Assorted news giblets: Kitano, Miike, Oshima, Nakashima and more
Posted on Friday, 11 April 2008 at 3:47 pm
Ohisashiburi readers. Please allow me to partially compensate for my absence with the following snippets.
Toho are so desperate for people to see Ishii Katsuhito’s “Yama no Anata - Tokuichi no Koi” that they’ve slashed the ticket price from 1,800 yen to 1,000 yen. They’re calling it their “Bathing for the Soul” price, playing on the film’s setting of a remote mountain hot springs resort. Check out a snap of lead actress Maiko in kimono with director Ishii over on her blog. (source: Sanspo & Nice Rainbow blog)
“Asahiyama Dobutsuen Monogatari - Pengin ga Sora o Tobu” (something like “Asahiyama Zoo Story - Flying Penguins”), actor Tsugawa Masahiko’s third directorial effort as Makino Masahiko after “Wakeful Nights” and “Jirocho Sangokushi” (opening this autumn), has already finished shooting. It’s based on a true story (you can read about it here) that’s been told many times before in documentaries and TV dramatisations, but this is the first time it’s been made into a film. Nishida Toshiyuki plays zoo director Kosuge Masao, while Nakamura Masahi from “A Stranger of Mine” is zookeeper Bando Gen. (source: Sanspo)
This Variety Japan article features a couple of photos of Kitano Takeshi and his co-stars for his next film “Akiresu to Kame” (thanks JG).
Here’s one for Nick Rucka: Cinema Today have published the first photo of the barely recognisable cast of Nakashima Tetsuya’s “Paco and the Magic Picture Book“. From what I can make out, the front row is comprised of Kamikawa Takaya, Yakusho Koji, Ayaka Wilson and Kunimura Jun, and in the back row are Yamauchi Takaya, Gekidan Hitori, Tsuchiya Anna, Tsumabuki Satoshi, Abe Sadao, Kase Ryo and Koike Eiko.
Zoom In Online have interviewed “Megane” director Ogigami Naoko and you can listen to it on this podcast.
Some photos of the “Yatterman” cast from the March 27 press conference: Director Miike with Fukuda Saki, and Fukada Kyoko with her henchmen Namase Katsuhisa and Kendo Kobayashi. Note the conspicuous absence of Yatterman himself, Johnny’s Jimusho chattel Sakurai Sho, due to his masters’ notoriously tight-fisted approach to image rights.
Omori Mika is an accomplished television scriptwriter and director with many hit series under her belt, not to mention screenplay credits for films including the Ueto Aya vehicle “Install”, the upcoming “Detroit Metal City” with Matsuyama Kenichi, and “Tekkon Kinreet” director Michael Arias’ live action debut “Knockin’ On Heaven’s Door” (a remake of the 1997 German film with Til Schweiger). She’s also found the time to make her own low-key film directorial debut with “Nekonade“, starring ubiquitous character actor Osugi Ren and based on a TV series. He plays a middle-aged salaryman whose life falls apart when he’s laid off from his job, but finds solace in adopting a stray cat. Other cast members include Aoyama Noriko, Kurokawa Mei and Motai Masako. (source: Cinematopics)
Nagasaku Hiromi’s on a bit of roll after her critically-praised performance in “Funuke, Show Some Love You Losers!” and another solid turn in “Don’t Laugh at My Romance”, which should elevate expectations for her next film, a romantic comedy entitled “Dosokai” (literally “Class Reunion”). It’s written and directed by her co-star Takuma Takayuki, who heads the theatre group Tokyo Seleccion Deluxe and also wrote the screenplays for “Heat Island” and the low budget Aikawa Sho/Itao Itsuji aliens and yakuza caper “Worst Contact” under the pen name Satake Mikio. Takuma plays Minami, an adulterous film producer who half-heartedly asks his childhood sweetheart Yuki (Nagasaku) for a divorce and is shocked when she nonchalantly accepts. When his career also begins to fall apart, his high school friends come to his rescue. Sato Megumi, Shofukutei Tsurube, Utsumi Midori and Suzuki Sawa (rumored to be Nakamura Shido’s latest conquest) also appear. (source: Variety Japan & Cinematopics)
