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.