Category Archives: Japanese

Zatoichi | aka The Blind Swordsman Zatoichi (2003) Review

"Zatoichi" American Theatrical Poster

Director: Takeshi Kitano Cast: Takeshi Kitano, Tadanobu Asano, Yui Natsukawa, Michiyo Ookusu, Gadarukanaru Taka, Yuuko Daike, Daigor Tachibana, Ittoku Kishibe, Saburo Ishikura Running Time: 116 min. By Equinox21 I’m very pleased to say that Zatoichi did not let me down. I was afraid that not having any previous knowledge about the franchise and seeing a Kitano movie that didn’t involve yakuza vs. cops would make it a less enjoyable experience … Continue reading

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Getting Any? (1995) Review

Director: Takeshi Kitano Writer: Takeshi Kitano Producer: Masayuki Mori, Hisao Nabeshima, Takio Yoshida Cast: Moeko Ezawa, Hakuryu, Tokie Hidari, Yojin Hino, Minoru Iizuka, Takeshi Kitano, Akiji Kobayashi, Yuuji Minakata, Masumi Okada, Ren Osugi, Shintaro Takado, Susumu Terajima, Kanji Tsuda, Yuurei Yanagi, Tetsuya Yuuki Running Time: 105 Min. By Mairosu It’s often said that the western world doesn’t know real Beat Takeshi. To us, the mention of his name is usually … Continue reading

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Fireworks | aka Hana-Bi (1997) Review

"Fireworks" Japanese Theatrical Poster

Director: Takeshi Kitano Cast: Takeshi Kitano, Kayoko Kishimoto, Ren Osugi, Susumu Terajima, Tetsu Watanabe, Hakuryu, Yasuei Yakushiji, Taro Istumi, Kenichi Yajima, Makoto Ashikaw Running Time: 103 min. By Equinox21 Hana-bi was the first Takeshi Kitano film (directed) I’d seen. I really wish I’d waited until I’d seen some of his others first, because none of the others even compare. As much as I love all his films, Hana-bi was heads … Continue reading

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Sonatine (1993) Review

"Sonatine" American Theatrical Poster

Director: Takeshi Kitano Writer: Takeshi Kitano Cast: Takeshi Kitano, Aya Kikumai, Tetsu Watanabe, Masanobu Katsumura, Susumu Terajima, Ren Ohsugi, Eiji Minakata, Rome Kanda, Houka Kinoshita Running Time: 90 min. By Len One word: Genius. I could write 400 words on how much I love this film and it still wouldn’t be enough. To me, this represents all that is good in Kitano’s cinema. Kitano plays Murakawa, a respected leader of … Continue reading

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Violent Cop (1989) Review

Director: Takeshi Kitano Writer: Takeshi Kitano Cast: Takeshi Kitano, Maiko Kawakami, Makoto Ashikawa, Shiro Sano, Shigeru Hiraizumi, Mikiko Otonashi, Hakuryu, Ittoku Kishibe, Ken Yoshizawa, Hiroyuki Katsube, Noboru Hamada, Yuuki Kawai, Ritsuko Amano, Taro Ishida, Katsuki Muramatsu Running Time: 103 min. By Len Flawed but promising would be the two adjectives I’d use to describe Takeshi Kitano’s directing debut. While watching this film, some characteristics that we have gotten used to … Continue reading

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Killing Machine, The (1975) Review

"The Killing Machine" Theatrical Poster

Director: Norifumi Suzuki Cast: Sonny Chiba, Yutaka Nakajima, Makoto Sato, Naoya Makoto, Sanae Kitabayashi, Akiko Mori, Akira Oizumi, Hosei Komatsu, Kyoichi Sato, Genji Kawai Running Time: 85 min. By Slaxor The Killing Machine is a fun little Chiba flick. Probably one of my favorites of his and much much better then the overrated chore to sit through that is The Street Fighter. In the movie, Sonny Chiba very loosely portrays … Continue reading

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Tetsuo: The Iron Man | aka The Ironman (1988) Review

"Tetsuo" Japanese Theatrical Poster

Director: Shinya Tsukamoto Producer: Shinya Tsukamoto Cast: Tomoro Taguchi, Kei Fujiwara, Shinya Tsukamoto, Nobu Kanaoka, Renji Ishibashi Running Time: 67 min. By HKFanatic Back in 1988, Japanese filmmaker Shinya Tsukamoto unleashed “Tetsuo: The Iron Man” upon an unsuspecting world. The movie was a seething techno-fusion of flesh, sex, and machinery that aimed to shock and disturb. It has since become a cult classic and rightfully so: despite borrowing elements from … Continue reading

