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<div dir="ltr" data-setdir="false">4,500 yen is about $31USD. </div><div dir="ltr" data-setdir="false"><br></div><div dir="ltr" data-setdir="false"><span><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0); font-family: Helvetica Neue, Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif;">As points of comparison...</span></span></div><div dir="ltr" data-setdir="false"><br></div><div dir="ltr" data-setdir="false">Prices vary throughout NYC but Midtown Manhattan movie theater adult tickets are about $20...add in concessions and the total can easily soar north of $30 pp with no additional amenities. </div><div dir="ltr" data-setdir="false"><br></div><div dir="ltr" data-setdir="false">A recent experience in an upscale Bangkok theater ran to $60USD pp including all of the <span><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0); font-family: Helvetica Neue, Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif;">Tokyo </span></span>amenities and then some. </div><div dir="ltr" data-setdir="false"><br></div><div dir="ltr" data-setdir="false"><br></div><div><br></div>
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On Sunday, December 17, 2023 at 08:29:09 AM EST, Markus Nornes via KineJapan <kinejapan@mailman.yale.edu> wrote:
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<div><div id="ydp4658a51byiv6291835813"><div><div>They are currently showing the new Godzilla film. Thanks to projects like this building, a couple of new hotels catering to tourists, and the Toho building/theater next-door, Shinjuku is starting to feel like a shiny Shibuya wrapped around a seedy Kabukicho. So at least one or two screenings a day are showing in Godzilla with English subtitles. I was struck out how many foreigners were at the theater. One other guy and I were there for Scorsese, and everyone else was there for Godzilla. </div><div><br clear="none"></div><div>Markus <br clear="all"><br clear="all"><div><div dir="ltr" class="ydp4658a51byiv6291835813gmail_signature"><div dir="ltr"><div><div dir="ltr"><div dir="ltr"><div dir="ltr"><div dir="ltr"><div dir="ltr"><div dir="ltr"><div dir="ltr"><div dir="ltr"><div dir="ltr"><div dir="ltr"><div dir="ltr"><div dir="ltr"><span style="color:rgb(136,136,136);">--- </span></div><div dir="ltr"><div dir="ltr"><div dir="ltr"><div style="font-size:small;"><font face="courier new, monospace" color="#274e13"><b><img width="55" height="96" src="https://ci3.googleusercontent.com/mail-sig/AIorK4wpadRRhHYSz0N5UbUflm2YEIclCcg0bTCCBEh81fkJ8isCMwomHpMoky49pEF7xzc4MTMR-PM" data-inlineimagemanipulating="true"><br clear="none"></b></font></div><div style="font-size:small;"><font face="courier new, monospace" color="#274e13"><b>Markus Nornes</b></font></div><div style="font-size:small;"><span style="font-family:monospace;"><font color="#38761d" style="background-color: inherit;"><b>Professor of Asian Cinema</b></font></span></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div><blockquote style="margin:0 0 0 40px;border:none;padding:0px;"><blockquote style="margin:0px 0px 0px 0.8ex;border-left-width:1px;border-left-style:solid;border-left-color:rgb(204,204,204);padding-left:1ex;"><font size="1" color="#38761d"><font face="courier new, monospace">Department of Film, Television and Media</font><span style="font-family:monospace;">, Department of Asian Languages and Cultures, Penny Stamps </span><span style="font-family:monospace;">School of Art & Design</span></font></blockquote></blockquote><blockquote style="margin:0 0 0 40px;border:none;padding:0px;"><blockquote style="margin:0px 0px 0px 0.8ex;border-left-width:1px;border-left-style:solid;border-left-color:rgb(204,204,204);padding-left:1ex;"> </blockquote></blockquote><blockquote style="margin:0 0 0 40px;border:none;padding:0px;"><blockquote style="margin:0px 0px 0px 0.8ex;border-left-width:1px;border-left-style:solid;border-left-color:rgb(204,204,204);padding-left:1ex;"><font face="arial, sans-serif"><b><u><span style="background-color:rgb(182,215,168);">Homepage: <a