kabuki
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Obōzu Tengu (Tengu Priest) (1962)
Directed by Yasushi Sasaki The title refers to the protagonist’s nickname. Based on the novel by Kan Shimozawa, this is fairly formulaic stuff in terms of plot. Nevertheless it offers a number of things that make it worth a watch.… Continue reading
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Koiya koi nasuna koi (The Mad Fox / Love, Thy Name Be Sorrow) (1962)
Directed by Tomu Uchida Summer is here, and many of you will be on holiday right now. Have you ever wanted to REALLY get away from it all? Let’s take a vacation from what is politely called consensus reality as… Continue reading
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Yoto monogatari: Hana no Yoshiwara hyakunin giri (The Tale of the Demonic Sword: The Hundred-Man Killing Spree in Yoshiwara / Hero of the Red-Light District / Killing in Yoshiwara) (1960)
Directed by Tomu Uchida I’m back! Let’s celebrate by reviewing a film I swore I wouldn’t watch again because it was too upsetting. Toei didn’t release it on DVD until this year. Why the heck did it take so long?… Continue reading
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Hangyakuji (Conspirator) (1961)
Directed by Daisuke Itō A bleak historical drama about a young nobleman caught in the middle of a dynastic power struggle, Hangyakuji is stunning to look at, gorgeously shot in Eastmancolor by cinematographer Makoto Tsuboi and features strong performances across… Continue reading
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Teki wa Honnō-ji ni ari (Honnō-ji in Flames / The Enemy is at Honnō-ji) (1960)
Directed by Tatsuo Ōsone This should be all the incentive you need to watch Teki wa Honnō-ji ni ari immediately: That is the great Kabuki actor Matsumoto Kōshirō VIII. I’ve mentioned him before, and will no doubt be mentioning him… Continue reading
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Tenpō Rokkasen – Jigoku no Hanamichi (Passage to Hell / Runway to Hell) (1960)
Directed by Masahiro Makino In a departure from his upright samurai detective character the Bored Hatamoto, Utaemon Ichikawa is on the wrong side of the law this time around. I’m not sure which crimes he’s supposed to be guilty of.… Continue reading
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Real Men Wear Eyeliner
A casual viewer of Japanese period dramas might wonder what to make of some scenes. The men wear makeup, and they are sometimes depicted weeping openly. What’s going on? Let’s deal with the makeup first. This doesn’t faze me because… Continue reading
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I Can Fix Him
No Really I Can Continue reading
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Yotsuya kaidan (The Ghost of Yotsuya) (1959)
Directed by Kenji Misumi Because the current is swift, even though the rapids blocked by a boulder are divided, like them, in the end, we will surely meet, I know. — Sutoku-in (1119 – 1164) Daiei’s gorgeous production of the… Continue reading
Ukiyo-e Owl 