Happy weekend, everyone!
I hope everyone is feeling great!
I’ve had a good week watching some fantastic films and enjoying the good weather the UK is experiencing. I also got a lot festival press work done months in advance of an event with a press release, synopses, and contacts ready to go out.
The New York Asian Film Festival kicked off yesterday and two of my reviews have gone live on V-Cinema: The Hungry Lion and Dynamite Graffiti and there are a couple more waiting to be published. Over here on this blog I published a review for TOURISM and an interview with the director of TOURISM, Daisuke Miyazaki.
What is released this weekend in Japan?
The Name 
名前 「Namae」
Running Time: 114 mins.
Release Date: June 30th, 2018
Director: Akihiro Toda
Writer: Yusuke Moriguchi (Screenplay), Shusuke Michio (Original Story)
Starring: Kanji Tsuda, Ren Komai, Miho Kanazawa, Mako Komaki, Akari Kakimoto, Noriko Kijima, Yohta Kawase, Mayuko Nishiyama, Mariko Tsutsui,
I saw this one at the Osaka Asian Film Festival and thought it was a solid drama. Since then, the film has travelled around the world and others are enjoying it. I hope plenty of people get to see this film.
Synopsis: Moriya city in Ibaraki is a quiet place with residents who lead simple lives. Everyone, apart from a lonely angst-ridden bachelor named Masao Nakamura. Since losing his business and becoming penniless, he has adopted multiple identities to get by: Yoshikawa, a big businessman, Suzuki, the happy family man, Okubo, the doting husband who quit Tokyo to look after a sick wife. When his ruse about the sick wife is about to be exposed as a lie at work, a schoolgirl named Emiko Hayama steps in from out of nowhere and pretends to be his daughter.
Emiko is another person who loves to lie. Instead of facing a lonely home run by a single-mother, the girl hangs out with Masao and the pair strike up a friendship. It fills a gap in their lives but their lies hinder them from overcoming inner-turmoil. At some point a fake dad and a fake daughter will have to face their suffering in order to move on.
Punk Samurai Slash Down 
パンク侍、斬られて候 「Panku Samurai Kirarete Soro」
Running Time: 131 mins.
Release Date: June 30th, 2018
Director: Gakuryu Ishii
Writer: Kankuro Kudo (Screenplay), Ko Machida (Original Novel)
Starring: Gou Ayan, Keiko Kitagawa, Shota Sometani, Masahiro Higashide, Tadanobu Asano, Masatoshi Nagase, Jun Murakami, Kiyohiko Shibukawa, Jun Kunimura, Etsushi Toyokawa,
Punk-rocker Ko Machida’s novel is given the big screen treatment by Gakuyu Ishii of ELECTRIC DRAGON 80000V, Angel Dust and Bitter Honey fame and the cast is full of super-talented actors!
Synopsis: Junoshin Kake (Gou Ayano) is a ronin eager to get nto the service of the Kurokaze plan s he concocts a lie about a doomsday cult called the Bellyshakers agitating for violence. He finds himself caught up in his own lies, the schemes of two clan retainers, the cult, and a whole host of other plans and plots from a bunch of weirdos such as a telekinetic imbecile and a talking monkey warlord.
Modern Love 
モダン・ラブ 「Modan Rabu」
Running Time: 115 mins.
Release Date: June 30th, 2018
Director: Takuya Fukushima
Writer: Takuya Fukushima (Screenplay),
Starring: Azusa Inamura, Leo Imamura, Yota Kawase, Mutsumi Sato, Seicho Yoshino, Kiichi Sonbe, Hirohiko Machiyama
Synopsis: Mika (Azusa Inamura) is doing her Master’s degree in theoretical physics while working part-time at a travel agency. Her head is stuck in the past because she is unable to get over her boyfriend who disappeared five years ago. When NASA announces the discovery of a new planet in the solar system, Emanon, where life might exist, Mika’s world changes. After experiencing déjà vu and meeting a version of herself she comes to think that Emanon might have caused a parallel world to intertwine with hers.
The Trial 
審判 「Shinpan」
Running Time: 118 mins.
Release Date: June 30th, 2018
Director: John Williams
Writer: Jun Urayama, John Williams (Screenplay), Franz Kafka (Original Novel)
Starring: Tsutomu Niwa, Megumi Sekine, Ichiro Murata, Leon Ota, Tomoko Hayakawa, Rino Tsuneishi, Aki, Sonoko Kameoka,
As soon as I saw the name John Williams, I pictured the American composer famous for the Indiana Jones movie scores but thought about the wonderful film Starfish Hotel (2007), which the British director made some time ago. It’s good to see he’s still working!
Synopsis: Kimura (Tsutomu Niwa) is a banker who wakes up on his 30th birthday to be greeted by two strange men in his room. They arrest Kimura but don’t specify what the crime is. Kimura protests his innocence but gets cast into a labyrinthine criminal proceeding where he is swallowed up by the system…
The Negotiator: Behind the Reversion of Okinawa 
返還交渉人 いつか、沖縄を取り戻す 「Henkan Koshonin Itsuka, Okinawa wo Torimodosu」
Running Time: 100 mins.
