Member KenHashibe Posted May 11, 2017 Member Share Posted May 11, 2017 17 hours ago, Takuma said: I haven't seen Ore Ni Kaketa Yatsura, though I'm not so much of a Nikkatsu man anyway. Toei is my specialty. Alright. Thanks anyway. I'll try to track it down and give it a watch. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Member KenHashibe Posted May 18, 2017 Member Share Posted May 18, 2017 Tokyo Drifter (1966) - 4/5 I finally gave this iconic Japanese crime thriller a look and I definitely had a lot of fun with it. I found a lot of enjoyment out of the characters, the style, and the simplistic story. It honestly took me a little while to realize that this is actually a dark comedy. Thankfully, I caught on before the western-esque, slapstick brawl in a saloon started which literally brought the house down. Also, I don’t know if it was the sound effects or how it was shot, but the shootouts felt really impactful. I usually don’t flinch when a gun is shot in a movie anymore, but I genuinely felt the danger in the shootouts. Overall, Tokyo Drifter has style, fun imagery, great music, almost cartoon-like characters, and great comedic timing, making it both an exceptional dark comedy and an engrossing crime thriller. Fukushima Mon Amour (2016) - 3/5 First off, I am 100% aware that this isn’t a Japanese movie (it's a German production), but eh screw it; I’m still posting this mini-review here. Anyway, Fukushima Mon Amour was a good reminder of why I don’t really like art movies. The very first shot of the movie basically told me “I’m gonna hate this movie.” I downright disliked the opening 30 minutes or so which I found annoyingly pretentious and amateurish, but thankfully, the movie got progressively better as it continued. Particularly when our leads (an old Japanese lady and a younger German woman) start interacting, the culture shock and their interactions are somewhat interesting. However, without spoiling anything, I felt the young German woman was horribly unlikable for the most part. And just like other art movies, I wasn’t terribly bored watching it, but I wasn’t terribly invested in it either. The film was elevated by a strong by Kaori Momoi, some chilling imagery, and the interaction between our leads. The final 10-15 minutes are also surprisingly powerful and affecting. Overall though, I thought Fukushima Mon Amour was a pretty okay movie, but it wasn’t anything particularly interesting or compelling. 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Member Takuma Posted May 20, 2017 Author Member Share Posted May 20, 2017 Blind Beast (Japan, 1969) [DVD] - 4/5 Yasuzo Masumura remains one the most under-appreciated Japanese filmmakers. He has always been difficult to categorize because he made both melodramas and genre films. I actually dislike half of his movies, but the rest, they are amazing. This Rampo Edogawa adaptation is probably his most notorious film, a psycho sexual story about a blind sculptor who abducts a nude photo model (Mako Midori). He locks her in a warehouse full of human body parts that he has created, including two giant, 20 metre full body models. What begins as a simple abduction tale grows into a twisted relationship study with a devastatingly powerful and disturbing ending. Midori, a fearless (former) Toei actress, always deserved to be directed by someone of Masumura's calibre. Masumura uses her well, especially her face. The film also features one of the most memorable movie sets ever created. Zatoichi at Large (Japan, 1972) [BD] - 2/5 Part 23. Zatoichi picks up a baby from a dying mother on a road. Her other kid witnesses the tragedy and thinks Zatoichi killed her. As a result he keeps throwing stones at him (fun at first) and giving him trouble (not fun for long) for the rest of the film. Frustratingly, he's not the only one as there's a seemingly endless cavalcade of characters whose misunderstandings are used as cheap plot device. Later Zatoichi arrives a town terrorized by your usual nasty yakuza gang. There's also a super irritating street performer troupe providing mostly unfunny comedy. Thankfully the action is entertaining, there are some nice touches on the soundtrack, and a couple of the supporting characters are interesting. Katsu himself is great. Zatoichi in Desperation (Japan, 1972) [BD] - 3/5 Part 24. This was Katsu's second directorial effort following the yakuza film The Boss (1971). In Katsu's hands the film came out quite dark and realistic compared to most Zatoichi films. Zatoichi saves a woman from a brothel, however, she's not all that grateful as she didn't really mind her job. Interesting twist! There's also quite a surprise at the end, which is better not spoiled. A lot of the film is spend witnessing evil yakuza boss Asao Uchida being mean, even bullying children and retarded people. Unfortunately a lot that plays just like these scenarios usually do these kinds of films (Toei's ninkyo output offers tons of similar examples). Action scenes are unfortunately filmed and edited in a way that it makes it a bit difficult to see what is going on. Rica (Japan, 1972) [DVD] - 3.5/5 The term Pinky Violence, as originally coined by J. Taro Sugisaku, excludes films made by studios other than Toei. There are, however, movies by other studios that fit the bill even better than some of Toei's own efforts. Here's a case in point, an energetic and mean spirited delinquent girl exploitationer scripted by arthouse name Kaneto Shindo for Toho. Rika Aoki makes a terrific lead as half breed girl who leaves home after being raped by US soldiers and then by her step father (on the same day) and finds new life on the streets and on a gangster owned club where she sings. Loaded with outrageous scenarios, groovy music and a strong lead, the film's got almost everything you'd wish from a Pinky Violence film. The stumbling point is, ironically, Shindo's extremely episodic script that fails to establish any kind of plot until last 15 minutes. The lack of a plot makes the film feel longer than it is. Thankfully, much is forgiven for the ultra-cool ending credits sequence alone. Rica 2: Lonely Wanderer (Japan, 1973) [DVD] - 2.5/5 Considering how good the first film was, this sequel is a bit disappointing. It doesn't have the energy of the first film, and it tones down the violence and sex in favour of a more comedic approach. Thankfully, it still comes with some great scenes like Rica singing at a club and yet another fantastic closing credits sequence. There's also plenty of entertaining (but unexceptional) action. If you're able to put aside comparisons to the first movie, and approach it modest expectations, you should be able to find it quite enjoyable however. In fact, feel like I'm being a little harsh here. A three star rating wouldn't be out of question. Rica 3: Juvenile's Lullaby (Japan, 1973) [DVD] – 1.5/5 It’s strange how the Rica series went from the mean spirited original to the manga esque girl gang comedy complete with cartoonish sound effects that is this third film. This is closer to the following year’s (horrible) Lupin III live action film than almost anything else in the girl gang genre. If it wasn’t for the occasional raping, you could label it as a family flick. The only saving graces are occasional glimpses of skin by star Rika Aoki and the usual racial themes. Not only is the protagonist (and many supporting characters) half breed, but many of the villains are also foreigners or Japanese people who became villains after being traumatized by gaijin bastards! How's that for political incorrectness? Bankaku Rock (Japan, 1973) [TV] - 3/5 One of the lesser known Toei girl gang films. This one has a fantastic opening with school girls walking to the train station where they strip down to their panties and change to casual wear in front of everyone as they just don't give a damn. From here on, despite the usual gang rivalry plot, the film takes a bit more serious and character driven path. There is relatively little action and the film offers a more credible portrayal of the lower class (gang) life than most films of its kind. It feels perhaps closer to Nikkatsu Action than Toei's Pinky Violence, no doubt partly due to screenwriter Atsushi Yamatoya. Further enhancing the Nikkatsu feel is rock band Carol that not only contributes the soundtrack but is also seen playing in the club sequences. Unfortunately the film's climax is exceptionally low key, realistic it might be. One can't help but to feel that the ending should've been a bit wilder, after all. 3 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Member KenHashibe Posted May 22, 2017 Member Share Posted May 22, 2017 (edited) @Takuma I went to Book Off earlier today and I found Ready! Lady! (a.k.a. レディ！レディ) on DVD. I've never heard of it before and I still have no idea what it is, but I was thinking of buying it since it has Hiroko Yakushimaru. Do you think it's worth buying? I also found The Little Girl Who Conquered Time (1983) with Tomoyo Harada. I didn't buy it since I'm not entirely sure if it has subtitles or not. Any thoughts on that movie? Thanks in advance! Edited May 22, 2017 by KenHashibe 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Member Takuma Posted May 22, 2017 Author Member Share Posted May 22, 2017 Haven't seen Ready! Lady! The Girl Who Conquered Time is a fun film, although a bit over-rated IMO. Features one of my favourite closing credits scenes ever. Harada is also cute. She wasn't such a good actress but she had the kind of natural innocense and cuteness most other actresses could only dream of. 3 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Member KenHashibe Posted May 22, 2017 Member Share Posted May 22, 2017 9 hours ago, Takuma said: The Girl Who Conquered Time is a fun film, although a bit over-rated IMO. Features one of my favourite closing credits scenes ever. Harada is also cute. She wasn't such a good actress but she had the kind of natural innocense and cuteness most other actresses could only dream of. Thanks. I might pick it up then. It's always had my interest. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Member KenHashibe Posted May 23, 2017 Member Share Posted May 23, 2017 (edited) The Little Girl Who Conquered Time (1983) - 3.5/5 From the director of the classic 1977 Japanese horror movie House, Nobuhiko Obayashi, comes this sweet sci-fi romance movie, The Little Girl Who Conquered Time. And just like House, this movie features Obayashi’s signature special effects which are far from realistic, but are still charming. Obayashi also makes use of some inventive camera angles and beautiful-looking shots. This movie also features the acting debut of J-pop idol Tomoyo Harada and unfortunately you can kinda tell it’s her acting debut. She is a bit awkward in front of the camera, but she’s still incredibly charming and cute. And the shyness almost feels like part of her character so it mostly works. However, some of the other acting wasn’t too great to say the least. Besides the sometimes sub-par acting, the story was also kinda slow and confusing. I had no idea what was happening for a lot of it, but I fortunately caught up by the end. A charming performance by Tomoyo Harada and great visuals add to the film though. And I was delighted that this was a very different movie from what I had expected. I mainly expected a fun, cute, sweet romantic comedy with a bit of sci-fi. However, the movie is nowhere near as typical as I had expected, with an ending that’s actually kinda sad, frustrating, and consequential for a movie like this. Overall, I really enjoyed the movie despite its slow pacing, sometimes below-average acting, and a somewhat confusing story. The theme song also improves the overall experience. On 5/22/2017 at 1:40 AM, Takuma said: Features one of my favourite closing credits scenes ever. I love that scene too! Edited June 24, 2017 by KenHashibe 3 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Member KenHashibe Posted May 29, 2017 Member Share Posted May 29, 2017 Bayside Shakedown 2 (2003) - 4/5 In short, if you liked the first Bayside Shakedown movie, you’ll definitely enjoy the sequel. Bayside Shakedown 2 and the original are very similar movies, however this movie has a noticeably higher budget (which was probably a good call considering it went on to become the highest grossing live-action Japanese movie of all time). This movie has great production values and comparatively looks much more cinematic. And just like the first, it’s still very funny and is genuinely exciting. Even suspenseful at times. Also, I don’t know what it is about that theme song, but my blood starts rushing every time I hear it. The characters are still as likable as ever. And there are so many clever setups and payoffs. Besides a horrifically unsubtle message at the end about how it’s important to donate blood, Bayside Shakedown 2 serves as an extremely entertaining sequel and might even be better than the original. 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Member Takuma Posted June 9, 2017 Author Member Share Posted June 9, 2017 (edited) - Teruo Ishii set - Woman's Body and the Wharf (女体棧橋) (Japan, 1958) [DCP] - 3/5 "A town in the centre of Japan that is not Japan!" Teruo Ishii's moody noir about two detectives trying to bring down an international woman trafficking ring operating in the seedy night clubs of Tokyo. Stylish and delightfully shot at 75 minutes, but perhaps a bit too talkative. Ishii regular Yoko Mihara (still young and slim) appears in a major role. Secret Agent 101: Bodyguard Murder (神火101殺しの用心棒) (Japan, 1966) [35mm] - 2/5 Fast paced, but ultimately disappointing Shochiku action shot on location in Hong Kong and Macao. The messy film is basically a mash up of spy flicks and gangster movies. There's some entertainment to be had thanks to the locations, undone towards the end by the dumb script and insufficient production. There are some frustrating bits like a woman who's just been saved from gangsters deciding to go back to the same damn place because her lover is there. The long action / stunt finale featuring a the hero (Muga Takewaki) dodging bullets (and occasionally hanging by a rope) from small airplane counts as one of the sloppiest action set pieces I've seen in ages. The trick shots are laughably bad and it's obvious the scene required more footage than the filmmakers were able to film. Teruo Ishii later admitted that Shochiku was no place for filming modern action. Orgies of Edo (残酷異常虐待物語 元禄女系図) (Japan, 1969) [35mm] - 3/5 This fun but unremarkable vintage exploitation romp, which I reviewed a while back, is quite a bit less violent than Ishii's earlier film The Joy of Torture. There's a bit of confusion about the "series title" for these Ishii films. In Japan they are more or less officially referred to as the "Abnormal Love" series, which started with History of the Shogun's Harem (1968). That term applies especially well to this film, but also to the others are there is always a love story of sorts to be found behind the cruelty. Western distributors only caught up with the series with The Joy of Torture, thanks to which the films became known as the "Joys of Torture" series in the West. In Germany they were billed as the "Tokugawa" series, including this film which is not even set in the Tokugawa era. Another term frequently associated to the films is "ero-guro", but that also doesn't cover some of the films like Yakuza's