Clockwise left to right: Get Out (Universal Pictures), This Is Spinal Tap (MGM Home Entertainment), That Thing You Do! (20th Century Studios), Lady Bird (A24)Graphic: The A.V. Club
It’s always neat when someone you’ve admired shows off a hidden talent that makes you see them in a different light.
It’s always neat when someone you’ve admired shows off a hidden talent that makes you see them in a different light.
- 4/12/2024
- by Mary Kate Carr, Saloni Gajjar, Drew Gillis, William Hughes, Matthew Jackson, Jarrod Jones, Emma Keates, Jacob Oller, Matt Schimkowitz, and Cindy White
- avclub.com
Mubi’s retrospective Takeshi Kitano: Destroy All Yakuza—featuring Violent Cop, Boiling Point, and Outrage Coda—is now showing in the United States, Canada, and select countries.Kubi.The presidential suite of the Grand Hotel Yerevan sits at the end of an amber-lit, carpeted corridor. The door comes fitted with its own CCTV camera, the concierge proudly gloats as an elevator slingshots us several floors above the ground, “so guests can feel safer.” Not that the current occupant has much to worry about. Guarding the suite on this exceptionally hot July afternoon is a small platoon of suit-clad Japanese men, looking equally stern and jet-lagged. The lucky few who get to pad in and out of the room do so in reverential silence, and even those outside speak in hushed voices, lest he should be disturbed. "He" is somewhere in the suite right now, and his name is Takeshi Kitano.
- 1/11/2024
- MUBI
Starting his career with an uncredited role in Akira Kurosawa's “Ran” in 1985, the first role anybody would have noticed Susumu Terajima would have been in Takeshi Kitano's 1989 debut “Violent Cop”, as a drug addict henchman. Since then, he has been a notable face in many a cops vs. thugs film, among others, now with over 200 credits to his name.
Having been a regular with some of Japan's leading directors, notably Kitano, Takashi Miike, Hirokazu Koreeda and Sabu, to name but a few, he is typically always the bridesmaid, never the bride. Terajima's career has been one of support roles, not often taking the lead, but his face is a reliable one, with many top directors turning to him, and any Japanese cinema connoisseur will need more than 2 hands to count the number of roles of his they've seen.
Here are some standouts from his career that has seen him play: a likeable,...
Having been a regular with some of Japan's leading directors, notably Kitano, Takashi Miike, Hirokazu Koreeda and Sabu, to name but a few, he is typically always the bridesmaid, never the bride. Terajima's career has been one of support roles, not often taking the lead, but his face is a reliable one, with many top directors turning to him, and any Japanese cinema connoisseur will need more than 2 hands to count the number of roles of his they've seen.
Here are some standouts from his career that has seen him play: a likeable,...
- 11/24/2023
- by Andrew Thayne
- AsianMoviePulse
The Film Department of the Tokyo University of Arts has a high-profile council consisting of the directors Nobuhiro Suwa and Akihito Shiota, the screenwriters Michiko Oishi and Yuji Sakamoto, and from the production sector Shoji Masui and Shozo Ichiyama. Every year the department presents a body of work from its students. This year, nine students and three alumni from the university created 11 silent films spanning from mysteries, thrillers, monsters, samurai tales, and animation, which were released under the title “Silent Movie”. On the occasion of Japan Society's Japan Cuts Film Festival, the audience gets the opportunity to see the next generation of filmmakers play with cinema's past. Because all films are narrated by a so-called benshi, a storyteller that dubs the moving images. Renowned benshi Ichiro Kataoka picks up the old tradition and mixes modern with forgotten tradition.
Silent Movie is screening at Japan Cuts
Connected by the reoccurring theme of relationships,...
Silent Movie is screening at Japan Cuts
Connected by the reoccurring theme of relationships,...
- 7/31/2023
- by Alexander Knoth
- AsianMoviePulse
For all their grisly mayhem, the earliest films by Takeshi Kitano all demonstrated a keen grasp of negation. Violence was an omnipresent fixture of his first crime capers––from Violent Cop (1989) to Fireworks (1997)––but it unfolded in hiccups. The director enjoyed trading in tantalizing elisions, and his most gruesome scenes would often leave the action offscreen, offering a set-up and aftermath while cutting the most dramatic moments––an approach that would become more frequent after A Scene at the Sea (1991), the first feature he’d edit himself. It was as if Kitano had realized the most visceral shots were those left on the cutting room floor and proceeded to fashion those early projects on an iceberg principle: prodding one to imagine the bloodletting without ever displaying it in full. It was a style predicated on absence; it made the violence all the more vivid, the films all the more original.
- 5/23/2023
- by Leonardo Goi
- The Film Stage
Kitano Takeshi, a contemporary icon of Japanese cinema, is to receive a lifetime achievement award next month at the Far East Film Festival in Udine, Italy.
“A legendary artist on Friday the 29th of April will receive the Golden Mulberry Award for lifetime achievement on the stage of Feff 24,” the festival announced Friday with barely concealed delight.
Kitano who has film credits as writer, director, producer and performer, as well as a whole TV comedy career, is known for the brutal sergeant he played alongside David Bowie and Sakamoto Ryuichi in Oshima Nagisa’s “Merry Christmas, Mr. Lawrence,” and for incursions into Hollywood in “Johnny Mnemonic” and “Ghost in the Shell.”
His Japanese oeuvre ranges from fine art to gangster genre thriller. He has credits in film noir (“Violent Cop”), romance (“A Scene at the Sea”), drama masterpieces and hard-boiled cult saga “Outrage.”
“For Far East Film Festival 24, a truly...
“A legendary artist on Friday the 29th of April will receive the Golden Mulberry Award for lifetime achievement on the stage of Feff 24,” the festival announced Friday with barely concealed delight.
Kitano who has film credits as writer, director, producer and performer, as well as a whole TV comedy career, is known for the brutal sergeant he played alongside David Bowie and Sakamoto Ryuichi in Oshima Nagisa’s “Merry Christmas, Mr. Lawrence,” and for incursions into Hollywood in “Johnny Mnemonic” and “Ghost in the Shell.”
His Japanese oeuvre ranges from fine art to gangster genre thriller. He has credits in film noir (“Violent Cop”), romance (“A Scene at the Sea”), drama masterpieces and hard-boiled cult saga “Outrage.”
“For Far East Film Festival 24, a truly...
- 3/18/2022
- by Patrick Frater
- Variety Film + TV
Whereas Takeshi Kitano’s ninth feature as a director seems like a return to the yakuza genre, and thus characters and themes he had already explored in works like “Sonatine”, “Violent Cop” and “Hana-Bi”, the project itself marks a fundamental turning point in the career of the filmmaker. For a long time, he and producer Masayuki Mori had been negotiating with US-American producer Jeremy Thomas for “Brother”, a film whose story would be set in both Japan and the USA, more specifically Tokyo and Los Angeles. As Thomas puts it, the greatest challenge was to make sure Kitano would have the same working conditions in the United States he was accustomed to from his works in Japan. Eventually, “Brother” began filming in late 1999 and was finished in early 2000, and thus became an entry into the director’s filmography which seems to divide his fans to this day.
Buy This...
Buy This...
