Japanese film recommendations please

Discussion in 'Visual Arts' started by Todber, Oct 20, 2008.

  1. yasujiro

    yasujiro Senior Member

    Location:
    tokyo
    So how did you feel with the acting of Satomi Ishihara? :) (Honestly I liked it.)
     
  2. Jazzmonkie

    Jazzmonkie Forum Resident

    Location:
    Tempe, AZ
    I really enjoyed Kiyoshi Kurosawa's "Before We Vanish" which I was happily surprised to see in a theater here in AZ. I had only seen his movies on DVD.
     
    yasujiro likes this.
  3. Andrew

    Andrew Chairman of the Bored

    A very different breed of cat that one.
     
  4. Jazzmonkie

    Jazzmonkie Forum Resident

    Location:
    Tempe, AZ
    Since you enjoyed "Pistol Opera" you should check out "Princess Raccoon." I really like both of them.
    [​IMG]
     
  5. Holerbot6000

    Holerbot6000 Forum Resident

    Location:
    California
    I actually saw Princess Raccoon before I saw Pistol Opera and I have the same basic issues with both - I enjoyed them both from a purely visual standpoint but I felt like there was a lot going over my Western head and both movies had long passages that were pretty tedious. I'd have to say that I preferred Pistol Opera because it had that touchstone of the Assassin Ranking thread, which sort of level set from a narrative perspective when things got particularly weird. I love that these films exist though and that Suzuki is still pushing himself creatively, even at his advanced age. Very inspiring. I will watch anything the man makes or has made at least once.
     
    Jazzmonkie likes this.
  6. stepeanut

    stepeanut Make sure that candy's in the original wrapper

    Sadly, this should be in the past tense. Seijun Suzuki died in February 2017.
     
  7. Holerbot6000

    Holerbot6000 Forum Resident

    Location:
    California
    Did not know that. RIP Seijun!
     
  8. I didn't buy her as an American in the movie but she's cute enough for me to overlook that problem.:winkgrin:
     
    yasujiro likes this.
  9. yasujiro

    yasujiro Senior Member

    Location:
    tokyo
    Then I would recommend his Taisho trilogy.
    Seijun Suzuki's The Taisho Trilogy Blu-ray
     
  10. stepeanut

    stepeanut Make sure that candy's in the original wrapper

    The Taisho Trilogy is brilliant, but completely different from Suzuki’s other work, or at least the work I’ve seen. Much closer to a European arthouse aesthetic, but underpinned with a classical Japanese ghost story foundation. If you’ve seen the basics, and have an adventurous cinematic nature, it’s the next logical step to take.

    The Arrow set is OOP, btw, so don’t hang around, @Holerbot6000, if you want a copy.
     
  11. yasujiro

    yasujiro Senior Member

    Location:
    tokyo
    It’s shame that the trilogy box is OOP.
    Is A Tale of Sorrow and Sadness on DVD? It is well worth watching.
     
  12. yasujiro

    yasujiro Senior Member

    Location:
    tokyo
    Again I would like to recommend this great masterpiece of art.
    I have been deeply impressed by watching his films like Only Yesterday, Princess Kaguya and Graves of the Fireflies these days.
     
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  13. stepeanut

    stepeanut Make sure that candy's in the original wrapper

    It is, although I don’t have it.

    According to DVDBeaver, this edition is quite poor:

    A Tale of Sorrow and Sadness Seijun Suzuki

    There’s a later edition, from 2009, available, also, but I have no idea how that one looks.
     
  14. yasujiro

    yasujiro Senior Member

    Location:
    tokyo
    The whole episodes of The Story of Perrine seem to be available on Youtube with subs.
    Other than three programs directed by Isao Takahata for World Masterpiece Theatre,The story of Perrine, which is based on the novel En Famille by Hector Malot, is the most touching, adorable and thrilling entry (though Takahata was involved in some episodes, as well as Yoshiyuki Tomino of Gundom fame). It is genuine fun to watch it. The Story of Perrine is definitely as great as the Takahata’s three works.
    The Story of Perrine - Wikipedia
     
    Last edited: May 25, 2018
    stepeanut likes this.
  15. Humanoid_Z

    Humanoid_Z Well-Known Member

    Location:
    Canada and China
    Tetsuo series, but the first one is the most impressive .
     
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  16. LA2019

    LA2019 Forum Resident

    Location:
    USofA
    Watched these two this weekend.

    "April Story" by Shinji-Iwai.

    [​IMG]


    "Mary and the Witch's Flower" by Hiromasa Yonebayashi. If you liked Spirited Away you'll probably like this too.

    [​IMG]
     
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  17. stepeanut

    stepeanut Make sure that candy's in the original wrapper

    I’m not a hardcore anime fan, but I loved Belladonna of Sadness, so couldn’t resist picking up this two-film set today:

    [​IMG]
     
  18. Interesting, Belladonna of Sadness is a very unique piece of animation and worth a look for fans of exotic cinema. I've never seen those films.

    Belladonna of Sadness Blu-ray Review - DoBlu.com
     
  19. stepeanut

    stepeanut Make sure that candy's in the original wrapper

    I watched A Thousand and One Nights earlier. It’s lighter in tone than Belladonna, comedic at times, not as experimental, nor as beautifully drawn. Still, for all that, it has its moments, and I’m glad I picked it up. Maybe check out the trailer and see if it’s for you before committing to a purchase.
     
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  20. stepeanut

    stepeanut Make sure that candy's in the original wrapper

    Picked these two up yesterday. Once again, Arrow continues to deliver deliriously entertaining Japanese crime genre classics.

    [​IMG]

    [​IMG]
     
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  21. Dave Garrett

    Dave Garrett Senior Member

    Location:
    Houston, TX
    I will definitely be picking both of those up once a reasonable deal comes around.

    I first saw DETECTIVE BUREAU 2-3 around 20 years ago, via a nice 35mm print as part of a Suzuki retrospective, and was blown away by it. I think it was the first film I ever saw the great Shishido Jo in. I have the old Kino DVD but I'm sure the Arrow blu will be a huge improvement.
     
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  22. stepeanut

    stepeanut Make sure that candy's in the original wrapper

    B2F£25 at U.K. brick-and-mortar retailer Fopp. Best price they’re likely to be over here until at least Xmas. I didn’t want to wait that long. Besides, these were my treat to myself for getting a new job.
     
    Dave Garrett likes this.
  23. PhilJol

    PhilJol Forum Resident

    speaking of the Japanese crime genre, I recommend Gonin (the five) from 1995. Very intense and over the top but a well written story imo.
     
    stepeanut likes this.
  24. Dave Garrett

    Dave Garrett Senior Member

    Location:
    Houston, TX
    Criterion has announced their November slate of releases, and among them is Mizoguchi's Chikamatsu Monogatari. I have the Masters of Cinema Blu-ray, but I will no doubt be checking out the Criterion once it's out - it is touted as being sourced from a new 4K digital restoration. Great to see this getting another Blu release , especially as the MoC disc has been out of print for some time now.

    A Story from Chikamatsu
     
    stepeanut likes this.
  25. stepeanut

    stepeanut Make sure that candy's in the original wrapper

    Chikamatsu is a masterpiece. The new 4K restoration was first shown in Venice, last year, alongside another Mizoguchi restoration, Sansho the Bailiff, so we knew this one was in the pipeline. Hopefully, we’ll see Sansho before too long.
     

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