Seeing 'House' in 35mm!

A poster for House (1977) at the Shin Bungeiza. Photo by Brett Homenick.

On Friday, March 6, I returned to the Shin Bungeiza theater for a screening of House (1977), the infamous pseudo-horror movie directed by Nobuhiko Obayashi. The screening was in 35mm, and it was my second time to see it this way. Even though it is well-regarded in the West, largely due to the fact that it's been available through the Criterion Collection for years, I have my own thoughts.

I first saw House long before it had any kind of reputation outside Japan. I bought an unsubtitled bootleg in 2002, which I ordered just because I knew it was a "Toho horror movie" from the '70s. I watched maybe a third of it, but it was giving me none of what I was looking for in such a flick, so I remember turning it off after a while, figuring I'd finish it later. (I never did.)

At the end of 2010, I picked up the Criterion DVD and gave it a proper viewing for the first time. At the time, I thought of it as weirdness for its own sake and not much else. I also found the experience a bit depressing, as it really seemed to end the production of Showa-era genre films with a whimper. Then, in July 2016, I caught a screening of it in Japan and liked it a bit better than I had before, I guess. Even though I no longer despised it the way I used to, I still didn't think its reputation in the West was deserved.

With Prof in July 2016.

So that's where things stood when I went into screening. I more or less expected to have a repeat of my 2016 experience, in other words, thinking the movie was OK but overrated. Unfortunately, my opinion is a bit closer to where it was in 2010 but perhaps not quite as negative.

I was more or less onboard with the movie in the first half, but the directionless chaos of the second half wore me out. Absurdity is fine in movies, but, when it just meanders about in random ways, I lose interest after a while. I also got the sense the filmmakers thought they were being much more clever than they actually were, which is always annoying.

Believe it or not, my favorite parts of the movie had nothing to do with its overhyped weirdness. There were wistful shots in the film that, for lack of a better word, evoked a sense of nostalgia. I found myself wishing I were watching that movie instead of this one. Sometimes you don't need singing cats or dancing skeletons to make a good movie.

After the screening, there was a Q&A with a film critic, but, as we have learned from the positive reviews of this movie in the West, "one has to dismiss everything they know about film criticism" when reviewing House, and "the 'rules' of film criticism are almost impossible to apply to it," so I'm not sure what they were going for there.

Seeing 'The Street Fighter' at the Theater!

A poster for The Street Fighter (1974) at Shin Bungeiza. Photo by Brett Homenick.

"The Cherokee fists of Sonny Chiba!" -- a quote certainly not used during this TV spot for Roaring Fire (1981)

On Thursday, March 5, I returned to the Shin Bungeiza theater to catch a screening of The Street Fighter (1974), the notorious Sonny Chiba actioner with some outlandish fight scenes. The presentation was clearly not a 35mm print, but whether it was 4K specifically is unknown to me. Unquestionably, however, it was a DCP, and it looked quite good. 

I first saw The Street Fighter in the fall of 2001 when I found it on the Diamond Entertainment double pack with Return of the Street Fighter (1974). I liked the movie and often revisited parts of it at the time, but I don't believe I ever sat down and watched the whole thing again in its entirety until about two years ago when I finally watched it again on DVD. There's a reason for that.

While the movie has genuine moments of bonkers brilliance, it can really drag the rest of the time. This screening only reconfirmed my view. Essentially, whenever Sonny Chiba is offscreen, the movie can become a bit of a chore. By no means is it horrible, but I guess you'd expect a bit more from a movie with this reputation.

The audience I saw the movie with was mostly silent, but there was a smattering of guffaws in the audience when Chiba gets his revenge on Chico Lourant. (If you know, you know.)

About two years ago, I read a post by some goofball on Twitter, who was asserting (without evidence, of course) that The Street Fighter was somehow an inspiration for Godzilla vs. Mechagodzilla (1974). In particular, the guy stated that Godzilla does "Chiba's chi redistribution pose" (his words, not mine) somewhere in the film. The only problem here is, the two movies were released about a month apart in Japan, making any similarities between the two about as purely coincidental as it gets. When I read nonsense like this, I wish genre research were based less on connecting dots and making assumptions and based more on, well, research.  

Overall, it was a fun experience, and, when I saw that they were showing The Street Fighter, I made sure to attend. The movie is good, but it wished it flowed much better than it does. 

Seeing 'The Ninja Hunt' in Ikebukuro!

The Ninja Hunt (1964) at the Shin Bungeiza. Photo by Brett Homenick.

On March 4, I saw a screening of the Toei actioner The Ninja Hunt (1964) at Ikeburkuro's Shin Bungeiza theater. Not only had I not seen this one before, I'm not sure I'd seen any Toei ninja film from this era, so I was particularly curious to see how I'd like it.

Overall, the movie is pretty good, but it's nothing too extraordinary. It's a typical action programmer that doesn't have huge ambitions beyond telling a simple story and delivering some excitement. The movie did surprise me, however, in just how explicit it was. It's very violent, especially by the standards of the time. Several characters experience Lucio Fulci-style eye trauma, and, even more shockingly, there's a teaspoon of nudity. (It's brief and semi-hidden, but you can definitely see it.)

