Winner of Awards for Best Director and the Audience one in Tokyo this year, “(Ab)normal Desire” is a film that stays true to its title, as Yoshiyuki Kishi tries to present fetishes and the people who carry them as a normal part of society, even if society does not.
(Ab)normal Desire is screening at Toronto Japanese Film Festival
Based on the novel Seiyoku by Ryo Asai, the script follows the lives of a number of characters. Hiroki Terai is a prosecutor at the Yokohama Prosecutor's Office. He is married to Yumi and has a son who goes to elementary school, but has troubles adapting to school life. When he watches a video of a YouTuber influencer girl his age, who states how great she feels now that she is not attending school, he asks his father to do the same, but he turns him down without a second world,...
(Ab)normal Desire is screening at Toronto Japanese Film Festival
Based on the novel Seiyoku by Ryo Asai, the script follows the lives of a number of characters. Hiroki Terai is a prosecutor at the Yokohama Prosecutor's Office. He is married to Yumi and has a son who goes to elementary school, but has troubles adapting to school life. When he watches a video of a YouTuber influencer girl his age, who states how great she feels now that she is not attending school, he asks his father to do the same, but he turns him down without a second world,...
- 6/17/2024
- by Panos Kotzathanasis
- AsianMoviePulse
Yoshiyuki Kishi has been working in the Japanese film and TV industry for many years, as a director of documentaries, producer as well as screenwriter. His first feature “A Double Life” was screened at many international film festivals and garnered him a lot of attention among critics and cinephiles alike. His feature “Wilderness” received awards at Japan Academy Film Prize, Asian Film Awards and Blue Ribbon Awards. His new feature “(Ab)normal Desire” also received awards at Toronto International Film Festival.
On the occasion of “(Ab)normal Desire” being screened at Nippon Connection 2024, Yoshiyuki Kishi talks about the themes of his feature, the visual approach and the amount of tolerance in Japanese society.
“(Ab)normal Desire” is the adaptation of a novel by Ryo Asai. What are differences between your film and the novel and what were the challenges in adapting this story for the screen?
The novel is set...
On the occasion of “(Ab)normal Desire” being screened at Nippon Connection 2024, Yoshiyuki Kishi talks about the themes of his feature, the visual approach and the amount of tolerance in Japanese society.
“(Ab)normal Desire” is the adaptation of a novel by Ryo Asai. What are differences between your film and the novel and what were the challenges in adapting this story for the screen?
The novel is set...
- 6/9/2024
- by Rouven Linnarz
- AsianMoviePulse
Each new episode of Shōgun raises the stakes, deepens the political intrigue, and brings us closer to the brink of war. It’s a description that, years ago, would have applied to Game of Thrones, a show to which Shōgun has been compared ad nauseam. It’s not an inappropriate comparison. Both tout sprawling casts, sweeping locations, political intrigue, backstabbing, and characters residing in moral gray areas, ready to surprise and disappoint. Though, it may be more apt to compare the show to Japan’s Chanbara or samurai films.
Given Shōgun’s intensity and cliffhangers, waiting a week between episodes is excruciating. Digging back into Game of Thrones or even House of the Dragon might not scratch that Shōgun itch in the long days between installments.
Instead, let’s dive into samurai epics in and around the Edo period when Ieyasu Tokugawa unified Japan and built a shogunate that ruled for more than two centuries,...
Given Shōgun’s intensity and cliffhangers, waiting a week between episodes is excruciating. Digging back into Game of Thrones or even House of the Dragon might not scratch that Shōgun itch in the long days between installments.
Instead, let’s dive into samurai epics in and around the Edo period when Ieyasu Tokugawa unified Japan and built a shogunate that ruled for more than two centuries,...
- 3/26/2024
- by Alec Bojalad
- Den of Geek
In the latest surge of live action adaptations that Netflix seems to lead, either in movie or series format, an essentially forgotten anime and manga from the 90s, was not exactly something that was expected, considering that the rest were based on all time favorites like “One Piece” and “Rurouni Kenshin” for example. It turns out, though, that the manga being one of the best selling of all times played a crucial role, and that is how we ended up with a version of “Yu Yu Hakusho”.
Click the image below to follow our Tribute to Netflix
The story revolves around Yusuke Urameshi, a misunderstood 14-year-old delinquent junior high school student who spends his days getting into fights, who frequently involve, though, him protecting someone. However, when he dies after saving a child in a car accident, his ghost-self meets Botan, a woman who introduces herself as the pilot of the Sanzu River,...
Click the image below to follow our Tribute to Netflix
The story revolves around Yusuke Urameshi, a misunderstood 14-year-old delinquent junior high school student who spends his days getting into fights, who frequently involve, though, him protecting someone. However, when he dies after saving a child in a car accident, his ghost-self meets Botan, a woman who introduces herself as the pilot of the Sanzu River,...
- 3/13/2024
- by Panos Kotzathanasis
- AsianMoviePulse
The 66th edition of the Blue Ribbon Awards, presented by the Association of Tokyo Film Journalists, has announced its winners on January 24, 2024. The nominees are selected from movies released in 2023. The trifecta wins for “Godzilla Minus One” come as no surprise, sweeping the Best Film, Best Actor and Best Supporting Actress categories. Yuya Ishii picks up the Best Director award for both his movies “The Moon” and “Masked Hearts”.
Best Film
Masked Hearts
Ichiko
Egoist
Monster
The Dry Spell
Godzilla Minus One
Mom, Is That You?!
(Ab)normal Desire
The Moon
One Last Bloom
Perfect Days
Bad Lands
September 1923
Do Unto Others
As Long as We Both Shall Live
Best Director
Yuya Ishii – The Moon, Masked Hearts
Hirokazu Koreeda – Monster
Daishi Matsunaga – Egoist
Takashi Yamazaki – Godzilla Minus One
Yoji Yamada – Mom, Is That You?!
