Japan Page 2 - Classics/Masters

Japan Page 3 - Rock/Anime/Trash

Kiri, kiri, kiri ! A horror masterpiece you will never
forget and with a great and scary Eihi Shiina. The
film that hit western audiences as a ton of bricks
and made Miike everybody's infamous favourite

Audition (Odishon) - A Masterpiece

Direction: Takashi Miike, production: 1999

Cast: Ryo Ishibashi, Eihi Shiina, Tetsu Sawaki
Blu-ray in japanese audio with swedish subs, region B
Swedish Studio S Entertainment bluray edition

Crime mystery based on the Japanese TBS TV
series about the The Madarame Law Firm and
the brilliant young defence lawyer Hiroto
Miyama and his team solving crimes

99.9 Criminal Lawyer: The Movie

Direction: Hisashi Kimura, production: 2021

Cast: Jun Matsumoto, Hana Sugisaki; Teruyuki Kagawa
DVD in japanese audio with english subtitles, region 3
Hong Kong Panorama Corporation 2022 DVD edition

Gargantuan in scope and with a horde of actors
this is a truly impressive undertaking, to make a
live film of Naoki Urasawa's classic manga. The
Sci-Fi about the mysterious "Friend" who wants
to destroy mankind and The Book of Prophecy

Twentieth Century Boys Chapter One: The Beginning of the End

Direction: Yukihiko Tsutsumi, production: 2008

Cast: Toshiaki Karasawa, Takako Tokiwa, Etsushi Toyokawa
Blu-ray in japanese audio with english subtitles, region A
Hong Kong Kam & Ronson bluray edition

Kenji's gang of kids had a secret symbol and wrote
a book of prophecies. As grown-ups the Cult leader
"Friend" uses the symbol and the book to become
Dictator of the World and to erase humanity.
Kenji is the leader of the rebellion against Friend

Twentieth Century Boys Chapter Two: The Last Hope

Direction: Yukihiko Tsutsumi, production: 2009

Cast: Toshiaki Karasawa, Takako Tokiwa, Etsushi Toyokawa
DVD in japanese audio with english subtitles, region 3
Hong Kong Kam & Ronson DVD edition

In the Final Chapter everything Kenji wrote has
came true and Friend plans to destroy the world
the 20th of August 2017, if not ....
Chapter three starts with a 5 minute résumé of
what have happened in chapter 1 and 2

Twentieth Century Boys Chapter Three: Redemption

Direction: Yukihiko Tsutsumi, production: 2010

Cast: Toshiaki Karasawa, Takako Tokiwa, Etsushi Toyokawa
DVD in japanese audio with english subtitles, region 3
Hong Kong Kam & Ronson DVD edition

Absurd and funny horror comedy musical in
Miike's delightfully version of Kim Je-woon's
The Quiet Family. An ode of joy to the family
and from the genius Miike's greatest period

The Happiness of the Katakuris (Katakuri ke no Kofuku)

Direction: Takashi Miike, production: 2001

Cast: Kenji Sawada, Keiko Matsuzaka, Shinji Takeda
Blu-ray in japanese audio with english subtitles, region B
UK Arrow Video bluray edition

Delightfully Bizarre high school action
Sci-Fi Horror were Aliens or Gods are
playing deadly survival Doll Games with
unwilling teenagers. Miike in great form.
Based on a manga ... naturally

As the Gods Will (Kamisama no lu Toori)

Direction: Takashi Miike, production: 2014

Cast: Sota Fukushi, Hirona Yamazaki, Mio Yuki
Blu-ray in japanese audio with english subs, region A
US Funimation bluray and DVD 2 disc edition

Shunji Iwai's japanese version of the film, and
based on his novel. Even more sentimental and
sugary than his Chinese version but Suzu Hirose
and Nana Mori were great in their double roles.

Last Letter (Rasuto Reta)

Direction and story: Shunji Iwai, production: 2020

Cast: Takako Matsu, Suzu Hirose, Nana Mori, Masahara Fukuyama
Blu-ray in japanese audio with english subtitles, region A
Hong Kong bluray edition

A fine if slightly too mainstream melodrama from one
of my favourite directors, Shunji Iwai. Later made
also in a japanese version. Somewhat resembles the
2016 Chinese film Soul Mate, and with great actors
in Zhou Xun, Qin hao and Zhang Zifeng

Last Letter (Ni hao zhihua)

Direction, script, edit, music, co-production: Shunji Iwai, China 2018

Cast: Zhou Xun, Qin Hao, Du Jiang
DVD in putonghua mandarin audio with english subtitles, region 3
Hong Kong Edko Films DVD edition

Beautiful, well acted and often interesting
drama, but maybe a bit too long and New Age-ish.
About the Osugi family and their rising suspicion
that they really are aliens

A Beautiful Star (Utsukushii hoshi)

Direction and script: Daihachi Yoshida, production: 2017

Cast: Lily Franky, Kazuya Kamenashi, Tomoko Nahajima
DVD in japanese audio with english subtitles, region 3
Hong Kong Panorama Corporation DVD edition

A Bizarre, quirky, scary and fascinating crime
horror-thriller about Murder, Models and Black
Kiss. Very unusual with a Giallo feeling to it
but sadly it flew unnoticed below the radar.
Disturbing and unique and very recommended

Black Kiss (Synchronicity/Burakku kisu)

Direction, script, story: Macoto Tezuka, prod: 2004 (2006 release)

Cast: Kaori Kawamura, Reika Hashimoto, Masanobu Ando
DVD in japanese audio with english subs, region 1
US Tokyo Shock 2007 unrated DVD edition

