Happy weekend!
I hope everyone is well! This is going to be a super fast post light on details because I have been pushed for time this weekend! I completed editing a game’s story and have been busy at work on another project. I posted about the Berlin Film Festival, the theatrical and home release of Love and Other Cults and the closing film of this year’s Osaka Asian Film Festival.
What’s released this weekend?
Red Comet Club 
赤色彗星倶楽部 「Akairo suisei kurabu」
Running Time: 82 mins.
Release Date: February 10th, 2018
Director: Yuri Takei
Writer: Yuri Takei (Screenplay),
Starring: N/A
Synopsis from PIA FF: As a red comet approaches, the astronomy club sets out to make a cometary nucleus. Jun, a member of the club, toils away in the heat and humidity as if to lift up his depressed feeling. A vibrant depiction of the feeling of excitement that permeates the “quiet before the storm.
Fumiko’s Feet 
富美子の足 「Fumiko no Ashi」
Running Time: 81 mins.
Release Date: February 10th, 2018
Director: Atsushi Ueda
Writer: Atsushi Ueda (Screenplay), Junichiro Tanizazki (Original Novel)
Starring: Moemi Katayama, Yasushi Fuchikami, Denden, Reiko Muto, Maho Yamada, Shodai Fukuyama, Taijiro Tamura,
Website IMDB
This is the second in the three-part tribute to the writer Junichiro Tanizaki and it’s based on his 1919 novel of the same name.
Synopsis: An old man named Tsukakoshi has quite the foot fetish and his mistress, Fumiko, appears to have the most beautiful feet he has seen. He wants the artist Unokichi to paint a picture of Fumiko and her feet...
Kenen 
犬猿 「Kenen」
Running Time: 106 mins.
Release Date: February 10th, 2018
Director: Keisuke Yoshida
Writer: Keisuke Yoshida (Screenplay),
Starring: Masataka Kubota, Hirofumi Arai, Keiko Enoue, Miwako Kakei, Ryohei Abe, Aisa Takeuchi, Katsuya Kobayashi, Takenori Goto,
Synopsis: Kazunari Kanayama works at a printing company and is a nice guy. In complete contrast, there’s his older brother Takuji who is a violent troublemaker and has spent time in prison. Kazunari attracts the attention of Yuria Ikuno who is smart and runs the printing business but Kazunari really likes her younger sister Mako Ikuno who is attractive and outgoing.
Sea Opening 
Sea Opening シー・オープニング 「Shi- O-puningu」
Running Time: 116 mins.
Release Date: February 10th, 2018
Director: Hiroshi Horiuchi
Writer: Hiroshi Horiuchi (Screenplay),
Starring: Mario Kuroba, Takuma Wada, Yuki Tamaki, Daichi Saeki, Shunya Ohira, Ryunosuke Kawai, Hisanori Sato,
Synopsis: A popular stage actor named Mikio Katagiri goes missing just before a theatre production and his friend Yuuki Sei goes looking for him in Okinawa. He meets family and friends of Mikio’s.
Spiritual Bolsheviki 
霊的ボリシェヴィキ 「Reiteki Borisheviki」
Running Time: 72 mins.
Release Date: February 10th, 2018
Director: Hiroshi Takahashi
Writer: Hiroshi Takahashi (Screenplay),
Starring: Hanae Kan, Yuuki Tomoyama, Yoko Chousokabe, Kousuke Takaki, Emina Kondo, Asako Minamitani, Yozaburo Ito,
Website IMDB
Hiroshi Takahashi loves his supernatural stories but the one’s I have seen have been less than creepy. He is a good writer when working for other people and his screenplays for Don’t Look Up (1996), Serpent’s Path (1998), and the Ringu franchise hold up. His most recent work is the Kurosawa piece, Yocho, which plays at this year’s Berlin Film Festival.
Synopsis: A group of men and women gather in a warehouse with recording equipment to try and capture spooks and ghosts. Hanae Kan takes the lead as Yukiko, a woman who really has had supernatural experiences.
Tonight, At The Movies / Tonight, At Romance Theatre 
今夜、ロマンス劇場で 「Konya, Romansu Gekijou de」
Running Time: 108 mins.
Release Date: February 10th, 2018
Director: Hideki Takeuchi
Writer: Keisuke Uyama (Screenplay),
Starring: Haruka Ayasse, Kentaro Sakaguchi, Tsubasa Honda, Kazuki Kitamura, Akiyoshi Nakao, Anna Ishibashi, Akira Emoto, Go Kato,
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ADCxJ5ycwcYSynopsis: Kenji, an aspiring film director, falls in love with Miyuki who has stepped out of a film. For real!
SHOGO HAMADA ON THE ROAD 2015-2016 Tabisuru Songu Raita- “Journey of a Songwriter” 
SHOGO HAMADA ON THE ROAD 2015-2016 旅するソングライター “Journey of a Songwriter” 「SHOGO HAMADA ON THE ROAD 2015-2016 Tabisuru Songu Raita- “Journey of a Songwriter”」
Running Time: 116 mins.
Release Date: February 09th, 2018
Director: Hiroyuki Itaya
Writer: N/A
Starring: Shogo Hamada
Synopsis: A concert tour to commemorate the decades since Shogo Hamada’s debut was captured on film.
Kanazawa Shutter Girl 
金沢シャッターガール 「Kanazawa Shatta- Ga-ru」
Running Time: 93 mins.
