Shadow (China, 2018)

In a kingdom ruled by a young and unpredictable king, the military commander has a secret weapon: a "shadow", a look-alike who can fool both his enemies and the King himself. Now he must use this weapon in an intricate plan that will lead his people to victory in a war that the King does not want.

Zhang Yimou, director of visual spectacles such as House of Flying Daggers (2004) and Hero (2002), is back with another film that unleashes itself upon its viewer rather than getting watched. Zhang uses his usual style of amazing looking battles in slow-motion, rain drops which gets cut in half and sword strikes with terrifying precision. This is a film where brutal martial arts are being treated as beautiful poetry, and every punch flows as smooth as a stream through a bamboo thicket. The color palette rarely moves out of the gray, black and white so that the feeling of watching an old Chinese ink painting only gets stronger. Hand in hand with these jaw-dropping fight scenes we're treated to a bombastic Shakespeare-like historical drama, both intimate and epic in scope with political intrigue, and affection between fighters. A true return to form for Zhang.   

Genre: Action/Drama/War

Jigoku (Japan, 1960)

A group of sinners involved in interconnected tales of murder, revenge, deceit and adultery all meet at the Gates of Hell.

Jigoku (a.k.a. The Sinners of Hell) was the last movie made by the studio Shintoho, thus it became a very rushed production due to budget cuts and all the actors having to help with the sets. Even still, Jigoku turned out to be a bold and different film for its time and is now considered to be a cult classic. It deals with heavy buddhism themes involving hell and how one must atone for sins. The effects and make-up are very dated naturally but the whole depiction of hell and the amount of suffering the sinners has to go through is as effective and horrific as it was way back when, and it goes to show that even with limited means director Nobuo Nakagawa could create a long standing movie because of his visions and ideas.

Genre: Drama/Horror

Burning (South Korea, 2018)

Jong-su, a part-time worker, bumps into Hae-mi while delivering, who used to live in the same neighborhood. Hae-mi asks him to look after her cat while she's on a trip to Africa. When Hae-mi comes back, she introduces Ben, a mysterious guy she met in Africa, to Jong-su. One day, Ben visits Jong-su's with Hae-mi and confesses his own secret hobby.

Straight from the head of Japanese writer Haruki Murakami we get Burning (based on his short story Barn Burning), a heavily character-driven story which dips its toes in both slow-pace drama as well as creepy mystery. If you've ever read a Murakami novel or short story you're bound to recognize a few of his more prevalent plot details such as a well, cats and disappearing people. Being a fan of his works I'm glad we see more adaptions of his books, and though Burning isn't as good as Norwegian Wood (2010) in my opinion it's still a great story and a beautifully shot film. 

Genre: Drama/Mystery

Rampo Noir (Japan, 2005)

This four-part anthology takes its cue from the short fiction of legendary horror writer Edogawa Rampo. It begins with Mars Canal, which sees a naked man collapse at the edge of a lake that descends, seemingly into the bowels of hell itself. Mirror Hell follows a detective following a trail of beautiful female corpses back to a mad mirror maker. The Caterpillar sees a limbless war veteran return home only to be systematically abused by his wife. And in Crawling Bugs, a chauffeur becomes obsessed with his actress employer.

I don't know how many viewers who are gonna be familiar with Edogawa, but solely hearing his pseudonym makes it clear from whom he takes inspiration from; Edgar Allan Poe. But their similarities basically stops there, for this film is steeped in Japanese weirdness and Lars von Trier-esque imagery. I saw this film years ago and it was fighting for my attention, but if you see it for what it isn't half bad actually, plus I'm a big fan of Tadanobu Asano who appears throughout the segments. Rampo Noir is a surreal experience with the stories ranging from straightforward murder mystery to  strange, dreamlike body horror. Very far from what westerners usually call horror, but definitely not without its own sense of artistic dread.

Genre: Fantasy/Horror

One Cut of the Dead (Japan, 2017)

Things go badly for a hack director and film crew shooting a low budget zombie movie in an abandoned WWII Japanese facility, when they are attacked by real zombies.

This has to be one of the best surprises in a while. I've heard of how this film tried to break some new ground in a genre that's so stale it's practically a walking corpse itself, and at the beginning I couldn't help but feel really sceptical, but then director Shin'ichiro Ueda makes a sharp turn with the narrative and makes you feel stupid for thinking this was just another run-of-the-mill comedy. Characters you thought you hated are redeemed and everything just clicks. An original and very funny film that gives you a great lasting feeling. Now we can say that Japan has its own Shaun of the Dead (2004), and for the moment I rate this movie higher than most other zombie films I've seen. 

Genre:  Comedy/Horror

The Night Comes for Us (Indonesia, 2018)

Ito, a gangland enforcer, caught amidst a treacherous and violent insurrection within his Triad crime family upon his return home from a stint abroad.