Law, which is very guro but not ero at all. Ultimately it doesn't matter that much, though. The filmmakers were never as concerned about thematic continuity as they were about entertaining the audience using any means that seemed interesting. . Inferno of Torture (徳川いれずみ師 責め地獄) (Japan, 1969) [35mm] - 4/5 Ishii expands the tattoo episode from The Joy of Torture into a feature length film. This time there are two tattoo artist, one decent and one depraved, both in love with the same woman who's been promised to the winner of a tattoo contest. The two artists get their human canvas from an odd bunch of noblemen yakuza who run a woman trade ring. Of course the beauty of the women every so often causes mishaps to the men around them, punishable by ultra-brutal death of course. It is not only the fascinating tattoo theme giving the film a strong identity - with hellish visions of the inferno tattooed on beautiful women's backs - but also Ishii's colourful, highly visual imaging of a mysterious, cruel and fascinating (fantasy) Tokugawa era that make this a terrific film. There are only some minor issues with the storyline drifting around at times, and a couple of silly comic reliefs - something that is probably due to hasty pre-production (Ishii directed and wrote 7 movies that year). Shocking, beautiful, and fascinating, one of Ishii's finest films. . Love and Crime (明治大正昭和 猟奇女犯罪史) (Japan, 1969) [35mm] - 3/5 A true account of crimes of passion, played for little else than shock value. There's something admirable about such sleazy premise even if this doesn't rank among the better entries in the Abnormal Love series. Adhering (to a degree) to facts appears to be the biggest hindrance as the kind of wild imagination and inspired execution that could be found in Ishii's best films is somewhat lacking here. Once again Ishii uses the episode film structure with four main stories accompanied by a couple of mini-stories. The 1st story is the best, delivering both the skin and the guts as young wife and her lover go on a rampage. The 2nd is the weakest, Ishii mainly getting credit for being an early bird on the Abe Sada story and bringing the lady herself in front of the camera for a cameo - everything else was done better later by Oshima and Tanaka. The decent 3rd and 4th story focus on a serial rapist murderer, and Oden Takahashi, the last woman executed by decapitation in Japan. The film benefits from its production era, coming with the charm of somewhat dated if gross 60s exploitation rather than convincing nihilism that might have been too much given the topic. Followed by a weak semi-sequel Bizarre Crimes of Post-War Japan (1976) by Yuji Makiguchi. . Horrors of Malformed Men (江戸川乱歩全集 恐怖奇形人間) (Japan, 1969) [35mm] - 4.5/5 A nothing short of legendary Edogawa Rampo adaptation combining multiple source stories into a single narrative. The tale begins as an enjoyable mystery that later turns into a Japanese version of The Island of Doctor Moreau during its final and most remarkable third. It is during this segment that Teruo Ishii excels with some of his career-best sequences. While the film may not be half as gory as some expect, it's an atmospheric movie with a great mysterious score, great imagination, and a wonderful antagonist played by the unearthly Butoh dancer Tatsumi Hijikata. The film was elevated to cult reputation partly because Toei withdrew all prints just weeks after its release in 1969 following complaints about the film's politically incorrect nature. The original Japanese title, which more accurately translates as "The Horrifying Malformed Men" or even "The Terror of Malformed Men" depending on interpretation, was part of the issue in the post WWII, nuclear traumatized Japan. Up till this day the film has never been distributed on home video or broadcast on TV in Japan, although there are 35mm screenings almost every year. . Prisoner's Black List (監獄人別帳) (Japan, 1970) [35mm] 2.5/5 Teruo Ishii returns to the genre that originally made him a successful director: gangster films. This film basically plays out like an unofficial Abashiri Prison sequel with lots of added scatological humour. It even features Kanjuro Arashi as Onitora, the supporting character he played in Abashiri Prison. The rest of the cast is different, however, as this is technically speaking a loose follow up to another Ishii film, Killer's Black List (1970). The first 2/3 of the film is set in a prison (housing both male and female convicts, both equally silly), followed by an action packed escape. Modestly entertaining and at times very stupid, but the last 15 minutes is disappointingly by-the-numbers bang-bang action without anything particularly stylish about it. Bohachi bushido: Code of the Forgotten Eight (ポルノ時代劇 忘八武士道) (Japan, 1973) [35mm] 4.5/5 A nihilist samurai (Tetsuro Tamba) is hired by a villainous yakuza clan to wipe out another clan's prostitution businesses in Teruo Ishii's most enjoyable film. Ishii had already left ero-guro films when his friend Tamba spoke him over to helming this Kazuo Koike comic book adaptation. It turned out an exceptional film. Ishii creates a wonderfully decadent world full of sleazy yakuza, deadly swordsmen, psychedelic colours and ridiculously awesome action scenes such as the one where naked female bodyguards are attacked by a Kurokawa ninja (the same clan that haunts Ogami Itto in the Lone Wolf and Cub series). While Ishii is at his inspired best here, he is greatly assisted by a terrific script that keeps the film on a constant move and allows perfect pacing. It's also a rare treat to see the charismatic Tamba in such a film (original: Porno jidaigeki). Usually movies like this were marketed purely with female stars and their assets - of which there is no lack in this film. I must've seen this movie half dozen times, and now for the first time in 35mm. This is exactly the kind of fascinating, sexy, sadistic and mysterious world that only gets more awesome in movie theatre. . - end of Ishii reviews - Saburai: Way of the Bohachi (忘八武士道 さ無頼) (Japan, 1974) - 2/5 A disappointing follow-up to Teruo Ishii's chanbara masterpiece Bohachi Bushido: Clan of the Forgotten Eight (1973). Ishii mention in an interview he didn't even know Toei had made a sequel to his film. This movie is very much a re-telling of the original, with Goro Ibuki playing Tetsuro Tamba's role, althoug it's not clear whether the protagonist is the same character or not. The storyline is almost the same with many scenes remade from the original. It has its own trashy appeal as the film is even more violent than Ishii's movie and features just as much sex. However, the film is entirely incoherent in its characterization and storytelling, and lacks the style, pace and originality of Ishii's film. It feels like a copy made by a lesser filmmaker, the man being the mediocre Takashi Harada. A good comparison would be the Female Prisoner Scorpion series, where the originals (1972-1974) had their own surreal, twisted logic to them while the remakes (1976-1977) were just nonsensical. Ibuki and Harada, however, teamed up for a much better sexploitation chanbara the following year, Shitakari Hanjirô: (Maruhi) kannon o sagase, which, like this film, was based on a Kazuo Koike comic book. Lake of Dracula (呪いの館 血を吸う眼) (Japan, 1970) [35mm] 1.5/5 Part 2 in Toho's Dracula trilogy. I haven't seen the others, and based on how boring this one is, it shall remain that way. The dull, bloodless film attempts to relocate Hammer style horror to Japan, but the characters are dull, the style is lacking, and the storyline about a woman who ran into vampires as a kid and at the end of the film realizes it wasn't a dream after all fails to spark any interest. The vampire himself (not actually Dracula, but a descendant), played by the usually interesting Shin Kishida, is but a pale shadow of Christopher Lee, and his "castle" is more like a big cottage by a lake. The pale faced vampire make up (that no one in the film particularly pays attention to) looks especially ridiculous. Edited June 9, 2017 by Takuma 3 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Member DrNgor Posted June 9, 2017 Member Share Posted June 9, 2017 49 minutes ago, Takuma said: Lake of Dracula (呪いの館 血を吸う眼) (Japan, 1970) [35mm] 1.5/5 Part 2 in Toho's Dracula trilogy. I haven't seen the others, and based on how boring this one is, it shall remain that way. The other two are supposed to be better than this one. http://www.the-unknown-movies.com/unknownmovies/reviews/rev12.html 3 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Member Takuma Posted July 24, 2017 Author Member Share Posted July 24, 2017 (edited) Too Young to Die (死ぬにはまだ早い) (Japan, 1969) [35mm] 4.5/5 Kiyoshi Nishimura is one of the most exciting undiscovered Japanese directors. The opening for this film is cinema at its purest, and best! Nishimura uses very little dialogue as he first shows a man and a woman in bed, making love. We don't know exactly who they are and what their relationship is, but they're not married. Quick crosscuts reveal that he appears to be a former race driver. She makes references to her husband who is away, somewhere. Cut to the following night as they are in a car. They stop in a small bar by the highway. Minutes later a desperate gunman charges in and takes everyone as hostage. This is the premise for Nishimura's gritty and intelligent debut film which serves as a prime example of what is good filmmaking. The film drafts excellent characters without ever over-explaining them, which allows us to feel for them, yet we cannot anticipate their every move. Nishimura's attention for every detail, every drop of sweat, every painful breath, combined with sparse but clever use of music make this one hell of a thriller. Unfortunately, it has never been released on home video. City of Beasts (野獣都市) (Japan, 1970) [35mm] - 3.5/5 Director Jun Fukuda is probably best known for his Godzilla films. Those films gave little indication he could make films this good. This aptly titled film follows a university student (Toshio Kurosawa) who makes friends with a middle aged factory owner (Rentaro Mikuni). The men have a common interest: guns. When Mikuni takes his new friend to a shady business meeting, the young apprentice cold bloodedly guns down the men who showed up with guns. The two click immediately and a father-son like relationship develops between them. Kurosawa's loyalty comes much in need when his mentor's sexy daughter is about to be married to a man with close family ties to the yakuza, who in turn are looking for the men Kurosawa shot dead and dumped in the bottom of a lake. Minor roughness in Fukuda's filmmaking is evident, but the film is cold, gritty and fast paced while simultaneously offering a fascinating insights to the characters. Based on a book by Haruhiko Oyabu (Youth of the Beast). Warmth of Love (愛のぬくもり) (Japan, 1972) [VoD] - 1/5 Married university professor falls in love with a young party girl (Mari Tanaka) who is not into long term relationships. The poor old man is willing to put his career and marriage at stake to win her over. Shabby Roman Porno melodrama deals with generation gap, but comes out silly and boring. Although not the worst film out there, it's ultimately free of any merits, and Tanaka's character is unusually irritating. Even the club scenes are boring. Yakuza and Feuds (やくざと抗争) (Japan, 1972) [DVD] - 2/5 A jitsuroku / ninkyo hybrid based on Noboru Ando's partly autobiographical, partly fictional novel of the same name, released earlier the same year. The film focuses Ando (played by Ando himself, of course) and his gangs in the early 1930s when they were still small time street thugs. Ando makes friends with a doctor and his daughter, and comes across an honourable yakuza (Bunta Sugawara) who's affiliated with villainous gangsters (Bin Amatsu, Fumio Watanabe). Unfortunately the film lacks clear vision, packing 93 minutes of mediocre yakuza mayhem that falls somewhere between the jitsuroku and ninkyo genres. Note: this is the 1st of three films that could be considered to be a series. There's a bit of confusion about the films since in his book Chris D got the titles mixed up, calling the first two films "True Account of the Ando Gang - Yakuza and Feuds" and "Yakuza and Feuds - True Account of the Ando Gang" respectively. Actually the 1st film is just called " Yakuza and Feuds", and the 2nd one is "True Account of the Ando Gang - Yakuza and Feuds". The mistake is repeated to an even greater degree in IMDb (at least as of June 2017) where not only the English titles but also to cast listings, trivia, running times etc. for both films are mixed up, and sometimes combined. Girl Boss: Escape from Reform School (女番長 感化院脱走) (Japan, 1973) [35mm] - 4/5 The 5th film in the series. This one keeps getting better every time I see it. The film comes with genuinely cool characters (especially after the nasty, misogynist Girl Boss Revenge), badass girl power, groovy soundtrack, and bits of good humour instead of dumb comedy. Cool without being too flashy, except for the reform school's standard punishment method which is stripping teenage girls topless, tying their hands behind their back and leaving them in a cell alone. Hah! I also liked Kenji Imai, an actor I normally don't pay much attention to, as the reform school teacher chasing the escapees, and of course Tsunehiko Watase as a young robber who hooks up with the girls. Watase is always good at playing these kind of rough but somehow pitiable characters. The film is, generally speaking, a little more believable than most other films in the genre, which is probably why it doesn't initially stand out but grows on you on subsequent viewings. Oh, and needless to say seeing this from a near pristine 35mm print on Shin Bungeiza's large screen was a blast. Lion Enforcer (唐獅子警察) (Japan, 1974) [DVD] - 2/5 Regrettably dull yakuza film by the uneven Sadao Nakajima. Tsunehiko Watase is a young hothead who befriends older gangster Akira Kobayashi until his temper starts causing trouble and the men find themselves enemies. The film mainly suffers from the fact that it's not all that interesting. Everything has been done better in other films, and this one is not even especially violent in its genre. Somewhat decent last 3 minutes aside, the only memorable scene is Watase raping a horny French woman who doesn't mind it at all, quite the contrary instead. Hardly counts as a merit. Embraced by the Dark (闇に抱かれて) (Japan, 1982) [DCP] 3/5 A pretty good follow-up to director Kazunari Takeda's beautiful, melancholic Roman Porno drama A Woman's Trail: Wet Path (1980) from two years earlier. A young woman experiencing relationship problems hooks up with a middle aged suicidal man (imagine a bearded hippie author kind of type) to travel to an island where they intend to end their lives. Her best friend (Yuki Kazamatsuri) goes searching for her together with the girl's lover. This is basically A Woman's Trail: Part 2. Both films are sedate stories about encountering people that have an influence on your life, and the passing of time, set against natural landscapes. Both films also have a story that resembles road movies. A Woman's Trail was more lyrical, but this one isn't bad either. I'm not a huge fan of actress Kazamatsuri, but can appear very natural in front of camera as she does here. Majoran (魔女卵) (Japan, 1984) [TV] - 3.5/5 Exciting delinquent girl drama