Japanese Movies/Discussion/Recommendations

Higashiyama, Nakatani, Kubozuka join "Genji Monogatari" cast
Mon, September 20, 2010 (11:33am EDT)
Three more main cast members have been revealed for the "Genji Monogatari" movie that was announced in August. Starring actor Toma Ikuta will be joined by Shonentai member Noriyuki Higashiyama, actress Miki Nakatani, and actor Yosuke Kubozuka.

"Genji Monogatari," directed by Yasuo Tsuruhashi, retells the classic story of the same name, also known as "The Tale of Genji." Ikuta was already known to be playing the part of Hikaru Genji. Higashiyama will take on the role of the political figure Fujiwara no Michinaga, while Nakatani will play the noblewoman Murasaki Shikibu. Kubozuka has been cast as the onmyoji Abe no Seimei, serving as an associate of Fujiwara no Michinaga.

Higashiyama once played the role of Hikaru Genji in a 1991 drama special on TBS.

"Genji Monogatari" began shooting on Monday, the film will be released in 2011.

Ender's Girl wrote:

Yamada stole the thunder from everyone else. Couldn't take my eyes off him -- even though he was dressed as a hobo hobbit in the second movie, lol. :mrgreen:

Dang we have the same problem! :hehe: I never thought I could see it that way knowing that he's not his pretty-cute self in the movies but damn how he proves me wrong! Definitely, the best thing about both Crows Zero is Yamada Takayuki and his Serizawa Tamao! Now I can't think of anyone else to play Serizawa, ever! :nut:

The same thing I'm feeling knowing that Byakuyakou's gonna be remade into a movie, and in my mind there's only 1 Ryoji and 1 Yukiho and that's it!

Ender's Girl wrote:...And speaking of his, um, purported hotness (:sweat:), there wasn't much of that here. His hair, for one, looked ridiculous -- it was like he was wearing a yellow doily over his black hair. :bleh:

Sounds like someone is on the road to recovery... or should I say, Miura rehab? Will see how long this lasts. :hehe:

Ender's Girl wrote:Yamada stole the thunder from everyone else. Couldn't take my eyes off him -- even though he was dressed as a hobo hobbit in the second movie, lol.

Ditto on this. Pokemon does tend to steal scenes in movies, it's a testament to how good an actor he is. I remember seeing him in "Dragonhead" more than Tsumabuki Satoshi, and he was in it for like less than 40 minutes.

Yoji Yamada nurtures Japanfs next generation in eKyoto Storyf

[image]

Posted By CJ On September 12, 2010 @ 1:28 pm In News | No Comments

TOKYO (TR) – Famed Shochiku helmer Yoji Yamada passes on the art of filmmaking to Japanfs next generation in gKyoto Story,h his collaboration with co-director Tsutomu Abe and a team of university students.

Yamada (gTwilight Samuraih and gThe Hidden Bladeh), Abe and 22 students from Ritsumeikan University College of Image Arts and Sciences teamed up on the film, set in Uzumasa, one of Kyotofs most historic areas.

gHow one goes about teaching filmmaking is a common point of discussion nowadays,h said the 79-year-old Yamada of the film following a press screening at The Foreign Correspondentsf Club of Japan last week. gIf you teach painting, of course you draw. If you teach music, you ask students to perform. So naturally, if you want students to understand filmmaking you must ask them to make a film.h

Abe said that the film industry is not the same as when he was young, a time when gaining knowledge was similar to theft. gI learned in the studio,h he said. gThis is exactly why we came up with this project – to give students an opportunity. I do believe that the time is now to pass on these skills to the younger generation.h

Yamada said that it is one of the biggest problems facing the industry. gHow do we nurture the next generation of cinematographers, lighting technicians, art directors, production designers and prop masters?h he asked.

The film tells the story of Kyoko (Hana Ebise), who is a librarian at Ritsumeikan and caught between two men. One lives next door and is the son of a tofu maker who wants to be a comedian. The other is a visiting academic at Ritsumeikan.

gKyoto Storyh screened at this yearfs Berlin Film Festival Forum of Young Cinema and the Hong Kong International Film Festival.

