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

[grim_tales]

The 18 Bronzemen - HK version (HK/Taiwan, 1975): 4.25/5

Very good, but this feels different to the other version on the Blu Ray. In this Hong Kong (original?) version, escape is achieved from the 18 Bronzemen quite quickly and the last hour or so feels like a different movie stitched together. The Japanese version contains lots more footage fighting the Bronzemen.

Quality is very variable in the Hong Kong version, maybe elements were damaged or lost? Sometimes it looks really bad like an old VHS or theatrical print sadly.

[Guro Taku]

Fist of the North Star (北斗の拳) (Japan, 1986) [VoD] - 3.5/5
Classic violence anime in post apocalypse setting, easily enjoyed even by a non-anime fanatic such as me. Kenshiro is basically an animated Bruce Lee gone into Sonny Chiba mode, delivering insane punch and kick combos that make enemies explode. The violence was famously toned down after the initial theatrical release and the uncut negatives apparently lost in fire soon after, but the film remains incredibly violent while still retaining a sense of fun, and a mainstream appeal unlike the similar Violence Jack films that upped the sadism (the 3rd one made me sick) and added sex which is absent here.

The long deemed "lost" uncensored footage from the film has finally been found. Not by Toei, of course, who claimed to have looked for it unsuccessfully back when the film got its Japanese DVD release, but by some die-hard fans on the internet:

https://x.com/nappasan/status/1944609804225483159

Not as spectacular as I expected but I'm glad it's finally been unearthed and out there.

[chazgower01]

Hey, I'm planning on visiting Tokyo in July for at least a week - do you know of any film festivals going on or special events? It would be really cool to see some of these in an actual theater...

Sure. Can you give me your exact (or at least more exact) Tokyo travel dates?

Right now it's looking like sometime between July 15th and 30th.

Most of the programs haven't been announced yet. Remind me again closer to your trip. And study this thread.

Laputa Asagaya (All 35mm)
Morning Show: Keiko Sekine retrospective
Main Program: Nikkatsu Golden Age / Takiko Mizunoe retrospective
Late Show: Yumika Hayashi retrospective

Jinbocho theater:
Not announced yet (late May)

Shin bungeiza
Not announced yet (mid/late June)

Meguro Cinema
Not announced yet (announced a week or two before)

Waseda Shochiku
Not announced yet (announced some weeks before)

Sadly you'll be late for Film Archive's Nobuo Nakagawa retrospective, and Cinema Vera is just doing a useless Willian Wyler digi screenings

I'll be staying in the Shinjuku area Aug 2nd to 5th...

[HungFist]

I'll be staying in the Shinjuku area Aug 2nd to 5th...

Not quite the best time for movie programs. Sadly no 70s Toei / Nikkatsu / Toho genre stuff, but maybe you'll find something to watch.

Laputa's Keiko Sekine Morning Show screens Kandagawa (1974). I've never seen it, but could be a solid drama.
The Main Program has a bunch on Nikkatsu films. Gambler in the Sea (1961) looks promising, Love in Ginza (1962) could be good too. I might watch Keep Your Chin Up (1962) too and I Hate But Love (1962).
The Yumika Hayashi Late Show screens one of her lesser know pink films, Chikan kyôshûjo: Nigitte(1998). Unlikely to be a good film, though.

Jinbocho's Post War program doesn't look too interesting, unless you wanna see Tokyo Story in 35mm.

Shin Bungeiza is an unfortunate near miss. They screen the terrific The War of the Sixteen Year Olds, but there's a warning about the print being in poor shape, so I really can't recommend it. It's a shame they don't use Film Archive's flawless print.

Cinema Vera's Susumu Hani retrospective features Nanami: The Inferno of First Love (1968), Aido: Slave of Love (1969) and a few others in 35mm. I've never seen any of them, though.

[chazgower01]

I'll be staying in the Shinjuku area Aug 2nd to 5th...

