Stay At Home Fest Bonus Films:Shorts on Bad Theme Park Experiences

Sister Tempest (2020)

Joe Badon has got to be one of the most unique filmmaker's working today. His films look like normal films, or films where you expect certain things to happen but he always bends and twists them in weird and wonderful ways.  His previous film GOD INSIDE MY EAR was nominally a horror film but revealed itself to be something else entirely. And for his current film, SISTER TEMPEST it is nominally the story of a sister trying to explain her relationship with her sister to a cosmic tribunal... and yet it's something more.

You will forgive me if I don't go into any detail about the plot but Badon has constructed a film with lots of twists and turns and seeming WTF bits that lay off of each other in such away that you really need to watch the film from first frame to last in order to fully get hat he is doing. Badon's film is one you have to work with and give yourself over to so that you make the connections yourself.  What I have loved about his work is he treats his audience like adults and he wants you to make the whole journey- so I'm not going to give you any short cuts- just see his film.

SISTER TEMPEST is film that pulls from everywhere and everything. It bends and defies genres by blending horror,drama,musical, experimental, science fiction, satire and everything you can think of into a one of kind mix. It is a film that looks like every other film you'v ever seen and yet it is so masterful that even though you can see where all the pieces came from you still find yourself marveling at the uniqueness of the work. Where filmmakers like Quentin Tarantino pillage what has gone before and revel in daring you to figure out where the pieces came from Badon instead takes the pieces and simply use them for his own ends. He doesn't care where things came from or how they echo, he simply uses the bits because they work to tell his story. That is a mark of true storyteller.

I am in awe of SISTER TEMPEST.

It is a film that I will need to revisit multiple times more because Joe Badon has created a film that has a great deal to say about the things we say in the moment, about how promises affect our lives and what happens in the end. Of course Badon has other factors in play pondering life and existence and how it all fits together. Its a heady mix of idea blended together in such away that we are always being forced to engage with it. You can not watch the film and be complacent, you can not let it wash over you.

While I might argue that the run time at a whisker over two hours is a bit a long, I wouldn't change anything. Badon has formulated a perfectly modulated film and tweaking it would undoubtedly result in a film out of balance.

Currently heading to festivals across the globe I urge you to make an effort to see SISTER TEMPEST.  While I will not promise that you will love this film as deeply as I do, I will promise that you will get to experience a film that is not like any other.

i -Documentary of the Journalist (2019) Japan Cuts 2020

Isoko Mochizuki was the subject of the fictional film THE JOURNALIST which played Japan Cuts last year. This year the festival gives us the woman herself doing what she does best, rattling cages and not taking the official bullshit at face value.

The film opens with  Mochizuki on assignment. She clearly just flew in from somewhere and she is schlepping through a city with her luggage in tow looking to make a connection. It doesn't happen and soon she continues running around via cab trying to connect the dots about a landfill project that isn't what officials say it is.

Glorious rough edged portrait of a hero for our time. Mochizuki is a woman who goes for whatever story she is on like a heat seeking missile. Appearing seemingly everywhere she makes officials crazy by not taking their answers as truth (more often than not she knows what is going on) and refusing to give them a moment's rest- she simply keeps hammering way. In a country where there are levels of respect and inner and outer circles of access Mochizuki is an outsider who is more damaging to lies than a swam of mosquitoes.

Fast moving and possessing a real sense of urgency, i-DOCUMENTARY OF THE JOURNALIST is a film that grabs you from the first frame and drags you to the last. It is also a film that will make you feel good know that there is at least one person out there who is willing to do what is right. It also makes you wonder what President Trump would do if Mochizuki ever go into his press conference.

Highly recommended.

For information on how to see this or any other film at Japan Cuts go here

Days Of The Whale hits Virtual Theaters July 24

Catalina Arroyave's DAYS OF THE WHALE is a gem of a film. While the film certainly chose to world premiered at SXSW because it's street artist characters were certain to connect with the festival goers, the film is much more special and alive to simply remain connected to one segment of the film going audience.

