Why are Japanese films so terrible?

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The Zaticoichi, The Blind Samurai film series are quite fun. IFC has been showing one every Saturday morning for months and I check out one from time to time.

Nothing like eating cornflakes and watching a blind masseuse take out a dozen people in a few seconds with a katana hidden in a cane.

earlnash, Monday, 28 April 2003 12:54 (twenty-one years ago) link

Is the pacing annoyingly slow in english-dubbed anime films' dialogue sequences because japanese speech takes longer than english or am I imagining things?

Stuart (Stuart), Monday, 28 April 2003 15:25 (twenty-one years ago) link

Cruel Story of Youth is fucking incredible. Watch for the scene with the apple.

amateurist (amateurist), Monday, 28 April 2003 16:18 (twenty-one years ago) link

have you ever seen mizoguchi´s 'sansho dayu', "street of shame' or 'life of oharu'?

Yes! Mizoguchi is less known than he should be. Other good films of his are "Sisters of the Gion", "The Story of the Last Chrysanthemums", "Women of the Night", "Miss Oyû", "Tales of Ugetsu", "Gion Festival Music", "The Woman of Rumour" and "The Tale of the Crucified Lovers".

Tuomas (Tuomas), Tuesday, 29 April 2003 06:31 (twenty-one years ago) link

;; I saw SPIRITED AWAY yesterday. finally.

Erik, Tuesday, 29 April 2003 06:53 (twenty-one years ago) link

what everyone else said + kiyoshi kurosawa.

brian badword (badwords), Tuesday, 29 April 2003 07:03 (twenty-one years ago) link

Can someone name a particularly good japanese monster
movie I watched once that starred a giant human
that battled monsters? "Adventures of" may have
been in the title, and the power rangers bit his look.

Squirrel_Police (Squirrel_Police), Tuesday, 29 April 2003 17:08 (twenty-one years ago) link

Mizoguchi is the greatest director ever to walk the earth -- don't get me started.

amateurist (amateurist), Tuesday, 29 April 2003 17:28 (twenty-one years ago) link

I thought I was a Mizoguchi fan, a bit, but I confess I've not seen his giant monster movies.

Martin Skidmore (Martin Skidmore), Tuesday, 29 April 2003 18:52 (twenty-one years ago) link

The poignant tale of Mothra's young daughter, who is forced to become the mistress of a petty-bourgeois shop owner to support her younger sister. Soon, the shop owner dies and Mothrita is taken in by a brutal pimp. After she is beaten by the pimp, she returns to her sister and despairs of the plight of female Mothrites.

amateurist (amateurist), Tuesday, 29 April 2003 19:00 (twenty-one years ago) link

Ah, yeah, of course. I saw that years ago, before any of you. I just forgot it for a minute.

Martin Skidmore (Martin Skidmore), Tuesday, 29 April 2003 19:40 (twenty-one years ago) link

Some of my fave Japanese movies:

Toky Decadence
Tetsuo
Tampopo
Akira
Audition

Spirited Away hasn't had its official release in Belgium. Waiting.

Jan

Jan Geerinck (jahsonic), Tuesday, 29 April 2003 19:57 (twenty-one years ago) link

i love japanese films

Search: Ugetsu, Onibaba, Kwaidan, Audition, DeadorAlive, Battle Royale, Tetsuo, Tokyo Fist, Electric Dragon 80000, Angel Dust, Ringu, Blind Beast, Tokyo Drifter, Sonatine, Hana-bi, Afterlife, Hole in the Sky, In the Realm of the Senses, Tampopo, Throne of Blood, Bullet Ballet, Uzumaki, and random Godzilla films i liked as a child.

there should be more Kurosawa, Miyazaki and Ozu and stuff but they somehow don't fall as much into my "canon". maybe i am just being contrarian.

Still must see: Dark Water, Love & Pop, Gemini, Happiness of the Katakuris, A Snake of June, Juon, Eureka, Cure, Tokyo Decadence, Branded to Kill

Honda (Honda), Tuesday, 29 April 2003 22:43 (twenty-one years ago) link

Iron Man Tetsuo owns this thread for sucking and being totally awesome at the same time.

Millar (Millar), Tuesday, 29 April 2003 22:49 (twenty-one years ago) link

"All About Lily Chou-Chou" is good.

kirsten (kirsten), Tuesday, 29 April 2003 23:45 (twenty-one years ago) link

What????

Akira Kurosawa is one of the greatest filmmakers of all time! The 'Baby Cart' series are AMAZING! The Godzilla films from the 60s (especially) are great fun with tremendous scope photography and set design and modern Japanese cinema has belched out such instant classics as 'Audition', 'Tokyo Fist', 'Uzumaki', 'Hypnosis' and 'Dark Water'. I saw 'Inugami' last week and it has style for sale! Man, they know how to make a film look good in Japan.