is in equal parts a youth film and a blazing gangster movie set to "live" music à la Walter Hill's Streets of Fire. First timer Yuko Watanabe stars as an Osaka bad girl who's introduced to the world of indie rock bands by a friendly biker gay hanging out in a small a rock bar. The film was cast with open auditions, most of the sukeban girls being obvious real delinquents with wonderfully coarse Osaka dialects. The film is also packed with 80s heavy metal bands and rock stars with mind blowing names (Mad Rocker, Jesus, Christ etc.). What sets Majoran apart from Streets of Fire is how it's rooted in reality unlike Hill's pop culture fantasy. There's a wonderfully touching scene at the end - spoiler warning I guess - where the heroine, disappointed by her ex-boyfriend who's relocated to Tokyo and cut his rock star hair in preparation for salaryman life, lets him know just what she thinks of him. She then rides back to Osaka on a night bus alone. The world changes and friends grow adults, but a couple of rebels will never give up. Well, they will eventually, but the film ends before that, on a high note on the streets of Osaka, on a motorcycle, with director Seiji Izumi cross cutting to a gig by heavy metal girl band Majoran as the credits roll. Chikan to nozoki: Shitagi mania (痴漢と覗き 下着マニア) (Japan, 1991) - 1.5/5 A pervert real estate agent inserts cameras and peepholes into cribs he's renting out. Tons of sleazy sex scenes follow and one romantic one at the end when cameras have been gotten rid of and the couple can make happy love in privacy. Ah yes, this is genuine early 90s pink cinema with no artistic ambitions, and as such it comes with its own cultural appeal. That films like this were once shot on 35mm for theatrical distribution in pink joints where old men in raincoats would line up to see tits, ass and women fondling themselves - and that they still continue to be shown in the few surviving pink theatres for an audience whose average age is around 65 - comes with its own appeal. The film itself is something of a skeleton of a movie where the only flesh is found in the women's chest area. At least the leading lady is rather pretty. Original title: Chikan to nozoki: Shitagi mania ("Molester and Peeper: Underwear Mania"); re-release title: Hitozuma no nozoki-kata: Yogoreta shitagi o nerae ("Housewife Peeper: Targeting Dirty Underwear"). Kodoku Meatball Machine (蠱毒 ミートボールマシン) (Japan, 2017) - 2.5/5 Occasionally exciting but poorly paced follow-up to Yudai Yamaguchi's 2005 splatter punk film. The film is essentially a 40 minute introduction followed by a 50 minute non-stop monster melee on the streets of Tokyo. Yoshihiro Nishimura once again excels with his inventive low budget monster design and entertains the audience with the usual blood showers as well as a "topless chase scene". Unfortunately he also uses some depressing CGI and green screen sequences, and relies too much on drama that fails to engage during the first act. Another problem is that Nishimura has never been a very good action director. The fights often seems like random moves and clips edited together. Composer Kou Nakagawa played an important role in making Nishimura's earlier films so effective, but for the past few collaborations his work has been repetitive and less interesting. The film remains, however, quite watchable and at times even exhilarating despite the issues. Edited July 24, 2017 by Takuma 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Member KenHashibe Posted September 3, 2017 Member Share Posted September 3, 2017 The Lone Wolf and Cub Series (1972-1974) - 4/5 I finally gave all six of the Lone Wolf and Cub films a watch these past few days since my local library has the new Criterion blu-ray set, and I really enjoyed all of them. Sword of Vengeance, Baby Cart at the River Styx, and Baby Cart in Peril were particularly strong entries IMO, but all of the films are fantastic. Gorgeous cinematography, brutal action, and great stories. Shogun Assassin (1980) - 3.5/5 Basically a combined, English-dubbed version of the first two Lone Wolf and Cub films (two of my favorites), however I much prefer the original versions. The addition of the synthesizer soundtrack was cool in some parts but a lot of scenes worked much better silent. Shogun Assassin also truncates or changes some of the mythos which was off-putting. And the addition of a narration by Daigoro was kinda strange too. I much prefer Daigoro as the quiet observer. During most of the film, I just felt this nagging feeling that I've seen this movie before and I've seen it done better (i.e. the original films). Not a bad movie at all though. It takes the best scenes from the original and compiles them, but the changes were just distracting for me. 3 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Member Takuma Posted September 10, 2017 Author Member Share Posted September 10, 2017 Girls Without Return Tickets (女体渦巻島) (Japan, 1960) [DVD] - 3/5 Action packed exploitation noir with some wild, colourful sequences. Teruo Yoshida is a tough guy affiliated with a Hong Kong syndicate running a drug and woman trafficking ring on a small island in Japan. Yoshida travels to the island with an intention free his loved one Yoko Mihara, whom he hasn't seen for three years, only to find out she's been promoted to a managerial position and is enjoying her job commanding the other drug addicted hookers. Decently stylish and entertaining, with an ace running time of 75 minutes, but ultimate quite routinely written. Although the English title makes no reference to it, the film is part of the Jotai / Woman's Body series, which was similar to the better known "Line" series. Black Line (黒線地帯) (Japan, 1960) [DVD] - 3/5 An investigative reporter (Shigeru Amachi) getting too close to a narcotics syndicate wakes up in a hotel room with a dead prostitute in his bed. He flees and tries find the real killer while on the run from the police. Entertaining Teruo Ishii / Shintoho noir is yet another dive into the seedy night of modern Japan. Gangsters, transvestites, hot girls, some stylish black and white cinematography and somewhat daring for the era, one does however get the feeling the storyline is a bit over-plotted. This was the 2nd film in the Line series. The films were made at Shintoho in 1958-1961, Ishii helming the first four of the five. The 1st movie, Secret White Line (1958), is quite difficult to see because the film materials are partially lost / damaged, and it was only released on DVD as a bonus feature in the Line Series DVD box set in 2008, that version lacking 15 minutes of footage. Sexy Line (セクシー地帯) (Japan, 1961) [DVD] - 2.5/5 The 4th film in the Line series. This was Teruo Ishii last movie for Shintoho before moving to Toei. Teruo Yoshida is a company employee whose OL girlfriend is secretly working for a yakuza prostitution ring that hires nude models and sends them out with customers for extra money. When the girl is murdered, he becomes the prime suspect. He flees and hooks up with pickpocket Yoko Mihara to go undercover and find out what's going on as he's blissfully unaware of the whole racket. Semi-sleazy (for the era) noir is entertaining and suitably short at 82 minutes, but ultimately a bit pedestrian. The storyline does not seem entirely credible: there are too many (un)lucky coincidences and Mihara's willingness to risk her life to help Yoshida is not believable. Visually the film is also not as wild as Ishii's better movies. However, the film can be praised for its strong female characters, especially considering the topic. Victims they may be, but none of them are portrayed as weak or passive. Journey Into Solitude (旅の重さ) (Japan, 1972) [DVD] - 3/5 A 16 year old girl runs from home to hike around Shihoku alone. She sleeps outside, washes herself in the sea, and gets her food from friendly people or by stealing. An inspiring, beautiful and well acted, if a bit dated in some of its gender political stances, coming of age tale that could have been a little known gem. It is a shame that after a very promising first 30 minutes the movie and its protagonist get stuck with a dull theatre group for the film's entire middle third. The film gets better again towards the end, thankfully. Takuro Yoshida's wonderful theme song is a perfect fit for the film. True Account of a Gambling Den (The Pledge) (博奕打ち外伝) (Japan, 1972) [DVD] - 2/5 The 10th and final film in the Gambling Den series is an over-long all star epic without anything especially epic about it. It's the usual genre offering with honourable Tsuruta on one side, and a corrupt clan on the other. Conflicts and bloodshed ensue. The one interesting thing about the film is how "evil boss" Wakayama is actually relatively decent, but drawn to the wrong side by underling Matsukata whom he dearly loves. Unfortunately this only materializes into solid drama during the final scene. The rest is uninspired: there isn't anything original about the filmmaking, locations, or storyline. Ken Takakura and Bunta Sugawara appear in supporting roles, mainly to give the series a star studded farewell. For much better entries, see parts 4 (Big Time Gambling Boss), 6 (The Fake Game) and 8 (Drifter). Wandering Ginza Butterfly (銀蝶渡り鳥) (Japan, 1972) [DVD] - 3/5 Uneven, occasionally exhilarating female yakuza film is a bit of a mishmash. Director Kazuhiko Yamaguchi was fresh off from his trendy and contemporary Delinquent Girl Boss series. Actress Meiko Kaji was starring in her first Toei film after abandoning Nikkatsu. Toei saw her as potential heir for Junko Fuji, their biggest female yakuza star, whose retirement earlier in 1972 had ended the Red Peony Gambler series and put another nail in the soon-to-be-buried ninkyo yakuza genre which Toei was reluctant to let die. This film starts out as a contemporary female ex-con tale, but the further is gets the more evident the ninkyo influences become. The stylish climax that sees Kaji walk to enemy headquarters in white kimono is straight out of the ninkyo book - except for the added neon lights - while the fantastic billiards duel that precedes is a clever modern twist. Kaji brings her usual touch to the role, and looks amazing in mini skirt, but the film is unfortunately too routinely written with silly comedic relief and standard yakuza trappings to be a genre classic. Great Jailbreak (大脱獄) (Japan, 1975) [DVD] - 3.5/5 Teruo Ishii and Ken Takakura return to Abashiri several years after the original Abashiri Prison series which had launched them both to superstardom However, the times had changed by 1975. Takakura is no longer a romantic gangster hero swinging a samurai sword, but a desperate death row inmate who breaks out with a group of insane killers and tries to escape through the freezing Hokkaido wastelands. It is a bit ironic that Ishii, the king of Grand Guignol, delivers one of the more humane and old fashioned Japanese crime films of the mid 70s. Ishii and Takakura both disliked the overly nihilist and documentary style yakuza films if the new era. The Great Escape mixes grittiness with a bit of humanity. The film's best part sees Takakura temporarily settling down in a small village and nursing a sick woman back to health - while constantly ready to kill anyone who might threaten his freedom. While not the finest film in its genre, its layered protagonist, good use of locations and quiet, atmospheric moments echoing a lonely man's psyche, make it an enjoyable movie; the final collaboration between two crime film legends who did not quite belong to this era of yakuza cinema anymore. Blind Beast vs. Killer Dwarf (盲獣ＶＳ一寸法師) (Japan, 2001) [DVD] - 1/5 It is tragic that this shot-on-video travesty was Teruo Ishii's final film. It was only a few years earlier that he still managed entertaining if a bit sloppy "real cinema" with Japanese Hell (1999). This Edogawa Rampo adaptation on the other hand looks and feels like a home video, with awful production values and a 90 minute running time that feels like 5 hours - or at least would've felt had I endured it without fast forwarding. It was made largely with the help of film students and devoted Ishii fans. Shinya Tsukamoto plays one of the leading roles, Tetsuro Tamba appears briefly and Sion Sono is supposed to be somewhere as well. For fans of the director as well as the author there are much better films available. Yasuzo Masumura's 1969 psycho-drama Blind Beast is based on the same story, and Ishii's grand cult classic Horrors of Malformed Men (1969) is a compilation of several other Rampo stories. Scoop (Japan, 2016) [Flight] - 4/5 There is still hope for Japanese cinema, as shown by this tremendously entertaining film. Basically a mixture of Nightcrawler (2015) and 48 Hours (1982), Scoop follows a sleazy and misogynist tabloid photographer (Masaharu Fukuyama) unwillingly paired with a young female rookie (the always excellent Fumi Nikaido). Like the best 80s buddy comedies, the film doesn't shy away from gritty contents (and a protagonist who is a bit of an asshole) while remaining very funny at the same time. It also comes with excellent chemistry between the leads, and an unexpectedly strong ending that somewhat kicks the unprepared viewer in the face. As an added bonus, the film teaches practical photography tricks, such as how to lure a naked politician and his secret lover to a hotel window with fireworks. There hasn't been much positive to say about Japanese cinema in the recent years, partly thanks to the polarization of the industry with good production values reserved for dumbed down commercial entertainment, original ideas dumped in the zero-budget category, and very little existing in the middle. Scoop, with its solid production values and spicy contents, shows there's still an occasional film that can exist between those two extremes. Over the Fence (オーバーフェンス) (Japan, 2016) [DVD] - 1.5/5 Nobuhiro Yamashita, whose slacker masterpiece Ramblers (2003) I've seen seven times, directing Yu Aoi, whose talent and beauty I adore, should have resulted in something special. Over the Fence, however, is so painfully dull a drama that I struggled to make it to the end. It's the third part in the Hakodate trilogy (preceded by the very good Sketches of Kaitan City, and the highly praised The Light Shines Only There), and features Joe Odagiri is a guy who falls in love with bipolar girl Yu Aoi. Strangely enough, it's Odagiri who is the more watchable of the two, Aoi being almost nerve wrecking. That may be more due to the character than the actress, but in the end it matters not. Yamashita's usual dry humour and energetic delivery are sparse here, and the film's musical score is especially bad. Himeanole (ヒメアノ～ル) (Japan, 2016) [BD] - 4/5 A pleasant surprise and a small gem that deserves to be seen without any expectations. For those who need further convincing, here goes. Okada and Ando are two walking definitions of tragicomic video game nerds minus the video games, with no looks, no communication skills, and obviously no girl other than the super-sweet waitress Yuka whom Ando is stalking. Too afraid to talk to her, Ando has Okada (entirely unqualified for the task) find out if she has a boyfriend, and drive away the another stalker, Morita. Turns out she doesn't, as she confesses she's in, fact in, love with Okada! This initiates the most unexpected, cute otaku-meets-hot-girl love story - until Morita walks back into the film and story takes an impressively subtle turn to something far darker that fully earned the film its R15 rating. There's a bit of Swallowtail Butterfly in the way the film effortlessly slides from one genre to another, as well as Love Exposure era Sion Sono, and Daisuke Miura style otaku love story, but director Keisuke Yoshida's low key handling of the material is ultimately his own. Although the final act is a bit less inspired than what comes before, the film has a lovely habit of constantly defying expectations, and has little difficulties keeping the viewer interested. + not Japanese, but stars Asano: Ruined Heart (Philippines, 2014) [DVD] - 1.5/5 German distributor gone producer Rapid Eye Movies had enough success with their 2011 pink musical Underwater Love to try the same trick again, this time with Philippine director Khavn. Tadanobu Asano stars, Christopher Doyle is in charge of cinematography, and the French-German duo Stereo Total does the music again. The arthouse film bills itself as "Another Love Story Between a Criminal & a Whore", told in a very vague fashion via music and images, with almost no dialogue. It is too bad the film is neither especially stylish nor interesting, and nothing much happens in it. Fans of experimental cinema willing to seek for meaning behind images, sit through long scenes of people doing random things, and Asano running around with a camera in his hand filming himself (Doyle had a day off?) may still dig it. For anyone else, this 70 minutes is likely to feel like four hours. 