Apparently the 'x' is silent, which might be one of the few subtleties of Godzilla X Kong: The New Empire. Its biggest influence is the Showa era of Godzilla movies. If you know that as an Imperial dynasty rather than a convenient shorthand for kaiju movies then you may have different feelings about the film. The cultural changes of the reign of Showa (also called Hirohito) from 1926 to 1989 are more dramatic than the Odessa steps of Battleship Potemkin or their homage in The Untouchables that bracket the age. For many though it isn't about politics but Gamera, Ebirah, Hedorah, and more.
Some of those films are out and out nonsense, but that doesn't mean they're not enjoyable. Men in rubber suits being dragged by the tail, titles that would vex any typesetter. An earnestness that relies upon po- and straight- facedly reacting to fairies and feet so large...
Some of those films are out and out nonsense, but that doesn't mean they're not enjoyable. Men in rubber suits being dragged by the tail, titles that would vex any typesetter. An earnestness that relies upon po- and straight- facedly reacting to fairies and feet so large...
- 3/31/2024
- by Andrew Robertson
- eyeforfilm.co.uk
This article contains mild Oppenheimer spoilers.
At 8:15 a.m. on the morning of Aug. 6, 1945, an American B-29 bomber called the Enola Gay arrived at its target above the heart of Hiroshima, Japan. Below was a city that had been left relatively untouched by the ravages of the brutal Second World War. That changed to horrifying effect after the B-29 dropped its payload above a bridge at the city’s center: an atomic bomb codenamed “Little Boy.” It would be the first nuclear weapon deployed in anger in the history of humanity. The second came three days later when another A-bomb was dropped on the Japanese city of Nagasaki.
Nearly 80 years later, the carnage and horror these weapons inflicted remain infamous. With each bomb, 40,000 people—men, women, and children—were vaporized in an instant by the heat of an atomic flash. Thousands more perished from the devastation inflicted by the fireball which followed.
At 8:15 a.m. on the morning of Aug. 6, 1945, an American B-29 bomber called the Enola Gay arrived at its target above the heart of Hiroshima, Japan. Below was a city that had been left relatively untouched by the ravages of the brutal Second World War. That changed to horrifying effect after the B-29 dropped its payload above a bridge at the city’s center: an atomic bomb codenamed “Little Boy.” It would be the first nuclear weapon deployed in anger in the history of humanity. The second came three days later when another A-bomb was dropped on the Japanese city of Nagasaki.
Nearly 80 years later, the carnage and horror these weapons inflicted remain infamous. With each bomb, 40,000 people—men, women, and children—were vaporized in an instant by the heat of an atomic flash. Thousands more perished from the devastation inflicted by the fireball which followed.
- 7/21/2023
- by David Crow
- Den of Geek
Movie star John Wayne drew the attention of many international figures, including former Japanese Emperor Hirohito. Various prominent figures didn’t all share positive sentiments for him, but none of them questioned his star power with American moviegoers. Emperor Hirohito and Wayne had a private conversation that a journalist asked about, although the Western legend wasn’t having any of it.
John Wayne drew international attention John Wayne | Screen Archives/Getty Images
Wayne first hit the silver screen in a leading role in Raoul Walsh’s The Big Trail in 1930, but it bombed at the box office. As a result, he wouldn’t see his first glowing success until 1939’s Stagecoach. It was an ensemble piece that still allowed him to shine. The Western adventure was one of many collaborations that the movie star had with legendary filmmaker John Ford.
Many critics didn’t consider Wayne a real actor at the time,...
John Wayne drew international attention John Wayne | Screen Archives/Getty Images
Wayne first hit the silver screen in a leading role in Raoul Walsh’s The Big Trail in 1930, but it bombed at the box office. As a result, he wouldn’t see his first glowing success until 1939’s Stagecoach. It was an ensemble piece that still allowed him to shine. The Western adventure was one of many collaborations that the movie star had with legendary filmmaker John Ford.
