Exclusive: BAFTA Award nominee Takehiro Hira (Shōgun, Gran Turismo) and Japanese Academy Award winner Akira Emoto have rounded out the cast of Searchlight’s Rental Family directed by Hikari (Beef) and starring The Whale Best Actor Oscar winner Brendan Fraser and Mari Yamamoto (Pachinko).
Cameras are now rolling in Japan, with production to wrap around May. A release date has not been set.
Deadline first told you about the project, which follows a lonely, down-and-out American actor (Fraser) living in Tokyo. He starts working for a Japanese “rental family” company to play various stand-in roles in other people’s lives. Along the way, he forges some surprising human connections and discovers unexpected joys within his built-in family.
“It’s an absolute dream to bring Rental Family to the world,” said Hikari. “I am truly so thankful for my collaboration with my partners at Searchlight and Sight Unseen and for their never-ending support,...
Cameras are now rolling in Japan, with production to wrap around May. A release date has not been set.
Deadline first told you about the project, which follows a lonely, down-and-out American actor (Fraser) living in Tokyo. He starts working for a Japanese “rental family” company to play various stand-in roles in other people’s lives. Along the way, he forges some surprising human connections and discovers unexpected joys within his built-in family.
“It’s an absolute dream to bring Rental Family to the world,” said Hikari. “I am truly so thankful for my collaboration with my partners at Searchlight and Sight Unseen and for their never-ending support,...
- 3/18/2024
- by Anthony D'Alessandro
- Deadline Film + TV
Ryuichi Sakamoto’s final performance before passing in late March was captured for a concert film titled Opus, set to premiere at the Venice Film Festival on September 5th.
Recorded without an audience in December 2022, the film solely features the late Japanese composer and electronic music pioneer on his piano as he plays 20 handpicked pieces spanning his entire career, from his initial success as co-founder of Yellow Magic Orchestra to his film scores for The Last Emperor to his final album, 12. Sakamoto performs several works as solo piano performances for the first time, including The Wuthering Heights, Ichimei — Small Happiness, and a new arrangement of the 1978 Yellow Magic Orchestra track “Tong Poo.”
Watch a teaser from the film of Sakamoto performing a selection from his music for Bernardo Bertolucci’s 1990 romantic drama The Sheltering Sky over at Deadline.
In a posthumous statement about the concert film, Sakamoto said, “The...
Recorded without an audience in December 2022, the film solely features the late Japanese composer and electronic music pioneer on his piano as he plays 20 handpicked pieces spanning his entire career, from his initial success as co-founder of Yellow Magic Orchestra to his film scores for The Last Emperor to his final album, 12. Sakamoto performs several works as solo piano performances for the first time, including The Wuthering Heights, Ichimei — Small Happiness, and a new arrangement of the 1978 Yellow Magic Orchestra track “Tong Poo.”
Watch a teaser from the film of Sakamoto performing a selection from his music for Bernardo Bertolucci’s 1990 romantic drama The Sheltering Sky over at Deadline.
In a posthumous statement about the concert film, Sakamoto said, “The...
- 8/28/2023
- by Eddie Fu
- Consequence - Music
Ryuichi Sakamoto’s final performance before passing in late March was captured for a concert film titled Opus, set to premiere at the Venice Film Festival on September 5th.
Recorded without an audience in December 2022, the film solely features the late Japanese composer and electronic music pioneer on his piano as he plays 20 handpicked pieces spanning his entire career, from his initial success as co-founder of Yellow Magic Orchestra to his film scores for The Last Emperor to his final album, 12. Sakamoto performs several works as solo piano performances for the first time, including The Wuthering Heights, Ichimei — Small Happiness, and a new arrangement of the 1978 Yellow Magic Orchestra track “Tong Poo.”
Watch a teaser from the film of Sakamoto performing a selection from his music for Bernardo Bertolucci’s 1990 romantic drama The Sheltering Sky over at Deadline.
In a posthumous statement about the concert film, Sakamoto said, “The...
Recorded without an audience in December 2022, the film solely features the late Japanese composer and electronic music pioneer on his piano as he plays 20 handpicked pieces spanning his entire career, from his initial success as co-founder of Yellow Magic Orchestra to his film scores for The Last Emperor to his final album, 12. Sakamoto performs several works as solo piano performances for the first time, including The Wuthering Heights, Ichimei — Small Happiness, and a new arrangement of the 1978 Yellow Magic Orchestra track “Tong Poo.”
Watch a teaser from the film of Sakamoto performing a selection from his music for Bernardo Bertolucci’s 1990 romantic drama The Sheltering Sky over at Deadline.
In a posthumous statement about the concert film, Sakamoto said, “The...
- 8/28/2023
- by Eddie Fu
- Consequence - Film News
Well Go USA Entertainment has acquired U.S. rights to Kore-eda Hirokazu’s film “Monster” which world premiered in competition at the Cannes Film Festival and and won best screenplay (for Yuji Sakamoto).
