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home > calendar > new japanese cinema
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| | An homage to Japanese monster movies, Big Man Japan follows Daisato, a hero who is viewed as more of a hindrance than a help. | |
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New Japanese Cinema Nov 18-29, 2009
Big Man Japan by Hitoshi Matsumoto
A “bizarre send-up of classic monster movies” (Sacha Howells, film.com), cameras follow Daisato, a hero who grows to the size of a skyscraper after he is blasted with volts of electricity. While his monster-fighting predecessors were seen as saviors, Daisato is thought of as a noisy nuisance who destroys buildings. A mockery of kaiju—Japanese “strange beast” movies—Big Man Japan (Dai-Nipponjin) uses juvenile humor to portray the sad existence of Daisato.
Crime or Punishment by Kera
In this black comedy, an unsuccessful pin-up girl steals a magazine featuring her photo from a convenience store. After she’s caught in the act, her penance requires her to act as police chief for a day. Naturally, that’s the day a multitude of things go wrong: murder, robbery, and car accidents. “Almost too wacky for words…this comedy…tosses conventional morality into a blender and hits the ‘high’ button” (Mark Schilling, Japan Times).
Cyborg She by Jae-young Kwak
A love story between a Terminator-type woman and her boyfriend—and creator. In the year 2070, Kitamura Jiro builds a cyborg to help take care of him, and sends her back to 2007 to save him from the accident that would cripple him for life. She and Kitamura start to build their relationship, but just when things are going well, a major earthquake strikes, damaging the Cyborg and leaving her wellbeing in Jiro’s hands.
Vacation by Hajime Kadoi
Prisoner #350 doesn't know it yet, but in two days he's going to die. Soft-spoken guard, Toru Hirai, is going to walk him through it. In return for accepting the responsibility of being the prisoner’s “crutch”—restraining him while he makes his way to the gallows, and holding his legs during his final death spasms—Hirai receives an extra week's vacation so he can go on his honeymoon with a bride he barely knows.
The Magic Hour by Koki Mitani (2008, 136 min.). Teshio, a gang boss, discovers his ex-girlfriend, Mari, in the bedroom with her new lover, Bingo. Bingo saves himself by telling the boss he knows the whereabouts of legendary hit man, Della Togashi. Bingo comes up with a terrific plan—he talks Taiki Murata, a third-rate actor, into playing Della for his new movie. “The Magic Hour may refer to the brief window of time before sunset when filming conditions are best, but the film itself is also magic of the comic kind” (Mark Schilling, Japan Times).
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Friday, November 20, 2009, 5:10 pm Film
Big Man Japan
An homage to Japanese monster movies, the film follows Daisato, a hero who is viewed as more of a hindrance than a help....
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| | Saturday, November 21, 2009, 12:30 pm Film
Big Man Japan
An homage to Japanese monster movies, the film follows Daisato, a hero who is viewed as more of a hindrance than a help....
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| | Saturday, November 21, 2009, 3 pm Film
Crime or Punishment
A fashion model is forced to pay for her crime by becoming police chief for a day....
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| | Friday, November 27, 2009, 7:30 pm Film
Cyborg She
In the year 2070, a man builds a Cyborg to help take care of him, then and sends her back to the past to prevent his life altering accident....
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| | Saturday, November 28, 2009, 1 pm Film
Vacation
A prison guard and death row inmate form an unlikely bond....
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| | Saturday, November 28, 2009, 3:20 pm Film
The Magic Hour
Bingo desperately searches for a notorious hit man after telling a ruthless gang boss that he knows the man’s whereabouts....
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| | Sunday, November 29, 2009, 1:40 pm Film
Cyborg She
In the year 2070, a man builds a Cyborg to help take care of him, then and sends her back to the past to prevent his life altering accident....
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