Comments on: Nikkatsu Action http://cinebeats.blogsome.com/2008/04/14/nikkatsu-action/ Sun, 12 Feb 2012 07:24:21 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=1.5.1-alpha by: Keith http://cinebeats.blogsome.com/2008/04/14/nikkatsu-action/#comment-1637 Wed, 23 Apr 2008 07:31:34 +0100 http://cinebeats.blogsome.com/2008/04/14/nikkatsu-action/#comment-1637 I don't think I've ever seen any of his films. Asian cinema is something that I want to get more into. It seems that I'm usually watching something from Spain, Italy, or France. I don’t think I’ve ever seen any of his films. Asian cinema is something that I want to get more into. It seems that I’m usually watching something from Spain, Italy, or France.

]]> by: cinebeats http://cinebeats.blogsome.com/2008/04/14/nikkatsu-action/#comment-1619 Wed, 16 Apr 2008 11:10:24 +0100 http://cinebeats.blogsome.com/2008/04/14/nikkatsu-action/#comment-1619 logboy - Thanks for the comment! The book is a great introduction to the genre and I’m glad I’m not the only one who thinks it’s his best book yet. Current books about Japanese cinema seem to fall into two categories at the moment. A lot of current books about Japanese genre films like Schilling’s take a more casual approach, which I can appreciate, compared to the more academic writing of someone Donald Richie. I’d personally like to see a nice blending of the two in the future but since so much Japanese cinema is really only beginning to get critical attention there’s a lot of new territory to explore and fans and enthusiasts are the ones who are really doing the exploring. Johnathan - Hiya Johnathan! Thanks for stopping by. You’d probably be shocked by how many Japanese books I own. I love Japanese book design and I’ve been buying Japanese books since I was a kid even though I can’t read them. Of course most of the Japanese books I own are comics, art and film books with lots of pictures so being able to read them isn’t 100% necessary, but it would be nice! Thankfully my husband can read and understand a little bit of Japanese so I rely on him a lot for some translations. I’ve noticed that the topic of seeing movies in a theater vs. at home has come up a lot lately in various blogs amongst people discussing the current state of film culture, but very few people mention the costs involved in going out to see movies in theaters these days. Ticket prices are just one concern, but I wish I could attend more film events in the city. At the moment I don’t have easy access to a scanner but if I can sneak the book into work, I will happily share some images from it when I write more about Masuda in the future! logboy - Thanks for the comment! The book is a great introduction to the genre and I’m glad I’m not the only one who thinks it’s his best book yet. Current books about Japanese cinema seem to fall into two categories at the moment. A lot of current books about Japanese genre films like Schilling’s take a more casual approach, which I can appreciate, compared to the more academic writing of someone Donald Richie. I’d personally like to see a nice blending of the two in the future but since so much Japanese cinema is really only beginning to get critical attention there’s a lot of new territory to explore and fans and enthusiasts are the ones who are really doing the exploring.

Johnathan - Hiya Johnathan! Thanks for stopping by. You’d probably be shocked by how many Japanese books I own. I love Japanese book design and I’ve been buying Japanese books since I was a kid even though I can’t read them. Of course most of the Japanese books I own are comics, art and film books with lots of pictures so being able to read them isn’t 100% necessary, but it would be nice! Thankfully my husband can read and understand a little bit of Japanese so I rely on him a lot for some translations.

I’ve noticed that the topic of seeing movies in a theater vs. at home has come up a lot lately in various blogs amongst people discussing the current state of film culture, but very few people mention the costs involved in going out to see movies in theaters these days. Ticket prices are just one concern, but I wish I could attend more film events in the city.

At the moment I don’t have easy access to a scanner but if I can sneak the book into work, I will happily share some images from it when I write more about Masuda in the future!

]]> by: Jonathan Lapper http://cinebeats.blogsome.com/2008/04/14/nikkatsu-action/#comment-1618 Wed, 16 Apr 2008 06:29:09 +0100 http://cinebeats.blogsome.com/2008/04/14/nikkatsu-action/#comment-1618 I like that you bought a book you can't read due to language barriers, I've done that too. The bookstore I go to has several books in other languages available and sometimes I buy them just because they look so good. As for the festival I'm sorry you didn't get to go. The A.F.I. theatre here is constantly showing great foreign programs that I miss every time due to familial obligations and finances. Sometimes I think it would be better living somewhere where there are no specialty theatres so you wouldn't constantly feel like you're missing out on something you feel you should be attending. I hope in your future posts on Action we get to see some scans of the stills in that book. I like that you bought a book you can’t read due to language barriers, I’ve done that too. The bookstore I go to has several books in other languages available and sometimes I buy them just because they look so good.