Not quite the best time for movie programs. Sadly no 70s Toei / Nikkatsu / Toho genre stuff, but maybe you'll find something to watch.

Laputa's Keiko Sekine Morning Show screens Kandagawa (1974). I've never seen it, but could be a solid drama.
The Main Program has a bunch on Nikkatsu films. Gambler in the Sea (1961) looks promising, Love in Ginza (1962) could be good too. I might watch Keep Your Chin Up (1962) too and I Hate But Love (1962).
The Yumika Hayashi Late Show screens one of her lesser know pink films, Chikan kyôshûjo: Nigitte(1998). Unlikely to be a good film, though.

Hopefully I can make it to Joe Shishido's Gambler in the Sea...

Shin Bungeiza is an unfortunate near miss. They screen the terrific The War of the Sixteen Year Olds, but there's a warning about the print being in poor shape, so I really can't recommend it. It's a shame they don't use Film Archive's flawless print.

I may still see this if I get in soon enough, as it sounds pretty intriguing. I'm going to miss Chungking Express, Fallen Angels and In the Mood for Love by a few days...

Thank you! I appreciate the information!

[HungFist]

I'll be staying in the Shinjuku area Aug 2nd to 5th...

Not quite the best time for movie programs. Sadly no 70s Toei / Nikkatsu / Toho genre stuff, but maybe you'll find something to watch.

Laputa's Keiko Sekine Morning Show screens Kandagawa (1974). I've never seen it, but could be a solid drama.
The Main Program has a bunch on Nikkatsu films. Gambler in the Sea (1961) looks promising, Love in Ginza (1962) could be good too. I might watch Keep Your Chin Up (1962) too and I Hate But Love (1962).
The Yumika Hayashi Late Show screens one of her lesser know pink films, Chikan kyôshûjo: Nigitte(1998). Unlikely to be a good film, though.

Hopefully I can make it to Joe Shishido's Gambler in the Sea...

You could also visit Hardcore Chocolate's shop and pick up a movie t-shirt or two. It's in Higashi Nakano, on the way to Asagaya.
https://core-choco.shop-pro.jp/?mode=ca ... d=0&sort=n

Also you may wanna stop in Nakano Broadway in Nakano for some movie posters and movie / anime / tokusatsu goods. Also on the way to Asagaya.

[chazgower01]

I'll be staying in the Shinjuku area Aug 2nd to 5th...

Not quite the best time for movie programs. Sadly no 70s Toei / Nikkatsu / Toho genre stuff, but maybe you'll find something to watch.

Laputa's Keiko Sekine Morning Show screens Kandagawa (1974). I've never seen it, but could be a solid drama.
The Main Program has a bunch on Nikkatsu films. Gambler in the Sea (1961) looks promising, Love in Ginza (1962) could be good too. I might watch Keep Your Chin Up (1962) too and I Hate But Love (1962).
The Yumika Hayashi Late Show screens one of her lesser know pink films, Chikan kyôshûjo: Nigitte(1998). Unlikely to be a good film, though.

Hopefully I can make it to Joe Shishido's Gambler in the Sea...

You could also visit Hardcore Chocolate's shop and pick up a movie t-shirt or two. It's in Higashi Nakano, on the way to Asagaya.
https://core-choco.shop-pro.jp/?mode=ca ... d=0&sort=n

Also you may wanna stop in Nakano Broadway in Nakano for some movie posters and movie / anime / tokusatsu goods. Also on the way to Asagaya.

Oh man... those are some great t-shirts. I'll have to go by there for sure and curious what's at Nakano as well.
Any other places you can recommend are welcome - it's my first time actually staying in Japan so I'm going to try and see a lot...

[HungFist]

I'll be staying in the Shinjuku area Aug 2nd to 5th...

Not quite the best time for movie programs. Sadly no 70s Toei / Nikkatsu / Toho genre stuff, but maybe you'll find something to watch.

