Thursday, January 29, 2009
Japanese Box Office 2008 - The Results Are In
Eiren published their annual list of movie industry statistics today, around which I've written my usual big summary for Screen. Please see the article here (don't forget, Asia news is free).
I'm quite impressed with my forecasting abilities. Last year in Screen and on my Midnight Eye Top 10 of 2008 list (come on, guys!) I predicted a 60-40 split in market share between local films and imports: the final figures were 59.5% to 40.5%. I also predicted an overall gross of 195 billion yen in my upcoming piece in the March edition of Japan Close-Up (see my Dec. 19 entry). The final tally was 194.84 billion.
I suppose "predict" is the wrong word since I have to follow these numbers all year, but you'll now see the local media here go into a frenzy over how successful Japanese films were. Too bad overall box office and admissions in Japan remain as flat as a pancake while screen count dangerously increases...
Wednesday, January 28, 2009
Flashbulb Daydream
Today there was a press conference in Roppongi for The Curious Case of Benjamin Button (which I saw and enjoyed back in early Dec). I have never in my life witnessed such a sustained blast of photo flash. I think the very air itself was singed. The phalanx of TV broadcast cameras was also record-setting. Call it the Brad Pitt effect.
Anyway, on the way home I noticed the above poster for Kim Ki-duk's Dream (titled Himu, 『悲夢』in Japan), starring Joe Odagiri and Lee Na-yeong, in the tunnel of Roppongi subway station. I usually snap a reference photo on full auto and then switch to manual, but I liked the effect of the tracks being reflected onto the curved surface of the poster via the flash.
Tuesday, January 27, 2009
Coming Soon: First Footage from SABU's The Crab Cannery Ship
Back on Dec. 24 I posted the first image from Sabu's upcoming film The Crab Cannery Ship (Kanikôsen,『蟹工船』). You can now see a somewhat clearer view of the director and his two leads here.
Today, Sabu showed me the first tokuhô (teaser) for the film. It's looking very cool. Very Sabu.
Bach's "Jesu, Joy of Man's Desiring" plays on the soundtrack. Two workers pass each other in the dingy depths of the boat.
WORKER 1
Hasn't that guy been acting
like a crab lately?
WORKER 2
Huh?
WORKER 1
I've seen it...
At the end of the long corridor another young worker emerges. He shuffles sideways with his back against the wall. He holds his hands in the air, pinching his fingers like a crab's claws.
After that the teaser kicks into high gear with violent oppressors (Nishijima Hidetoshi), angry mutiny leaders (Matsuda Ryûhei) and of course crabs, lots of them.
This first clip should be sent out to the media very soon. From there it'll spread to the internets (keep an eye on Nippon Cinema). Still no exact release date but IMJE and Xanadeux will be co-distributing.
Magibon Express
When I got on the subway tonight, Magibon was sitting right there. My life is complete...
Monday, January 26, 2009
Rumour Mill: Tarantino to Adapt Cellphone Detective 7 for Big Screen?
At a cinema screening of TV Tokyo series Cellphone Detective 7 (Keitai Sôsakan 7, 『ケータイ捜査官７』, English info here and there) over the weekend, a rumour flew about that Tarantino would be coming over in May to potentially discuss adapting the show for the big screen...maybe.
We know that Tarantino and KS7 director Miike Takashi are fast friends, so maybe something will come of it.
Here's a full article on the news from Cinema Today -- no time to translate it, ganbatte.
Sunday, January 25, 2009
Detroit Metal City DVD Drapes
At the Tsutaya just down the road from me they're flying several nylon banners for the upcoming DVD release of Detroit Metal City. No English subtitles, though it does have Japanese ones. DMC was one of quite a few hôga I saw outside of Japan last year (in that case, Toronto). Where do you think it ranks in my 2008 overview, or does it rank at all? You'll find out soon if Midnight Eye ever gets around to posting their Best Of list!