The 35mm print was kind of rough in parts, but it was very watchable. Despite being made in 1964, it looks like it could have been shot 10 years earlier. I'm not sure if that was a film stock issue, but the movie looked much creakier and more antiquated than its year of production would suggest. 

The Ninja Hunt was a decent watch. Its bad guys were certainly bad, so you will likely find yourself rooting for their demise by the end. I look forward to seeing other offerings at this theater very soon!

A Night at the Flicks Takes Us Back to the '80s!

Stand by Me (1986) at the Shin Bungeiza. Photo by Brett Homenick.

On Tuesday night, March 26, I decided to take a break from all the craziness going on in my life right now to catch two flicks I'd never seen before. The films in question were Stand by Me (1986) and St. Elmo's Fire (1985). The screenings took place at the Shin Bungeiza in Ikebukuro, and unfortunately they were apparently Blu-ray projections, although the picture quality for both films was surprisingly good.

The first movie was Stand by Me, and I have to admit that I didn't care a whole lot for it. For all the complaints about unlikable characters that the evening's other film has received over the years, I think Stand by Me certainly has it beat in that department. If the kids weren't obnoxious, they were unpleasant. The only thing that made the audience root for them is that they were up against a gang of older (and even worse) ne'er-do-wells.

Watching the flick did seem to bring back an old memory that I had long forgotten, though. I'm pretty sure sometime in the sixth grade that the campfire discussion the kids have about what kind of creature Goofy is sparked a similar debate in my class. (I guess the movie must have been shown on cable or whatever, and some of my classmates watched it.)

Otherwise, I found the movie mostly unremarkable.

St. Elmo's Fire (1985) at the Shin Bungeiza. Photo by Brett Homenick

St. Elmo's Fire, on the other hand, was pretty good. I enjoyed quite a bit of the film's humor, and there were story lines that I couldn't predict. There aren't any easy answers for the characters, and they don't always get what they want, but the movie ends in a happy-enough way for them. I definitely wouldn't say it's a great work of art or some kind of masterpiece, but it held my attention much more than the other flick. See it if you haven't.

Seeing 'Apocalypse Now' in 4K!

Apocalypse Now (1979) at the Shin Bungeiza. Photo by Brett Homenick.

Tonight (Wednesday, January 3), I returned to the Shin Bungeiza theater in Ikebukuro to catch Apocalypse Now (1979) in 4K. Of course, it was the Final Cut version, which isn't my favorite, as I've always felt the original theatrical edit was by far the best version.

By my count, this would be the fourth time I've seen Apocalypse Now theatrically. The first time I saw it was circa 2018 at Toho Cinemas as part of its long-running program of showing classic movies at 10:00 a.m. That, of course, was the theatrical cut. Then I saw it again twice in 2020 when The Final Cut was released here via Toho Cinemas.

Apocalypse Now at the Shin Bungeiza. Photo by Brett Homenick.

I have nothing to say about the movie that hasn't already been said countless times. It truly is a masterpiece. I will say, however, that the French plantation sequence really drags the film down. Instead of building up to the climax with Kurtz (Marlon Brando), the story gets interrupted by a puzzling sequence featuring wine-drinking and poetry-reciting Europeans. It's completely out of place and just isn't that interesting. 

 Nonetheless, the film looks amazing on the big screen, and the theater was literally shaking during some of the louder scenes -- a nice touch! I'm very glad I had the opportunity to see it again this way.

Ringing in the New Year with 'Dr. No'!

Dr. No (1962) at the Shin Bungeiza in Ikebukuro. Photo by Brett Homenick.

Tonight (Monday, January 1), I went to the Shin Bungeiza to catch a screening of Dr. No (1962) in 4K. I'd seen the film once before -- sometime in 2015 when I decided to watch all the Bond films I hadn't yet seen, which was most of them. I remember more or less liking the movie at the time, but it didn't leave a big impression on me.

So I was enthusiastic about seeing the picture the way it was meant to be seen. It looked excellent in 4K, which was never in doubt. 

Dr. No at the Shin Bungeiza in Ikebukuro. Photo by Brett Homenick.

Overall, I liked the movie, but I will confess that the first half of the movie is far superior to the second. The first half contains many lush Jamaican locations and fun action set pieces. The second half? Well, they're either stuck on Crab Key or Dr. No's lair. I wouldn't say the second half is bad, but it just can't hold a candle to the excitement of the first. 

Kaiju figures on display at the Shin Bungeiza. Photo by Brett Homenick.

Dr. No himself may not be the series' best villain, but he's certainly a cut above the forgettable baddies of the late '70s and beyond. The last great Bond villain I can remember is Christopher Lee as Scaramanga in The Man with the Golden Gun (1974). After that, even if I remember the actor who played a particular bad guy, I can't for the life of me recall anything about what he actually did in the movie. As the series went on, the bad guys seemed to get more bland and generic. 

