tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35456321851382345872024-03-05T06:18:05.546-08:00Maboroshii ProductionsA blog for Maboroshii Productions' films and Japanese movies and culture.Nicholas Ruckahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08364089506861324349noreply@blogger.comBlogger202125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3545632185138234587.post-84400372534762550902011-10-31T11:32:00.000-07:002011-10-31T12:05:37.489-07:00LA Eiga Fest! (Nov. 11-13)<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiGNwC3UMdqWRz79eGO3PRGG1uRIEpPX9ry8jKb9wnPgBN-1_wytNxsBlah5dxeA-5o8Qy0uODRuqSSPsLI-komKWhaE-6l6PAWHHid2I9tz3brn-FKM1_TRDtEEfGcyr5J3u5h5EHrQjcq/s1600/Milocrorze.jpeg" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 266px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiGNwC3UMdqWRz79eGO3PRGG1uRIEpPX9ry8jKb9wnPgBN-1_wytNxsBlah5dxeA-5o8Qy0uODRuqSSPsLI-komKWhaE-6l6PAWHHid2I9tz3brn-FKM1_TRDtEEfGcyr5J3u5h5EHrQjcq/s400/Milocrorze.jpeg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5669732883665454754" /></a><br /><div style="text-align: left;">Hi Blog,</div><div><br /></div><div>COMING VERY SOON my friends over at the LA Japan Film Society are doing the <a href="http://www.laeigafest.com/">LA EIGA FEST</a>; a short, but fantastic Japanese film festival on the weekend of November 11th - 13th. </div><div><br /></div><div>Highlights include the West Coast premier of Yoshimasa Ishibashi's MILOCRORZE, Shinji Imaoka's international kappa-stroking Pink Eiga co-production UNDERWATER LOVE, Su-yeon Gu's face bruisin' HARD ROMANTICKER, and an exclusive 3D screening of Takashi Miike's 'no, this isn't 13 ASSASSINS part 2' jidaigeki, HARA-KIRI: DEATH OF A SAMURAI (most likely the only time it'll be screened in 3D for the foreseeable future).</div><div><br /></div><div>But that's not all, you can get your Tokyo gore thirst slaked with Yoshihiro Nishimura's zombie milkshake HELLDRIVER and then later feel guilty about laughing at death by watching Hiroshi Nagashima's short documentary on the Tohoku Earthquake, REMEMBRANCE OF THE TOHOKU EARTHQUAKE.</div><div><br /></div><div>Held at the Mann's Chinese Theater 6, in the black and crimson heart of Hollywood, the schedule of screenings is as follows:</div><div> <p class="p1"><b><span class="Apple-style-span" >Friday Nov 11<span class="s1">th</span> </span></b></p> <p class="p1">7:30pm - Opening premiere – Milocrorze: A Love Story (Dir Yoshimasa Ishibashi) </p> <p class="p2"><br /></p><p class="p2"><b><span class="Apple-style-span" >Saturday Nov 12<span class="s1">th</span> </span></b></p> <p class="p1">9:30am – Competition Selection: The Volunteer, For Real? (Dir Tsuyoshi Satoda) </p> <p class="p1">11:40am – Shorts program 1 </p> <p class="p1">Rootless Heart (Dir Toshiko Hata) </p> <p class="p1">Tidy up (Dir Satsuki Okawa) </p> <p class="p1">Cat Shit One (Dir Kazuya Sasahara) </p> <p class="p1">1:10pm – Competition Selection: Food and the Maiden (Dir Minoru Kurimura) </p><p class="p1"> </p><p class="p1">3:15pm – Shorts program 2 – Official Short Shorts Film Festival Selection </p> <p class="p1">Super Star (Dir Kentaro Hagiwara) </p> <p class="p1">Smile Bus (Dir Sang-joon Park) </p> <p class="p1">Hokkaido Tourism (Dir Yosuke Hamaguchi) </p> <p class="p1">Heaven’s Island (Dir Naoko Tajima) </p> <p class="p1">5:05pm – Competition Selection: Door to the Sea (Reiko Ohashi) </p> <p class="p1">7:25pm – Hard Romanticker (Su-yeon Gu) </p> <p class="p1">9:50pm – Underwater Love (Shinji Imaoka) </p> <p class="p1">12:00am – Midnight Screening - Helldriver: Director’s Cut (Dir Yoshihiro Nishimura) </p> <p class="p1"><br /></p><p class="p1"><b><span class="Apple-style-span" >Sunday Nov 13<span class="s1">th</span> </span></b></p> <p class="p1">9:30am – Cannonball Wedlock (Dir Koji Maeda) </p> <p class="p1">11:15am – A Man with Style (Yuya Ishii) </p> <p class="p1">1:40pm – Remembrance of the Tohoku Earthquake (Hiroshi Nagashima) </p> <p class="p1">3:05pm – Someday (Junji Sakamoto) </p> <p class="p1">5:15pm – Hara-Kiri: Death of a Samurai 3D (Takashi Miike) </p><p class="p1"><br /></p><p class="p1">More info <a href="http://www.laeigafest.com/">HERE</a>.</p><p class="p1">If you're a fan of Japanese film, you definitely don't want to miss this. See you there!</p><p></p></div>Nicholas Ruckahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08364089506861324349noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3545632185138234587.post-8624824834590892062010-04-20T11:22:00.000-07:002010-04-22T05:12:25.573-07:00Shinya Tsukamoto Panel at the Tribeca Film Festival<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgDD9zx6QYdsKpDY63pOYx4a0Bb0nM9WXrkCaRVoZGtI5VgnFi2EyiYgC-eI7ldVDl5_BpOkifXzdRffBg512V2-mRr5VTfRD_oSGqiA_M31RHq09kcSPAjhXc4YvFhrytomTWxtJsO90i_/s1600/Apple+Tribeca.png"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 136px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgDD9zx6QYdsKpDY63pOYx4a0Bb0nM9WXrkCaRVoZGtI5VgnFi2EyiYgC-eI7ldVDl5_BpOkifXzdRffBg512V2-mRr5VTfRD_oSGqiA_M31RHq09kcSPAjhXc4YvFhrytomTWxtJsO90i_/s400/Apple+Tribeca.png" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5462287564062424626" /></a><br />Hi Blog,<div><br /><div><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgV6WqFW57fNWF0DzcVXh5tPcHyuEqc2VTB_upIH8juGOR6Ssv3Eaig72qOSw8WQkFD7rkijYngCqjhPnYBEYARrYgmgNnLU0kYPAwHxpCjH_jiq5JE8zHK7VFMhq_HD4BQJbcBcWXo3y5p/s200/Tsukamoto.jpeg" style="float:right; margin:0 0 10px 10px;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 130px; height: 200px;" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5462290981385898210" /></div><div>Just a quick head's up that I'll be moderating a discussion with one of my favorite filmmakers, Shinya Tsukamoto, at the Tribeca Film Festival. He'll be in town supporting the rather badass TETSUO: THE BULLET MAN. The discussion will be happening THIS Saturday, April 24th, 2010 at the Apple Retail Store in SoHo, Manhattan. (103 Prince Street NY, NY)</div><div><br /></div><div>Three random bits of trivia:</div><div><ol><li>If it weren't for Tsukamoto, I wouldn't be as much of a Japanese film dork as I am.</li><li>If it weren't for Tsukamoto, I likely wouldn't have pursued filmmaking. I'd probably be making a living recycling bottles and searching the beach for loose change with a metal detector.</li><li>The SoHo Apple Store is right next door to my old Post Office, where I had my PO BOX for 6 years. (Coincidence? Or evidence of fate's hand?)</li></ol><div>TETSUO: THE BULLET MAN will be having its US PREMIER at the Tribeca Film Festival on these dates:</div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style=" color: rgb(88, 88, 88); line-height: 14px; font-family:Arial, Verdana, sans-serif;font-size:12px;"><blockquote><table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" border="0" width="198" style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; font: normal normal normal 12px/14px Arial, Verdana, sans-serif; color: rgb(88, 88, 88); border-top-style: none; border-right-style: none; border-bottom-style: none; border-left-style: none; border-width: initial; border-color: initial; "><tbody><tr style="padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; "><td width="100%" style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; font: normal normal normal 12px/14px Arial, Verdana, sans-serif; "><div style="padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; "><b class="black" style="font-weight: normal; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#FFCC66;">Sun, Apr 25, 9:00PM</span></b></div></td><td align="right" style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; font: normal normal normal 12px/14px Arial, Verdana, sans-serif; "></td></tr><tr style="padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; "><td colspan="2" style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; font: normal normal normal 12px/14px Arial, Verdana, sans-serif; color: rgb(88, 88, 88); "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#FFCC66;">Village East Cinema 1<br /><br /></span><table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" border="0" width="198" style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; font: normal normal normal 12px/14px Arial, Verdana, sans-serif; color: rgb(88, 88, 88); border-top-style: none; border-right-style: none; border-bottom-style: none; border-left-style: none; border-width: initial; border-color: initial; "><tbody><tr style="padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; "><td width="100%" style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; font: normal normal normal 12px/14px Arial, Verdana, sans-serif; "><div style="padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; "><b class="black" style="font-weight: normal; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#FFCC66;">Tue, Apr 27, 7:30PM</span></b></div></td><td align="right" style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; font: normal normal normal 12px/14px Arial, Verdana, sans-serif; "></td></tr><tr style="padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; "><td colspan="2" style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; font: normal normal normal 12px/14px Arial, Verdana, sans-serif; color: rgb(88, 88, 88); "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#FFCC66;">Village East Cinema 7<br /><br /></span><table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" border="0" width="198" style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; font: normal normal normal 12px/14px Arial, Verdana, sans-serif; color: rgb(88, 88, 88); border-top-style: none; border-right-style: none; border-bottom-style: none; border-left-style: none; border-width: initial; border-color: initial; "><tbody><tr style="padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; "><td width="100%" style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; font: normal normal normal 12px/14px Arial, Verdana, sans-serif; "><div style="padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; "><b class="black" style="font-weight: normal; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#FFCC66;">Fri, Apr 30, 4:30PM</span></b></div></td><td align="right" style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; font: normal normal normal 12px/14px Arial, Verdana, sans-serif; "></td></tr><tr style="padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; "><td colspan="2" style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; font: normal normal normal 12px/14px Arial, Verdana, sans-serif; color: rgb(88, 88, 88); "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#FFCC66;">Village East Cinema 7<br /><br /></span><table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" border="0" width="198" style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; font: normal normal normal 12px/14px Arial, Verdana, sans-serif; color: rgb(88, 88, 88); border-top-style: none; border-right-style: none; border-bottom-style: none; border-left-style: none; border-width: initial; border-color: initial; "><tbody><tr style="padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; "><td width="100%" style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; font: normal normal normal 12px/14px Arial, Verdana, sans-serif; "><div style="padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; "><b class="black" style="font-weight: normal; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#FFCC66;">Sat, May 01, 11:45PM</span></b></div></td><td align="right" style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; font: normal normal normal 12px/14px Arial, Verdana, sans-serif; "></td></tr><tr style="padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; "><td colspan="2" style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; font: normal normal normal 12px/14px Arial, Verdana, sans-serif; color: rgb(88, 88, 88); "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#FFCC66;">Village East Cinema</span><br /><br /></td></tr></tbody></table></td></tr></tbody></table></td></tr></tbody></table></td></tr></tbody></table></blockquote><table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" border="0" width="198" style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; font: normal normal normal 12px/14px Arial, Verdana, sans-serif; color: rgb(88, 88, 88); border-top-style: none; border-right-style: none; border-bottom-style: none; border-left-style: none; border-width: initial; border-color: initial; "><tbody><tr style="padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; "><td colspan="2" style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; font: normal normal normal 12px/14px Arial, Verdana, sans-serif; color: rgb(88, 88, 88); "><table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" border="0" width="198" style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; font: normal normal normal 12px/14px Arial, Verdana, sans-serif; color: rgb(88, 88, 88); border-top-style: none; border-right-style: none; border-bottom-style: none; border-left-style: none; border-width: initial; border-color: initial; "><tbody><tr style="padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; "><td colspan="2" style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; font: normal normal normal 12px/14px Arial, Verdana, sans-serif; color: rgb(88, 88, 88); "><table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" border="0" width="198" style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; font: normal normal normal 12px/14px Arial, Verdana, sans-serif; color: rgb(88, 88, 88); border-top-style: none; border-right-style: none; border-bottom-style: none; border-left-style: none; border-width: initial; border-color: initial; "><tbody><tr style="padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; "><td colspan="2" style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; font: normal normal normal 12px/14px Arial, Verdana, sans-serif; color: rgb(88, 88, 88); "><table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" border="0" width="198" style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; font: normal normal normal 12px/14px Arial, Verdana, sans-serif; color: rgb(88, 88, 88); border-top-style: none; border-right-style: none; border-bottom-style: none; border-left-style: none; border-width: initial; border-color: initial; "><tbody><tr style="padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; "><td colspan="2" style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; font: normal normal normal 12px/14px Arial, Verdana, sans-serif; color: rgb(88, 88, 88); "></td></tr></tbody></table></td></tr></tbody></table></td></tr></tbody></table></td></tr></tbody></table></span></div><div>It's a new cut that he spent all fall and winter working on, as I understand it, and I believe that Nine Inch Nails was involved<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 15.9722px; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 15.9722px; "> in the new theme music, if I'm not mistaken. (<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#FF9966;">Update</span>: I haven't been able to confirm this, but I'll likely ask about this on Saturday. Stay tuned!)