Japanese Movies/Discussion/Recommendations

gaijinmark wrote:
Pretty fair cast. I hope the script is up the same level. :fingerscrossed:

I hope the cast is up to the level of the script :rofl:

Just kidding. I posted before how I was disappointed with Mitani's last movie (Magic Hour), not because it was bad (it was actually decent), but because I just have such high expectations for his work. Let's hope he regains his form with this upcoming movie.
I thought it was interesting how Shinohara and Sato are reprising their characters (from different movies no less). Many of the actors mentioned have appeared in one or more of Mitani's previous films whether as cameos or principal/supporting characters. I wonder who's going to be playing the ghost?

shin2 wrote: I wonder who's going to be playing the ghost?

Found this link, from the picture, looks like it'll be Nishida: http://www.cinematoday.jp/page/N0031694

gaijinmark wrote:

Found this link, from the picture, looks like it'll be Nishida: http://www.cinematoday.jp/page/N0031694

Great! :applaud: That means Nishida will be one of the principal characters--that's a huge plus.

Downloading a film on the art of Origami (2009).

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Synopsis:
One piece of paper, into a beautiful piece of art.

Introducing 26 works mainly of Akira Yoshizawa, the pioneer of creative "Origami". This DVD makes it extremely clear for viewers to understand the ways to fold Origami unlike traditional illustrations or exploded diagrams. It is shot from the angle of the creators' eyes, and the footage is uncut from the beginning to the completion of one work. With the visual focusing on the beauty of production, bilingual narration in both Japanese and English, and the ambient BGM featuring traditional Japanese instruments, this DVD can also be enjoyed as a relaxation tool to soothe your heart.

Included Origami: Dog, Small bird, Rocket, Cap, Simple butterfly, Butterfly, Flower, Goldfish, Snail, Cicada, Penguin, Cat, Yakko-San, Chair, Hakama-Traditional Japanese trousers, Pinwheel, Catamaran, Treasure ship, Crane, Balloon, Lily, Elephant, Doll-Displayed on the girl's festival, Tsunokago, Frog, Rabbit.

Abe Hiroshi, Ueto Aya star in gThermae Romaeh live-action movie
April 17, 2011

Cameras are already rolling for the live-action movie adaptation of Yamazaki Marifs gThermae Romaeh manga, but the main cast has just been revealed. Abe Hiroshi will star, while Ueto Aya will play the female lead.

The manga, which won the Manga Taisho and a Tezuka Osamu Cultural Prize last year, is a comedy about Lucius (Abe), an ancient Roman bath house architect who travels through time to modern Japan and finds inspiration in its bath houses. Ueto will play the part of Mami, a young Japanese woman aiming to become a manga artist.

The film is being directed by Takeuchi Hideki, who handled the live-action gNodame Cantabileh series and other dramas such as gDensha Otoko.h The screenplay was written by Muto Shogo, who also worked on gDensha Otoko,h as well as the gHanazakari no Kimitachi eh drama and the gCrows ZEROh movies.

Filming started in Rome on March 14 and is expected to finish in early May. Theatrical release is planned for 2012.

Source:
Eiga.com

DVD Beaver review of The Girl Who Leapt Through Time on Blu-Ray: http://www.dvdbeaver.com/film2/DVDReviews34/girl_who_leapt_through_time.htm

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Latest watch and one that was really enjoyable, Welcome to the Quiet Room. :victory:

28 years old freelencer writer Sakura Asuka (Yuki Uchida) wakes up tied in a white room. The white room is a protected room located in an isolated ward of a psychiatric hospital. Sakura first became unconscious because of heavy alcohol use and a druge overdose. Shefs confined in the single room because of her high risk of committing suicide.
Sakura tried to talk to the nurses and doctors but they didnft listen to her. Under the circumstances another patient Miki (Yu Aoi), who suffers from an eating disorder, leads her to understand the unknown world. But, Sakura is looking for the way to get back to the real world as soon as possible.
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Miura Tomokazu, Yo Kimiko to lead gRAILWAYS 2 cast
April 19, 2011

The gRAILWAYSh movie sequel announced in February now has an official cast. Miura Tomokazu will star, with Yo Kimiko taking the female lead as his wife. The two previously played a married couple 13 years ago in the movie gA, Haru.h

Miura plays a train driver for the Toyama Chiho Railway who is one month away from retirement age after 42 years of service. However, he and his wife find their relationship at a crossroads, after his wife begins to seriously re-evaluate her life due to a new diagnosis of her previously benign tumor.

Koike Eiko plays their only daughter Mai. Nakao Akiyoshi has been cast as a rookie train driver. Other supporting cast members are Yoshiyuki Kazuko, Nishina Akiko, Nishimura Masahiko, and Tatekawa Shinnosuke.

gRAILWAYS 2 will be the first full-length film for director Kurakata Masatoshi. Filming started on March 12 and is expected to finish late this month. Theatrical release is currently scheduled for December 2011.

The first gRAILWAYSh film, starring Nakai Kiichi, was released last year. Miurafs son Daichi also appeared in that movie as a rookie driver.