- 2/1/2022
- by Rouven Linnarz
- AsianMoviePulse
In the thirteenth episode of Amp Talks, Panos Kotzathanasis Tom Wilmot and Rouven Linnarz discuss Takeshi Kitano’s Violent Cop
How he ended up directing in the stead of Kinji FukasakuThe similarities of the movie and Azuma with Dirty HarryThe deconstruction of the role of the policeman, the roles of Azuma, Iwaki and KikuchiViolence, irony and comedyAzuma vs KiyohiroMemorable scenes: the slapping scene, the shoot-out, chasing a suspect, the duel sceneKitano as AzumaHakuryu as Kiyohiro, Ittoku Kishibe as Nito, Maiko Kawakami as Akari, Makoto Ashikawa as Kikuchi...
How he ended up directing in the stead of Kinji FukasakuThe similarities of the movie and Azuma with Dirty HarryThe deconstruction of the role of the policeman, the roles of Azuma, Iwaki and KikuchiViolence, irony and comedyAzuma vs KiyohiroMemorable scenes: the slapping scene, the shoot-out, chasing a suspect, the duel sceneKitano as AzumaHakuryu as Kiyohiro, Ittoku Kishibe as Nito, Maiko Kawakami as Akari, Makoto Ashikawa as Kikuchi...
- 4/30/2021
- by Panos Kotzathanasis
- AsianMoviePulse
Fox’s free streaming service, Tubi, offers over 30,000 movies and TV shows from nearly every major studio and is available on over 25 devices including Roku, Amazon Fire TV, Comcast Xfinity, and more. The service offers free movies to residents of Canada and the USA with intermittent commercials when streaming content.
With a huge collection of foreign-language film Tubi has plenty to offer for those who want watch a movie in honor of the Lunar New Year. You can browse the their collection of foreign titles over at Tubi.tv. We have highlighted a few titles currently available below.
Ip Man: The Final Fight (2013) by Herman Yau
“Ip Man : The Final Fight” is a kung-fu melodrama following Ip Man’s move to Hong Kong in 1949. The story is told in a series of vignettes, sketching out incidents and dramas of Ip Man’s time in Hong Kong, entwined with the stories of his students.
With a huge collection of foreign-language film Tubi has plenty to offer for those who want watch a movie in honor of the Lunar New Year. You can browse the their collection of foreign titles over at Tubi.tv. We have highlighted a few titles currently available below.
Ip Man: The Final Fight (2013) by Herman Yau
“Ip Man : The Final Fight” is a kung-fu melodrama following Ip Man’s move to Hong Kong in 1949. The story is told in a series of vignettes, sketching out incidents and dramas of Ip Man’s time in Hong Kong, entwined with the stories of his students.
- 2/11/2021
- by Adam Symchuk
- AsianMoviePulse
The early life of Japanese cultural icon Takeshi “Beat” Kitano is set to have a the biopic treatment in a film, it has been announced today. The film, titled “Asakusa Kid”, will be based on the memoir written by Kitano himself and will focus on the early career of the comedian and legendary director.
The focus of the story will be on the relationship between the young Kitano, starting when he was working at a strip club in the Tokyo entertainment district of Asakusa, and Fukami, who was the club’s reigning comic.
The project will be directed and written for screen by comic Gekidan Hitori, who also directed the 2014 drama “Bolt from the Blue”. Yuya Yagira, best known for Koreeda’s “Nobody Knows” and for playing Toshiro Hijitaka in the live-action adaptation of the “Gintama” series, will play Kitano while Yo Oizumi (“I am a Hero“) will play Fukami Senzaburo,...
The focus of the story will be on the relationship between the young Kitano, starting when he was working at a strip club in the Tokyo entertainment district of Asakusa, and Fukami, who was the club’s reigning comic.
The project will be directed and written for screen by comic Gekidan Hitori, who also directed the 2014 drama “Bolt from the Blue”. Yuya Yagira, best known for Koreeda’s “Nobody Knows” and for playing Toshiro Hijitaka in the live-action adaptation of the “Gintama” series, will play Kitano while Yo Oizumi (“I am a Hero“) will play Fukami Senzaburo,...
- 11/25/2020
- by Rhythm Zaveri
- AsianMoviePulse
Takeshi Kitano is one of the most recognizable contemporary Japanese filmmakers internationally, with films like “Sonatine” and “Hana-bi” having screened in festivals all over the world and netting numerous awards, Venice’s Golden Lion included. However, before becoming an director in 1989 with “Violent Cop”, Kitano also had a significant career as an actor (among other capacities) that reaches as far in as 1969, and currently numbers 68 credits to his name. This list is a celebration of his work as an actor. In case you are wondering, no, “Johnny Mnemonic” and “Ghost in the Shell” are not among them, and yes, the order of films is completely random
1. Shunpei in Blood and Bones
Takeshi Kitano is sublime in the central role, portraying an awful and very violent man, who does not seem to have any shred of kindness or benevolence on him. Sai, through Shunpei and the impact he has to those around him,...
1. Shunpei in Blood and Bones
Takeshi Kitano is sublime in the central role, portraying an awful and very violent man, who does not seem to have any shred of kindness or benevolence on him. Sai, through Shunpei and the impact he has to those around him,...
- 7/27/2020
- by AMP Group
- AsianMoviePulse
The British Film Institute (BFI) is launching a major six-month season, Japan 2020, on BFI Player from 11 May, with new collections including Akira Kurosawa, Yasujiro Ozu, independent, cult, anime, 21st century and J-Horror.
This major season will spotlight filmmakers who have inspired admiration and fascination around the world. It will start with Akira Kurosawa, and over the coming months it’ll present films from the Golden Age, a focus on Yasujiro Ozu, new wave rebels, the visionary creations of anime, the netherworlds of J-horror, and so much more from archive rarities to contemporary works and cult classics.
New online collections will be released each month, and is expected to be presented at BFI Southbank and cinemas nationwide later this year.
BFI Japan will include:
A major season on BFI Player, divided into thematic collections and released between May and October: Akira Kurosawa (11 May), Classics (11 May), Yasujiro Ozu (5 June), Cult (3 July), Anime...
This major season will spotlight filmmakers who have inspired admiration and fascination around the world. It will start with Akira Kurosawa, and over the coming months it’ll present films from the Golden Age, a focus on Yasujiro Ozu, new wave rebels, the visionary creations of anime, the netherworlds of J-horror, and so much more from archive rarities to contemporary works and cult classics.
New online collections will be released each month, and is expected to be presented at BFI Southbank and cinemas nationwide later this year.
BFI Japan will include:
A major season on BFI Player, divided into thematic collections and released between May and October: Akira Kurosawa (11 May), Classics (11 May), Yasujiro Ozu (5 June), Cult (3 July), Anime...
- 5/11/2020
- by Adriana Rosati
- AsianMoviePulse
Even though “Sonatine” was only his fourth film as a director, for many fans and critics it is still one of the best by Takeshi Kitano and arguably an important milestone in his career as it received much international attention, thanks to directors like Quentin Tarantino, whose production company decided to release “Sonatine” as one of their first titles for American audiences. However, for Kitano himself, the importance of this film is much more personal as it is artistic, evident in the title of the movie itself, which himself explains as an indicator that he finally was able to use the various devices and means within the medium on a basic level, similar to a student of the piano practicing basic pieces. All modesty aside, “Sonatine” is quite an impressive movie which not only continues its director’s themes of deconstruction, but also the idea of how beauty is connected to death.