Miike's famous and delightfully bizarre Crime
Action Trilogy DOA 1-3 with deranged yakuza's,
professional killers and pissed of replicants
doesn't resemble any other films than his own.
From when Miike was bursting of creativity

Dead or Alive/Dead or Alive: Birds/Dead or Alive: Final

Direction: Takashi Miike, production: 1999, 2000, 2002

Cast: Show Aikawa, Riki Takeuchi/Susumi Terajima/Josie Ho
Blu-ray in japanese audio with english subtitles, region B
UK Arrow Video 2 disc bluray edition

Enjoyable and snappy manga live action based
on the comic by Hirohiko Araki.
A town by the sea is plagued by murders and
disappearances and bizarre supernatural
powers called "Stand" may have caused it

JoJo's Bizarre Adventure: Diamond is Unbreakable - Chapter 1

Direction: Takashi Miike, production: 2017

Cast: Kento Yamazaki, Ryunosuke Kamiki, Nana Komatsu
DVD in japanese audio with english subtitles, region 2
UK Manga Entertainment DVD edition

Feel Good comedy with some political satire from
the japanese master of feel good, Koki Mitani.
Prime minister Kuroda is an arrogant asshole and
hated by everyone, when he gets hit by a rock
and loses his memory and turns into a good guy

Hit Me Anyone One More Time (Kioku ni Gozaimasen)

Direction and script: Koki Mitani, production: 2019

Cast: Kiichi Nakai, Eiko Koike, Dean Fujioka, Koiche Sato
DVD in japanese audio with english subtitles, region 3
Hong Kong Edko Films DVD edition

Nana Eikura is adorable in a maybe just a little
to sweet drama-comedy about how to avoid a
marriage getting stale. How to understand
your quirky wife - Handbook badly needed.
Based on a comic

When I Get Home My Wife Always Pretend to be Dead

Direction: Toshio Lee, production: 2018

Cast: Nana Eikura, Ken Yasuda, Sumika Nono
DVD in japanese audio with english subtitles, region 3
Hong Kong Panorama 2019 DVD edition

A killing night on the town and a somewhat
fun crime action comedy from the one and only
Miike. But he's done these gangster sagas before
and in a more "Miike" way. More mainstream
now but still enjoyable

First Love (Hatsukoi)

Direction: Takashi Miike, production: 2019

Cast: Masataka Kubota, Maimi Yajime, Becky, Seiyo Uchino
Blu-ray in japanese audio with swedish subtitles, region B
Nordic Universal blu-ray edition

Enjoyable sports rom-com with every cliché
there are from these genres crammed into it.
Gakky returns to her childhood table-tennis
sports club to ger her guy, but instead meets
Eita's ex-boxer and construction worker

Mix (Mixed Doubles/Mikkusu)

Direction: Junichi Ishikawa, production: 2017

Cast: Yui - Gakky, Eita, Yu Aoki, Koji Seto
DVD in japanese with english subtitles, region 3
Hong Kong Edko Films DVD edition

Dark teenage drama-mystery based on a novel
by Kanae Minato. Some gloomy high-school
girls thinks a lot about death and play drowning
games. Maybe no funny stuff but pretty good.
Cool ending song by great band Glim Spanky

Night's Tightrope (Shojo)

Direction: Yukiko Mishima, production: 2016

Cast: Tsubasa Honda, Mizuki Yamamoto, Rio Sato
DVD in japanese audio with english subtitles, region 3
Hong Kong Panorama 2017 DVD edition

Bizarre female horror-action, and very bizarre
that is. School girls shift identities and constantly
gets into situations ending in splatter and
massmurder. Enjoyable Sono nonsense.
Music by favourite rock band Glim Spanky

Tag (Riaru onigokko)

Direction: Sion Sono, production: 2015

Cast: Reina Triendl, Yuki Sakurai, Mariko Shinoda
Blu-ray in japanese audio with english subs, region B
UK Eureka! 2017 blu-ray and DVD R2 combo edition

Sonny Chiba as Tarzan from Okinawa,
policeman Joji Kana looking for a lost
island girl and a serial killer in Tokyo's
Shinjuku district. An odd crime action
based on a manga by Bronson

Doberman Cop

Direction: Kinji Fukasaku, production: 1977

Cast: Shinichi "Sonny" Chiba, Eiko Matsuda
Blu-ray in japanese audio with english subs, region B
UK Arrow Video blu-ray and DVD R2 combo edition

Yes, another REAL Godzilla movie,
from Japan that is. Dark and well made
sci-fi action drama with an apocalyptic
tone that reminds me a bit of the first
Godzilla classic and with some satire

Shin Gojira

Direction: Shinji Higuchi, production: 2016

Cast: Ren Osugi, Hiroki Hasegawa

Streaming video japanese audio with english subtitles

Eiji Uchida strikes again! This time
with a black comedy-drama about the
freaks and geeks moving around at
the lower end of the film industry.
Great film with unique characters

Lowlife Love (Gesu no Ai)

Direction & script: Eiji Uchida, production: 2015

Cast: Kiyohiko Shibukawa, Shugo Oshinari
Blu-ray in japanese audio with english subtitles, region all
UK Third Window blu-ray and DVD 2016 combo edition

My favourite japanese director Iwai
returns with a 3 hour long uniquely
personal drama. The Amazing tale of
a young teacher, the marriage, the
divorce and the bride for Rip Van
Winkle. I Love You Shunji Iwai !

