Techno Brothers (2023) [Film Review]

Techno Brothers; or, A Musical Oddity
     The greatest musicians of our time. Genius comparable to Bach, Mozart, Beethoven, Miles Davis and the Beatles! Brothers, yes. Their name? Techno Brothers!
I have already written my thoughts about the 2023 edition of the JFF+ Independent Cinema online streaming event on MyDramaList and also on AsianFilmFans, but I felt like giving more detailed focus to Hirobumi Watanabe’s film that was a part of this year’s lineup. That is to say, I would like to talk about Techno Brothers that had the official premiere last July.

Release Info

Directed by: Hirobumi Watanabe Starring: Asuna Yanagi, Hirobumi Watanabe, Yuji Watanabe, Takanori Kurosaki

Language: Japanese Original Title: テクノブラザーズ Runtime: 98 min

Synopsis
In the town of Otawara, a mysterious figure known as “the Boss” and her interpreter send the Techno Brothers band and their insensitive manager Himuro (Asuna Yanagi) to Tokyo, so they could strike a deal with a record label and become famous. The group embarks on a difficult journey through which they struggle to gain money so as to stay alive.

On the Road Again
The main reason as to why I decided to focus on Techno Brothers was mixed reception of the film across the internet. On MDL, there is a negative opinion which calls the film straight up boring, some viewers on letterboxd just can’t get their heads around the long-ish music sequences, whereas Japan Times gave the film a fairly positive review, but called the concept “the Yellow Magic Orchestra minus the charisma” (source).

Well, I went in for the music... and basically stayed for the music. Some people may regard the music aspect as creative stalling for the sake of not telling the story, but I believe the purpose of Techno Brothers is primarily to bring back the good old beats of Kraftwerk (even their overall appearance is similar). As a result, making an association between legendary YMO and fictional Techno Brothers is essentially doing a disservice to YMO.

The comedy in the film is very good, but could have been played out better in certain scenes. This movie feels like an homage to The Blues Brothers (1980), and it essentially takes the road film premise from its source picture. Whereas The Blues Brothers strived to be a musical, Techno Brothers desires to be a music-driven film.

What I mean is that you never get the sense that you are watching a complete story. Techno Brothers is a series of funny vignettes crosscut with music sequences. It tries to be as witty as Kitano's Kikujiro while remixing the ambience of Aki Kaurismäki’s Leningrad Cowboys Go America (1989), but without the emotional drama.

With regard to performances, Techno Brothers themselves (Hirobumi Watanabe, Yuji Watanabe, Takanori Kurosaki) obviously try to replicate the emotion-less aura of Elwood Blues and Jake Blues. Interesting addition is Asuna Yanagi as the manager because the vanity of her character really elicits a lot of humour in the film.

By the end, you get the sense "Is it the end already?!" Rest assured, the post-credits scene hits you with a lead-in to a sequel. This musical comedy film marks the 10th anniversary of the filmmaking collective “Foolish Piggies Films”, led by director Hirobumi Watanabe and his brother, film composer Yuji Watanabe, based in Otawara, Tochigi Prefecture.

Recommendations
All things considered, do I recommend this film? Ultimately, yes. If you view Techno Brothers purely as an instance of independent filmmaking, then it is a very good film that strikes the similar feels of a musical comedy you know already. I must say I look forward to the sequel and the movie actually got me interested in the previous endeavours of director Hirobumi Watanabe. Overall score: 7/10

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A Night in Nude: Salvation (2010) [Film Review]

A Night in Nude: Salvation; or, Living in Disgrace
     Ren… you’re an angel!
It took me a while but, as promised, I return to the exploitation-charged world of neo-noir crafted by the late director Takashi Ishii. A Night in Nude: Salvation is a continuation of the original film from 1993, in which we see the return of the main protagonist played by Naoto Takenaka.

Release Info

Directed by: Takashi Ishii Starring: Naoto Takenaka, Machiko Kochi, Harumi Inoue

Language: Japanese Original Title: ヌードの夜／愛は惜しみなく奪う Runtime: 127 min

Synopsis
Jiro (Naoto Takenaka) continues his work as a handyman for hire, 17 years after the Nami Tsuchiya case. While working, he is caught by the police. They initially consider him to be a burglar, but after clearing the matter, Jiro is released. Guilt-ridden police officer Chichiro Anzai (Machiko Kochi) apologises to Jiro and frequently visits him at his homestead. In the meantime, Jiro is hired by a mysterious woman (Harumi Inoue) to help her find a precious watch in the woods. When Jiro finds the watch, it turns out there are remains of human flesh on it.

Angels and Demons
Well, perhaps my expectations were too high, but I was not as shocked as I thought I would be by this modern-day sequel. Indeed, A Night in Nude: Salvation is a NSFW picture that takes the exploitation factor to another level, but the engaging storyline takes centerstage.