A critically acclaimed Japanese master, Kore-eda previously won Cannes’ Palme d’Or with “Shoplifters” in 2018 and returned to the competition last year with “Broker” which won best actor for Song Kang-ho.
Well Go USA Entertainment plans to release “Monster” in U.S. theaters in late 2023 or early 2024.
Scored by late Oscar-winning composer Sakamoto Ryuichi (“The Last Emperor”) and lensed by Kondo Ryoto (“Shoplifters”), “Monster” tells the story of a widowed mother who notices that her young son (Kurokawa Soya) has begun exhibiting strange behavior. When she brings her concerns to the staff at his school, she discovers that a teacher is responsible and demands an explanation. Told through the multilayered perspectives of mother, teacher and child, the...
A critically acclaimed Japanese master, Kore-eda previously won Cannes’ Palme d’Or with “Shoplifters” in 2018 and returned to the competition last year with “Broker” which won best actor for Song Kang-ho.
Well Go USA Entertainment plans to release “Monster” in U.S. theaters in late 2023 or early 2024.
Scored by late Oscar-winning composer Sakamoto Ryuichi (“The Last Emperor”) and lensed by Kondo Ryoto (“Shoplifters”), “Monster” tells the story of a widowed mother who notices that her young son (Kurokawa Soya) has begun exhibiting strange behavior. When she brings her concerns to the staff at his school, she discovers that a teacher is responsible and demands an explanation. Told through the multilayered perspectives of mother, teacher and child, the...
- 5/31/2023
- by Elsa Keslassy
- Variety Film + TV
Hirokazu Kore-Eda is back in Cannes Competition after winning the Palme d’Or for Shoplifters in 2018 and last year presenting Korean-language Broker, which won best actor for Song Kang-ho. His new title, Monster, reteams him with Shoplifters actress Sakura Ando and is the last film to be scored by Oscar-winning composer Ryuichi Sakamoto, who died in March at 71 following a battle with cancer.
Scripted by Yuji Sakamoto (We Made a Beautiful Bouquet), Monster revolves around a single mother (Ando) who suspects there is something wrong at her son’s school when he starts behaving strangely. She storms into the school and accuses a teacher of bullying her son, only to have the teacher claim the boy is bullying another pupil, an eccentric child who appears to be having problems at home.
The cast also includes Eita Nagayama (Hara-Kiri: Death of a Samurai) as the teacher and veteran actress Yuko Tanaka...
Scripted by Yuji Sakamoto (We Made a Beautiful Bouquet), Monster revolves around a single mother (Ando) who suspects there is something wrong at her son’s school when he starts behaving strangely. She storms into the school and accuses a teacher of bullying her son, only to have the teacher claim the boy is bullying another pupil, an eccentric child who appears to be having problems at home.
The cast also includes Eita Nagayama (Hara-Kiri: Death of a Samurai) as the teacher and veteran actress Yuko Tanaka...
- 5/17/2023
- by Liz Shackleton
- Deadline Film + TV
Sakamoto Scores Again
Celebrated composer Sakamoto Ryuichi has been tapped to provide the score of “Monster,” the previously announced upcoming film by Japan’s Kore-eda Hirokazu (“Shoplifters”). The film has been in post-production since November last year, but only now is the cast being unveiled. It includes Ando Sakura Nagayama Eita (“Hara-Kiri: Death of a Samurai”) and Tanaka Yuko (“Backwater”). Two children actors Kurokawa Soya and Hiiragi Hinataare were also revealed. The film, handled jointly by Toho and Gaga, is set for a June 2, 2023 release, making it a favorite for selection at the Cannes festival in May.
Close Encounter
Lukas Dhont’s “Close” added to its awards haul with the announcement that it had earned two more prizes at China’s Silk Road International Film Festival. The festival in Xi’an concluded on Tuesday with prizes for best film and best film going to the Belgium-France-Netherlands co-production. The best screenplay...
Celebrated composer Sakamoto Ryuichi has been tapped to provide the score of “Monster,” the previously announced upcoming film by Japan’s Kore-eda Hirokazu (“Shoplifters”). The film has been in post-production since November last year, but only now is the cast being unveiled. It includes Ando Sakura Nagayama Eita (“Hara-Kiri: Death of a Samurai”) and Tanaka Yuko (“Backwater”). Two children actors Kurokawa Soya and Hiiragi Hinataare were also revealed. The film, handled jointly by Toho and Gaga, is set for a June 2, 2023 release, making it a favorite for selection at the Cannes festival in May.
Close Encounter
Lukas Dhont’s “Close” added to its awards haul with the announcement that it had earned two more prizes at China’s Silk Road International Film Festival. The festival in Xi’an concluded on Tuesday with prizes for best film and best film going to the Belgium-France-Netherlands co-production. The best screenplay...
