A hallmark of the international horror scene, Takashi Shimizu’s legendary Ju-On served as a lightning rod when it was first released in 2002. This came about not only for the effect it had on drawing warranted attention at Asian genre cinema who discovered other similar titles from Japan produced in the wake of its success, but also cultural acceptance as many of those efforts were given US reboots and remakes. While the franchise that spawned has had its ups and downs over the ensuing near-two decades, this new adaptation on Netflix Japan takes a new and unique look at the iconic series by moving away from Kayako and looking at a newfound aspect of the series.
Appearing on a TV show together, paranormal researcher Yasuo Odajma (Yoshiyoshi Arakawa) and actress Haruka Honjo (Yuina Kuroshima) become intertwined when she relates a story that intrigues him. New student Kiyomi Kawai (Ririka) arrives...
Appearing on a TV show together, paranormal researcher Yasuo Odajma (Yoshiyoshi Arakawa) and actress Haruka Honjo (Yuina Kuroshima) become intertwined when she relates a story that intrigues him. New student Kiyomi Kawai (Ririka) arrives...
- 7/20/2020
- by Don Anelli
- AsianMoviePulse
Ever since the pandemic started, it feels like many of our favorite streaming services have been pumping out exactly the kinds of binge-worthy shows and classic films we all want to watch during a quarantine. Netflix, in particular, has been doing a fantastic job of keeping our eyes glued to the screen over the past few months, especially with some of June’s excellent additions like Steven Spielberg’s beloved E.T. the Extraterrestrial, famous horror flick The Silence of the Lambs, and the politically-charged V for Vendetta.
Yet, even with so much to sink hours of viewing time into, it’s nice to know there’s more on the horizon and July is already shaping up to be another incredible month for Netflix subscribers. July 1st brought the underrated Tom Hanks film Cloud Atlas, emotional boxing tale Million Dollar Baby and the original The Karate Kid trilogy, among others, and...
Yet, even with so much to sink hours of viewing time into, it’s nice to know there’s more on the horizon and July is already shaping up to be another incredible month for Netflix subscribers. July 1st brought the underrated Tom Hanks film Cloud Atlas, emotional boxing tale Million Dollar Baby and the original The Karate Kid trilogy, among others, and...
- 7/3/2020
- by Billy Givens
- We Got This Covered
Back in 1998, Takashi Shimizu unwittingly created a monster when he debuted a couple of short films about a haunted house. Little did he know, a lingering horror franchise was about to be born. In 2000, a first feature film about the story, Ju-On: The Curse, arrived – and the rest is history. There are now thirteen Ju-On movies in the bank, including an initial 2004 Us remake, that run all the way up to this year’s Sam Raimi-produced ‘sidequel’ – it’s a perfectly cromulent word – which unfortunately debuted to a weary critical reception and a mere wisp of a western audience.
Now, Netflix has jumped on on the Ju-On bandwagon – the streaming service has just set a July release date for its foreign language TV series based on the ongoing myths surrounding the iconic Grudge house.
The show seeks to rejuvenate the franchise on the small screen, but objectively, the most...
Now, Netflix has jumped on on the Ju-On bandwagon – the streaming service has just set a July release date for its foreign language TV series based on the ongoing myths surrounding the iconic Grudge house.
The show seeks to rejuvenate the franchise on the small screen, but objectively, the most...
- 5/13/2020
- by Kirsten Howard
- Den of Geek
Netflix subscribers are in for a horrifying surprise. The long-running “Ju-On” franchise, also known as “The Grudge,” is getting adapted into a television series that will hit the streaming service on July 3.
Here’s the upcoming Japanese-language series’ synopsis, per Netflix: The J-horror classic franchise “Ju-On” was actually based on real events that occurred over four decades — and the truth is even more terrifying. Can the people haunted by this house escape from its curse? And what kind of grim incident occurred in this cursed house in the past?
The series stars Yoshiyoshi Arakawa, Yuina Kuroshima, and Ririka. Most other details, such as episode directors, executive producers, and episode numbers, are unknown. IndieWire reached out to a Netflix representative for further details about the series.
The “Ju-On” franchise was created by Takashi Shimizu via two short films in 1998. The “Ju-On: The Curse” feature film was released two years later and...
Here’s the upcoming Japanese-language series’ synopsis, per Netflix: The J-horror classic franchise “Ju-On” was actually based on real events that occurred over four decades — and the truth is even more terrifying. Can the people haunted by this house escape from its curse? And what kind of grim incident occurred in this cursed house in the past?
The series stars Yoshiyoshi Arakawa, Yuina Kuroshima, and Ririka. Most other details, such as episode directors, executive producers, and episode numbers, are unknown. IndieWire reached out to a Netflix representative for further details about the series.
The “Ju-On” franchise was created by Takashi Shimizu via two short films in 1998. The “Ju-On: The Curse” feature film was released two years later and...
- 5/13/2020
- by Tyler Hersko
- Indiewire
Stars: Takayuki Yamada, Takeru Satoh, Yoshiyoshi Arakawa, Takuzo Kubikukuri, Kei Ishibashi | Written by Kousuke Mukai | Directed by Nobuhiro Yamashita
I definitely do have a love for films are not only original but very strange as well. From the killer tyre movie Rubber, to the one-off brilliance of Swiss Army Man, to food that will murder you in Dead Sushi and there’s so many more I love. And Hard-Core, like those, is indeed a bit strange…
For about the first thirty minutes, Hard-Core doesn’t seem that odd. We see a guy, Ukon and his friend Ushiyama (who has a a learning disability) working in a derelict mine for a guy who believes there is gold there. These two then discover a robot in an abandoned factory and along with Ukon’s brother Sakon, their world changes forever.
Ukon is such a fascinating and brilliant character. I always felt like...
I definitely do have a love for films are not only original but very strange as well. From the killer tyre movie Rubber, to the one-off brilliance of Swiss Army Man, to food that will murder you in Dead Sushi and there’s so many more I love. And Hard-Core, like those, is indeed a bit strange…
For about the first thirty minutes, Hard-Core doesn’t seem that odd. We see a guy, Ukon and his friend Ushiyama (who has a a learning disability) working in a derelict mine for a guy who believes there is gold there. These two then discover a robot in an abandoned factory and along with Ukon’s brother Sakon, their world changes forever.
Ukon is such a fascinating and brilliant character. I always felt like...
- 7/29/2019
- by Alain Elliott
- Nerdly
Ever since his debut feature “Hazy Life” Japanese director Nobuhiro Yamashita has been a regular at many film festivals, including Nippon Connection. Many of his films are concerned with outsiders within Japanese society starting, from youths to the unemployed, so essentially people who feel left behind in Japan. His film “Hard-Core”, an adaptation of the manga series by Caribu Marley and Takashi Imashiro, is screened at this year’s Nippon Connection.
We sat down with the director to discuss his feature, his inspirations and his opinion on Japan’s relationship to robots.
“Hard-Core” is screening at Nippon Connection
This year’s Nippon Connection deals with the topic of outlaws and outsiders in the Japanese society. Considering this background, do you think of yourself as an outsider or outlaw director?
(laughs) No, I am quite a normal person. However, within the Japanese film industry I am indeed a bit of an outsider.
We sat down with the director to discuss his feature, his inspirations and his opinion on Japan’s relationship to robots.
“Hard-Core” is screening at Nippon Connection
This year’s Nippon Connection deals with the topic of outlaws and outsiders in the Japanese society. Considering this background, do you think of yourself as an outsider or outlaw director?
(laughs) No, I am quite a normal person. However, within the Japanese film industry I am indeed a bit of an outsider.
- 6/3/2019
- by Rouven Linnarz
- AsianMoviePulse
Yutaka Takenouchi and Asami Mizukawa are set to co-star in a new comedy by “Gs Wonderland” director Ryuichi Honda called Ohkike no Tanoshii Ryoko: Shinkon Jigoku-hen. This will mark the first pure comedy film roles for both actors, with Takenouchi’s character being described as the “boke” (funny man) of the pair to Mizukawa’s “tsukkomi” (straight person).
The new film is based on a novel by Shiro Maeda, who also handled the screenplay. Maeda has won numerous prestigious awards during his young career, including the Yukio Mishima Prize, Galaxy Award, and a nomination for the 2005 Noma Literary New Face Prize. Although this will be his first work to be adapted to film, his style is already drawing comparisons to established Japanese comedy writers Koki Mitani and Kankuro Kudo.
Takenouchi and Mizukawa will play Nobu and Saki, a married couple who have already grown tired of their life together even though they’re still newlyweds.
The new film is based on a novel by Shiro Maeda, who also handled the screenplay. Maeda has won numerous prestigious awards during his young career, including the Yukio Mishima Prize, Galaxy Award, and a nomination for the 2005 Noma Literary New Face Prize. Although this will be his first work to be adapted to film, his style is already drawing comparisons to established Japanese comedy writers Koki Mitani and Kankuro Kudo.
Takenouchi and Mizukawa will play Nobu and Saki, a married couple who have already grown tired of their life together even though they’re still newlyweds.
- 12/17/2010
- Nippon Cinema
[Our thanks to Charles Webb for the following review.]
In a comedic performance, there's a fine line between playing a role with abandon and simply mugging for the camera. Battle League Horumo succeeds largely in part due to its performers throwing themselves just up to - but not over - that fine line.
Based on a bestselling fantasy novel, the movie plays like Pokémon for the college set, with its lead, Akira (Takayuki Yamada of Train Main-fame) joining a mysterious club just to get close to his dream girl, Ms. Sawara (Sei Ashina, icily radiant). The club seems fairly innocuous at first with free food, drinks, and outings led by Sugawara (YosiYosi Arakawa of Survive Style 5+). But there are signs something is up from the outset - from the club leader insisting emphatically that the club is perfectly normal and not at all weird to a kimono-clad midnight march to the city center for a meeting with other clubs in some inscrutable ceremony.
In a comedic performance, there's a fine line between playing a role with abandon and simply mugging for the camera. Battle League Horumo succeeds largely in part due to its performers throwing themselves just up to - but not over - that fine line.
Based on a bestselling fantasy novel, the movie plays like Pokémon for the college set, with its lead, Akira (Takayuki Yamada of Train Main-fame) joining a mysterious club just to get close to his dream girl, Ms. Sawara (Sei Ashina, icily radiant). The club seems fairly innocuous at first with free food, drinks, and outings led by Sugawara (YosiYosi Arakawa of Survive Style 5+). But there are signs something is up from the outset - from the club leader insisting emphatically that the club is perfectly normal and not at all weird to a kimono-clad midnight march to the city center for a meeting with other clubs in some inscrutable ceremony.
- 2/20/2010
- Screen Anarchy
Director: Yosuke Fujita. Review: Adam Wing. Some films defy description, if I were to describe to you the plot behind Yosuke Fujita’s quirky comedy Fine, Totally Fine you would probably choose to look no further. On paper it reads like one of the dullest movies ever made, delve a little deeper however and you will discover one of the freshest, funniest movies of the year. So lets see how you do, shall we? Teruo (YoshiYoshi Arakawa) is in his late twenties, he works as a park tree trimmer and lives at home with his family. In his spare time he helps out at his fathers second-hand bookshop and dreams one day of building the ultimate haunted house. He demonstrates his passion for scares throughout the movie with the aid of inventive homemade dummies and random spurts of comedy genius. Hisanobu (Yoshinori Okada) is one of his oldest friends, he...
- 5/10/2009
- 24framespersecond.net
We haven’t been entirely convinced with the first couple teasers from the upcoming pic Kamogawa Horumo - Battle League in Kyoto. After all, there wasn’t much to praise and this is coming from Katsuhide Motoki who directed Kitaro, a film I declined to write a review for because it is so awful. But, I will admit that after watching this new trailer that my tone has changed and you can consider my interest piqued.
The story is about a group of university students who inevitably gets involved in playing a game of “Horumo” - a combat match where you each manipulate 100 spirits (referred to as “oni”) to fight the opponent. Akira Abe, a freshman at Kyoto University student falls for his classmate Kyoko, and soon ends up at a mysterious club called “Kyoto University Azure Dragons”, which turns out to be one of the Horumo teams playing the...
The story is about a group of university students who inevitably gets involved in playing a game of “Horumo” - a combat match where you each manipulate 100 spirits (referred to as “oni”) to fight the opponent. Akira Abe, a freshman at Kyoto University student falls for his classmate Kyoko, and soon ends up at a mysterious club called “Kyoto University Azure Dragons”, which turns out to be one of the Horumo teams playing the...
- 2/13/2009
- by Mack
- Screen Anarchy
I’m feeling very mixed on Katsuhide Motoki’s upcoming fantasy-action-comedy Kamogawa Horumo. On the down side - and it’s a significant down - it’s a Katsuhide Motoki film, Motoki being the director of the hugely successful (in Japan) but generally considered horrible (everywhere else) live action adaptation of Kitaro. On the plus? The cast includes Chiaki Kuriyama and Yoshiyoshi Arakawa, it features effects work by Gonzo Digimation and features university students in a competitive battle league in which they duke it out with using hundreds of spirits, or oni.
The story is about a group of university students who inevitably gets involved in playing a game of “Horumo” - a combat match where each person manipulates 100 spirits (referred to as “oni") to fight the opponent. Akira Abe, a freshman at Kyoto University student falls for his classmate Kyoko, and soon ends up at a mysterious club called...
The story is about a group of university students who inevitably gets involved in playing a game of “Horumo” - a combat match where each person manipulates 100 spirits (referred to as “oni") to fight the opponent. Akira Abe, a freshman at Kyoto University student falls for his classmate Kyoko, and soon ends up at a mysterious club called...
- 12/20/2008
- by Todd Brown
- Screen Anarchy
- Yoshiyoshi Arakawa has been a recognizable face in Japanese cinema over the few years, appearing as a supporting character in some of the best films the country has to offer (Ping Pong, Memories of Matsuko). He finally gets his shot at a starring role in the offbeat comedy Fine, Totally Fine and boy does he run with it. The film follows three listless characters who form the most pathetic of love triangles while trying to make something of their lives. Teruo (Arakawa) is a horror geek who boasts about wanting to create the world’s scariest haunted house but is too lazy to make it a reality. His best friend Hisanobu (Yoshinori Okada), a straight-laced hospital administrator, plays Igor in his experiments in fear. Hopelessly quirky – and clumsy – Akari (Yoshino Kimura) provides the meat in their love sandwich as a socially awkward amateur artist who can’t find a
- 7/2/2008
- IONCINEMA.com
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