FEATURED POSTS

10 Questions with Shane Briant

The talented British' born actor Shane Briant made his screen debut in the Hammer horror film Demons of the Mind. Since then he's gone on to appear in over 60 films and television productions including Straight On Till Morning (1972), The Picture of Dorian Gray (1973), The Mackintosh Man (1973), Captain Kronos: Vampire Hunter (1974), Frankenstein and the Monster from Hell (1974), The Naked Civil Servant (1975) and Lady Chatterley's Lover (1981). Currently Briant is focusing his attention on writing fiction and he has recently completed a psychological thriller called Worst Nightmares that will be released May 12th. I've admired his film work for many years so I was thrilled to get the opportunity to ask Shane Briant a few questions about his early movies and current writing projects. READ MORE

THIS MONTH'S FEATURED POSTS

The Girl On a Motorcycle (1968)

The talented director and cinematographer Jack Cardiff has passed away at the age of 94. As the tributes start to roll out from various news sites and film blogs its become clear to me that most people regard Jack Cardiff as a great cinematographer and have little regard or knowledge of his directing contributions, which is a shame. Cardiff was a brilliant photographer and his groundbreaking contributions to cinematography are well worth celebrating. But his impressive work as a director on films like the wonderful D.H. Lawrence adaptation Sons and Lovers (1960), the entertaining spy thriller The Liquidator (1965), the excellent erotic drama The Girl on a Motorcycle (1968) and the effective horror film The Mutations (1974) is also worthy of applause. READ MORE

THIS MONTH'S FEATURED POSTS

Favorite DVD Releases of 2008

I hate to be the bearer of bad news, but overall 2008 was somewhat of a lackluster year for new Region 1 DVD releases of '60s and '70s era films when compared to the previous two years (See: 2006 and 2007). Some of my favorite DVD companies such as BCI Eclipse and most recently New Yorker Films have folded. Boutique DVD companies are releasing fewer products and what is being released is often of questionable quality. With the failing economy and the rise in popularity of Blu-ray discs, it seems like the number of new worthwhile DVD releases might continue to drop dramatically in 2009. READ MORE

THIS MONTH'S FEATURED POSTS

Resurrecting Yusaku Matsuda

Toru Murakawa's Resurrection of the Golden Wolf (aka Yomigaeru kinrô; 1979) is a wildly uneven Japanese crime film that left me wishing it had been helmed by another director. The film's script was adapted from a popular novel by Haruhiko Ooyabu and directors like Seijun Suzuki have had great success turning Ooyabu's hard-boiled fiction into films, but Toru Murakawa doesn't have Suzuki's eye for detail or his pop art sensibility. Resurrection of the Golden Wolf runs much too long and the dramatic filler weighs down the action, but even with its flaws the movie still keeps your attention thanks to the star performance of Yusaku Matsuda. READ MORE

THIS MONTH'S FEATURED POSTS

We Are Controlling Transmission

This year analog broadcasting is coming to an end. On June 12th 2009 television stations in the United States will stop broadcasting in analog and switch permanently to digital. Digital broadcasting promises to provide viewers with a sharper picture and more diverse programming options, but this unavoidable change is forcing millions of people to buy new television sets or opt for getting a converter box that will often cost them $40 or more. I feel for these people because I didn't have complete cable TV Access or a digital television myself until 2007. READ MORE

R.I.P. Shohei Imamura 1926-2006

by Kimberly Lindbergs | May 30, 2006

Categories | Directors, Japanese Cinema

The celebrated Japanese director Shohei Imamura has passed away at the age of 79. He lived a long and very productive life with much acclaim, but it’s always sad to learn of the passing of great people. Imamura made a lot of wonderful films and was a pivotal figure of the Japanese new wave.

Oddly enough, just a few days ago I was discussing his film Black Rain (aka Kuroi ame) with someone and the horrific & dark images of people destroyed by war that Black Rain conjures up from the deep depths of human suffering came back to me in a rush and have been haunting me ever since. Black Rain was my introduction to Imamura and few films have been able to capture the horrific aftermath of war as well as his film. If Shohei Imamura only made Black Rain I think the world would still be grieving his passing today. With “Memorial Day” just behind us, I’m tempted to add that Black Rain should be added to a list of films that should be required viewing during the Memorial Day holiday. It’s hard to imagine that anyone could think war of any kind is a good idea after seeing that film.

Links to some news stories:
- Japanese director Imamura dies at 79
- Japan mourns film-maker Imamura

Shohei Imamura Filmography:
11′09′’01 - September 11 (2002) (aka September 11)
Akai hashi no shita no nurui mizu (2001) (aka Warm Water Under a Red Bridge)
Kanzo sensei (1998) (aka Dr. Akagi)
Unahi (1997) (aka The Eel)
Kuroi ame (1989) (aka Black Rain)
Zegen (1987)
Narayama bushiko (1983) (aka The Ballad of Narayama)
Eijanika (1981) (aka Why Not?)
Fukushû suruwa wareniari (1979) (aka Vengeance Is Mine)
Karayuki-san, the Making of a Prostitute (1975)
Nippon Sengoshi - Madamu onboro no Seikatsu (1970) (aka History of Postwar Japan as Told by a Bar Hostess)
Kamigami no Fukaki Yokubo (1968) (aka The Profound Desire of the Gods)
Ningen Johatsu (1967) (aka A Man Vanishes)
Jinruigaku nyumon: Erogotshi yori (1966) (aka The Pornographers)
Akai satsui (1964) (aka Unholy Desire)
Nippon konchuki (1963) (aka The Insect Woman)
Buta to gunkan (1961) (aka The Flesh Is Hot)
Nianchan (1959) (aka My Second Brother)
Hateshinaki yokubo (1958) (aka Endless Desire)
Narayama Bushi-Ko (1958) (aka Ballad of Narayama)
Nishi Ginza ekimae (1958) (aka In Front of West Ginza Station)
Nusumareta yokujo (1958) (aka Stolen Desire)