A Bride for Rip Van Winkle

Direction & Script: Shunji Iwai, production: 2016

Cast: Kuroki Haru, Cocco, Go Ayano
Blu-ray in japanese audio with english subtitles, region A
Hong Kong Panorama blu-ray + DVD edition

Nice crime-drama based on a famous
novel and a re-make of a 1981 film.
Cute idol singer Kanna Hashimoto is
a highschool girl and a yakuza boss.
Not what you think, no sleaze, comedy
or nude girls with chainsaws

Sailor Suit and Machine Gun: Graduation
(Sear fuku to kikanju: Sotsugyo)

Direction: Koji Maeda, production: 2016
Cast: Kanna Hashimoto, Hiroki Hasegawa
DVD in japanese audio with english subtitles, region 3
Hong Kong CN Entertainment Ltd. DVD edition

My all time favourite film of Takashi Miike.
A uniquely beautiful and very special drama and
surely the most poetic film of Miike. Just Lovely!
Interview, audio commentary and promo stuff,

The Bird People in China (Chugoku no Chojin) - Masterpiece !

Direction: Takashi Miike, produktion: 1998

Cast: Renji Ishibashi, Masahiro Motoki, Li Li Wang
DVD in japanese audio with english subs, region all
US Artsmagic unrated DVD edition

Interesting drama turns horror and the
much talked about debut feature film
from Watanabe, only 23-24 years old
during filming. A strange but beautiful
girl connects to the loner Misa

Shady

Direction & script: Ryohei Watanabe, production: 2012

Cast: Izumi Okamura, Mimpi B. , Hiroki Horikawa
DVD in japanese audio with english subs, region 2
UK Third WindowFilms DVD edition

A Very entertaining sci-fi horror after a famous
manga. It's a delight to watch a young man with
a parasite alien hand take the fight against human
eating nasty aliens.
This film just have to be a huge Hit, and it was
followed by a sequel (which i haven't seen)

Parasyte - part 1 (Kiseijuu)

Direction, script & VFX: Takashi Yamazaki, production: 2014

Cast: Shota Someya (Sometani), Eri Fukatsu, Ai Hashimoto
DVD in japanese audio with english subs, region 3
Hong Kong CN Entertainment DVD edition

A Bloodbath. Could be the most talked about
japanese film of 2014, but is it a crime-drama or a
comedy ? Koji Yakusho is great as always however
as the turned a bum cop hunting for his daughter

The World of Kanako

Direction & script: Tetsuya Nakashima, production: 2014

Cast: Koji Yakusho, Nana Komatsu, Satoshi Tsumabuki
DVD in japanese audio with english subs, region 3
Hong Kong Edko Films DVD edition

Brilliant and smart crime-mystery where the
public and media wonder who the killer of the
beautiful Noriko is, and why ? Is it the jealous
plain-looking office girl Miki Shirono ? Well,
everyone seems to believe that's the case

The Snow White Murder Case

Direction: Yoshihiro Nakamura, production: 2014

Cast: Mao Inoue, Nanao, Go Ayano, Shihori Kanjiya
DVD in japanese audio with english subs, region 3
Hong Kong VII Pillars Entertainment DVD edition

Japanese Feel Good. A city guy takes a
woodworker-trainee job in a remote forest
because the girl on the promotion folder was
cute. Yes, that's plausible and something that
could rule our choices in life. I buy it.
From the maker of Swing Girls and Waterboys

Wood Job!

Direction: Shinobu Yaguchi, production: 2014

Cast: Shota Someya (Sometani), Hideaki Ito, Masama Nagasawa
DVD in japanese audio with english subs, region 3
Hong Kong Edko Films DVD edition

This is Great stuff! An original and very entertaining
comedy horror with tons of black humour.
A lonesome deranged young woman spies on
other lonely people and stalks an older grumpy man

Greatful Dead (Gureitofuro deddo)

Direction, script, story: Eiji Uchida, production: 2013-2014

Cast: Kumi Takiuchi, Takashi Sasano, Taro Yabe
Blu-ray in japanese audio with english subs, region B
UK Third Window Films bluray DVD edition

Bizarre and frightening psychological drama
about a woman mentally cracking up with
some disturbing and loud scenes. So better
use your headphones to avoid that your
neighbours call the police to your apartment

Kotoko

Direction, script,, photo, edit, prod: Shinya Tsukamoto 2011

Cast: Cocco, Shinya Tsukamoto
Blu-ray in japanese audio with english subs, region B
UK Third Window Films bluray edition

A psychological drama thriller more than a horror.
Surprisingly well made and serious in it's tone
after judging it on it's cover. About the bilocation
phenomena, some sort of doppelganger that likes
to intrude in it's peoples life and cause problems

Bilocation

Direction & script: Mari Asato, production: 2014

Cast: Asami Mizukawa, Kenichi Takito, Kento Senga
DVD in japanese audio with english subs, region 3
Hong Kong CN Entertainment DVD edition

Very funny comedy about a robot company who
ruins their prototype and lets a grumpy 70 year
old man perform as a robot at the Expo.
Shinobu Yaguchi with Swing Girls and Waterboys
under his belt does it again, he makes us laugh

Robo - G

Direction: Shinobu Yaguchi, production: 2012

Cast: Shinjiro Igarashi/Mickey Curtis, Yuriko Yoshitaka
DVD in japanese audio with english subs, region 3
Hong Kong IVL DVD edition

NOOOOOO! This can't be true. Let's forget
about this stinkeroo. It must be Kiyoshi's evil
and cretin twin brother who made this sleeping
pill of a dull lifeless teeny bop sci-fi drama. Yuck!

