All Japan articles – Page 48
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FeaturesHomegrown hits boost business
Local titles drove up the Japanese box office by 5.7% in 2009 as the number of international releases dropped dramatically.
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Features
Outrage
Takeshi Kitano returns to the yakuza genre that made him internationally famous. Beat Takeshi (Kitano’s acting persona) stars as Otomo, the leader of a low-level gang who’s always called on to take care of dirty work while the higher ups keep their hands clean. An assignment to reign in ...
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Features
Elevator to the Gallows
A Japanese remake of Louis Malle’s classic 1957thriller.Hiroshi Abe stars as a doctor having an affair with the wife of a medical services company president. The pair scheme to make her husband’s murder look like a suicide.
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Features
Alien Vs Ninja
A band of ninjas do battle with aliens who crash land in Japan centuries ago. With action direction by Yuji Shimomura and Kensuke Sonomura. The inaugural film in Nikkatsu’s new Sushi Typhoon label.
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Features
Hisshiken Torisashi
A samurai known for his original “bird catching” style of swordplay is pulled into a battle to the death when he kills a feudal lord’s mistress after she uses her influence to corrupt local politics. Based on a short story by author Shuhei Fujisawa (Love and Honour, The Twilight Samurai). ...
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Features
Zebraman 2: Zebra City no Gyakushu
The creative team behind the popular 2003 original returns, transplating self-made hero Zebraman to the year 2025. Having lost his memory, Zebraman does battle with an organization set on world domination, introducing sexy new character Zebra Queen along the way.
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Features
Saigo No Chushingura
Based on the legendary samurai tale which has been adapted countless times for stage and screen over the past three centuries. Koji Yakusho and Koichi Sato play two survivors on both sides of an attack by 47 ronin (masterless samurai) on the mansion of a government official whose persecution of ...
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Features
Bushi No Kakeibo
Based on the true story of a so-called “abacus samurai” accountant in the once-powerful Kaga fiefdom who struggled to support his wife and family in the closing days of the Tokugawa shogunate. Based on historian Michifumi Isoda’s best-selling book.
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NewsYang's Breathless takes top prize at Tokyo Filmex
Director Yang Ik-june’s Breathless (Ddongpari) was awarded the grand prize and $11,560 (Y1m) and the audience award at the tenth Tokyo Filmex, which ran from November 21-29.
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NewsToei pre-sells Memoirs to Hong Kong
Japanese studio Toei has pre-sold US-Japan co-production Memoirs Of A Teenage Amnesiac to Hong Kong distributor Golden Scene.
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NewsFinecut sells A Brand New Life to Japan
Seoul-based sales company Finecut has sealed a Japanese deal on Ounie Lecomte’s A Brand New Life, selling the Korean-French co-production to Crest International.
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FeaturesFar East festivals compete for market attention
In an Asian version of the Venice-Toronto marathon, the credits have now rolled on the Pusan and Tokyo film festivals. International buyers and sellers tell Liz Shackleton which event they found to be the most useful.
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NewsShowbox picks up Japanese-Korean vampire thriller Higanjima
Korean sales outfit Showbox Mediaplex has picked up Kim Tae-kyun’s vampire action thriller Higanjima for worldwide sales excluding Korea and Japan.
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NewsSecrets takes TPG award at close of busy TIFFCOM
Izuru Kumasaka’s Secrets On The Table took the Tokyo Project Gathering (TPG) award at the close of the four-day projects market, and a successful edition of accompanying contents market TIFFCOM.
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CommentJapanese lessons
The days of big MGs from Japanese distributors may be over, but there is still a market in Japan for a certain kind of movie that is sold at the right price.
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NewsKorean sleeper hit Old Partner secures Japanese release
Korean sales company Indiestory has announced that sleeper hit documentary Old Partner is due to open in Japan this December.
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FeaturesJapan tempts overseas talent
The Tokyo International Film Festival (Oct 17-25) is growing in importance as a crucial gateway into the huge but challenging Japanese market.