Tag Archives: japan

3 things about Hiroshi Teshigahara’s PITFALL

Pitfall [1962] 1. Ferrying ants using chopsticks. 2. He died without eating, so he’ll be hungry for all eternity. 3. Still in pursuit, he removes a pair of white gloves from his briefcase.

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3 things about Ryusuke Hamaguchi’s WHEEL OF FORTUNE AND FANTASY

Wheel of Fortune and Fantasy [2021] 1. Zoom in, instant redo. 2. He has a job as a literature editor even though he doesn’t read any. “Perhaps that’s why they hired me.” 3. They keep holding hands for a very … Continue reading

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3 things about Kiyoshi Kurosawa’s PULSE

Pulse [2001] 1. She instructs him on how to bookmark a webpage and how to “print screen.” 2. Glitch loop: man crossing a threshold. 3. Following the rollaway gas cap.

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3 things about Kenji Mizoguchi’s OSAKA ELEGY

Osaka Elegy [1936] 1. “Have you forgotten that you’re the owner, at least in name, of Asai Pharmaceuticals? Yet you’re still the servile little toad you always were.” 2. Elaborate tracking shot upon entering Suminoe Suites. 3. I like to … Continue reading

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3 things about Ryusuke Hamaguchi’s DRIVE MY CAR

Drive My Car [2021] 1. The design of the atrium preserves a direct line to the sea. 2. “You don’t need to be better.” 3. Mellow jazz bar with a turntable.

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3 things about Ryusuke Hamaguchi’s WHEEL OF FORTUNE AND FANTASY

Wheel of Fortune and Fantasy [2021] 1. “I feel like a defective product.” 2. Blu-ray; VOD is no longer viable. 3. “My own stupidity makes me want to cry.”

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3 things about Masaki Kobayashi’s HARA-KIRI

Hara-Kiri [1962] 1. Flexing the swords to prove what they’re made of. 2. Tracking shot of wind moving through the grass. 3. Literally, an empty suit.

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3 things about Nagisa Ôshima’s TABOO

Taboo [1999] 1. Obscure reasons for not cutting off his locks. 2. Chopping down the tree in a single stroke. 3. “I’m more inclined to incline towards those who are inclined.”

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3 things about Seijun Suzuki’s TAKE AIM AT THE POLICE VAN

Take Aim at the Police Van [1960] 1. Burma Shave-style road signs warning of danger. 2. Group of teens hanging around the jukebox. 3. He replies that he prefers Japanese mystery novels.

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3 things about Koreyoshi Kurahara’s INTIMIDATION

Intimidation [1960] 1. Beginning and ending with a train. 2. He slips on clear plastic galoshes. 3. Multiple receipts for counterfeit seals.

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