Satoru Hirohara, born 1986 in Tokyo, studied at Musashino Art University as well as at Tokyo University of the Arts. His feature debut Good Morning To The World! (2010) was awarded with the Jury's Special prize at the 32nd Pia Film Festival in Tokyo and received the Dragons & Tigers Award for Young Cinema at the 29th Vancouver International Film Festival. In addition to screenings at other festivals, the film was also selected for the 61st Berlin International Film Festival. Dawn Wind In My Poncho (2017) also had a decent festival run.
On the occasion of his latest film, “Girls and Boys” screening at Osaka Asian Film Festival, we speak with him about the role reversal aspect of the movie, working with students, the location the film was shot, humor in movies and other topics.
Girls and Boys screened at Osaka Asian Film Festival
Why did you decide to include this role-reversal in the movie?...
On the occasion of his latest film, “Girls and Boys” screening at Osaka Asian Film Festival, we speak with him about the role reversal aspect of the movie, working with students, the location the film was shot, humor in movies and other topics.
Girls and Boys screened at Osaka Asian Film Festival
Why did you decide to include this role-reversal in the movie?...
- 3/15/2024
- by Panos Kotzathanasis
- AsianMoviePulse
Natalie Portman was 16 years old when principal photography commenced on "Star Wars: Episode I – The Phantom Menace." She was a precocious talent capable of stealing scenes from Oscar winners like Al Pacino (in Michael Mann's "Heat") and Timothy Hutton (in Ted Demme's underrated "Beautiful Girls"), and now she was going to play the eventual mother of Luke Skywalker and Leia Organa in George Lucas' long-awaited, madly anticipated Prequel Trilogy. Career-wise, it was a part no actor her age could afford to turn down. The first film's blockbuster success was preordained; her image would be projected on movie screens all over the world, thus making her a global superstar.
There was just one problem: Lucas hadn't directed a movie in 22 years and wasn't keen on dealing with actors. He offered the helm on "The Phantom Menace" to Steven Spielberg, Robert Zemeckis, and Ron Howard, and asked playwright David Hare...
There was just one problem: Lucas hadn't directed a movie in 22 years and wasn't keen on dealing with actors. He offered the helm on "The Phantom Menace" to Steven Spielberg, Robert Zemeckis, and Ron Howard, and asked playwright David Hare...
- 12/9/2023
- by Jeremy Smith
- Slash Film
Let’s say you’re a band — a famous and well-regarded one — and you are deep into a tour that’s ambitious, theatrical, and almost triples the number of musicians you normally have onstage. Once upon a time, you played stark post-punk songs and Al Green covers at Cbgb. Now your shows are messing around with German expressionistic lighting, Kabuki tropes, and comically oversize suits. There are multimedia slides with random words and phrases (“Dollface,” “Drugs,” “Public Library”) projected on screens behind you. Your lead singer does an Astaire-and-Rogers...
- 9/27/2023
- by David Fear
- Rollingstone.com
From left: Maleficent, Ursula, Chernabog, Dr. Facilier, Cruella de Vil (All images courtesy of Disney)Graphic: The A.V. Club
With the live-action version of The Little Mermaid now swimming in the calm blue waters of Disney+, audiences can see Melissa McCarthy camp it up as Ursula in all her glory.
With the live-action version of The Little Mermaid now swimming in the calm blue waters of Disney+, audiences can see Melissa McCarthy camp it up as Ursula in all her glory.
- 9/22/2023
- by Cindy White
- avclub.com
Ichikawa Ennosuke, a leading Japanese Kabuki actor, was indicted in Tokyo on Friday on charges of assisting his parents’ suicides.
The indictment, reported by public broadcaster Nhk and other major Japanese media, alleges that Ichikawa gave an excessive amount of sleeping drugs to his father, Kabuki actor Ichikawa Danshiro IV, and his mother Nobuko.
The pair were discovered at the family home by Ichikawa’s manager in mid-May. Ichikawa was also present, in a separate room, and in a semi-comatose state.
Nhk reports that Ichikawa made a confession to Tokyo Metropolitan Police. The broadcaster quoted Ichikawa’s statement from the indictment: “The publication of articles about me, [alleging things] such as power harassment and sexual harassment, in a weekly magazine was a major trigger for my suicide [attempt].”
The Kyodo news agency on Friday quoted another portion of the statement: “A weekly magazine report prompted us to hold a family meeting, and we decided to say goodbye.
The indictment, reported by public broadcaster Nhk and other major Japanese media, alleges that Ichikawa gave an excessive amount of sleeping drugs to his father, Kabuki actor Ichikawa Danshiro IV, and his mother Nobuko.
The pair were discovered at the family home by Ichikawa’s manager in mid-May. Ichikawa was also present, in a separate room, and in a semi-comatose state.
Nhk reports that Ichikawa made a confession to Tokyo Metropolitan Police. The broadcaster quoted Ichikawa’s statement from the indictment: “The publication of articles about me, [alleging things] such as power harassment and sexual harassment, in a weekly magazine was a major trigger for my suicide [attempt].”
The Kyodo news agency on Friday quoted another portion of the statement: “A weekly magazine report prompted us to hold a family meeting, and we decided to say goodbye.