</span></span></div><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiwXUFX7hqUHQMN11nzyG_YhdGpa4hBLqHue4Iz5zP4WWam-I_OHeQT-IseMEP4-tFExvc0QvMNKTSPOgUuZQnhnXatAUIZguRO_3ypiYRgcc-QiT9hoWpHZKnkg2YblhH_B8JSnL7G_VvQ/s200/cc09-bullet-man.jpeg" style="float:right; margin:0 0 10px 10px;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 135px; height: 200px;" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5462291934036498034" /><div><br /></div><div>So if you're in NYC, please do stop by the discussion. It's free and frankly, this is an unusually rare opportunity to hear the master speak about his art. Both lead actor Eric Bossick and producer Masayuki Tanishima, are also slated to attend the discussion.</div><div><br /></div><div>More info about the discussion <a href="http://www.apple.com/retail/soho/tribeca/">HERE</a>.</div><div><br /></div><div>TETSUO screening info <a href="http://www.tribecafilm.com/filmguide/tetsuo_the_bullet_man-film31245.html">HERE</a>.</div></div>Nicholas Ruckahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08364089506861324349noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3545632185138234587.post-66409213444662957272009-11-01T14:53:00.000-08:002009-11-01T16:20:56.108-08:00Bitchin' Wakamatsu Koji Series this Month!<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEikOMl4aOxP7Odysnw1EQpkvq8D_L6hdu4Vqk4Bt3f84UqUuXc1-3RCDuA3vaOkrujoYVX91K4HFoxbnC3aXJY3ZNGkXDKYANhkkQJLyLMf6MlEv4O5v62BLVfPB2p4CASfUmUJc515HhwN/s1600-h/Wakamatsu.png"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 344px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEikOMl4aOxP7Odysnw1EQpkvq8D_L6hdu4Vqk4Bt3f84UqUuXc1-3RCDuA3vaOkrujoYVX91K4HFoxbnC3aXJY3ZNGkXDKYANhkkQJLyLMf6MlEv4O5v62BLVfPB2p4CASfUmUJc515HhwN/s400/Wakamatsu.png" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5399275900939823970" border="0" /></a><br />Hi Blog,<br /><br />My programming for the <a href="http://www.cinefamily.org/calendar/saturday_early.html#united">Cinefamily</a> (aka. The Silent Movie Theater) here in LA, continues with a pretty awesome seven-film Wakamatsu Koji series that kicks off this coming Wednesday with the masterful <a href="http://www.cinefamily.org/calendar/saturday_early.html#united">UNITED RED ARMY</a>. (And <span style="font-style: italic;">that</span> was a long sentence!) The series will then go on to run for the first three <span style="font-weight: bold;">FRIDAYS</span> in <span style="font-weight: bold;">NOVEMBER</span>, offering a pretty great selection of films (almost all collaborations with leftist political radical screenwriter Adachi Masao) -- some of which have never played in Los Angeles before.<br /><br />The films, in order, are:<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/5/50/UnitedRedArmy.MoviePoster.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 247px; height: 330px;" src="http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/5/50/UnitedRedArmy.MoviePoster.jpg" alt="" border="0" /></a><br />1. UNITED RED ARMY: Wednesday Nov. 4th 8pm<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://www.cinefamily.org/images/novdec09/ecstasyoftheangels_200_240.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 0pt 10px 10px; float: right; cursor: pointer; width: 148px; height: 178px;" src="http://www.cinefamily.org/images/novdec09/ecstasyoftheangels_200_240.jpg" alt="" border="0" /></a>2. SHINJUKU MAD: Friday Nov. 7th, 7pm (Double Feature <span style="color: rgb(0, 153, 0); font-weight: bold;">ONE</span>)<br />3. ECSTASY OF THE ANGELS: Friday Nov. 7th 830pm (Double Feature <span style="color: rgb(0, 153, 0); font-weight: bold;">ONE</span>)<br /><br />4. GO, GO SECOND TIME VIRGIN: Friday Nov. 14th, 7pm (Double Feature <span style="color: rgb(51, 51, 255); font-weight: bold;">TWO</span>)<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgH713PN8Mk4BjkzE-qTCVGGt61Ayj1mGwBKJL27EIjNsuE01IZauNxEnnebhVHanhGLud-9MWrduiOA0gtChrdPh2AxXxhu1m1Qu_dl4QocMpJC3DhaQGNAmMFse2IUJ0TCV_33oK_DF3z/s1600-h/films04_02.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 200px; height: 140px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgH713PN8Mk4BjkzE-qTCVGGt61Ayj1mGwBKJL27EIjNsuE01IZauNxEnnebhVHanhGLud-9MWrduiOA0gtChrdPh2AxXxhu1m1Qu_dl4QocMpJC3DhaQGNAmMFse2IUJ0TCV_33oK_DF3z/s200/films04_02.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5399292243299685938" border="0" /></a>5. RUNNING IN MADNESS, DYING IN LOVE (LA Premier and, oh yeah, what a fucking cool title?): Friday Nov. 14th, 8:30pm (Double Feature <span style="color: rgb(51, 51, 255); font-weight: bold;">TWO</span>)<br /><br />6. VIOLATED ANGELS: Friday Nov. 21st, 7pm (Double Feature <span style="color: rgb(255, 0, 0); font-weight: bold;">THREE</span>)<br />7. VIOLENT VIRGIN: Friday Nov. 21st, 8:30pm (Double Feature <span style="color: rgb(255, 0, 0); font-weight: bold;">THREE</span>)<br /><br />Here're the film write-ups I did for the series (with some copy-editing and some additional notes done by the editors up at the Cinefamily):<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;font-size:130%;" ></span><blockquote style="font-style: italic;"><span style="font-weight: bold;font-size:130%;" >Intro:</span><br /><br />Divisive, exploitative, cruel, vengeful, erotic, political, provocative, avant-garde -- Koji Wakamatsu is all these things, and a ridiculous amount more. A country bumpkin who wandered his way through the Yakuza and into one of the most prolific directing careers in Japan, Wakamatsu has created an unsurpassed, massive filmography of unique and disobedient works. While inextricably connected to the <em>pinku eiga</em> (Japanese soft-core film), Wakamatsu himself has always insisted that his films were something more. Certainly they contain copious amounts of sex and nudity, but this often was a cover for leftist political diatribes decrying Japan’s imperial inclinations, and its subservience to US foreign affairs on Asian politics. Now in his seventies and having produced more than 200 films in his career, Wakamatsu and his uncompromising worldview show no signs of slowing. In addition to his latest epic transgression, <em>United Red Army</em> (2008), The Cinefamily is thrilled to present six of Wakamatsu's other treasures -- some of which have never before screened in America!<br /><br /><span class="SpecialEvent"><strong>United Red Army<br />(SPECIAL WEDNESDAY SCREENING!)</strong></span><br /><em>"Consensus is boring."</em> -- Koji Wakamatsu<br /><br />For 35 years, director Koji Wakamatsu has been mulling over what happened to the idealism and moral imperative of the far left Japanese student movement that left a rash of dead bodies and unanswered questions, and his latest film is as close to his heart as <em>Schindler's List</em> was for Spielberg. In the unflinchingly violent <em>United Red Army</em>, Wakamatsu dramatizes the self-immolation of the fiercest of Japan's underground paramilitary groups, who, in the early '70s, after internal strife led to the murders of fourteen of its own twenty-nine members, fled to a remote mountain location and instigated a police standoff which lives in infamy to this day. No stranger to radical politics, Wakamatsu not only drew from interviews with surviving URA members, but also from his own street-level experiences with the URA and other subversive organizations at the time -- affiliations which landed him on the U.S. State Department's no-visa blacklist, where he remains to this day. Backed by a searing psych rock score by former Sonic Youth member Jim O'Rourke, <em>United Red Army</em> is a film that doesn’t pretend to have the answers, but is instead an epic dissection of ideology can trump reason.<br /><br /><br /><strong>11/7 @ 7pm / <span class="Series">SERIES: koji wakamatsu: sexfilmrevolution</span><br /> <span class="Movie">Shinjuku Mad<br /> </span><em>shown with</em><span class="Movie"><br /> Ecstasy of the Angels </span></strong><br />With a sensationally violent and squelchy opening that sets up the plot of a father searching for his child’s murderer through the Shinjuku underworld, <em>Shinjuku Mad</em> never lets up its relentless assault as the blood flies, the bodies pile and the suffocating alienation multiplies like H1N1 in a school playground, all while Japanese '70s space rock band Food Brain provides harrowing cuts of fuzzy skronk on the soundtrack. The film was embraced by college students, artists and intellectuals upon its release, for its abrasive style and its honest countercultural insight (hippies and bikers are to be equally mistrusted!) Scripted by Wakamatsu’s partner in crime and leftist political radical, Masao Adachi, this film is purportedly one of Wakamatsu’s personal favorites for its "…vicarious portrait of Swinging Shinjuku in its vibrant heyday, making full use of local landmarks…" One of six(!) films Wakamatsu released in 1970.<br /> <em></em><br /><br /> <em>Ecstasy of the Angels</em>, a jarring exercise in experimental cinema clothed in pink film trappings, trails a leftist terrorist unit that, after a failed attempt to steal weapons from a US military base, learns that they might have been set up to fail by their parent organization. Dispensing with conventional storytelling, Wakamatsu plunges the viewer into a melange of political dissertations, rough and sweaty sex, explosions and swanky nightclubs. Though it certainly looks and feels like an exploitation picture, Ecstasy clearly has much more on its mind. The infusion of radical politics into the head-spinning assault of nudity and gore makes for a very odd experience, and the rapid shifts in time, film stock (black and white alternating with colour), sound effects, and character affiliations make this a dense, truly rewarding hour and a half. Ecstasy was Wakamatsu's biggest production to date -- a fact that guaranteed that the film was still released even though the government viewed him as an instigator of violence and anarchy.<br /> <em></em><br /><br /><strong>11/14 @ 7pm / <span class="Series">SERIES: koji wakamatsu: sexfilmrevolution</span><br /> <span class="Movie"><span class="Movie">Go, Go Second Time Virgin<br /> </span></span><em>shown with</em><span class="Movie"><br /> Running In Madness, Dying In Love </span></strong><br />An allegory for the end of the hippie movement? For the impotence of youth against the crushing oppression of a chaotic world? Or a cruel reflection of society’s self-destruction during the chaos of the 1960s? It’s up to you to draw your own conclusion, for <em>Go, Go Second Time Virgin</em>'s grim teen rebellion has explosive impact that defies conventions. In the film, two psychologically battered teenagers of the opposite sex meet on a desolate urban rooftop and bare their psychic scars to each other. The boy feels a mixture of arousal and anguish when he sees the girl unclothed following a gang rape on the rooftop (in which he was a partial participant) but their relationship becomes far more devastating and perverse than a forced sexual encounter. Though running barely over an hour, <em>Go, Go...</em> packs a tremendous amount of artistry into every scene, as Wakamatsu gives us one of his most visceral and intensely focused works.<em></em><br /><br />Lesser-known but still packing a mad punch, <em>Running In Madness...</em> tells of a student activist who is forced to flee Tokyo with his sister-in-law after he inadvertently shoots his police officer brother at a protest rally. We follow the two as they travel north to their hometown of Hokkaido, across a majestic winter landscape. Shot in a stellar psychedelic style and scripted by frequent collaborator Masao Adachi, the story was influenced by Adachi’s time spent with master director Nagisa Oshima, which led to Adachi's development of a more rigorous, formal approach to his work. Running In Madness is one of the first Japanese films to employ "Landscape Theory" (fukei-ron), a style of storytelling, according to Adachi, in which "all the landscapes one faces in...daily life, even those such as the beautiful sites shown on a postcard, are essentially related to the figure of a ruling power."<br /><em></em><br /><br /><strong>11/21 @ 7:30pm / <span class="Series">SERIES: koji wakamatsu: sexfilmrevolution</span><br /> <span class="Movie"><span class="Movie">Violated Angels<br /> </span></span><em>shown with</em><span class="Movie"><br /> Violent Virgin </span></strong><br />One of Koji Wakamatsu’s more infamous productions (and inspired by the real-life case of Richard Speck's 1960s student nurse killing spree in Chicago,) <em>Violated Angels</em> is a compact celluloid acid trip into one man’s derangement as he kills a group of nurses and regresses to a child-like state. Acting more as a protest piece than Grand Guignol debauchery -- although it strongly delivers the goods in that department, with shocking deaths filmed in lurid color by Hideo Ito (<em>In The Realm of the Senses</em>), and a bevy of ravaged beauties -- the film draws a strong analogy between the man’s dehumanized actions and the Vietnam War protest movement going on concurrently with its production in 1967. Filmed Corman-style in less than one week in order to seize upon the wave of publicity wafting off of the Speck murders, this melancholy mini-masterpiece plunges the viewer headlong into ice-cold madness.