The film is also something of a tribute to Japanfs former capital. Yamada included some of the locals of the area in the script, such as the couple who run the tofu store in the Uzumasa shopping arcade. He said that he hopes that, like filmmaking, such trades can also be passed on. gWhen they (the couple) said that they cannot impose their wishes on future generations, I was disappointed,h the director said. gI wanted them to say that their son would take over the store so that the shopping street can continue to exist and thrive for future generations.h

gKyoto Storyh opens September 18 in Tokyo and Osaka.

Tu_triky wrote:Yoji Yamada nurtures Japanfs next generation in eKyoto Storyf

[image]

Posted By CJ On September 12, 2010 @ 1:28 pm In News | No Comments

TOKYO (TR) – Famed Shochiku helmer Yoji Yamada passes on the art of filmmaking to Japanfs next generation in gKyoto Story,h his collaboration with co-director Tsutomu Abe and a team of university students.

Yamada (gTwilight Samuraih and gThe Hidden Bladeh), Abe and 22 students from Ritsumeikan University College of Image Arts and Sciences teamed up on the film, set in Uzumasa, one of Kyotofs most historic areas.

gHow one goes about teaching filmmaking is a common point of discussion nowadays,h said the 79-year-old Yamada of the film following a press screening at The Foreign Correspondentsf Club of Japan last week. gIf you teach painting, of course you draw. If you teach music, you ask students to perform. So naturally, if you want students to understand filmmaking you must ask them to make a film.h

Abe said that the film industry is not the same as when he was young, a time when gaining knowledge was similar to theft. gI learned in the studio,h he said. gThis is exactly why we came up with this project – to give students an opportunity. I do believe that the time is now to pass on these skills to the younger generation.h

Yamada said that it is one of the biggest problems facing the industry. gHow do we nurture the next generation of cinematographers, lighting technicians, art directors, production designers and prop masters?h he asked.

The film tells the story of Kyoko (Hana Ebise), who is a librarian at Ritsumeikan and caught between two men. One lives next door and is the son of a tofu maker who wants to be a comedian. The other is a visiting academic at Ritsumeikan.

gKyoto Storyh screened at this yearfs Berlin Film Festival Forum of Young Cinema and the Hong Kong International Film Festival.

The film is also something of a tribute to Japanfs former capital. Yamada included some of the locals of the area in the script, such as the couple who run the tofu store in the Uzumasa shopping arcade. He said that he hopes that, like filmmaking, such trades can also be passed on. gWhen they (the couple) said that they cannot impose their wishes on future generations, I was disappointed,h the director said. gI wanted them to say that their son would take over the store so that the shopping street can continue to exist and thrive for future generations.h

gKyoto Storyh opens September 18 in Tokyo and Osaka.

Thanks for the article, Tu_triky. As you well know, I am an enthusiastic admirer of Yamada as a filmmaker, a man who has scripted and directed somewhere in the neighborhood of 90 films throughout his long career. Most of his films have been both critical and box office successes. And, now in his late 70's, he still continues to create critically acclaimed movies; I can't think of another great filmmaker who, in his 70's, was able to produce films commensurate with his previous work. Virtually all of his films (based on what I've seen and read about) focus on ordinary folks trying to do the best they can under difficult circumstances. His movies are genuinely sentimental, sad and uplifting, wistful and humorous. A great filmmaker imo.

shin2 wrote:

Thanks for the article, Tu_triky. As you well know, I am an enthusiastic admirer of Yamada as a filmmaker, a man who has scripted and directed somewhere in the neighborhood of 90 films throughout his long career. Most of his films have been both critical and box office successes. And, now in his late 70's, he still continues to create critically acclaimed movies; I can't think of another great filmmaker who, in his 70's, was able to produce films commensurate with his previous work. Virtually all of his films (based on what I've seen and read about) focus on ordinary folks trying to do the best they can under difficult circumstances. His movies are genuinely sentimental, sad and uplifting, wistful and humorous. A great filmmaker imo.

You're welcome, shin2. Truth be told I posted the article with you in mind :) Given your enthusiasm for his films, I thought you would appreciate it. I, too, am an ardent fan of his films along with others on this board, I suspect.

You are right, the subject matter of his films are imminently relatable for the members of his audience.


