I showed up at Luke Warm's house the other day and he was watching the visual equivalent of a Robitussin/meth high on his tv. It was a frantic, surrealistic nightmare in black and white. And Japanese. I'd never seen anything like it; the closest comparison I could come up with was Eraserhead . The film was called Tetsuo: Ironman, and Luke Warm informed me that the director was influenced by David Lynch, which accounted for the similarity to Eraserhead.
It was an engaging, if stressful,experience watching the film. I had a similar reaction the first time I heard Trout Mask Replica; it wasn't a smooth ride, but it sure as hell was stimulating.
After doing a bit of research, I've discovered there's a sequel of sorts to Tetsuo. I wonder if it's as insane as the first one.
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It's a similar film. You occasionally run across people who actually prefer the sequel. It's been a long time since I've seen them, but if I remember, the sequel has much slicker effects.
Have you seen any Miike films? I must admit, I'm not a huge fan, but there are many people out there who love him. If you're in the mood for Japanese films at meth level, then give him a try.
Another really weird but wonderful Japanese film is Beat Takeshi's recent take on the Zatoichi: Blind Swordsman series. Takeshi admitted that he actually hates the Zatoichi films, so it's a pretty unusual remake.
If you want to go in the opposite direction, try Ozu. Tokyo Story is perhaps the best, although I haven't seen a bad one. They tend to start off slowly and take some time getting used to, but they are real nuanced films. Not the sort of movie you'd hang out with the guys to watch while drinking beer.
The movie definitely had an effect on me. I'll see what the sequel has to offer.
I haven't seen any Miike films yet. Wait a minute, he's not the guy who did Gozu, is he?
I spied a Zatoichi dvd in my roommates collection. I've been meaning to check it out. Maybe it's the one you're talking about.
I haven't seen Tokyo Story, but I recently saw Floating Weeds for the first time. Saw the silent version of it, too. Definitely nuanced and it took me a bit to settle into it.
I showed Woyzeck to four people a month ago. When it was over, I was the only one not asleep. I thought they'd be bummed out about missing the stabbing at the end of the film after hearing me describe how wonderful it was, but they couldn't have cared less. Fools!
I can only imagine what Ozu would do to them.
I saw Tokyo Story in London. The audience was filled with Japanese people. Women go and bring tissues because they know they are going to cry at the end. And cry they did.
I'm pretty sure my friend Steve was there, too. That is where we forged our friendship, in the cinemas of London.
Yeah, Miike did Gozu, as well as over a million other films. Okay, maybe not that many. But the guy does produce.
Woyzeck is one of the best films I've ever seen and I think it's generally regarded as so by critics. At the same time, it's a pretty serious film, so mood is everything. It's kind of hard to watch with a group, I guess, unless they're really into film.
I mean, I had to watch Aguirre a few times before I got it. I tried once or twice and fell asleep. But that third time, it was one of the most powerful viewing experiences I've had. I've seen it since and the film continues to amaze. Sometimes, you just have to be ready.
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