Japanese cult cinema thread

China, Hong Kong, Japan, Korea, Thailand, etc
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logboy
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Re: Japanese cult cinema thread

Post by logboy »

I read about lots of stuff I know little about on boards where these recent synapse RP releases have been well received, but I also pick up signals of people dealing with stuff they know relatively little about. all kinds of factors, but, having seen pretty much all other pink & RP things issued stateside, and being more specifically interested in J film, I still can't help but think I'm right about the idea that the choices aren't that great for the most part.

think there's said to be about a dozen more to come from synapse. of the amall handful on the trailers collection, 'wet wasteland' is the one I'd most like to see if its due for release.
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Re: Japanese cult cinema thread

Post by HungFist »

In February Toei will release two films starring Teruhiko Saigo and Chiyoko Honma

十七才のこの胸に (17 sai no kono mune ni) (1964)
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あの雲に歌おう (Ano kumo ni utaou) (1965)
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Re: Japanese cult cinema thread

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Two more Nikkatsu titles from Happinet 2013/02/02. Ruriko Asaoka x 2.

Shuen (執炎) (1964)
Director: Koreyoshi Kurahara
Cast: Ruriko Asaoka, Jûzô Itami, Izimi Ashikawa
- http://www.allcinema.net/prog/show_dvd. ... sid=858939

Hone made aishite (骨まで愛して) (1966)
Director: Buichi Saito
Cast: Tetsuya Watari, Ruriko Asaoka, Joe Shishido, Eiji Go
- http://www.allcinema.net/prog/show_dvd. ... sid=858940
- http://www.eigakanshugi.com/eigakantaisho/event2011
- http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1592742/

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Re: Japanese cult cinema thread

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Toei's March releases consist of three films by the miserable over-actor Takuzô Kawatani + a random Wakamatsu from the vaults

(Maruhi) Joshikousei kagai circle ((秘)女子高校生 課外サークル) (1973)
Director: Koji Wakamatsu
Cast: Mako Mizuki, Michio Akiyama
- http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0291332/
- http://www.allcinema.net/prog/show_c.php?num_c=144249

Kawachi no ossan no uta (河内のオッサンの唄) (1976)
Director: Buichi Saito
Cast: Takuzô Kawatani, Junko Natsu, Hide Murota
- http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0335224/
- http://www.allcinema.net/prog/show_dvd. ... sid=859614

Kawachi no ossan no uta: yôkita no ware (河内のオッサンの唄 よう来たのワレ) (1976)
Director: Buichi Saito
Cast: Takuzô Kawatani, Junko Natsu, Hide Murota
- http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0335225/
- http://www.allcinema.net/prog/show_dvd. ... sid=859615

Piranha-gundan: Daboshatsu no ten (ピラニア軍団 ダボシャツの天) (1977)
Director: Kosaku Yamashita
Cast: Takuzô Kawatani, Kaori Takeda, Hideo Murota
- http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0329498/
- http://www.allcinema.net/prog/show_dvd. ... sid=859616

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kemushi
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Re: Japanese cult cinema thread

Post by kemushi »

HungFist wrote:...the miserable over-actor Takuzô Kawatani
I really like Kawatani in SHOGUN'S SADISM but not so much in everything else I've seen him in. Could be that his over-acting just suited the character he played in that film.
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Re: Japanese cult cinema thread

Post by HungFist »

Toei will finally issue their first catalogue Blu-Ray release (other than tokusatsu or manga)!!! You could probably guess what it was gonna be...

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Disc 1: Battles Without Honor and Humanity (Blu-Ray)
Disc 2: Deadly Battle in Hiroshima (Blu-Ray)
Disc 3: Proxy War (Blu-Ray)
Disc 4: Police Tactics (Blu-Ray)
Disc 5: Final Chapter (Blu-Ray)
Disc 6: Battles without Honor and Humanity: Soushuu hen (224 minute re-edit of the films) (Blu-Ray)
Disc 7: NHK Documentary: The Men who Made Battles Without Honor and Humanity (90 min) (DVD)
+ Booklet 1 (16 pages)
+ Booklet 2 (28 pages)
+ 30 Lobby Cards (6 for each 5 films)

Trailers and info screens ("conflict map") should also be found on the film discs.

The five original movies will also be available on separate Blu-Rays. The release date is 2013/03/21.