The film follows artists Cristina and Simon who are part of a community of young artists in Medellin in Columbia. Struggling to get their art seen they also have to deal with the problems of being, young, in love and living in a city here gangs hold say over some parts of life. When a threat is left on a wall by one of the gangs, the pair decide to paint over it with a mural, thus creating a conflict between themselves and within their community.

I don't know where to start so much in this film is wonderful.  The story is compelling, the art is amazing, the sense of place is near perfect...there is so much I want to say in the hope of getting you to see the film I don't know where to start. However probably the best  reason is the cast which is as good as they come. Headed by Laura Tobón and David Escallón the cast never seems to be acting only living their lives. Better yet Tobón and Escallón work so well together that they are one of the great romantic couples I've ever run across. Their affection for each other is tactile and bleeds off the screen.  Watching the pair together I kept thinking I want that level of connection in my life.

I really love this film a great deal and I don't want to spoil it for you by telling you what I think the film is. Never mind what I think the film is, other than great, just go see it. Go see it and see a world that is more real and a live than the one you are living in some bland office somewhere.

Highly recommended.

Stay At Home Festival Bonus Film: Mythmaker: The Fantasy films of Ray Harryhausen

Nightcap 7/19/20 - Random stuff and music

I'm back with more random notes on life, film and Unseen.
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For those who miss the Stay at Home Fest Bonus Films they will return tonight at midnight. As I have said I'm going to program the series until at least September 1st. We'll see what happens after that. Since its supposed to be timed to Covid quarantine I will have to assess the state of things.

The series is going to be a bit all over the place to start but should switch into more regular stuff as it picks up speed.

If you have any film that you think I should include let me know- the only condition is it must be on YouTube or Vimeo for free.
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After being home for four months I am heading back to the office tomorrow (I have done some working remotely).  I am not certain how this will affect coverage of things here at  Unseen. Normally I wouldn't think it would change things too much, however I am also dealing with the aftermath of my dad's death which simply means that real world stuff is going to take the spotlight for the near future.
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Coverage of Japan Cuts is happening now. I am hoping to get coverage of  38 of the 42 films. As of right now I've seen about 25 of the films. I am going to continue to work to get the rest reviewed but it is simply is a matter of finding the time to sit and write. Watching is easy- it's the writing that is hard right now since my brain is in several places.
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I know I've said this but once the next week or so passes a lot of  what is going to be posted here at Unseen is going to be a mix banked reviews of films finally hitting and older titles.

I am getting offered a number of new titles but I am not taking a lot of it. The reason being it's not making me instantly jump. Even allowing for recent events I was backing off since a number of things I've been seeing haven't completely excited me which is making writing about them hard.

I am offered getting offered a lot of series which I simply tend not to take because of the time involved in doing them correctly. I would farm those out but I know if it's not a bingable series interest wanes and I don't et a review.

I will be covering anything that makes me go - YES.  Of course I won't promise that a review means I like a film- only that it interested me enough to try it.
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In the wake of cancellations of festivals like Telluride or the rescheduling like NYAFF, I am getting asked questions about the status of any number of upcoming festivals and why I haven't covered some virtual ones that have passed.

The short answer is I am trying to give information on anything that has comes my way. If I wasn't sent anything or if I haven't stumbled on to anything thing, then I haven't shared it.

The trouble is that the Covid situation has radically changed the landscape. I know some PR people who sent me information have changed what they are doing because of the disease. For example Film at Lincoln Center is currently close and they using outside PR firms  instead of their normal in house people. Likewise earlier this year Tribeca did not go through the normal channels. So I am covering what I get.
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A general thought:
The problem with the on-line festivals is that unless you are hip deep in a group of people talking about the fest the interaction really isn't there, its just watching a film at home- with all the films playing at once you can watch at any time- there is no building excitement.

I miss the controlled menu of a festival

I mean the buffet of the screenings is nice but the feeling of being in a place with people all there for that one film at that one moment is sorely missed
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I need to remind you that while Bully has paused his comic website he is doing TODAY IN COMICS HISTORY on Twitter. Its basically what he was doing on his website but in smaller bites.

It's a really good distraction from the normal headlines and stupid behavior in the news.

