Video Maniacs!

My pal Phil Blankenship, who runs those rad Midnight Screenings at the New Beverly Cinema that I announce every so often and is the owner of uber-awesome/legendary noise labels Troniks and Pac Rec, has a superbly mind-blowing blog dedicated to all things old school VHS.

To be more specific it's all things:

If you're into old genre videos-- or just any video that makes you say wtf? I highly recommend a look at it. Link.

Weed at Abishiri...

ABASHIRI BANGAICHI (aka. The Walls of Abashiri Prison) is widely regarded as the film series that made Takakura Ken famous. Directed by personal favorite madman director Ishii Teruo (at least for the first 10 entries (!) -- there would be another eight before it was all said and done (!!)), they tell of honorable Shinichi Tsukibana's (Takakura) hard-knocks life -- both in and outside of prison. (Really, you don't expect me to summarize the entire series here do you?)

At any rate, I read this the other day and found it intriguing because it just doesn't make any sense:

Abashiri Prison troubled by marijuana plants growing at exercise ground

A Japanese prison is scrambling to eradicate marijuana plants that keep sprouting up on its exercise ground, officials said Tuesday.

The marijuana plants started sprouting at Abashiri Prison on Japan's northernmost island of Hokkaido about a year ago, said prison official Takeshi Okamura. He said officials plucked out as many as 300 marijuana plants and treated the ground last year, but several more sprouted again this year.

Prisoners reported them to the guards.

Officials believe the plants are wild.

"Apparently, somebody knew how to tell marijuana from other plants," Okamura said.

Local botanical experts concluded the marijuana seeds were inadvertently brought in with the soil used for the exercise ground, Okamura said.

"It's a headache," Okamura said. "This isn't a farm."

Abashiri Prison currently has about 1,080 male inmates serving terms of up to eight years in prison. (AP)

August 28, 2007


They keep sprouting up? Officials think that the 'plants are wild?' What, is Abashiri Prison the perfect greenhouse for weed? And what kind of criminal serving hard time would pass on information to the warden regarding the one thing that could help him pass his time more easily (and pleasurably)? Especially considering how clueless the prison officials are about marijuana in general.

This sounds to me like a bang-up idea for a new SHIN ABASHIRI BANGAICHI. Something with an aging Takakura Ken forced to go back onto Abishiri Prison grounds to discover who is the nefarious individual trying to undermine the honor and integrity of the hard working prison population. (Where is the jingi in modern Japan I ask you?)

Patriot Acts

My brother Greg is both a prose novelist and a well-known comic book writer. His new book PATRIOT ACTS comes out today and is the long awaited continuation of his well-received Atticus Kodiak mystery series, which are always an incredibly thrilling read.

Quite simply, even if he weren't my brother, I would absolutely recommend his books. Check them out, if you have a chance.

PATRIOT ACTS plot synopsis from Publisher's Weekly:

Starred Review. At the start of Rucka's electrifying sixth thriller featuring bodyguard Atticus Kodiak (after 2001's Critical Space), Atticus is ready to settle down after years of chasing the deadly female assassin known as Drama and finally breaking her away from The Ten—a group of cold-blooded killers operating around the globe. But when he and Drama, now known as Alena, are ambushed and left for dead, Atticus knows his troubles are far from over. Suddenly, the two find themselves the target of a massive manhunt after being mistakenly identified as Ten members. From a tiny village on the Black Sea to the inner sanctum of the Pentagon, Atticus and Alena race to clear their names and punish those responsible for the shocking death of a close friend. Rucka expertly blends intense shoot-'em-up scenes with biting political commentary as Atticus and Alena uncover just how high the conspiracy reaches within the U.S. government. Kodiak fans who've waited a long time for this installment will find it exceeds all expectations. (Sept.)

Patriot Act amazon.com link.
Wikipedia link.
GregRucka.com.
Blog.

REVIEW: BUSHI NO ICHIBUN (aka. Love and Honor) on Midnight Eye and a bit on Producer Yamamoto Ichiro

My review of Yamada Yoji's multi-award winning BUSHI NO ICHIBUN (aka. Love and Honor), which I watched in Okinawa back in January, is now up on Midnight Eye. Link.

In a weird bit of coincidence, I spent all day this past Saturday with the producer and co-writer of the film Yamamoto Ichiro, who is temporarily residing in Los Angeles. An incredibly nice chap and totally unassuming, it was very fascinating talking to him about his work as a Shochiku producer and in particular his work with Yamada Yoji (the director, of course, of BUSHI NO ICHIBUN).

One of the interesting things he mentioned was that Yamada Yoji is the last remaining director in Japan who still has a studio contract (with Shochiku)-- an interesting piece of anachronism, I thought. In addition, he mentioned that he could come to Yamada with a film idea, but of course, given Yamada's status, he really chooses which projects he will do (and the studios follow his wishes).

Yamamoto Ichiro also mentioned that one of his jobs was to show Yamada Yoji films as a way of stimulating his creative juices. A cool piece of trivia: The film that inspired the excellent TASOGARE SEIBEI (aka. Twilight Samurai)? John Ford's THE MAN WHO SHOT LIBERTY VALENCE.

Apparently, Yamamoto Ichiro is in the US on a government funded arts scholarship to load up on classic American films that he can then use as references for Japanese directors when he goes back to Japan. As my friend Marc Walkow and I commented to one another, "I can't even imagine the US government doing something like that."

Let's hope that Yamamoto will go back to Japan chock-full of good films that will inspire more directors.

And here's to good movies in general.

phallus

This isn't Japan related -- it's Chinese, in fact -- but it's too appalling not to reprint here. (From the BBC.)