- 4/22/2020
- by Rouven Linnarz
- AsianMoviePulse
After he had given his debut as director in “Violent Cop”, Takeshi Kitano obviously found a liking to having more control over a project. His second feature film “Boiling Point” is therefore an important creative step for him as he not only acts and directs, but also wrote the script and even collaborated with Toshio Taniguchi on the editing of the final film, making this one the first “complete” Kitano film in his body of work. The outcome of his effort is a film which is very difficult to categorize, which removes itself even further from notions like genre and other formal concepts such as the idea of the protagonist. However, within the context of his body of work, “Boiling Point” sets the foundation to the overall deconstruction of these aforementioned aspects and introduces the sort of deadpan humor as well as the notion of melancholia which would become trademarks...
- 4/20/2020
- by Rouven Linnarz
- AsianMoviePulse
Mubi's retrospective Takeshi Kitano: Destroy All Yakuza is showing January 18 - March 28, 2020 in the United States.Illustration by Yuwei QiuWhen veteran genre director Kinji Fukasaku pulled out of Violent Cop (1989), the film’s star, Takeshi Kitano, was a 42-year-old TV icon averaging seven small screen appearances a week. By the late 1980s, Kitano had achieved household name notoriety among Japanese audiences under the alter ego of irreverent comedian “Beat” Takeshi (one half of the stand-up manzai comedy duo The Two Beats). To see him star in anything other than his bawdy prime-time network shows led to short-circuits no audience seemed able to handle.. Violent Cop was not the first supposedly serious film Kitano would appear in, but it’d be the first he’d ever helm. With Fukasaku out of the picture, the producers turned to Kitano, and the man—who’d never directed before, and was at...
- 1/31/2020
- MUBI
Back in the glory days of the Roman Porno, Nikkatsu Studios were pumping out the titles rather quickly, which always managed to entertain, for the most part, that firmly kept up their status in the genre. Initially released at the height of the studios’ power under the title ‘Mesunekotachi no yoru,’ the film typified their Roman Porno line of films and emerges as one of their better efforts overall.
The film was screened at Five Flavours,
Working as a bathhouse prostitute, Masako and her street-whore friend Jun are among a troop of girls passed around by the mob in downtown Tokyo called ‘The Turkish Paradise.’ She begins a sexual relationship with her bisexual neighbor Honda who’s other lover is male prostitute Makoto who has recently fallen in love with a young woman. When the three-way relationship starts to strain due to the unusual circumstances, they try to solve the...
The film was screened at Five Flavours,
Working as a bathhouse prostitute, Masako and her street-whore friend Jun are among a troop of girls passed around by the mob in downtown Tokyo called ‘The Turkish Paradise.’ She begins a sexual relationship with her bisexual neighbor Honda who’s other lover is male prostitute Makoto who has recently fallen in love with a young woman. When the three-way relationship starts to strain due to the unusual circumstances, they try to solve the...
- 9/16/2019
- by Don Anelli
- AsianMoviePulse
“So what do you gentleman do for a living?”
“Sell guns by mail order.”
By the time ‘Beat’ Takeshi Kitano arrived on the set of Kinji Fukasaku’s “Violent Cop” at the end of the 1980s, one could argue the fame of the two men was equally matched. Even though Fukasaku had gained his reputation through his influential body of work, most notably the “Battles Without Honor and Humanity”-series, Kitano was a well-known figure in his home country. Starting his career as a small time comedian, together with his colleague Kaneko Kiyoshi (‘Beat’ Kiyoshi), he had become one of the ruling figures of Japanese TV with nearly seven appearances in shows during each week. In between, he had also found the time to act in several movies, most significantly his appearance as Sgt. Gengo Hara in Nagisa Ôshima’s “Merry Christmas Mr. Lawrence” (1983).
Ultimately, what started out as a...
“Sell guns by mail order.”
By the time ‘Beat’ Takeshi Kitano arrived on the set of Kinji Fukasaku’s “Violent Cop” at the end of the 1980s, one could argue the fame of the two men was equally matched. Even though Fukasaku had gained his reputation through his influential body of work, most notably the “Battles Without Honor and Humanity”-series, Kitano was a well-known figure in his home country. Starting his career as a small time comedian, together with his colleague Kaneko Kiyoshi (‘Beat’ Kiyoshi), he had become one of the ruling figures of Japanese TV with nearly seven appearances in shows during each week. In between, he had also found the time to act in several movies, most significantly his appearance as Sgt. Gengo Hara in Nagisa Ôshima’s “Merry Christmas Mr. Lawrence” (1983).
Ultimately, what started out as a...
- 8/25/2018
- by Rouven Linnarz
- AsianMoviePulse
Film Movement has acquired North American rights to “Outrage Coda,” Takeshi Kitano’s 18th directorial outing and the final installment in his “Outrage” crime trilogy.
“Outrage Coda” is being represented in international markets by Hengameh Panahi’s Celluloid Dreams.
Set five years after surviving the all-out war between the Sanno and Hanabishi crime families, “Outrage Coda” follows former yakuza boss Otomo, who now works in South Korea for Mr. Chang, a renowned fixer whose influence extends into Japan.
Film Movement previously handled Kitano’s “Violent Cop,” “Boiling Point” and “Hana-Bi.” The U.S. company is planning to give “Outrage Coda” a limited theatrical and home entertainment release later this year.
“Kitano is one of the most unique and accomplished filmmakers of his generation,” said president of Film Movement Michael Rosenberg, who announced the deal today with Charlotte Mickie, Celluloid Dreams’s VP.
“From comedy to highly stylized violence, and from actor to director and writer,...
“Outrage Coda” is being represented in international markets by Hengameh Panahi’s Celluloid Dreams.
Set five years after surviving the all-out war between the Sanno and Hanabishi crime families, “Outrage Coda” follows former yakuza boss Otomo, who now works in South Korea for Mr. Chang, a renowned fixer whose influence extends into Japan.
Film Movement previously handled Kitano’s “Violent Cop,” “Boiling Point” and “Hana-Bi.” The U.S. company is planning to give “Outrage Coda” a limited theatrical and home entertainment release later this year.
“Kitano is one of the most unique and accomplished filmmakers of his generation,” said president of Film Movement Michael Rosenberg, who announced the deal today with Charlotte Mickie, Celluloid Dreams’s VP.
“From comedy to highly stylized violence, and from actor to director and writer,...
- 5/9/2018
- by Elsa Keslassy
- Variety Film + TV
With a seemingly endless amount of streaming options — not only the titles at our disposal, but services themselves — we’ve taken it upon ourselves to highlight the titles that have recently hit platforms. Every week, one will be able to see the cream of the crop (or perhaps some simply interesting picks) of streaming titles (new and old) across platforms such as Netflix, iTunes, Amazon, and more (note: U.S. only). Check out our rundown for this week’s selections below.
Anomalisa (Charlie Kaufman and Duke Johnson)
Charlie Kaufman, the writer behind Being John Malkovich and Adaptation, teams up with animator Duke Johnson to create a complex emotional drama starring lifelike puppets. The premise is riddled with existential dread of modern-day life, presented uniquely through Kaufman’s idiosyncratic point-of-view. For protagonist and self-help author Michael Stone (voiced soulfully by David Thewlis), everyone around him has the same voice (thanks to...
Anomalisa (Charlie Kaufman and Duke Johnson)
Charlie Kaufman, the writer behind Being John Malkovich and Adaptation, teams up with animator Duke Johnson to create a complex emotional drama starring lifelike puppets. The premise is riddled with existential dread of modern-day life, presented uniquely through Kaufman’s idiosyncratic point-of-view. For protagonist and self-help author Michael Stone (voiced soulfully by David Thewlis), everyone around him has the same voice (thanks to...
- 12/23/2016
- by The Film Stage
- The Film Stage
Ryan Lambie Nov 21, 2016
The live-action Ghost In The Shell got its unveiling in Tokyo last week. Here's what we learned...
