Japanese Movies/Discussion/Recommendations

Tu_triky wrote:

that blue clown has been on japanese screens forever!

yeah, i watched it as a kid when i lived there and that was a long time ago!
i was fascinated by his pouch. not anymore of course! :hehe:

kenjilina wrote:

yeah, i watched it as a kid when i lived there and that was a long time ago!
i was fascinated by his pouch. not anymore of course! :hehe:

i love him so much i hang out with him.....see:

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Tu_triky wrote:

i love him so much i hang out with him.....see:

[image]

are you in the red or the black jacket? :hehe:

kenjilina wrote:

are you in the red or the black jacket? :hehe:

i'm actually IN the pouch. it was a frosty day in Tokyo.

Tu_triky wrote:

i'm actually IN the pouch. it was a frosty day in Tokyo.

good thinking. nice and warm. :mrgreen:

from Hoga News:

Kinema Junpo Best 10 announced, "Hula Girls" tops again

Kinema Junpo, the oldest movie magazine in the world, has announced its traditional "Best 10" of the year 2006, chosen by film critics and journalists. Prof. Aaron Gerow at Yale calls it "a typical KineJun result: mostly established films and established directors with few surprises", and an entertainment website ZAKZAK points out the films are mostly by indie productions (not by Toho, Toei or Shochiku).

Hula Girls
Sway
What the Snow Brings
Kamiya Etsuko no Seishun
Love and Honor
Memories of Matsuko
Professor and his Beloved Equation
Memories of Tomorrow
Kamome Diner
Camus nante shiranai
Best Director: Kichitaro Negishi ("What the Snow Brings")
Best Screenplay: Miwa Nishikawa ("Sway")
Best Actress: Miki Nakatani ("Memories of Matsuko" etc.)
Best Actor: Ken Watanabe ("Memories of Tomorrow")
Best Supporting Actress: Yu Aoi ("Hula Girls")
Best Supporting Actor: Teruyuki Kagawa ("Sway" etc.)
Best New Actress: Rei Dan ("Love and Honor")
Best New Actor: Muga Tsukaji ("The Brothers Mamiya")

i never heard about it. is it good?

I wanna see Hula Girls b/c it would fit in with my "girls" series (i.e. Swing Girls)!

Anyone seen the movie "Dolls"? It's showing Fri. night on SBS TV in Australia (well, 12.30am - Sat. morning).

From the online TV guide:

MOVIE - DOLLS
This film, directed by Takeshi Kitano, details three fatal love stories and it was nominated for the Golden Lion at the 2002 Venice Film Festival. A bridegroom leaves his boss' daughter at the altar to take up with his former fiancée. The second story is about Hiro (Tatsuya Mihashi), an ailing yakuza boss, who remembers his former sweetheart that he dumped when his career was taking off. The final story is about a young man who is obsessed with a former starlet, Haruna (Kyoko Fukada). When Haruna gets horribly scarred, she refuses to see anyone and he takes drastic measures to get close to her. Also stars Miho Kanno. (From Japan, in Japanese, English subtitles) (Drama) (2002) M (A,V) (Rpt) WS

If it has Kyoko Fukada in it, it ain't gonna be a favourite of Tu's. :hehe:

Anime Dad wrote:Anyone seen the movie "Dolls"? It's showing Fri. night on SBS TV in Australia (well, 12.30am - Sat. morning).

From the online TV guide:

MOVIE - DOLLS
This film, directed by Takeshi Kitano, details three fatal love stories and it was nominated for the Golden Lion at the 2002 Venice Film Festival. A bridegroom leaves his boss' daughter at the altar to take up with his former fiancée. The second story is about Hiro (Tatsuya Mihashi), an ailing yakuza boss, who remembers his former sweetheart that he dumped when his career was taking off. The final story is about a young man who is obsessed with a former starlet, Haruna (Kyoko Fukada). When Haruna gets horribly scarred, she refuses to see anyone and he takes drastic measures to get close to her. Also stars Miho Kanno. (From Japan, in Japanese, English subtitles) (Drama) (2002) M (A,V) (Rpt) WS

If it has Kyoko Fukada in it, it ain't gonna be a favourite of Tu's. :hehe:

hehe.

