Dive into the captivating realm of Japan's V-Cinema, a direct-to-video phenomenon rich with violence, sex, and creativity. Discover how this genre launched the careers of iconic filmmakers like Kiyoshi Kurosawa and Takashi Miike. Explore the allure of films like 'Crime Hunter Bullets of Rage' while uncovering unique storytelling techniques in low-budget action flicks. Delve into the cultural influences on V-Cinema, from its controversial directors to the surprisingly engaging world of kung fu films. It's a wild ride through an often-overlooked cinematic landscape!
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V-Cinema's Role in Japanese Film
V-Cinema refers to Japanese direct-to-video films that became a broad category for non-theatrical releases in Japan.
Notable directors like Takashi Miike and Hideo Nakata started in V-Cinema, blending young talent with veteran filmmakers.
insights INSIGHT
V-Cinema: Pragmatic Filmmaking Space
V-Cinema, like American Poverty Row, offered a financially motivated space where seasoned directors could keep working.
Many old-school filmmakers made V-Cinema films to pay rent rather than for artistic passion.
question_answer ANECDOTE
Crime Hunter: The V-Cinema Prototype
Crime Hunter Bullets of Rage is the archetypal V-Cinema film: short, action-packed, inspired by 80s movies.
It features dynamic blood squibs and a fast revenge plot with memorable characters, like a gun-toting nun.
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Written by Vito Russo, 'The Celluloid Closet' is a landmark work that examines the images of homosexuality and gender variance in Hollywood films. The book chronicles the history of how gay people have been erased or demonized in movies, reflecting and perpetuating homophobic stereotypes in American culture. The revised edition, published in 1987, includes information on new wave independent and gay-produced films such as 'The Times of Harvey Milk' and 'Desert Hearts'. This work serves as an essential reference for understanding the portrayal of LGBT people in cinema and its impact on societal attitudes.
The Legend of the Condor Heroes
Jin Yong (Louis Cha)
The Legend of the Condor Heroes is the first installment of the Condor Trilogy by Jin Yong. The novel is set in imperial China during the conflicts between the Jurchen-led Jin Empire and the predominantly ethnic Han Song Empire. It follows the interconnected storylines of Guo Jing and Yang Kang, two young men with different upbringings and moral compasses. Guo Jing, raised in Mongolia, is honest and righteous, while Yang Kang, raised as a Jurchen nobleman, is clever but treacherous. The story explores themes of heroism, loyalty, personal growth, and cultural understanding, blending historical events with wuxia fiction. The novel was first serialized in the Hong Kong Commercial Daily from 1957 to 1959 and has undergone several revisions since its initial publication.
We discuss Japan's V-Cinema, a term created by Toei to indicate a film was direct to video, that morphed into the blanket label used for anything that didn't have a theatrical release ub Japan. They've got violence! Sex! Young Filmmakers getting their start! Old Veterans Making a Buck! V-Cinema has it all and we talk about it's undiscovered depths on this new episode.
Check out Tom Mes' important articles on V-Cinema starting here: http://www.midnighteye.com/features/the-v-cinema-notebook-part-1/
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