- 7/28/2023
- by Patrick Frater
- Variety Film + TV
Keanu Reeves and Sofia Coppola are returning to their respective career roots.
Twenty years after Coppola directed her breakout 2003 film “Lost in Translation” in Tokyo, the filmmaker returns to Japan with a short film for the Suntory Whisky Anniversary Tribute. Suntory Whiskey has become cinematically synonymous with “Lost in Translation” for Bill Murray’s quip, “For relaxing times, make it Suntory Time,” as his character is a fading-out actor sent to Tokyo to hawk the brand.
Actor Reeves, who previously starred in a 1990s Suntory ad, leads the commercial, a montage that celebrates 100 years of the iconic liquor brand The House of Suntory.
The ad shows Reeves walking through nightlife in Japan before ducking into a nondescript bar and ordering a glass of Suntory on the rocks as a vinyl record plays. The ad is set to Joan Jett and the Blackhearts’ cover of “Crimson and Clover.”
“It was cool...
Twenty years after Coppola directed her breakout 2003 film “Lost in Translation” in Tokyo, the filmmaker returns to Japan with a short film for the Suntory Whisky Anniversary Tribute. Suntory Whiskey has become cinematically synonymous with “Lost in Translation” for Bill Murray’s quip, “For relaxing times, make it Suntory Time,” as his character is a fading-out actor sent to Tokyo to hawk the brand.
Actor Reeves, who previously starred in a 1990s Suntory ad, leads the commercial, a montage that celebrates 100 years of the iconic liquor brand The House of Suntory.
The ad shows Reeves walking through nightlife in Japan before ducking into a nondescript bar and ordering a glass of Suntory on the rocks as a vinyl record plays. The ad is set to Joan Jett and the Blackhearts’ cover of “Crimson and Clover.”
“It was cool...
- 5/26/2023
- by Samantha Bergeson
- Indiewire
Ichikawa Ennosuke, a leading Japanese Kabuki actor, was discovered in a semi-conscious state in the family home in Tokyo’s Meguro district by his manager on the morning of Thursday last week (May 18).
First responders found his father, Kabuki actor Ichikawa Danshiro IV, and his mother lying together in a separate room. Both have since been pronounced dead.
A note, apparently written by Ichikawa Ennosuke, was found. Authorities have not confirmed a cause of death for the two parents.
Shochiku, a leading Japanese film studio and Kabuki theater management company that also serves as Ichikawa’s management agency, said in a statement Friday that, “We are deeply saddened by the sudden passing of Mr. Ichikawa Danshiro, who had supported the Kabuki world for many years, and his wife.”
Some details have since appeared in various Japanese media. These suggest a pact to die together. They also report that psychotropic drugs...
First responders found his father, Kabuki actor Ichikawa Danshiro IV, and his mother lying together in a separate room. Both have since been pronounced dead.
A note, apparently written by Ichikawa Ennosuke, was found. Authorities have not confirmed a cause of death for the two parents.
Shochiku, a leading Japanese film studio and Kabuki theater management company that also serves as Ichikawa’s management agency, said in a statement Friday that, “We are deeply saddened by the sudden passing of Mr. Ichikawa Danshiro, who had supported the Kabuki world for many years, and his wife.”
Some details have since appeared in various Japanese media. These suggest a pact to die together. They also report that psychotropic drugs...
- 5/25/2023
- by Mark Schilling
- Variety Film + TV
When I was reading the excellent “The Aesthetics of Shadow” by Daisuke Miyao, I noticed that the author repeatedly mentioned Junichiro Tanizaki's 1933 essay “In Praise of Shadows”, as one of the sources he drew from in order to analyze lighting in Japanese cinema, and particularly the use of shadows. As such, and in great surprise, I was really glad to receive the particular book as a gift, just a few days after I had finished Miyao's (cheers to Donna).
on Amazon by clicking on the image below
The essay consists of 16 sections that revolve around three main themes, the difference between Eastern and Western aesthetics, tradition and modernity, and Tanizaki's personal opinions on Japanese aesthetics, including how he has implemented them in his own life, and particularly the construction of his house. In that fashion, and quite interestingly, he pits the Japanese focus on shadows...
on Amazon by clicking on the image below
The essay consists of 16 sections that revolve around three main themes, the difference between Eastern and Western aesthetics, tradition and modernity, and Tanizaki's personal opinions on Japanese aesthetics, including how he has implemented them in his own life, and particularly the construction of his house. In that fashion, and quite interestingly, he pits the Japanese focus on shadows...
- 5/15/2023
- by Panos Kotzathanasis
- AsianMoviePulse
The selection of two restored films by Ozu Yasujiro for the Cannes Classics section will kick-off a six-month long celebration of the iconic Japanese auteur around the world.
Cannes revealed last week that it will showcase Ozu’s 1947 “Record of a Tenement Gentleman” and his 1950 picture “The Muneteka Sisters.”
The screenings mark the 120th anniversary of Ozu’s birth and the 60th anniversary of his death. Ozu died in 1963 on the day of his 60th birthday, a little more than a year after the release of his last film “An Autumn Afternoon.”
