Gen Sekiguchi's “Survive Style 5+” is a curiosa in cinema, being one of the rare comedy anthologies that actually delivers. Intertwining several stories where some characters cross over with others, there are a lot of scenes that one could pick as best. From Tadanobu Asano going to war with his murdered wife, who keeps resurrecting for the sole purpose of beating him up and humiliating him, to the constant homo-erotic tension between two gang members that is always introduced with a gay club dance number needle drop.
Still, as wonderfully absurd and visually rich as “Survive Style 5+” is, one scene always sticks out. It brings together Asano's neverending battle with his ex with that of a family plagued by their father stuck thinking he is a chicken after a hypnotist is murdered before turning him back. After many failed attempts by the salaryman-turned-chicken to fly, he actually manages to take flight.
Still, as wonderfully absurd and visually rich as “Survive Style 5+” is, one scene always sticks out. It brings together Asano's neverending battle with his ex with that of a family plagued by their father stuck thinking he is a chicken after a hypnotist is murdered before turning him back. After many failed attempts by the salaryman-turned-chicken to fly, he actually manages to take flight.
- 3/28/2024
- by Adam Symchuk
- AsianMoviePulse
Kadokawa has revealed the first look teaser for a movie called Kubi, a historical epic from iconic Japanese actor Beat Takeshi. This will be premiering at the 2023 Cannes Film Festival later this month in the Cannes Premiere section. This film was conceived by director Takeshi Kitano around the same time as Sonatine, one of his early masterpieces, and has been in the works for 30 years. It depicts the "Honnoji Incident" along with the ambitions, betrayals, and fates of various characters, including warlords, ninja, comedians, and peasants. The ambitious new film has assembled a splendid and unique cast! Takeshi plays Hideyoshi Hashiba, who plots the "Honnoji Incident," and Hidetoshi Nishijima plays Mitsuhide Akechi. Ryo Kase gives a dubious performance as the mad genius Nobunaga Oda, while Tadanobu Asano and Nao Omori play the military strategist Kanpei Kuroda, who supports Hideyoshi, and his brother Hidenaga Hashiba with a great sense of humor.
- 5/3/2023
- by Alex Billington
- firstshowing.net
One of the reasons contemporary Japanese cinema became so popular is the fact that filmmakers who came out in the end of 80s and 90s could let their imagination completely free in all aspects of their movies, from the script, to the characters, to the violence, to the production values. Thus, they came up with high-energy, punk-driven, originally presented films that are still cherished throughout the world. Based on the homonymous manga by Minetaro Mochizuki, “Shark Skin Man and Peach Hip Girl” has Katsuhito Ishii's signature all over him, as he wrote, directed, edited, was responsible for the props, music and costume designs, and is definitely one of these films.
on Terracotta
The story begins outside of a hotel in the mountains, where beautiful Toshiko is trying to escape the sexual advances of her uncle Sonezaki, the owner of the establishment where she also works. Her escape however,...
on Terracotta
The story begins outside of a hotel in the mountains, where beautiful Toshiko is trying to escape the sexual advances of her uncle Sonezaki, the owner of the establishment where she also works. Her escape however,...
- 4/23/2023
- by Panos Kotzathanasis
- AsianMoviePulse
Choosing to live a double-life, while quite complicated and next-to-impossible in reality, is one of the most interesting themes in literature and movies. Especially combined with the thriller-genre it can lead to quite interesting narratives, for example, with the idea of a gangster of a hitman having to disguise his or her actions in front of others. In his new feature film prolific Japanese filmmakers Junji Sakamoto, whose drama “Another World” won the Audience Award at Tokyo International Film Festival 2018, utilizes that concept in a blend of drama and comedy telling the story of a wannabe writer of crime fiction who disguises himself as an infamous killer in the Japanese underworld.
I Never Shot Anyone is screening at Camera Japan
By daytime, Susumu Ichikawa (Renji Ishibashi) is a writer of hard-boiled crime thrillers, whose work is respected by his publisher but put on hold as it lacks the qualities which...
I Never Shot Anyone is screening at Camera Japan
By daytime, Susumu Ichikawa (Renji Ishibashi) is a writer of hard-boiled crime thrillers, whose work is respected by his publisher but put on hold as it lacks the qualities which...