Laputa's Keiko Sekine Morning Show screens Kandagawa (1974). I've never seen it, but could be a solid drama.
The Main Program has a bunch on Nikkatsu films. Gambler in the Sea (1961) looks promising, Love in Ginza (1962) could be good too. I might watch Keep Your Chin Up (1962) too and I Hate But Love (1962).
The Yumika Hayashi Late Show screens one of her lesser know pink films, Chikan kyôshûjo: Nigitte(1998). Unlikely to be a good film, though.

Hopefully I can make it to Joe Shishido's Gambler in the Sea...

You could also visit Hardcore Chocolate's shop and pick up a movie t-shirt or two. It's in Higashi Nakano, on the way to Asagaya.
https://core-choco.shop-pro.jp/?mode=ca ... d=0&sort=n

Also you may wanna stop in Nakano Broadway in Nakano for some movie posters and movie / anime / tokusatsu goods. Also on the way to Asagaya.

Oh man... those are some great t-shirts. I'll have to go by there for sure and curious what's at Nakano as well.
Any other places you can recommend are welcome - it's my first time actually staying in Japan so I'm going to try and see a lot...

Asakusa Rockza obviously And Asakusa in general.

Although Jinbocho Theater doesn't have interesting program right now, the area has many old book stores, some of which sell old movie posters.

Odaiba is worth visiting. Take the Yurikamome from Shimbashi (try to sit or stand at the very front, it's worth it) and take a Water Bus back. Sunset looks great from the island.

teamLab Planets is pretty cool, too. Worth a visit.

The Shinjuku Projection Mapping is worth seeing if you are in the area. I wouldn't put it on a high priority, but if you're in Shinjuku why not?

Obviously walking around Akihabara, too. They don't have as many movie shops as they used to, though.

I'm not as familiar with Osaka and Kyoto, but the Toei theme park is in Kyoto. I would advice against Shinsekai Toei in Osaka. 35mm but the projection quality is abysmal, the worst I have ever seen anywhere. Himeji Castle is quite near and easily accessible by bullet train.

If you have time for a longer trip, Yakushima is fantastic.

And in general, eat a lot. Ramen, yakiniku, yakitori, sushi.

[HungFist]

Ririka of the Star (りりかの星) (Japan, 2024) [DCP] – 3/5
Sometimes it pays off being a film critic and film festival programming director, as Tokitoshi Shiota would surely agree. His directorial debut, a 28 minute silent movie about a single father who discovers his daughter wants to become a strip dancer, stars Ryuichi Hiroki (yes, the director), Takashi Miike (yes, the director), Kana Mito (AV actress and part time dancer), and features audio narration by Shinya Tsukamoto (yes, the director) in its trailer. “No matter how many times I see this, I think it’s a really strange picture” was the director’s own evaluation of his movie. It is an unusual picture for sure; not only for being completely silent until Mito’s dance scene kicks (this is when music is first heard; all the dialogue is presented as text cards) but also for its mix of ambiguous sexual metaphors, surrealism and plentiful David Lynch influence. Perhaps a bit too much so as it comes off a little confusing as to what the director wants to say. From the perspective of Japanese strip dance, which has recently turned into the performing arts equivalent of the most inspired and artistic pink films - with near unlimited creative freedom - the movie sadly fails to do anything of interest and won’t be winning it any new fans. That aside, it’s an interesting head-scratcher and features solid performances by Hiroki and Miike, and comes with some interest to dance fans for its themes and being partially filmed in Yokohama Rockza.