Trust me it is a lot of fun.
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Disney + will be running HOWARD on Howard Ashman in August. It is a great film. I will repost the review closer to time as well as link to the Q&A that followed the World Premiere at Tribeca.
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Netflix is doing an animated TV series based on Usagi Yojimbo comic books by Stan Sakai. If you've never read them do so they are awesome story telling.
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I need to mention that Mike Sterling's excellent STERLING SILVER COMICS in California is open and taking every sort of order imaginable. So if you want to see the full comic Bull references in Today in Comics or want to read the run of Usagi Yojimbo hit Mike up.

I know sending people Mike's way on a film blog may seem a bit odd but life is more than movies. Besides Mike is a great friend of Bully's and he has been busting his ass to make sure that comic lovers are being taken care of across the country and the globe.

Details on Mike's services and wares can be found at his store's website.
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I loved Tom Hardy in Locke
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A pointer towards LIFE UNTITLED (2019) Japan Cuts 2020

Director Kana Yamada adapts her stage play about the women who work at an escort service in Tokyo. Humor mixes with horror as we see the girls' lives play out before us.

While possessing some of the staginess of a play (much of the film takes place in one location and several scenes play out as only plays do) this is bleak raw portrait of what many women are forced to endure to make a living and just get by in life.  It is in your face at times possessing a lived in quality that makes you wonder how much of this is a direct result of writer director Yamada's life.

I was rocked by what I was seeing. While there isn't anything I hadn't know happened to women, the sheer volume of the abuse was crushing. I can only imagine what sort of an experience this must be for a woman. And you'll forgive me if I don't speak to anything other than the visceral punch I felt watching this as a man.

A visceral stunner LIFE UNTITLED is recommended.

To stream this film or any other playing at Japan Cuts go here

EXTRO (2019) Japan Cuts 2020

A loving mockumentary sending up the Japanese film industry and the extras that populate the films. The film focuses o several extras as they prepare for their roles and one in particular who wants to step into the spotlight.

Much of EXTRO doesn't feel like a fake film, rather it feels like a genuine film thanks to the perfect use of many well known actors and directors who give their insight into the world of extras, or populate the fake films we see being filmed.

I don't know what to say other than I smiled and was carried along from stat to finish. Everything here clicked. Full praise to director Naoki Murahashi who doesn't allow things to get out of hand. Everything is carefully modulated so as to remain as real as possible.

I had a ball and recommend EXTRO.

For details on how to stream the film or any others at Japan Cuts go here.

We Are The Radical Monarchs (2019) is on POV July 20

When the local Girls Scout troop was found not to be focusing on social justice issues the way two moms thought they should, they started their own organization in order to teach their girls to fight the good fight. Glorious portrait of a group of girls and their moms who are fighting the good fight.

This is a hopeful look at the net generation of social justice warriors who are going to change the world that we all live in. Showing the good that the girls are doing, and not shying away from the misguided hate thrown their way (some people don't like the idea of kids fighting for social causes) the film will give you hope that maybe things can be fixed and that change will come. This is 100 minutes with great people.

Highly recommended.

Labyrinth of Cinema (2020) and Seijo Story - 60 Years of Making Films (2020) Japan Cuts 2020

Nobuhiko Obayashi's final film is a film that only he could have made. Wild and crazy but with a very serious point, the film forces us to ponder the natures of war and cinema as well as our own existence.

The simple plot outline has three people at a movie marathon launched into the on screen world of Japan at war.  They experience the horrors of war in a cinematic and not so cinematic ways as the time line gets closer and closer to Hiroshima.

If you saw Obayahi's Hanagatami you may have some idea what this is like, but even so this film gets even more crazier (fish in space). Like the earlier film which had some people I know scratching their heads, Labyrinth of Cinema pushes the envelope as to what a serious movie is. Nothing is too out there for a director who is looking to make his point. Assuming you are like me the journey can take any form so long as the payoff is worth it. Here the pay off was worth it as I was left pondering what I had just seen and why it made me feel like I had been hit with a large club. It also made me want to take another 3 hours and watch the film again so that I could truly appreciate the film on it's own terms.