Real (Real: Kanzennaru shucho ryu no hi)

Direction: Kiyoshi Kurosawa, production: 2013

Cast: Takeru Satoh, Haruka Ayase, Miki Nakatani

Streaming video, in japanese audio with english subs

Good, entertaining blockbuster crime action.
Mike goes mainstream when 4 cops seek to
keep a nasty childkiller alive until the trial

Shield of Straw (Wara no Tate)

Direction: Takashi Miike, production: 2013

Cast: Takao Osawa, Tatsuya Fujiwara, Nanako Matsushima
DVD in japanese audio with english subs, region 3
Hong Kong Edko Films DVD edition

The movie version of the TV series based
on the crime novel series by Tetsuya Honda
about the female cop Reiko Himekawo who
investigates a series of knife murders among
the yakuzas

Strawberry Night (Sutoroberi Naito)

Direction: Yuichi Sato, production: 2012- 2013

Cast: Yuko Takeuchi, Takao Osawa, Hidetoshi Nishijima
DVD in japanese audio with english subs, region 3
Hong Kong Vicol DVD edition

Enjoyable historical lighthearted fluff comedy
where an ancient Roman architect of bathhouses
travels forth and back in time to get ideas with
which he can surprise the Romans

Thermae Romae

Direction: Hideki Takeuchi, production: 2012

Cast: Hiroshi Abe, Aya Ueto, Riki Takeuchi
DVD in japanese audio with english subs, region 3
Hong Kong Vicol DVD edition

Heart and humour when Takashi Miike
presents a musical in some sort of mix of
West Side Story and the South Korean high-
school action Volcano High. Pretty fun

For Love's Sake (Ai to Makoto)

Direction: Takashi Miike, production: 2012

Cast: Emi Takei, Satoshi Tsumabuki, Sakura Ando
DVD in japanese audio with english subs, region 3
Hong Kong Vicol DVD edition

The second movie based on the TV series is
a good crime-thriller, better than the first one
and with fine actors. Cop Yukihira, now on
Hokkaido, goes to Tokyo to investigate a
series of murders

Unfair: The Answer

Direction & script: Shimako Sato, production: 2011

Cast: Ryoko Shinohara, Sato Koichi, Nao Ohmori
DVD in japanese audio with english subs, region 3
Hong Kong CN Entertainment DVD edition

Autobiographic crime drama about ethnic
koreans and gangs of youths in the japanese
harbour town Shimonoseki. Peroxided Gu
annoys everyone and is chased

Hard Romanticker

Direction: Gu Su-yeon, production: 2011

Cast: Shota Matsuda, Kento Nagayama, Shidou Nakamura
DVD in japanese audio with english subs, region 3
Hong Kong CN Entertainment DVD edition

Sympathy for Teacher's Revenge?
Slickly made but dark revenge drama when
a teacher seeks revenge on her students
for her daughters death.
Takako Matsu is impressive in the main role

Confessions (Kokuhaku)

Direction & script: Tetsuya Nakashima, produktion: 2010

Cast: Takako Matsu, Yoshino Kimura, Yukito Ishii
DVD in japanese audio with english subs, region 2
UK Third Window 2 disc DVD edition

Sad, almost depressing, love drama who
won a Grand Slam in the japanese Film
Award-gala. Fine acting in a film about a
couple on the run, Based on a famous book
and a soundtrack by Joe Hisaishi

Villain (Akunin)

Direction: Lee Sang-il, production: 2010

Cast: Satoshi Tsumabuki, Eri Fukatsu, Kirin Kiki, Akira Emoto
DVD in japanese audio with english subs, region 3
Hong Kong CN Entertainment DVD edition

Great music comedy where a record company
makes a find on the Net, signs a hot punk band,
books a Live Tour without knowing that the
concert clip was 25 years old.
With enjoyable black humour abd a fine Aoi

The Shonen Merikensack (Brass Knuckle Kids)

Direction: Kankuro Kudo, production: 2009

Cast: Aoi Miyazaki, Koichi Sato, Yuichi Kimura
DVD in japanese audio with english subs, region all
Taiwan Double Edge Entertainment DVD edition

Pensive drama from Osaka where a love doll,
looking a lot like South Korean actress Bae
Doo-na, comes to life and seeks the meaning of
life. Bae Doo-na ... WOW! She's beyond great
and may be the greatest actress this millennia

Air Doll

Direction: Hirokazu Kore-Eda, production: 2009

Cast: Bae Doo-na, Arata, Joe Odagiri
DVD in japanese audio with english subs, region 3
Hong Kong Edko Films DVD edition

Interesting and odd drama-comedy, when different
stories from different decenniums are woven
together and a forgotten 1975 rock song saves the
world from going under in the year of 2012

Fish Story

Direction: Yoshihiro Nakamura, production: 2009

Cast: Mikako Tabe, Kora Kengo, Mirai Moriyama
DVD in japanese audio with english subs, region 2
UK Third Window DVD edition

A close to 4 hours long teenage melodrama comedy
sex-burlesque-Miike-bizarro-love story-artmovie.
Strange but unique and interesting

Love Exposure (Ai no muki dashi)

Direction & script: Sion Sono, production: 2008

Cast: Takahiro Nishijima, Hikari Mitsushima, Sakura Ando
DVD in japanese audio with english subs, region 2
UK Third Window 2 disc DVD edition