Best Actor
Goro Inagaki – (Ab)normal Desire
Ryunosuke Kamiki – Godzilla Minus One, We're Broke, My Lord!
Best Film
Masked Hearts
Ichiko
Egoist
Monster
The Dry Spell
Godzilla Minus One
Mom, Is That You?!
(Ab)normal Desire
The Moon
One Last Bloom
Perfect Days
Bad Lands
September 1923
Do Unto Others
As Long as We Both Shall Live
Best Director
Yuya Ishii – The Moon, Masked Hearts
Hirokazu Koreeda – Monster
Daishi Matsunaga – Egoist
Takashi Yamazaki – Godzilla Minus One
Yoji Yamada – Mom, Is That You?!
Best Actor
Goro Inagaki – (Ab)normal Desire
Ryunosuke Kamiki – Godzilla Minus One, We're Broke, My Lord!
- 1/25/2024
- by Suzie Cho
- AsianMoviePulse
Yu Yu Hakusho, the legendary smash-hit manga from Weekly Shonen Jump, is finally getting a live-action adaptation! This series of unprecedented scale is brought to life by an all-star cast that includes Takumi Kitamura, Jun Shison, Kanata Hongo, Shuhei Uesugi, Sei Shiraishi, Kenichi Takito, Goro Inagaki and Go Ayano.
The strength that comes from having something to protect versus the strength that comes from having nothing to lose…
Feast your eyes on this top-class Asian battle action series, featuring world-class, cutting-edge visual effects and presented by a cast and staff who are at the pinnacle of Japanese entertainment!
The Netflix Series Yu Yu Hakusho starts streaming worldwide on Thursday, December 14, 2023, only on Netflix.
The strength that comes from having something to protect versus the strength that comes from having nothing to lose…
Feast your eyes on this top-class Asian battle action series, featuring world-class, cutting-edge visual effects and presented by a cast and staff who are at the pinnacle of Japanese entertainment!
The Netflix Series Yu Yu Hakusho starts streaming worldwide on Thursday, December 14, 2023, only on Netflix.
- 12/14/2023
- by Don Anelli
- AsianMoviePulse
Hiroki Terai (Goro Inagaki) works as a prosecutor with the Yokohama Public Prosecutors' Office. He's married with a son in elementary school, but his son often skips school so Hiroki is worried that he may be rejecting society. Natsuki Kiryu (Yui Aragaki) works at a mall in Hiroshima but she secretly wants to disconnect from society. Hiroki and Natsuki are brought together through events surrounding an accidental death.
- 11/28/2023
- by Don Anelli
- AsianMoviePulse
Netflix‘s “Geeked Week” isn’t done yet dropping exciting news and teasers: the streaming service debuted a first look at the upcoming “Yu Yu Hakusho” live-action series, promising supernatural action fun based on the popular manga series.
The live-action adaptation will debut exclusively on Netflix on December 14.
The series “revolves around Yusuke Urameshi, who spends his days getting into fights and dies in an accident while trying to protect a young child. As he grapples with the fact that he is looking down on his dead body, a woman named Botan who calls herself a guide to the spirit world relays to him the shocking truth: no one expected a delinquent like Yusuke to die performing an act of goodness, and there was no place for him in either heaven or hell. Thus, Yusuke is given a chance to be revived, and after passing his trial, he becomes an Underworld Detective.
The live-action adaptation will debut exclusively on Netflix on December 14.
The series “revolves around Yusuke Urameshi, who spends his days getting into fights and dies in an accident while trying to protect a young child. As he grapples with the fact that he is looking down on his dead body, a woman named Botan who calls herself a guide to the spirit world relays to him the shocking truth: no one expected a delinquent like Yusuke to die performing an act of goodness, and there was no place for him in either heaven or hell. Thus, Yusuke is given a chance to be revived, and after passing his trial, he becomes an Underworld Detective.
- 11/10/2023
- by Meagan Navarro
- bloody-disgusting.com
Following decades in television and film, including stints as a producer, screenwriter and documentary filmmaker, Yoshiyuki Kishi made his feature directorial debut in 2016, aged 52, with Double Life, attracting some international festival attention.
He returned the following year with the ambitious Wilderness, based on the only novel by Shuji Terayama. Released in two parts a few weeks apart in Japan, with a combined running time of more than five hours, Wilderness portrayed two very different social outcasts on their journey to becoming professional boxers, against the backdrop of a socially disintegrating Japan. It landed Masaki Suda best actor at the Japan Academy Awards, and Korea’s Yang Ik-june best supporting actor at the Asian Film Awards.
Kishi’s latest, (Ab)normal Desire, is almost certainly his most challenging and complex work to date. Selected in competition at this year’s Tokyo International Film Festival and starring Yui Aragaki, Goro Inagaki,...
He returned the following year with the ambitious Wilderness, based on the only novel by Shuji Terayama. Released in two parts a few weeks apart in Japan, with a combined running time of more than five hours, Wilderness portrayed two very different social outcasts on their journey to becoming professional boxers, against the backdrop of a socially disintegrating Japan. It landed Masaki Suda best actor at the Japan Academy Awards, and Korea’s Yang Ik-june best supporting actor at the Asian Film Awards.
Kishi’s latest, (Ab)normal Desire, is almost certainly his most challenging and complex work to date. Selected in competition at this year’s Tokyo International Film Festival and starring Yui Aragaki, Goro Inagaki,...
- 10/28/2023
- by Gavin J Blair
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
By Henry McKeand
Kiyoshi Kurosawa's “Pulse” had an inescapable impact on the Japanese horror scene when it hit theatres in 1997. Countless filmmakers were inspired by its pervasive unease and refusal to settle for simple scares. Along with the release of Hideo Nakata's “Ringu” a year later, it set the standard for the J-Horror renaissance that forever altered the cinematic landscape in the 2000s. But even with the hordes of imitators and worshippers, perhaps no film owes more to “Pulse” than “Saimin” by Masayuki Ochiai. Released later as “The Hypnotist” in the U.S., “Saimin” shares themes of hypnosis and the inherent darkness of human nature with “Pulse”, but it is ultimately a more commercial take on the same material, trading in Kurosawa's ambient dread for gonzo thrills.
on Amazon by clicking on the image below
The film kicks off in bravura fashion, with Ochiai cross-cutting...
