What asian film/series have you just seen.. marks out of 5

[Guro Taku]

Or – if the official press sheet is anything to go by – West German pornography

You didn't mention any scat scenes.

Also, is it really just 52 minutes long? That's more of a Nikkatsu running time as far as I know and short even for them.

[HungFist]

Or – if the official press sheet is anything to go by – West German pornography

You didn't mention any scat scenes.

Also, is it really just 52 minutes long? That's more of a Nikkatsu running time as far as I know and short even for them.

Yes, most of the "Toei New Porno" films were around 52 min. Probably couldn't even afford to film more at those budgets You can see the running times for the films Laputa screened here:
http://www.laputa-jp.com/laputa/program ... ewporno_r/

edit: it was actually 50 min, not 52 for this film!

[grim_tales]

Sleep (S. Korea, 2023): 4/5

Effective Korean horror/mystery I wasn't sure about the supernatural explanation, was lack of sleep making the guy's wife go crazy and he was just making stuff up about being possessed?

[HungFist]

Victimized (女高生飼育) (Japan, 1975) [35mm] – 3/5
Another true account crime tale conceived as a “Toei New Porno” production. The film is loosely based on the same schoolgirl kidnapping case as The Perfect Education (1999), with Eimei Esumi as a middle aged English teacher who kidnaps 17 year old schoolgirl Yoko Asakura. Initially reluctant to be his sex slave, she soon develops a Stockholm syndrome and romance follows (*)... Yes, it’s a little difficult to defend this film as entertainment of any sort, and it could even be interpreted as call for sympathy for criminal incels. Yet, typical to mid-70s Toei exploitation, it comes off strangely watchable and certainly has its jitsuroku vibes with time stamps and all. There’s even a bizarre, out of the blue “underground gore party” club scene, not to mention a slight S&M vibe. The latter is probably the influence of Naomi Tani films at Nikkatsu, and most likely creditable to screenwriter Ikuo Sekimoto, who would later helm a pair of actual S&M fares for Nikkatsu (Rope Torture, 1984, and Double Rope Torture, 1985). Director Tatsuo Honda helms the picture with professionalism – at least if we ignore a couple of unintentionally comical drama bits –, the tech credits are fine, and the film looks better than the minimal budget might have you expect. It was the end of the directorial run for Honda, though: he was re-assigned to producer’s duties for the rest of his career after this movie. Not bad, but Honda’s earlier “Toei New Porno” effort A Married Woman’s Sex Hell (1974) was more exiting with its Masahiro Kakefuda script and hard boiled revenge film climax.

* There is no proof that this ever happened in the real life case.

Jidaigeki Special: Lone Wolf and Cub (時代劇スペシャル 子連れ狼) (Japan, 1984) [TV] – 2/5
A rarely seen television movie adapting roughly the same story passage as Lone Wolf and Cub: Sword of Vengeance (1972). The 91 min movie starts with Ogami Itto (Kinnosuke Nakamura) on the road, and then covers the conflict with Lord Retsudo (Rentaro Mikuni) in flashbacks before heading to the same hot springs village as the theatrical film. This being an 80s television production the graphic violence of the source material has been greatly toned down, however, nudity is still plentiful with Mieko Harada topless in several scenes. Sadly the big name cast doesn't get to shine much here. Touted as a comeback film for Nakamura, whose career had been put on a pause in 1982 due to Myasthenia gravis, the movie sees him returning to Ogami Itto’s boots six years after his stint in the TV show version in 1973-1976. Unfortunately he sleepwalks through the film. TV veteran Hitoshi Ozu’s helming of the film is similarly uninspired. It lacks the cutting edge visual execution, the visceral action, and the attention to natural detail of Misumi’s films, and somehow also comes off much less touching in its depiction of the father-son relationship. Essentially, this is Sword of Vengeance toned down for television audiences, both graphically and artistically.

Note: this movie is frequently mistaken for The Fugitive Samurai (1984), a re-edited compilation movie of three episodes of the television show. Many film databases list them as the one and same movie, which they are not, and have their credits all mixed up.