I liked this oddity of a film where Miike deals with
his thoughts about the Kosmos, Big Bang and the
human life on earth. Hayato Ichihara is a sushi cook
who studies astro-physics instead of his brother

God's Puzzle (Kamisama no pazuru)

Direction: Takashi Miike, production: 2008

Cast: Hayato Ichihara, Mitsuki Tanimura, Yuriko Ishida
DVD in japanese audio with english subs, region all
Taiwan Double Edge Entertainment DVD edition

Miike's brilliant, hallucinatory, mind-bending and
macabre crime TV series about the police hunt
for a serial killer. In 6 episodes and don't resemble
any other crime TV series i've ever seen
Miike in 2000 was at the height of his wild power

MPD (Multiple Personality Detective) Psycho Box (4 disc edition)
(orig.titel: Taju jinkaku tantei saiko-amamiya kazuhiko no kikan)

Direction: Takashi Miike, production: 2000
Cast: Naoki Hosaka, Ren Osugi, Tomoko Nakajima
DVD in japanese audio with english subs, region all
US Adness 4 disc DVD edition

A movie based on the TV series about a tough
female cop, Yukihara, who seeks to save her
daughter from hostage-taking criminals at a
hospital and to prevent an attack of anthrax
on Tokyo

Unfair: The Movie

Direction: Yoshinori Kobayashi, production: 2007

Cast: Ryoko Shinohara, Susumu Terajima, Yosuke Eguchi
DVD in japanese audio with english subs, region 3
Hong Kong CN Entertainment DVD edition

Grabbigt men ovanligt action-drama med
ungdoms-fighter och yakuzas på Suzuran Boys
Highschool på Hiroshi Takashis manga

Crow's Zero

Direction: Takashi Miike, production: 2007

Cast: Shun Ogiri, Kyosuke Yabe, Meisa Kuroki
DVD in japanese audio with english subs, region 1
US Media Blasters Tokyo Shock DVD edition

A not that bad ghost- and crime story. Nasty and
bizarre and banned from the TV series Masters of
Horror. Entertaining weird á la Miike and with an
audio commentary by Takashi

Imprint (Masters of Horror )

Direction:: Takashi Miike, production: 2005

Cast: Billy Drago, Youki Kudoh, Michie
DVD in english audio, region 1
US Anchor Bay DVD edition

A BRILLIANT but unjustly forgotten crime drama
i watched on a blurry VCD back in 2003 something,
and it has got stuck in my mind since then. Seems
obscure today and impossible to find on a DVD or
a Blu-ray disc. I really would like to watch it again

Makusu no yama (Marks/Marks Mountain)
- Forgotten but great japanese crime

Direction: Yoichi Sai (Choi Yang-il), production: 1995
Cast: Kiichi Nakai, Masato Hagiwara
VCD in japanese audio and with english subs, region all
Hong Kong DVD edition

A unique piece of cinematographical art from
anime master Oshii that looks like nothing i've
ever seen. With an out of this world beautiful
soundtrack by Kenji Kawai. Goosebumps inducing
and with the wonderful Malgorzata Foremniak

Avalon

Direction: Mamoru Oshii, production: 2001

Cast: Malgorzata Foremniak, Wladyslaw Kowalski
DVD in polish audio with english subtitles, region 3
Korean Enter One 2 disc DVD edition

One of the best films of the latest years. Don't miss!
A Brilliant slowly built teenage drama about 4 High
school girls who has a a´band and rehearses a punk
song by The Blue Hearts for a school performance.
The Great Bae Do-naa steal every scene she's in

Linda Linda Linda - Maybe the best film of 2006 !

Direction: Nobuhiro Yamashita, production: 2006

Cast: Bae Doo-na, Shiori Sekine, Yu Kashii, Aki Maeda
DVD in japanese audio with english subs, region 1
US VIZ Pictures DVD edition

A modern masterpiece from Toyoda.
Fascinating and existential drama about 9 prisoners
on the run in a mini-van. With an interview Toyoda
and an audio commentary by Tom Mes

9 Souls - A Masterpiece!

Direction: Toshiaki Toyoda, production: 2003

Cast: Yoshio Harada, Ryuhei Matsuda, Mame Yamada
DVD in japanese audio with english subs, region 1
US Artsmagic DVD edition

Inspirered and different artmovie about 2 sisters
in a house full with stuff and a screaming yarn girl.
Tominaga, could be a japanese Svankmajer maybe ?

Wool 100 %

Direction & script: Mai Tominaga, production: 2005

Cast: Kyoko Kishida, Kazuko Yoshiyuki, Ayu Kitaura
DVD in japanese audio with english subs, region all
US Cinema Epoch DVD edition

Visually impressive crime-erotica after stories by
the Japanese Edgar Alan Poe, Edogawa Rampo, i.a.
the famous masterpiece The Human Chair.
A Peeping Tom hotel owner watches a murder

The Watcher in the Attic (Edogawa Rampo Ryoukikan: Yaneura no sanposha)

Direction: Noboru Tanaka, production: 1976
Cast: Junko Miyashita, Renji Ishibashi, Tokuko Watanabe
DVD in japanese audio with english subs, region all
US Mondo Macabro DVD edition

Assault! Jack the Ripper (Boko! Kirisaki Jack)

Direction: Yasuharu Hasebe, production: 1976

Cast: Tamaki Katsura, Yutaka Hayashi, Yuri Yamashina
DVD in japanese audio with english subs, region all
US Mondo Macabro DVD edition

