Happy weekend, you lovely people!
I hope you are well!
I’ve had a busy week packed full of fun things. Sunday started with VCinema posting my review of The Blood of Wolves and then I posted a review for Passage of Life. I then posted a preview for the Fantasia International Film Festival over in Montreal, Canada which looks absolutely fantastic. Vcinema also published my review for The Scythian Lamb. In the real world, the weather has been great and I continued with my day job and went to a funding meeting with a friend for her film festival. I also met Prince Charles at work and I had the chance to shake his hand and talk to him about my role in an exhibition! I have a couple of invites for drinks next week but I’ve got to get two film reviews filed away and do some more festival work before I can think about them.
What is released this weekend?
Room Laundering 
ルームロンダリング 「Ru-mu Rondaringu」
Running Time: 109 mins.
Release Date: July 07th, 2018
Director: Kenji Katagiri
Writer: Kenji Katagiri, Tatsuya Umemoto (Screenplay),
Starring: Elaiza Ikeda, Joe Odagiri, Kiyohiko Shibukawa, Miho Tsumiki, Eri Watanabe, Tomorowo Taguchi, Kaoru Mitsumune,
Tsutaya, the film rental company are involved with backing this title from a newbie director. It looks quirky as heck and features a fantastic cast.
Synopsis: Miko Yagumo (Elaiza Ikeda) has a strange job: she stays in the apartments of people who have just died in them. Murder, suicide, she’ll stay there. Why? Landlords must tell potential tenants if someone has died in the property they are planning to rent but the law is a bit fuzzy as to how many people down the line landlords need to inform. So in steps Miko, at the behest of her uncle Goro (Joe Odagiri) who got her into the gig, and she spends time at these places. Lately, she has begun to see ghosts. It kinda makes sense because Miko’s recently-disappeared mother had the same ability. Miko begins to act as an exorcist and a councillor for a variety of people who aren’t quite ready to give up the ghost on their apartments…
The Chrysanthemum and the Guillotine 
菊とギロチン 女相撲とアナキス 「Kiku to Girochin Onnazumo to Anakisuto」
Running Time: 189 mins.
Release Date: July 07th, 2018
Director: Takahisa Zeze
Writer: Takahisa Zeze, Toranosuke Aizawa (Screenplay),
Starring: Hanae Kan, Masahiro Higashide, Kiyohiko Shibukawa, Maho Yamada, Takashi Yamanaka, Yoko Kamon, Shun Sugata, Shohei Uno, Yota Kawase,
Synopsis: This is billed as Takahisa Zeze’s first original project in eight years and takes place in Tokyo in the Taisho era, immediately after the Great Kanto Earthquake. A group of women join a female sumo wrestler stable to escape bad backgrounds such as domestic violence and prostitution and they practice hard with the intention of “becoming stronger and living with their own power”. Anarchist groups and those who advocate “an equal society without disparity” are fascinated by the female wrestlers’ fighting and support them.
Rainbow Days 
虹色デイズ 「Nijiiro Deizu」
Running Time: 109 mins.
Release Date: July 06th, 2018
Director: Ken Iizuka
Writer: Rika Nezu (Screenplay), Minami Mizuno (Manga)
Starring: Reo Sano, Taishi Nakagawa, Mahiro Takasugi, Ryusei Yokohama, Ai Yoshikawa, Yuri Tsunematsu, Mayu Hotta, Nozomi Bando, Yuki Yamada, Kenichi Takito
Synopsis: High-school boys Natsuki Hashiba (Reo Sano), Tomoya Matsunaga (Taishi Nakagawa), Tsuyoshi Naoe (Mahiro Takasugi),and Keiichi Katakura (Ryusei Yokohama) are close friends who enjoy happy lives but when Natsuki starts getting the hots for Anna Kobayakawa (Ai Yoshikawa), their daily lives begin to change.
36.8°C Sanjurokudohachibu 
36.8℃ サンジュウロクドハチブ 「36.8°C Sanjurokudohachibu」
Running Time: 65 mins.
Release Date: July 07th, 2018
Director: Mana Yasuda
Writer: Mana Yasuda (Screenplay),
Starring: Mayu Hotta, Makiko Watanabe, Yasufumi Terawaki, Amon Hirai, Ryuichi Ando, Haruna Kishimoto, Sagisa Nishino, Masaki Kitahara,
Synopsis: High-school girl Wakana (Mayu Hotta) has a peaceful life but is sensitive to others. She meets an office lady named Mizuho who she chats to through SNS to talk about her worries.
One Man’s Son 
一人の息子 「Hitori no Musuko」
Running Time: 86 mins.
