Showing posts with label japan. Show all posts
Showing posts with label japan. Show all posts
5 February 2013
GFF 2013 - Watch The American Trailer For Studio Ghibli's From Up on Poppy Hill
Based on a Manga of the same name , From Up on Poppy Hill is an coming of age story set in the 1960s 2 teenagers who fall in love in the wake of preventing an old clubhouse at the school their both at in Yokohama.
The film marks a return to directing from Goro Miyazaki with his father the legendary Hayao Miyazaki on scripting , the film on the animation equivalent of an Oscar back in 2011, the Japan Academy Prize for Animation. From Up On Poppy Hill certainly keeps the charm, beauty and even innocence we expect from Studio Ghibli, our only concern with this, is its not one of Studio Ghibli's 'fantasies' which are a easy sell however the source of this film should be enough to sell this one.
This a dubbed version of the film, we don't know yet if they'll be an UK voice cast like Arriety, if not Chris Noth, Jamie Lee Curtis, Ron Howard, Bruce Dern and Aubrey Plaza will provide the cast. GK Kids are the new American distributor taken over from Disney, Here in The UK we're still expecting Studiocanal to release this for now next UK screening is at Glasgow Youth Film Festival 10th February, USA Release will be 15th March .
Synopsis
The latest Studio Ghibli masterpiece is scripted by Hayao Miyazaki and directed by his son Goro. Set just before the 1964 Olympics, this anime features Umi, a hardworking teen looking after her family while her mother is abroad. One day she comes across a poem in the school newspaper, apparently written about her. A little while later she meets Shun, a daring young man who is part of a school movement to help save the local clubhouse from demolition. Umi joins the movement and she and Shun grow closer, until they are suddenly torn apart by a shocking secret…
27 January 2013
Nakata Hideo Returns To J-Horror With The Complex
Nakata Hideo returns to horror with The Complex (Kuroyuri danchi)and tonight we have our hands on the first teaser trailer.
Starring Atsuko Maeda formerly of J-Pop supergroup AKB48 as a nursing student Asuka who moves into a an apartment block plagued with strange mysterious deaths thanks to what to a death that happened 13 years previously. When she further investigates the strange noises from adjacent flat she learns the old man who lived there died trying to claw himself out of a wall but who is responsible for the deaths?
Films such as Sinister have a lot to thank Nakata for introducing the watch the video and you'll die a concept that can be seen in many western based horrors too. Tonight at Rotterdam International film festival The Complex will make its world premier then on 18th May Toei will release the in Japan. No UK date has been set but expect the film to arrive later in the year/2014.
sourceNipponcinema
15 January 2013
Merry Christmas, Mr Lawrence's Nagisa Ôshima Has Died
The provocateur filmmaker constantly challenged censors with his confrontational work winning him not just a loyal fanbase in his homeland but respected worldwide. It was his dark and fanatical In The Realm of Senses about obsessive love affair which has unsimulated sex scenes that brought him attention worldwide but to many in Japan scandal and embarrassment.If you are unfamiliar with his work Merry Christmas Mr Lawrence (1983) gained him some more mainstream recognition starring David Bowie,Takeshi Kitano and Ryuichi Sakamoto a POW film which was shot entirely with Oshima not letting the cast see the outcome until the film was complete.
Oshima was a former law student left his hometown of Kyoto for the Shochiku production house near Toyko in 1954. This was the production company that could boast the likes of Yasujiro Ozu, Kenji Mizoguchi and in 1959 he made his directorial debut with Cruel Story of Youth, before going on to make The Sun's Burial and the politically intense Night and Fog in Japan before leaving to star his own company.After the In the realm of The Sense (1976) he won accolades at Cannes in 1978 with The Empire Of Passion.
In 1986 he made Max, Mon Armour which starred Charlotte Rampling with a chimpanzee but after a stroke and a bout of ill healt Oshima returned to directing in 1999 for what was his last film Taboo. The man regarded as Japan's Jean Luc Godard due to his left social political beliefs would go onto suffer ill health right upto his final days.
source:The Playlist
26 December 2012
Third Window Films Announce UK January Release of The Woodsman And The Rain
Love Asian film? Love Zombie Horror? Comedy? Well your going to love Shichi Okita's eccentric The Woodsman And The Rain which is coming to the UK&Ireland thanks to the fantastic Third Window Films this January. The film stars Koji Yakusho (Shall We Dance, 13 Assassins, The Admiral), Shun Oguri (Crows Zero, Azumi, Space Brothers)and Kengo Kora (Norwegian Wood, Fish Story) a story about a lumberjack who lives in the quaint mountain side whose life is turned upside when a low budget film crew arrive to create a zombie movie!
