Member PandaPawPaw Posted June 19, 2023 Member Share Posted June 19, 2023 (edited) Anego - Cool 80's Yakuza movie about a women getting revenge against the person who killed her Yakuza boss husband. Kitano is cool in it and the main actress Hitomi Kuroki is really good as the revengeful wife. She's incredible pretty too. It does kind of go on a bit and yakuza boss's death is unintentionally funny. Many Happy Returns - A young guy joins a religious cult for fun but soon finds it's not all it seems. It starts off really good and is genuinely funny. Kitano is very good as the money making brains of the group and seeing how the cult slowly dissolves is interesting to watch. It does start to lose steam after the 1hr mark but it was good overall. Les Liaisons Erotiques - Another film staring Yuya Uchida as a private detective in Paris and Rie Miyazawa as his lover (though they look more like friends). Kitano hires them to snoop on his wife and see if she's having an affair. Both Yuya and Rie have separate stories that intertwine and there is a lot of strangeness to the story that becomes a bit pretentious at times. Again it starts dragging at the 1hr mark and gets a bit silly and Kitano is pretty wasted in it. I really have become a fan of Uchida and Miyazawa was fun to watch it in. Edited June 19, 2023 by PandaPawPaw 4 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Member PandaPawPaw Posted June 20, 2023 Member Share Posted June 20, 2023 (edited) Manon - "A story about a woman called Mitsuko who is a research student of a theatre company and the three men who are at the mercy of her." The first guy is the theatre director whose class she is in but they don't seem to have a good relationship to the point where he tries forcing her into sex which he succeeds in doing. Then it cuts to her packing her things as she's moving out but the incident is just ignored and they're having a normal conversation which makes very little sense. At times it feels like rape is just used as a weird perversion rather than a serious crime in Japanese films/anime. The second guy is the head of a small loan company and the most stable of the three guys. Him and Mitsuko are the most suited IMO. A young Sato Koichi stars as the third guy who seems lost in life till he meets Mitsuko. She flip flops between them and the movie moves at a breezy pace. The main actress is really cute too. In this Kitano plays Mitsuko's leach of a brother who uses her for money and is a real creep. The 80's Japanese style is really cool and has a really nice unique feel to it. Not bad, not great. Worth a one time watch I think. The Mosquito on the 10th Floor - Another film staring Yuya Uchida as a policeman who fails at everything he does and who is stuck working in a police box (as he keeps failing the chief exam every year). He has a failed marriage with a wife and daughter who use him for money while having a big debt to pay off due to taking out multiple loans from legit and not so legit places. Throughout the film he drinks a lot and has sex with various women with one being a young policewomen who he rapes at his apartment. Not pleasant at all. He buys a computer to connect with other people but seems to play bowling on it mostly. Look at those graphics! A very young Kyoko Koizumi features in it playing the daughter who is rebelling against her dad and only sees him when she needs money. He slowly descends into madness which reminded me a bit of the Michael Douglas film - Falling Down (just not as good). Kitano appears briefly as a horse racing expert/bookies and was the highlight of the movie. I enjoyed his small scene. Quite a dull/depressing movie with little to no rewatch value. Edited June 20, 2023 by PandaPawPaw 4 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Member Takuma Posted June 20, 2023 Author Member Share Posted June 20, 2023 On 6/19/2023 at 5:15 PM, PandaPawPaw said: Les Liaisons Erotiques - Another film staring Yuya Uchida as a private detective in Paris and Rie Miyazawa as his lover (though they look more like friends). Kitano hires them to snoop on his wife and see if she's having an affair. Both Yuya and Rie have separate stories that intertwine and there is a lot of strangeness to the story that becomes a bit pretentious at times. Again it starts dragging at the 1hr mark and gets a bit silly and Kitano is pretty wasted in it. I really have become a fan of Uchida and Miyazawa was fun to watch it in. Yasuharu Hasebe directed a very good Roman Porno adaptation of the same book in 1978, with Uchida playing the lead role. A very stylish neo-noir and a much better film than the Wakamatsu version IMO. My old review here: https://www.bulletsnbabesdvd.com/forums/viewtopic.php?p=173890#p173890 3 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Member PandaPawPaw Posted June 20, 2023 Member Share Posted June 20, 2023 (edited) 28 minutes ago, Takuma said: Yasuharu Hasebe directed a