The Sounds of Awe and Terror: Revisiting the Music of Godzilla [Part 5- American Reinventions]

 

     I hope that my message to Godzilla fans is something that is stated overtly through the score that I created. And that message is that I adore Ifukube’s music and I credit him as being one of the key reasons that a Godzilla film even exists today. One of the things that people love about the legacy is its musical sound, and without Ifukube’s contributions to the franchise, I truly don’t believe it would have lasted as long as it has, and resonated with so many millions of fans around the world. ~ Bear McCreary

Welcome to the fifth and final part of my journey through the OSTs of Godzilla films. In the previous editorial, I discussed the music scores from the Shin series. Now, we proceed to the American motion pictures.
     Hollywood obtained the licence to make a Godzilla movie in the early 1990s, but development hell resulted in a lot of production teams leaving the project. The organisational mess was ultimately inherited by director Ronald Emmerich and writer Dean Devlin who were super hot in the showbiz after the release of their sci-fi blockbuster Independence Day (1996).
     To cut the long story short, the two filmmakers did not really care much about the Japanese icon and their only goal was to make a profitable pop-corn action flick. Indeed, Godzilla (1998) made its money at the box office, but was also critically panned by Godzilla fans across the globe. I will write my thoughts in a separate text devoted to this movie soon, but let me just say here that Godzilla (1998) is a zombie-like amalgam of everything epic about 90s blockbusters that insults the intellect of its viewers.

David Arnold

    The music for the film was composed by David Arnold who already worked for Emmerich on Stargate (1994) and Independence Day (1996), and also created the soundtrack for a Bond flick, Tomorrow Never Dies (1997). I find the OST for Godzilla to be very uneven. There are many interesting action cues, but nothing extremely idiosyncratic or memorable. The music is just there. It is neither awesome nor ahorrently bad.

    It took 16 years for Hollywood producers to get a grip on reality and try to make a movie that will actually appeal to the kaiju fanbase. Gareth Edwards’ Godzilla (2014) was such an attempt which received mixed reaction (I personally loved the film!). The composer responsible for providing the Big G with new sound was Alexandre Desplat. Already around the release of the movie, there were questions from the fans whether Akira Ifukube’s music will be included in the picture, but Gareth Edwards rushed to answer that Desplat’s score will be entirely original.

Alexandre Desplat

    While taking a seat at the cinema on the 14th of May, 2014, I was full of doubts about the movie and the OST, but my worries immediately cleared away as soon as the intro kicked in. Desplat came up with an amazing, intense theme for Godzilla. As of writing this now, I can vividly hear it in my mind. To me, the music seems to represent a nuclear bomb that is inevitably ticking away.

    After the box-office success of the film, Gareth Edwards was supposed to return (and presumably Alexandre Desplat as well) for the sequel, but the director went for other projects (ex. Rogue One). Enter Michael Dougherty who hired his long-time friend Bear McCreary to write the music for Godzilla: King of the Monsters (2019).

Bear McCreary

     This OST is undeniably the best out of all American soundtracks! Throughout the film, we can hear a lot of rearranged Ifukube’s music (Godzilla theme, Mothra theme), but also McCreary’s original tracks which are downright awesome (Rodan chase, Ghidorah theme!). The movie is so much fun and the music only enhances this experience. Oh, and the Godzilla song (feat. Serj Tankian) which plays over the end credits… I could not feel more happier as a fanboy at the cinema. Bear McCreary’s music is, indeed, a love letter to the Showa era.

Tom Holkenborg

    With regard to Godzilla vs. Kong (2021), I managed to check out this film like literally today. Oh gosh, I am still shaking. Hands down, it is a wonderful spectacle of monster rumble. As for the OST, Holkenborg provides a wonderful addition into the franchise of Godzilla. If you liked his music for Mad Max: Fury Road (2015), then you won't be disappointed. He does his own thing most of the time, but you can still pick up some classic music cues from the very beginning of the series. If I were to pick my favourite tracks, then they have to be "Pensacola, Florida (Godzilla Theme)" and "Hong Kong". You can listen to the whole album on YouTube via Warner Bros. official music label.

    All things considered, this was my “brief” trip down the music lane of Godzilla’s Hollywood productions. Please make sure to hit the hyperlinks in order to listen to mentioned tracks.As usual, I leave you with my “guide list” of the American movies and the people who scored them. Thank you for reading and participating in this revisited series together with me. The sounds of awe and terror will live on in new Godzilla movies!