3 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Member KenHashibe Posted September 13, 2017 Member Share Posted September 13, 2017 Good Morning (1959) - 3.5 (maybe 3)/5 I bought the new Criterion DVD of Good Morning during the 50% sale at Barnes and Noble. I knew very little about this movie before seeing it: it's directed by Yasujiro Ozu (aka @Takuma's favorite director) and I really liked the concept. After giving it a watch, I wasn't entirely sure what to think of it. It's a very, very slow-moving movie with some minimalist cinematography and overstated acting. A lot of scenes go by without me being emotionally invested. However, I felt the stuff with the two kids was very entertaining. They're both very funny and the youngest brother is adorable. Scenes with them involving the television set are wonderful. But the rest of it is slow and kinda awkward. A few of the comedic scenes work while the rest are a little uncomfortable. Overall, Good Morning was a fine film. Nothing I'd write home about but the performances and the style kept me watching. 3 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Member KenHashibe Posted September 14, 2017 Member Share Posted September 14, 2017 (edited) Harmonium (2016) - 3.5/5 Oh boy. Have I got a film for you. Harmonium is one of those few films where after you watch it, you kinda just wanna curl up into a ball and die. It's like being in hell for 2 hours. This is easily one of the most disturbing movies I've ever seen. The first hour or so is a little slow to start, but things get exponentially worse as the film progresses. There were scenes where I wanted to cover my eyes in terror but my eyes were glued to the screen because I was so invested. Though advertised as a drama, this could very well be seen as horror movie. It's extremely disturbing, scary, and suspenseful. And I wanted it to end as soon as it started. As far as the technical aspects go, this movie is fantastic. Excellent acting from the entire cast. All of the characters were very believable. There are many moments of silence in this movie that work incredibly well. Though the film is a bit slow, it seems deliberate as a way to build tension. And if you're not a fan of consequential and ambiguous endings, this movie will frustrate the hell out of you. It sure bugged the hell out of me. But if you look at this movie as a revenge film, the ending really works. It's kinda hard to rate this movie out of 5 stars. On an enjoyment level, this movie would easily get a 0. I can't ever imagine myself willingly seeing this again. However, as a movie, it'd probably receive a 4 since it's really affecting. I was really close to giving this movie a 4 out of 5, but this movie is just so bleak, disturbing, frustrating, scary, unnerving, and near unwatchable that I couldn't go any higher than a 3.5. But that is exactly what the filmmakers were going for, so, in that case, they did an excellent job at making an absolutely horrifying and dreadful film experience. Edited September 14, 2017 by KenHashibe 3 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Member Takuma Posted September 25, 2017 Author Member Share Posted September 25, 2017 Roman Porno treasure hunt Carousel Maki: Yoru wa watashi o nurasu (カルーセル麻紀 夜は私を濡らす) (Japan, 1974) [VoD] - 2/5 This is one of the oddest entries in the Roman Porno series for it stars Maki Carousel, a famous transsexual actress. He first got himself castrated at the age of 19, then later travelled to Morocco for a sex change operation that nearly killed him, after which she spent some time working in bars in Paris, which is something she also did in Japan before finding a career in movies. That she would be cast as the lead of a relatively high budgeted mainstream erotic film in the year 1974 in Japan is a bit surprising indeed. In any case, curiosity value aside this Shogoro Nishimura film is nothing special; just another standard tale of a singer/hostess and her troubled (thanks to a tattoo she has on her leg) love life. It is a bit curious though that there is an apparent disparity between the film's inner reality and the filmmakers' approach to filming it. The storyline treats Carousel's character as just an ordinary woman, but the camera hardly shies away from showing the actress's unusually masculine features, which can only be deemed intentional. - Female Convict 101: Sexual Hell (女囚１０１ 性感地獄) (Japan, 1976) - 1/5 Thoroughly uninspired and unsexy women in prison Roman Porno without a single noteworthy scene. Rumi Tama is a woman sent to prison for strangling a man who was trying to rape her; Naomi Oka is the bad girl calling the shots behind the bars. The rest of the film plays out exactly the way you'd expect. Followed by a sequel or two. Some have suggested this film was Nikkatsu's attempt to cash in on Female Prisoner Scorpion's popularity, but that's not likely as the original Toei series (1972-1974) came out way before this, and the reboot series (1976-1977) didn't start until after this movie. Instead, this film seems like a follow up to Nikkatsu's own True Story of a Woman In Jail series (1975-1976). Skin of Roses (団鬼六 薔薇の肉体) (Japan, 1978) [VoD] - 2/5 Perhaps more notable than the film itself, is the fact that SM queen Naomi Tani got nominated for Best Actress at the Japanese Academy Awards for this film. It is a little puzzling what exactly got Tani nominated, though. One can only assume the jury had a soft spot for SM sleaze, and this, being perhaps the most restrained of all Oniroku Dan films, seemed like a safe pick. Anyway, the film is a tale of two young lovers and an older "sister" who do live sex shows with two sided mirror to pay off a debt, then later proceed to blackmailing with sensitive photos, which finally lands Tani the long overdue rope punishment as the victim was yakuza affiliated. Curiously enough, all the rope action is limited to the last 10 minutes of the film; possibly due to some sort of artistic ambition. Highlights include Tani as a dominatrix (a fun reversing of roles) and a lesbian scene between Tani and Ako, something I normally wouldn't mention but Ako happens to be one of my favourite actresses. It's a shame she doesn't have too much to do in the film despite her large role. Story wise the film is passable and probably had a few more pages in its scrip than usual. - Rope Hell (団鬼六「やくざ天使」より 縄地獄) (Japan, 1978) [VoD] - 2/5 Vengeful gangster joins the competing gang after being forced to cut off his finger for trying to rape yakuza sister Naomi Tani. A slightly more watchable SM tale than usual, thanks to it being a yakuza story (based on Oniroku Dan's novel Yakuza Angel). It's a little short on SM actually, and out of the two victims Tani's turn doesn't come until the film's final third. The best thing about the film is villain actor Hitoshi Takagi's enjoyably sleazy performance as a gang boss. He had an odd career that went from Nikkatsu's gangster films via Toho (e.g. Lady Snowblood) to Roman Porno and eventually My Neighbor Totoro. Side note: this is yet another film the Weissers gave an "in depth" analysis without actually having seen the movie - and got it all wrong. Their argument about the film's morale was based on a plot twist very typical to Dan films, but actually not found in this movie. Blazing Bondage Lady (団鬼六 縄炎夫人) (1980) [VoD] - 1.5/5 Revenge story and an atmospheric score make this Oniroku Dan film almost watchable. It's about a couple who accidentally run over a yakuza bondage master's wife, and pay the price when the tough guy abducts his wife and her sister. Unfortunately character depth is nil and Katsuhiko Fujii's directing is terribly TV film like, only with excessive sex and SM thrown in. Still, it could've been worse. Female Teacher in Rope Hell (団鬼六 女教師縄地獄) (Japan, 1981) [VoD] - 1.5/5 Nikkatsu's 2nd generation SM queen Junko Mabuki stars as a female teacher who is raped, locked in a dungeon and sexually tortured for the rest of the film. I don't often describe movies as misogynist (I feel the term, at least in its most negative sense, is often unwarranted when discussing exploitation films which provide visual entertainment for their selected audience demographics, usually without any deeper ideological "hate" towards any sex). However, this film's exceptionally iffy display of endless sexual torture of a single woman, almost entirely void of psychological or even stylistics merits, makes one wonder if the term was indeed in place here. The film's only saving graces are a handful of over-the-top moments, including a ridiculously stereotypical homeless rapist character, and a strange appreciation for the fact that sleaze like this once passed for "mainstream" theatrical entertainment. Blue Lagoon: A Summer Experience (ひと夏の体験 青い珊瑚礁) (Japan, 1981) [VoD] - 1.5/5 Director Toshiharu Ikeda famously said he was forced to direct this film as a penalty for Sex Hunter (1980), which the producers found too dark. He didn't object too much as he didn't mind a "free Okinawa vacation" as he described the filming experience. Anyway, the film is about a girl (Mayumi Terashima) who goes to Okinawa to lose her virginity and meets a couple of people who like sex. Not much interesting happens - even Ikeda called the script "stupid". Oddly enough, it was written by Haruhiko Arai. Perhaps he was being punished for something as well? In any case, the film is at least technically accomplished, with beautiful Okinawa landscapes expertly captured on film. I suppose this served as better travel advertisement than Toei's Okinawa Yakuza War. Female Teacher: In Front of the Students (女教師 生徒の眼の前で) (Japan, 1982) [VoD] - 2/5 A female teacher is raped in school by a masked assailant. She decides to find out who was it. More sex and rapes ensue in a relatively standard narrative that gains some psychological interest towards the end. I must say I laughed a bit in the scene where a girl is having sex with a guy and eating banana at the same time. Other noteworthy points include a male teacher's cool moustache and a very warm looking sweater worn by a rapist. There was another film in the series later called Twice Raped. This one could've been called Raped Six Times. Love Beast: Hunt (愛獣 猟る！) (Japan, 1983) [VoD] - 2/5 The next most unusual thing in the Roman Porno catalogue after a film starring a transsexual actress (Carousel Maki: Yoru wa watashi o nurasu, 1974) was this tale of Japanese girls hitting on black US navy soldiers around the Yokosuka base. The tagline could as well have been "The most black men you'll ever see in a Japanese movie!" Consequently nearly all of the film's male characters are American and a large portion of the film's (frequently terrible) dialogue is spoken in English. Director Yasuaki Uegaki was known for tackling trendy topics (e.g. his Pink Curtain trilogy) and this film certainly fits the bill. He was also an over-rated filmmaker who sometimes used trendy topics to hide mediocre storylines and unremarkable filmmaking. This movie fits that bill as well. It's a curiosity with some stylish scenes, but ultimately a bit pedestrian. - Zoom Up: Graduation Photos (ズームアップ 卒業写真) (Japan, 1983) [VoD] - 3/5 This one, at first, comes a bit out of left field. It's the zillionth entry in the Zoom Up / Zoom In series, which started out as violent pinks but then turned into standard smut, often with photography theme. This one begins with a girl auditioning as a photo model and learning that the job involves posing nude. From there on the film starts developing unexpected quality with bits humanity mixed with biting black humour, tender characterization, and of course sheer voyeurism. It even turns critical on its very own existence, which I cannot remember witnessing in any other Roman Porno, in a wonderful scene where a school girl raped by boys she accidentally caught touching themselves while reading a porn magazine, walks into the studio and starts yelling what the hell are they doing publishing smut like that? Unfortunately the film then begins to devolve to cruder paths, undoing some of its earlier accomplishments. Nevertheless, it remains an oddly pleasing piece of 80s Japan. Beauty in Rope Hell (団鬼六 美女縄地獄) (Japan, 1983) [VoD] - 3/5 This film epitomes the romantic approach to abducting beautiful women, as seen in Japanese films from time to time. Capture and discipline, but do it gently. Right. The film stars Miki Takakura as a rural beauty abducted by a wartime mailman who turns out to be a bit of a romantic dreamer who wishes to live happily ever after with her. Although an SM film, it more closely resembles the 90s and 2000s Perfect Education films which also had a dubious romantic undertones. They are all boyish fantasies, notably softer than the sleaze fests that usually resulted from Oniroku Dan stories, and as such, this film has proven less popular with certain audiences. As a film, however, it is better written, filmed and acted than most, and features the 23 year old Takakura at her most beautiful (I guess I must admit I've been having a slight crush on her). This and Ikuo Sekimoto's Rope Torture (1984) are her best films. This film's biggest flaw is a bunch of unnecessarily long SM scenes that take place in a brothel and feature neither one of the main characters. - Beautiful Sisters: Seduced (美姉妹 犯す) (Japan, 1983) [VoD] - 1/5 Miserable loser of a man moves in with a family that comes with two beautiful sisters. He spends most of the movie raping the older one, then later the younger one too, eventually both at the same time, and then they fall in love with him. Meanwhile his friend rapes his nasty female boss. She falls in love with him also. Happy end! Dear God. Sorry for spoilers. Beauty Rope Cosmetology (団鬼六 美女縄化粧) (Japan, 1983) [VoD] - 1.5/5 Standard SM junk with one point of interest; the professional abductor who kidnaps wealthy daughter Miki Takakura and begins to discipline her for a new buyer is played by Miike/Kitano