Member Yihetuan Posted May 20 Member Share Posted May 20 The Eye's Dream - Dir. Hisayasu Sato [2016] (Japan) Being a Sato film, I went in expecting the usual mix of sex and body horror/splatter violence with a tinge of eroticism and I wasn't disappointed. The main protagonist played by actress Marissa did a very nice job in portraying the sense of dread and psychological dehabilitation that engulfs her life from a tragic childhood traumatic incident involving the loss of one of her eyes. But she's the anti-Deneueve in Polanski's Repulsion where her sexual urges are further enhanced by her traumatic memories & this is the gateway to many of the sex scenes in the film involving her female lover. The Japanese rock/folk musician, Panta (of Brain Police fame) plays a pivotal role as well. I won't give away his part as it will spoiler the film but he is involved in one of the more gory and bloody scenes. This film will ultimately have limited appeal to most but if you're one of them that appreciates Sato's films then I don't think you'll be disappointed. I saw this on the official Japanese blu ray release and it features a neat little short where Sato filmed a part of a dream sequence at the infamous "Sea of Trees" suicide forest involving the celebrity cannibal Issei Sagawa. Sagawa by the time of this filming was in serious mental decline and Sato attempting to get him to remember the date of his infamous crime was extremely awkward but eerie at the same time. There is also footage of Panta giving an mini-concert at the opening of this film and he sings a duet with lead actress Marissa. After watching their relationship in the film, this was also awkward but for different reasons. But she has very nice voice and sang really well with Panta. 3 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Member DrNgor Posted June 7 Member Share Posted June 7 Ashura (Japan, 2005) - A good-looking, but overlong jidai-geki horror-fantasy-melodrama - 3/5 - https://abeautifulfilm.blogspot.com/2024/06/ashura-2005.html 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Member Takuma Posted June 28 Author Member Share Posted June 28 Daiei x 2 The Dream Girl (裸でだっこ) (Japan, 1970) [TV] – 2.5/5 Forgettable, but entirely watchable sexy comedy with Mari Atsumi in various levels of undress. Atsumi stars as a female member of a youth group pulling out various conman stunts to make money. Gamera director Noriaki Yuasa packs more punch, laughs and nudity into this movie than his earlier Atsumi film, the thoroughly dull Your Favourite (1969). Hurry on a Sail to Dream (太陽は見た) (Japan, 1970) [TV] – 3.5/5 A delightfully twisted, Sun Tribe influenced psycho drama with Daiei's electric jellyfish Mari Atsumi. The opening scene sees caretaker Atsumi having sex with her bed-ridden father. Young bloke Toru Minegishi, who witnesses the act, then deems it fair game to rape the spoiled goods. He only learns later that there’s more to the family relationship than meets the eye, and that her affection is more of the economic than romantic kind. Atsumi and Minegishi start working together to make the old geezer expire sooner, and fall in love while at it. This is where audiences with modern sensibilities probably start checking out, if they had not done so already. However, the power balance here isn't quite what one might expect as Atsumi constantly has the psychological upper hand over the rough but boyishly naïve Minegishi. Somewhat similar in tone to Masumura's equally enjoyable Atsumi film The Hot Little Girl (1970), this is a solid sociopaths in love tale with a touch of Sun Tribe influence to themes and scenery. Also perhaps worth noting, Atsumi who had a tendency to tease but not show much, goes topless quite a few times here, though briefly each time. Nikkatsu x 2 Umi no jôji ni kakero (海の情事に賭けろ) (Japan, 1960) [35mm] – 2.5/5 Japan's James Dean Keiichiro Akagi stars in this mediocre Nikkatsu action film made only 5 months before his untimely death at the age of 21. This actually seems more interesting at first than it turns out to be, opening much like a Sun Tribe picture with a bunch hedonistic youngsters at sea. They save an injured young man (Akagi) from the water, which is when the film takes a turn to standard mystery action. The man is a reporter who was almost killed after being mistaken for someone else. He decides to find out what's going on and why the yakuza have hired a hitman to get rid of someone who shares a face with him. It turns out – spoiler incoming – he's got an identical twin he never knew about. Melodrama ensues. The film’s old fashioned charm, pretty colour cinematography and of course Akagi keep the film entirely watchable, even though it’s hardly more than a standard programmer. Night Butterflies (三人の女 夜の蝶) [Japan, 1971] [Streaming] – 3.5/5 Unknown to most overseas audiences, in the 60s and early 70s Japan there was an entire (untitled) genre of nocturnal dramas focusing on the lives of hostesses and hustlers. These films served as cinematic ballads, and indeed, were often based on one. Their sound and aesthetics were instantly recognizable from neon lights, colourful night club interiors and pop songs performed in