• Godzilla (1998) music by David Arnold
• Godzilla (2014) music by Alexandre Desplat
• Godzilla: King of the Monsters (2019) music by Bear McCreary
• Godzilla vs. Kong (2021) music by Tom Holkenborg

Sources: Gojipedia * TohoKingdom * Bear McCreary Interview.

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The Quiet Family (1998) [Film Review]

The Quiet Family; or, Lonely Lodge

     Did I tell you about Chul-ki? He was so good at digging that if you gave him a shovel, he'd automatically dig his way. Whenever I see a shovel, it reminds me of Chul-ki. I wonder what he's doing now…
Director Kim Jee Woon is, in my humble opinion, the wildest Korean filmmaker alive. In the course of his career, he churned out such outstanding motion pictures as A Tale of Two Sisters (2003), A Bittersweet Life (2005), The Good, the Bad, the Weird (2008), and I Saw the Devil (2010). However, his feature debut also has to be remembered, a 1998 black comedy titled The Quiet Family.

Release Info

Directed by: Kim Jee Woon Starring: Park In Hwan, Na Moon Hee, Song Kang Ho, Choi Min Sik

Language: Korean Original Title: 조용한 가족 Runtime: 99 min

Synopsis
The Kang family has left the metropolitan hustle and bustle for the idyllic countryside. They bought an old house in the mountains with an intention of turning it into a lodge for tourists. The problem is that the family’s business endeavor is not extremely popular. The family is desperate for a guest, and when the first visitor arrives, they can’t believe their fortune. Unfortunately, things go terribly out of control due to a tragic incident...

The Happiness of the Kang Family
I have to say that I gave The Quiet Family a chance with a bit of doubt and suspicion. Whenever I looked on the internet (apart from wikipedia), there always were reserved and spoiler-free opinions. Thankfully, a friend’s recommendation from MDL ultimately persuaded me to watch the film and I did not regret a minute of it!

Evidently, it is very hard to write The Quiet Family without disclosing plot twists, so let me just say that Kim Jee Woon's theatrical debut is a pure black comedy at its best. However, I would not classify it as a horror, in contrast to what other reviewers say on IMDb and YouTube. Indeed, The Quiet Family has a couple of deeply disheartening moments, but these are not scary by any means.

Without a doubt, the screenplay itself is extremely gripping. While watching the film, I really felt bad for the Kang family and their misadventures. They did not do anything wrong, yet had to suffer through a lot of ordeals. The dynamics between the characters were absolutely spot on.

Cinematography by Jeong Kwang Seok is just top notch. The movie starts with an overview shot of the lounge, so from the very first scene, the viewers are exposed to the mental geography of a large setting. This clever introduction allows us to follow more easily the scenes taking place in many different rooms.

What is more, the music score by Jo Yeong Wook and Jeon Sang Yoon is extremely catchy, especially the opening credits piece. In addition, the usage of The Partridge Family's "I Think I Love You" song at the very end is a cherry on the cake.

With regard to performances, Park In Hwan, Na Moon Hee, Song Kang Ho, Choi Min Sik, Go Ho Kyung, and Lee Yoon Seong are wonderful as the Kang gang. This is the film just before Song Kang Ho was jettisoned into stardom with Shiri (1999) and Joint Security Area (2000)! How crazy is that? This guy does not age at all.

It comes as no surprise that the film was remade, but the Hollywood machinery of greed and exploitation has not touched it so far. In fact, Takashi Miike made a Japanese remake in 2001 called The Happiness of the Katakuris, whereas Indian industry produced three different versions for the local markets of Tamil, Kannada, and Telugu.

Recommendations
Highly recommended if you are in the mood for a very black comedy, indeed. The Quiet Family is a striking what-if take on the difficult plight of lodge/hotel owners in present times. Be careful what you wish for because you may receive a lot more than you originally wanted.Overall score: 8/10

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Tengoku to Jigoku: Psychona futari (2021) [Drama Review]

Tengoku to Jigoku: Psychona futari; or, Knowing Me, Knowing You

     This was supposed to be me. I hunted him down, handcuffed him. I was going to take credit for it and look back at everyone. I was so close. Why? Why is this happening to me? He's a psychopath, a serial killer, and... a demon.
The beginning of 2021 just could have started better for J-drama enthusiasts. Just a couple of days after the broadcast of the first episode of Tengoku to Jigoku: Psychona futari (Heaven and Hell: 2 Psycho People), the hype reached the heights of a tidal wave! I don’t usually watch dramas live as they air on a weekly basis, but for this show, I decided to make an exception. It is a brilliant crime thriller with a touch of a supernatural element.