very good Roman Porno adaptation of the same book in 1978, with Uchida playing the lead role. A very stylish neo-noir and a much better film than the Wakamatsu version IMO. My old review here: https://www.bulletsnbabesdvd.com/forums/viewtopic.php?p=173890#p173890 Oh cool! I'll have to check it out! BTW Your reviews are really good. Nice and detailed. Edited June 20, 2023 by PandaPawPaw 3 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Member PandaPawPaw Posted June 22, 2023 Member Share Posted June 22, 2023 So What - 80s movie based on a Katsuhiro Otomo Manga. In a small town a group of students are in their final year of high school while dealing with the usual teenage struggles (girls, future, jobs etc) they also try to turn their school club band into the real thing. The story is OK but it kind of just goes through the motions at times and gets a bit lost here and there especially in the middle. They actually cause a bit of trouble for their teachers and I'm surprised they weren't expelled. The MC is not very likeable and is a spoilt rich kid who treats his folks like shit. The other three members aren't as bad but they are hard to root for. I didn't really feel the ending was a good conclusion and was flat feeling. It could of done with some trimming as well. Operation Capture the Slit-Mouthed Woman - This is part of a series called Senritsu Kaiki File Kowasugi which has a different horror story for each episode. This is number one/File 01. OK doc style horror about the Kuchisake Onna. A pair investigate a string of sightings of the scissor welding menace. The first time seeing Kuchisake in this isn't particularly scary as she's wearing a bad wig but her sudden run is creepy. The film itself is not particularly scary and the male investigator is an annoying bellend (In the camo jacket). He treats his assistant (the female) like shit. I wanted her to sock him one. There isn't any suspense and the movie ends on a whimper. The weakest Kuchisake Onna movie I've seen so far. Go go 2nd Time Virgin - If it were not for my Kitano list I wouldn't of watched this shit. Within the first 15 minutes there are three rape scenes (one is a flashback). Most of the movie goes on about rape and killing and has really dull conversations about said topics. Shiro Sano is the main lead who is pretty annoying as is the female lead. They just talk a lot of stupid shit. The dialogue is awful! I wasn't sure where Kitano was but I think this is him on the left as he's listed as a thug in the credits. It was his debut movie and he has very little screen time. Seriously dull, pretentious shit. AVOID! 3 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Member PandaPawPaw Posted June 25, 2023 Member Share Posted June 25, 2023 (edited) Yasha - "Shuji was once a feared member of the Yakuza crime syndicate, but he's reformed his ways, abandoned his old life and left the city for a small coastal fishing town where he's become an honest fisherman". An alright movie with Takakura Ken playing Shuji the former Yakuza member trying to settle down and lead a quite life being a fisherman and family man. His acting is OK but his character isn't that likeable as he really doesn't appreciate what he has or his wife who is really nice and caring. A woman named Hotaru moves into the town and works at the local bar whose husband Yajima (Kitano) is a drug dealer. Kitano is really good especially in the scene where is trying killing he wife and chases her all over town. It really had me on the edge of my seat. He's a real bastard to his wife and step child and uses her for money. Hotaru is very cute but at the same time like Shuji, isn't that likeable since she has an affair with him who has a lovely family. I did like how Yajima was getting the other fisherman hooked on drugs so he could be their supplier and make money for his boss. To me that was a pretty unique story line and not something I had seen in these types of films before. The length of the film is too long and could of done with some trimming. Asakusa Kid - "Before he hit it big, Takeshi Kitano got his start apprenticing with comedy legend Fukami of Asakusa. But as his star rises, his mentor's declines." Yuya Yagira plays young Kitano and was good but he was over doing the twitching and talking with his mouth to the side. It was like his version was based on Kitano after his accident and not early younger Kitano. Kitano gets work at a burlesque club called 'France-za' and becomes the apprentice of the owner Senzaburo Fukami (Yo Oizumi). The club has a very low attendance rate with most people wanting to see boobs more than comedy. Fukami is set in his ways and doesn't like the newer on TV Manzai and doesn't consider it 'real comedy'. As Kitano becomes more and more popular, Fukami's career slowly dwindles and ends up losing everything. It's really said to see and Oizumi's acting is solid as always. It was cool seeing Kitano's rise to