Happy weekend, everyone!
I hope you are all well.
I’ve just completed a 12-day work week so I’ve got two days to relax. Because it is Halloween, I watched a bunch of 80s horror films such as Demons 2 and 3 and The Gate. I’ll watch more over the next two days. Also, because of a friend, I’ve been able to see Sion Sono’s latest work, The Forest of Love.
This week, I posted reviews for the New Directions in Japanese Cinema shorts and wrote one for Fate/Stay Night: Heaven’s Feel I Presage Flower.
This year’s Kyoto International Film Festival and my posts on the Busan International Film Festival, and Tokyo International Film Festival came to the rescue when it came to digging up info on this weekend’s trailers.
So what was released this weekend?
No Smoking, 
帰郷 「Kikyou」
Release Date: November 01st, 2019
Duration: 96 mins.
Director: Taketoshi Sado
Writer: N/A
Starring: Haruomi Hosono, Van Dyke Parks, Keigo Oyamada, Yukihiro Takahashi,
Synopsis: A documentary about Haruomi Hosono, famous for his solo work, his work with Yellow Magic Orchestra and the music he composed for Cannes Palme d’Or winner Shoplifters. The footage spans his career from his early days to his recent first overseas performances in London, New York and Los Angeles. In London, he was joined by Yukihiro Takahashi, and when Ryuichi Sakamoto made a surprise appearance onstage, the YMO members were reunited for the first time in five years, a must-see spectacle captured on film.
After the Matinee 
マチネの終わりに 「Machine no Owari ni」
Release Date: November 01st, 2019
Duration: 124 mins.
Director: Hiroshi Nishitani
Writer: Yumiko Inoue (Screenplay), Keiichiro Hirano (Novel)
Starring: Masaharu Fukuyama, Yuriko Ishida, Yusuke Iseya, Yuki Sakurai, Haruka Kinami, Jun Fubuki, Yuka Itaya, Ikko Furuya, Thibaut Garcia, Avant Strangel,
Masaharu Fukuyama (Like Father, Like Son) uses his musical skills and superior personality to play a lead character who charms the socks off (and possibly more) a female journalist in this drama…
Synopsis: Satoshi Makino (Masaharu Fukuyama) is an incredibly talented world-renowned classical guitarist. He meets writer and journalist Yoko Komine (Yuriko Ishida) who is about to get married to a nice guy. The two become attracted to each other…
Black School Rules 
ブラック校則 「Blakku Kousoku」
Release Date: November 01st, 2019
Duration: 124 mins.
Director: Shintaro Sugawara
Writer: Kazuya Konomoto (Screenplay),
Starring: Shori Sato, Kaito Takahashi, Rintaro Mizusawa, Juri Tanaka, Serina Motola, Yumena Yanai, Mayu Hotta,
The last couple of years saw stories of high schoolers in Japan rebelling against strict dress codes and demands on their appearances including that they have straight black hair and this film picks up on that.
Synopsis: Sora and his friend Chuya have opposite personalities with Sora being quiet and Chuya being more of an extrovert but they do have something in common: they both have feelings for the same girl. However, the girl refuses to attend school because she doesn’t want to have to dye her brown hair to black. Sora and Chuya decide to force a change to their school’s rules for the girl they like.
Family of Strangers 
閉鎖病棟 「Heisa Byoutou」
Release Date: November 01st, 2019
Duration: 117 mins.
Director: Hideyuki Hirayama
Writer: Hideyuki Hirayama (Screenplay), Hosei Hahakigi (Novel)
Starring: Tsurube Shofukutei, Gou Ayano, Nana Komatsu, Ryota Bando, Yoshiyuki Morishita, Reiko Kataoka, Toshie Negishi, Kiyohiko Shibukawa, Satomi Koabayashi,
Three great actors in an intriguing drama… Tsurube Shofukutei (Dear Doctor), Gou Ayano (The Light Shines Only There) and Nana Komatsu (The World of Kanako).
Synopsis: Hidemaru Kajiki (Tsurube Shofukutei), Chu-san (Gou Ayano) and Yuki (Nana Komatsu) are patients at a psychiatric hospital in Nagano Prefecture. They each have a different reason to be there, Kajiki having killed his mother and daughter-in-law, Chu-san suffering from auditory hallucinations and Yuki refusing to go to her high school student. They try to live positively but when a murder happens, one of them is accused…
The First Supper 
最初の晩餐 「Saisho no Bansan」
Release Date: November 01st, 2019
Duration: 127 mins.
Director: Shiro Tokiwa
Writer: Shiro Tokiwa (Screenplay),
Starring: Shota Sometani, Erika Toda, Yosuke Kubozuka, Yuki Saito, Masatoshi Nagase, Nana Mori, Taro Suwa, Raiku, Hyunri,
Synopsis: Rintaro (Shota Sometani) returns to his hometown for his father’s funeral where his mother Akiko (Yuki Saito) and his sister Miyako (Erika Toda) will prepare the food for the ceremony themselves based on instructions from their father’s will. As the family get together and go over personal issues, the first meal served is fried eggs made just the way his father used to do them.
Dosukoi! Sukehira 
どすこい！すけひら 「Dosukoi! Sukehira」
Release Date: November 01st, 2019
Duration: 91 mins.
Director: Shiro Tokiwa
Writer: Shiro Tokiwa (Screenplay), Junko Tamura, Tomohide Kiyoshi (Manga)
Starring: Kang Ji-Young, Takuya Kusakawa, Airi Matsui, Naoto Takenaka, Eriko Tomiyama,
Synopsis: Ayane Sukehira (Kang Ji-Young) is an overweight woman who lives in Italy because she loves chocolates (I would have thought Belgium or Switzerland might be the place to go, but whatever). One day, Ayane suffers an accident and passes out. When she wakes up, she finds that her appearance has totally changed and she has lost a lot of weight. When she travels back to Japan she attracts the attention of handsome boys and idols…
IDOL Aa Mujou 
IDOL あゝ無情 「IDOL Aa Mujou」
Release Date: November 01st, 2019
Duration: 85 mins.
Director: Hiroki Iwabuchi
Writer: N/A
Starring: Ayuni D, Toriaizu Hana, Mayu Empire, Hanae Monster, Saaya Ito,
Synopsis: A documentary for WACK music label as they hold a joint audition camp for their popular idol groups “BiSH”, “BiS”, “GANG PARADE”, “EMPiRE” and “WACK” on a remote islands in Kyushu. Expect to see girls singing, dancing and running a marathon.
Katsu Futaro!! 
喝風太郎!! 「Katsu Futaro!!」
Release Date: November 01st, 2019
Duration: 103 mins.
Director: Keisuke Shibata
Writer: Yuusuke Moriguchi (Screenplay), Hiroshi Motomiya (Manga)
Starring: Hayato Ichihara, Tom Fujita, Ayano Kudo, Ryutaro Ninomiya, Tomoki Kimura, Taichi Fujishiro,
Synopsis: An ascetic monk Futaro finishes his training and goes wild with drinking, womanising and partying. This causes chaos and possibly joy for those with pent up emotions…
Wakasa to Bakasa 
若さと馬鹿さ 「Wakasa to Bakasa」
Release Date: November 01st, 2019
Duration: 61 mins.
Director: Yutaro Nakamura
Writer: Akira Kimura (Screenplay),
Starring: Takuya Shibata, Mio Matsutake, Nanako Kudo, Shigeko Hisada, Rei Hirano, Yosuke Nishi, Hidenori Abera,
Synopsis: Takaya and Sakura are in their late 20s and live together in a small room. Takaya is drifting in life just exercising and playing around while Sakura wants to make a future for them…
What Can You Do about It 
だってしょうがないじゃない 「Datteshou ganai Janai」
Release Date: 2019
Duration: 120 mins.
Director: Yoshifumi Tsubota
Writer: N/A
Starring: Makoto Oohara, Yoshifumi Tsubota, Machiko Kimura, Yoshinori Kimura, Tatsuyoshi Tsubota, Yoko Tsubota, Masako Tsubota, Miharu Seki, Naoko Misawa, Hiroo Shibata,
Synopsis: The filmmaker, Yoshifumi Tsubota (The Shell Collector), who has suffered from mental illness, records what happens when he is diagnosed with Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) at a psychiatric hospital. He tells his mother who informs him that he has an uncle who has Pervasive Developmental Disorder and lives alone. Tsubota goes to see him.
Saori, Piling Up 
積むさおり 「Tsumu Saori」
Release Date: November 02nd, 2019
Duration: 40 mins.
Director: Soichi Umezawa
Writer: Soichi Umezawa (Screenplay),
Starring: Asuka Kurosawa, Keisaku Kimura,
Asuka Kurosawa (A Snake of June) re-teams with director Soichi Umezawa after two Vampire Clay movies to do this short for which Kurosawa won Best Actress for her performance at the Horrible Imaginings Film Festival 2019
Synopsis: Saori and her husband Keisuke have been married for five years but they have been torturous for the woman since he is a stereotypical guy with rough manners while she is gentle. His bad behaviour has piled up the stress on the woman and when she develops tinnitus, the pressure becomes too much and she snaps…
Traverse 
TRAVERSE トラバース 「Traverse Toraba-su」
Release Date: November 02nd, 2019
Duration: 96 mins.
Director: Yuuko Okada
Writer: Naoki Kawakubo, Yuuko Okada (Screenplay),
Starring: Jun Tamegai, Ren, Kanji Tsuda, Yuki Masuda, Jin Kusanagi, Shinji Kasahara, Rei Ai,
Synopsis: A martial-arts movie with no CG or wire-work where a man investigates the supposed suicide of someone close to him.
Mizorogi Mitsuki o Sagashite 
ミゾロギミツキを探して 「Mizorogi Mitsuki o Sagashite」
Release Date: November 02nd, 2019
Duration: 71 mins.
Director: Ryohei Yoshino
Writer: Ryohei Yoshino (Screenplay),
Starring: Roka Kawai, Daisuke Matsuki, Miwako Murata, Emi Moriya, Harumi Shuhama,
Synopsis: The Mizorogi family from Ishinomaki lost their eldest daughter to the tsunami of the Great East Japan Earthquake. She is still missing but they haven’t given up searching and go to Tokyo to search for clues as to what happened to her by doing things such as tracking an ex-boyfriend through Twitter and meeting psychics. All the while, they meet people in Tokyo and see the progress of construction for the Olympics…
RUN! 3films 
ミゾロギミツキを探して 「Mizorogi Mitsuki o Sagashite」
Release Date: November 02nd, 2019
Duration: 84 mins.
Director: Tetsuhiko Tsuchiya, Yusuke Hatai
Writer: Tetsuhiko Tsuchiya, Masao Iketani (Screenplay),
Starring: Ryo Shinoda, Minehiro Kinomoto, Shinji Matsubayashi, Tsukasa Kuroiwa, Kanji Tsuda, Kei Yamazaki,
Synopsis: An omnibus film consisting of three stories:
Dancing Down Memory Lane – A part-timer at a convenience store finds himself held up by a former classmate.
Vanish – a science fantasy that recounts the encounter and story of a corpse disposer, and a mysterious parent and child duo that eat humans for survival.
Actor – a struggling actor steps into a mysterious movie set and crosses through the border of reality and illusion.