shape="rect" href="https://nam12.safelinks.protection.outlook.com/?url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww-personal.umich.edu%2F~nornes%2F&data=05%7C02%7Ckinejapan%40mailman.yale.edu%7Ccae6bb33a29c4758366008dbff0e5f0e%7Cdd8cbebb21394df8b4114e3e87abeb5c%7C0%7C0%7C638384209410784680%7CUnknown%7CTWFpbGZsb3d8eyJWIjoiMC4wLjAwMDAiLCJQIjoiV2luMzIiLCJBTiI6Ik1haWwiLCJXVCI6Mn0%3D%7C3000%7C%7C%7C&sdata=5RvaR6jd%2FmgtFeR52CgW%2Bs0jx5iPR00nHrcoW0svoDo%3D&reserved=0" originalSrc="http://www-personal.umich.edu/~nornes/" shash="V5aFAKpkqHNdMq8i1l2+dbEL50x60f749CiBH6NhSBHUgXV5cga13mZhwU8nYO2WPEzAmWesd/2spJ5LgAOrkn6eFf4vv/oWQmrfF3M+i5bQ/jVGyHPkj+8Mjy3bfJR8uL+dz1tC58e2I0qelSX72cP1x1AI6qi6tDe8YCZfiWA=" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener"><font color="#ffffff">http://www-personal.umich.edu/~nornes/</font></a></span><font color="#6aa84f"><br clear="none"></font></u></b></font><font face="courier new, monospace" size="1" color="#93c47d"><b>Department of Film, Television and Media<br clear="none"></b></font><font face="courier new, monospace" size="1" color="#93c47d"><b>6348 North Quad<br clear="none"></b></font><font face="courier new, monospace" size="1" color="#93c47d"><b>105 S. State Street<br clear="none"></b></font><font face="courier new, monospace" size="1" color="#93c47d"><b>Ann Arbor, MI 48109-1285</b></font></blockquote></blockquote><div><div dir="ltr"><div dir="ltr"><div dir="ltr"><div dir="ltr"><div dir="ltr"><div dir="ltr"><div dir="ltr"><div dir="ltr"><div dir="ltr"><div dir="ltr"><div dir="ltr"><div dir="ltr"><div dir="ltr"><div dir="ltr"><div style="color:rgb(136,136,136);"><br clear="none"></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div><div><br clear="none"></div><div><br clear="none"><div class="ydp4658a51byiv6291835813gmail_quote"><div id="ydp4658a51byiv6291835813yqtfd79022" class="ydp4658a51byiv6291835813yqt3573751647"><div dir="ltr" class="ydp4658a51byiv6291835813gmail_attr">On Sun, Dec 17, 2023 at 10:18 PM Earl Jackson via KineJapan <<a shape="rect" href="mailto:kinejapan@mailman.yale.edu" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">kinejapan@mailman.yale.edu</a>> wrote:<br clear="none"></div><blockquote style="margin:0 0 0 .8ex;border-left:1px #ccc solid;padding-left:1ex;" class="ydp4658a51byiv6291835813gmail_quote"><div dir="ltr">Dear Markus,<div>Thank you for the report on this cinema. Sounds like a great way to see Godzilla Minus One.</div><div>Best wishes,</div><div>ej</div><div><div><div dir="ltr" class="ydp4658a51byiv6291835813gmail_signature"><div dir="ltr"><div style="font-family:arial;">Earl Jackson</div><div style="font-family:arial;"><div>Chair Professor</div><div>Foreign Languages and Literatures</div><div>Asia University</div><div>Professor Emeritus</div><div>National Chiao Tung University</div></div><div style="font-family:arial;">Associate Professor Emeritus</div><div style="font-family:arial;">University of California, Santa Cruz<br clear="none"></div></div></div></div><br clear="none"></div></div><br clear="none"><div class="ydp4658a51byiv6291835813gmail_quote"></div><div class="ydp4658a51byiv6291835813gmail_quote"><div dir="ltr" class="ydp4658a51byiv6291835813gmail_attr">On Sun, Dec 17, 2023 at 7:08 PM Markus Nornes via KineJapan <<a shape="rect" href="mailto:kinejapan@mailman.yale.edu" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">kinejapan@mailman.yale.edu</a>> wrote:<br clear="none"></div></div><div class="ydp4658a51byiv6291835813gmail_quote"><blockquote style="margin:0px 0px 0px 0.8ex;border-left:1px solid rgb(204,204,204);padding-left:1ex;" class="ydp4658a51byiv6291835813gmail_quote"></blockquote></div><div class="ydp4658a51byiv6291835813gmail_quote"><blockquote style="margin:0px 0px 0px 0.8ex;border-left:1px solid rgb(204,204,204);padding-left:1ex;" class="ydp4658a51byiv6291835813gmail_quote"><div dir="ltr">Yesterday, I went out to catch Killers of the Flower Moon before it disappeared from theaters. A quick search revealed a well-timed show at the new 109 Cinemas Premium. This is in the new Tokyu Kabukicho Tower, the odd new sky scraper in the heart of Kabukicho that looks like it has frosty spikes midway and up tip top. <div><br clear="none"></div><div>This sits on the footprint of the old Milano Theater. This was one of the grand theaters of postwar Tokyo. With 1,500 seats, it was a great place to watch films. People still talk about their swan song in 2014, when they showed all their biggest hits over the years on 35mm. The building went down shortly after that.