Kiyoshi Kurosawa's “Pulse” had an inescapable impact on the Japanese horror scene when it hit theatres in 1997. Countless filmmakers were inspired by its pervasive unease and refusal to settle for simple scares. Along with the release of Hideo Nakata's “Ringu” a year later, it set the standard for the J-Horror renaissance that forever altered the cinematic landscape in the 2000s. But even with the hordes of imitators and worshippers, perhaps no film owes more to “Pulse” than “Saimin” by Masayuki Ochiai. Released later as “The Hypnotist” in the U.S., “Saimin” shares themes of hypnosis and the inherent darkness of human nature with “Pulse”, but it is ultimately a more commercial take on the same material, trading in Kurosawa's ambient dread for gonzo thrills.
on Amazon by clicking on the image below
The film kicks off in bravura fashion, with Ochiai cross-cutting...
- 4/8/2023
- by Guest Writer
- AsianMoviePulse
The themes of Rikiya Imaizumi’s films are en vogue right now, tackling slow-developing love stories, and indeed their fallout, in a dialogue-heavy approach. With slick, stylish coffee shop and urbane apartment settings, “By the Window” has a lot in common with many modern Japanese novels, as well as the films of fellow director Ryusuke Hamaguchi, a director whose career his has paralleled.
Shigemi (Goro Inagaki) is a freelance literary critic, married to editor Sae (Yuri Nakamura). From early on, we can see that their relationship has become more about sharing opinions on work than listening to each other. As such, Sae is having an affair with a novelist, and Shigemi knows it. Attending the press conference for her prize-winning new novel, he befriends young writer Rua (Tina Tamashiro), and the pair regularly meet to discuss the inspiration for her characters. Their age difference means nothing can happen, though it...
Shigemi (Goro Inagaki) is a freelance literary critic, married to editor Sae (Yuri Nakamura). From early on, we can see that their relationship has become more about sharing opinions on work than listening to each other. As such, Sae is having an affair with a novelist, and Shigemi knows it. Attending the press conference for her prize-winning new novel, he befriends young writer Rua (Tina Tamashiro), and the pair regularly meet to discuss the inspiration for her characters. Their age difference means nothing can happen, though it...
- 1/12/2023
- by Andrew Thayne
- AsianMoviePulse
Shigemi Ichikawa (Goro Inagaki) works as a freelance writer. He is married to Sae (Yuri Nakamura), who works as an editor. His wife is involved in an affair with a popular novelist that she works with. Shigemi Ichikawa is aware of his wife’s infidelity, but he is unable to tell her that he knows. One day, Shigemi Ichikawa reads a novel written by female high school student Rua Kubo (Tina Tamashiro), whom he met at a literature award ceremony. He is fascinated by her novel. He asks her if the novel is based on a real person and if so, he would like to meet that person.
- 9/29/2022
- by Don Anelli
- AsianMoviePulse
The weird and wonderful comic book Barbara, by Manga Maestro Osamu Tezuka is finally a live action film, directed by the author’s son Macoto Tezka who has been looking after the father’s legacy for a long time. Now “Tezuka’s Barbara” has been selected to participate in the Official Competition of the 32nd Tokyo International Film Festival.
Recently interviewed by Amp, Macoto Tezka disclosed some trivia about “Barbara”: “There were a few more other projects that I really wanted to do out of my father’s mangas, but one producer was interested in making “Barbara”, so that’s why we decided to make the film. But that was years back and we couldn’t find a suitable cast or anything, so we took Barbara aside for a bit while we were making the new version of “Stardust Brothers”. After it, I went back to “Barbara” and then...
Recently interviewed by Amp, Macoto Tezka disclosed some trivia about “Barbara”: “There were a few more other projects that I really wanted to do out of my father’s mangas, but one producer was interested in making “Barbara”, so that’s why we decided to make the film. But that was years back and we couldn’t find a suitable cast or anything, so we took Barbara aside for a bit while we were making the new version of “Stardust Brothers”. After it, I went back to “Barbara” and then...
- 9/19/2019
- by Adriana Rosati
- AsianMoviePulse
Usually, this spot is reserved for our weekly rundown of the new movies available to stream on Netflix Instant but August is a dead month and there is only one notable movie new to streaming this week. That movie happens to be pretty big and awesome though. So in honor of The Expendables coming to Netflix Instant, let’s run down the best action movies streaming on Netflix:
New Movies Streaming on Netflix Instant Watch – Sunday August 28th The Expendables
Rated R | 2010
Flickchart Ranking: #1703
Times Ranked: 15833
Win Percentage: 47%
Top-20 Rankings: 31 Users
Directed By: Sylvester Stallone
Starring: Sylvester Stallone • Jason Statham • Jet Li • Dolph Lundgren • Eric Roberts
________________________________________________
The Best Action Movies on Netflix Instant Valhalla Rising
Rated R | 2009
Flickchart Ranking: #3389
Times Ranked: 2716
Win Percentage: 51%
Top-20 Rankings: 4 Users
I cannot recommend Valhalla Rising enough. It’s visually amazing (every frame of the film is staged as if it’s a painting) and thoroughly unique.