Karate from Shaolin Temple (少林寺拳法　ムサシ香港に現わる) (Japan, 1976) [TV] – 2.5/5
A little seen Shochiku film released in the waning days of the Japanese karate film boom. There were a few others as well from the studio, including Angry Cobra: Kill the Witness (1976) and Karate Wars (1978), all of which remain relatively obscure. This one stars kickboxing champ and JAC affiliate Ken Kazama as a karate fighter arriving in Hong Kong to find worthy opponents for himself. After beating up a few thugs he unwittingly ends up serving a local crime boss who employs skilled fighters. He doesn’t realize he’s playing for the wrong team until an assassin targeting his boss turns out to be a poor boy just trying to avenge his father’s murder. Karate from Shaolin Temple stands out for being filmed entirely in Hong Kong and Macao with a largely local cast (including drunken master Simon Yuen) though everyone dubbed in Japanese, save for Kazama and female support Junko Igarashi. It’s an ok film with some good fighting, including a narrow corridor super-short range fight, and a pretty nice theme song, but feels a bit underwhelming compared to the groovier and more dynamic Toei pictures, or the better choreographed Hong Kong big studio films of the time. It falls a bit flat in most areas, from Kazama’s wooden acting to relatively pedestrian filmmaking and a more family-friendly approach than most Japanese genre films (there’s only slightly bloody violence and very brief nudity). It is a fairly watchable genre picture nevertheless for those interested.

Curiously the film’s English synopsis talks about a police / undercover operation, which is nowhere to be found in the film. Perhaps the same thing happened here that happened to Bodyguard Kiba, where the storyline was changed in the English dubbed version to give the hero more noble motivations?

[HungFist]

Jigoku (地獄) (Japan, 1960) [35mm] – 3.5/5
Nobuo Nakagawa's legendary horror film spends its first hour depicting an escalating tragedy on earth before descending to hell for what must be the most grotesque final 30 minutes seen in cinema by then. Shigeru Amachi plays cursed student boy who together with his friend causes a drunkard’s death in a late night traffic accident. This leads to a spiral of grief and vengeance that eventually sends everyone down to hell for the jaw dropping climax. Arms are cut off, heads are severed, people are sawed into two, and blood literally runs in rivers as demons punish sinners. It's a seminal piece of horror film history that works both in its theological drama part and the surreal hell sequence that remains a gruesome spectacle even by today's standards.

Love for Eternity (高校生心中 純愛 (1971) [35mm] – 3/5
Keiko Sekine was one of Daiei’s premiere sex starlets in the early 70s, debuting in High School Affair (1970) at the age of 15. The studio however seemed to be reluctantly in the market and their films, though sometimes twisted as a corkscrew, never came close to the graphic excess of Toei and Nikkatsu. A lot of Sekine’s early films in particular came off as conservative and hypocritical morality tales. Love for Eternity however is quite the opposite. Sekine, who gets to keep her clothes on this time, stars as a school girl in love with classmate (Saburo Shinoda). The boy is informed of a family tragedy: his older brother has killed their asshole father in a fight. The society immediately flags the poor boy as “killer’s little brother” and Sekine’s rich parents forbid the girl to go anywhere near him... This is certainly one of Sekine’s more transgressive pictures. To get to the root of it, you have to look past the sanitised English title and see the Japanese original, which roughly translates as "High School Student Double Suicide: True Love". Every grown-up in the film is depicted as a small-minded cunt with no empathy towards young love. At times the film feels almost dangerous in how it seems to suggest it's better to take your own life than submit to conservative tyranny. Of course most of the film isn’t quite that spectacular. Some of the steam is lost as it goes on, and Sekine hits a career low in a hysteric crying scene, which is briefly followed by love making in the clouds! Mostly however it's a solid teen love story with likeable leads and set against lovely winter landscapes.

[grim_tales]

Jigoku sounds bonkers, and ahead of it's time.

[HungFist]

The first film should really be in the other thread, yet feels more logical to post here since it should be mainly of interest to Japanese cinema aficionados...