Whereas the original film provided a broad commentary on the post-Bubble state of Japanese society, the sequel chooses to focus on people from the social margin. Naoto Takenaka’s character feels even more like a private detective (similar to Nic Cage from 8mm) who goes through many levels of human depravity to uncover family abuse, prostitution, and even worse practices.

The sequel indeed has the similar feel like the original 1993 film, but it is not a rehash. The only major similarity that stood out for me were the neon scenes. Personally, I think they symbolise in both films the peaceful emotional state the protagonist aspires to achieve when interacting with femme fatales, but inevitably he is unable to do so because femme fatales being femme fatales lead to their own damnation.

The subtitle “Salvation” is also interesting. Takashi Ishii woves into the story the motif of an angel; that is, the main heroine perceives herself to be such and desires to be saved, but the movie is in fact about Jiro’s salvation, about his return from the gutters to human life thanks to the sacrifice of an unlikely ally.

With regard to performances, Naoto Takenaka is absolutely amazing in the lead and has even more opportunities to show his acting range than in the original film. Machiko Kochi is equally outstanding and it is a real shame that she is not very recognizable in the movie industry. Harumi Inoue really overplays her part of a femme fatale, but I think there was no better way to portray such a complex character.

Recommendations
All in all, if you like neo-noir vibes and you do not mind the exploitation aspect, I recommend A Night in Nude: Salvation. In fact, this movie motivated me to check out more unusual roles done by Naoto Takenaka. As for the late director Takashi Ishii, I respect his courage to explore the dark depths of the human psyche.
Overall score: 7/10

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Shin Kamen Rider (2023) [Tokusatsu Review]

Shin Kamen Rider; or, Tokusatsu: Far From Home
     Please use your power for the people. Use your power to protect the weak.
A year after the premiere of Shin Ultraman (2022), Tokusatsu fans were presented with the conclusion of the Shin Trilogy of movies cooked up by Hideaki Anno and Shinji Higuchi. The final instalment focuses on one of Toei’s greatest heroes: Kamen Rider, a motorcycle-riding fighter of justice originally created by manga artist and producer Shotaro Ishinomori.

Release Info

Directed by: Hideaki Anno Starring: Sosuke Ikematsu, Minami Hamabe, Tasuku Emoto

Language: Japanese Original Title: シン・仮面ライダー Runtime: 121 min

Synopsis
A mysterious group called the Sustainable Happiness Organization with Computational Knowledge Embedded Remodeling (in short: SHOCKER) kidnaps Takeshi Hongo (Sosuke Ikematsu) and attempts to transform him into a brainwashed synthetic animal hybrid known as Augment. Hongo undergoes a transformation into Grasshopper-Aug 01, but he retains his human willpower and identity. He is rescued by Professor Hiroshi Midorikawa (Shinya Tsukamoto) and his daughter Ruriko (Minami Hamabe). Midorikawa explains that he gave Hongo the superhuman power of prana for the purpose of defeating SHOCKER. Hongo becomes Kamen Rider and starts to fight the evil organization. Soon after, another Kamen Rider, Hayato Ichimonji (Tasuku Emoto), joins Hongo in his quest.

Fanboyism: The Motion Picture
If you go back and read my reviews of Shin Gojira and Neon Genesis Evangelion, you can tell that I have issues with the auteur artist Hideaki Anno. I try to stay open-minded and appreciate his original input into the realm of visual arts, but there are times when he just takes things way too far in order to please himself. Shin Kamen Rider reflects exactly that.

Whereas Shinji Higuchi’s Shin Ultraman was an enjoyable light-hearted ride that paid tribute to the original content, Shin Kamen Rider delivers the same format but in a very washed out manner. The dynamic, nearly break-neck action is there, but it does not feel compelling. The stakes are there, but you do not feel motivated to root for the characters who are stone cold in their expression of emotions and delivery of lines. A comfortable fanboy aura is there also, but you have experienced it already in the previous entry of Shin flicks.

Perhaps Hideaki Anno wanted to play things safe, or he might have been given a tight deadline by Toei. Either way, Shin Kamen Rider is a disjointed mess that desperately attempts to satisfy 50-something fans of the original series who were children back in the 1970s. Unfortunately, fanboyism is not enough to make this movie good. Personally, I would appreciate it more had Anno gone for a traditional remake that would reintroduce the character of Kamen Rider for a new generation of cinemagoers. Show the character’s origin and give us the standard good vs. evil story without analytical breakdown of the villain’s psyche.

That being said, there are a few things that I enjoyed in the film. For example, the 70s vintage production design, the sound effects, basically the whole showdown with Hachi Aug-01 (but mainly because of Nanase Nishino’s sismance-charged performance), and of course numerous small parts done by such actors as Shinya Tsukamoto, Mikako Ichikawa, Takumi Saitoh, and Yutaka Takenouchi. Unfortunately, Masami Nagasawa’s cameo as Scorpion-Aug seems too awkward and too out-of-the-blue for the context of this film.

