#third window films

[ogradyfilm]

Recently Viewed: River (2023)

[The following review contains MINOR SPOILERS; YOU HAVE BEEN WARNED!]

In many ways, River is less artistically ambitious than Beyond the Infinite Two Minutes, its spiritual predecessor (with which it shares the same writer and director, as well as several actors).

For one thing, the mechanics governing the temporal paradox around which its plot revolves are much more conventional. Unlike the earlier movie’s bold, novel, innovative experimentation with “the Droste effect/mise en abyme,” River features a relatively traditional time loop; every few minutes, the characters are abruptly teleported back to the beginning of the cycle—a phenomenon akin to rewinding a VHS tape or reloading a save file in a video game. Consequently, its visual style is comparatively modest. Whereas the previous film is presented in a single, seamless, uninterrupted shot (or rather a reasonable facsimile thereof), for example, the anachronic structural framework here allows the editors to dispense with such elaborate illusions; whenever the action “resets,” the transition between each repetition is easily “hidden” in plain sight via a blatant match cut—an obvious yet elegant solution to an inherently challenging (and extremely popular) gimmick.

Despite these superficial differences, River manages to rival its companion piece where it really matters—in sheer unpredictability. As the narrative unfolds, the initially comedic conflict gradually evolves, veering into delightfully unexpected dramatic territory. Indeed, the story eventually develops into a genuinely compelling meditation on the self-destructive nature of anticipatory anxiety—how an irrational fear of the future can halt a person in their tracks, preventing them from moving forward, making progress, pursuing their dreams, living—with the eponymous body of water (constant, ceaseless, relentlessly flowing) serving as a brilliant central metaphor.

While River owes its greatest emotional resonance to its imaginative premise, deft tonal shifts, and rich thematic subtext, however, its true appeal lies in its simpler moment-to-moment pleasures—ultimately, it excels because it’s just cute, charming, and a whole lot of fun. What more could you ask for from a cinematic experience?

[thepeoplesmovies]

Third Window Films To Release Shadow Of Fire & Vital

Later this month Third Window Films are set to release Shadow Of Fire and Vital Two films from legendary Japanese filmmaker Shinya Tsukamoto (Tetsuo: The Iron Man) heading onto blu-ray and digital. Shadow Of Fire (2023)  Shinya Tsukamoto’s latest examines the desperate lives of Japanese citizens in the immediate post–World War II period through the story of a child dealing with unimaginable…

[gokaiju]

逆噴射家族 (The Crazy Family) (Sogo Ishii, 1984) Directors Company Blu-Ray by Third Window Films / Cover by Gokaiju

[genkinahito]

Typhoon Club 台風クラブ (1987) Director: Shinji Somai

Typhoon Club    台風クラブ 「Taifuu Kurabu」 Release Date: August 31st, 1985 Duration: 115 mins. Director: Shinji Somai Writer: Yuji Kato (Screenplay),  Starring: Yuki Kudo, Tomokazu Miura, Tomoko Ishii, Yuka Ohnishi, Yuriko Fuchizaki, Kaori Kobayashi, Saburo Date, Yuichi Mikami, Shigeru Benibayashi, Toshiyuki Matsunaga, Ryuko Tendoh, Tomoko Aizawa, Website  IMDB Shinji Somai’s coming-of-age drama…

[frank-en-ghoul]

“Hiruko the Goblin is perhaps one of Tsukamoto’s most conventional films, leaning heavily on its quirkiness and slapstick humor to balance out the lurid happenings that result in characters getting decapitated left and right.” 👹

A gorgeous new restoration of ‘Hiruko the Goblin’ will be available in Region B from Third Window Films on January 24th, 2022! Details of this release are included in my review! 💿

[ukanime]

ASIAN CINEMA REVIEW: Destruction Babies

This violent film self-destructs.

[driftingwiththeclouds]

new pick ups - seven samurai and a scene at the sea

kitano third window films collcetion is growing

kid’s return is up next october 24

[kaijusaurus]

Third Window Films’ UK Blu-ray/DVD release of Love & Peace will include an approximately twenty-minute featurette on the film’s tokusatsu effects (x).