[grim_tales]

My Neighbour Totoro (Japan, 1988): 3.5/5

I like the weird and fantastical elements in the story here

[Lou Bloom]

A Legend of Turmoil (1992, Japan) 4.5/5
Stunning yakuza movie, one of the best I've seen within the genre. Akira Kobayashi is perfect as the lead, an honorable underboss who goes to war against his many enemies. It all comes together here, great story with narrative drive and the execution is just brilliant. The action scenes are so good and brutal. What a gem.

[HungFist]

King of the Night Life (夜遊びの帝王) (1970) [TV] – 2/5
The first film in the King series featuring Toei's prominent playboy actor Tatsuo Umemiva. He had already played similar pimp / playboy / hustler roles in the Youth of the Night and Song of the Night series. Unlike those earlier 60s films, however, these 70s outings were largely void of their psychological and nourish qualities. Oddly enough, they also remained surprisingly tame in terms of content. One can only conclude from their success that there was a Toei audience that craved for cinematic lady killers but did not seek the graphic excess of some of the wilder films. Or perhaps these were just vanity projects for Umemiya, who famously called the Ginza night life districts his home, and whose brother was a famous hostess scout. In any case, this film features Umemiya as a country bumpkin blessed with massive manhood. He leaves behind his poor mother and brothers to make it big in Tokyo with the help of yakuza brother Shingo Yamashiro. Before soon they are scouting women for Ginza bars (including famous real life hostess Mami Yamamoto who reportedly regretted appearing in this film). There isn't much to remember this film for, aside some colourful neon visuals, an amusing scene with a foreign woman whose sex drive more than matches Umemiya's, and Umemiya's naughty theme song "Symbol of a Man". Those expecting nudity will be disappointed as there's barely a quick flash of a breast on display. Not exactly a strong Toei debut for former Nikkatsu Action director Buichi Saito, but it was followed by no less than four sequels, all brought to screens as the lower-most titles on double bills. Indeed, there probably lies the most compelling justification for this film’s existence. To keep its double feature model alive and running, Toei needed a pair of new releases every two weeks, and under those circumstances even lesser fillers like this served a purpose. This specific film came out as the supporting feature for Ken Takakura's yakuza picture Biography of a Chivalrous Man.

Empty Room (団地妻 隣りのあえぎ) (Japan, 2001) [TV] – 3.5/5
Another interesting Toshiki Sato film examining gender and marriage roles, this time scripted by younger colleague Shinji Imaoka instead of his usual collaborator Masahiro Kobayashi. The opening sees neglected housewife Mao Nakagawa in an empty, unlocked apartment listening to a couple having sex next door. A nervous young man (Yuji Tajiri) walks in. “That’s my wife behind the wall. I was about to go in, but couldn't" he says. An initially platonic relationship develops between the two, with the empty apartment serving as their hideout when they’re not out dancing at a club. The newfound friendship however comes as a shock to the woman’s back-pained, old school alpha husband of few words (Takeshi Ito). He doesn’t know how to respond to this seemingly suspicious activity: with threats, counter-cheating, or by putting on his old disco costume? Sato is working with his usual relationship themes here. The quiet little moments between Nakagawa and Tajiri (yes, he’s the young director behind some of the best existential pink dramas of the early 2000s) are the film’s best scenes, but Ito is also excellent as the husband confused by his wife suddenly not playing by the showa era gender role book. Frequent little humoristic touches keep things from getting too serious, though the film loses its sharpest psychological edge towards the end when it escalates things a bit too much and falls for sex excess.

Reviewed here is the R-15 version which may, but is unlikely to, differ substantially from the original theatrical R-18 version released under the same title. Unfortunately there’s rather distracting mosaic in a couple of scenes where re-framing probably couldn’t be applied due to Sato’s use of long tracking shots.