Synopsis:Katsu (Internationally acclaimed actor Koji Yakusho from Shall We Dance and 13 Assassins) plays a 60 year-old lumberjack who lives in a small, tranquil village in the mountains. When a film crew suddenly arrives to shoot a zombie movie, Katsu finds himself unwittingly roped into assisting the production and becomes increasingly frustrated with the pushy crew, especially the young, seemingly spineless director Koichi (Shun Oguri, star of Crows 0, Sukiyaki Western Django and Space Brothers).
However, an improbable friendship soon develops between Katsu and Koichi, as Katsu comes to see joy in the filmmaking process, and gradually helps Koichi to recover his sense of self. Soon, their bond inspires an unusual collaboration between the villagers and the film crew.
- Interviews with Cast and Crew
- Deleted Scenes
- Theatrical Trailer
Pre-Order: The Woodsman and the Rain [DVD]
/ [Blu-ray]
Adam Brodie caught the film at Terracotta Film Festival earlier this year , read his review here and The Woodsman And The Rain will be released in UK&Ireland on DVD and Blu-Ray from January 28th 2013.
22 December 2012
Jesus Christ! Enlightenment Prevails As Jesus And Buddha Are Flatmates In Saint Young Men
It's surreal, crazy, WTF moment but it's anime so enjoy the teaser trailer!
sorce:Twitch
3 December 2012
Floating Weeds Blu-Ray Review (Masters Of Cinema)
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Floating Weeds was one of the now legendary Japanese director Yasujitõ Ozu’s last films and one of his only handful of colours films. It is also a remake of an earlier silent film he made called A Story of Floating Weeds.
The film is set during a very hot summer in the coastal town the Inland Sea. A travelling theatre group visits the town for a series of performances. Komajuro (Ganjirō Nakamura) the theatre leader visits an old mistress Oyoshi who he had a son Kiyoshi with but his son doesn’t know who his father is. Sumiko who is Komajuro’s current mistress learns of his and becomes jealous. Sumiko plays a visit to Oyoshi’s eatery but Komajuro chases her away before she can reveal anything and breaks up with her in the rain. Sumiko to get back at Komajuro decides to have a young actress Kayo to seduce Komajuro’s son and more drama happens.
Ozu’s films in the last few decades has been reissued and reevaluated a lot and cited by many directors such as Paul Schrader, Wim Wenders and Jim Jarmusch as influence. In the latest Sight & Sound poll his earlier film Tokyo Story was voted the 3rd greatest film made after the standard classics Citizen Kane and Vertigo and it topped the director’s poll. Ozu will be very hard going for a lot of people, the films are very slow paced and his camera literally never moves, the stories are very simple domestic tales of then contemporary Japan.
However his films always very human and always powerful and beautiful in its simplicity and Floating Weeds is no exception. Floating Weeds is probably as “flashy” as Ozu ever got, the use of colour really adds a nice layer to his films with its beautiful composition and his choice of colours. The acting is always impeccably naturalistic at it’s best. Ozu should be studied by anyone interested in film and how great minimalist cinema can be, file next to Robert Bresson.
Floating Weeds has been restored by the always wonderful Masters of Cinema imprint of Eureka Entertainment, like the other recent entry Gate of Hell, it doesn’t feature any bonus features bar a trailer but includes 36 page booklet with a essay, rare photos and entries from Ozu’s personal diary.
Ian Schultz
Rating: PG
Release Date: 3rd December 2012 (UK)
Directed By: Yasujirô Ozu
Cast: Ganjirô Nakamura, Machiko Kyô , Haruko Sugimura
Buy :FLOATING WEEDS [UKIGUSA](Masters of Cinema) (DVD & BLU-RAY DUAL FORMAT) [1959]
18 November 2012
Gintama The Movie On UK DVD (R2)
If your looking for a last minute Christmas present for a anime fan with in your family Manga Entertainment would like you to consider Gintama:The Movie. Gintama tells the story of a silver haired samurai who attempts to find the whereabouts of the legendary sword whilst the rest of his team hunt down the missing Kotaro Katsura.
Odd Jobs Gin has taken on a lot of odd work in the past, and when you're a Jack of All Trades agency based in a feudal Japan that's been conquered and colonized by aliens, the term “Odd Jobs” means REALLY ODD jobs. But when some more than slightly suspicious secrets from the shadows of Gintoki Sakata's somewhat shady former samurai past and a new pair of odd jobs collide, the action is bound to get so wild and demented that only a feature film will do it justice!