[ozu-teapot]

Just got these from The Third Window Films sale. They have their own online shop open for a week (until May 21st) with most DVDs at £5 and Blu-rays at £10 (some limited editions are a bit more) and a further 15% off with the promo code shoptwf - free shipping in the UK and flat rate shipping elsewhere.

I went for their latest Blu release Uzumasa Limelight and a bunch of their early DVDs which I’d read are due to be going OOP soon. I may go in for a few more nearer the end of the week (depending on finances) but when I’ll get to watch them is another matter...

[jun-uppie]

I’m actually so excited for Sion Sono’s ‘Love & Peace’ that when I finally saw the trailer... I almost cried...

It just looks really great and I’m super excited for it to be released!! It makes it 10x better that Third Window Films is doing the honor! Now if I only I could get my bank account to actually let me order from their site...

[thepeoplesmovies]

Third Window Films Next Releases Are 'Wild And Surreal'

Third Window Films Next Releases Are 'Wild And Surreal' @thirdwindow #worldcinema #zokki #funkyforest #warpedforest #japancinema

We are big fans of Third Window Films, have been for a very long time. They bring us some of the best Asian film, new and old, seen and unseen. The distributor has sent us news on a couple of their upcoming releases which we would describe as ‘Wild and Surreal’! First up is Zokki [ゾッキ], a wild and quirky Japanese omnibus of stories adapted from the manga by Hiroyuki Ohashi (On-gaku: Our Sound)…

[gokaiju]

台風クラブ (Typhoon Club) Shinji Somai, 1985) Directors Company Blu-Ray by Third Window Films / Cover by Gokaiju

[genkinahito]

Join the Typhoon Club 台風クラブ (1987), the Classic from Shinji Somai, with Third Window Film's Release of a Blu-ray

Ask a Japanese person who grew up with 80s films which directors are influential and many will reply with the name Shinji Somai. Underknown in the West, despite a few attempts to making him more well known by programmers, his works are held in high regard in Japan. As part of its quest to help Western film fans experience more of 80s Japanese cinema, Third Window Films will release a Blu-Ray…

[horrorjapan]

A great discussion on the (declining) state of Japanese movies, including Adam Torel from @thirdwindowfilms. As someone pretty frustrated with the quality of Japanese films these days (especially compared to Korea and China) it’s refreshing to see this actually being discussed. [The following thoughts are mine, and not from the article] The amount of money spent on and subsequent embarrassment of Attack on Titan should be a real wake up call if nothing else. How can the Japanese film industry look at AoT and then see a Korean film like The Assassination and not feel embarrassed by the disparity between the two? AoT embodies all of the gripes I have with what Japanese cinema has become in the past 10 years. It isn’t that there aren’t talented people in Japan, but just that the industry has become so obsessed with selling everything on idols, tie in promotions and short lived Japanese trends that it’s befuddling to everyone else. They’re creating films that are appealing for such a short amount of time, and to such a small audience that the films rarely speak for themselves. Adam really nails it in stating how the more money spent on Japanese films the cheaper they end up looking. And to me that’s because they end up ironically becoming more insular and most of all shamelessly short sighted. This is particularly true with actors. Nobody cares how pretty your actors are if none of them can act, and with most idols only having a shelf life of 10 years Japan also isn’t cultivating a new generation of stars that people can follow. Japanese cinema needs to change course if it doesn’t want to share the fate of Italian cinema of the late 70s (different circumstances, but Italy was once a regional powerhouse too). Everyone should give it a read! http://www.filmbiz.asia/news/fixing-japanese-cinemas-image-problem

[ukanime]

ASIAN CINEMA REVIEW: Toshiaki Toyoda: The Early Years

An eclectic look at the early works of this director.

[electricbloomwebzine]

FILM REVIEW: From musical romcoms to school ground killing sprees, Japan's most sporadic director is back with his all new darker than black comedy, Lesson of Evil! http://bit.ly/15ZMuDY