Pitched somewhere between a mournful chant and a military march of drums, Kenji Kawai’s soundtrack for 1995’s Ghost In The Shell cast an unforgettably eerie pall over the entire movie. The makers of the new, live-action take on Ghost In The Shell clearly recognise the power of Kawai’s music because, as the lights go down on the movie’s Tokyo unveiling event, the composer and musician himself is here to thrash out a live version of his score.
See related The Walking Dead season 7: synopses and titles for episodes 6, 7 and 8 The Walking Dead: how will the show end? The Walking Dead season 7 episode 4 review: Service The Walking Dead season 7 episode 3 review: The Cell
As blue light emanates from huge Led screens and Kawai thrashes his barrel-sized taiko drum,...
The live-action Ghost In The Shell got its unveiling in Tokyo last week. Here's what we learned...
Pitched somewhere between a mournful chant and a military march of drums, Kenji Kawai’s soundtrack for 1995’s Ghost In The Shell cast an unforgettably eerie pall over the entire movie. The makers of the new, live-action take on Ghost In The Shell clearly recognise the power of Kawai’s music because, as the lights go down on the movie’s Tokyo unveiling event, the composer and musician himself is here to thrash out a live version of his score.
See related The Walking Dead season 7: synopses and titles for episodes 6, 7 and 8 The Walking Dead: how will the show end? The Walking Dead season 7 episode 4 review: Service The Walking Dead season 7 episode 3 review: The Cell
As blue light emanates from huge Led screens and Kawai thrashes his barrel-sized taiko drum,...
- 11/18/2016
- Den of Geek
The last year has been great for Kitano Takeshi fans. While the director's recent output hasn't exactly set the world on fire outside of his two Outrage films, home video collectors have encountered a wealth of treasures as his early films have become available on Blu-ray for the first time in 2016. Most of these features came to us by way of UK specialist label Third Window Films, who've previous released Hana-bi, Kikujiro, Dolls, and A Scene at the Sea, and continue their winning record with Kids Return. However, now there's another label helping to fill in the gaps, Film Movement with their recent releases of Kitano's first two directorial features, Violent Cop and Boiling Point. Are they worth the upgrade? Check out our thoughts...
[Read the whole post on screenanarchy.com...]...
[Read the whole post on screenanarchy.com...]...
- 10/28/2016
- Screen Anarchy
Takeshi Kitano has taken home laurels from film festivals the world over. As of next week, he can lay claim to an even higher honor: France’s Legion of Honor, which the Japanese actor, director and comedian will receive at a ceremony in Paris next week for his contributions to contemporary arts.
Read More: ‘Boiling Point’ Exclusive Poster: Film Movement Classics Re-Releases Early Beat Takeshi Movie
Jack Lang, France’s former culture minister, said in a statement that the “Violent Cop,” “Sonatine” and “Outrage” director “comfortably went beyond the limits of art genres and transformed the rules of performing arts, television, film and literature.” Kitano will receive the rank of Officier, the L’ordre National de la Légion d’honneur’s fourth-highest honor.
Read More: Tokyo Film Festival: U.S. Indie Scoops Top Prize; Tim Burton And Takeshi Kitano Honored
“I am very surprised that I will be given such an honor,...
Read More: ‘Boiling Point’ Exclusive Poster: Film Movement Classics Re-Releases Early Beat Takeshi Movie
Jack Lang, France’s former culture minister, said in a statement that the “Violent Cop,” “Sonatine” and “Outrage” director “comfortably went beyond the limits of art genres and transformed the rules of performing arts, television, film and literature.” Kitano will receive the rank of Officier, the L’ordre National de la Légion d’honneur’s fourth-highest honor.
Read More: Tokyo Film Festival: U.S. Indie Scoops Top Prize; Tim Burton And Takeshi Kitano Honored
“I am very surprised that I will be given such an honor,...
- 10/24/2016
- by Michael Nordine
- Indiewire
Japanese actor, comedian, director, and TV personality, Takeshi Kitano’s sixth film, “Kids Return” is set to be released on Blu-Ray on October 24, 2016. “Kids Return” stars Masanobu Ando (as Shinji) and Ken Kaneko (as Masaru) who play two high-school dropouts with vastly different lifestyles. Shinji pursues a career as an amateur boxer, whereas Masaru turns to the yakuza. The two eventually cross paths again and return to their old stomping ground, their high school.
Ken Kaneko & Masanobu Ando in “Kids Return”
The film itself is Kitano’s ode to his own childhood, and was his first film after a short “retirement” due to a near fatal motorcycle accident. Kitano has been a part of the Japanese film industry for most of his life. He began his career as a comedian and actor, who had a moderate amount of fame. His entrance into the directorial world was sudden, but very successful.
Ken Kaneko & Masanobu Ando in “Kids Return”
The film itself is Kitano’s ode to his own childhood, and was his first film after a short “retirement” due to a near fatal motorcycle accident. Kitano has been a part of the Japanese film industry for most of his life. He began his career as a comedian and actor, who had a moderate amount of fame. His entrance into the directorial world was sudden, but very successful.
- 10/20/2016
- by Lydia Spanier
- AsianMoviePulse
'Beat Takeshi' goes rogue cop in his first self-directed feature, as Takeshi Kitano. It's excellent, a brutal tale with a fascinating lead character and a directorial style that compels one to watch -- it's never easy to know what will happen next. Violent Cop Blu-ray Film Movement 1989 / Color / 1:85 widescreen / 103 min. / Sono otoko, kyobo ni tsuki / Street Date October 11, 2016 / 39.95 Starring Beat Takeshi, Maiko Kawakami, Makoto Ashikawa, Shiro Sano, Shigeru Hiraizumi, Mikiko Otonashi, Hakuryu. Cinematography Yasushi Sasakibara Film Editor Nobutake Kamiya Original Music Daisaku Kume Written by Hisashi Nozawa, Takeshi Kitano Produced by Shozo Ichiyama, Toshio Nabeshima, Takio Yoshida Directed by Takeshi Kitano
Reviewed by Glenn Erickson
I'm always on the lookout for certain movies I've heard recommended, or that have descriptions that intrigue me. When I saw a reference to Takeshi Kitano's Violent Cop, I knew I'd want to take a look. As happens so often with Japanese pictures,...
Reviewed by Glenn Erickson
I'm always on the lookout for certain movies I've heard recommended, or that have descriptions that intrigue me. When I saw a reference to Takeshi Kitano's Violent Cop, I knew I'd want to take a look. As happens so often with Japanese pictures,...
- 10/11/2016
- by Glenn Erickson
- Trailers from Hell
Scene at the Sea / Kids Return
UK company Third Window Films have announced the release of two more movie classics from the Japanese master-director, Takeshi Kitano (Violent Cop, Fireworks), both remastered using new 2K transfers received directly from Office Kitano.
A Scene at the Sea releases first on September 12th, this time with a fascinating audio commentary by Midnight Eye’s very own Japanese cinema expert, Jasper Sharp. A Scene at the Sea tells the story of a young hearing-impaired couple’s discovery of surfing and their growing love for it. This film is sure to appeal to fans of Kitano’s quieter pieces.
Next up on October 24th is Kids Return, beautifully remastered and featuring a compelling audio commentary by Yale University’s professor of Japanese cinema, Aaron Gerow, as well as a behind-the-scenes look at the making of the film back in 1996. Highly regarded amongst Kitano aficionados for...