</div><div><br clear="none"></div><div>The new theaters are on the 9th and 10th floors. I worried upon arrival, as the first few floors are a very strange restaurant with a DJ playing anime tunes, and a very noisy game center. Thankfully, the chaos recedes when you go upward. The surprisingly small lobby has stunning views of West Shinjuku, a staff desk and kiosks. Huh.</div><div><br clear="none"></div><div>I pull up to a kiosk, select the film, then my seat, and then the bill comes up: ¥4,500! I actually asked the desk attendant if that was for real. He smiled and affirmed the price. This was probably my last chance to see the Scorsese on a decent screen, and I was curious what this pricepoint was all about. So I hit the buy button and entered. </div><div><br clear="none"></div><div>It was interesting. </div><div><br clear="none"></div><div>Low lighting. High end seating. Stunning views of Kabukicho, the Toho Godzilla down below. It's an attempt at making the architectural space a big part of the movie-going experience, not unlike the strategy behind the silent era movie palaces. In interior corners of both floors, there are spaces with completely different interior designs that evoke different eras. </div><div><br clear="none"></div><div>The million dollar view isn't worth the price of the ticket, but then I discovered another part of the strategy. Popcorn and non-alcoholic drinks are free and tabehodai. There's also a bar with beer, wine, whiskeys and some mixed drinks, but those cost. </div><div><br clear="none"></div><div>Over at one of the entrances, I noticed they were playing Merry Christmas Mr. Lawrence. As I approached, I saw that it's a 35mm screening room, and they'll be showing films on 35 into the future. (A sign outside warns people that analog prints sometimes have scratches.)</div><div><br clear="none"></div><div>The theater itself has steep seating and wide reclining seats, each with a little table space next to the arm rest. There's a special trailer on the sound system, which they claim is the best set-up in Japan. It was "installed and checked" by Sakamoto Ryuichi, who gives a speech in the sound system trailer. They are selling a lot of Sakamoto goods in the gift shop, including LPs and programs from all the films he scored. The sound was, indeed, good. </div><div><br clear="none"></div><div>All in all, a wonderful, overpriced theater. Not sure I'll go again, unless I really feel like gorging out on the popcorn. </div><div><br clear="none"></div><div>The theater also had a strip of seats that were even wider, with wood cube-like enclosures to separate you from the people next to you. I asked about these on my way out. They're ¥6,500 (!). But after the film, you can move to an incredibly cush lounge with city views. The first drink is free and the lounge is open until 3:00am. </div><div><br clear="none"></div><div>I wonder if this will work? </div><div><br clear="none"></div><div>BTW, the film was great. But I was annoyed at the subtitles. They pulled punches around issues of race. For example, Scorsese's references to anti-Semitism were all erased by substituting 奴 for "Jew." Considering what's going on in the world today, I thought this was really unfortunate and obnoxious. </div><div><br clear="none"></div><div>Markus</div><div><br clear="none"></div><div><br clear="none"></div><div><br clear="none"></div><div><br clear="none"></div><div><br clear="none"></div></div></blockquote></div><div class="ydp4658a51byiv6291835813gmail_quote"><blockquote style="margin:0px 0px 0px 0.8ex;border-left:1px solid rgb(204,204,204);padding-left:1ex;" class="ydp4658a51byiv6291835813gmail_quote">
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