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Re: Japanese cult cinema thread

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Toei April is Fukasaku x Chiba x 4

Drifting Detective: Tragedy in the Red Valley (Fûraibô tantei: Akai tani no sangeki) (1961)
Director: Kinji Fukasaku
Cast: Sonny Chiba
- http://www.allcinema.net/prog/show_dvd. ... sid=863780
- http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0183016/

Drifting Detective 2 (Fûraibô tantei: Misaki o wataru kuroi kaze) (1961)
Director: Kinji Fukasaku
Cast: Sonny Chiba
- http://www.allcinema.net/prog/show_dvd. ... sid=863781
- http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0325440/

Vigilante in the Funky Hat (Funky Hat no kaidanji) (1961)
Director: Kinji Fukasaku
Cast: Sonny Chiba
- http://www.allcinema.net/prog/show_dvd. ... sid=863782
- http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0196188

Vigilante in the Funky Hat: 200,000 Yen Arm (Funky Hat no kaidanji: Nisenman-en no ude (1961)
Director: Kinji Fukasaku
Cast: Sonny Chiba
- http://www.allcinema.net/prog/show_dvd. ... sid=863783
- http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0196189

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Drifting Detective: Tragedy in the Red Valley is Fukasaku's first movie as a director. It's also one of Chiba's first movies (and possibly the first starring role).
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Re: Japanese cult cinema thread

Post by HungFist »

HungFist wrote:Toei goes Kunoichi in January! 2013/01/21 DVD releases:

Kunoichi ninpo (くノ一忍法) (1964)
Director: Sadao Nakajima
Cast: Mari Yoshimura, Sanae Nakahara, Yuriko Mishima
- http://www.allcinema.net/prog/show_dvd. ... sid=851074
- http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0201718/

Kunoichi keshô (くノ一化粧) (1964)
Director: Sadao Nakajima
Cast: Keiko Yumi, Keiko Nishioka, Mako Midori
- http://www.allcinema.net/prog/show_dvd. ... sid=851075
- http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0367940/

Kunoichi ninpo: Kannon biraki (Female Ninjas: In Bed with the Enemy) (くの一忍法 観音開き) (1976)
Director: Takayuki Minagawa
Cast: Maki Tachibana, Megumi Hori, Keiko Kinugasa
- http://www.allcinema.net/prog/show_dvd. ... sid=851076
- http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0226045/
Finally the DVD artworks are up at Amazon.

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Gotta laugh at the censorship. The suggested sexuality of bare breasts was too much, so they splattered them in blood to suggest a massacre instead :lol:

All three films carry '18' certifications, though these are probably just their original mid 60's ratings. Teruo Ishii's History of the Shogun's Harem is a 18, too, but in reality it should be a 12 in any sensible country (not counting USA).
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Re: Japanese cult cinema thread

Post by HungFist »

Which is Stronger: Karate or the Tiger (1976) [DVD]

Film
Standard karate actioner brings little new to the genre other than the tiger, but works fine as a solid genre film. It doesn’t quite reach the level of director Kazuhiko Yamaguchi’s earlier beast flicks (Karate Bullfighter, Karate Bearfighter), but the choreography is well done, Yasuaki Kurata makes a strong Bruce Lee imitation, and the soundtrack swings like a tiger. Only the final cat fight comes out slightly clumsy but that’s forgivable as it’s no teddy bear but a real cat Kurata is wrestling with.

DVD
R2J Toei. A notch dark, but solid tranfer with typically strong audio. Unusually for a Toei release, there's a brief new Kurata press conferesnce which was conducted for the recent Kurata releases (Red Tears, Yellow Dragon, Karate or the Tiger). Stills gallery + trailer with unused footage are also found on the disc.

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Press conference
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Trailer
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Stills
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Re: Japanese cult cinema thread

Post by HungFist »

Toei May. I don't know what's the theme of this month, I don't see the link between the films.

四畳半 色の濡衣 (1983)
Director: Hiroshi Mukai
- http://www.allcinema.net/prog/show_dvd. ... sid=869667

悪女かまきり (1983)
Director: Junichi Kajima
- http://www.allcinema.net/prog/show_dvd. ... sid=869668

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Re: Japanese cult cinema thread

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Toei June is a Noboru Ando month. Three films starring the notorious real life gangster turned actor!

Yakuza tokoso (やくざと抗争) (1972)
Director: Junya Sato
Cast: Noboru Ando, Bunta Sugawara, Tsunehiko Watase
- http://www.allcinema.net/prog/show_dvd. ... sid=871512

True Account of Ginza Tortures (実録 私設銀座警察) (1973)
Director: Junya Sato
Cast: Noboru Ando, Tsunehiko Watase, Tatsuo Umemiya
- http://www.allcinema.net/prog/show_dvd. ... sid=871513
- http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0322859/

Violent Streets (暴力街) (1974)
Director: Hideo Gosha
Cast: Noboru Ando, Akira Kobayashi, Bunta Sugawara
- http://www.allcinema.net/prog/show_dvd. ... sid=871514
- http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0495074

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Re: Japanese cult cinema thread

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Chusei Sone's Super Gun Lady: Wani bunjo (1979) from Happinet: April 2, 2013

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- http://www.allcinema.net/prog/show_c.php?num_c=87878
jonaswilde
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Re: Japanese cult cinema thread

Post by jonaswilde »

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Hi
Can anyone identify this film for me (not speaking Japanese)

Having read through all your posts I guess this is a good place to ask. (Nikkatsu didn't reply to my mail.)

Thanks
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Re: Japanese cult cinema thread

Post by HungFist »

jonaswilde wrote:
Hi
Can anyone identify this film for me (not speaking Japanese)

Having read through all your posts I guess this is a good place to ask. (Nikkatsu didn't reply to my mail.)

Thanks
Kenjyu yarou (1965) by Motomu Ida
- http://www.imdb.com/title/tt2089719/
- http://www.allcinema.net/prog/show_c.php?num_c=141472

No dvd available and probably never been released on video casette either.
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Re: Japanese cult cinema thread

Post by jonaswilde »

You are very kind - thank you.
kemushi
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Re: Japanese cult cinema thread

Post by kemushi »

HungFist wrote:Toei June is a Noboru Ando month. Three films starring the notorious real life gangster turned actor!
Great news and I hope they will soon do another batch that includes Andô Noboru no waga tôbô to sex no kiroku (安藤昇のわが逃亡とSEXの記録) (1976). A very unusual film for director Noboru Tanaka, I thought, and just a blast from start to finish.
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Re: Japanese cult cinema thread

Post by Marshall »

HungFist wrote:Chusei Sone's Super Gun Lady: Wani bunjo (1979) from Happinet: April 2, 2013

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- http://www.allcinema.net/prog/show_c.php?num_c=87878
Does Yesasia really not sell this title, or am I just the victim of their shitty search engine (again?)
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Re: Japanese cult cinema thread

Post by HungFist »

Marshall wrote: Does Yesasia really not sell this title, or am I just the victim of their shitty search engine (again?)
http://www.yesasia.com/global/supaganre ... /info.html
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Re: Japanese cult cinema thread

Post by Marshall »

Thanks!

What a shitty listing. No cast, crew, or cover scan; title all jacked-up.
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Re: Japanese cult cinema thread

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HungFist wrote:Toei's March releases consist of three films by the miserable over-actor Takuzô Kawatani + a random Wakamatsu from the vaults

(Maruhi) Joshikousei kagai circle ((秘)女子高校生 課外サークル) (1973)
Director: Koji Wakamatsu
Cast: Mako Mizuki, Michio Akiyama
- http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0291332/
- http://www.allcinema.net/prog/show_c.php?num_c=144249
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Re: Japanese cult cinema thread

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Toei's July is another Kinji Fukasaku month

白昼の無頼漢 (Hakuchu no buraikan) (Greed in Broad Daylight aka High Noon for Gangsters) (1961)
Director: Kinji Fukasaku
Cast: Tetsuro Tanba, Robert Dunham, Naoko Kubo
- http://www.allcinema.net/prog/show_dvd. ... sid=875510
- http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0236278/

北海の暴れ竜 (Hokkai no Abare-Ryu) (1966)
Director: Kinji Fukasaku
Cast: Tatsuo Umemiya, Shingo Yamashiro
- http://www.allcinema.net/prog/show_dvd. ... sid=875512
- http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0060510/

カミカゼ野郎 真昼の決斗 (Kamikaze yaro) (1966)
Director: Kinji Fukasaku
Cast: Sonny Chiba, Ken Takakura
- http://www.allcinema.net/prog/show_dvd. ... sid=875511
- http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0380475

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Re: Japanese cult cinema thread

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Yakuza War: The Japanese Godfather (Yakuza senso: Nihon no don) (1977)

The late 70’s marked the final years of the furious, well produced yakuza film before the genre took a blow in the 80’s. Crime films hardly disappeared, but the quality would never quite be the same anymore. Sadao Nakajima, though ignored by the rest of the world, was one of the seminal genre directors for Toei. After Kinji Fukasaku stepped down from yakuza films, it was it was Nakajima’s epics that brought the genre to the final glory days.

