"I Am Nipponjin," "Ren-ai shashin," and "Hazard"

[Michael McCaskey]

While looking for other titles you all have very helpfully suggested, I also found "I Am Nipponjin," about a Japanese-American who goes to Japan for the first time. It looks pretty good. Also more likely to please both Japanese and Americans. It doesn't seem to be available in US format so far. The Japanese title is "I Am 日本人," so it wasn't easy to find at first, but it's available at Amazon Japan.

I also ordered "Ren-ai shashin," which several of you suggested.

I watched the first half of "Hazard" today. It's just been released on DVD, but I think Sion Sono made it back in 2002, so it's actually an "early Odagiri film." I may be wrong, but I think some Americans (not including me) may be troubled by this film--perhaps in the same way some Japanese are troubled by "Fear and Trembling," but maybe much more so. One scene I'm always going to remember is where Odagiri's two Japanese-speaking companions hold up a crowded NYC convenience store, while Odagiri looks in his English phrase notebook and then says, "We want your money." There's also a scene where they're in a sort of landfill across the water, looking at Manhattan, reciting Walt Whitman. (There are no subtitles--except some in Japanese when English is spoken.) 

Michael McCaskey
Georgetown Univ.
----- Original Message -----
From: Jim Harper <jimharper666 at yahoo.co.uk>
Date: Monday, June 25, 2007 7:16 am
Subject: Re: Thanks To All + Explanation

> I've seen Tokyo Pop, on the one occasion it was shown
> on UK televsion, Channel 4, if I recall correctly. I
> would have been 16, so it would have been maybe 1991.
> 
> It's not as good as Lost In Translation, to be honest,
> but it struck a chord with me. It was shown pretty
> much the same time as BBC2 showed Nobuhiko Obayashi's
> Ijintachi Tono Natsu, the very first Japanese film I
> ever saw. Seeing both that and Tokyo Pop in the same
> short space of time created an interest in Japan and
> Japanese cinema that has lasted ever since. 
> 
> I don't think UK television has shown either of them
> again since, although Tokyo Pop did get a US video
> release at some point. I've been waiting for DVD
> releases of both films for years, and while there was
> a HK release of Ijintachi, I doubt there'll be a DVD
> of Tokyo Pop any time soon. The only people who seem
> to know about it are those who (like me) caught it on
> TV by accident, or Buffy fans (Kaz & Fran Rubel Kuzui
> created both Tokyo Pop and Buffy the Vampire Slayer).
> 
> Jim.
> 
> --- "J.sharp" <j.sharp at hpo.net> wrote:
> 
> > > By the way, have you seen or heard of an older
> film
> > called Tokyo Pop from
> > 1988, about an American  girl who goes to be a pop
> > star in Japan - I think
> > there was a lot of discussion on this list when Lost
> > in Translation came
> > out, about how similar (and how much better) it was.
> > I remember seeing it on
> > TV in the UK years ago, and would love to see it
> > again, but I dont think its
> > on video anywhere.
> > 
> > Best
> > 
> > Jasper
> > 
> > www.midnighteye.com
> > 
> > ________________________________________________
> > Message sent using Hunter Point Online WebMail
> > 
> > 
> 
> 
> http://www.flipsidemovies.com
> http://jimharper.blogspot.com
> 
> 
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