To call The Night Comes for Us an action flick would be a huge understatement. Halfway through, the film starts to feel like the longest fight sequence you've ever seen. Arms are breaking like nobody's business, necks are snapping and blood is gushing almost constantly. Due to the main focus on the action I would strongly recommend it to martial art film aficionados, and every one else, well, let's just say that it's not only thugs that gets a severe beating but the plot as well. Yes there's talk of betrayal and our hero suddenly comes across a child he needs to protect, but this all really just amounts to padding between one spectacular brawl to another. 

An adrenaline rush no doubt, and superbly choreographed, but can be exhausting if you're not in the mood for this kind of film. 

Genre: Action/Thriller

Mishima: A Life in Four Chapters (US/Japan, 1985)

A fictionalized account in four chapters of the life of celebrated Japanese author Yukio Mishima. Three of the segments parallel events in Mishima's life with his novels (The Temple of the Golden Pavilion, Kyoko's House, and Runaway Horses), while the fourth depicts the actual events of the 25th Nov. 1970, "The Last Day".

Mishima is actually directed by an American film-maker, Paul Schrader (Taxi Driver) but a film about Yukio Mishima seems too good to pass up. Mishima was a nationalist and founded his own right-wing militia. In 1970, he and three other members of his militia staged an attempted coup d'état when they seized control of a Japanese military base and took the commander hostage, then tried and failed to inspire a coup to restore the Emperor's pre-war powers. Mishima then committed ritual suicide by seppuku. 

It's a fascinating history and it feels like it easily could have been very melodramatic and unnecessarily violent in the hands of the wrong director, but Schrader portrays the events with the greatest of respects. Not only does he carefully tell the story and all of its context, but at the same time bringing it to life with fantastic, dreamlike cinematography and all sorts of playful ways of using his camera. The films production designer, Eiko Ishioka, was tracked down by Schrader after the team had seen her work on the Japanese poster for Apocalypse Now (1979), and had this to say about the work on Mishima:

"It would be like the sets themselves were characters, as though they were actors, and they would challenge the real actors. So that when the sets and the actors came together, they’d set off a spark and a new kind of energy."

I just really adore how this movie looks, and Eiko's idea of making each of the films segment's be filmed in what looks like theatrical sets gives the film rich, numerous personalities. I could post screenshots from it all day long, but I'll try to refrain from that. Superb film about a maybe somewhat less-known piece of Japanese history. 

Mishima could be called a samurai film set in modern days, with how Yukio tried his best to honor the traditions and ways of the bushido, so in the end when his crushing defeat was unavoidable he also chose to die like a samurai. 

Genre: Biography/Drama

Ryuzo and the Seven Henchmen (Japan, 2015)

Ryuzo is a retired yakuza gangster who lives a quiet unassuming life with his son. One day, the old gangster receives a call from an impostor pretending to be his son asking for ¥5 million. Ryuzo sees through the trick and learns from police detective Murakami (Beat Takeshi) that a member from the Keihin Rengo gang is responsible. Re-uniting his seven former henchmen to strike back, Ryuzo learns that they have all grown weak with their old age.

Director/actor Takeshi Kitano is once again back with a Yakuza film, and oh how I missed it. Ryuzo let's him have a lot more fun with the genre than his previous Outrage-series which were very straightforward and by-the-book. This one is a far more enjoyable Yakuza romp that's actually both funny and dark while also being lovely violent. The main characters all have the usual traits; one is way too old for action, one is wise and more laid-back, another is a revolver maniac, but it really doesn't feel as been-there-done-that as it should. Instead it's charming as hell to see a bunch of old men trying to relive their long past Yakuza years for a good cause. 

Genre: Action/Comedy

The Night is Short, Walk On Girl (Japan, 2017)

The story of the titular girl known only as Otome and her insanely long night of partying and drinking-complete with a book fair, festival, and many adventures in between. It is also the story of Senpai, her upper class man who has been attempting to get closer to her by "coincidentally" running into her again and again. However, on this night, meeting up with her may be the greatest challenge of his life.

Just seeing Masaaki Yuasa's name on the box of the film makes me foam at the mouth. His Mind Game (2004) left a permanent change in how I view and enjoy different animation. Though of course not as big in scope as that film, The Night is Short focuses on an innocent young girl who discovers all the temptations of a big city's nightlife. Wicked art style, mad side characters who all help drag Otome further into the night and a serious intake of alcoholic beverages makes up for a special kind of evening in the Tokyo limelight. I could have done without a male love interest but still, a crazy night out portrayed with timeless animation.   

Genre: Animation/Adventure/Comedy

Rhapsody in August (Japan, 1991)

An elderly woman living in Nagasaki Japan takes care of her four grandchildren for their summer vacation. They learn about the atomic bomb that fell in 1945, and how it killed their grandfather.

I've always had a huge interest in the bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki. It's such a horrible and shocking chapter in the history of the world that every movie that deals with these events automatically gains my attention. Rhapsody tells of a family which greatly has been affected by the bombings, and of their story many years later when grandchildren all become parts of a living legacy. It's more of a family drama with a sad undertone, but no less fascinating. Not the movie I'd expect to see Richard Gere in, but he does have a small part in it. One of three films directed by Akira Kurosawa which revolves around the atomic bombings, the other two were I Live in Fear (1955) and Dreams (1990). Not one of his most prominent works but a good film nonetheless. 