- 1/5/2023
- by Patrick Frater
- Variety Film + TV
Another Decade with Takashi Miike is a series of essays on the 2010 films of the Japanese maverick, following Notebook's earlier survey of Miike's first decade of the 21st century.Takashi Miike could have become the idea of himself held by many Americans and gotten rich doing it, but his career was always his own. After he indulged one last time in the uncomplicated thrill of homicide-as-spectacle in 13 Assassins (2010), he’d never spill blood the same way. In Miike’s films of the last decade, violence became the director’s way of working through feelings about a world ruled by a rotting morality. Hara-Kiri: Death of a Samurai (2011), Lesson of the Evil (2012), As the Gods Will (2014), and Terra Formars (2016) all reckon with the problems of believing in some greater power or logic, and their findings are bleak. If teachers, gods, governments, and alien life aren’t looking out for us,...
- 8/31/2020
- MUBI
Another Decade with Takashi Miike is a series of essays on the 2010s films of the Japanese maverick, following Notebook's earlier survey of Miike's first decade of the 21st century.As the Gods Will (2014) picks up where Lesson of the Evil (2012) left off, with a massacre at a high school. Again, Takashi Miike is considering the unspeakable—namely, the wholesale slaughter of children in the place we most expect them to be safe—but there are some critical differences this time. Lesson of the Evil followed the perpetrator of an atrocity for months (and about an hour of screen time) before he shot up a high school, thereby acclimating viewers to how terrible he could be; the massacre didn’t seem to come out of nowhere. As the Gods Will, on the other hand, presents a scene of multiple homicide mere minutes after the title cards appear. It’s as...
- 8/31/2020
- MUBI
Another Decade with Takashi Miike is a series of essays on the 2010s films of the Japanese maverick, following Notebook's earlier survey of Miike's first decade of the 21st century.In mid-2011, Takashi Miike unveiled two films in characteristically quick succession. Hara-Kiri: Death of a Samurai, a remake of Masaki Kobayashi’s seminal Harakiri (1962), premiered in May at the Cannes Film Festival, where it was the first 3-D movie ever to screen in competition. Two months later at the New York Asian Film Festival came Ninja Kids!!!, a live-action adaptation of the long-running anime series Nintama Rantarō (itself an adaptation of the manga series Rakudai Ninja Rantarō). These two films are plainly different from one another: Hara-Kiri is a grim movie intended for grown-up audiences, while Ninja Kids!!! is a bright, goofy film aimed principally at young children. At the same time, the movies have a surprising amount in common,...
- 8/31/2020
- MUBI
Well Go USA has taken North American rights to Takashi Miike’s “First Love,” which had its world premiere in Cannes as part of the Directors’ Fortnight lineup. Well Go said the picture will be released in select theaters later this year, with a digital and home entertainment release scheduled for early 2020. The deal was negotiated by Doris Pfardrescher on behalf of Well Go USA with HanWay Films and ICM Partners.
“Takashi Miike is one of the most exciting filmmakers working in international cinema today,” Pfardrescher said. “His new film, ‘First Love,’ continues his extraordinary track record for interesting and provocative films and audiences will be blown away.”
HanWay boarded sales on the film ahead of Cannes and reps worldwide rights, excluding Asia and Australasia, where they are with Toei Films. It has closed several other deals, including with Haut et Court in France; Eurovideo in Germany, Austria, and Switzerland; and Nonstop in Scandinavia.
“Takashi Miike is one of the most exciting filmmakers working in international cinema today,” Pfardrescher said. “His new film, ‘First Love,’ continues his extraordinary track record for interesting and provocative films and audiences will be blown away.”
HanWay boarded sales on the film ahead of Cannes and reps worldwide rights, excluding Asia and Australasia, where they are with Toei Films. It has closed several other deals, including with Haut et Court in France; Eurovideo in Germany, Austria, and Switzerland; and Nonstop in Scandinavia.
- 6/6/2019
- by Stewart Clarke
- Variety Film + TV
What’s black and red all over? A noir-tinged yakuza film by Japanese iconoclast Takashi Miike, of course. With Miike, you never quite know what you’re going to get, both in terms of the movies’ unpredictable content and the wild range in quality. The director’s recent highlights have been the result of a productive collaboration with celebrated British producer Jeremy Thomas: “13 Assassins,” “Hara-kiri: Death of a Samurai” and “Blade of the Immortal.” It’s no surprise then that Miike’s latest Thomas production “First Love“—a selection of the Directors’ Fortnight program at Cannes—finds the filmmaker at his most engaged, playful and coherent.
Continue reading ‘First Love’: Takashi Miike Delivers A Classic Shaggy Noir-Tinged Yakuza Film [Cannes Review] at The Playlist.
Continue reading ‘First Love’: Takashi Miike Delivers A Classic Shaggy Noir-Tinged Yakuza Film [Cannes Review] at The Playlist.
