Happy Weekend.
I hope you are well.
This week, I’ve not posted anything here but a re-written review for Mayu Nakamura’s Among Four of Us, an interview with director Nakamura, and a review of School Radio to Major Tom were all published on V-Cinema as part of Japan Cuts 2021 coverage. I have more features to cover and maybe a smattering of New York Asian Film Festival 2021 reviews I am still working on.
On top of that, I will be doing a podcast recording for the first two entries in the Whispering Corridors series of K-horror films – Whispering Corridors and Memento Mori. I’ve reviewed most of the series before back in 2012 and haven’t watched them since. I still need to watch them but haven’t had time.
I’ll start doing festival work now so reviews will be a bit patchy from here on out but I’ll keep up the trailer posts.
What is released this weekend?
The Woman of S.R.I.: The Movie 
科捜研の女 –劇場版– 「Kasouken no Onna: Gekijoban」
Release Date: September 03rd, 2021
Duration: 108 mins.
Director: Ryunosuke Kanesaki
Writer: Takeharu Sakurai (Script),
Starring: Yasuko Sawaguchi, Takashi Naito, Kuranosuke Sasaki, Mayumi Wakamura, Toru Kazama, Hikaru Yamamoto,
Synopsis: This is the first feature film version of TV Asahi’s popular drama series, which has been running since 1999. The story follows the crime-solving actions of Kyoto Prefectural Police’s Forensic Science Laboratory which is led by professor Mariko Sakaki (Yasuko Sawaguchi) who works with detective Kaoru Domon (Takashi Naito). Their current work involves figuring out if a suicide of a colleague is actually a murder.
Ryouma! Shinsei Gekijouban Tennis no Ouji-sama 
リョーマ！ The Prince of Tennis 新生劇場版テニスの王子様 「Ryouma! Shinsei Gekijouban Tennis no Ouji-sama」
Release Date: September 03rd, 2021
Duration: 100 mins.
Director: Hiroshi Koujina
Writer: Takehiko Hata (Script), Takeshi Konomi (Original Creator)
Starring: Junko Minagawa (Ryouma Echizen), Junichi Suwabe (Keigo Atobe), Mikako Takahashi (Sakuno Ryuzaki), Romi Park (Emerald), Tomokazu Sugita (Wolf),
Animation Production: Keica, The Monk Studios
Synopsis from Anime News Network: Ryōma has arrived in the United States, and meets Ryūzaki Sakuno where the two end up in a situation where they travel back in time to the time to the point where Ryōma’s father, Nanjiro, was still playing in America as “Samurai Nanjiro.” Apparently, the film will be released in two versions, in which some scenes are different. They are the “Decide” which focusses on the Seigaku team captain Kunimitsu Tezuka and Rikkai team captain Seiichi Yukimura, while the “Glory” version focuses on the Hyōtei team captain Keigo Atobe and Shitenhōji team captain Kuranosuke Shiraishi.
Gekijouban Ganbare! TEAM NACS 
劇場版 がんばれ！TEAM NACS「Gekijouban Ganbare! TEAM NACS」
Release Date: September 03rd, 2021
Duration: 155 mins.
Director: Kentaro Horikirizono
Writer: Takeshi Takemura (Script),
Starring: Yo Oizumi, Ken Yasuda, Hiroyuki Morisaki, Takuma Oto’o, Shigeyuki Totsugi,
No Trailer
Synopsis: TEAM NACS is a theatrical unit from Hokkaido that includes the actors Ken Yasuda and Yo Oizumi. It was set up when they were in university and it now celebrates its anniversary. The group teamed up with WOWOW to produce a theatrical version of a nine-episode variety show starring TEAM NACS and it includes unseen interviews.
Oyadori yo, shizuka ni nake 
親鳥よ、静かに泣け 「Oyadori yo, shizuka ni nake」
Release Date: September 03rd, 2021
Duration: 72 mins.
Director: Katsumi Miura
Writer: Katsumi Miura (Script),
Starring: Momo Kohgo, Asako Kobayashi, Kyosuke Tsuda, Seichiro Ichinose, Keitoku Ito, Tokuhisa Yamashita, Ryuta Endo,
Synopsis: Rumi Komada is a university student who is looking for a job and eager to live with her boyfriend Sota, but she feels that she cannot leave her controlling mother Rieko who gets her involved in a scam… This film was a graduation project at university and will screened at the Tanabe Benkei Film Festival Selection 2021. It won an award at last year’s edition.
