Happy weekend, everyone!
I hope you are well!!
This is another truncated film trailer post and there are so many titles getting released over this weekend and the next! As far as film review go, I started a mini-season dedicated to Koji Fukada with reviews of Sayonara and Hospitalite.
What is released this weekend?
Ano Hi no Orugan 
あの日のオルガン 「Ano Hi no Orugan」
Running Time: 119 mins.
Release Date: February 22nd, 2019
Director: Emiko Hiramatsu
Writer: Emiko Hiramatsu (Screenplay),
Starring: Erika Toda, Sakurako Ohara,Yui Sakuma, Toko Miura, Mayu Hotta, Momoko Fukuchi, Kae Okumura,
Synopsis: It is World War II and in order to help children escape the fire-bombings of Tokyo, a Kindergarten teacher named Kaede Itakura (Erika Toda) and her friend Mitsue Nonomiya (Sakurako Ohara), persuades the parents at the school to allow them to take their children out to Saitama which is where they seek shelter at an abandoned temple.
The Island of Cats 
ねことじいちゃん 「Neko to Jiichan」
Running Time: 103 mins.
Release Date: February 22nd, 2019
Director: Mitsuaki Iwago
Writer: Fumi Tsubota (Screenplay), Nekomaki (Manga)
Starring: Shinosuke Tatekawa, Kou Shibasaki, Kaoru Kobayashi, Tasuku Emoto, Yuki Katayama, Toshie Kobayashi,
Synopsis: Daikichi (Shinosuke Tatekawa) is a 70-year-old widower who lives on a small island with his cat Tama. Life is good and he has other friends but Daikichi’s son Tsuyoshi (Takashi Yamanaka), who lives in Tokyo, is worried about his father living alone on the island, especially as his physical condition worsens with age. His daily life begins to change…
Omaera Zenin Mendokusai! 
お前ら全員めんどくさい！ 「Omaera Zenin Mendokusai!」
Running Time: 79 mins.
Release Date: February 23rd, 2019
Director: Tadaaki Horai
Writer: Yuko Nakamura (Screenplay), TOBI (Manga)
Starring: Kensho Ono, Arisa Komiya, Himika Akaneya, Yuno Ohara, Sayaka Tomaru, Reiko Muto,
Synopsis: Kunihiko Kunitachi (Kensho Ono) is a teacher at a high school who makes friends with a lonely student named Kazumi Kazumiya (Arisa Komiya). Nothing too wrong with that but when she begins to follow him around he can’t shake her off and when he tries to make new friends for her, these new friends attach themselves to him…
Rin 
凜 りん 「Rin」
Running Time: 83 mins.
Release Date: February 22nd, 2019
Director: Katsuhiko Ikeda
Writer: Mako Watanabe (Screenplay), Naoki Matayoshi (Stageplay)
Starring: Hayato Sano, Kanata Hongo, Kenta Suga, Yuki Kameda, Keisuke Sakurai, Yuna Taira, Hikaru Osawa,
Synopsis: Tendo (Kanata Hongo) has transferred schools from Tokyo to a small village where he meets classmate Kouta Noda (Hayato Sano). The two become friends but Tendo is a bit of an outsider. He discovers that the village has a legend about a child disappearing once every 100 years.
Samurai Marathon 1855 
サムライマラソン 「Samurai Marason」
Running Time: 104 mins.
Release Date: February 22nd, 2019
Director: Bernard Rose
Writer: Hiroshi Saito, Bernard Rose (Screenplay), Akihiro Dobashi (Manga)
Starring: Takeru Satoh, Shota Sometani, Mirai Moriyama, Nana Komatsu, Munetaka Aoki, Hiroki Hasegawa, Etsushi Toyokawa, Naoto Takenaka, Danny Huston, Junko Abe, Mugi Kadowaki, Mariko Tsutsui,
Whoa! Bernard Rose, the guy who directed Candyman and Paperhouse has travelled to Japan to do this jidaigeki! It’s produced by Jeremy Thomas (Merry Christmas Mr Lawrence) and has a score by American composer Philip Glass! There’s an awesome star-studded cast who should need no introduction, as well. Here’s some background on the film over at Variety. It’s also based on real history (link).