Kill this thread. I mean, whatever next - Hong Kong cinema, a load of shit or wot???!!!???!!!

Calum, Tuesday, 29 April 2003 23:54 (twenty-one years ago) link

eight months pass...
"All About Lily Chou Chou" IS good.

@d@ml (nordicskilla), Monday, 5 January 2004 19:55 (twenty years ago) link

I didn't like it

s1ocki (slutsky), Tuesday, 6 January 2004 04:58 (twenty years ago) link

Ugh, I just saw "Ichi the Killer" and it was terrible.

phil-two (phil-two), Tuesday, 6 January 2004 05:09 (twenty years ago) link

I enjoy much Japanese cinema. Takeshi Kitano is one of my faves; search "Kids Return", "Sonatine", and "Kikujiro" for sure, also "Metropolis", "Grave of the Fireflies", and "Spirited Away" for anime. "The Eel" was good, I also liked "Shall we Dance?". I'm far from the toughest critic though; I don't require that films be the pinnacle of their respective genres for me to admit to liking them. I consider the above to be entertaining and interesting, with fairly unique storylines, and a refreshing change from the usual mainstream American garbage I'm exposed to here in the States.

webcrack (music=crack), Tuesday, 6 January 2004 16:51 (twenty years ago) link

There are plenty of other threads in this series to collect.

Pete (Pete), Tuesday, 6 January 2004 17:04 (twenty years ago) link

Phil, where did you see Ichi at?

dean gulberry (deangulberry), Tuesday, 6 January 2004 17:29 (twenty years ago) link

they had the DVD of Ichi at Kim's Video here in New York... Don't bother though. It was really really bad. The story was stupid/confusing and the gore was pretty silly.

phil-two (phil-two), Tuesday, 6 January 2004 19:35 (twenty years ago) link

I've got the DVD of Ichi, one of the very few freebies I got last year. Nasty.

Note for people who haven't seen Afterlife, the Ritzy is showing as its world cinema matinee all week from Friday. 1-ish I think, £3 a pop. I am ver ver tempted to go see again.

Pete (Pete), Wednesday, 7 January 2004 10:47 (twenty years ago) link

I agree that Ichi was quite bad, the plot was muddled and the sick humour wasn't as funny as in other films of Miike, for example Visitor Q.

Tuomas (Tuomas), Wednesday, 7 January 2004 11:18 (twenty years ago) link

kazuki tomokawa is in the new miike movie (with beat takeshi). i probably still won't see it.

"bright future" was pretty good.

amateur!st (amateurist), Wednesday, 7 January 2004 13:49 (twenty years ago) link

two weeks pass...
My downstairs neighbor, who is big on such types of films, showed me Ichi The Killer last night. I couldn't really concentrate on it but at the very least I thought it's sadomasochistc take on the whole Batman vs. Joker concept was intriguing. I might not have noticed it unless he pointed it out (the bad guy's grin, his purple and green clothes, etc.). Did anyone else catch that element?

Anthony Miccio (Anthony Miccio), Saturday, 24 January 2004 01:10 (twenty years ago) link

I couldn't really concentrate on it

because we were yammering about stuff and it was really, really gross.

Anthony Miccio (Anthony Miccio), Saturday, 24 January 2004 01:11 (twenty years ago) link

He also showed me Battle Royale, which I hadn't seen yet. I found that more horrifying than Ichi in its own way, and definitely superior.

Anthony Miccio (Anthony Miccio), Saturday, 24 January 2004 01:16 (twenty years ago) link

As pete mentioned on another thread Ozu's tokyo story is being shown daily at the NFT till next thursday. I caught it yesterday and it was some of the most moving cinema I've ever seen.

Julio Desouza (jdesouza), Saturday, 24 January 2004 10:24 (twenty years ago) link

:-D

cozen (Cozen), Saturday, 24 January 2004 13:04 (twenty years ago) link

i saw Ktano's Zaitochi yesterday as opening film to the Rotterdam Film Festival. Samurai turns to Riverdance.

Eriik, Saturday, 24 January 2004 13:53 (twenty years ago) link

yeah but just for the last three minutes which felt like a cheat to me

although i guess the dancing is foreshadowed a few times

that film left me pretty cold overall

amateur!st (amateurist), Monday, 26 January 2004 11:21 (twenty years ago) link

five months pass...
bump

anyone for Hiroshi Teshigahara?

http://www.bfi.org.uk/showing/nft/teshigahara/calendar/index.php

Julio Desouza (jdesouza), Sunday, 18 July 2004 18:29 (twenty years ago) link

I'm going to three of them, Julio - Pitfall on Tuesday, Face Of Another on Thursday, then Rikyu on the Wednesday or Friday of the following week. An old friend is coming to the first two with me (no one you know) but you're obviously more than welcome to come along too - and I'm currently on my own for Rikyu, so if you fancy either showing of that say the word.

