“HIDARI 左”, a New Production Involving Dwarf Studio and Tecarat – Back a Stop-Motion Historical Action Film’s Crowdfunding Campaign

A crowdfunding campaign is underway over at Motion Gallery for a pilot film for a stop-motion action adventure called Hidari 左.

Set in the 17th Century, it tells the story of the legendary sculptor Hidari Jingoro, a man whose talents included sculpting, carpentry, painting, architecture, and even comedy, amongst other things. He was reputed to have carved many sculptures and artworks up and down the country, including the famous nemuri-neko (sleeping cat) carving at the Tosho-gu Shrine in Nikko. When it comes to this film, instead of art, think action as Hidari Jingoro looks set to fight with a prosthetic arm, kind of like Guts from Berserk.

Here’s a clip of it as a work-in-progress:

Synopsis: Jingoro lost his right arm, as well as his parents, teacher, and his friends, in an accident while working as a carpenter during the reconstruction of Edo Castle due to the betrayal of his friends. After this loss, he becomes known as “Hidari Jingoro” and seeks his revenge on a journey he has undertaken with his companion, Nemurai Neko. His weapons of choice are various carpentry tools and a “Karakuri prosthesis” on his right arm which allows him to pull people.

As he approaches the truth of the accident, while encountering various historical figures and fierce battles with strange villains, he finds himself unearthing a plot involving the Shogun, and uses the help of carpenters and others to save the city of Edo from Edo Castle, which has become a huge weapon.

An Interview with Azusa Hieda, Director of Summer Wedding [Osaka Asian Film Festival 2022]

Azusa Hieda’a short film Summer Wedding received its World Premiere at the Osaka Asian Film Festival 2022 where it was one of the few films to directly use the Covid-19 in its narrative. In her work, writer/director Hieda utilised social isolation during the pandemic to offer a space for two lovers, a bride (Rika Kurosawa) and her groom (Daiki Nunami), to change their lives in unexpected ways. Between a strong set and acting that carried emotions undercutting what should have been a happy event, audiences are able to read between the lines and experience a story rich in contrasting emotions.

A graduate of the Department of Broadcast Film Studies of Visual Arts Osaka, Hieda has worked on one short, Fuyu no Aka and a number of trailers. To explain more about her latest work, she took part in an email interview in Japanese and English. This was done with translation by Takako Pocklington.

Summer Wedding 恋がする Director: Azusa Hieda [Osaka Asian Film Festival 2022] V-Cinema

Summer Wedding   

恋がする 「Koigasuru」

Release Date: 2022

Duration: 17 mins.

Director: Azusa Hieda

Writer: Azusa Hieda (Screenplay),

Starring: Rika Kurosawa, Daiki Nunami,

Azusa Hieda’s profound short film Summer Wedding uses the Covid-19 pandemic as a prompt for the self-reflection and change in its main character.

The titular summer wedding should be a happy affair but it is rife with countervailing emotions stemming from its setting. This wedding is a makeshift event held not in a church but in a suburban house due for demolition. Furthermore, its participants, a less-than-blushing bride (Rika Kurosawa) and her lover (Daiki Nunami), seem uneasy around each other. “If it weren’t for Covid, we wouldn’t be here,” says the bride wistfully as she prepares her own cake and directs the unofficiated, unattended, and, ultimately, melancholy ceremony.

An Interview with Tetsuki Ijichi, Director of “Laundromat on the Corner” (2020)

Tetsuki Ijichi is a veteran in the international film industry, having worked as a, assistant director, producer, projectionist, publicist, and sales rep (amongst many other things) in Japan since the 80s. Now based in Philadelphia, USA, he is using his experiences to bring Japanese films stateside as the president of Tidepoint Pictures – Don’t Look Up (1996), Noriko’s Dinner Table (2005) and Uzumaki (2000) – Rain Trail Pictures – Videophobia (2020), Lovers on Borders (2018). I now have the chance to interview him but not for his important contribution as a film distributor but as a director in his own right as his short film, Laundromat on the Corner (2020) is available to stream on FilmDoo.

Laundromat on the Corner is a supernatural romance that effectively mixes Eastern and Western culture together for a film that could be said to be a modern twist on Ugetsu Monogatari (1953). The film, set in working-class Philadelphia, follows Josh (Eric Slodysko) a deep-in-debt down-on-his-luck desperate divorcee eager to escape his miserable situation as a put-upon home helper to a terminally-ill lady named Mary (Joanne Joella) and her daughter Beth (Heather Blank). Respite comes in the form of Ming (Stephanie Pham), a woman in a white dress who catches the eye of Josh at a laundromat he starts to use. Of course, there is more to Ming than meets the eye and it isn’t long before Josh finds the borders between life and death collapsing…

Having had the chance to review the film, I was eager to ask Tetsuki some questions relating to the making of it, his influences (a fellow horror film fan!) and his experiences of working in Japan and America!