New Movies Streaming on Netflix Instant Watch – Sunday August 28th The Expendables
Rated R | 2010
Flickchart Ranking: #1703
Times Ranked: 15833
Win Percentage: 47%
Top-20 Rankings: 31 Users
Directed By: Sylvester Stallone
Starring: Sylvester Stallone • Jason Statham • Jet Li • Dolph Lundgren • Eric Roberts
________________________________________________
The Best Action Movies on Netflix Instant Valhalla Rising
Rated R | 2009
Flickchart Ranking: #3389
Times Ranked: 2716
Win Percentage: 51%
Top-20 Rankings: 4 Users
I cannot recommend Valhalla Rising enough. It’s visually amazing (every frame of the film is staged as if it’s a painting) and thoroughly unique.
- 8/22/2011
- by Daniel Rohr
- Flickchart
Rank the week of July 5th’s Blu-ray and DVD new releases against the best films of all-time: New Releases Hobo With A Shotgun
(DVD and Blu-Ray | Nr | 2011)
Flickchart Ranking: #3839
Times Ranked: 1526
Win Percentage: 47%
Top-20 Rankings: 7
Directed By: Jason Eisener
Starring: Rutger Hauer • Gregory Smith • Molly Dunsworth • Brian Downey • Nick Bateman
Genres: Action • Adventure • Crime • Crime Thriller • Thriller
Rank This Movie
Wake Wood
(DVD and Blu-Ray | Nr | 2011)
Flickchart Ranking: #15374
Times Ranked: 35
Win Percentage: 32%
Top-20 Rankings: 0
Directed By: David Keating
Starring: Eva Birthistle • Ella Connolly • Amelia Crowley • Aidan Gillen • Timothy Spall
Genres: Drama • Horror
Rank This Movie
13 Assassins
(DVD and Blu-Ray | Nr | 2010)
Flickchart Ranking: #2732
Times Ranked: 1084
Win Percentage: 59%
Top-20 Rankings: 8
Directed By: Takashi Miike
Starring: Koji Yakusho • Takayuki Yamada • Yusuke Iseya • Gorô Inagaki • Masachika Ichimura
Genres: Action • Ensemble Film • Period Film • Samurai Film
Rank This Movie
Bloodrayne: The Third Reich
(DVD and Blu-ray | R | 2010)
Flickchart Ranking: #17903
Times Ranked: 30
Win Percentage: 42%
Top-...
(DVD and Blu-Ray | Nr | 2011)
Flickchart Ranking: #3839
Times Ranked: 1526
Win Percentage: 47%
Top-20 Rankings: 7
Directed By: Jason Eisener
Starring: Rutger Hauer • Gregory Smith • Molly Dunsworth • Brian Downey • Nick Bateman
Genres: Action • Adventure • Crime • Crime Thriller • Thriller
Rank This Movie
Wake Wood
(DVD and Blu-Ray | Nr | 2011)
Flickchart Ranking: #15374
Times Ranked: 35
Win Percentage: 32%
Top-20 Rankings: 0
Directed By: David Keating
Starring: Eva Birthistle • Ella Connolly • Amelia Crowley • Aidan Gillen • Timothy Spall
Genres: Drama • Horror
Rank This Movie
13 Assassins
(DVD and Blu-Ray | Nr | 2010)
Flickchart Ranking: #2732
Times Ranked: 1084
Win Percentage: 59%
Top-20 Rankings: 8
Directed By: Takashi Miike
Starring: Koji Yakusho • Takayuki Yamada • Yusuke Iseya • Gorô Inagaki • Masachika Ichimura
Genres: Action • Ensemble Film • Period Film • Samurai Film
Rank This Movie
Bloodrayne: The Third Reich
(DVD and Blu-ray | R | 2010)
Flickchart Ranking: #17903
Times Ranked: 30
Win Percentage: 42%
Top-...
- 7/5/2011
- by Jonathan Hardesty
- Flickchart
13 Assassins, the new movie from acclaimed director Takashi Miike, is currently playing in theaters and we certainly have to celebrate this new release. We have a contest lined up and we're giving away official posters signed by Takashi Miike to give away to our readers. You know these signed one-sheets will go fast, so be sure to enter this contest today.
Winners Receive:
13 Assassins poster signed by director Takashi Miike
Here's How To Win!
Just "Like" (fan) the MovieWeb Facebook page (below) and then leave a comment below telling us why these prizes must be yours!
If you already "Like" MovieWeb, just leave a comment below telling us why these prizes must be yours!
Cult director Takashi Miike (Ichi the Killer, Audition) delivers a bravado period action film set at the end of Japan's feudal era in which a group of unemployed samurai are enlisted to bring down a sadistic...
Winners Receive:
13 Assassins poster signed by director Takashi Miike
Here's How To Win!
Just "Like" (fan) the MovieWeb Facebook page (below) and then leave a comment below telling us why these prizes must be yours!
If you already "Like" MovieWeb, just leave a comment below telling us why these prizes must be yours!
Cult director Takashi Miike (Ichi the Killer, Audition) delivers a bravado period action film set at the end of Japan's feudal era in which a group of unemployed samurai are enlisted to bring down a sadistic...
- 5/6/2011
- by MovieWeb
- MovieWeb
Director: Takashi Miike Writers: Kaneo Ikegami and Daisuke Tengan Cinematographer: Nobuyasu Kita Stars: Kôji Yakusho, Takayuki Yamada, Yûsuke Iseya, Gorô Inagaki Studio/Running Time: Magnet Releasing, 126 min. While Takashi Miike’s name here in the United States will forever by synonymous with his ultra-violent pictures like Ichi the Killer and Audition, at this point he’s worked in pretty much every genre under the sun—not a huge surprise considering that he’s likely the most prolific director of all time (IMDb lists 83 projects he’s directed since 1991). Even so, there are still large consistencies to his pictures, which tend to boast...
