New York Screenings for DEATH NOTE, GAMERA THE BRAVE, EXTE and More

Official Site: Japan Society Special Thanks to Johann Gambolputty From July 5-15, “Japan Cuts: Festival of New Japanese Film” will take place at Japan Society, 333 East 47th Street New York, NY 10017. The series includes a number of US and New York premieres, as well as personal appearances by directors Shusuke Kaneko (DEATH NOTE and DEATH NOTE: THE LAST NAME), Miwa Nishikawa (SWAY), Naoko Ogigami (KAMOME DINER), and Shion Sono (EXTE: HAIR EXTENSIONS). The New York premiere of GAMERA THE BRAVE will be a special free screening for all ages. Tickets for most shows are $10/$7 members and seniors/$4.50 students, and can be purchased online or from the Box office at (212) 715-1258. From the Japan Society website: THURSDAY, JULY 5 US Premiere 6:45PM- BIG BANG LOVE, JUVENILE A (46 Okunen no Koi) Co-presented with New York Asian Film Festival. 2006, 84 min., 35mm, color. Directed by Takashi Miike. With Ryuhei Matsuda, Masanobu Ando, Kenichi Endo. What happens when you put a bunch of punks behind bars? What goes on inside the prison walls? Opening with what appears to be a murder, the film rewinds to tell the story of two young prisoners whose enigmatic relationship revolves around violence and jealousy. Always one to push boundaries, Miike directs this mystery entrenched in bloodshed, homoerotic tension and fantasy. US Premiere, Introduction and Q&A with the director! 8:30PM- EXTE: HAIR EXTENSIONS (Ekusute) Co-presented with New York Asian Film Festival. 2007, 35mm, color. Directed by Shion Sono. With Chiaki Kuriyama (KILL BILL), Ren Osugi and Megumi Sato. A beautiful young girl is found brutally murdered within a container full of hair. A man with an insatiable hair fetish steals the corpse, which grows hair endlessly, and fashions hair extensions to sell to salons. Little does he realize that the extensions carry the fury of the girls vengeance, killing anyone who wears them. Director Shion Sono (who also directed INTO A DREAM) ingeniously mixes comedy with fright in this hilarious and hair raising J-horror. FRIDAY, JULY 6 New York Premiere 6:30PM- NIGHTMARE DETECTIVE (Akumu Tantei) Co-presented with New York Asian Film Festival. 2006, 35mm, color. Directed by Shinya Tsukamoto. Ryuhei Matsuda, hitomi, Masanobu Ando. Two bodies are found brutally slaughtered, one after another, seemingly murdered in their sleep. Detective Keiko seeks the help of the Nightmare Detective, who is able to go into peoples dreams--only to find that he is depressed and suicidal, disgusted by the repulsive nature of human beings. Welcome to "Tsukamotos World," filled with the directors trademark recipe of violence, eccentricity and brooding beauty. New York Premiere, Introduction and Q&A with the director! 8:30PM- DEATH NOTE (Desu Noto) Co-presented with New York Asian Film Festival. 2006, 126 min., 35mm, color. Directed by Shusuke Kaneko. With Tatsuya Fujiwara and Kenichi Matsuyama. When the devil gives Light the "Death Note," he begins killing off criminals and corrupt politicians under the names of Kira. Believing he is creating a better world, he quickly becomes a hero for the masses, creating a media frenzy. Brilliant detective L is determined to capture Kira, who he knows is truly Light, waging a battle of wits to proclaim his true identity. SATURDAY, JULY 7 3:30PM- EXTE: HAIR EXTENSIONS (Ekusute) New York Premiere, Introduction and Q&A with the director! 5:45PM- DEATH NOTE: THE LAST NAME (Desu Noto 2) Co-presented with New York Asian Film Festival. 2006, 126 min. and 141 min., 35mm, color. Directed by Shusuke Kaneko. With Tatsuya Fujiwara and Kenichi Matsuyama. DEATH NOTE continues as Kira II arrives on the scene, a Japanese pop idol who is madly in love with Kira, and will do anything, even kill, for his attention. US Premiere 8:45PM- MEMORIES OF MATSUKO (Kiraware Matsuko no Issho) Co-presented with New York Asian Film Festival. 2006, 130 min., 35mm, color. Directed Tetsuya Nakashima. With Miki Nakatani, Eita and Teruyuki Kagawa. Once a gorgeous, talented teacher and singer, Matsukos life takes a drastic nosedive, descending through family banishment, prostitution, yakuza, abusive love and eventually, her own murder. Director Nakashima (KAMIKAZE GIRLS) counters this tragedy with a great sense of irony and humor, full of eye-popping colors and candy-coated musical numbers. SUNDAY, JULY 8 New York Premiere, Free Screening! 11:15AM- GAMERA THE BRAVE (Chiisaki Yusha-tachi Gamera) 2006, 96 min., 35mm, color. Directed by Ryuta Tazaki. With Ryo Tomioka, Kanji Tsuda, Susumu Terajima. Gamera the turtle lands in Turtle Bay! When Toru sees a flashing red light coming from the middle of the sea, he finds baby Gamera, a turtle with supernatural powers. Keeping Gamera a secret from his father, Toru takes him everywhere and they are inseparable. When the man-eating, wicked monster Zedus nears the shore, Gamera must fight back to save Toru and their small coastal town. The 12th film in the Gamera series, Gamera is a true hero for kids, in the time-honored kaiju film tradition. FREE ADMISSION! 1:00PM- MEMORIES OF MATSUKO (Kiraware Matsuko no Issho) 3:30PM- DEATH NOTE (Desu Noto) 6:00PM- DEATH NOTE: THE LAST NAME (Desu Noto 2) 9:00PM- NIGHTMARE DETECTIVE (Akumu Tantei) MONDAY, JULY 9 US Premiere 6:30PM- THE BLOSSOMING OF ETSUKO KAMIYA (Kamiya Etsuko no Seishun) 2006, 113 min., 35mm, color. Directed by Kazuo Kuroki. With Tomoyo Harada, Masatoshi Nagase, Shunsuke Matsuoka. Etsuko lives in the country with her protective brother and his wife during WW II. In love with Akashi, a kamikaze pilot, Etsuko must accept the impending fate of his death, and is set up with his best friend, Nagayo. Focusing primarily on war stories in his last years, with characters always full of dignity and warmth, this stoic film marks respected director Kurokis final feature. US Premiere 8:45PM- MATSUGANE POTSHOT AFFAIR (Matsugane Ransha Jiken) 2006, 112 min., 35mm, color. Directed by Nobuhiro Yamashita. With Hirofumi Arai, Takashi Yamanaka, Tomokazu Miura. A woman lies dead in the snow as a little boy curiously feels her breasts under her shirt. Unraveling the dirty secrets and dysfunctional pathos of the inhabitants of small town Matsugane, Yamashita follows famed director Shohei Imamuras lead in showcasing adultery, incest and murder, adding his signature black humor and characters that are at once despicable and charming. TUESDAY, JULY 10 US Premiere 6:30PM- DEAR PYONGYANG 2006, 107 min., digital video, color. Directed by Yonghi Yang. At times playful, other times confrontational, Yang questioningly chronicles her father’s devout loyalty to North Korea since emigrating to Japan in the 1950s. Yang reveals exceptional footage of North Korea’s daily life during a trip to visit her brothers, who were all sent there as teenagers. In this deeply personal documentary, Yang reconciles her father’s politics with the love they share as father and daughter. US Premiere 8:30PM- THE PRISONER (Yuheisha- Terorisuto) 2006, 113 min., digital video, color. Directed by Masao Adachi. With Tomorowo Taguchi, Joji Kajiwara, Panta, Hiroshi Yamamoto. A man is locked up after a botched suicide attack, enduring endless torture and slow mental decay in prison. Avant-garde director and screenplay writer through the 60s, Adachi moved to Lebanon after joining the Japanese Red Army in the 70s. This story is based on Adachi’s own experiences, as well as inspired by true events. Music written and produced by leading composers/ musicians Yoshihide Otomo and Jim O’Rourke. WEDNESDAY, JULY 11 6:30PM- MATSUGANE POTSHOT AFFAIR (Matsugane Ransha Jiken) New York Premiere, Introduction and Q&A with the director! 8:45PM- SWAY (Yureru) 2006, 120 min., 35mm, color. Directed by Miwa Nishikawa. With Joe Odagiri, Teruyuki Kagawa, Masato Ibu and Yoko Maki. When Takeru returns to his hometown, he runs into Chieko, the girlfriend he left behind years before to pursue his career in Tokyo. But when a fatal incident involving Chieko leads to Takerus brothers arrest for her murder, years of suppressed anger and betrayal surface, threatening to tear the family apart forever. New York Premiere, Introduction and Q&A with the director! THURSDAY, JULY 12 8:10PM- KAMOME DINER (Kamome Shokudo) 2005, 102 min., 35mm, color. Directed by Naoko Ogigami. With Satomi Kobayashi, Masako Motai, Hairi Katagiri. In Japanese and Finnish with English subtitles. After moving to Helsinki on a whim, Sachie opens a diner, Ruokala Lokki. With the help of two women traveling through Finland alone, they slowly develop relationships with the locals, like Japan-fanatic Tommi, and the mysterious man who teaches Sachie how to make the best cup of coffee. FRIDAY, JULY 13 6:30PM- SWAY (Yureru) US Premiere 9:00PM- FACES OF A FIG TREE (Ichijiku no Kao) 2006, 94 min., 35mm, color. Directed by Kaori Momoi. With Kaori Momoi, Hanako Yamada, Saburo Ishikura. A fig tree shines in the Kadowaki family garden, watching over the family through their meals together, quarrels, death, and new beginnings. Momoi gives a charismatic performance as a frantic mother and devoted wife, in a film that she wrote, directed and starred, in a dynamic collaboration with art director Takeo Kimura, best known for his work with Seijun Suzuki. Premiere SATURDAY, JULY 14 1:45PM- Puppet Animation Double Bill: KOMANEKO and MONSIEUR GREENPEAS 2006, 60 min., 35mm, color. Directed by Tsuneo Goda. No dialogue. In this puppet animation featuring five short episodes, Komaneko spends her days in her attic making films with her handmade dolls. Komanekos pastel hues, kawaii (cute) characters and storylines will delight both children and adults alike. Great for kids 3+! 4:00PM- INTO A DREAM (Yume no naka e) 2005, 100 min., digital video, color. Directed by Shion Sono. With Tetsushi Tanaka, Yuna Natsuno, Jun Murakami, Joe Odagiri. A part of the Nippon Connection Festival Tour. Dumped by his girlfriend and suffering from an STD, Mutsugoro is a deadbeat actor who travels to his hometown for his high school reunion. As a cast of richly crafted characters pulls Mutsugoro deeper into his own madness, the story weaves in and out of a hallucinatory world packed with excruciating pain, girl troubles, drunken gunshots and paranoia. 6:00PM- THE PRISONER (Yuheisha- Terorisuto) 8:15PM- KAMOME DINER (Kamome Shokudo) SUNDAY, JULY 15 New York Premiere 1:30PM- ANTS (Ari no Heitai) 2006, 101 min., digital video, color. Directed by Kaoru Ikeya. Waichi Okumura was ordered by his military superiors to stay and fight alongside the Chinese in its civil war after WW II. Since his return to Japan in 1954, the government has denied him his military compensation, claiming he remained in China voluntarily. Award-winning documentarian Ikeya accompanies Okumura to China on a journey to uncover evidence, as well as to confront his own grueling memories as a young soldier. 3:30PM- THE BLOSSOMING OF ETSUKO KAMIYA (Kamiya Etsuko no seishun) 6:00PM- FACES OF A FIG TREE (Ichijiku no Kao)