Release Date: February 10th, 2018
Director: Kotaro Terauchi
Writer: Kotaro Terauchi, Yoshitsugu Sagami, (Screenplay), Kenichi Kiriki (Original Manga)
Starring: Noel, Nana Takabatake, Nanaka Yotsuya, Haruna Takai,
Synopsis: A drama about a photography club – it’s the sequel to Tokyo Shutter Girl.
Ero bon! Oyaji to musuko no seishun nikki 
えろぼん！オヤジとムスコの性春日記 「Ero bon! Oyaji to musuko no seishun nikki」
Running Time: 74 mins.
Release Date: February 10th, 2018
Director: Yutaka Ikejima
Writer: Yuta Takahashi (Screenplay),
Starring: Mika Ichijouki, Ai Tsukimoto,
Synopsis: Porn about a father and son who have a bad relationship since the death of the mother. They both pleasure themselves over idols and, lo and behold, two sexy women turn up in their lives. Cue sexy antics if you find this stuff sexy. NSFW.
Macross Δ Movie: Gekijou no Walküre 
劇場版マクロスΔ 激情のワルキューレ 「Macross Δ Movie: Gekijou no Walküre」
Running Time: 120 mins.
Release Date: February 09th, 2018
Director: Kenji Yasuda, General Manager: Shoji Kawamori
Writer: Toshizou Nemoto (Screenplay), Shoji Kawamori (Original Work)
Starring: Ami Koshimizu, JUNNA (Mikumo Guynemer), Yuuma Uchida (Hayate Immelmann), Asami Seto (Mirage Farina Jenius), Minori Suzuki (Freyja Wion),
Animation Production: Satelight
This is a compilation of the Macross Delta TV anime with a couple of new scenes and a new song added.
Synopsis from ANN: Macross Delta is set in the year 2067, 8 years after the events of the latest Macross TV series, Macross Frontier. The story focuses on Walküre, a team of talented idols and the Delta Squadron, a team of experienced Valkyrie pilots as they battle against the Var Syndrome, a mysterious phenomena that is consuming the galaxy and there is also the mysterious Aerial Knights Valkyrie fighter team of the Kingdom of Wind.
Code Geass: Lelouch of the Rebellion – The Rebellion Path 
コードギアス 反逆のルルーシュII 叛道 「 Code Geass – Hangyaku no Lelouch – Handō」
Running Time: 133 mins.
Release Date: February 10th, 2018
Director: Goro Taniguchi
Writer: Ichiro Okouchi (Screenplay),
Starring: Jun Fukuyama (Lelouch Lamperouge), Takahiro Sakurai (Suzaku Kururugi), Yukana (C.C.), Akeno Watanabe (Viletta Nu), Ami Koshimizu (Kallen Stadtfeld),
Animation Production: Sunrise
This is the second in a trilogy recounting the events of the TV anime.
Synopsis from ANN: The Empire of Britannia has invaded Japan using giant robot weapons called Knightmare Frames. Japan is now referred to as Area 11, and its people the 11’s. A Britannian who was living in Japan at the time, Lelouch, vowed to his Japanese friend Suzaku that he’d destroy Britannia. Years later, Lelouch is in high school, but regularly skips out of school to go play chess and gamble on himself. One day, he stumbles on terrorists 11’s who’ve stolen a military secret and is caught by a member of the Britannian task force sent after them, who is Suzaku. As the rest of the squad arrives, Suzaku is shot for disobeying orders, while the military secret, a young girl, gives Lelouch the power of Geass, which makes anyone obey any order. While Suzaku is secretly made the pilot of Britannia’s brand new prototype Knightmare, Lancelot, Lelouch becomes the masked Zero to lead the rebellion to destroy Britannia once and for all.
Starship Troopers: Traitor of Mars 
スターシップ・トゥルーパーズ レッドプラネット 「Suta-shippu Toru-pa-zu Reddo Puranetto」
Running Time: 100 mins.
Release Date: February 24th, 2018
Director: Shinji Aramaki, Masaru Matsumoto
Writer: Edward Neumeier (Screenplay), Robert A. Heinlein (Original Novel)
Starring: Casper Van Dien (Johnny Rico), Dina Meyer (Dizzy Flores), Shinji Kawada (Lietenant Otis “Bugspray” Hacks), Takaya Kuroda (Johnny Rico), Sanae Kobayashi (Carmen Ibanez),
Animation Production: Sola Digital Arts
Synopsis from MAL: After the events of Invasion, Johnny Rico has been demoted to the rank of colonel and relocated to a Martian satellite to train a new batch of troopers. Unfortunately, these troopers are some of the worst low-performing Rico has ever trained as they’re Martians and don’t take the war seriously. Mars overall has low support for the war as they see their planet unaffected by the bug conflict and even suggested pulling out from the war. Because of their laid back attitude, the denizens of Mars wasn’t ready when the bugs attacked. Unknown to everyone, Sky Marshall Amy Snapp executes her plans for power.
Gekijouban Tokimeki Restaurant: Miracle 6 
劇場版ときめきレストラン☆☆☆ MIRACLE6 「Gekijouban Tokimeki Resutoran: Miracle 6」
Running Time: 56 mins.
Release Date: February 10th, 2018
Director: Chiaki Kon
Writer: N/A
Starring: Daisuke Kishio (Shinnosuke Otowa), Daisuke Namikawa (Tsukasa Kirishima), Kousuke Toriumi (Kyoya Date), Satoshi Hino (Kento Fuwa), Takuya Eguchi (Toru Kanzaki), Tetsuya Kakihara (Kaito Tsuji)
Animation Production: Production I.G.
Synopsis: This is based on a smartphone game…