Release Info

Directed by: Yuichiro Hirakawa, Takahiro Aoyama Starring: Haruka Ayase, Issei Takahashi, Kazuki Kitamura

Language: Japanese Original Title: 天国と地獄 ~サイコな2人～No. or eps.: 10

Synopsis
Ayako Mochizuki (Haruka Ayase) is a diligent police detective with a strong sense of justice. She looks down on her colleagues who slack off or engage in shady stuff. After the murder of a businessman, Ayako participates in an investigation and types a certain Haruto Hidaka (Issei Takahashi) as the primary suspect. Hidaka is a prosperous CEO of a chemical company and respected personality, but Ayako is convinced that he is a psychopathic killer. Just when she is about to arrest him, the two fall down a street staircase. Upon regaining consciousness, they discover that their bodies are switched… Mochizuki, now in Hidaka’s body, does everything in her power to solve the case.

Mutual (Mis)understanding
Honestly, just summing up the premise of the drama above gave me the chills. Initially, you just think that it is a remake of John Woo’s Face/Off action flick, but Tengoku to Jigoku is so much more than that! It is about distinct personalities of the main protagonists, Hidaka’s painful past, exposing the truth, and annoying sidekicks who turn into unforgettable characters. In my opinion, the best way to describe the drama is to call a mix between Face/Off (1997), Vice Versa (1988), and Memories of Murder (2003).

Evidently, I won’t share any spoilers in this review. Let me just say that each episode is a fast-paced roller coaster with lots of clever plot twists. Just when you think that something is unnecessary or stupid, it gains great importance later on in the story! Huge respect for writer Yoshiko Morishita who managed to come up with such quality content. In fact, she never fails at penning gripping dramas (Tenno no Ryoriban (2015), MR. BRAIN (2009)).

With regard to performances, Haruka Ayase and Issei Takahashi steal this show! It is an amazing experience watching their complex performances as they alternately act out the characters of Mochizuki and Hidaka. The two of them are such brilliant performers.

A word of appreciation also goes to supporting actors, especially Junpei Mizobata, Tasuku Emoto, Takaya Sakoda, and Kazuki Kitamura. I hated you, Kazuki, early on in the series, but you progressively grew on me with each consecutive episode.

Recommendations
On average, the drama pulled in 20% of viewership ratings which is a very good score. It’s been only week since the last episode came out, but I can already tell that Tengoku to Jigoku: Psychona futari is a classic production from TBS station. It is so powerful and touching. I look forward to more such thrilling shows!Overall score: 8/10

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The Sounds of Awe and Terror: Revisiting the Music of Godzilla [Part 4- The Shin Era]

 

     18 years after Godzilla 2000, I am glad to be back in the world of the new Godzilla which was opened by Shin Godzilla. This is the first animated film in the history of Godzilla, and I am excited to be able to take on the challenge while at the same time I feel it is a very big mission. I think this will be a Godzilla movie that you can’t possibly imagine. 

~ Takayuki Hattori

Welcome to the fourth part of my journey through the OSTs of Godzilla films. In the previous editorial, I discussed the music scores from the Millennium series. Now, we proceed to the Shin era (also labelled by some fans as the Reiwa era).

    The Big G’s triumphant return to the silver screen in a 2014 American production, reinvigorated the franchise. The Toho Studios, which sent the King to retirement 10 years earlier, also wanted a piece of the action. However, being bound by contract with the Legendary Entertainment, the Japanese executives had a very narrow time window in which they could make a new Godzilla flick. In consequence, they gave the job of making the film to Hideaki Anno and Shinji Higuchi. The final product released in 2016 was Shin Gojira (a.k.a. Godzilla Resurgence), a brand new take on the Godzilla character and a smashing hit at the Japanese box office.

Shiro Sagisu

     Personally, I have a lot of issues with this film. A lot of kaiju fans love Shin Gojira, but in my opinion, the movie tries to be too many things at once (I wrote more about that in my retrospective article Godzilla’s Loose in Japan: Celebrating 65 Years of Kaiju Rampage). The music for the film was composed by Shiro Sagisu. The composer already worked on the directors’ other projects, like Neon Genesis Evangelion and Attack on Titan. The OST is, indeed, very haunting and reflects the grim tone of the picture (that theme!). Nevertheless, I cannot forgive the blatant inclusion of military music from Neon Genesis Evangelion (Hideaki Anno is obviously too enamoured with his anime franchise). In addition, you can also hear a lot of original music by Akira Ifukube, but due to problems in the sound mix, there’s noticeable drop in quality whenever the music plays.

