Tag Archives: Japan

Godzilla, King of the Monsters! (1956) Ishirô Honda, Raymond Burr, Takashi Shimura, Momoko Kôchi, Action, Horror, Sci-Fi

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When American reporter Steve Martin investigates a series of mysterious disasters off the coast of Japan, he comes face to face with an ancient creature so powerful and so terrifying, it can reduce Tokyo to a smoldering graveyard. Nuclear weapon testing resurrected this relic from the Jurassic age, and now it’s rampaging across Japan. At night, Godzilla wades through Tokyo leaving death and destruction in his wake, disappearing into Tokyo Bay when his rage subsides. Coventional weapons are useless against him; but renowned scientist Dr. Serizawa has discovered a weapon that could destroy all life in the bay – including Godzilla. But which disaster is worse, Godzilla’s fury, or the death of Tokyo Bay?
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Zoom In: Rape Apartments / Zûmu in: Bôkô danchi (1980) Naosuke Kurosawa, Erina Miyai, Yôko Azusa, Yûko Ôsaki, Horror, Pinku, Erotic

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Saeko, a somewhat enigmatic young woman, is brutally beaten with a rock and raped by a man wearing a dark-colored mask and black gloves. She eventually recovers, but not long afterwards a series of horrific murders begins occurring in the apartment building she lives in. When it turns out that the victims are badly beaten, then killed and their genitals burned off, Saeko begins to think she has an idea who the killer is, but realizes she may be murdered before she has a chance to expose the maniac.
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Appleseed Alpha (2014) Shinji Aramaki, Yuka Komatsu, Jun’ichi Suwabe, Aoi Yuki, Animation, Action, Sci-fi

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From the creator of Ghost in the Shell and the director of Appleseed comes the intense post-apocalyptic prequel, Appleseed: Alpha. Left to survive in a post-World War society, two mercenary soldiers – Deunan and her cyborg partner Briareos – are sent on a mission on the outskirts of their war-torn city. During the operation, they run into Iris and Olson, two citizens from the utopian city of Olympus, who might have a way to save the world but the ruthless Talos and the scheming warlord Two Horns have their own plans. It’s up to Deunan and Briareos to safeguard their newfound contacts and help save humanity’s last hope.
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Appleseed Saga: Ex Machina / Appurushido: Ekusu makina (2007) Shinji Aramaki, Ai Kobayashi, Kôichi Yamadera, Yûji Kishi, Animation, Action, Sci-fi

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When a paramilitary task force called E.S.W.A.T. and its operations in the year 2133 Olympus, a futuristic utopia where humans, cyborgs, and bio-engineered human beings called “Bioroids” are attempting to live in perfect harmony. However, a series of random terrorist attacks perpetrated by cyborgs and humans alike threaten to throw Olympus into total chaos. As it turns out, these humans and machines have come under the influence of an unknown electronic signal that hacks into their nervous systems and they then become the unwilling servants of a malevolent computerized entity. Thrown into the action is the plucky female E.S.W.A.T. warrior Deunan Knute and her cyborg lover/partner Briareos as they investigate these bizarre occurrences with the other members of their unit. Things become complicated when a bioroid named Tereus, who resembles Briareous in his human form, joins their unit and threatens to come between their relationship. But these three must put aside their differences to face an even greater threat that promises world destruction in its wake.
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Arakure / Untamed Woman (1957) Mikio Naruse, Hideko Takamine, Ken Uehara, Masayuki Mori, Drama

Arakure (Mikio Naruse, 1957)
Set in the Taish? period of Japan (dating from 1912 to 1926), Untamed follows the fiery Oshima (in a superbly eccentric performance by Takamine) as she passes from one suitor to another, a series of calamities befalling her along the way. Characteristic of Naruse’s work, urban and rural settings are juxtaposed: the moody Tokyo streets against a majestic mountain village. At each point, the various situations Oshima is caught in seem uncannily bound up with her surroundings. It’s worth noting that the film, while not widely known, is singled out for praise by critic Chris Fujiwara.
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Nora-neko rokku: Onna banchô / Stray Cat Rock: Delinquent Girl Boss (1970) Yasuharu Hasebe, Akiko Wada, Meiko Kaji, Kôji Wada, Action, Crime, Drama

Nora-neko rokku Onna bancho (1970)
Tells the story of Mei, leader of an all-girl biker gang, inadvertently gets involved with a yakuza group’s plot to rig boxing matches because of her boyfriend and a rival gang. When the yakuza tortures and kills some of her members, she comes out of hiding and, with the help of a loner named Ako, seeks revenge.
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