<em></em><br /><br />Easily the most divisive film in this series, <em>Violent Virgin</em> is guaranteed to bewilder, titillate and spark debate in the theater lobby. Shot on a punishingly low budget and tight schedule, the film follows the bizarre ritual of a group of Yakuza and their female companions, who all go to the countryside to punish their boss’s unfaithful mistress and her chinpira (low-level Yakuza) lover. A simple-enough scenario for your average twisted pink film, but Wakamatsu, never one to take the straight and narrow path, grabs the material by its neck and yanks it into a Jodorowsky-esque realm of Christ symbology, dream logic and all-around bat-shit insanity. As well, it's all couched inside another nod to underground political struggles, as the Japanese title, <em>Shojo Geba Geba</em> (reportedly suggested by Nagisa Oshima) refers to the German word "Gewalt", linked specifically to violence from student protestors. Filled with sex and cruelty, as well as Wakamatsu's trademark fantastic eye for black-and-white images, <em>Violent Virgin</em> is one of the headiest and rawest works in all of late '60s Japanese cinema.<em></em></blockquote>More info on the Cinefamily <a href="http://www.cinefamily.org/calendar/saturday_early.html#united">website</a>. See you there!Nicholas Ruckahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08364089506861324349noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3545632185138234587.post-1502446679824231742009-10-11T13:14:00.000-07:002009-10-11T13:33:15.217-07:00TOKYO GORE NIGHT! VAMPIRE GIRL VS FRANKENSTEIN GIRL (LA PREMIER) - 10/13/09<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjpRD3UNi9ej-zn_ypB7LA0QFn-Tqg7Ac_puzIHSPgSoYPokDI_RVYPW4SpgQY2FmOPmipoRccJ6qKfm37qaKJgT-ihM3GW3VQy-ImW1J9MlHYBrh4mR3t9CUibgIX0BQGeTjOIwSEiIKG_/s1600-h/tokyogorenight_600_400.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 265px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjpRD3UNi9ej-zn_ypB7LA0QFn-Tqg7Ac_puzIHSPgSoYPokDI_RVYPW4SpgQY2FmOPmipoRccJ6qKfm37qaKJgT-ihM3GW3VQy-ImW1J9MlHYBrh4mR3t9CUibgIX0BQGeTjOIwSEiIKG_/s400/tokyogorenight_600_400.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5391441136523382866" border="0" /></a>Hi Blog,<br /><br />It's been a while, eh?<br /><br />I've been helping do some Asian Film programming over at the excellent <a href="http://www.cinefamily.org/index.html">Cinefamily</a> theater here in LA and am happy to announce the <span style="font-weight: bold;">LA Premier</span> of Tomomatsu Naoyuki and Nishimura Yoshihiro's light-footed gorefest <a href="http://www.elevenarts.net/Feature/Titles/VampireGirlVs/index.html">VAMPIRE GIRL VS FRANKENSTEIN GIRL</a>. If you're reading this blog, then chances are good that you already know about it. But if not, here's the write-up that I did for the Cinefamily's calendar:<br /><br /><blockquote style="font-style: italic; color: rgb(255, 102, 0);"><span style="color: rgb(204, 153, 51);">After barnstorming and brain-frying the minds of Asian film fanatics all around the world with knife-legged dog women and flesh key wielding "engineers" in 2008's cinematic acid tab Tokyo Gore Police, Japanese SFX-meister and genre director extraordinaire Yoshihiro Nishimura is back with this campier (and bloodier?) gore freakout. Co-directed with Naoyuki Tomomatsu (Stacy) and based on the manga by Shungiku Uchida, Vampire Girl vs. Frankenstein Girl tells of two schoolgirls who pine for the love of the same boy. But did we mention that one girl is a vampire with a love for blood filled chocolates, while the other is a woman whose mad scientist father uses possessed and squirming pet screws to turn his daughter into an ass-kicking Frankenstein monster? More gonzo then you can ever imagine, this Japanese splatter film slips and trips across the line of good taste and does what most Hollywood horror films seem incapable of doing nowadays: entertain!</span> <span style="color: rgb(204, 153, 51);"><br /><br />BUT WAIT, THERE'S MORE! Not content to let this film alone melt your mind out of your ears and nose, we went and dug up the rare and totally freaked short films that Nishimura and his band of SFX maniacs have made when they're between jobs -- and we're showing them all! Tokyo Gore Night is like a GWAR concert -- without the bloodstained clothes, and in Japanese!</span><br /><br /></blockquote>The fine folks from <a href="http://www.elevenarts.net/">Eleven Arts</a> (the film's distributors) will be in attendance and the [blood red colored?] booze should be flowing freely.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://www.subwaycinema.com/images/stories/NYAFF2009/love-exposure04.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 322px; height: 181px;" src="http://www.subwaycinema.com/images/stories/NYAFF2009/love-exposure04.jpg" alt="" border="0" /></a>Looking to next month, we will be giving Sono Sion's excellent <a href="http://www.subwaycinema.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=137:love-exposure&catid=42:nyaff-2009-films">LOVE EXPOSURE</a> a proper Los Angeles screening with a special LOVE EXPOSURE event. While the movie did play in LA earlier this year, during the Asian Pacific Film Festival, the screening was poorly advertised and attended. Suffice to say, a film like LOVE EXPOSURE doesn't come along very often and so we're breaking out the big guns to have - what promises to be - one hell of a fun night out that you won't want to miss. I'll post about this screening in the coming weeks.<br /><br />Ta-ta for now!Nicholas Ruckahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08364089506861324349noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3545632185138234587.post-74954363349341398112009-06-03T14:22:00.000-07:002009-06-03T14:37:57.356-07:00Angelinos! FUNKY FORREST Playing Friday June 5th at Midnight!<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg8RQRDZv6SdGh2UFMS2zGFnQ8DiJBoEwamW8bZxxnwGb7OY5O0j9kNhuWCM_cf9sqCVIed888FjxKFEqh3Dmbb1qh-KQAAGosYsDtkGkj71kBxTLOhVgUfyShQqyBRnCoKGmaKOzMaTEkJ/s1600-h/nice_logo.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 91px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg8RQRDZv6SdGh2UFMS2zGFnQ8DiJBoEwamW8bZxxnwGb7OY5O0j9kNhuWCM_cf9sqCVIed888FjxKFEqh3Dmbb1qh-KQAAGosYsDtkGkj71kBxTLOhVgUfyShQqyBRnCoKGmaKOzMaTEkJ/s320/nice_logo.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5343216798694652706" border="0" /></a><br />Hi Blog,<br /><br />Katsuhito Ishii's gigantically weird film <a href="http://www.nicerainbow.com/tokuho.html">ナイスの森</a> (aka FUNKY FORREST) will be playing this Friday, June 5th, at midnight at the <a href="http://www.silentmovietheatre.com/calendar/friday_late.html#fun">Silent Movie</a> theater.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhe39XVWr4Aw-2ocli9B_j5JHYOoaYKhZHdHy-ZpRPLJTUTqPoe3RjyjkUmZxSrGNRs1Gg4uR0spLDkaBt3Q3vdHwQRJy1TySA-bFLsbkWt1ws9wYpF6nk0boI6V93I4ykNeIZRiiGJ8tnE/s1600-h/20080926-funkyforest.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 203px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhe39XVWr4Aw-2ocli9B_j5JHYOoaYKhZHdHy-ZpRPLJTUTqPoe3RjyjkUmZxSrGNRs1Gg4uR0spLDkaBt3Q3vdHwQRJy1TySA-bFLsbkWt1ws9wYpF6nk0boI6V93I4ykNeIZRiiGJ8tnE/s320/20080926-funkyforest.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5343216896362713858" border="0" /></a>What's to say about the film? Well, it features color coordinated girls DJ-ing gnarled and moss covered trees; prolapsed anuses built into TV-sets; men dressed up as fuzzy animals with, erm... tails coming out of their crotches... Oh and it features Tadanobu Asasno and a fat, chocolate bar eating Caucasian kid as the Guitar Brothers. I dunno... You all should just go and see it. This is one film that is better on the big screen with a crowd (that is potentially high/drunk).<br /><br />Here's what the <a href="http://www.subwaycinema.com/nyaff06_funkyforest.htm">Subway Cinema</a> folks wrote about the film when they screened it in NYC back in 2006:<br /><blockquote style="font-style: italic; color: rgb(204, 102, 0);">Not since David Lynch slunk onto the scene with ERASERHEAD has a more singular vision broken out of one man's skull and run riot across the silver screen seducing audiences with its sugary strangeness. But FUNKY FOREST: THE FIRST CONTACT is a hermetically sealed, fifth dimensional artifact from Planet Japan beaming out of our eyes and into our universe. The only movie with an A side and a B side this is a full-on invasion of third-dimensional Earthling brains by a twelfth dimensional alien consciousness.<br /><br />From the director and cast who brought you last year's Audience Award Winner THE TASTE OF TEA, this flick invites you to drink the Kool Aid, take the red pill, show us your dancing and break the chains of reason and logic that bind our brains. Director Katsuhito Ishii (who directed the animation in KILL BILL VOL 1) and a crew of ace comedic actors (including Tadanobu Asano as the laconic Guitar Brother) have made a movie featuring TV's made of giant buttholes, powered by belly button energy and capable of producing miniature sushi chefs. Not everyone can master this frequency. As the Shorty Trio says, "Some days people laugh, some days…they don't." With its shoe obsession, fixation on Snickers bars, and its firm belief that the secrets of the universe can be unlocked by dancing, FUNKY FOREST: THE FIRST CONTACT strips everyday life of meaning, turns mundane tasks into bizarre rituals, and makes surrealist hay out of our most sacred ideals. This is not a movie. This is an invitation to join a dancing army of holy fools and travel through time and space to the super-elastic, thoroughly fantastic Planet of Piko Riko." (<a href="http://www.subwaycinema.com/nyaff06_funkyforest.htm">Link</a>)<br /></blockquote><br /><br /><object height="385" width="480"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/NkbdakkgdpM&hl=en&fs=1"><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/NkbdakkgdpM&hl=en&fs=1" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" height="385" width="480"></embed></object><br /><br />Other <a href="http://mab-pro.blogspot.com/2007/06/usataku-no-hanashi-aka.html">stuff</a> I've written about Ishii.Nicholas Ruckahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08364089506861324349noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3545632185138234587.post-40412464407658564412009-04-30T10:47:00.000-07:002009-04-30T11:08:09.845-07:00Wings of Defeat Documentary Airing Tuesday May 5th<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhasTBNXfdYT1hbZw1w4oCXZt_6mxdw7QnNEwFaas5y2XRpsR1BeeFJDtyU3kJabAgTRggpCG-k0J_mOnP1SDsrg6nGyvUuCQW6-6HUuISTdA5fJVLONfX_vqexHwv4f01tUqfSDAgOJ5uW/s1600-h/wod_dvd_cover.gif"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 200px; height: 290px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhasTBNXfdYT1hbZw1w4oCXZt_6mxdw7QnNEwFaas5y2XRpsR1BeeFJDtyU3kJabAgTRggpCG-k0J_mOnP1SDsrg6nGyvUuCQW6-6HUuISTdA5fJVLONfX_vqexHwv4f01tUqfSDAgOJ5uW/s400/wod_dvd_cover.gif" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5330546786197312402" border="0" /></a>Hi Blog,<br /><br />I was the original editor on Risa Morimoto's documentary <a href="http://www.edgewoodpictures.com/wingsofdefeat/">WINGS OF DEFEAT</a>, about three years ago (back when it was still called "BEYOND THE SUN"). I've written about it <a href="http://mab-pro.blogspot.com/search?q=wings+of+defeat">here before</a>. Anyway, Risa's documentary is a deeply personal exploration of the history of the <span style="font-style: italic;">Tokkotai</span> (aka. the Japanese 'special attack force' that the Kamikaze pilots were a division of) and the effect that the war had on a generation of young men (both in Japan and in the US).<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEga_rewz7WYQjlPT3Iq4LT9oScUurJhlGNotCnd4OHCTw0rJstFIzV2NVEEYUUfgsmikrsT_z9kEb0Cm1darsKmGeC57DPXIpA-QEmx1LM419R1wb7msMVKnRDpzd3ArokvT1rjh3GFPmay/s1600-h/wod_aj_dvd_cover.gif"><img style="margin: 0pt 0pt 10px 10px; float: right; cursor: pointer; width: 165px; height: 239px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEga_rewz7WYQjlPT3Iq4LT9oScUurJhlGNotCnd4OHCTw0rJstFIzV2NVEEYUUfgsmikrsT_z9kEb0Cm1darsKmGeC57DPXIpA-QEmx1LM419R1wb7msMVKnRDpzd3ArokvT1rjh3GFPmay/s320/wod_aj_dvd_cover.gif" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5330546876655106946" border="0" /></a><br />This is a very, very good documentary and while I'm bummed out that the version that is airing on <a href="http://www.pbs.org/independentlens/wingsofdefeat/">PBS' [I]ndependent Lens</a> this coming <span style="font-weight: bold; color: rgb(255, 255, 153);">Tuesday, May 5th</span>, is a shortened 52 minute cut, it's absolutely worth your time to watch. And then, if you feel inspired you can hit the PBS website for the film and vote for it if you like it. AND THEN, if you have the spare change, you can buy the full-length feature from the WINGS OF DEFEAT website, where you can also <a href="http://www.edgewoodpictures.com/wingsofdefeat/dvd_purchase.html">buy</a> the follow up documentary that Risa and Linda Hoaglund made called <a href="http://www.edgewoodpictures.com/wingsofdefeat/dvd_purchase.html">WINGS OF DEFEAT: ANOTHER JOURNEY</a>. (Not the best title in the world... Perhaps...)<br /><br />Do try to check out the film. It really is worth your time.