While I know most people know Obayashi for his cult favorite Hausu, I've always been of the opinion that while that film is good, his other films are better. I say that because more than any other director Obayashi truly understood cinema. He knew  that in cinema there are no rules nor limits. If you can dream it and if you can sell anything is game. Yes, not all his films work, but when they do they not only tell us great stories and make us think and feel in ways that a conventional telling could never manage.(and even when his films failed they were pretty damn interesting)

Labyrinth of Cinema tells us a great story and makes us feel. It does so in a way that not everyone will accept, but that is perfectly fine since Obayashi made the film he wanted to  which is enough. It is one last singular work from a master director whose body of work was wonderfully and uniquely his own.

Highly recommended to Obayashi fans as well as anyone who want a film that is unlike any other.

And if you are seeing LABYRINTH OF CINEMA you must also SEIJO STORY about Nobuhiko Obayashi and Kyoko Hanyu meeting in college 60 years ago and what came after. A wonderful portrait of a partnership, the film also goes into the making of LABYRINTH and explains Obayashi's ways of working. It is an absolute must see for anyone who loved the man and his films and is highly recommended.

For information on how to screen the film at Japan Cut's virtual festival go here.

Japan Cuts Shorts: WHEEL MUSIC, WOLF'S CALLING and LOST THREE MAKE ONE FOUND

WHEEL MUSIC
Nao Yoshigai took a bicycle ride through his home town in order to record it's rhythms and sites before the Olympic games descended upon the town and potentially changed it forever.  Wonderful travelog has a glorious sense of place. Rarely have I ever watched a film and felt as though I was in a articular place at a particular time as I was with this film. while they film can have an odd moment that seems random or unconnected, it still manages to fit in perfectly because as we all know our home towns can be like that.

Recommended.


WOLF'S CALLING
I have to say at the start that if you see this you must stay through the end credits since there is a two minute sequences after they roll,

My number one must see short disappointed.Director Toshiaki Toyoda's response to being arrested for having a gun that was an old family heirloom  is a visual and sonic delight. However the sound and image don't seem to add to anything. Rarely have I ever wanted to ring up a filmmaker and simply say- what ever it was you were trying to say isn't on the screen as much as I did after seeing this film. Don't get me wrong I loved how it looked and sounded so much that I watched it twice - but I never really got a sense of what I was supposed to think or feel beyond this looked and sounded cool.

LOST THREE MAKE ONE FOUND
A road trip with director Atsushi Kuwayama in a camper van as he looks for the Sacred Fountain of Fornalha in Southern Portugal. Said to heal heartache the fountain always seems just out of reach.

Glorious time with good people this is a film that surprised the hell out of me.  I didn't know what to expect and simply put it on because I was watching shorts. I ended up falling in love with the film and the marvelous people that Kuwayama ran into.  I loved this film so much I kept hoping that the run time of twenty six minutes was wrong and that it was going to be an hour or two hours and twenty six minutes.

Magical.

Highly recommended.

To see  these or any of the other Japan Cuts films go here.

See You On The Other Side (2019) Japan Cuts 2020

The polyamorous relationship between Hiroki, Natsuki, and Kanako takes an odd turn in SEE YOU ON THE OTHER SIDE aneat little short that will leave you staring at the screen.

Focusing primarily on the two women who kind of knew each other in high school and then became close years later the film zeroes in on their feelings about relationships, sex and each other. We are slowly brought along until... well that would be telling and I don't dare do that, especially since past a certain moment this film flips and flips and flips.

All I will leave you with is this is worth a look see at Japan Cuts.

For details on how to stream this or any other film playing Japan Cuts go here.

Super Channel and Blood in the Snow partner to bring virtual festival to horror film fans across Canada

Select festival features and shorts will premiere exclusively on Super Channel Fuse from October 28 to November 7

EDMONTON (July 13, 2020) – Super Channel and the Blood in the Snow Film Festival (BITS), a unique and imaginative showcase of contemporary Canadian horror films, are pleased to announce that they have partnered to bring a virtual edition of the upcoming 2020 BITS to Canadian horror film fans across the nation, with the Blood in the Snow Film Festival presented by Super Channel.