Major studio, Shochiku, where Ozu spent the majority of career and made his iconic movies, is planning a series of curated retrospectives, festival screenings, and special events around the world that pay homage to his enduring legacy as one of the most influential directors in cinema. These will last until the end of 2023.
Shochiku was responsible for the...
Cannes revealed last week that it will showcase Ozu’s 1947 “Record of a Tenement Gentleman” and his 1950 picture “The Muneteka Sisters.”
The screenings mark the 120th anniversary of Ozu’s birth and the 60th anniversary of his death. Ozu died in 1963 on the day of his 60th birthday, a little more than a year after the release of his last film “An Autumn Afternoon.”
Major studio, Shochiku, where Ozu spent the majority of career and made his iconic movies, is planning a series of curated retrospectives, festival screenings, and special events around the world that pay homage to his enduring legacy as one of the most influential directors in cinema. These will last until the end of 2023.
Shochiku was responsible for the...
- 5/10/2023
- by Patrick Frater
- Variety Film + TV
R.I.P. to the great Jerry Springer, who died Thursday at 79. This man revolutionized daytime TV — he was the Martha Graham of afternoon talk-show slap-and-punch choreography. His eponymously titled show was a beautifully bizarre pageant of dysfunctional American life: you watched strangers sit down onstage, listened to them confess horrible betrayals, and waited for them to lunge out of their chairs and scream. There was something so cathartic in it. You felt cheated if you watched an episode where nobody got into a brawl.
Jerry was not like other talk-show hosts.
Jerry was not like other talk-show hosts.
- 4/27/2023
- by Rob Sheffield
- Rollingstone.com
There never has been a movie star quite like Nicolas Cage. While obviously handsome and gifted with backlogs of charisma, beneath the surface there lies an unmistakable hunger, a sense of searching, and what some might even call a mania to take a role to its fullest extreme. Even when Cage is taking the “paycheck” parts, be it in glossy ‘90s Hollywood star vehicles or some of his lesser 2010s straight-to-digital efforts, the actor’s tangible desire to push boundaries and experiment is nothing short of riveting.
In a Reddit Ama, Cage once said the following about his craft: “I think many of the choices I’ve made have been inspired by film stars from the silent era, as well as cultural expression of performance like Kabuki and some of the Golden Age actors like [James] Cagney, so I don’t know how to say I’ve done something new because...
In a Reddit Ama, Cage once said the following about his craft: “I think many of the choices I’ve made have been inspired by film stars from the silent era, as well as cultural expression of performance like Kabuki and some of the Golden Age actors like [James] Cagney, so I don’t know how to say I’ve done something new because...
- 4/15/2023
- by David Crow
- Den of Geek
It may have taken Nic Cage over 40 years to play Dracula in "Renfield," but he previously donned fangs for one of his most out-there performances in "Vampire's Kiss."
It's kind of surprising that it's taken this long for Nicolas Cage to play Count Dracula. If any actor was born to play the most famous vampire on the planet then surely it was our generation's most unpredictable screen legend. Now he's getting his chance in the comedy "Renfield," where he stars alongside Nicholas Hoult, who plays Dracula's beleaguered goon in the midst of an identity crisis. Cage has always expressed interest in vampire lore. He produced the 2000 film "Shadow of the Vampire," a fictionalized version of the making of "Nosferatu" that imagines what would have happened if an actual vampire had been among the cast. Mostly, however, his highly specific strain of acting has been saved for playing mere mortals. There...
It's kind of surprising that it's taken this long for Nicolas Cage to play Count Dracula. If any actor was born to play the most famous vampire on the planet then surely it was our generation's most unpredictable screen legend. Now he's getting his chance in the comedy "Renfield," where he stars alongside Nicholas Hoult, who plays Dracula's beleaguered goon in the midst of an identity crisis. Cage has always expressed interest in vampire lore. He produced the 2000 film "Shadow of the Vampire," a fictionalized version of the making of "Nosferatu" that imagines what would have happened if an actual vampire had been among the cast. Mostly, however, his highly specific strain of acting has been saved for playing mere mortals. There...
- 4/13/2023
- by Kayleigh Donaldson
- Slash Film
When you first saw John Travolta as Edna Turnblad in the 2007 musical movie "Hairspray," did you recognize him? It's okay if you didn't — in fact, that's exactly what the actor was going for. Travolta wanted Edna to feel like a woman, rather than a man in drag. Casting a man in this role was a nod to the source material, John Waters' 1988 film of the same name, in which the drag queen Divine plays Edna. Rather than lean into the drag elements of the original film, Travolta put his own twist on the part.
"I tried to make it so you never really knew it was me, that you thought it was some sort of eccentric overweight woman," the "Grease" star explained to Access Online. "Divine always had kind of the wink that it was a man playing a woman, but I tried not to have the wink."
Travolta approached...
"I tried to make it so you never really knew it was me, that you thought it was some sort of eccentric overweight woman," the "Grease" star explained to Access Online. "Divine always had kind of the wink that it was a man playing a woman, but I tried not to have the wink."
Travolta approached...