Release Date: July 07th, 2018
Director: Kenji Tani
Writer: N/A
Starring: Ryoma Baba, Yuki Tamaki, Ayame Misaki, Keiko Takeshita, Tomohisa Yuge, Shota Takasaki,
Synopsis:When Itsuki Yamauchi’s (Ryoma Baba) father collapses, he has to attend to the old man despite not having a good relationship with him. He connects with Ayumu Kurata (Yuki Tamaki) who doesn’t have a father when the two men come into contact with a piece of paper.
You, Your, Yours 
君が君で君だ 「Kimi ga Kimi de Kmi da」
Running Time: 104 mins.
Release Date: July 07th, 2018
Director: Daigo Matsui
Writer: Daigo Matsui (Screenplay)
Starring: Sosuke Ikematsu, Kim Kkobbi, Shinnosuke Mitsushima, Koji Ookura, Mahiro Takasugi, Eriko Nakamura, Maho Yamada, Ken Mitsuishi, You, Osamu Mukai,
Synopsis:3 men who are in love with the same woman, Hime (Kim Kkobbi) change themselves to whom their love admires: Japanese musician Yutaka Ozaki (Sosuke Ikematsu), popular American actor Brad Pitt (Shinnosuke Mitsushima) and historical political figure Ryoma Sakamoto (Koji Ookura). Just as they do this, they find the end of their love is near.
K SEVEN STORIES Episode1 「R:B BLAZE」 
Release Date: June 30th, 2018
Running Time: 65 mins.
Director: Shingo Suzuki
Writer: Azano Kouhei (Screenplay), GoRA, GoHands (Original Creator)
Starring: Kenjiro Tsuda (Mikoto Suoh), Tomokazu Sugita (reisi Munakata), Takahiro Sakurai (Izumo Kusanagi), Yuuki Kaji (Tatara Totsuka), Taku Yashiro (Daichi Yamata), Miyuki Sawashiro (Seri Awashima),
Animation Production: GoHands
Synopsis: One year from Scepter 4’s dissolution and the HOMRA members are running uncontrolled, many are frustrated with new Red King Mikoto Suoh’s increasing power but a new Blue King has awakened and rebuilds Scepter 4 to deal with the HOMRA gang just before a conflict kicks off.
Okinawa 1965 
Running Time: 95 mins.
Release Date: July 07th, 2018
Director: Shinya Todori
Writer: N/A
Starring: Kyoko Ureshino, Etsuko Shiyabana, Takamatsu Gujiken,
Synopsis: The conflict between over the US military presence in Okinawa continues to rage 46 years after the island was given back to the Japanese. Documentaries about people protesting are quite common but this one looks at a tragic case where a girl was killed by a US military truck. Her body was photographed by the photographer Kyoko Ureshino. The documentary traces her activities at the time.
I’m not sure I got the director’s name right but he did direct a 2014 documentary which can be found in an old trailer post here.
Into the Shin Guu 
熊野から イントゥ・ザ・新宮 「Kumano Kara Into Za Shinguu」
Running Time: 83 mins.
Release Date: July 07th, 2018
Director: Chiseko Tanaka (IMDB)
Writer: N/A
Starring: Tsuyoshi Kaibe, KENT, Shiro Sano Yayoi Suzuki, Sakiko Uran,
Synopsis: This is the third in a semi-documentary series from critic/filmmaker Chiseko Tanaka and it’s about the Kumano, Wakayama, an area full of fascinating history, temples and famed for its horses. and it heads to Shingu City to take in world heritage sites. A previous Chiseko Tanaka film, the one that this new one is a sequel to, can be found in this trailer post.
Hooked on the Jomon 
縄文にハマる人々 「Jomon ni Hamaru Hitobito」
Running Time: 103 mins.
Release Date: July 07th, 2018
Director: Nozomi Yamaoka
Writer: N/A
Starring: Komuai (Narration), Tatsuo Kobayashi, Takashi Sato, Seiko Ito, Rai Ifu, Shuzou Koyama, Dennis Banks, Yasushi Kosugi, Takashi Ikegami,
Synopsis: The fantastic singer Komuai of Suiyoubi no Campanella shows up in another film this weekend. This one is a documentary about the Jomon period. It seeks to examine it and reveal hidden secrets that many people do not know or understand. To do this, archaeologists, musicians, artists, and experts are interviewed.
Hotaru no Kawa no Mamoribito 
ほたるの川のまもりびと 「Hotaru no Kawa no Mamoribito」
Running Time: 86 mins.
Release Date: July 07th, 2018
Director: Eiji Yamada (IMDB)
Writer: N/A
Starring: Tsuyoshi Kaibe, KENT, Shiro Sano Yayoi Suzuki, Sakiko Uran,
Synopsis: There is a small village in Nagasaki Prefecture just downstream of the Kawagashi River. The villagers are battling against plans for the “Ishiki Dam” and have been fighting for half a century. Some people took compensation money and left but there are still 54 people in 13 households fighting for their homes.