By the way thanks to you, I finally saw Minbo no Onna. Another great Juzo Itami film. In light of my praise for his other films, I cannot believe it took me so long to watch this film. A great piece of comedy.

Tu_triky wrote:
You are right, the subject matter of his films are imminently relatable for the members of his audience.

Yamada has always had an affinity for the working class. His protagonists are always working class people who face the daily challenges that all working class people face. Even the samurai in his jidai-geki trilogy are poor retainers, scrambling to eke out a living. And of course his most famous character, Tora-san, is arguably the most beloved working class icon in Japanese cinematic history.

Tu_triky wrote:By the way thanks to you, I finally saw Minbo no Onna. Another great Juzo Itami film. In light of my praise for his other films, I cannot believed it took me so long to watch this film. A great piece of comedy.

Too bad real life isn't that way. In truth, you'd be hard-pressed to find many businesses who stand up to the yakuza. They are a predatory slime that oozes through all aspects of Japanese society: not just gambling, drugs, and the sex trade, but also real estate, commerce, the media, politics, sports, entertainment, etc. Heck, Burning Productions, the largest and most powerful talent agency in Japan is run by the yakuza. :sweat:

shin2 wrote:

Too bad real life isn't that way. In truth, you'd be hard-pressed to find many businesses who stand up to the yakuza. They are a predatory slime that oozes through all aspects of Japanese society: not just gambling, drugs, and the sex trade, but also real estate, commerce, the media, politics, sports, entertainment, etc. Heck, Burning Productions, the largest and most powerful talent agency in Japan is run by the yakuza. :sweat:

Yeah the yakuza is well entrenched in Japanese society...it's well known that the yakuza have a significant influence in the entertainment industry along with other elements of vice as you suggested.

Minbo, although not realistic, was a good comedy with a dash of social commentary on the yakuza.

[image]

Oh yeah I recently watched Yamazakura...a cool film based on a short story written by Shuhei Fujisawa (who also wrote Twilight Samurai, The Hidden Blade, Love and Honor) which were the basis of the Yoji Yamada film trilogy of the same names.

It was a good film with a very calm, restful, and serene cinematography...along with the themes explored it was very Japanese in that sense. Rena Tanaka and Noriyuki Higashiyama did a good job performing their respective roles. While not quite up to the caliber of Rie Miyazawa and Hiroyuki Sanada's performances, if you enjoyed the aforementioned Yoji Yamada films you might want to give this film a chance.

^ Kuitan with a topknot. :mrgreen:

bmwracer wrote:^ Kuitan with a topknot. :mrgreen:

No golden chopsticks though! :P

Tu_triky wrote:No golden chopsticks though! :P

Awwww. :(

bmwracer wrote:
Awwww. :(

His character is laconic, to say the least. He does his acting by conveying emotion largely through body language.

Tu_triky wrote:His character is laconic, to say the least. He does his acting by conveying emotion largely through body language.

And it's available for download at Asian DVD Club... Bookmarking now. :victory:

bmwracer wrote:
And it's available for download at Asian DVD Club... Bookmarking now. :victory:

It has a very contemplative tone, so don't expect much action, but it's not overly melodramatic.

Tu_triky wrote:It has a very contemplative tone, so don't expect much action, but it's not overly melodramatic.

Not a problem... I made it through some episodes of Atsuhime. :beaten:

bmwracer wrote:
Not a problem... I made it through some episodes of Atsuhime. :beaten:

I haven't watched a taiga in a while but I might want to watch the Miyazawa-Ueno one...:)

Still love Miyazawa after all these years.

Tu_triky wrote:I haven't watched a taiga in a while but I might want to watch the Miyazawa-Ueno one...:)

Still love Miyazawa after all these years.

No doubt. :victory:

The Taiga's cast is pretty loaded, that's for sure.

bmwracer wrote:
No doubt. :victory:

The Taiga's cast is pretty loaded, that's for sure.

Like a baked potato. :hehe:

Hmm...I gotta couple of other films I recently put in my queue. I will report back.

Tu_triky wrote:Like a baked potato. :hehe:

If it's got bacon...... :mrgreen: :rofl: