Noticias

The concept of the implementation of nuclear energy in Japan, and the particular lobby, has been the source of many movies in local cinema, essentially succeeding (continuing one could say) the one about the nuclear bomb. Kazuo Kuroki, in one of his finest works, also explores the same theme, in a noirish crime film produced by the Art Theatre Guild, part of which was, chillingly, shot around Fukushima.

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The story is based on Soichiro Tahara’s novel and takes place in a former fishing village that was transformed completely by the nuclear plant that was built in the area. As the movie begins, Sakata, a man who stands out like a sore thumb with his white suits, sunglasses and uncombed hair, arrives into town searching for Nozomi Aoba. It seems she was a student in Tokyo, whom Sakata pimped,...

Singaporean director Eric Khoo has unveiled fresh details on his new film Spirit World, which is currently shooting in Japan with Catherine Deneuve in the lead role, and also unveiled Goodfellas as the international sales agent.

Paris-based sales company Goodfellas will launch the film at the EFM. Arp Sélection has acquired French rights.

Deneuve plays legendary singer Claire who flies to Japan for a final sold-out concert, but as the show comes to an end so does her worldly life.

She then arrives in the spirit world where she embarks on a journey to find the humanity in the afterlife that eluded her on earth, guided by Yuzo, one of her biggest fans.

Deneuve is joined in the cast by Masaaki Sakai (best known to international audiences as the star of the 1970s hit show Monkey), Yutaka Takenouchi (Shin Godzilla) and Jun Fubuki.

Khoo, whose recent credits include the HBO Asia Original horror Folklore,...

Following its official premiere in Japan, Hayao Miyazaki’s final film, How Do You Live?, has revealed not only its official cast and staff but confirmation of an English release with a new title. While 2013’s The Wind Rises was marketed as Miyazaki’s final film, in 2016, it was announced that Miyazaki had begun working on a new film which would now serve as his last film, How Do You Live? What’s especially interesting is that according to Anime News Network, Studio Ghibli has deliberately decided to release it without any marketing, so people don’t feel spoiled before even seeing it, with not even the basic story being made public at any point.

All of that has changed following How Do You Live?’s premiere, however, and a lot of information about its production and international release has been revealed. Not only has the cast, staff, and actual story finally been revealed,...

“Yoko No Tabi” directed by Kazuyoshi Kumakiri (“Manhole”) was crowned winner of Best Feature Film of the the 25th Shanghai International Film Festival, one of the leading festivals in East Asia, during the awards ceremony on Saturday.The film also bagged an award for Best Actress and one for Best Screenplay.

A human drama directed by Kazuyoshi Kumakiri (Mukoku) and headlined by Rinko Kikuchi. Other cast members include Pistol Takehara, Asuka Kurosawa, Jun Fubuki and Joe Odagiri. Kikuchi was recently nominated for best supporting actress in “Babel” at the 2007 Academy Awards.

Synopsis:

Given up her dream and life long ago, Yoko has been socially isolated for years and barely leaves her tiny apartment. When she receives the news of her estranged father's death, she is forced to leave the room and ride with her cousin to return home for the first time in 20 years. However, Yoko ends up left alone in the highway rest stop…...

Yoko is a 42-year-old single “freeter” (freelancing part-time worker) who has suffered setbacks and opposition from her father in pursuing her dreams. One day when she receives news of her estranged father's death, she decides to return to her hometown of Hirosaki in Aomori Prefecture for his funeral. Along the way, she encounters car troubles and being cash-strapped, embarks on a hitchhiking journey where she meets various people such as a desperate working single mum and a kind-hearted couple.

A human drama directed by Kazuyoshi Kumakiri (Mukoku) and headlined by Academy Award® nominee Rinko Kikuchi. Other cast members include Pistol Takehara, Asuka Kurosawa, Jun Fubuki and Joe Odagiri. This movie will premiere in Japan with a roadshow on July 28, 2023.

Call Me Chihiro is a movie directed by Rikiya Imaizumi starring Kasumi Arimura. With Lily Franky and Jun Fubuki. It is based on a manga by Hiroyuki Yasuda.