stand up comedian and the formation of the Two Beats and how they got their name. There is a scene where while the club is shut, a young Kitano tap dances on stage which is intercut with various scenes of him tap dancing while working or in his free time and is wonderfully done. It really gets you into it. The end scene of modern day Kitano going back to the club where it all started and walking through the front door all the way to the main stage while seeing old visions of his friends/co workers was really beautifully done and very touching. It looked like a one-take but I think there might of been some splices here and there. The prosthetics used to make Yuya look like current Kitano was good but a bit jarring/fake looking or cgi/deepfake-ish. It was really cool to see though. It is really nicely filmed and they got the era down well with the set designs/CGI. Overall a very good movie. Edited June 30, 2023 by PandaPawPaw 4 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Member DrNgor Posted June 28, 2023 Member Share Posted June 28, 2023 On 6/18/2023 at 11:07 PM, DrNgor said: Brave: Gunjyo Senki (Japan, 2021: Katsuyuki Motohiro) Okay, expanded the capsule review to a full-length rundown of the film. Read it here: https://abeautifulfilm.blogspot.com/2023/06/brave-gunjyo-senki-2021.html 4 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Member PandaPawPaw Posted June 29, 2023 Member Share Posted June 29, 2023 (edited) Dearest - "A prison officer hands in his resignation after his wife's death, to drive to the port where she wants her ashes scattered at sea." A nice story starring Takakura Ken who plays Eiji Kurashima who has recently lost his wife and goes on a journey to fulfil her last wish. Their history is told in nice flashbacks with one such moment being Eiji telling his wife while she is in hospital that he wants to do up their car with wooden decking in the back so they can go travelling and camping. Sadly she dies before he can finish it but he decides to restart the project and complete it before it starts he own journey. Along the way he meets various people. The first being Teruo (Kitano) who is also a widower and is travelling through Japan. It was really nice seeing Kitano playing such a different type of character as it was much looser and not so serious. He also meets Yuji (Tsuyoshi Kusanagi) a seafood salesperson who has problems concerning his marriage and his assistant Nambara (Koichi Sato). Eiji tags along for a bit and helps them with setting up their food stall while also getting to know them. Kimiko Yo and Haruka Ayase play Nambara's wife and daughter who help Eiji with getting a boat to scatter his wife's ashes. There's a small cameo by Tadanobu Asano who plays a cop which is pretty cool. It wasn't a tear jerker or anything and their is some obvious green screen/CGI which wasn't needed as it really takes you out of a screen but overall it's a nice sweet story. A Legend of Turmoil - "Otaki, a member of a small yakuza family, hunts down the people who murdered his boss." Yakuza member Shuji tries to protect his fellow members after their boss is killed and goes after the killers. A sub plot involving Shuji and his Filipino mistress Tomoko who is in love with him kind of goes on a bit and has a predictable outcome. Kitano is uncredited and plays Kiichiro Yashiro who is a negotiator trying to end the war between factions. I liked how Otaki is protective of his gang and the beatings they give and receive are pretty brutal but really good. The shoot outs are just as great with some really tense moments. Pretty much a typical Yakuza movie but worth a watch. Hagoku - "The year is 1942 and Japan is in the midst of World War II. Prison warden Susumu's prisoner Seitaro escapes from his cell through the thick of winter and disappears. He was serving a life sentence. The prisoner, however, is not lost forever. He returns and does so to the place one least expected." I wasn't sure what to expect but it was a solid 2hr show with great performances from both Kitano as the prison warden Susuma and Takayuki Yamada as the prisoner Seitaro. Seitaro has a habit of breaking out of jail (he does it four times) and the so the wardens decided to torture him till he promises he won't do it again. Some of the ways they torture Seitaro was really tough and I really wanted him to just give in. Some of the ways he is able to unlock his cuffs or breakout are a bit far fetched and implausible. The American actors aren't great as usual in Japanese films/shows but they're serviceable. Quite a sad story of being in the wrong place at the wrong time and having your whole life's direction changed. Super Micro Reviews. Luminous Woman - An awful 157m (extended cut) of crap. I watched it due to Keiji Muto being in it as I'm a big fan of his but the movie sucks! The extended cut has huge amounts of scenes with no audio making it pointless being in the film. BORING! Muto