The Bad Sleep Well 1960  N/R, 135 min.
Genre: Foreign / Drama / Thriller
aka: The Rose in the Mud
The Worse You Are, the Better You Sleep
Director: Akira Kurosawa
Cast: Toshiro Mifune, Masayuki Mori, Takeshi Kato, Takashi Shimura, Ko Nishimura, Tatsuya Mihashi, Kamatari Fujiwara, Kyoko Kagawa, Chishu Ryu, Seiji Miyaguchi, Koji Mitsui, Ken Mitsuda, Nobuo Nakamura, Susumu Fujita, Koji Nambara
This indictment of the Japanese approach to business emphasizes the corruption at high levels through the story of Kiochi Nishi (Toshiro Mifune) who marries his boss Iwabuchi's (Masayuki Mori) daughter, Kieko (Kyoko Kagawa), to avenge his father's suicide, which can be traced back to Iwabuchi. But, as Kiochi plots revenge against Iwabuchi, Kiochi falls in love with Kieko just as Iwabuchi realizes who Kiochi really is.
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Frankenstein Conquers the World 1965  N/R, 87 min.
Genre: Foreign / Sci-Fi / Drama / Horror
Director: Ishiro Honda
Cast: Nick Adams, Tadao Takashima, Kumi Mizuno, Yoshio Tsuchiya, Koji Furuhata, Jun Tazaki, Takashi Shimura, Susumi Fujita, Nobuo Nakamura, Kenji Sahara, Yoshifumi Tajima, Kozo Nomura, Haruya Kato, Yoshio Kosugi, Ikio Sawamura
This Japanese entry into the Frankenstein genre features a gigantic monster that mutates from Dr. Frankenstein's heart and raises havoc. The monster grabs helicopters out of the air when they attack it and takes on the lizard monster Barugon, the guardian of Mount Fuji..
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High and Low 1963 N/R, 143 min.
Genre: Foreign / Drama / Thriller
Director: Akira Kurosawa
Cast: Toshiro Mifune, Kyoko Kagawa, Tatsuya Mihashi, Yutaka Sada, Tatsuya Nakadai, Takashi Shimura, Tsutomu Yamazaki, Isao Kimura, Kenjiro Ishiyama, Takeshi Kato, Jun Tazaki, Nobuo Nakamura, Yunosuke Ito, Minoru Chiaki, Yoshio Tsuchiya
Wealthy businessman Kingo Gondo is ordered to pay a ransom to the kidnappers of his son (Kyoko Kagawa). He is ready to pay the ransom when he finds his son safe at home. In a case of mistaken identity, his chauffeur's (Yutaka Sada) son is the kidnap victim. The kidnapper calls Gondo, admits that he made a mistake, and still demands the ransom money. Now, Gondo must decide between another person's safety and his own financial security.
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Ikiru 1952  N/R, 143 min.
Genre: Foreign / Drama
aka: Doomed
Living
To Live
Director: Akira Kurosawa
Cast: Takashi Shimura, Nobuo Kaneko, Kyoko Seki, Miki Odagiri, Kamatari Fujiwara, Makoto Kobori, Kumeko Urabe, Shinichi Himori, Haruo Tanaka, Minoru Chiaki, Bokuzen Hidari, Minosuke Yamada, Nobuo Nakamura, Atsushi Watanabe, Isao Kimura
After learning that he has terminal cancer, widower Mr. Watanabe (Takashi Shimura) determines to live the "good life" by spending most of his time in bars. Finally, he decides that he wants to accomplish something worthwhile before he dies. He promotes the building of a playground in a slum neighborhood and succeeds in his goal. At his funeral, co-workers discuss how Watanabe had redeemed himself and made the world a better place–and they are now inspired to follow his example.
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Japan's Longest Day 1967  N/R, 157 min.
Genre: Foreign / Drama
aka: The Emperor and a General
Director: Kihachi Okamoto
Cast: Toshiro Mifune, So Yamamura, Chishu Ryu, Seiji Miyaguchi, Takashi Shimura, Toshio Kurosawa, Shogo Shimada, Susumu Fujita, Yunosuke Ito, Daisuke Kato, Etsushi Takahashi, Jun Tazaki, Nobuo Nakamura, Koshiro Matsumoto
This is the true story of failed efforts by the Japanese War Minister Anami (Toshiro Mifune) to continue the war and includes plots for a coup to overthrow the Emperor. But, the problem was resolved when Emperor Hirohito (Koshiro Matsumoto) broadcast to his nation on August 15, 1945, that Japan would agree to the Allies' demand for unconditional surrender.
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Tokyo Story 1953  N/R, 139 min.
Genre: Foreign / Drama
Director: Yasujiro Ozu
Cast: Chishu Ryu, Chieko Higashiyama, So Yamamura, Haruko Sugimura, Kuniko Miyake, Nobuo Nakamura, Setsuko Hara, Kyoko Kagawa, Eijiro Tono, Shiro Osaka, Hisao Toake, Teruko Nagaoka
Aging couple Shukichi (Chishu Ryu) and Tomi Hirayama (Chieko Higashiyama) travel to Tokyo with their daughter Kyoko (Kyoko Kagawa) to visit their son Same Per (So Yamamura) and daughter Shige Kaneko (Haruko Sugimura). After they arrive in Tokyo, they learn that their children are too busy to visit with them when they send them to Alami Hot Springs resort instead. The parents soon return to Tokyo where their children still ignore them. They leave for home, but tragedy strikes on the trip, and–after the funeral–the children return to their self-centered lives in this story that illustrates how modern society does not hold the elderly in high regard.
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| 1. The Bad Sleep Well (1960)
aka: The Rose in the Mud
aka: The Worse You Are, the Better You Sleep
2. Frankenstein Conquers the World (1965)
3. High and Low (1963)
4. Ikiru (1952)
aka: Doomed
aka: Living
aka: To Live
5. Japan's Longest Day (1967)
aka: The Emperor and a General
6. Tokyo Story (1953)
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