Takayuki Hattori

     Although not being an official continuation but stand-alone features, Godzilla anime trilogy co-produced by Toho Animation and Polygon Pictures is also counted as a part of the Shin era. Even though the animated movies were not favourably received by the fans, I do appreciate that they tried to take a different route (basically, no monster fights) and ground Godzilla more within the science-fiction domain. Godzilla: Planet of the Monsters (2017), Godzilla: City on the Edge of Battle (2018), and Godzilla: The Planet Eater (2018) were all scored by Takayuki Hattori. The composer already had a great deal of experience with the franchise, having written music for Godzilla vs. SpaceGodzilla (1994) and Godzilla 2000: Millennium (1999). In my opinion, Hattori’s OSTs for the anime movies are simply top notch across the board. The composer obviously had a lot more resources at his disposal this time, and he came up with awe-inspiring themes (Total War, Bilusaludo's Technology, Ghidorah to name a few). Takayuki’s work on anime features jettisoned him to spot number 3 on my personal list of fave Godzilla composers (right behind 1. Akira Ifukube and 2. Michiru Oshima). Even though the trilogy does not have a lot of rewatch value, I come back to it just to listen to Hattori’s compositions. He deserves another chance at scoring a live-action Godzilla movie!
     All things considered, this was my “brief” trip down the music lane of Godzilla’s Shin era. Please make sure to hit the hyperlinks in order to listen to mentioned tracks. If you enjoyed the read, please stay tuned for the fifth and final editorial in which I will go through the musical history of the American films (to be posted soon after the premiere of Godzilla vs. Kong (2021)). In the meantime, I traditionally leave you with my full “guide list” of the Shin movies and the people who scored them. Thank you for reading:

• Shin Gojira (2016) music by Shiro Sagisu
• Godzilla: Planet of the Monsters (2017) music by Takayuki Hattori
• Godzilla: City on the Edge of Battle (2018) music by Takayuki Hattori
• Godzilla: The Planet Eater (2018) music by Takayuki Hattori

Sources: Gojipedia * TohoKingdom.

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One Cut of the Dead (2017) [Film Review]

One Cut of the Dead; or, Don’t Stop the Camera!
     This is filmmaking! True filmmaking! Look! There's no fiction, no lies. This is reality! We keep rolling!
The late 2010s mark resurgence of the zombie genre. From Train to Busan (2016) to #Alive (2020), Asian filmmakers continue to prove that still new innovations can be implemented into formulaic movies about the undead invaders. Undeniably, Shinichiro Ueda’s One Cut of the Dead (2017) is also a part of this trend. To many overzealous horror fans out there, this may be just a hilarious zombie comedy, but in my opinion, this film is a heartwarming family drama about a father and his daughter immersing themselves in a creative process.

Release Info

Directed by: Shinichiro Ueda Starring: Takayuki Hamatsu, Harumi Syuhama, Mao

Language: Japanese Original Title: カメラを止めるな! Runtime: 96 min

Synopsis
Takayuki Higurashi (Takayuki Hamatsu) is an experienced commercial director, but he does not have groundbreaking projects on his record. He is approached with an offer of making a live zombie film that will be used as a launch feature for a TV horror channel. Takayuki assembles the cast and crew, but he does not have much faith in the picture. While shooting at an abandoned factory, it turns out that the real zombie apocalypse just broke out. The cast and crew have to fight for their lives, whereas Takayuki keeps on shooting in order to realise his masterpiece.

Zombie in the Box
As with the majority of my reviews, I also intend to keep this one spoiler-free, so please take the synopsis above with a grain of salt. One Cut of the Dead is so much more than just a tongue-in-cheek survival flick with comedy elements. The first 36 minutes of the film is an excellent parody of the genre, but also a brilliant showcase of filmmaking technique. The entire first act was shot in one take! Allegedly, the crew had to redo this sequence six times in order to get it right.

After the outstanding introduction, the viewers are presented with the lives of Takayuki and other crewmembers about a month before the shooting. The second act actually blurs the lines between reality and fiction. The “making” of One Cut of the Dead becomes a meta-commentary on filmmaking, joining the line of such classic "movies about movies" as Ed Wood (1994), Bowfinger (1999) and The Disaster Artist (2017).

