Shimokitazawa theater opens (E only)

[Jonathan Mark Hall]

On this list we keep hearing about rerpertory movie theaters closing down
in the Tokyo area; we have "lost" both Namikiza and Oi-Musashino-kan in
less than a year.  Perhaps, this makes it all the more important to support
new theaters when they do offer an alternative bill.  One place that
appears to be doing so is less than a month old, "Cinema Shimokitazawa."
Not surprisingly, it is located in Shimokitazwa, slacker-chiefdom of Tokyo,
and can be found in the old SUZUNARI Yoko-cho right across from the
Kitazawa Town Hall.  The theater's catch-copy is ?????????????
???.  "Didn't there used to be a movie theater here too?"  A nostalgic, r
etro-fetish approach that plays off of the loss we have discussed.  But,
more specifically, it refers to the fact that approximately 15 years ago
there used to be a small movie theater dedicated to documentary film there,
called Ichiban-kan and run by the owner of the Honda-gekijo.  Anyway, this
month they are screening four Nikkatsu 70s films in the evening late show,
and the February late show features five films with Harada  Yoshio with an
interesting list of guest speakers, including Kuroki Kazuo, Wakamatsu Koji,
and so on.  Okay, late shows will never make up for the dedication of a
full theater; still for those living in Tokyo and those passing through,
it's worth checking out ... ANd it's daytime screenings are also worth the
visit.  Abbreviated listings are in Pia.

Jonathan