Happy Weekend, people!
I hope everyone is well.
It’s a bit of a gloomy day today and I’m feeling under the weather because I caught a cold last week. It’s on its way out, thankfully, and it couldn’t come sooner because I am taking a friend out to a pub tonight so we can have a good time together. Earlier this week, I attended the opening of a gallery with the same friend and the Japanese ambassador was there. Other than that, business as usual with films and work at my day job. I saw two great titles last Sunday, a Sono film and a Junji Sakamoto one that both had me tearful and laughing. In terms of my writing, I published an old review of Bad Poetry Tokyo and a preview of Japan Cuts 2018 which has many excellent titles. Japan Cuts always programmes great films and this year looks stellar with titles like Night is Short, Walk on Girl, Kushina, Nagisa, Passage of Life, Dear Etranger, and TOURISM, being ones I have already seen and rated highly. Hanagatami, Thicker than Water, and Amiko are ones I am desperate to watch. Violence Voyager, the Geki-animation by Ujicha looks like a barrel of laughs!
What is released in Japan this weekend?
Kairai / Marionettes 
傀儡 「Kairai」
Running Time: 77 mins.
Release Date: June 16th, 2018
Director: Chiaki Matsumoto
Writer: Chiaki Matsumoto (Screenplay)
Starring: Kenta Kiguchi, Satoshi Nikaido, Natsumi Ishizaki, Masahiro Dota, Ayumi Yasuda, Keita Ishii, Miwako Izumi, Kiyohiko Shibukawa,
Website IMDB PIA FF Information
Synopsis: 12 years after his girlfriend in high school fell to her death, Fujima works as a reporter. His editor orders him to write a piece on the incident as “an unsolved case that was dismissed as an accident.” He objects, saying that it would only hurt the bereaved family, but is practically forced to take on the assignment. When he visits the family, he finds they are living with a suspect seen in the area at the time of the deadly fall. The family call him “sensei” and act obediently around him. Just what is going on?
Yuzuriha 
ゆずりは 「Yuzuriha」
Running Time: 111 mins.
Release Date: June 16th, 2018
Director: Ikuo Kamon
Writer: Akiko Shintani (Original Novel), Jun Yoshida, Sho Kubota (Screenplay)
Starring: Korokke as Hiroshi Takigawa, Reiya Masaki, Kaori Shima, Nobuyuki Katsube, Kana Harada, Yukiko Takabayashi,
Synopsis: Popular comedian/entertainer Korokke takes on the role of a senior employee at a funeral company who teaches the next generation to care for the people they send off into the next life and the people left behind. Reiya Masaki is the younger protege that goes on the journey.
Recall 
空飛ぶタイヤ 「Soratobu Taiya」
Running Time: 120 mins.
Release Date: June 15th, 2018
Director: Katsuhide Motoki
Writer: Jun Ikeido (Original Novel), Tamio Hayashi (Screenplay)
Starring: Tomoya Nagase, Dean Fujioka, Issei Takahashi, Akira Emoto, Aoi Nakamura, Eiko Koike, Mitsuki Tanimura,
Synopsis: This film is about a truck firm hit by a tragedy when one of its vehicles suffers a serious mechanical fault and a wheel flies off and hits another car, killing its occupants. The company’s owner, Tokuro Akamatsu (Tomoya Nagase), investigates and discovers that the vehicle manufacturer is hiding something…
East of Jefferson
ジェファソンの東 「Jefason no Higashi」
Running Time: 18 mins.
Release Date: June 16th, 2018
Director: Koji Fukada
Writer: Koji Fukada (Screenplay)
Starring: Yuri Ogino, Tatsuya Kawamura, Tsuyoshi Kondo,
Synopsis: Part of a film festival dedicated to Koji Fukada following the release of his latest film, this is a short that tells the tale of two men and a woman who meet at a love hotel.
Batman Ninja 
ニンジャバットマン 「Ninja Battoman」
Release Date: June 15th, 2018
Running Time: 85 mins.
Director: Junpei Mizusaki, Takuji Miyamoto
Writer: Kazuki Nakashima (Screenplay),
Starring: Kouichi Yamadera (Bruce Wayne/Batman), Ai Kakuma (Selina Kyle/Catwoman), Wataru Takagi (Joker), Rie Kugimiya (Harley Quinn), Atsuko Tanaka (Poison Ivy), Daisuke Ono (Nightwing),
Animation Production: Kamikaze Douga
Synopsis: Batman and his enemies and allies are transported back in time to feudal Japan thanks to Gorilla Grodd’s time displacement machine. The villains take over the forms of the feudal lords that rule the divided land and Batman, unable to rely on his technology, must utilise his intellect and his allies to bring peace back to the land, and return to present-day Gotham City.
B’z 30th Year Exhibition “SCENES” 1988-2018 Gekijouban 
B’z 30th Year Exhibition “SCENES” 1988-2018 劇場版
Release Date: June 15th, 2018
Running Time: 70 mins.
Director: Junpei Mizusaki, Takuji Miyamoto
Writer: Kazuki Nakashima (Screenplay),
Starring: Koshi Inaba, Takahiro Matsumoto,
Synopsis: This film looks at the 30 year history of one of Japan’s leading rock units from album recordings and onstage performances to backstage activities as these guys are currently on tour.
Dolmen X 
劇場版ドルメンX 「Gekijouban Dorumen X」
Running Time: 108 mins.
Release Date: June 15th, 2018
Director: Naoko Komuro
Writer: Yuuna Takagi (Original Novel), Shogo Kashida (Screenplay)
Starring: Kodai Asaka, Arata Horii, Ren Kiriyama, Yuki Ogoe, Jun Shison, Tina Tamashiro, Yoshimi Tokui,
Synopsis: This one is based on a TV mini-series about a group of aliens (Ichii, Nii, Sai, and Yoi) who want to invade earth. They have no clue how to do it other than avoiding waging war. When they go to a live male idol group concert, they strike upon a fantastic scheme: become the best idols they can. With this inspiration, they form ‘Dolmen X’!