front of camera by popular singers. This film is a superior late entry into the genre with Chieko Matsubara, Meiko Kaji and Yoko Yamamoto as three hostesses working in the Shinjuku night, which is infested with playboys, gangsters and people trying to forget their past. The film doesn't stray far from the usual formula; however, it is better made than most, with good characters and an all around solid execution. Matsubara is the lead, a countryside girl who relocates to Tokyo after being betrayed by a lover and immediately after brutalized by thug Tatsuya Fuji. They later meet in Tokyo, with Fuji now regretful of what he did to her. Speaking of which, it's not in every film that you see chaste 60s princess Matsubara raped in the opening scene. Indeed, the times were changing and it’s perhaps a bit surprising she was still on board with Nikkatsu as late as early 1971, even if the mentioned scene is quite tame by 70s standards. Oh and another scene that must be mentioned: chubby child comedian Attack Ichiro fooling around in bed with a beautiful naked hostess. I don't even dare to imagine how this scene would go down with hyper-sensitive modern (Western) audiences. Toei x 2 Blackmail (恐喝) (Japan, 1963) [35mm] – 3/5 A pretty good, if somewhat forgettable, neo noir with Ken Takakura as a young yakuza punk who finds himself alone in the night after two yakuza gangs team up to hunt him down to recover a stolen document. There are some thrilling scenes and stylish cinematography, but the storyline and direction are a bit too basic to sustain momentum throughout the 91 minute running time. Seeing Takakura, best known for his later chivalrous roles, play a selfish blackmailer punk who’s too full of himself, is probably the film’s best selling point. Bad girl Yoko Mihara makes a brief appearance as the anti-hero’s sexy girlfriend. Director Yusuke Watanabe was no stranger to yakuza films, but his most memorable pictures came in the mid 60s when he directed Mako Midori in some of Toei’s best early erotic B-films, such as Two Bitches (1964). Secret Information (密告) (Japan, 1968) [Streaming] – 4/5 Former real life gang boss turned actor Noboru Ando stars in this little known revenge noir, which is one of his best films. Ando plays a bitter gangster just out of prison, quietly searching for the traitor who sent him behind bars eight years earlier. Director Masaharu Segawa is best known for comedy and musical films. He only made three gangster action pictures in his career, all of them highly stylized, and this one coming out as the best. There’s an evident European new wave and Jean Pierre Melville vibe to the film, which is almost experimental in its editing, sound design and minimalism. That being said, it’s still a Toei gangster picture with the expected gunplay, car chases, and a shade of romance. Ando himself fares quite well in a role that doesn’t require big acting or lots of dialogue, but rather draws from his natural charisma and scarred face. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Member DrNgor Posted July 1 Member Share Posted July 1 Karate from Shaolin Temple (Japan, 1976: Nanbu Hideo) - original title: Shorinji Kempo: Musashi Hong Kong ni arawaru - The IMDB lists this as a sequel to Sonny Chiba's famous The Killing Machine, although this was produced by Shikoku Ofuna, as opposed to Toei. Our hero is Musashi Yamanaka (Kenji Kusuma, of The Street Fighter and When Taekwondo Strikes), a shorinji kempo expert who has left Japan for Hong Kong in search of a worthy opponent. Musashi quickly falls in with millionaire Chow Yin-Nin (Fist of Fury's Fung Ngai), who has been a harrassed by a kung fu gang led by Wu Chung-Hin (Henry Yu, of Fists of the Double K and The Awaken Punch). Musashi accepts a position as Yin-Nin's bodyguard and also strikes up a friendship with a Japanese singer, Reiko (Junko Igarashi, of Hito Goroshi). Musashi and Wu Chung-Hin eventually have a throwdown, which leaves both men seriously injured. The circumstances behind the fight lead Musashi to suspect that Reiko has some sort of connection with Chung-Hin--they're ex-lovers. Musashi learns that his boss is actually the owner of a series of opium dens throughout Hong Kong. Also, Chung-Hin is seeking revenge against Yin-Nin for murdering his father years before. Musashi is captured and tortured by the bad guys, and eventually switches sides... There are a handful of fights in this, possibly choreographed by Seven Fortunes member Ng Ming-Choi (King Hu's Legend of the Mountain and Raining on the Mountain). The best fight is between Musashi and Wu, which is pretty good. The other fights are pretty short, including the finale, which is underwhelming. After all the stuff that the good guys go through, I was hoping for a longer, more violent climax with our hero crushing heads and taking names. He dispatches all of his opponents in a couple of hits, which is boring. There is a chaotic fight in the hallways of an apartment building, featuring guys with nunchaku. Also, Yuen Siu-Tin shows up in an extended cameo as a wise monk. 1 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Member ShaOW!linDude Posted July 2 Member Share Posted July 2 