UK company Third Window Films have announced the release of two more movie classics from the Japanese master-director, Takeshi Kitano (Violent Cop, Fireworks), both remastered using new 2K transfers received directly from Office Kitano.
A Scene at the Sea releases first on September 12th, this time with a fascinating audio commentary by Midnight Eye’s very own Japanese cinema expert, Jasper Sharp. A Scene at the Sea tells the story of a young hearing-impaired couple’s discovery of surfing and their growing love for it. This film is sure to appeal to fans of Kitano’s quieter pieces.
Next up on October 24th is Kids Return, beautifully remastered and featuring a compelling audio commentary by Yale University’s professor of Japanese cinema, Aaron Gerow, as well as a behind-the-scenes look at the making of the film back in 1996. Highly regarded amongst Kitano aficionados for...
- 8/12/2016
- by Robert Hill
- AsianMoviePulse
All feature new 2K remasters from Office Kitano!
The first 1000 copies of each feature cardboard slipcases with new illustrated artwork by Marie Bergeron supported by Filmdoo’s Film Creativity Competition.
All 3 now available to pre-order at: http://amzn.to/20wQ1BA
Hana-bi – January 11th
30 minute documentary from the film’s original release
Interview with Takeshi Kitano from the film’s original release
New Audio commentary by film critic Mark Schilling
New trailer – https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PwTWtAE3ylY
Kikujiro – February 22nd
Jam Session – 90 minute documentary on Kikujiro directed by the award-winning Japanese director Makoto Shinozaki
Dolls – March 14th
Interviews with Takeshi Kitano, Miho Kanno, Hidetoshi Nishijima & Yohij Yamamoto
Behind the Scenes
Video from the film’s premiere at the Venice Film Festival
Takeshi Kitano – Biography
The success of Hana-bi has confirmed Takeshi Kitano as a leading figure of international cinema. Among its numerous awards, Hana-bi won the Golden...
The first 1000 copies of each feature cardboard slipcases with new illustrated artwork by Marie Bergeron supported by Filmdoo’s Film Creativity Competition.
All 3 now available to pre-order at: http://amzn.to/20wQ1BA
Hana-bi – January 11th
30 minute documentary from the film’s original release
Interview with Takeshi Kitano from the film’s original release
New Audio commentary by film critic Mark Schilling
New trailer – https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PwTWtAE3ylY
Kikujiro – February 22nd
Jam Session – 90 minute documentary on Kikujiro directed by the award-winning Japanese director Makoto Shinozaki
Dolls – March 14th
Interviews with Takeshi Kitano, Miho Kanno, Hidetoshi Nishijima & Yohij Yamamoto
Behind the Scenes
Video from the film’s premiere at the Venice Film Festival
Takeshi Kitano – Biography
The success of Hana-bi has confirmed Takeshi Kitano as a leading figure of international cinema. Among its numerous awards, Hana-bi won the Golden...
- 1/7/2016
- by Panos Kotzathanasis
- AsianMoviePulse
I interviewed Takeshi Kitano, aka "Beat" Takeshi, in spring of 2001 regarding "Brother," his first film shot on American soil. Kitano is arguably, still, the biggest star in Japan, one whose influence crosscuts virtually all areas of media.
Memories: Kitano was surrounded by a small entourage of Japanese men, one of whom was his interpreter. He was formal and stoic in his interaction with me, but never unfriendly. As Sofia Coppola so deftly portrayed in "Lost in Translation," the English to Japanese process of translating can often be time-consuming for what amounts to seemingly little that's been said. Kitano rarely made eye contact or smiled, although when he would laugh softly, a crooked grin would form on one side of his mouth, the right. The other striking thing about Kitano's appearance was a tic, or slight tremor, that would appear on the left side of his face, the after-effect of a...
Memories: Kitano was surrounded by a small entourage of Japanese men, one of whom was his interpreter. He was formal and stoic in his interaction with me, but never unfriendly. As Sofia Coppola so deftly portrayed in "Lost in Translation," the English to Japanese process of translating can often be time-consuming for what amounts to seemingly little that's been said. Kitano rarely made eye contact or smiled, although when he would laugh softly, a crooked grin would form on one side of his mouth, the right. The other striking thing about Kitano's appearance was a tic, or slight tremor, that would appear on the left side of his face, the after-effect of a...
- 7/27/2015
- by The Hollywood Interview.com
- The Hollywood Interview
From a crazy early Nic Cage role to a lesser-known film starring Robert De Niro, here's our pick of 25 underappreciated films from 1989...
Ah, 1989. The year the Berlin Wall came down and Yugoslavia won the Eurovision Song Contest. It was also a big year for film, with Indiana Jones And The Last Crusade topping the box office and Batman dominating the summer with its inescapable marketing blitz.
Outside the top 10 highest-grossing list, which included Back To The Future II, Dead Poets Society and Honey I Shrunk The Kids, 1989 also included a plethora of less commonly-appreciated films. Some were big in their native countries but only received a limited release in the Us and UK. Others were poorly received but have since been reassessed as cult items.
From comedies to thrillers, here's our pick of 25 underappreciated films from the end of the 80s...
25. An Innocent Man
Disney, through its Touchstone banner, had high hopes for this thriller,...
Ah, 1989. The year the Berlin Wall came down and Yugoslavia won the Eurovision Song Contest. It was also a big year for film, with Indiana Jones And The Last Crusade topping the box office and Batman dominating the summer with its inescapable marketing blitz.
Outside the top 10 highest-grossing list, which included Back To The Future II, Dead Poets Society and Honey I Shrunk The Kids, 1989 also included a plethora of less commonly-appreciated films. Some were big in their native countries but only received a limited release in the Us and UK. Others were poorly received but have since been reassessed as cult items.
From comedies to thrillers, here's our pick of 25 underappreciated films from the end of the 80s...
25. An Innocent Man
Disney, through its Touchstone banner, had high hopes for this thriller,...
- 4/28/2015
- by ryanlambie
- Den of Geek
Tokyo International Film Festival wrapped up with a closing ceremony to announce the winners of its many awards. The Competition Section consisted of 15 films presided over by Jury President, Guardians of the Galaxy director James Gunn. The jury was made up of film directors John H. Lee, Robert Luketic, Eric Khoo, Shinagawa Hiroshi and casting director Debbie McWilliams. The full list of winners are as follows:Samurai AwardCreated this year to celebrate filmmakers continuing to convey innovation in films, Ringu actress and festival 'Muse' was on hand to present the award to Kitano Takeshi and Tim Burton.Kitano Taksehi's directing career began in 1989 with Violent Cop, but being leading comedian for a lot longer he delivered this quip filled speech: "Thank you, I was here...
[Read the whole post on twitchfilm.com...]...
[Read the whole post on twitchfilm.com...]...
- 11/2/2014
- Screen Anarchy
To celebrate the release of Tony Jaa's The Protector 2 and Kitano Takeshi's Beyond Outrage on DVD in Australia, Madman is giving you, our dear readers, the chance to win a DVD pack that includes some of the best Thai action and Kitano Takeshi films. First prize (one winner): All of the pictured movies on DVD - The Protector 2, Ong Bak 1, 2 and 3, Chocolate, Outrage, Beyond Outrage, Kitano Takeshi Boxset (Violent Cop, Boiling Point and Sonatine)Second prize (three winners): Either The Protector 2 or Beyond Outrage on DVD.For a chance to win, all you have to do is to follow these two steps:1) Tell me in 25 words or less, which of the movies in the prize pack you like the most and...
