Takashi's Castle

     This week Japanuary comes to a close with three films by the prolific master Takashi Miike.

     Leo is a boxer climbing in the middle of a great win streak. When his doctor tells him he has an inoperable brain tumor and only a short time left. Kase, an ambitious yakuza, and Ōtomo, a corrupt cop, plan to steal drugs and frame Yuri, a trafficked young woman. When Leo hears Yuri call for help, he figures he has nothing to lose and intervenes. Things spiral from there. A thrill ride through alleys and sporting good store massacres, First Love.
     Manji, an ageless immortal drifting through under a traumatic loss, is hired to be the bodyguard for Rin, an orphan on a quest for revenge. Rin's father was murdered by the Itto-ryu, a group of samurai assassins seeking to bring all schools of combat together under them, and their leader Kagehisa Anotsu. This live action adaption of a successful manga and anime series is also Miike's 100th directorial effort, Blade of the Immortal.
     It has been a decade since Iwao sacrificed his eldest son to settle a dispute with a rival gang. Now younger son, Riki, is getting revenge. Riki also happens to be the head of a gang of startlingly young assassins, who have the leaders of his father's gang squarely in their sights.  Buckets of blood flow, killer darts are fired from undergarments, preteen gunmen, games with unusual balls, and a biker who like a good scrap- Fudoh: The New Generation. 
     Join us, won't we?
   Episode 345- Takashi's Castle

Ghost Law

    This week a threesome of video game adaptions from Japan. Including one of the best video game adaptions ever made. So far, anyway.

     33 years ago Earth was invaded by the Phantoms, ethereal aliens that kill with a touch and devour their victim's very soul. Doctors Aki Ross and Sid, with a small squad of soldiers, race to collect 8 special spirits to heal Gaia before General Hein can fire a big ass canon into the planet. The only film made by Square Pictures, directed by a game industry legend, raising the bar for computer generated characters to a level that has rarely been met, one of the best scores written since the dawn of the current century, and a voice cast stuffed with "Hey! It's that guy" types. One of the largest box office bombs in history that has gone one to not just build a dedicated cult and referred to as a masterpiece by SquareEnix published games to this day. Final Fantasy: The Spirits Within
     Yuki, her brother Hideo, and their father movie to Yamajima Island in the desperate hope that a doctor there can finally help with a truama induced affliction. They take residence in a dusty house long abandoned by its last occupant. It isn't long until Yuki starts to witness strange events and stumbles into the meeting place of a local cult. Will she be a victim of whatever force is loose on Yamajima or will she escape the call of the... Forbidden Siren
     The court system, overburdened by the sheer number of crimes, introduces a bold new method of justice- The Bench Trial System. Two lawyers face off directly in open court and have a maximum of three days to make their case before a verdict is rendered. Phoenix Wright has just won his first case but, before he can celebrate, his mentor is murdered and he finds himself defending Mya, his mentor's younger sister and spirit medium in training. Opposing him is his childhood friend, Miles Edgeworth. Soon all three are caught up in a mystery that they all have personal stakes in. Can Phoenix rise to the task and become an Ace Attorney?
     All that and Dave dives deep, Kevin has new feelings to feel, and Tyler lives in denial. Join us, won't you?

Episode 242- Ghost Law

Cellular Purgatory

    This week- a data plan from hell and a manga brought to life.

     From the shockingly prolific Takashi Miike, a horror about early 2000s modernity. Yumi's friend gets a call from her own cell number, not a scammer. It leaves a message with a timestamp three days in the future, still not a scammer, and the sound of her friend's horrific death, still not a scammer. When the day and hour arrives, the unthinkable happens. Before long all around Yumi are targets of some malevolent force that can reach out through technology, not scammers. A film that might not have aged as well as they expected but it did kick off a successful series- One Missed Call.
     Two high school students are hit by a subway train... and wake up in a room full of strangers and a large mysterious black ball. Soon they will take their places in the only line of defense between Earth and alien invaders. Judged on their performances in battle, the two struggle to buy their freedom from the 100 point menu. Popcorn action at its finest and a great reminder of why Hollywood isn't going to stop their own manga adaptions anytime soon- Gantz.
     All that and Dave revisits some old friends, Tyler regrets nothing, and Kevin is taken away on the corpse cart. Join us, won't you?

  Episode 241- Cellular Purgatory

Criminal Activities

     This week multiple masterminds make mischievous misfortune for moral masses and mobbed moneylenders.

     Now that his son is getting to the point of fleeing the nest, widower Shigeharu looks to connect with a woman in hopes of wifing a nice younger woman. Instead of turning to the normal methods of bars and matchmakers and online profiles, he and his producer friend decide to hold a fake casting call. Because nothing says "I am looking for love" like a light Weinstein session. His eye is caught by Asami and he worms his way in.... unfortunately he doesn't notice the corpses strewn about. Takashi Miike's first international breakthrough film, which lead the early 2000s J-horror boom and inspired the Hostel style US body horror trend, based on a novel by Ryu Murakami... Audition.

     Underground black and white Japanese cyberpunk from cult filmmaker Shozin Fukui shows how much you can do with nothing but determination and stuff stolen from your neighbor's garage band. A pair of rogue scientists perform psychic drug experiments on people grabbed off the street. Subjecting them to brutal tortures that end in horrible deaths and failure... until their final project yields even more terrifying results. Sex, drugs, Speedos, and a whole lot of high concept insanity are crammed in Rubber's Lover.
     One of the best action film directors to ever command a set, one of the most unlikely romantic heroes of the 1970s, a bank robbery gone wrong, a hitman on their trail, and only one way out. Don Siegel delivers another tough and cynical film with a stellar cast, anchored by the great Walter Matthau, in the mostly overlooked gem that is Charley Varrick.
     All that and Kevin moves his command center to a new underground bunker, Dave knows that two actors in that movie were in popular ST roles but he wanted to go easy on them, and Tyler loves like only loving lovers love. Join us, won't you?

Episode 188- Criminal Activities