Tsutaya is really Japan's only nationwide DVD & CD rental chain, with 1370 shops across the country. They also offer streaming rentals and home delivery (Tsutaya Discas). On the first floor of this location you can see a Book Off. Book Off is the nation's largest chain for used books and videos. Everything from hardcover business tomes, to bunkobon (paperbacks) to endless shelves of manga, many for 100 yen. The crowds of people who do tachiyomi (stand and read) give you an instant snapshot of who manga are aimed at -- everybody. Tonight's standout was a young mother holding her newborn in the cradle of her arm while she flipped through a ren'ai (romance) manga with her free hand.
Friday, January 23, 2009
Iron Man vs. Japanese Immigration
Robert Downey Jr. hilariously recounts his six-hour saga getting through immigration at Narita Airport. Didn't anybody in his entire entourage (or indeed Sony Pictures Japan on this end) have an inkling that this might happen? Erm, remember Paul McCartney?
The punch line at the end is followed by the added bonus of Brad Pitt extolling the virtues of Japan's electric toilets. Sorry, but Leo got there first -- he ordered a top of the line Toto years ago.
20th Century Boys: Chapter Two - The Last Hope / Departures Goes All The Way
Just came back home from a very productive day, capped off by a screening of 20th Century Boys: Chapter Two - The Last Hope (20-seiki Shônen: Dai 2-shô - Saigo no Kibô,『２０世紀少年 ＜第２章＞ 最後の希望』), which I liked considerably better than the first installment. Hope to write something about it soon. Taira Airi -- a star is definitely born. See collected 20th posts here.
As the world now knows, Japan's Departures (Okuribito, 『おくりびと』) has made it to the final five Oscar nominations for Best Foreign Language Film. Congratulations to my friends at Shochiku and everyone who made the movie! See my collected posts that mention Departures here.
Here's a link to the full list on Screendaily, which conveniently links to in-house reviews for all the films (except shorts).
Thursday, January 22, 2009
Japanese Films at the Asian Film Awards
Once again, Japanese films got their share of nominations at the upcoming Asian Film Awards to be held in Hong Kong on March 23 (hope to be there). Check out my friend and colleague Jean's story on Screendaily here.
Nominations for Japanese films are as follows. What do you think?
Best Film
Ponyo On The Cliff By The Sea
Tokyo Sonata (Japan / The Netherlands / Hong Kong)
Best Director
Koreeda Hirokazu - Still Walking
Miyazaki Hayao / Frank Marshall - Ponyo On The Cliff By The Sea
Best Actor
Matsuyama Kenichi - Detroit Metal City
Motoki Masahiro – Departures
Best Actress
Fukatsu Eri - The Magic Hour
Yoshinaga Sayuri - Kabei - Our Mother
Best Newcomer
Matsuda Shota - Boys Over Flowers: The Movie
Best Supporting Actor
Tsutsumi Shinichi - Suspect X
Best Supporting Actress
Aoi Yu - Sex Is No Laughing Matter
KIKI Kirin - Still Walking
Best Screenwriter
Kurosawa Kiyoshi / Max Mannix / Tanaka Sachiko - Tokyo Sonata
Mitani Koki - The Magic Hour
Best Cinematographer
Ato Shoichi - Paco And The Magical Book
Best Visual Effects
Yanagawase Masahide - Paco And The Magical Book
Wednesday, January 21, 2009
Pandemic Catches On
TBS-Toho's Pandemic (Kansen Rettô, 『感染列島』) opened at #1 at the box office this past weekend, knocking Wall-E down a notch. Read about it on Screendaily here and see my thoughts on the film back there. Current Yahoo! Japan user rating is about 3.11 stars out of 5 versus Sinking of Japan's 2.48. Sounds about right. Previous TBS-Toho-Tsumabuki hit Dororo pips Pandemic at 3.15.
Obama is about to be sworn in. Hush...
Tuesday, January 20, 2009
Miura Effect Continues From Beyond the Grave
When Miura Kazuyoshi hanged himself in a tiny holding cell on the cusp of his US criminal hearing, my fairly extensive coverage of the case effectively ended. But the door was left open for some kind of closure in the Shiraishi Chizuko homicide.
Now that door has opened further with recent news stories (AP article and LAPD Press Release) of evidence prosecutors had collected against sociopathic brute Miura, in tandem with their efforts to try him for Kazumi's killing. True justice will never come for these women and their families, but seeing Shiraishi Chizuko's story in the media and the chance for a closed cold case is a significant development for a victim who remained an unidentified pile of bones for five years.