[HungFist]

Himalayan Wanderer (ヒマラヤ無宿 心臓破りの野郎ども) (Japan, 1961) [35mm] – 3.5/5
A loose sequel to The Big Gamblers of the Amazon aka Amazon Wanderer (1961). While not quite as good, beautiful, or demented, this is still tons of old school Toei fun. There is no story connection to the previous film, but the cast and crew are mostly the same. Chiezo Kataoka plays a scientist who captures a yeti in the Himalayan Mountains and brings him back to Japan like a small King Kong. Soon competitors, gangsters, and the press (including lovely little sister Yoshiko Sakuma) are after the snowman, who spends most of his time sleeping in Kataoka's bathtub. Like The Big Gamblers of the Amazon, the film is gorgeously filmed in color and packs a hell of a cast of old school Toei tough guys and comedians at the top of their game. I had seen this movie before on TV and it didn’t make a particular impression back then, but viewing it now from a drop dead gorgeous 35mm film print the entire movie was a blast. The digital HD master simply couldn’t re-produce the film’s lush visuals and cinema magic, which is often the case when compared to the best film prints.

A Flower in a Neon Jungle (ネオンくらげ) (Japan, 1973) [TV] – 4/5
There was an entire sub-genre of melancholic nocturnal dramas made mostly by Toei and Nikkatsu from mid 60s through early 70s. These films typically followed hustlers, hostesses, hookers and other young people chasing their dreams in the neon lit night of vice, with story premises often taken from popular songs. Here is a superior late entry into the loosely defined genre: a stylish Tokyo red light district drama set to singer Kan Mikami's rock ballads. Newcomer Emiko Yamauchi shines as an impulsive youth lost in the city of opportunities and seduction. She dumps her boyfriend and becomes a bar hostess after being tricked by sleazy/handsome photographer Ichiro Araki. This is a surprisingly good film that not only dials up the sex and nudity compared to the similar 60s films, but also comes with more nuanced than average characterization and a star making performance by Yamauchi, who personifies the passionate but ultimately clueless youth (sadly her active film career didn't last even a year). The film's biggest accomplishment, however, is how atmospherically it captures the time and location on film. This is an early 70s Tokyo time capsule of the highest order. One of director Makoto Naito's best pictures alongside 13 Steps of Maki (1975). P.S. fan favourite Yumiko Katayama makes a one scene appearance as a nasty bitch at the beginning of the film.

[Killer Meteor]

TO KILL A MASTERMIND (1979)

A Shaw Brothers film that wasn't part of the original Celestial DVD releases back in the day, this wu xia mystery feels at times like Sun Chung's attempt to cash in on FIVE VENOMS, with masked characters and a bunch of leading men plucked from the stuntmen ranks (though only Yuen Wah had much of a career afterwards, and here he wears an alarmingly phallic baldcap!) The plot isn't much, but the production design is very impressive (far better than the increasingly stagebound Chang Cheh movies) and the action intricate and exhilirating. Wang Lung-wei is probably at his career best here.

7/10

[HungFist]

Nozoki (のぞき) (Japan, 1983) [35mm] – 3/5
Director Kazunari Takeda was one of Nikkatsu’s old timers, having entered the studio in the 1950s and eventually following his employer to Roman Porno. He stayed on board till the mid 80s, helming both complete drivel as well as thoughtful films, such as the lyrical gem Woman's Trail: Wet Path (1980). This one is a surprisingly breezy youth / family film combo about a busty daughter (Momoe Yamaguchi lookalike Mai Inoue) who moves back in with her parents and has lots of sex with various people. Of course her father is also a pervert, as are the guests staying at the family premises. It’s not difficult to see the obvious influence behind the film: Yoshimitsu Morita’s The Family Game, which came out three months earlier. Absolutely nothing profound, but for silly jokes, pretty girls, and general breeziness, you could do much worse than this.

Tale of Scarlet Love (真赤な恋の物語) (Japan, 1963) [TV] – 4/5
Umetsugu Inoue directs this excellent Shochiku noir about undercover cop Teruo Yoshida infiltrating a criminal syndicate as a night club pianist, only to fall in love with the club’s singer and boss’s lady Mariko Okada. He soon finds himself completely under her spell, willing to endanger his career and the lives of his colleagues for her sake. Director Inoue helmed both musicals and gangster films on his career, and this movie combines elements of both into a visually intoxicating tale of mad love. The art direction is absolutely top notch. Yoshida makes an excellent doomed everyman, but Okada is the real show stealer as the femme fatale who leaves broken hearts and dead bodies in her wake. Also worth pointing out is that the film features regular yakuza movie heavy Toru Abe in a rare good guy role (he had more of those early on on his career, but most yakuza film fans have probably never seen him portray an honourable character) as the detective running the infiltration operation.