Sit down, strap yourself in, and make sure you're not wearing anything too tight or constricting as the junior half of OJG takes on the task of tracking down a tenacious terrorist while their silver-haired slickster of a partner seeks out a certain sword in the stunningly side-splitting and screwy Gin Tama!
Pre-order: Gintama The Movie [DVD]
Berserk: Egg Of The King On UK DVD And Blu-Ray (R2)
If you where at last months Scotland's Love Anime in Glasgow and Edinburgh you would have seen this Anime, Berserk: Egg Of The King.A skilled swordsman who joins forces with a mercenary group named ‘The Band of the Hawk’, led by the charismatic Griffith, fights with them as they battle their way into the royal court. Manga Entertainment UK will be releasing this on DVD and Blu-ray on 24th December.
As the Band of the Hawk fight together and their bond as a unit grows stronger, Griffith and Guts's bond deepens as well. With their continued success on the battlefield, Griffith achieves the first step toward his lofty goals: his band of mercenaries becomes recognized as a full-fledged army within the Midland Kingdom. Despite all their success, Guts begins to question his reasons for fighting for Griffith's dream, which, unbeknownst to Guts, is destined to bestow a monstrous fate on them both.
Pre-order your copy:Berserk - Film 1: Egg Of The King [DVD]
/ Blu-ray + DVD Double Play
/ Collectors Edition Blu-ray
17 November 2012
Manga Entertainment To Release Shiki Part 2 In December
Following the October release of part one, Manga Entertainment have announced the UK DVD release of Shiki Part 2 on DVD. Shiki is creepy psychological thriller based on a Manga by Ono Fuyumi and Fujisaki Ryuu about a village surrounded by death.
At a time when vampires have become ubiquitous in popular culture, from juvenile novels and live-action films to anime, Shiki stands out for its deeply unsettling tension and suspense.
When citizens of a secluded village begin dying off in alarming numbers, the sole hospital's head doctor tries desperately to save his patients - but his efforts are in vain. Entire families are wiped out while others desert their homes. All hell breaks loose as the villagers discover their loved ones' corpses are rising from the grave with an insatiable thirst for human blood. Who is safe when the urge to kill in order to survive blurs the line between man and monster?
Shiki Part 2 will be released in UK&Ireland 31st December on DVD Pre-Order Shiki Part 2 [DVD]
15 November 2012
New Trailer & Clip For Takashi Miike's Shield Of Straw
Starring Fujiwara Tatsuya who may not be familiar by name but recognizable from the cult film Battle Royale, Deathnote and Toyoda Toshiaki's I'm Flash where he played a cult leader. For his latest film he will be becoming a cold hearted confessed child killer. Based on a Kuichi Kazuhiro novel Shield of Straw when a child killer (Fujiwara) is captured he must be escorted across country by 2 cops (Osawa Takao and Matsushima Nanako)to face trail. What may sound a simple task but the grandfather of the young victim is a very wealthy man not happy that things will be sorted out the conventional way offers 12 million to anyone who can kill his grandchild's killer on route to court.
This film looks like it'll challenge the morality and power of money and the control it has over people. What people will do to get their hands on the amount of money on offer is crazy, will there a psychological thriller mix thrown in too? All will be revealed when the film is release 26 April 2013 in Japan.
Ninagawa is a powerful man in Japanese politics and with top economic connections.His granddaughter is then murdered. The suspect is Kunihide Kiyomaru (Tatsuya Fujiwara). Kunihide Kiyomaru has a prior conviction for assaulting and killing a girl 8 years ago. The police could never apprehend the suspect in the prior killing.source:Twitch
Three months after the murder of his granddaughter, Ninagawa places a whole page ad in the 3 big Japanese newspapers. The ad states "Please kill this man Kunihide Kiyomaru and I will pay you 1,000,000,000 yen as a reward." Meanwhile, Kunihide Kiyomaru sees the ad and begins to fear for his life. Kunihide Kiyomaru then turns himself in at the Fukuoka Police Station. Five detectives from the security section (SP) of the Tokyo Metropolitan Police Department travel to Fukuoka to escort Kunihide Kiyomaru back to the Tokyo Metropolitan Police Department. The distance between Fukuoka and Tokyo is apprixmately 1,200 km. During their fateful trip, a significant portion of the Japanese population plot to kill Kunihide Kiyomaru. Many of those people, actually pursue Kunihide Kiyomaru while he goes back to Tokyo to get the 1 billion yen reward. The lonely fight of the five detectives to protect this man begins ...