Of course Miura's defense lawyer Mark Geragos chimes in once again, portraying his deceased client as if he were harassed to his death. Someone give this prick a job as a gavel's sound block.
Black Dynamite!
Tarantino, eat your heart out! Sony Pictures just paid a cooool $2m for North American rights to what may be the first true example of a movie made with the help of a time machine. I'm missing Toronto's former grindhouse palace, The Rio, right about now. I saw me some good exploitation there.
Monday, January 19, 2009
Tower of the Sun Becomes...Friendly
For one day only, Okamoto Tarô's symbol of Osaka's Expo '70 transformed into a totem for everyone's favourite ruling party -- the Yûmintô.
Sunday, January 18, 2009
Nippon Connection Press Release
I'm sure this has already begun to make the rounds, but let me help spread this year's first press release from my good friends at the fantastic Nippon Connection. I had the great opportunity to go to Germany last year to attend and can say it's one of the world's top Japanese film & culture events on the calendar. Check out my collected posts that mention NC here.
-----
Nippon Connection
9th Japanese Film Festival in Frankfurt am Main
15 - 19 April 2009
Japanese Cinema returns to Frankfurt this spring! From April 15 – 19, Nippon Connection will feature fascinating and creative Japanese films for the ninth time. With over 150 short and feature films, ranging from experimental and animation films to blockbuster movies and documentaries, the festival includes many German and European premieres. Approximately 20 directors will present their films in person.Some of the festival’s highlights include: The exceptionally talented Kazuyoshi KUMAKIRI will present his character-driven new film NON-KO as a German premiere. Other highlights include Shinya Tsukamoto’s NIGHTMARE DETECTIVE 2 and Kiyoshi KUROSAWA’s TOKYO SONATA, which portrays the slow disintegration of a family and was already celebrated at the Cannes Film Festival. But what would Nippon Connection be without animation films? Among others, we present the compilations GENIUS PARTY and GENIUS PARTY BEYOND by the well-known Studio 4°C, which also produced “Tekkon Kinkreet” and “Mind Game”.
For the fifth time, Bankhaus Metzler will fund the €2000 Nippon Cinema Award audience prize. After the festival in Frankfurt, Nippon Connection Film Festival on Tour – a selection of the Digital Program – will tour various cities around the world including Munich, New York, and Barcelona.
Although it has a large movie selection, Nippon Connection offers more than just films. The Nippon Culture program allows visitors to experience Japanese culture and traditions through sound installations, audio-plays, a concert and an exhibition of Japanese video art presented by the Galerie Station in the Kuenstlerhaus Mousonturm. Nippon Culture will once more offer the popular cooking class by the Japanese Consulate General, as well as a tea ceremony, tea lounge, noodle bar, karaoke, parties, and much more.
Today, with a total attendance of over 16,000, Nippon Connection is the world’s largest Japanese film festival. It provides a unique overview of the latest productions in the Japanese film industry and is made possible by the non-profit organization Nippon Connection e.V.
Venues:
Studierendenhaus at the Campus Bockenheim (festival center), cinema Orfeos Erben, cinema at the German Film Museum Frankfurt, Kuenstlerhaus Mousonturm.
Press contact:
Petra Palmer-Jones
presse@nipponconnection.com
Phone: +49 (0)172 236 2886
www.nipponconnection.com
Friday, January 16, 2009
Samurai Zombie in Roppongi
I'll be honest -- the whole Japanese-horror-made-with-foreign-cult-audiences-in-mind trend is something I haven't had a lot of interest in or time to devote to. 
But yesterday I hit the top of Tokyo Midtown to catch a screening of Tak Sakaguchi's Samurai Zombie (Yoroi: Samurai Zombie, 『鎧 サムライゾンビ』). Seeing a midnight mess like that in the modern surroundings of a place like this was fun in itself.
If you need some plot and production background, Twitch has been stalking this title. The following are just some brief thoughts with potential spoilers.