Kujirabito Lamafa (The Last Whale Hunters) 
くじらびと 「Kujirabito」
Release Date: September 03rd, 2021
Duration: 113 mins.
Director: Bon Ishikawa
Writer: N/A
Starring: Ignasius Seran Blikololong, Wilirodus Demo Blikololong, Clemens Boli Tapoona,
Documentary Synopsis From the Website: In a volcanic island in the Savu Sea , Indonesia. The Lamalerans: a tribe of 1,500 hunter-gatherers who are the world’s last subsistence whalers. They have survived for half a millennium by hunting whales with bamboo harpoons and handmade wooden boats powered by sails of woven palm fronds.
The Lamalera village is located in a small volcanic Island, a poor, barren land, and they catch whales to eat. It is the only way for them to survive.
The harpooners are called lamafa in the local language. They are the village’s pride because they take the whole responsibility for the very dangerous hunting.
In 2018. a tragedy struck the village. Benjamin, a young lamafa, was killed during a spear hunting. His father, Ignatius, was devastated, and Benjamin’s brother, Demo, was shocked and unable to go hunting.
Ignatius, the master boat-builder, decided to build a new traditional whaleboat to reunite the family bond.
The whaling boat is 12 meters long, made entirely of hand-crafted wood, not using a single nail, and is considered an intangible cultural asset.
Black Crow 3 
クロガラス3 「Kuro Garasu 3」
Release Date: September 03rd, 2021
Duration: 70 mins.
Director: Toshiya Kominami
Writer: Toshiya Kominami (Script),
Starring: Tsubasa Sakiyama, Keisuke Ueda, Shu Watanabe, Yurino Ochi, Shun Sugata,
Synopsis: Shinjuku’s Kabukicho district is notorious for shady bars and shady characters with underworld links. In this milieu, two underworld trouble-shooters named Kuroto (Tsubasa Sakiyama) and his partner Yuya (Keisuke Ueda) operate. They take on the case of a politician’s missing mistress but this is when a notorious scam artist from Yuya’s past shows up and sets up a rival agency and takes on the same case…
Kaeshi 
報復 かえし 「Kaeshi」
Release Date: September 03rd, 2021
Duration: 160 mins.
Director: Yuuya Yamaguchi
Writer: Masashi Shimizu (Script),
Starring: Gaku Sano, Kanji Tsuda, Misaki Kinoshita, Yoshimasa Kondo, Rio Uchida,
Synopsis: Hiroshi (Gaku Sano) was imprisoned after raping and murdering his high school classmate Chiaki Fukaya. 10 years later, he has been released and is living a modest life but Chiaki’s father, Seiji (Kanji Tsuda), still feels intense hatred for Hiroshi. Then, one day, Seiji finds out the address of Hiroshi’s workplace…
Sono Hi, Kare- Raisu ga Dekuru Made 
その日、カレーライスができるまで 「Sono Hi, Kare- Raisu ga Dekuru Made」
Release Date: September 03rd, 2021
Duration: 52 mins.
Director: Yasuhito Shimizu
Writer: Yasuhito Shimizu, Tomoki Kanazawa (Script), Tomoki Kanazawa (Original Story)
Starring: Lily Franky, Ukiyo Nakamura, Terumi Yoshida, Robin Shoko Okada, Misuzu Kanno,
Synopsis: Lily Franky brings to the screen a one-person play written by Tomoki Kanazawa about a family bond connected by a radio program and curry. Franky plays a tired man in his kitchen preparing a special curry for his wife’s birthday while listening to a radio programme. When the radio personality asks for “secret techniques,” the man starts to write about the curry.
Shinichi Ise Ima wa Mukashi Chichi Java Maboroshi no Film 
いまはむかし 父・ジャワ・幻のフィルム 「Ima wa Mukashi Chichi Jawa Maboroshi no Firumu」
Release Date: September 04th, 2021
Duration: 88 mins.
Director: Shinichi Ise
Writer: N/A
Starring: Chonosuke Ise, Shinichi Ise, Kayo Ise,
Synopsis: Director Shinichi Ise has made a documentary that follows in the footsteps of his father, Chonosuke, who was involved in the production of propaganda films in Indonesia during World War II as a member of the “Cultural Front” with the aim of showing the locals that Japan was uniting Asia against European/American exploitation. Shinichi wanted to track down these film and began by interviewing his late father and then searching for the whereabouts of the films he made.Shinichi’s own children joined him on this journey…