KineJun Best 10

[Michael Badzik]

Many thanks to Stephen Cremin for his response to my question from last 
week about which actors deserved to be on the year's best lists. Stephen's 
would certainly have been the best reply - even if it had not been the  
_only_ reply - as he wrote:

> Otake Shinobu should be disqualified for any actress awards forever 
> after THE BLACK HOUSE, the worst casting of the year (and worst body 
> double ever).  Osugi Ren has been just as prolific as last year and 
> Nishimura Masahiko just as memorable (THE EXAM, THE BLACK HOUSE), 
> but they won last year so they have to be overlooked.

But Nishimura Masahiko has been overlooked far too often! (at least 
by non-Japanese.) There are very few actors whose performances 
fascinate me more than his; his great skill at creating real characters 
and then disappearing completely inside of them always has me 
forgetting that I am just watching an actor.

Now if Shochiku will hurry and release  _The Black House_ on video 
so that I might witness what it takes to get disqualified ...


Michael Badzik
mike at vena.com