Tokyo — The mainstream Japanese film industry came in for a surprising volume of criticism Saturday at a Tokyo event intended to celebrate the iconic comedian, actor and director Takeshi Kitano.
The occasion was an on-stage session at which Kitano was named as the first recipient of the Tokyo Intl. Film Festival’s Samurai Prize. He was greeted and quizzed by eight prize-winning student filmmakers, and then lauded by Cannes festival selector Christian Jeune and critic and Asian film expert Tony Rayns.
Looking and sounding as gruff and burdened as ever, Kitano kicked off with a cute anecdote about his early days as a struggling comedian who had to work in bars and massage parlors in order make ends meet. “I scrubbed the backs of Yakuza” gangsters, he said.
Since then, that proximity to organized crime has come in handy. Not only have gritty gangster films become Kitano’s directorial trademark,...
The occasion was an on-stage session at which Kitano was named as the first recipient of the Tokyo Intl. Film Festival’s Samurai Prize. He was greeted and quizzed by eight prize-winning student filmmakers, and then lauded by Cannes festival selector Christian Jeune and critic and Asian film expert Tony Rayns.
Looking and sounding as gruff and burdened as ever, Kitano kicked off with a cute anecdote about his early days as a struggling comedian who had to work in bars and massage parlors in order make ends meet. “I scrubbed the backs of Yakuza” gangsters, he said.
Since then, that proximity to organized crime has come in handy. Not only have gritty gangster films become Kitano’s directorial trademark,...
- 10/25/2014
- by Patrick Frater
- Variety - Film News
Similar News
Dev Patel, Jason Momoa, Olivia Rodrigo Top Gold House’s 2024 A100 List
- 5/1/2024
- by Rebecca Sun
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
“You’re so good at that”: Yoshihiro Togashi Thinks of Naruto Creator to be as Talented as a Legendary 2-Time Oscar Winner Hayao Miyazaki
- 5/1/2024
- by Tarun Kohli
- FandomWire
Francis Ford Coppola’s ‘Megalopolis’ Heads To Cannes Market With Goodfellas, French Deal Set With Le Pacte: “The Iconic Director Is Back”
- 4/30/2024
- by Melanie Goodfellow and Andreas Wiseman
- Deadline Film + TV
WondLa First Look From Apple TV+
- 4/30/2024
- by Mirko Parlevliet
- Vital Thrills
Toy Story 5: Release Date, Cast, Plot, & More; Here’s All You Need To Know About This Upcoming Film!
- 4/6/2024
- by Esita Mallik
- KoiMoi
The Two Toy Story Movies That Have A Perfect Rotten Tomatoes Score
- 4/1/2024
- by Witney Seibold
- Slash Film
Cannes 2024: Meryl Streep to receive Palme d'Or
- 5/4/2024
- by Cláudio Alves
- FilmExperience
“There are consequences… Painful consequences”: Disturbing Truth Hidden Behind Roku’s 1 Advice to Aang in Netflix’s Avatar Live Action
- 5/3/2024
- by Aaheli Pradhan
- FandomWire
The Boy And The Heron Comes To 4K Blu-Ray This July
- 5/2/2024
- by Peter Paltridge
- popgeeks - film
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.