12 November 2012
My Neighbour Totoro Blu-Ray Review
My Neighbour Totoro is a charming tale about 10 year old Satsuki and her inquisitive younger sister Mei (voiced by real life actress sisters Dakota and Elle Fanning) who move to a new home with their father into the country to be closer to their mother who is in hospital nearby. Far from the hustle and bustle of the big city, the sisters discover a mysterious place of spirits and magic and the friendship of the big fluffy woodland creature Totoro. This is a family suffused in the joys of country living with an elegy of two fading miracles: the fairytale world of childhood and the disappearing countryside.
My Neighbour Totoro is a beautifully constructed film. Unlike many of the other Studio Ghibli films, Totoro is not set in any war feuding countries or has villains hell bent in destroying the environment or the natural beauty of the location. The film is totally grounded in the real the world with a story that is told from a child's point of view, enticing the children to be imaginative and creative essentially enjoy childhood. The simplicity of the story helps the film flow naturally helping the children be characteristically children even if they are of the animated, this is something Disney have forgotten about recently and surround them with unnatural fantasy surroundings.
The film does have one typical Ghibli trait, fantasy and a giant mythical spirit, the Totoro who is like the (giant) imaginary friend children sometimes have hence why the girls do not fear as to them he's like that first cuddly toy a child gets. Totoro isn't actually on the screen too much but enough to become the face of the studio like the way Mickey Mouse does it for Disney. Every Studio Ghibli film his logo is seen at the start of the film and no matter where you are in the world when you see the Totoro you know what your getting and he's become that recognizable he even got a cameo in the last Toy Story film!
The girls parents nor many adults actually have much screen time either but this doesn't mean to say they are not well developed characters either. We do see the girl's mother(Lea Salonga) a few time but thanks to letters written by Satsuki we do cover some of the ground but not the reason why she's in hospital as this isn't important as this is all from a child's view on life, they know your ill but telling them what is wrong they would be lost forever. Their father (Tim Daly) is so busy working even at home, to make ends meet it's also a reminder of how tranquil and safe the countryside was in the 1950's (the era the film is set) and the trust they had for neighbours like Nanny (Pat Carroll) who was like a surrogate parent to the girls.
I'm a newbie when it comes to blu-ray, so out of the films I already own or watched via the format, My Neighbour Totoro is the first film I can say I've experienced the true power of the format. The bu-ray transfer has been nothing but fantastic,the picture is clear, crisp, colours so vibrant the hand drawn style animation really shines through giving the feel a organic natural feel. The best scene to show blu-ray's power is the bus stop scene when the Totoro joins at the stop you see the improved lighting, sounds crisp and the we meet the Cheshire Cat bus which is like something straight out of Alice In Wonderland, the scene also delivers some depth and atmosphere to the film.
When you talk about films be them live action or animated in the status of been categorized as classic, legendary even cult My Neighbour Totoro is all 3 categories.The quality of Totoro (and Studio Ghibli) is nothing but sublime, as what we get could easily be regarded as one of if not the studios finest film. To highlight the sheer brilliance of the film it was one of the very few animated films (highest entry) to make the recent BFI poll of 250 greatest films ever made, a testament to how highly regarded the film is with fans and critics,Miyazaki actually has the privilage of 2 films as Spirited Away is also in the list too. Scorsese, Kubrick, Hitchcock, Tarkvosky, and Miyazaki habe all got one thing in common they are all master storytellers, My Neighbour Totoro is a perfect example of why animation is not just for kids just lovers of film in all its beautiful forms
.
Paul Devine
★★★★★
Rating:UUK BD Release Date: 12th November 2012
Directed By:Hayao Miyazaki
Cast:Pat Carroll, Tim Daly, Dakota Fanning, Elle Fanning,
Buy My Neighbour Totoro: Blu-ray (+ DVD) [1988]
12 October 2012
Yasujirō Ozu's Floating Weeds Getting Masters Of Cinema Treatment
FLOATING WEEDS [UKIGUSA] will be released in DUAL FORMAT (BLU-RAY & DVD) & DVD editions as part of the Masters of Cinema Series on 3 December 2012.
“A thoroughly absorbing affair” – Total Film
“Ozu's familiar combination of melancholy regret and buoyant comic gaiety is beguilingly in evidence.” – Peter Bradshaw, The Guardian
“A
poignant tale of everyday folk; their lives, loves and losses, rendered
with exquisite care, compassion and no small measure of humanity by one
of the masters of Japanese cinema.” – Film 4
Towards the end of his career, Japanese master Yasujirō Ozu (Tokyo Story; Late Spring; Early Summer; An Autumn Afternoon; Good Morning) returned to a story he had made some 25 years earlier as a silent, Ukigusa monogatari [A Story of Floating Weeds], for a magnificent colour reworking, photographed by legendary cinematographer Kazuo Miyagawa (Rashomon, Ugetsu monogatari).