- 5/23/2019
- by Bradley Warren
- The Playlist
The film was co-produced by HanWay founder Jeremy Thomas.
London-based sales company HanWay Films has added Takashi Miike’s First Love to its Cannes slate ahead of the film’s premiere in the festival’s Directors’ Fortnight programme.
HanWay will handle worldwide sales on the project excluding Asia, where rights are held by an undisclosed company.
The film is a co-production between Japan’s Muneyuki Kii and Misako Saka, with the UK’s Jeremy Thomas of Recorded Picture Company.
Thomas and director Miike have previously collaborated on Blade Of The Immortal and Hara-Kiri: Death Of A Samurai, both of which played in Cannes,...
London-based sales company HanWay Films has added Takashi Miike’s First Love to its Cannes slate ahead of the film’s premiere in the festival’s Directors’ Fortnight programme.
HanWay will handle worldwide sales on the project excluding Asia, where rights are held by an undisclosed company.
The film is a co-production between Japan’s Muneyuki Kii and Misako Saka, with the UK’s Jeremy Thomas of Recorded Picture Company.
Thomas and director Miike have previously collaborated on Blade Of The Immortal and Hara-Kiri: Death Of A Samurai, both of which played in Cannes,...
- 4/24/2019
- by Tom Grater
- ScreenDaily
Details have been released today about Takashi Miike’s Cannes Directors’ Fortnight-bound action-thriller First Love.
Set over one night in Tokyo, the film will follow Leo, a young boxer down on his luck as he meets his ‘first love’ Monica, a call girl and an addict but still an innocent. Little does Leo know, Monica is unwittingly caught up in a drug-smuggling scheme, and the two are pursued through the night by a corrupt cop, a yakuza, his nemesis, and a female assassin sent by the Chinese Triads. According to the production, all their fates intertwine in “spectacular Miike style, at his most and fun and anarchic.”
The film reunites Oscar-winning producer Jeremy Thomas’ (The Last Emperor) Recorded Picture Company with cult director Miike for the fourth time after their collaborations on Blade of the Immortal, Hara-Kiri: Death of a Samurai and 13 Assassins. HanWay Films will handle worldwide sales...
Set over one night in Tokyo, the film will follow Leo, a young boxer down on his luck as he meets his ‘first love’ Monica, a call girl and an addict but still an innocent. Little does Leo know, Monica is unwittingly caught up in a drug-smuggling scheme, and the two are pursued through the night by a corrupt cop, a yakuza, his nemesis, and a female assassin sent by the Chinese Triads. According to the production, all their fates intertwine in “spectacular Miike style, at his most and fun and anarchic.”
The film reunites Oscar-winning producer Jeremy Thomas’ (The Last Emperor) Recorded Picture Company with cult director Miike for the fourth time after their collaborations on Blade of the Immortal, Hara-Kiri: Death of a Samurai and 13 Assassins. HanWay Films will handle worldwide sales...
- 4/24/2019
- by Andreas Wiseman
- Deadline Film + TV
HanWay Films has boarded sales on Takashi Miike’s “First Love,” which has been selected for Directors’ Fortnight in Cannes. HanWay has worldwide rights excluding Asia.
Jeremy Thomas’ Recorded Picture Company is re-teaming with Miike on the picture, which will have its world premiere in Cannes. The film marks the fourth collaboration between the prolific Japanese director and Thomas after they worked closely together on “Blade of the Immortal,” “Hara-Kiri: Death of a Samurai” and “13 Assassins.”
“First Love” was announced in the Directors’ Fortnight lineup, but with little plot information available. The producers said Wednesday that the film is set during one night in Tokyo and follows Leo, a down-on-his-luck young boxer who meets his first love, Monica, a call girl and an addict but still an innocent. Monica unwittingly gets caught up in a drug-smuggling scheme, and the two are pursued through the night by a corrupt cop,...
Jeremy Thomas’ Recorded Picture Company is re-teaming with Miike on the picture, which will have its world premiere in Cannes. The film marks the fourth collaboration between the prolific Japanese director and Thomas after they worked closely together on “Blade of the Immortal,” “Hara-Kiri: Death of a Samurai” and “13 Assassins.”
“First Love” was announced in the Directors’ Fortnight lineup, but with little plot information available. The producers said Wednesday that the film is set during one night in Tokyo and follows Leo, a down-on-his-luck young boxer who meets his first love, Monica, a call girl and an addict but still an innocent. Monica unwittingly gets caught up in a drug-smuggling scheme, and the two are pursued through the night by a corrupt cop,...
- 4/24/2019
- by Stewart Clarke
- Variety Film + TV
Hirofumi Arai, an actor who has appeared in many major Japanese films of the past two decades, was arrested by Tokyo police on Friday. He has been charged with the offense of “forcible intercourse” or rape.