The virtual festival, which is slated to run Oct 28 to Nov 7, will bring a selection of Canadian horror features and shorts to Super Channel Fuse, just in time for Halloween. Dedicated to promoting the best in independent Canadian horror cinema, BITS is known by fans and filmmakers alike as one of the premier horror festivals available in Canada. For the first time, horror fans across the country will be able to immerse themselves in all the thrills and chills that BITS has to offer.

“We are proud to be partnering with Blood in the Snow to bring another important indie festival celebrating Canadian filmmakers to our viewers. As independent festivals continue to face uncertainty with the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, we want to continue to do our part to support the Canadian film industry,” said Don McDonald, President and CEO, Super Channel. “With a robust horror offering on our schedule, we saw this as a natural fit that would be a welcome addition for Super Channel’s horror fans over the Halloween week.”

“This will be a great chance to turn Super Channel into an old-style horror show during the Halloween season!”, says Kelly Michael Stewart, Festival Director and Founder of Blood in the Snow. “We are going to do everything we can to bring the spooky spirit you would experience in person at BITS to fans watching from home.”

In addition to exclusive Canadian film premieres, the virtual film festival experience will include pre-recorded film intros, Q&A’s with filmmakers and a post-festival awards show.

Blood in the Snow will also be running its Deadly Exposure industry events on-line from November 4 to 7, 2020 with its mix of industry panels and virtual round table events.

Films and scheduling details for the festival and Deadly Exposure will be announced at a later date.

About Blood in the Snow

The Blood in the Snow Film Festival is a unique and imaginative showcase of contemporary Canadian horror, genre and underground cinema that exists to challenge social boundaries, explore artistic taboos and support and exhibit independent Canadian genre media artists. BITS takes place in Toronto, Ontario and brings together audiences, media coverage, community partnerships and the filmmaking industry to exhibit and celebrate Canadian genre film.

Website: https://bloodinthesnow.ca

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/bitsfilmfest/

Twitter: https://twitter.com/BITSFILMFEST

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/bitsfilmfest/

About Super Channel Entertainment Network

Super Channel is a national pay television network, offering subscribers exceptional entertainment value, uncut and commercial-free, with four diverse channels – Super

Channel Fuse, Super Channel Heart & Home, Super Channel Vault and GINX Esports TV Canada – plus, access to Super Channel On Demand where available by service provider.

Super Channel's mission is to entertain and engage Canadian audiences by providing a unique and exclusive entertainment experience. With a core foundation of integrity and

accountability, we dedicate ourselves to implementing innovative programming strategies and unparalleled teamwork that provides viewers with exceptional value and variety.

OVID.tv Announces Films Starting to Stream at the End of July and Throughout August From Partners Music Box Films and Icarus Films

Highlights Include César Award-Winning Tell No One, Academy Award®-nominated A Man Called Ove, Three-time Oscar®-nominated Carlos Saura’s Flamenco, Flamenco and more.

July 16, 2020, New York, New York - OVID.tv, the acclaimed streaming service for independent films that The New York Times calls “A haven for indie gems," announces today its programming of award-winning and world-class cinematic films that will begin streaming toward the end of July and throughout August from the collections of its distribution partners including most recently Music Box Films.

OVID’s initial offerings fall into roughly three categories: a) powerful films addressing urgent political and social issues, such as climate change and economic justice; b) in-depth selections of creative documentaries by world-famous directors; and c) cutting-edge arthouse feature and genre films by contemporary directors as well as established masters. And new films in all three areas will be added to the OVID collection every week. Vanity Fair recently wrote that OVID is “a fantastic streamer for people with a taste for foreign, political and otherwise beyond-the-American-mainstream films.”