More kaiju figures on display at the Shin Bungeiza. Photo by Brett Homenick.

As for Bond himself, nobody is in the same building as Sean Connery. He is by far the best Bond. Based on my 2015 viewings, I'd say From Russia with Love (1963) and Diamonds Are Forever (1971) were my favorite Bond outings.  

Gamera flies at the Shin Bungeiza! Photo by Brett Homenick.

Despite the criticism he gets (and he certainly overstayed his welcome in the role), I'd name Roger Moore my second-favorite Bond. I do remember enjoying The Man with the Golden Gun and For Your Eyes Only (1981) quite a bit, though the two movies he made after that were indeed pretty bad, as I recall.

Manda and King Ghidorah guard the soda machine. Photo by Brett Homenick.

I went a bit off-topic, I suppose, but I really don't have much else to say about Dr. No. It was good, but I just wish it maintained its original level of energy into the second half. What a nice way to kick off the New Year!

Seeing 'Videodrome' in 4K!

Videodrome (1983) at the Shin Bungeiza. Photo by Brett Homenick.

Tonight (Monday, December 18), I went to the Shin Bungeiza theater in Ikebukuro to catch a screening of Videodrome (1983) in 4K. Now here's a movie I never expected to see in a theater, so the opportunity was just too good to pass up. (I should also point out that it was billed as the director's cut, though I don't know how it's different from the theatrical release.)

I can't say I'm a huge fan of director David Cronenberg's work, but I do admire some of his films. Taking a look at his filmography, I've also seen Scanners (1981), The Fly (1986), A History of Violence (2005), Eastern Promises (2007), and Cosmopolis (2012). Other than Cosmopolis (which I only saw for George Touliatos' role as a barber toward the end of the movie), I enjoyed all these films to some extent, but Videodrome has always been my favorite of his.

Godzilla guards the soda machine against marauding kaiju. Photo by Brett Homenick.

Interestingly, when I saw the title Maps to the Stars (2014) in his filmography, it seemed strikingly familiar to me, but I can't remember if I actually saw it or not, which probably doesn't say a whole lot for the movie. 

Prior to this screening, I'd probably seen Videodrome three times before -- all of which were on DVD. I believe the last time was circa 2013 when I was still living in Nakatsugawa, Gifu Prefecture. While the film has all the typical scenes of "body horror" that you'd expect from Cronenberg, I've always felt this movie never went too far with it, which is one reason I'm partial to it. (Thankfully, no scenes of Brundlefly vomiting on his food can be found here.)

Photo by Brett Homenick.

As for the film, James Woods is effective as a sleazebag TV executive who stays just sympathetic enough for the audience to care about. Moreover, I was surprised at how small Deborah Harry's role was (it's almost an extended cameo), though she likewise does a good job with the material she's given. Rick Baker's FX hold up quite well, too. I could go on and on, but I really don't have anything negative to say about the movie at all. The whole thing just works.

I also got a kick out of seeing the late Michael Lennick's onscreen credit at the end, too. In fact, I remember buying the Criterion release of the film in early 2007 after I interviewed him about his work on Virus (1980) simply because I knew he worked on the film (meaning Videodrome, not Virus). 

Photo by Brett Homenick.

One other thing that really stood out to me was that the early '80s look and vibe of the film added to its creepiness. I guess it's a bit hard to put into words, but, had it been shot just a few years later, I think it would have lost something intangible. It's a movie that was definitely made at the right time. 

All in all, it was a great evening at the movies. I really enjoyed this one and give it a full-throated recommendation. 

Seeing 'Suspiria' in 4K!

Suspiria (1977) at the Shin Bungeiza. Photo by Brett Homenick.

Oh, [Suspiria], I'm down on my knees 

I'm begging you please to come home 

Come on home

-- Simon & Garfunkel

Tonight (Wednesday, November 29), I returned to the Shin Bungeiza theater in Ikebukuro to catch a screening of Dario Argento's Suspiria (1977) in 4K. I'd only seen the movie once before, and that was in the early days of YouTube. Yeah, my first experience with it (back in late December 2007) was watching it on the platform in 10-minute segments in low resolution. I have a buddy in Chicago who digs horror movies, and I remember talking with him about the film at length after watching it. I wasn't impressed with it at the time, but I figured seeing it in 4K on the big screen would be the best way to give it a second chance.

Thanks to the various Mill Creek 50-movie box sets, I've seen several other Dario Argento movies, and, if I'm being completely honest, I haven't liked most of them. Offhand, it's hard for me to name the ones I've seen because I almost instantly forget about them after viewing them. Circa 2008, I saw Deep Red (1975) on one of the aforementioned Mill Creek sets, and I've always considered that my favorite Argento film. Gotta catch that one again.

Suspiria merch for sale! Photo by Brett Homenick.