- 5/5/2011
- Pastemagazine.com
Miike Takashi's chanbara flick 13 Assassins will probably strike a lot of people as much more impressive than it really is, if they've never seen a Kurosawa movie, read Lone Wolf & Cub or even missed out on Yôji Yamada's recent output (Twilight Samurai, Hidden Blade, Love & Honor). It's a good film, but there's not much of Miike in there, and what's left pales next to the things that influenced it. The film opens in the dying days of samurai-era Japan, when a loyal retainer commits hara-kiri in protest at the latest in a string of atrocities carried out by the heir to the shogunate. Lacking any battles to excel in, Lord Naritsugu (Gorô Inagaki, from idol group Smap) sees his position as...
- 4/30/2011
- Screen Anarchy
Reviewed by Annlee Ellingson
(from the 2010 AFI Fest)
Directed by: Takashi Miike
Written by: Daisuke Tengan
Starring: Kôji Yakusho, Takayuki Yamada, Yûsuke Iseya, Gorô Inagaki and Masachika Ichimura
Insanely prolific Takashi Miike’s remake of Eiichi Kudo’s 1963 film starts with a dramatic suicide. It ends with a bloody 45-minute showdown between the titular warriors and an army of 200 men. Between this isolated act and the gory battle that avenges it are some slow, too-deliberate exposition and development, but the rousing finale, along with heavy thematic questions about the samurai code of loyalty and moments of levity, make it well worth the wait.
Alone in the forecourt of an imposing palace, a nobleman commits hara-kiri, the camera focusing on his face as he carves, to protest the rape and murder of his daughter-in-law and beheading of his son by Lord Naritsugu Matsudaira (Gorô Inagaki), the vile brother of the shogun.
(from the 2010 AFI Fest)
Directed by: Takashi Miike
Written by: Daisuke Tengan
Starring: Kôji Yakusho, Takayuki Yamada, Yûsuke Iseya, Gorô Inagaki and Masachika Ichimura
Insanely prolific Takashi Miike’s remake of Eiichi Kudo’s 1963 film starts with a dramatic suicide. It ends with a bloody 45-minute showdown between the titular warriors and an army of 200 men. Between this isolated act and the gory battle that avenges it are some slow, too-deliberate exposition and development, but the rousing finale, along with heavy thematic questions about the samurai code of loyalty and moments of levity, make it well worth the wait.
Alone in the forecourt of an imposing palace, a nobleman commits hara-kiri, the camera focusing on his face as he carves, to protest the rape and murder of his daughter-in-law and beheading of his son by Lord Naritsugu Matsudaira (Gorô Inagaki), the vile brother of the shogun.
- 4/25/2011
- by admin
- Moving Pictures Network
Reviewed by Annlee Ellingson
(from the 2010 AFI Fest)
Directed by: Takashi Miike
Written by: Daisuke Tengan
Starring: Kôji Yakusho, Takayuki Yamada, Yûsuke Iseya, Gorô Inagaki and Masachika Ichimura
Insanely prolific Takashi Miike’s remake of Eiichi Kudo’s 1963 film starts with a dramatic suicide. It ends with a bloody 45-minute showdown between the titular warriors and an army of 200 men. Between this isolated act and the gory battle that avenges it are some slow, too-deliberate exposition and development, but the rousing finale, along with heavy thematic questions about the samurai code of loyalty and moments of levity, make it well worth the wait.
Alone in the forecourt of an imposing palace, a nobleman commits hara-kiri, the camera focusing on his face as he carves, to protest the rape and murder of his daughter-in-law and beheading of his son by Lord Naritsugu Matsudaira (Gorô Inagaki), the vile brother of the shogun.
(from the 2010 AFI Fest)
Directed by: Takashi Miike
Written by: Daisuke Tengan
Starring: Kôji Yakusho, Takayuki Yamada, Yûsuke Iseya, Gorô Inagaki and Masachika Ichimura
Insanely prolific Takashi Miike’s remake of Eiichi Kudo’s 1963 film starts with a dramatic suicide. It ends with a bloody 45-minute showdown between the titular warriors and an army of 200 men. Between this isolated act and the gory battle that avenges it are some slow, too-deliberate exposition and development, but the rousing finale, along with heavy thematic questions about the samurai code of loyalty and moments of levity, make it well worth the wait.
Alone in the forecourt of an imposing palace, a nobleman commits hara-kiri, the camera focusing on his face as he carves, to protest the rape and murder of his daughter-in-law and beheading of his son by Lord Naritsugu Matsudaira (Gorô Inagaki), the vile brother of the shogun.
- 4/25/2011
- by admin
- Moving Pictures Magazine
Japanese director Takashi Miike is well-known for his work in ultra-violent movies like Audition and Ichi the Killer, but is heading to feudal Japan for his latest movie, 13 Assassins.
A remake of Eiichi Kudo's 1963 movie of the same name, 13 Assassins follows a samurai named Shinzaemon (Koji Yakusho) who is hired to kill the sadistic Lord Naritsugu (Gorô Inagaki), and gathers a group of fellow samurais to complete the task.
13 Assassins has won rave reviews last year from several movie festivals around the world including the Venice Film Festival, Fantastic Fest, and the Toronto International Film Festival. The first trailer looks like the fight scenes from Kill Bill channeled through Akira Kurosawa's Seven Samurai. And what's wrong with that?
Next Showing: 13 Assassins is currently on VOD and opens in theaters on April 29
Link | Posted 3/31/2011 by Ryan
Takashi Miike | 13 Assassins...
A remake of Eiichi Kudo's 1963 movie of the same name, 13 Assassins follows a samurai named Shinzaemon (Koji Yakusho) who is hired to kill the sadistic Lord Naritsugu (Gorô Inagaki), and gathers a group of fellow samurais to complete the task.
13 Assassins has won rave reviews last year from several movie festivals around the world including the Venice Film Festival, Fantastic Fest, and the Toronto International Film Festival. The first trailer looks like the fight scenes from Kill Bill channeled through Akira Kurosawa's Seven Samurai. And what's wrong with that?
Next Showing: 13 Assassins is currently on VOD and opens in theaters on April 29
Link | Posted 3/31/2011 by Ryan
Takashi Miike | 13 Assassins...