- 9/24/2021
- by Rouven Linnarz
- AsianMoviePulse
In the thirteenth episode of Amp Talks, Panos Kotzathanasis Tom Wilmot and Rouven Linnarz discuss Takeshi Kitano’s Violent Cop
How he ended up directing in the stead of Kinji FukasakuThe similarities of the movie and Azuma with Dirty HarryThe deconstruction of the role of the policeman, the roles of Azuma, Iwaki and KikuchiViolence, irony and comedyAzuma vs KiyohiroMemorable scenes: the slapping scene, the shoot-out, chasing a suspect, the duel sceneKitano as AzumaHakuryu as Kiyohiro, Ittoku Kishibe as Nito, Maiko Kawakami as Akari, Makoto Ashikawa as Kikuchi...
How he ended up directing in the stead of Kinji FukasakuThe similarities of the movie and Azuma with Dirty HarryThe deconstruction of the role of the policeman, the roles of Azuma, Iwaki and KikuchiViolence, irony and comedyAzuma vs KiyohiroMemorable scenes: the slapping scene, the shoot-out, chasing a suspect, the duel sceneKitano as AzumaHakuryu as Kiyohiro, Ittoku Kishibe as Nito, Maiko Kawakami as Akari, Makoto Ashikawa as Kikuchi...
- 4/30/2021
- by Panos Kotzathanasis
- AsianMoviePulse
Films that focus on the rather harsh practices of Bushido have been aplenty among the jidai-geki, but “Sword of Desperation” seems to move the concept a step further, in a rather captivating (if too similar with “Harakiri”) story that is based on the homonymous novel by Hideyuki Kirayama.
The script unfolds in two time frames, both focusing on Kanemi Sanzaemon, a captain of the powerful daimyo Tabu Ukyou. As the film starts, we witness him killing his lord’s concubine, Renko, in a seemingly unwarranted action that has him, however, suffering only a minor punishment, of one-year house arrest. The second period takes place in the past, in essence explaining the reasons for his actions, mostly deriving from the huge influence Renko had on Ukyou, and the repercussions her decisions had.to both his household and the people he ruled. At the same time, we witness Sanzaemon’s relationship with his wife,...
The script unfolds in two time frames, both focusing on Kanemi Sanzaemon, a captain of the powerful daimyo Tabu Ukyou. As the film starts, we witness him killing his lord’s concubine, Renko, in a seemingly unwarranted action that has him, however, suffering only a minor punishment, of one-year house arrest. The second period takes place in the past, in essence explaining the reasons for his actions, mostly deriving from the huge influence Renko had on Ukyou, and the repercussions her decisions had.to both his household and the people he ruled. At the same time, we witness Sanzaemon’s relationship with his wife,...
- 3/12/2020
- by Panos Kotzathanasis
- AsianMoviePulse
A death by suicide is one of the hardest things to process as it sums the excruciating pain of losing someone dear, to the guilt and regret of not having done enough to stop it. Someone may think a lie is a temporary patch. Some would express their feelings in a film. Director Katsumi Nojiri has scripted and directed “Lying to Mom”, a film sadly based on the experience of his own brother’s suicide and he has bravely injected it with a gentle humour.
“Lying to Mom” is screening at Nippon Connection
Shockingly, the film opens straight with the suicide of Koichi (Ryo Kase). After a last gaze from his window to the suburban Tokyo landscape, he hangs himself in his room. Even more disturbing is that his mother Yuko (Hideko Hara) is cheerfully cooking while watching a comedy show just a floor below. But Koichi was a hikikomori...
“Lying to Mom” is screening at Nippon Connection
Shockingly, the film opens straight with the suicide of Koichi (Ryo Kase). After a last gaze from his window to the suburban Tokyo landscape, he hangs himself in his room. Even more disturbing is that his mother Yuko (Hideko Hara) is cheerfully cooking while watching a comedy show just a floor below. But Koichi was a hikikomori...
- 5/30/2019
- by Adriana Rosati
- AsianMoviePulse
After his endeavors in the samurai comedy, Katsuhide Motoki took a complete turn with his latest film, which is based on Jun Ikeibo’s novel “Soratobu Taiya” (which was also adapted into a TV series in 2009), and revolves around a “fight” between a medium-sized company and a large one.