Martin Skidmore (Martin Skidmore), Sunday, 18 July 2004 20:05 (twenty years ago) link

cool, I'm seeing 'woman of the dunes' tomorrow. won't be there on tue, will try and make it to thurs.

Will def see 'rikyu' the following week.

Julio Desouza (jdesouza), Sunday, 18 July 2004 21:19 (twenty years ago) link

Anyone seen Suicide Club?

roxymuzak (roxymuzak), Sunday, 18 July 2004 21:20 (twenty years ago) link

I love Japanese cinema. Audition, Gate of Flesh, Spirited Away and the rest of the anime films, Naked Blood, Stacy etc... Sure some of it is tacky, but it's good fun. Trying to say that Japanese cinema is all about giant monsters attacking cities is like trying to say American movies are all about cowboys and indians.

dog latin (dog latin), Sunday, 18 July 2004 21:34 (twenty years ago) link

Contemporary Japanese cinema has it's own clichés, and once you get used to them they can be as irritating as their Hollywood counterparts. This applies especially to anime, which is fun for awhile, but gets really boring once you've seen enough of it. There are gems there, like Miyazaki's flicks, but a lot of the stuff that's imported to the West is mediocre shite aimed at the fanboy market.

Tuomas (Tuomas), Sunday, 18 July 2004 21:44 (twenty years ago) link

We rented "Suicide Club" last week - really good, albeit disturbing. Much graphic violence, much mystery, much schoolgirls leaping to their deaths on the subway track. What more can you want?

Layna Andersen (Layna Andersen), Sunday, 18 July 2004 23:29 (twenty years ago) link

Has anyone seen the three most recent Seijun Suzuki films released on DVD (Underworld Beauty, Kanto Wanderer, Tattooed Life)? The first is a yakuza noir and the latter two are period yakuza films in color, I believe.

I found UB at Borders this weekend, but haven't had a chance to watch it.

miloauckerman (miloauckerman), Sunday, 18 July 2004 23:57 (twenty years ago) link

Julio (and any other interested parties): I saw Pitfall tonight, and it was GREAT! I'm really looking forward to the next two now.

Martin Skidmore (Martin Skidmore), Tuesday, 20 July 2004 21:24 (twenty years ago) link

yeah, saw 'woman...' and almost certain to see it again, I did a thread on ilm abt toru takemitsu just after seeing it.

Julio Desouza (jdesouza), Tuesday, 20 July 2004 21:44 (twenty years ago) link

So is anyone on for Rikyu on Wednesday (8.20) or Friday (8.40) night? I'm definitely going.

Martin Skidmore (Martin Skidmore), Monday, 26 July 2004 18:07 (twenty years ago) link

DVDs of the two Ju-on TV movies (predating the Ju-on:Grudge two theatrical versions) arrived this morning, hopefully I'll get the chance to watch at least one tonight. Are they really better than the 'remakes', as I've read?

Suicide Circle/Club is genius, yes - but is it any better than Uzumaki? I think not, although for non-horror material Wild Zero is about as good as it gets.

Someone on this thread might know... I've managed to pick up a fantran of the second Ringu TV series (Saishuushou/'The Final Chapter') - has anyone ever seen a subbed version of either the first (Ring: Kanzenban, admittedly only a one-off rather than a series) or third series (Rasen: The Series)?

aldo_cowpat (aldo_cowpat), Tuesday, 27 July 2004 07:45 (twenty years ago) link

the new sarah michelle gellar movie (remake of ju-on) is directed by takashi shimizu!!

amateur!st (amateurist), Tuesday, 27 July 2004 14:36 (twenty years ago) link

I should be going on friday martin.

Julio Desouza (jdesouza), Tuesday, 27 July 2004 14:39 (twenty years ago) link

Great! I'll go on Friday too!

Martin Skidmore (Martin Skidmore), Tuesday, 27 July 2004 15:52 (twenty years ago) link

cool, see you there.

Julio Desouza (jdesouza), Tuesday, 27 July 2004 15:57 (twenty years ago) link

three months pass...
revive!

director mentioned upthread:

http://www.timesonline.co.uk/article/0,,7943-1342630,00.html

Julio Desouza (jdesouza), Thursday, 4 November 2004 21:22 (nineteen years ago) link

ju-on. extras include 2 different audio commentaries and about 2 hours of other stuff including period and new interviews with cast and crew. this might take a while... (and this is only part 1)

koogs, Saturday, 29 June 2024 21:55 (four months ago) link

two weeks pass...

Went to a free mystery screening at a local theater (same place I saw The Man Who Stole the Sun), which turned out to be Dynamite Don-Don, late-period yakuza comedy by Kihachi Okamoto. Set during the American occupation, rival yakuza clans are warned that there will be serious consequences for continued violence, and so end up establishing a baseball tournament instead. Gotta say this plot maybe didn't warrant 140 minutes, but it was pretty entertaining. They break a lot of the rules of baseball!