The move stems from Arai’s alleged encounter with an unnamed woman dispatched from a massage service to Arai’s residence on July 1 of last year. According the police report, Arai committed violent acts against the woman, including “forcible intercourse.”
Arai has reportedly denied some of the charges. His agency, Anore, has told the media that it is not at present in touch with Arai, and cannot reply to the report of his arrest.
Public broadcaster Nhk immediately halted sales of ten programs in which Arai was involved, including the 2015 mystery drama “64.” Other projects involving the star are likely to be affected, including the Masahide Ichii drama “Typhoon Family,” which is set for a June release through Kino Films.
The move stems from Arai’s alleged encounter with an unnamed woman dispatched from a massage service to Arai’s residence on July 1 of last year. According the police report, Arai committed violent acts against the woman, including “forcible intercourse.”
Arai has reportedly denied some of the charges. His agency, Anore, has told the media that it is not at present in touch with Arai, and cannot reply to the report of his arrest.
Public broadcaster Nhk immediately halted sales of ten programs in which Arai was involved, including the 2015 mystery drama “64.” Other projects involving the star are likely to be affected, including the Masahide Ichii drama “Typhoon Family,” which is set for a June release through Kino Films.
- 2/2/2019
- by Mark Schilling
- Variety Film + TV
Masaki Kobayashi’s “Hara-Kiri” (1962) is a towering giant of a film that has stood the test of time. Revered by many, the film often features on several “Best Of” lists time and again. Thus, It was a bit of a surprise when it was announced that Takashi Miike was recruited to put a fresh touch on the classic, only this time in 3D. It was hence that “Hara-Kiri: Death of a Samurai” premiered at the Cannes Film Festival in 2011, the first 3D film to ever be selected in Official Competition at the Festival, with a subsequent wide theatrical release later in the year.
With the rise of the Shogunate, several prominent Domains under them have been shut permanently, which has led to many a samurai being jobless and struggling to make a living. This has led to a unique spate of cons where such ronin go to...
With the rise of the Shogunate, several prominent Domains under them have been shut permanently, which has led to many a samurai being jobless and struggling to make a living. This has led to a unique spate of cons where such ronin go to...
- 1/20/2019
- by Rhythm Zaveri
- AsianMoviePulse
If something characterizes Takashi Miike’s cinema, is his visual delusions, his dark humor and his excessive extravagance. In recent years, Miike has approached a more serious and personal cinema with films like “13 Assassins” or “Hara-Kiri: Death of a Samurai”, but the truth is that already in 2006, Miike managed to make what is perhaps his most personal, most mature and least recognized film: “Scars of the Sun”, a true study of a society in decline and on the meaning of violence as it depicts the story of how a family man gets to lose everything in an instant.
After a hard day of work in the office, Mr. Katayama goes to his home to celebrate his birthday with his wife and his little daughter. However, halfway through, he notices a group of teenagers who are attacking a homeless person. Katayama decides not to sit idly by,...
After a hard day of work in the office, Mr. Katayama goes to his home to celebrate his birthday with his wife and his little daughter. However, halfway through, he notices a group of teenagers who are attacking a homeless person. Katayama decides not to sit idly by,...
- 12/16/2018
- by Pedro Morata
- AsianMoviePulse
To Remake Or Not To Remake, That Is The Question
“Ichimei” or “Hara-Kiri: Death of a Samurai” is Takashi Miike‘s 2012 remake of the extraordinary 1962 classic “Seppuku” ( or “Harakiri“ ), that one directed by Masaki Kobayashi. If you feel like this might be a little too ambitious of a project for someone like Miike, fear not. His last project was “13 Assassins” ( which was reviewed right here on Amp ), a similar type of film with parallel themes and a striking resemblance in terms of visuals.
The story goes as follows: A ronin requests an audience with the regent of a powerful samurai clan. Once he is permitted to enter the grounds, the wandering warrior makes a startling demand: he requests the use of the clan’s courtyard in order to perform hara-kiri ( suicide by disembowelment ). Now, this is where the story gets even stranger…
As the conversation continues, the regent reveals an...
“Ichimei” or “Hara-Kiri: Death of a Samurai” is Takashi Miike‘s 2012 remake of the extraordinary 1962 classic “Seppuku” ( or “Harakiri“ ), that one directed by Masaki Kobayashi. If you feel like this might be a little too ambitious of a project for someone like Miike, fear not. His last project was “13 Assassins” ( which was reviewed right here on Amp ), a similar type of film with parallel themes and a striking resemblance in terms of visuals.
The story goes as follows: A ronin requests an audience with the regent of a powerful samurai clan. Once he is permitted to enter the grounds, the wandering warrior makes a startling demand: he requests the use of the clan’s courtyard in order to perform hara-kiri ( suicide by disembowelment ). Now, this is where the story gets even stranger…
As the conversation continues, the regent reveals an...
