In this short article, we want to introduce people, who are new to the Japanese cinema, to a few easily accessible films to prepare themselves for the game and immerse themselves in the themes that the game will explore.
Category: Classics
Red Peony Gambler (1968) review
A classic ninkyo narrative and a must-see for any cinephile.
Shinobi no mono: Resurrection (1963)
A satisfying conclusion resolves the thematical exploration of destructive capitalistic pleasure in a satisfactorily yet maybe somewhat naive way.
Shinobi no Mono 2: Revenge (1963) review
Satsuo Yamamoto reveals the frailty and replaceability of the capitalistic father in an engaging way.
Shinobi no Mono: Band of Assassins (1962)
Yamamoto expertly utilizes the game of disguises, traps, gadgets, concealed passages, hidden stairs, and trapdoors, to offer an allegorical tale of the post-war subject’s conundrum
Masquerade Night (2021) review
A pleasant and entertaining narrative that is ultimately victim of the demand to be consumable for as many spectators as possible.
Ju-On: The Grudge (2002) review
Shimizu’s narrative remains, after all these years, an effective horror film and a J-horror classic in its own right.
Funeral Parade of The Roses (1969) review
“A highly experimental and intense exploration of how the images we clothe ourselves with makes us blind for what truly grounds us as subject.”
King Kong vs. Godzilla (1962) review [The Godzilla Project]
A splendid Godzilla narrative that delivers thrilling kaiju action while elegantly exploring the impact of the rise of capitalism and consumerism on Japanese society and the traumatic truth it does not want to accept.
Godzilla (1954) review [The Godzilla Project]
A timeless classic monster movie.
Summer Time Machine Blues (2005)
A fantastic time-travel narrative that will not only please sci-fi fans but also please spectators who love Japanese comical narratives.
Pale Flower (1964) review
“A ‘seductive’ nihilistic masterpiece that explores the unescapable subjective problems created by the rhythmic capitalistic machinery.”
Onibaba (1964) review
A veritable horror classic.
Hiroku The Goblin (1991) review [Japan Cuts 2021]
‘A classic that offers an unforgettable experience that is as touchingly lighthearted as is it disturbingly horrifying.’
Giants and Toys (1958) review
A classic that, as a critique of capitalism and materialism, has not lost any of its relevance.
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