The Netflix Japanese Series Vivant is an action drama that has been directed efficiently by Katsuo Fukuzawa. The brilliant cast of the series includes skilled actors like Hiroshi Abe, Masato Sakai, Tori Matsuzaka, and Fumi Nikaido. The series is full of adventures and is sure to secure the top spot on the list of action-drama thrillers this year. The plot revolves around the seemingly simple life of a sales manager, Yusuke Nogi. The adventures start lining up when he reaches the Balkans for a very serious issue, the blame of which is being shifted on him. Will he be able to resolve the problem? Is there just more than one shade to Yusuke’s personality? What are the Beppans? What’s Tent’s motive? There are many questions that may arise, but they will all be answered here!
Spoiler Alert
What Problem Arises At Yusuke’s Office?
A scam of 100 million dollars happened at Marubishi,...
Spoiler Alert
What Problem Arises At Yusuke’s Office?
A scam of 100 million dollars happened at Marubishi,...
- 12/19/2023
- by Debjyoti Dey
- Film Fugitives
The delicate dance between fire and ice spins out of control in highly-anticipated animated film “Promare” (2019). Director Imaishi Hiroyuki and well-beloved animation Studio Trigger (“Little Witch Academia”) have blessed the film with their characteristic low-frame, extravagant poses, sharply defined character designs, and of course — its self-indulgent giant mecha machines. While the film is sure to please loyal fans, “Promare” fails – at the same time – in truly creating something new, and instead falls back on a hackneyed script sadly telling of the film’s low budget.
“Promare” is distributed by Gkids in the United States, and Anime Limited in the UK. “Promare” opens in UK cinemas on 26th November (dubbed) with subbed screenings from 29th November
“Promare” begins with the Burnish, a mysterious race of people with a mutation to manipulate fire. Thirty years after they destroyed half of the world, the fictional city Promepolis buckles down on rounding up each...
“Promare” is distributed by Gkids in the United States, and Anime Limited in the UK. “Promare” opens in UK cinemas on 26th November (dubbed) with subbed screenings from 29th November
“Promare” begins with the Burnish, a mysterious race of people with a mutation to manipulate fire. Thirty years after they destroyed half of the world, the fictional city Promepolis buckles down on rounding up each...
- 10/30/2019
- by Grace Han
- AsianMoviePulse
Hiroyuki Imaishi is–in the very best way–one of animation’s finest ambassadors of Adhd. His 2004 directorial debut, Dead Leaves, is a masterpiece of sci-fi action insanity: 50 minutes of delirious stylized motion, featuring ultra-angular “superflat” designs combining the most expressive deformities of Eastern and Western comics and cartoons; a psychedelic adrenaline rush that diffuses the full density of a pulpy jailbreak action flick into half the running time and several times the visual scope. It is the pure cinematic embodiment of a film viewer, and filmmaker, whose bountiful imagination strikes dynamite creative synthesis with a short-fuse attention span. Dead Leaves was a minor event at the time, consigned to direct-to-dvd release overseas and ultimately, perhaps, too aggressively weird and explicit to capture the fancy of either mainstream critics or otaku. But 15 years later, Imaishi–who found breakout success in TV anime and co-founded his own studio, Trigger–has become...
- 9/18/2019
- by The Film Stage
- The Film Stage
"Someone has to shoulder the fate of mankind." GKids has unveiled the full-length official Us trailer for the Japanese anime feature film Promare, from animation filmmaker Hiroyuki Imaishi. We featured the first teasers previously, but give this full trailer a look. This is the first feature-length film made by the acclaimed studio known as Trigger. "Promare uses a bold cel-shaded visual style to tell a blistering action-adventure story, and is the spiritual successor to many of director Imaishi’s former works." The story follows Galo and the Burning Rescue Fire Department who battle against "Mad Burnish", a group of mutants who are able to control and wield flames, and the fire disaster they have unleashed on Earth. The main Japanese voice cast features Arata Furuta, Tetsu Inada, Hiroyuki Yoshino, Masato Sakai, Taichi Saotome, and Kenichi Matsuyama. Glad to see this will be playing in theaters in the Us. Here's the...
- 8/18/2019
- by Alex Billington
- firstshowing.net
"Together with your flames and stupid ambitions!" GKids has debuted the first Us trailer for the Japanese anime feature film Promare, from animation filmmaker Hiroyuki Imaishi. This is the first feature-length film made by the acclaimed studio known as Trigger. "Promare uses a bold cel-shaded visual style to tell a blistering action-adventure story, and is the spiritual successor to many of director Imaishi’s former works." The story follows Galo and the Burning Rescue Fire Department who face off against "Mad Burnish", a group of mutants who are able to control and wield flames, and the fire disaster they have unleashed on Earth. The Japanese voice cast features Arata Furuta, Tetsu Inada, Hiroyuki Yoshino, Masato Sakai, Taichi Saotome, and Kenichi Matsuyama. I dig the visual style and look of this, not what we usually see. And I like the cool subtitle design they use in this trailer. Give it a look below.
- 7/21/2019
- by Alex Billington
- firstshowing.net
Injecting an intoxicating shot of frantic energy and sleek color directly into your pupils, the postapocalyptic sci-fi action saga “Promare” plays like an anime-induced euphoric trip.