was actually annoying in this. Teito Monogatari - I've had this for ages but never seen it. I like the Anime and the movie is OK for the most part but is a bit long. Kyusaku Shimada is great as Yasunori Kato and really looks the part. Some nice SFX and good acting. I would love to watch the sequels but there aren't any English friendly releases. Suicide Bus - It started good and had potential with many funny/sweet scenes but it was a tad long and could of done with maybe 10 mins less. The ending was a bit messy though and didn't satisfy me. Suicide Club - I wasn't sure if I had seen this but damn this is one sucky film. Ryo Ishibashi is solid but the story and overall horror element just didn't work for me. Very lame and the girl band 'Dessert' playing that god awful song throughout the movie irritated me! Naked Blood - I was looking forward to this with it being 90s J-horror and it stars Sadao Abe who I really like so seeing him in an older film was cool and while the movie starts off well, it becomes incredibly silly later on and I lost interest in it. Nightmare Detective 1 & 2 - I had this on my to watch list forever and I like Ryuhei Matsuda and for the most part the first movie was OK and the female detective was easy on the eyes but her acting was a bit iffy. The story of going into other peoples dreams in order to save them is pretty cool but it wasn't that exciting or even scary. The sequel was forgettable though. Really poor. Kamome Diner - I really enjoyed this. An absolutely cute and charming film. Loved all the characters and even the Finnish actors were great and didn't suffer from the usual awkwardness that non-Japanese actors usually have in J-movies. Great food, great comedy, great acting, just all round greatness. Edited June 30, 2023 by PandaPawPaw 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Member ChillyChong Posted July 5, 2023 Member Share Posted July 5, 2023 (edited) Ju-on - The Curse. I have liked american(+japanese collaborations) versions of Grudge but not sure if ever seen any Ju-on japanese products before. Wish I did not make mistake when purchased arrow box. Well it did not start promisingly. The Curse is garbage. Scripter surely did get away easily with this, almost nothing is explained and characters often act remarkably dumb. Curse2 even had 30 minutes of footage from part 1 so it made short viewing when had zero visit to watch those scenes again. Few moments were scary but those were created by music and sound effects have to give credit for team behing those., If had watched this as mute, nothing in storyline and on-screen events would have given creeps. Well I guess some find girls who crawl and had lot face powder to make them pale scary. Hopefully it improves, will watch Grudge 1 today. I like Ringu movies but experience with other japanese horrors is minimal. Edited July 5, 2023 by ChillyChong 3 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Member PandaPawPaw Posted July 29, 2023 Member Share Posted July 29, 2023 @ChillyChong I think Ju On: The Grudge (2002) is the best one. All the rest are average or just suck. It doesn't help that the story isn't particularity scary nor is the cat boy who becomes annoying. I don't think I've seen anything near the quality of the original Ring. 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Member ChillyChong Posted July 29, 2023 Member Share Posted July 29, 2023 3 minutes ago, PandaPawPaw said: @ChillyChong I think Ju On: The Grudge (2002) is the best one. All the rest are average or just suck. It doesn't help that the story isn't particularity scary nor is the cat boy who becomes annoying. I don't think I've seen anything near the quality of the original Ring. Yes, it was definitely improvement over Curse..I did not finish Grudge2 as someone who lives near said he gives 80% of what I paid if deal is done now. Easy decision to let box go..I liked Sadako vs Kayako except the end which was too damn easy to guess what is coming. Havent`t seen Sadako 2019 but comments do not give much hope of a good movie. Original Ring is indeed best and american Ring 2 was ok because it was not remake of japanese. 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Member PandaPawPaw Posted July 29, 2023 Member Share Posted July 29, 2023 1 hour ago, ChillyChong said: Yes, it was definitely improvement over Curse..I did not finish Grudge2 as someone who lives near said he gives 80% of what I paid if deal is done now. Easy decision to let box go..I liked Sadako vs Kayako except the end which was too damn easy to guess what is coming. Havent`t seen Sadako 2019 but comments do not give much hope of a good movie. Original Ring is indeed best and american Ring 2 was ok because it was not remake of japanese. Sadako Vs Kayako was OK but it was not really needed. Not seen Sadako 2019 either but yeah it doesn't sound good. Have you seen Sadako 3D 1&2? 