This week has been spent clearing even more of my room out and coming to the realisation that my film collection is larger than I had first thought and most of it is stored in boxes. I watched a couple – Happy Together, Chungking Express, and Ghost Dog. In cinema terms, I have watched Ride Along which wasn’t as bad or as unfunny as I thought it would be. I ended up missing the Japanese adaptation of Unforgiven due to a lack of time and general tiredness. As far as the blog goes, I posted a review of Mother which I urge people to watch. As my review makes clear I thought it was brilliant. I also posted about the dates of the next Terracotta Far East Film Festival and some trailers. Yesterday I posted some trailers and more follow…
Decontextualisation. Here are the trailers!
Puzzle 
Japanese: パズル
Romaji: Pazuru
Running Time: 85 mins.
Release Date: March 08th, 2014 (Japan)
Director: Eisuke Naito
Writer: Yusuke Yamada (Screenplay),
Starring: Kaho, Shuhei Nomura, Kazuya Takahashi, Saori Yagi, Kokone Sasaki, Ryuzo Tanaka
Ah, this year’s first adaptation of a Yusuke Yamada novel! It is directed by Eisuke Naito (Let’s Make the Teacher Have a Miscarriage Club) and stars Kaho, the leading lady of a drama that Naito directed called Demon Ward. Looks kinda fun. In fact I’d say it was the best trailer this weekend and it points to a film that might be quite unconventional – weird camera angles, editing, acting and fun! It’s the only trailer I have watched more than twice this week and it’s my favourite!
A high school students named Azusa (Kaho) jumps off a school building but survives. A month later, that same school is taken over by a group of people wearing bizarre masks. The head teacher and all of the male students disappear and a pregnant teacher is imprisoned. Azusa is in the school and was given an envelope by a classmate named Shigeo (Nomura). The envelope holds pieces of a puzzle connected to these events but Azusa sees something unimaginable…
Yuigon Genpatsu Sae Nakereba 
Japanese: 遺言 原発さえなければ
Romaji: Yuigon Genpatsu Sae Nakereba
Running Time: 225 mins.
Release Date: March 08th, 2014 (Japan)
Director: Naomi Toyoda, Masaya Noda
Writer: N/A
Starring: N/A
This documentary comes with a running time of 3 hours and 45 minutes and that’s because it was edited down from footage recorded over 800 days following the Great East Japan Earthquake. The directors are photojournalists by trade and they rushed to cover the developing disaster at the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant and what happened to the resident who were nearby. The English part of the site gives more details.
Itsutsu Kazoereba Kimi no Yume 
Japanese: 5つ数えれば君の夢
Romaji: Itsutsu Kazoereba Kimi no Yume
Running Time: 85 mins.
Release Date: March 08th, 2014 (Japan)
Director: Yuki Yamato
Writer: Yuki Yamato (Screenplay),
Starring: Miyu Yamabe, Hitomi Arai, Mei Shoji, Ayano Konishi, Yuri Nakae, Shuntaro Yanagi, Kensuke Owada, Kaori Tsubaki, Rei Hirano, Shungiku Uchida
What nice music we heard in the trailer! This film stars the girls of Tokyo Girls’ Style (the only idol group whose songs I have listened to more than once) and they play a group of students in the run-up to their school’s cultural festival. We see the highs and lows of their relationships. Apparently, the director won the Special Jury Award at the 24th Tokyo Student Film Festival for a school girl film. This looks intriguing.
Idai Naru, Shurarabon 
Japanese: 偉大なる、しゅららぼん
Romaji: Idai Naru, Shurarabon
Running Time: 114 mins.
Release Date: March 08th, 2014 (Japan)
Director: Yutaka Mizuochi
Writer: Mitsuhiko Fujiki (Screenplay), Manabu Makime (Original Novel)
Starring: Masaki Okada, Gaku Hamada, Kyoko Fukada, Dai Watanabe, Shihori Kanjiya, Ito Ono, Yu Koyanagi, Hinata Kashiwagi
Gaku Hamada… I’m still not sure what to make of him as an actor. I hated his performance in one of the last two films I saw him in… Enough about me. This is an adaptation of a Manabu Makime novel and this looks kind of fun. Direction in the clips shown is free-flowing and the CGI looks decent. Something about the way the characters act and how their reactions are captured reminds me of Wes Anderson films… Maybe I’m reaching a bit because I’m going to see his latest film… Anyway, this looks kind of fun.
Ryosuke Hinoda (Okada) is part of a family who have special powers. When he enters high school he finds himself relocating to Ishibashi Castle in Lake Biwa where he meets Tanjuro (Hamada), the heir of the family and an eccentric. The two work together when they confront the rival Natsume family lead by Hiromi (Watanabe)
Pretty Rhythm All Star Selection: Prism Show☆Best Ten (movie) 
Japanese: プリティーリズム・オールスターセレクション プリズムショー☆ベストテン
Romaji: Gekijō-ban puritīrizumu ōrusutāserekushon purizumushō ☆ besutoten
Running Time: N/A
Release Date: March 08th, 2014 (Japan)
Director: Masakazu Hishida
Writer: Deko Akao (Screenplay)
Starring: Emiri Kato (Naru Ayase), Kana Asumi (Aira Harune), Rumi Ookubo (Mia Ageha), Haruka Tomatsu (Bell Renjoji), Maaya Uchida (Wakana Morizono)
FEEL THE MAGIC! It was about time for another Pretty Rhythm film and it’s here! The residents of the Prism World introduce Prism Shows throughout the historu of Aurora Dream, Dear My Future, and Rainbow Live and there are many performances!
Hakuōki Dai-nishō Shikon Sōkyū 
Japanese: 劇場版 薄桜鬼 第二章 士魂蒼穹
Romaji: Hakuōki Dai-nishō Shikon Sōkyū
Running Time: N/A
Release Date: March 08th, 2014 (Japan)
Director: Osamu Yamasaki
Writer: Osamu Yamasaki, Tsunekiyo Fujisawa (Screenplay),
Starring: Houko Kuwashima (Chizuru Yukimura), Shinichiro Miki (Toshizo Hijikata), Hiroyuki Yoshino (Heisuke Todo), Kenjiro Tsuda (Chikage Kazama)
Okay ladies, you get to drool over sexy male anime characters and their lithe bodies in this the second Hakuōki movie!