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Versus (2000) Review

"Versus" Korean Theatrical Poster

Director: Ryuhei Kitamura Cast: Tak Sakaguchi, Kenji Matsuda, Hideo Sakaki, Chieko Misaka, Yuichiro Arai, Minoru Matsumoto, Ryosuke Watabe, Hoshimi Asai, Yukihito Tanikado Running Time: 120 min. By Numskull Hot damn! Evil Dead and Bad Taste meet in-your-face combat like only those bloodthirsty Asian film makers can do it, God bless ’em, with ample doses of anime and Matrix-style visuals thrown in to let the viewer know, without just coming out … Continue reading

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Branded to Kill (1967) Review

"Branded to Kill" Japanese Theatrical Poster

Director: Seijun Suzuki Cast: Jo Shishido, Mari Annu, Mariko Ogawa, Koji Nambara, Isao Tamagawa, Hiroshi Minami Running Time: 91 min. By Milkcan I must say I am very glad to have seen this film. Did it make me a better person? No. Did it teach me things about the cinema I never knew? Well, no. But it did, along with “Super Ninjas”, remind me of how much mindless fun movies … Continue reading

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Black Belt | aka Kuro-Obi (2007) Review

"Black Belt" International Theatrical Poster

Director: Shunichi Nagasaki Cast: Akihito Yagi, Tatsuya Naka, Yuji Suzuki, Fuyuhiko Nishi, Kenji Anan, Takeshi Bito, Arashi Fukasawa, Rei Hanaoka, Atsushi Hida, Yu Kamio, Takayasu Komiya Running Time: 120 min. By Jeff Bona  After their karate master passes away, two of his best students take opposite directions in life. Giryu (Akihito Yagi), chooses a more philosophical approach, practicing his master’s passive, yet effective, teachings on karate. Taikan (Tatsuya Naka), follows … Continue reading

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Battle Royale 2: Requiem (2003) Review

Director: Kinji Fukasaku Co-director: Kenta Fukasaku Cast: Tatsuya Fujiwara, Aki Maeda, Shugo Oshinari, Ayana Sakai, Riki Takeuchi, Natsuki Kato, Ai Iwamura, Masaya Kikawada, Aki Maeda, Takeshi Kitano, Sonny Chiba Running Time: 134 min. By Equinox21 When good ideas go bad. Ok, so I can understand the point of Battle Royale. I loved the first movie. It made sense (in a sadistic sort of way) to have hooligan kids killing each … Continue reading

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Battlefield Baseball (2003) Review

"Battlefield Baseball" International Theatrical Poster

AKA: Battlefield Stadium Director: Yudai Yamaguchi Producer: Ryuhei Kitamura Cast: Tak Sakaguchi, Atsushi Ito, Hideo Sakaki, Shôichirô Masumoto, Akiko Mishiro Running Time: 87 min. By Equinox21 Without knowing anything about the movie Battlefield Baseball, I decided to pick it up (a bootleg, unfortunately, as it’s the only format that’s affordable) only because it was a re-teaming of actor Tak Sakaguchi and producer Ryuhei Kitamura of Versus fame. I was expecting … Continue reading

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Last Life in the Universe (2003) Review

Director: Pen-Ek Ratanaruang Writer: Pen-Ek Ratanaruang, Prabda Yoon Cast: Tadanobu Asano, Sinitta Boonyasak, Laila Boonyasak, Yutaka Matsushige, Riki Takeuchi, Takashi Miike, Yoji Tanaka, Sakichi Sat Running Time: 112 min. By Alexander Comparisons between Pen-Ek Ratanaruang’s Last Life in the Universe and Wong Kar Wai’s Chungking Express are inevitable: both are photographed by Christopher Doyle; both are studies of quirky characters; both explore the relationships of disparate yet similarly lonely men … Continue reading

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Sleepless Town | aka Fuyajo (1998) Review

"Sleepless Town" Chinese DVD Cover

Director: Lee Chi Ngai Cast: Kaneshiro Takeshi, Mirai Yamamoto, Lung Sihung, Eric Tsang, Kathy Chow, Seijun Suzuki Running Time: 122 min. By Alexander “Now it all makes sense,” says Kenichi, Takeshi Kaneshiro’s character near the end of the noir-ish thriller “Sleepless Town”. Well, not quite. This meandering, slick and very Wong Kar Wai-like film is so confusing, you’ll instantly ignore the deluge of plot twists amidst a huge cast of … Continue reading

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Away with Words | aka Kujaku (1999) Review

Director: Christopher Doyle Writer: Christopher Doyle, Tony Rayns Producer: Hiro Tokimori Cast: Tadanobu Asano, Kevin Sherlock, Mavis Xu, Georgina Hobson, Christa Hughes, Takanori Kubo Running Time: 86 min. By Mighty Peking Man A dispirited young man (Tadanobu Asano of “Ichi The Killer”) who has had it with the noisy stressful life in Japan heads to Hong Kong to find the peace he’s been lacking since his early childhood. Oddly, he … Continue reading

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