[Killer Meteor]

CLANS OF INTRIGUE (1977)

What can I say, but that Nora Miao lesbian kiss scene is awesome! Funny between this and FIST OF FURY, she seems to be the only kung fu actress keen to do onscreen snogging!

CLANS is definetly top-tier Chor Yuen/Ku Lung, in that it's so twisted it's knotted. Lots of revelations along the lines of "I thought you were dead!"/"I was!" and saucy gender changes (which Shaws and Celestial ruined in their trailers), with an artificial but effective studio environment which creates a fantasy effect that is most sublime.

8/10

[HungFist]

Bootleg Film (海賊版 Bootleg Film) (Japan, 1999) [DVD] – 1.5/5
Screenwriter Masaki Kobayashi's puzzlingly bad sophomore directorial effort. The film starts out alright as a monochrome slacker road movie with two badly behaving men (Akira Emoto and Kippei Shiina) heading to the funeral of a woman they both loved. But it soon starts to fall apart when a dead body is found in the trunk. Kobayashi then turn the movie into a self-conscious film reference festival and junior high level Tarantino spoof, where characters are constantly referencing other movies and filmmakers. It's neither clever nor funny, but embarrassingly amateurish and most unexpected from a writer of Kobayashi's calibre. The ending is even worse, an extended sequence of a naked woman's body being carried around, which somehow comes out much more sexist than probably anything in the numerous pink films Kobayashi wrote for his usual collaborator Toshiki Sato. There are narrative issues as well, with the opening scenes organized so confusingly that it's hard to grasp who was whose lover, who divorced who, and which one of the women in the flashbacks is now dead. It's a shame, as one feels the wintery Hokkaido setting, the compact 74 minute running time, and the slacker vibes that should appeal to Nobuhiro Yamashita fans, should have come together in a much better film. At least movie is true to its title, but you’d have expected a higher quality bootleg at least.

Dancing in Her Dreams (女は夢で踊る) (Japan, 2020) [Streaming] – 3.5/5
A surprisingly touching and (sadly) timely love letter to Japan’s few surviving strip theatres, down to less than 20 since the peak years in the 70s when more than 250 were in operation nationwide. And the current count is further down by one since two weeks ago when the Osaka police raided Toyo Show, a theatre loved by customers and dancers alike, and arrested both the owners and the dancers, accused of indecency (allowing a woman’s nude body to be seen in an art performance). This film blends fiction and reality, setting its story in Hiroshima’s famed strip theatre Hiroshima Daiichi and modelling its main character after its owner. The film does passable job introducing newcomers to the often misunderstood art which has in recent years become increasingly popular among female audiences too, many being moved to tears by the beauty of the performances and blown away by the choreography, costumes, lighting, storylines, and the queenly presence of the dancers, but one can’t help but to wish the film had focused on the dancers rather than the venue owner. It’s a love story between the owner and a dancer in the past, and a bittersweet tribute to the art in the present, out of its two timelines, occasionally a bit clumsy but ultimately quite moving. A larger cast and more performance scenes would’ve been welcome though, as the film only features up and coming actress Izumi Okamura and real life dancer legend Yoko Yazawa on stage. Fittingly, when the real Hiroshima Daiichi closed down a year after this film’s release, Yazawa was the final performer just like in the film *.

* The Japanese LE BD release comes with an invaluable 50 minute feature documenting the last couple of weeks of the real Hiroshima Daiichi. The theatre is also featured in the documentary film Odoriko (2020).

P.S. this movie was well received by current and retired dancers, some like Serina Komiyama saying they had never cried so hard while watching a movie, and many commenting they’ve lived through every moment and emotion seen in the film.


Subbed trailer: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ca6iVhE2zKo