As for Suspiria, I was kind of tickled how similar the opening of the movie was to Evil of Dracula (1974). Both films open with a taxi ride by our out-of-towner protagonist to a creepy school run by ghouls and goblins (not to be confused with the band Goblin, who provides the score for the flick). In the late '90s, I remember hearing from more than one tokusatsu fan the old yarn about how George Lucas ripped off the story of The Magic Serpent (1966) for Star Wars (1977), so I probably shouldn't give anyone wild ideas here. I mean, some people still believe that RoboCop (1987) was a rip-off of Space Sheriff Gavan (1982-83).

Wow, did I get off-topic. That might be because I don't have much else to say about the film. Interestingly, seeing it in 4K on the big screen didn't change my opinion one iota. It's certainly a much better visual experience, and the film definitely does look amazing in general, so I'll give it credit for that. But I didn't find the story engaging, nor did I find it particularly creepy or remotely scary.

No argument here that maggots are gross, and looking at them is unpleasant, but that doesn't mean showing them in a movie automatically puts you in "master of horror" (whatever that's supposed to mean, anyway) territory. The movie isn't very well acted (which, in fairness, might be more of a problem with the voice actors who dubbed the principals), the scares aren't very scary (the fake blood looks exactly like what it is, and the stabbing in the first death scene seemed surprisingly lethargic), and the climax was a let-down (despite all the build-up, the final boss was sure defeated pretty easily).  

I did enjoy the score by Goblin and the visuals, but that was about it. I think it's fair to say that Dario Argento movies just aren't my cup of tea. I do want to see Deep Red again at some point, as I'm sure I'd have a better time with that one. (I still vividly remember the opening scene, which sure is an attention-grabber.)

Seeing 'The Exorcist' in Ikebukuro!

The Exorcist (1973) at the Shin Bungeiza theater. Photo by Brett Homenick.

Tonight (Wednesday, November 15), I saw William Friedkin's The Exorcist (1973) for the first time in its entirety on the big screen in Ikebukuro's Shin Bungeiza theater. Once again, the theater didn't specify if it was 4K or what, but the picture seemed to be a flawless DCP, regardless of however many K there were.

I mentioned in a previous blog post that I'd never seen this one all the way through from start to finish. I've caught bits of it here and there on cable over the years, and I'd wager I'd seen at least half the film that way. Those scenes were mostly of Linda Blair's possession, which, quite frankly, are the weakest scenes in the movie.

As I said in the aforementioned blog post on William Friedkin's career, I just don't think kids are scary. What's more, it's never clear to me exactly what the threat is that possessed Regan (Linda Blair, of course) presents. Other than those of an Internet troll and Darren Drozdov, her powers seemed rather limited to me. 

Max von Sydow dies in her presence offscreen, and I suppose the implication was that possessed Regan killed him. But he was a bit on the older side and could have easily keeled over from a heart attack due to the stress of it all. In fact, Regan appeared to have this odd "I didn't do it" expression on her face when Jason Miller reentered the room, making the situation even murkier. 

To its credit, I do appreciate that the film took pains to show that it was taking place in the real world. Even widely regarded horror flicks like The Shining (1980), another movie for which I've never shared most folks' enthusiasm, seem to be taking place in some alternate universe where horror-movie logic applies from the get-go.  

There's a scene in a bar early on in which Jason Miller describes his crisis of faith to another priest. The ambience of that scene was totally real -- I felt like I was in that bar in 1973 -- and I wish it went on much longer. Too bad sequences like that were cut short so that Linda Blair could debut as an insult comic.

I was mostly bemused by the decision to make Ellen Burstyn's character an actress. It really doesn't come into play at all in the movie and was more distracting to me than anything else. It also took away from the "average family" approach that it seemed the filmmakers wanted to take. Burstyn's character could have been rewritten as having any other job, and you wouldn't have lost anything. (If anything, it would have made her character more relatable.)

It's true that special effects become dated, and audiences become more cynical and jaded over time, but I still found Deliverance (1972), a film from the same time period, to pack quite a punch when I saw it around the same time in my teens. Besides, I love plenty of old horror movies for a variety of reasons, so I certainly wouldn't say I'm too hard on these movies. 

I should also point out that this was the director's cut, and it might be fair to say I would have enjoyed the theatrical cut more. I found the infamous "spider-walk" scene ridiculous, and I'd wish the movie had taken a more subtle approach to the possession. Even with all the histrionics at play, I never felt any threat or danger.  

Seeing 'Branded to Kill' in 4K in Ikebukuro!

Branded to Kill (1967) at the Shin Bungeiza. Photo by Brett Homenick.

On Sunday, November 5, my friend Jacob and I attended a screening of Nikkatsu's Branded to Kill (1967), Seijun Suzuki's stylish crime thriller at Ikebukuro's Shin Bungeiza theater. The film was represented in a 4K remaster that looked absolutely perfect on the big screen. 

Branded to Kill at the Shin Bungeiza. Photo by Brett Homenick.

I first saw the movie circa 2013 on DVD. Honestly, I wasn't that impressed with the movie at the time. I could recognize the talent and hard work that went into it, but I felt the story itself was rather boring. The story simply couldn't hook me. 

Actress Anne Mari. Photo by Brett Homenick.

Unfortunately, I had the same reaction this time. The visuals were excellent, but the story was lacking. It just never grabbed me, and by the end I was getting a bit bored. I wish I could love it like most other film fans do, but I don't. I find it a rather tiresome exercise in style over substance.

Actress Anne Mari. Photo by Brett Homenick.

The highlight, however, was the Q&A with actress Anne Mari after the screening. She couldn't always answer the interviewer's questions -- admitting multiple times that she just couldn't remember what happened in those particular instances -- but she was in great spirits and was a joy to see. When the audience was taking photos, my friend Jacob waved to her, which caused her to notice us. She asked us from the stage if we could understand Japanese, to which I gave her a thumbs up or an OK gesture (can't remember which) to tell her we were fine. 

I'd met Anne Mari at two previous events, so this was my first time to see her in person since late 2017. I wish I could have had the chance to speak with her personally, but you can't win them all. It was lovely just to see her again.

Seeing 'Lawrence of Arabia' at the Shin Bungeiza!

Lawrence of Arabia (1962) at the Shin Bungeiza theater. Photo by Brett Homenick.

Wait, was there some other movie I was supposed to see today? Yeah, I'll get to that one, too.

After seeing Godzilla Minus One (2023) at another venue, I made my way to the Shin Bungeiza theater in Ikebukuro for a screening of Lawrence of Arabia (1962) in 4K. It was my first time to see it in theaters, and it looked absolutely magnificent. 

Prior to this screening, I'd last watched it during the winter break of 2019-20. At that time, I hadn't seen it since 1997, so it was like watching a new movie in many ways. This time, however, I remembered quite a bit from my last viewing a bit less than four years ago.

Not much to say here, other than it's a great film. Gandhi (1982) is another epic I admire that would be hard to see getting made today (for a variety of reasons). Anyhow, I'm very glad I got the chance to see this classic in 4K on the big screen!

A Double Feature at the Shin Bungeiza!

Sorcerer at the Shin Bungeiza. Photo by Brett Homenick.

Today (Wednesday, October 18), I went to the Shin Bungeiza in Ikebukuro for a rather unusual double feature -- Sorcerer (1977) and Backdraft (1991). I hadn't seen either film before, so what better way to see them than on the Shin Bungeiza's massive screen?

The first film to be screened was Sorcerer. According to the theater's website, the screening was a 4K digital remaster. Just to confirm, I asked a staff member about it, and, after consulting with another employee, she told me it wasn't 4K. Hm... interesting. That said, I'm going to have to go with the website on this one. Other than a few grainy shots, the transfer did seem like 4K to my eye.

Sorcerer at the Shin Bungeiza. Photo by Brett Homenick.

I went into Sorcerer with basically no expectations. I only knew that it was a gigantic flop in its day and was at least partially responsible for derailing director William Friedkin's rising career. I'd heard that it's been reevaluated in more recent years, but Sorcerer still isn't a title that often gets brought up with the truly great films of the 1970s, so I wasn't quite sure what to expect.

I suppose I should also say a few words about my thoughts on William Friedkin's other films in general. I've only seen a handful of them, but overall he's always struck as a good but not great director. The French Connection (1971) is the film of his I'm most familiar with, and, while I certainly admire it, I don't think it deserved its Best Picture win. (I'd have given it to A Clockwork Orange in a heartbeat.) But it's the only Friedkin film I've seen multiple times. (In fact, I just watched it again on DVD a couple of weeks ago.) 

I watched To Live and Die in L.A. (1985) on DVD circa 2010 and thought it was pretty good, though not remarkable. I also saw Blue Chips (1994) a few years ago. It was likewise pretty good, but I was captivated by J. T. Walsh's performance, which really elevated the film. Walsh's "We owe it to them!" speech to Nick Nolte was excellent, and it's a scene I've revisited several times on YouTube. Rules of Engagement (2000) is another good one, which I saw in theaters when it was first released and revisited on DVD in the last few years.

But I've left out a big one, haven't I? I'm pretty sure I've never seen The Exorcist (1973) all the way through, but I would guess that I've seen the majority of it in bits and pieces on cable throughout the years. The first time I watched a good portion of it was back in 1997, and I found none of it frightening, creepy, or even remotely compelling. I guess it's just too hard to make little kids scary. I've always been baffled by reports that audiences of the day couldn't handle the movie, which to me came off as laughable much of the time. (I dunno -- maybe you have to be religious to get it.)

Oh, that's right -- Sorcerer! Why don't we get back on track? Overall, I was quite impressed with the film, and I think it's more than earned its recent reevaluation. The bridge sequences (depicted on the poster) lived up to the hype, as they were quite tension-filled. Really glad I caught this one, as for a while I wasn't sure I'd even bother. Too bad the flick didn't get a better title, though. Highly recommended.