The motif which grabbed my heart the most was the one focusing on Takayuki and his family. It is a joy watching their interactions and how they all jump at the One Cut of the Dead project. This is where the third act kicks in, which can be best described as a companion piece to Welcome Back, Mr. McDonald (1997). In a way, both movies are about failed productions which become masterpieces by pure coincidence.

One Cut of the Dead was inspired by Ryoichi Wada’s stage play Ghost in the Box. I tried to find more information about it, but only discovered that there was a feud between Wada and director Shinichiro Ueda which was ultimately settled by acknowledging Wada’s work in the end credits of One Cut of the Dead. Interestingly, the production company, Enbu Seminar, also organised special acting workshops for the cast which at that time was largely inexperienced with the realm of film.

What is more, the overwhelming success of One Cut of the Dead led to the release of spin-off One Cut of the Dead Spin-Off: In Hollywood (2019), which centers on Takayuki’s daughter, Hiromi (Mao), making her own film. The year 2020 also saw the release of One Cut of the Dead Mission: Remote which is a 37-minute-long special made to entertain the fans during lockdown (the dance number is so adorable!). You can access the sequel for free on YouTube.

Recommendations
If you are on the lookout for an unconventional flick that will keep you surprised and entertained, then One Cut of the Dead is the choice for you. I got my DVD copy from Third Window Films. They offer the Blu-ray release of the movie as well. Definitely worth checking out.Overall score: 9/10

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The Sounds of Awe and Terror: Revisiting the Music of Godzilla [Part 3- The Millennium Era]

 

     No matter what type of music, I always want to create music that would touch the heart of people. I do the orchestration and the composing of the music at the same time, so by watching the scenes, I would select the instruments that would be suitable. 

~ Michiru Oshima

 

Welcome to the third part of my journey through the OSTs of Godzilla films. In the previous editorial, I discussed the music scores from the Heisei series. Now, we proceed to the Millennium era.
     I believe it would not be too much of an exaggeration to say that the Millennium movies owe their existence to the atrociously disastrous, burning dumpster fire that Ronald Emmerich’s Godzilla (1998) movie actually was. After the death of veteran producer Tomoyuki Tanaka, it was Shogo Tomiyama who assumed his duties and greenlit Godzilla 2000: Millennium (1999). The director (Takao Okawara), the writers (Hiroshi Kashiwabara, Wataru Mimura), and even the main star (Takehiro Murata) were already old hands at Godzilla flicks because of their experience gained during the Heisei series. The same applied to the composer who was Takayuki Hattori. He previously scored Godzilla vs. SpaceGodzilla (1994) and again provides a familiar style of digitally-modulated sounds. In addition, the composer also sparingly remixes classic Akira Ifukube’s themes. Interestingly, the American cut of the film sees the inclusion of additional music by J. Peter Robinson who provided a bit of pumped up action cues.

Takayuki Hattori

     Although the Millennium movies are being rediscovered nowadays and appreciated by kaiju fans, it has to be noted that they struggled at the box office. This resulted in lack of continuity throughout the era. Almost every new production (Tokyo S.O.S. being the exception) started from scratch (ignoring everything that was before storywise) in order to appeal to the fanbase. As a result, Godzilla, Mothra and King Ghidorah: Giant Monsters All-Out Attack (2001) was helmed by director Shusuke Kaneko. The OST for this particular entry was created by Kaneko’s long-time collaborator, the great Kow Otani.

Kow Otani

     The composer is known nowadays for having scored numerous anime shows (the music for Outlaw Star will always be number 1 in my heart!), video games (ex. Shadow of the Colossus) and other Tokusatsu flicks (Gamera: The Heisei Trilogy). In fact, Kow Otani holds the distinction of being the only composer who worked on both the Godzilla as well as Gamera series. His music for the GMK (2001) movie is certainly unique. It can be exotic/haunting and easily turn into a hardcore, meancing march. Kow Otani is certainly a go-to guy for monumental music with space opera vibes. “His music was so emotional and classical; it reminds me of old-fashioned kaiju movies, (Akira) Ifukube’s sound. His music makes me excited. It makes your heart beat,” stated Shusuke Kaneko (source).

