Lost In Translation

Gozilla

When I heard that Criterion was bringing out a box set of the Gozilla films, Gozilla The Showa-Era Films 1954-1975, I thought it would be fun to revisit the monsters of my youth. The first film in the box set was actually a film I had not seen, Godzilla, the Japanese version. I realize now that I saw the American version, Godzilla, King of the Monsters. I forgot that Kurosawa regular Takashi Shimamura had a leading role in the film and that the film was the product of a great artistic collaboration between dramatic scenes, science fiction action, and the music and sound supervision. The overall director Ishiro Honda was a Kurosawa acolyte and was assistant director on his breakout film Stray Dog and would later work with Kurosawa later in his career. It really stands the test of time well despite limitations with technology and no CGI. It is a serious film that questions the legacy of nuclear bombs and the future of nuclear bombs seen in the testing of the H bomb.

The Criterion extras include:EIGHT BLU RAY SPECIAL EDITION COLLECTOR’S SET FEATURES • High definition digital transfers of all fifteen Godzilla films made between 1954 and 1975, released together for the first time, with uncompressed monaural soundtracks • High definition digital transfers of Godzilla, King of the Monsters, the 1956 U.S. release version of Godzilla; and the 1962 Japanese release version of King Kong vs. Godzilla • Audio commentaries from 2011 on Godzilla and Godzilla, King of the Monsters featuring film historian David Kalat • International English language dub tracks for Invasion of Astro Monster, Son of Godzilla, Destroy All Monsters, Godzilla vs. Megalon, Godzilla vs. Mechagodzilla, and Terror of Mechagodzilla • Directors Guild of Japan interview with director Ishiro Honda, conducted by director Yoshimitsu Banno in 1990 • Programs detailing the creation of Godzilla’s special effects and unused effects sequences from Toho releases including Destroy All Monsters • New interview with filmmaker Alex Cox about his admiration for the Showa era Godzilla films • New and archival interviews with cast and crew members, including actors Bin Furuya, Tsugutoshi Komada, Haruo Nakajima, and Akira Takarada; composer Akira Ifukube; and effects technicians Yoshio Irie and Eizo Kaimai • Interview with critic Tadao Sato from 2011 • Illustrated audio essay from 2011 about the real life tragedy that inspired Godzilla • New English subtitle translations • Trailers • PLUS: A lavishly illustrated deluxe hardcover book featuring an essay by cinema historian Steve Ryfle, notes on the films by cinema historian Ed Godziszewski, and new illustrations by Arthur Adams, Sophie Campbell, Becky Cloonan, Jorge Coelho, Geof Darrow, Simon Gane, Robert Goodin, Benjamin Marra, Monarobot, Takashi Okazaki, Angela Rizza, Yuko Shimizu, Bill Sienkiewicz, Katsuya Terada, Ronald Wimberly, and Chris Wisnia.

The Irishman

Martin Scorsese's newest Netflix film is The Irishman (2019) and while there is a lot to like there are some areas where it could have been improved. First of all it clocks in at 3 hours and 30 minutes. Clearly a more judicious edit would have improved the film I had to sit through two screenings to see it all despite being engrossed in the story. The film features several actors doing swan songs so to speak with Robert DeNiro as "the Irishman" Frank Sheeran and Al Pacino-a newcomer to Scorsese films as Jimmy Hoffa. Joe Pesci is brought back as mobster Russell Bufalino. All of the actors carry their wieght, but all are a stretch in their earlier scenes despite make up to make them look younger-it makes one wonder why Scorsese didn't use younger actors. But is apparent he was trying to do a capstone production with actors who populated his greatest triumphs. Overall, I enjoyed the film but feel a shorter cut would have strengthened the overall concept.

Tora-san To The Rescue (48)

The final installment of the Tora san series, number 48, Tora-san To The Rescue (1995) is a fitting way to end the series. The story starts out as the family back at Toraya are worrying about Tora (Kiyoshi Atsumi) when they see a TV show about volunteers in Kobe a few months earlier after the damaging earthquake of 95'. In the TV footage they see Tora helping out and are relived to see he's alive.It cuts back to Toraya and Mitsuo (Hidetaka Yoshioka) getting a visit from his old flame Izumi (Kumiko Goto), who has come to tell him that she is planning on getting married. Then we find Mitsuo in Tsuyama, Okayama trying to stop the marriage. He's at loose ends and decides to go south and finds himself in the Amami Island south of Kyushu where he runs into Lily (Ruriko Asaoka), an old flame of Tora's (frequent guest star in the series) that he doesn't remember at first. But when she brings him home to stay the night he reunites with Tora. Izui comes to visit Mitsuo on the island and he declares his love for her and they get back together after he's ruined her wedding. Everyone returns home and Lily also comes to Tokyo and uncharacteristically Tora follows her back to Amami, before they fight and he flees. We see that it is Kobe that he returns to after their fight.

Track Of The Cat

Overall William A. Wellman's adaptation of the Walter Van Tilburg Clark short story Track Of The Cat (1954) is somewhat over dramatic with a few scene eating performances. However, Robert Mitchum's role as Curt Bridges, the alpha male in the household is not one of them. His steady acting keeps the film somewhat grounded, but he is in fewer scenes in the second half of the film and the film is poorer for that.

Tora-san's Easy Advice (47)

In the second to last installment in the Tora-san series, Tora-san's Easy Advice (1994) finds Tora (Kiyoshi Atsumi) coming back to check in on Mitsuo (Hidetaka Yoshioka) to see how he's doing at his new job as a wholesale shoe salesman. Soon after he's off on a trip to Lake Biwa where he meets an unhappily married woman, Noriko (Rino Katase) on vacation pursuing her hobby of photography. She falls and dislocates her arm and Tora helps her out until her husband arrives to take her back home. SInultaneously Mitsuo is visiting a friend at Lake Biwa and meets his sister Nao (Riho Makise). It turns out it is a matchmaking ploy that Mitsuo's friend has hatched, but at ehe Nao comes to Tokyo and makes up with Mitsuo and Tora hits the road and runs into a singer he gave encouragement to who asks him and his buddy along to the next show in Shibamata.

The Laundromat

I'm surprised by the poor critical reception of Stephen Soderbergh's latest Netflix film, The Laundromat (2019). I, for one, find it much more accessible then his previous Netflix film High Flying Bird. This film also has a great ensemble cast with Meryl Streep, Gary Oldman, Antonia Banderas, Jeffrey Wright, David Schwimmer, and many more. It is something of an "explanation" film like The Big Short. This film explains "the Panama Papers" in an entertaining manner. It's always interesting to see what Soderbergh will do next, however, this interest in economic in the two Netflix films is unexpected, but he's a hard one to pin down.

Tora-san's Matchmaker (46)

The 46th installment of the Tora-san series, Tora's Matchmaker (1993), finds Tora (Kiyoshi Atsumi) going after his nephew Mitsuo (Hidetaka Yoshioka) after he runs off due to his stress caused from job hunting. The shushoku (job hunting) process is fraught with frustration-Mistuo has had 30 interviews and no job offers, so he's frustrated and runs off to Takamatsu on Shikoku Island for no particular reason other than to put some distance between himself and the job hunting in Tokyo. he ends up on a mall island, Kotojima, working to help out the local elderly population and falls for a lively young nurse who works there, Aya (Mikako Shiroyama). Mitsuo is staying with an old sea captain and his daughter Yoko (Keiko Matsuzaka). Tora is sent after Mitsuo and ends up staying for about a week before they both leave-Mitsuo back home and Tora back on the road.

The Letter (1940)

William Wyler's The Letter (1940) is an entertaining film noir set in an exotic location-Singapore, based on a short story by Somerset Maugham. Bette Davis is the femme fatale-a bored wife of a rubber plantation manager who seemingly kills a neighbor in self defense. It gets more complicated as the case moves forward-from an open and shut case to serious doubts.

Kinari

There's a new sake tavern, Kinari, in MInami Asagaya in what used to be an old kissaten (coffee shop). I was reluctant to visit since you couldn't see in from the street but finally stopped by and met friendly staff and saw a an impressive selection of nihonshu and a variety of food options. It closes fairly early at 10:30, but it is now on my radar and I will stop by again in the future.

Tora-san Makes Excuses (45)

In episode 45 of Yoji Yamada's Tora-san series the story once again focuses on the relationship between Tora's (Kiyoshi Atsumi) nephew Mitsuo (Hidetaka Yoshioka) and his crush Izumi (Kumiko Goto) in Tora-san Makes Excuses (1992). There's another pre-credits dream sequence where Tora dreams he is skilled scholar who is also a formidable fighter who fights off some hooligans hired to follow Izumi who has run off with Mituso rather than face an arranged marriage. Tora finds himself in the town of Aburatsu, Miyazaki in Kyushu where he meets a pretty barber, Choko (Jun Fubuki) and Izumi later at a castle where he sprains his ankle. Mitsuo rushes down to see Tora and they stay a few nights with Choko and her younger brother seeing a festival before returning back to Tokyo. Izumi moves back to Nagoya to look after her mother who is undergoing surgery and needs her-so it is the end of the relationship between Mitsuo and Izumi for the time being. The end is Mitsuo reading his New Year's postcard to Izumi rather than the family reading Tora's postcard for a change.