More to explore
Box Office: Ryan Gosling’s ‘Fall Guy’ Makes $3.15 Million in Previews
- 5/3/2024
- by Jordan Moreau
- Variety - Film News
A24 Scoops Up Adam Wingard Action Movie ‘Onslaught’
- 5/2/2024
- by Borys Kit
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
Kristen Stewart, Oscar Isaac to Star in Vampire Thriller ‘Flesh of the Gods’ for ‘Mandy’ Filmmaker
- 5/2/2024
- by Borys Kit
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
Paul Rudd & Nick Jonas To Star In Musical Comedy ‘Power Ballad’; Filming Underway In Dublin With John Carney Directing — Cannes Market Hot Project
- 5/2/2024
- by Andreas Wiseman, Matt Grobar and Diana Lodderhose
- Deadline Film + TV
‘Cobra Kai’ Season 6 to Be Split Into Three Parts: Final Season Kicks Off in July, Series Finale Set for 2025
- 5/2/2024
- by Joe Otterson
- Variety - TV News
Michelle Yeoh to Receive Presidential Medal of Freedom
- 5/3/2024
- by Todd Spangler
- Variety - TV News
Meryl Streep Set to Receive Cannes Honorary Palme D’Or
- 5/2/2024
- by Etan Vlessing
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
Mel Brooks, Quinta Brunson To Be Honored At Peabody Awards
- 5/2/2024
- by Denise Petski
- Deadline Film + TV
Rosie O’Donnell Joins ‘And Just Like That’ for Season 3
- 5/2/2024
- by Carly Thomas
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
Daniel Zirilli Dies: Prolific Director Of Action Films And Music Videos Was 58
- 5/2/2024
- by Greg Evans
- Deadline Film + TV
Kristen Stewart, Oscar Isaac to Star in Vampire Thriller ‘Flesh of the Gods’ for ‘Mandy’ Filmmaker
- 5/2/2024
- by Borys Kit
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
Paul Rudd & Nick Jonas To Star In Musical Comedy ‘Power Ballad’; Filming Underway In Dublin With John Carney Directing — Cannes Market Hot Project
- 5/2/2024
- by Andreas Wiseman, Matt Grobar and Diana Lodderhose
- Deadline Film + TV
Anthony Hopkins to Play Composer George Frideric Handel in ‘The King of Covent Garden’ Biopic
- 5/2/2024
- by Alex Ritman
- Variety - Film News
‘Never Look Away’ Review: Lucy Lawless Directs Fascinating Documentary on Death-Defying Photojournalist Margaret Moth
- 5/1/2024
- by Joe Leydon
- Variety - Film News
Quentin Dupieux’s ‘Daaaaaalí!’ Bought by Music Box for U.S. Distribution (Exclusive)
- 5/2/2024
- by Elsa Keslassy
- Variety - Film News
Box Office: Ryan Gosling’s ‘Fall Guy’ Makes $3.15 Million in Previews
- 5/3/2024
- by Jordan Moreau
- Variety - Film News
Thunderbolts* Star Olga Kurylenko On That Mysterious Asterisk: "They Changed A Few Things"
- 5/2/2024
- ComicBookMovie.com
Universal’s Leonardo da Vinci Film to Be Directed by ‘All of Us Strangers’ Helmer Andrew Haigh (Exclusive)
- 5/2/2024
- by Tatiana Siegel
- Variety Film + TV
Emma Stone, Nathan Fielder and A24 to Produce ‘Checkmate,’ Ben Mezrich’s Chess Scandal Story
- 5/2/2024
- by Angelique Jackson
- Variety - Film News
Mattel’s ‘Masters of the Universe’ Moves From Netflix to Amazon for Summer 2026 Release, Travis Knight to Direct
- 5/2/2024
- by Angelique Jackson
- Variety - Film News
James Corden and Ruth Jones Confirm ‘Gavin and Stacey’ Christmas Episode: ‘It’s Official!’
- 5/3/2024
- by Ellise Shafer
- Variety - TV News
Robin Wright-Led ‘The Girlfriend’ Ordered To Series At Prime Video; Olivia Cooke, Laurie Davidson & Waleed Zuaiter Also Star
- 5/2/2024
- by Rosy Cordero
- Deadline Film + TV
‘Knuckles’ Paramount+ Series Sets Platform Record With Over 4 Million Hours Viewed
- 5/2/2024
- by Joe Otterson
- Variety Film + TV
Rosie O’Donnell Joins ‘And Just Like That’ for Season 3
- 5/2/2024
- by Carly Thomas
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
‘Emily The Criminal’: John Patton Ford To Turn His 2022 Crime Thriller Into A TV Series, But Aubrey Plaza Not Returning To Star
- 5/2/2024
- by Ned Booth
- The Playlist