Cinema is Dope

For 2009, each month I will highlight one book that is currently out that I personally recommend. The goal is to highlight and promote books on cinema that you might have missed and definitely need to check out.

Behind the Pink Curtain is a dense, rousing and thoroughly exhaustive book on Japanese Pink Cinema that is written with the trademark gusto, infinite knowledge and passion by legendary Japanese writer and expert Jasper Sharp. Until now we have only been given table scraps of information about Pink films in various publications and online sites, which thankfully changes now with this authoritative avalanche of information and insight in Behind the Pink Curtain!

::: Buy it at Fab Press
::: Be sure to check out the new January releases from new label PinkEiga
::: Blue Film Woman Q&A from Fantastic Fest 2008
::: Midnight Eye book spotlight: Table of Contents - Behind the Pink Curtain
::: Taking a Look BEHIND THE PINK CURTAIN by Rodney Perkins @ Twitch
::: January 2009 Japanese Poster Artwork Celebration Month (Cinema is Dope)

Japanese Cinema Sites I Highly Recommend:
::: Jason Gray
::: Mark Schilling’s Tokyo Ramen
::: Midnight Eye
::: Nippon Cinema
::: Outcast Cinema
::: Ryuganji
::: Toronto J-Film Pow-Wow

Linda Linda Linda (2005)

For 2009, each month I will highlight one movie that is currently out on video (DVD or Blu-Ray) that I personally recommend. The goal is to highlight and promote movies that you might have missed and definitely need to check out.

To kick this off we have Linda Linda Linda, a movie that still hasn’t gotten the cult following it deserves! Filmmaker Nobuhiro Yamashita crafts one hell of a nice minimal masterpiece of coming of age awkwardness, friendship and love letter to music (more specifically the band Blue Hearts). For fans of movies that feature aspiring musicians, celebration of music and coming of age nostalgia, this is a must own movie! So what are you waiting for go rent/buy this movie now!

::: Buy the Linda Linda Linda DVD @ Amazon.com
::: Previous Movie Wallpaper (Cinema is Dope)
::: My Interview with Nobuhiro Yamashita on Cinema Strikes Back
::: January 2009 Japanese Poster Artwork Celebration Month (Cinema is Dope)

Japanese Cinema Sites I Highly Recommend:
::: Jason Gray
::: Mark Schilling’s Tokyo Ramen
::: Midnight Eye
::: Nippon Cinema
::: Outcast Cinema
::: Ryuganji
::: Toronto J-Film Pow-Wow

Taking a quick break in preparation for the huge Japanese Poster Celebration Month in January 2009 here.

Posting at Cinema is Dope will resume again on New Years Eve. Be sure to tune in starting on January 1st for the start of the Japanese Poster Celebration Month (info)! Lots of great things in store.

Happy 2008… now bring on 2009!

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Vintage Movie Wallpaper of the Day
Sunday, December 28, 2008

A professional gun indeed with Franco Nero at the helm alongside Tony Musante in Sergio Corbucci’s A Professional Gun (Il Mercenario).

Related Coverage:
::: Previous Movie Wallpaper (Cinema is Dope)

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New Cinema Wallpaper of the Day
Sunday, December 28, 2008

Here we have a still of the always gorgeous and immensely talented Gong Li in the upcoming thriller, Shanghai.

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Vintage Movie Wallpaper of the Day
Saturday, December 27, 2008

Great closeup of a nice publicity shot of a pimped out looking Jack Palance as Ricciolo in Sergio Corbucci’s A Professional Gun (Il Mercenario) which seems to be similar to the later effort and similar cast in his spaghetti western Companeros. I’ve seen Companeros (Cinema is Dope Wallpaper) but haven’t seen this one so can’t comment too much on similarities beyond that.

Related Coverage:
::: Previous Movie Wallpaper (Cinema is Dope)

(Read more…)