From Rekuru:

I’m really grateful to have had the chance to see Kurosawa’s last film, Dreams (1990), at the New York Film Forum. Not only is it an incredible film–certainly one of his best–but it provides, if in a problematic form, a sort of answer to the two questions Kurosawa claims to have struggled with all his life: Why can’t people be happier? and Why can’t they be happier together? More »

From Rekuru: Japan has seen a surge of shock horror films in the past decade with such movies as Ichi the Killer, Audition, and now, The Machine Girl joins these ranks. More »

From Rekuru: If you don’t know who Takeshi Kaneshiro is (shame on you), this post should prove quite enlightening. Known mostly for his roles in Chungking Express, House of Flying Daggers, Fallen Angels, as well as a host of other films, Kaneshiro is one of Japan’s finest actors and this post is going to show you just why… More »

From Rekuru: Forget Sherlock Holmes, there’s a new detective in town. The popular manga Konchu Tantei Yoshida Yoshimi (Insect Detective Yoshimi Yoshida) is getting the silver screen treatment this April. More »

From Rekuru:

So up until now, I’ve been writing about Akira Kurosawa films I had already seen; only now have I taken advantage of the riches of the Film Forum going on now in New York and seen for the first time Kurosawa’s High and Low (1963). I do encourage everyone living in striking distance of New York to get out and attend this thing; it’s a great opportunity. As for High and Low itself, I strongly recommend it–perhaps not on a level with Rashomon and Ran, but at the same time, it presents a side of Kurosawa you don’t get from his best known films. More »

From Rekuru: “Freedom is something you have to fight for.” - Professor Yagihara

This is a line from Akira Kurosawa’s 1946 film No Regrets for Our Youth which, coincidentally, sums up the entire theme of the film. Set in Kyoto after the Manchurian Incident, No Regrets tells the story of three classmates attending Kyoto University and their life-long struggle for freedom amidst militaristic, fascist opposition. While the film has long gone unnoticed (most likely due to it not being available on DVD until just recently), No Regrets is a powerful and fantastic film that’s definitely worth a watch. More »

From Rekuru:

Homer Simpson: Aw Marge, why do we hafta go to Japan? Marge Simpson: You liked Rashomon. Homer: That’s not how I remember it. More »

From Rekuru: Before Akira Kurosawa came to be known for his largely popular Seven Samurai and Rashomon, there was The Men Who Tread on the Tiger’s Tail. One of the first films to be directed by Kurosawa, Tiger’s Tail, released in 1945, tells the story of a famed general on the run after his brother puts out an order to have him killed. Along with five trusty samurai (one of which is a young Takashi Shimura, a Kurosawa-regular) as well as a cunning bodyguard, the seven go on the run, disguised as wandering priests. More »