Happy weekend, people!
I hope everyone is feeling great!
I have instituted a new sort of learning and writing regime whereby all of the film stuff is done at the start of the week and the end of the week is dedicated to learning languages. This week I posted some news articles about the release of SABU’s 1996 film Dangan Runner and the a series of free events in London dedicated to the actor Kinuyo Tanaka. I watched Triple 9 (2016), Train to Busan (2016) and Inuyashiki (2018) this week and I’m planning on watching something tonight but the list of titles is pretty large so I don’t know what yet. The image above is from Haruneko… I want to watch Seoul Station…
What is released this weekend?
The House Where The Mermaid Sleeps 
人魚の眠る家 「Ningyo no Nemuru Ie」
Running Time: 120 mins.
Release Date: November 16th, 2018
Director: Yukihiko Tsutsumi
Writer: Eriko Shinozaki (Screenplay), Keigo Higashino (Original Novel)
Starring: Ryoko Shinohara, Hidetoshi Nishijima, Kurumi Inagaki, Kentaro Sakaguchi, Rina Kawaei, Sayaka Yamaguchi, Min Tanaka,
Synopsis: Kaoruko Harima (Ryoko Shinohara) and her husband Kazuaki (Hidetoshi Nishijima) have two children but live separately from each other. Kaoroku takes care of them and they are preparing to divorce after their daughter’s exam for elementary school. However, an accident in a pool leaves their daughter brain dead and with no chance to recover. The couple are faced with two tough choices: donate Mizuho’s organs to others in need or wait until Mizuho’s heart stops beating.
The Suzuki’s Family Lie 
鈴木家の嘘 「Suzukike no Uso」
Running Time: 133 mins.
Release Date: November 16th, 2018
Director: Katsumi Nojiri
Writer: Katsumi Nojiri (Screenplay),
Starring: Ittoku Kishibe, Hideko Hara, Mai Kiryu, Ryo Kase, Nahoko Yoshimoto, Shohei Uno, Chiaki Kawamo, Nao Omori, Kayoko Kishimoto,
Synopsis: The Suzuki family is pretty modest. There is father Yukio (Ittoku Kishibe), mother Yuko (Hideko Hara), son Koichi (Ryo Kase) and daughter Fumi (Mai Kiryu). Koichi is a hikikomori but at least he’s alive. Then, one day, he isn’t. Without the least warning he drops dead and throws everyone into confusion. Yuko is so shocked by her son’s death she loses her memory which leads Fumi to lie to her in order to preserve her sanity. That lie is pretty big, “Koichi stopped being a hikikomori, got better and now works in Argentina”. How does one keep up that story???
No Matter How Much My Mom Hates Me 
母さんがどんなに僕を嫌いでも 「Kaasan ga donna ni boku wo kirai demo」
Running Time: 104 mins.
Release Date: November 16th, 2018
Director: Osamu Minorikawa
Writer: Yosuke Otani (Screenplay), Taiji Utagawa (Original Essay)
Starring: Taiga, Yo Yoshida, Harutomo Koyama, Hana Kino, Yoichiro Saito, Hajime Okayama, Win Morisaki, Shunya Shiraishi, Mika Azuki,
Synopsis: Taiji (Taiga) hasn’t seen his mother Mitsuko (Yo Yoshida) for years. He loves her but she hates him. His past with her was a difficult issue and he left long ago but after many years of not seeing her he to regain his mother’s love.
Samurai Teacher 
サムライせんせい 「Samurai Sensei」
Running Time: 93 mins.
Release Date: November 16th, 2018
Director: Kazushi Watanabe
Writer: Kazushi Watanabe (Screenplay), Esusuke Kuroe (Original Manga)
Starring: Hayato Ichihara, Shugo Oshinari, Gaku Oshida, Iriya Take, Yukijiro Hotaru, Yusei Nishimura, Shota Takasaki, Yuji Nakamura,
Synopsis: Takechi Hanpeita (Ryo Nishikido) was a real person and he campaigned for the expulsion of foreigners from Japan during the Bakumatsu period. Sounds like a fun guy. He had his reasons, namely Commodore Perry barging in but after some political machinations and assassinations, he was arrested, imprisoned and ordered to commit sepuku. Well, in this film he timeslips to modern-day Japan which is awash with foreigners so I bet he’s pleased. Anyway, he is taken in by a kind-hearted elderly man who runs a cram school and he becomes a teacher there. True to himself he makes little effort to conceal his disdain for the Westernisation of his beloved homeland but finds himself slowly adapting to his new life while figuring ways to get back to his wife in the past.
The Gun 
銃 「Juu」
Running Time: 97 mins.
