Tag: Third Window Films
“A rose by any other name would smell as sweet.” The adage above—from William Shakespeare’s play Romeo and Juliet—has stood the test of time, having been referenced in countless other books, television shows, and films. The assertion that the names of things do not affect what they really are is perhaps more relevant now than
Punk Samurai Slash Down is a 2018 Japanese period action/drama, written by Kankurô Kudô and directed by Gakuryû Ishii (formerly known as Sogo Ishii). The film is based on the novel Panku-zamurai, kirarete sôrô penned by author Kou Machida. Ishii is most notable for his Jishu eiga (self-made films) such as Charge! Hakata Gangsters (1978),
Electric Dragon 80.000V is a 2001 experimental sci-fi fantasy, written and directed by the legendary Gakuryû Ishii (previously known as Sogo Ishii). Most notable for films such as Crazy Thunder Road (1980), and, most recently, Punk Samurai Slash Down (2018); Ishii started his career creating autonomously produced films or Jishu Eiga such as Charge! Hakata
Jishu eiga, abbreviated from jishu seisaku eiga and translating roughly to “autonomously produced”, is an elusive, self-sufficient form of filmmaking popularised during the decline of mainstream Japanese cinema around the 1970’s. Mostly filmed on 8mm film and chiefly witnessed at a handful of specialist film festivals, this independent form of filmmaking helped launch the directorial
“Strings of gold sway gently in the wind, They play a sweet and gentle melody, At night I walk in the pale moonlight, Together with a dream, A secret dream..” Having spent most of my adolescence hunting down Japanese films at my local video stores and rummaging through endless online forums to discover new titles,
When considering currently acclaimed Japanese filmmakers there are several names that can readily spring to mind. From the exhaustively prolific creations of Takashi Miike to the bombastic and arresting works of Sion Sono or even the award-winning output of Hirokazu Kore-eda. By every right, Toshiaki Toyoda is a name that should be just as well
“There is always some madness in love. But there is also always some reason in madness.” -Friedrich Nietzche Last year, cinema fans worldwide were able to engage and appreciate the talents of director Macoto Tezuka (officially romanized as Tezka and used here to denote between father and son) thanks to Third Window Films’ restoration and
In 2017, a little movie from Japan called One Cut of the Dead arrived on the scene and took everyone by surprise. Being a micro-budget movie that was only made as a conclusion to an acting workshop, it received a mere week of theatrical run initially, but reviews were rave, and positive word-of-mouth spread quickly.
Dad, I’m going to make big money. I’ll get revenge on Uchiyama. I’ll avenge mother’s death! Mark my words. The second movie from the Pink Films Vol. 3 & 4 set, apart from Abnormal Family: Older Brother’s Bride (1984), is Kan Mukai’s Blue Film Woman from 1969. Evidently, this particular motion picture greatly differs in
Let me tell you what my father told me: “Marriage will not give you instant happiness. It’s wrong to assume that marriage will bring nothing but happiness. Don’t wait for happiness to come to you, you must create your own happiness. Marriage does not mean happiness.” I think it is fitting to begin this review