As for the festival I’m sorry you didn’t get to go. The A.F.I. theatre here is constantly showing great foreign programs that I miss every time due to familial obligations and finances. Sometimes I think it would be better living somewhere where there are no specialty theatres so you wouldn’t constantly feel like you’re missing out on something you feel you should be attending.

I hope in your future posts on Action we get to see some scans of the stills in that book.

]]> by: logboy http://cinebeats.blogsome.com/2008/04/14/nikkatsu-action/#comment-1617 Wed, 16 Apr 2008 00:59:11 +0100 http://cinebeats.blogsome.com/2008/04/14/nikkatsu-action/#comment-1617 i too really like mark schilling's book on nikkatsu action... personally, i prefer his mid-range way of writing - not too light, not too heavy - as it's easy to read and informative. the balance is just right for me. he does tend to get this write very consistently, but this book in particular is nice as it is, as you say, kind of missed a lot of the time that's suddenly gathering fans and become clearer once again. this resurgence seems to be thanks not only to the touring retrospective of a genre that's going to be easy to enjoy without necessarily needing prior knowledge or experience, but because outcast managed to find ways of ensuring lots of good sites have had the opportunity to get involved in talking about it all, it seems. i too really like mark schilling’s book on nikkatsu action… personally, i prefer his mid-range way of writing - not too light, not too heavy - as it’s easy to read and informative. the balance is just right for me. he does tend to get this write very consistently, but this book in particular is nice as it is, as you say, kind of missed a lot of the time that’s suddenly gathering fans and become clearer once again. this resurgence seems to be thanks not only to the touring retrospective of a genre that’s going to be easy to enjoy without necessarily needing prior knowledge or experience, but because outcast managed to find ways of ensuring lots of good sites have had the opportunity to get involved in talking about it all, it seems.

]]> by: cinebeats http://cinebeats.blogsome.com/2008/04/14/nikkatsu-action/#comment-1615 Mon, 14 Apr 2008 21:22:23 +0100 http://cinebeats.blogsome.com/2008/04/14/nikkatsu-action/#comment-1615 Hiya Peter! Masuda has made over 80 films (only 59 are listed at IMDb.com) so I hope you won't base your opinion on the man after seeing only 3 or 4 of his later movies. That's sort of like seeing a few late period Preiminger films and thinking the sum of the man is Skidoo (which I happen to like a lot, but naturally there's much more to the director's body of work than Skidoo!). Some of Masuda's better early films are available on DVD in Japan if you have an all region DVD player, but they're rather pricey (they can run $40+ a piece) unfortunately only a few of his films are currently available in the U.S. on DVD and VHS in the U.S. right now, which is really a shame. I'm personally interested in his fifties and sixties era films, but most have them are only available without subtitles. Hiya Peter! Masuda has made over 80 films (only 59 are listed at IMDb.com) so I hope you won’t base your opinion on the man after seeing only 3 or 4 of his later movies. That’s sort of like seeing a few late period Preiminger films and thinking the sum of the man is Skidoo (which I happen to like a lot, but naturally there’s much more to the director’s body of work than Skidoo!).

Some of Masuda’s better early films are available on DVD in Japan if you have an all region DVD player, but they’re rather pricey (they can run $40+ a piece) unfortunately only a few of his films are currently available in the U.S. on DVD and VHS in the U.S. right now, which is really a shame. I’m personally interested in his fifties and sixties era films, but most have them are only available without subtitles.

]]> by: Peter Nellhaus http://cinebeats.blogsome.com/2008/04/14/nikkatsu-action/#comment-1614 Mon, 14 Apr 2008 19:55:07 +0100 http://cinebeats.blogsome.com/2008/04/14/nikkatsu-action/#comment-1614 I hope more of Masuda's films come to DVD as the film fest ain't coming to Denver as far as I know. What I have seen has been some of the post-Nikkatsu stuff, both <b>Human Revolution</b> films, <b>Tora! Tora! Tora</b>, and the film in which the world ends with Lorne Greene cut into to the action like Raymond Burr in <b>Godzilla</b>. I would hope the earlier films are better. I hope more of Masuda’s films come to DVD as the film fest ain’t coming to Denver as far as I know. What I have seen has been some of the post-Nikkatsu stuff, both Human Revolution films, Tora! Tora! Tora, and the film in which the world ends with Lorne Greene cut into to the action like Raymond Burr in Godzilla. I would hope the earlier films are better.

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