Representing the Music Box Films collection on July 23 is multiple César Award-winning Tell No One directed by Guillaume Canet (Winner, Best Director), starring François Cluzet (Winner, Best Actor), based on Harlan Coben’s international best selling thriller. July 24 brings two thrillers directed by Jean-Francois Richet starring Vincent Cassel as the title character in both Mesrine: Killer Instinct and Mesrine: Public Enemy #1. Coming August 7 is the Academy Award®-nominated Best Foreign Language feature from Sweden, A Man Called Ove, based on the bestselling novel and directed by Hannes Holm. Also debuting that day is Roger Michell’s France/UK co-production Le Week-End. August 14 is three-time Oscar®-nominated director Carlos Saura’s Flamenco, Flamenco with cinematography by three-time Oscar®-winner Vittorio Storaro. Aug. 21 brings Matthew Aker’s documentary Marina Abramovic: The Artist is Present. And wrapping up August from Music Box Films on Aug. 28 is We Are Twisted F***ing Sister directed by Andrew Horn and Viva Riva! directed by Djo Tunda Wa Mung.

The Icarus Films collection on Aug. 14 sees Marius Petipa: The French Master of Russian Ballet directed by Denis Sneguirev about the prolific choreographer whose works would become his masterpieces: Sleeping Beauty and Swan Lake. On Aug. 21 comes Xu Bing: Phoenix directed by Daniel Traub who documents the process of creating the work through to its installation at MASS MoCA, and Chris Marker's Bestiary, an anthology of five of the avant garde filmmaker’s short films.

OVID is available in the U.S. and Canada. New subscribers can sign-up for a free 14-day trial. After that, subscriptions are just $6.99/mo or $69.99 for an annual subscription. Available on multiple devices including iPhone, iPad, Apple TV, Android, Android TV, Roku, Fire TV and web browsers.

Details on all the new films coming to OVID are below. Stay tuned for even more releases coming soon!


Thursday, July, 23

Attraction 2:Invasion (2020) Hits VOD July 21

Sequel to the surprise worldwide hit ATTRACTION about an alien ship that crashes in Moscow and the love story that results between an earth girl and an alien, is less a romance and more an action thriller.

Picking up three years after the first film this film follows Yulia (Julia) the earth girl saved from death by an alien at the end of the first film.No longer fully human she is being politely studied by scientists as they also try to unlock the technology left behind. The scientists and military are trying to find an edge in case the aliens ever return. The trouble is they never left and they are monitoring earth and starting to think we are now a threat. Mayhem ensues.

Where the first film was a small romance blown up to literal IMAX proportions (a lot of it was a character drama spread across the huge frame with not so much action) ATTRACTION 2 is a big scale action film. The screen is full of things to look at and spectacular set pieces to take your breath away. From a pure action standpoint the film delivers nicely.

While much better than the first film, I actually want to see this again, ATTRACTION 2 it still has problems. Plotwise this film is messy. You really need to have seen the first film to know what the hell is going on and who the players are. Yea, after a while you can figure it out but this film plays things emotionally in such a way that you need to know what went before to feel the impact.

The biggest problem is that this is kind of two films mashed together there is the whole Yulia arc and all that is going on with her, and then there is the military/government response to the aliens. The Julia arc moves along at a good clip (much of the action is centered here), but some of the governmental stuff is static as people talk in rooms. It moves the plot through words rather than action, which would be fine if the first and third acts weren't so action packed.

Then again, as much as I am bitching about plot problems I am really happy that the problems arise from not only giving us too much to chew on but also a bunch of characters that after two films actually move us. We really feel their pain which is something you can't say about something like the FAST AND THE FURIOUS or other American blockbuster films.

If you like big action or love science fiction this is definitely worth a shot- though so try and see the first film before you do.

Brief thoughts Reiwa Uprising (2019) Japan Cuts 2020

Kazuo Hara's epic four hour and ten minute film is highly recommended for political junkies and those who want to disappear into and true life epic tale. Contacted by transgender Tokyo University professor Ayumi Yasutomi who is going to run for public office, if Hara will make a film about it, Hara turns his camera onto the whole slate of the Reiwa Shinsengumi (“new squad”) party which was formed mere months before the election was to be held. The politicians are not your typical Japanese candidates and what they proposing runs counter to the ruling party which has been in power for over  6 decades.

If you've seen Hara's earlier films such as Sennan Asbestos Disaster or the Emperor's Naked Army Marches On you'll have an idea what to expect. Hara is going to drop you into the thick of things and make you see what he is showing you. For some it's too much for other's just right.  My personal opinion toward the film, like some of his earlier films, is that there are moments where I pondered if we needed to see certain things, until we get to the end and I realize, yea we did.

