Freddy's Cine It

Theme Week Wrap-Up Japanese Crime Movies Week Hello dear visitors! That was it for our theme week number 4. With these Japanese crime movies we've watched, I learned that I'm not a big fan of the movies directed by Beat Takeshi, they're a little too slow for me. I'm excited about watching more movies by SABU and I've already written his name on our lottery papers. Top Pick of the Week Cure (1997) The best of the week by far. A deeply unsettling and hypnotic psychological thriller by Kiyoshi Kurosawa. Ranked Board Below you can find the movies ordered from best to worst according to my and Krasnaya's ratings. PS: Next week's theme has already been decided and we will let you know what it is tomorrow. #1 of the Week Cure (1997) The best of the week by far. A deeply unsettling and hypnotic psychological thriller by Kiyoshi Kurosawa. ...

Postman Blues is a 1997 Japanese criminal action comedy-drama film directed and written by Hiroyuki Tanaka under the name Sabu. The film features Shin'ichi Tsutsumi, Keisuke Horibe, Ren Ohsugi and Kyōko Tōyama in the lead roles. It tells the story of a postman (Shin'ichi Tsutsumi) who is mistaken by the police as a criminal. The film was released in Japan in 1997 and later in Italy in 1999 and Brazil in 2003. Hiroyuki Tanaka won the New Blood award at the 1999 Cognac Festival du Film Policier for the film. source: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Postman_Blues Sawaki is a postman who's not quite thrilled about his boring way of life. But his life is about to change when he delivers mail to his old schoolmate Noguchi, who's now a member of the Yakuza, the Japanese Mafia, and just finished cutting his little finger off. source: https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0119926/ ***SPOILER ALERT*** Surreal Humor and Yakuza Hijinks FREDDY: We reached t...

Cure is a 1997 Japanese psychological mystery-horror film written and directed by Kiyoshi Kurosawa, starring Kōji Yakusho, Masato Hagiwara, Tsuyoshi Ujiki and Anna Nakagawa. The film was part of the new wave of Japanese cinema, Japanese horror, with other releases like Hideo Nakata's Ring and Takashi Shimizu's Ju-On: The Grudge. The film was released to strong critical acclaim in Japan and internationally, with critics praising Kurosawa's direction as well as the visuals and atmosphere. In 2012, South Korean film director Bong Joon-ho listed the film as one of the greatest films of all time, citing it as having had a strong impact on his career. This is Kurosawa and lead actor Yakusho's first collaboration. source: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cure_(film) A frustrated detective deals with the case of several gruesome murders committed by people who have no recollection of what they've done. source: https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0123948/ ...

Hana-bi released in the United States as Fireworks, is a 1997 Japanese crime drama film written, directed and edited by Takeshi Kitano, who also stars in it. The film's score was composed by Joe Hisaishi in his fourth collaboration with Kitano. Hana-bi is the Japanese word for "fireworks." Although it was not a big success financially, Hana-bi received critical acclaim and won the Golden Lion award at the 54th Venice International Film Festival and numerous other accolades. Kitano himself said it was not until he won the Golden Lion that he was accepted as a serious director in his native Japan; his prior films had been looked at as just the hobby of a famous comedian. source: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hana-bi Nishi leaves the police in the face of harrowing personal and professional difficulties. Spiraling into depression, he makes questionable decisions. source: https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0119250/ ***SPOILER ALERT*** A Meditative Y...

Sonatine is a 1993 Japanese yakuza film directed, written and edited by Takeshi Kitano, who also stars in the film. It won numerous awards and became one of Kitano's most successful and praised films, garnering him a sizable international fan base. The title Sonatine comes from the musical term sonatina. Kitano said that when learning the piano, when the learner gets to sonatinas they have to decide where they want to go, whether it is to classical, jazz or popular music; marking the point of crucial decision making. This refers to the character Murakawa in the film. source: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sonatine_(film) Several yakuza from Tokyo are sent to Okinawa to help end a gang war. The war then escalates and the Tokyo drifters decide to lay low at the beach. source: https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0108188/ ***SPOILER ALERT*** The Not-So-Glamorous Yakuza Life KRASNAYA: So, the list of Kitano films we watched continues to grow. This time w...

Kids Return is a 1996 Japanese film written, edited and directed by Takeshi Kitano. The film was made directly after Kitano recovered from a motorcycle accident that left one side of his body paralyzed. After undergoing extensive surgery and physical therapy, he quickly went about making Kids Return amidst speculation that he might never be able to work again. It stars Ken Kaneko and Masanobu Ando. The music was composed by Joe Hisaishi, and the cinematographer was Katsumi Yanagishima. source: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kids_Return Dropping out of high school, two friends at first find success, one as a up-and-coming boxer and one as a low level gangster. Yet, their life decisions still find a way of catching up with them. source: https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0116767/ ***SPOILER ALERT*** Friendship, Youth and Kitano's Gentle Crime Drama KRASNAYA: Hey Freddy! This week we are watching 90s Japanese crime movies, and this is the...

Weekly Theme Announcement Welcome to Our 4th Week: 90's Japanese Crime Hello everyone! Our lottery paper this week brings us Japanese crime movies from the 90's. Obviously, this theme was written on the little paper by me - Freddy. Krasnaya is not very happy with what we got; she says that she gets sleepy when she listens to Japanese and has to read subtitles. I think the films selected by me are good despite never having seen any of them, and she might be surprised. Join us and comment on the movies you've seen. Meanwhile, you can check our theme archive and find new cool movies to watch HERE . Our blog is updated everyday at 21:00 (WEST). More from Cine It Action Movies List