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Don Brown
www.ryuganji.net

Criterion's new imprint Eclipse launches on March 27th with a box set of early Ingmar Bergman works, and waiting further down the line is a collection of some of Ozu Yasujiro's final works entitled "Late Ozu", which hits stores on June 12th. It features "Early Spring" (Soshun), "Tokyo Twilight" (Tokyo Boshoku), "Equinox Flower" (Higanbana), "Late Autumn" (Akibiyori) and "The End of Summer" (Kohayagawa-ke no Aki), which have all been released on DVD before in the UK except "Early Spring". No word yet on the price, but as the RRP for the Bergman set is US$70 we can probably expect something in that region.

South Korean director Kwak Jae-young ("My Sassy Girl") is currently directing his first Japanese film, "Boku no Kanojo wa Saibogu" (literally "My Girlfriend is a Cyborg"), with Ayase Haruka and Koide Keisuke. It may sound strikingly similar to Park Chan-Wook's recent Berlin competition entry "I'm a Cyborg, But That's OK", but Kwak's film would appear to be much more literally titled.

It's described as a sci-fi action love story about a university student named Jiro (Koide) who meets a cyborg from the future (Ayase). Filming started in January in Kobe, with Kwak helming an almost entirely Japanese cast and crew. The shoot is scheduled to wrap in mid-April, and the finished product is set to open in Japan and South Korea sometime in 2008. (sources: Sanspo, Sports Hochi)

I must say I had my doubts as to whether "Dororo" would overcome its shortcomings and justify the sequel alluded to at the end of the movie, but four straight weeks at the top of the box office, an audience of two million and 2.5 billion yen in box office revenue have shown once again that marketing muscle and star power can cancel out a film's limitations. Today came the announcement that there will be not one but two sequels, filmed consecutively a la "Lord of the Rings" et al. Shooting will begin sometime next year with a 2009 release in mind.

Producer Hirano Takashi says the plot for Dororo 2 and 3 has already been laid out, with the first sequel focusing on the secrets of the Dororo character played by Shibasaki Ko and taking place at sea. He also stated that the combined budget for the two sequels is 6 billion yen, and that the production team are looking to shoot on an island somewhere in the Pacific. (sources: Sanspo, Sports Hochi)

Exte (Ekuste) / dir. Sono Sion
review by Aaron Gerow (Yomiuri)
homepage (j)

Thanks to Logboy for this news that Image Entertainment will be releasing Mizoguchi Kenji's "Sansho the Bailiff" (Sansho Dayu) on DVD on May 22nd on their Criterion imprint. If it's anything like their definitive release of "Ugetsu" last year (highly recommended), this'll be another essential purchase. See the film's Wikipedia entry for more info.

Update: Criterion will also be releasing Imamura Shohei's powerful "Vengeance is Mine" (Fukushu suru wa Ware ni ari) on May 22nd. They'll have a hard time topping Eureka's excellent R2 Masters of Cinema release. CriterionDVD.com have details on "Vengeance is Mine" here, and "Sansho the Bailiff" here.

Exte (Ekuste) / dir. Sono Sion
review by Mark Schilling (Japan Times)
homepage (j)

"Linda Linda Linda" director Yamashita Nobuhiro is returning with another typically laidback bucolic tale; this time based on a shojo manga entitled "Tennen Kokekko".

The first-love story revolves around Soyo (Kaho), the only student in her year at a rural branch school with a total roll of six, and Osawa (Okada Masaki), a handsome transfer student from Tokyo. Other cast members include Yanagi Erisa, Fujimura Seiko and Sato Koichi.

The original manga by Kuramochi Fusako was serialised in monthly comic magazine Chorus from January 1994 to July 2000, and has been adapted for the screen by "Josee, the Tiger and the Fish" and "Maison de Himiko" writer Watanabe Aya. Techno/electronica muso Rei Harakami provides the score.