<br /><br />Trailer:<br /><br /><object height="344" width="425"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/jwPuKup7NGw&hl=en&fs=1&color1=0x3a3a3a&color2=0x999999"><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/jwPuKup7NGw&hl=en&fs=1&color1=0x3a3a3a&color2=0x999999" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" height="344" width="425"></embed></object>Nicholas Ruckahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08364089506861324349noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3545632185138234587.post-51570235034959292922009-04-29T14:04:00.000-07:002009-04-29T14:22:52.377-07:00Sono's Love Exposure playing this Monday in LA!<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjHvM9zsV_Hbz1fDfBRuvEpDbrwbcpzVQPT8SmtRZRjy2DGYNp-7CgYoXoCSv50BDgVSdMtMYRdvdKO2bNd6uwiuCC6iVPVdAwrosOShHII3YL8Trs6FuoQX9wg5DeEsogXPEYSNVt7rA5T/s1600-h/ff20090206r1a.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 225px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjHvM9zsV_Hbz1fDfBRuvEpDbrwbcpzVQPT8SmtRZRjy2DGYNp-7CgYoXoCSv50BDgVSdMtMYRdvdKO2bNd6uwiuCC6iVPVdAwrosOShHII3YL8Trs6FuoQX9wg5DeEsogXPEYSNVt7rA5T/s400/ff20090206r1a.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5330225693350621170" border="0" /></a>Hi Blog,<br /><br />Just stumbled on the news that Sono Sion's 4 hour magnum opus <a href="http://www.ai-muki.com/">AI NO MUKIDASHI (Love Exposure)</a> will be screening this coming <a href="http://www.vconline.org/festival/program.cfm?program_id=42">Monday, May 4th, 2009</a> as part of the Los Angeles Asian Film Festival.<br /><br />I watched this back in March and have to say that without question it's the best film by Sono Sion that I've seen. Is it flawed? Yeah. But there's something incredible about watching a 4 hour long exploitation film about Catholic guilt, up-skirt photography and revenge.<br /><br />Those in the loop about current Japanese film (which includes just about everyone who reads my blog, so I'm preaching to the converted) will already know about this. But for those who don't please check out these links for more info. (<a href="http://search.japantimes.co.jp/cgi-bin/ff20090206r1.html">Japan Times</a>; <a href="http://jasongray.blogspot.com/2008/11/sono-sions-love-exposure-passionately.html">Jason Gray</a>; <a href="http://www.groundreport.com/Arts_and_Culture/Berlinale-2009-6-Forum-Ai-no-mukidashi">Ground Report</a>)<br /><br />I will end this by saying I did a very interesting interview with Sono Sion for <a href="http://www.midnighteye.com/">Midnight Eye</a> where we talked at length about the making of Love Exposure as well as his highly anticipated adaptation of the legendary (and totally excellent) history of Black Metal book, <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Lords-Chaos-Bloody-Satanic-Underground/dp/0922915482">LORDS OF CHAOS</a>. Look for that on Midnight Eye in the coming months.<br /><br />Here's a <a href="http://www.vconline.org/festival/program.cfm?program_id=42">link</a> to the LA screening.<br /><br />And here's the trailer:<br /><object height="344" width="425"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/ndqMKd61Wrg&hl=en&fs=1&color1=0x3a3a3a&color2=0x999999"><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/ndqMKd61Wrg&hl=en&fs=1&color1=0x3a3a3a&color2=0x999999" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" height="344" width="425"></embed></object><br /><br />ps - I've been told that LOVE EXPOSURE, which played at Shibuya's EURO SPACE, was a smash hit and broke all box office records there. Not bad for a 4 hour long movie!Nicholas Ruckahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08364089506861324349noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3545632185138234587.post-21364995058777140082009-04-28T21:34:00.001-07:002009-04-28T21:47:05.206-07:00The Real Shaolin Screening This Saturday!<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhXg2Xi1iFqupwz58sWH84af9zntxkbxjmsvoElCh1JOXCib0wOdERKguEIO6nDR5zsIP1gQ1vuCer3Rxeokp8LcghIx0kcr24HfcsWGY89uOB3BvtzvhhgMovNE5Z522cMosXdPT6CPm1b/s1600-h/Picture+1.png"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 224px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhXg2Xi1iFqupwz58sWH84af9zntxkbxjmsvoElCh1JOXCib0wOdERKguEIO6nDR5zsIP1gQ1vuCer3Rxeokp8LcghIx0kcr24HfcsWGY89uOB3BvtzvhhgMovNE5Z522cMosXdPT6CPm1b/s400/Picture+1.png" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5329967758066542034" border="0" /></a>Hi Blog,<br /><br />The feature documentary I co-wrote with writer/director Alexander Lee, <a href="http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1285264/">The Real Shaolin</a>, will be having its US Premier at the Los Angeles Asian Pacific Film Festival (aka. the VC Film Fest) this <a href="http://www.vconline.org/festival/program.cfm?program_id=16">Saturday, May 2nd, 2009</a> at 5pm.<br /><br />Regardless of my involvement in this film, I think that it's an interesting subject matter that is well made and executed. For all of the fans out there of Kung Fu movies and Asian martial arts, in general, this is a different view of the world of martial arts that shows the cold, commercial reality of Shaolin.<br /><br />If you live in LA, definitely come to the <a href="http://www.vconline.org/festival/venues.cfm?venue_id=5" target="_blank" class="sidebar_header">Laemmle's Sunset 5</a> and see the film. I think you'll like it.<br /><br />VC Film Festival <a href="http://www.vconline.org/festival/program.cfm?program_id=16">page</a>.<br /><br />Previous postings <a href="http://mab-pro.blogspot.com/search?q=real+shaolin">here</a>.<br /><br /><object width="425" height="344"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/8WWwjKIWnpg&hl=en&fs=1&color1=0x3a3a3a&color2=0x999999"><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/8WWwjKIWnpg&hl=en&fs=1&color1=0x3a3a3a&color2=0x999999" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" width="425" height="344"></embed></object>Nicholas Ruckahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08364089506861324349noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3545632185138234587.post-78226898881018723302009-03-06T15:33:00.000-08:002009-03-06T15:52:34.855-08:00Angelinos! Kurosawa Kiyoshi Coming to LA 3/10!<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgfFrI6is36tZqt83ZK1gsPgEHcNVGv-VFGEDjvEoegiVrNaamabg_bKE1I1R9s4SVNdrCqXqgH7z5xLf9ejEM0YqlF0bTAcXCWwq3e7yElrmDbZzkWilmDc8XfVvGw_YUCRTxXoa1ioiUj/s1600-h/pic_kiyoshi_kurosawa2.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 300px; height: 100px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgfFrI6is36tZqt83ZK1gsPgEHcNVGv-VFGEDjvEoegiVrNaamabg_bKE1I1R9s4SVNdrCqXqgH7z5xLf9ejEM0YqlF0bTAcXCWwq3e7yElrmDbZzkWilmDc8XfVvGw_YUCRTxXoa1ioiUj/s400/pic_kiyoshi_kurosawa2.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5310225262960188962" border="0" /></a><br />Hi Blog,<br /><br />Just learned that <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kiyoshi_Kurosawa">Kurosawa Kiyoshi</a> will be giving a talk at a <a href="http://www.jffla.org/event?lang=en">Japan Film Festival</a><span style="color: rgb(204, 102, 0);">**</span> symposium next Tuesday, March 10th<span style="font-style: italic;">!</span><br /><br />I've met him several times and even had an opportunity to interpret for him and can promise you that it's well worth your time to attend this talk. (Plus, it's free!) Not only is Kurosawa one of the best directors currently working in Japan, he's also very intelligent and articulate with an encyclopedic knowledge of world cinema -- as to be expect from a man who is both a professor and critical film theorist.<br /><blockquote style="color: rgb(153, 51, 153);">Japan Film Festival Symposium co-hosted by JVTA/ UCLA-JABA<br />Theme: Creating Films for an International Audience<br /><br />Date: March 10 (Tue)<br />Time: Open 4:30pm Start 5:00pm<br />Place: UCLA Korn Convocation Hall<br />Admission: Free<br /><br />Special Guest: Director Kiyoshi Kurosawa<br /><br />Japan Film Festival Committee and Japan Visualmedia Translation Academy are proud to present prolific Japanese director; Kiyoshi Kurosawa. Mr. Kurosawa will speak about his experiences as a director and explain how to correlate Japanese culture through film. There will be a Q&A session at the end of this presentation.<br /><br />Do not miss this exciting event!!<br /><br />Due to the limited seating, please RSVP to contact@jffla.org with your name and number of attendees.<br /><br />http://www.jffla.org/event?lang=en</blockquote><br />Incidentally, I'm betting that the Japan Film Festival will screen <a href="http://www.tokyosonatamovie.com/">TOKYO SONATA</a>, even though it played at the LA Film Festival last November.<br /><br /><a href="http://www.midnighteye.com/interviews/kiyoshi_kurosawa2.shtml">Link</a> to the Midnight Eye interview with Kurosawa Kiyoshi.<br /><br />Here's the trailer for one of my personal Kurosawa faves, <a href="http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0123948/">CURE</a>:<br /><br /><object height="405" width="500"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/oVkW2KBwvao&hl=en&fs=1&rel=0&color1=0x5d1719&color2=0xcd311b&border=1"><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/oVkW2KBwvao&hl=en&fs=1&rel=0&color1=0x5d1719&color2=0xcd311b&border=1" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" height="405" width="500"></embed></object><br /><br /><span style="color: rgb(204, 102, 0);">**</span> This is the same film festival that <a href="http://mab-pro.blogspot.com/2008/04/this-saturday-japan-film-festival-talk.html">I spoke at last year</a>.Nicholas Ruckahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08364089506861324349noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3545632185138234587.post-34826912863242796282009-03-04T12:16:00.000-08:002009-03-04T13:21:17.325-08:00Death and the Debt Collectors<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh2k-O-c82c0jvN8XlAECtciblfsjCMEzwNJ6vaxM_c4fytn63tCvBdMEsem4mUC-a49OYhtV3ZqYOL2PHj5FyLDScNA5KZQ0g3ZLUtVwgB1h809RMsDsE-exJg7jucVl6zfNmA7M-XBHvF/s1600-h/Picture+1.png"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 328px; height: 400px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh2k-O-c82c0jvN8XlAECtciblfsjCMEzwNJ6vaxM_c4fytn63tCvBdMEsem4mUC-a49OYhtV3ZqYOL2PHj5FyLDScNA5KZQ0g3ZLUtVwgB1h809RMsDsE-exJg7jucVl6zfNmA7M-XBHvF/s400/Picture+1.png" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5309433968817173506" border="0" /></a>Hi Blog,<br /><br />This isn't Japan<span style="color: rgb(204, 51, 204);">†</span> related, but I'm posting it because, well, I've been waiting for this day to come for a while now. Today's NY Times has what I felt is a mindbogglingly horrifying article on <a href="http://www.nytimes.com/2009/03/04/business/04dead.html?_r=1&hp=&pagewanted=all">debt collecting from the recently deceased</a>.<br /><br />So why am I posting about it? Well, you see, I've long believed that it's only a matter of time before the collection agencies figure out how to enter the afterlife -- <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Flatliners">FLATLINERS</a> like -- and get their payments<span style="color: rgb(255, 102, 0);">*</span> and this article appears to be the first broad step in that direction. The question is, how will they exact the payment? I think it'll be indentured servitude via the afterlife. Something like setting up a database or call a center from the land of the dead or something like that. (<span style="font-style: italic;">The plus side for the corporations is that the undead a) don't get tired and therefore don't need breaks and b) no health care costs or worker's comp claims to contend with.</span>)<br /><br />Anyway, you can read the article <a href="http://www.nytimes.com/2009/03/04/business/04dead.html?_r=1&hp=&pagewanted=all">here</a> and be gobsmacked by the total lack of decency and class that the DCM folks are operating under. I was particularly impressed by the three-week sensitivity training course that the operators undergo to better cajole the money out of the bereaved-- who incidentally are under no obligation to pay back the deceased's debt, but are never alerted to this fact.<br /><blockquote style="font-style: italic; color: rgb(204, 102, 0);">"New hires at DCM train for three weeks in what the company calls “empathic active listening,” which mixes the comforting air of a funeral director with the nonjudgmental tones of a friend. The new employees learn to use such anger-deflecting phrases as “If I hear you correctly, you’d like...”<br /><br />“You get to be the person who cares,” the training manager, Autumn Boomgaarden, told a class of four new hires." </blockquote>What a bunch of vultures.<br /><br />Try reading the article while listening to <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Faith_No_More">Faith No More</a>'s classic: 'Surprise! You're Dead!' I've embeded it below.<br /><br /><object height="385" width="480"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/upWUuByQLxQ&hl=en&fs=1&color1=0xe1600f&color2=0xfebd01"><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/upWUuByQLxQ&hl=en&fs=1&color1=0xe1600f&color2=0xfebd01" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" height="385" width="480"></embed></object><br /><br /><span style="color: rgb(204, 51, 204);">†</span> Apparently in Japan there is a responsibility to pay debt, but this can be passed on to other (more distant) family members if the appropriate forms are filed with the government. But do you really want to mess with Japanese debt collectors - aka. the Yakuza?<br /><br /><span style="color: rgb(255, 102, 0);">*</span> <span style="font-style: italic;">Incidentally, some people believe that this won't be the case. They feel that in fact credit will be given against your future offspring's indentured servitude. Could be...</span>Nicholas Ruckahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08364089506861324349noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3545632185138234587.post-11344807599895530892009-02-21T16:38:00.000-08:002009-02-21T16:58:19.079-08:00That queasy feeling you have in your stomach? It's the bugs.<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgSjZx7V2pRghEIJR6PnWJIydcs5l3wVdbbGlWqmlRSE2Th027XAYe0sbYcKKE8afdx5qKFQSpq5Kr4s41_I6TlhlQM9S5tyxvvz2Veu55VxJTLYRyepmmZms8nvMIfT_mUburpO6AR3qNV/s1600-h/Millipede.