When a travelling theatre troupe brings their show to a seaside port, Komajurō (Ganjirō Nakamura), an ageing actor, is reunited with his former lover, sake bar owner Oyoshi (Haruko Sugimura), and his illegitimate son Kiyoshi (Hiroshi Kawaguchi), to the distress of his current mistress Sumiko (Machiko Kyō).
SPECIAL FEATURES:
• Exclusively restored high-definition master presented in the film's original aspect ratio, in 1080p on the Blu-ray
• Newly translated optional English subtitles
• Original Japanese theatrical trailer
• Illustrated booklet featuring the words of Ozu, rare archival imagery, and more
• Further details to be announced nearer the release date!Pre-Order/Buy:FLOATING WEEDS [UKIGUSA](Masters of Cinema) (DVD) [1959]
/ DVD (&BLU-RAY DUAL FORMAT)
11 October 2012
Eureka Taking Us To GATES OF HELL In Masters Of Cinema
GATE OF HELL [JIGOKUMON] will be released in DUAL FORMAT (BLU-RAY &DVD) &DVD editions as part of the Masters of Cinema Series on 3 December 2012.
“It is hard to convey in simple language the moving qualities of this lovely film” – New York Times
Synopsis: One
of the key works of the early 1950s wave of Japanese films to first
reach foreign markets, director Kinugasa's sumptuous period drama
astonished audiences with its dramatic force and spectacular colour
cinematography.
During feudal unrest in the 12th century, samurai warrior Moritō (Kazuo Hasegawa) manages to thwart a palace rebellion and save the life of the empress, using loyal subject Lady Kesa (Machiko Kyō)
as a decoy. When Moritō is offered anything he should desire as reward,
he requests Kesa's hand in marriage. Informed that she is already
married to a fellow samurai (Isao Yamagata), he refuses to withdraw his request, setting in motion a tragic chain of events.
SPECIAL FEATURES:
• Beautifully restored high-definition master presented in the film's original aspect ratio, in 1080p on the Blu-ray
• Newly translated optional English subtitles
• Illustrated booklet featuring the words of Kinugasa, rare archival imagery, and more
• Further details to be announced nearer the release date!
Buy/Pre-order:[JIGOKUMON] DVD [1953]
/ DVD (& BLU-RAY DUAL FORMAT) 
/ DVD (& BLU-RAY DUAL FORMAT)
10 October 2012
Tetsuo: The Iron Man / Tetsuo II: Body Hammer Blu-Ray Review
Japanese director Shinya Tsukamoto (Kotoko, Snake of June) finally has his cult sci-fi films Tetsuo: The Iron Man and Tetsuo II: Body Hammer released on Blu-Ray and DVD.
In the original 1989 release a man only known as the ‘metal fetishist’, due to his obsession with sticking scrap metal into his body. After he is hit by a car driven by a Japanese ‘salaryman’, the driver begins to experience his body turning into metal – a fate masterminded through the rage of his victim. Shot in black and white, the film is a frantic and surreal work of cyberpunk; reminiscent of David Lynch’s early work. In its sequel, the monochrome palate is replaced with vivid colour; as Tsukamoto revisits his world inhabited by man-machines.
Both films are shocking and horrific, focusing on graphic imagery rather than dialogue and a linear plot. Clearly the director has a vivid and unique imagination, and that the visuals look so good after being made on a very low budget is a great accomplishment. However these are not films that will appeal to everyone. Their utter strangeness will be enough to alienate most, but fans of cult horror, sci-fi and Japanese cinema will appreciate Tsukamoto’s work.
Interview with Shinya Tsukamoto
‘The Interview of Electric Rod Boy’ – Tsukamoto’s 45 minute short film
Original Japanese Theatrical Trailers
New UK Trailer
Sophie Stephenson
Rating: 18
UK Re-release Date: 8th October 2012
Directed By: Shin'ya Tsukamoto
Cast: Tomorowo Taguchi, Shin'ya Tsukamoto, Nobu Kanaoka, Sujin Kim
7 October 2012
Kotoko DVD Review
Mental Illness is no laughing matter nor should it be something we should ignore either and it comes in all shapes and sizes but most of all it can affect us all. We sometimes think we understand the illness or selfishly think we have all the answers to curing the illness, in Shinya Tsukamoto's Kotoko it never tries to answer but instead shows the illness from the person we sometimes forget about from the perspective of the sufferer.