- 3/26/2023
- by Shae Sennett
- Slash Film
Co-produced by the French Miyu Productions and Japanese New Deer, “I’m Late” deals with the circle of life through an unusual path, which begins with (late) period and ends up in the birth of a baby.
I’m Late screened at Camera Japan
A recurring segment of a woman talking about her period kickstarts the 10-minute short, with a number of women talking about having bad experiences in that regard, and the animation depicting them in a graphic but also playful fashion. Stories about pregnancy, occasionally through shocking confessions come next, followed by an old man talking against condoms, or men highlighting their ignorance about the phenomenon in the most pointed fashion. Others, however, even seem to be philosophical about it, as the narrative begins to focus on the reactions of people to “the news”. A gynecologist examination leads to talks about pregnancy, with the short finishing...
I’m Late screened at Camera Japan
A recurring segment of a woman talking about her period kickstarts the 10-minute short, with a number of women talking about having bad experiences in that regard, and the animation depicting them in a graphic but also playful fashion. Stories about pregnancy, occasionally through shocking confessions come next, followed by an old man talking against condoms, or men highlighting their ignorance about the phenomenon in the most pointed fashion. Others, however, even seem to be philosophical about it, as the narrative begins to focus on the reactions of people to “the news”. A gynecologist examination leads to talks about pregnancy, with the short finishing...
- 10/4/2022
- by Panos Kotzathanasis
- AsianMoviePulse
Just before WW2, the militarized Japanese state imposed movies that dealt with the Tokugawa period to the industry. As a reaction to this tactic, a number of filmmakers turned towards the Meiji era, with Mizoguchi being one of the first to do so, with “The Story of the Late Chrysanthemums”, which many consider his greatest pre-war achievement. The script is based on the autobiography of Kabuki actor Kikunosuke Onoue, and is essentially a melodrama that stands apart due to the rather thorough look at the world of Kabuki, including both tradition and interpersonal relations.
on Amazon by clicking on the image below
The story unfolds in 1885 Tokyo, where Kikugoro Onoe, a famous kabuki actor, has adopted Kikunosuke, who appears on the stage in female parts, trying to continue the great career of his father. The rest of the troupe’s members praise Kiku’s performances,...
on Amazon by clicking on the image below
The story unfolds in 1885 Tokyo, where Kikugoro Onoe, a famous kabuki actor, has adopted Kikunosuke, who appears on the stage in female parts, trying to continue the great career of his father. The rest of the troupe’s members praise Kiku’s performances,...
- 9/9/2022
- by Panos Kotzathanasis
- AsianMoviePulse
By Sean Barry
Tokusatsu entertainment has continued to flourish in Japan since its rise in popularity in the 1950s and onward. Beyond movies and television, the roots of Japanese special effects production can be traced back to Japanese theatre, which has existed for centuries. For example, Kabuki has used trickery of the eye, such as in action setpieces, and the form of puppet theatre known as Bunraku tells its stories entirely through visual effects. The latter form of stage storytelling combined with well-established tokusatsu techniques would birth one of the most stylish and beautifully crafted short films in recent years: “Howl from Beyond the Fog.”
on Amazon
A source of inspiration for the ambitious project is Ray Bradbury’s short story “The Fog Horn.” The classic literature piece follows two men who have an encounter with a sea monster that is drawn to the foghorn of a lighthouse on an isolated island.
Tokusatsu entertainment has continued to flourish in Japan since its rise in popularity in the 1950s and onward. Beyond movies and television, the roots of Japanese special effects production can be traced back to Japanese theatre, which has existed for centuries. For example, Kabuki has used trickery of the eye, such as in action setpieces, and the form of puppet theatre known as Bunraku tells its stories entirely through visual effects. The latter form of stage storytelling combined with well-established tokusatsu techniques would birth one of the most stylish and beautifully crafted short films in recent years: “Howl from Beyond the Fog.”
on Amazon
A source of inspiration for the ambitious project is Ray Bradbury’s short story “The Fog Horn.” The classic literature piece follows two men who have an encounter with a sea monster that is drawn to the foghorn of a lighthouse on an isolated island.
- 6/13/2022
- by Guest Writer
- AsianMoviePulse
A number of academics and film historians have written about the genesis of Japanese cinema and its progression through the 20th century, with Donald Richie, Aaron Gerow, Isolde Standish being some of the most renowned. Daisuke Miyao, however, who seems to have studied everything his predecessors had written before him, deals with the particular subject through a rather unique approach, by focusing on the ways of implementing light and shadows on film highlighting its progress. The result, as Earl Jackson who suggested the book mentioned, is truly magnificent
on Amazon
To refer to the huge amount of info presented on the 281, small font pages of the book would be truly futile, so instead I am going to focus on some key events of the story Miyao shares here, and the ways he implemented them in order to unfold it as artfully as possible. As such, the story...
on Amazon
To refer to the huge amount of info presented on the 281, small font pages of the book would be truly futile, so instead I am going to focus on some key events of the story Miyao shares here, and the ways he implemented them in order to unfold it as artfully as possible. As such, the story...