When I saw that this film was playing at Japan Cuts I got excited because I knew I was not going to be seeing anything like a typical documentary, instead I was going to see something that really made me engage with a subject.  I was not disappointed.

I know this film is not going to play well with everyone, but for those who want a full bodied, thoughtful film that has great emotion and humor in it I highly recommend Reiwa Uprising.

For information on how to screen Reiwa Uprising (or any other film) at Japan Cuts go here. (Warning it is only available if you are in the US)

Book-Paper-Scissors (2019) Japan Cuts 2020

If you love books as physical objects then you must see BOOK-PAPER-SCISSORS about book designer Nobuyoshi Kikuchi who has designed the look of 15,000 books over his long career. It is a wonderful exploration of the care and craft that some people put into putting a book together.

I'm not going to guess how much you like or dislike this film, I'm only going to say that if you ever wanted to know about the thought that goes into making a really good looking book this is for you. I was hooked early on when Kikuchi received a shipment of number of copies of a book he designed and then he proceeded to go over the book explaining why he chose the color schemes and the shadings and the paper... and my jaw kind of dropped because I never really thought about everything he was showing us. I love books and I sold books but I never thought that much abot what went into making them.

Of course I never had Nobuyoshi Kikuchi to explain it all to me. A very particular man, he is very aware of everything and he can explain it all down to the smallest detail and it makes learning about the making of books that much cooler. I will never look at a book the same way again.

Highly recommended for book lovers (if you loved THE BOOKSELLERS earlier this year this is for you)

For information on how to stream this film or any of the others at Japan Cuts go here.

Japan Cuts 2020 Shorts: BLIND BOMBING FILMED BY A BAT, BLEACHED BONES AVENUE and TOKYO GIRL

This year's Japan Cuts is running a good number of shorts (they cost a $1.50 or $3 each depending)  and as part of Unseen Films' coverage of the festival we are going to try and review as many as we can- first up three documentary shorts.

BLIND BOMBING FILMED BY A BAT
A kind of experimental exploration of the Japanese efforts to bomb the west coast of America with large balloons. Mixing drone footage, period pictures and documents as well as the testimony of people whose family sent or found the balloons, the film creates neat portrait of an event many people don't know about, especially in the US where coverage of the bombing attempts were censored.
Recommended.


BLEACHED BONES AVENUE
The people of Myanmar are tasked with reclaiming the bodies of fallen Japanese soldiers decades after the terrible battles that ravaged the countryside. The film quietly examines the question of why are they doing it and what purpose does it serve. This is a small gem of increasing power.


TOKYO GIRL
Stream of consciousness film has a young woman's rapid fire thoughts mixed with truly rapid fire images as she tries to explain her life and world view. It is an exhausting 8 minutes that will thrill you with its very real sense of life. Recommended.

For more information on the festival and its screenings go here.

Dance on Camera Capsules: Joann and Revival

JOANN
Portrait on of JoAnn, a blind woman who loves to dance.
This is a sweet portrait of a woman who wants to push her boundaries and wants to do what makes her feel good.

REVIVAL
Several noted choreographers put together dance pieces for senior citizens.
Good and fun portrait of a group of people who are not going to stop. They are having fun and engaging with the world and they are not going to stop.
This is delightful film and I'm actually kind of surprised that I haven't run across it playing at other festivals. Its also good enough I fully expect to see this at DOC NYC, the annual collection of great documentaries later this year.

Kinta and Ginji (2020) Japan Cuts 2020

A robot and a racoon walk around the countryside and talk about life and are cranky with each other despite being friends.

Playing as part of the Avant-Garde section of Japan Cuts you're entirely on your own for this one.  A no tech approach will either strike you as something great or make you want to run for the hills. Basically it's a series of static shots as a guy in a robot costume and a guy with a racoon mask have a post dubbed conversion.

My patience was tried early and honestly I bowed out at the halfway point.

Do yourself a favor and look at the trailer and if that intrigues you then give it shot otherwise skip it.