      The other films in the Millennium series, Godzilla vs. Megaguirus (2000), Godzilla X Mechagodzilla (2002), and Godzilla X Mothra X Mechagodzilla: Tokyo S.O.S. (2003) are arguably the most consistent in terms of style. This was mostly due to the fact that all three pictures were directed by Masaaki Tezuka, written by Wataru Mimura, and scored by Michiru Oshima. The composer had a great deal of experience in writing music for anime, video games, television dramas, and motion pictures but she was never into Godzilla. She went on record to say the following: “Being a female, I had no interests in Godzilla at all; I’ve never watched or known much music of it before. When I composed the music for those films for the first time, I did not watch the movie or listen to music from the previous ones. The director just told me how big and how scary Godzilla was. The rest, I just used my imagination” (source).

Michiru Oshima

     Allegedly, director Tezuka proposed the job to Oshima after hearing her music for the Shomuni (1998) drama. Also, Toho gave her a boxset of Godzilla films for music reference, but she refused to revisit other soundtracks in order to have a fresh approach. It has to be noted that Oshima is well versed in symphonic as well as synthetic music, having been greatly influenced by the classical giant Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky. She also admires the works of other film composers, like Masaru Sato and Jerry Goldsmith. Needless to say, her work on Godzilla films is hands down breathtakingly awesome. The romantic music is enchantingly beautiful, whereas the battle pieces are heartbreakingly intense and dramatic. The OSTs by Michiru Oshima are definitely my favorites right after the compositions of Ifukube. I hope I’m not overstating by saying that Oshima reinvented the sound of the entire franchise: “I think that the role of [film] music is like the blood in the human body, and also like a human heart, expressing the feelings that cannot be done by words” (source). Oshima herself considers the soundtrack for Godzilla X Mechgodzilla (2002) to be one of her finest works.

Keith Emerson

     The movie that concluded the Millennium era was Ryuhei Kitamura’s Godzilla: Final Wars (2004). Honestly, I am not a huge fan of this film. It desperately tries to pay homage to Godzilla's past while trying to be as action-packed as possible, but a lot of charm is lost in the process. The same thing goes to music. Pieces written by Keith Emerson, Daisuke Yano, Nobuhiko Morino, Sum41 (plus a touch of remixed Akira Ifukube) are all over the place. The music tries to be hip and all, but ultimately did not win me over. It seems more fitting to a video game rather than a proper motion picture.
     All things considered, this was my “brief” trip down the music lane of Godzilla’s Millennium era. Please make sure to hit the hyperlinks in order to listen to mentioned tracks. If you enjoyed the read, please stay tuned for the fourth editorial in which I will go through the musical history of the Shin era. In the meantime, I leave you with my full “guide list” of the Millennium movies and the people who scored them because I could not find such a rundown anywhere on the internet. Thank you for reading.

• Godzilla 2000: Millennium (1999) music by Takayuki Hattori
• Godzilla vs. Megaguirus (2000) music by Michiru Oshima
• Godzilla, Mothra and King Ghidorah: Giant Monsters All-Out Attack (2001) music by Kow Otani
• Godzilla X Mechagodzilla (2002) music by Michiru Oshima
• Godzilla X Mothra X Mechagodzilla: Tokyo S.O.S. (2003) music by Michiru Oshima
• Godzilla: Final Wars (2004) music by Keith Emerson, Daisuke Yano, Nobuhiko Morino, Sum41

Sources: Talking to composer Michiru Oshima * Michiru Oshima Interview * TohoKingdom * Kow Otani Profile * Shusuke Kaneko Interview.

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The Confidence Man JP (2018) [Drama Review]

The Confidence Man JP; or, The Ultimate Sting

     What you see may not be reality. What is real and what is fake? Did Beethoven really go deaf? Did Oswald really assassinate Kennedy? Did the Apollo mission really land on the moon? Welcome to the world of confidence men!
From the crew that brought you Legal High (2012-2014) and Iryu: Team Medical Dragon (2006-2014) comes a crazy awesome drama about a group of cheats who trick someone by gaining their trust and persuading them to believe in something that is not true. The Confidence Man JP is a 10-episode production from FujiTV which, apart from impressive viewership stats, has high quality stories and features a stellar cast of the main leads as well as guest stars.

Release Info

Directed by: Ryo Tanaka, Hiro Kanai Starring: Masami Nagasawa, Masahiro Higashide, Fumiyo Kohinata, Shinya Kote

Language: Japanese Original Title: コンフィデンスマンJP No. of eps.: 10 + SP

Synopsis
Dako (Masami Nagasawa), Boku (Masahiro Higashide), and Richard (Fumiyo Kohinata) are a team of skilled con men. They frequently target wealthy (but shady) people, such as gangsters or corporate businessmen to take advantage of their limitless greed and viciousness. However, not everything is always black and white. The team almost always has to face numerous obstacles which stand in their way to get the money. Sometimes, they have to change hearts of villains as well as their victims in order to make a difference.