Recall is screening at Camera Japan
Tokuro Akamatsu runs a transport company that has been handled to him by his father, along with his father’s long time associate, Naokichi . He treats his employees like family, with his approach extending to his clients, and despite some difficulties due to the size of his entrepreneurship, he manages to keep it afloat. However, when one of his drivers is involved in a freak accident, where a wheel is detached from the truck ending up killing a woman who was walking in the pavement with her son, all hell breaks loose. The already stretched...
Recall is screening at Camera Japan
Tokuro Akamatsu runs a transport company that has been handled to him by his father, along with his father’s long time associate, Naokichi . He treats his employees like family, with his approach extending to his clients, and despite some difficulties due to the size of his entrepreneurship, he manages to keep it afloat. However, when one of his drivers is involved in a freak accident, where a wheel is detached from the truck ending up killing a woman who was walking in the pavement with her son, all hell breaks loose. The already stretched...
- 9/30/2018
- by Panos Kotzathanasis
- AsianMoviePulse
After his endeavors in the samurai comedy, Katsuhide Motoki took a complete turn with his latest film, which is based on Jun Ikeibo’s novel “Soratobu Taiya” (which was also adapted into a TV series in 2009), and revolves around a “fight” between a medium-sized company and a large one.
“Recall” is screening at the 19th Jeonju International Film Festival
Tokuro Akamatsu runs a transport company that has been handled to him by his father, along with his father’s long time associate, Naokichi . He treats his employees like family, with his approach extending to his clients, and despite some difficulties due to the size of his entrepreneurship, he manages to keep it afloat. However, when one of his drivers is involved in a freak accident, where a wheel is detached from the truck ending up killing a woman who was walking in the pavement with her son, all hell breaks loose.
“Recall” is screening at the 19th Jeonju International Film Festival
Tokuro Akamatsu runs a transport company that has been handled to him by his father, along with his father’s long time associate, Naokichi . He treats his employees like family, with his approach extending to his clients, and despite some difficulties due to the size of his entrepreneurship, he manages to keep it afloat. However, when one of his drivers is involved in a freak accident, where a wheel is detached from the truck ending up killing a woman who was walking in the pavement with her son, all hell breaks loose.
- 5/6/2018
- by Panos Kotzathanasis
- AsianMoviePulse
Chicago – The fourth season of Chicago’s Asian Pop-Up Cinema series continues with the Chicago premiere of “The Projects” on Wednesday, April 5th, 2017, at the AMC River East Theatre in downtown Chicago. “The Projects” has been described as one of the “zanier elements of Japanese cinema.” For complete details and to purchase tickets, click here.
‘The Projects,’ Directed by Junji Sakamoto, Presented by Chicago’s Asian Pop-Up Cinema Series
Photo credit: AsianPopUpCinema.org
“The Projects,” directed by Junji Sakamoto, is a comedy involving Hinako (Naomi Fujiyama) and her husband Seiji (Ittoku Kishibe). They have lost their son to an accident, and they give up their herbal medicine business, moving to a housing project. They are contacted by Mr. Shinjo (Takumi Saito), because only their herbal remedies help an affliction that he has. When Seiji suddenly disappears, the mystery of his whereabouts and who Mr. Shinjo really is are all in question.
‘The Projects,’ Directed by Junji Sakamoto, Presented by Chicago’s Asian Pop-Up Cinema Series
Photo credit: AsianPopUpCinema.org
“The Projects,” directed by Junji Sakamoto, is a comedy involving Hinako (Naomi Fujiyama) and her husband Seiji (Ittoku Kishibe). They have lost their son to an accident, and they give up their herbal medicine business, moving to a housing project. They are contacted by Mr. Shinjo (Takumi Saito), because only their herbal remedies help an affliction that he has. When Seiji suddenly disappears, the mystery of his whereabouts and who Mr. Shinjo really is are all in question.
