Parasyte Part 1, The Next Generation Patlabor Chapter 6, Coming Out, Fruit of Love, Yuruyuri Nachu Yachumi! (OAV), Hikoki Korin, The Nutcracker, Ultra LIFE, RADWIMPS 2014 Document 4×4 and Other Japanese Film Trailers

Hello readers! I hope you are well!

I saw Rurouni Kenshin: The Kyoto Inferno in a cinema yesterday and I loved every second of it! I’m still hyped up after seeing it and I’m considering going again! I also watched a couple of other films like Manufactured Landscapes, a documentary about the artist Edward Burtynsky and his work which consists of photographs that show the environmental impact people have on the landscape. Mari Asato, a director who has been mentioned here a few times has directed a few horror films like Ju-On: The Girl in Black and Project Zero, well I watched Bilocation, a fun little thriller about doppelgangers (technically not doppelgangers but bilocations) where the characters suffered occasional moments of silliness but that made the events even more unpredictable as a twisted story played out.

In terms of writing, I published my review of Nightcrawler (2014) and the first part of my Winter 2015 anime guide is in the process of being proofed at Anime UK News. I have tomorrow free so I’ll have a chance to write up more reviews for films I have seen as well as some “other” acts…

like practicing my Japanese…

What’s released in Japan this weekend?

Nightcrawler (2014)

Nightcrawler (2014)   

UK Release Date: June, 2014

Running Time: 109 mins.

Director: Dan Gilroy

Writer: Dan Gilroy (Screenplay),

Starring: Jake Gyllenhaal, Rene Russon, Bill Paxton, Riz Ahmed, Michael Hyatt, Price Carson,

The film begins with soaring optimistic music that tends to play when you have stories about The American Dream but the visuals subvert the cliches we expect. Instead of scenes suffused with sunlight and filled with beautiful smiling people our first images are of L.A. at night, bright neon lights and billboards, wide roads that stretch endlessly and crushingly heavy-looking black skies.

There is potential out there, but it will come from somewhere unexpected.

We soon meet our main protagonist chasing The American Dream.

Lou Bloom (Gyllenhaal), a gaunt ghoulish shadowy figure who is comfortable stalking the night. We catch him in the process of stealing manhole covers and other metal objects to sell for scrap. Within minutes of his introduction he will kill someone. By the end of the film many more will die as he tries to achieve his own success story through being a freelance crime journalist, recording death scenes from accidents and violent crime and selling them to TV news veteran Nina (Russo) so she can boost ratings for her middling local station.

Rurouni Kenshin: Kyoto Inferno UK Release Info

I am really excited because Rurouni Kenshin: Kyoto Inferno is going to be released in my local cinema! This is the follow-up to 2012’s Rurouni Kenshin film which I really liked. Kyoto Inferno is actually the second part in a trilogy and was released in Japan back in August. It is now making its way to the UK courtesy of Warner Bros and will be in the following cinemas from next Friday:

Cineworld Enfield, Crawley, Sheffield, West India Quay, Glasgow RS, Cardiff, Stevenage, Bolton and Vue Piccadilly

I have booked the day off work and my family are coming along for this one because they liked the first film as well!

Here’s some info and the UK trailer and poster:

Ecotherapy Getaway Holiday, Mindset, Miracle: Devil Claus’ Love and Magic, Until the Day Comes, Hibi Rock, Yugami. Norowareta Heisa Kuukan, Attack on Titan Part 1: Crimson Bow and Arrow, and Other Japanese Film Trailers

Hello dear audience!

I’m doing more hours in work once again. I will be at the gallery nearly every day for the next few weeks/months. I’m drumming up money for film festivals and a trip to Japan. I’ll continue to post one review a week. Being at work has its benefits aside from getting paid. Yesterday I met a girl from Japan and we talked, me with my Japanese and the lady with her English. We got along pretty well and I discovered she listens to Creephyp. I told her about How Selfish I Am! as we walked around the galleries.

Work, work, work. As long as I have films I’ll get through the day. This week I posted about the black comedy/action thriller, The Guest (2014), a film I highly recommend. I watched Nobuhiro Yamashita’s take on brother sister love in the incest (but it’s not really incest because they aren’t related) drama adaptation Cream Lemon (2004) and the powerful and beautiful Plastic Love Story (2014).

“I’m an awkward guy.”

RIP Ken Takakura, an actor I first saw in the American film Black Rain and who later popped up in Japanese films I write about once in a while. I should watch some of his films.

What’s released in Tokyo this weekend?

The Guest (2014)

The Guest (2014)   

UK Release Date: September 05^th, 2014

Running Time: 99 mins.

Director: Adam Wingard

Writer: Simon Barrett (Screenplay),

Starring: Dan Stevens, Maika Monroe, Sheila Kelley, Lance Reddick, Brendan Meyer, Leland Orser, Tabatha Shaun,

Mumblegore film You’re Next (2013) put director Adam Wingard and writer Simon Barrett firmly on the map with its blend of classy visuals and genre-mixing as a family came under siege from brutal masked killers in a home invasion horror meets black comedy film. They do much the same here in The Guest, a film which feels like a take on 80s style thrillers complete with glorious synth soundtrack with an added dose of slasher horror.

Pale Moon / Paper Moon, As the Gods Will, Crimson Pledge, Black Butler: Book of Murder, Expelled from Paradise, Peeping Life WE ARE THE HERO, Tanikawa-san, Please Create One Poem and Other Japanese Film Trailers

Hello dear audience!

