A group of old men take over an empty house and proclaim it to be a new “country” they have founded, called Yama. Read More »
Tag Archives: Japan
Nemuri Kyôshirô 5: Enjôken / Sleepy Eyes of Death 5: Sword of Fire (1965) Kenji Misumi, Raizô Ichikawa, Tamao Nakamura, Michiko Sugata, Action, Drama
Fifth film in the series. When Kyoshiro, in a moment of weakness, saves the life of a woman being attacked on the road, he quickly finds himself entangled in a conspiracy involving a corrupt chamberlain, a wily merchant, the survivors of a pirate gang, and a missing treasure trove. Read More »
Yôjinbô / Yojimbo (1961) Akira Kurosawa, Toshirô Mifune, Eijirô Tôno, Tatsuya Nakadai, Action, Drama, Thriller
Sanjuro, a wandering samurai enters a rural town in nineteenth century Japan. After learning from the innkeeper that the town is divided between two gangsters, he plays one side off against the other. Read More »
Ikimono no kiroku / I Live in Fear (1955) Akira Kurosawa, Toshirô Mifune, Takashi Shimura, Minoru Chiaki, Drama
Kiichi Nakajima, an elderly foundry owner, is so frightened and obsessed with the idea of nuclear extermination that his family decides to have him ruled incompetent. Read More »
Kazoku gêmu / The Family Game (1983) Yoshimitsu Morita, Yûsaku Matsuda, Jûzô Itami, Saori Yuki, Comedy, Drama
A sendup of the stereo-typical Japanese family: dad is a salaryman jerk, unable to relate to anyone; mom is a hopeless housewife Read More »
Chuji Tabinikki Daisanbu Goyohen / A Diary of Chuji’s Travels (1927) Daisuke Itô, Denjirô Ôkôchi, Hideo Nakamura, Kichiji Nakamura, Drama
The Japanese equivalent of penny dreadfuls glorifying Jesse James, A Diary of Chuji’s Travels gives a unique gloss to the tale of Chuji Kunisada, the legendary bakuto (or gambler, the precursors to modern-day yakuza). Read More »
Yama no oto / Sound of the Mountain (1954) Mikio Naruse, Setsuko Hara, Sô Yamamura, Ken Uehara, Drama
The businessman Ogata Shingo works with his son Shuichi, who is his secretary, and they live together in the suburb with their wives Yasuko and Kikuko respectively. Read More »
Ken (1964) Kenji Misumi, Raizô Ichikawa, Yûsuke Kawazu, Hisaya Morishige, Drama
Interesting story about a young man obsessed by kendo. Kokubu is a university student and has just been made captain of the kendo team, just ahead of Kagawa. Read More »
Inazuma / Lightning (1952) Mikio Naruse, Hideko Takamine, Mitsuko Miura, Kyôko Kagawa, Drama
Mikio Naruse’s second adaptation of a novel by Fumiko Hayashi stars Hideko Takamine, the director’s frequent muse, as bus conductress Kiyoko Komori, the youngest daughter in a family of squabbling half-siblings. Read More »
Molokh / Moloch (1999) Aleksandr Sokurov, Elena Rufanova, Leonid Mozgovoy, Irina Sokolova, Drama
In 1942, in Bavaria, Eva Braun is alone, when Adolf Hitler arrives with Dr. Josef Goebbels and his wife Magda Goebbels and Martin Bormann to spend a couple of days without talking politics. Read More »
Nemuri Kyoshiro 1: Sappocho / Sleepy Eyes of Death: The Chinese Jade (1963) Tokuzô Tanaka, Raizô Ichikawa, Tamao Nakamura, Shinobu Araki, Drama
Nemuri Kyoshiro, a youthful and cynical ronin with unparalleled skill, is approached by both sides in a game of corruption, ambition, and double crosses. Read More »
Kiru / Destiny’s Son (1962) Kenji Misumi, Raizô Ichikawa, Shiho Fujimura, Mayumi Nagisa, Action, Drama
The story follows the adult life of Shingo, a humble orphan raised by a low ranking samurai. Read More »
Fish on Land (2011) Yûsuke Iseya, Hidetoshi Nishijima, Mirai Moriyama, Nae, Drama
A college senior (Mirai Moriyama) takes a bicycle trip for his last summer vacation. On his trip he comes across drive-in “HOUSE475” and its manager Seii (Hidetoshi Nishijima). Read More »
Daimajin gyakushû / Wrath of Daimajin (1966) Kazuo Mori, Hideki Ninomiya, Shinji Hori, Masahide Iizuka, Fantasy
An evil warlord invades a peaceful lakeside village during one of their annual festivals. Read More »
Daimajin ikaru / Return of Daimajin (1966) Kenji Misumi, Kôjirô Hongô, Shiho Fujimura, Tarô Marui, Drama, Fantasy
Giant statue exacts revenge upon those who conquer its worshippers.
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