Synopsis: It is the 1850s and feudal Japan is thrown into chaos as Americans led by Commodore Perry (Danny Huston) have parked their battleships off the coast and demanded the country open up. Katsuaki Itakura (Hiroki Hasegawa) is a feudal lord who runs Annaka-han and to toughen up his warriors for potential attacks, he holds a marathon that runs along a mountain path for about 58 kilometres. Samurai of all stripes are expected to take part but so has the lord’s rebellious daughter, Princess Yuki (Nana Komatsu) who escapes the castle to take part in the dangerous marathon. What is a simple exercise is mistakenly viewed as an act of treason by the central Edo government. Jinnai Karasawa (Takeru Satoh) is a ninja who has infiltrated Annaka to masquerade as a samurai in the service of Katsuaki Itakura and spy but he realises the mistake by his government and tries to stop assassins already making their way to the lord’s castle.
Tonde Saitama 
翔んで埼玉 「Tonde Saitama」
Running Time: 107 mins.
Release Date: February 22nd, 2019
Director: Hideki Takeuchi
Writer: Yuichi Tokunaga (Screenplay), Mineo Maya (Manga)
Starring: Fumi Nikaido, Gackt, Yusuke Iseya, Masaki Kyomoto, Kumiko Aso, Haruka Shimazaki, Naoto Takenaka,
Synopsis: Tokyo is where all the beautiful people live and it is run by the father of Momomi Hakuhodo (Fumi Nikaido), a male high school student who looks like a girl. Saitama is where all the peasants live, as we all know, and people from there are persecuted. However, one day, Momomi meets mysterious male transfer student Rei Asami (Gackt) and they fall in love but Asami is from Saitama Prefecture…
When Mother Died, I Thought That I Wanted to Eat Remains 
母を亡くした時、僕は遺骨を食べたいと思った。 「Haha o Nakushita Toki, Boku wa Ikotsu o Tabetai to Omotta」
Running Time: 108 mins.
Release Date: February 22nd, 2019
Director: Tatsushi Omori
Writer: Tatsushi Omori (Screenplay), Satoshi Miyagawa (Manga)
Starring: Ken Yasuda, Mitsuko Baisho, Nao Matsushita, Jun Murakami, Renji Ishibashi,
Synopsis: Satoshi (Ken Yasuda) has always been supported by his mother Akiko (Mitsuko Baisho), a gentle, but strong woman, but when she is diagnosed with cancer it is Satoshi’s turn to take care of her. Fortunately, Satoshi’s girlfriend Mari (Nao Matsushita), his father Toshiaki (Renji Ishibashi) and his older brother Yuichi (Jun Murakami) rally together. A year later, Satoshi receives a present from his mother.
Boku no kanojo wa mahoutsukai 
僕の彼女は魔法使い 「Boku no kanojo wa mahoutsukai」
Running Time: 108 mins.
Release Date: February 22nd, 2019
Director: Hideki Kyota
Writer: Takao Okawa (Screenplay),
Starring: Yoshiko Sengen, Hinako Saeki, Kaito Umezaki, Mizuki Harumiya, Ko Takasugi, Mansaku Fuwa,
Synopsis: The actress Fumika Shimizu changed her name to Yoshiko Sengen after joining the Happy Science religion and how she has made a fantasy drama for them (written by the guy that runs the organisation) in which she plays a schoolgirl with magical powers who is reunited with her fated one, Yuichi, after they have been split apart. She finds that she is in the middle of a war between white and black magic.
Junction 29 
ジャンクション29 「Jankushon 29」
Running Time: 101 mins.
Release Date: February 22nd, 2019
Director: Atsushi Ueda, Akihisa Yamada
Writer: Atsushi Ueda, Shinya Tamada, Emi Iizuka (Screenplay),
Starring: Junsuke Tanaka, Chikara Honda, Ryo Sato, Daikichi Sugawara, Masaru Mizuno, Yoshihiko Hosoda, Ataru Nakamura, Aoi Kato, Takafumi Honda, Shingo Mizusawa,
Synopsis: Male idol group Boys and Men take on roles of guys who are about to hit 30. They each lead different lives as shown in this omnibus film. One guy makes indie movies while still living off his parents, one is a struggling manga artist, one plays the president of a marriage consultation office called “Super Matchmen” and another plays a YouTube-like star who is losing viewers.