Dark horror-thriller where suicide-inclined people
are killed in their dreams and the police use a
dream detective to solve the case.
Making of, trailer

Nightmare Detective

Direction: Shinya Tsukamoto, production: 2006

Cast: Hitomi, Shinya Tsukamoto, Masanobu Ando
DVD in japanese audio with english subs, region 1
US Dimension Extreme DVD edition

Brutal and darkly impressive re-make of the Kinji
Fukasaku yakuza classic, where Miike takes a last
grip on the genre and not the least with his own
many efforts, resulting in this anti-yakuza epos

Graveyard of Honor

Direction: Takashi Miike, production: 2002

Cast: Goro Kishitani, Ryousuke Miki, Narimi Arimori
DVD in japanese audio with english subs, region 1
US AnimEigo 2 disc DVD edition

LOVE this one!! Yes, it's trashy and camp but it's
absolutely charming, lovable and a very funny
fantasy-action-komedi on a famous 1970's manga
about the cute cyborg Cutie Honey.
Eriko Sato is beyond adorable, super-ultra-cute

Cutie Honey (Kyuti Hani)

Direction: Hideaki Anno, production: 2004

Cast: Eriko Sato, Mikako Ichikawa, Jun Murakami
DVD in japanese audio with english subs, region 3
Thai WB Lionheart DVD edition

Absolutely wild and bizarre horror comedy
after a manga about a town hit by spiral madness.
Deliriously entertaining and crazy films like this
are not made anymore. From the height of the
modern Gold era of japanese film (1995-2005)

Uzumaki (Spiral)

Direction: Akihiro Higuchi, production: 2000

Cast: Eriko Hatsune, Hinako Saeki, Shin Eun-kyung
DVD in japanese audio with english subs, region all
US Elite Entertainment DVD edition

Smart, well acted and entertaining obscurity.
A crime-drama and comedy told in different
tableaus and from different views.

A Stranger of Mine

Direction: Kenji Uchida, production: 2005

Cast: Reika Karishima, Kisuka Yamashita, Yuka Haya
DVD in japanese audio with english subs, region all
Thai EVS Entertainment DVD edition

The female underground filmmaker Kei "Tetsuo-
Organ" Fujiwara trips out in the experimental art-
movie horror ID, filled with intense hysteria.
A very weird but great follow-up to Organ

ID

Direction, script, photo, edit, AD: Kei Fujiwara, produktion: 2006

Cast: Kei Fujiwara, Kimihiko Hasegawa, Kenji Nasa
DVD in japanese audio with english subs, region 1
US Media Blasters Tokyo Shock DVD edition

Anarchistic indie youth drama where 3 youngsters
revolt against the emptiness of existence.
Not bad at all from korean japanese Lee Sang-il, and
in a fine South Korean DVD edition with a sheet
and a notebook enclosed, yes, and Go-Go Kuriyama

Scrap Heaven

Direction: Lee Sang-il, productionsår: 2005

Cast: Ryo Kase, Joe Odagiri, Chiaki Kuriyama
DVD in japanese audio with english subs, region 3
Korean Widemedia DVD edition

Fun, weird and almost experimental zombie splatter
with inspired madness and lots of black humour
when schoolgirls turns to zombies in a world
wide epidemic. With an interesting text essay

Stacy

Direction: Naoyuki Tomomatsu, production: 2001

Cast: Natsuki Kato, Toshinori Omo, Chika Hayashi
DVD in japanese audio with english subs, region 1
US Synapse DVD edition

Very entertaining and deranged cyberpunk
horror and love-story where aliens turn
humans into bio-mechanical murder robots
Trashy but inventive

Meatball Machine

Direction: Yudai Yamaguchi/Junichi Yamamoto, production: 2005

Cast: Issei Takahashi, Aoba Kawai, Kenichi Kawasaki
DVD in japanese audio with english subs, region 3
US TLA DVD edition

One of the follow-ups to his great Suicide Club
is another, even more, bizarre artmovie horror
drama. A woman is writing about her strange
incest-fantasies in an Edogawa Rampo style

Strange Circus (Kimyo na sakasu)

Direction, script, photo, music: Sion Sono, production: 2005

Cast: Masumi Miyazaki, Issei Ishida, Hirochi Oguchi
DVD in japanese audio with english subs, region 3
Hong Kong Universe DVD edition

The Big Bang of Sion Sono is a great, thrilling and
and bizarre art-horror with some very disturbing and
unforgettable scenes. Collective mass suicide by
schoolgirls and bags with human skin. I guess this
was the film that made Sono known in the west

Suicide Club (Suicide Circle)

Direction & script: Sion Sono, production: 2002

Cast: Ryo Ishibashi, Masatoshi Nagase, Hideo Sako
DVD in japanese audio with english subs, region 1
US TLA Releasing DVD edition

Is this the ultimate cult-movie of Takashi Miike ?
Why? Because it's considered to be his sickest
with lots of black humour and satire about a very,
very fucked up family who's visited by stranger Q.
Made on digital video. 4:3 original ratio

Visitor Q (Love Cinema Vol. 6)

Direction: Takashi Miike, production: 2001

Cast: Kenichi Endo, Kazushi Watanabe, Shungiku Uchida
DVD in japanese audio with english subs, region 3
US Media Blasters DVD edition

One of my Miike favourites and delightfully weird
when a member of the yakuza is looking for a lost
buddy in a David Lynchian bizarro world.
Audio commentary and fine interviews in the extras

Gozu (Gokudo Kyofu Dai-Gekijo -Gozu/Yakuza Horror)