- 6/8/2022
- by Panos Kotzathanasis
- AsianMoviePulse
‘Pig’: Nicolas Cage’s Mythic Tale of Grief Is One of the Most Honest Movies About Mourning Ever Made
The most resonant films about loss represent a wide variety of genres and modes, and yet they’re all bound together by the shared understanding of a simple truth: Acceptance may be the last stage of grief, but it’s invariably the longest as well. The acceptance of death is neither a respite nor an exit ramp — it’s a purgatory as infinite and layered as the inferno itself, a maze so vast that most people eventually stop looking for a way out and instead start looking for ways to forget that they can’t escape.
That bitter truth unites everything from “Personal Shopper” to “The Babadook” to Krzysztof Kieślowski’s “Blue.” Bolstered by a poignant Nicolas Cage performance, Michael Sarnoski’s “Pig” joins the crowd with a movie about a man so lost in the labyrinth that he thinks he’s living outside of it. The movie may not squeal Oscar bait,...
That bitter truth unites everything from “Personal Shopper” to “The Babadook” to Krzysztof Kieślowski’s “Blue.” Bolstered by a poignant Nicolas Cage performance, Michael Sarnoski’s “Pig” joins the crowd with a movie about a man so lost in the labyrinth that he thinks he’s living outside of it. The movie may not squeal Oscar bait,...
- 11/8/2021
- by David Ehrlich
- Indiewire
Léa Seydoux is having a bad Cannes.
For one thing, she isn’t even here. After testing positive for Covid-19, the actress cancelled her trip to the festival where she was slated to take up an extremely uncommon four-night residency on the red carpet and in the pressroom. And without the glamorous actress, her four titles were left to fend for themselves. The results haven’t been pretty.
Of Seydoux’s four films at the festival, “The French Dispatch” fared best; but then, the actress only had a bit part in a film whose real star was director Wes Anderson himself – though he didn’t do a press conference either. And if follow-ups “Deception” and “The Story of My Wife” earned their fair share of jeers, for the most part festivalgoers blew them off with a weary Gallic shrug.
So say what you want about Bruno Dumont’s “France,” which...
For one thing, she isn’t even here. After testing positive for Covid-19, the actress cancelled her trip to the festival where she was slated to take up an extremely uncommon four-night residency on the red carpet and in the pressroom. And without the glamorous actress, her four titles were left to fend for themselves. The results haven’t been pretty.
Of Seydoux’s four films at the festival, “The French Dispatch” fared best; but then, the actress only had a bit part in a film whose real star was director Wes Anderson himself – though he didn’t do a press conference either. And if follow-ups “Deception” and “The Story of My Wife” earned their fair share of jeers, for the most part festivalgoers blew them off with a weary Gallic shrug.
So say what you want about Bruno Dumont’s “France,” which...
- 7/16/2021
- by Ben Croll
- The Wrap
There’s nothing like the term ‘Transcendental Style’ to intimidate a filmgoer, but have no fear: Yasujiro Ozu’s tale of a domestic trial is as accessible as I Love Lucy… only more substantial. The transcendental effect is being drawn into Ozu’s minimalist, precisely simplified and mysteriously profound directing style. Ten minutes in you wonder what the big deal is, but not much later one is hanging onto every cut, absorbed by tiny gestures and facial expressions. And yet it all seems natural. The Ozu ‘stasis’ some people mention is not at all static, but an X-Ray into everyday dramatic realities. With an entire second feature by Ozu, What Did the Lady Forget?
The Flavor of Green Tea over Rice
Blu-ray
The Criterion Collection 989
1952 / B&w / 1:37 flat Academy / 116 min. / available through The Criterion Collection / Street Date August 27, 2019 / 39.95
Starring: Shin Saburi, Michiyo Kogure, Koji Tsuruta, Chishu Ryu, Chikage Awashima,...
The Flavor of Green Tea over Rice
Blu-ray
The Criterion Collection 989
1952 / B&w / 1:37 flat Academy / 116 min. / available through The Criterion Collection / Street Date August 27, 2019 / 39.95
Starring: Shin Saburi, Michiyo Kogure, Koji Tsuruta, Chishu Ryu, Chikage Awashima,...
- 8/27/2019
- by Glenn Erickson
- Trailers from Hell
Sneak Peek new images of actress Natalie Portman aka 'Jane Foster' in the 'Marvel Cinematic Universe', posing for the April 2019 issue of "Vogue" (Australia) magazine, wearing Givenchy, Marc Jacobs and a whole lot more, photographed by Emma Summerton:
"Why is makeup universal?," asks Portman. "Because it responds to our desire to want to be better.
"It’s also a way to express your personality while giving free rein to your imagination."
"The first time I probably wore makeup was when I was playing 'Mathilda' in 'Leon the Professional'..
"The makeup artist used all natural things — like beet juice mixed with rosewater for my lips and cheeks, because she didn’t want to put makeup on a kid.
"Using lipstick as a blush – it’s a great trick when you want a different color and fresh shine on your cheeks.
"In 'Star Wars', when they made the 'Kabuki' lip on me,...
"Why is makeup universal?," asks Portman. "Because it responds to our desire to want to be better.
"It’s also a way to express your personality while giving free rein to your imagination."
"The first time I probably wore makeup was when I was playing 'Mathilda' in 'Leon the Professional'..