The Story: Kitamura Ryûhei produces and his frequent cast member Sakaguchi directs so it's no surprise it's like a cousin to Versus (which I can't recall that well). But this time the action centers around a regular mini-van family. Forget story but have fun wondering who, if anyone, will survive the undead samurai attackers (all three of them). The period flashback at the climax explains the reason for the mayhem and why this particular kazoku is sent to hell. It's a quick and simple but effective sequence that ends with a kicker in the present day. The finale definitely bumped the film up a letter grade for me.
Music and Cinematography: When the zombies rock up the soundtrack plays a pretty cool approximation of vintage Italo-synth ala Bianchi's Burial Ground. Cinematography is decent -- video was effectively used for 28 Days Later and of course Diary of the Dead but I like my zombies on 35mm. Overuse of blue.
Makeup and SFX: Heads pop off like champagne corks, followed by geysers of CG blood. Is this what gorehounds want nowadays? I laffed when the mid-air positioning of a flying noggin and limb match cut with a flashback to the character's happier days -- cute. I thought the makeup was better than the special effects. On one hand you have very analog, rotted faces teeming with maggots juxtaposed with digital blood oozing along the ground like a game cinematic. Pass on the latter.
Cast: 
Devourers of Japanese pornography will most definitely be interested in how former AV queen Natsume Nana (夏目ナナ) fares in a co-starring role. I always thought she had the looks of a legit actress. She's hot pink in this and not nearly as annoying as I thought she'd be. No nudity but plenty of cleavage and thighage. Indeed, Natsume's ex-label Soft On Demand (SOD) is a co-producer on the film. They are the biggest AV factory in the industry but occasionally produce legit features, including some thing I was an extra in years ago. Rascally Yabe Kyôsuke (you know him from Crows Zero) stands out as a bubblegum-chewing, pot-smoking degenerate cop. Can't be bothered to comment on the rest, but the character of the little boy is key.
Samurai Zombie opens at Shibuya's Theater-N on Valentine's Day. Wednesday screenings are only 1,000 yen.
Thursday, January 15, 2009
Wednesday, January 14, 2009
Departures Makes Oscar Short List
Takita Yôjirô's Departures (Okuribito) has made the short list of nine contenders for the foreign language Oscar. Read about it on Screen Daily here.
Pandemic: Japan Gets Sick!
Yesterday afternoon was the final press screening at Toho HQ of TBS-Toho big budget winter release Pandemic (Kansen Rettô, 『感染列島』), directed by Zeze Takahisa (瀬々敬久監督). Pandemic opens wide this Saturday (Jan 17).
Tsumabuki Satoshi plays a young doctor at a hospital in the (fictional) Tokyo satellite city of Izumino. He treats a man for what he thinks is garden variety flu, only to watch the poor guy erupt like a volcano and expire on the operating table. When more cases appear at an alarming rate, Tsumabuki's old schoolmate (Love and Honor's Dan Rei), now a WHO disease expert, is called in to handle the situation.
The disease is initially identified as avian flu and traced to a local industrial chicken farm but the determination turns out to be a mistake, illustrating the grave consequences of rushing in the face of public hysteria. Through some detective work and an interrogation of patient zero's widow (Strawberry Shortcakes' Ikewaki Chizuru) the strain, dubbed "BLAME", is traced back to the Philippines. By that point, Japan is sealed off from the rest of the world -- literally a nation under quarantine.
There are countless hospital scenes, which do become repetitive, of people coughing up buckets of blood and hemorrhaging from the eyes. You won't be able to guess who lives or dies, though, which is more than you can say for most big budget releases. Periodically the film ventures out into deserted Tokyo streets that look like the aftermath of a neutron bomb more than a few months of germs. Just as Japan has always been the best in the world at building miniature cities to be destroyed in kaijû eiga, they're now going head to head with the likes of Emmerich and I Am Legend in the CG stakes. But the contrast with scenes of human chaos and War of the Worlds-style mass exodus are jarring and don't seem to fit logically.
There is some good location work in Southeast Asia. When the true source of the sickness is discovered, Tsumabuki and his senpai (played by vet actor Fuji Tatsuya) take a boat ride to ground zero. What follows is a sunny, tensely disturbing sequence that fans of straight horror-suspense will admire.