[Read the whole post on twitchfilm.com...]...
[Read the whole post on twitchfilm.com...]...
- 3/3/2014
- Screen Anarchy
A couple years ago, we had our eyes on the Cannes Film Festival selected action thriller Outrage from director Takeshi "Beat" Kitano, and now the director is back with a sequel called Beyond Outrage that ups the ante. This one premiered at the Venice Film Festival last year, and now a red band trailer has arrived to show off the film following a manipulative police crackdown on organized crime which has ignited a power struggle in the Yakuza underworld. Kitano also stars in the film as an intimidating crime boss fresh out of prison. This looks violent as hell and bad ass, so you should watch Outrage on Netflix Instant now. Here's the red band trailer for Takeshi Kitano's Beyond Outrage, originally from Yahoo: Beyond Outrage is the sequel to the 2010 film outrage, written and directed by Takeshi "Beat" Kitano, who directed his first feature in 1989, called Violent Cop,...
- 10/30/2013
- by Ethan Anderton
- firstshowing.net
Odd List Ryan Lambie Simon Brew 24 Oct 2013 - 06:46
Another 25 unsung greats come under the spotlight, as we provide our pick of the underappreciated films of 1995...
The year covered in this week's underrated movie rundown was significant for a number of reasons. It was the year that saw the release of Toy Story - the groundbreaking movie that would cement Pixar's reputation as an animation studio, and set the tempo for CG family movies for the next 18 years and counting. It was the year that saw James Bond (played by Pierce Brosnan for the first time) emerge for GoldenEye after a six-year break. It was also the year of Michael Mann's Heat, Dogme 95, and the moment where Terry Gilliam scored a much-deserved hit with 12 Monkeys.
As ever, we're focusing on a few of the lesser-known films from this particular year, and we've had to think carefully about what's made the cut and what hasn't.
Another 25 unsung greats come under the spotlight, as we provide our pick of the underappreciated films of 1995...
The year covered in this week's underrated movie rundown was significant for a number of reasons. It was the year that saw the release of Toy Story - the groundbreaking movie that would cement Pixar's reputation as an animation studio, and set the tempo for CG family movies for the next 18 years and counting. It was the year that saw James Bond (played by Pierce Brosnan for the first time) emerge for GoldenEye after a six-year break. It was also the year of Michael Mann's Heat, Dogme 95, and the moment where Terry Gilliam scored a much-deserved hit with 12 Monkeys.
As ever, we're focusing on a few of the lesser-known films from this particular year, and we've had to think carefully about what's made the cut and what hasn't.
- 10/22/2013
- by ryanlambie
- Den of Geek
As all lovers of crime, suspense thriller, war, western, horror and science fiction films know, creating a truly great cinematic villain is no easy task. When it happens, it’s virtually impossible to forget that character.
We’ll now take a look at the greatest film villains of the 1980’s.
The criteria for this article is the same as my previous article Cinema’s Greatest Villains: The 1970’s: the villains must be from live-action films-no animated features-and must pose some type of direct or indirect lethal threat. The villains can be either individuals or small groups that act as one unit.
The villains must be human or human in appearance, so no shape-shifting alien from John Carpenter’s amazing 1982 The Thing, no Aliens from James Cameron’s classic 1986 sequel and no Predator from John McTiernan’s beloved 1987 film of the same name.
Also, individuals that are the central protagonists/antiheroes...
We’ll now take a look at the greatest film villains of the 1980’s.
The criteria for this article is the same as my previous article Cinema’s Greatest Villains: The 1970’s: the villains must be from live-action films-no animated features-and must pose some type of direct or indirect lethal threat. The villains can be either individuals or small groups that act as one unit.
The villains must be human or human in appearance, so no shape-shifting alien from John Carpenter’s amazing 1982 The Thing, no Aliens from James Cameron’s classic 1986 sequel and no Predator from John McTiernan’s beloved 1987 film of the same name.
Also, individuals that are the central protagonists/antiheroes...
- 6/12/2013
- by Terek Puckett
- SoundOnSight
There may be a slight possibility that standards for movie titles have become more lenient over the years, since we can't really fathom an action movie like this week's "Bullet to the Head" coming out in 1954 with a title like that. No sir.
The Sylvester Stallone vehicle does stick in your head for some reason, so we thought we'd dig in and find the most gruesome, lurid and downright threatening movie titles ever conceived. Remember, the criteria here ain't the violent content of the film itself, just its nastified handle.
15. '8 Million Ways to Die' (1986)
The unlikely combination of star Jeff Bridges, screenwriter Oliver Stone and director Hal Ashby ("Harold and Maude") came up with this neo-noir concoction, which failed to ignite at the box office and ultimately served as Ashby's swan song. The film itself has a pulpy, sub-"Miami Vice" plot about an alcoholic ex-detective drawn into a...
The Sylvester Stallone vehicle does stick in your head for some reason, so we thought we'd dig in and find the most gruesome, lurid and downright threatening movie titles ever conceived. Remember, the criteria here ain't the violent content of the film itself, just its nastified handle.
15. '8 Million Ways to Die' (1986)
The unlikely combination of star Jeff Bridges, screenwriter Oliver Stone and director Hal Ashby ("Harold and Maude") came up with this neo-noir concoction, which failed to ignite at the box office and ultimately served as Ashby's swan song. The film itself has a pulpy, sub-"Miami Vice" plot about an alcoholic ex-detective drawn into a...
- 2/1/2013
- by Max Evry
- NextMovie
Director: Kitano Takeshi. Review: Adam Wing. Well it’s about time. Kitano Takeshi is a complex individual it would seem, but with Outrage we are taken back to a time where life was much simpler. Not to mention a whole lot bloodier. You’d be forgiven for thinking he had fallen off the face of the planet, after a trilogy of films that dealt not with warfare, but with his own artistic integrity. In truth however, Takeshis’, Achilles and the Tortoise and Glory to the Filmmaker! struggled to find an audience on both sides of the water. They are deeply personal films blessed with the offbeat eccentricities of their guiding light, but you have to go all the way back to 2003 to witness Kitano at the height of his power. It was the 1990’s that saw Kitano deliver his finest work, with films like Boiling Point, Violent Cop and Sonatine...
- 12/13/2011
- 24framespersecond.net
Takeshi Kitano, also known as Beat Takeshi, was already a Japanese television star known for his comedy when he directed his first film, Violent Cop, in 1989. In that dark thriller, Kitano played the title role with grim, stone-faced conviction. Developing a slow, meditative filming style to match his expressionless face, Kitano turned out one gripping, thoughtful, bloody movie after another in the ’90s, finding darkly poetic peaks with the gangster thriller Sonatine and the mournful Fireworks. Kitano retreated from crime films after his 2000 Hollywood excursion Brother; he instead revived the classic samurai character Zatoichi and turned out a ...
- 12/1/2011
- avclub.com
In our writers' favourite films series, Andrew Pulver remains eternally loyal – and bound – to Woody Allen's lovable loser
• Tell us your version of Broadway Danny Rose by posting your review – or show some commitment to the comments below
Only one film poster has stayed with me throughout my entire time as a film journalist, surviving multiple moves and flatshares; it must say something that the six-foot-one-sheet of a Broadway Danny Rose has outlasted all-comers, the likes of The Cable Guy, Violent Cop and Tenghiz Abuladze's Repentance. I bought it in the mid-80s, a callow twentysomething on a trip Paris, at one of those stalls by the Seine, and had to fold it up to get it home. I honestly don't think a day has gone by without my reading aloud one or other of the sonorous critics' quotes printed in French down one side, next to the small...