Direction: Takashi Miike, production: 2003

Cast: Sho Aikawa, Hideki Sone, Renji Isibashi
DVD in japanese audio with english subs, region all
US Pathfinder DVD edition

A visually stunning and stylish WIP Female
Revenge with the gorgeous icon Meiko Kaji.
Many rates this as the best Woman in Prison film
ever made. Sleaze as cinematographic art

Female Prisoner # 701 Scorpion (Joshuu Go 701 - Sasori)

Direction: Shunya Ito, production: 1972

Cast: Meiko Kaji, Isao Natsuyagi, Fumio Watanabe,
DVD in japanese audio with english subs, region 1
From the FP 701 Scorpion Collection (see box above)
US Media Blasters DVD edition

Female revenge classic. Meiko Kaji is the avenger
Scorpion in the visually gorgeous third part of the
Scorpion saga

Female Prisoner 701 Scorpion: Beast Stable

Direction: Shunya Ito, production: 1973 (Joshuu Sasori - Kemono Beya)

Cast: Meiko Kaji, Reisen Lee, Mikio Narita,
DVD in japanese audio with english subs, region 1
From the FP 701 Scorpion Collection (see box above)
US Media Blasters DVD edition

Legendary singer7actress Meiko Kaji in her
last film as the avenger Matsu, Female Prisoner
701 Scorpion

Female Prisoner 701 Scorpion: Grudge Song

Direction: Yasuharu Hasebe, prod: 1973 (Joshuu Sasori 701 Go Rami Bushi)

Cast: Meiko Kaji, Toshiyukoi Hosokawa, Akemi Negishi
DVD in japanese audio with english subs, region 1
From the FP 701 Scorpion Collection (see box above)
US Media Blasters DVD edition

Another youth drama, and this time about 2
girls, both named Nana, who seeks their dreams
in Tokyo. A huge success in Japan and with a
hit popsong from artist-actress Mika Nakashima

Nana

Direction: Kentaro Otani, production: 2005

Cast: Mika Nakashima, Aoi Miyazaki, Ryuhei Matsuda
DVD in japanese audio with english subs, region 3
Hong Kong Panorama DVD edition

Another dark teenage drama. About the youngster
Shuji, a dysfunctional family and with thoughts
crime and punishment. From the hailed and
talented director Sabu

Dead Run (Shisso)

Direction Sabu, production: 2005

Cast: Yuya Tegoshi, Hanae Kan, Miki Nakatani
DVD in japanese audio with english subs, region 3
Hong Kong Universe DVD edition

Charming and a bit different youth drama and
comedy about the friendship between 2 girls,
the Goth -lolita Momoko and the tough biker
girl Ichiko

Kamikaze Girls

Direction: Tetsuya Nakashima, produktion: 2005

Cast: Kyoko Fukada, Anna Tsuchiya, Hiroyuki Miyasako
VCD in japanese audio with english subs, region all
Hong Kong Winson DVD edition

Delightful and sweet musical comedy about
a bunch of highschool girls that overcomes
all arising problems to start up a big brass
jazz band. Yaguci, the boss of sweet comedies.
Slightly resembles his Waterboys from 2001

Swing Girls (Suwingu garuzu)

Direction: Shinobu Yaguchi, production: 2004

Cast: Juri Ueno, Yuta Hiraoka, Shihori Kanjiya
VCD in japanese audio with english subs, region all
Hong Kong Edko Films Video CD edition

A Cult Comedy where some highschool guys,
in love with their cute swimteacher, decides to
start up an artistic all male swim team.
Sweet fun and later ripped off by Hollywood

Waterboys

Direction: Shinobu Yaguchi, production: 2001

Cast: Satoshi Tsumabuki, Naoto Takenaka, Kaori Manabe
DVD in japanese audio with english subs, region 3
Hong Kong Winson DVD edition

A highly overstrung but visually interesting
and spectacular Sci-Fi action where the re-
animated starts a war against humanity

Casshern

Direction: Kazuaki Kiriya, production: 2004

Cast: Yusuke Iseya, Kumiko Aso, Toshiaki Karasawa
DVD in japanese audio with english subs, region 3
Hong Kong Universe DVD edition

Nicely looking Sci-fi vampire action drama
taking place in a future taiwan. More style
than substance though

Moon Child

Direction: Takahisa Zeze, production: 2003

Cast: Hyde, Gackt, Wang Leehom
DVD in japanese audio with english subs, region ?
US TLA Releasing DVD edition

Cute Aya Ueto is good as the Ninja girl
Azumi, trained by samurai's and in a fight
with evil warlords. Enjoyable fluff sword-
play action based on ... guess ... a manga

Azumi

Direction: Ryuhei Kitamura, production: 2003

Cast: Aya Ueto, Yoshio Harada, Jo Odagiri
DVD in japanese audio with english subs, region 3
Korean Cinexus 2 disc DVD edition

Two hopeful actresses shares an apartment.
But, they audtion for the same role and want
the same boyfriend, soon they engage in a fight
to the death. Sadly underrated and unseen,
but a great film with lot of black smart comedy

2LDK (2 Bedroom, Living Room, Dining Room & Kitchen)

Direction: Yukihiko Tsutsumi, production: 2002

Cast: Maho Nonami, Eiko Koike
DVD in japanese audio with english subs, region 1
US TLA Releasing DVD edition

Unpleasant and extremely dark about japanese
teenage angst. A drama with violence, bullying
and gang wars in highschool.
Talented and pitch-black stuff from one of the
masters of the modern japanese film. On a manga

