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<br><div><br><div><br></div><br class="Apple-interchange-newline"><blockquote type="cite"><div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; "><font class="Apple-style-span" color="#000000"><b><br></b></font></div><div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; min-height: 14px; "><br></div> To all Kinejapanners enjoying your Xmas, in the spirit of same, please give a few minutes to this cause, so dear to the hearts of us all. <div><br class="webkit-block-placeholder"></div><div>For the last six years Mr Omori, who embodies all that is fine and noble about the word "geek," has been spending 12 hours a day, every day, hunched over his ancient computer in a tiny walk-up deep in the backstreets of Kyoto, under constant threat of engulfment by the teetering floor-to-ceiling stacks of literally several thousands of VTRs of rare old films, both Japanese and Western. There is no heat in winter and no AC in summer, for he can't afford it. He presides singlehandedly and at great cost to his health and sanity over his realm of treasures solely so they can be viewed by all and sundry who have the time and few hundred yen he charges for his rentals. These are not ratty old copyright-protected products either, but all pristine private copies in their original covers suitable for dubbing off on home machines. At last count he had upwards of 7 thousand tapes, roughly half of them Japanese, which, if you think about it, would account for a very great hunk, if not close to all, of the old films still extant. Silents, subtitled versions, practically all of the late lamented Nihon Eiga Kessaku Zenshu titles in their catalog, including some "B" gems that <i>nobody</i> has ever heard of, trust me.</div><div><br class="webkit-block-placeholder"></div><div>Today, I was shocked to find that most of those films are packed up in cardboard boxes, for Mr Omori has thrown in the towel. He just can't make ends meet anymore, and he is about to take his treasures away from us all. For six years he has been unsung and starving, and he has had enough.</div><div><br class="webkit-block-placeholder"></div><div>Please, PLEASE, everybody out there, spare the time to send Mr Omori a message telling him he is loved and honored and his work is appreciated, and the whole world will suffer if his treasures disappear from view!!! He is bitter about the cavalier disregard of the Japanese for their artistic heritage, certainly with reason, and the snotty attitudes of those Japanese institutions which allegedly exist to make old films available to the masses but in fact do not. Please let us show him that this is NOT the attitude of the entire planet, that it fact it is swarming with geeks like himself with different-colored passports but with the same passionate love of Japanese filmdom as his own. With enough encouragement he may be convinced that perseverance would be worth the candle, and think seriously about continuing to make his films available in some way less costly to himself. All ideas are appreciated! Could his wonderful work be subsidized from abroad by us all chipping in small contributions??[in return for obtaining copies of certain films privately from people like myself...?] Anything at all from you out there will help, for he has little idea of the extent of the foreign Japanese films scene, nor of the big names at heavy-hitting universities out there who love and support it.</div><div><br class="webkit-block-placeholder"></div><div>You can reach Mr Omori [Big Forest] by e-mail either thru' his site (where a peek at his archives will convince anybody of the tragedy approaching who needs convincing):</div><div><br class="webkit-block-placeholder"></div><div><a href="http://dejan.dyndns.tv/f_eigatown/">http://dejan.dyndns.tv/f_eigatown/</a></div><div><br class="webkit-block-placeholder"></div><div>or by personal email to:</div><div><br class="webkit-block-placeholder"></div><div><a href="mailto:f_eigatown@excite.co.jp">f_eigatown@excite.co.jp</a></div><div><br class="webkit-block-placeholder"></div><div>The address is: Eigatown, #2 Fuyacho Biru 2F, Fuyachodori Nijo Sagaru, Nakagyo-ku, Kyoto 604-0934</div><div><br class="webkit-block-placeholder"></div><div>Japanese is best but simple English is better than nothing and every message he gets will be appreciated, I know. It just may save his treasures for those of us who care. In either language, please say that "Bahha-san" has told you of his plight.</div><div><br class="webkit-block-placeholder"></div><div>In Tokyo, at the end of next year the wrecking ball will knock down the beautiful, historic Kabuki-za in the Ginza because the craven thugs who own it want to build an office building; soon, too, the delightful Koma Gekijo arena, which has been delighting fans of enka/taishu engeki since 1956, will be a dust-heap. Do not let good Mr Omori go under, too. Please tell him you care. Maybe it will make a difference.</div><div><br class="webkit-block-placeholder"></div><div>Faith Bach</div><div><br class="webkit-block-placeholder"></div><div><br class="webkit-block-placeholder"></div><div><br class="webkit-block-placeholder"></div><div><br class="webkit-block-placeholder"></div><div><br class="webkit-block-placeholder"></div><div> </div><div><br class="webkit-block-placeholder"></div><div> </div></blockquote></div><br></body></html>