KEIZOKU

[Stephen Cremin]

I watched it on tape without subtitles and liked the atmosphere and visuals
but have no comment on the story.  (But heck I liked MESSENGERS, EKIDEN and
OJUKEN which is probably enough to get kicked off this list.)  KEIZOKU had
its international premiere this week at list member Helmut Krutsch's
festival in Cologne with Tsutsumi in attendance.  (Sincere apologies for not
being there!)  I haven't seen the TV series but it reminded me of Ichikawa
Kon's 1970s Kindaichi films in the horror stakes with a nice sense of humour
to it.

---
>KEIZOKU: BEAUTIFUL DREAMER
Director: TSUTSUMI Yukihiko; cast: NAKATANI Miki (Shibata Jun), WATABE
Atsuro (Mayama), KOYUKI (Kirishima Nanami), TAKAGI Masahiro (Asakura), RYU
Raita (Nonomura).  Released: Tokyo on 4/3/2000.  Festivals: CineAsia
[Cologne].  119 mins.

Shibata Jun, who boasts an IQ of 199, is appointed section chief of a
special police department that specialises in unsolved cases.  When
Kirishima Nanami arrives in her office, Shibata gets her first case: solve
the mysterious disappearance of a ship near Yakugami Island fifteen years
ago.  Although there were seven survivors, Kirishima Nanami's parents had
been murdered in the incident, but without enough evidence to go on, the
police had dropped the case.  Shibata and street-wise cop Mayama, arrive on
the island to interview the seven suspects who have returned for a reunion
initiated by Nanami.  But the guests begin to die one by one and it becomes
apparent that Nanami may have supernatural powers.  Meanwhile Mayama has his
own homicidal stalker in Asakura who is also psychically gifted.

Filmography: CHINESE DINNER + OBORERU SAKANA (2001); KEIZOKU: BEAUTIFUL
DREAMER (2000); HANAKO (1998); KINDAICHI SHONEN NO JIKENBO: SHANGHAI GYOJIN
DENSETSU (1997); etc.
---

I think the website is still online at:
http://www.tbs.co.jp/keizoku/top_eiga.html

Mark reviewed it on 4 April last year in the Japan Times:
http://www.japantimes.co.jp/cgi-bin/getarticle.pl5?ff20000404a1.htm

It hasn't been released in other Asian territories even if TBS has a pretty
good track record for getting their films into Hong Kong, etc, with FIRST
LOVE and HIMITSU.  Perhaps Nakatani Miki isn't popular enough in Hong Kong
for a release.

I guess the best way to see it is to be very, very sweet to Helmut.

Stephen

----------
>From: "Pete Larson" <bulb at netway.com>
>To: <KineJapan at lists.acs.ohio-state.edu>
>Subject: RE: SATORARE
>Date: Mon, Mar 19, 2001 15:28
>

>Does anybody know anything about the movie of Keizoku? I saw the TV series
>but have not been able to find the movie anywhere (I live in the US). Is
>there anybody out there who could help me out?
>
>-----Original Message-----
>From: owner-KineJapan at lists.acs.ohio-state.edu
>[mailto:owner-KineJapan at lists.acs.ohio-state.edu]On Behalf Of Stephen Cremin
>Sent: Monday, March 19, 2001 10:26 AM
>To: KineJapan at lists.acs.ohio-state.edu
>Subject: SATORARE
>
>
>Did anybody watch Motohiro Katsuyuki's SATORARE over the weekend.  I'm a big
>fan of BAYSIDE SHAKEDOWN (Odoru Daisosasen), have been waiting for this one,
>and would just love to hear any good word-of-mouth.
>
>Stephen
>