Overall I thought it was a better film than TBS' own 2006 five-billion yen hit Sinking of Japan, which it does feel similar to in some ways. There's less outrageous heroics and deus ex machina. The casting is also more believable, especially female lead Dan Rei. Although it becomes OTT toward the end, their "love connection" is handled a lot more subtly than Sinking's. And kudos for casting a woman who's almost 10 years Tsumabuki's senior. Like practically every mega-release, it runs about 15-20 minutes too long in my opinion.
But what separates Pandemic from almost every big film produced these days is that it's not based on any kind of gensaku (original novel, manga etc.). Director Zeze wrote the screenplay from a story by producer Hirano Takashi. Other than Miyazaki films and Mitani Kôki comedies I can tell you that it's very rare for production consortiums with this many members to invest in an original property but it looks like it'll fly. Last year there was considerable market buzz around the project in Cannes. Pre-sales are hard in this economic climate but it seems like buyers are foaming at the mouth (ahem).
Like some of you, I was curious how Zeze Takahisa ended up directing this taisaku (big budget spectacle) so I asked that very question while I was at Pusan's Asian Film Market last October. While Hirano had worked with Zeze previously (on Moon Child), he thought the director would lend a realistic touch to the proceedings, which he does.
The press notes make no mention of Zeze's pinku eiga background (just "independent films") but I was happy to see frequent Zeze cast member and old pal of mine Kawase Yôta pop up in a bit part as an early victim. Congrats!
The pressbook (pictured above) was interesting in that the film's title was printed with some kind of special material that turns an inflamed red when you apply heat. I pressed my finger along Japan for a couple of minutes and prayed...
Official Site for Now, I...
I was going to mention this when I linked to my Top 10 of 2008 list for Midnight Eye in a matter of days, but logboy writes that the official site for Chikuma Yasutomo's Now, I... (Ima, Boku Wa, 『今、僕は』) is live.
Glad to see that Adways Pictures is giving shout outs to Nippon Connection (where it all started), Raindance and Camera Japan. They're also using a quote of mine on the "comments" page.
I hope to share some details of Chikuma's upcoming film when he gives me the OK. It should be very interesting...
See collected posts that mention Now, I... here.
Monday, January 12, 2009
Rourke!
My favourite actor of all time, Mickey Rourke, won a major award for the first time in his 30-year career at last night's Golden Globes. I've been watching him for about 25 of those years and stayed a devoted fan through his lost decade (Rock T., Johnny T., you know the feeling).
In this funny clip from the awards ceremony he talks about working with director Darren Aronofsky on The Wrestler. Rourke has teamed up with some of the modern greats -- Coppola, Cimino, Parker, Malick, and now Aronofsky. The Wrestler is right at the top of my Best Of 2008 list, which you'll be able to read on Midnight Eye very soon.
The Wrestler is being distributed by Nikkatsu in Japan and will open in early summer at Nikkatsu cinemas (Cine Libre chain), Cinema Rise (Shibuya) and Chanter Cine (Hibiya).
Saturday, January 10, 2009
Reel Ressha
Just a couple film-related shots I snapped on the train this evening. First is a nakazuri for The Shonen Merikensack (see my Oct 18 2008 entry), which opens on Valentine's Day. Nakazuri (or nakazurikôkoku) are the ads that hang in trains. Check out this great vintage one for The Godfather.
A few minutes later I noticed this guy was enjoying one of the Death Note films on his rotatable-screen keitai. I often see people watching TV (especially variety bangumi) on their phones, or occasionally movies on their PSPs, but I've never seen anyone taking in a Japanese film while in transit.
Friday, January 09, 2009
Beat Takeshi Sells English - New CM for ECC
If you live here or perhaps scour Youtube for Japanese TV clips, you've probably seen the commercial for English language school ECC, starring Beat Takeshi (the actor). The first ad (link?) ran before each screening at TOKYO FILMeX as Office Kitano is an official partner.
Now you can watch the new commercial, followed by a short making-of and press conference here (Windows Media format).