Backdraft at the Shin Bungeiza. Photo by Brett Homenick,

I caught Backdraft immediately afterward, and this time the website and staff both agreed it was a 4K projection. I was mostly with the movie until the ending, which unfortunately descended into action-movie silliness. The best scenes were (unsurprisingly) with Robert De Niro. Not only was he the best actor in the film, but I was genuinely interested in the story line of his investigation into the identity of the arsonist. I was much less invested in the family drama between Kurt Russell (another actor I admire) and William Baldwin. It was OK, but I couldn't give it a full-throated recommendation.

A couple of other notes: Prior to Sorcerer, trailers for Dario Argento's Suspiria (1977) and Deep Red (1975) were screened. I'd be interested in checking those out whenever they're screened. Before Backdraft, an advertisement for the 60 Years of Bond screenings played, and I'll certainly try to catch some of those. 

Seeing 'Jason and the Argonauts' on the Big Screen!

Jason and the Argonauts at Shin Bungeiza. Photo by Brett Homenick.

Tonight (Tuesday, October 3), I saw Ray Harryhausen's Jason and the Argonauts (1963) for the very first time -- and what a way to see it for the first time! It was on Ikebukuro's Shin Bungeiza theater's big (and I mean big!) screen. I couldn't find the format for the screening listed anywhere, but a staff member told me it was a 2K DCP (digital projection). 

Looks like Harryhausen's friends came out to support this screening. Photo by Brett Homenick.

As a kid, I was a big fan of The 7th Voyage of Sinbad (1958) with its rousing score, memorable monsters, and exciting action. But Jason and the Argonauts always looked to me like a "less than" version of 7th Voyage, so I guess I was never interested in checking it out. I saw bits and pieces of it here and there growing up, but never the whole thing. Admittedly, after finally watching it tonight, I don't think I missed very much.

Most of the action sequences aren't that exciting, and the mystical creatures aren't that compelling, either. Talos isn't bad, but he really poses no threat so long as you can outrun him (which every character in the film can easily do). Near as I could tell, Talos only manages to kill one character, who pretty much only has his own stupidity to blame for it. 

The Hydra had some potential, but it does nothing and is dispatched easily. The Hydra sequence was a fairly stark reminder of how unconvincing Harryhausen's animation was at capturing the movements of humans. For all the tut-tutting Godzilla movies get from stop-motion purists about their "fake" effects, it makes me wonder if any of these dynamation superfans have actually seen a stop-motion movie.

I suppose some of them might try to argue that Harryhausen put more thought and effort into carefully animating his action scenes, as opposed to, in their thinking, throwing a guy in a monster suit and letting him stomp around a miniature set. But that's not the point. Something either looks fake, or it doesn't, regardless of how much effort was put into creating something that looks objectively fake. 

Besides, none of these purists ever apply such a standard to Creature from the Black Lagoon (1954), Alien (1979), or any other movie they are quick to praise as a classic that also makes liberal use of monster suits. 

(No offense intended to most stop-motion fans, of course! I've just dealt with my share of hardcores who never missed an opportunity to trash tokusatsu and praise dynamation as superior in every way when, quite frankly, nobody asked their opinions on the subject.)

I will say, though, that the final battle with the skeleton warriors is quite impressive. In fact, in some shots they simply look like living skeletons and nothing like the stop-motion creations that they actually are. So I will give Harryhausen a lot of credit there. The only drawback is that the battle more or less comes to an abrupt and unsatisfying end by having the skeletons voluntarily fling themselves into the ocean. I guess the filmmakers couldn't conceive of a more dramatic conclusion to their climax. 

Overall, I thought Jason and the Argonauts was just OK. It certainly isn't a bad film by any means, but I think it essentially matched my fairly low expectations, which I was hoping it wouldn't. I would recommend The 7th Voyage of Sinbad over this one in a heartbeat. 7th Voyage is a truly an excellent fantasy film and gets my vote as Harryhausen's best movie.

Seeing 'Kwaidan' in 35mm!

Kwaidan at the Shin Bungeiza. Photo by Brett Homenick.

On Wednesday, August 30, I went to the Shin Bungeiza theater in Ikebukuro to catch a screening of the Oscar-nominated classic Kwaidan (1964) in 35mm. Not only was it my first time to see it on the big screen, it was my first time to see it in about 20 years. Despite that, my memory of the proceedings was surprisingly strong, and I remembered what happens in every segment -- except one.

The segment I forgot about was "The Woman of the Snow." While the opening scenes of the snowstorm remained rather vivid in my mind, I couldn't recall anything that happened after it, even how the story concluded. Given how flat the ending to that segment was, though, I guess it shouldn't be so surprising.

The film print looked good, and it was great to see this film on the big screen. You could say it's a flawed masterpiece. I've always felt the "Hoichi the Earless" segment runs too long -- almost like a movie within a movie. It damages the pace of the overall film, and the fact that the final segment is so short in comparison has always been a bit puzzling to me. 

But those are the blemishes. I like pretty much everything else about it. I think the best segment overall is "The Black Hair," but the opening snowstorm scenes of "The Woman of the Snow" might be my favorite part of the film. 

Catching 'The Guns of Navarone' in Ikebukuro!