Recommendations
All things considered, this is definitely the weakest entry of the Shin Trilogy. When the end credits rolled in, I experienced one of the rare moments in my life that I felt as if I wasted time. However, perhaps Hideaki Anno’s fans will react differently. Shin Kamen Rider just did not click with me. I prefer to stick with the original series and explore the franchise further.Overall score: 5/10

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The Lost Art of Movie Trailers- Fave Picks- Part 1

Today’s update is something a bit unusual for this blog because I would like to talk about theatrical trailers. These are the most essential part of the film/TV show’s marketing because they give you an idea of what to expect in terms of storyline, special effects, and the general feel of the movie. Personally, I have never really cared about these, but in the world of today, when film trailers are basically generic and set to the same loud music filled with massive beats, I started to appreciate the lost art of old trailers; back in the days when their aim was to pique the audience’s interest without giving away too much, but they also could have functioned as little pieces of art in their own right (see for instance trailers for Star Wars and Lethal Weapon). For the purposes of my blog, I decided to compose a list of my favourite trailers for Asian productions. This is actually going to be a three-part list with a descending order, so I am going to provide my choices from spot 30 to 1 together with justifications. So plese make yourself comfortable and let’s check out some trailers!

 

30. Zokki (2021)

The opening of our list starts with the film Zokki. What I appreciate about this trailer is that it does not give away a single spoiler from the film while its graphic design is really colourful and the narrator’s enunciation of the word “Zokki” is actually echoed and lopped to the max.

 

29. The Naked Director (2019)

This is actually the trailer for Netflix J-Drama, and for some I was unable to find it on the official Netflix channel. The reason I love this trailer is because it is edited really really well, and the song choice for this one is just perfect: Opportunities by Pet Shop Boys. I wish they could have used it in the actual show because it fits the context perfectly! I also greatly adore the font style mixed together with glitchy pixels. I know the intention was to highlight the fact that the show is about NSFW material, but I would also appreciate it had they used the fake magnetic lines because the action of The Naked Director takes place at the height of the VHS era.

 

28. Zeiram 2 (1994)

While Zeiram 2 is not as awesome as the original Zeiram (which I already pointed out in my editorial), the theatrical trailer is just awesome. It immediately gets you pumped up for the action without any dialogue, and the encapsulation of the clips into the letters of the titular monster is icing on the cake. The POV of Yuko Moriyama shooting at the center of a camera is the million dollar shot right there.

 

27. Memories (1995)

I am not sure if this is the official trailer or just a distribution trailer tailored by a physical media company. Either way, this trailer really highlights the cyberpunk vibe of this great anime feature. The opening song that was used might have been too techno, but it goes well with the images (still Madama Butterfly knocks it out of the park), although the clips are shown out of order when the title cards for the respective segments of Memories appear on the screen.

 

26. Bayside Shakedown 2: Close the Rainbow Bridge! (2002)

Bayside Shakedown 2 is definitely the most popular instalment of the Odoru Daisousasen franchise, so it goes without saying that it received a kick-ass trailer. I like not just because the main theme Rhythm and Police was used, but also because Akihito Matsumoto’s other musical cues are incorporated as well.

 

25. Zatoichi (2003)

This trailer just takes everything that is best from Takeshi Kitano’s popular remake and goes all out! It’s a bit of a shame that it kind of spoils the ending sequence, but I understand why it works so well to sell the premise of the film and get you pumped for action. I wish I could have seen it on the big screen.

 

24. Gunhed (1989)

As I said numerous times before, I am not a fan of this movie, but I appreciate it for what it is. It was a stroke of luck, when I found the original theatrical trailer on Youtube. My God, the visuals are timeless and breathtaking! However, I also appreciate that Mariko Nagai’s theme song was also used in this trailer.

 

23. Days of Being Wild (1990)

Hong Kong trailers never won me over because they mainly showcase the kung fu action. Thankfully, Wong Kar Wai was a bit more lucky with his productions. The trailer for Days of Being Wild perfectly sells the vibe of tranquillity, mainly thanks to Xavier Cugat’s Perfidia song.

 

22. Chungking Express (1994)

Speaking of Wong Kar War again, this trailer for Chungking Express was actually made for the Japanese market, but I love that they used Faye Wong’s version of Dreams. I hope that the HD remaster of this trailer exists somewhere out there.

 

21. Fukushima 50 (2020)

Fukushima 50 received multiple trailers, many of which include a scene in the White House that does not appear in the actual film (for some unknown reason), but this trailer is definitely my favourite. It really makes you feel that the struggle of the heroes is the race against time.

 

20. A Chinese Ghost Story (1987)

Without a doubt, the best Hong Kong trailer out there. It perfectly communicates everything about the film in a nutshell, and the ending title card with the red fabric floating is absolutely beautiful.

 

So this was the end of the first part. If you enjoyed this rundown, I invite you to stay tuned for part 2. If this text was not your cup of tea, please do know that I will roll out a regular review next week. Thank you for reading.

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