- 4/3/2017
- by adam@hollywoodchicago.com (Adam Fendelman)
- HollywoodChicago.com
'Beat Takeshi' goes rogue cop in his first self-directed feature, as Takeshi Kitano. It's excellent, a brutal tale with a fascinating lead character and a directorial style that compels one to watch -- it's never easy to know what will happen next. Violent Cop Blu-ray Film Movement 1989 / Color / 1:85 widescreen / 103 min. / Sono otoko, kyobo ni tsuki / Street Date October 11, 2016 / 39.95 Starring Beat Takeshi, Maiko Kawakami, Makoto Ashikawa, Shiro Sano, Shigeru Hiraizumi, Mikiko Otonashi, Hakuryu. Cinematography Yasushi Sasakibara Film Editor Nobutake Kamiya Original Music Daisaku Kume Written by Hisashi Nozawa, Takeshi Kitano Produced by Shozo Ichiyama, Toshio Nabeshima, Takio Yoshida Directed by Takeshi Kitano
Reviewed by Glenn Erickson
I'm always on the lookout for certain movies I've heard recommended, or that have descriptions that intrigue me. When I saw a reference to Takeshi Kitano's Violent Cop, I knew I'd want to take a look. As happens so often with Japanese pictures,...
Reviewed by Glenn Erickson
I'm always on the lookout for certain movies I've heard recommended, or that have descriptions that intrigue me. When I saw a reference to Takeshi Kitano's Violent Cop, I knew I'd want to take a look. As happens so often with Japanese pictures,...
- 10/11/2016
- by Glenn Erickson
- Trailers from Hell
Chicago – Attention martial arts fans, Buena Vista Home Video recently released a wave of martial arts films on Blu-Ray under the title “The Ultimate Force of Four” box set, including one of Jet Li’s best films, the spectacular “Hero,” from director Zhang Yimou. “Hero” is easily the highlight of the quartet of recent HD releases but “Iron Monkey,” “The Legend of Drunken Master,” and “Zatoichi” will all satisfy fans in 1080p (as long as they’re not purists about audio tracks).
Three of the four titles are merely HD imports of special features and films already available on standard DVD. The exception is “Hero,” which includes an all-new featurette and a digital copy, but is actually one of the most divisive Blu-Rays of the year. Miramax/Buena Vista has made the baffling choice to include a higher caliber quality of audio for the dubbed tracks on “Hero,” “Iron Monkey,...
Three of the four titles are merely HD imports of special features and films already available on standard DVD. The exception is “Hero,” which includes an all-new featurette and a digital copy, but is actually one of the most divisive Blu-Rays of the year. Miramax/Buena Vista has made the baffling choice to include a higher caliber quality of audio for the dubbed tracks on “Hero,” “Iron Monkey,...
- 9/21/2009
- by adam@hollywoodchicago.com (Adam Fendelman)
- HollywoodChicago.com
[Because it opens in Toronto for a limited run tomorrow, and after personally missing it at not one, but two festivals, yet hearing all the buzz, here is one final take (of a relative Twitch late comer) on Satoshi Miki’s fabulously quiet little Sidewalk Cinema]
The ‘road movie’ while mainly an American staple in filmmaking has entries and variations all around the globe. Usually two (or three or more) unlikely partners, travel to a specified or vague destination and get in misadventures along the way whilst learning about life and living. It can be big budget or micro, mainstream or arty, be in a romantic aim or a goofy buddy sense, and is oft time even used as a vehicle for horror. Credit director Satoshi Miki for somewhat re-inventing the genre with this “Sidewalk Movie.” A film that puts two very genial actors, Jô Odagiri and Tomokazu Miura, side by side perambulating the various neighborhoods and lesser-known sites of the worlds largest city.
The razor-thin plot has a debt collector (a mulletted Miura) trying to muscle 100,000 yen out of unfocused and perpetual law-student (crazy-haired, but isn’t he always crazy haired Odagiri). After near suffocation...
The ‘road movie’ while mainly an American staple in filmmaking has entries and variations all around the globe. Usually two (or three or more) unlikely partners, travel to a specified or vague destination and get in misadventures along the way whilst learning about life and living. It can be big budget or micro, mainstream or arty, be in a romantic aim or a goofy buddy sense, and is oft time even used as a vehicle for horror. Credit director Satoshi Miki for somewhat re-inventing the genre with this “Sidewalk Movie.” A film that puts two very genial actors, Jô Odagiri and Tomokazu Miura, side by side perambulating the various neighborhoods and lesser-known sites of the worlds largest city.
