Cinema is Dope

[ View Image (1024×685) ]

The big news today is coming from Tokyograph (read here) who inform us that Takashi Miike’s Crows Zero will be getting a sequel. Apparently this will tie everything up with a nice resounding ending. Expect it to come out sometime in 2009.

Via: Ryuganji

Related Coverage:
::: Japanese Poster Artwork
::: Review by Mark Schilling
::: AFM: CROWS 0 Review (Todd @ Twitch)

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

(Read more…)

Share on Facebook

[ View Image (1024×768) ]

Seems like I’m turning into one of the best sites for Shinya Tsukamoto movie wallpaper and this one is no exception with him in a nicely textured Japanese poster for A Drowning Man (Oboreru hito).

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

(Read more…)

Share on Facebook

[ View Image (1024×685) ]

Another image from Crows Zero (Kurôzu zero), the latest from Takashi Miike. This certainly looks to be a solid outing from Miike.

Related Coverage:
::: Japanese Poster Artwork
::: Review by Mark Schilling
::: AFM: CROWS 0 Review (Todd @ Twitch)

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

(Read more…)

Share on Facebook

[ View Image (1024×678) ]

One of Simon Yam’s finest performances is in the latest film from Johnnie To, Sparrow. I caught this at the Berlin International Film Festival earlier this year. It was an instantly jarring To film because you realize very early on it’s a G rated To crime film. What it doesn’t have in violence and bullet mayhem it makes for with charm so catchy it resonates like a free flowing and upbeat Coltrane solo.

(Read more…)

Share on Facebook

[ View Image (1024×678) ]

Ami (Minase Yashiro) is one girl you don’t want to bully with in Noboru Iguchi’s Machine Girl. Media Blasters will be releasing this film via DVD on June 3. For those around the Austin area, Fantastic Fest (www.fantasticfest.com) will be holding a special theatrical screening of it on June 2 (more info).

Of special note with this filim is Yoshihiro Nishimura who does molding/special effects. He also worked on Meatball Machine, Death Note: The Last Name, Strange Circus and Exte: Hair Extensions. Their directing debut comes out this year with Tokyo Gore Police (view trailer), which by the tile along sounds like a lot of damn fun!

Machine Girl also features the work of action director Masaki Suzumura (Death Trance).

Related Coverage:
::: AFFF 2008: THE MACHINE GIRL Review (Ardvark @ Twitch)

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

(Read more…)

Share on Facebook

[ View Image (1024×678) ]

Odagiri Joe and a nosey Miura Tomokazu in Miki Satoshi’s, Adrift In Tokyo (Tenten). Certainly seems to be a cult festival film in the making.

Related Coverage:
::: Adrift in Ever Morphing Tokyo - Jason Gray
::: Review by Mark Schilling
::: Udine Report: ADRIFT IN TOKYO Review (Todd @ Twitch)
::: Vampire Queen meets Miki Satoshi
::: Are You Having A Laugh? An Interview With Miki Satoshi - Interview by Mark Schilling
::: Miki Satoshi Pictures from Udine 10

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

(Read more…)

Share on Facebook

[ View Image (1024×685) ]

Takashi Miike’s Crows Zero (Kurôzu zero) seems to be the feel good gangster movie of 2008! Eagerly anticipating catching this somewhere on the festival circuit this year.

Related Coverage:
::: Japanese Poster Artwork
::: Review by Mark Schilling
::: AFM: CROWS 0 Review (Todd @ Twitch)

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

(Read more…)

Share on Facebook

[ View Image (1024×570) ]

Easily one of my own personal favorite films of 2008 is The Wackness. I am particularly fond of the late 80’s and early 90’s, for which there seems to be few films set in. Regardless of this the film really was quite a welcome surprise when I caught it earlier this year at the European Film Market in Berlin. You can a bit more on my initial thoughts on the film over at Twitch (read here).

(Read more…)

Share on Facebook

[ View Image (1024×768) ]

Inspired poster artwork for this cult Michel Gondry hit!

Eiga Chirashi = mini poster/flyer’s from Japan

(Read more…)

Share on Facebook

[ View Image (1024×768) ]

Although this is a cool poster, I do feel the need to cater to the Tadanobu Asano fans of the world as often as possible.

Eiga Chirashi = mini poster/flyer’s from Japan

(Read more…)

Share on Facebook

[ View Image (1024×768) ]

Banlieue 13 was certainly a fu and stylish action film out of France that greatly showcased a hyper aesthetic and turned Parkour athletics into rousing action pieces. The latest from its director Pierre Morel is “Liam Neeson Kicks Major Ass” aka the action/thriller Taken (watch trailer), which opens in the US in September.

Eiga Chirashi = mini poster/flyer’s from Japan

(Read more…)

Share on Facebook

[ View Image (1024×768) ]

You might have already read Udine highlights Japanese viewpoint by Mark Schilling at Variety Asia, where he mentions this years selection of Japanese films at the Udine Far East Film Festival. Seems interesting they have in a lot of ways come full circle with having Hideo Nakata back this year, from previously showcasing his Ring trilogy to his latest effort focusing on the character L. Advanced word I’m hearing on this film is incredibly lackluster. So it seems like his recent effort and overly empty Kaidan, that he is in a bit of a funk.

I believe technically it’s the 11th year for Udine this time around, though officially they have it as their 10 year event spectacular and are throwing out all the stops for a grand celebration. I certainly will miss not attending it this year, especially not getting to see its strong showing of Japanese films.

Eiga Chirashi = mini poster/flyer’s from Japan

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

(Read more…)

Share on Facebook

[ View Image (1024×768) ]

Custom Made 10.30 is a film that for whatever reason has yet to make its way onto DVD with English subtitles. Hopefully at some point someone will release this Aniki film. I loved the trailer for the film and if anyone out there has seen it, definitely drop a comment on your thoughts on the film. I might break down someday and just buy the Japanese DVD minus English subs.

Aniki was one of the directors on Funky Forest.

Eiga Chirashi = mini poster/flyer’s from Japan

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

(Read more…)

Share on Facebook

[ View Image (1024×768) ]

Eiga Chirashi artwork for Ichi the Killer (Koroshiya 1) from Takashi Miike. Kakihara (Tadanobu Asano) is on the run in this simple, yet stylish poster.

Eiga Chirashi = mini poster/flyer’s from Japan

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

(Read more…)

Share on Facebook

[ View Image (1024×768) ]

Incredible Japanese poster artwork for Tokyo Zombie featuring the star of the film Tadanobu Asano. I originally saw this film two years ago at the Sitges Film Festival and thought it was incredibly mixed. Great first half before the film spirals into a completely dis-organized second half.

Eiga Chirashi = mini poster/flyer’s from Japan

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

(Read more…)

Share on Facebook