regular Ren Osugi. Even at the age of 32 he looked old, and with a moustache made a suitably sleazy villain. The rest of the film is unremarkable and a bit boring unless you're a major SM fan, though it does feature the pretty Takakura and due to its somewhat restrained nature it's not as disgusting as most of director Katsuhiko Fujii's films. - Crimson Night Dream (紅夜夢) (Japan, 1983) [VoD] - 2.5/5 This film is director Shogoro Nishimura's own A Woman Called Abe Sada. The subject however is not Abe but Oden Takahashi, the last woman who was executed by beheading in Japan. Her tale has been adapted into numerous films by Shintoho and Toei, including Teruo Ishii's ero-guro episode in Love and Crime (1969) and Yuji Makiguchi's feature length film Decapiation of an Evil Woman (1977). This Nikkatsu version isn't as wild, but it really isn't too bad a film. Acting and directing are subdued, making things a bit unexciting at times but allowing the film to slowly build up for a rather powerful drama climax. Tattoo (刺青 IREZUMI) (Japan, 1984) [VoD] - 1/5 Tiresome late Chusei Sone film is mainly "remarkable" for being the Roman Porno debut of 70s pop idol Sakiko Ito, whose film career started and ended with this movie. She plays a pop star abducted and tattooed by the yakuza. Relationship problems ensue. Sone's direction is uninspired, terribly pedestrian and merely seeks to transfer the script to celluloid. Speaking of the script, the film was based on the Jun'ichirô Tanizaki novel that Yasuzo Masumura filmed in 1966. The Roman Porno version was written by Machiko Nasu, Toei director Hiroyuki Nasu's wife. She originally entered Nikkatsu via a screenwriting competition with the excellent Girl's Pleasure: Man Hunting (1977). All that talent considered, Tattoo is a terribly disappointing film. Rope Torture (団鬼六 縄責め) (Japan, 1984) [VoD] - 3/5 Here's something a bit unusual with Toei director Ikuo Sekimoto (Girl Boss: Diamond Showdown, 1974) gravitating to Nikkatsu for work. It was usually the other way around with successful directors climbing the studio ladder to Toei. He made two Oniroku Dan adaptation for Nikkatsu, both starring Miki Takakura whose Roman Porno career only lasted for five films until she quit. She was one of the several successors to Naomi Tani, none of whom were especially successful. Despite some unfortunate genre trappings, this film is better than your usual Dan Oniroku junk thanks to brisk pacing, beautiful score, a decent visual touch, and the big breasted Takakura who is not only easy on the eye but also had a rather melancholic presence. The most delighting part, however, is the "feminist" twist at the end. It would be interesting to know if that ending originated from Oniroku's novel or if it was conceived by the filmmakers. Screenwriter Masahiro Shimura was a mainstream Toei veteran who wrote several yakuza and pinky violence films, and directed the last two Terrifying Girls' High School movies. - Double Rope Torture (団鬼六 縄責め) (Japan, 1985) - 1.5/5 This was a sort of follow-up to Ikuo Sekimoto's earlier SM film Rope Torture (1984), also starring Miki Takakura. Curiously enough, it's yet another film about two sisters, a theme Sekimoto had tackled multiple times in his Toei films (The Story of a Nymphomaniac, Tenshi no yokubo). Takakura stars as the older sister, a kimono dressed Ginza woman sold to a rich scumbag for some sexual torture. Her little sister shows up one day and seems to be heading towards the same path, to which Takakura obviously has objections. Sekimoto was a better filmmaker than many of Nikkatsu's SM directors, and here he at least refrains from the more disgusting content that one often encounters in the genre. Unfortunately the storyline is uninspired and the film lacks style and memorable moments. It's not terrible, just terribly forgettable. Orgasm Mariko (オーガズム・真理子) (Japan, 1985) [VoD] - 2/5 This bloody revenge film has one of the most ridiculous premises in recent memory, courtesy of writer Chiho Katsura (Assault! Jack the Ripper, House, Zoom Up: Rate Site). A girl is proposed by her boyfriend by the highway while they're having sex, and seconds later he's already is dead thanks to a truck driver who threw a glass bottle out of the window as he passed. She turns into a vengeful Charles Bronson on her period (no kidding, there's menstruation blood in every sex scene) who seduces truckers and other sleazy men and stabs them to death during sex. Also, there an odd sex scene where she and her partner keep squeezing grapes throughout the sessions. It is a shame that ultimately the film isn't better despite pairing Katsura with the visually talented Fumihiko Kato. There are enough odd and bloody moments, plus potential for all kinds of interpretations about menstruation and female psyche, to keep you moderately entertained, but the film isn't especially well made or stylish. Director Kato is best remembered for two unusual SM films, the psychological neo-noir Girl and the Wooden Horse Torture (1982) and the occult horror influenced Exotic Mask in Hell (1988), both of which are better films than this. Still, Mariko is obviously of some interest to genre buffs. - Subway Serial Rape: Office Lady Hunting (地下鉄連続レイプ ＯＬ狩り) (Japan, 1986) [VoD] - 1/5 The original Subway Serial Rape (1985) was a bit of an odd for an 80s Roman Porno because it was a hybrid between pink and action film. Director Shuji Kataoka seemed to have been influenced by Charles Bronson flicks. This sequel throws in even more gangster stuff but somehow completely misses the target. The film plays out like Z-grade gangster film with no style or no punch to speak of, and even the score is lame as mineral water (unlike the in the 1st film). The only fun bit is when a girl takes a shower with sunglasses on. The rest of the film is a bore. The title refers to a gangster's girlfriend who, of course, meets the promised fate. The series later continued with an equally dull third film before climaxing with the ballsy, media critical 4th film that was surprisingly the best in the series. Bed-In (ベッド・イン) (Japan, 1986) [VoD] - 3/5 This is one of Masaru Konuma's underrated small films, a tender relationship drama about a Tokyo woman in love with a pretty nice guy who happens to have a wife and kid. I was quite reserved at first, figuring this would be another dull 80s human drama, and wondering why should I care, but little by little the characters and the actors won me over. There are also some small funny moments, such as the scene where the guy is standing in traffic lights with his family and suddenly notices his girlfriend, who was there by chance, standing next to him with a jealous look on her face, and even a romantic bit that skip over the sex scene. Speaking of which, lead Miki Yanagi is the only woman getting naked in the film; there is no "supporting character sex" at all in the film that is very much a one woman character study. I did not realize until the ending credits that the film was scripted by screenwriter extraordinaire Haruhiko Arai (Rape Ceremony, Rolling on the Road, Distant Thunder, Vibrator, Kabukicho Love Hotel). That explains something. - Sukeban Flesh Slave (スケバン肉奴隷) (Japan, 1987) [VoD] - 2.5/5 Relatively speaking, this is a surprisingly "accomplished" ex-delinquent girl drama for a project that 9 times out of 10 would've been meritless junk. It's really a sex flick about a former sukeban girl trying to hide her past and lead straight life as an OL, and her ex-boyfriend who likewise left biker life behind to run a small bar. Lots of screwing takes place, and most of the Sukeban content is limited to brief flashbacks. But there's no denying the film actually manages to flesh out its characters with bits if solid drama, humanity, and stylish images. Director Yoshihiro Kawasaki seemed to possess this kind of ability, often bringing just a little bit of extra life and energy to films that could have been abysmal. It also helped that his eye for erotica was a notch above his colleagues, making the compulsory sex scenes more watchable than usual. - Sex Dynamite: Madonna no shizuku (ＳＥＸダイナマイト マドンナのしずく) (Japan, 1988) [VoD] - 2/5 This was one of the last Roman Porno films as adult videos were killing the franchise. It is then perhaps not surprising that the borders had already blurred to some extent. Here we have a pink film director helming a second party production for Nikkatsu distribution, with popular baby faced big boob AV actress Eri Kikuchi as the lead. Co-star Yui Maisaka was an AV performer as well. Indeed, although Roman Porno was a soft-core series (except for some Roman-X releases in the mid 80s that may or may not have been hard core), the sex scenes in this film don't really differ from (censored) hard core. The film is basically a theatrical, story driven AV shot on 35mm. The good news is, Eri Kikuchi is cute as a button, and director Kin Ishikawa has some talent as a filmmaker as the movie is often funny, even adorable at times. It is just too bad the film ultimately doesn't do much with its characters other than engage them in sex scenes long enough to make even Roman Porno fans blush. One feels there was potential for more. The male lead, btw, is played by the highly successful modern pink director Kazuhiro Sano, and his colleague Yutaka Ikejima makes a brief appearance as well. Bu-ra-i no onna (ＢＵ・ＲＡ・Ｉの女) (Japan, 1988) [VoD] - 4/5 There's that extremely rewarding feeling when, after countless by-the-numbers Roman Pornos, you sit down for one more and suddenly you're witnessing a young talent directing with a crazy inspiration, completely ignorant to low expectations, transcending the whole genre. Nowhere is this more evident than in the scene where two people who know they have no future meet in a hotel room, in what is the best love scene in the history of Roman Porno, and he is so hesitant that they end up spending most of the time just looking at each other. It's magical. The storyline is about a young yakuza chinpira (Hitoshi Ozawa) sent to his native Okinawa to carry out a hit ordered by his boss (Hideo Murota). Not up to killing another man, he ends up spending desperate hours lying alone in his hotel room and listening to live music in a bar. He also hooks up with two old pals who are considering getting married (though he also always had feelings for her). Meanwhile his superiors are starting to get impatient about the assassination. Though namely a Roman Porno production, it would be wrong to call this anything but an extraordinary gangster drama. Hitoshi Ozawa (you may not know the name, but you know the face; he's the most recognizable DTV actor after Takeuchi and Aikawa) wasn't necessarily the greatest actor but here he gives his everything to portray an interesting character. - 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Member Takuma Posted September 25, 2017 Author Member Share Posted September 25, 2017 That last review is not bolded on purpose. The forum just won't let me edit it. Or delete it. Argh. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Member Takuma Posted October 17, 2017 Author Member Share Posted October 17, 2017 (edited) Secret Turkish Bath (（秘）トルコ風呂) (Japan, 1968) [TV] - 1.5/5 A remarkably tame sexploitation tale of silly country girl Reiko Ohara running into playboy / pimp Tatsuo Umemiya in Tokyo. Toei produced quite a few of these type of films with Umemiya as the lead. They seem to have been aimed at relatively conservative audiences since they remained very tame well into the 70s. In this film nudity accounts to a couple of blink-and-you'll-miss shots with extras, and sex equals to hugging with clothes on. Toei's advertising campaign that billed it a "sex movie" with "orgies, lesbianism and prostitutes" was hyperbole at its best. Ohara, although cute at first, also becomes quite annoying with her silly I-don't-get-the-city-mentality act. Director Shinji Murayama was usually a competent director, but in this film he can't help the pointless screenplay that fails to construct any kind of meaningful storyline. A few frames of late 60s street and disco footage are the only worthwhile bits. For a much better film see the similarly themed Bitches of the Night (1966), also directed by Murayama, with largely the same cast. It has even less sex, but comes with a far better screenplay. The Most Dangerous Game (最も危険な遊戯) (Japan, 1978) [DVD] - 2/5 A typical Yusaku Matsuda film, popular but underwhelming, made during the transitional era when Japanese cinema was moving away from masculine action towards story driven dramas and noir. The problem with these films was that they didn't really work in either genre, and were often sloppily made by action or exploitation directors who were given orders to cut down exploitation and emphasize story. The Game (Yugi) series was produced by Toei's low budget branch Toei Central. The series went from action (the 1s film) to dull noir (the 3rd film). This opening installment is an exceptionally stupid action flick with the charismatic Yusaku Matsuda as an assassin. The film suffers from ridiculous action scenes where Matsuda can outrun a car and avoid every bullet fired at him from a close distance (the bad guys have a worse aim than a blind Storm Trooper). On the positive side, the film is so unbelievably sexist that one can't help but to be amused. + Tokyo viewings which I have already covered to some extent in the other thread Seven Bullets (七つの弾丸) (Japan, 1959) [35mm] - 3/5 Toei docudrama about a man (Rentaro Mikuni) who robbed a bank in Osaka in 1955 and left multiple people dead before his arrest. Well made and gripping film spends almost all of its running time paralleling the daily lives of the bank robber and his soon-to-be victims prior to the incident. The amount of attention given to the victims is interesting but excessive considering most of them get killed in a matter of seconds during a sequence where the audience's attention is anyway drawn to action and a desperate escape attempt rather than victims. Two Bitches (二匹の牝犬) (Japan, 1964) [35mm] - 4/5 Terrific, gripping drama about a Tokyo prostitute (Mayumi Ogawa) seeing marriage with a clueless businessman as her way out of the sex labour, until her seemingly innocent and ultra-cute little sister (Mako Midori) shows up and turns out a completely sociopath. She secretly starts whoring on her own and even seduces her sister's fiancé who is unaware of the two women being sisters. Director Yusuke Watanabe (of miscellaneous gangster films and a few entries to the popular Detective Story film series) is not know as one of the greats, but here manages strong drama, some fantastic camerawork (including a long tracking shot, the kind Shinji Somai would do two decades later) and absolute powerhouse performances by Midori and Ogawa. Midori especially was a terrific and underappreciated actress, best known to Western audiences as the female lead of Masumura's Blind Beast (1969). As an interesting trivia, although Two Bitches has since been forgotten, it played in various European countries in the mid 60s, including West Germany, Denmark, and Finland. Wrath of Daimajin (大魔神逆襲) (Japan, 1966) [35mm] - 3/5 Enjoyable fantasy with a nice sense of adventure and bits of genuine movie magic. Being the only Daimajin film I've seen I cannot compare it to the first two, but that did not hamper my enjoyment of this film. It's also a typical Daiei film in the sense that it's well made