Japan-uary XIV Quick Picks and Pans

 

Welcome Back, Mr. McDonald (1997) Writer/director Kôki Mitani’s nutty comedy (based on a play by Mitani and Tokyo Sunshine Boys) takes place over one night in a Japanese radio station where everything can and does go wrong. After winning a contest to have her radio play performed, a young housewife’s elation gives way to regret. Small edits devolve to big changes (including changing the main character at the behest of an-over-the-hill diva), until her original script is unrecognizable. The eccentric characters are brought to life, thanks to the excellent cast’s delightfully manic performances. Watch it if you can find it. 

Rating: ****. Available on DVD (Out of Print) 

The Snow Woman (1968) Based on the same tale (“The Yuki Onna,” by Lafcaido Hearn) that served as the source material for the “Yuki-Onna” segment in Kwaidan (1964), The Snow Woman expands upon the story and provides some genuine chills (pun intended). While two woodcutters take shelter from a brutal snowstorm, something lurks in the darkness. A beautiful supernatural snow woman kills the elder woodcutter, but spares his apprentice, with the warning that she’ll kill the younger man if he ever tells anyone about what occurred. The apprentice reluctantly becomes the master when he’s commissioned to carve a statue of Buddha for his village, but he faces adversity from an arrogant rival. His new wife is loving and supportive, but there’s something off about her. Creepy in parts and surprisingly touching, The Snow Woman is not to be missed. 

Rating: ****. Available on Blu-ray (part of the Daiei Gothic box set)

We Are Little Zombies (2019) Four kids in their early teens meet by chance at their parents’ respective cremations. The freshly minted orphans form a friendship, based on their shared lack of emotion for their recent tragedies, and disdain for society’s expectations. They become surprise celebrities when their impromptu band becomes a hit. Told through the youths’ perspective (and a handheld video game), writer/director Makoto Nagahisa’s unique tragi-comedy explores performative parenthood, processing childhood grief, and the ephemeral nature of fame. 

Rating: ****. Available on Blu-ray, DVD and Kanopy 

Caterpillar (2010) Set in 1940, a Japanese soldier (Shima Ônishi) arrives home to a hero’s welcome, but he’s horribly disfigured. With a scarred face, inability to speak, and missing all four limbs, the burden falls upon his wife (Shinobu Terajima) to tend to his every need. Despite his status as a “War God,” however, he’s reduced to a miserable empty shell. While his suffering wife immerses herself in his care, she loses more and more of her identity. Kôji Wakamatsu’s film (based on a Rampo Edogawa tale) is well-made and well-acted, but if you’re not depressed before you see, you’ll likely be afterwards. You might want to watch this with a My Neighbor Totoro chaser, just to clear the palate.   

Rating: ****s. Available on DVD (Region 2) 

Before We Vanish (2017) Director/co-writer Kiyoshi Kurosawa’s meditation (based on a play by Tomohiro Maekawa) on what it is to be human is told through the warped lens of three extraterrestrial visitors, inhabiting the bodies of earthlings. Their mission is to collect concepts (such as “family,” “property,” etc…) to better understand the human species before they launch a full-scale invasion. One of the aliens, assuming the body of an estranged husband (Ryûhei Matsuda), enlists the aid of his wife (Masami Nagasawa) as a “guide” to help navigate the complexities of interactions and relationships. Thoughtful and decidedly low-key, Before We Vanish celebrates what it means to be human. 

Rating: ***½. Available on Blu-ray (Region B), DVD and Tubi

Mind Game (2004) After his life is snuffed out by a trigger-happy Yakuza enforcer, 20-year-old slacker Nishi (voiced by Kôji Imada) is given the opportunity to relive the fateful event, albeit with a different outcome. The next time around, he endeavors to establish a meaningful relationship with his childhood sweetheart, Myon (Sayaka Maeda). Filled with unique visuals (thanks in part to the use of mixed media), Masaaki Yuasa and Kôji Morimoto seem to be playing by their own rules, with an anime film that’s a treat for the eyes and the intellect. 