Michikusa 
道草 「Michikusa」
Running Time: 95 mins.
Release Date: February 23rd, 2019
Director: Daisuke Shishido
Writer: N/A
Starring: N/A
Synopsis: This documentary looks at those with mental disabilities and behavioural disorders and the carers who live with them. It covers a spectrum from autism to self-harm and they find their daily life is sometimes limited to living in hospitals or with their parents but there are efforts to get these people to live full lives on their own with just a helper visiting. This hopefully keeps them a part of society.
Mirai no Atashi 
未来のあたし 「Mirai no Atashi」
Running Time: 19 mins.
Release Date: February 23rd, 2019
Director: Keisuke Toyoshima
Writer: Keisuke Toyoshima (Screenplay),
Starring: Atsuko Sakurai, Nana Oda, Ritsu Otomo, Shingo Otsu, Ruka Wakabayashi,
Synopsis: Keyakizaka member Nana Oda stars in a time-slip film where a woman travels 30 years back in time to see herself during her high school days. Frustrated with her current life, the older woman realises she has a chance to change things…
Made in Japan 
日本製造 メイド・イン・ジャパン 「Nihon Seizo Meido in Japan」
Running Time: 30 mins.
Release Date: February 23rd, 2019
Director: Yusaku Matsumoto
Writer: Yusaku Matsumoto (Screenplay),
Starring: Atsuko Sakurai, Nana Oda, Ritsu Otomo, Shingo Otsu, Ruka Wakabayashi,
Synopsis: MOOSIC LAB 2018 films are slowly being released and this one comes from writer/director Yusaku Matsumoto who directed the feature Noise (2018). The story centres around a violent murder in an industrial area. A guy name Kyoichi who works at a nearby factory has inside information and finds himself part of a media storm.
Sora no Hitomi to Katatsumuri 
空の瞳とカタツムリ 「Sora no Hitomi to Katatsumuri」
Running Time: 120 mins.
Release Date: August 20th, 2017
Director: Hisashi Saito
Writer: Misaki Arai (Screenplay),
Starring: En Nakagami, Kanon Nawata, Takahiro Miura, Ryusuke Fujiwara, Shungiku Uchida,
Synopsis: Tomoko, Mujika and Takaya are three childhood friends who have grown to be entangled in a messy set of relationships where their emotions shift between needing carnal relations to fill in emptiness or needing nothing but fidelity. Their relationships suffer a breakdown over time… This is based on a story by Shinji Somai, apparently.
Chimamire sukeban chenso red: Kohen – Giko no kakusei
血まみれスケバンチェーンソーRED 後編 ギーコの覚醒 「Chimamire sukeban chenso red: Kohen – Giko no kakusei」
Running Time: 54 mins.
Release Date: February 22nd, 2019
Director: Hiroki Yamaguchi
Writer: Mitsunori Fukuhara (Screenplay), Rei Mikamoto (Manga)
Starring: Nana Asakawa, Ano, Jun Aonami, Nanami Hidaka, Momoko Kaechi, Asana Mamoru, Izumi Sano,
Chimamire sukeban chenso red: Kohen – Nero no fukushu 
血まみれスケバンチェーンソーRED 前編 ネロの復讐 「Chimamire sukeban chenso red: Kohen – Nero no fukushu 」
Running Time: 54 mins.
Release Date: February 22nd, 2019
Director: Hiroki Yamaguchi
Writer: Mitsunori Fukuhara (Screenplay), Rei Mikamoto (Manga)
Starring: Nana Asakawa, Ano, Kaori Tsubaki, Nanami Hidaka, Momoko Kaechi, Asana Mamoru, Sasa Handa,
Synopsis: Geeko Nomura (Nana Asakawa) is a student at Uguisu Academy but she seems to be the only thing with a pulse after classmate Nero Aoi (Ano) turns the student body into zombies. Geeko is the final target but she is armed with a big chainsaw… This has been strung out into two films and was the recipient of a film back in 2016.