but a bit safe and conservative in its approach, which means there are no major surprises. The special effects are fantastic. Four and a Half Mats (四畳半物語 娼婦し) (Japan, 1966) [35mm] - 1.5/5 Director Masashige Narusawa was better known as a prestige writer who penned several Kenji Mizoguchi films (e.g. Street of Shame). This period drama about a prostitute and her heartaches unfortunately put me to a sleep a few times during its middle third. Don't be fooled by the R18 rating which is a bit of a mystery even by 1966 standards as there isn't even partial nudity nor any on-screen sex, or bloody violence. Military Comfort Woman (従軍慰安婦) (Japan, 1974) [35mm] - 2/5 A little known Toei film about a Japanese WW2 era brothel and its women, written by Teruo Ishii and directed by Ryuichi Takamori. Unfortunately we get the worst of both gentlemen here; Takamori's sloppy handling of drama and Ishii's dumb humour. Add bad acting, especially by Yutaka Nakajima, and it becomes impossible to tell if the film was supposed to be taken seriously or not. What is clear though, is that a sexploitation flick it is not as nudity is very sparse. There is some fun to be had, though, the highlight being a scene where a hooker saves the day on the battlefield by pissing on an overheated machine gun. Not every film has quality stuff like that on offer. The Story of a Nymphomaniac (好色元禄㊙物語) (Japan, 1975) [35mm] - 1.5/5 Though better known for their pinky violence line, Toei also churned out loads of erotic comedies and dramas, most of which have never come out on home video. This tiresome period comedy is one of the better known ones, perhaps due to popular mainstream and ex-Toho actress Yuriko Hishimi's starring role. Unfortunately the tale of Hishimi pimping her sister (with the help of a monk) to lusty men is as dumb as they come, and seems to have been filmed with far more modest production values than Norifumi Suzuki's comparable films (e.g. Tokugawa Sex Ban, 1972) from a few years before. Tenshi no yokubo (天使の欲望) (Japan, 1979) [35mm] - 2.5/5 An oddly misbalanced film pretending to be a serious drama about two sisters while helmed by the exploitative hand of sexploitation director Ikuo Sekimoto. In the film a slutty older sister spends all her time sleeping with men or getting raped. Once the virginal younger sister discovers this, her disappointment initiates a psychological and eventually physical war that climaxes in an unintentionally silly scene where the two fight it out in the nude. On the positive side, the film is rarely boring. Evil Dead Trap (死霊の罠) (Japan, 1988) [35mm] - 4/5 Endlessly re-watchable horror fun by Toshiharu Ikeda and writer Takashi Ishii. Ikeda claims he had not seen the Italo flicks, which is hard to believe with the similarities ranging from Argento esque camerawork to Fulci inspired kills and a fantastic "bootleg Goblin" score. Ikeda and Ishii also manage some of the most spectacular kills that come to mind, and a (mostly) fantastic pacing that takes the film from one set piece to another with little regards to logic, which is something the audience just has to deal with. The final act does drags a bit, though, before delivering the goods big time. Ikeda, a former Roman Porno director, also scatters the film with sex and nudity (two of the three female leads are 80s AV stars). The English title is faithful to the original (Shiriyo no wana = "Trap of Evil"), which is indeed a reference to The Evil Dead (Shiryo no harawata = "Guts of the Evil"). Co-produced by Japan Home Video, which did the later Guinea Pig films and some Riki Takeuchi action, and Director's Company, a small arthouse firm formed by Ikeda, Shinji Somai, Sogo Ishii, Kichitaro Negishi and a few other young filmmakers to produce their own films. Dokyumento: Seijuku genchizuma (ドキュメント 性熟現地妻) (Japan, 1995) - 2.5/5 A pink film docudrama about a Shinjuku club hiring and exploiting Chinese women as sex workers. It should be noted that the word "documentary" in the title accounts for little more than a real life topic being the centre of an otherwise fictional film. It is, however, a surprisingly decent film for a "sex flick" as I found myself somewhat caring for the characters towards the end. While director Shigeo Katsuyama's primary ambitious may be centered around large breasts, there is more than that to the film, including bits functional characterization, social commentary, and a 90s atmosphere slightly reminiscent of Miike's Shinjuku Triad Society (minus the violence and madness). Aching Wives: Continuous Adultery (うずく人妻たち 連続不倫) (Japan, 2006) [35mm] - 3.5/5 I wasn't too happy to see my favourite movie theatre in Tokyo to "waste" their Late Show slot on semi recent Shintoho pink films. I'm glad to have been proven wrong as, at least in the case of this film, someone has done fine programming job exposing one of those small semi-gems a casual viewer would otherwise never discover. Hidden beneath the fleshy premise and ridiculous title, Aching Wives: Continuous Adultery turned out to be a rather beautiful film set in two time periods. A young single man and middle aged woman with troubled marriage first meet and have a brief affair in 1995. In 2007 they meet again by chance in a small hot springs hotel where he, now married, has escaped his troubles, and she, who has managed to fix her marriage but not forget him, arrives with her husband. Effectively minimalist and sad film with surprisingly fine performances. Edited October 17, 2017 by Takuma 4 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Member Takuma Posted November 11, 2017 Author Member Share Posted November 11, 2017 (edited) Zatoichi on the Road (座頭市喧嘩旅) (Japan, 1963) [BD] - 3.5/5 Part 5. As Chris D pointed out, this film's title merely states the obvious as Zatoichi is always on the road. The title is especially apt in case of this film, however. I think there also lies one of the main charms of the Zatoichi films. From a modern person's perspective, it's almost enviable to see a man who is not in a hurry anywhere, walking the earth, running into new adventures and inhaling the fresh air as he passes the ever changing beautiful landscapes. It is a romanticized dream and perfect escapism for a modern viewer. This film does fine job capturing all that via lush cinematography and fine score. Katsu's performance is also wonderful. Supporting characters are unfortunately limited to the usual crooked villains (including one especially ungrateful female role) and a helpless pretty girl in a need of a bodyguard. Fight, Zatoichi, Fight (座頭市喧嘩旅) (Japan, 1964) [BD] - 2.5/5 Part 8. Zatoichi on the road with an infant. He's assisted by a female pickpocket who agrees to help in taking care of the baby. They of course both fall in love with the baby which they are supposed to take to his father, which produces some annoying melodrama to accompany the rather comedic narrative. For some reason this is one of the most popular films in the series. "Zatoichi changing a baby's diapers" is basically the film in a nutshell. There is, however, a genuinely touching scene near the end with Zatoichi meeting a temple priest (Yoshi Kato, whose face should be more familiar to most viewers than his name) that alone makes the film feel somewhat rewarding. Zatoichi and the Chess Expert (座頭市地獄旅) (Japan, 1965) [BD] - 4/5 Part 12. Zatoichi films are similar to ninkyo yakuza films in the sense that their quality doesn't come down so much to originality as to how beautifully they recite the usual formula. In Zatoichi films the basic patter is that of a road movie, with much emphasis on Zatoichi's interaction with the people he meets. This one is one of the best films in the series. The film's asset is Mikio Narita as a psychotic yet friendship seeking swordsman and chess master who becomes Zatoichi's travel companion to treat his own loneliness and desire for intellectual challenge. Throughout the film they walk a fine line between friendship and death. The film is beautifully directed by Kenji Misumi, with a fine balance between interesting characterization and fast moving action. There's also a very funny gambling scene played to the perfection. Zatoichi's Vengeance (座頭市の歌が聞える) (Japan, 1965) [BD] - 3.5/5 Part 13. It's not where you go, it's who you meet along the way. This routinely plotted (small town terrorized by an evil gang) but otherwise well written entry is vitalized by a set of excellent supporting characters. Zatoichi crosses paths with a good hearted prostitute, a samurai willing to risk his life for money, and a blind monk who forces Zatoichi to consider his actions from a moral perspective. Although the latter aspect is not developed as far as one would wish, it adds some depth to the exceptionally well choreographed fight fest. The film also sees Zatoichi momentarily grab a katana (as opposed to his usual cane sword) which translates to different, more traditional fighting style. Zatoichi's Pilgrimage (座頭市海を渡る) (Japan, 1966) [BD] - 3.5/5 The 14th film in the series promises a more spiritual approach with Zatoichi deciding to visit 88 shrines to atone for the lives he's taken. It is a bit of a shame the film does not ultimately pursue this path, but instead throws Zatoichi into another adventure when his journey is interrupted by an assassin sent after him. This is, nevertheless, an enjoyable and exceptionally romantic entry in the series with the wounded Zatoichi nursed back to health by a woman whose brother he killed. The lady is charmingly played by Michiyo Yasuda, who remains virtually unknown outside of Japan but was a major action star at Daiei in the late 60s, starring in films such as Kanto Woman Yakuza (1968), Bamboo Leaf Omon (1968) and Lady Sazen and the Drenched Swallow Sword (1969). This film is also "notorious" for having been unavailable outside of Japan for ages because Tarantino and Miramax had acquired the rights, apparently in case they'd decide to remake it. Modern Yakuza: Three Cherry Blossom Blood Brothers (現代やくざ 血桜三兄弟) (Japan, 1971) [VoD] - 2.5/5 The 4th film in the series (not 5th; many English language sources mistakenly include the 1969 film "Outlaw of Shinjuku" in the series). Three small time gangsters (Bunta Sugawara, Tsunehiko Watase and Goro Ibuki) get involved in a deadly gang war after a suave gambler and ladies men (Asao Koike) arrives the town and causes a yakuza conflict. Quite a passable, but ultimately forgettable modern day yakuza film made just before the jitsuroku era. Groovy score and good performances (especially Ichiro Araki as a shy wanna-be gangster) are the film's assets. The film would probably rate a notch higher if there weren't scores of other, more accomplished yakuza films out there. Very watchable nevertheless. - Showa Woman Gambler (昭和おんな博徒) (Japan, 1972) [DVD] - 4.5/5 A superb ninkyo yakuza film by Tai Kato, who best known for his minimalist style. This film, however, is more dramatic, an emotionally draining tale of a suicidal woman (Kyoko Enami) saved by a decent yakuza (Hiroki Matsukata) who is named as a successor for a dying gang boss. The man's yakuza brother (Fumio Watanabe) doesn't take this well and teams up with other gangsters to hire an assassin, who is an honourable man nursing his wife, to take care of things. Normally, this would suffice for an entire storyline in a ninkyo film, but here it only accounts for the first half. There are several brilliant scenes, such as the one where Enami, wishing to degrade herself in order to be accepted as a wife by yakuza Matsukata, begs an old tattoo master to tattoo her back. The whole cast is terrific, including several actors cast against type (regular Toei slime bags Tatsuo Endo and Akira Shioji as benevolent gangsters) but it's Enami who shines the brightest. Her slow, torturous transform into a yakuza gambler brings tears even to a jaded yakuza film viewer's eyes. - This was, btw, my 100th movie for 1972. Kôkôsei burai hikae: Tsuki no Muramasa (高校生無頼控 突きのムラマサ) (Japan, 1973) [VoD] - 2.5/5 The 2nd film in the Muramasa trilogy, all based on Kazuo Koike comic books, these are quite a bit more light hearted than the material he is usually associated with. There's plenty of silliness mixed with nostalgic 70s youth comedy innocence, and no, sexism, groping and bit of raping were not deemed unfit for this context back then. The film opens with high school kid gone watadori Muramasa is practicing kendo bare-assed by the river, which shocks a pretty lady so bad she falls off her bike. A few moments (and a lecture about manhood's symbol) later he's already "accidentally" groping her breasts while getting a ride, all thanks to a bumpy road of course. The rest of the film follows in the same trails, with Muramasa coming across goofy characters and hot girls, with little in terms of plot. Muramasa is this time played by Masaaki Daimon, and the girls he runs into are Yuriko Hishimi (teacher), Yayoi Watanabe (bar girl) and Sayoko Kato (school girl), all of whom he manages relieve of their clothing. Worth mentioning as a bit of trivia is that all three films (1972-1973) premiered as Toho "Wild Youth" double features with the Rica films, a series that started out mean and gritty, but eventually went down the Muramasa road of comic book silliness. - Edited November 11, 2017 by Takuma 3 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Member Takuma Posted November 29, 2017 Author Member Share Posted November 29, 2017 The Hoodlum Soldier (兵隊やくざ) (Japan, 1965) [DVD] - 3/5 While Japan's militaristic past may remain a touchy subject in politics, there are few nations that have made mainstream war movies as self-critical as Japan. Here we have an ultra violent war satire set in Manchuria, where the Japanese troops never encounter a single enemy during the films course. Instead, the spend all their time getting slapped, battered, tortured, spat at and abused in every imaginable way by their superiors, who in turn are abused by their own superiors, all in the name of ranks and absurd military discipline. The story follows two men, a bad attitude yakuza (Shintaro Katsu) drafted to army and his intellectual superior who hates war (Takahiro Tamura), whose tragicomic tale would be hilarious if it wasn't so disturbingly violent. Indeed, the endless beatings get a little repetitive and hard to take, as not terribly much else happens in the story. For Katsu, the biggest star in Japan at the time, this film initiated his 3rd simultaneous hit series. 