Marking the first feature release for both Japanese outfit Studio Trigger and its co-founder and director Hiroyuki Imaishi, this visual potion spiced with fiery duels and supernatural machinery is at its most potent when taken without much concern for its bewildering mechanics.
Imaishi is best known for fan-favorite shows “Kill la Kill” and “Gurren Lagann,” works that feature campy erotic innuendos mostly missing from “Promare.” And he carries over the vividly graphic style of animation and fast-paced editing from those episodic hits into his theatrical debut, based on a screenplay by longtime collaborator Kazuki Nakashima (“Batman Ninja”).
Also Read: 'Your Name' Director Makoto Shinkai's 'Weathering With You' Acquired by Gkids
Envisioned for the big screen, “Promare” benefits from visibly...
Marking the first feature release for both Japanese outfit Studio Trigger and its co-founder and director Hiroyuki Imaishi, this visual potion spiced with fiery duels and supernatural machinery is at its most potent when taken without much concern for its bewildering mechanics.
Imaishi is best known for fan-favorite shows “Kill la Kill” and “Gurren Lagann,” works that feature campy erotic innuendos mostly missing from “Promare.” And he carries over the vividly graphic style of animation and fast-paced editing from those episodic hits into his theatrical debut, based on a screenplay by longtime collaborator Kazuki Nakashima (“Batman Ninja”).
Also Read: 'Your Name' Director Makoto Shinkai's 'Weathering With You' Acquired by Gkids
Envisioned for the big screen, “Promare” benefits from visibly...
- 7/6/2019
- by Carlos Aguilar
- The Wrap
Based on a manga by Ryohei Saigan, “Destiny: The Tale of Kamakura” is not the first adaptation of Saigan onto the big screen, as director Takashi Yamazaki adapted several of Saigan’s manga series. It is no coincidence that Takashi Yamazaki decided to adapt this surreal story, as he is considered one of the leading special effect authorities in Japan.
Destiny, The Tale of Kamakura is screening at Camera Japan
The film is set in what appears to be early 20th century Japan in an alternative world in which Youkai (supernatural creatures) live among the humans. Kamakura is a modest town where Akiko (Mitsuki Takahata), a young and energetic woman, moves in with her new husband Isshiki Masakazu (Masato Sakai), a mystery writer and freelancer detective working for the police. In this town, the magical creatures and humans live peacefully together. However, there is an evil creature that is after Akiko.
Destiny, The Tale of Kamakura is screening at Camera Japan
The film is set in what appears to be early 20th century Japan in an alternative world in which Youkai (supernatural creatures) live among the humans. Kamakura is a modest town where Akiko (Mitsuki Takahata), a young and energetic woman, moves in with her new husband Isshiki Masakazu (Masato Sakai), a mystery writer and freelancer detective working for the police. In this town, the magical creatures and humans live peacefully together. However, there is an evil creature that is after Akiko.
- 10/6/2018
- by Sofía Murell
- AsianMoviePulse
Stars: Masato Sakai, Mitsuki Takahata, Shinichi Tsutsumi, Min Tanaka, Jun Kunimura, Hiroko Yakushimaru, Tomokazu Miura, Sakura Ando, Tamao Nakamura, Koji Ohkura, Mayu Tsuruta | Written and Directed by Takashi Yamazaki
The honeymoon is over for newlyweds Akiko and Masakazu Isshiki, who’ve just moved into his family home in the quiet town of Kamakura. While her husband, an author of fantastic fiction, struggles with writers block, Akiko has to come to terms with the rough spots in a marriage – the misunderstandings, the doubts, her husbands obsessive toy-train hobby. And then there are the peculiarities of Kamakura, which, as Masakazu remarks offhandedly, has been a magnet for mystical energy for millennia. Ghosts, goblins, even a charming local death god amble through its streets, and what’s more, her husband moonlights as a “spectral investigator” for the local police! For such a sleepy little town, there are certainly a lot of strange things going on.
The honeymoon is over for newlyweds Akiko and Masakazu Isshiki, who’ve just moved into his family home in the quiet town of Kamakura. While her husband, an author of fantastic fiction, struggles with writers block, Akiko has to come to terms with the rough spots in a marriage – the misunderstandings, the doubts, her husbands obsessive toy-train hobby. And then there are the peculiarities of Kamakura, which, as Masakazu remarks offhandedly, has been a magnet for mystical energy for millennia. Ghosts, goblins, even a charming local death god amble through its streets, and what’s more, her husband moonlights as a “spectral investigator” for the local police! For such a sleepy little town, there are certainly a lot of strange things going on.
- 7/17/2018
- by Phil Wheat
- Nerdly
Takashi Yamazaki, known from narratives like Eternal Zero (2013) and Parasyte, is not unfamiliar with Ryohei Saigan’s work as mangaka. In fact, “Destiny: Tale of Kamakura” is his fourth movie based on the narratives Saigan invented. And while Ryohei Saigan is a well-known artist in Japan, he is, strange as it may be, a forgotten master in the west. For many, this movie will be the first encounter with Saigan’s imagination and qualities a mangaka.
Destiny: Tale of Kamakura is screening at Nippon Connection
When young Akiko (Mitsuki Takahata) marries mystery author Masakazu Isshiki (Masato Sakai), she has no idea that her daily life at Kamakura will become everything but mundane. One day, this safe mundanity is put into question by a passing water-imp. At first afraid, the following confrontations with a variety of magical creatures quickly turns her life into a constant source of wonder, revealing Kamakura as...
Destiny: Tale of Kamakura is screening at Nippon Connection
When young Akiko (Mitsuki Takahata) marries mystery author Masakazu Isshiki (Masato Sakai), she has no idea that her daily life at Kamakura will become everything but mundane. One day, this safe mundanity is put into question by a passing water-imp. At first afraid, the following confrontations with a variety of magical creatures quickly turns her life into a constant source of wonder, revealing Kamakura as...
- 5/31/2018
- by Pieter-Jan Van Haecke
- AsianMoviePulse
Wow, indeed! The day after Michael Phelps bested rival Chad le Clos in the men's 200-meter butterfly, the Olympian took to social media to express his excitement. "Wow!! That was one that'll I'll always remember ... I wanted that one so bad last night!! #last200fly #mostpainful #20 #24 #usa #gettysport," the athlete captioned an Instagram post Wednesday. Phelps lost the 200-meter butterfly by 5/100ths of a second to Le Clos at the 2012 Olympics. And it was a loss he kept in the back of his mind for four years. Wow!! That was one that'll I'll always remember... I wanted that one so bad last night!
- 8/10/2016
- by Rose Minutaglio, @RoseMinutaglio
- PEOPLE.com
Spoiler Alert For West Coast Viewers Michael Phelps did the U.S.A. proud – and no doubt made NBC very happy – with an astonishing night at the Rio Olympics, taking his 21st gold medal and, along the way, splashing away the hopes of South African swimmer and meme-star Chad le Clos. Phelps first took the gold tonight in the 200-meter butterfly event, with Japan's Masato Sakai taking silver and Hungary's Tamas Kenderesi getting the bronze. Le Clos caught the world’s…...
- 8/10/2016
- Deadline TV
It was a Rio rematch. On Tuesday night, Michael Phelps competed against South African rival Chad le Clos in his signature race: the men's 200-meter butterfly. Phelps had lost the same race by 5/100ths of a second in the 2012 Olympics in London - a loss that has always bothered him. But Phelps redeemed himself in a big way, winning his 20th gold medal with a time of 1.56.36, 4/100ths of a second in front of the second-place finisher Masato Sakai of Japan. Le Clos came in fourth. The crowd went wild after his victory, shouting "20! 20! 20!" after also shouting his name in support before the race began.
- 8/10/2016
- by Steve Helling, @stevehelling
- PEOPLE.com
It was a Rio rematch. On Tuesday night, Michael Phelps competed against South African rival Chad le Clos in his signature race: the men's 200-meter butterfly. Phelps had lost the same race by 5/100ths of a second in the 2012 Olympics in London - a loss that has always bothered him. But Phelps redeemed himself in a big way, winning his 20th gold medal with a time of 1.56.36, 4/100ths of a second in front of the second-place finisher Masato Sakai of Japan. Le Clos came in fourth. The crowd went wild after his victory, shouting "20! 20! 20!" after also shouting his name in support before the race began.
- 8/10/2016
- by Steve Helling, @stevehelling
- PEOPLE.com
Uchida Kenji follows his previous film, After School (2008), with another hilarious, entertaining story, this time about switching identities and the surprises that come with it.
In Key of Life (Kagi-Dorobo no Method), one of the Dragons & Tigers selections at the Vancouver International Film Festival 2012, Sakurai (Masato Sakai), is a 35-year-old failed actor, unlucky in love, who can’t even hang himself successfully.
His luck changes when he has the opportunity to steal the identity of older, more mature Kondo (Teruyuki Kagawa), a famous ruthless fixer for the underworld, after the real Kondo has a random accident in a bath-house. But taking on the identity of a ruthless fixer also means he must attend to the business of being an assassin.
The real Kondo finds himself in the hospital with amnesia and must learn to accept and live with the identity of Sakurai. Just his expression when he says he is supposed to be 35 is hilarious.
In Key of Life (Kagi-Dorobo no Method), one of the Dragons & Tigers selections at the Vancouver International Film Festival 2012, Sakurai (Masato Sakai), is a 35-year-old failed actor, unlucky in love, who can’t even hang himself successfully.
His luck changes when he has the opportunity to steal the identity of older, more mature Kondo (Teruyuki Kagawa), a famous ruthless fixer for the underworld, after the real Kondo has a random accident in a bath-house. But taking on the identity of a ruthless fixer also means he must attend to the business of being an assassin.
The real Kondo finds himself in the hospital with amnesia and must learn to accept and live with the identity of Sakurai. Just his expression when he says he is supposed to be 35 is hilarious.
- 11/13/2012
- by Marie Ferrer
- HeyUGuys.co.uk
As a direct result of Film Festival exhaustion, there were two days where LondonFilmFanatiq was unable to manage all three films each day. As a result, here’s a look at the films seen during those two shameful days. First Feature competitor The Samurai That Night from Japanese Masaaki Akahori turned out to be somewhat less-worth getting out of bed for than anticipated, but Italian “Debate” entrant Reality would go on to spectacularly salvage the day. Meanwhile For No Good Reason provided a good reason to get up early on a Friday morning with a striking look at cartoonist and Hunter S Thomson collaborator Ralph Steadman that will be up for top Documentary honours at the 56th London Film Festival.
The Samurai That Night
When his wife is killed in a hit and run accident, socially awkward Ken (Masato Sakai) spends the ensuing five years obsessing and loosely plotting his revenge.
The Samurai That Night
When his wife is killed in a hit and run accident, socially awkward Ken (Masato Sakai) spends the ensuing five years obsessing and loosely plotting his revenge.
- 10/15/2012
- by Phil
- Nerdly
★★★☆☆ Japanese arthouse drama The Samurai That Night (2012) is a compelling tale of a young, nervous man who, after losing his wife in a hit and run accident, collapses inward, failing to connect with the world that surrounds him and ultimately becoming consumed with revenge. Directed by Masaaki Akahori - who also wrote the original stage play and adapted the screenplay - this is a tale of subtle beauty and a powerful sense of isolation. From the opening shot of the nauseous and profusely sweating Nakamura (Masato Sakai), the mood of anxiety and dislocation is established.
Read more »...
Read more »...
- 10/13/2012
- by CineVue UK
- CineVue
Rating: 2.5 out of 5 stars
In The Samurai That Night, stage actor-director Masaaki Akahori directs his own play, though he appears to have done little to accommodate his work for the film medium. What begins promisingly dive-bombs in its awkward second half, due to an unsure tone and most of all, poor pacing, and far too many superfluous scenes which do little to move the otherwise engaging plot forward.
This is not a film in which to expect too much subtlety; one of its first shots shows Ken (Masato Sakai) walking home from the shops with a large butcher knife piercing through his shopping bag; we know something is wrong. From here Akahori transports us to a dual perspective of sorts; first, we see the coming apart of Ken’s life – whose wife is killed in a hit-and-run accident – as he stews in a void of his wife’s clothes, eating...
In The Samurai That Night, stage actor-director Masaaki Akahori directs his own play, though he appears to have done little to accommodate his work for the film medium. What begins promisingly dive-bombs in its awkward second half, due to an unsure tone and most of all, poor pacing, and far too many superfluous scenes which do little to move the otherwise engaging plot forward.
This is not a film in which to expect too much subtlety; one of its first shots shows Ken (Masato Sakai) walking home from the shops with a large butcher knife piercing through his shopping bag; we know something is wrong. From here Akahori transports us to a dual perspective of sorts; first, we see the coming apart of Ken’s life – whose wife is killed in a hit-and-run accident – as he stews in a void of his wife’s clothes, eating...
- 10/11/2012
- by Shaun Munro
- Obsessed with Film
A teaser for Emiko Hiramatsu’s upcoming dog movie Himawari to Koinu no Nanokakan has been uploaded to Shochiku’s official channel on YouTube.
Based on a true story, the movie centers around a Shiba Inu dog which is raised by an elderly couple (Isao Natsuyagi and Reiko Kusamura) who abandon it. Possessing a strong survival instinct, the dog manages to stay alive for a week on her own while struggling to protect her three puppies.
Masato Sakai plays an animal welfare center worker and who is raising two children alone since his wife died. When he meets this dog, who risked her own life to protect her puppies, he becomes determined to protect her in kind. The other workers at the center are touched by her motherly instinct too, and name her “Himawari” (Sunflower).
It’s probably worth noting that animal shelters in Japan have an incredibly high euthanasia rate for abandoned dogs,...
Based on a true story, the movie centers around a Shiba Inu dog which is raised by an elderly couple (Isao Natsuyagi and Reiko Kusamura) who abandon it. Possessing a strong survival instinct, the dog manages to stay alive for a week on her own while struggling to protect her three puppies.
Masato Sakai plays an animal welfare center worker and who is raising two children alone since his wife died. When he meets this dog, who risked her own life to protect her puppies, he becomes determined to protect her in kind. The other workers at the center are touched by her motherly instinct too, and name her “Himawari” (Sunflower).
It’s probably worth noting that animal shelters in Japan have an incredibly high euthanasia rate for abandoned dogs,...
- 6/22/2012
- Nippon Cinema
A teaser for Kenji Uchida’s Kagi Dorobou no Method has popped up on YouTube and Yahoo! Japan.
The movie stars Masato Sakai as an out of work actor named Sakurai who’s planning to commit suicide as a way out of his failed life. Before he goes through with it, however, he stops off at a public bath where a rich man named Kondo (Teruyuki Kagawa) slips to on the floor and is stricken with amnesia.
Sakurai quickly decides to swipe Kondo’s locker key and switches identities with him. However, his newly-acquired life seems to bring him nothing but trouble and danger. Meanwhile, Kondo meets a young woman named Kanae (Ryoko Hirosue) at the hospital and begins happily settling in to Sakurai’s old life.
“Kagi Dorobou no Method” will be released by The Klock Worx in Japan on September 15, 2012.
Also known as: Key of Life (promotional title...
The movie stars Masato Sakai as an out of work actor named Sakurai who’s planning to commit suicide as a way out of his failed life. Before he goes through with it, however, he stops off at a public bath where a rich man named Kondo (Teruyuki Kagawa) slips to on the floor and is stricken with amnesia.
Sakurai quickly decides to swipe Kondo’s locker key and switches identities with him. However, his newly-acquired life seems to bring him nothing but trouble and danger. Meanwhile, Kondo meets a young woman named Kanae (Ryoko Hirosue) at the hospital and begins happily settling in to Sakurai’s old life.
“Kagi Dorobou no Method” will be released by The Klock Worx in Japan on September 15, 2012.
Also known as: Key of Life (promotional title...
- 4/28/2012
- Nippon Cinema
On Sunday, the awards for the 3rd Nippon Theater Staff Film Festival were presented to the winners at a ceremony in Chiyoda-ku, Tokyo. The awards are voted on by cinema staff members from all over Japan.
Mao Inoue took home the award for Best Actress for her performance in Izuru Narushima’s Rebirth (Youkame no Semi), playing a woman who’s forced to deal with her unusual upbringing, having been kidnapped as an infant.
Masami Nagasawa took home the Best Supporting Actress award for Love Strikes! (Moteki), but she was unable to attend due to her filming schedule. In a written statement, she referred to her immersion in the world of film as a “blissful time”.
The big winner was Koki Mitani’s comedy A Ghost of a Chance, which was responsible for three separate awards - Best Movie, Best Director, and Best Supporting actor.
Here’s the full list...
Mao Inoue took home the award for Best Actress for her performance in Izuru Narushima’s Rebirth (Youkame no Semi), playing a woman who’s forced to deal with her unusual upbringing, having been kidnapped as an infant.
Masami Nagasawa took home the Best Supporting Actress award for Love Strikes! (Moteki), but she was unable to attend due to her filming schedule. In a written statement, she referred to her immersion in the world of film as a “blissful time”.
The big winner was Koki Mitani’s comedy A Ghost of a Chance, which was responsible for three separate awards - Best Movie, Best Director, and Best Supporting actor.
Here’s the full list...
- 4/22/2012
- Nippon Cinema
This year’s New York Asian Film Festival was graced with the North American premiere of a film almost three decades in the making. The critically acclaimed and three-time Eisner Award winning manga, Buddha, from Osamu Tezuka, the “Godfather of Anime”, has been given the big screen treatment from animation house Toei Company. Broken down into a planned trilogy from its fourteen volumes of unique and gritty storytelling spanning Siddhartha Gautama’s birth until his transformation into “the Enlightened One”, this first installment—entitled Tezuka Osamu no budda: Akai sabaku yo! Utsukushiku [Osamu Tezuka’s Buddha: The Great Departure]—is a large-scale epic of revenge, war, friendship, spirituality, and a love for nature only someone as one with the earth as Buddha is could cultivate at such an early age.
Beginning in the Himalayas, we watch the great monk Asita witness a sacrifice on behalf of a small rabbit caught in a blizzard, an event opening his...
Beginning in the Himalayas, we watch the great monk Asita witness a sacrifice on behalf of a small rabbit caught in a blizzard, an event opening his...
- 7/8/2011
- by Jared Mobarak
- The Film Stage
The official website for Kiyoshi Sasabe’s The Legacy of the Sun (Nichirin no Isan) has been updated with a 50-second teaser trailer.
Based on a 1993 novel by Naoki Award-winner Jiro Sato, the film revolves around a top secret mission to hide Japanese treasures near the conclusion of World War II which would currently be valued at around 200 trillion yen.
Masato Sakai stars as Major Mashiba, an intelligence officer with Japan’s Imperial Guard. Together with First Lieutenant Koizumi (Seiji Fukushi) and Master Sergeant Mochizuki (Shido Nakamura), Mashiba attempts to execute secret orders to hide the treasures from the occupying forces of Douglas MacArthur in the hopes of funding the nation’s reconstruction at some point in the future.
Out of necessity, 20 young schoolgirls are enlisted to help with the mission without being informed of the details. Yusuke Santamaria plays the girls’ teacher and Kaoru Yachigusa plays one of the girls in the present day.
Based on a 1993 novel by Naoki Award-winner Jiro Sato, the film revolves around a top secret mission to hide Japanese treasures near the conclusion of World War II which would currently be valued at around 200 trillion yen.
Masato Sakai stars as Major Mashiba, an intelligence officer with Japan’s Imperial Guard. Together with First Lieutenant Koizumi (Seiji Fukushi) and Master Sergeant Mochizuki (Shido Nakamura), Mashiba attempts to execute secret orders to hide the treasures from the occupying forces of Douglas MacArthur in the hopes of funding the nation’s reconstruction at some point in the future.
Out of necessity, 20 young schoolgirls are enlisted to help with the mission without being informed of the details. Yusuke Santamaria plays the girls’ teacher and Kaoru Yachigusa plays one of the girls in the present day.
- 2/16/2011
- Nippon Cinema
This past summer I attended the New York Asian Film Festival in which a plethora of fantastic Asian films were screened for wild audience members like myself. Unfortunately, due to time restrictions and probably lack of money, I wasn’t able to attend all of the screenings that I wanted to, one of which was the screening of Golden Slumber, the latest film from director Yoshihiro Nakamura, the man that brought the world Fish Story.