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Member ChillyChong Posted July 29, 2023 Member Share Posted July 29, 2023 4 hours ago, PandaPawPaw said: Have you seen Sadako 3D 1&2? No, unfortunately. Checked it has not been released in europe as english friendly and importing it from USA or asia does not appear tempting because of additional costs. 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Member PandaPawPaw Posted July 29, 2023 Member Share Posted July 29, 2023 44 minutes ago, ChillyChong said: No, unfortunately. Checked it has not been released in europe as english friendly and importing it from USA or asia does not appear tempting because of additional costs. They aren't very good anyway so you're not missing much. I think the J-Ring movies 1/2/0 are the best. All the rest are too diluted and not scary/interesting. 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Member Yihetuan Posted August 9, 2023 Member Share Posted August 9, 2023 It's a Beautiful Day - Dir. Kayoko Asakura [2013] (Japan) Been following Kim Kkot-bi's career ever since she made her stunning debut in Yang Ik-joon's Breathless. One of the best debuts by a young actress that I can remember. Her career trajectory though has been quite topsy turvy with some stinkers along the way. Maybe @One Armed Boxer can explain why? I do admire her for seeking out more 'indie' type roles as opposed to mainstream stuff even if it's to the detriment of her career. This film is one of those independent productions, shot on an extremely low budget and shot on location in remote parts of California. This film is your typical backwoods slasher/survival/torture porn flick. Yes, there are quite a few bloody scenes and graphic gore which considering the budget was quite well done but everything else was nondescript and noting memorable or noteworthy. There is an attempt, a rather feeble one to inject some novelty into the proceedings but it fails to distinguish this film from the countless others of its type. As the story evolved, I was hoping for perhaps a lesser version of Haneke's Funny Games but unfortunately, I soon realized I was way too optimistic. I will give Asakura credit as a female director who knows her way around & is well versed in American horror tropes but she just parrots them here. The only other film I watched from her was Toxic Insects and I thought that was pretty meh as well. Just not my cup of tea. 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Member Yihetuan Posted August 9, 2023 Member Share Posted August 9, 2023 The Cinderella Addiction - Dir. Ryohei Watanabe [2021] (Japan) Is there a thread for "most disappointing films" that you've ever watched? This film belongs at the top of the list. I got hyped when it got tagged as one of the most controversial films of the year & a shocker of an ending but it turned out to be.... Just forgo this movie & spend your time doing something productive. Watching paint dry would be more enjoyable. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Moderator One Armed Boxer Posted August 9, 2023 Moderator Share Posted August 9, 2023 17 hours ago, Yihetuan said: Her career trajectory though has been quite topsy turvy with some stinkers along the way. Maybe @One Armed Boxer can explain why? Or maybe not. Have you seen 2015's 'The Liar' @Yihetuan? It's probably my favourite role of hers after 'Breathless'. 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Member Yihetuan Posted August 10, 2023 Member Share Posted August 10, 2023 47 minutes ago, One Armed Boxer said: Or maybe not. Have you seen 2015's 'The Liar' @Yihetuan? It's probably my favourite role of hers after 'Breathless'. Yes, I have seen it & I agree. She made me despise her character yet at the same time, made me sympathetic at her behavior. The duality! 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Member Yihetuan Posted August 11, 2023 Member Share Posted August 11, 2023 Nobody - Dir. Toshimichi Ohkawa [1994] (Japan) Been checking out movies lately by V-cinema auteur Ohkawa (namely the Crime Hunter films) & this one popped up on my list. I had actually seen this before but it was cool to revisit it again. It's a bit slower paced and longer running than the standard V-Cinema fare but it's pretty tight little revenge story about 3 yuppie salarymen who work for an ad agency and go bar hopping after work. One night, they shit talk (Riki Takeuchi being the instigator) another group of 3 salarymen at the adjoining table and after a physical altercation, it leads to some rather unrelenting and violent consequences. It's refreshing after watching the CG fest that was White Storm 3: Heaven or Hell to see squibs and practical effects. I actually enjoyed this Nobody much more than the Hollywood movie of the same name that came out a couple years ago but that's just me. 