Beijing's Penis Emporium

By Andrew Harding (Is this a pen name??)
BBC News, Beijing

There are many thousands of Chinese restaurants around in the UK and everyone has their favourite dish, but only in China itself do chefs specialise in a range of slightly more unusual delicacies.

The dish in front of me is grey and shiny.

"Russian dog," says my waitress Nancy.

"Big dog," I reply.

"Yes," she says. "Big dog's penis..."

We are in a cosy restaurant in a dark street in Beijing but my appetite seems to have gone for a stroll outside.

Nancy has brought out a whole selection of delicacies.

They are draped awkwardly across a huge platter, with a crocodile carved out of a carrot as the centrepiece.

Nestling beside the dog's penis are its clammy testicles, and beside that a giant salami-shaped object.

"Donkey," says Nancy. "Good for the skin..."

She guides me round the penis platter.

"Snake. Very potent. They have two penises each."

I did not know that.

Deer-blood cocktail

"Sheep... horse... ox... seal - excellent for the circulation."

She points to three dark, shrivelled lumps which look like liquorice allsorts - a special treat apparently - reindeer, from Manchuria.

Government officials... two of them... they're having the penis hotpot
Nancy

The Guolizhuang restaurant claims to be China's only speciality penis emporium, and no, it is not a joke.

The atmosphere is more exotic spa than boozy night-out.

Nancy describes herself as a nutritionist.

"We don't call them waiters here. And we don't serve much alcohol," she says. "Only common people come here to get drunk and laugh."

But she does offer me a deer-blood and vodka cocktail, which I decide to skip.

Medicinal purposes

The restaurant's gristly menu was dreamt up by a man called Mr Guo.

He is 81 now and retired.

After fleeing China's civil war back in 1949, he moved to Taiwan, and then to Atlanta, Georgia, where he began to look deeper into traditional Chinese medicine, and experiment on the appendages of man's best friend.

Apparently, they are low in cholesterol and good, not just for boosting the male sex drive, but for treating all sorts of ailments.

Laughter trickles through the walls of our dining room.

"Government officials," says Nancy. "Two of them upstairs. They're having the penis hotpot."

Most of the restaurant's guests are either wealthy businessmen or government bureaucrats who, as Nancy puts it, have been brought here by people who want their help.

What better way to secure a contract than over a steaming penis fondue.

Discretion is assured as all the tables are in private rooms.

The glitziest one has gold dishes.

"Some like their food served raw," says Nancy, "like sushi. But we can cook it anyway you like."

Rare order

"Not long ago, a particularly rich real estate mogul came in with four friends. All men. Women don't come here so often, and they shouldn't eat testicles," says Nancy solemnly.

The men spent $5,700 (£3,000) on a particularly rare dish, something that needed to be ordered months in advance.

"Tiger penis," says Nancy.

The illegal trade in tiger parts is a big problem in China.

Campaigners say the species is being driven towards extinction because of its popularity as a source of traditional medicine.

I mention this, delicately, to Nancy, but she insists that all her tiger supplies come from animals that have died of old age.

"Anyway, we only have one or two orders a year," she says.

"So what does it taste like?" I ask.

"Oh, the same as all the others," she says blithely.

And does it have any particular potency? "No. People just like to order tiger to show off how much money they have."

Welcome to the People's Republic of China - tigers beware.

Sliced and pickled

"Oh yes," she adds, "the same group also ate an aborted reindeer foetus.

"That is very good for your skin. And here it is..."

Another "nutritionist" walks in bearing something small and red wrapped in cling film.

My appetite is heading for the airport.

Still, I think, it would be rude not to try something.

I am normally OK about this sort of thing. I have had fried cockroaches and sheep's eyes, so...

There is a small bowl of sliced and pickled ox penis on the table.

I pick up a piece with my chopsticks and start to chew. It is cold and bland and rubbery.

Nancy gives me a matronly smile.

"This one," she says, "should be eaten every day."

Asmik Ace Opens Talent Shop: Michael Arias is the First Signing

Marc Schilling writes in today's Variety Asia Online that Japanese entertainment company Asmik Ace is moving into the artist management business. Their first signing is Tekkon Kinkreet director Michael Arias, who is apparently preparing a live-action directing debut.

Recently, there has been a comment thread with Michael Arias on my blog under one of the Tekkon Kinkreet posts. It is definitely worth checking out if you have more interest in Tekkon Kinkreet and the making of the film.

Here's a re-posting from today's Variety Asia article:

Asmik Ace Opens Up Talent Shop

Written by Mark Schilling

TOKYO -- Leading indie distrib and producer Asmik Ace has entered the artist management biz, the company announced on Friday.

The first to be signed is toon maker Michael Arias, who will work with Asmik Ace as a director, VFX supervisor, producer and coordinator.

A veteran CG effects specialist who has been working in Japan since the early 1990s, Arias produced the "Animatrix" toon project for the Wachowskis. Last year he made his feature directorial debut with "Tekkonkinkreet," a toon set in a retro-future Tokyo, based on a comic by Taiyo Matsumoto. Arias is in pre-production on a live-action pic that Asmik Ace will produce and distribute.

A leading distrib of American, European and other indie pics, Asmik Ace has been moving into production, including the period drama "Sakuran," which preemed internationally at the Berlin Film Festival last year.

The company also has coin in the Canada-Italy-Japan co-prod "Silk."

Link to Variety.

ANGELINOS! VANISHING POINT Tonight at Midnight!

Kowalski + Dodge Charger + Amphetamines = a eulogy for the 1960s!

VANISHING POINT
Midnight Tonight!

New Beverly Cinema
7165 West Beverly Blvd
Los Angeles, CA