The Japanese thriller’s title and plot are based on the classic Beatles song, Golden Slumber, and is about a young man who was framed for an assassination he had nothing to do with. The film was extremely well received by audience members at both the Nyaff and at Fantastic Fest so if you haven’t heard of it yet now is your opportunity to get acquainted. Below you will find the synopsis along with...
The Japanese thriller’s title and plot are based on the classic Beatles song, Golden Slumber, and is about a young man who was framed for an assassination he had nothing to do with. The film was extremely well received by audience members at both the Nyaff and at Fantastic Fest so if you haven’t heard of it yet now is your opportunity to get acquainted. Below you will find the synopsis along with...
- 12/31/2010
- by Alex DiGiovanna
- HeyUGuys.co.uk
Check out the trailer for the Japanes film Golden Slumber from director Yoshihiro Nakamura.
The film had its world premiere at the Los Angeles Film Festival last summer and was one of the big hits at this years Fantastic Fest in Austin. Unfortunately it still doesn’t have a U.S. distributor. Part of what may be holding that up is the use of the song Golden Slumbers by the Beatles throughout the film.
Watch the trailer below and let us know what you think!
Here is the official synopsis from the Fantastic Fest site:
[In 2010], Yoshihiro Nakamura’s Fish Story saved the world from certain annihilation and became the word-of-mouth hit of the Nyaff. This year, Nakamura’s back with another ode to the human connection, Golden Slumber, a brain-melting thriller send-up that’s two parts The Big Chill, three parts Bourne Identity and a million parts awesome.
In sunny Sendai,...
The film had its world premiere at the Los Angeles Film Festival last summer and was one of the big hits at this years Fantastic Fest in Austin. Unfortunately it still doesn’t have a U.S. distributor. Part of what may be holding that up is the use of the song Golden Slumbers by the Beatles throughout the film.
Watch the trailer below and let us know what you think!
Here is the official synopsis from the Fantastic Fest site:
[In 2010], Yoshihiro Nakamura’s Fish Story saved the world from certain annihilation and became the word-of-mouth hit of the Nyaff. This year, Nakamura’s back with another ode to the human connection, Golden Slumber, a brain-melting thriller send-up that’s two parts The Big Chill, three parts Bourne Identity and a million parts awesome.
In sunny Sendai,...
- 12/28/2010
- by Tiberius
- GeekTyrant
When most people hear Beatles songs, it makes them feel warm and nostalgic. Well, imagine that feeling wrapped in a whodunit conspiracy film like The Fugitive and you've got Golden Slumber, one of the biggest hits of Fantastic Fest 2010 [1]. The Japanese film directed by Yoshihiro Nakamura had its world premiere at the Los Angeles Film Festival last summer and still doesn't have a U.S. distributor. Still, you've got to keep this one on your radar because it's everything you go to the movies for. Watch the trailer and read more about the movie after the jump. Thanks to FirstShowing [2] for reminding us of this trailer, which we hadn't posted yet, but has been around for a few months. When Golden Slumber played Fantastic Fest, the rumor was that because the Beatles song Golden Slumbers was used so prominently, it was never going to get U.S. distribution because it...
- 12/28/2010
- by Germain Lussier
- Slash Film
"Once there was a way, to get back home..." One of my favorite films from Fantastic Fest earlier this year was a Japanese flick called Golden Slumber (read my review). It uses the classic Beatles song "Golden Slumbers" as a motif that is not only sung, but used often as music, and even ties into the story in a unique way. It's a brilliant film, one of my all-time favorite Japanese flicks, but obvious rights issues with the song are probably going to prevent this from ever being released. To tease you anyway, I found an official trailer that includes English subtitles and it's a must watch, if only to help build more buzz for this fantastic film. Watch the first official trailer for Yoshihiro Nakamura's Golden Slumber: Here's the synopsis for Golden Slumber: In sunny Sendai, happy-go-lucky Aoyagi (Masato Sakai) reunites with an old university buddy, only to...
- 12/27/2010
- by Alex Billington
- firstshowing.net
A thriller based on a Beatles song, Golden Slumber (Gôruden suranbâ) is one of the most absurdly satisfying odes to friendship captured on film. Yoshihiro Nakamura's latest adaptation of a Kotaro Isaka novel pits the laid-back Aoyagi (Masato Sakai) against an assassination conspiracy wrapped up in revelations about trust.
Aoyagi's plans to catch up with a college buddy (Hidetaka Yoshioka) for a fishing trip are thwarted when the Prime Minister is assassinated. Suddenly the school day reminiscences are over as Aoyagi has been targeted as the prime suspect and it seems impossible he'll survive the day. Help comes from the most surprising of places as friends old and new make it their business to help the fugitive Aoyagi stay half a step ahead of corrupt police and the media. Just who his true friends are, and how they help or hurt him, make Golden Slumber seem like a movie half its 239-minute run time.
Aoyagi's plans to catch up with a college buddy (Hidetaka Yoshioka) for a fishing trip are thwarted when the Prime Minister is assassinated. Suddenly the school day reminiscences are over as Aoyagi has been targeted as the prime suspect and it seems impossible he'll survive the day. Help comes from the most surprising of places as friends old and new make it their business to help the fugitive Aoyagi stay half a step ahead of corrupt police and the media. Just who his true friends are, and how they help or hurt him, make Golden Slumber seem like a movie half its 239-minute run time.