Release Date: November 17th, 2018
Director: Masaharu Take
Writer: Masaharu Take, Hideki Shishido (Screenplay), Fuminori Nakamura (Original Novel)
Starring: Nijiro Murakami, Alice Hirose, Lily Franky, Kyoko Hinami, Risa Niigaki, Junpei Goto, Moemi Katayama, Amane Okayama,
Synopsis: University student Toru Nishikawa (Nijiro Murakami) has one think on his mind and that is Yuko Yoshikawa (Alice Hirose), a pretty girl on the same campus. His attention is diverted when he finds a gun by a river one rainy day. Instead of turning it in to the police he takes it home and becomes fixated by it. He gets a sense of euphoria looking at it and thrills over having it. Then he is visited by a detective (Lily Franky) whose presence pushes him to make a bad decision…
Out & Out 
アウト＆アウト 「Auto & Auto」
Running Time: 106 mins.
Release Date: November 16th, 2018
Director: Kazuhiro Kiuchi
Writer: Kazuhiro Kiuchi, Kushino Hasebe, (Screenplay),
Starring: Kenichi Endo, Kenshiro Iwai, Tamaki Shiratori, Arisa Komiya, Gaku Nakanishi, Nobuyasu Sakai, Kazuhito Ando,
Synopsis: Kenichi Endo plays a former yakuza who now works as a detective. He’s called to meet a new client at a specific place but what he discovers at the location is a corpse and a whole lot of trouble. It seems his only ally is an elementary school girl who he isn’t even related to…
TAKE ME TO THE OH!ITA Kishou Taniyama’s Rocky Holiday 
TAKE ME TO THE OH!ITA 谷山紀章のロックな休日2 「TAKE ME TO THE OH!ITA taniyama kishou no rokkuna kyuujitsu 2」
Running Time: 71 mins.
Release Date: November 16th, 2018
Director: N/A
Writer: N/A
Starring: Kishou Taniyama, Katsu Anri, Yuu Hayashi,
Synopsis: This is a variety movie given a limited theatrical release. Cine Libre in Ikebukuro are going to screen it before the DVD hits stores like ANIMATE on December 05th. Fans of the voice actor/singer Kishou Taniyama get to see him and two friends travel to Oita Prefecture and enjoy delicious food and drink from the area while taking in the beautiful scenery.
PEACE MAKER Kurogane Friend 
PEACE MAKER 鐵 友命（ユウメイ） 「PEACE MAKER Kurogane Yuumei 」
Release Date: November 17th, 2018
Running Time: 57 mins.
Director: Shigeru Kimiya
Writer: Eiji Umehara (Screenplay), Nanae Chrono (Original Manga)
Starring: Takahiro Sakurai (Susumu Yamazaki), Yuuki Kaji (Tetsunosuke Ichimura – adolescent), Yumiko Kobayashi (Tetsunosuke Ichimura – child), Takashi Matsuyama (Hajime Saito), Mitsuki Saiga (Soushi Okita),
Animation Production: WHITE FOX
Synopsis: The battle of Toba-fushimi began between the Shogunate Army and the Satsuma, Choshu, and Tosa Armies and our characters are caught up in the action…
MAKI 
マキ 「MAKI」
Running Time: 89 mins.
Release Date: November 17th, 2018
Director: Naghmeh Shirkhan
Writer: Naghmeh Shirkhan (Screenplay),
Starring: Mieko Harada, Julian Cihi, Naomi Sunberg, Gina Hiraizumi, Shiori Ichikawa, Yuko Torihara, Azumi Tsutsui, Dai Ishiguro,
Synopsis: This story is about a young and lonely girl named Maki who left Japan and went to America. She finds herself in the Japanese community in New York but is unable to speak English very well so the type of work that she gets is in a luxury Japanese club as a hostess where she is torn between her bartender and the boss.
Mesaia Maboroshi Yoruno Koku 
メサイア 幻夜乃刻 「Mesaia Maboroshi Yoruno Koku」
Running Time: 87 mins.
Release Date: November 17th, 2018
Director: Hiroki Yamaguchi
Writer: Nobuhiro Mori, Eiko Nishimori (Screenplay), Takamori Yen (Orignal Work)
Starring: Taishi Sugie, James Takeshi Yamada, Ikkei Yamamoto, Shinichi Hashimoto, Yuya Asato,
Synopsis: The “Messiah Project” that is a multimedia franchise stretching from book to stage to screen. It is based on Takamori Yen’s “Messiah Security Bureau Special Public Security Bureau” books and features a setting where a worldwide disarmament agreement has led to a ban on weapons everywhere so information warfare and spycraft are how agencies and states compete. Here, rival spies are ambushed by a powerful foe.