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 300px; height: 282px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgSjZx7V2pRghEIJR6PnWJIydcs5l3wVdbbGlWqmlRSE2Th027XAYe0sbYcKKE8afdx5qKFQSpq5Kr4s41_I6TlhlQM9S5tyxvvz2Veu55VxJTLYRyepmmZms8nvMIfT_mUburpO6AR3qNV/s400/Millipede.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5305415507162541234" border="0" /></a>Hi Blog,<br /><br />People collect bugs in Japan. This isn't the something just for kids-- but in fact adults, with paychecks, buy them in stores or even on Yahoo! Auction.<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhq4J78mka55gzBhSuJZUdqLQMPvhdZMLh1bxkRnB-kVnnYVgq9KPa_eGvWOTbCQDHfPNMQFD-iMTW4ynLOP_VfQSrC8_iTJXgDba7p99RzvVAk_e7g5iYxxGnVX6Fs3xeu0Ppo_tGBDeSK/s1600-h/auction_bug_2"><img style="margin: 0pt 0pt 10px 10px; float: right; cursor: pointer; width: 163px; height: 122px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhq4J78mka55gzBhSuJZUdqLQMPvhdZMLh1bxkRnB-kVnnYVgq9KPa_eGvWOTbCQDHfPNMQFD-iMTW4ynLOP_VfQSrC8_iTJXgDba7p99RzvVAk_e7g5iYxxGnVX6Fs3xeu0Ppo_tGBDeSK/s320/auction_bug_2" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5305416298765319970" border="0" /></a><br />Look this one here -><br /><br />Costs <span style="font-weight: bold;">4100円</span>。<br /><br />(Here's the auction <a href="http://page5.auctions.yahoo.co.jp/jp/auction/e85967338">page</a> if you want to buy it.)<br /><br />Anyhoo, it appears that sometimes folks also collect bugs to watch them <span style="font-weight: bold; color: rgb(255, 0, 0);">fight</span>. And sometimes they record these fights and post them on the interwubs with pro-wrestling announcements and flying graphics. Like this site: <a href="http://www.japanesebugfights.com/">Japanesebugfights.com</a>.<br /><br />Before you think that this is a free-for-all, apparently there are rules. Three of them. And they are <span style="font-weight: bold;">not</span> to be broken. ("Rule 3: No Outside Weapons." !?)<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh4LsXcn6QH40rSMPaHXiufmFGXPFP8meV5-14FEmk7R9LSQFFw4-cskbSjTJHSz0YFspU05smAymHZ8VZr-RevCs7yyisoI49UWK7B74Y9Vw9pVJkgyG1ONFm-idTZNT3UYKY1dgVtJ1Hg/s1600-h/Picture+1.png"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 510px; height: 237px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh4LsXcn6QH40rSMPaHXiufmFGXPFP8meV5-14FEmk7R9LSQFFw4-cskbSjTJHSz0YFspU05smAymHZ8VZr-RevCs7yyisoI49UWK7B74Y9Vw9pVJkgyG1ONFm-idTZNT3UYKY1dgVtJ1Hg/s400/Picture+1.png" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5305417312482595858" border="0" /></a><br />I will freely admit that I couldn't stop watching these videos and that I had the creeps the whole time. That queasy feeling you have in your stomach? It's the bugs.<br /><br />Here're a couple of the fights. (For some reason, the folks who do this site love fighting with scorpions. I've tried to mix it up a bit.)<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgYteYUaijaaUCOgiX3v31Vt1bjDIZ23bk11Z3lIeoiUcYahZlGuy7c1YlYc_P6LRRDGpsL92kSUi8Cf3zvq93Lu13hywdfjgF2q5LIlksPPExRfCsUNkFlEbP_LJ61ZlyQb1xPX_xK7JXq/s1600-h/Picture+2.png"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 64px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgYteYUaijaaUCOgiX3v31Vt1bjDIZ23bk11Z3lIeoiUcYahZlGuy7c1YlYc_P6LRRDGpsL92kSUi8Cf3zvq93Lu13hywdfjgF2q5LIlksPPExRfCsUNkFlEbP_LJ61ZlyQb1xPX_xK7JXq/s400/Picture+2.png" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5305417212220984226" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><embed src="http://blip.tv/play/gfo62fc8kZg_" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" height="398" width="544"></embed><br /><br /><embed src="http://blip.tv/play/gfo62fd3kZg_" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" height="382" width="512"></embed><br /><br /><embed src="http://blip.tv/play/gfo62olxkZg_" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" height="382" width="512"></embed><br /><br /><embed src="http://blip.tv/play/gfo62fkpkZg_" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" height="318" width="432"></embed><br /><br />Oh! And if you have your own bug fights that you've recorded and want to share with Japan Bug Fights, go for it! There's a submission link on their front page.<br /><br /><a href="http://www.japanesebugfights.com/">Dozo</a>.Nicholas Ruckahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08364089506861324349noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3545632185138234587.post-76114259547297775142009-02-17T10:51:00.000-08:002009-02-17T11:04:25.897-08:00Midnight Eye Best of 2008!<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiZQ6ZgUNqiprAh8KIjhCPZllwJDlVuxwrBVY7mWLXrDE5GQiDtwCIUJfSSDOVZKBrJQ40z3gAmwC9LVayMOSk2vqz1rrzDk3BgtqDdJdR-_FyhEdxSvbM4aDUvZoPGbeA_7qMaoB_bl9Rg/s1600-h/midnighteye_banner_46860.gif"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 51px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiZQ6ZgUNqiprAh8KIjhCPZllwJDlVuxwrBVY7mWLXrDE5GQiDtwCIUJfSSDOVZKBrJQ40z3gAmwC9LVayMOSk2vqz1rrzDk3BgtqDdJdR-_FyhEdxSvbM4aDUvZoPGbeA_7qMaoB_bl9Rg/s400/midnighteye_banner_46860.gif" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5303842387566596898" border="0" /></a>Hi Blog,<br /><br />Woah, so I'm like totally, totally, really, unbelievably late in posting this. And I'm sure that most of you fine folks who read this blog have already checked it out so maybe this is totally useless, and yet I'll announce it nonetheless...<br /><br />The<a href="http://www.midnighteye.com"> Midnight Eye</a> Best of 2008 list is finally up on-line! As usual, I'm represented there. This is something like year seven for me to contribute to the list and as always, you should keep in mind that this is just one man's opinion. (For better or for worse...)<br /><br />The one film that I would've totally added to my list if I had seen it in time is Johnnie To's <a href="http://www.subwaycinema.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=55">SPARROW.</a> What an amazing film. It's as if <a href="http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0062229/">LE SAMOURAI</a> were a light-footed musical with some Johnnie To <a href="http://www.lovehkfilm.com/reviews_2/election.htm">ELECTION</a> tossed in for good measure. Anyway, it'll undoubtedly show up on my best of 2009 list, just as a super advanced head's up.<br /><br />Here's the <a href="http://www.midnighteye.com/features/best-of-2008.shtml">link</a>.Nicholas Ruckahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08364089506861324349noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3545632185138234587.post-3228136758067697682009-02-17T10:27:00.000-08:002009-02-17T10:39:53.567-08:00Out of the Darkness Now Playing in NYC!<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEicnH4rv8h1hDP5fVim4MlM7lEpUPoET0PeHp0i1PXpWd5Kn0RkQscoczs3lLmOWGDeihKOCeCrS8hmlUAumjKThxqj4jL_zwKAqRSvNIhK8K6x7WiKZpFl0p3WULN0lD21yztnw8YV8ZW4/s1600-h/OOTD+Poster.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 186px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEicnH4rv8h1hDP5fVim4MlM7lEpUPoET0PeHp0i1PXpWd5Kn0RkQscoczs3lLmOWGDeihKOCeCrS8hmlUAumjKThxqj4jL_zwKAqRSvNIhK8K6x7WiKZpFl0p3WULN0lD21yztnw8YV8ZW4/s320/OOTD+Poster.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5303835877982008994" border="0" /></a><br />Hi Blog,<br /><br />My film <a href="http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0878704/">Out of the Darkness</a> has been playing on Monday nights in NYC-- in Elmhurst, Queens specifically-- this month (Feb '09) as part of a screening series called <a href="http://www.terrazacafe.com/Site/Cinemondays.php?id=1233477040.xml">CINEMONDAYS</a>. I know there's only like, ONE more Monday left this month, but if you can swing by the <a href="http://www.terrazacafe.com/Site/Cinemondays.php?id=1233477040.xml">Terraza 7 Train Cafe</a>, you can see it along with some other short films. You know, maybe have a drink there as well.<br /><br />Terraza 7 Train Café<br />40-19 Gleane Street<br />Elmhurst, NY 11373<br /><br />Info <a href="http://www.terrazacafe.com/Site/Cinemondays.php?id=1233477040.xml">here</a>.<br /><br /><embed id="VideoPlayback" src="http://video.google.com/googleplayer.swf?docid=-8222068158073967232&hl=en&fs=true" style="width: 400px; height: 326px;" allowfullscreen="true" allowscriptaccess="always" type="application/x-shockwave-flash"></embed>Nicholas Ruckahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08364089506861324349noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3545632185138234587.post-89654320615419756752009-01-23T16:26:00.000-08:002009-01-23T16:44:02.479-08:00ウララ ウララ ウラウララ〜♪ Time for a Yamamoto Linda Hip Thrust<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhtU1teYApiHyi0-W8mFCKC3QZKRGLAflcVqQB57lpkxYjAjKl38rXImMr61V06kbfm0OdyAvs3U6J415Jk4wg_6TqLC7npz3nDW6182rBvEjGR1oSuFPufzvb8UWabrLiiYMlhOzhIL2U7/s1600-h/mw66.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 206px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhtU1teYApiHyi0-W8mFCKC3QZKRGLAflcVqQB57lpkxYjAjKl38rXImMr61V06kbfm0OdyAvs3U6J415Jk4wg_6TqLC7npz3nDW6182rBvEjGR1oSuFPufzvb8UWabrLiiYMlhOzhIL2U7/s320/mw66.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5294652944040685922" border="0" /></a><br />Hi Blog,<br /><br />Ooh la la indeed<span style="font-style: italic;">!!</span><br /><br />Getting bogged down here in writing and desperately need a pick me up. Sure a shot of espresso or a some ice cubes down the pants could work, but it's not nearly as satisfying as watching the glorious sequined 1970s bombshell <a href="http://ja.wikipedia.org/wiki/%E5%B1%B1%E6%9C%AC%E3%83%AA%E3%83%B3%E3%83%80">Yamamoto Linda</a> belt out some tunes courtesy of the old YouTube time machine.<br /><br />Up first, 狙いうち (<span style="font-style: italic;">Nerai-Uchi!</span> - Aim and Fire!):<br /><br /><object height="344" width="425"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/NGKYEctzmJE&hl=en&fs=1"><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/NGKYEctzmJE&hl=en&fs=1" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" height="344" width="425"></embed></object><br /><br />Up next, どうにもとまらない (<span style="font-style: italic;">Donimo tomaranai!</span> - Can't Stop Myself!):<br /><br /><object height="344" width="425"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/CS59f_oE7y4&hl=en&fs=1"><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/CS59f_oE7y4&hl=en&fs=1" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" height="344" width="425"></embed></object><br /><br />いいね<span style="font-style: italic;">!</span>If you like her stuff, there's plenty more of it on line. I leave you to find it on your own. (<span style="font-style: italic;">BTW, she's not nearly as interesting now... But that's the way it goes, I suppose...</span>)<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgEC-_rsvV8EXEdGc7pWnQBcBM5iHktBmjXA1Y6FJEiXd7k1OgzvIeG3pxTeNgfBri-i356V76ZDcs3gxQyUbYkUdmPbYICeeCvGgsCcMaBM7MfW9hkKjo2YqAXNF_9g6NNGMgbWLv3yT80/s1600-h/YR01.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 200px; height: 194px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgEC-_rsvV8EXEdGc7pWnQBcBM5iHktBmjXA1Y6FJEiXd7k1OgzvIeG3pxTeNgfBri-i356V76ZDcs3gxQyUbYkUdmPbYICeeCvGgsCcMaBM7MfW9hkKjo2YqAXNF_9g6NNGMgbWLv3yT80/s320/YR01.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5294653051890363266" border="0" /></a>Nicholas Ruckahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08364089506861324349noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3545632185138234587.post-52052954516929900522009-01-22T10:03:00.000-08:002009-01-22T10:37:59.439-08:00Studio 4ºC UPDATE: Genius Party Box Set & Mind Game in Los Angeles<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi5vYzlhppVVdFTrWa3iPk54ftMEvbY_U-XRVfgZGD2DPxGXWjueqo6HwNJmFu5QcHaQi3-JDck264BQcHAeBCWTpYmsRRnWyMj03jWV5nKSFsn9z_Ng6dBlnsKsUiVprTGVACDETX5KtDV/s1600-h/Picture+2.png"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 224px; height: 63px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi5vYzlhppVVdFTrWa3iPk54ftMEvbY_U-XRVfgZGD2DPxGXWjueqo6HwNJmFu5QcHaQi3-JDck264BQcHAeBCWTpYmsRRnWyMj03jWV5nKSFsn9z_Ng6dBlnsKsUiVprTGVACDETX5KtDV/s320/Picture+2.png" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5294185743173872242" border="0" /></a>Hi Blog,<br /><br />I'm happy to report to two tasty bite-sized bits of <a href="http://www.studio4c.co.jp/english/">Studio 4ºC</a> news: the mind-blowingly awesome and totally worth your time in every way possible anime <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mind_Game_%28film%29">MIND GAME</a> will play in Los Angeles this FRIDAY night at midnight. Although it's a digital projection (can't be helped, I suppose) it is Studio 4ºC sanctioned and as such, it should be supported.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhE1MZDvLXAs8VzW9PF3bL-Vd3aan17VeyfNqTtbDgbSPtK-yFVhPRRZ_YPCJoA9Y7665J5Nwo7_tC4GpflQjSXZgBlvz6HMJhM8z-PUWKIPDX8N7y7fIU_WT6ZbleXYYJvdfS9xEI1yqFN/s200/mindfukkoku_pop.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 0pt 10px 10px; float: right; cursor: pointer; width: 139px; height: 200px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhE1MZDvLXAs8VzW9PF3bL-Vd3aan17VeyfNqTtbDgbSPtK-yFVhPRRZ_YPCJoA9Y7665J5Nwo7_tC4GpflQjSXZgBlvz6HMJhM8z-PUWKIPDX8N7y7fIU_WT6ZbleXYYJvdfS9xEI1yqFN/s200/mindfukkoku_pop.jpg" alt="" border="0" /></a>Now why should you go and see this? Two reasons really: it is one of the most inspiring films I've seen in a long time -- seriously, you will leave the theater reassessing and reprioritizing your life. Also, you will come to an perspective shifting realization that animation in the west is trapped in some 20th century stasis like a mosquito in amber while Studio 4ºC's animation has been created and broadcast to us like Ranman aliens with higher evolved aesthetics and execution. (Or something.)<br /><br />Anyhoo, <span style="font-style: italic;">do</span> see the film. It's playing at the Silent Movie Theater in Los Angeles. Friday. Midnight. Details <a href="http://www.silentmovietheatre.com/calendar/friday_late.html#min">here</a>.