Filming took place between July and November last year on location in Shimane, where the comic is set. Distributor Asmik Ace plans to release the film nationwide this summer. Check out the Iwami Film Commission's homepage for some on-set pics. (source: Cinematopics)

Sakuran / dir. Ninagawa Mika
review by Russell Edwards (Variety)
homepage (j)

Love and Honor (Bushi no Ichibun) / dir. Yamada Yoji
review by Russell Edwards (Variety)
homepage (j)

Guardian
• Obituary: Kishida Kyoko (via Screengrab)

SciFi Japan
• SDAFF Theatrical Screening of LINDA LINDA LINDA March 1, San Diego, CA
• Final US Theatrical Screenings for SHINOBI

Ubuweb
• Short films by Matsumoto Toshio (via Mark Nornes & Kinejapan)

Terrorist (Yuheisha) / dir. Adachi Masao
review by Aaron Gerow (Yomiuri)
homepage (j)

The World Sinks Except Japan (Nihon Igai Zenbu Chinbotsu) / dir. Kawasaki Minoru
review by Mack (Twitch)
homepage (j)

Freesia - Bullet Over Tears (Furijia) / dir. Kumakiri Kazuyoshi
review by Mark Schilling (Japan Times)
homepage (j)

• Naked Pursuit (Kofun) / dir. Okuwaki Toshio / Pathfinder Pictures / R1 NTSC
• Kazuo Umezz's Horror Theater Vol.3 (includes "The Present" and "Death Make") / dirs. Yamaguchi Yudai & Ito Taichi / Media Blasters / R1 NTSC
• The Great Yokai War (Yokai Daisenso) / dir. Miike Takashi / Media Blasters / R1 NTSC
• Zeiram (Zeiramu) / dir. Amemiya Keita / Media Blasters / R1 NTSC

Freesia - Bullet Over Tears (Furijia) / dir. Kumakiri Kazuyoshi
review by Ardvark (Twitch)
homepage (j)

Backdancers! (Bakkudansazu) / dir. Nagayama Kozo
review by James Maruyama (Twitch)
homepage (j)

Japan Focus
• Little Birds: A Japanese Filmmaker’s Devastating Window on the Iraq War

Japan Probe
• Award winning film: Right Place

Jason Gray
• Dororo

KFC Cinema
• Shohei Imamura Retrospective coming to NYC's BAM Theater

SciFi Japan
• Kong toys from the far east
• Hair on the attack in "Exte: Hair Extensions"

Twitch
• Kei Horie's THE LITTLE FINGER & THE FORBIDDEN BODY (ZENSHIN TO KOYUBI): English-subtitled trailer
• Tôru Ichikawa's THE LEGEND OF RED DRAGON (SEKIRYÛ NO ONNA): English-subtitled trailer
• EFM: Naoyuki Tomomatsu's ZOMBIE SELF-DEFENSE FORCE (ZONBI JIEITAI) - a.k.a. "Zombie Jieitai"
• EFM: Ryûhei Kitamura's LOVEDEATH
• It's Official. Tekkon Kinkreet Finds a North American Home With Sony
• Theatrical trailer for Yukihiko Tsutsumi's TAITEI NO KEN
• Theatrical trailer for Kôji Shiraishi's A SLIT-MOUTHED WOMAN (KUCHISAKE-ONNA)

Variety
• Kitano leads 'Banzai' brigade

Readers in the UK might like to check out the latest issue of Vertigo Magazine, which has a special focus on Japanese film. It features a 48-page book of photographs by Kitano Takeshi featuring Catherine Breillat, Gus Van Sant, Hong Sang-Soo, Kurosawa Kiyoshi and Apichatpong Weerasethakul, as well as articles on Hiroki Ryuichi, Matsue Tetsuaki, Koyama Joji, and much more. Check out the mag's homepage or email peter@vertigomagazine.co.uk for details.

Jason Gray has broken the news about Kitano Takeshi's new film, "Kantoku - Banzai" (which might be translated as "Viva La Director"). There's not much to add to his report except that the cast also includes Takarada Akira, Yoshiyuki Kazuko, Fujita Yumiko, Suzuki An, Kimura Yoshino, Osugi Ren, Terajima Susumu, Musaka Naomasa, Watanabe Tetsu, Moro Morooka, Sugata Shun, Ishibashi Tamotsu, and Ide Rakkyo, with narration by Ibu Masato.

The seven films of varying genres that Kitano's director character attempts to make in the course of the story have been infused with his particular brand of cynical humour, and are apparently all based on actual proposals for his follow-up to "Takeshi's".