This movie seeks enchanting the viewer with the always charming presence of Kasumi Arimura in a movie created for her in which she manages to bring that “special touch” of special manga by Hiroyuki Yasuda.

Movie Review Call Me Chihiro (2023)

This movie is all about taking its time in order to describe the characters and the situations, the inner world and, above all, that poetic world that extends itself beyond the narrative, which is apparently simple and even uncomplicated if considered from a classic way, but is essentially paused and reflective, a very beautiful movie.

Call Me Chihiro is, above all a movie in which the lead character knows how to seduce the viewer and displays herself exactly as she is: this...

With a decade having passed since the 2011 disaster in Japan, a number of directors have turned their look towards the incident and its consequences, with “Fukushima 50” being the most renowned. Using the photography books of Masashi Asada as inspiration, Ryota Nakano presents a radically different take on the concept, by combining it with a distinctly anthropocentric story.

“The Asadas” is screening at Vesoul International Film Festival of Asian Cinema

Since he was a small kid, Masashi has shown an interest in photography, particularly since his father Akira took a picture of him and his brother, Yukihiro, during an excursion. Recognizing his talent, the whole family obliges to his whims of photographing them all showing off their dream jobs or other aspirations, including photos as yakuza, race drivers, firemen, and members of a band, among others. However, their constant will to help has made Masashi a self-centered, spoiled young man, whose...

With a decade having passed since the 2011 disaster in Japan, a number of directors have turned their look towards the incident and its consequences, with “Fukushima 50” being the most renowned. Using the photography books of Masashi Asada as inspiration, Ryota Nakano presents a radically different take on the concept, by combining it with a distinctly anthropocentric story.

Since he was a small kid, Masashi has shown an interest in photography, particularly since his father Akira took a picture of him and his brother, Yukihiro, during an excursion. Recognizing his talent, the whole family obliges to his whims of photographing them all showing off their dream jobs or other aspirations, including photos as yakuza, race drivers, firemen, and members of a band, among others. However, their constant will to help has made Masashi a self-centered, spoiled young man, whose sole redeeming quality seems to be his eagerness to apologize. His attitude...

by Spencer Nafekh-Blanchette

In some ways, parallels can be drawn between Kiyoshi Kurosawa’s movies “Charisma” and “Cure.” They were released around the same time, and both star Koji Yakusho in a leading role as a disgruntled police officer. However, in many ways these two titles are nothing alike: While “Cure” is a mystery thriller with a followable plot which becomes more convoluted as time progresses, “Charisma” is an interpretive cinematic experience which demands imagination from start to finish. And although “Cure” is oftentimes considered a masterpiece, “Charisma” is an often overlooked essential in Kurosawa’s filmography.

In the very first scene of the movie, Goro Yabuike, a washed-up negotiator with the police force, is faced with the task of mediating a hostage situation where a man is holding a member of parliament at gunpoint. When Yabuike asks the unnamed man what his purpose is, he replies by writing “Restore...

A rare chance to see a small screen work from Palme d’Or-winning (and not only) director Hirokazu Koreeda is available this year at the BFI London Film Festival, with a teaser episode of the drama series “A Day-Off of Kasumi Arimura” (Arimura Kasumi No Satsuky). The 8-episode drama was released in Japan at the beginning of 2020 on Wowwow Channel and it features Kasumi Arimura, a busy and popular actress both in the script and in real life, although the narration is completely fictional. Director Koreeda has directed episode 1 and 3 of the series, while other episodes have different directors.

“A Day-Off of Kasumi Arimura” is screening at the BFI London Film Festival

It’s the onset of winter and seasonal cold is spreading; one of Kasumi’s fellow members of the cast is sick and the next day shooting is cancelled at the last minute. Kasumi has an unexpected day off then,...

The Notebook Primer introduces readers to some of the most important figures, films, genres, and movements in film history.The success of his latest release, Wife of a Spy (2020), has once again positioned Kiyoshi Kurosawa atop the list of international cinema's most celebrated filmmakers. Continuing what has been an exceptional festival circuit reign in recent years, the Kobe-born director's World War II drama was awarded the Silver Lion at the Venice Film Festival, and it is, as Notebook’s Aaron E. Hunt observes, an emblematic feature from Kurosawa, retaining several of the archetypes and tropes he has so often embraced. Indeed, a consistency in distinct systems of narrative and audiovisual expression has been central to Kurosawa's cinema, manifest in films spanning multiple genres and locations and relayed in mutable tones and mesmeric formal motifs. And though it took time to find traction with a global audience, this approach was something...

To help sift through the increasing number of new releases (independent or otherwise), the Weekly Film Guide is here! Below you’ll find basic plot, personnel and cinema information for all of this week’s fresh offerings.

Starting this month, we’ve also put together a list for the entire month. We’ve included this week’s list below, complete with information on screening locations for films in limited release.

See More: Here Are All the Upcoming Movies in Theaters for July 2016

Here are the films opening theatrically in the U.S. the week of Friday, July 8. All synopses provided by distributor unless listed otherwise.

Wide

Mike and Dave Need Wedding Dates

Director: Jake Szymanski

Cast: Adam DeVine, Anna Kendrick, Aubrey Plaza, Zac Efron

Synopsis: Two brothers place an online ad to find dates for a wedding and the ad goes viral.

The Secret Life of Pets

Director: Chris Renaud,...

Our Little Sister Sony Pictures Classics Reviewed by: Tami Smith, Guest Reviewer for Shockya Grade: B Director: Hirokazu Koreeda Written by: Hirokazu Koreeda from Akimi Yoshida’s Umimachi Diary Cast: Haruka Ayase, Masami Nagasawa, Kaho, Suzu Hirose, Ryo Kase, Kirin Kiki, Lily Franky, Jun Fubuki, Shinichi Tsutsumi and Shinobu Otake, Opens: July 8th, 2016 Our Little Sister is a Japanese drama that opens and closes with a funeral, dealing with a family of three sisters living at a family home in a small Japanese town. The oldest sister Sachi (Haruka Ayase) is a nurse at a hospital’s Critical Care unit. She feels responsible for her siblings and runs the household. The [ Read More ]

The post Our Little Sister Movie Review appeared first on Shockya.com.

Stars: Masaharu Fukuyama, Machiko Ono, Yôko Maki, Rirî Furankî, Jun Fubuki, Shôgen Hwang, Kirin Kiki, Jun Kunimura | Written and Directed by Hirokazu Koreeda

When a family is having a baby one thing they do is trust the hospital they choose to look after the mother and baby. What if something happens in that hospital though and the babies are swapped? I know this is something we often see in “true life story” movies, but when the film comes from Japan and is from globally acclaimed director Hirokazu Koreeda you know get the feeling that you may be in for something just a little special. That is what you get with Like Father, Like Son (Soshite Chichi Ni Naru).

When Ryota (Masaharu Fukuyama) and Midori (Machiko Ono) receive a phone call from the hospital where their son was born their lives are turned upside down when they are told that the...

Title: Like Father, Like Son Director: Hirokazu Koreeda Starring: Masaharu Fukuyama, Yoko Maki, Jun Kunimura, Machiko Ono, Kirin Kiki, Isao Natsuyagi, Lily Franky, Jun Fubuki, Megumi Morisaki. Director Hirokazu Koreeda depicts a touching, poetic and harrowing adventure through parenthood. What makes a child similar to his parents? Does the blood-line prevail over living every day of your life raising a child, even if he doesn’t share your lineage? These questions are explored with great delicacy and veracity in ‘Like Father, Like Son.’ Nonomiya Ryota is a man who has established himself in his profession, he is very hard working and extremely competitive. One day he is called with his wife [ Read More ]

The post Like Father, Like Son Movie Review appeared first on Shockya.com.