Sources:
Eiga.com
Oricon
Cinema Today

KOKUHAKU / CONFESSIONS aka "Don't Drink the Skool-Aid!!!" :mrgreen: Sensei Matsu Takako vs a bunch of pint-sized sociopaths? BRINGITONNNN :metaldevil: :metaldevil: :metaldevil: What a masterful piece of entertainment, as beautifully rendered (the blue-gray palette! the artsy slow-mos!) as it is deeeeeply disturrrrrbing (we're all messed up. no seriously, we're ALL.MESSED.UP.). Best J-film I've seen since Departures. :victory: (How did this not make the final cut at the Oscars??? How??? :grumble:)

I had something like a seishun craving and watched a bunch of high school movies last week.

Linda Linda Linda: the most realistic one was fun and reminded me of my high school years. Exchange students, school festivals and seemingly cool musician boyfriends (read loser) -> Esther M feeling nostalgic

Goth - I bought the UK DVD and it was marketed as a horror movie when it's not, it's a youth movie with a darker twist. I enjoyed the atmosphere and I generally like depressed teenagers.

Kimi ni todoke, the live action. Good, surprisingly art housy. But such innocent youngsters do not exist. :shakehead:

bmwracer wrote:DVD Beaver review of The Girl Who Leapt Through Time on Blu-Ray: http://www.dvdbeaver.com/film2/DVDReviews34/girl_who_leapt_through_time.htm

Coincidentally I recently saw the live-action film with Naka Riisa. Been a while since I saw the animated film, so I can't really compare the two. :sweat:

Ender's Girl wrote:Best J-film I've seen since Departures. :victory: (How did this not make the final cut at the Oscars??? How??? :grumble:)

Exactly! That totally boggles my mind too... :grumble:

Jusannin no Shikaku (Thirteen Assassins [2010]): Heavens to Betsy, a Miike Takashi film I actually liked!
This is a remake of a 1963 Kudo Eiichi jidaigeki which starred Kataoka Chiezo. That film was really good imo. Miike, in this version, does the original justice.
For starters, the bad boy of Japanese cinema doesn't come across as a juvenile delinquent who deliberately tries to shock and outrage in this film. He shows respect for the jidaigeki form as interpreted by filmmakers like Kudo, Kurosawa, Misumi, Kobayashi, et al back in the 50's and 60's. In fact, there's only one instance of a Miike-esque scene, and that one actually has relevance to the story and is later referred back to during the climatic battle.
The story--in 1844 a daimyo who happens to be the younger brother of the shogun, has been on an abominable tear, raping (and worse) women, personally murdering entire families including women and children, and causing such grief that good men resort to committing suicide out of disgust. A chamberlain secretly enlists a veteran samurai to get rid of this wretched pos. The samurai (played by Yakusho Koji) puts together a group totaling 13 men, formulates a plan, and proceeds to carry it out, knowing with certainty they will die (they end up attacking a force of over 200 strong). The last 40 minutes of the movie is mostly wall-to-wall fighting. It's messy, heroic, exhausting, and very much in the jidaigeki tradition.

^ What a coincidence: there was an article in the LA Times about Miike Takashi and 13 Assassins:

http://www.latimes.com/entertainment/news/la-ca-indie-focus-20110424,0,6106381.story

^^ Just got Thirteen Assassins last night, haven't watched it but looking forward to it, used to be a big fan of Miike but he seems to lost some of his edge the last few years. :sweat: Asian DVD Club had the film last night for about 2 hours, must have had 200+ people grab it in that time until it was yanked, uploaded illegally. :shamefulcry:

hitomi #1 wrote: uploaded illegally. :shamefulcry:

That seems ironic for ADC.

bmwracer wrote:
That seems ironic for ADC.

If you think about it you're right, they said becuase the DVD hasn't been officially released yet, then it's okay for everyone to grab it, that makes a lot of sense. :nut:

hitomi #1 wrote:If you think about it you're right, they said becuase the DVD hasn't been officially released yet, then it's okay for everyone to grab it, that makes a lot of sense. :nut:

Haha.

There's piracy, then there's piracy. :rofl:

bmwracer wrote:^ What a coincidence: there was an article in the LA Times about Miike Takashi and 13 Assassins:

http://www.latimes.com/entertainment/news/la-ca-indie-focus-20110424,0,6106381.story

Thanks for the link, beem. Umm, some of the points in the article were identical to mine. I wonder if I can sue for plagiarism? LOL

Miike imo has been a terrible filmmaker, mostly concerned about how far he can push the envelope in terms of tastelessness and shock value. As I mentioned before, a juvenile delinquent who deliberately strives to be outrageous. Maybe this latest movie of his is an indication of maturity?

Watched Chonmage Purin (2010) last night. A lightweight by-the-numbers film about a young samurai from 1826 who is transported to present-day Tokyo. There he is taken in by an attractive divorcee and her cute son (naturally); takes over the household duties (of course); and becomes a patissier (why not?). A largely forgettable piece of fluff, not good but not bad either. The most striking thing about the whole movie to me was seeing Tomosaka Rie's frequent Carl Spackler pout.

shin2 wrote:Thanks for the link, beem. Umm, some of the points in the article were identical to mine. I wonder if I can sue for plagiarism? LOL

LOL, I thought maybe you wrote the article. :)

Watched Chonmage Purin (2010) last night. A lightweight by-the-numbers film about a young samurai from 1826 who is transported to present-day Tokyo. There he is taken in by an attractive divorcee and her cute son (naturally); takes over the household duties (of course); and becomes a patissier (why not?). A largely forgettable piece of fluff, not good but not bad either. The most striking thing about the whole movie to me was seeing Tomosaka Rie's frequent Carl Spackler pout.

A patissier? :rofl: