Lost In Translation

We Live In Water

Jess Walter continues to show his versatility and growth as a writer with his first absorbing collection of short stories, We Live In Water (2013). There are some common threads (absent fathers, crumbling poverty stricken families, petty criminals, redemption, are some of the themes among others) in several of the stories which all take place in the Great pacific Northwest (Spokane, Seattle, and Portland). One big exception is the entertaining zombie fiction of "Don't Eat Cat." Several of the stories are short vignettes: "Can a Corn" and "The Brakes." There were a couple of very funny stories as well: "Virgo"(about a psychopathic journalist), "Don't Eat Cat" (futuristic zombie fiction), and "Wheelbarrow Kings" (a day in the life of tweekers). I had previously read the first story, "Anything Helps" in McSweeney's and thematically it fits right in. In a strange way "Statistical Abstract for My Hometown of Spokane, Washington" (incidentally also my hometown), explains where a lot of the ideas and themes for these short stories came from.   

Homework's

I think Homework's in Hiroo is one of the oldest gourmet burger joints in Tokyo, and while good it isn't in the same league as nearby Blacow's (and not cheap ¥1950 for a Monterey Jack cheese burger, fries, and coke). However, it is less than 10 minutes from my apartment.

The Asphalt Jungle

The Asphalt Jungle (1950) is a classic American film noir creation from wildly talented director John Huston. I have come to realize that Huston is one of my favorite American directors due to his many classic and entertaining films in a variety of genres from literary adaptations, film noir, biographies, to adventure and more. This film in particular has great dialogue, cinematic mise en scene, great performances from a talented cast. It was nominated for four Oscars and features Marilyn Monore in one her early supporting roles. However, the film mostly concerns a heist gone wrong with criminal mastermind Erwin "Doc" Riedenschneider (Sam Jaffe) and his muscle Dix (Sterling Hayden). Yet another entertaining and artistic creation from one of America's masters of film.

The Inspector Barlach Mysteries

I first became acquainted with Friedrich Durrentmatt through his play, The Visit, which I read in German in college. (I should reread it in English now that I think about it). And I was compelled to search out The Barlach Mysteries (1950) after reading that Paul Theroux has read the first novella, "The Judge and his Hangman," while riding the trains to South America in The Old Patagonia Express. I'm a fan of crime fiction, but Durrenmatt's stories are more than mere entertainments, they have a intellectual and philosophical heft in the vein of a book like Crime and Punishment. Inspector Barlach is not your typical crime solving hero, he is an ailing old man at death's door at the end of his career who solves crimes with his wits as much as any crime procedures. He is essentially at death's door in the second installment, "Suspicion." The stories take place in Switzerland, which woudl seem like an unlikely place to set a crime novel, but I think every society has their outsiders and outlaws. Both stories are concerned with pure evil, the second in the guise of a former Nazi doctor from the concentration camps. These stories were thought-provoking and entertaining.

Youth Of Beast

Seijun Suzuki's Youth Of Beast (1963) is another great example of how an auteur can elevate sub standard material. This was supposed to be another B level yakuza film, but Suzuki elevates the material. For example, the yakuza headquarters are extravagant. The first one that the hero, Joe Shishido is brought to is in a one way mirror fish bowl that looks out into the club from which he was summoned after running up an extravagant bill. Later, when he is brought to the rival's office is in the balcony of a movie theater with moving pictures being projected on the back wall. It is somewhat of a conventional revenge thriller where the "good cop" acts as a "bad guy" to get in with the guys he wants to exact revenge upon. It has all sorts of hardboiled elements: gangs, murder, drugs, and prostitution. I found it very fast-paced and entertaining, one of Suzuki's best films. The Criterion edition includes video interviews with Suzuki and Shishido from 2001, the original theatrical trailer, and an essay by critic Howard Hampton.

California Design, 1930 - 1965: "Living in a Modern Way"

Over the weekend I attended California Design, 1930 - 1965: "Living in a Modern Way" at the National Art Center, Tokyo in Nogizaka. There were a variety of artifacts on display from jewelry and clothes to cars and surf boards. I was glad to see exhibition space for graphic artist Saul Bass known for inventive movie posters for movies like Anatomy of a Murder. It was also my first time to see an Avanti Studebaker.

Run River

I first discovered Joan Didion as an essayist, but I am intrigued by her novels as well. I have read a couple novels, but decided to go back to her first Run River (1963) this time. I must admit that it was slow going at first, but about halfway through it really picked up and I was compelled to read through and see what happened next. The novel opens in medias res and goes into flash back of the people who populate what is known in California as "The Inland Empire" of the Sacramento Valley where ranchers and hops growers reside (incidentally the region comprised of Eastern Washington, North Idaho and Western Montana is also known as the Inland Empire and my birthplace). Didion revisited this area for her nonfiction book, Where I'm From. I suppose it would be one of those rare judgements in which I would rate the book three and a half stars, because of the slow start and lack of action that takes place early in the novel, but it makes up for it in the second half. The fact that it was her first novel is impressive, but it is not her finest work.

Jigoku

Nobu Nakagawa's film Jigoku (1960) was a horror film ahead of it's time that had some progressive and experimental aspects. On some levels it can also be perceived as camp and low budget. I don't think it is as interesting as other classic films of the supernatural like Masaki Kobayashi's Kawaidan, Kaneto Shindo's Onibaba or Kuroneko or Kenji Mizoguchi's classic Ugetsu. I think is somewhat of a curiosity and not essential viewing. Thje Criterion editon has "Building the Inferno," a new documentary on director Nobuo Nakagawa and the making of the film, the theatrical trailer, galleries of posters from selected Nakagawa and Shintoho studio films, and a booklet with a new essay by noted Asian-cinema critic Chuck Stephens.

Roti

Huveos Rancheros for brunch at Roti in Roppongi.

Proxy War

Proxy War (1973) is the third installment of Kinji Fukusaku's yakuza series Battles Without Honor & Humanity. In this installment Shozo Hirano (Bunta Sugawara) comes to the forefront as yakuza power plays come into play and implicate Hirano who is caught between a weasel-like colleague Uchimoto (Takeshi Kato) and the most recent boss Yamamori (Nobuo Kaneko). There is lots of violence that is chaotic and recorded by hand held camera to suggest realism. This series is concerned with the power play within and between the different yakuza families, but it seems that more about how they make their money would make for more entertaining films ala Goodfellas. A lot of the plot involves yakuza gathering for drinks or gambling and discussing changes in the hierarchy or getting attack by a rival family. This one leaves you wondering what Hirano will do in the next installment since he has tried to be reasonable but has been pushed into a corner.