DVD News

[Stephen Cremin]

Haven't seen Yaguchi Shinobu's DOWN THE DRAIN since 1993 but if memory 
serves it's stronger than his ADRENALINE DRIVE in the black comedy 
stakes with Serigawa Saori playing the girl for whom everything possible 
goes wrong.  I'm also fond of rent-boy-coming-of-ager A TOUCH OF FEVER 
which is not just the feature debut of director Hashiguchi after shorts 
THE BOY'S WHISTLE and THE SECRET OF LAST NIGHT, but also introduced us 
to Kataoka Reiko and Hakamada Yoshihiko.  Latter is almost 
unrecognisable in Hisaishi Jo's QUARTET in what is essentially a sports 
genre movie relocated to the world of classical music from the producers 
of EKIDEN and FIRST LOVE.  VISITOR Q is one to avoid at all costs unless 
your initials are TM.  Morita's SOROBANZUKU, also known as ALL FOR 
BUSINESS' SAKE stars Ishibashi Takaaki, Yasuda Narumi and Sabu.  Variety 
reviewed it on 23-09-1987, but don't have that issue to hand.  
Presumably a detective story.    Mihara's film is another in the Love 
Cinema series, known in English as AMEN, SO-MEN AND RUGGER MEN starring 
Okochi Nanako.  As is Hiroki's TOKYO TRASH BABY with Nakamura Mami, 
Suzuki Kazuma and Shibasaki Ko.  Nomura's film, THE CASTLE OF SAND, 
dates from 1974, starring Tanba Tetsuro and Shimada Yoko.  Yakushiji 
Mitsuyuki's BAKUMATSU: JUNJO-DEN doesn't have an official English 
title.  It dates from 1991 and stars Ibu Masato (who seems to like to be 
called Eve Masato recently!), Emoto Akira, Sugimoto Tetta and Makise 
Riho.

Not sure how many of these you'd want to own at Japanese DVD prices.

Stephen


On Friday, February 1, 2002, at 11:53  pm, Michael E Kerpan Jr wrote:

> Courtesy of www.cdjapan.co.jp :
>
> Joe Hisaishi - Quartet --  3-25 (will have English subtitles)
>
> Ryosuke Hashiguchi - Hatachi no Binetsu (A TOUCH OF FEVER) -- 3-20 
> (will have English subtitles)
>
> Fumiyasu Yaguchi -- Hadashi no Picnic (Down The Drain) -- 3-20 (will 
> have English subtitles)
>
> Takashi Miike - Visitor Q -- 3-20 (no mention of subtitles)
>
> Yoshimitsu Morita - Sorobanzuku 3-20 (no mention of subtitles)
>
> Mitsuhiro Mihara - Eri ni Kubittake -- 3-20 (no mention of subtitles)
>
> Ryuichi Hiroki - Tokyo Gomi Onna -- 3-20 (no mention of subtitles)
>
> Yoshitaro Nomura - Suna no Utsuwa  -- 2-21 (no mention of subtitles)
>
> Mitsuyuki Yakushiji - Bakumatsu Junjo-den -- 2-22 (no mention of 
> subtitles)
>
>
> Other than the films by Miike and Yaguchi, none of these ring any 
> bells. (Hisaishi I know only as a composer) Are there any hidden 
> treasures here?
>
> Michael Kerpan
> Boston, MA
>
>
>
>