Genre: Drama

The Yakuza (US/Japan, 1974)

American private-eye Harry Kilmer returns to Japan to rescue a friend's kidnapped daughter from the clutches of the Yakuza.

I'm cheating a bit here writing about a film which was both an American production as well as Japanese, but I'm also allowing it because it's so great and takes us on a trip to the world of the Yakuza. Directed by Sydney Pollack (Three Days of the Condor) the film really has that Kinji Fukasaku raw-ness to it, with blunt force and loud slashes. It doesn't overdo it with violence but truly succeeds in telling an engaging and bitter story of old friends, revenge and Japanese customs. Since a lot of the actors and extras were native Japanese, Pollack had to direct many scenes using an interpreter. 

James Bond, then played by Sean Connery, had visited Japan a few years earlier and I can't help but make the comparison and laugh. Where You Only Live Twice (1967) was a shallow and wrongful take on Japan, The Yakuza told a superb story and did it with respect. Great example of 70's crime-noir.

Genre: Action/Crime/Drama

Okami - Video Game Review (PS2/PS3/PS4/SWITCH/XBOXONE/WII/PC)

This will be one of few, if not the only video game review I'll put up here, but I can't help but mention this gem of a game which also shares multiples themes with movies often featured on this blog.

First things first, Okami is an action-adventure game. You will be spending a lot of time hacking your way through small groups of enemies, and when not doing that you'll be exploring the vast lands of Nippon (our own Japan but set hundreds of years ago). If not familiar with Japanese folklore and history, you're in for a heck of a culture clash, but one that couldn't be more beautiful. You play as Amaterasu, the goddess of the sun, in the form of a white wolf, and this is what the official wiki tells of the story:

Okami begins with a flashback to events 100 years prior to the game's present, and describes how Shiranui, a pure white wolf, and Nagi, a swordsman, together fought the eight-headed demon Orochi to save Kamiki Village and the maiden Nami, Nagi's beloved. Shiranui and Nagi are unable to defeat Orochi but manage to seal the demon away. In the game's present, Susano, a descendant of Nagi and self-proclaimed greatest warrior, breaks Orochi's seal due to the fact that he does not believe in the legend, and Orochi escapes and curses the lands, sapping the life from every living being. Sakuya, the wood sprite and guardian of Kamiki Village, calls forth Amaterasu, the sun goddess, known to the villagers as the reincarnation of the white wolf Shiranui, and pleads her to remove the curse that covers the land.

That's really just the tip of the iceberg, this is quite a long game and a lot of evil Gods stand between you and the finale. You'll find many villages and people in need of help and with your Celestial Brush it's no problem. The Celestial Brush is your main way of attacking, where you press a button and call up a canvas which covers the whole screen, then you can draw to get different effects from your pencil strokes. For example you can draw a quick line over an enemy to slash it, or make a circle connected to a small line to create a bomb. It's all very fun and fluent once you get the hang of it and learn more patterns. 

The visuals is one of the key things that make it a home-run to me personally, with timeless cel-shading graphics. This game is just as beautiful today as it were at initial release in 2006, but even more breathtaking today thanks to HD-remasters. I will never grow tired of running through Kamiki Village during the cherry blossoms, or mess with villagers around the world. The world and art design are heavily inspired by traditional Japanese sumi-e paintings but plays around with it a ton, and even though the game is set in a classic history time the developers weren't afraid of throwing in cool additions such as laser swords. The music is also fantastic, inspired by classical Japanese music, of course. So yeah, I could post pictures of the amazing art style all day but if it sounds interesting to run around in mythical Japan full of adventures, you should give it a try.

Pros: Gorgeous visuals, cool battle system, tons of great characters, rememberable soundtrack,
Cons: It's a very long game, and I think my first playthrough took between 50-60 hours. It can also feel very easy after you've upgraded your abilities so I recommend doing a challenge for yourself by limiting the amount of either life or ink pots you can have.

Dreams (Japan, 1990)

A collection of tales based upon the actual dreams of director Akira Kurosawa.

Writing about films by Kurosawa at this point starts to feel like preaching to the choir, but whatever! After recently having rewatched it I couldn't go on knowing it didn't have its own entry here. As stated above, it consists of eight short stories all based on dreams that Kurosawa's had once or more times during his long and eventful life. It doesn't take long before it's one of the more beautiful films I've ever seen, with fairytale-like imagery and characters from Japanese folklore all come to life. We're treated to stories about everything life encompasses; childhood, love, suffering, nature and death. The range of the tales told here reaches from innocent youth to burning fields of nuclear war, the sweetness of flowers floating down the river and ghosts of an army platoon. Everything filmed in Eastman color which obviously was a great choice because it looks stunning and rich with life.  

To dissect and analyze what the vastly different dreams actually mean would probably add up to material for more essays than I could ever write, so let's just watch and enjoy the film for what it is, which is also probably what Kurosawa always wanted. 

Genre: Drama/Fantasy