- 1/4/2013
- by The0racle
- AsianMoviePulse
Funny thing how almost every single image from the upcoming Takashi Miike‘s The Legend of Love & Sincerity or For Love’s Sake (Ai to makoto) movie looks fantastic. I wasn’t so enthusiastic about this project the last time I wrote about it, but now – I’m definitely in! So, what can I tell you guys [...]
Continue reading Cannes 2012: AI To Makoto (The Legend of Love & Sincerity) by Takashi Miike on FilmoFilia.
Related posts: Cannes 2011: Takashi Miike’s Ichimei/Hara-Kiri: Death of a Samurai Cannes 2012 Line-Up Cannes 2012: Amour by Michael Haneke...
Continue reading Cannes 2012: AI To Makoto (The Legend of Love & Sincerity) by Takashi Miike on FilmoFilia.
Related posts: Cannes 2011: Takashi Miike’s Ichimei/Hara-Kiri: Death of a Samurai Cannes 2012 Line-Up Cannes 2012: Amour by Michael Haneke...
- 5/16/2012
- by Fiona
- Filmofilia
★★☆☆☆ Takashi Miike's Hara-Kiri: Death of a Samurai (Ichimei, 2011) - starring Kôji Yakusho, Naoto Takenaka and Hikari Mitsushima - can best be described as troublesome; a remake (based on Masaki Kobayashi Harakiri [1962]) that is full of potential, yet ultimately fails to deliver. The plot is your usual fair of revenge and honour that focuses on a struggling samurai who discovers that his son-in-law has committed ritual suicide, leading to him acting out his revenge upon the feudal lord who allowed his death.
The act of seppuku (harakiri) is one that has fascinated Western minds due to its extreme dedication to the concept of retaining honour to the point of death. The problem with Miike's Hara-Kiri is that rather than tackling the concept in a interesting way, Miike puts his audience through an initial, overly-grotesque scene of suicide involving a bamboo sword, that lasts approximately ten minutes. The violence goes beyond...
The act of seppuku (harakiri) is one that has fascinated Western minds due to its extreme dedication to the concept of retaining honour to the point of death. The problem with Miike's Hara-Kiri is that rather than tackling the concept in a interesting way, Miike puts his audience through an initial, overly-grotesque scene of suicide involving a bamboo sword, that lasts approximately ten minutes. The violence goes beyond...
- 10/22/2011
- by Daniel Green
- CineVue
Takashi Miike might get away with remaking a little seen samurai flick like The Thirteen Assassins (1963), but Masaki Kobayashi's Harakiri is another story. The 1962 original, a masterpiece in pacing and storytelling, is a well distributed, widely seen and much loved classic. Among the probably audience for Miike's remake, comparisons will be inevitable and will be an unfortunate red herring to the surprisingly conventional film Miike has made. More than any other film in his career, Harakiri is a study in restraint that exudes a certain respect for the original. Unfortunately, minor added affectations don't serve the film well and the remake can't hold a candle to Kobayashi's perfection. Titled Ichimei ("One Life") in Japanese and Harakiri: Death of a Samurai, the film...
- 10/5/2011
- Screen Anarchy
The first 3D film ever screened in official selection in Cannes, Takashi Miike's Hara-Kiri: Death Of A Samurai (Ichimei) proved to be divisive among audiences. A remake of Masaki Kobayashi's 1962 picture, the film moved much more slowly than audiences were expecting and those hoping for another epic samurai battle from Miike - who had just delivered exactly that with 13 Assassins - were left disappointed.But with the film now edging up on a theatrical release in Japan we get our chance at a longer look at it. A full trailer has now followed the previous teaser and can be seen below. Once again it is obvious that Miike is taking the craftsmanship on his samurai pictures very, very seriously as every shot is...
- 7/21/2011
- Screen Anarchy
The reaction to Takashi Miike's Hara-Kiri: Death Of A Samurai (Ichimei) was decidedly split, with the film skewing far more towards melodrama than many were expecting from a 3D samurai picture coming on the heels of 13 Assassins. The idea of Miike scaling back into a more deliberate drama does nothing to dissuade me from wanting to see it, however - it screened in Cannes the day after I left - and neither does the below clip that recently arrived online. Don't ask me why it only has one line subtitled. I have no idea....
- 5/21/2011
- Screen Anarchy
Updated through 5/21.
"Miike's gonzo efforts have assaulted the fest circuit for over a decade, and at least one, Gozu, appeared in the Director's Fortnight here," recalls Mike D'Angelo at the Av Club. "But he's finally gotten the big nod for Hara-Kiri: Death of a Samurai, a remake of Masaki Kobayashi's masterpiece Harakiri (which itself won the Jury Prize at Cannes in 1963, taking second place to Visconti's The Leopard). Like the original, it's a methodical, often downright somber tale of honor codes gone awry, depicting the repercussions of a horrific incident in which a starving ronin gets his 'suicide bluff' called. Weary of a wave of beggars seeking to inspire pity and a handout by asking for a suitably proud spot to commit seppuku, officials at the House of Ii force one poor fellow to go through with it,even when they see that his sword is made of bamboo.