Kotoko (folk singer Cocco) is a young single mother who lives alone with her young infant son.Suffering from an unknown illness that makes her see things double especially people making things difficult for Kotoko impossible to know which person is really leading her to violently lash out. With things getting harder for her in the daily grind her day to day chores become harder making her a liability not just for herself but also her young son. Her son is taken into care (looked after by her sister) Kotoko is now on her own her frame of mind and broken is fragile her thoughts are dangerously scattered which makes it scary for all who share her life.
From the minute Kotoko starts we're thrown right into the chaos, the anguish of the film's protagonist which sets the tone for the rest of the film. At no point of the film does it attempt to figure out why Kotoko's mental state is what it is but taking us right into her mind giving us a voyeuristic look at the horror from the eyes of the sufferer herself. What really annoyed me with this film was the use of 'horror' not from the film itself but from some of the reviews I read some calling Kotoko a horror or J-Horror which this is the film is not. This is not a film of mythical creatures or found footage malarkey, this one does have demons but the inner demons of psychological proportions.
Kotoko will hit you in the spot that will hurt you the most. It's a visceral, raw intense nightmarish journey which will leave uncomfortable, disorientating but will leave you with an everlasting reminder that people with this illness are human beings and their pain is their cry for help.
Cocco her self-suffered from mental illness/ self-harm when she was younger though we never really know if it was intentional to use her in the role thanks to that dreadful part of her life it does give Kotoko a real genuine touch. As I said earlier the film never really delves into what triggered her suffering however when you watch the film you do get small glimpses what they might be with a lack of a father figure in her life (her own parents divorced when she was younger) which could be also the reason why there's no father figure in her own son's life either. Could the male population be the main reason, was she raped? Whatever you think the men who have entered her life including that good Samaritans don't get a good ride here. What's really touching about this film as well as being an inaugural part is Cocco's singing within the film which gives Kotoko moments of escapism from her inner demons. As well as providing the film's score (like she did for the directors 2004 film Vital) the music really adapts into film naturally reminding me of Bjork in Lars Von Trier's Dancer Of The Dark giving the film a sense of tranquillity among the madness.
Kotoko is a beautifully well-crafted film which will pull at your heartstrings as well as make it uncomfortable to watch but to appreciate the pain a sufferer has to go through we sometimes have to go to places we don't want to go to. There's a great David Bowie song called Fantastic Voyage which really sums this film up listen to it read the lyrics as it reminds us this illness affects us all, there's no stereotypical profile of a sufferer just a stark reminder when the mind body and soul are fragile the world around us can be the most terrifying place to be in.
Paul Devine |
Drama, Horror | Japan, 2011 | 18 | 8th October 2012 (UK) | Third Window Films | Dir:Shin'ya Tsukamoto |Shin'ya Tsukamoto,Cocco |Buy Kotoko:DVD
/Blu-ray
3 October 2012
Raindance 2012: A Road Stained Crimson Review
There’s a well known rule of gangster films that once someone decides to call it quits they will inevitably get pulled in for one last job, indeed that is how we are introduced to A Road Stained Crimson, but, for Tetsuhiko Nono’s film this is a rare concession to convention. His Japanese gangster tale has far loftier ambitions than to be connected to anything as drab as convention.
Our wannabe retiree is Ken; is a laid back motorbike mechanic keen to turn his back on his more brutal sideline carear, that is until his boss catches wind of his plans and attempts to reel him in for one last job with a visit from the psychotic and unpredictable Akira. There are sub-plots and unexamined stories along the way like the death of Ken’s father at young age which seems to have shaped our protagonist but is never spelt out for us. Yoko, an elder colleague has more than a colleagues interest in the brooding Ken, again there is only a hint of a clue as to why while her relationship with the local (Colombo style) detective seems to have more to it than face value suggests with both seemingly connected to Ken’s life from a very young age.
A stonily silent teen shares Kens burning anger and is soon taken under his wing as the two take to the road in an attempt to bide some time before the inevitable explosive conclusion. On route the two share the surrogate father-son relationship they were both denied as the pressures of hit-man duties start to ease and Ken, for the first time, looks content.
Specifics are secondary here, Nono’s focus lies far more in injecting the worn genre with a tone unfamiliar to the countless gangster films of years gone by. Wearing his garage rock credentials on his sleeve, the soundtrack by Japanese band Snakes on the Beach creates an all-together more considered atmosphere to the guys and guns blueprint, going further to include footage of the bands gig which Ken attends. Far from being the only touch of lightness on show, the music is joined by a host of directing, editing and camera techniques adding an element of art house to the genre. Stills, slow motion, jumpy handheld cameras and flashbacks are all used extensively alongside brilliant cinematography and some beautifully crafted shots.