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjYLTWdZrp0Y0To9wVfodoXQ4m8m56N870ZuEx6r3OOPk_eIbIoJ4NJdudRLZQpH1TNA4YXOaRlmF2bIalXgRcz2ABXrdUtG1Ix7R_wpsRMYeXoC-_mtlQ9FTzF9IjEA8C475Y5DFmlFpOr/s1600-h/Picture+1.png"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 236px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjYLTWdZrp0Y0To9wVfodoXQ4m8m56N870ZuEx6r3OOPk_eIbIoJ4NJdudRLZQpH1TNA4YXOaRlmF2bIalXgRcz2ABXrdUtG1Ix7R_wpsRMYeXoC-_mtlQ9FTzF9IjEA8C475Y5DFmlFpOr/s320/Picture+1.png" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5294186521074605650" border="0" /></a>Also, I just received an email from a producer at Studio 4ºC and she is happy to announce that the uber-excellent GENIUS PARTY and GENIUS PARTY BEYOND will be released this March in a 3-disc box set in Japan. Although, <a href="http://www.midnighteye.com/">Midnight Eye</a> has been slow to post our critical picks for 2008, those two films easily made my best of list and if I ever get off of my ass and write it, I have a lot of thoughts to share about those films that I'd like to put in a review.<br /><br />But, come on Rucka, is GENIUS PARTY really that good? Well, to be frank, since it's an 'omnibus' collection there's the good stuff and the not so good stuff. But what's always so cool about watching a Studio 4ºC release is that when the good stuff works, MAN does it work! As the west trends towards photo-realism and CGI, Studio 4ºC is working on challenging the very form of anime: from experimenting with the use of voice talent all the way to choosing new ways of photographing and animating their cell animation. (Some of it bordering on experimentalism.)<br /><br />Maybe, eventually, we'll see this kind of fresh thinking out here in the west. But in the meantime, I'm sure it'll show up on the internubs on March 21st with sub par fansubs (<span style="font-style: italic;">although, it could be like the MIND GAME DVD and have excellent subs already on it?</span>) and that'll be the way that the fans will be able to watch it until a proper export edition comes out...<br /><br />You can buy it through <a href="http://www.amazon.co.jp/%E5%88%9D%E5%9B%9E%E9%99%90%E5%AE%9A%E7%94%9F%E7%94%A3-Genius-Party-Beyond-BOX/dp/B001O2XT6U/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&s=dvd&qid=1232647362&sr=8-2">Amazon Japan</a>.<br /><br />Lots and LOTS of previous posts about MIND GAME and Studio 4ºC <a href="http://mab-pro.blogspot.com/search?q=4%C2%BAC">here</a>!<br /><br />Interview that I did with the head of Studio 4ºC, Ms. Eiko Tanaka, <a href="http://www.midnighteye.com/interviews/eiko_tanaka.shtml">here</a>!Nicholas Ruckahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08364089506861324349noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3545632185138234587.post-51043196823038989402008-12-02T09:40:00.000-08:002008-12-02T10:20:03.457-08:00Oshii Mamoru Directs Stage Version of TetsuJin 28! (In Osaka?!)<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjPr9_4N9c-yNJ0zJbeF_PTBCDVDyn-F5tn56QbiRh67WrErnkxHQD-FPHLpfGm-TY8AZBGAWIr1Y1M7K3XTTNOpTEFgM6cyU_IE-FJw6m9wAm9GF_Rr3Xtn71n2FbCiyG3gOChMeCA1kx8/s1600-h/p.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 265px; height: 377px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjPr9_4N9c-yNJ0zJbeF_PTBCDVDyn-F5tn56QbiRh67WrErnkxHQD-FPHLpfGm-TY8AZBGAWIr1Y1M7K3XTTNOpTEFgM6cyU_IE-FJw6m9wAm9GF_Rr3Xtn71n2FbCiyG3gOChMeCA1kx8/s400/p.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5275253008798524290" border="0" /></a>Hi Blog,<br /><br />If you're in Osaka in January and have about ¥10,000 to blow, then you should go and see <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mamoru_Oshii">Oshii Mamoru's</a> directed stage adaptation of <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tetsujin_28-go">TETSUJIN 28</a> (aka. 鉄人28号). I'd be curious to check this out considering Mamoru is a recluse who prefers the company of drawings and basset hounds to people. (So what's he doing directing real live actors?)<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgIhrV6SPC631hcdrs5J50UiXliduhRfi4nSfEiZKz9EsmFYy2xHiC2sldahAWronlGBoB9iZJ9jtNdYRSFjbaYBn5UP5f8RGVq7rg4a75K-cu84T_zCLoUKXoYpS_LdrZe4woEnDlZRobL/s1600-h/p_sanpla.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 0pt 10px 10px; float: right; cursor: pointer; width: 113px; height: 151px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgIhrV6SPC631hcdrs5J50UiXliduhRfi4nSfEiZKz9EsmFYy2xHiC2sldahAWronlGBoB9iZJ9jtNdYRSFjbaYBn5UP5f8RGVq7rg4a75K-cu84T_zCLoUKXoYpS_LdrZe4woEnDlZRobL/s200/p_sanpla.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5275253101145776114" border="0" /></a>Oh! And can someone tell me what's up with this guy「<a href="http://ja.wikipedia.org/wiki/%E3%82%B5%E3%83%B3%E3%83%97%E3%83%A9%E3%82%B6%E4%B8%AD%E9%87%8E%E3%81%8F%E3%82%93">サンプラザ中野くん</a>」? (<span style="font-style: italic;">aka. Sun Plaza Nakano Kun</span> - Pic right) He looks like a younger, balder <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tamori">Tamori</a>.<br /><br /><object height="344" width="425"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/pIclLN4wxmU&hl=en&fs=1"><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/pIclLN4wxmU&hl=en&fs=1" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" height="344" width="425"></embed></object><br /><br />Info can be found <a href="http://www.umegei.com/s2009/tetsujin28.html">here</a>.<br />(Via <a href="https://portal.lib.ohio-state.edu/Markus/kj.html">Kine Japan</a>.)Nicholas Ruckahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08364089506861324349noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3545632185138234587.post-52156007461584743232008-11-19T20:11:00.000-08:002008-11-19T21:00:20.765-08:00Kumakiri's Kazuyoshi's new film NON-KO at FILMeX<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhP4cHS2rx6mgZN27u-8iIwBr92Os_BKtbxZxTAh9I_fvpzJZcL6v-Yf8Ohkxvn8MjWyAN3hLFsX8LfyviRdilTIxT1P2vaPrtXxA3e_v2PMdouDoF_E6VvIp8kVITzcLgCDCkMihgiFqpu/s1600-h/Picture+5.png"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 219px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhP4cHS2rx6mgZN27u-8iIwBr92Os_BKtbxZxTAh9I_fvpzJZcL6v-Yf8Ohkxvn8MjWyAN3hLFsX8LfyviRdilTIxT1P2vaPrtXxA3e_v2PMdouDoF_E6VvIp8kVITzcLgCDCkMihgiFqpu/s400/Picture+5.png" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5270590831223181842" border="0" /></a>Hi Blog,<br /><br />Been meaning to post about this for a while and am now just getting around to it. My old friend Kumakiri Kazuyoshi, for whom I did the subtitles for his debut feature <a href="http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0168918/">KICHIKU DAI ENKAI</a> (for its initial film festival run), has a new film in competition at the upcoming <a href="http://filmex.net/index-e2008.htm">TOKYO FILMeX</a> called <a href="http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1239408/">NON-KO 36 SAI: KAJI TETSUDAI</a>. (The English title is just: NON-KO)<br /><br />Although I have yet to see it, it appears that this film is a kind of return to Kumakiri's roots. It's a simple character drama with the cast and crew positions filled out by Kuma's old team. <a href="http://wiki.d-addicts.com/Sakai_Maki">Sakai Maki </a> stars as Bando Nobuko and Ujita Takashi again picks up the scriptwriting reigns with Kumakiri. Kumakiri's old Osaka Geidai pal Akira aka. <a href="http://www.akainu.com/pc/">AKAINU</a> has composed the music and <a href="http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0454124/">Kimura Toshiki</a> is on for producing duties.<br /><br />The story is as follows:<br /><blockquote style="font-style: italic; color: rgb(153, 102, 51);">Nobuko tried to be successful as an actress in Tokyo (stage name ‘Nonko’), but wasn’t popular. She married her manager and soon divorced. Now a once-divorced woman in her mid-30s, she returns home to the Shinto shrine that her family runs, to help out with domestic chores. Her father is always in a stubborn rage, her mother is always trying to calm things down. However, Nonko’s married sister, who already has a daughter, scathingly says of Nonko, “It’s all over for her.”<br />There’s no place to run to and no place to belong, just a backwards little country town. The only thing to do is ride her bicycle to her friend’s bar to drink with the owner, another divorcee. She can’t remember the last time she got dressed up or had sex.<br /><br />Nonko, who is totally lacking in ambition, encounters a young man named Masaru. He has great expectations about selling chicks at the shrine festival. Nonko ends up taking him to the house of Yasukawa, who allots space for festival stalls. Masaru is rather naïve and pitiable, but this earnest and straightforward younger man puts a smile back on her face, and she gradually becomes more emotionally and physically receptive, until her ex-husband, Udagawa, makes his appearance.<br /> Nonko’s heart begins to tremble.</blockquote><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgSlLuRaWTjQad5Ddhf16BsB5K0BqKXujfg-8zUG0AqH1vmj6zyYnMem0_8Tqw0FqgyPwsN9J0_0bh3ucV28jILhnLLqFhSXOa-8M73IEHtPB1HooeVTSYv5M5JFcRKpKp7Zb-Yf4iqBPA-/s1600-h/Picture+6.png"><img style="margin: 0pt 0pt 10px 10px; float: right; cursor: pointer; width: 178px; height: 139px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgSlLuRaWTjQad5Ddhf16BsB5K0BqKXujfg-8zUG0AqH1vmj6zyYnMem0_8Tqw0FqgyPwsN9J0_0bh3ucV28jILhnLLqFhSXOa-8M73IEHtPB1HooeVTSYv5M5JFcRKpKp7Zb-Yf4iqBPA-/s320/Picture+6.png" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5270597675279278562" border="0" /></a>I'm excited to see this as I think that Kumakiri is an immensely talented filmmaker who succumbed to early career success (to some extent). Of just about all of the young directors I encountered, Kumakiri has shown without a doubt some of the best intuitive filmmaking skills. And plus, any director who casts <a href="http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0906709/">Wakamatsu Koji</a> as Babe Ruth is doing something right.<br /><br />NON-KO will be playing FILMeX <a href="http://filmex.net/2008/schedule-e.htm">Nov. 24th at 6:30pm</a> and there are English subs, I think.<br /><br />Here's a clip from the local Yorii news, where NON-KO was shot, talking about the filming of the movie and its recent premier. Kumakiri is, naturally, heavily featured.<br /><br /><object height="344" width="425"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/0s0y7XP1C4U&hl=en&fs=1"><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/0s0y7XP1C4U&hl=en&fs=1" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" height="344" width="425"></embed></object><br /><br />And here's the <a href="http://nonko36.jp/trailer/t_500k.html">link</a> to the trailer.<br /><br />There's plenty of more info about the film on the very <a href="http://nonko36.jp/english.html">English</a> friendly website.<span style="text-decoration: underline;"></span> Something tells me that they're actively courting the international audience...Nicholas Ruckahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08364089506861324349noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3545632185138234587.post-67347842784119046012008-11-16T09:49:00.000-08:002008-11-16T10:03:24.965-08:00Obayashi's HAUSU on IFC! (aka. HOUSE)<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiU9KtVPDx1VRn6q71d5u_1nFDYDfxCY8McwfDEWWuFCLCBB-bhl7dZJIkX5pLO8SxD-0fvyrpfzbrjk5rwirsUXrQ2mpRjsuYuVgXBoT14IRBjcu1MULb-RYsqvd7JXKHAPRGPKPBBGvQx/s400/hausu1977.gif"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 291px; height: 400px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiU9KtVPDx1VRn6q71d5u_1nFDYDfxCY8McwfDEWWuFCLCBB-bhl7dZJIkX5pLO8SxD-0fvyrpfzbrjk5rwirsUXrQ2mpRjsuYuVgXBoT14IRBjcu1MULb-RYsqvd7JXKHAPRGPKPBBGvQx/s400/hausu1977.gif" border="0" alt="" /></a>Hi Blog,<div><br /></div><div><a href="http://outcastcinema.blogspot.com/">Outcast Cinema</a>'s Marc Walkow brings word of IFC Channels amazingly cool and yet, totally unexpected, broadcasting of Obayashi Nobuhiko's <a href="http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0076162/">HAUSU</a> (1977) later this month. </div><div><br /></div><div><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEio2hz_Ez_adhz1KzsDgQ3mT6OwVFJG0V2TEYulsLqbBR3bpzg6hMBqNDHwJPqs-sIUcmcAX7tV65DiaZWzMPP8JlyPC-kKz4hO5efNRCAyiFUN_1ZFciY362wm4ewr4xGqsz9lUIbriKeK/s200/310x229_house1977.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5269316815807514722" style="float: right; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: 10px; cursor: pointer; width: 200px; height: 148px; " /></div><div>Regular readers of this blog know that HAUSU is one of my favorite films-- and certainly one of my favorite horror films inspired by a seven-year-old's story idea. (That would be the director's daughter.) I've alread written about it <a href="http://http://mab-pro.blogspot.com/2007/10/hausu-aka.html">here</a> so I won't repeat myself. That said, the plot synopsis on the IFC Channel's website is incorrect. HAUSU isn't a murder mystery. Where'd they get that from?</div><div><br /></div><div>Here's the trailer again because it's so damn good.</div><div><br /><br /><object width="425" height="344"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/NN0HVJ5tkIM&hl=en&fs=1"><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/NN0HVJ5tkIM&hl=en&fs=1" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" width="425" height="344"></embed></object><br /></div><div><br /></div><div>HAUSU is being broadcast Saturday Nov. 22nd at Midnight and 3am on the IFC Channel. (I think that would make it really late Friday night for those who are staying up, right?)</div><div><br /></div><div><a href="http://mab-pro.blogspot.com/2007/10/hausu-aka.html">Link</a> to previous postings.</div><div><br /></div><div><a href="http://www.ifc.com/movies/n002/n356/n520/n000.php">Link</a> to the IFC Channel's Page.