Murukami, a young homicide detective, has his pocket picked on a bus and loses his pistol. Read More »
Tag Archives: Japan
Sleepy Eyes of Death 7: The Mask of the Princess (1966) Akira Inoue, Raizô Ichikawa, Yaeko Mizutani, Ichirô Nakatani, Drama
The masked daughter of the Shogun wants to kill a samurai who has seen her scarred face. She sends waves of ninja warriors to kill the samurai and plots diabolical schemes / ambushes without much success. Read More »
Sleepy Eyes of Death 6 – Sword of Satan (1965) Kimiyoshi Yasuda, Raizô Ichikawa, Michiko Saga, Machiko Hasegawa, Action, Drama
Sixth film in the series. A little boy who just wants to be a carpenter is at the center of a plot that might topple — or save — a mighty Clan Read More »
Pikunikku / Picnic (1996) Shunji Iwai, Chara, Tadanobu Asano, Koichi Hashizume, Drama, Fantasy
Believing that the world will end that very day, three mental patients Coco, Tsumuji, and Satoru set out upon a journey. Read More »
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 »
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 »