"Miike's gonzo efforts have assaulted the fest circuit for over a decade, and at least one, Gozu, appeared in the Director's Fortnight here," recalls Mike D'Angelo at the Av Club. "But he's finally gotten the big nod for Hara-Kiri: Death of a Samurai, a remake of Masaki Kobayashi's masterpiece Harakiri (which itself won the Jury Prize at Cannes in 1963, taking second place to Visconti's The Leopard). Like the original, it's a methodical, often downright somber tale of honor codes gone awry, depicting the repercussions of a horrific incident in which a starving ronin gets his 'suicide bluff' called. Weary of a wave of beggars seeking to inspire pity and a handout by asking for a suitably proud spot to commit seppuku, officials at the House of Ii force one poor fellow to go through with it,even when they see that his sword is made of bamboo.
- 5/21/2011
- MUBI
All the latest news, reviews, comment and buzz from the Croisette, as it happens
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It's 10.00am: on 11 May 2011 which means that the 64th Cannes film festival has just kicked off. Right this minute, the world's film press are huddled in the Palais du cinema as the opening credits roll on the first press screening of the opening night film, Woody Allen's Midnight in Paris. And in about 90 minutes, we'll know the verdict: is it a new Manhattan or another Curse of the Jade Scorpion? Will this year's fest have been launched with a bang or a whimper?
We'll be bringing you all the news, reviews and reaction from the Croisette, as it happens, right through the festival. My colleague Ian and I will be drawing coverage together in London; we'll be getting regular updates from the team on the ground: Peter Bradshaw, Xan Brooks, Andrew Pulver, Charlotte Higgins, Jason Solomons,...
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It's 10.00am: on 11 May 2011 which means that the 64th Cannes film festival has just kicked off. Right this minute, the world's film press are huddled in the Palais du cinema as the opening credits roll on the first press screening of the opening night film, Woody Allen's Midnight in Paris. And in about 90 minutes, we'll know the verdict: is it a new Manhattan or another Curse of the Jade Scorpion? Will this year's fest have been launched with a bang or a whimper?
We'll be bringing you all the news, reviews and reaction from the Croisette, as it happens, right through the festival. My colleague Ian and I will be drawing coverage together in London; we'll be getting regular updates from the team on the ground: Peter Bradshaw, Xan Brooks, Andrew Pulver, Charlotte Higgins, Jason Solomons,...
- 5/11/2011
- by Catherine Shoard, Ian J Griffiths
- The Guardian - Film News
Who doesn't love samurai?! There isn't much to feature for an Indie Trailer Sunday because the summer season is kicking off, but there is one teaser trailer that I thought was worth featuring. Japanese director Takashi Miike, mostly known for his crazy horror movies, has been obsessed with samurais recently, previously directing 13 Assassins, which just opened in the Us. He's got another film, titled Hara-Kiri: Death of a Samurai (or just Seppuku originally) that's not only playing in competition at the Cannes Film Festival this month, but will be presented in 3D. SlashFilm found this 30-sec teaser, and it looks quite good. Watch the first teaser trailer for Takashi Miike's Hara-Kiri: Death of a Samurai: Hara-Kiri, set in the 17th century, follows Hanshiro (Ebizo Ichikawa), an honorable, poverty-stricken samurai requesting to commit hara-kiri in the courtyard of feudal lord Kageyu's estate. Trying to dismiss Hanshiro's wish to save face,...
- 5/1/2011
- by Alex Billington
- firstshowing.net
Don’t know why, but we’re always interested in Japanese projects, especially those who will premiere In Competition at the Cannes Film Festival.
Takashi Miike‘s upcoming Hara-Kiri: Death of a Samurai, or simply – Ichimei, is not an exception, although this movie will not be the only Japanese film at Cannes this year.
Ichimei is the first live-action 3D film to compete at any of the three major international film festivals (Cannes, Berlin, Venice) and as we said, it will be screened with the English title Hara-Kiri: Death of a Samurai. The movie is actually a 3D remake of Kobayashi Masaki’s 1962 film Seppuku, also known as Harakiri.
This time, Yamagishi Kikumi was in charge for the screenplay, and here’s the synopsis part:
“Seeking an honorable end, poverty-stricken samurai Hanshiro requests to commit hara-kiri in the courtyard of feudal lord Kageyu’s estate. Trying to dismiss Hanshiro’s wish to save face,...
Takashi Miike‘s upcoming Hara-Kiri: Death of a Samurai, or simply – Ichimei, is not an exception, although this movie will not be the only Japanese film at Cannes this year.