Beat Takeshi says he's glad to continue being the face of ECC as CM (TV commercial) jobs usually end after one campaign. He also speaks about his interest in animation, particularly older, 18-frame/sec style. He thinks there's too much movement in modern animation and that the human brain has powers of imagination that should "fill in the gaps". Kitano Takeshi (the director) is considering whether to employ animation in his next film.
In choosing his English word for 2009 ("role"), he speaks about how people in Japanese society, even at the highest levels, don't know their true place anymore. He believes that while Japanese etiquette and manners have generally been preserved, breaking rules and going against common sense is one function of creating art. The problem is that nowadays creators seem to have lost this sense.
I don't know how long Sports Hôchi will host the video, so someone might want to Youtube it.
Update: It's now up on Youtube. Thanks to Michael at Wildgrounds, who often kindly links to posts on here.
Thursday, January 08, 2009
Have an opinion on the Movie Zen?
Following up on my year end post on the screening of Zen (『禅』), I'm interested to hear opinions about the film (and event itself) from some of you who were there.
I've kept a copy of "Zen Mind, Beginner's Mind" by Suzuki Shunryû (a direct descendent of Dôgen's) on my shelf for a long time and have a burgeoning interest in how Buddhism made its way to Japan, but still know very little (a good place to start).
If you have thoughts please post them in the comment section of the original post.
Zen opens this Saturday at four locations in Tokyo and across the country.
Wednesday, January 07, 2009
Pink Films - Straight Outta SoCal
My comrade Nick Rucka posts New Year's greetings and talks about his involvement with new specialty video label Pink Eiga. He also has valid concerns about the survival of such a niche product -- best of luck to them. If you still don't know what pink films are, check out their FAQ.
Trivia: The Motion Picture Producers Association of Japan (aka Eiren) publishes the annual box office, screen count and production level figures that writers who cover the industry (such as me) use for analysis. The total number of Japanese films produced includes pink films, as they are 35mm theatrical releases. Out of 407 Japanese films produced last year, 76 were pink films -- far down from decades ago but still an impressive number.
If you haven't already, read about my most recent experience at one of these cinemas here.
Tuesday, January 06, 2009
Departures Picked up for US Distribution
Regent Releasing has picked up North American rights to Takita Yojirô's Departures (『おくりびと』). You can find a blurb on the film and the press release on the company's front page. They also previously snapped up Tokyo Sonata (see my September 24 entry).
Knew a deal was coming for a while now, but it didn't look quite the same two months ago, when I wrote about the film here.
Monday, January 05, 2009
Japan With Four Projects in HAF 2009
My editor Liz Shackleton, who's based in Hong Kong, has the scoop on this year's Hong Kong - Asia Film Financing Forum (HAF) lineup. Read all about it here (Asia articles are free).
Japan has four titles in the 27-project lineup:
1. And Protect, Protected (working title)
Director: KAWASE Naomi
Producer: NAITO Yuko
Production Company: Kumie Inc.
Kawase Naomi of course needs no introduction. No details yet.
2. Amarikan: Amagasaki Monogatari
Director: MORIOKA Toshiyuki
Producer: IIZUKA Eiju
Production Company: NHK Enterprises, Inc.
Looks to be an adaptation of Takasu Mitsuyoshi's autobiography about his youth. Takasu is a well-known TV program creator/writer who works closely with the members of Downtown (he co-wrote Dai Nipponjin) and on other big variety bangumi. Morioka Toshiyuki (森岡利行) wrote scripts for Onibi: The Fire Within and Fudoh: The New Generation among others, and has directed his own films. Being NHK, this may be a feature documentary (?)
7. Door
Director: OIKAWA Ataru
Producer: KITO Yukie
Production Company: Entertainment Farm
Have to talk to my friends at EF about this one. I'm guessing it has horror or mystery elements -- check out a basic list of credits for Oikawa Ataru (及川中).
24. Time for Children
Director: MAEDA Tetsu
Producer: YAMAGAMI Tetsujiro
Production Company: Siglo Ltd
Maeda Tetsu (前田哲) is quite in demand after School Days With a Pig. No details yet.
I usually write articles on each project (see previous posts here) -- hope to be in HK this year to see how it all goes down. HAF runs from March 23-25.