Many critics didn’t consider Wayne a real actor at the time,...
- 2/11/2023
- by Jeff Nelson
- Showbiz Cheat Sheet
Following the financial failure of “Dodes’kaden” and the completion of the Soviet-Japanese feature “Dersu Uzala,” Akira Kurosawa would return to the familiar world of jidaigeki. His samurai epic “Kagemusha” would be a successful return to form, wowing audiences with its striking visuals and compelling story. While experimental with the scope as the director’s most ambitious feature at the time was, budget finances were more comfortably assembled than with previous projects. On top of that, the production would also receive additional funds. This other aid was thanks to the help of admirers George Lucas and Francis Ford Coppola, who worked as co-producers, along with international financial support and distribution by 20th Century Fox. At this point, Kurosawa was getting older, yet he was still motivated to create art. A few years later, he would do just that again and went on to release his grand masterpiece “Ran.
- 1/19/2023
- by Sean Barry
- AsianMoviePulse
After a near-five-year break, Kinuyo Tanaka returned behind the camera to direct her fourth feature film, “The Wandering Princess”. The studio Daiei project sees the director take advantage of both color and Cinemascope for the first time, garnering gorgeous results with both. By far Tanaka’s most ambitious directorial effort at this point in her career, the feature is a tragic historical epic that tackles a controversial part of modern Japanese history and is centered around the struggles of women.
“The Wandering Princess” is screening at the BFI London as part of “Kinuyo Tanaka: A Life in Film”
Based on the memoirs of Hiro Saga, the narrative begins at the outset of World War II and follows the story of Ryuko Korinkakura (Machiko Kyô), a distant relative of the emperor Hirohito. With Japan looking to cement ties throughout its empire, Ryuko is chosen as a suitable bride for Futetsu (Eiji Funakoshi...
“The Wandering Princess” is screening at the BFI London as part of “Kinuyo Tanaka: A Life in Film”
Based on the memoirs of Hiro Saga, the narrative begins at the outset of World War II and follows the story of Ryuko Korinkakura (Machiko Kyô), a distant relative of the emperor Hirohito. With Japan looking to cement ties throughout its empire, Ryuko is chosen as a suitable bride for Futetsu (Eiji Funakoshi...
- 8/16/2022
- by Tom Wilmot
- AsianMoviePulse
Many international viewers probably know filmmaker Kinji Fukasaku for his terrific dystopian action-thriller “Battle Royale,” a movie that blends dark comedy with tragedy and kickstarted a narrative concept that would continue to be frequently utilized in other fictional works. Some may associate him with his campy sci-fi features like “The Green Slime.” Yet, early on, the director gave Japanese audiences viscerally outspoken and bold features. Look no further than his yakuza film series “Battles Without Honor and Humanity,” which tears apart Japan’s most operative crime organizations. The director was never afraid to speak his mind on a matter, even if he were to receive criticism as a result. Fukasaku’s mindset is openly expressed in his haunting anti-war masterpiece “Under the Flag of the Rising Sun.”
on Amazon
The film is based on a collection of war short stories by Shoji Yuki. Beyond the source of adaptation,...
on Amazon
The film is based on a collection of war short stories by Shoji Yuki. Beyond the source of adaptation,...
- 8/12/2022
- by Sean Barry
- AsianMoviePulse
The psychological effect war has on the human mind is unimaginable. Following the end of World War II, many anti-war projects would come out of the Japanese entertainment industry from visionaries like Kon Ichikawa, Kaneto Shindo, and Masaki Kobayashi. Jingoistic propaganda was no longer as common and wasn’t being forced upon artists anymore by militarists. Many post-war Japanese war films stand by a humanist nature while reminding audiences how horrific errors should not be repeated. A notable reminder of evolving from past mistakes in history is the superb political thriller “Japan’s Longest Day.”