The Guns of Navarone at the Shin Bungeiza. Photo by Brett Homenick.

On Wednesday, August 16, I caught a screening of the Columbia Pictures classic The Guns of Navarone (1961) at the Shin Bungeiza theater in Ikebukuro. I'd never seen it before, so I figured seeing it on the Shin Bungeiza's massive screen would be the best way to watch it for the first time. I was a bit taken aback to find that the screening would be sourced from a Blu-ray, as opposed to a 4K remaster or DCP. (What is this -- the Pickwick Theatre?!)

Look who's guarding the soda machine. Photo by Brett Homenick.

Thankfully, the movie was still quite watchable, even if it was grainier than what I was used to. I enjoyed the movie, too, especially since I couldn't always predict where the story would go. On the other hand, I felt the climax went on too long and lost some of its tension along the way, but I was pleased with the overall film. It was also fun to see Irene Papas in an early role, as I mostly know her from her appearance as a baddie in John Landis' Into the Night (1985). 

Not sure what movie I will see next there. I saw that the theater will screen a great Showa-era horror movie at the end of the month, but we'll see if I'm available to catch a screening.

Seeing 'Jurassic Park' in Ikebukuro!

Jurassic Park at Ikekuburo's Shin Bungeiza theater. Photo by Brett Homenick.

Earlier this evening (Tuesday, August 15), I did something that I hadn't done in 30 years -- see Jurassic Park (1993) on the big screen. It was a digital projection at the Shin Bungeiza theater, and I was really looking forward to it. Truth be told, I saw Jurassic Park seven time in theaters when it came out, the last of which was probably in November 1993 at a second-run theater. Suffice it to say, I was impressed by the effects (and, frankly, just about everything else in the movie) at the time, so I couldn't get enough of it. It rekindled my childhood interest in dinosaurs, which lasted until around early 1994. 

Another thing worth mentioning is that, the night before we went to see Jurassic Park for the first time, we saw Godzilla vs. Biollante (1989) for the first time on VHS. I have to admit that I forgot all about Biollante after seeing Jurassic Park, and my interest in Godzilla wouldn't be revitalized until we finally found the ultimate holy grail Destroy All Monsters (1968), as well as the other Heisei-era Godzilla films, on VHS in late 1994. But it's fascinating to think how things might have played out had Jurassic Park not sucked up all the oxygen in the room at the time.

A few of these characters showed up for the screening. Photo by Brett Homenick.

I remember watching JP when it finally came out on home video in October 1994 and being surprisingly underwhelmed. I guess I'd seen it too many times, and by then it felt a bit old-hat. That was also about two months before we got our hands on Destroy All Monsters, so in the end Godzilla got the last laugh. 

I've given it a lot of thought, and I think tonight's screening may have been the first time I'd seen JP in its entirety since the fall of 1994. Thirty years later, I still remembered most of it, though I was able to pick up on some small details that I missed as a kid.

So how about the movie itself? It's still a lot of fun. The effects hold up really well, the humor still works, and Spielberg's direction is top-notch. Dean Cundey's cinematography is great, too. Some of the scenes were quite obviously filmed on a soundstage -- the nighttime scene with the brachiosaurs' eating in the treetops in particular looks a bit too stage-bound -- and the main characters aren't developed very well. So there are certainly some flaws, but, especially when you compare it with its sequels, the original holds up really well as an effects-driven thriller. 

A few years ago, I tried to see Joker (2019) in the theater more times than JP, but I topped off at six screenings. Now I'm even further in the hole, but that's all right. If Jurassic Park continues to hold the record for the most first- and second-run theatrical screenings, I'm cool with it. It's not a bad record holder at all. 

'Punch-Drunk Love' in Ikebukuro!

Punch-Drunk Love at the Shin Bungeiza. Photo by Brett Homenick.

I just returned from a screening of Punch-Drunk Love (2002) at Ikebukuro's Shin Bungeiza theater. It was a digital projection that looked absolutely perfect on the Shin Bungeiza's massive screen.

The movie was written and directed by Paul Thomas Anderson and stars Adam Sandler. It's generally considered Sandler's first good movie, with which I would heartily agree. (Not that I've seen that many other Adam Sandler movies -- let's just say that his brand of humor isn't my cup of tea.)

I first saw Punch-Drunk Love circa 2008, and I enjoyed it much more than I expected I would. I've seen it a few times since then, including just a couple of years ago on DVD. It's not great, but it's quite good, and I'm glad I saw it again.

Interestingly, a few theater-goers applauded the movie after it ended. That's a pretty rare occurrence in Japan. The last time I experienced that was after last year's Top Gun: Maverick. 

The theater is also showing Boogie Nights (1997) and Francis Ford Coppola's latest edit of Apocalypse Now (1979), but due to bad timing I can't catch those screenings. Oh, well. At least I was able to catch this one!

'Magnolia' in Ikebukuro!

Magnolia at the Shin Bungeiza. Photo by Brett Homenick.