• Tell us your version of Broadway Danny Rose by posting your review – or show some commitment to the comments below
Only one film poster has stayed with me throughout my entire time as a film journalist, surviving multiple moves and flatshares; it must say something that the six-foot-one-sheet of a Broadway Danny Rose has outlasted all-comers, the likes of The Cable Guy, Violent Cop and Tenghiz Abuladze's Repentance. I bought it in the mid-80s, a callow twentysomething on a trip Paris, at one of those stalls by the Seine, and had to fold it up to get it home. I honestly don't think a day has gone by without my reading aloud one or other of the sonorous critics' quotes printed in French down one side, next to the small...
- 10/28/2011
- by Andrew Pulver
- The Guardian - Film News
Following on from last week’s loving Blu-ray/DVD “double play” releases of Empire of Passion and In the Realm of the Senses, Studio Canal have brought another of Nagisa Oshima’s films to the format in the shape of 1983 prisoner of war drama Merry Christmas, Mr. Lawrence.
Set in Japanese-controlled Java in 1942 and based on a series of semi-autobiographical novels written by Sir Laurens Jan van der Post, the film stars Tom Conti as the Mr. Lawrence of the title – an English officer fluent in Japanese and respectful (if often critical) of the culture – who attempts to mediate between the Japanese camp commanders and his own brash and reckless superior officer (Jack Thompson) in an strained effort to keep everybody alive. Japanese rock star Ryuichi Sakamoto (also the film’s composer) gives a stand-out performance as the restrained Capt. Yanoi, the man responsible for the camp, whilst celebrated filmmaker...
Set in Japanese-controlled Java in 1942 and based on a series of semi-autobiographical novels written by Sir Laurens Jan van der Post, the film stars Tom Conti as the Mr. Lawrence of the title – an English officer fluent in Japanese and respectful (if often critical) of the culture – who attempts to mediate between the Japanese camp commanders and his own brash and reckless superior officer (Jack Thompson) in an strained effort to keep everybody alive. Japanese rock star Ryuichi Sakamoto (also the film’s composer) gives a stand-out performance as the restrained Capt. Yanoi, the man responsible for the camp, whilst celebrated filmmaker...
- 10/24/2011
- by Robert Beames
- Obsessed with Film
Takeshi Kitano’s violent drama about rival Japanese mafia gangs gets a new trailer. Take a look at the promo for Outrage right here…
Japanese director, writer, actor, tap dancer and comedian Takeshi "Beat" Kitano has a string of fantastic credits to his name, from his spectacular debut, Violent Cop, to his stunning turn as a sadistic teacher in the classic Battle Royale.
Kitano has also written and directed the great-looking Japanese mafia drama, Outrage, which will get a limited theatrical release in the Us on the 2nd December. If there’s any justice, it’ll make an appearance in UK cinemas soon, too. It's a full-blooded drama about rival yakuza gangs and their struggle for dominance, and has already received glowing reviews at Cannes. And judging by the first official Us trailer, below, it looks great – even if the gravely voice-over is a little distracting.
If Outrage does get a UK theatrical release,...
Japanese director, writer, actor, tap dancer and comedian Takeshi "Beat" Kitano has a string of fantastic credits to his name, from his spectacular debut, Violent Cop, to his stunning turn as a sadistic teacher in the classic Battle Royale.
Kitano has also written and directed the great-looking Japanese mafia drama, Outrage, which will get a limited theatrical release in the Us on the 2nd December. If there’s any justice, it’ll make an appearance in UK cinemas soon, too. It's a full-blooded drama about rival yakuza gangs and their struggle for dominance, and has already received glowing reviews at Cannes. And judging by the first official Us trailer, below, it looks great – even if the gravely voice-over is a little distracting.
If Outrage does get a UK theatrical release,...
- 9/18/2011
- Den of Geek
In a move that will no doubt please fans of “Violent Cop”, “Sonatine” and his other early works, acclaimed Japanese film maker Kitano Takeshi returns to the Yakuza genre with “Outrage” after a series of art house outings. The film’s title is certainly very apt, as it’s an outrageously brutal and nihilistic affair, with only villains for characters, who spend most of the running time chopping each other to pieces. Taking one of the lead roles himself, Kitano is supported by a number of familiar faces and genre veterans, including Shiina Kippei (“Shinobi”), Miura Tomokazu (“Adrift in Tokyo”), Kunimura Jun (“Blood and Bones”), and Kase Ryo (“Letters From Iwo Jima”). Having played in competition at Cannes in 2010, the film perhaps unsurprisingly divided critics, mainly due to its never-ending tide of blood. The plot revolves around a gang power struggle, which kicks off when the chairman of the top...
- 3/24/2011
- by James Mudge
- Beyond Hollywood
(Warning, Potential Spoilers Ahead) Out Rage is a puzzling film. For one, I can't exactly figure out the reasoning behind its title. If anything, I can already imagine the slew of tacky one liners critics are going to adapt for their quotes on Rotten Tomatoes. "Out Rage is outrageously dull" is the first that comes to mind.
This is yet another film that's sure to place me at opposing odds with other Twitch writers and readers. While many have claimed this to be a return to form for Kitano, I can't help but assume that the majority of positive reviews are largely based on nostalgia. This is Takeshi Kitano's first yakuza film in ten years. And for most, Brother doesn't count. Knowing that a sequel was already in the works for this and being a large fan of Hanabi, Sonatine, and Violent Cop, my expectations were admittingly high, maybe too high.
This is yet another film that's sure to place me at opposing odds with other Twitch writers and readers. While many have claimed this to be a return to form for Kitano, I can't help but assume that the majority of positive reviews are largely based on nostalgia. This is Takeshi Kitano's first yakuza film in ten years. And for most, Brother doesn't count. Knowing that a sequel was already in the works for this and being a large fan of Hanabi, Sonatine, and Violent Cop, my expectations were admittingly high, maybe too high.
- 10/19/2010
- Screen Anarchy
Updated through 5/19.
"As violent, amoral and misanthropic as a Jacobean play, Outrage is Takeshi Kitano's first yakuza flick since Brother (2000), and arguably his best film in a decade." And Maggie Lee makes that argument in the Hollywood Reporter: "Cleansed of his pretentious navel-gazing in recent years, it burst with the direct cinematic power of his early works (A Violent Cop, Sonatine), though his style is less minimalist and characters less taciturn. In fact, his representation of internecine gang rivalry and imploding power structure stands up to Kinji Fukasaku's seminal Battle Without Honor series in complexity and unsentimental attitude, with humor as mean and dry as a straight-up martini."...
"As violent, amoral and misanthropic as a Jacobean play, Outrage is Takeshi Kitano's first yakuza flick since Brother (2000), and arguably his best film in a decade." And Maggie Lee makes that argument in the Hollywood Reporter: "Cleansed of his pretentious navel-gazing in recent years, it burst with the direct cinematic power of his early works (A Violent Cop, Sonatine), though his style is less minimalist and characters less taciturn. In fact, his representation of internecine gang rivalry and imploding power structure stands up to Kinji Fukasaku's seminal Battle Without Honor series in complexity and unsentimental attitude, with humor as mean and dry as a straight-up martini."...
- 5/19/2010
- MUBI
Takeshi Kitano’s 15th movie, titled Outrage will be premiering next month at Cannes Film Festival 2010.
This could be just awesome thing to watch, and we’re glad to hear that this director is back into action movies, after some brilliant film – list that includes titles like Violent Cop, Boiling Point, A Scene at the Sea, Fireworks and so on.