</div>Nicholas Ruckahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08364089506861324349noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3545632185138234587.post-60075550036973100772008-11-11T14:44:00.000-08:002008-11-12T18:39:02.931-08:00ギャランドゥ - The Gyarando<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/8/83/Chest_hair_growth.jpg/622px-Chest_hair_growth.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 338px; height: 325px;" src="http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/8/83/Chest_hair_growth.jpg/622px-Chest_hair_growth.jpg" alt="" border="0" /></a>Hi Blog,<br /><br />One of the running jokes in Japan that I always found funny, but never really got (that's kind of like laughing because everyone else is) is the Gyarando. (aka. ギャランドゥ)<br /><br />For a country where chest hair is generally a fairly limited prospect there's a joke that a man with a hairy chest has a 'Gyarando.' I never knew where it came from. In fact, I always thought it was a "Gyaran + Do" As in a nice 'hair-do,' that was also known as a 'Gyaran.'<br /><br />Anyway, I found out some months back that like many slang and jokey expressions in Japanese, this one was rooted in pop culture-- this time it's a 1983 hit pop song by Saijou Hideki (<a href="http://ja.wikipedia.org/wiki/%E8%A5%BF%E5%9F%8E%E7%A7%80%E6%A8%B9"><b>西城 秀樹</b></a>) called, you guessed it: 「ギャランドゥ」. And thanks to the wonderful time travelling scientists over at YouTube, you can watch a video artifact of it right now. On your computer.<br /><br />Oh! But first, here's a riddle you can ponder while you watch this video: why does Gyarando refer to chest hair in the first place? Apparently, it's because Saijou Hideki is prancing about with a billowing open shirt, proudly showing off his bare chest-- only, he has <span style="font-weight: bold;">no</span> chest hair (as far as I can tell). See for yourself:<br /><br /><object height="344" width="425"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/ZT6-Yba3FIA&hl=en&fs=1"><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/ZT6-Yba3FIA&hl=en&fs=1" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" height="344" width="425"></embed></object><br /><br />Next time you're in Japan, you'll never have to pretend that you know what the whole 'Gyarando' joke is all about. Laugh freely. Go on.<br /><br /><span style="color: rgb(204, 0, 0); font-weight: bold;">Update!</span><span style="font-weight: bold;"> </span>The "Pretty Person" has posted this comment and I find it so educational -- especially the 'boomerang' bit -- that I want to include it in the post. Thanks 'Bijindesu!' (Btw, did you find my posting via YouTube?)<br /><blockquote style="font-style: italic;">"You are only half right. Galando is is not chest hair, it is the hair on the lower belly.<br />Hideki wwas wearing speedo when he was on some idol swimming competition shows. His lower belly hair showed up above the speedo, looked like the extension of pubic hair. It was embarrassing for girls to mention it directly. So a singer said on her radio talk show to ask guys with Galando to come for some event. That started the word Galando meanig lower belly hair. Galando is a word created by the song lyricist, made up of "Gal and Do"<br /><br />Also, Speedo is called "boomerang" in Japan because Hideki wore speedo while he was promoting his hit single "boomerang"</blockquote><br />Here's the vid, minus the speedo...<br /><object height="344" width="425"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/WEZkpNick-U&hl=en&fs=1"><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/WEZkpNick-U&hl=en&fs=1" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" height="344" width="425"></embed></object><br /><br />or<br /><br /><object height="344" width="425"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/6iRwp0H_y2c&hl=en&fs=1"><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/6iRwp0H_y2c&hl=en&fs=1" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" height="344" width="425"></embed></object>Nicholas Ruckahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08364089506861324349noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3545632185138234587.post-62868717452801971442008-11-10T22:08:00.001-08:002008-11-10T22:16:21.459-08:00One more for Late Bloomer: Roger Ebert is a fan?!<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh90QHpiJMRe3EsheXGyidK-UvJOLwuolC_1XPBhrhH7FTMDc37i_sOXLn_6pIJyLXi4Ciixd-UsRYqa4epODZqA9nBNGF7CSViSm1Gqeh6Uc7v4fRAvbw5yjzYinpKYbysJFgjiS53p-PQ/s1600-h/bilde.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 180px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh90QHpiJMRe3EsheXGyidK-UvJOLwuolC_1XPBhrhH7FTMDc37i_sOXLn_6pIJyLXi4Ciixd-UsRYqa4epODZqA9nBNGF7CSViSm1Gqeh6Uc7v4fRAvbw5yjzYinpKYbysJFgjiS53p-PQ/s320/bilde.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5267278290585370386" border="0" /></a>Hi Blog,<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEja8Ie-4K08zg5KVUrg9af6o6-S21PSeiPlV-Bks6ECL90KWWhNIh3qrm8qvGb3j0Dqy3zC-dgybshcrLc7Ba__WsYnLH9j718Fam-V6XwnjV4uPLKqBm6BXmbOIKH7Q_lML19cPkaeU8o-/s1600-h/roger_REVIEWS.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 62px; height: 77px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEja8Ie-4K08zg5KVUrg9af6o6-S21PSeiPlV-Bks6ECL90KWWhNIh3qrm8qvGb3j0Dqy3zC-dgybshcrLc7Ba__WsYnLH9j718Fam-V6XwnjV4uPLKqBm6BXmbOIKH7Q_lML19cPkaeU8o-/s200/roger_REVIEWS.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5267278545073174930" border="0" /></a>Roger Ebert watched Shibata Go's LATE BLOOMER and likes it. Crazy.<br /><br />"<span style="font-style: italic; color: rgb(153, 102, 51);">You watch for a while and the movie is tough going. Then it takes hold and you begin identifying with Sumida. He is a bad, bad man. You can sort of understand that.</span>"<br /><br /><a href="http://rogerebert.suntimes.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20081105/REVIEWS/811059982">Link</a>.<br /><br />Oodles of previous Late Bloomer <a href="http://mab-pro.blogspot.com/search?q=late+bloomer">posts</a>.<br /><br />Midnighteye <a href="http://www.midnighteye.com/interviews/go_shibata.shtml"></a><a href="http://www.midnighteye.com/reviews/latebloomer.shtml">review</a> and Shibata Go <a href="http://www.midnighteye.com/interviews/go_shibata.shtml">interview</a>. The first ones in English, btw.Nicholas Ruckahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08364089506861324349noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3545632185138234587.post-88113527957636586202008-11-09T15:09:00.000-08:002008-11-09T21:58:50.997-08:00Shogun Assassin! Hannukah, Christmas, or Kwanza - Here's a gift for ya<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhOM6hyphenhyphenqmWP8H8195A3CtCgWRjKDss215z1A2sL3GPwZUBmdJqy1U7o9Ki9tXU8WnSBmUEylwailcOTHbsjcuf78lE0woDyJ5yL-oh67SKQ2Ii7FiycfBpq9yJBeOAPv42mMmUTuxRJBmMA/s1600-h/51hOlsdFflL._SS500_.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhOM6hyphenhyphenqmWP8H8195A3CtCgWRjKDss215z1A2sL3GPwZUBmdJqy1U7o9Ki9tXU8WnSBmUEylwailcOTHbsjcuf78lE0woDyJ5yL-oh67SKQ2Ii7FiycfBpq9yJBeOAPv42mMmUTuxRJBmMA/s320/51hOlsdFflL._SS500_.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5266799180230945218" border="0" /></a>Hi Blog,<br /><br />Just got my review copy of this 5-film box set in the mail. It comes in a slip case with fold out packaging ala Homevision's legendary <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Yakuza-Papers-Battles-Humanity-Complete/dp/B0002V7O1A">BATTLES WITHOUT HONOR AND HUMANITY</a> box set. The set also includes two essays by Monsieur <a href="http://patrickmacias.blogs.com/">Patrick Macias</a>: "Samurai and Son - The Making of Shogun Assassin" (this is adapted from the original interview published in Macias' "Tokyo Scope" book, I think) and "The Greatest Team in the History of Mass Slaughter - Three Decades of Shogun Assassin."<br /><br />But you know what's also cool about this? The fact that <a href="http://www.animeigo.com/">Animeigo</a> actually put together full liner notes for this set. You remember those? Back in the day Animeigo's LaserDisc liner notes were the best. They served as a primer, a glossary and a history lesson all in one. I've asked them numerous times why this essential tool was no longer being produced. Answer: money. But I've always felt that people would be willing to pay a little more to get something better in the end. It appears that this box set has made it financial worthwhile for them.<br /><br />The films look good. They sound good. But are these really the original Lone Wolf and Cubs? Short answer: yes and no. (It is Shogun Assassin, I know) The first two are the famous re-edits of LW&C. Three through five are English language dubs of the films that Animeigo did on their own. In fact the box set includes an on-camera interview with the English dub director Scott Houle. So question is: why don't they include the original Japanese audio tracks with English sub options? They clearly have the subtitles from Animeigo's original LW&C LaserDisc release from way back when. What gives?<br /><br />No clue, but I do know that the Shogun Assassin DVD releases have been a big seller for Animeigo. I guess the old belief is true that Americans don't like subtitles. Still, having the option would've been nice.<br /><br />As a final recommendation, I would've had Animego contact <a href="http://www.midnighteye.com/about/">Tom Mes</a> at Midnighteye since he was commissioned way back when to write a book on LW&C. Alas, the book never came out. I quite liked it and think that this would've been a good opportunity to get some interesting background into the series as a whole. But truth be told, this is the SHOGUN ASSASSIN collection and not LONE WOLF AND CUB collection. I know. I get it. Still, someone should talk to Mr. Mes about that book... I'm just sayin'...<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://www.cinemabox.com/schedule/eiga/kiseki.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 210px; height: 140px;" src="http://www.cinemabox.com/schedule/eiga/kiseki.jpg" alt="" border="0" /></a>Oh, and one more thing: there's what looks to be an amazing retrospective of Wakayama Tomisaburo and Katsu Shintaro films at Teatoru Shinjuku (テアトル新宿) starting Nov 11th thru Dec 5th. And yes, you can watch the LW&C flicks in their original celluloid glory. Japanese link <a href="http://www.cinemabox.com/schedule/event.cgi?0004&2">here</a>.<br /><br /><embed id="VideoPlayback" src="http://video.google.com/googleplayer.swf?docid=55419033839701751&hl=en&fs=true" style="width: 400px; height: 326px;" allowfullscreen="true" allowscriptaccess="always" type="application/x-shockwave-flash"></embed>Nicholas Ruckahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08364089506861324349noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3545632185138234587.post-40430227074665521652008-11-09T14:18:00.001-08:002008-11-09T14:58:48.537-08:00Der Eisenrost<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjl3p640tADLR-sRcAoSVTlq4rNkir1I_QtlmveWS3uR7bUhF35oFIAwlKgQqNyfSshn92DNgjv_oCcRcwrokA0eD6t5cH0F0w5MnKV9UCjVUsFXQyA0i9aZb0-a6qV18FCd98xCxQDq8AA/s1600-h/Der+Eisenrost+spring.gif"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 226px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjl3p640tADLR-sRcAoSVTlq4rNkir1I_QtlmveWS3uR7bUhF35oFIAwlKgQqNyfSshn92DNgjv_oCcRcwrokA0eD6t5cH0F0w5MnKV9UCjVUsFXQyA0i9aZb0-a6qV18FCd98xCxQDq8AA/s320/Der+Eisenrost+spring.gif" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5266790869923165858" border="0" /></a>Hi Blog,<br /><br />Back in 1995 when I first went to Japan I found myself in a particularly bad spot. I had no money, I was alone in Tokyo, I knew no one, it was <a href="http://ja.wikipedia.org/wiki/%E6%AD%A3%E6%9C%88">お正月</a>, and I for reasons that are way too complicated to explain here had half of my belongings including my passport and flight ticket stuck over on the other side of the country. In short, I was royally screwed and without a plan.<br /><br />Now, when you're down and out like this you either roll up into a little ball and give up or you draw power from different sources and fight back. I fought back and drew my power from Japanese film and music. Specifically noise and experimental (industrial) stuff. Things like <a href="http://www.geocities.co.jp/Hollywood-Studio/5825/tukamotopro.htm">Tsukamoto Shinya</a>'s TETSUO (鉄男) and the music of <a href="http://www.cinemasie.com/en/fiche/personne/ishikawachu/">Ishikawa Chu</a>'s (石川忠) band (and Tsukamoto's composer of choice) <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chu_Ishikawa">Der Eisenrost</a>. It was during this trip that I got my hands on my first Der Eisenrost music collection.<br /><br />Here's quick write-up about the band, that I stole from their website:<br /><p><span style="color: rgb(102, 102, 102);font-family:Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;" ></span></p><blockquote><span style="color: rgb(153, 102, 51); font-family: times new roman;font-family:Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;font-size:100%;" >"<span style="" lang="EN-US">DER EISENROST" are formed back in April 1993 ,And since then, we have been appealing our metal-percussion with heavy rock and punk musical style to audience. In December 1993,Released live and studio mixed CD ;ARMORED WEAPON" from Jpan overseas label.. <br /> On December 1995, </span>D.E.R</span><span style="color: rgb(153, 102, 51);"> </span><span style="font-family: times new roman; color: rgb(153, 102, 51);font-family:Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;font-size:100%;" ><span style=""><span style="color: rgb(102, 102, 102);">r</span></span><span style="color: rgb(102, 102, 102);"><span style="" lang="EN-US">eleased"TOKYO FIST" on CD. It was soundtracks of SHINYA TSUKAMOTO's films"TOKYO FIST". 2 years after, DVD"TOKYO FIST" D.E.R.'s live video by SHINYA TSUKAMOTO special tracks. Live DVD out in 2005.<br /> We playing many club and </span>musical festival, Some audience said "You are cool and so crazy!" "Your style are only you style!"