|
Directed by
Juzo Itami -
Tampopo Comedy of sex and noodles. A Taxing Woman Satire about money sex,
power and tax evasion. (VHS) A Taxing Woman Returns The hilarious sequel. (VHS) Directed by “Beat” Takeshi Kitano Brother A “retired” yakuza moves to Los Angeles to join his brother. More than
a mindless action pic this is a meditation on the nature of loyalty. Hana-Bi/
Fireworks Ex-cop drifts towards a
one-off crime seemingly for all the right reasons. Violent Cop Taut direction and comic moments that suddenly explode into violence.
Rated R. (VHS) Zatoichi the
Blind Swordsman 2003. Set in 19th
century, Zatoichi makes his dubious living from massage and gambling. Directed by Akira Kurosawa The Bad Sleep Well 1960. Toshiro Mifune
stars in Kurosawa’s first venture with his own short-lived production
company. Dersu Uzala Made in Russia in 1975. Hidden Fortress 1958. Great comedy - George Lucas acknowledges it as one of his
sources for “Star Wars”. Kagemusha 1980. A 16th Century thief is spared execution if he will pose as a
secretly deceased warlord. Ran 1985. Based on
Shakespeare’s “King Lear”. Rashomon 1951. Set in 12th Century Kyoto, offers four mutually
contradictory versions of an ambush, rape & murder, each through the eyes
of one of those involved. Rhapsody in August 1990. Concerned with the
evils of atomic warfare. (VHS) Sanjuro 1962. The sequel to “Yojimbo”. Scandal 1950. A young painter
encounters a famous singer whilst in the mountains on holiday. Seven Samurai 1954. A 16th century village hires professional warriors to fend
off bandits - a classic! Throne of Blood 1957. Powerful adaptation of Macbeth in a samurai setting. Yojimbo 1961. Tongue - in -
cheek samurai eastern-western, stars Toshiro Mifune. Directed by Nagisa Oshima - Empire of Passions 1978. A sexually charged ghost story. Rated R. In the Realm of the Senses 1976. Sexually
insatiable Matsuda will do anything to possess her husband Fuji. At one time
very controversial. Rated R. Merry Christmas Mr Lawrence 1983. David Bowie and Tom Conti star in a WWII drama set in a
Japanese prisoner of war camp on Java. Violent Killer Disturbing tale of a brutal sex murderer, his protective wife and a
woman that he had previously raped. Rated R. (VHS) An Actor’s Revenge Dir. Kon Ichikawa, 1962.
A kabuki actor seeks revenge on the men who drove his parents to suicide. Always Sunset on Third Street Dir. Takashi Yamazaki, 2005. A huge hit in Japan and it perfectly
recreates Tokyo streetscapes of the 50s. Aragami Dir. Rhuhei Kitamura, 2002. A wounded samurai must defeat an immortal
who feasts on human flesh. Audition Dir. Miike Takashi. A widowed
filmmaker uses a fake casting session to audition for a new wife. Rated R. An Autumn Afternoon Dir. Yasujiro Ozu, 1962. A moving meditation on tradition, duty
and loneliness and the fleeting
nature of life. Avalon Dir. Mamoru Oshii. The first live action film from the anime master
is a futuristic thriller that was shot in Poland (and it is in Polish!). Azumi Dir. Ryuhei Kitamura. Set in feudal Japan, from the ravages of war
rises the ultimate assassin. The Ballad of Narayama Dir. Shohei Imamura, 1983. Award winning drama set in a poor rural
village where no one can live beyond the age of 70 and not disgrace their
family. Rated R. Circus Boys Dir. Kaizo Hayashi. A celebration of the magic of the circus and the
cinema, of adventures and dreams
that never die. (VHS) Dark Water Dir. Hideo Nakata. From the director of Ring comes another chilling tale of
terror. Departures Dir. Yojiro Takita, 2008. The Academy
Award winner for Best
Foreign Language Film is a delightful
journey into the heartland of Japan as well an astonishingly beautiful look
at a sacred part of Japan's cultural heritage. The 47 Ronin Dir. Hiroshi Inagaki, 1962. Visually stunning story of conflict
between a young warlord and the corrupt shogunate, set in 18th
Century Japan. Godzilla Dir. Inoshiro Honda, the original monster movie from 1956. The Grudge/ Ju-on Dir. Shimizu Takashi. A
chilling horror film to rival “The Ring”. The Grudge 2 Dir. Shimizu Takashi. The sequel. Hula Girls Dir. Sang-Il Lee, 2006. Amusing tale set in 1965, in a small mining
town - the women of the village decide to start a Hawaiian Centre to save the
town. Kamikaze Taxi Dir. Masato Harada, 1995. A young, angry, combative movie about those
endemically racist, sexist and corrupt institutions, the yakuza and the
government. (VHS) Kwaidan Dir Masaki Kobayashi, 1964. Compelling quartet of Japanese ghost
stories. The Life of Oharu Dir. Kenji Mizoguchi, 1952. Powerful and elegant 17th century
chronicle of the decline and fall of a woman from the Imperial court into
prostitution. (VHS) The Loyal 47 Ronin Dir. Kenji Mizoguchi, 1941. Mizoguchi revisits an oft-told