Yellow Dog (UK, 1973) [TV] – 2.5/5
A thoroughly bizarre British spy film starring the former Daiei actor Jiro Tamiya. The Japanese star plays a mysterious Japanese operative arriving in London. No one knows why he’s here, not the police, not the MI6, and most certainly not the audience who'll be scratching their heads throughout the film. The socially awkward fella engages in bizarre conversations with various parties (the film is in English, but that doesn't even begin to explain the protagonist's oddness), gets his ass kicked by British judo practitioners, literally runs in circles, and occasionally kills people. And that's all before he has sex with a female member of a terrorist cell whose members run around the streets firing machine guns at such viciousness it earned the film an X rating. This was the sole directorial effort by famed fashion photographer Terence Donovan, who seemingly had a thing or two to say about Japan and spy films. There’s some nudity, some bloody violence, a near incomprehensible plot, and Tamiya being weird as fuck for 95 minutes. This may or may not be a comedy. I have frankly no idea what to think of this.

The Great Duel (大喧嘩) (Japan, 1964) [TV] – 4/5
An early, but impressive Kosaku Yamashita film. Hashizo Okawa stars as a travelling gambler returning to his hometown to find two clans on a crash course. It should come as no surprise where it’s heading. Many of Yamashita’s best films strike a balance between romantic nostalgia and some degree of critical re-evaluation of the past. This movie is a case in point. It’s a gorgeously filmed matatabi tale with heavy jidaigeki influences, drenched in old fashioned ideals of honour and humanity, which nevertheless cannot overcome the harsh realities of the world as the bloodbath nears. There’s some interesting mixing of good and evil for example when the good guys kidnap the villain’s innocent son, or when the cynical samurai (excellent Tetsuro Tamba) who just wants to watch the yakuza world burn appear. Some of this bears resemblance to the gritty samurai films of Eiichi Kudo and other new wave filmmakers of the mid 60s; however, Yamashita’s film is ultimately more hopeful and lyrical. The cinematography in particular is breathtaking with the lush green nature, fields and mountains beautifully captured on film, and the bittersweet closing shot is so beautiful it’s genuinely moving. In contrast, the great duel promised by the title would be better described as a massive bloodbath, with 20 minutes of nonstop action and slaughter as participants on both sides desperately try to cling on to their lives.

[grim_tales]

Harakiri (Japan, 1962): - cinema viewing: 4/5

Ranked as one of the greatest movies of all time - long winded but very well performed. I'd never seen it before. I didn't always feel like I was in the mood for it sadly

[HungFist]

Veronika Decides to Die (ベロニカは死ぬことにした) Japan, 2005) [TV] - 1/5
A Japanese adaptation of Paulo Coelho's Portuguese novel. A young woman attempts suicide, but fails. She wakes up in a mental institution where everyone, nurses and head doctor included, are as crazy as a sack full of ferrets. Sadly this is 106 minutes of people screaming and acting like clowns. An accurate depiction of madness, perhaps, what do I know. For sane people, Yoko Maki's nude scene may be the only reward for watching. The rest is insufferable.

Ichijo's Wet Lust (一条さゆり 濡れた欲情) (Japan, 1972) [TV] – 3/5
Tatsumi Kumashiro's anti-authoritarian Roman Porno film was shot on the streets of Osaka with the kind of vitality, realism and handheld camera that would even have an impact on Toei’s yakuza films (screenwriter Kazuo Kasahara is on record pinpointing this film as a direct influence on Battles without Honor and Humanity). It was also a controversial production made in support of its titular character, the real life stripper Sayuri Ichijo, who was on trial for public obscenity. Nikkatsu were facing similar charges at the same time in the infamous Roman Porno trial. Ichijo was originally set to be the film's main focus, but reduced to a supporting character after Nikkatsu execs voiced distrust in her film star appeal. Her fictional colleagues were instead made the main characters. Kumashiro then realized the film as a gritty slice of life piece packed with political pepper, which included portraying the police as miserable cowards hiding in the dark and arresting naked women. The striking cinematography, Kumashiro's trademark unconventional use of music, and the political content remain the film’s most rewarding aspects. Narratively it comes out a little disjointed, leaving Ichijo in particular somewhat distant. Having her and her performances (the infamous candle act, a performance based on Red Peony Gambler etc.) captured on film is of some value, though. Kumashiro would later make better films, but this remains an important contribution that helped legitimize Roman Porno by landing on both of Japan’s leading film journals’ (Kinema Junpo and Eiga Geijutsu) annual TOP 10 lists. It did not help Ichijo, however. The prosecutor merely saw two public offenders trying to support each other, and awarded her with a prison sentence. Charges against Nikkatsu were later dropped.

[HungFist]

Crow (カラス) (Japan, 1995) [Streaming] – 3/5
An unbelievably toxic V-Cinema about a hitman who always kills his targets – and any witness unlucky enough to be at the scene. That however changes when he finally comes across a girl too sexy to be shot in the face. He falls in love with her, but nevertheless remains a woman beating asshole to the end. It’s hard to label this film as anything else than a barrel of misogynistic toxic about misunderstood violent men and how women make their lives difficult. But that is also the film’s charm. It is so crude, so wrong in every sense that it becomes entirely unpredictable and oddly watchable. What will happen next? Which innocent cleaning lady will our hero murder next? And who releases trash like this? Toei does. Thank you!

Rabble Tactics (雑兵物語) (1963) [35mm] – 3.5/5
A fairly overlooked and little seen jidaigeki war comedy starring none other than Shintaro Katsu. The film is set during the Warring States period when Japan was ruled by various local lords who were constantly engaging in small wars against each other. Katsu leads a pack of farmers hired as soldiers, only they are more keen holding on to their lives than remaining loyal to any lord, which produces a lot of hilarity. One of the recurring gags involves them carrying the identifying flags of both armies so that they can switch sides when necessary, and another one has them assigned to transport a cannonball full of gunpowder, only they fail to understand what it is and are constantly throwing and kicking it around. It's a fun, easy going film with likeable performances (including Shiho Fujimura as a boyish girl soldier brought in to fulfil the minimum new hire quota) and also many heartfelt moments. The film was directed by Kazuo Ikehiro, who passed away just recently and who is often associated with darker and more violent films. This may not be a buried masterwork, but the more I think about it the warmer feelings I have towards it.

[HungFist]

Matagari tenshi: Hoteri no togenkyô (股がり天使 火照りの桃源郷) (Japan, 2022) [TV] -2.5/5
Only in Japan do they make romantic movies about a girl finding happiness in a brothel. Riho Shirahashi stars as a girl not only enjoying her work in a soap land, but also finding all her colleagues and boss are nice people. There’s a shy virgin boy love interest, too, and an inspirational street singer cheering people up. I don’t usually waste my time with digitally shot pink movies, but I made an exception for this because it stars Rockza dancer / AV performer / stage actress Riho Shirahashi (here credited under her former name Riho Takahashi). Though expectedly pedestrian in technical execution, this movie's got its heart in the right place – or completely wrong, some would argue. It’s really quite striking how the movie’s depiction of sex industry is the polar opposite of what we see in most non-Japanese movies. Make of that what you will. As for Shirahashi, she’s fun to watch as she’s clearly trying to channel Hana and Alice era Yu Aoi. She displays quite a bit more spirit than acting skill, but the ambitions are evident and she's isn't just phoning it in like some of her more experienced co-stars. Obviously this is a biased view, and I wouldn't necessarily recommend the movie to the random viewer, but for the curious Riho fan who’s fallen in love with her increasingly funny stage performances there are things to enjoy here.

Viewed here is the R15+ version of the R18 original. There's no evident visual censorship, but some editing is likely. How much exactly is hard to say since none of the six running times I’ve found stated online so far correspond to this 68 min TV airing.