13 Steps of the Maki: The Young Aristocrats (1975) Stars: Etsuko Shihomi, Hiroshi Nawa, Misa Ohara, Tatsuya Nanjo, special appearance by Sonny Chiba Dir: Makoto Naito I'm not real familiar with this. I've heard the title before. I remember a lot of talk about this on the forum a few years back (pre-pandemic). Unlike many here, I've never really been all that impressed with Shihomi as a screen fighter. She's certainly cute, though. I watched a Sister Streetfighter movie back in the 90's and I was bored out of my mind. But I enjoyed this. Segments of the film are rough to get through, but you have to remember, that to a large degree, this is a 70's exploitation movie. So there's quite a bit of brief nudity (not Shihomi) and lots of brutal violence (definitely Shihomi). Shihomi plays Maki, the leader of an all-girl gang, who take the definition of "mean girls" to a new level. And everything she wears has the number 13 on it, which never really gets explained. They wind up crossing paths with an entitled rich girl (Ohara) whose father is a prominent businessman with connections to a seedy guy named Daimon (Nawa). After gaslighting each other a few times (which is putting it mildly), Shihomi finds herself in a women's prison while her gang members are kidnapped, strung out on drugs, and forced into prostitution. After Daimon kills off Ohara's father to force a marriage, the rich girl encourages Maki to escape for revenge. Shihomi comes across as a good screen fighter in this. and she's a kicker. The action has a nice Streetfighter feel to it, which I recall as lacking in her complementary role as Sister Streetfighter (but maybe I ought to revisit that now). Chiba only makes one appearance in a flashback, sparing with Shihomi, but it's a nice touch. The finale is really good. I caught this on Tubi. The copy is nice. The movie only clocks in at about 80 minutes. If you've not seen it, it's worth checking out. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Member DrNgor Posted July 6 Member Share Posted July 6 Tetsuo II: Body Hammer (Japan, 1992: Shinya Tsukamoto) - You know, some movies and books about current socio-political issues may stand the test of time, while others are dated rather quickly. Many of the longest-lasting works of art not only comment on history and social issues, but have something great to say about universal emotions and the human condition as a whole. For example, Tetsuo II: Body Hammer is ultimately about the painful and arduous journey that your average white-collar family man must go on as he transforms into a tank. Not a figure of speech, like turning in a Brock Lesnar sort. I mean, a living, breathing metal tank. There's more to it than that, mind you, but that is the general gist of the film. Features body horror worthy of Videodrome and John Carpenter's The Thing and a explicit, protracted sex scene involving a guy with a gun fetish. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Member DrNgor Posted July 11 Member Share Posted July 11 Tetsuo: The Bullet Man (Japan, 2009: Shinya Tsukamoto) - The third entry in this "trilogy" is certainly an odd duck, having been filmed in English with (presumably) foreign backing. It plays to a certain extent like a rehash of the second film, what with the man's journey into metal madness starting with the murder of his son. It is surprisingly more straight-forward than the other two, with the exposition dump occurring midway via the main character reading a journal. The climax suggests that everything was a plot for the bad guy was egging the protagonist on into evolving into a human nuclear weapon. The action scenes are incomprehensible. The scenes that echo the style of the first two films feel almost like self-parody. Easily the least of the three. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Member DrNgor Posted July 11 Member Share Posted July 11 Reigo: King of the Sea Monsters (Japan, 2008: Shinpei Hayashiya) - https://abeautifulfilm.blogspot.com/2024/07/reigo-king-of-sea-monsters-2008.html 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Member DrNgor Posted July 13 Member Share Posted July 13 I follow up review of Reigo with its sequel, Raiga: God of the Monsters (2009): https://abeautifulfilm.blogspot.com/2024/07/raiga-god-of-monsters-2009.html Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Member DrNgor Posted July 13 Member Share Posted July 13 On 7/11/2024 at 3:09 PM, DrNgor said: Reigo: King of the Sea Monsters (Japan, 2008: Shinpei Hayashiya) - https://abeautifulfilm.blogspot.com/2024/07/reigo-king-of-sea-monsters-2008.html 14 hours ago, DrNgor said: I follow up review of Reigo with its sequel, Raiga: God of the Monsters (2009): https://abeautifulfilm.blogspot.com/2024/07/raiga-god-of-monsters-2009.html I tried to watch the third film in the trilogy, God Raiga vs. King Ohga (2019), but that thing was so mystifyingly bad, from the budgetary overreach to the script, that I could not finish it. It was that bad. I haven't been defeated by a crap movie like this since my attempt to re-watch Twins Effect II. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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