Japan

  • Sôkichi Tomimoto – Kajitsu no nai mori AKA Forest of No Escape (1965)

    1961-1970AsianDramaJapanSôkichi Tomimoto
    Kajitsu no nai mori (1965)
    Kajitsu no nai mori (1965)

    Adaptation of Seicho Matsumoto’s novel of the same name.Read More »

  • Kon Ichikawa – Shokei no heya AKA Punishment Room (1956) (HD)

    Kon Ichikawa1951-1960AsianDramaJapan
    Shokei no heya (1956)
    Shokei no heya (1956)

    Katsumi is a university student who has no respect for his hardworking parents, his professors, or even his friends. He helps one friend obtain a loan to finance a dance, by humiliating his father at the bank where he works. He drugs and rapes Akiko, one of the girls in his class. She becomes infatuated with him, even though he remains aloof. He enjoys goading a rival gang in the pool hall. Finally, when facing the gang, he goes too far in trying to prove his courage. Written by Will GilbertRead More »

  • Kon Ichikawa – Nihonbashi AKA Bridge of Japan (1956) (HD)

    Kon Ichikawa1951-1960AsianDramaJapan

    Ichikawa’s 1956 adaptation of Nihonbashi was the first to take the work of Kyoka Izumi— until then regarded as a writer of common tragic melodramas—and re-evaluate it as a sanbi-ha work of decadence, aestheticism, and intrigue. Ichikawa’s film presents the tragic plot of the young geisha who is unable to enact her love for a man publicly in any way other than a histrionic story of torment, a heart-rending tale of lovers being crushed by fate. Instead Ichikawa shows the contest of wills that transpires as two geisha, Oko (Chikage Awashima) and Kiyoha (Fujiko Yamamoto) fight for the top spot in Nihonbashi, the pinnacle ot the Tokyo geisha world. Nihonbashi is an elegant, if steely, exposition of manners. The young doctor, Shinzo Katsuragi (Ryuji Shinagawa), is the object of affection for both women, but appears to be more the choice reward for the plotting and thieving of these two early modern superwomen, than a lover they swoon over.Read More »

  • Naoyuki Tomomatsu – Kimi wa zonbi ni koishiteru AKA Bite Me If You Love Me (2011)

    Naoyuki Tomomatsu2011-2020ComedyHorrorJapan
    Kimi wa zonbi ni koishiteru (2011)
    Kimi wa zonbi ni koishiteru (2011)

    A schoolgirl with a zombie fetish manage with help from a nerd to translate a book from Italian that explains how to manufacture zombies.Read More »

  • Kazuhiro Sôda – Kaki Koba AKA Oyster Factory (2015)

    Kazuhiro Sôda2011-2020DocumentaryJapan

    In the Japanese town of Ushimado, the shortage of labor is a serious problem due to its population’s rapid decline. Traditionally, oyster shucking has been a job for local men and women, but for a few years now, some of the factories have had to use foreigners in order to keep functioning. Hirano oyster factory has never employed any outsiders but finally decides to bring in two workers from China. Will all the employees get along?Read More »

  • Kô Nakahira – Suna no ue no shokubutsu-gun AKA Flora on the Sand (1964)

    1961-1970ArthouseCultJapanKô Nakahira
    Suna no ue no shokubutsu gun (1964)
    Suna no ue no shokubutsu gun (1964)

    One evening, at the Marine Tower observatory, cosmetics salesman Ichiro Iki is drawn into conversation with an unfamiliar young lady Akiko. She invites Ichiro back to a hotel where they make love but part without even exchanging names. A week later, they have a second chance encounter at the observatory. This time, Ichiro is the one who pursues her. Back at the hotel, Akiko begs Ichiro to give her sister – Kyoko, a bar hostess – absolute hell. Akiko resents her sister for lecturing on chastity, while wantonly indulging in promiscuous activity. Ichiro takes an interest in Kyoko and sets out towards her bar…Read More »

  • Kazuya Shiraishi – Over Night AKA One Night (2019)

    2011-2020DramaJapanKazuya Shiraishi
    Over Night (2019)
    Over Night (2019)

    A mother and her three children find their fate thrown into chaos by an incident that happened one night. The family members each go their separate ways but reunite after 15 years and struggle to restore their family bonds.Read More »

  • Hisayasu Satô – Gankyû no yume AKA The Eye’s Dream (2016)

    2011-2020EroticaHisayasu SatôHorrorJapan
    Gankyû no yume (2016)
    Gankyû no yume (2016)

    Body horror transitions smoothly into pink film (Japanese soft porn) in this story about the young photographer Maya, who is upset by eyes. She pushes her camera into the face of every passer-by. She hounds her victims and penetrates the window into their soul. Neurologist Sata diagnosis her as suffering from an unusual form of phantom pain, the result of her being kidnapped at a young age, an ordeal that ended with her skewering the eye of the kidnapper. Sata asks if he can make a documentary about her. The hunter becomes prey. At the same time, an eye thief roams the city and it turns out that Maya’s former tormentor has not forgotten her.Read More »

  • Kô Nakahira – Chizu no nai machi AKA The Jungle Block (1960)

    Kô Nakahira1951-1960CrimeFilm NoirJapan
    Chizu no nai machi (1960)
    Chizu no nai machi (1960)

    A young doctor falls into a despair of developments. He plans to revenge the disgrace inflicted upon his sister, whose engagement was broken as a result.

    Quote:
    One of the darkest Nakahira films, a tale of gentrification and sexual violence.Read More »

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