Korean release. altho' Korean DVDs/blu rays have steadily risen in price too of late.

                                Well, it is indeed better than Dolly Girlfriend. And I think Air Doll is high art even without The Maidroid
                                I got this on my watch list. I did a search of the main actress Kishi & welp, I should've anticipated that any search would definitely be NSFW or NSFW!

                                The Japanese title is Make Room (メイクルーム) but the problem is that that's "Japanese English", not English English. The title should be Makeup Room in proper English, and I believe that's what they intend on calling it. More info here:
                                - http://twitchfilm.com/2015/02/yubari...top-award.html
                                ah I see, yeah romanizations can present some nonsensical titles.

                                A correction on my earlier post because I said Nam Ki-woong's debut was NEVER BELONGS TO ME when technically it was his short, TEENAGE HOOKER BECOMES A KILLING MACHINE. One of my first purchases from Third Window and a great title but godawful movie.

                                The vagina dentata flick by Okabe seems interesting but I'm going to keep an eye out for this one since you mention that fans of Iwai & Somai will enjoy this. :up:

                                Luv Ya Hun! (Watashitachi no haa haa) (Japan, 2015) [Yubari Fanta] - 4/5
                                4 high school girls run from home to attend a concert on the other side of the country. Their plan is to ride all the way with bicycles and sleep under the sky - a plan that obviously isn't going to get them far. This is an excellent, fresh and non-judgemental film that captures the foolhardiness and excitement of youth - and omits the dull moral lessons. You could call it a coming of age film without the coming of age part. Excellent performances and energetic camerawork (mostly POV) complete the film. Although not directly comparable, fans of Hideaki Anno, Shunji Iwai and Shinji Somai ought to love it. The best movie at Yubari Fanta this year.


                                Hopefully it'll get picked up for distribution or becomes available for us viewers outside of Japan.

                                I just caught a Korean flick called WEIGHT (무게, 2012) which took home the Venice FF Queer Lion prize. Quite enjoyed it, although the scenes of necrophilia were a bit off putting but to the director's credit, it wasn't just a cheap plot device added for shock value but instrumental to the movie.

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