Tales From Earthsea (Studio Ghibli)

Stars: (Japanese) Bunta Sugawara, Junichi Okada, Aoi Teshima, Jun Fubuki, Kaoru Kobayashi, Yui Natsukawa, Y?ko Tanaka, Teruyuki Kagawa. (English) Timothy Dalton, Matt Levin, Blaire Restaneo, Mariska Hargitay, Susanne Blakeslee, Willem Dafoe, Cheech Marin | Written by Ursula K Le Guin, Gor? Miyazaki, Keiko Niwa & Hayao Miyazaki | Directed by Goro Miyazaki

“Goro Miyazaki’s debut feature as a director, Tales From Earthsea is an epic adventure, adapted from the much-loved series of novels by Ursula K Le Guin. It tells the story of Ged (voiced in English by Timothy Dalton), the most powerful wizard in Earthsea, and his attempts to protect Prince Arren (Matt Levin) from the evil machinations of rival wizard Cob (Willem Dafoe). Together with Therru, a young girl he rescued from slave takers, Arren must unite with Ged to defeat Cob and return balance to their world. Beautifully animated, Tales From Earthsea will...

Hirofumi Arai (33) has been cast as the lead in an upcoming movie called Akai Kisetsu (literally “Red Season”).

Arai, typically a supporting actor, will head up a cast featuring names like Tomorowo Taguchi, Masatoshi Nagase, Shigeru Izumiya, Jun Fubuki, and Jun Murakami.

Tetsuhiko Yoshino, former general manager of the rock band Thee Michelle Gun Elephant, wrote the screenplay and is directing the project himself. The story was inspired by the music from Yusuke Chiba’s first solo project, “Snake On The Beach”. Chiba was the front man of Thee Michelle Gun Elephant until they disbanded in 2003 and has been front man of The Birthday since 2006. He reportedly began working on tracks for his solo album in the summer of 2010, during a short break following a tour. He finished recording the songs earlier this year and the 20-track album will be released this fall.

Obviously there will be a strong tie-in...

23-year-old Mao Inoue (Hana Yori Dango) and former J-pop idol turned actress Hiromi Nagasaku (39) will be co-starring in a film adaptation of Mitsuyo Kakuta’s novel Youkame no Semi. The work was previously adapted as a TV drama which aired on Nhk back in April.

The story involves a woman named Kiwako (Nagasaku) who kidnaps the baby daughter of a man she’s having an affair with. The baby, Erina, grows up (now played by Inoue) and winds up having an affair of her own which leads to pregnancy.

This will mark the first acting role for Nagasaku since she gave birth to a son back in May.

Other cast members include Eiko Koike, Yoko Moriguchi, Hitori Gekidan, Tetsushi Tanaka, and Jun Fubuki

Filming began on September 23rd and is expected to wrap by the end of October. A release is planned for sometime next year.

Sources: Tokyograph, Cinema Today...

23-year-old Mao Inoue (Hana Yori Dango) and former J-pop idol turned actress Hiromi Nagasaku (39) will be co-starring in a film adaptation of Mitsuyo Kakuta’s novel Youkame no Semi. The work was previously adapted as a TV drama which aired on Nhk back in April.

The story involves a woman named Kiwako (Nagasaku) who kidnaps the baby daughter of a man she’s having an affair with. The baby, Erina, grows up (now played by Inoue) and winds up having an affair of her own which leads to pregnancy.

This will mark the first acting role for Nagasaku since she gave birth to a son back in May.

Other cast members include Eiko Koike, Yoko Moriguchi, Hitori Gekidan, Tetsushi Tanaka, and Jun Fubuki

Filming began on September 23rd and is expected to wrap by the end of October. A release is planned for sometime next year.

Sources: Tokyograph, Cinema Today...

Tales from Earthsea gets a domestic release dateCartoon Brew reports that Disney is going to theatrically release Goro Miyazaki's Tales from Earthsea (Gedo Senki) in the U.S. on August 13th. Touchstone Pictures is releasing this film.

An adaptation of Ursula K. Le Guin's novel "A Wizard of Earthsea," the first book of the award-winning Earthsea cycle which includes "The Tombs of Atuan," "The Farthest Shore" and "Tehanu".

Tales from Earthsea centers on Ged, who was the greatest sorcerer in all Earthsea. He was once called Sparrowhawk, a reckless youth, hungry for power and knowledge, who tampered with long-held secrets and loosed a terrible shadow upon the world.

It's the tale of his testing, how he mastered the mighty words of power, tamed an ancient dragon, and crossed death's threshold to restore the balance.

Tales from Earthsea comes to theaters August 13th, 2010 and stars Junichi Okada, Aoi Teshima,...