"The makeup artist used all natural things — like beet juice mixed with rosewater for my lips and cheeks, because she didn’t want to put makeup on a kid.
"Using lipstick as a blush – it’s a great trick when you want a different color and fresh shine on your cheeks.
"In 'Star Wars', when they made the 'Kabuki' lip on me,...
- 4/19/2019
- by Michael Stevens
- SneakPeek
As Red Miller in Panos Cosmatos’ Mandy, Nicholas Cage finally played a character worthy of his extreme range of emotions. Though often mocked for his enthusiastic “Cage Rage” in lesser films, the actor’s unhinged, Kabuki-eque portrayal of a man on a burning quest for vengeance was absolutely perfect. The film has put Cage back into […] The post Twisted Holiday Yule Log Sees Nic Cage Burning in Agony for Hours appeared first on Dread Central.
- 12/24/2018
- by Josh Millican
- DreadCentral.com
The history of movies is littered with absolutely god-awful adaptations of great novels — and whether you consider Martin Amis’s 1990 book London Fields a “great novel” or simple one of the author’s stronger works is a matter to be settled between you and your respective deity. But the lauded British author’s tale of a world torn asunder, a woman who knows the details of her grisly future death and a writer mining it all for material was, if nothing else, a compelling read — all literary bad-boy swagger (U.
- 10/25/2018
- by David Fear
- Rollingstone.com
Countercultural new wave cinema from the 60s and 70s comes face-to-face with new experimental films in this investigation of youth and protest in Japan.
This edition of Jaeff, in partnership with The Japan Foundation, riffs off the Oxford Dictionaries word of 2017: ‘Youthquake’ – defined as ‘a significant cultural, political, or social change arising from the actions or influence of young people.’
Taking place at Kings College, Close-up and the Barbican, London, we are presenting classic avant-garde films from the 1960s and 1970s that examine youth counterculture, the student movements, and general currents of dissatisfaction and rebellion. From ‘sun tribe’ delinquents in “Bad Boys”, psychedelic drag queens in “Funeral Parade of Roses”, and heat-of-the-battle political documentary “Forest of Oppression”, to surreal theatre troupes in “Diary of a Shinjuku Thief”.
Showing alongside these films are short experimental works from contemporary filmmakers and video artists that engage with life in present-day Japan.
Friday 21 September 2018
King’s College,...
This edition of Jaeff, in partnership with The Japan Foundation, riffs off the Oxford Dictionaries word of 2017: ‘Youthquake’ – defined as ‘a significant cultural, political, or social change arising from the actions or influence of young people.’
Taking place at Kings College, Close-up and the Barbican, London, we are presenting classic avant-garde films from the 1960s and 1970s that examine youth counterculture, the student movements, and general currents of dissatisfaction and rebellion. From ‘sun tribe’ delinquents in “Bad Boys”, psychedelic drag queens in “Funeral Parade of Roses”, and heat-of-the-battle political documentary “Forest of Oppression”, to surreal theatre troupes in “Diary of a Shinjuku Thief”.
Showing alongside these films are short experimental works from contemporary filmmakers and video artists that engage with life in present-day Japan.
Friday 21 September 2018
King’s College,...
- 8/16/2018
- by Panos Kotzathanasis
- AsianMoviePulse
The first thing you should know about Sono Sion’s characteristically unhinged “Tokyo Vampire Hotel” is that — spoiler alert? — most of it takes place inside of a vampire’s vagina. Well, technically speaking, most of it takes place inside of a massive hotel, but that massive hotel is actually squeezed into an inter-dimensional pocket of space-time that’s located between the legs of a decrepit vampire queen. And that decrepit vampire queen lives in Tokyo, hence the title “Tokyo Vampire Hotel.” Or maybe lives in Romania. It’s kind of unclear. The hotel is definitely in her vagina, though — there’s no doubt about that.
A demented cocaine giallo that splits the difference between Suzuki Seijun and Claire Denis, Sono Sion’s latest exercise in gonzo digital mayhem is maybe the wildest thing he’s ever made; that’s high praise when discussing the punk auteur responsible for the likes...
A demented cocaine giallo that splits the difference between Suzuki Seijun and Claire Denis, Sono Sion’s latest exercise in gonzo digital mayhem is maybe the wildest thing he’s ever made; that’s high praise when discussing the punk auteur responsible for the likes...
- 7/31/2018
- by David Ehrlich
- Indiewire
After revealing our Sunday line-up in our last newsletter, we’re now happy to share with you the exciting news that tickets are on sale for our Saturday 22 September screenings showing at Close-Up Film Centre!
Jaeff is delighted to present an exclusive screening of Ogawa Shinsuke’s Forest of Oppression with an extended introduction by specialist Ricardo Matos Cabo who will be showing rare footage of the student movements in 1960s Japan.
The late evening slot will see Nagisa Oshima’s wild Diary of a Shinjuku Thief paired with Desktop Treasure, an experimental short by emerging filmmaker Ummmi.
Saturday 22 September 2018 – 6pm
“Forest of Oppression” with extended introduction + video clips – Japan 1967 Dir Ogawa Shinsuke, Documentary, 105.min. Digital presentation
Shinsuke Ogawa’s astonishing documentary takes the audience behind the barricades and into the heat of running battles with riot police in this chronicle of the student occupation movement in 1967 Japan at the Takasaki City University of Economics.