Sadly the directing styles only mask the script which never quite reaches the highs it occasionally promises. While the lightness of touch used by Nono is new to the genre, sadly the same can not be said for other elements, particularly in the form of the loose-cannon Akira or the dialogue which, while sparingly used, plays second fiddle to the Mallick-isms on show of plants and sunsets which go some way in covering the scripts flaws. It would be too harsh to describe Nono’s debut feature as style over substance as there are a number of promising signs pointing to a strong career, one that starts, however, on a bit of a subdued note.
Matthew Walsh
Rating:15
UK Release Date: 2nd October 2012 (Raindance Film Festival)
Directed By: Tetsuhiko Nono
Cast: Hirofumi Arai, Ryômei Niinobu, Jun Murakami
2 September 2012
Win Fullmetal Alchemist Movie 2: The Sacred Star of Milos On DVD
Alchemist brothers Edward and Alphonse Elric return in a second movie-length addition to the massively popular Fullmetal Alchemist franchise. Spectacular battles and plot twists abound as the siblings are plunged into a high octane steampunk adventure, complete with runaway trains, rampaging werewolves, forbidden rituals and a deadly new villain.
Pursuit of a dangerous criminal with devastating alchemical powers takes Ed. and Al. Elric to Table City, a remote location on the border of Amestris and neighbouring Creta. There the brothers rescue a young alchemist named Julia Crichton from the clutches of their mysterious quarry, only to find themselves embroiled in a sinister story of corruption, rebellion, murder and betrayal.
Julia is the leader of the Black Bats, a resistance group fighting for the rights of the ancient Milos race, who have been forced out of Table City to live in the slums of the Milos Valley. With her people oppressed by Amestris and Creta alike, the strong-willed teen resolves to win their freedom by harnessing the energy of the Philosopher’s Stone. However, Julia isn’t the only one who wants to wield the artefact’s enormous power…
We have A of Fullmetal Alchemist Movie 2: The Sacred Star Of Milos On DVD, to enter Please answer the following question:
Q.What Is The Name of The city The Black Cats Are forced out?
1.Table City
2.Chair City
3.Cat City
Deadline:Sunday 23rd September 2012 (2359hrs) Send your answer, name, address, postcode and the answer to 25+25x5= to winatcinehouseuk@gmail.com Must be 15 years or over to enter
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- This prize is non-transferable.
- No cash alternatives apply.
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The Peoples Movies, Cinehouse and Manga UK have the right to alter, delay or cancel this competition without any notice - The competition is not opened to employees, family, friends of The Peoples Movies, Cinehouse,Manga UK employees
- This competition is promoted on behalf of Manga UK
- If this prize becomes unavailable we have the right to offer an alternative prize instead.
- The Prize is to win Fullmetal Alchemist Movie 2: The Sacred Star of Milos On DVD 1 DVD
- To enter this competition you must send in your answer, name, address only, Deadline September 16th, 2012 (2359hrs)
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23 August 2012
Classic Anime Ninja Scroll Coming to Blu-Ray First Time
Anime classic Ninja Scroll comes to Blu-ray for the first time ever! Available in a limited edition Double Play Blu-ray/DVD Steelbook as well as separately on Blu-ray and DVD, Yoshiaki Kawajiri's wonderfully animated 1993 masterpiece sets the bar for ninja action, as wandering swordsman Jubei and female ninja Kagero carve their way through a host of super-powered bad guys. Gory, visceral and still shocking after nearly two decades, Ninja Scroll demands a place on any anime fan's shelf.
Tricked into helping Kagero and Dakuan take down the Eight Devils, expert swordsman Jubei must push his finely-honed fighting skills to the limit if he is to defeat his deadly adversaries, who include shadow assassin Shijima, blind warrior Utsutsu, explosives specialist Zakuro and, of course, the evil Himuro Genma himself. Pitted against such merciless foes, only one thing is certain; Jubei Kibagami must kill or be killed.
Along with Akira and Ghost In The Shell, Ninja Scroll was one of the key titles that opened the West's eyes to what anime could achieve. Stunningly animated and shockingly violent, Ninja Scroll combines sex, death, action, intrigue and copious fountains of blood to create an all-time anime classic.
Written and directed by Yoshiaki Kawajiri (Wicked City, Vampire Hunter D: Bloodlust), Ninja Scroll is made by veteran animation studio Madhouse, whose long list of credits include acclaimed movies such as Summer Wars, Paprika, The Girl Who Lept Through Time and Perfect Blue as well as series like Death Note and Black Lagoon. November 26th 2012 is the day all anime fans in UK have to include in their diaries, when Ninja Scroll is released on Blu Ray, DVD (re-release) and Special Steelbook edition.