Although all the spin is about Kitano's attempt to make something crowd-pleasing and (hopefully) lucrative for a change, the subject matter still sounds very self-referential and not too far removed from the unconventional, semi-experimental approach of "Takeshi's". I can see current parallels between him and Kurosawa Kiyoshi, who has been going through his own genre-eschewing, wandering in the wilderness phase. Hopefully "Kantoku - Banzai!" will be more of a return to form than Kurosawa's self-repetitive "Retribution" was. (sources: @Pia, Nikkan Sports)

Meanwhile, "Neon Genesis Evangelion" and "Cutie Honey" director Anno Hideaki is returning with "Sutoringusu - Ai to Kizuna no Tabiji" (something like "Strings - A Journey of Love and Bonds"), a marionette fantasy featuring the voices of "Sinking of Japan"'s Kusanagi Tsuyoshi and "Memories of Matsuko"'s Nakatani Miki.

Anno reportedly took a liking to Danish director Anders Rønnow Klarlund's "Strings", which screened at last year's Cannes Film Festival, and decided to make an 'easier to understand' Japanese version with a script by Nagatsuka Keishi (son of actor Nagatsuka Kyozo).　

Kusanagi lends his voice to a young prince named Hal who sets off on a journey to avenge his father, in a world of marionettes where the cutting of strings equals death. Nakatani voices the heroine Jita.

No CG was used in the movie, which employs 115 marionettes manipulated by 22 puppeteers. It took five people to control one marionette using strings over five metres in length, and took four years and 600 million yen to complete. The movie opens on April 28th. (sources: Sanspo, Sponichi)

Dororo / dir. Shiota Akihiko
review by Mark Schilling (Japan Times)
homepage (j)

Starfish Hotel (Sutafisshu Hoteru) / dir. John Williams
review by Mark Schilling (Japan Times)
homepage (j)

Haze (Hezu) / dir. Tsukamoto Shinya
review by G.H. Evans (JPReview)
homepage (j)

Hana (Hana Yori mo Naho) / dir. Kore-eda Hirokazu
review by G.H. Evans (JPReview)
homepage (j) / homepage (e)

My Neighbours The Yamadas (Hohokekyo Tonari no Yamada-kun) / dir. Takahata Isao
review by G.H. Evans (JPReview)
unofficial homepage (j&e)

News
• Latest DVD News from Media Blasters
• DVD: Noboru Iguchi's SUKEBAN BOY (OIRA SUKEBAN)
• Teruo Ishii's 'Blind Woman's Curse' (1970) with Meiko Kaji R1 USA DVD April 24th 2007
• Sonny Chiba's Shadow Warriors Coming to DVD!
• Shinobi Giveaway Winner!

Reviews
• Ozu Collection Volume 4 (includes "Late Autumn" (Akibiyori) & "An Autumn Afternoon" (Sanma no Aji)) / dir. Ozu Yasujiro / Tartan / R2 PAL
• Shinobi - Heart Under Blade / dir. Shimoyama Ten / FUNimation / R1 NTSC
• Tora-san's Song of Love (Otoko wa Tsurai yo - Tabi to Onna to Torajiro) / dir. Yamada Yoji / Panorama / R3 NTSC
• The Twilight Samurai (Tasogare Seibei) / dir. Yamada Yoji / Empire Pictures / R1 NTSC

Asahi
• Filmmaker says it's all about getting real

Japan Times
• John Williams talks about his new movie 'Starfish Hotel'
• 'I Just Didn't Do It' questions court system

Jason Gray
• The Greatest Japanese Box Office Story Ever Told

Metropolis
• Dream Works: John Williams

SciFi Japan
• KING KONG VS GODZILLA Theatrical Screening February 8, Cerrito Speakeasy, El Cerrito, CA
• Free Screenings of Godzilla and Anime in Melbourne

Twitch
• Shion Sono's EXTE - HAIR EXTENSIONS (EKUSUTE): Music video
• EFM: Kôji Shiraishi's A SLIT-MOUTHED WOMAN (KUCHISAKE-ONNA)
• Eleven Arts: Tôru Ichikawa's THE LEGEND OF RED DRAGON (SEKIRYÛ NO ONNA)
• Vexille, CG Animation from the Producer of Appleseed
• A Japanese Treat for UK Residents - K. Kurosawa, Toyoda and more!

Variety
• 'Dororo' Japan's first hit of 2007
• Kadokawa plunges into BitTorrent

Vertigo Magazine
• LOCATION, LOCATION: Cold Mountains, Red Armies
• RECLAIMED: The Tokyo Mystery