Jaeff is delighted to present an exclusive screening of Ogawa Shinsuke’s Forest of Oppression with an extended introduction by specialist Ricardo Matos Cabo who will be showing rare footage of the student movements in 1960s Japan.
The late evening slot will see Nagisa Oshima’s wild Diary of a Shinjuku Thief paired with Desktop Treasure, an experimental short by emerging filmmaker Ummmi.
Saturday 22 September 2018 – 6pm
“Forest of Oppression” with extended introduction + video clips – Japan 1967 Dir Ogawa Shinsuke, Documentary, 105.min. Digital presentation
Shinsuke Ogawa’s astonishing documentary takes the audience behind the barricades and into the heat of running battles with riot police in this chronicle of the student occupation movement in 1967 Japan at the Takasaki City University of Economics.
- 7/26/2018
- by Adriana Rosati
- AsianMoviePulse
Jennifer Aniston‘s flaunting her killer abs while lounging poolside in Italy before filming starts for her new Netflix mystery-comedy with Adam Sandler, Murder Mystery.
The actress, 49, took in some rays wearing a teeny blue bikini and oversize black sunglasses as she relaxed in scenic Portofino, Italy.
In an interview with Harper’s Bazaar last year, Aniston told the magazine she’s always loved laying out in the sun.
“Being Greek, we love our tanning, but I’ve been on hiatus,” she said. “And I miss it. It brought me a lot of happiness being able to lay out there and get that vitamin D.
The actress, 49, took in some rays wearing a teeny blue bikini and oversize black sunglasses as she relaxed in scenic Portofino, Italy.
In an interview with Harper’s Bazaar last year, Aniston told the magazine she’s always loved laying out in the sun.
“Being Greek, we love our tanning, but I’ve been on hiatus,” she said. “And I miss it. It brought me a lot of happiness being able to lay out there and get that vitamin D.
- 7/24/2018
- by Kaitlyn Frey
- PEOPLE.com
An Actor’s Revenge
Blu ray
Criterion
1963 / Color / 2.39:1 / 113 Min. / Street Date February 20, 2018
Starring Kazuo Hasegawa
Cinematography by Setsuo Kobayashi
Written by Daisuke Itô, Teinosuke Kinugasa
Edited by Shigeo Nishida
Directed by Kon Ichikawa
From Twelfth Night to Homicidal, casting calls for cross-dressers are a Hollywood tradition. The stories are alike in their differences; Katherine Hepburn was dodging the cops, Jack Lemmon was fleeing the mob, Dustin Hoffman was just an actor begging for work. Yukitarō, the enigmatic hero of An Actor’s Revenge, is gainfully employed but his motives are far more complicated than Hoffman’s needy thespian.
The story of a female impersonator’s vengeful killing spree, Kon Ichikawa’s 1963 film boasts a plot line John Waters would surely appreciate. But where Waters revels in the high comedy of lowlifes, Ichakawa’s movie is a ravishing melodrama set in the elevated atmosphere of death-dealing samurai, 19th century Kabuki...
Blu ray
Criterion
1963 / Color / 2.39:1 / 113 Min. / Street Date February 20, 2018
Starring Kazuo Hasegawa
Cinematography by Setsuo Kobayashi
Written by Daisuke Itô, Teinosuke Kinugasa
Edited by Shigeo Nishida
Directed by Kon Ichikawa
From Twelfth Night to Homicidal, casting calls for cross-dressers are a Hollywood tradition. The stories are alike in their differences; Katherine Hepburn was dodging the cops, Jack Lemmon was fleeing the mob, Dustin Hoffman was just an actor begging for work. Yukitarō, the enigmatic hero of An Actor’s Revenge, is gainfully employed but his motives are far more complicated than Hoffman’s needy thespian.
The story of a female impersonator’s vengeful killing spree, Kon Ichikawa’s 1963 film boasts a plot line John Waters would surely appreciate. But where Waters revels in the high comedy of lowlifes, Ichakawa’s movie is a ravishing melodrama set in the elevated atmosphere of death-dealing samurai, 19th century Kabuki...
- 3/27/2018
- by Charlie Largent
- Trailers from Hell
Friendly warning: This article spoils the Season 3B premiere of Netflix’s Fuller House. Don’t read this before you watch, or you’ll be in big trouble… mister.
I’m sorry, did you really think Steve and C.J.’s wedding would go off without a hitch? (Spoiler alert: When you hire Kimmy Gibler to plan your big day, you get exactly what you pay for.)
Frankly, Fuller House‘s entire Season 3B premiere — which dropped Friday, along with eight other episodes — was basically one big hitch after another, beginning with D.J. reluctantly accepting Matt’s proposal while...
I’m sorry, did you really think Steve and C.J.’s wedding would go off without a hitch? (Spoiler alert: When you hire Kimmy Gibler to plan your big day, you get exactly what you pay for.)
Frankly, Fuller House‘s entire Season 3B premiere — which dropped Friday, along with eight other episodes — was basically one big hitch after another, beginning with D.J. reluctantly accepting Matt’s proposal while...