Whilst creating this post our friends over at Twitch have found out Madhouse after 20 years are working on a new 3 part Ninja Scroll animation called Ninja Scroll Burst and below is the first teaser!
22 August 2012
Love Exposure Blu-ray Review
If you're like been a fan of Japanese pop culture it's been a journey of many great times but also a journey of many stressful when those who don't understand the finer details attack unselfishly. If we where to choose a sole representative to let the world know the reasons why we love this culture, Sion Sono could be an ideal spokesman with his film Love Exposure may do the trick to convince the non believers.
In a style of a cooking Tv programme get a big bowl throw in plenty of kick-ass martial arts action, a tablespoon of Humour, scratching of religious cults, a slice of sexual perversions, boy meets girl, a litre of porn barons, family relationships. Give it a good mix before adding Sono's tender mix of voyeurism and don't forget to add upskirt panty shots, give it 4 hours in your DVD or Blu-Rayer result a film that has a lot to offer.
Yu (Takahiro Nishijima) has always been a well-behaved kid probably due to his devout Christian upbringing but when his mother dies torment prevails. Because of Yu's upbringing, it forces him to confess his sins on a daily basis however he is a normal kid and has no legitimate sins to confess. Determined to become a true sinner and appease his demanding priest father who's just been seduced by a woman whose broken his heart. Yu finds the ultimate sin, Porn trains to become a sneak upskirt photographer which gets the attention from his father he's been seeking. After loosing a bet with his sinner pals Yu is forced to dress as a girl (Sasori) and its this time he meets a beautiful girl Yoko (Hikari Mitsushima). Their first time together was glorious ending the night with a kiss, all-out street brawl but that's not the end of it Yoko thinks Yu is a woman and both maybe been manipulated by a devious cult leader named Aya (Sakura Ando).
Going back to that famous saying from Alfred Hitchcock by judging a film by the strength of your bladder, Love Exposure maybe touching 4 hours running time which may not agree with some bladders. However we have an advantage the great film maestro didn't have, DVD/Blu-Ray players. That epic running time may be a putt off for many people however with your remote control you can play this film in parts, pause but with Love Exposure it provides an entertainment value that you will only pause to refill your glass (or empty your bladder) as it'll keep your grip on your tv screen.
When I chat to fellow cinephiles and when Sono's name is introduced to the mix if it's not Suicide Club for many fans the stepping stone into his world is Love Exposure. Ironically myself it was Coldfish then Suicide Club been my route into the deranged mind of our cordial Japanese host.
Love Exposure is that satirical homage to those non-believers who call Asian/Japanese as perverted and satanic (2 things I was labelled by a friend of our family when I was 15!). It mocks those who ridicule the culture but also mocks how sexually repressed the Japanese are too.It's ridiculous to think this is the same nation who privately liberated sexually, have machines on streets that provide everything from your favourite soft drink too worn School uniforms. Sono really taps into the dark underlinings of his nations obsession with eroticism, but he approaches the topics in an astute but humorous kind of way.
What we mustn't forget here Love Exposure is a teen romance/coming of age story also, which really highlights when it comes to falling in love, love does work in mysterious ways or in Son's film absurd ways. Life isn't simple but with love comes hurt too. This is no Mills & Boon story there are no saints but those we label sinners really are saints who have lost direction to be the saints, we need direction and religion is one way to find the right direction. Living in a country where religion has brought chaos and order (Scotland), I've seen the good and ugly side which gets a little upsetting when a person cant practice a faith without prejudice. Someone can be a devout follower of a faith but following a religion where God is treated more like a rockstar is quite funny but also unsettling reminds me of Dogma and the Jesus statue in shades pointing at you. When your soul and mind are damaged you can fall prey to who use religion for other means making you opened to easy persuasion.
Those stories you hear about Sono been the master Nihilist, king of voyeurs Love Exposure is a perfect example of why he's worthy of those titles. Sono presents Love Exposure like one of those old naughty peepshows, undefined, seductively addictive, engaging, absurdly humorous but passionately gratifying. How many films these days can tick all the boxes for film satisfaction? Not many but Love Exposure can and it's why it's worthy of being called an essential piece of contemporary Japanese Cinema.
Paul Devine |
action, comedy | Japan, 2009 | 18 | 6th August 2012 (UK) | Third Window Films |Dir:Shion Sono,Takahiro Nishijima,Hikari Mitsushima,Sakura Andô
5 August 2012
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