I just got back from a screening of Paul Thomas Anderson's Magnolia (1999) at the Shin Bungeiza theater in Ikebukuro. It was a flawless digital projection that had a few fun trailers running before it -- most notably that of Zardoz (1974), which I also saw not too long ago at the same theater.

Director Paul Thomas Anderson had an impressive run of films between Boogie Nights (1997) and There Will Be Blood (2007), but (in my humble opinion, of course) everything else he has directed ranges from forgettable to lousy. This was my first time to see Magnolia in a movie theater, and, while I would still say that I enjoyed it, I can't say I liked it as much as I have in the past.

The three-hour runtime really started to wear me out. I thought Julianne Moore's performance was overwrought and actually pretty bad. Some of the story lines go on too long and just aren't that interesting to begin with. (Do we really need two separate stories about famous fathers with estranged children?) Things could have been trimmed down and improved.

I'd still give it a recommendation, but not as strong as I would have expected. One other note: The CG frogs falling at the end of the movie looked pretty bad on the big screen. You can't really tell on a TV screen, but -- boy, oh, boy! -- did it look unconvincing in the theater.

Seeing 'Pulp Fiction' on the Big Screen in Tokyo!

Pulp Fiction at the Shin Bungeiza. Photo by Brett Homenick.

I just came back from the Shin Bungeiza theater in Ikebukuro, which has been on quite a roll with the impressive lineup of movies it's been screening of late. Tonight's screening was Pulp Fiction (1994), which I hadn't seen in its entirety since the '90s. I've been thinking about checking this particular title out again, and seeing it on the big screen was the perfect opportunity. Oh, and it was a digital projection, not 35mm.

The screening was absolutely packed. I arrived about 10 minutes before the screening, and, since I didn't buy my ticket ahead of time, I had to sit in the front row, which actually didn't turn out as bad as I thought it would. 

Pulp Fiction at the Shin Bungeiza. Photo by Brett Homenick.

I guess I should point out that I was never really that big a fan of the movie. In fact, I've never been over the moon about any Quentin Tarantino movie. The only flick of his I haven't seen is Reservoir Dogs (1992), and the reason for that is, well, I just don't want to.

Quick side story: I mostly gave up going to the movies from about 2001 until 2005 because I was usually bored or disappointed by the movies I saw back then. One of the few exceptions was Kill Bill: Vol. 1 (2003), which I saw mostly due to Sonny Chiba and the other Japanese stuff in it. If I told you that I skipped seeing Vol. 2 (2004) until a year or so after it came out on home video, would that make my opinion of the first Kill Bill clear enough?

As for Pulp Fiction, I just don't see any greatness here. I don't find the humor funny, the characters are uninteresting, and the best ideas and lines are all taken from better sources. I definitely don't think it's bad, but I wouldn't call it one of the best films of '94 -- and certainly not of all time. Some good stuff is there, but I don't think any scene is 100% successful, including the final sequence, which is probably the best one in the whole movie.

With that being said, I'm glad I got to revisit the film on the big screen, which is undoubtedly the best way to experience movies, but I'm afraid it only reconfirmed my original opinion. 

Catching 'Zardoz' in 4K in Ikebukuro!

Zardoz at the Shin Bungeiza theater in Ikebukuro. Photo by Brett Homenick.

Tonight, I caught a special screening of the 4K digital remaster of John Boorman's Zardoz (1974), a movie with a rather mixed reputation. Most folks seem to dislike it, but it does have a bit of a cult following among those who appreciate its artistic weirdness.

I remember seeing a still from the flick in Phil Hardy's The Encyclopedia of Science Fiction Movies back in the day and being completely mesmerized by the image of that enormous stone head with the seemingly microscopic people standing around it. What kind of a movie could that possibly be?

Well, I had to wait until I was in my early twenties in 2003 or 2004 to see the film on DVD. To say I was disappointed would be an understatement. The stone head that had so fascinated me is basically an afterthought and is largely absent from the movie after the first few minutes. The rest of the film was basically incomprehensible to me, so I put the thing away after watching it once and didn't spend much time thinking about it after that.

In the years since, however, I started to become more intrigued by the pre-Star Wars sci-fi movies of the '70s. Those flicks tended to be more thoughtful and at least tried to explore important themes, as opposed to depicting space dogfights and cutesy robots beeping at each other. So, when I saw that Zardoz was being screened at the Shin Bungeiza theater in Ikebukuro, I thought it would be the perfect opportunity to revisit the film.

And my opinion of the movie has improved -- though not by a whole lot. While I was a lot more receptive to the themes of the movie this time around, I still found large chunks of it boring and pretentious. The themes also don't get explored in very meaningful ways, and the comedic satire seems out of place in a film that otherwise seems to take itself way too seriously. 

But, man, the effects for the flying head hold up really well. Too bad it takes up so little screen time and is almost immediately given the Scooby-Doo treatment (i.e., the audience is shown that it isn't at all what it appears to be). 

Overall, I'm glad I saw it again, but I can easily see why I was disappointed the first time. But I hope I can see more offbeat titles like this on the big screen in the coming weeks. Let's see what else is playing!