- 3/31/2011
- by Ryan Gowland
- Reelzchannel.com
Empire have posted a new UK trailer for 13 Assassins, a remake of the 1963 Eiichi Kudo film.
Directed by renowned filmmaker Takashi Miike (Ichi the Killer), 13 Assassins stars Kôji Yakusho, Takayuki Yamada, Hiroki Matsukata, Kazuki Namioka, Gorô Inagaki and Masachika Ichimura.
A group of assassins come together for a suicide mission to kill an evil lord.
Check out the UK trailer below:...
Directed by renowned filmmaker Takashi Miike (Ichi the Killer), 13 Assassins stars Kôji Yakusho, Takayuki Yamada, Hiroki Matsukata, Kazuki Namioka, Gorô Inagaki and Masachika Ichimura.
A group of assassins come together for a suicide mission to kill an evil lord.
Check out the UK trailer below:...
- 3/30/2011
- by Jamie Neish
- HeyUGuys.co.uk
13 Assassin
Directed by Takashi Milke
Written by Daisuke Tengan
Based on a screenplay by Kaneo Ikegami
If you’ve seen any of Takashi Miike’s thousand-or-so films, you know that his new samurai flick, 13 Assassins, isn’t like the others. But in the tradition of his best movies, Miike reveals his subversive intentions sparingly and methodically before succumbing to his ultra-violent inclinations.
Assassins opens on a distressing shot of a man committing harakiri–with the noise of the cut pulled way, disgustingly, up in the mix–in protest of the Lord Naritsugu (Gorô Inagaki), brother of the Shogun, rapist, murderer, and general ne’er-do-well. Though feudal Japan has enjoyed years of peace, Naritsugu is allowed free reign to tie up groups of Japanese civilians and shoot arrows at them in his courtyard. Outraged by his indiscriminate violence, and wary that Naritsugu may soon attain actual power, old-timer samurai Shinzaemon (Kôji Yakusho...
Directed by Takashi Milke
Written by Daisuke Tengan
Based on a screenplay by Kaneo Ikegami
If you’ve seen any of Takashi Miike’s thousand-or-so films, you know that his new samurai flick, 13 Assassins, isn’t like the others. But in the tradition of his best movies, Miike reveals his subversive intentions sparingly and methodically before succumbing to his ultra-violent inclinations.
Assassins opens on a distressing shot of a man committing harakiri–with the noise of the cut pulled way, disgustingly, up in the mix–in protest of the Lord Naritsugu (Gorô Inagaki), brother of the Shogun, rapist, murderer, and general ne’er-do-well. Though feudal Japan has enjoyed years of peace, Naritsugu is allowed free reign to tie up groups of Japanese civilians and shoot arrows at them in his courtyard. Outraged by his indiscriminate violence, and wary that Naritsugu may soon attain actual power, old-timer samurai Shinzaemon (Kôji Yakusho...
- 3/27/2011
- by Emmet Duff
- SoundOnSight
Magnet Releasing have unveiled a brand new trailer and poster for ultra-violent period-horror film 13 Assassins, a remake of Eiichi Kudo’s 1963 black-and-white Japanese film of the same name.
Directed by renowned Japanese filmmaker Takashi Miike (Ichi The Killer) from a screenplay penned by Daisuke Tengan, the film stars Kôji Yakusho, Takayuki Yamada, Hiroki Matsukata, Kazuki Namioka, Yûsuke Iseya, Gorô Inagaki, Masachika Ichimura, and Mikijiro Hira.
Read more on New trailer and poster for Takashi Miike’s 13 Assassins...
Directed by renowned Japanese filmmaker Takashi Miike (Ichi The Killer) from a screenplay penned by Daisuke Tengan, the film stars Kôji Yakusho, Takayuki Yamada, Hiroki Matsukata, Kazuki Namioka, Yûsuke Iseya, Gorô Inagaki, Masachika Ichimura, and Mikijiro Hira.
Read more on New trailer and poster for Takashi Miike’s 13 Assassins...
- 3/26/2011
- by Jamie Neish
- GordonandtheWhale
If you're familiar with the litany of brilliant cinematic grotesques that Takashi Miike creates, you usually have a certain nervous expectation when you walk into his films. After sitting through works like Ichi The Killer and Three... Extremes, there's a definite gleeful dread that accompanies his films. 13 Assassins is both an unlikely departure as well as a welcome return for him.
Taking a 150 year step back, 13 Assassins takes place in feudal Japan in the time of lords and samurai, in a time of fragile peace after a lifetime of war. The lords of the land are trying to maintain order in a wild world, and the balance is threatened by an up-and-coming young Shogun's brother, Naritsugu (Gorô Inagaki). He's a warped, sadistic megalomaniac who glories in debasing and defiling the underclasses and torturing those beneath him. His dark and twisted hobbies have become a concern of a small group of lords,...
Taking a 150 year step back, 13 Assassins takes place in feudal Japan in the time of lords and samurai, in a time of fragile peace after a lifetime of war. The lords of the land are trying to maintain order in a wild world, and the balance is threatened by an up-and-coming young Shogun's brother, Naritsugu (Gorô Inagaki). He's a warped, sadistic megalomaniac who glories in debasing and defiling the underclasses and torturing those beneath him. His dark and twisted hobbies have become a concern of a small group of lords,...
- 3/15/2011
- by TK
Back for its third year (see the 2010 edition) and bigger than ever, today kicks off the first in a fifteen-part look at the various cinematic releases hitting the U.S. in 2011. Each 'part' contains brief descriptions and editorial opinion/analysis of varying length covering twenty films. Expect the remaining ones to go up between now and the first major releases in mid-January.
Like all cinematic lists set within a timeframe, there's some overlap. Some films here have already opened worldwide but have yet to hit the U.S., some upcoming films you'd expect to be here aren't because they're either still in development or have already announced 2012 release dates, some were on last year's list but got delayed so have been included again (but with all new analysis).