Hustlers and Baddies
The drama was directed by Ryo Tanaka and written by Ryota Kosawa. If you are familiar with their style from the previous works, then you already know that you are in for an exciting ride with The Confidence Man JP.

From the very first scene, the drama pays homage to the best motion picture ever about confidence men, George Roy Hill’s The Sting (1973). However, intertextual connections do not begin and end just here. Almost every episode references some important movie or drama (High and Low (1963), A Taxing Woman (1987), Doctor X (2012-2019), Zatoichi (1962), The Inheritance (1962), you name it!). It is a pleasure to catch these little winks at the audience as Dako, Boku-chan, and Richard proceed to carry out their ingenious and convoluted plans with Errol Flynn-like enthusiasm.

The only thing to expect in each episode is to be prepared for the unexpected. Just as when the viewers are certain that the main characters are in deep distress, Dako always comes up with a trump card (trick within trick) that saves the day. It is so exhilarating to see these nearly-impossible-in-reality schemes set into motion!

One more thing for which the drama has to be praised is the lavish production design. From the team’s Gondorff hotel suite through casinos to airplane showdown, all the sets look absolutely gorgeous! In addition, the music score by Fox Capture Plan group is super catchy. I can’t get enough of Obvious Lie track!

With regard to performances, Masami Nagasawa, Masahiro Higashide, and Fumiyo Kohinata are just wonderful as the leads. They have a wonderful onscreen chemistry which greatly translates into comedic situations. Shinya Kote as Igarashi also has to be mentioned, the go-to helper who always aids the team in difficult situations. In terms of guest stars, I enjoyed seeing Michiko Kichise, Ken Ishiguro, Shiro Sano, Masaru Nagai, and Naho Toda.

My favourite stories are definitely episodes 4 & 5. There’s so much parodying of the movie business and Doctor X! The episode that did not really click with me was number 6, but I believe this was mostly due to the archeology theme. The drama was followed in 2019 by a SP feature called “The Fortune”. It’s also extremely entertaining and sees the appearance of Kazuki Kitamura, Miho Nakayama, and Ryoko Hirouse as the villains.

Recommendations
If you look for a light-hearted, funny, and fast-paced drama, then The Confidence Man JP is the choice for you. I will definitely make sure to check the theatrical movies as well. The series is undoubtedly a love letter to the romantic image of maverick men (and women) of confidence. Overall score: 8/10

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The Sounds of Awe and Terror: Revisiting the Music of Godzilla [Part 2- The Heisei Era]

 

     When Godzilla was born, a phase of my life began. Now Godzilla is gone, and that phase is over. It was very emotional. ~ Akira Ifukube

Welcome to the second part of my journey through the OSTs of Godzilla films. In the previous editorial, I discussed the music scores from the Showa series. Now, we proceed to the Heisei era.
     Ever since the premiere of Terror of Mechagodzilla (1974), the Toho Studios was keen on bringing its most iconic monster back to the big screen. The chance finally arrived with an idea of making a reboot that would ignore all the preceding entries apart from the original 1954 film. Koji Hashimoto’s The Return of Godzilla (1984) is a fresh and serious take on the King of the Monsters in the Cold War era. The job of composing the music went to Reijiro Koroku, a classically trained musician mainly known from working on TV productions, variety shows, straight-to-video flicks, and video games. (Akira Ifukube declined to return because he was too busy teaching at Tokyo College Music.)

Reijiro Koroku

     In all honesty, Koroku’s soundtrack for The Return of Godzilla (1984) is one of my all-time favourites. You can hear a heavy use of synthesizer, but there are also lots of orchestral arrangements. The viewers can definitely feel the sense of wonder and dread thanks to these bold, dark, and larger-than-life tracks. The main theme is “an ominous, rumbling piece played by a full orchestra accented with low-end brass” (Ryfle 1998: 237). Together with the movie, the soundtrack was a breath of fresh air into the franchise. Interestingly, there was also a special song made for the end credits “Godzilla: Love Theme” sung by The Star Sisters pop group. A different song “Sayonara Lover” by Yasuko Sawaguchi accompanied alternate releases of the film.