A Drop of Grease (脂のしたたり) (Japan, 1966) [35mm] – 3/5
A financial noir with a slightly smug investigator (Jiro Tamiya ) going after a mysterious woman, who invested loads of money in a company whose stocks aren't expected to turn a profit. She and the people behind her seem to know something that no one else does. Soon Tamiya finds himself tracing a vengeful femme fatale leaving a trail of bodies in her wake. This is a reasonably captivating and stylish film with a political / historical angle thrown in, though a little heavy on talking heads. The performances are good, from Tamiya who is great at playing dirty heroes to Mikio Narita who is fun to watch as the mysterious woman’s aide and strategist. A lot of Toei fans such as myself are probably so used to seeing Narita cast as rotten gangster bosses time after time that these early Daiei films come as a breath of fresh air (he’s also great in Zatoichi and the Chess Expert).

[HungFist]

Konkatsu nikki: Real Love (婚活日記 Real Love) (Japan, 2024) [TV] – 2.5/5
"The world is cruel to unmarried women in their thirties” goes popular Japanese saying. That's when single women start getting asked “why aren't they married yet?” That's also the premise for this pink comedy about a desperate 35 year old OL (Rockza dancer / AV star Maaya Irita) trying to find a suitable husband. She's got a 5% chance of success at her age, according to the statistics she obsessively reads. She wastes no time with candidates, which include a student kid, old company president, and others. This is a rather fun movie with the usual caveats of modern pink movies: it feels and looks a bit cheap. What the movie's got going for it is "walking power spot" Irita who is funny and carries the film with her energy, despite the amateurishness of her acting. She and her assets are very much the star of the movie – so much so that no other actress shed their clothes, which is extremely rare in a pink movie. The socially aware screenplay isn't too bad either, for a pink comedy affair like this. Oh and extra chuckles for the protagonist spending one third of the film in the office, yet never seen doing one bit of actual work.

Fangs of Vengeance (復讐の牙) (Japan, 1965) [35mm] – 2.5/5
A fairly unexceptional noir about a former professional pickpocket (Jiro Tamiya), who discovers that according to official records he’s been dead for year. His body was apparently even identified by his brother, whom he hasn’t met in years. Fangs of Vengeance was directed by Umetsugu Inoue, who had an interesting, but uneven career. He made dramas, musicals, action films and gangster pictures, worked for Daiei, Toei, Shochiku and the Shaw Brothers. Some of his films are terrific, such as the stylish Shochiku noir Tale of Scarlet Love (1963), where an undercover detective fall in love with a gangster’s woman while working as a pianist at a night club. Fangs of Vengeance sadly lacks the style and vigour of Inoue’s better films, even if his visual touches are intermittently evident. Tamiya is good, but he fares better in films where he gets to be a little evil.

[HungFist]

The Clones of Bruce Lee (Hong Kong, 1980) [BD] – 3/5
Grade A mental insanity with not one, but three Bruce Lee clones (Dragon Lee, Bruce Lai, Bruce Le,) derived from the legend’s dead body. And then there’s a fourth one (Bruce Thai) waiting for them in Thailand! Also comes with a mad scientist (Jon T. Benn), cool music, and a great nude scene with naked girls at a beach. Too damn much fighting, though.

You Can Succeed, Too (君も出世ができる) (1964) [35mm] – 4/5
Toho has always been associated with samurai and monster films internationally, but domestically they were also loved for their urban comedies and dramas, a genre international audiences tend to know little about. There's probably no better place to start from than this delightful corporate musical comedy. Frankie Sakai (an eager career missile only held back by his total incompetence) and Tadao Takashima (a romantic dreamer valuing private time over corporate slavery) star as two salarymen trying to work their way up the corporate ladder while dealing with desperate girlfriends, crazy foreign customers and an old geezer of a company president whose sexy night club hostess girlfriend (Mie Hama) no one must find out about. I cannot say I know much about musicals, but this film is a pure joy in epic proportions. The singing and dancing is perfectly integrated into the narrative and character personalities, and the musical scenes are wonderful, ranging from low-key to epic, heartbreaking to hilarious, and are often highly innovative. The cast is pitch-perfect and I was hugely impressed by how effortlessly Izumi Yukimura handled her abundant English dialogue (I later learned her father was a Japanese-English interpreter).