I confined my list to films that have either set 2011 release dates or had begun/completed production, and only films that have...
Like all cinematic lists set within a timeframe, there's some overlap. Some films here have already opened worldwide but have yet to hit the U.S., some upcoming films you'd expect to be here aren't because they're either still in development or have already announced 2012 release dates, some were on last year's list but got delayed so have been included again (but with all new analysis).
I confined my list to films that have either set 2011 release dates or had begun/completed production, and only films that have...
- 12/13/2010
- by Garth Franklin
- Dark Horizons
Back for its third year (see the 2010 edition) and bigger than ever, today kicks off the first in a fifteen-part look at the various cinematic releases hitting the U.S. in 2011. Each 'part' contains brief descriptions and editorial opinion/analysis of varying length covering twenty films. Expect the remaining ones to go up between now and the first major releases in mid-January.
Like all cinematic lists set within a timeframe, there's some overlap. Some films here have already opened worldwide but have yet to hit the U.S., some upcoming films you'd expect to be here aren't because they're either still in development or have already announced 2012 release dates, some were on last year's list but got delayed so have been included again (but with all new analysis).
I confined my list to films that have either set 2011 release dates or had begun/completed production, and only films that have...
Like all cinematic lists set within a timeframe, there's some overlap. Some films here have already opened worldwide but have yet to hit the U.S., some upcoming films you'd expect to be here aren't because they're either still in development or have already announced 2012 release dates, some were on last year's list but got delayed so have been included again (but with all new analysis).
I confined my list to films that have either set 2011 release dates or had begun/completed production, and only films that have...
- 12/13/2010
- by Garth Franklin
- Dark Horizons
Insanely prolific Takashi Miike's remake of Eiichi Kudo's 1963 film starts with a dramatic suicide. It ends with a bloody 45-minute showdown between the titular warriors and an army of 200 men. Between this isolated act and the gory battle that avenges it are some slow, too-deliberate exposition and development, but the rousing finale, along with heavy thematic questions about the samurai code of loyalty and moments of levity, make it well worth the wait.
Alone in the forecourt of an imposing palace, a nobleman commits hara-kiri, the camera focusing on his face as he carves, to protest the rape and murder of his daughter-in-law and beheading of his son by Lord Naritsugu Matsudaira (Gorô Inagaki), the vile brother of the shogun. Tired of Naritsugu's shenanigans, which include amputating a girl's limbs and using a family for target practice, one of the shogun's advisors covertly arranges his assassination, calling samurai...
Alone in the forecourt of an imposing palace, a nobleman commits hara-kiri, the camera focusing on his face as he carves, to protest the rape and murder of his daughter-in-law and beheading of his son by Lord Naritsugu Matsudaira (Gorô Inagaki), the vile brother of the shogun. Tired of Naritsugu's shenanigans, which include amputating a girl's limbs and using a family for target practice, one of the shogun's advisors covertly arranges his assassination, calling samurai...
- 11/30/2010
- Moving Pictures Magazine
[Editor's Note: Also be sure to check out rochefort's equally praising review of the film from Fantastic Fest.]
Year: 2010
Director: Takashi Miike
Writers: Kaneo Ikegami, Takashi Miike
IMDb: link
Trailer: link
Review by: Marina Antunes
Rating: 8 out of 10
The prolific Takashi Miike tends to be hit or miss. When he’s firing on all cylinders, his work is spectacular and when he’s missing, the films are still spectacular but there’s a whole lot more head scratching going on (God’s Puzzle anyone? Bueller?) His most recent, the samurai action drama 13 Assassins, isn’t just Miike firing on all cylinders. It’s Miike firing all cylinders and then blowing up the gun to prove a point: that he too can direct a samurai film, one that follows some of what we’ve come to expect of samurai films while still delivering a film that is very much a Miike original.
A remake of a 60s genre film, 13 Assassins is set years before the overthrow of the shogunate.
Year: 2010
Director: Takashi Miike
Writers: Kaneo Ikegami, Takashi Miike
IMDb: link
Trailer: link
Review by: Marina Antunes
Rating: 8 out of 10
The prolific Takashi Miike tends to be hit or miss. When he’s firing on all cylinders, his work is spectacular and when he’s missing, the films are still spectacular but there’s a whole lot more head scratching going on (God’s Puzzle anyone? Bueller?) His most recent, the samurai action drama 13 Assassins, isn’t just Miike firing on all cylinders. It’s Miike firing all cylinders and then blowing up the gun to prove a point: that he too can direct a samurai film, one that follows some of what we’ve come to expect of samurai films while still delivering a film that is very much a Miike original.
A remake of a 60s genre film, 13 Assassins is set years before the overthrow of the shogunate.
- 10/7/2010
- QuietEarth.us
It was only out of dedication to Slackerwood that I decided to brave the Fantastic Fest 2010 closing-night film, 13 Assassins (Jûsan-nin no shikaku). I had a very understandable reluctance to see anything directed by Takashi Miike, having once heard my brother describe the "awesomeness" of Audition to me in intense detail. I know he's made family films, but I was still justifiably wary of a Miike movie with the word "assassins" in the title. Let's face it, I am squeamish about certain kinds of violence in movies.
Fortunately, 13 Assassins had no more violence and gore than a Sam Peckinpah movie. In fact, if Peckinpah had decided to remake The Seven Samurai, this might have been the result. "No more gore than Peckinpah" doesn't exactly mean we're in G-rated territory, but I can deal with limbs and heads being sliced off, as long as it's done relatively quickly and not as lingering scenes of torture.
Fortunately, 13 Assassins had no more violence and gore than a Sam Peckinpah movie. In fact, if Peckinpah had decided to remake The Seven Samurai, this might have been the result. "No more gore than Peckinpah" doesn't exactly mean we're in G-rated territory, but I can deal with limbs and heads being sliced off, as long as it's done relatively quickly and not as lingering scenes of torture.