</span></span><span style="color: rgb(102, 102, 102);font-family:Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;" ><span style="color: rgb(153, 102, 51);font-size:100%;" ><span style="font-family: times new roman;">In Japan, In 1993-1995 D.E.R .played with Esplendor Geometrico,dive(klink). [MIX2000] was famous big festival with 100 over bands in Sapporo Hokkaido.Joined from U.S. U.K.and many country. [Drive to 2000] 10days about 117bands. D.E.R. proud to join in this special program.</span></span><span style=";font-family:Chicago;font-size:9;" lang="EN-US" ><span style="color: rgb(153, 102, 51);font-size:100%;" ><span style="font-family: times new roman;">DER EISENROST's metal percussion instruments are all made by ISHIKAWA. He has made so many instruments from metal scraps such as engine tank of a truck and wheels of motorbikes. At their live performances, the metallic beats generate more speed and tension than "TETSUO" film.</span></span><br /></span></span></blockquote><span style="color: rgb(102, 102, 102);font-family:Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;" ><span style=";font-family:Chicago;font-size:9;" lang="EN-US" ></span></span><p></p>Of course, I would've loved nothing more than to have actually seen them perform live, but alas I wasn't able to. That said, for many years I've enjoyed Ishikawa's soundtrack work for Tsukamoto. Most recently I finally got around to watching Tsukamoto's entry into the omnibus film <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/F%C3%AEmeiru">FEMALE</a> (his entry is called TAMAMUSHI - 玉虫) and while I will review that soon here, it has a score by Ishikawa Chu that is very reminiscent of SNAKE OF JUNE (六月の蛇). This got me thinking about what ever happened to Ishikawa's band Der Eisenrost? I know that he's been working steadily, but is this band kaput?<br /><br />No, in fact. It turns out that they're alive and well -- they just played a show at the end of Sept. in Osaka (!!) -- and have a recently updated <a href="http://www.myspace.com/eisenrost">MySpace</a> page along with an (somewhat) English friendly homepage. Nice!<br /><br />Listening to these old tracks on MySpace, after all of these years it's amazing to think that these guys are still collaborating and are even making commercially successful films together, like NIGHTMARE DETECTIVE 1 & 2 (悪夢探偵). (Don't know whethere ND2 will be successful or not, but you get what I mean.)<br /><br />Anyway, here are some links to the Der Eisenrost stuff . Enjoy the music. I find that it makes me want to get to work and kick some ass. (Or get to work, <span style="font-style: italic;">kicking</span> ass.)<br /><br />Der Eisenrost MySpace <a href="http://www.myspace.com/eisenrost">link</a>.<br />Homepage <a href="http://www.dereisenrost.com/">link</a>.<br /><br />From the wonder that is YouTube comes some videos:<br /><br /><object height="344" width="425"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/wTEc1X5kgKE&hl=en&fs=1"><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/wTEc1X5kgKE&hl=en&fs=1" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" height="344" width="425"></embed></object><br /><br /><object height="344" width="425"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/agKvkpBBNBQ&hl=en&fs=1"><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/agKvkpBBNBQ&hl=en&fs=1" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" height="344" width="425"></embed></object><br /><br /><object height="344" width="425"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/lgcAvINYX1M&hl=en&fs=1"><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/lgcAvINYX1M&hl=en&fs=1" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" height="344" width="425"></embed></object>Nicholas Ruckahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08364089506861324349noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3545632185138234587.post-3574857948826515792008-11-09T13:47:00.000-08:002008-11-09T14:09:22.521-08:00New Liner Notes for Ten Nights of Dreams - Out Now!<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgiPpfan5BN4_VKvxO0IZBSeaacYqAquJSGR5O4kPgj3WOuDXy-rjLf8-KkcA0UJwTAPS66lZQv80R7fSuzSFtXajdoscctwvGd5rp1ld_M10NROoM4ETodgqVcsfGK0elBBnXGM33O__DE/s1600-h/ten01a.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 227px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgiPpfan5BN4_VKvxO0IZBSeaacYqAquJSGR5O4kPgj3WOuDXy-rjLf8-KkcA0UJwTAPS66lZQv80R7fSuzSFtXajdoscctwvGd5rp1ld_M10NROoM4ETodgqVcsfGK0elBBnXGM33O__DE/s320/ten01a.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5266780299535912786" border="0" /></a>Hi Blog,<br /><br />Woah, it's been over two months since my last update. That's something like 14 months in dog years. (Or about four generations of house flies.) Anyway, I've been busy working a lot lately and have also had family obligations and so, in the meantime, the fun stuff like doing a Japanese film blog has to take a back seat to the 'grown-up' (read: paying) responsibilities.<br /><br />That's the reason why I'm only now writing about <a href="http://www.cinemaepoch.com/">Cinema Epoch</a>'s DVD <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Ten-Nights-Dreams-Yoshitaka-Amano/dp/B001C0L7TU">release</a> of <a href="http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0899224/">TEN NIGHT OF DREAMS</a> (Nikkatsu Corp.) which came out last month. I've got a new set of liner notes on the disc talking about <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Natsume_S%C5%8Dseki">Soseki Natsume</a> and the historical context of the short story collection from which this film was adapted.<br /><br />The film itself is a mixed bag with some really strong entries and others that are, well, uneven. That said, one the great things about an 'omnibus' collection is the fact that there's plenty of other entries to watch and enjoy. Don't like what you're seeing? Skip it.<br /><br />Wanna know my highlights of this collection? (In no particular order...)<br /><ul><li>Yamashita Nobuhiro's entry # 8 (幻覚的)<br /></li><li>Yudai Yamaguchi's entry # 10 (ゲロ的馬鹿に笑いもの)<br /></li><li>Suzuki Matsuo's entry # 7 (ファンキ)<br /></li><li>and, perhaps, Shimizu Takashi's entry # 3 (不気味)</li></ul>Keep in mind that this is one man's opinion. But you won't know unless you check it out.<br /><br /><object height="344" width="425"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/eWOg6wCltfI&hl=en&fs=1"><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/eWOg6wCltfI&hl=en&fs=1" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" height="344" width="425"></embed></object>Nicholas Ruckahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08364089506861324349noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3545632185138234587.post-59525984969189779662008-09-03T23:54:00.000-07:002008-09-04T00:06:58.232-07:00TIFF: The Real Shaolin Screening Times!<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi6FYRL8yW3UKnK0TMNP_-Ym6cIlFRfi6rG6n6z7RlmAUJqjFqfG0MG20nxPgwCu_pp4oOf-M4feS2JLSVP0aehrCjgBHQpnkKR_LY2sIBZx3q5ms3_ZKMt9rlWYVdB5GUc3Effsh3lEAM1/s1600-h/Picture+1.png"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi6FYRL8yW3UKnK0TMNP_-Ym6cIlFRfi6rG6n6z7RlmAUJqjFqfG0MG20nxPgwCu_pp4oOf-M4feS2JLSVP0aehrCjgBHQpnkKR_LY2sIBZx3q5ms3_ZKMt9rlWYVdB5GUc3Effsh3lEAM1/s400/Picture+1.png" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5242057542308582786" border="0" /></a>Hi Blog,<br /><br />Spent yesterday evening working on a new trailer for The Real Shaolin with director Alexander Lee and a professional trailer-editor [fancy!]. Timed for the <a href="http://tiff08.ca/filmsandschedules/films/realshaolin">Toronto International Film Festival</a>, this trailer was one of the last key elements that Alex had to get squared away before jetting off to the fest first thing this morning. This is a brand-spanking-new trailer for the film that I think rocks a lot more than the previous one-- which was done many months ago in a hurry, very late at night by little elves.<br /><br />The screening schedule at <a href="http://tiff08.ca/filmsandschedules/films/realshaolin">Toronto</a> is as follows:<br /><blockquote style="color: rgb(204, 0, 0);">All screenings at theater AMC Yonge & Dundas 24<br />Public Screening 1 (AMC 6)<br />Sun. 9/7 at 3:45pm<br /><br />Public Screening 2 (AMC 9)<br />Weds. 9/10 at 9pm<br /><br />Public Screening 3 (AMC 9)<br />Sat. 9/13 at 3:15pm<br /><br />Yonge Dunda's Square Live Kung Fu Demo: Wed 9/10 at 6:30pm</blockquote>Unfortunately, I won't be able to attend this fest but I look forward to hearing people's thoughts on the film!<br /><br />Previous blog postings about the film <a href="http://mab-pro.blogspot.com/2008/07/real-shaolin.html">here</a>.<br /><br />Newly refurbished The Real Shaolin <a href="http://www.realshaolin.com/">website</a><span style="font-style: italic;">!</span>Nicholas Ruckahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08364089506861324349noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3545632185138234587.post-70435888229070083262008-08-31T22:43:00.001-07:002008-08-31T23:00:57.656-07:009/5/08: Pecha Kucha Presentation at Royal/T in Los Angeles<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEifpiySI4EAt-AS6EMS5cY8i70-oxh1aJt2tH8fkpp6jvWczYnJQI6wvCLFX3Wkj_xKMoY3IhQ34JgSg29QmGSVHuUjJ5SKURBpIcAXf-fk-zJ3-SiLkki8kQzrxnpuMbHnfqTNaqrWDqye/s1600-h/Picture+4.png"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEifpiySI4EAt-AS6EMS5cY8i70-oxh1aJt2tH8fkpp6jvWczYnJQI6wvCLFX3Wkj_xKMoY3IhQ34JgSg29QmGSVHuUjJ5SKURBpIcAXf-fk-zJ3-SiLkki8kQzrxnpuMbHnfqTNaqrWDqye/s400/Picture+4.png" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5240927353973159026" border="0" /></a>Hi Blog,<br /><br />Yeesh, this blog is turning into my personal secretary minus the fingers and phone calling skills but as the title of this blog says, I'll be presenting at the next Pecha Kucha night here in Los Angeles. That'd be on this coming <a href="http://www.royal-t.org/about/news/">Friday, September the 5th at 20:20 O'Clock</a>.<br /><br />What is <a href="http://www.pecha-kucha.org/">Pecha Kucha</a>? Let's reprint what their site sez:<br /><h2></h2><blockquote style="font-style: italic; color: rgb(153, 51, 153);"><h2>What is Pecha Kucha Night?</h2> <p>Pecha Kucha Night, devised by Astrid Klein and Mark Dytham (<a href="http://www.klein-dytham.com/" title="Klein Dytham architecture">Klein Dytham architecture</a>), was conceived in 2003 as a place for young designers to meet, network, and show their work in public.</p> <p>But as we all know, give a mike to a designer (especially an architect) and you’ll be trapped for hours. The key to Pecha Kucha Night is its patented system for avoiding this fate. Each presenter is allowed 20 images, each shown for 20 seconds each – giving 6 minutes 40 seconds of fame before the next presenter is up. This keeps presentations concise, the interest level up, and gives more people the chance to show.</p> <p>Pecha Kucha (which is Japanese for the sound of conversation) has tapped into a demand for a forum in which creative work can be easily and informally shown, without having to rent a gallery or chat up a magazine editor. This is a† demand that seems to be global – as Pecha Kucha Night, without any pushing, has spread virally to over 100 cities across the world. Find a location and join the conversation.</p></blockquote><p></p>Whelp, I didn't know jack about this whole Pecha Kucha thing until I was asked to participate (or it was firmly suggested that I should) and still have been kind of flying by the seat of my pants on this one but in a last minute desparation as to what the hell I should blab about I've decided to focus on something Japanese film related. (Surprise!) And something from the 60s and 70s! (Double Surprise!!)<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEil-irao3GFA5cAhmSzZsROWvgsVlWspsFXhRcbVyk7Rijk2FAVfD8Rs7sytQkkFjGPQ7H0S2UC_Sqa9C2ChbuF-gbm4WO9T6askE5rZ1jJnjdD2lg0oVWtb-ncpFkMR2RopwSQjRDBvBBw/s1600-h/Picture+2.png"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEil-irao3GFA5cAhmSzZsROWvgsVlWspsFXhRcbVyk7Rijk2FAVfD8Rs7sytQkkFjGPQ7H0S2UC_Sqa9C2ChbuF-gbm4WO9T6askE5rZ1jJnjdD2lg0oVWtb-ncpFkMR2RopwSQjRDBvBBw/s320/Picture+2.png" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5240926658867793122" border="0" /></a><br />Actually there will be some other stuff from more contemporary corridors here, but it seems like a fun thing to do and even though I've just submitted my 20 slides to the curators, I still don't know how or what or <span>どうやって</span> I will put this together. Should be fun though.<br /><br />At any rate, if you do make it out to the event, please bring soft and spongey foodstuffs to through as they don't hurt as much when you get pelted by them. Thanks and see you there!<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhqScN10jvTnu4plju50ZNT7s2rYJWTeHLSbXi0d5pa5Cxvv5xku6E2dHnOlT0muM4tPy2TG__1J300x4CK3lU0OwBM1YyfoP7Fd-jKC-mptHxadPhX7Cyych67vBWZPSVTeWyVYL473aln/s1600-h/Picture+1.png"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhqScN10jvTnu4plju50ZNT7s2rYJWTeHLSbXi0d5pa5Cxvv5xku6E2dHnOlT0muM4tPy2TG__1J300x4CK3lU0OwBM1YyfoP7Fd-jKC-mptHxadPhX7Cyych67vBWZPSVTeWyVYL473aln/s320/Picture+1.png" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5240926665079481074" border="0" /></a><br />Location:<br /><a href="http://www.royal-t.org/">Royal/T</a><br />8910 Washington Blvd<br /> Culver City, CA 90232<br /> T 310 559 6300<br /> F 310 559 6633<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh0EO-7LBufEC45kKUWXKrBm-iyYv3Yw4GjN2zvd5fgg8kvYR920MS_4yWkHmrJwuemq00o9CparcnJIbNKr0aURTMTlg27AMTfHvkCpMyflYM_beukJ0OYJGw9Wi2JW9eKBJ93CK1s74s5/s1600-h/royal-t-home.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh0EO-7LBufEC45kKUWXKrBm-iyYv3Yw4GjN2zvd5fgg8kvYR920MS_4yWkHmrJwuemq00o9CparcnJIbNKr0aURTMTlg27AMTfHvkCpMyflYM_beukJ0OYJGw9Wi2JW9eKBJ93CK1s74s5/s400/royal-t-home.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5240928135131565442" border="0" /></a>Nicholas Ruckahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08364089506861324349noreply@blogger.com0