With so many great Japanese directors who made a name for themselves, it is always interesting to see some collaborate. One of the most interesting collaborative efforts was the company “Yonki-no-Kai,” which translates to the “Club of the Four Knights,” established in 1969 by filmmakers Akira Kurosawa, Keisuke Kinoshita, Masaki Kobayashi, and Kon Ichikawa. The group of friends put together this effort to support one another, as the film industry in Japan at the time was in a state of financial hardships. Yet, things did not go according to plan with Kurosawa’s film “Dodes’ka-den,” being a box-office failure, leading to many projects being shelved. The four wrote a jidaigeki feature that would go unmade for a long-time when they couldn’t raise funds to make it. Years later, following the passing of his companions, Ichikawa would eventually be able to direct this initially canceled feature while...
- 10/6/2022
- by Sean Barry
- AsianMoviePulse
It seems whenever Akira Kurosawa's The Hidden Fortress is mentioned it is invariably linked to George Lucas and Star Wars. The connection has been discussed for many years, perhaps best kept alive by an interview with Lucas discussing the film and its influence, which has first released on the 2001 Criterion DVD release. The interview is included once again on this new Blu-ray re-release of the film in which Lucas says the main influence Hidden Fortress had on Star Wars was the decision to tell the story from the perspective of the narrative's two lowliest characters. In the case of Star Wars that would be C-3Po and R2-D2, in Hidden Fortress it's a pair of bumbling and greedy peasants who stumble upon a general (Toshiro Mifune) and a princess (Misa Uehara) attempting to smuggle royal treasure across enemy lines. You could point to the use of long lenses, wipes...
- 3/12/2014
- by Brad Brevet
- Rope of Silicon
Despite threats and protests, some theaters will show the Oscar-winning documentary The Cove after all. But not many. While protests succeeded in "pressuring three theaters to cancel scheduled releases of the film" and "rallies against the film were reported Monday, however, sparking concerns that extremists could intensify their fight to scare theaters into abandoning the screenings," The New York Times reports, "six other theaters will start showing the movie July 3, said Takeshi Kato, the...
- 6/23/2010
- by Andy Dehnart
- Reality Blurred
A week or so ago there were boycotts and protests against Louie Psihoyos’s Oscar-winning documentary, The Cove, outside Japanese cinemas which saw it pulled from release.
The film, which is brilliantly conceived as part espionage thriller and part environmental message movie, focuses on attempts to expose the brutal and sickeningly cruel trade in dolphin meat. The coastal village of Taiji arrogantly claims the dolphin hunt is part of their cultural tradition. Er, that doesn’t make it a valid thing to do.
Those angry at the film claim it is an attack on Japanese culture. Again, arrogance has been displayed. But now cinema owners are ignoring the protests and idiots (hurrah!) and will be showing the film to the paying public. A collective of academics, journalists and directors have argued the boycott is yet another example of the attack on freedom of expression and speech and want the film...
The film, which is brilliantly conceived as part espionage thriller and part environmental message movie, focuses on attempts to expose the brutal and sickeningly cruel trade in dolphin meat. The coastal village of Taiji arrogantly claims the dolphin hunt is part of their cultural tradition. Er, that doesn’t make it a valid thing to do.
Those angry at the film claim it is an attack on Japanese culture. Again, arrogance has been displayed. But now cinema owners are ignoring the protests and idiots (hurrah!) and will be showing the film to the paying public. A collective of academics, journalists and directors have argued the boycott is yet another example of the attack on freedom of expression and speech and want the film...
- 6/21/2010
- by Martyn Conterio
- FilmShaft.com
Although theaters in Japan have canceled screenings of The Cove, as Alison Natasi reported a mere 10 days ago, Japanese movie-lovers will be able to watch the full film on the video-sharing website Nico Nico Douga. The first 2,000 viewers will be able to watch the entire film for free beginning June 21, and the site allows streaming comments, effectively allowing an ongoing conversation between viewers.
It's not clear at the moment whether or not this includes people who have premium paid memberships or free memberships as well, or if more viewers will be able to watch the doc after that for a small fee. As of the time of this writing, the English Nico Nico Douga site doesn't have any more information on it.
Reuters reports that the documentary's Japanese distributor Unplugged canceled the screenings due to "fears that protests might inconvenience moviegoers." Unplugged's offices have been harassed, and protests have even...
It's not clear at the moment whether or not this includes people who have premium paid memberships or free memberships as well, or if more viewers will be able to watch the doc after that for a small fee. As of the time of this writing, the English Nico Nico Douga site doesn't have any more information on it.
Reuters reports that the documentary's Japanese distributor Unplugged canceled the screenings due to "fears that protests might inconvenience moviegoers." Unplugged's offices have been harassed, and protests have even...
- 6/17/2010
- by Jenni Miller
- Cinematical
Screenings of Oscar-winning documentary The Cove cancelled by cinemas in Tokyo and Osaka over threat of far-right protests
Cinemas in Japan have cancelled plans to show an Oscar-winning film about the country's annual slaughter of thousands of dolphins after far-right campaigners threatened to disrupt the screenings.