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Member Yihetuan Posted August 14, 2023 Member Share Posted August 14, 2023 The Sound of Summer - Dir. Guy [2022] (Japan) I read the review over at COF before I watched this and I have to say I enjoyed it much more than that reviewer. It is a bit of slow burn and will appeal to a very select group of horror fans who like this type of psychological thriller mixed with body horror. But it worked for me. I don't really know shit about the director, Guy (Pearce) other than he's a Brit living in Japan but I did watch one of his earlier short films, Difficulty Breathing which gave me Kotoko vibes (the Tsukamoto film) which is not a bad thing. Glad to see he was able to secure the budget (even if it's modest) to film a full length movie and will be interested in his future projects. The lead actress, Kaori Hoshino is new to me as well. She does a damn good job here as well as been hella cute too. Appears this is her debut film but will definitely follow her future onscreen endeavors. I enjoyed it enough that I purchased the Unearthed blu ray right after. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Member AlbertV Posted August 21, 2023 Member Share Posted August 21, 2023 (edited) Devilman (2004): I finally saw this as it is on Tubi and now, I regret ever seeing this. This is the Japanese equivalent of Dragonball Evolution as one of the all-time bad adaptations of a manga/anime ever made. The plot made no sense and goes out in left field so much, the pacing is so boring (just when it looks like it may end, I learned I was only halfway done..WTH?), the acting from twin brothers Hisato and Yusuki Izaki (as Akira and Ryo respectively) was really bad (although Hisato does try more than his brother, who looks like he's got something crammed up his rear the whole film), and don't get me started on the atrocious CGI and 2D animation used before the impact blows from Devilman. Even worse, the English dubbed version was so bad, the only one not dubbed was Bob Sapp as the news reporter. Just horrendous and safe to say I'm not planning to see this again. I'll stick to the anime. Go Nagai must have lost his mind when he saw this, because I sure did. Edited August 21, 2023 by AlbertV 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Member DrNgor Posted August 22, 2023 Member Share Posted August 22, 2023 (edited) Pale Flower (Japan, 1964: Masahiro Shinoda) - A classic Japanese Yakuza film that fits snugly into the "noir style" as defined by my movie critic friend El Santo: 1. Striking black-and-white photography? Check. 2. Set in the criminal underbelly of urban landscapes? Check. 3. Populated by characters who live on the periphery of both society and traditional morality? Check. 4. Cynical attitude toward human nature? Check. 5. Cynical attitude toward the fallibility of man-made institutions? It's located a bit deep in the subtext of the film, but check. There's not so much of a plot, as the film is something of a character study of an ex-con Yakuza enforcer (Ryô Ikebe) who gets out of prison and falls for a mysterious compulsive gambler (the beautiful Mariko Kaga) during a routine visit to a clandestine gambling house. He becomes obsessed with her, as both find illegal and illicit activites to be only escape from the tedium of modernity. The film suggests that the rat race of working yourself into a early grave in order to make ends meet--something that countries like Japan and S. Korea excel at--basically kills you on the inside, rendering most of its adherents lifeless husks who can only go about the motions of actually living. While killing, reckless driving and high-stakes gambling are frowned upon by society, it is the only way that some of these people can feel like they're alive. And the film doesn't shy away from reminding us that these things come with a cost. The last scene is intentionally infuriating, because we learn little about who Saeko (the gambler) is. Just as one character is about to tell another her story, he gets interrupted and the film ends. It has little bearing on the story (or the theme), but the director wetted our appetites before snatching the tray from us at the last moment. Sympathy for the Underdog (Japan, 1971: Kinji Fukasaku) - Really good Yakuza film from acclaimed director Kinji Fukasaku about an ex-con Yakuza enforcer (Koji Tsuruta, in a too-coo'-fo'-schoo' performance) who gets out of prison and finds the urban crime landscape dominated by what one may call "Big Capital Organized Crime." He's old school, the sort that would walk around with his flunkies shaking down bars, brothels and clandestine casinos for protection money, so he takes his loyal followers to Okinawa, the final frontier for old time Yakuza activities. Koji Tsuruta is great a Yakuza boss who yearns for the old days of post-war organized crime, as opposed to the Big Corporation model that it was morphing into as Japan grew in economic prominence. He genuinely cares for his subordinates--and the outlier from a former rival gang--and they respond to