[HungFist]

The Great Villains (大悪党) (Japan, 1968) [35mm] – 4/5
A lesser seen Yasuzo Masumura film much in a need of wider international exposure. Mako Midori stars as a naïve student girl tricked by sweet talking yakuza Kei Sato. Before she knows it, she’s being blackmailed with nude photos and forced into prostitution. Her first client, a young pop star, is the next in line to be blackmailed by the scheming yakuza. Enter Jiro Tamiya as the pop star's charming but diabolical defence attorney who might also be her last hope – unless the good doctor and his cure turn out to be worse than the disease. Those familiar with Masumura’s spicier work from the 60s know what to expect: a witty, satirical and psycho-sexual melodrama thriller with excellent performances from everyone involved. Aside from Tamiya and Sato, Midori (on loan from Toei) is the big draw here. Similar to many of her Toei films, she’s excellent here and also does brief nudity throughout the film, though having to serve as men’s punching bag half of the film may be too much for some viewers

Twitch - You are My Toy (淫らな唇　痙攣) (Japan, 2004) [TV] – 3.5/5
I’ve said it before, and I will say it again: Yuji Tajiri is the Japanese Sofia Coppola. His films are about young people lost in their lives, searching for their identity, captured against the backdrop of pulsating modern cities. There’s that ethereal quality mixed with a documentary like touch that can also be found in the works of Hiroshi Ishikawa, Ryuichi Hiroki and Shunji Iwai. Unlike many of his colleagues, however, Tajiri worked in pink films, which made his movies less accessible and more uneven. This movie has maybe the best premise of all of his films: a female photographer (Yumeka Sasaki) lost in relationships and observing life through her camera lens. The photography scenes with her exploring Tokyo on foot are a pure cinematic bliss, and feel like they capture something about the era on film. Equally impressive is how Tajiri films his muse Sasaki, especially her face and smile, both of which are beautifully “imperfect” and real. And he has found an incredible match for the visuals in the soundtrack composed by “I am frogs”. Less impressive are the frequent sex scenes and male characters, both of which are crude and jarring. The film might work better with sex scenes toned down, and indeed, it appears many people outside of Japan saw a version with 20 minutes of sexual content removed and enjoyed it, not even realizing the movie was incomplete.

[HungFist]

Enter Three Dragons (Hong Kong, 1978) [BD] – 3/5
Another unexpectedly passable fight fest with three fake Bruce's helping a black dude fight Phillip Ko. Catchy, fast paced and confusing as fuck with an incomprehensible plot and too many characters called Dragon. There's a topless club in the film, but our dumbass hero walks into the neighbouring bar instead. What an idiot! Good action, groovy music and guest star Bolo compensate for the lack of nudity.

Ramblers (リアリズムの宿) (Japan, 2003) [35mm] – 5/5
An old favourite still holds up! Nobuhiro Yamashita’s minimalist slacker comedy remains his best film, and if you ask me, one of the funniest movies ever made. The film follows two young filmmakers with poor communication skills, trapped in a freezing cold and half-deserted small town when their mutual contact fails to show up. It’s a very Yamashitan premise. Ever since his feature length debut Hazy Life (1999) Yamashita and his screenwriting partner Kosuke Mukai have made films about loveable losers who are so used to life kicking them in the face that they barely even react to any new, often absurd setbacks. The director’s trademark ultra-dry humour, inherited from Aki Kaurismäki, is at its best here. The film also features brutally lovely winter landscapes and seaside setting that are beautifully captured on film, though the picture quality fluctuates a bit depending on weather and light conditions. The opening scene, which looked awful on DVD, looks pretty murky on 35mm film too. A lot of other scenes however look strikingly beautiful. A five star film, though apparently not for everyone as my favourite IMDb review suggests:

“A comedy for people who don't like to laugh or enjoy themselves. DON'T SEE RAMBLERS. EVER.”