Ghost in the Shell 2: Innocence 2004 PG-13, 99 min. Genre: Animation / Sci-Fi / Action aka: Innocence
Director: Mamoru Oshii Cast: Akio Otsuka, Atsuko Tanaka, Koichi Yamadera, Tamio Oki, Yutaka Nakano, Naoto Takenaka, Hiroaki Hirata, Sumi Mutoh, Yoshiko Sakakibara, Masaki Terasoma
Cyborg detective Bateau (Akio Otsuka) is on the trail of a female robot that was created for sexual pleasure and now has killed its owner.
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Happiness of the Katakuris 2001 R, 113 min. Genre: Foreign / Comedy
Director: Takashi Miike Cast: Kenji Sawada, Naomi Nishida, Keiko Matsuzaka, Shinji Takeda, Tetsuro Tamba, Naoto Takenaka, Kiyoshiro Imawano, Moeko Ezawa, Tamaki Miyazaki, Takashi Matsuzaki, Kenichi Endo, Yoshiyuki Morishita, Yoshiki Arizono, Chihiro Asakawa, Yumeki Kanazawa
This dark musical comedy concerns the dysfunctional Katakuri family as they renovate and then open a lodge in a remote part of Japan. It is expected that tourism will boom when the projected highway is built. But the problems start with the first guest, a sickly man, who commits suicide. Not wanting bad publicity, they bury the body in the backyard. The next guest, likewise, dies–of a heart attack, and so it goes with guest after guest, and the ground fills with bodies. Still no highway, but the nearby volcano adds to their problems.
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Ley Lines 1999 N/R, 105 min. Genre: Foreign / Drama / Thriller
Director: Takashi Miike Cast: Kazuki Kitamura, Michisuke Kashiwaya, Tomorowo Taguchi, Sho Aikawa, Samuel Pop Aning, Koji Tsukamoto, Dan Li, Ryuushi Mizukami, Ren Osugi, Naoto Takenaka, Yukie Itou
This third entry in the "Black Society" trilogy–the other films are "Rainy Dog" and "Shinjuku Triad Society"–involves teenagers looking for a better life and eventually running into big trouble with a crime boss.
| Cast | | Dan Li | Anita, Chinese Prostitute |
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Shall We Dance? 1996 PG, 118 min. Genre: Foreign / Drama
Director: Masayuki Suo Cast: Koji Yakusho, Tamiyo Kusakari, Naoto Takenaka, Eriko Watanabe, Akira Emoto, Yu Tokui, Hiromasa Taguchi, Reiko Kusamura, Hideko Hara, Shuichiro Moriyama
Accountant Shohei Sugiyama (Koji Yakusho) steps outside his conservative world and enters the world of ballroom dancing, which works as a catharsis to his joyless state of being.
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Tokyo Fist 1995 N/R, 87 min. Genre: Foreign / Thriller
Director: Shinya Tsukamoto Cast: Shinya Tsukamoto, Kahori Fujii, Koji Tsukamoto, Naomasa Musaka, Naoto Takenaka, Koichi Wajima, Tomorowo Taguchi, Nobu Kanaoka
Bizarre, to say the least, best describes this violent film. Businessman Tsuda reunites with childhood friend Kojima, a boxer. Soon, it becomes evident that Kojima is after Tsuda's girlfriend, and, after one confrontation, Tsuda knows he must get his body in shape for the MAJOR confrontation, while his girlfriend is into self-mutilation. Not for everyone.
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| 1. Ghost in the Shell 2: Innocence (2004) aka: Innocence
2. Gonin (1995)
3. Happiness of the Katakuris (2001)
4. Ley Lines (1999)
5. Shall We Dance? (1996)
6. Tokyo Fist (1995)
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