Ichimei is the first live-action 3D film to compete at any of the three major international film festivals (Cannes, Berlin, Venice) and as we said, it will be screened with the English title Hara-Kiri: Death of a Samurai. The movie is actually a 3D remake of Kobayashi Masaki’s 1962 film Seppuku, also known as Harakiri.
This time, Yamagishi Kikumi was in charge for the screenplay, and here’s the synopsis part:
“Seeking an honorable end, poverty-stricken samurai Hanshiro requests to commit hara-kiri in the courtyard of feudal lord Kageyu’s estate. Trying to dismiss Hanshiro’s wish to save face,...
- 4/20/2011
- by Fiona
- Filmofilia
By Ali Naderzad - April 15, 2011
Now the world knows what us festival-goers will be seeing at the next Cannes Festival. The secret is out. I did not attend this year’s press conference at Le Grand Hotel—I was there last year—but got the press release delivered to my inbox. At first glance, and even second, this year’s selection looks a lot like the previous years’. Nuri Bilge Ceylan, the contemplative (and eerily quiet) Turkish filmmaker will show another very slow movie and Paolo Sorrentino will be back on the Croisette. Last year at the press conference in Paris we felt deflated at the announcement of that year’s programming. Programmer Thierry Frémeaux explained that the economic realities of the time made it so that the film industry had been impacted, alluding to the fact that not as many movies were being pushed through the production cycle, others...
Now the world knows what us festival-goers will be seeing at the next Cannes Festival. The secret is out. I did not attend this year’s press conference at Le Grand Hotel—I was there last year—but got the press release delivered to my inbox. At first glance, and even second, this year’s selection looks a lot like the previous years’. Nuri Bilge Ceylan, the contemplative (and eerily quiet) Turkish filmmaker will show another very slow movie and Paolo Sorrentino will be back on the Croisette. Last year at the press conference in Paris we felt deflated at the announcement of that year’s programming. Programmer Thierry Frémeaux explained that the economic realities of the time made it so that the film industry had been impacted, alluding to the fact that not as many movies were being pushed through the production cycle, others...
- 4/15/2011
- by Screen Comment
- Screen Comment
A warning to anyone who may have thought that Takashi Miike sold out and sold his soul when he directed family-friendly outing The Great Yokai War: Do not watch the teaser for his upcoming adaptation of anime series Nintama Rantaro. Yup. The boy ninja is coming to the big screen in live action with Miike in the director's chair and, well, there's always his upcoming remake of Seppuku to look forward to.
- 11/23/2010
- Screen Anarchy
And a drum roll, please, because here are the winners from the 2010 Sitges Festival.
Oficial FANTÀSTIC COMPETICIÓ Sitges 43
Jurat / Jurado / Jury
Francesco Barilli, Jaume Collet-Serra, Colin Geddes, Jan Harlan & Elena Manrique
Millor Curtmetratge / Mejor Cortometraje / Best Short Film
The Legend Of Beaver Damm de Jérôme Sable
Menció Especial pel seu original homenatge a una indiscutible obra mestra del cinema fantàstic / Mención Especial por su original homenaje a una indiscutible obra maestra del cine fantástico / Special Mention for its original tribute to one of the undisputed masterworks of the fantastic cinema
Vicenta de Sam Millor
Disseny de Producció / Mejor Diseño de Producción / Best Production Design
Yuji Hayashida per Thirteen Assassins
Millors Efectes de Maquillatge / Mejores Efectos de Maquillaje / Best Make Up FX
Vitaya Deerattakul & Andrew Lin per Dream Home
Millors Efectes Especials / Mejores Efectos Especiales / Best Special Effects
Gareth Edwards per Monsters
Millor Banda Sonora Original / Mejor Banda Sonora Original / Best Original Soundtrack
Seppuku Paradigm,...
Oficial FANTÀSTIC COMPETICIÓ Sitges 43
Jurat / Jurado / Jury
Francesco Barilli, Jaume Collet-Serra, Colin Geddes, Jan Harlan & Elena Manrique
Millor Curtmetratge / Mejor Cortometraje / Best Short Film
The Legend Of Beaver Damm de Jérôme Sable
Menció Especial pel seu original homenatge a una indiscutible obra mestra del cinema fantàstic / Mención Especial por su original homenaje a una indiscutible obra maestra del cine fantástico / Special Mention for its original tribute to one of the undisputed masterworks of the fantastic cinema
Vicenta de Sam Millor
Disseny de Producció / Mejor Diseño de Producción / Best Production Design
Yuji Hayashida per Thirteen Assassins
Millors Efectes de Maquillatge / Mejores Efectos de Maquillaje / Best Make Up FX
Vitaya Deerattakul & Andrew Lin per Dream Home
Millors Efectes Especials / Mejores Efectos Especiales / Best Special Effects
Gareth Edwards per Monsters
Millor Banda Sonora Original / Mejor Banda Sonora Original / Best Original Soundtrack
Seppuku Paradigm,...
- 10/16/2010
- Screen Anarchy
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