that with life-on-the-line devotion. Tomisaburo Wakayama, best known for the Lone Wolf and Cub films, shows up as Yakuza gang leader operating out of Koza (a city on Okinawa), whose trigger-happy brother makes trouble for Tsuruta. There is much ado made about the natural animosity between the Japanese and the native Okinawans: the latter do NOT like the idea of the former coming onto their turf. A lot of background Americans show up as soldiers and small-time gangsters who help smuggle alcohol into Okinawa in order to make a quick buck with local buyers. I'm guessing that is just part of the dark side of having a military base on Okinawa for all these years. Edited August 22, 2023 by DrNgor 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Member DrNgor Posted September 3, 2023 Member Share Posted September 3, 2023 Branded to Kill (Japan, 1967: Seijun Suzuki) - My first Seijun Suzuki film, this is an interesting mix of Yakuza, noir, Surrealist and Absurdist sensibilities. The movie's financial failure got Suzuki fired from Nikkatsu Studios, which he sued for wrongful termination. Although he won the lawsuit, it got him blacklisted from other studios for a good 10 years. It did find a following among film students and other assorted youngsters in the ensuing years and once it reached the West in the early 1980s, it inspired filmmakers ranging from Quentin Tarantino and Jim Jarmusch to John Woo and Wong Kar-Wai. The film opens with a semi-retired hitman (Joe "Cheeks" Shishida--not his actual nickname) arriving in Tokyo with his young Trophy bride. The guy who picks him up is a washed up assassin who wants to find his way back into the good graces of his former clan, and has Shishida, who needs the money, help him on a bodyguard/escort job. They are ambushed by some killers, led by the Number 2 and 3 assassins in the game--Shishido has fallen to number 4 by this point. After returning home, he gets a job to take out four people, but ends up botching the last one. He falls for the femme fatale who was supposed to help him on this last job, but at the same time, finds himself the target of the Number 1 assassin. From there on out, the movie gets weird... Like Onimusha and Pale Flower, the black-and-white photography is simply gorgeous. My wife walked in at one point, watched a few minutes of it, and was impressed with the camerawork. The violence is rather strong for a film of this vintage and there are a few memorable kills. If you like potent cinematic imagery that ISN'T accomplished via CGI, this is really something you should watch. BRUTAL TALES OF CHIVALRY (Japan, 1965: Kiyoshi Saeki) - Yakuza film from the 1960s, first in a series of nine movies. This one is set in 1947 during the post-War period and is about a Yakuza enforcer (played by Ken Takakura, of Black Rain) returning from military service, only to have the chief position of his clan thrust upon him (following the assassination of the former boss. He wants to follow his predecessor's final wishes to not get involved in violent conflict, just trying to run the local open air market in peace. But the rival gang who runs the neighboring market wants to expand their territory and modernize their racket, for which they want the "good" gang's territory. Our hero is ultimately pushed to the brink by repeated acts of violence committed against members of his gang and finally whips out the katana for some Yakuza revenge. The film co-stars Japanese heartthrob Ryo Ikebe, whom kaiju fans will recognize from Battle in Outer Space. He plays a Yakuza from another clan in another city who shows up on the good gang's doorstep looking for a place to stay while he searches for his lost sister. That subplot ends in tragedy, leading Ryo to pick up a gun and assist Takakura in the climax. The film ends on a surprisingly hopeful note, all things considered. SONATINE (Japan, 1993: Takeshi Kitano) - My first "Beat" Takeshi Kitano film, which I rented in the late 90s expecting the Japanese equivalent of a John Woo film. That's certainly what the trailer promised--Hollywood trailers assume Americans collectively have the attention span of a gnat, so slow and contemplative movies from Asia often have their limited action sequences played up in trailers in order to bamboozle the audience. Takeshi plays Murakawa, an aging Triad enforcer who's beginning to have second thoughts about entering his Golden Years in the business. He's awfully good at what he does, but the violence has begun to wear down on him, especially after some unexplained job in Hokkaido (Japan's northern-most island) that cost him three of his men. In any case, his boss sends him to Okinawa to settle a feud between two local gangs. Once he arrives, it becomes clear that *someone* wants him out of the game...permanently. The middle portion of the film is set in the Okinawan countryside/coast, away from the capital city of Naha. It's mainly about Murakawa and his