Blue Spring (Aoi haru)

Direction: Toshiaki Toyoda, production: 2001

Cast: Ryuhei Matsuda, Hirofumi Arai, Sosuke Takaoka
DVD in japanese audio with english subs, region 1
US Artsmagic edition

Is this Miike's least liked film? I liked it though,
with it's violent but refreshingly quirky and philo-
sophical saga about a murder demon.
Artmovie-action-horror with DVD extras

Izo (Kaosu mataha fujori no kijin)

Direction: Takashi Miike, production: 2004

Cast: Kazuya Nakayama, Kaori Momoi, Ryuhei Matsuda
DVD in japanese audio with english subs, region 1
US Media Blasters 2 disc DVD edition

A much hailed debut feature film from one of the
modern masters of the Japanese Film - Toyoda.
About a disturbed youngsters hunt for Yakuzas

Tokyo Rampage (Pornostar/Poruno suta)

Direction: Toshiaki Toyoda, production: 1998

Cast: Koji Chihara, Onimaru, Rin Osawa
DVD in japanese audio with english subs, region 1
US Image Entertainment DVD edition

A fascinating tripped out experiment of images
with much bizarre Cyber Punk hysteria.
The sex-android Pinocchio is on the run in Tokyo

Pinocchio 964

Direction: Shozin Fukui, production: 1991

Cast: Onn Chan, Kyoko Hara, Koji Kita
DVD in japanese audio with english subs, region 1
US Unearthed DVD edition

Violent and a pretty entertaining zombie-yakuza
action. Fun trash made on a shoestring budget
and with a cult reputation when Yakuzas meets
zombies in a forest based on the Gate of Hell
Tons of imaginatively made Splatter

Versus

Direction & script: Ryuhei Kitamura, production: 2000

Cast: Tak Sakaguchi, Hideo Sakaki, Chieko Misaka, Kenji Matsuda
DVD in japanese audio with english subs, region all
Thai Mangpong DVD edition

Super great Ping Pong movie with a cool sound-
track. A very fine comedy-drama based on a
manga. Nicely shot and somewhat surprisingly
a really good sports movie for once.
Table-tennis is a lighting fast sport

Ping Pong

Direction: Fumihiko Masuri, production: 2002

Cast: Yosuke Kubozuka, Arata, Koji Okura, Sam Lee
DVD in japanese audio with english subs, region 3
Hong Kong Panorama DVD edition

Delicious cake of sci-fi fluff - yummy ! Very under-
rated and unseen but great stylish fun it is.
A Sci-Fi thriller with nice effects from Kaneko.
Junko has got some scary ESP-powers and she
puts criminals on fire. Audio commentary

Pyrokinesis (Crossfire/Kurosufaia)

Direction: Shusuke Kaneko, production: 2000

Cast: Akiko Yada, Hideaki Ito, Ryuji Harada, Kaori Momoe
DVD in japanese audio with english subs, region 1
US Media Blasters DVD edition

Funny and delightfully trashy zombie horror with
the iconic psycho-billy rock group Guitar Wolf.
With Zombies, UFO's, Gore and lots of garage
noisy rockmusic - Let's Lock'n Loll !

Wild Zero

Direction: Tetsuro Takeuchi, production: 1999

Cast: Masashi Endo, Shitichai Kwancharu, Guitar Wolf
DVD in japanese audio with english subs, region 1
US Synapse DVD edition

Enjoyable drama-crime-comedy about a police
station after a very popular japanese TV series.
The police investigates a kidnapping case and
a woman has a netsite about murder

Bayside Shakedown

Direction: Katsuyuki Motohiro, production: 1999

Cast: Yuji Oda, Toshiro Yanagiba, Eri Fukatsu
DVD in japanese audio with english subs, region all
Hong Kong Ocean Shores DVD edition

Cool, smart and funny gangster action movie
with Asano Tadanobu on the run with a lot of
Yakuza money. A colorful collection of misfits.
Maybe today, in retrospective, a bit too hip
and stylish perhaps, but back then it was fun

Shark Skin Man & Peach Hip Girl

Direction: Katsuhito Ishii, production: 1998

Cast: Asano Tadanobu, Kohinata Sie
VCD in japanese audio with english subs, region all
Hong Kong Edko Films Video CD edition

Violent and bizarre artmovie splatter bloodbath
from the Tetsuo actress Fujiwara.
Weird in a Lynchian mood about a gang of
crazed criminal organ harvesters

Organ

Direction & production: Kei Fujiwara: 1996

Cast: Kei Fujiwara, Shun Sugata, Kimihiko Hasegawa
DVD in japanese audio with english subs, region 1
US Synapse DVD edition

Ultra violent and nowadays legendary cult
horror-splatter-comedy. Great sick fun from
the good old Takashi Miike days when he just
seemed to never fail in entertaining us freaks.
An audio commentary with Takashi Miike.

Ichi the Killer (Koroshiya Ichi)

Direction: Takashi Miike, production: 2001

Cast: Asano Tadanobu, Shinya Tsukamoto, Sabu
DVD in japanese audio with english subs, region 1
US Media Blasters DVD edition

Michelle Reis and a japanese brazilian guy
steals some coke from the Yakuza. Odd but cool
actionthriller. From the good old times when Miike
ruled the world with his wildly inspired films

The City of Lost Souls

Direction: Takashi Miike, production: 2000

Cast: Michelle Reis, Teah, Koji Kikkawa
VCD in japanese audio with english subs, region all
Hong Kong Mei Ah Video CD edition