- 12/22/2017
- TVLine.com
"Trainwreck," the new Amy Schumer/Judd Apatow movie, examines the plight of one snarly woman as she exits her familiar world of sexual freedom and hangovers for a detour into serious romance. Though several eye-popping cameos and supporting performances buttress the film, Schumer's performance is the acting triumph of "Trainwreck." Without her shaky conscience and burgeoning sense of fulfillment, the movie's conventional story might feel staid. Thankfully, it's anything but. Schumer's performance marks a welcome addition to cinema's long line of strident, hilarious female protagonists. We're celebrating that lineage with a list: the 20 best female-driven comedies ever. Some are old and some are new, but all are marked by a degree of cosmopolitan fun and nerviness -- and the occasional slap from Cher. 20. "How to Marry a Millionaire" We remember Lauren Bacall as a glamor girl with a damning grimace, but let's start revising that narrative to include her chops as a comic force.
- 7/16/2015
- by Louis Virtel
- Hitfix
There’s been a lot of coverage on the new movie, but don’t forget that the original Godzilla is making its way back to select Us theaters. We brought you the first announcement and now we have the initial list of locations and dates when you can check out this classic on the big screen.
“A new restoration of Godzilla: The Japanese Original, the monster classic that has spawned six decades of sequels, imitations, and remakes, will debut April 12 at the fifth TCM Classic Film Festival in Hollywood, followed by a national release beginning at New York’s Film Forum, April 18-24.
Godzilla was originally released here in 1956 as Godzilla: King of the Monsters, an atrociously cut, dubbed and re-edited version that inserted American actor Raymond Burr into the action; only an hour was used of the original’s 98 minute running time. Burr does not appear in the original,...
“A new restoration of Godzilla: The Japanese Original, the monster classic that has spawned six decades of sequels, imitations, and remakes, will debut April 12 at the fifth TCM Classic Film Festival in Hollywood, followed by a national release beginning at New York’s Film Forum, April 18-24.
Godzilla was originally released here in 1956 as Godzilla: King of the Monsters, an atrociously cut, dubbed and re-edited version that inserted American actor Raymond Burr into the action; only an hour was used of the original’s 98 minute running time. Burr does not appear in the original,...
- 4/21/2014
- by Jonathan James
- DailyDead
Who: Stephen Elliott, founder of The Rumpus, author of The Adderall Diaries and recently, writer/director of San Francisco International Film Festival favorite "About Cherry."
Years in Sf: 14
Neighborhood: The Mission
Current Gig: Elliott directed and cowrote with "About Cherry" with San Francisco pornography legend Lorelei Lee and debuted the film at the Berlin International Film Festival. The movie celebrated its North American premiere at San Francisco's Kabuki Theatre on Tuesday to a sold-out crowd.
Starring James Franco, Heather Graham and Ashley Hinshaw, the story follows a young woman launching a career in the adult fetish film industry at San Francisco's Kink.com. As a former sex worker, the subject is especially close to Elliott's heart.
(Scroll Down For Video)
You've described "About Cherry" as a love letter to San Francisco. Tell me about that. There's a scene in the movie that's set at the top of Dolores Park, overlooking...
Years in Sf: 14
Neighborhood: The Mission
Current Gig: Elliott directed and cowrote with "About Cherry" with San Francisco pornography legend Lorelei Lee and debuted the film at the Berlin International Film Festival. The movie celebrated its North American premiere at San Francisco's Kabuki Theatre on Tuesday to a sold-out crowd.
Starring James Franco, Heather Graham and Ashley Hinshaw, the story follows a young woman launching a career in the adult fetish film industry at San Francisco's Kink.com. As a former sex worker, the subject is especially close to Elliott's heart.
(Scroll Down For Video)
You've described "About Cherry" as a love letter to San Francisco. Tell me about that. There's a scene in the movie that's set at the top of Dolores Park, overlooking...
- 4/28/2012
- by Robin Wilkey
- Huffington Post
Darren Aronofsky's Black Swan was released in theaters last week in only 18 screens (making $210,000, a company record per-theater average of $11,706). But when are you going to get a chance to see the film for yourself? Fox Searchlight has released a listing of theaters and dates to assist you in figuring out when Black Swan will be playing at a theater near you. Hit the jump to see the list. 12/03/2010 Toronto: Varisty Theater Toronto, On Boston: Boston Common & IMAX Boston, Ma Landmark Kendall Sq. Cinema Cambridge, Ma Washington, D.C.: Georgetown 14 Washington, D.C. Landmark Bethesda Rows Cinema Bethesda, MD Landmark E Street Cinema Washington, D.C. New York: Clearview Chelsea Cinemas NYC, NY Lincoln Plaza NYC, NY Regal Union Sq. 14 Stadium NYC, NY Chicago: AMC River East 21 Chicago, Il Regal Century 12 Evanston Evanston, Il Century Centre Cinema 7 Chicago, Il Dallas/Ft. Worth: Angelika/Plano Film Center Plano, TX Landmark Magnollia Cinema Dallas,...
- 12/9/2010
- by Peter Sciretta
- Slash Film
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