Based on the non-fiction book of the same name by Kazutoshi Hando and Soichi Oya, this haunting recollection of disturbing events would kickstart the “Toho 8.15 series,” a collection of war movies that recreate Japan’s war history. Fittingly, nihilistic filmmaker and anti-war advocate Kihachi Okamoto would be appointed as the movie’s director and frequent...
Based on the non-fiction book of the same name by Kazutoshi Hando and Soichi Oya, this haunting recollection of disturbing events would kickstart the “Toho 8.15 series,” a collection of war movies that recreate Japan’s war history. Fittingly, nihilistic filmmaker and anti-war advocate Kihachi Okamoto would be appointed as the movie’s director and frequent...
- 8/3/2022
- by Sean Barry
- AsianMoviePulse
If you think you’re wasting your life, consider the case of Second Lieutenant Hiroo Onoda, who spent the years 1945 to 1974 in the jungle of Lubang, in the Philippines, waging the Second World War on behalf of Emperor Hirohito. Talk about fighting for a lost cause; and making a movie about the most famous and among the last of the Japanese “holdout soldiers” of the Pacific War may seem like a similarly foolhardy undertaking for the French filmmaker Arthur Harari.
Continue reading ‘Onoda – 10,000 Nights in the Jungle’ Review: A Moving Epic About A Quixotic Attempt At A Meaningful Life [Ndnf] at The Playlist.
Continue reading ‘Onoda – 10,000 Nights in the Jungle’ Review: A Moving Epic About A Quixotic Attempt At A Meaningful Life [Ndnf] at The Playlist.
- 4/24/2022
- by Mark Asch
- The Playlist
In his latest book about the history of Hollywood, “Hollywood Victory: The Movies, Stars, and Stories of World War II,” IndieWire’s own Managing Editor Christian Blauvelt explores how the industry responded to the onset of World War II and the need to defend the American way of life. In the book, out early next month, Blauvelt digs into how the both the films of Hollywood and the people who made them reoriented their work and lives to serve the war effort and beyond.
In our exclusive excerpt below, Blauvelt unpacks how Hollywood reacted to the attack on Pearl Harbor, thanks to a ticking clock look back at how the news (and its horror) spread throughout Hollywood and beyond.
“The sun is shining, the grass is green / the orange and palm trees sway” goes the opening of Irving Berlin’s oft-discarded verse to “White Christmas.” It could have described the...
In our exclusive excerpt below, Blauvelt unpacks how Hollywood reacted to the attack on Pearl Harbor, thanks to a ticking clock look back at how the news (and its horror) spread throughout Hollywood and beyond.
“The sun is shining, the grass is green / the orange and palm trees sway” goes the opening of Irving Berlin’s oft-discarded verse to “White Christmas.” It could have described the...
- 10/26/2021
- by IndieWire Staff
- Indiewire
As the eyes of the world turned away from the Olympic Summer Games 1964 in Tokyo, empty stadiums remained and little attention was given to the second Paralympic Games ever that were held only a few days after the Olympic Games. Kimio Watanabe’s documentary “Tokyo Paralympics: The Festival of Love and Glory” is one of six, and only one out of the two preserved films that give an account of that event. This very rare piece of history was long-forgotten and was recently discovered and shown to the public.
Tokyo Paralympics is screening at Japan Society (currently postponed)
Due to a lack of funding, the event itself was on the edge and so was the media coverage. The one-long documentary is therefore an important visual record, which allows insights into Japanese society at that time. Watanabe follows a rather humanitarian path and gives a voice to the unheard athletes, who...
Tokyo Paralympics is screening at Japan Society (currently postponed)
Due to a lack of funding, the event itself was on the edge and so was the media coverage. The one-long documentary is therefore an important visual record, which allows insights into Japanese society at that time. Watanabe follows a rather humanitarian path and gives a voice to the unheard athletes, who...