Check out the trailer and the rest of this report to see if this new Kitano’s project worth to watch…
As always, the best way to start a story, is by giving you the official synopsis: This story “…begins with Sekiuchi (Kitamura Soichiro), boss of the Sannokai, a huge organised crime syndicate controlling the entire Kanto region, issuing a stern warning to his lieutenant Kato (Miura Tomokazu) and right-hand man Ikemoto (Kunimura Jun), head of the Ikemoto-gumi.
Kato orders Ikemoto to bring the unassociated Murase-gumi gang in line, and...
This could be just awesome thing to watch, and we’re glad to hear that this director is back into action movies, after some brilliant film – list that includes titles like Violent Cop, Boiling Point, A Scene at the Sea, Fireworks and so on.
Check out the trailer and the rest of this report to see if this new Kitano’s project worth to watch…
As always, the best way to start a story, is by giving you the official synopsis: This story “…begins with Sekiuchi (Kitamura Soichiro), boss of the Sannokai, a huge organised crime syndicate controlling the entire Kanto region, issuing a stern warning to his lieutenant Kato (Miura Tomokazu) and right-hand man Ikemoto (Kunimura Jun), head of the Ikemoto-gumi.
Kato orders Ikemoto to bring the unassociated Murase-gumi gang in line, and...
- 4/22/2010
- by Fiona
- Filmofilia
Glory to the Filmmaker indeed. As reported on The Auteurs yesterday, Takeshi Kitano is currently the toast of Paris, prompting Movie Poster of the Week to take a look at Kitano’s career in one-sheets. Starting as a stand-up comedian in 1972, “Beat” Takeshi soon became one of Japan’s most popular entertainers and television personalities. He started acting in movies in the early ’80s, most notably in Oshima’s Merry Christmas, Mr. Lawrence (1983) but it was almost by accident that he started making his own films, when the original director of 1989’s Violent Cop fell ill. Since then he has written and directed 14 movies in the past 20 years, though his reception in America has veered wildly from adulation to indifference. His first film to be picked up in the States, 1993’s Sonatine, was held back for years by Miramax until it was finally released five years later, hot on the...
- 3/12/2010
- MUBI
Film-maker, author, poet, comic, inventor of video games … how does the western observer really come to terms with Takeshi Kitano?
The enterprising filmgoer in Britain may know a handful of Takeshi Kitano's films – Violent Cop (1989); Sonatine (1993); Hana-Bi (1997); Brother (2001); Zatoichi (2003). More or less, the European filmgoer has to assume and accept that Beat Takeshi – as he is known in Japan – is far removed from the classical Japanese film-makers, from Ozu, Mizoguchi, Naruse and Kurosawa. Instead, he is the epitome of the modern Japanese spirit – tough, urban, media-savvy, violent, poker-faced yet oddly sentimental, too. In Beat's world, one encounters the gangsters, the sluts, the lost children, the hangers-on and the debris of an impossibly competitive, unrelenting wasteland in which the tropes of American style, talk and iconographylinger like absurd ghosts.
So you can watch these films and be excited by a great deal: the savage editing; the frequent use of off-screen space...
The enterprising filmgoer in Britain may know a handful of Takeshi Kitano's films – Violent Cop (1989); Sonatine (1993); Hana-Bi (1997); Brother (2001); Zatoichi (2003). More or less, the European filmgoer has to assume and accept that Beat Takeshi – as he is known in Japan – is far removed from the classical Japanese film-makers, from Ozu, Mizoguchi, Naruse and Kurosawa. Instead, he is the epitome of the modern Japanese spirit – tough, urban, media-savvy, violent, poker-faced yet oddly sentimental, too. In Beat's world, one encounters the gangsters, the sluts, the lost children, the hangers-on and the debris of an impossibly competitive, unrelenting wasteland in which the tropes of American style, talk and iconographylinger like absurd ghosts.
So you can watch these films and be excited by a great deal: the savage editing; the frequent use of off-screen space...
- 2/4/2010
- by David Thomson
- The Guardian - Film News
Kikujiro (Kikujirō no natsu) is an unusual story about little 9 year old Masao, who, when faced with a lonely summer ahead without his friends and just his grandmother for companionship, takes it upon himself to search for his long-lost mother. With the unlikely help of his strange and grave-faced neighbour, ‘Mister’, together they embark on a very poignant and fractured journey filled with random, colourful strangers and bizarre, surprising encounters.
Kitano’s portrayal of ‘Mister’ is really a joy to watch. Ranging from stubborn, rude, very offensive, absurd, off the wall and fearless, his unintentional sensitivity in this tale can leave you feeling often bewildered and enamoured by him.
Likewise, Yusuke Sekiuchi’s portrayal of Masao is worthy of much recognition too as he sinks into deep melancholy and breaks our hearts with his yearning for his mother. It is the bond between Mister and Masao which is the selling...
Kitano’s portrayal of ‘Mister’ is really a joy to watch. Ranging from stubborn, rude, very offensive, absurd, off the wall and fearless, his unintentional sensitivity in this tale can leave you feeling often bewildered and enamoured by him.
Likewise, Yusuke Sekiuchi’s portrayal of Masao is worthy of much recognition too as he sinks into deep melancholy and breaks our hearts with his yearning for his mother. It is the bond between Mister and Masao which is the selling...
- 1/31/2010
- by Andy Petrou
- HeyUGuys.co.uk
It's been nine long years since Japanese icon Takeshi Kitano drew a line under his impressive run of superviolent gangster pics, with Brother. Since then there've been comedies and the brilliant samurai semi-musical Zatoichi, and Kitano has been a bit equivocal about the head-stomping and eye gouging that made his name (at least internationally). "Embarrassing" was one of the words he used.So he's either relented or come up with a new spin on his formula of quiet stoicism interspersed with sporadic bursts of jawdropping maiming. He has written the script and will direct and star in Outrage, which involves "power struggles among Tokyo gangsters". The co-production between Warner's Japanese arm and Kitano's own Office Kitano is scheduled for release next year.Kitano first came to the attention of western audiences with Violent Cop in the early 90s, closely followed by Boiling Point, Sonatine and Hana-Bi. The latter two in...
- 12/2/2009
- EmpireOnline
Far from being one-dimensional, South Korean cinema is recognized for tackling every possible genre with intelligence and success. The industry continues to prove itself as a cradle of creativity as confirmed by the numerous selections and awards garnered by South Korean movies on the international circuit this year. Hailing from The Land of the Morning Calm we here at Sound On Sight have decided to focus on some fresh works from renowned veterans such as Lee Yoon-ki and newly discovered classics in the making . Here's an overview of must-see debut features in 2009: Crush And Blush South Korea Dir: Lee Kyoung-mi A side-splitting burlesque comedy from newcomer Lee Kyoung-mi, this movie credits Park Chan-wook (Thirst) as producer and co-writer. Kong Hyo-jin, winner of the best actress prize at this year's Korean Film Awards, shines in a stellar cast in a performance that is somewhere between Almodovar's first works and a...
- 7/18/2009
- by Ricky
- SoundOnSight
IMDb.com, Inc. takes no responsibility for the content or accuracy of the above news articles, Tweets, or blog posts. This content is published for the entertainment of our users only. The news articles, Tweets, and blog posts do not represent IMDb's opinions nor can we guarantee that the reporting therein is completely factual. Please visit the source responsible for the item in question to report any concerns you may have regarding content or accuracy.