- 10/4/2010
- by Jenn Brown
- Slackerwood
Rating: 4.5/5
Writer: Kotaro Isaka
Director:Yoshihiro Nakamura
Cast: Yuko Takeuchi, Masato Sakai
“Once there was a way to get back home.” – “Golden Slumbers,” The Beatles
The third collaboration between novelist Kotaro Isaka and director Yosihiro Nakamura is, on the surface, a conspiracy thriller. Like their previous work (The Foreign Duck, The Native Duck And God; Fish Story) it plays with genre conventions to dig deep into the characters woven through its plot to deliver a heartwarming message. That is not to say, though, that Golden Slumber is a sappy film. It earns the audience’s affection through an engaging plot, tight character work, and a host of wonderful performances.
Read more on Fantastic Fest 2010 Review: Golden Slumber…...
Writer: Kotaro Isaka
Director:Yoshihiro Nakamura
Cast: Yuko Takeuchi, Masato Sakai
“Once there was a way to get back home.” – “Golden Slumbers,” The Beatles
The third collaboration between novelist Kotaro Isaka and director Yosihiro Nakamura is, on the surface, a conspiracy thriller. Like their previous work (The Foreign Duck, The Native Duck And God; Fish Story) it plays with genre conventions to dig deep into the characters woven through its plot to deliver a heartwarming message. That is not to say, though, that Golden Slumber is a sappy film. It earns the audience’s affection through an engaging plot, tight character work, and a host of wonderful performances.
Read more on Fantastic Fest 2010 Review: Golden Slumber…...
- 9/29/2010
- by Brian Kelley
- GordonandtheWhale
"Once there was a way to get back home..." I love seeing films at Fantastic Fest that I don't know anything about going in, yet walk out loving. Yoshihiro Nakamura's Golden Slumber is one of those films, and one that I can honestly say I truly loved. It's quite long, running over two hours, but it's a great story that kept me intrigued as it continued to relentlessly push forward. The story follows Aoyagi (Masato Sakai), a humble delivery man from Sendai, Japan, who suddenly ends up framed for the assassination of the Prime Minister and sets off on the run from the cops. It's a smart, amusing, captivating thriller that I'm so glad I got to see. First, any film that uses a Beatles song as a motiff throughout the entire film is almost always guaranteed to win my heart. If you didn't pick up from the title,...
- 9/28/2010
- by Alex Billington
- firstshowing.net
Yes, it’s been a while since the last update. Busy with stuff nobody cares about, yadda yadda. Anyways, figured it best to ease back into blogging slowly, so in keeping with that theme, here’s the new trailer for Yoshimitsu Morita‘s Meiji Restoration-set drama Bushi no Kakeibo. It was previously going by the tentative English title “Samurai Book-keeper” but according to Shochiku, it is now called “Abacus and Sword”. I suppose that title is less inviting of snarky insults from English speakers, but not a whole lot less.
The film is based on the diary of an unnamed accountant who worked for the Kaga Clan around the time of a series of major events which marked the end of the Tokugawa Shogunate and a drastic political shift toward imperial rule.
Masato Sakai plays the accountant, Hachidaime, and Yukie Nakama plays his wife as they work together to keep...
The film is based on the diary of an unnamed accountant who worked for the Kaga Clan around the time of a series of major events which marked the end of the Tokugawa Shogunate and a drastic political shift toward imperial rule.
Masato Sakai plays the accountant, Hachidaime, and Yukie Nakama plays his wife as they work together to keep...
- 9/20/2010
- Nippon Cinema
Yes, it’s been a while since the last update. Busy with stuff nobody cares about, yadda yadda. Anyways, figured it best to ease back into blogging slowly, so in keeping with that theme, here’s the new trailer for Yoshimitsu Morita‘s Meiji Restoration-set drama Bushi no Kakeibo. It was previously going by the tentative English title “Samurai Book-keeper” but according to Shochiku, it is now called “Abacus and Sword”. I suppose that title is less inviting of snarky insults from English speakers, but not a whole lot less.
The film is based on the diary of an unnamed accountant who worked for the Kaga Clan around the time of a series of major events which marked the end of the Tokugawa Shogunate and a drastic political shift toward imperial rule.
Masato Sakai plays the accountant, Hachidaime, and Yukie Nakama plays his wife as they work together to keep...
The film is based on the diary of an unnamed accountant who worked for the Kaga Clan around the time of a series of major events which marked the end of the Tokugawa Shogunate and a drastic political shift toward imperial rule.
Masato Sakai plays the accountant, Hachidaime, and Yukie Nakama plays his wife as they work together to keep...
- 9/20/2010
- Nippon Cinema
[Our thanks to Lauren Baggett for the following.]
Well into the final reel of Golden Slumber, the climax was interrupted by an automated voice (bilingual: this is Quebec, after all) warning us that a fire alarm had been pulled, and that an alarm sounding an evacuation would most likely follow. The sold out audience's quiet confusion gave way to groans of disappointment as the alarm did indeed go off. We were corralled out into the street for a good twenty minutes, in the rain, until it was ascertained that the building was not on fire. Then (and kudos to Fantasia staff for their handling of the situation), the audience quietly filed back in, most taking the same seats they had before, and applauded as the film picked up where we left off. It was to the film's credit that the past twenty minutes of standing out in the rain were soon forgotten. This is the power of Golden...