Unplugged, the Japanese distributor of The Cove, said three cinemas had cancelled screenings amid fears they would be disrupted by ultra-nationalists, who have denounced the film as "anti-Japanese".
Named best documentary feature at this year's Oscars, The Cove struggled to find a distributor in Japan following protests by Taiji fishermen, who complained that it contained inaccuracies and that they had been filmed without permission.
In an attempt to placate opponents, Unplugged blurred the faces of dolphin hunters in the Japanese version, which is due for domestic release on 26 June.
But threats of noisy street protests and unspecified "acts of sabotage" prompted two cinemas in...
Cinemas in Japan have cancelled plans to show an Oscar-winning film about the country's annual slaughter of thousands of dolphins after far-right campaigners threatened to disrupt the screenings.
Unplugged, the Japanese distributor of The Cove, said three cinemas had cancelled screenings amid fears they would be disrupted by ultra-nationalists, who have denounced the film as "anti-Japanese".
Named best documentary feature at this year's Oscars, The Cove struggled to find a distributor in Japan following protests by Taiji fishermen, who complained that it contained inaccuracies and that they had been filmed without permission.
In an attempt to placate opponents, Unplugged blurred the faces of dolphin hunters in the Japanese version, which is due for domestic release on 26 June.
But threats of noisy street protests and unspecified "acts of sabotage" prompted two cinemas in...
- 6/9/2010
- by Justin McCurry
- The Guardian - Film News
Louie Psihoyos and Ric O'Barry's Oscar-winning documentary about the slaughter of dolphins in Japan has been forced out of theaters in Tokyo due to ongoing protests by angry right-wing groups.
The Cove follows a group of activists as they struggle with police and fishermen to gain access to a secluded cove in Taiji, southern Japan, where dolphins are hunted.
The film angered local fishermen, who argue dolphin hunting is part of their culture, and they slammed the covert techniques employed by the filmmakers.
Protesters took to the streets of Tokyo on Friday to fight an upcoming screening of The Cove, calling on locals to boycott the film.
And their loud actions have worked - bosses at Japanese film distributor Unplugged Inc. have cancelled their planned 26 June showing in response to the backlash.
Executives at two more theatres, another in Tokyo and one in Osaka, have also cancelled screenings, meaning no Tokyo theatre is scheduled to show the film.
Unplugged chief executive Takeshi Kato revealed cinema staff had suffered harassment as a result of the protests but revealed bosses were still searching for alternative venues in Tokyo to screen the controversial documentary.
Defending the film, he tells The Brisbane Times, "The Cove is hardly an anti-Japanese movie. We believe that it's necessary to have a deep and healthy debate about the film's content."...
The Cove follows a group of activists as they struggle with police and fishermen to gain access to a secluded cove in Taiji, southern Japan, where dolphins are hunted.
The film angered local fishermen, who argue dolphin hunting is part of their culture, and they slammed the covert techniques employed by the filmmakers.
Protesters took to the streets of Tokyo on Friday to fight an upcoming screening of The Cove, calling on locals to boycott the film.
And their loud actions have worked - bosses at Japanese film distributor Unplugged Inc. have cancelled their planned 26 June showing in response to the backlash.
Executives at two more theatres, another in Tokyo and one in Osaka, have also cancelled screenings, meaning no Tokyo theatre is scheduled to show the film.
Unplugged chief executive Takeshi Kato revealed cinema staff had suffered harassment as a result of the protests but revealed bosses were still searching for alternative venues in Tokyo to screen the controversial documentary.
Defending the film, he tells The Brisbane Times, "The Cove is hardly an anti-Japanese movie. We believe that it's necessary to have a deep and healthy debate about the film's content."...
- 6/8/2010
- WENN
With President’s Day weekend behind us it’s now time to think about some late Valentine’s Day presents. In case you want to pick up something extra for your valentine or you completely forgot to get something at all, a great movie on Blu-ray or DVD makes a perfect gift. Fortunately, there’s some new ones coming out this week just in time.
Among this week’s selection we’re interested in are new to Blu-ray movies such as Law Abiding Citizen, Halo Legends, the Dirty Harry Collection, Contempt, Akira Kurosawa’s Ran and debut of TV series Barnaby Jones and the latest installment of Cannon. Also, Martin Scorsese’s Goodfellas (pictured above with Joe Pesci, Ray Liotta and Robert De Niro) gets the 20th Anniversary treatment with a new Blu-ray release.
Movies
Black Dynamite ~ Michael Jai White (Blu-ray and DVD)
Cabin Fever 2: Spring Fever ~ Michael Bowen,...
Among this week’s selection we’re interested in are new to Blu-ray movies such as Law Abiding Citizen, Halo Legends, the Dirty Harry Collection, Contempt, Akira Kurosawa’s Ran and debut of TV series Barnaby Jones and the latest installment of Cannon. Also, Martin Scorsese’s Goodfellas (pictured above with Joe Pesci, Ray Liotta and Robert De Niro) gets the 20th Anniversary treatment with a new Blu-ray release.
Movies
Black Dynamite ~ Michael Jai White (Blu-ray and DVD)
Cabin Fever 2: Spring Fever ~ Michael Bowen,...
- 2/17/2010
- by Joe Gillis
- The Flickcast
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.