Laundromat on the Corner Director: Tetsuki Ijichi (2020)

Laundromat on the Corner   

Release Date: 2020

Duration: 18 mins.

Director: Tetsuki Ijichi

Writer: Tetsuki Ijichi, Doris Chia Ching Lin, (Story), Judith Redding (Screenplay)

Starring: Eric Slodysko (Josh), Stephanie Pham (Ming), Keizo Kaji (Old Chef), Josh Hammond, Nico Chang Lynch, Heather Plank,

Website IMDB

In what one might see as a modern twist on Ugetsu Monogatari (1953), a man eager to escape his bleak existence finds himself entering an unconventional relationship. While not a terrifying time, it has a good horror atmosphere and effectively mixes Eastern and Western culture together for something unique.

The Ugetsu update takes place in working-class Philadelphia where a desperate man named Josh (Eric Slodysko) has washed up following divorce and money problems. We learn of his woes from exposition-friendly sources like text/voice messages on smart phones that get viewers up to speed quickly about the depths of his despair. From there, we see how he falls under the spell of a mysterious lady love.

For Him to Live, Kagi, Hito de nashi no Koi, The Audition, Japanese Film Trailers

Happy Weekend

Here are the first and second parts of this weekend’s trailer post. I hope to record an episode of Heroic Purgatory tomorrow which will be about Abbas Kiarostami’s Taste of Cherry (1997). The most recent episode dropped on Monday and it’s all about Zhang Yimou’s Raise the Red Lantern (1991).

What are the last batch of films that I am writing about?

Go! Anpanman: Dororin and the Ghost Carnival, Shikkokuten Tsui no Katari the Movie, Futatsume Monogatari, Ikirei Kaidan Zenbu Honto no Hanashi, (Instrumental), Gekijouban IDOL BU SHOW, Japanese Film Trailers

Happy Weekend

This is the second part of a three-part trailer post. The first part from yesterday can be found here. This particular post mixes together anime titles and indies. In terms of what I’ve watched:

Resident Evil: Welcome to Raccoon City (2021)

Hellbound (2021)

Earthquake Bird (2019)

The Bloodstained Shadow (1978)

Don’t Torture a Duckling (1972)

Episodes 1 to 6 of series three of The Boys

What are the next batch of films released this weekend?

Broker, Tokyo 2020 Olympics SIDE:B, Fullmetal Alchemist: Final Transmutation, God Seeks in Return, Kimi no Seigi Boku no Seigi, Geki x Cine Demon Deceiver, Japanese Film Trailers

Happy Weekend

This is one of those weekends where a crazy amount of titles get released in big cinemas and mini theatres. It’s hard to see how a profit is made by many of these distributors/exhibitors as the competition is fierce but looking at statistics provided by Eiren, the number of movie screens has increased and admissions are slowly creeping back up to pre-pandemic levels.

There are 18 films that are Japanese or feature Japanese involvement and so I’m breaking down the trailer posts into six films each, so come back tomorrow and Sunday for more.

In any case, earlier today my re-review for Summer Wedding and interview with its director Azusa Hieda were released on V-Cinema.

What are the first batch of films from this weekend?

The Hound of the Baskervilles: Sherlock the Movie, Kyoto Camaro Detective, To Somewhere Other than Here, 100 Years and Hope, MAKHALISS, Kaitou Queen wa Circus ga Osuki Japanese Film Trailers

Happy Weekend!

I hope you are feeling fine.

This is the second part of the trailer post. The first part is here.

I’m still not feeling good and as a result I’ve limited screen time. I did find time to talk about the film Raise the Red Lantern (1991) on Heroic Purgatory and I watched:

Scream (2022)

Ghostbusters Afterlife (2021)

Lovecraft Country (2020)

The Killing of a Chinese Bookie (1977)

Knives Out (2019)

I also posted a review of the horror short SWALLOW and an interview with its director, Mai Nakanishi.

What else was released this weekend?

Plan 75, The Pass: Last Days of the Samurai, BL Metamorphosis, Koi wa Hikari, Youkai Sharehouse: The Movie, Kimitachi wa Mada Nagai Tonneru no Naka, Make the Devil Laugh, Japanese Film Trailers

Happy Weekend!

I hope you are well.

This is the first of a two-part trailer post because lots of films were released this weekend plus two My Hero Academia specials (which I won’t write about).

Here are the first batch of films: