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War films tend to follow a familiar path, focussing on the action and camaraderie between soldiers. The Thin Red Line takes a different route. Directed by Terrence Malick and adapted from James Jones’ 1962 novel, the film is less about tactical victories and more about the inner lives of the men sent to fight.

Yet, beyond its emotional depth, The Thin Red Line also boasts one of the greatest casts in cinema history. Big names like Sean Penn, Nick Nolte and Elias Koteas share the screen with rising stars like Jim Caviezel and Ben Chaplin. But just as striking as the cast itself is Malick’s unconventional approach – where even major stars were reduced to mere minutes of screen time or cut entirely. The result is a film that defies expectations, standing apart from other World War II epics with an accurate representation of the U.S. Army’s involvement in the Battle of Guadalcanal.

Most anime fans would tell others that the best way to watch anime is with the original Japanese audio with subtitles. However, there have been some truly brilliant English dubs that are worth the watch. One outstanding example is the recent anime hit, Dandadan. However, there are so many anime, old and new, with highly underrated English dubs.

The best English dub anime have a certain flair that draws audiences in. It could have a particularly stellar performance by members of the cast, or the dialogue and localization change things around for even more impact. No matter the genre or when these anime released, their English dubs are some of the best, even if they aren’t widely appreciated.

Related10 Best Modern Anime Dubs, Ranked

Anime dubs have come a long way from their early days, evolving into an art form that can elevate the viewing experience to new heights.

Japanese cinema has a long, rich tradition of acting excellence. From the early days of the silent era until the present, Japan has birthed some of the greatest film actors of the twentieth and twenty-first centuries. Many of Japan's best actors have managed to transcend their native borders, obtaining stardom throughout the rest of Asia, Europe, and the United States.

Japanese actors are well-known for their versatility, shining across multiple genres, which include yakuza films, jidaigeki, samurai movies, horror, and kaiju. Toshirō Mifune, Tatsuya Nakadai, and Takashi Shimura are among Japan's greatest actors, but there are many more who deserve to have their contributions to the medium acknowledged.

Updated on December 29, 2024, by Jenny Melzer: Japanese film has been equally important to the growth and definition of the industry over the last century, with numerous actors contributing their talents to some of the most memorable movies in history. As such, this...

War movies are among the most acclaimed movies in cinema, largely thanks to the incredible technical work and the explosive action that goes into them. These movies take viewers into the harsh realities of warfare and focus on the struggles of active duty soldiers as they combat enemy forces. Though the war genre is best known for conflicts such as World War II and Vietnam, there have been plenty of movies focusing on the harsh, timely realities of modern combat.

War may have changed in the modern era, but the genre is as full of dramatic performances and heroic figures as ever. The best modern war movies have taken a considerably darker and grittier look at warfare, leaving behind the more romanticized take of WW2 movies. Some of the best modern films have been based around modern conflicts, whether realistic or somewhat fictionalized.

Updated by Jordan Iacobucci on December 20, 2024: The modern era of filmmaking,...

The Japan Foundation is bringing a thematic exploration of justice and morality to U.K. screens, featuring premieres of new Japanese releases alongside retrospective screenings.

Titled “Am I Right? Justice, Justification and Judgement in Japanese Cinema,” the lineup includes “The Moon” (2023), directed by Yuya Ishii, which tackles institutional abuse through the story of a former writer working at a facility for disabled people. Another highlight is Bunji Sotoyama’s “Tea Friends” (2022), examining elderly care and sexuality through the lens of a senior escort service.

Among the contemporary offerings, Kosai Sekine’s “Stay Mum” (2024) follows an estranged daughter’s encounter with a potentially abused child, while Shinji Araki’s “Penalty Loop” (2023) explores revenge through a time-loop narrative.

The program marks notable premieres including Yu Irie’s “A Girl Named Ann” (2024) and Ryosuke Hashiguchi’s “To Mom, With Love” (2024). The animation segment features “Ghost Cat Anzu” (2024), about an 11-year-old girl’s supernatural journey with a talking cat.

War films are nothing new, and World War II films seem to be the most prolific of the genre. Admittedly, that’s not too surprising. Both World Wars were — as their names imply — events that touched every continent. However, the first of the two conflicts is rarely considered the groundwork for a great film. It certainly has the carnage, but its entire premise is based on historically murky ambiguity. World War II is different. It has a definitive “good” and “bad” side; the Allies triumphantly defeated the Axis Powers. Its sacrifices are noble and just, giving each death a sense of purpose. It’s the perfect cinematic base for a grand epic, and David Attenborough’s A Bridge Too Far perfectly epitomizes this larger-than-life view of the world’s last global conflict.

At almost three hours long, Attenborough’s vision is a veritable war epic. Naturally, this length makes it a niche film.

NYC Weekend Watch is our weekly round-up of repertory offerings.

Bam

A series of “silent” movies includes films by Tati, Miguel Gomes, and Chaplin.

Film at Lincoln Center

The new 4K restoration of Sergei Parajanov’s Shadows of Forgotten Ancestors continues.

Museum of the Moving Image

The Seventh Victim and The Fog play on Friday; a Godzilla series gets underway; The Indian in the Cupboard plays on 35mm Saturday and Sunday.

Metrograph

Rio Bravo, Funny Games, Insomnia, Kung Fu Hustle, The Outfit, and The Good, the Bad, the Weird show on 35mm; My Crazy Uncle (or Aunt), Insomnia, and Crush the Strong, Help the Weak begin.

Roxy Cinema

Dancer in the Dark and Scream play on 35mm, while Suspiria and Without You I’m Nothing also screen.

Museum of Modern Art

A massive retrospective of Portuguese cinema continues, while the films of Mohammad Reza Aslani screen.

IFC Center

4K restorations...

While war films have explored countless conflicts throughout human history, the scale and moral stakes of World War II have drawn countless filmmakers to the topic. Its battles have graced hundreds of cinemas, and each version has its own agenda. Many of the genres most popular examples hail from America and England, and these films often highlight the Allied forces triumph and resilience. Theyre generally chest-beating celebrations, as seen in Bridge on the River Kwai. However, members of the former Axis powers have also produced a prolific number of iconic World War II films. More interestingly and, perhaps, quite predictably these films often revolve around the human cost of the war.

One of the most famous examples of this less popular subset of war films is Grave of the Fireflies. However, Japan has another example of triumphant World War II cinema under its belt. Thirty-two years before Studio Ghiblis tearjerker,...

NYC Weekend Watch is our weekly round-up of repertory offerings.

Film at Lincoln Center

The new 4K restoration of Sergei Parajanov’s Shadows of Forgotten Ancestors is now playing.

Bam

Robert Frank and Rudy Wurlitzer’s Candy Mountain begins screening in a new restoration. (Watch our exclusive trailer debut.)

Museum of the Moving Image

Monsters Inc. and What About Bob? play in a Frank Oz retrospective; Chantal Akerman’s American Stories: Food, Family and Philosophy screens on Sunday; The Texas Chain Saw Massacre shows throughout the weekend.

Metrograph

The Decameron, Fellini Satyricon, In America, Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, The Legend of Suram Fortress, Corpse Bride, All the President’s Men, The Candidate, We Won’t Grow Old Together, Valerie and Her Week of Wonders, and Momma’s Man show on 35mm; an Azazel Jacobs series and Follow the Money: Kimberly Reed Selects begin; The Phantom of Ester Krumbachová, Rabbit on the Moon,...

NYC Weekend Watch is our weekly round-up of repertory offerings.

Bam

Films by Warren Beatty, Mike Judge, and more play in Facing the Future; the restoration of I Heard it Through the Grapevine screens.

Roxy Cinema

Gummo, Love Streams, and Dancer in the Dark play on 35mm, while Francis Ford Coppola’s Tetro screens screens on Saturday and a 16mm puppet program shows Sunday.

Museum of Modern Art

A massive retrospective of Portuguese cinema begins, featuring films by Paulo Rocha and Manoel de Oliveira, among many others.

Museum of the Moving Image

A highlight of the 1969 Directors’ Fortnight includes prints of Oshima’s Death By Hanging and Garrel’s The Virgin’s Bed; a Frank Oz retrospective continues.

Anthology Film Archives

Dreyer’s Ordet plays in “Essential Cinema.”

IFC Center

The black-and-white restoration of Johnny Mnemonic plays, as does a 40th-anniversary restoration of Paris, Texas and Bennett Miller’s The Cruise; The Company of Wolves,...

If you are a film fan and have been following this homepage, you are undoubtedly familiar with the works of Japanese auteur Shinya Tsukamoto. While it draws from several inspirations such as the Punk movement or even the works of classic painters, Tsukamoto never fails to be unique, even in his works which rarely ever are mentioned such as the “Nightmare Detective”-series or “Kotoko“. The director himself has often referred to his features as experiences which often make the viewer feel uncomfortable and/or disgusted. Whether you like his body of work or not, his films leave a lasting impression on the viewer and we are going to take a look at some of the elements that make it unique while also hopefully drawing attention to his some of his major works and those which sometimes fall under the radar.

False Idols and heroes

If there is one thing...

“The Wife’s Confession” (also known as “A Wife Confesses”) is a courtroom drama directed by Yasuzo Masumura, who worked at Daiei Film alongside Kenji Mizoguchi or Kon Ichikawa, but to this day is not as recognizable as other post-war Japanese filmmakers. Although the leading actress, Ayako Wakao, won the award for the Best Actress in 1962 at Kinema Junpo Awards, and Blue Ribbon Awards, the movie gained popularity only in the 21st century. It was screened at the 17th Athens International Film Festival, the 26th Shanghai International Film Festival, and the 57th Karlovy Vary International Film Festival.

The Wife’s Confession is screening at Camera Japan

The story, written by Masato Ide based on the novel by Masaya Maruyama, presents a trial – a young woman, Ayako (Ayako Wakao), is accused of murdering her husband (Eitaro Ozawa) while on a mountaineering expedition. The alleged motive for this crime is her desire to escape...

Twilight Out of Focus centers on a film club at an all-boys school. Highlighting three different couples whose love (or growing love) of cinema brings them together, we get to see their relationships develop as they work to create memorable movies with the rest of the club. From a Bl film that makes your heart go pitter-patter to a sci-fi story full of special effects, Twilight Out of Focus is perfect for fans of cinema and love stories that blossom from a shared interest the characters are passionate about. Related: What You Need to Know about Twilight Out of Focus Each club member has his own reason for being part of the Midorigaoka High Film Club. Giichi Ichikawa, for example, has had an interest in film since childhood. Meanwhile, Shion Yoshino is just there to get a boyfriend. What would be your reason for joining the crew? Take our quiz...

Who Will End up Together in Twilight Out of Focus? Bl Couples Explored - Main Image

Twilight Out of Focus explores not just one but three romantic stories for Bl anime fans. Among the couples, who will end up together in the series?

Here’s a closer look at the characters who found love and comfort in the hit Bl anime of the summer season.

Spoiler Warning: This article includes spoilers for the Twilight Out of Focus series, so proceed with caution.

Who Will End up Together in Twilight Out of Focus?Mao Tsuchiya and Hisashi Otomo

Mao Tsuchiya and Hisashi Otomo are roommates who made some rules about living together in their dormitory.

Mao is aware that Hisashi is gay and has a boyfriend, so they both decide to agree on three things: Mao should keep Hisashi’s identity a secret, they should not get their hands on each other’s business,...

It’s lights, camera, action for the summer anime season and there are plenty of series to choose from in our lineup. One anime that I’ve been anticipating is Twilight Out of Focus , a series that sets the stage for not one, not two, but three different love stories that take place in an all-boys high school. Related: Crunchyroll Summer 2024 Anime Season Lineup Announced! Perfect for fans of multiple relationship dynamics, filmmaking, and a dash of genre self-awareness, there’s a lot to look forward to with this upcoming anime release. Here’s everything you need to know before the curtain rises for Twilight Out of Focus ! In This Guide Plot Main Characters Couples Sub Plot Release Date What Is Twilight Out of Focus About? Based on the manga series created by Jyanome, Twilight Out of Focus takes place at Midorigaoka High School. Midorigaoka is an all-boys high school...

Update 03/18/24: Added production staff details from anime's official website. The upcoming TV anime adaptation of Jyanome's Twilight Out of Focus boys' love manga today revealed a key visual, more cast members and a July 2024 broadcast in Japan. Reprising their roles from the series' audio drama is Yoshitsugu Matsuoka as Mao Tsuchiya, Yuma Uchida as Hisashi Otomo, Makoto Furukawa as Jin Kikuchihara, Masatomo Nakazawa as Giichi Ichikawa, Takuya Eguchi as Rei Inaba and Soma Saito as Shion Yoshino. Key Visual Related: Twilight Out of Focus Bl Anime Debuts 1st Teaser Visual Toshinori Watabe ( Teppen!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Laughing 'til You Cry ) is directing the adaptation at Studio Deen, with series composition by Yoshimi Narita ( Shikimori's Not Just a Cutie ) and character designs by Yoko Kikuchi ( Junjo Romantica ). Kodansha USA publishes an official English version of the manga and describes the story: Second-years Mao Tsuchiya and Hisashi Ohtomo make three promises: 1) That Mao will...

Kōji Yakusho is one of the greatest actors alive by any metric. In Japan, he's been nominated for a whopping 23 Japan Academy Film Prize acting awards, and has worked with some of the greatest Japanese directors of all time — Hirokazu Kore-eda, Kiyoshi Kurosawa, Masayuki Suo, Takashi Miike, Shinji Aoyama, Kon Ichikawa, Hideo Gosha, Juzo Itami, and, of course, Shōhei Imamura.

However, Yakusho has also made a huge impact around the world, his star power and handsome solitude bringing acclaim to films like Shall We Dance? and Memoirs of a Geisha. He is one of the rare international actors to break out into mainstream recognition without resorting to speaking English, thanks to films like Rob Marshall's Memoirs of a Geisha and Alejandro G. Iñárritu's Babel. In 2023, he achieved what's arguably the greatest international recognition an actor can receive, winning Best Actor at the Cannes Film Festival for director Wim Wenders' beautiful character study,...

Shinya Tsukamoto’s Shadow of Fire begins as a troubling but measured film, but about a half-hour in something happens that shatters its quietude. Suddenly, a man who to this point has been impotent and deferential throws a small boy out a window and begins beating a woman. From the director best-known for Tetsuo: The Iron Man, and whose other films are often similarly stylish and sexually violent, that might not sound like much, but it is precisely the restraint of Shadow of Fire that makes the violence one of the more harrowing moments in Tsukamoto’s growing oeuvre.

Tsukamoto used to make movies at a swift pace: from his 1989 debut Tetsuo to 2011’s Kotoko, a dozen films. Since then, Shadow of Fire is just his third, all three of which are focused in some way on war, and each has taken longer to arrive than the one before. Whether...

Kon Ichikawa's “Tokyo Olympiad” is revolutionary for documentary filmmaking. The 1964 Summer Olympics in Tokyo had been documented and memorialized on film forever in such an atmospheric, emotional, and cinematic grand scope. Audiences could revel in the emotions of watching athletes pour their hearts into their dedicated craft of physical endurance as people worldwide gather to observe.

Tokyo Olympiad is screening at Black Movie

Assembled by the Organizing Committee for the Games of the Xviii Olympiad and financed by the Japanese government, the initial intentions behind the production were quite different from the final product. With the 1964 Olympics commencing in Tokyo, this was viewed as an opportunity for Japan to highlight its accomplishment of postwar economic resurgence. Kon Ichikawa was selected to direct, and his inclusion ultimately steered the documentary originally meant to primarily celebrate the country's modernization into a completely new and arguably more unique direction. “Tokyo Olympiad” was...

Broadcast Rights

U.K. broadcaster ITV has signed a deal with UEFA to become the new home of England men’s soccer qualifying games. All European qualifiers, UEFA Nations League ties and friendlies between major tournaments will be shown on ITV from September 2024 through to June 2028.

The first set of games will be England’s bid to reach the 2026 FIFA World Cup finals in North America, followed by the European qualifiers to UEFA Euro 2028. In total at least 40 games, approximately 10 each season, will be shown by ITV over the period this new rights deal covers.

ITV had previously held the rights for England European qualifiers from 2018 until 2022 and were succeeded by Channel 4. ITV currently holds the rights to show the UEFA Euro 2024 and 2028 tournaments, sharing coverage with the BBC.

ITV also holds broadcast rights for England women’s soccer team games until 2025 and shared rights for the FIFA Women...

The ambassador of the Film Heritage Foundation (Fhf), and megastar Amitabh Bachchan, who unveiled the poster of ‘Olympics in Reel Life – A Festival of Films and Photographs’, said it will remind us of the achievements of the Indian Olympians. As India gears up to host the International Olympic Committee (Ioc) session after 40 years, and amid talk of Indian interest in hosting a future edition of the Olympic Games, the Mumbai-based Film Heritage Foundation, and Olympic Museum in Lausanne, Switzerland have joined hands to present ‘Olympics in Reel Life – A Festival of Films and Photographs.’ The festival is in collaboration with The National Centre for Performing Arts (Ncpa), and India International Centre (Iic).

During the release of the poster, Big B was joined by Film Heritage Foundation Director, Shivendra Singh Dungarpur; Olympic Gold Medalist Abhinav Bindra; hockey legend M.M. Somaya; and the renowned Badminton player Aparna Popat.

Talking about the same,...

The ambassador of the Film Heritage Foundation (Fhf), and megastar Amitabh Bachchan, who unveiled the poster of ‘Olympics in Reel Life – A Festival of Films and Photographs’, said it will remind us of the achievements of the Indian Olympians. As India gears up to host the International Olympic Committee (Ioc) session after 40 years, and amid talk of Indian interest in hosting a future edition of the Olympic Games, the Mumbai-based Film Heritage Foundation, and Olympic Museum in Lausanne, Switzerland have joined hands to present ‘Olympics in Reel Life – A Festival of Films and Photographs.’ The festival is in collaboration with The National Centre for Performing Arts (Ncpa), and India International Centre (Iic).

During the release of the poster, Big B was joined by Film Heritage Foundation Director, Shivendra Singh Dungarpur; Olympic Gold Medalist Abhinav Bindra; hockey legend M.M. Somaya; and the renowned Badminton player Aparna Popat.

Talking about the same,...

Phoenix: Eden17, Studio 4°C's adaptation of Osamu Tezuka's Phoenix manga, will be getting a new feature film.

Studio 4°C's modern retelling of Tezuka's classic is one of several exclusive anime series to debut on Disney+ this year. According to Anime News Network, the official website for Phoenix: Eden17's film version, titled Phoenix: Reminiscence of Flower, recently unveiled a new key visual and trailer for the upcoming movie, which presents a condensed version of the poignant four-episode series with an alternate ending. The film will premiere in theaters across Japan on Nov. 3.

Related: Osamu Tezuka's Final Completed Work Was Arguably His Most Important

Reminiscence of Flower is being overseen by the same creative team that produced Eden17. Shojiro Nishimi, who is also known for his work on the anime anthology film, Batman: Gotham Knight, will once again serve as Director. Scriptwriters Katsunari Mano and Saku Konohana are returning to write the screenplay.

After years of countless propaganda productions orchestrated by an aggressive government with ultra-nationalistic desires, Japanese cinema started to see more of a pacifistic approach to the sensitive topic of World War II following its conclusion. Yet, plenty of filmmakers in Japan were not proud of the country's war activity and their leaders at the time. Directors like Akira Kurosawa would go on to shamefully disown the jingoistic projects that were assigned to them to make during the Second World War. Fast forward to 1952; once the American occupation was lifted, bold directors like Masaki Kobayashi, Ishiro Honda, and Kihachi Okamoto were free to make anti-war features presented on a more honest and grander scale. For filmmaker Kon Ichikawa, “The Burmese Harp” was his opportunity to express his distaste for the concept of war and his admiration for humanistic values.

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The...

The story of the forty-seven ronin of Ako avenging their fallen master is a significant historical event in Japanese history that has practically gone down as a legend. The events that transpired have frequently been retold in media, most notably in literature through the fictionalized accounts known as “Chushingura.” In addition, many retellings of the vengeful retainers' plot for revenge have been depicted in traditional theater and in cinema. Filmmakers that have directed their depictions include Kenji Mizoguchi, Kunio Watanabe, and Hiroshi Inagaki. Of the countless cinematic renditions, one of the more underrated and unique is Kon Ichikawa's “47 Ronin.”

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Director Kon Ichikawa, who had directed a fair share of period pieces beforehand like “An Actor's Revenge” and “The Wanderers,” had expressed interest in adapting “Chushingura” for quite some time. He was finally given the opportunity towards the approaching end of his career.

Novelist Shohei Ooka would captivate readers with his anti-war novel “Fires on the Plain,” published in 1951. Inspired by his personal experiences from being drafted as a soldier, Ooka's chilling story depicts the gruesome violence and insanity that occurred during the Imperial Japanese Army's last stand in the Philippines on the island of Leyte during World War II. The award-winning book was praised for its gripping storytelling and raw examination of the horrors of war. With the success of the title, there were talks for a film adaptation for quite a while. Eventually, the nightmarish narrative would be superbly adapted for cinemas with Kon Ichikawa's “Fires on the Plain.”

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Daiei Film greenlighted the project, and the studio's president, Masaichi Nagata, would produce it. Kon Ichikawa would direct, and his wife, Natto Wada, would write the screenplay. There was initial...

The Japanese entertainment industry has lost a truly marvelous talent. On January 15th, 2023, versatile character actor Noboru Mitani passed away at the age of 90. On the website Yahoo! Japan, Kyodo News reports the cause of death being “due to acute exacerbation of chronic heart failure”( Kyodo News 1). Mitani worked with an array of filmmakers, frequently appearing in the works of Kinji Fukasaku and Juzo Itami. He was also quite active in television and theatre. Tokusatsu fans may recognize him for his appearances in “Return of Ultraman,” “Ultraman Taro,” and “Space Sheriff Gavan,” while anime enthusiasts may remember him for voice acting in the series “Princess Tutu.” His wide range, colorful personality, and how real he could make his characters feel made him stand out as an actor. He also was often able to convey so much through his facial expressions alone, even in moments without dialogue.

Noboru Mitani and Hiroyuki Kawase...

NYC Weekend Watch is our weekly round-up of repertory offerings.

Film Forum

One of the most exciting series of 2022 is a study of the Taiwanese New Wave that goes beyond Hou, Yang, and Tsai—included though they are.

Roxy Cinema

Lost Highway has a rare 35mm screening on Saturday, while a two-part experimental animation festival gets underway; Paul Schrader’s Hardcore screens on Friday.

Museum of the Moving Image

Documentary filmmaker Noriaki Tsuchimoto is given his first-ever U.S. retrospective, while The Cotton Club Encore screens on Friday and Saturday.

Bam

A series on unlikable characters includes The Heartbreak Kid and films by Maren Ade, Catherine Breillat, and Dan Sallitt.

Anthology Film Archives

A series of UFO films begins, including Close Encounters and the X-Files movie on 35mm.

Japan Society

A 4K restoration of Kon Ichikawa’s Her Brother screens this Sunday, while his Mishima adaptation Conflagration plays on Monday.

Kicking off next week, Japan Society and the Agency for Cultural Affairs, Government of Japan will present an essential look at the remarkable and overlooked contributions of women in contemporary Japanese cinema. “The Female Gaze: Women Filmmakers from Japan Cuts and Beyond,” which takes place November 11 through 20, focuses on the essential roles that female artists play from behind the camera in Japanese cinema—ranging from directing and screenwriting to production and cinematography. Ahead of the Aca Cinema Project series, we’re pleased to exclusively debut the festival trailer along with the announcement of the Closing Night selection.

Chie Hayakawa’s Plan 75, a Cannes winner and Japan’s selection for Best International Feature Film at the 95th Academy Awards, will make its East Coast Premiere to close out the festival. The film imagines a near future in which Japan’s aging crisis has hit critical levels, resulting in a government initiative...

A survey of the growing prominence and visibility of women in film, the latest Aca Cinema Project series The Female Gaze: Women Filmmakers

from Japan Cuts and Beyond focuses on the essential roles that female artists play from behind the camera in Japanese cinema—ranging from directing and screenwriting to production and cinematography. Presenting an exciting array of screenings and premieres—that include

new mainstream and independent works from Japan Cuts alumni and rising talents alongside a classics selection—The Female Gaze offers a much-needed deep dive into the remarkable and overlooked contributions of women in contemporary Japanese cinema.

Kicking off on November 11 with the North American premiere of Japan Cuts favorite Akiko Ohku’s Wedding High followed by a post-screening discussion and Q&a with the filmmaker and an opening night party, The Female Gaze continues with the latest works of Japan Cuts alumni Riho Kudo (Orphan Blues) and...

With so many great Japanese directors who made a name for themselves, it is always interesting to see some collaborate. One of the most interesting collaborative efforts was the company “Yonki-no-Kai,” which translates to the “Club of the Four Knights,” established in 1969 by filmmakers Akira Kurosawa, Keisuke Kinoshita, Masaki Kobayashi, and Kon Ichikawa. The group of friends put together this effort to support one another, as the film industry in Japan at the time was in a state of financial hardships. Yet, things did not go according to plan with Kurosawa’s film “Dodes’ka-den,” being a box-office failure, leading to many projects being shelved. The four wrote a jidaigeki feature that would go unmade for a long-time when they couldn’t raise funds to make it. Years later, following the passing of his companions, Ichikawa would eventually be able to direct this initially canceled feature while...

While budgets were far more compromised in the 1970s, there would be a rise in more bold and unorthodox cinema coming from the Japanese film industry. Norms were challenged before in the previous decades, but it was more rampant at this point than before, so much that there was an increase in projects that tread the line of exploitation. There was a surge in pessimistic samurai movies, and yakuza features practically became a recurring norm in entertainment. By this point, versatile filmmaker Kon Ichikawa had already challenged audiences with many of his pictures. He would do that again in his surreal jidaigeki work “The Wanderers,” also known as “Matatabi.”

Even for an Art Theatre Guild project, “The Wanderers” is made on compromised funding. Kon Ichikawa and his team filmed entirely on location in Nagano Prefecture and even utilized abandoned houses for some of the set pieces in the narrative. For the director,...

The psychological effect war has on the human mind is unimaginable. Following the end of World War II, many anti-war projects would come out of the Japanese entertainment industry from visionaries like Kon Ichikawa, Kaneto Shindo, and Masaki Kobayashi. Jingoistic propaganda was no longer as common and wasn’t being forced upon artists anymore by militarists. Many post-war Japanese war films stand by a humanist nature while reminding audiences how horrific errors should not be repeated. A notable reminder of evolving from past mistakes in history is the superb political thriller “Japan’s Longest Day.”

Based on the non-fiction book of the same name by Kazutoshi Hando and Soichi Oya, this haunting recollection of disturbing events would kickstart the “Toho 8.15 series,” a collection of war movies that recreate Japan’s war history. Fittingly, nihilistic filmmaker and anti-war advocate Kihachi Okamoto would be appointed as the movie’s director and frequent...

Third adaptation of Toson Shimazaki’s classic novel “Hakai”, after the ones by Keisuke Kinoshita in 1948 and Kon Ichikawa in 1962, Kazuo Maeda’s edition marks the centenary of Japan’s first-ever human rights declaration, which argued that Burakumin (aka Eta and untouchables), Zainichi Koreans, Ainu and other “disadvantaged minorities” deserve the same respect and freedoms accorded to others, and is set during the Russo-Japanese War.

Broken Commandment is screening on New York Asian Film Festival

Ushimatsu Segawa is a respected teacher in an elementary school, cherished by both his colleagues and his students. However, he harbors a dark secret, as he is actually a burakumin whose father sent him away when he was a child, insisting he never reveals his origin, in an effort to have him avoid the fate of the lower classes. The initial scene, where an older man is kicked from a hotel upon the discovery that he is an Eta,...

Hiroshi Inagaki’s “Samurai I: Musashi Miyamoto” was a critical and box office success. It was time to continue the narrative in the second entry of “The Samurai Trilogy.” Inagaki would raise more stakes, and much of Musashi’s history would be covered, albeit in a more theatrically romanticized way. Also, a major player in the narrative would be introduced, one that would participate in a significant event in the life of Musashi Miyamoto. So much content would be covered in the entertaining follow-up “Samurai II: Duel at Ichijoji Temple.”

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A majority of the cast from the previous returned, but some were recast here. Rentaro Mikuni was replaced in the part of Matahachi Honiden by Sachio Sakai. This change was likely due to Mikuni’s demanding schedule as he became more and more of a popular star in Japan. The renowned talent would work with...

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Japanese auteur and Cannes favorite Naomi Kawase has been accused of violent behavior towards her staff and crew, including an assault that left an employee’s face swollen.

In May 2019 on the set of True Mothers, an assistant director touched Kawase to point out there was an issue with a shot. Though there is no suggestion that the contact was inappropriate, Kawase reportedly shouted “What do you think you are doing?” at the assistant director and kicked him in the stomach.

The entire cinematography team, led by Yuta Tsukinaga, resigned from the shoot following the incident. After the Tokyo-based weekly magazine and scoop factory Shukan Bunshun broke the story, Kawase said on her company’s website that the matter had been settled internally.

However, the magazine then wrote about an incident in October 2015, when Kawase reportedly assaulted a staff member at her production...

The Cannes Film Festival has set its lineup for this year’s Cannes Classics program, which shines a spotlight on restorations of classic movies and features contemporary documentaries about film. Kicking off the sidebar is Jean Eustache’s controversial film The Mother and the Whore, the 1973 Cannes Grand Prize winner which incited riots at the time. Also included in the program are films by Vittorio de Sica (Sciuscià), Satyajit Ray (The Adversary), Orson Welles (The Trial) and Martin Scorsese (The Last Waltz), as well as a new 4K master of Singin’ in the Rain to mark the movie’s 70th anniversary.

Among the documentaries is Ethan Hawke’s study of Paul Newman and Joanne Woodward, The Last Movie Stars. Executive produced by Scorsese, it features Karen Allen, George Clooney, Oscar Isaac, Latanya Richardson Jackson, Zoe Kazan, Laura Linney and Sam Rockwell among others in an exploration of the iconic couple and American cinema.

This year’s line-up will also celebrate classics such as Singin’ In The Rain and Indian director Satyajit Ray’s 1970 work The Adversary.

Late French filmmaker Jean Eustache’s recently restored cult 1973 drama The Mother And The Whore will open Cannes Classics this year, the line-up for which was announced on Monday (May 2).

Other highlights include two episodes of the series The Last Movie Stars directed by Ethan Hawke about Joanne Woodward and Paul Newman; a screening of Singin’ In The Rain to coincide with the 70th anniversary of its release and a restored 4K version of Vittorio de Sica’s 1946 work Sciuscià.

Olympic competition has long been fertile ground for filmmakers across the world. Both documentary and feature film directors have centred their visions around the world’s largest sporting event, focusing their storytelling eye on the whirlwind of human sporting excellence. The inherent drama of the Olympic events draws enormous crowds and competitors from the four corners of the world, to share the spectacle of human excellence under the most breathtaking conditions.

While some filmmakers strive to capture the essence of the games, such as Kon Ichikawa’s triumphant three hour celebration of the 1964 games in Tokyo Olympiad, others seek to use the event as backdrop for the more human stories. Recent films such as Dexter Fletcher’s Eddie the Eagle, Craig Gillespie’s I,Tonya, Bennett Miller’s bleak and weighty Foxcatcher and even Steven Spielberg, whose 2005 film Munich stands alongside Kevin Macdonald’s gripping One Day in September, chronicled...

The BFI today announces highlights of the UK-wide programme for BFI Japan 2021: 100 Years Of Japanese Cinema, coming to cinemas from October – December 2021. Highlights of the celebration will include a BFI re-release of Akira Kurosawa’s Seven Samurai (1954), a BFI Japan Tour, featuring classics from Yasujirō Ozu and Akira Kurosawa, alongside cult titles from Kon Ichikawa and Toshio Matsumoto, which will feature many new 4K restorations and visit cinemas across the UK. For audiences who cannot attend a screening in their local cinema, there is a vast BFI Japan programme online on BFI Player Subscription. The BFI is also working closely with the National Lottery funded BFI Film Audience Network (Fan) to enable cinemas across the UK to host special screenings and events as part of BFI Japan.

Seasons and events will include Day For Night’s Urban, Natural, Human – exploring Japan on screen programme, showing at Home, Manchester, Close-Up...

While Western cinema all too often equates film noir with retro pastiche and period fare, Chinese filmmakers continue to sustain the genre in bracingly contemporary, socially relevant ways — often sneaking a wealth of political and economic commentary past censors and straight into their sleek underworld narratives. Zhang Ji’s remarkable debut feature, “Fire on the Plain,” follows in this rich tradition: On the surface, it’s a grand, expansive yarn meshing cool policier with . A collective sense of yearning for other lives and other options runs through the well-oiled mechanics of the plot, elevating this San Sebastian competition standout from merely compelling to truly stirring.

Former cinematographer Zhang is best known for his work on Zhang Bingjian’s “North by Northeast,” and this is about as fully formed as first features come — matching the technical finesse you might expect, given his background, to real storytelling brio. If “Fire on the Plain...

The 1964 Olympics in Tokyo was a special time for Japan, marking the first major international event to take place in the country in the post-war world. Naturally, coverage leading up to the games was massive, and cinema was taken full advantage of to get the nation excited about the upcoming games. Aside from the titanic effort that is Kon Ichikawa’s “Tokyo Olympiad”, there were many smaller documentaries produced in and around the competition, one of which was Kazuo Kuroki’s “Record of a Marathon Runner”.

Record of a Marathon Runner screened at Japanese Avant-Garde and Experimental Film Festival

Now, I must confess right from the off that it’s seemingly impossible to find a version of Kuroki’s film available with English subtitles, so as for the content of the narration, I cannot comment. However, if a film manages to keep you engaged in the way that “Record of a Marathon Runner” did,...

Japanese Avant-garde and Experimental Film Festival announces full programme for Jaeff 2021: Bodies in advance of ticket sales on 22 July. Jaeff 2021: Bodies will be held at The Barbican from 16-19th September, and online from 20th-30th September.

Jaeff 2021: Bodies explores how we interact with other beings, spaces around us, and how expressions of the unutterable become vital means of communication and connection.

This third edition of the Japanese Avant-garde and Experimental Film Festival considers the body and sensation, and features work from directors Kon Ichikawa, Toshio Matsumoto, Susumu Hani, Chiaki Nagano, Takahiko Iimura, Tatsumi Kumashiro, Shuji Terayama and more.

In a time where words, facts and logic are increasingly ineffectual, powerless and absurd, this year’s programme attempts to make sense of the nonsensical. Finding that sometimes, the most powerful form of expression is often what we feel, rather than what we can say, write, or even think.