1965 saw the release of 3 Zatoichi pictures, 2 Bad Reputation films, and 3 Hoodlum Soldiers, all starring him and released to the public by the (generally) conservative Daiei. None of this could happen in modern day Japan, sadly. Zatoichi's Revenge (座頭市二段斬り) (1965) [BD] - 4/5 Part 10. Zatoichi, while trying to free a young lady from a brothel, runs into a cheating yakuza dice thrower who is also a loving single father to a young daughter. A rather gloomy, yet slick entry echoing the fall/winter season during which it was filmed (the Criterion transfer comes with a sunset tint that I'm not sure if it's intentional or not, but it suits the film perfectly). There's a very nice ninkyo film like honour aspect with conflicting duties concerning the fore mentioned dice master, and some other wonderful moments. The villains are rather one-dimensional, save for a few interesting moments with a hired-by-the-bad-guys ronin (Takeshi Kato), but there's also a pleasing absence of contrived plottings. The massive end fight comes with a very interesting climax as well. Although not exceptional in terms of characterization or action, this still manages to be one of the most enjoyable films in the series. - Zatoichi and the Doomed Man (座頭市逆手斬り) (Japan, 1965) [BD] - 3/5 Part 11. This is one of the lesser Zatoichi films for lacking interesting supporting characters, and for featuring a rather lame comic relief who steals Zatoichi's identity and goes around pretending to be him. Even then, this is an enjoyable, harmless film with some beautiful locations, excellent fight design and a delightfully compact 78 minute running time. Zatoichi's Cane Sword (座頭市鉄火旅) (1967) [BD] - 3/5 Part 15. Zatoichi gives up his sword after learning there's a fracture that will break it rather sooner than later, and tries an honest living (as masseur of course). Unfortunately for him, the town is populated by the usual rotten gangsters. Despite the unusual twist that leaves Zatoichi armless, the film is a relatively standard affair, neither great nor bad in the least. That being said, it seems to enjoy reputation as one of the best among many viewers. - Secret Story: Plundering the Jewel (戦後秘話 宝石略奪) (Japan, 1970) [TV] - 1.5/5 Everybody's chasing a diamond in Sadao Nakajima's tiresome crime/action/drama. It was a based on a novel by Tsusai Sugawara, who was a Japanese writer and political figure campaigning against drugs, prostitution and sexually transmitted diseases. Sugawara also gave the incentive for a trio of superior Sonny Chiba crime films (A Narcotic's Agent's Ballad, Terrifying Flesh Hell, Tokyo-Seoul-Bangkok Drug Triangle, in 1972-1973). The problem with "Secret Story" is that the story is short on action and memorable characters, something that is not offset by the big name cast (Bunta Sugawara, Chiezo Kataoka, Tomisaburo Wakayama, and in what seems like a referential joke, Tetsuro Tamba as a gangster who shares his name and looks with his Key Hunter character) playing gangsters and other shady political/corporate figures. Nakajima's direction is uninspired as well, even though he was fresh off from one of his best pictures, Memoir of Japanese Assassins (1969). That kind of unevenness was typical of him, and in some ways he remains both over-rated and underappreciated with his remarkably vast but uneven filmography. "Secret Story" does have a stylish, hallucinatory ending that rewards the viewer, as well as some interesting bits set in Singapore, but in all honesty, much of the film is a chore to get through. - On the Road (オン・ザ・ロード) (Japan, 1982) [TV] - 3/5 Pink film director Seiji Izumi had 49 skin flicks under his belt when he helmed this motorcycle cop flick, his first mainstream release. Largely forgotten since its theatrical run in 1982 (a double feature with Nobuhiko Obayashi's Transfer Student), the film might be heading towards small cult reputation since its re-discovery a few years ago by a small arthouse theatre in Yokohama that played it in 35mm for more than a year. Hiroyuki Watanabe, in his debut role, stars as young, eccentric loner of a Tokyo biker cop. The film's opening chase leaves a bystander, a model called Reiko (Kumi Fujishima), injured when his bike hits her. Feeling quilt, he tracks her down months later, but she's determined to start a new life in Okinawa and wishes not to see him. She hops in a car with her sister to drive through half of Japan to a port in Kyushu, while he, still in his uniform and riding his bike, is determined to follow her to the end of worlds. His superior (Hideo Murota) and half of the nation's police force are trying to capture the renegade cop and avoid a public scandal while the lone rider grows reputation as a rebel hero of sorts. It's a fantastic concept, even though some of the drama is mediocre and the two female characters are poorly written and cast. Not really an action film, but there's a fair bit of stylish bike and chase footage as well. - Blue Rain Osaka (ブルーレイン大阪) (Japan, 1983) [DVD] - 1/5 80s human drama meets Roman Porno in Masaru Konuma's dull Osaka film. Suits, bars and boring relationship drama with occasional, pretentious art scene thrown in the mix. And lots of sex that is supposed mean Something in this context. Konuma did some of his best films in the drama genre, but this is not one of them. 3 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Member Takuma Posted December 20, 2017 Author Member Share Posted December 20, 2017 Outlaw: Heartless (無頼非情) (Japan, 1968) [BD] - 3/5 Part 3 in the Outlaw / Gangster V.I.P. series. Another solid entry with the usual mixture of knife fights, loyalty conflicts and romantic tones. This time Watari, who is nursing a fallen yakuza's widow, runs into a childhood friend (Ryuhei Uchida, excellent as usual) whose wife is the sister of Watari's enemy, while also trying to keep a young woman (Chieko Matsubara again, in a different role than before) hopelessly in love with him at bay for her own sake. There's quite an enjoyable 60s Nikkatsu Action feel with slick visuals, nice soundtrack and Yokohama locations. The main problem with "Heartless", and many other Japanese 60s gangster films, be it Nikkatsu or Toei, is that after a couple of hundred entries in the genre the formulas had become so predictable the audience could see some twists and character deaths coming miles away. That is, to an extent, the case here as well, although there are some scenes that play against the expectations. Outlaw: Goro the Assassin (無頼 人斬り五郎) (Japan, 1968) [BD] - 3.5/5 Part 4. Watari runs into old enemies while searching for his dead pal's (Tatsuya Fuji) sister. Add a veteran assassin suffering from guilty conscience, a likeable young hood hopelessly in love with a waitress but affiliated with the bad guys, and Chieko Matsubara (once again) as an innocent woman who falls for Watari, and complications begin to arise. Stylish and well acted entry, doesn't stray far from the standard formula but features a couple of slightly unusual turns, such as regular villain actor Asao Koike playing a relatively decent character. The use of locations is excellent, and there are a couple of magnificent sequences such as the pier scene near the end. Very enjoyable. Outlaw: Black Dagger (無頼 黒匕首) (Japan, 1968) [BD] - 3/5 The 5th film in the series, and also the 5th entry released in 1968. Such pace was exceptional even by the Japanese genre film standards of the time. Like most yakuza films made in the 60s, the "Outlaw" films were formulaic, and what often distinguished a fine film from a mediocre one was not originality but its ability to avoid potentially frustrating drama scenarios. This is where "Black Dagger" stumbles a bit with its "evil yakuza bullying people who can't or won't to fight back" plot. On a positive note, that does make seeing justice eventually happen - in the film's extremely well staged knife fights - very satisfying. The main character, well played by Watari, also has grown so sympathetic by this point that he alone could carry the films given the plots were even half-decent. Also worth mentioning is Kunie Tanaka, an actor who often played gangsters, as a yakuza-hating doctor in this film. Outlaw: Kill (無頼 殺せ) (Japan, 1969) [BD] - 3.5/5 Part 6, the last in the series. This is the grittier and more violent than the rest of the bunch, indeed somewhat bridging the gap from the romantic pathos of the 60s Japanese crime cinema to the grittier style embraced in the 70s. While still rooted in the ideals of honour and duty, it's also very critical of what the yakuza have become, and the only film in the series without a love story between Watari and Matsubara. The scrip is not terribly original, but does good gob avoiding bigger pitfalls. As parting words, the hero played by Watari really grew into a character worthy of six films as the series progressed, and it's almost a shame there weren't a few more. The Young Animals (皮ジャン反抗族) (Japan, 1978) [DVD] - 3/5 Yasuharu Hasebe took a break from the Roman Porno series to do this biker youth / disco film for Toei Central. And what an opening it has! Hiroshi Tachi on a bike. Cut to a disco where he tames a Nikkatsu runaway girl gang (Yuri Yamashina with razor blades, Natsuko Yashiro). And then he goes all Travolta to "Funky Disco Princess" on the dance floor. Tachi was one of those rock stars turned actors who were better screen performers than you'd expect (Yuya Uchida, who also happens to be in the film, is another). His youthful looks combined with charisma a strangely suffering look on his face made him perfect for playing melancholic punks. This was his first starring role after a couple fine supporting turns (e.g. Classroom of Terror, 1976). The film is basically Rebel Without a Cause meets Saturday Night Fever done in the Japanese youth film genre, fun and colourful, but ultimately lacking in characterization, and perhaps also missing the final punch on the tech side. Aiko Morishita has a small supporting role with no bare skin on display. Erotic Liaisons (エロチックな関係) (Japan, 1992) [DVD] - 2/5 More of a curiosity than a good film, this is Koji Wakamatsu's adaptation of a French detective novel, shot on location in Paris. Yuya Uchida stars as private detective falling in love with the femme fatale (Jennifer Galin) he's been hired to tail by a rich businessman (Takeshi Kitano). Rie Miyazawa, fresh off from her "hair nude" photo book fame of 1991, is Uchida's fully clothed side-kick. It is too bad the film is largely void of the angry political angst and exploitation Wakamatsu is known for, feeling like a lame TV production with a bit of nudity thrown in. Even Uchida, whose Japanese / French / English speaking role is the highlight of the film, often looks bored. The storyline itself is not bad despite stretching the credibility, but there is a far superior version of it found in the Nikkatsu Roman Porno catalogue. The 1978 film, also called Erotic Liaisons, stars Uchida in the same role under Yasuharu Hasebe's ultra-stylish direction. It's a better film in every sense: more erotic, with stronger characters, 10 times better score, and cinematography that oozes noir. It was filmed in Japan with a Japanese cast, but somehow felt more French than the Wakamatsu version. Lowlife Love (下衆の愛) (Japan, 2015) [DCP] - 2.5/5 A lowlife film director dreams of making a good film and entertains his sad life by exploiting young actresses. Looking back at this film, which came out a few years ago, it's become more timely now with the Harvey Weinstein stuff and all. Japanese film industry has its own little Harveys, and this film shows it. It's also not a bad film, but considering its low key approach to very daily topics there should have been something more to make it stand out. As a general remark about modern Japanese cinema, there's a whole new generation of young filmmakers seemingly making indie films for themselves, about themselves, often clueless of what other filmmakers have done before them. Although not all of the fore-mentioned "accusations" apply to Lowlife Love, I can't help but to at least occasionally associate Uchida with the fore-mentioned filmmakers. Or perhaps I just belong to the wrong "group" since these films do have an audience in Japan, the same people who will go see every new Japanese indie that gets a theatrical release. 3 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Member DrNgor Posted January 13, 2018 Member Share Posted January 13, 2018 Battle in Outer Space (Japan, 1959: Ishiro Honda) - Last week I watched This Island Earth, so this week I checked out a Japanese take on interplanetary war. This film gets down to business a lot quicker, with flying saucers destroying a space station before the opening credits. After that, the nations of the world--apparently director Ishiro Honda believed that the UN would actually be worth something--unanimously decide to propose peace to the spacemen from Natal (amusingly enough, that means "Christmas" in Portuguese) for all of five minutes, when the invaders make their aims clear. The nations of the Earth immediately flip the visitors the proverbial birdie and build new rockets and ray guns to go to the moon and kick the snot out of them. Then we get a rocket battle in the Earth's atmosphere, followed by final all-out offensive on Tokyo. The plot here is exceedingly simple, with the main hook being the idea that we as people would actually be able to put aside our cultural, ideological, religious, economic and political differences to fight a common enemoy. This film feels especially hopeful in that regard. That said, it's mainly an FX spectacular, with dozens of miniatures, models, optical effects, complex Moon sets, matte paintings, and whatnot on display. New York and the Golden Gate Bridge are both destroyed, and Tokyo is uprooted by an anti-gravity ray. Impressive stuff, even if the film on the whole is insubstantial. 4 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Member Takuma Posted January 23, 2018 Author Member Share Posted January 23, 2018 Bullet Terror (恐怖の弾痕) (Japan, 1957) [35mm] - 2.5/5 A young judo expert (Akira Takarada) assumes a white collar job in a night club company that is being harassed by the yakuza and their sword for hire bodyguard (Jun Tazaki), whose father was once upon a time killed by the judo guy's good-for-nothing father (talk about coincidences) - an incident that has stained the decent son's life and career ever since. The new employer soon turns out to be no better - their real business is revealed to be narcotics. Mildly entertaining b-action film with a couple of judo vs. sword duels. The storyline and characterization are purely programmer stuff, though, and some scenes are badly dated (e.g. long episode featuring a time bomb ticking in the clueless hero's car while he's chasing the bad guy). Blood and Diamonds (血とダイヤモンド) (Japan, 1964) [35mm] - 3/5 A diamond heist goes wrong, leaving one member bleeding with a bullet in the stomach. They retreat to a bunker where tensions begin to rise. This Toho crime thriller by Jun Fukuda bears striking similarity to Tarantino's Reservoir Dogs (far more than City on Fire) and some plot elements can't be discussed without spoiling both films. Blood and Diamonds isn't as tightly written but features a noirish mood and interesting characterization especially regarding bleeding, sweat-covered gangster Makoto Sato whose greed for money is bone chilling. Takashi Shimura plays a doctor whose daughter is captured by the gangsters to force him to dig out the bullet of Sato's stomach. Zatoichi Meets Yojimbo (座頭市と用心棒) (Japan, 1970) [BD] - 3.5/5 Part 20. There's a scene in many of the Zatoichi films where Zatoichi is walking down a countryside road and enjoying life's little pleasures, such as the sun gently embracing his face. This film starts with the rain beating his face. He is sick and tired of it all, the rain, the coldness, the killing. This was the second film in the series produced by Katsu's own company. From visuals to characterization it's a much darker take on the franchise, devoid of the kind of beauty and romanticism that were present in the more conservative crowd pleasers produced by Daiei. Of course, it's still an extremely commercial film with some humorous moments and two legendary characters, but they are both given a grittier portrayal than one might expect. At 115 minutes it's the longest film in the series, and while it may not rank among the very best, the final 20 minutes is quite spectacular with director Okamoto, composer Ikufube, cinematographer Miyagawa and the cast all doing amazing job. In addition to Mifune and Katsu, there are excellent supporting turns by Shin Kishida (assassin) and Kanjuro Arashi (sculptor). (Maruhi) Jorô zankoku iro-jigoku ((秘)女郎残酷色地獄) (Japan, 1973) [35mm] - 2/5 This Roman Porno film has, for some reason, been neglected in English language writing to the extent that it doesn't seem to have an English title. The loss is not big. Decently acted and produced, but unimaginatively directed by the artistically non-gifted Shinichi Shiratori, it's yet another sad story of girls forced to work as courtesans in Edo. Leading girl Rie Nakagawa was one of the early Roman Porno starlets, and had a slight edge over some of her fellow actresses in terms of acting talent. Zatoichi (座頭市) (Japan, 2003) [DVD] - 3/5 Kitano's over-rated revival of the legendary character features good moments (e.g. the tap dance scene) but suffers from a mediocre script. Kitano himself makes a passable but forgettable Zatoichi. He acquits himself well with sword, and the action could be quite enjoyable if it wasn't for the God-awful CGI blood. Co-star Tadanobu Asano plays a hired-by-the-yakuza ronin with a sick wife, a strangely under-written character whose kind is familiar from dozens of ninkyo yakuza films. The score is pretty good at times, though no Hisaishi. Looking back at the film and its initial popularity, it probably benefitted from Kitano and Asano having been at the height of their popularity, and many viewers not having been terribly familiar with Japanese yakuza and jidai geki films beyond Kurosawa, mistaking Kitano's "vision" as something more original than it really was. It's not that different from Shintaro Katsu's Zatoichi films, and in the Zatoichi cannon it's a pretty mediocre entry. 4 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Member DrNgor Posted January 27, 2018 Member Share Posted January 27, 2018 Godzilla: Monster Planet (Japan, 2017) - orig. title Gojira: Kaiju Wakusei - Godzilla films, much like the Star Wars franchise, seem to be getting more and more divisive with each entry. Perhaps the internet culture, with its ability to surround you with your favorite pop culture icons 24/7 and spend hours analyzing trailers and theorizing what direction a movie will go, only to be disappointed when it does something different, is to blame. Or maybe the movies really aren't that great and some people are shameless defenders of their favorite franchises, no matter the quality. This film, Godzilla's first animated movie (and the first part of a trilogy), has proven to be just as debated as the Big G's last two films: Godzilla '14 and Shin Gojira. The set-up is simple. At the end of the 20th Century, giant monsters (cue cameos by Kamacuras, Orga, and Rodan(?)) have appeared all over the globe, wreaking havoc. Godzilla shows up and proves to be the most powerful, withstanding an onslaught of several dozen nuclear warheads detonated simultaneously. An alien race wishing to colonize Earth shows up and agrees to help us defeat Godzilla if they can hang out on Earth, but that blows up in their faces. So the surviving humans take a ride with the aliens off of planet Earth. After travelling more than 11 light-years, the human decide to go back to Earth, since they only have 8 years worth of supplies left. By the time they return, 20,000 years have already passed on Earth (you know, relativity and all that). But if Godzilla is still around, they'll need to deal with him before they can re-colonize the planet. The movie certainly looks good, and the plot is an interesting, if bleak interpretation of what would happen if giant monsters kicked us off the planet. In some ways, it's quite reminiscent of Tri-Star's original plan for a trilogy based on the 1998 GINO (Godzilla-In-Name-Only) film, where the third film would take place in a future where Godzilla became the dominant species and humanity would be on the brink of extinction. There's a lot of military jargon, techno-babble, and scientific doublespeak. It's all serviceable. There are some new monsters in the form of some dragon-esque creatures (about 20 - 30 feet long) called Servum. They aren't altogether memorable, but I'm personally all for creating new monsters instead of reusing the same ones over and over again. Dialog suggests that Mechagodzilla was built, but not used against Godzilla, and will probably figure into the next movie. I'm tired of that character, but it fits the tone of world more than it would the Monsterverse. I just didn't like Godzilla's characterization; he's too stationary (even more so than Shin Godzilla) and barely roars (this would've been a good opportunity to design a new roar, like the G'14 movie did). He's super-powerful, but just sort of there. I did like that he had a weakness and how the humans find and exploit that. It's been said that in a trilogy, the first film should be more or less standalone, even if the overarching conflict isn't resolved. This film doesn't follow that advice and more or less ends on a cliffhanger. Whether or not I end up buying this movie will depend on what I think of the next two movies. 3 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Member Takuma Posted February 2, 2018 Author Member Share Posted February 2, 2018 The Gambling Monk (競輪上人行状記) (Japan, 1963) [35mm] - 3/5 A biting black comedy/drama about a mischievous middle school teacher (Shoichi Ozawa) who becomes a gambling addicted monk following his brother's death. He tries to take care of his family temple business, but gets mixed up in bicycle betting, alcohol and desperate women. This was Shogoro Nishimura's debut film, based on a screenplay by Shohei Imamura and Nobuyuki Onishi. It may not be a film tailored for my tastes, but fans of Imamura and Japanese 60s new wave ought to be in for a threat. The mix of dark drama, comedy and social satire aiming to spark some controversy is especially reminiscent of Imamura's films. It is then perhaps not surprising that, despite being adored by critics, it bombed in theatres upon its release and brought Nishimura's career to an instant end for three years. It remains a forgotten film waiting to be discovered. International Secret Police: A Keg of Powder (国際秘密警察 火薬の樽) (Japan, 1964) [35mm] - 1.5/5 Part 3 in the International Secret Police series, Toho's response to James Bond. There were 5 films in total (1963-1967). The series is probably best known internationally as the source material for Woody Allen's What's Up Tiger Lily? (1966). Allen used footage from the 3rd and 4th films to arrive at his comedy spoof, which I have not seen but which seems somewhat redundant since A Keg of Powder was already a comedy - albeit a rather unbearable one. Tatsuya Mihashi and Makoto Sato are two secret agents (whose identity is not a secret to anyone) goofing around and chasing a crazy Austin Powers type of criminal genius. Mihashi is also trying to have romantic relations with a girl, but there are constant silly assassination attempts made at him. The film is a mess with loads of dumb comedy, nonsensical storyline and clumsy action, and the fact it does all everything with its tongue firmly in the cheek doesn't make it any less painful. Akiko Wakabayashi provides some eye candy at least. The director of the film is Takashi Tsuboshima, who later helmed the equally unbearable and in many way similar Lupin the Third: Strange Psychokinetic Strategy (1974), as well as the excellent ninja exploitation Demon Spies (1974). International Secret Police: Key of Keys (国際秘密警察 鍵の鍵) (Japan, 1965) [35mm] - 2.5/5 Part 4. Makoto Sato is out, and Tatsuya Mihashi is left alone with assassins, femme fatales and foreign terrorists who are all after a secret safe that could enable a revolution. While still goody and relatively nonsensical, this is an improvement over the previous film. At the very least the film takes itself seriously enough to work as a b-grade spy film, even if it's a comedic one. Parts of the story are set in foreign locations, in a fictional nation called Tongwan, channelling India or Egypt (?) type of exotic vibes. The film also features both Akiko Wakabayashi and Mie Hama, who would go on to appear as Bond girls in You Only Live Twice (1967). Director Senkichi Taniguchi also helmed the fantastic one-night patrol car docudrama Car 33 Doesn't Answer (1955), which would be a fantastic candidate for a Criterion release. Kaettekita ookami (帰ってきた狼) (Japan, 1966) [DCP] - 4/5 Excellent Sun Tribe film by Shogoro Nishimura; his second movie as a director. The story kicks off when a mixed blood, misunderstood loner (Ken Yamauchi) drifts back into a small seaside town where he slew a man years ago. Around the same time a super hot yacht girl Rika, who is a bit of a spoiled brat, sails to the shores. She has instant hot for him, and her bloated self ego takes a hit when he says he just digs her yacht. Then there is the film's actual protagonist (Junichi Kagiyama), a cowardish but decent guy and the only rational one of the bunch, as well as some local teen hoods giving everyone trouble. This is almost everything a good Sun Tribe film should be: yachts, motor boats, guitars, fights and burning teen passion, all packed into 78 minutes. The characters are excellent, there's a constant aura of energy to Nishimura's direction, and most importantly the Taiwanese-Japanese actress Judy Ongg is just amazingly hot and badass as Rika. When director Nishimura, in an unrelated interview, expressed his regret that much of the Roman Porno genre that later employed him may be problematic from a female perspective, I wondered if he truly cared. But seeing movies like this, with show stealing female characters, I can believe he really meant what he said. Fantastic film! Tokyo Streetfighting (東京市街戦) (Japan, 1967) [35mm] - 1.5/5 Tetsuya Watari's theme song is the only good thing about this half-arsed Nikkatsu yakuza action film. It's yet another tale of people coping in the ruins of Tokyo in the post WW2 Japan, with a couple of good men (Watari, Joe Shishido) standing against the exploitative Korean gangsters. Toei also made several films like this, some of them good (True Account of Ginza Tortures, 1973), some as bad as this (Third Generation Boss, 1974; Kobe International Gang, 1975). With its uninspired performances, routine execution and a programmer storyline aiming to connect with the more sentimental and nationalistically minded viewers (there even an orphan boy and his blind sister suffering in the slums!), Tokyo Streetfighting offers little to be impressed about. Even the final street war / machinegun massacre fails to thrill, despite its unbelievable body count. Burning Nature (花を喰う蟲) (Japan, 1967) [DCP] - 3.5/5 Here's further evidence that director Shogoro Nishimura is remembered for the wrong films. Before he became a Roman Porno vending machine, he was a yakuza and youth film director at Nikkatsu, making several interesting pictures that have since been forgotten. This one starts out as a breezy youth film but soon morphs into a study of greed and moral corruption as a wildcat girl (Taichi Kiwako) runs into a manipulative "businessman" (Hideaki Nitani) who promises her a career as a model. She finds success due to her good looks, but also learns that that is exactly her worth the in the modern world. The stylish film features a terrific leading performance by Taichi Kiwako. Eiji Go, an actor best known for portraying crazed yakuza, is also very good as a young man in love with the protagonist. Meiko Kaji has a small supporting role. The film's only problem is that it can't quite keep the wonderful momentum it establishes during the superb first half till the very end. Biographies of Killers (刺客列伝) (Japan, 1969) [35mm] - 2.5/5 Although better known for contemporary films, Nikkatsu also produced scores of period yakuza films. I am far from well educated in Nikkatsu's yakuza output, but compared to Toei's ninkyo films, this movie at least is somewhat grittier in philosophy (as suggested by the title), leaving less room for chivalry, stoic pathos and manly bonding than you'd find in your average Ken Takakura or Koji Tsuruta film. Sentimental drama is not avoided though: the film features Nikkatsu's regular wallflower Chieko Matsubara as a young woman with a missing brother and a sick kid to take care of. Hideki Takahashi is the main character, a yakuza joining a gang of killers to make some money. He later runs into Matsubara, who doesn't know he's a yakuza and indirectly related to his missing brother who has been killed. There's also a common yakuza film theme with poor workers being targeted by the yakuza. The storyline isn't especially interesting and the lack of a strong plot hurts, but Nishimura's direction is pretty good, often vitalizing quiet scenes with emotional tension. Yakuza Native Ground (やくざ番外地) (Japan, 1969) [35mm] - 4/5 A very good transitional era yakuza film by Shogoro Nishimura. Tetsuro Tamba is a businessman-like gangster who builds his gang of youngsters willing to do the dirty work for him, including a psychotic hothead Jiro Okazaki. Tamba is pals with Kei Sato, a slightly more righteous boss in a rival gang, likewise leaving the quarrels to the youngsters while trying remain friends with Tamba. The film takes a while to get going with some seemingly random side plots, which however all come together big time when Tamba's sister falls in love with a young man associated with the rival gang, and then all hell starts breaking loose, leading to a well orchestrated final massacre. There's also an interesting mix of ninkyo-like honour themes and jitsuroku shades of gray, especially evident in Tamba's well written character. Nishimura's character direction is effective and it's always a pleasure to see Tamba in starring roles. Teruo Ishii Wonder Night - Inferno of Torture (Japan, 1969) [35mm] - 4/5 - Horrors of Malformed Men (Japan, 1969) [35mm] - 4.5/5 - Bohachi Bushido: Code of the Forgotten Eight (Japan, 1973) [35mm] - 4.5/5 - The Executioner 2: Karate Inferno (Japan, 1974) [35mm] - 4/5 All night Teruo Ishii marathon with four excellent films from pristine prints. It didn't hurt at all that I had seen all of them before in theatre, some of them several times. Inferno of Torture is cruel yet romantic, supremely stylish tale of two tattoo artists in Edo competing each other and tattooing the horrors of hell on the backs of beautiful topless women. Horrors of Malformed Men, Ishii's most legendary and atmospheric film, is a mystery following a man who discovers an island where a tragic madman is building a society of malformed men. Bohachi Bushido, Ishii's best film, is a visually amazing tour de force of a nihilist samurai wandering in a surreal ero-guro pop Japan and fighting ninjas and naked female bodyguards in terrific, bloody action scenes. All three films excel at creating imaginative fantasy worlds, at which Ishii was at his best. The Executioner 2 is a smaller but no less enjoyable film: an insanely funny and crude action comedy and a perfect closing film to keep people awake at 4:30 am. All in all, amazing night where every film, partly due to the circumstances, made me think "this is a strong candidate for the best movie ever!" 3 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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