“Oka o Koete” is a novel by “the one singular man-of-letters Japan has today” Inose Naoki (who’s also well known for his condemnations of Japan’s centralised bureaucracy), and now pink film veteran Takahashi Banmei (”Hibi”) is directing an adaptation with an interesting cast that includes Nishida Toshiyuki, Ikewaki Chizuru, Nishijima Hidetoshi and most importantly (from my perspective) Shimada Kyusaku. Set in the early Showa period, the story follows working class ‘moga‘ Yoko (Ikewaki) who becomes personal secretary to author and founder of the Akutagawa and Naoki literary prizes Kikuchi Kan (Nishida) and is introduced to Tokyo’s burgeoning high society. She finds herself attracted to a handsome young editor named Ma Hae-song (Nishijima) descended from Korean nobility who dreams of returning to modernise his homeland, while at the same time the ageing Kan falls in love with Yoko and her youthful vitality. But war is looming on the horizon… Click here for the trailer. (source: Cinematopics)
“The Oshima Gang”, a documentary focusing on the production of Oshima Nagisa’s 1960 film “Night and Fog in Japan” and his subsequent break from Shochiku, is in the works with the architect of the low-budget medical experiment thriller series “Saru” series Hayama Yoichiro helming. Hayama hails from the same Shonan area of Kanagawa as Oshima, who also gave him his initial break at the age of 16 by selecting the first film he ever made for the Pia Film Festival. It’ll be a mix of interviews with Oshima’s wife and actress Koyama Akiko as well as scriptwriter Ishido Toshiro, cameraman Kawamata Takashi, composer Manabe Riichiro, producer Arai Tomio and other collaborators, and dramatisations of Oshima’s first steps as an independent filmmaker. A release is loosely scheduled for some time this summer. (source: fjmovie.com)
Final word goes to alternative universe Totoro.
(via Zaeega)
comment by don
posted on Friday, April 11 2008 at 3:47 pm
You would :)
comment by Aceface
posted on Friday, April 11 2008 at 3:47 pm
“the one singular man-of-letters Japan has today” Inose Naoki !?
No way.But then again,that is something he would say about himeself.I also think you should add that he is now a vice-governor of Tokyo and lieutenant to Ishhara Shintaro.
Oshima doc sounds good.Must be about his 創造社days.I’ve read they made legend in bars of Golden-gai of Shinjyuku for having fight almost every night over film making.
comment by don
posted on Friday, April 11 2008 at 3:47 pm
Hey Ace,
I took that line about Inose directly from his English Wikipedia entry (that’s why it’s in quotes) - it didn’t sound particularly objective to me either. I considered mentioning the Ishihara connection too, but then I would have ended up writing more about Inose than the film.
Have and your wife seen “Mongol” yet? It works brilliantly as a mythical epic, but I wondered how many liberties it took with the truth. At least Asano makes for a much more convincing Genghis that Sorimachi.
comment by Aceface
posted on Friday, April 11 2008 at 3:47 pm
I know,I know.I just couldn’t resist since Inose is pretty much a mini-Shintaro in many ways.
We are very much interested in “Mongol” from the day Sergei Bodrov started filming.It caused quite a fuss in Mongolia
You see,the Russians had supressed Mongolians mentioning Chinghis Khan for 70 years because they worried Pan-Mongolism may grew into Anti-Soviet sentiments and spread to other Central Asian republic.Nowadays Chinghis is every where in Ulaanbaatar,but 30 years ago,intellectuals were purged for commemorate him.
The Japanese also used Chinghis during the war to have wedge between Mongolians and Russian while attempted border war in Khalhin Gol.
The Chinese had annexed Inner Mongolia in 1945 and not entirely happy seeing independent Mongolia.They also claim Chinghis Khan,a Chinese hero,since Mongols are consisting one of the five ethnic groups of republic along with likes of Tibetans and Chinghis’s grand son,Kublai Khan had established Yuan dynasty of which had build forbidden palace in Beijing.
WIth these history,Naturally Mongolians weren’t too happy seeing Russian director using Japanese for Chinghis and Chinese for Jamuqua.
Bodorov made the film seizing the 800th celebration of Chinghis’s coronation to Khanate in 2006.And there were multiple projects of making Chinghis film including that Sorimachi movie and everntually came to smoke film starring Steven Seagal as the man.But Bodorov’s attracted more Mongolian hostility than the others.
I haven’t seen the film,but the film has a scene of Young Temujin being captured in somekind of manegerie,right?And I’ve also read in Mongolian paper that future Chinghis’s wife Borte being Chinese mistress?Anyway neither are written in the “Secret History of Mongols”and Mongolians went berserk when Bodorov talked about this change of plot nonchalantly at the press conference in Ulaanbaatar.
Medias had nearly crucified Bodorov with harsh questions.I think that was the reason he chose to film mostly in Khazakhstan instead.
But my wife loves Russian film and TV,and as I see few scequences on TV,it certainly looks better than Sawai Shinichiro version.(I actually like Sawai,but he is not an epic director).I am also interested in how good Asano can speak Mongolian.
However,I’m in a mood of boycotting T-JOY franchaise for a while.So I may just see it in DVD.
comment by don
posted on Friday, April 11 2008 at 3:47 pm
What a shame we won’t get to see Seagal as Genghis. I guess the Japanese title would have been 沈黙のハーン or something like that.
Thanks a lot for explaining the historical background. As much as I enjoyed the film, it wears its blockbuster aspirations on its sleeve and it obviously has a bigger audience in mind than just the country of the story’s origin. If anything it looks gorgeous on the big screen and Asano exudes stoic charisma, so whatever reservations you might have you should definitely catch it in the theatre. DVD won’t do it justice.
SPOILER ALERT:
I think you’re referring to the point in the film where Temujin as played by Asano has lost to the more numerous forces of Jamukha and is sold as a slave to a Chinese nobleman. He’s then put on display in a cage for the local citizenry to ridicule as a Mongol who tried to defy the Chinese.
Borte is captured by an enemy tribe, but I don’t think they were Chinese. It’s suggested indirectly that she had to perform certain favours for them. By the way, the Mongolian actress who plays her is particularly impressive, especially as she’s an amateur from what I’ve heard.
END SPOILERS
At least Kazakhstan must be happy about the film: it should help to repair some of the damage done to their tourism industry by Sacha Baron Cohen.
comment by Aceface
posted on Friday, April 11 2008 at 3:47 pm
What we had in mind was “沈黙のチンギス”…
Anyway the dignity of the nation was saved since Seagal had postponed the project.But the fact is sometimes much more bizarre than the fiction, many Mongolians were actually longed for Seagal doing Chinghis.The pony tailed one being converted to Tibetan Buddhism was also gained some points.
“it wears its blockbuster aspirations on its sleeve and it obviously has a bigger audience in mind than just the country of the story’s origin.”
That’s unavoidable and I understand.
Sawai Sinnichiro’s movie ”蒼き狼、地果て海尽きるまで” has tons of that.It is based on producer Kadokawa Haruki’s buddy,Morimura Seiichi’s novel”地果て海尽きるまで”,but it really is a rip-off from Inoue Yasushi’s classic ”蒼き狼” of which Kadokawa shrewdly stole the main title without buying the copyright.
Spoiler Alert!
OK,So Borte was potrayed exactly as “The secret history of Mongols” had written in “Mongol”.But my wife was not very pleased with the actress seeing her from the film’s web page.She thinks Kikukawa Rei resembles Mongolian a lot more!
In Sawai film(and Inoue and Morimura novel) the drama revolves around Chinghis’s agony of questioning wether his eldest son,Jochi(played by Matsuyama Kenichi)is his true biological son,or that of his nemesis.And the past of Chinghis born from his mother while being captured by enemy hand strongly suggests the existence of karma.
However,this is purely a Japanized translation of original Mongolian myth.In Mongolian nomdaic tradition,the youngest son is the leading successor.And marrying somebody else’s wife with children was a norm.The movie heavily reflects confucian and Buddhist virtue of Japanese side,and notthat of Mongolians at the times.
END SPOILRS
And Borat…
Close friend of mine at office has a girlfriend from Mongolia and she is a Kazakh.Boy,did they hate the film.
Anyway a real Kazakh looks more like a Japanese than Anglo Jewish.
comment by Nicholas
posted on Friday, April 11 2008 at 3:47 pm
Hey Don,
Thanks for the namecheck on the Paco link! It’s been too busy on the home front to do any blog updates– but I saw that Twitch linked to the Paco pic through you, so there ya go. ;-)
Enjoying the postings!
-Nick
comment by logboy
posted on Friday, April 11 2008 at 3:47 pm
…i can recognise anna tsuchiya dressed as a nurse…