Release Date: June 30th, 2018
Director: Tsuyoshi Yanagawa
Writer: Takuya Nishioka (Screenplay), Tetsuji Myagawa (Original Novel)
Starring: Arata Iura, Naho Toda, Toshinori Omi, Ayumu Nakajima, Shiro Sano, Ren Osugi, Renji Ishibashi, Taeko Yoshida,
Synopsis: This is based on the real life figure of Kazuo Chiba who headed down to Okinawa to prevent the island from becoming a staging point in the Vietnam War and also hosting nuclear weapons.
Uchuu Sentai Kyuranger vs. Space Squad 
宇宙戦隊キュウレンジャーVSスペース・スクワッド 「Uchuu Sentai Kyuu Renja- vs Supe-su Sukuwaddo」
Running Time: 131 mins.
Release Date: June 30th, 2018
Director: Koichi Sakamoto
Writer: Nobuhiro Mouri (Screenplay),
Starring: Masayuki Deai, Yuka Hirata, Satomi Hirose, Hiroaki Iwanaga, Hiroshi Kamiya, Takumi Kizu, Mao Ichimichi,
Synopsis: Taking place 4 years after the climactic events of the TV series, the peace of the universe is shattered when Hammie/Chameleon Green attacks the Rebellion and steals the newly developed Neo Kyutama. The Space Federation declare Hammie an outlaw across the universe but Lucky/Shishi Red and some of the Kyurangers decide to fight for Hammie to find out what is really happening with the fellow, causing a rift amongst the Kyurangers.
MANDALAY STAR My Journey to Myanmar Folk Music 
MANDALAY STAR ミャンマー民族音楽への旅 「Mandalay Star Myanma- Minzoku Ongaku e no Tabi」
Running Time: 131 mins.
Release Date: June 30th, 2018
Director: Jun Kawabata
Writer: N/A
Starring: N/A
Synopsis: Jun Kawabata is a composer, photographer, producer and film director and he’s interested in the folk music of Myanmar. This is his second documentary where he seeks out the true sound by looking at traditional instruments and unique singers who take part in a concert. His focus is the city of Mandalay.
Let’s go! Anpanman: Shine! Kurun and the Star of Life 
それいけ！アンパンマン かがやけ！クルンといのちの星 「Soreike! Anpanman Kagayake! Kurun to Inochi no Hoshi」
Release Date: June 30th, 2018
Running Time: 61 mins.
Director: Hiroyuki Yano
Writer: Tomoko Koharu (Screenplay), Takashi Yasase
Starring: Keiko Toda (Anpanman), Anne Watanabe (Kurun), Ryuusei Nakao (Baikinman), Michiyo Yanagisawa (Currypanman), Mika Kanai (Melonpanna), Kaneta Kimotsuki (Horrorman),
Animation Production: TMS Entertainment
Synopsis: It’s almost time for the annual Star Festival and everybody is happy but when black stars start falling from the skies everybody starts freaking out. Could something be wrong with the Star of Life and could it be connected to a mysterious boy named Kurun who has joined the community?
Girls’ Encounter 
少女邂逅 「Shojo Kaiko」
Running Time: 101 mins.
Release Date: June 30th, 2018
Director: Yuka Eda
Writer: Yuka Eda (Screenplay),
Starring: Moeka Hoshi, Serena Motola, Mitsuki Akiba, Takumi Matsuzawa, Emina Kondo, Yuya Matsuura, Ryoka Neya, Takuya Sugiyama, Hikaru Saiki,
Synopsis: Miyuri Obara (Moeka Hoshi) is a shy girl and a victim of bullying at her school. Her only friend is a silkworm, but the bullies discover it and throw it into a forest which leaves Miyuri terribly upset. What happens next is something magical: Tsumugi (Serena Motola), a teen girl, steps out of the trees and becomes Miyuri’s best friend. Their bond is deep but is it a normal human one or something more magical?
Bridge to Tomorrow Memories of 1989 
明日にかける橋 1989年の想い出 「Ashita ni kakeru hashi 1989-nen no omoide」
Running Time: 131 mins.
Release Date: June 30th, 2018
Director: Takafumi Ota
Writer: Takafumi Ota (Screenplay), Franz Kafka (Original Novel)
Starring: Anne Suzuki, Misato Tanaka, Itsuji Itao, Akira Takarada, Tomoko Fujita, Haruka Echigo,
Synopsis: Miyuki (Anne Suzuki) is an office lady who works in a provincial town. In 1989, a terrible car accident killed her younger brother Kenta and broke her family, her mother (Misato Tanaka) becoming ill and her father (Itsuji Itao) an alcoholic and a bankrupt when the bubble economy burst. One day, when she crosses Ashitabashi bridge, she remembers the rumour that it can make wishes come true and so she makes a wish to go back to 1989 to prevent the accident and save her family who she meets but she faces various challenges.
The Second Security Unit 
第二警備隊 「Dai ni keibitai」
Running Time: 112 mins.
Release Date: June 30th, 2018
Director: Yuji Kakizaki
Writer: Yuji Kakizaki (Screenplay),
Starring: Toshio Kakei, Masayuki Deai, Akaji Maro, Makoto Ashikawa, Ryunosuke Kawai, Jun Hashimoto, Miyoko Akaza, Yuka Takeshima,
Synopsis: A private security firm are called in the protect a priest and politician.