- 4/16/2020
- by Alexander Knoth
- AsianMoviePulse
Conceived by Shôhei Imamura, Kazuo Hara’s audacious, deeply unsettling documentary feature follows Kenzo Okuzaki, a 62-year-old WW2 veteran who has fought tirelessly and often violently to bring to justice Japan’s Emperor Hirohito and the Army commanders whom he holds responsible for the countless deaths and other atrocities involving Japanese soldiers during the war in the Pacific.
Harrowing, unflinching and extraordinarily powerful, Hara’s film pushes against the proprieties of Japanese society (the film remains unreleased in its home country), and forces us to question the relationship between documentary filmmaker and protagonist.
Special Features:
• A new filmed interview with Kazuo Hara, shot exclusively for this release.
• Kazuo Hara Masterclass: the filmmaker in conversation at the 2018 London Open City Documentary Festival event.
• 20-page booklet featuring writing by film historians Tony Rayns, Jason Wood and Abé Mark Nornes.
• New and improved English subtitle translation
• Region free Blu-ray and DVD.
Harrowing, unflinching and extraordinarily powerful, Hara’s film pushes against the proprieties of Japanese society (the film remains unreleased in its home country), and forces us to question the relationship between documentary filmmaker and protagonist.
Special Features:
• A new filmed interview with Kazuo Hara, shot exclusively for this release.
• Kazuo Hara Masterclass: the filmmaker in conversation at the 2018 London Open City Documentary Festival event.
• 20-page booklet featuring writing by film historians Tony Rayns, Jason Wood and Abé Mark Nornes.
• New and improved English subtitle translation
• Region free Blu-ray and DVD.
- 10/26/2019
- by Rouven Linnarz
- AsianMoviePulse
Evidently shot in 2016, but premiering on the festival circuit after the filmmakers’ more recent “The Wall of Mexico” (which debuted at SXSW a month earlier), “When I’m a Moth” is a pretentious and off-putting enterprise one can well imagine sat on the shelf for a while. It does have an intriguing hook, yet that hook turns out to be the most awkward and mystifying element here, since co-directors Zachary Cotler and Magdalena Zyzak have decided to make an obscurantist, heavily symbolic drama set in the Alaskan wilderness … with young Hillary Clinton plopped in the middle of it.
That’s not a joke — but oh, if only it were. There is, in fact, some smidgen of a real-world basis to the premise here: Clinton (then Rodham) has noted that right after graduating from college in 1969, she journeyed to Alaska with some friends, intending to work the summer at a cannery in Valdez.
That’s not a joke — but oh, if only it were. There is, in fact, some smidgen of a real-world basis to the premise here: Clinton (then Rodham) has noted that right after graduating from college in 1969, she journeyed to Alaska with some friends, intending to work the summer at a cannery in Valdez.
- 4/27/2019
- by Dennis Harvey
- Variety Film + TV
It’s the end of an era in Japan.
Today, the Japanese parliament unanimously passed a special law that will allow current Emperor Aikihito to retire.
With passage of the bill, the stage is set for 83-year old Aikihito to become the first emperor to abdicate in over two centuries. Akihito, came to the throne in 1990, asked for the passage of the bill due to health concerns. He battled prostate cancer in 2003 and underwent heart surgery in 2012.
However, the bill applies only to this current Emperor. It creates a three-year period in which the resignation could occur. Japanese media reports...
Today, the Japanese parliament unanimously passed a special law that will allow current Emperor Aikihito to retire.
With passage of the bill, the stage is set for 83-year old Aikihito to become the first emperor to abdicate in over two centuries. Akihito, came to the throne in 1990, asked for the passage of the bill due to health concerns. He battled prostate cancer in 2003 and underwent heart surgery in 2012.
However, the bill applies only to this current Emperor. It creates a three-year period in which the resignation could occur. Japanese media reports...
- 6/9/2017
- by Peter Mikelbank
- PEOPLE.com
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