     Although the release of The Return of Godzilla (1984) was a financial success for Toho, the studio did not really know in which direction to carry on the series. After holding a special script competition for the fans, they greenlit the idea of Godzilla fighting a genetically-engineered plant. For Kazuko Omori’s Godzilla vs. Biollante (1989), Koichi Sugiyama (famous for his work on Dragon Quest RPG series) was chosen to compose the music. Some fans remark that the score has a distinct, John Williams-like, symphonic feel. Surprisingly, Sugiyama did not participate in the orchestration process, which in turn was handled by conductor David Howell. The conductor was never shown the film, which resulted in him imagining potential sequences when conducting the orchestra.

Koichi Sugiyama

     Another interesting thing about Godzilla vs. Biollante (1989) is the fact that a lot of Akira Ifukube’s older themes (featured prominently on his 1986 album Ostinato) were used in the film. Allegedly, a film historian and Godzilla expert Ed Godziszewski saw the rough cut of Godzilla vs. Biollante (1989) with only Akira Ifukube’s music.
     Akira Ifukube eventually returned to the world of Godzilla and stayed on as the composer for the majority of the Heisei era. His decision to go back to composing duties was triggered mainly by the track Bio Wars from Godzilla vs. Biollante (1989) which is basically a creative reinvention of the Godzilla theme in a funky style. Ifukube’s aim was to bring the stylish and epic monster music back to its glory. In my personal opinion, Ifukube’s work on Godzilla vs. King Ghidorah (1991), Godzilla vs. Mothra (1992), and Godzilla vs. Mechagodzilla (1993) are his best contributions to the franchise. However, you can clearly notice that he was rearranging a lot of his old material. In fact, if you listen to Ifukube’s scores to other films, such as Chushingura: Hana no Maki, Yuki no Maki (1962) and The Adventure in Kigan Castle (1966), you will hear the Godzilla theme as well.

Akira Ifukube

     That is not to say, however, that Maestro Ifukube relied only on previous scores. He managed to produce some original material which is absolutely breathtaking: the Mechagodzilla theme and the Destoroyah theme. Steve Ryfle wrote that “he delivers a tour de force proving that even in his late seventies he hasn't lost his magic touch” (Ryfle 1998: 295). Ifukube’s last score was for the final Heisei entry Godzilla vs. Destoroyah (1995). The Requiem of Godzilla Death track is an absolute stroke of genius! This piece of music alone not only marks Godzilla's farewell to the audience, but also Ifukube’s farewell to Godzilla. The composer stated the following in an interview: “The theme for Godzilla's death was one of the most difficult pieces I have ever had to compose. In a way, it was as if I was composing the theme for my own death.” (Ryfle 1998: 316)

Takayuki Hattori

     Last but not least, Takayuki Hattori also has to be mentioned. He was responsible for the Godzilla vs. SpaceGodzilla (1994) OST because Akira Ifukube refused to return upon reading the script which reminded him too much about idol flicks. The movie itself is considered to be a mixed bag by Kaiju fans, but I regard it as a personal guilty pleasure. Hattori’s soundtrack is also a pleasure to listen to (that introduction!). Evidently, the music is not as big in scale as Ifukube’s OSTs, yet it has its idiosyncratic charm. Some tracks would perfectly fit a PS1 game, whereas others seem to be an homage to John Barry’s You Only Live Twice (1967) score.
      All things considered, this was my “brief” trip down the music lane of Godzilla’s Heisei era. Please make sure to hit the hyperlinks in order to listen to mentioned tracks. If you enjoyed the read, please stay tuned for the third editorial in which I will go through the musical history of the Millennium era. In the meantime, I leave you with my full “guide list” of the Heisei movies and the people who scored them because I could not find such a rundown anywhere on the internet. Thank you for reading:

• The Return of Godzilla (1984) music by Reijiro Koroku
• Godzilla vs. Biollante (1989) music by Koichi Sugiyama
• Godzilla vs. King Ghidorah (1991) music by Akira Ifukube
• Godzilla vs. Mothra (1992) music by Akira Ifukube
• Godzilla vs. Mechagodzilla (1993) music by Akira Ifukube
• Godzilla vs. SpaceGodzilla (1994) music by Takayuki Hattori
• Godzilla vs. Destoroyah (1995) music by Akira Ifukube

Sources: Japan’s Favourite Mon-Star: An Unauthorized Biography of the Big G by Steve Ryfle * VGMdb * Interview with Koichi Sugiyama * Akira Ifukube Interview * Gojipedia * AkiraIfukube.org.

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