men--those who are still alive--finding ways to amuse themselves while waiting to receive word from Tokyo. This is where the movie becomes more contemplative, comic and even a bit surreal, such as the characters doing a physical reenactment of a paper Sumo wrestler game (sort of a Japanese rock'em-sock'em robots). It's certainly at odds with what you see in the trailer. The movie also features a famous image that has now become a popular gif: 3 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Member PandaPawPaw Posted September 3, 2023 Member Share Posted September 3, 2023 On 8/21/2023 at 4:25 PM, AlbertV said: Devilman (2004): I finally saw this as it is on Tubi and now, I regret ever seeing this. This is the Japanese equivalent of Dragonball Evolution as one of the all-time bad adaptations of a manga/anime ever made. The plot made no sense and goes out in left field so much, the pacing is so boring (just when it looks like it may end, I learned I was only halfway done..WTH?), the acting from twin brothers Hisato and Yusuki Izaki (as Akira and Ryo respectively) was really bad (although Hisato does try more than his brother, who looks like he's got something crammed up his rear the whole film), and don't get me started on the atrocious CGI and 2D animation used before the impact blows from Devilman. Even worse, the English dubbed version was so bad, the only one not dubbed was Bob Sapp as the news reporter. Just horrendous and safe to say I'm not planning to see this again. I'll stick to the anime. Go Nagai must have lost his mind when he saw this, because I sure did. 5 hours ago, DrNgor said: SONATINE (Japan, 1993: Takeshi Kitano) - My first "Beat" Takeshi Kitano film, which I rented in the late 90s expecting the Japanese equivalent of a John Woo film. That's certainly what the trailer promised--Hollywood trailers assume Americans collectively have the attention span of a gnat, so slow and contemplative movies from Asia often have their limited action sequences played up in trailers in order to bamboozle the audience. Takeshi plays Murakawa, an aging Triad enforcer who's beginning to have second thoughts about entering his Golden Years in the business. He's awfully good at what he does, but the violence has begun to wear down on him, especially after some unexplained job in Hokkaido (Japan's northern-most island) that cost him three of his men. In any case, his boss sends him to Okinawa to settle a feud between two local gangs. Once he arrives, it becomes clear that *someone* wants him out of the game...permanently. The middle portion of the film is set in the Okinawan countryside/coast, away from the capital city of Naha. It's mainly about Murakawa and his men--those who are still alive--finding ways to amuse themselves while waiting to receive word from Tokyo. This is where the movie becomes more contemplative, comic and even a bit surreal, such as the characters doing a physical reenactment of a paper Sumo wrestler game (sort of a Japanese rock'em-sock'em robots). It's certainly at odds with what you see in the trailer. The movie also features a famous image that has now become a popular gif: I love Kitano and Sonatine is a particular fave. Such a good movie the friendship that kind of develops amongst the characters is nice to watch unfolded. The beach scene is awesome! 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Member PandaPawPaw Posted September 3, 2023 Member Share Posted September 3, 2023 All About My Dog - "A series of short stories explore the connection of love between dogs and people". So it starts off nice and breezy with some funny light hearted stories of dogs and their owners and it's all cute and stuff. Awww so Cute! Then after around 30 minutes of that we get to the longest part of the film with a story about a couple who end up having to look after a friends dog. The couple are played by Nao Omori and Nanako Matsushima with the former reluctant to look after the dog due to a child hood trauma of the death of his own dog. Spoiler He slowly gets used to the dog and starts enjoying being around him but the husband keeps forgetting stuff so he goes to the doctor. The story then takes a real turn and the husband is diagnosed with early onset dementia and it becomes very very sad. The acting is really solid and the way the dementia slow creeps in is both scary and sad to see but the shift in tone really hits you. All nice and fluffy one minute then wham, all serious and sad. I liked how it highlighted how dementia effects not just the person with it but the people around them. It must be really hard to deal with. Post needs some Matsushima. Anyway after that there is one short story which is both sad and happy starring Kie Kitano. It goes back to being light and fluffy though so that's good. Worth a watch but bring some hankies. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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