I hope you’re all in good health.
This has been a pretty movie filled week for me and I feel somewhat energised because of it. I started the week with What Time is it Over There? and Rampo Noir and that was quickly followed by Nightcrawler and at the end of the week I watched a selection of Koji Shiraishi films like Occult and Cult. By the time this post goes live I’ll be in work and after that I am heading to my favourite cinema with an acquaintance from Japan to watch the British film, Mr Turner.

I mentioned my need to crank up the speed with which I review things and I can confirm that I have two film reviews completed with one more almost finished and they all come in at less than one thousand words. You’ll have to be the judge as to whether they are any good or not 😉

The review I posted this week was for The World of Kanako, a stellar film I had a blast watching because it was intellectually and emotionally moving, full of fine performances from many great young and established actors and a visual tour de force. I highly recommend the film which gets a western release courtesy of Third Window Films next year.

What’s released in Tokyo this weekend?

The World of Kanako 渇き (2014)

The World of Kanako      

Japanese Title:渇き

Romaji: Kawaki

Running Time: 113 mins

Release Date: June 27^th, 2014 (Japan)

Seen at the BFI London Film Festival

Director: Tetsuya Nakashima

Writer: Tetsuya Nakashima (Screenplay), Akio Fukamachi (Novel),

Starring: Koji Yakusho, Nana Komatsu, Satoshi Tsumabuki, Joe Odagiri, Fumi Nikaido, Ai Hashimoto, Miki Nakatani, Jun Kunimura, Asuka Kurosawa,

Website

On paper The World of Kanako sounds incredibly formulaic: based on a novel by Akio Fukamachi, it’s about an ex-cop and bad father who goes in search of his missing daughter who may be involved in a world of trouble. The World of Kanako is anything but formulaic. It resists falling into cliché by being a visually and aurally staggering assault on the senses so meticulously designed, written, and directed by Tetsuya Nakashima, and acted out by big name actors given the chance to play evil characters that it makes an old plot feel new and exciting.

The film begins with the quote:

An era is only confused by a confused mind – Jean Cocteau

Fuku-chan of Fukufuku Flats, 0.5mm, Night, Because, Tokyo – The City of Glass, A Courtesan with Flowered Skin, Twilight Sasara Saya, Uruu Nen no Shoujo, and Other Japanese Film Trailers

Hello dear readers!

I hope you are well. Well the highlight of my week was meeting a friend at a Malaysian restaurant. No movies for me, just television from the US and Japan. I am continuing with The Walking Dead, Gugure! Kokkuri-san, Shingeki no Bahamut: Genesis, Parasyte, Psycho-Pass 2, and the doramas Limit and Sailor Suit and Zombie. I started the week with a review of Black Butler and then spent the rest of it writing trailer posts and revising Japanese which I now do for around two hours a day. Time to get serious.

I wish I could write reviews faster because there are dozens of titles I have watched and made notes on but have not finished writing never mind all of the anime I have finished from the last season. This weekend sees two awesome films get released in Japan that I saw months ago but I’m so tardy, I cannot put links in… yet! Expect reviews for The Light Shines Only There, The Guest and Fuku-chan of Fukufuku Flats over the next couple of weeks (I know I keep promising them but I have two free days coming up so it’s time to write). Hopefully I’ll have some more reviews like Patema Inverted and others completed by the end of the year.

What’s released in Japan this weekend?

Black Butler 黒執事 (2014)

Black Butler      

Japanese: 黒執事

Romaji: Kuroshitsuji

Running Time: 119 mins.

Release Date: January 18^th, 2014 (Japan), October 17th, 2014 (UK)

Director: Kentaro Otani, Keiichi Sato

Writer: Tsutomu Kuroiwa (Screenplay), Yana Toboso (Original Manga)

Starring: Hiro Mizushima, Ayame Gouriki, Mizuki Yamamoto, Takuro Ohno, Yuka, Ken Yasuda, Taro Shigaki, Goro Kishitani,

Website

Black Butler (Kuroshitsuji/ 黒執事), Yana Toboso’s supernatural manga, is hugely popular both in Japan and the west. The manga has sold 18 million copies worldwide and it has been the source of three TV anime series and numerous OVAs and much in the way of cosplaying, games, musicals, doujinshi works and fan-girl gushing. Go to any public library in the UK and you will probably find the volumes dominating the shelves. At a time when Warner Bros Japan are adapting popular manga like Rurouni Kenshin (2012) and Wild 7 (2011) into a mid to big-budget live-action films, it makes sense that this would be selected to capitalise on its legions of fans but, as is inevitably asked with any adaptation, is it faithful to the source?

Although taking place in the same universe of the manga, the changes to Black Butler are many.

Sofuten!, Bay Blues: 25 Years and 364 Days, Greatful Dead, Clover, Akane Kurarinetto, Natsu zen Owari, Hikari no Neiro The Back Horn Film, Wonogawa and other Japanese Film Trailers

Hello dear readers!

I hope everyone had a great Halloween. This week, I watched a few horror/supernatural films. I saw Ghostbusters at my local cinema and had a blast. Seeing Bill Murray, Dan Aykroyd, and the gang on the big screen was awesome an it lived up to my expectations. I think I’ll review it. I also watched The Beast Must Die, an old Amicus production from the ‘70s.

I started the week with a post about the guests who will appear at the East Winds Film Festival and then I posted my annual Halloween review for POV: A Cursed Film which I found to be a lot of fun and worth watching.