Hama Maiku

[Jasper Sharp]

I caught the Aoyama episode last monday, and even though I was only paying
cursorary interest to the screen at the time, it looked a lot more
interesting than previous episodes in the series, with Aoyama treating us to
a panoply of onscreen trickery in the form of split screens, and
pictures-within-pictures, an eclectic selection of music on the soundtrack
and an entirely in-character montage of POV shots from inside a car driving
along a highway through a variety of locales. It looked rather more
reminiscent of Roji-E than Kaizo Hayashi's original treatment of the tale.
This story, The Forest With No Name, was also filmed in a 70 minute version
which I am assured will be making it into the cinemas of Tokyo in September.

> The final episode of the series is currently in production, helmed by
> British director Alex Cox.

Funny isn't it, but Alex Cox is all but forgotten as a director in the Shane
Richie-crazed UK at the moment - can't think of the last time he made a
film - but here in Japan he gets his own section all to himself in the
Tsutaya Video chain.

Jasper Sharp

Midnight Eye: The Latest and Best in Japanese Cinema
www.midnighteye.com