Make no mistake, though, despite the title The Japanese Godfather is not exactly Toei’s answer to the Francis Ford Coppola mafia epics. It’s a 130 minutes of yakuza plotting and crime politics with gratuitous violence, sex, and pop thrown in. In short, an ambitious storyline mixed with scenes of enraged Sonny Chiba pulling a dead corpse from the chest after unloading his six shooter to the poor man’s body.

In comparison to Fukasaku’s raging crime thrillers, Nakajima’s filmmaking techniques are more restrained, with editing tricks and handheld camera toned down. It’s perhaps because of this less frantic approach, as well as the large amount of central characters, that Nakajima’s films occasionally feel more epic. But Nakajima also lacked the burning energy and originality that made Fukasaku an international star.

Nakajima’s catch was his multi-talent; his contributions vary from action films to crime thrillers and pink flicks, only to mention a few. After Fukasaku’s retirement from yakuza films Nakajima was their main man for a couple of years. Even then, The Japanese Godfather films never quite equaled the best yakuza movies. Nakajima’s storytelling was too mediocre for such story heavy films, despite the epic scale and trashy elements adding to the entertainment.

Perhaps anticipating the end of an era, Toei collect all the studio’s tough guys, including some from the previous (ninkyo yakuza era), together for The Japanese Godfather. The film packs Koji Tsuruta, Bunta Sugawara, Tsunehiko Watase, Mikio Narita, Sonny Chiba, Hiroki Matsukata, Asao Koike, Tatsuo Umemiya, and many more. Even the film’s tagline was “30 years of Toei men!”

Two sequels followed, with former Toho star Toshiro Mifune joining the cast.

The screencaps below are from the Toei dvd.

Sonny China treating women well
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Bunta Sugawara pulling bullets out of his west
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Alan Delon… I mean Sonny Chiba, doing bodyguarding for Koji Tsuruta
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Yakuza mobile
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Hiroki Matsukata enjoying the view
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Car on fire
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Mafia meeting
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Mafia man rests on the floor
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Sonny Chiba grabbing a man by the chest AFTER shooting him six times!
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Re: Japanese cult cinema thread

Post by HungFist »

Wow, Toei's gone Fukasaku crazy. August is another Fukasaku month

Bakuto Kaisan-shiki (博徒解散式) (1968)
Director: Kinji Fukasaku
Cast: Koji Tsuruta, Tetsuro Tamba, Fumio Watanabe
- http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0062697/
- http://www.allcinema.net/prog/show_dvd. ... sid=879617

Bakuto kirokomi tai (1971) (博徒斬り込み隊)
Director: Kinji Fukasaku
Cast: Koji Tsuruta, Tetsuro Tamba, Tomisaburo Wakayma
- http://www.allcinema.net/prog/show_dvd. ... sid=879619

Sympathy for the Underdog (Bakuto gaijin butai) (博徒外人部隊) (1971)
Director: Kinji Fukasaku
Cast: Koji Tsuruta, Tomisaburo Wakayma, Noboru Ando
- http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0066806/
- http://www.allcinema.net/prog/show_dvd. ... sid=879618

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Re: Japanese cult cinema thread

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HungFist wrote:Chusei Sone's Super Gun Lady: Wani bunjo (1979) from Happinet: April 2, 2013

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- http://www.allcinema.net/prog/show_c.php?num_c=87878
The same day Happinet released Violence Sweeper (黒い牝豹M), a 1974 Reiko Ike film by Nikkatsu!
- http://www.nikkatsu.com/package/100clas ... vd084.html
- http://www.allcinema.net/prog/show_c.php?num_c=144807

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Re: Japanese cult cinema thread

Post by Marshall »

Hmm. Hmmmmmmmm....

Edit: OK, ordered both. Thanks for the tip.
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