historical event in this visually glorious film . Mishima: A Life in Four Chapters Dir. Paul Schrader. Bio of the famous Japanese writer. (VHS) Nobody Knows Dir. Kore-Eda Hirokazu. Four children are forced to rely on each
other after being abandoned by their mother. Onibaba Dir. Kaneto Shindo, 1964. A strange and violent folktale. (VHS) Only Yesterday Dir. Iso Takahata, 1991. Based on a manga by Yuko Tone this is a
poignant meditation on the weight of the past, with echoes of Ozu and Rhomer. The Porn Merchants Dir. Shohei Imamura. Rated R. (VHS) Ring Dir.Hideo Nakata. See it and die! The original Japanese horror pic –
with the agent of evil being a mysterious videotape. Ring 2 Dir. Hideo Nakata. A rare case of a sequel living up to the standards
of the original. The Samurai Trilogy vol 1 Musashi Miyamoto. Dir. Hiroshi Inagaki, 1954. Toshiro Mifune stars. Score Dir. Atsushi Muroga, 1995. A Yakuza crime thriller. The Sea is Watching Dir. Kei Kumai. The final film script by the great master Akira
Kurosawa. The Sensualist Dir. Yukio Abe. Overwhelmingly beautiful portrayal of the
effervescence of culture at the height of the Edo Era. Animated. (VHS) Shall We Dance? Dir. Masayaki Suo. Delightful Japanese style “Strictly Ballroom”. Still Walking Dir. Hirozaku Kore-eda, 2008. A
touching and gentle drama about a family, the grown-up
children of which journey to visit their elderly parents on one long summer
day. The rare family reunion has been organised to commemorate the tragic
death of the eldest son. Sukiyaki Western Django Dir. Takashi Miike, 2007. Quite literally this is a Japanese B grade
spaghetti Western. In English. Sumo Do, Sumo Don’t Dir. Masayuki Suo.
Corporeal Japanese comedy. (VHS) Tokyo Story Dir Yasujiro Ozu, 1953, a quietly powerful story about old age and
cultural change. Widely thought to be a masterpiece. Tetsuo II: Body Hammer Dir. Shinya Tsukamoto. Weird, beautiful and horrific sequel. Also
Rated R. (VHS) Versus Dir. Ryuhei Kitamura.
Horror/ splatter fest centred on the 444th gate to hell. A Weatherwoman Dir. Tomaki Hosoyan. Bizarre cult comedy. A Weatherwoman Returns Dir. Tomaki Hosoyan. The sequel. Woman of the Dunes Dir. Hiroshi Teshigahara, 1964. A highly charged and remarkably
sensual exploration of the human condition. JAPANESE ANIME
Produced by Studio Ghibli - "the Disney of the
East" Directed by Hayao Miyazaki - Howl's Moving Castle A young girl tries to reverse the curse that turned her into an old
woman. Kiki’s Delivery Service 1989. Coming of age fable about a teenage witch. Laputa Castle
in the Sky 1986. Adventure fantasy
about an orphan girl pursued by sky pirates. My Neighbour Totoro 1988. Two young girls who move to the country to be near their sick
mother have wonderful adventures with the forest spirits who live nearby. Nausicaa of the valley of
the wind 1984. Warrior/pacifist Princess Nausicaä
desperately struggles to prevent two warring nations from destroying
themselves and their dying planet. Ponyo 2008. Tale of a 5-year-old boy and
his relationship with a goldfish princess who longs to become human. Porco Rosso 1992. The adventures of a pilot who just happens to look like a pig. Princess Mononoke 1997. Complex and thought-provoking fable deals with conflicting concepts of morality and
environmental issues. Spirited Away 2001. Winner of the Oscar for Best Animated film Also by Studio Ghibli - The Cat Returns Dir. Hiroyuki Morita. A young girl's adventures in the cat world. Grave of the Fireflies Dir. Isao Takahata. Moving tale about the devastation of war. Pom Poko Dir. Isao Takahata. Tales From Earthsea Dir. Goro Miyazaki, 2006. Based on Ursula le Guin’s book. Whisper of the Heart Dir. Yoshifumi Kondo. Akira Dir. Katsuhiro Otomo, 1989. Sci fi set in a post-apocalyptic
Neo-Tokyo. Appleseed Dir. Shinji Aramaki, 2004. A battle for the last city on earth is
waged between terrorists and the city's government. Barefoot Gen Dir. Kazuo Oga. The horror of the bombing of Hiroshima as seen
through the eyes of a child. Ghost in the Shell Di. Mamoru Oshii, 1995. A female cybernetic government agent is on
the trail of a computer virus capable of infiltrating humans. Ghost in the Shell 2 Innocence Dir. Mamoru Oshii, 2004. A cyborg investigates the murder of a human.
The Girl Who Leapt Through Time Dir. Mamoru Hosoda, 2006. Tale of a teenage girl with time travelling
abilities. Lensman Dir. Yoshiaki Kawajir & Kazuyuki Hirokawa. Japanese animation
based on the novels of E.E."Doc" Smith. (VHS) Metropolis Dir. Rintaro. More than a Japanese animated version of Fritz Lang’s
German silent classic, it is also adapted from the 1949 work of the groundbreaking illustrator Osamu
Tezeka. |