JoeStork, Tuesday, 16 July 2024 06:16 (three months ago) link

gotta love a shop i can walk to which not only has most Arrow releases in stock but which shadows Arrow's sales prices. picked up Dark Water and Irezuma for £9 each on saturday.

koogs, Monday, 22 July 2024 13:09 (three months ago) link

two months pass...

treated myself to the criterion zatoichi box for my birthday - 25 (of the 26) zatoichi films, all starring Shintaro Katsu. it's a hefty old thing, and hard to file.

have watched the three films on the first disk and the two b&w ones look so much better than the third. all the rest are colour.

Shintaro produced some of the Lone Wolf & Cub films and is in a bunch of other things i have, which i'll have to revisit. the directors are all unknown to me though. 25 films in about 12 years (the final one 16 years later), one year had 4 zatoichi films released...

also interesting is that Zatoichi meets people from other series along the way - Yojimbo (real, actual toshiro mifune) and the one-armed swordsman.

koogs, Wednesday, 16 October 2024 16:18 (two weeks ago) link

My guess is that once you're done with that box you won't be wanting to watch any more Zatoichi films for a while.

the nervous laughter of fools (Matt #2), Wednesday, 16 October 2024 16:35 (two weeks ago) link

I love some of Tokuzo Tanaka's horror films and wanted to see his Zatoichi films but I'm not getting that whole set

Robert Adam Gilmour, Wednesday, 16 October 2024 20:33 (two weeks ago) link

also bought a 4th version of 47 ronin (after watching ako castle last week), the inagaki version, and The Wanderers, just because it was same ebay seller, by ichikawa and i liked the cover. obvious bootlegs though.

koogs, Wednesday, 16 October 2024 21:19 (two weeks ago) link

The digital-rental model is pretty weird but if you have the least interest in Kiyoshi Kurosawa's brand of horror, Chime is unmissable, peak stuff. Taut and concise. Crank the volume.

assert (matttkkkk), Wednesday, 16 October 2024 22:01 (two weeks ago) link

I'll look out for that if it comes to disc someday.

Shadow Of Fire (Shinya Tsukamoto) - This is a small story set in the slums of Japan after world war 2. Like the last few Tsukamoto films, the low budget is showing but it's still quite lush in places, the warm colors of the indoor scenes are lovely. He said that the 7 year old boy in the film showed up to audition of his of accord and that encouraged him to cast the boy.

It's part of a thematic trilogy including Fires On The Plain and Killing, but I'd say Kotoko fits in there too. He made these films because he's afraid Japan will go to war in the near future because it buries it's memories of war trauma, not enough people were encouraged to speak about their war experiences, samurai stories are heavily romanticized and so it seems to him that japan doesn't really understand war and historical violence enough to want to avoid it in the future. But these are very low budget films that didn't have much impact so I wouldn't be surprised if he kept going at this. In the bonus features he does a talk with historian Kota Ishii who written a book about the slums of the 40s (and 50s?)

When I seen Kotoko years ago I was really surprised when Tsuakmoto said it was motivated by his fears about his children's generation going to war, because the film appears to be kind of a semi-biopic about the singer/actress Cocco, who suffered from paranoid delusions about her son being in danger. I was confused by the war scene but later found out that the small crying child who gets his head blown off was Tsukamoto's own son! That's some exposure therapy (though it actually resembles a scene from Tetsuo 2, long before he had children).
I seen Victor LaValle a while ago talk about how when he had a child he immediately felt the urge to write about the worst things that could happen to his child. I don't think people consider or talk often enough about how storytellers and artists frequently are killing and brutalizing their own loved ones in their art to come to terms with what could really happen.

Robert Adam Gilmour, Thursday, 17 October 2024 19:06 (two weeks ago) link

Didn't enjoy Kotoko to be honest - I found it kind of baffling and Cocco's character acted in ways I simply couldn't figure out. I suppose trauma is the explanation but it wasn't well told, for me. Maybe I should revisit.

assert (matttkkkk), Thursday, 17 October 2024 22:50 (two weeks ago) link

I liked Kotoko a lot. It was probably the last Tsukamoto film that felt really substantial for me. There aren't any I dislike but I do miss when he was able to get a bigger production. I still haven't been able to see Nightmare Detective 2 or Female (an anthology film he's a part of). Nightmare Detective is probably my least favorite, apparently it's his own deal but it feels like he's a hired hand, you have a couple of actors who look like they're from the idol factory, he said he wanted to make three of them but I doubt that will happen now, I hope the second one is a lot better.

Robert Adam Gilmour, Thursday, 17 October 2024 23:09 (two weeks ago) link


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