Well into the final reel of Golden Slumber, the climax was interrupted by an automated voice (bilingual: this is Quebec, after all) warning us that a fire alarm had been pulled, and that an alarm sounding an evacuation would most likely follow. The sold out audience's quiet confusion gave way to groans of disappointment as the alarm did indeed go off. We were corralled out into the street for a good twenty minutes, in the rain, until it was ascertained that the building was not on fire. Then (and kudos to Fantasia staff for their handling of the situation), the audience quietly filed back in, most taking the same seats they had before, and applauded as the film picked up where we left off. It was to the film's credit that the past twenty minutes of standing out in the rain were soon forgotten. This is the power of Golden...
- 7/21/2010
- Screen Anarchy
Nippon Cinema has 2 pairs of passes to give away for screenings of Yoshihiro Nakamura's "Golden Slumber" at this year's New York Asian Film Festival (June 25 - July 8). The film is being co-presented with Japan Society's Japan Cuts festival. Some may recall Nippon Cinema gave away tickets to "Fish Story" last year, and this film is very much in the same vein.
Like Fish Story, the Golden Slumber is based on a novel by Kotaro Isaka in which people cross paths in various ways that have a major impact on how the story develops. The film stars Masato Sakai as Aoyagi, an average delivery man from Sendai who suddenly finds himself framed for the assassination of Japan's new prime minister. The mysterious conspirators see Aoyagi as the perfect scapegoat -- a genuinely good guy who's trusting enough to to walk right into a trap. What they don't count on, however,...
Like Fish Story, the Golden Slumber is based on a novel by Kotaro Isaka in which people cross paths in various ways that have a major impact on how the story develops. The film stars Masato Sakai as Aoyagi, an average delivery man from Sendai who suddenly finds himself framed for the assassination of Japan's new prime minister. The mysterious conspirators see Aoyagi as the perfect scapegoat -- a genuinely good guy who's trusting enough to to walk right into a trap. What they don't count on, however,...
- 6/13/2010
- Nippon Cinema
Shochiku’s English-language website has been updated with a new subtitled teaser for Yoshimitsu Morita‘s Samurai Book-Keeper.
The film is based on the diary of an unnamed accountant who worked for the Kaga Clan around the time of the Meiji Restoration, a series of major events which marked the end of the Tokugawa Shogunate and a drastic political shift toward imperial rule.
Masato Sakai plays the accountaint, Hachidaime, and Yukie Nakama plays his wife as they work together to keep their lives in order in a time of great upheaval for samurai families. At any other time, their position in society would have brought them great wealth, but as the Kaga Clan falls into financial crisis, Hachidaime is forced to sell off all their furniture and household possessions to hold things together. Through it all, his wife stays supportive and cleverly makes due with what little they have to maintain a frugal,...
The film is based on the diary of an unnamed accountant who worked for the Kaga Clan around the time of the Meiji Restoration, a series of major events which marked the end of the Tokugawa Shogunate and a drastic political shift toward imperial rule.
Masato Sakai plays the accountaint, Hachidaime, and Yukie Nakama plays his wife as they work together to keep their lives in order in a time of great upheaval for samurai families. At any other time, their position in society would have brought them great wealth, but as the Kaga Clan falls into financial crisis, Hachidaime is forced to sell off all their furniture and household possessions to hold things together. Through it all, his wife stays supportive and cleverly makes due with what little they have to maintain a frugal,...
- 5/3/2010
- Nippon Cinema
Earlier today, it was announced that Nichirin no Isan, a 1993 novel by Naoki Award-winner Jiro Sato (58) will be made into a film starring Masato Sakai (36).
The novel, which has sold over 500,000 copies to date, revolves around a top secret mission to hide Japanese treasures currently valued at a staggering 200 trillion yen near the conclusion of World War II. Sakai will play Major Mashiba, an intelligence officer with Japan’s Imperial Guard. Together with First Lieutenant Koizumi (Seiji Fukushi) and Master Sergeant Mochizuki (Shido Nakamura), Mashiba attempts to execute secret orders to hide these valuable treasures from the occupying forces of Douglas MacArthur in the hopes of funding the nation’s reconstruction at some point in the future.
Out of necessity, 20 young girls are enlisted to help with the mission without being informed of the details. Yusuke Santamaria (39) will play the girls’ teacher and Kaoru Yachigusa (79) will play one of the girls in the present day.
The novel, which has sold over 500,000 copies to date, revolves around a top secret mission to hide Japanese treasures currently valued at a staggering 200 trillion yen near the conclusion of World War II. Sakai will play Major Mashiba, an intelligence officer with Japan’s Imperial Guard. Together with First Lieutenant Koizumi (Seiji Fukushi) and Master Sergeant Mochizuki (Shido Nakamura), Mashiba attempts to execute secret orders to hide these valuable treasures from the occupying forces of Douglas MacArthur in the hopes of funding the nation’s reconstruction at some point in the future.
Out of necessity, 20 young girls are enlisted to help with the mission without being informed of the details. Yusuke Santamaria (39) will play the girls’ teacher and Kaoru Yachigusa (79) will play one of the girls in the present day.
- 4/23/2010
- Nippon Cinema
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