- 10/5/2010
- by Jette Kernion
- Slackerwood
Filed under: Reviews, Cinematical, Festivals
The exceedingly prolific Takashi Miike has more than made a name for himself with his freakier fare -- 'Audition', 'The Happiness of the Katakuris', 'Ichi the Killer' -- but you wouldn't know it from '13 Assassins', his surprisingly conventional remake of a 1963 Eiichi Kudo film and apparent tribute to Kurosawa's 'Seven Samurai' and the like.
There is one unnerving scene early on that fits right into the filmmaker's reputation, the sight of a limbless, tongueless woman writhing around as samurai Shinzaemon Shimada (Kôji Yakusho) is told of her torment at the hands of the ruthless Lord Naritsugu (Gorô Inagaki). It's a necessarily grotesque moment that finally convinces to Shinzaemon to enlist twelve other men to ambush and kill the Lord, and it singularly grounds an immensely rousing showdown in some very real pain and suffering.
Continue Reading...
The exceedingly prolific Takashi Miike has more than made a name for himself with his freakier fare -- 'Audition', 'The Happiness of the Katakuris', 'Ichi the Killer' -- but you wouldn't know it from '13 Assassins', his surprisingly conventional remake of a 1963 Eiichi Kudo film and apparent tribute to Kurosawa's 'Seven Samurai' and the like.
There is one unnerving scene early on that fits right into the filmmaker's reputation, the sight of a limbless, tongueless woman writhing around as samurai Shinzaemon Shimada (Kôji Yakusho) is told of her torment at the hands of the ruthless Lord Naritsugu (Gorô Inagaki). It's a necessarily grotesque moment that finally convinces to Shinzaemon to enlist twelve other men to ambush and kill the Lord, and it singularly grounds an immensely rousing showdown in some very real pain and suffering.
Continue Reading...
- 10/4/2010
- by William Goss
- Moviefone
Filed under: Reviews, Cinematical, Festivals
The exceedingly prolific Takashi Miike has more than made a name for himself with his freakier fare -- 'Audition', 'The Happiness of the Katakuris', 'Ichi the Killer' -- but you wouldn't know it from '13 Assassins', his surprisingly conventional remake of a 1963 Eiichi Kudo film and apparent tribute to Kurosawa's 'Seven Samurai' and the like.
There is one unnerving scene early on that fits right into the filmmaker's reputation, the sight of a limbless, tongueless woman writhing around as samurai Shinzaemon Shimada (Kôji Yakusho) is told of her torment at the hands of the ruthless Lord Naritsugu (Gorô Inagaki). It's a necessarily grotesque moment that finally convinces to Shinzaemon to enlist twelve other men to ambush and kill the Lord, and it singularly grounds an immensely rousing showdown in some very real pain and suffering.
Continue Reading...
The exceedingly prolific Takashi Miike has more than made a name for himself with his freakier fare -- 'Audition', 'The Happiness of the Katakuris', 'Ichi the Killer' -- but you wouldn't know it from '13 Assassins', his surprisingly conventional remake of a 1963 Eiichi Kudo film and apparent tribute to Kurosawa's 'Seven Samurai' and the like.
There is one unnerving scene early on that fits right into the filmmaker's reputation, the sight of a limbless, tongueless woman writhing around as samurai Shinzaemon Shimada (Kôji Yakusho) is told of her torment at the hands of the ruthless Lord Naritsugu (Gorô Inagaki). It's a necessarily grotesque moment that finally convinces to Shinzaemon to enlist twelve other men to ambush and kill the Lord, and it singularly grounds an immensely rousing showdown in some very real pain and suffering.
Continue Reading...
- 10/4/2010
- by William Goss
- Cinematical
Haven’t heard much from Leonardo DiCaprio’s live-action version of “Ninja Scroll” in a while, so here’s (kinda) something: according to a Japanese newspaper, DiCaprio is considering casting the film’s leads with the five members of a popular Japanese band called Smap. This, we’re told, is in keeping with DiCaprio’s intention to fill out the cast with Japanese actors, thus keeping the film true to its roots. I suppose it would be kind of difficult to cast, say, Keanu Reeves when your story is supposed to take place in Feudal Japan. Writes the Nikkan Sports (via Anime News Network): In addition to performing a string of hit singles, the five members of Smap — Masahiro Nakai, Takuya Kimura, Tsuyoshi Kusanagi, Goro Inagaki and Shingo Katori — have acted in many films based on manga and anime. However, they have not acted together in the same film since 1994’s Shoot.
- 4/7/2009
- by Nix
- Beyond Hollywood
Oh boy, I really hope that this is just some kind of late April Fool’s joke. Ann reports in reference to Nikkan Sports (must be a great source for movie related news) that the members of the five-headed J-Pop boygroup Smap (Sports Music Assemble People) are considered to be casted as the main leads in the live-action adaptation of Yoshiaki Kawajiri’s anime classic Ninja Scroll. Leonardo DiCaprio, whose production company Appian Way has acquainted the rights last autumn has outed himself as a big fans of Japanese animation promised “not to make the movie until the script is in the right shape”. What noble words…
Smap is one of the biggest Japanese boygroups and was founded in 1991. All members, Masahiro Nakai, Takuya Kimura, Tsuyoshi Kusanagi, Goro Inagaki and Shingo Katori have already acted in several tv series and (mostly manga and anime related) films, but I don’t...
Smap is one of the biggest Japanese boygroups and was founded in 1991. All members, Masahiro Nakai, Takuya Kimura, Tsuyoshi Kusanagi, Goro Inagaki and Shingo Katori have already acted in several tv series and (mostly manga and anime related) films, but I don’t...
- 4/6/2009
- by Ulrik
- Affenheimtheater
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