The razor-thin plot has a debt collector (a mulletted Miura) trying to muscle 100,000 yen out of unfocused and perpetual law-student (crazy-haired, but isn’t he always crazy haired Odagiri). After near suffocation...
- 4/30/2009
- by Kurt Halfyard
- Screen Anarchy
Nippon Cinema has reported about the new teaser and website for Ryuichi Honda’s Gs Wonderland, which tells the story of a fictional rock band called The Tightsmen during the Group Sounds (Gs) wave that swept Japan during the 1960s. As indicated by both the clip and the psychedelic, eye-bleeding website, the film seems to be emphasizing the fashion and style of this era but the music seems to be getting some attention: Jun Hashimoto and Kyohei Tsutsumi, both of whom composed music for Gs bands such as The Golden Cups, The Dynamites, and Ox, have written 10 new songs for Gs Wonderland. Chiaki Kuriyama, and Ittoku Kishibe, who was a member of The Tigers, both star in the film.
- 7/20/2008
- by Rodney Perkins
- Screen Anarchy
Kino International/Tidepoint Pictures/Viz
NEW YORK -- It's by now to be expected that Japanese action movies, especially those based on the violence-strewn manga (comic books) that have become so prevalent, sacrifice narrative coherence and credibility in favor of kinetic camerawork and cool visuals.
But this effort, directed by TV commercial director Katshuhito Ishii, is probably the first to concentrate on ... fashion. "Shark Skin Man and Peach Hip Girl" is receiving a belated theatrical release at New York's Two Boots Pioneer Theatre, no doubt shortly before it joins its brethren in its natural U.S. home on DVD.
Displaying influences ranging from Tarantino to, well, just about everyone influenced by Tarantino (who was himself inspired by Japanese action flicks), the film is a couple-on-the-lam story. The pair in question are Samehada (Tadanobu Asano), a yakuza who has absconded with $1 million of his gang's money, and nubile schoolgirl Toshiko (Ittoku Kishibe), who is running away from her sexually abusive uncle. When the two literally collide in their respective fleeing vehicles, they join forces to escape both Samehada's vengeful gang members and an assassin hired by Toshiko's uncle.
Telling its story in jumbled, nonchronological and basically indecipherable fashion, the film is mainly interested in adopting a veneer of hip coolness, exemplified by the director's endless visual tricks, the usual quotient of digressively would-be amusing dialogue and primarily by the outrageous looks of the characters. From Toshiko's furs and underwear combination to the unibrowed assassin clad in a white leather suit to the increasingly ridiculous outfits sported by the menacing gangsters, the unfortunately accurately titled "Shark Skin Man and Peach Hip Girl" comes across like an overextended music video that would leave even Madonna drooling.
NEW YORK -- It's by now to be expected that Japanese action movies, especially those based on the violence-strewn manga (comic books) that have become so prevalent, sacrifice narrative coherence and credibility in favor of kinetic camerawork and cool visuals.
But this effort, directed by TV commercial director Katshuhito Ishii, is probably the first to concentrate on ... fashion. "Shark Skin Man and Peach Hip Girl" is receiving a belated theatrical release at New York's Two Boots Pioneer Theatre, no doubt shortly before it joins its brethren in its natural U.S. home on DVD.
Displaying influences ranging from Tarantino to, well, just about everyone influenced by Tarantino (who was himself inspired by Japanese action flicks), the film is a couple-on-the-lam story. The pair in question are Samehada (Tadanobu Asano), a yakuza who has absconded with $1 million of his gang's money, and nubile schoolgirl Toshiko (Ittoku Kishibe), who is running away from her sexually abusive uncle. When the two literally collide in their respective fleeing vehicles, they join forces to escape both Samehada's vengeful gang members and an assassin hired by Toshiko's uncle.
Telling its story in jumbled, nonchronological and basically indecipherable fashion, the film is mainly interested in adopting a veneer of hip coolness, exemplified by the director's endless visual tricks, the usual quotient of digressively would-be amusing dialogue and primarily by the outrageous looks of the characters. From Toshiko's furs and underwear combination to the unibrowed assassin clad in a white leather suit to the increasingly ridiculous outfits sported by the menacing gangsters, the unfortunately accurately titled "Shark Skin Man and Peach Hip Girl" comes across like an overextended music video that would leave even Madonna drooling.
- 4/23/2003
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
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