Rating: ***½. Available on Blu-ray and DVD   

The Great Yokai War: Guardians (2021) Takashi Miike’s belated follow-up to his enjoyable The Great Yokai War (2005) is a big disappointment – a stale rehash without the heart. It shows promise in the early scenes, as we’re introduced to young brothers Kei and Dai (Kokoro Terada and Rei Inomata), who share some nice scenes with various yokai. Unfortunately, it runs out of steam long before it hits the midpoint, due to mediocre CGI effects (including a lackluster CGI villain). If you need your yokai fix, you’re much better served by Miike’s original film or the Daiei yokai trilogy that inspired it. 

Rating: **½. Available on Blu-ray and DVD

Warning from Space

 

(1956) Directed by Kôji Shima; Written by Hideo Oguni; Story by Gentaro Nakajima; Starring: Keizô Kawasaki, Toyomi Karita, Bin Yagisawa, Shôzô Nanbu, Bontarô Miake, Mieko Nagai and Isao Yamagata; Available on Blu-ray and DVD

Rating: **½

“It’s a distant planet, lying way beyond the scope of your observatories. From our planet, we saw many atomic clouds on Earth, so we destroyed our research into Urium. Our physicists developed a much safer form of energy, and Paira’s culture has greatly benefited from the resulting peace. But the misuse of nuclear weapons now threatens the very existence of Earth. Centuries ago, the Pairans came close to nuclear catastrophe themselves, but we were wise. And with unlimited safe power, our culture progressed rapidly. Only one country on Earth has experienced the terror and destruction of atomic war, and that country is Japan.” – Ginko (Toyomi Karita) 

Japanese film has become such an integral part of the American pop culture landscape, it’s difficult to imagine there was a time, not so long ago, when this wasn’t the case. Godzilla (aka: Gojira) (1954) opened the floodgates for Japanese genre movies in the U.S., albeit dubbed and re-edited a couple of years later as Godzilla: King of the Monsters. While the rest is history, some movies got lost in the shuffle. Warning from Space (aka: Uchûjin Tôkyô ni arawaru, or Spacemen Appear in Tokyo) (1956), the first full-color science fiction film from Japan,*/**enjoyed a successful run in its native country, but only saw a limited theatrical release elsewhere in the world. By the time it eventually debuted in the United States in the early ‘60s, it was unceremoniously dumped on television. 

* Fun Fact #1: Daiei Studios’ Warning from Space preceded rival studio Toho’s Rodan by nearly a year (which premiered in December 1956). 

** Fun Fact #2: Nijiotoko (aka: Rainbow Man) (1949), considered one of the first Japanese sci-fi films, included a color sequence, which is now thought to be lost.

Japanese scientists are baffled by reports of flying saucers and their crew – a race of beings known as the Pairans.* While they continue to debate their existence with overeager reporters, Planet R hurtles through the cosmos, on a collision course with Earth. Japanese authorities eventually convince multiple nations to combine their nuclear might to destroy the threat. When that fails, humanity’s last hope lies with one researcher, Dr. Matsuda (Isao Yamagata) possesses the formula for “Urium,” a substance with the potential to be a virtually limitless power source or a devastating weapon. As the threat looms closer, causing catastrophic changes to the environment, can humanity get its act together in time? Perhaps with a little help from its new friends, the Pairans… 

* Fun Fact #3: The unworldly sound effect heralding the appearance of the Pairans was later recycled by Daiei for Gamera’s flying scenes.

Considering writer Hideo Oguni’s impressive filmography,* the story is surprisingly messy, filled with paper-thin characters and plot threads that don’t go anywhere. Instead of one protagonist, we have three elderly scientists. There’s a weird subplot about Dr. Matsuda being kidnapped by thugs for his secret formula (never mind that the world is about to end), until the Pairans arbitrarily reveal that they have the ability to track his whereabouts. Another weird thread, introduced early on, then dropped, is whether Dr. Kamura’s daughter Taeko (Mieko Nagai) will settle down and marry her boyfriend (Spoiler Alert: Nope, but it never becomes a significant plot point). Even the all-powerful substance, Urium, seems to be a lackluster plot device. Pairans have traveled vast distances to arrive on Earth, suggesting a civilization far in advance of their human counterparts. They supposedly abandoned research in Urium so they could carry on more peaceful pursuits, but it only makes me wonder why they weren’t capable of developing some other means of deflecting an errant celestial body (On a side note, did James Cameron get the idea for his own MacGuffin, “Unobtanium” from this film? The world may never know…). 

* Fun Fact #4: Oguni is probably best known today for his many collaborations with Akira Kurosawa, including the scripts for Ikiru (1952), Seven Samurai (1954) and Ran (1985).

If nothing else, Warning from Space’s claim to fame is a distinctive one: the starfish-shaped beings, the Pairans.* Whether you think they’re unique or profoundly silly (judging by the awkward look of the costumes, mobility isn’t a priority), they leave an indelible impression. After making a big splash (literally) in Tokyo Bay and a nearby lake,** freaking out half the population of Japan in the process, the Pairans wise up and assume the appearance of two humans: an attractive singer, Hikari Aozora (Toyomi Karita) and a man (Bin Yagisawa). Concluding that perhaps their visage is a little too unsettling for humans and their feeble brains to comprehend, two of the extraterrestrials have the following exchange: 

Pairan #1: As soon as they see us, they scatter in fear, as if they had seen something monstrous. 

Pairan #2: What? Are we considered hideous? Are they more beautiful than us? 

Pairan #1: No. Examine this. This is what they consider a beautiful woman (Pairans view image of Hikari Aozora). 

Pairan #2: This is their concept of beauty? It has a very large lump in the center of its face. 

* Fun Fact #5: The funky, fanciful design of the Pairans can be attributed to Japanese surrealist Taro Okamoto. 

** Fun Fact #6: Look for future director Noriaki Yuasa (who helmed many of Daiei’s Gamera films) in a bit part as an onlooker by a lake.

Warning from Space provides ample evidence that “first” doesn’t necessarily mean best, but if nothing else, it’s a painfully earnest sci-fi disaster film. As the Rodney Dangerfield of Japanese science fiction movies, it doesn’t get much respect these days, although that doesn’t mean it doesn’t merit at least a watch. The film’s “Earth in crisis” theme, likely influenced by When Worlds Collide (1951), became a popular motif for subsequent Japanese science fiction movies, including Gorath (1962) and The Green Slime (1968). If you’re a disaster freak like me, it’s a trope that never gets old.

 

Sources for this article: Blu-ray commentary by Stuart Galbraith IV

  

 

Goke, Body Snatcher from Hell

(1968) Directed by Hajime Satô; Written by Kyûzô Kobayashi and Susumu Takaku; Starring: Teruo Yoshida, Tomomi Satô, Hideo Kô, Masaya Takahashi, Nobuo Kaneko, Eizô Kitamura, Yûko Kusunoki, Kazuo Katô and Kathy Horan; Available on DVD (included in the Criterion Eclipse set, “When Horror Came to Shochiku”) 

Rating: ***½ 

“There’s a theory that aliens actually exist… That somewhere, in this vast universe, there are creatures far more advanced than human beings. According to this theory, it’s only a matter of time before these highly intelligent beings set their sights on planet Earth. The flying saucers sighted around the world have been reconnaissance missions before an attack, yet people refuse to believe an attack is on the way. They deny the existence of extraterrestrials. They’d rather fight their wretched wars, hating and killing one another. We’re so busy killing each other that aliens have a golden opportunity to attack. Mankind is foolishly oblivious to the danger. The Gokemidoro are right. With things as they are, humanity’s annihilation is inevitable.” – Toshiyuki Saga, the scientist (Masaya Takahashi)

If we were attacked by a hostile alien intelligence, would humanity band together to face the threat, or would we succumb to our petty squabbles and differences? Goke, Body Snatcher from Hell suggests the latter, in its portrayal of a microcosm of society under duress. Director Hajime Satô* (probably best known for 1966’s The Golden Bat), along with writers Kyûzô Kobayashi and Susumu Takaku, crafted a profoundly bleak, discomforting vision of humanity in a pressure cooker. 

Fun Fact #1: Before he became a filmmaker, Satô prepared for a career in economics.

A small airliner enroute to Osaka receives a bomb threat, forcing its crew to return to their point of origin. Once again, however, they are made to change course by a hijacker (Hideo Kô) (Yes, friends, there’s a bomber and a hijacker). Things turn from bad to worse when the crew encounter a UFO, which causes one of the engines to flame out, while the instruments go haywire. The plane crashes in a remote region, but the survivors are unable to call for help, due to a smashed radio. Among the survivors thrown into the mix are Japanese senator Gôzô Mano (Eizô Kitamura), arms dealer Tokuyasu (Nobuo Kaneko), a teen, would-be bomber, and Mrs. Neal (Kathy Horan),* an American woman traveling to a U.S. air base, to retrieve her husband’s remains. First officer Sugisaka (Teruo Yoshida) and flight attendant Kazumi Asakura (Tomomi Satô) try to help the survivors and restore order to the ensuing chaos. Their problems are compounded by the realization they have no idea where they are, with no means of contacting the outside world. Meanwhile, outside the wreckage, a sinister extraterrestrial force, the Gokemidoro, take control of the hijacker’s body, transforming him into a bloodsucking fiend.   

* Fun Fact #2: American-born Kathy Horan was an ex-Air Force brat who worked as a model and actress in Japan. She enjoyed a brief film and television career from 1966 to 1969, before returning to the States. In addition to Goke, Horan appeared in genre favorites King Kong Escapes (1967), Genocide (1968), and Latitude Zero (1969).

Goke illustrates how people’s true natures are revealed through adversity. Senator Mano is only interested in his re-election, no matter the cost, while the obsequious war profiteer Tokuyasu, attempts to curry the senator’s favor by offering his wife Noriko (Yûko Kusunoki) in the bargain. When asked why he initiated a threat, the teen bomber replies simply, “‘Cause the world’s a boring place.” All this aberrant behavior is a petri dish for the psychiatrist. Rather than regarding himself as an unwitting participant, he views the ensuing drama with clinical detachment. No one emerges unscathed. The film suggests that Japan itself is a victim of the current state of affairs. Its residents witnessed nuclear devastation first-hand (one character links the bombing of Hiroshima to the appearance of flying saucers), only to be caught in the crosshairs of a global cold war between two superpowers. The omnipresent threat of widespread nuclear annihilation is further compounded by the United States’ involvement in the Vietnam war (represented by the Mrs. Neal character).  

During the 1960s, there was a brief period when Japanese genre films, particularly those from Shochiku, purveyed an especially dark, apocalyptic vision. While all the films in the Criterion Eclipse box set are well worth seeking out, despite a condescending write-up by Sight and Sound’s Michael Atkinson, Goke, the crown jewel of the collection, is not so easily dismissed. Despite its unrelentingly bleak vision, you’re unable to take your eyes away. Generally overlooked by mainstream critics, it’s remained only a footnote in Japanese cinema (if it's mentioned at all), but it’s long overdue for reassessment by modern audiences. Hajime Satô’s film takes a dim view of humanity and how a group of disparate individuals would deal with a crisis (Spoiler: not well). Because of hatred, widespread violence, and self-serving behavior, society is being torn apart bit by bit, leaving us vulnerable to attack. Goke, Body Snatcher from Hell reminds us that we are our worst enemy – to borrow an insightful line from Walt Kelly’s classic Pogo comic strip, “We have met the enemy, and he is us.” 

 

Sources for this article: “Apocalypse Wow!” by Chuck Stephens (essay in the Eclipse box set, “When Horror Came to Shochiku”); “Shochiku’s Schlock Wave,” by Michael Atkinson, Sight and Sound (January 2013); “Reflections of Miss Airlifter! Kathy Horan Remembers Her Acting andModeling Career in Japan!” by Brett Homenick, Vantage Point Interviews (2006)