Japanese Avant-garde and Experimental Film Festival are very excited to announce their full programme for Jaeff 2021: Bodies. Curated alongside the delayed 2020 Olympics, this year’s festival aims to explore the human body – in motion, at rest, in agony and in ecstasy.

Tickets go on sale to Barbican Members on 21 July, and to the general public on the 22nd. Stay tuned to our socials for further info (and links!).

Jaeff look forward to seeing you this Autumn!

Thursday 16/9

18:00 – Nanami: The Inferno of First Love + A.I. Mama

Friday 17/9

18:00 Portrait of Mr O + Anma + Rose Color Dance + In Passing

20:30 – Lovers are Wet

Saturday 18/9

Navel and a Bomb

17:50 – Boxer + Transparent, the world is.

Sunday 19/9

11:00 – Japan’s Cinematic Body (Panel Discussion)

13:20 Nippon Express Carries the Olympics to Tokyo + Tokyo Story

16:00 – Tokyo Olympiad...

Get in touch to send in cinephile news and discoveries. For daily updates follow us @NotebookMUBI.Closeup of Fay Wray from Doctor X after restoration work. Image from https://www.cinema.ucla.eduNEWSAfter working together in the film Rojo (2018), director Benjamin Naishtat and actor Alfredo Castro reunite to talk about the terror, pleasure and mystery involved in the process of creating a film. They agree that for both director and actor, the seed of creation is the irrationality of madness, and that uncertainty is an essential factor in filmmaking. Castro and Naishtat call for a subversive cinema that cannot be domesticated by current narrative paradigms and that is also capable of using the imagination as a means and a catalyst to reinterpret our history. To listen to this episode and subscribe on your favorite podcast app, click here.The great French film director Jacques Rozier is being evicted from his...

The Souvenir: Part II Cannes, Day 3: early in the festival, late in the night. I began my first dispatch wondering what the films here would have to say about the past two years, and already a few seem to raise questions that we’ve all been forced to wrestle with in these pandemic times. What is it that makes up a community? What does it mean to exist without one? In Nadav Lapid’s incendiary Ahed’s Knee, screening in the official competition, the dilemmas take place on a national scale. Avshalom Pollak plays Y, a Tel Aviv director in his forties who travels to a remote village in Israel’s Arava region for a screening of his latest work. There, he’s greeted by Yahalom (Nur Fibak), a young officer for the Ministry of Culture who’s there to make sure the Q&a will only touch upon a list of “sanctioned” topics.

It is the second film by French director Arthur Harari.

French director Arthur Harari’s second feature Onoda - 10 000 Nights In The Jungle has been revealed as the opening film of Un Certain Regard at Cannes next month.

This brings the number of films due to be showcased in the section to 20.

The film follows real-life Japanese soldier Hiroo Onoda who was sent to an island in the Philippines in 1944, to fight against the US offensive. When Japan surrendered, Onoda, who has been trained to survive in the jungle, refused to capitulate and kept his war going. It took 10 000 days...

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When you think about summer movies, big-budget blockbusters tend to come to mind. But it’s smart to diversify your viewing list. For the movie lovers who enjoy watching films in stunning clarity with bonus-scenes and extra content, all from the comforts of home, Criterion Collection Blu-rays are the way to go. To help with your summer movie list, we rounded up a handful of new Criterion Collection movies due out this month, and that you can pre-order right now. The selection includes LGBTQ stories to celebrate Pride Month, a gripping documentary on homeless teens, and much more. Below, find our selection of Criterion Collection Blu-rays to pre-order for the month of June,...

Passing The Torch

Aim for the Best: Sports in Japanese Cinema

May 7- 28

A highlight of Japan Society’s Passing the Torch-series, these three curated films celebrate the history of Japanese athletics with a selection of documentaries and a live action film presented in anticipation of the upcoming Tokyo 2021 Summer Games. Included is Kon Ichikawa’s rarely-seen baseball documentary, “Youth”—premiering for the first time in North America with brand-new subtitles by Japan Society.

Individual Tickets: $10 / 3-Film Bundle: $24 / Japan Society Members: 20% off.

The Criterion Collection’s June 2021 lineup has been unveiled, led by Masaki Kobayashi’s staggering, 9.5-hour epic The Human Condition, a seven-film set dedicated to poignant, incisive works of Marlon Riggs, best known for Tongues Untied, and Dee Rees’ acclaimed debut Pariah.

One of the greatest film noirs, Samuel Fuller’s immensely entertaining Pickup on South Street, will also get a release, along with Martin Bell’s two-film series Streetwise and Tiny: The Life of Erin Blackwell, and the Munich 1972 Olympics feature Visions of Eight, with contributions by Miloš Forman, Kon Ichikawa, Claude Lelouch, Juri Ozerov, Arthur Penn, Michael Pfleghar, John Schlesinger, and Mai Zetterling.

Check out the cover art for each below and see more here.

The post The Criterion Collection's June Lineup Includes The Human Condition, Marlon Riggs, Pariah & More first appeared on The Film Stage.