Imports: a correction and a question

Fri Apr 15 06:24:30 EDT 2011

Thanks, Michael, Jasper, and everyone.
You don't have to apologize for being 'late', Michael - I'm rather pleased with myself for not having the time to follow this up yesterday.
The question: 'Is global synchronicity a cause or a phenomenon' would make a good organizing principle for a paper ...
Whereas "The Global Simulteneity of Cheesy Cinema" is surely a conference theme.  Do I detect, Michael, that you might already be getting a bit jaded, subtitling this year's Udine exhibits ? ;>)
Now, before I get to work on this, I'll mark up my 'Research Guide', before I forget this time ...
Roger

----- Original Message ----- 
From: <mjraine at uchicago.edu>
To: <KineJapan at lists.acs.ohio-state.edu>
Sent: Friday, April 15, 2011 5:35 AM
Subject: Re: KINEJAPAN digest 3146

> Hello Roger,
> 
> Sorry to get to this late. The allcinema site seems to be pretty good about listing release dates for foreign films. You can search by English title. Some prewar but mostly postwar. 
> 
> http://www.allcinema.net/prog/show_c.php?num_c=8370
> 
> They show the following dates: 
> The Steel Bayonet, 1957; 1957.09
> The Enchanted Island, 1958; not listed
> Yesterday's Enemy, 1959; 1959.07
> The Stranglers of Bombay, 1959; 1961.10
> The Mummy, 1959; 1959.08
> 
> So I think you're right about the "global simulteneity" of cheesy cinema! It would be interesting to find out more about how these films were designated and shown. One question: I have a nice graph of the number of "seijin eiga" from 1958 through the 1960s, with an obvious inflection point when pink films started. But does anyone have a *list* of what films were designated as "seijin eiga" before 1963? I don't remember seeing one in any of the material on Eirin. 
> 
> Michael
> 
> 
> 
> 
> Date: Thu, 14 Apr 2011 12:28:49 +0000
> From: Jasper Sharp <jasper_sharp at hotmail.com>
> Subject: RE: Imports: a correction and a question
> To: kinejapan <kinejapan at lists.acs.ohio-state.edu>
> 
> One idea Roger, is to check the Japanese language websites Moviewalker and Goo, which (not always) give Japanese release dates and the Japanese distributor.
> 
> Walkerplus is by far the better of the two, but check out the kind of information for these- my example being Bwana Devil:
> 
> http://movie.goo.ne.jp/movies/p8016/index.html
> http://movie.walkerplus.com/mv7995/
> 
> The pain is you have to know the Japanese release title (or probably more easily, search by the director's kana), but there are ways of finding this using wikipedia or google.
> 
> I personally don't think Shintoho were influenced by Hammer, because a number of Nakagawa's more famous works actually proceeded the Hammer versions of Dracula and Frankenstein.
> Also, remember Daiei were pretty active in the genre already in the early 1950s with their Ghost Cat films. Put it down to synchronicity, I would.
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> Jasper Sharp: Writer & Film Curator Homepage
> http://jaspersharp.com/
> 
> Midnight Eye: The Latest and Best in Japanese Cinema
> http://www.midnighteye.com
> 
> Zipangu Fest: Japanarchy in the UK
> http://zipangufest.com/

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  Date: Thu, 14 Apr 2011 11:04:34 +0100
  From: macyroger at yahoo.co.uk
  To: KineJapan at lists.acs.ohio-state.edu
  Subject: Re: Imports: a correction and a question

  Well, thanks for suggesting this, Markus.
  It's merely a loose hunch at the moment but I want to explore the possibility that Shintoho were picking up concepts from Hammer Films in the UK in the late '50s.  
  It may simply be that the Shintoho guys read their 'Variety', recognised some rogues like themselves, and saw what the latest stories that Hammer were getting round not paying for.  They couldn't have failed to notice the controversy around UK and US publicity for 'Camp on Blood Island', 1958.

  I'd be interested in details of any Hammer releases in Japan at the time, such as for The Steel Bayonet, 1957; The Enchanted Island, 1958; Yesterday's Enemy, 1959; The Stranglers of Bombay, 1959; The Mummy, 1959.
  The list is longer, and I don't know of any Japanese titles, which is why I was reluctant to post it here.  But any advice appreciated.
  Roger

  ----- Original Message ----- 
    From: Nornes, Markus 
    To: KineJapan at lists.acs.ohio-state.edu 
    Sent: Thursday, April 14, 2011 2:20 AM
    Subject: Re: Imports: a correction and a question

    Well, one of the ideas behind KineJapan is to help each other out.  Why not post a specific question to the group.  There are copies out there.

    M

    On Apr 13, 2011, at 9:08 PM, "Roger Macy" <macyroger at yahoo.co.uk> wrote:

      Thanks Markus.
      Luck is a bit relative here.  I can't see the Hakurai kinema sakuhin jiten volumes outside of Japan and the US (The nihon eiga ones are at Oxford).  So, at 240,000 yen and up, if it ain't in Pia, or online, it seems it's gonna have to wait.
      But at least I've got confirmation of where I stand.
      best,
      Roger
        ----- Original Message ----- 
        From: Mark Nornes 
        To: KineJapan at lists.acs.ohio-state.edu 
        Sent: Wednesday, April 13, 2011 8:50 PM
        Subject: Re: Imports: a correction and a question

        Roger,  

        You are in luck (depending on the time period)!  Pull out the research guide and check out these titles: 

        Pia cinema club, gaikoku eiga hen 

        Hakurai kinema sakuhin jiten: Nihon de senzen ni jôei sareta gaikoku eiga ichiran = Complete dictionary of imported movies up to 1945 August, edited by Sekai Eigashi Kenkyûkai————Tokyo: Kagaku Shoin, 1997. 

        Hakurai kinema sakuhin jiten. Sengo hen. 1: Nihon de sengo (1945-1988) ni jôei sareta gaikoku eiga ichiran (1)———Tokyo: Kagaku Shoin, 2004

        Wikipedia and IMDB are increasingly good for this data as well. 

        Markus

        On Apr 12, 2011, at 5:24 AM, Roger Macy wrote:

          Dear KineJapaners,

          First, the correction:
          A few months back, I recall answering to a question on German-Japanese collaborations about Riefenstahl's 'Olympia' and saying something to the effect that the four-year delay would be incomprehensible today.  I've just stumbled on the fact that the 2006 UK film 'Amazing Grace' is currently on release in Japan and is being heavily advertised.  In my defense, the age of the film is not exactly being pushed ...

          My question is - and I'm sure this has been asked before, but I can't locate it - I'll write it into the index of my 'Research Guide' this time - is what is an accessible resource for the release dates of foreign films into Japan.  The period I'm interested in right now is some UK films of the 50s.  For later periods, there's runs in the UK of Kinema Junpo, but is there any volume I could acquire which would hold this information please ?

          Roger

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