I'm thinking of buying this Honey and Clover live action, but not sure if its any good or not.....

http://us.yesasia.com/en/PrdDept.aspx/code-j/section-videos/pid-1004543231/

One week away:

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new movie from the creator of Tiger & Dragon, Cat's Eye, IWGP, Drugstore Girl, etc.


this movie will star Kou Shibasaki among others. :dancing:

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Maiko Haaaan!, Written by Kankuro Kudo.

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Kooky is one thing, intentionally kooky is another, contrived is something else. I hate all these things, I often feel, but I absolutely loved Kankuro Kudo's Directorial debut 'Yaji and Kita : Midnight Pilgrims' which Media Blasters put out in America last year (but which got little attention online - great film, cracking DVD presentation) as it was Kudo ramped upto eleven. Yes, not content with being one of the most popular scripters of TV, the man has done some of the key fun films from Japan in recent years, including 'Zebraman; and 'Ping Pong' of course, and has a distinct style that's deep and funny too, and the latest addition to his slate is this film, 'Maiko Haaaan!'

I have a place in my heart for similar dramas too, 'Kamikaze Girls', 'Survive Style 5+', and can't wait for more of this ilk whomever is behind it, because although they're kooky, odd, eccentric, they're certainly convincing, great fun, candy-colored entertainment and they're invariably full of memorable moments.

For now, since it will probably be a while before Kudo steps behind the camera again, I can pray that someone puts out more of his stuff on DVD (soon we get an R1 USA DVD of 'Kisarazu Cats Eyes' from Media Blasters too - the first of those two movies which accompany a TV series, also written by Kudo) and that we also see a film like 'Miko Haaaan!' picked up or subtitled somewhere. This is due in the Cinemas of Japan this coming June, 2007.

I found a link to this at kloofy.net - For all you USA and Canada residents: A Shinobi movie giveaway.....

http://www.twitchfilm.net/archives/008764.html

It has taken a little while to arrive on these shores but sumptuous ninja-actioner Shinobi: Heart Under Blade - my review here - hits US DVD February 6th with a healthy two disc release that includes behind the scenes effects breakdowns, storyboards, weapons docs, and behind the scenes reels of various action sequences. To celebrate the release the fine folk at FUNimation have offered up a lovely Shinobi prize pack that includes the new DVD, the Basilisk Volume 1 anime DVD, and the Basilisk-set novel The Kouga Ninja Scrolls.

Want it? It's simple enough, just name the other ninja movie that features Shinobi star Joe Odagiri. Send your entries here by January 30th. This one's open to US and Canadian residents only.

speaking of japanese movies....

watashi wa onegai aru yo <i have a favor to ask>

if anybody hears or finds soft subs for the film MEMORIES OF MATSUKO please drop me a message or post of your discovery here. i've been looking for a couple of months for these subs to no avail. however i just heard the film was released in hong kong on dvd with english subs...so i'm expecting somebody to rip the subs soon. thanks.


by the way, shin2, i finally found a torrent for the movie Gakkou....should be on my viewing list soon.

I'm looking for subs too.... seems like nobody has got around to these yet, but i'm hoping......

Tokyo Friends Movie
Ghost Train (Otoshimono)

Anime Dad wrote:I'm looking for subs too.... seems like nobody has got around to these yet, but i'm hoping......

Tokyo Friends Movie
Ghost Train (Otoshimono)

i'll keep it in mind.

Tu_triky wrote:speaking of japanese movies....
by the way, shin2, i finally found a torrent for the movie Gakkou....should be on my viewing list soon.

That's cool. Wonder if there are torrents for Gakkou II and Gakkou III? These are not sequels, but all three are excellent movies. Yoji Yamada should be designated a national treasure of Japan.

shin2 wrote:

That's cool. Wonder if there are torrents for Gakkou II and Gakkou III? These are not sequels, but all three are excellent movies. Yoji Yamada should be designated a national treasure of Japan.

just for his work on Tora-san alone

Tu_triky wrote:

just for his work on Tora-san alone

Forty-eight installments spread over 27 years. Formulaic, sentimental, and often silly, but very satisfying.
That reminds me, over the holidays I had an enjoyable discussion with some relatives as to who is the most iconic series character in Japanese cinematic history: Tora-san or Zatoichi.