NEW PEOPLE PRESENTS SCI-FI ACTION THRILLER GANTZ FOR ONE-NIGHT-ONLY THIS SATURDAY
February 15, 2011 by J!-ENT · Leave a Comment
Sci-Fi Live-Action Film Based On Hit Anime/Manga Series Screens With Original Japanese Dialogue; Attendees Will Receive Free GANTZ Poster
San Francisco, CA, February 15, 2011 – VIZ Cinema at NEW PEOPLE, the nation’s only movie theatre dedicated to Japanese and Asian film, is proud to present a special screening of the kinetic sci-fi thriller GANTZ, for one-night-only, on Saturday, February 19th at 7:15pm. The film will be screened with original Japanese dialogue and English subtitles, for the first time ever in North America. All attendees will also receive a special full color GANTZ poster. Tickets are $12.00 and are available at www.VIZCinema.com and at the box office.
GANTZ is based on a hit manga series created by Hiroya Oku and stars leading Japanese actors Kazunari Ninomiya (Letters from Iwo Jima) and Kenichi Matsuyama (Death Note, Detroit Metal City). The film tells the story of two childhood friends that are accidentally killed while trying to save another man’s life. Rather than find themselves in the hereafter, however, they awaken in a strange apartment in which they find a mysterious black orb they come to know as “GANTZ.” Along with similar abductees, they are provided with equipment and weaponry and manipulated into playing a kind of game in which they are sent back out to the greater world to do battle with alien beings, all while never quite knowing whether this game is an illusion or their new reality.
VIZ Cinema at NEW PEOPLE is the nation’s only movie theatre devoted to Japanese film and anime. The 143-seat subterranean theatre is located inside NEW PEOPLE at 1746 Post Street in San Francisco’s Japantown and features plush seating, digital as well as 35mm projection, and a THX®-certified sound system.
About NEW PEOPLE, Inc.
Based in San Francisco, California, NEW PEOPLE, Inc. (www.newpeopleworld.com) offers the latest films, art, fashion and retail brands from Japan through its unique entertainment destination as well as through licensing and distribution of selective Japanese films. NEW PEOPLE Entertainment (www.newpeopleent.com), a film division of NEW PEOPLE, Inc. strives to offer the most entertaining motion pictures straight from the “Kingdom of Pop” for audiences of all ages, especially the manga and anime generation, in North America. Some titles include DEATH NOTE, GANTZ, KAMIKAZE GIRLS, and THE TASTE OF TEA.
PERCEPTIONS OF REALITY ARE EXPLORED IN DECEMBER FILMS AT VIZ CINEMA
December 4, 2010 by J!-ENT · Leave a Comment
More Than 20 Films Present Engaging Documentaries, Anime, Romantic Comedies, A Special New Year’s Samurai Celebration, And A Free Screening For Seniors
San Francisco, CA, December 2, 2010 – VIZ Cinema wraps up 2010 with a December roster of screenings that introduce various ways to look at reality. Trailers, screening times and tickets are available at www.VIZCinema.com. VIZ Cinema is located inside NEW PEOPLE at 1746 Post Street in San Francisco’s Japantown.
December offers more than twenty films, featuring new titles as well as encore presentations of some of the most popular movies to play at the theatre this year. Included will be a pair of unique film festivals – the 8x8x8 Film Festival presented by The Hub, and also China Underground, which offers a range of documentaries that focus on a variety of controversial topics such as homosexuality, the role of women in society, the forced relocation of citizens which preceded the 2008 Beijing Olympics, drug use, and the inner workings of Chinese law enforcement, are examined in unflinching detail in 7 documentaries. Also scheduled for December is Mifune x Kurosawa, a mini-festival offering 8 films directed by the great Akira Kurosawa and starring the incomparable Toshiro Mifune. Included will be a special New Year’s screening of the classic Seven Samurai.
Anime is always a favorite and VIZ Cinema is proud to offer encore screenings of the fast-paced, futuristic racing film, Redline, as well as a live-action adaptation of the popular The Disappearance of Haruhi Suzumiya.
Also not to be missed is the romantic comedy Cast Me If You Can, which was featured as “Japan’s answer to Woody Allen” in Metropolis magazine. Director Atsushi Ogata’s globetrotting comedy combines wit, humor, romance and family relations. Finally, VIZ Cinema welcomes San Francisco’s senior community for a special free showing of Ping Pong, a charming comedy built around the sport of table tennis.
8x8x8 Film Festival Presented By The Hub Thursday, 12/2 at 7:00pm
San Francisco Premiere!
The Hub presents the 8 x 8 x 8 Film Festival screening 8 short films, supported by Schmaltz Brew Company and Dynamo Donuts. Films are curated by the San Francisco Jewish Film Festival.
Reception / Food: 7:00 pm • Screening: 8:00 pm • Tickets: $12.00
China Underground Friday, 12/3 – Sunday, 12/5
San Francisco Premiere!
This series focuses on a new vanguard of Chinese independent filmmakers, whose innovative uses of digital filmmaking deliver provocative insights into the world’s largest nation. All of the documentary films to be shown at the festival were made outside the official Chinese film system – unauthorized, uncensored, and totally independent. These groundbreaking films introduce a new generation of filmmakers who represent the future of Chinese cinema, using new technology to present a vision of China as never seen before.
Queer China, ‘Comrade’ China, Friday, 12/3 at 7:15pm
(Directed by Cui Zi’en, China, 2008, 60min, Mandarin with English subtitles)
China’s most prolific queer filmmaker opens the festival with a comprehensive historical account of the queer movement in modern China. Unlike any before, this film explores the historical milestones and ongoing advocacy efforts of the Chinese LGBT community. Preceded by a screening of Digital Underground in the People’s Republic (18 mins, Dir: Rachel Tejada), a look at the Chinese independent film scene as documented firsthand by dGenerate Films. The screening will include a Q&A session with several guest speakers and an after-party that will immediately follow.
Tickets are $15.00.
Super, Girls! Saturday, 12/4 at 1:00pm
(Directed by Jian Yi, China, 2007, Documentary, 73min. Mandarin with English subtitles)
SUPER, GIRLS! follows ten teenagers on their quest to become superstars on China’s biggest tv show. Through candid interviews and footage of nail-biting auditions, SUPER, GIRLS! offers a fascinating look inside what the Chinese media have dubbed “the Lost Generation.”
Tickets are $10.00.
Meishi Street Saturday, 12/4 at 2:45pm
(Directed by Ou Ning, China, 2006, Documentary, 85min, Mandarin with English subtitles)
MEISHI STREET shows ordinary citizens taking a stand against the planned destruction of their homes for the 2008 Beijing Olympics. Acclaimed at over two dozen museums and galleries around the world, Meishi Street, by renowned visual artist Ou Ning, works as both art and activism, calling worldwide attention to lives being demolished in the name of progress.
Tickets are $10.00.
Using Saturday, 12/4 at 4:45pm
(Directed by Zhou Hao, China, 2008, Documentary, 105min, Mandarin with English subtitles)
A twisted relationship develops between an urban Chinese couple struggling with heroin and a filmmaker chronicling their addiction, in this provocative documentary on drug abuse, filmmaking and friendship. Zhou’s unflinching depiction of his friends’ repeated attempts to quit blurs the line between filmmaker and subject, and raises provocative questions about the ways in which each uses the other. Tickets are $10.00.
Ghost Town Saturday, 12/4 at 7:15pm
(Directed by Zhao Dayong, China, 2008, Documentary, 169min, Mandarin, Nu, & Lisu dialects with English subtitles)
Zhiziluo is a town barely clinging to life. Tucked away in a rugged corner of Southwest China, the village is haunted by traces of China’s cultural past while its residents piece together a day-by-day existence. “Directed with scrupulous attention to detail” (Manohla Dargis, New York Times), Ghost Town, which debuted at the New York Film Festival, “is one of the most important films to have emerged from the booming (but still unexplored) field of Chinese independent documentaries (Dennis Lim, Moving Image Source).Tickets are $10.00.
1428 Sunday, 12/5 at 1:00pm
(Directed by Du Haibin, China, 2009, Documentary, 117min. Mandarin and Sichuan dialects w/ English subtitles)
Du Haibin’s award-winning documentary of the earthquake that devastated China’s Sichuan province in 2008 explores how victims, citizens and government respond to a national tragedy. Du depicts a world in chaos, both material and moral. “Without judgment but with a deep compassion for their subjects, the filmmakers of 1428 bring us a myriad of individual stories of absurdity, confusion and grief.”(Cherise Fong, CNN). Tickets are $10.00.
Crime and Punishment Sunday, 12/5 at 3:30pm
(Directed by Zhao Liang, China, 2007, Documentary, 122min, Mandarin with English subtitles)
“Zhao’s artistry is instantly apparent.” (Robert Koehler, Variety)
A prime example of how independent documentaries are on the vanguard of Chinese cinema, Crime and Punishment is an unprecedented look at the everyday workings of law enforcement in the world’s largest authoritarian society. With penetrating camerawork, Zhao Liang (Petition, 2009 Cannes Film Festival) patiently reveals the methods police use to interrogate and coerce suspects to confess crimes – and the consequences when such techniques backfire.
Tickets are $10.00.
Before the Flood Sunday, 12/5 at 5:45pm
(Directed by Li Yifan and Yan Yu, China, 2005, Documentary, 147min. Mandarin and Sichuan dialects with English subtitles)
A landmark documentary following the residents of the historic city of Fengjie as they clash with officials forcing them to evacuate their homes to make way for the world’s largest dam. Shot over two years, Before the Flood is a breathtaking achievement in verité-style documentary filmmaking. This profound film shows the human effects of one of history’s grandest social engineering projects, reflecting on the loss of both home and heritage. Tickets are $10.00.
Redline Monday, 12/6 – Thursday 12/9
(Directed by Takeshi Koike, 2010, 100 min, Digital, English Subtitles)
Redline is a racing film created by studio Madhouse (Paprika, The Girl Who Leapt Through Time, Summer Wars). The toughest and the most destructive underground car race in the universe, REDLINE, has just begun! JP is a reckless driver oblivious to speed limits, and Sonoshee, one of his competitors with whom JP is secretly in love with, is a hot girl determined to do whatever it takes to stand on the winner’s podium. They’re up against the craziest drivers with their heavily armed and awesome road-tearing vehicles. On top of that, during the race, they have to avoid military crackdown by the government because the race is actually prohibited in Roboworld. The only help JP wants is the engine obtained and custom tuned by his long time buddies, Frisbee the mechanic and Mogura Oyaji the junk shop. While cars crash and burn into flames, the race course becomes a merciless hell and JP whips his ride into a dead heat. Who will survive to win in this mass-destruction race? Tickets are $10.00.
Cast Me If You Can Friday, 12/10 – Sunday, 12/19
(Directed by Atsushi Ogata, 2010, 97min, Digital, Japanese with English subtitles)
A sold-out film at Mill Valley Film Festival and a charming romantic comedy written and directed by Atsushi Ogata, Cast Me If You Can comes to VIZ Cinema for a special Bay Area limited theatrical release, following its popular recent theatrical run in Japan.
Featured as “Japan’s answer to Woody Allen” in Metropolis magazine, globetrotting comedy director Atsushi Ogata combines wit, humor, romance and family relations, in collaboration with veteran Japanese star actors and an international crew, to present a romantic comedy which transcends national and cultural borders. Cast Me If You Can is Ogata’s feature film debut.
Premiering at the 13th Shanghai International Film Festival in June, Cast Me If You Can also screened at festivals in California, New York, Indiana, Korea and India, won prizes for “Best Title Sequence” and “Best Original Score” in Los Angeles, and has also been adapted into a novel and published in Japan by Takeshobo Co. Ltd. Tickets are $10.00.
The Disappearance Of Haruhi Suzumiya Friday, 12/17 at 7:15pm
(Directed by Jun-ichi Mori, 2010, 163min, 35mm, Japanese with English Subtitles)
Don’t miss the special encore screening of mega hit anime movie “The Disappearance of Haruhi Suzumiya” in association with Bandai Entertainment! Ten days before Christmas, Haruhi came up with another one of her crazy ideas to hold a Christmas party in the club room. The next day, however, Kyon woke up to a world in which Haruhi didn’t exist and no one besides him had any memory of her. How can someone like Haruhi Suzumiya who’s supposed to be the center of the universe just vanish? Tickets are $10.00.
Mifune x Kurosawa Saturday, 12/18 – Thursday 1/6
Toshiro Mifune graced Japanese cinema with his good looks, fierceness, and charisma. VIZ Cinema brings you Akira Kurosawa’s films featuring Mifune at his finest moments.
Tickets are $10.00.
Red Beard Saturday, 12/18 – Sunday, 12/26
(1965, 185 minutes, 35mm, Japanese with English Subtitles)
Red Beard (Akahige) chronicles the tumultuous relationship between an arrogant young doctor and a compassionate clinic director. Toshiro Mifune, in his last role for Kurosawa, gives a powerhouse performance as the dignified yet empathic director who guides his pupil to maturity.
The Idiot Saturday, 12/18 – Thursday, 12/23
(1965, 185 minutes, 35mm, Japanese with English Subtitles)
The Idiot, an adaptation of Fyodor Dostoyevsky’s nineteenth-century masterpiece about a wayward, pure soul’s reintegration into society—updated by Kurosawa to capture Japan’s postwar aimlessness—was a victim of studio interference and, finally, public indifference.
The Lower Depths Sunday, 12/19 – Monday, 12/27
(1957, 125 minutes, 35mm, Japanese with English Subtitles)
Mifune and Kurosawa transform Maxim Gorky’s classic proletariat play The Lower Depths in their own way firmly situated in the postwar world. Remaining faithful to the original with its focus on the conflict between illusion and reality, their film making styles converge to create unique masterpieces.
High And Low Monday, 12/27 – Thursday, 1/6
(1957, 125 minutes, 35mm, Japanese with English Subtitles)
Toshiro Mifune is unforgettable as Kingo Gondo, a wealthy industrialist whose family becomes the target of a cold-blooded kidnapper in Akira Kurosawa’s highly influential High and Low, a compelling race-against-time thriller and a penetrating portrait of contemporary Japanese society.
Stray Dog Tuesday, 12/28 – Thursday, 1/6
(1949, 122min, 35mm, Japanese with English Subtitles)
When a pickpocket steals a rookie detective’s gun on a hot crowded bus, the cop goes undercover in a desperate attempt to right the wrong. Kurosawa’s thrilling noir probes the squalid world of postwar Japan and the nature of the criminal mind.
Drunken Angel Wednesday, 12/29 – Wednesday, 1/5
(1948, 98min, 35mm, Japanese with English Subtitles)
In this powerful early noir from the great Akira Kurosawa, Toshiro Mifune bursts onto the screen as a volatile, tubercular criminal who strikes up an unlikely relationship with Takashi Shimura’s jaded physician.
Seven Samurai Sunday, 1/2 at 1:30pm
(1954, 207 minutes, 35mm, Japanese with English Subtitles)
Kick-off 2011 with one of the most thrilling movie epics of all time, Seven Samurai! This three-hour ride featuring Toshiro Mifune and Takashi Shimura tells the story of a sixteenth-century village whose desperate inhabitants hire eponymous warriors to protect them from the invading bandits. Screening will include a special New Year’s reception party.
VIZ Cinema’s last SENIOR FREE MOVIE DAY of the year is our all-time-favorite film Ping Pong!
Ping Pong Wednesday, 12/22 at 1:30pm
(Directed by SORI, 2002, 114min, Digital, Japanese with English Subtitles)
Best friends Peco and Smile have been playing ping pong since they were little kids. While the unique and brazen Peco plays to win and loves the sport, the quiet and introverted Smile thinks of it as just a way to kill time with friends, but plays only because he looks up to Peco as his hero. And though Smile is the more talented player, he frequently and intentionally loses to Peco out of a misguided sense of friendship
VIZ Cinema is the nation’s only movie theatre devoted exclusively to Japanese film and anime. The 143-seat subterranean theatre is located in the basement of the NEW PEOPLE building and features plush seating, digital as well as 35mm projection, and a THX®-certified sound system.
About NEW PEOPLE
NEW PEOPLE offers the latest films, art, fashion and retail brands from Japan and is the creative vision of the J-Pop Center Project and VIZ Pictures, a distributor and producer of Japanese live action film. Located at 1746 Post Street, the 20,000 square foot structure features a striking 3-floor transparent glass façade that frames a fun and exotic new environment to engage the imagination into the 21st Century. A dedicated web site is also now available at: www.NewPeopleWorld.com.
VIZ CINEMA PRESENTS A NEW GENERATION OF CHINESE FILMMAKERS IN DECEMBER FILM FESTIVAL
November 16, 2010 by J!-ENT · Leave a Comment
7 Films Over 3 Days Offer a View of China as Never Seen Before
San Francisco, CA, November 15, 2010 – VIZ Cinema and NEW PEOPLE, in association with dGenerate Films, are proud to present a fascinating series focusing on a new vanguard of Chinese independent filmmakers, whose innovative uses of digital filmmaking deliver provocative insights into the world’s largest nation. The China Underground film series opens Friday, December 3rd and runs through Sunday, December 5th. Tickets and complete details are available at: www.vizcinema.com.
All of the documentary films to be shown at the festival were made outside the official Chinese film system – unauthorized, uncensored, and totally independent. These groundbreaking films introduce a new generation of filmmakers who represent the future of Chinese cinema, using new technology to present a vision of China as never seen before. A wide variety of controversial topics and issues like homosexuality, the role of women in society, the forced relocation of citizens which preceded the 2008 Beijing Olympics, drug use, and the inner workings of Chinese law enforcement, are examined in unflinching detail in these seven films.
China Underground opens Friday December 3rd with the premiere of Queer China, “Comrade” China at 7:00pm. The screening will include a Q&A session with several guest speakers and an after-party that will immediately follow. The remaining films will be screened throughout the weekend.
“These brave filmmakers often risk arrest, imprisonment, censure, or worse in order to have their work seen and message heard,” says Manami Iiboshi, programming director of VIZ Cinema. “San Francisco is a bastion of socially conscious and progressive ideas and it’s an honor to give a platform uncensored looks at a variety of important issues going on within Chinese society that are usually kept hidden from the West.”
“We’re thrilled to showcase seven of our titles at VIZ Cinema in China Underground, the first film series of its kind,” says Karin Chien, president of dGenerate Films. “Independent documentaries are the only free media existing in mainland China today. There is a new generation of filmmakers, artists, and activists wielding digital cameras and laptop edit systems, creating some of the most daring cinema in the world today. These films will have a special relevance and resonance with the diverse communities of the Bay Area.”
Queer China, ‘Comrade’ China, Friday, 12/3 at 7:00pm
(Directed by Cui Zi’en, China, 2008, 60min, Mandarin with English subtitles)
China’s most prolific queer filmmaker presents a comprehensive historical account of the queer movement in modern China. Unlike any before, this film explores the historical milestones and ongoing advocacy efforts of the Chinese LGBT community. Preceded by a screening of Digital Underground in the People’s Republic (18 mins, Dir: Rachel Tejada), a look at the Chinese independent film scene as documented firsthand by dGenerate Films. Tickets are $15.00.
Super, Girls! Saturday, 12/4 at 1:00pm
(Directed by Jian Yi, China, 2007, Documentary, 73min. Mandarin with English subtitles)
SUPER, GIRLS! follows ten teenagers on their quest to become superstars on China’s biggest tv show. Through candid interviews and footage of nail-biting auditions, SUPER, GIRLS! offers a fascinating look inside what the Chinese media have dubbed “the Lost Generation.”
Tickets are $10.00.
Meishi Street Saturday, 12/4 at 2:45pm
(Directed by Ou Ning, China, 2006, Documentary, 85min, Mandarin with English subtitles)
MEISHI STREET shows ordinary citizens taking a stand against the planned destruction of their homes for the 2008 Beijing Olympics. Acclaimed at over two dozen museums and galleries around the world, Meishi Street, by renowned visual artist Ou Ning, works as both art and activism, calling worldwide attention to lives being demolished in the name of progress.
Tickets are $10.00.
Using Saturday, 12/4 at 4:45pm
(Directed by Zhou Hao, China, 2008, Documentary, 105min, Mandarin with English subtitles)
A twisted relationship develops between an urban Chinese couple struggling with heroin and a filmmaker chronicling their addiction, in this provocative documentary on drug abuse, filmmaking and friendship. Zhou’s unflinching depiction of his friends’ repeated attempts to quit blurs the line between filmmaker and subject, and raises provocative questions about the ways in which each uses the other. Tickets are $10.00.
Ghost Town Saturday, 12/4 at 7:15pm
(Directed by Zhao Dayong, China, 2008, Documentary, 169min, Mandarin, Nu, & Lisu dialects with English subtitles)
Zhiziluo is a town barely clinging to life. Tucked away in a rugged corner of Southwest China, the village is haunted by traces of China’s cultural past while its residents piece together a day-by-day existence. “Directed with scrupulous attention to detail” (Manohla Dargis, New York Times), Ghost Town, which debuted at the New York Film Festival, “is one of the most important films to have emerged from the booming (but still unexplored) field of Chinese independent documentaries (Dennis Lim, Moving Image Source).Tickets are $10.00.
1428 Sunday, 12/5 at 1:00pm
(Directed by Du Haibin, China, 2009, Documentary, 117min. Mandarin and Sichuan dialects w/ English subtitles)
Du Haibin’s award-winning documentary of the earthquake that devastated China’s Sichuan province in 2008 explores how victims, citizens and government respond to a national tragedy. Du depicts a world in chaos, both material and moral. “Without judgment but with a deep compassion for their subjects, the filmmakers of 1428 bring us a myriad of individual stories of absurdity, confusion and grief.”(Cherise Fong, CNN). Tickets are $10.00.
Crime and Punishment Sunday, 12/5 at 3:30pm
(Directed by Zhao Liang, China, 2007, Documentary, 122min, Mandarin with English subtitles)
“Zhao’s artistry is instantly apparent.” (Robert Koehler, Variety)
A prime example of how independent documentaries are on the vanguard of Chinese cinema, Crime and Punishment is an unprecedented look at the everyday workings of law enforcement in the world’s largest authoritarian society. With penetrating camerawork, Zhao Liang (Petition, 2009 Cannes Film Festival) patiently reveals the methods police use to interrogate and coerce suspects to confess crimes – and the consequences when such techniques backfire. Tickets are $10.00.
Before the Flood Sunday, 12/5 at 5:45pm
(Directed by Li Yifan and Yan Yu, China, 2005, Documentary, 147min. Mandarin and Sichuan dialects with English subtitles)
A landmark documentary following the residents of the historic city of Fengjie as they clash with officials forcing them to evacuate their homes to make way for the world’s largest dam. Shot over two years, Before the Flood is a breathtaking achievement in verité-style documentary filmmaking. This profound film shows the human effects of one of history’s grandest social engineering projects, reflecting on the loss of both home and heritage. Tickets are $10.00.
VIZ Cinema is the nation’s only movie theatre devoted exclusively to Japanese film and anime. The 143-seat subterranean theatre is located in the basement of the NEW PEOPLE building and features plush seating, digital as well as 35mm projection, and a THX®-certified sound system.
About NEW PEOPLE
NEW PEOPLE offers the latest films, art, fashion and retail brands from Japan and is the creative vision of the J-Pop Center Project and VIZ Pictures, a distributor and producer of Japanese live action film. Located at 1746 Post Street, the 20,000 square foot structure features a striking 3-floor transparent glass façade that frames a fun and exotic new environment to engage the imagination into the 21st Century. A dedicated web site is also now available at: www.NewPeopleWorld.com.
About dGenerate Films
dGenerate Films brings uncensored, unprecedented and visionary content from deep inside mainland China’s independent, and underground, film scene to North America and beyond. dGenerate Films recognizes that unauthorized films by China’s post-Sixth Generation are the only true independent media in China today. We remain deeply committed to providing audiences with an unmediated look at life, as it’s truly lived, inside the world’s next superpower. To learn more, visit http://dgeneratefilms.com.
ONE NIGHT ONLY – HATSUNE MIKU CONCERT ENCORE SCREENING AT VIZ CINEMA NEXT MONDAY
October 5, 2010 by J!-ENT · Leave a Comment
JAPAN’S TOP VIRTUAL IDOL – HATSUNE MIKU – RETRUNS TO VIZ CINEMA FOR A SPECIAL ENCORE PERFORMANCE
Internet Sensation’s Live Concert Film Screens For One Night Only; Hatsune Miku Creator To Also Attend And Give Insights
San Francisco, CA, October 5, 2010 – VIZ Cinema and NEW PEOPLE are proud to present a special encore performance of Hatsune Miku U.S. Live – for One Night Only – on Monday, October 11th at 7:15pm.
The Hatsune Miku’s 39′s Giving Day Film Concert captures the excitement and upbeat fun that was Project DIVA Presents Hatsune Miku’s Solo Concert, which took place earlier this year at the futuristic Zepp Tokyo venue. The concert featured the singer, backed by a “live” band called the 39S Members. She performed 39 songs while being projected on a transparent screen set up on the stage, making her look like a living-sized hologram playing with a live band.
Also set to make a very special appearance at the screening will be the man behind the creation of Hatsune Miku, Hiroyuki Ito, president of Crypton Future Media. Prior to the screening, Ito give audiences the back story on the birth and development of Hatsune Miku and the growing international interest in her. Don’t miss this rare chance to see this internet virtual phenomenon on the big screen and purchase one of a very limited supply of Japanese First Edition Blu-ray disc sets!
Miku Hatsune is a virtual pop idol that has taken Japan by storm. She was born as the premiere product in the Vocaloid2 Character Vocal Series developed by Crypton Future Media. The technology, originally designed for professional musicians, enables users to synthesize singing by inputting lyrics and a melody. In Japan, Vocaloid singers have become the hottest new trend in the pop culture landscape. Miku Hatsune features a singing voice based on samples of voice actress Saki Fujita.
VIZ Cinema is the nation’s first movie theatre devoted exclusively to Japanese film and anime. The 143-seat subterranean theatre is located in the basement of the NEW PEOPLE building and features plush seating, digital as well as 35mm projection, and a THX®-certified sound system.
About NEW PEOPLE
NEW PEOPLE offers the latest films, art, fashion and retail brands from Japan and is the creative vision of the J-Pop Center Project and VIZ Pictures, a distributor and producer of Japanese live action film. Located at 1746 Post Street, the 20,000 square foot structure features a striking 3-floor transparent glass façade that frames a fun and exotic new environment to engage the imagination into the 21st Century. A dedicated web site is also now available at: www.NewPeopleWorld.com.
VIZ CINEMA ANNOUNCES A CLIMACTIC SUMMER ROSTER WITH SEPTEMBER FILM SCREENINGS
September 1, 2010 by J!-ENT · Leave a Comment
VIZ Cinema, the nation’s only movie theatre dedicated to Japanese film, has announced an intriguing new line-up of films and premiere events set to take place at the venue throughout the month of September.
New films for September include the third installment of the Bay Area Filmmakers Series, which presents the romantic comedy, The People I’ve Slept With, directed by Quentin Lee.
A highly anticipated screening of Death Note and Death Note II: the Last name, based on the popular manga/anime series, is next, and will also mark the release of the films in a new Blu-ray collection from VIZ Pictures.
A special screening of Satoshi Kon’s anime masterpiece Paprika is also scheduled to remember the pioneering director who recent passed away.
Marking the anniversary of 9/11, VIZ Cinema presents the 9/11 Truth Film Festival which presents several documentaries that explore the tragic events from several new points of view and trace the global impact of the World Trade Center attacks in 2001.
And finally, NEW PEOPLE gets ready to celebrate the 2010 J-Pop Summit Festival with a series of pop culture cinematic events leading up to the premiere of the raucous death metal comedy Detroit Metal City on September 18th.
VIZ CINEMA CELEBRATES AKIRA KUROSAWA SAMURAI CLASSICS IN SPECIAL AUGUST FILM SERIES
August 11, 2010 by J!-ENT · Leave a Comment
Bay Area Theatre Presents A Rare Opportunity To Screen 6 Of The Visionary Director’s Most Iconic Films
San Francisco, CA, August 11, 2010 – VIZ Cinema and NEW PEOPLE are proud to present Kurosawa On Sword Battles – Samurai Saga Volume 2, a new film series opening on August 20th marking the centennial birth of Japan’s most beloved film director – Akira Kurosawa – and celebrating nearly half a century of big screen samurai action and drama. General Admission Tickets: $10:00; No discounts apply.
Screening times and more details are available at: www.vizcinema.com.
Seven Samurai, August 20th – 22nd
(Directed by Akira Kurosawa, 1954, 207min, 35mm, Japanese with English Subtitles)
One of the most beloved films of all time, Kurosawa’s Seven Samurai tells the story of a sixteenth-century village whose desperate inhabitants hire the eponymous warriors to protect them from invading bandits. This three-hour ride, featuring legendary actors Toshiro Mifune and Takashi Shimura, seamlessly weaves philosophy, entertainment, delicate human emotions and relentless action into a rich, evocative, and unforgettable tale of courage and hope.
Rashamon, August 21st – 25th
(Directed by Akira Kurosawa, 1950, 88min, 35mm, Japanese with English Subtitles)
Brimming with action while incisively examining the nature of truth, Rashomon is perhaps the finest film ever to explore the philosophy of justice. Through an ingenious use of camera and flashbacks, Kurosawa reveals the complexities of human nature as four people recount different versions of the story of a man’s murder and the rape of his wife. Toshiro Mifune gives another commanding performance in the eloquent masterwork that revolutionized film language and introduced Japanese cinema to the world.
Yojimbo, August 23rd – August 28th and also August 31st
(Directed by Akira Kurosawa, 1961, 110min, 35mm, Japanese with English Subtitles)
The incomparable Toshiro Mifune stars in Kurosawa’s visually stunning and darkly comic Yojimbo. To rid a terror-stricken village of corruption, wily masterless samurai Sanjuro turns a range war between two evil clans to his own advantage. Remade twice, by Sergio Leone and Walter Hill, this exhilarating genre-twister remains one of the most influential and entertaining films of all time.
Sanjuro, August 25th – August 30th
(Directed by Akira Kurosawa, 1962, 96min, 35mm, Japanese with English Subtitles)
Toshiro Mifune again swaggers and snarls to brilliant comic effect in Kurosawa’s tightly paced, beautifully composed drama. In this companion piece to Yojimbo, jaded samurai Sanjuro helps an idealistic group of young warriors weed out their clan’s betrayer, and in the process turns their image of a “proper” samurai on its ear. Less brazen in tone than its predecessor but equally entertaining, this classic character’s return is a masterpiece in its own right.
Throne of Blood, August 28h – September 2nd
(Directed by Akira Kurosawa, 1957, 109min, 35mm, Japanese with English Subtitles)
One of the most celebrated screen adaptations of Shakespeare into film, Akira Kurosawa’s Throne of Blood reimagines Macbeth in feudal Japan. Starring the director’s longtime collaborator Toshiro Mifune and the legendary Isuzu Yamada as his ruthless wife, the film tells of a valiant warrior’s savage rise to power and his ignominious fall. With Throne of Blood, Kurosawa fused one of Shakespeare’s greatest tragedies with the formal elements of Japanese Noh theater to make a Macbeth that is all his own – a classic tale of ambition and duplicity set against a ghostly landscape of fog and inescapable doom.
The Hidden Fortress, August 28h – September 2nd
(Directed by Akira Kurosawa, 1958, 139min, 35mm, Japanese with English Subtitles)
A general and a princess must dodge enemy clans while smuggling the royal treasure out of hostile territory with two bumbling, conniving peasants at their sides; it’s a spirited adventure that only Akira Kurosawa could create. Acknowledged as a primary influence on George Lucas’sStar Wars, The Hidden Fortress delivers Kurosawa’s inimitably deft blend of wry humor, breathtaking action and humanist compassion on an epic scale. The Criterion Collection is proud to present this landmark motion picture in a stunning, newly restored Tohoscope edition.
VIZ Cinema is the nation’s only movie theatre devoted to Japanese film and anime. The 143-seat subterranean theatre is located in the basement of the NEW PEOPLE building and features plush seating, digital as well as 35mm projection, and a THX®-certified sound system.
NEW PEOPLE offers the latest films, art, fashion and retail brands from Japan and is the creative vision of the J-Pop Center Project and VIZ Pictures, a distributor and producer of Japanese live action film. Located at 1746 Post Street, the 20,000 square foot structure features a striking 3-floor transparent glass façade that frames a fun and exotic new environment to engage the imagination into the 21st Century. A dedicated web site is also now available at: www.NewPeopleWorld.com.
VIZ CINEMA PRESENTS THE POIGNANT DOCUMENTARY WHITE LIGHT/BLACK RAIN TO COMMEMORATE THE 65TH ANNIVERSARY OF THE ATOMIC BOMBINGS OF HIROSHIMA AND NAGASAKI
July 29, 2010 by J!-ENT · Leave a Comment
Academy Award Winning Director Steven Okazaki Captures Emotional Stories Of Extraordinary Resilience; Film Premiere To Present A Special
Q & A Session With Survivors And The Friends Of Hibakusha Organization
San Francisco, CA, July 28, 2010 – VIZ Cinema, the nation’s only movie theatre dedicated to Japanese film, is proud to present a screening on August 6th and 7th of Academy Award-winning filmmaker Steven Okazaki’s White Light / Black Rain, a moving documentary about the atomic bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki that brought about the end of World War II.
Tickets are now available to attend a special Premiere Event for White Light / Black Rain on Friday, August 6th at 7:00pm that will also include a Q&A session with several survivors and the Friends of Hibakusha, a San Francisco organization dedicated to supporting U.S. citizens and Japanese-American survivors of radiation exposure from the bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki. A portion of ticket sales will be donated directly to the Friends of Hibakusha.
Tickets for the event are $15.00 and are now available for purchase online at the NEW PEOPLE / VIZ Cinema web site at: www.vizcinema.com. General admission tickets for the screening on Saturday, August 7th (no reception or Q&A) are $10.00. No discounts apply.
After 60 years, the atomic bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki on August 6th and 9th, 1945, continue to inspire argument, denial and myth. White Light / Black Rain provides a detailed examination of the bombings and the aftermath and features interviews with fourteen atomic bomb survivors (known as hibakusha), many who have never spoken publicly before, as well as four Americans intimately involved in the bombings. While Japan would go on to emerge as a leading global economic power in the wake of World War II, the country’s psyche would remain forever altered by these terrible events. Through a succession of riveting personal accounts, the film reveals the unimaginable destructive power of atomic weapons, the inconceivable suffering, and extraordinary human resilience of the survivors.
Trailers, screening times and more information available at: www.vizcinema.com.
Director/filmmaker and third generation Japanese American Steven Okazaki has explored the Japanese American experience extensively through a variety of acclaimed documentaries. He has received a Peabody Award and been nominated for four Academy Awards and won an Oscar in 1991 for his documentary Days of Waiting: The Life & Art of Estelle Ishigo. He also was a co-recipient of the 2008 “Exceptional Merit in Nonfiction Filmmaking” Primetime Emmy Award for White Light / Black Rain. Okazaki is based in San Francisco, CA.
VIZ Cinema is the nation’s only movie theatre devoted exclusively to Japanese film and anime. The 143-seat subterranean theatre is located in the basement of the NEW PEOPLE building and features plush seating, digital as well as 35mm projection, and a THX®-certified sound system.
About NEW PEOPLE
NEW PEOPLE offers the latest films, art, fashion and retail brands from Japan and is the creative vision of the J-Pop Center Project and VIZ Pictures, a distributor and producer of Japanese live action film. Located at 1746 Post Street, the 20,000 square foot structure features a striking 3-floor transparent glass façade that frames a fun and exotic new environment to engage the imagination into the 21st Century. A dedicated web site is also now available at: www.NewPeopleWorld.com.
VIZ CINEMA CELEBRATES BATTLES OF ALL KINDS IN MORE THAN 20 NEW FILMS TO SCREEN IN JULY
June 29, 2010 by J!-ENT · Leave a Comment
Catch Swift And Deadly Samurai Action And Genre-Defining Anime Classics As Well As SF IndieFest’s 2010 Hole In The Head Film Festival
San Francisco, CA, June 29, 2010 – VIZ Cinema, the nation’s only movie theatre dedicated to Japanese film, offers a July theme of Beyond The Battles and offers a wide array of action and samurai films as well a series of screenings to celebrate the Ghost In The Shell anime saga. This month, the cinema welcomes San Francisco IndieFest’s Another Hole In the Head film festival for a week-long run of science fiction, fantasy and horror films at the end of the month. Tickets, screening times and complete details for each film are available at: www.vizcinema.com
Battle League Horumo, July 2nd FOR ONE NIGHT ONLY!
(Directed by Katsuhide Motoki, 2009, 113min, With English Subtitles)
Celebrate the DVD release of this new action film by VIZ Pictures with a special screening. This combat action comedy is based on the best-selling fantasy novel by Manabu Makime. As a college freshman, Akira Abe joins the club “Azure Dragon” to get closer to his dream girl. At first, the club appears to be an ordinary social club but the new members soon find out about the 1000 year-old tradition upheld by the four universities of Kyoto and the “Horumo” battle. Members must go through rigorous training and learn to manipulate an army of Oni spirits. Starring Takayuki Yamada (Train Man) and Chiaki Kuriyama (Kill Bill Vol. 1). Special $25.00 ticket package includes the DVD, a movie poster and a pass to the screening. General admission (movie only, no DVD) tickets are $10.00.
Sci-fi Anime Madness, Volume 2: Ghost In The Shell Marathon, July 3rd – 8th
Sci-fi Anime Madness returns with an epic Ghost In The Shell film marathon!
Ghost In The Shell (Original Version), July 3rd and also July 5th
(Directed by Mamoru Oshii, 1995, 85min, Digital, English Subtitles)
This is the acclaimed sci-fi action masterpiece that proclaimed a new era of anime and helped to define the cyber-punk genre.
Ghost In The Shell 2.0 (CGI version), July 3rd and also July 5th
(Directed by Mamoru Oshii, 2008, 85min, Digital, English Subtitles)
This is a new, visually enhanced version of the classic original movie.
Ghost In The Shell 2: Innocence, July 3rd
(Directed by Mamoru Oshii, 2004, 100min, Digital, English Subtitles)
This is the gripping sequel to the original classic Ghost in the Shell film.
Ghost In The Shell Stand Along Complex: The Laughing Man, July 4th and also July 6th
(Directed by Kenji Kamiyama, 2005, 106min, Digital, English Subtitles)
The feature film adaptation of the Stand Alone Complex series, re-cut to tell the story of a police battle with an evil computer hacker.
Ghost In The Shell: Individual Eleven 161, July 4th and also July 7th
(Directed by Kenji Kamiyama, 2006, 161min, Digital, English Subtitles)
A feature-length OAV feature, adapted from Stand Alone Complex: Second Gig, the second season of the Ghost in the Shell broadcast series.
Ghost In The Shell: Solid State Society 108, July 4th and also July 8th
(Directed by Kenji Kamiyama, 2006, 108min, Digital, English Subtitles)
A film adaptation of the popular Solid State Society animated TV series.
TOKYOSCOPE TALK, Volume 5: Japanese Superheroes!, July 9th
Join hosts Patrick Macias (Editor, Otaku USA), August Ragone (author, Eiji Tsuburaya: Master of Monsters), and Tomohiro Machiyama (founding editor, Movie Treasures magazine) as they explore the fascinating history and origins of Japanese superheroes featuring tokusatsu, sentai, and henshin hero productions including Ultra Seven, Kikaida, Space Sheriff Gavan, and many others! General admission tickets are $10.00.
SAMURAI SAGA, Volume 1: From Classic Noir to New Colors
Celebrate nearly 50 years of samurai action and drama in a series of new and classic films.
Kill!, July 10th – 11th
(Directed by Kihachi Okamoto, 1968, 114min, 35mm, English Subtitles)
In this pitch-black action comedy by Kihachi Okamoto, a pair of down-on-their-luck swordsmen arrive in a dusty, windblown town, where they become involved in a local clan dispute. One, previously a farmer, longs to become a noble samurai. The other, a former samurai haunted by his past, prefers living anonymously with gangsters. But when both men discover the wrongdoings of the nefarious clan leader, they side with a band of rebels who are under siege at a remote mountain cabin. Kill! playfully tweaks samurai film convention, borrowing elements from established classics and seasoning them with hints of Italian westerns.
Sword of Doom, July 10th and also July 12th – 13th
(Directed by Kihachi Okamoto, 1968, 114min, 35mm, English Subtitles)
Tatsuya Nakadai and Toshiro Mifune star in the story of a wandering samurai who exists in a maelstrom of violence. A gifted swordsman who plys his trade during the turbulent final days of Shogunate rule, Ryunosuke (played by Nakadai) kills without remorse, without merc, and becomes a way of life that ultimately leads to madness.
Harakiri, July 11th – 13th
(Directed by Masaki Kobayashi, 1962, 133Mmin, 35mm, English Subtitles)
Following the collapse of his clan, unemployed samurai Hanshiro Tsugumo arrives at the manor of Lord Iyi, begging to commit ritual suicide on his property. Iyi’s clansmen, believing the desperate ronin is merely angling for charity, try to force him to eviscerate himself – but they have underestimated his honor and his past. Winner of the 1963 Cannes Film Festival’s Special Jury Prize, Masaki Kobayashi’s Harakiri is a scathing denouncement of feudal authority and hypocrisy.
Samurai Rebellion, July 14th and also July 16th – 17th
(Directed by Masaki Kobayashi,1967, 121min, 35mm, English Subtitles)
Toshiro Mifune stars as Isaburo Sasahara, an aging swordsman living a quiet life until his clan lord orders that his son marry the lord’s mistress, who has recently displeased the ruler. Reluctantly, father and son take in the woman, and, to the family’s surprise, the young couple fall in love. But the lord soon reverses his decision and demands the mistress’s return. Against all expectations, Isaburo and his son refuse, risking the destruction of their entire family. Director Masaki Kobayashi’s Samurai Rebellion is the gripping story of a peaceful man who finally decides to take a stand against injustice.
Bandits vs. Samurai Squadron, July 14th – 15th and also July 17th
(Directed by Hideo Gosha, 1976, 163min, 35mm, English Subtitles)
Based on the bestselling novel by Shotaro Ikenami, this story involves a former samurai who abandons his class to become the leader of a gang of bandits. He leads his outlaws in an attempt to rob the castle of his former clan to avenge the destruction of his own family by the official he once served.
Three Outlaw Samurai, July 15th – 17th
(Directed by Hideo Gosha, 1964, 95min, 35mm, English Subtitles)
Shiba, a wandering ronin, encounters a band of peasants who have kidnapped the daughter of their dictatorial magistrate, in hopes of coercing from him a reduction in taxes. Shiba takes up their fight, joined by two renegades from the magistrate’s guard. The three outlaws soon find themselves in a battle to the death.
SHUHEI FUJISAWA FILM SPECIAL, July 18th – July 22nd
Enjoy four award winning Samurai films from recent times, all based on the historical novels by the bestselling author Shuhei Fujisawa, including the Samurai Trilogy by by Academy Award® nominated director Yoji Yamada.
Twilight Samurai, July 18th and also July 22nd
(Directed by Yoji Yamada, 2002, 129min, Digital, English Subtitles)
This is the first film of the Shuhei Fujisawa trilogy, directed by Yoji Yamada. Set in mid-19th century Japan, a few years before the Meiji Restoration, it follows the life of Seibei Iguchi, a low-ranking samurai employed as a bureaucrat. The Twilight Samurai was nominated for the Academy Award for Best Foreign Language Film at the 76th Academy Awards, and also won an unprecedented 12 Japanese Academy Awards.
The Hidden Blade, July 18th and also July 20th – 21st
(Directed by Yoji Yamada, 2004, 132min, Digital, English Subtitles)
The second of the Shuhei Fujisawa film trilogy directed by Yoji Yamada. Set in the 1860s, this is an epic tale of Munezo, a samurai being displaced in a rapidly changing Japan. After a failed political coup he is ordered to prove his innocence by finding and killing Yaichiro, a former samurai friend and brilliant swordsman. Munezo enlists the help of their old teacher, who entrusts him with a secret technique. Directed by Academy Award® nominee Yoji Yamada and starring Masatoshi Nagase (Mystery Train).
Love and Honor, July 18th – July 20th
(Directed by Yoji Yamada, 2006, 121min, 35mm, English Subtitles)
This is the final film of the Shuhei Fujisawa trilogy, directed by Yoji Yamada. An award winning masterpiece of sacrifice and devotion, Love and Honor weaves a timeless tale set in the waning days of feudal Japan. Love and Honor depicts the emotional intensity of an age when respect was more valuable than riches and love cut more truly than any sword.
Yamazakura – The Cherry Tree in the Hills (U.S. Premiere), July 18th – 19th and July 21st
(Directed by Tetsuo Shinohara, 2008, 100min, Digital, English Subtitles)
A poetic love story about a samurai and a young widow in the late Edo period. Noe, the eldest daughter of the samurai family with class, had lost her first husband and was forced to marry her late husband’s brother, whom Noe was never able to admire as a samurai. On the way home from visiting her aunt’s grave, Noe encounters a samurai, Tezuka Yaichiro, who aspired to marry Noe in the past but was never able to because of family matters.
SFindie Fest Presents: Another Hole In the Head, July 23rd – July 29th
VIZ Cinema is thrilled to be one of the main venues for SF IndieFest’s 2010 Another Hole In the Head film festival! Witness the most dangerous line-ups of sci-fi, horror and fantasy films!
Advance Tickets available for only $10.00 online at www.sfindie.com . Rush tickets will be available for $11.00 only on the day of the screenings at the VIZ Cinema box office.Get more details about the films and a complete schedule at www.sfindie.com and www.vizcinema.com
Symbol, July 24th at 5:00pm
(Directed by Hitoshi Matsumoto, 2009, 93min, Digital, English Subtitles)
Hitoshi Matsumoto, who brought the world the bizarre and madly comic romp of Big Man Japan, takes his visual perspective to the highest extremes of surrealism. A man wakes up and finds himself trapped in an empty white rectangular room, wearing clownish bright yellow polka dot pajamas. Where is he? Who did this to him? How did he end up here? Will he manage to make him escape to safety? Symbol is an incredibly strange and visually striking film that goes past the confines of the mind and out into the abyss.
Alien vs. Ninja, July 25th at 7:00pm
(Directed by Seiji Chiba, 2010, 82min, Digital, English Subtitles)
**Plays with film short, Escape From Death Planet, directed by James Cadden.
Alien vs Ninja is a visual orgy of action, blood, limbs, internal organs, more action, some chat, more blood, stamped heads, explosions, more limbs, more action and really, really scary looking aliens. Alien vs Ninja is funny and there are action scenes that will put a smile on your face but of course there’s also sensational gore and minced body parts alongside buckets of entrails flying in the sky. Film contains explicit content, adults only.
Death Kappa , July 29th at 5:00pm
(Directed by Tomo’o Haraguchi, 2010, 90min, Digital, English Subtitles)
Death Kappa takes a modern look at one of the more infamous Japanese Yokai creatures, the Kappa, and elevates it to Godzilla-like proportions and city stomping shenanigans. Death Kappa is an extraordinary film and audiences won’t be surprised to learn that some of the talent behind the recent Godzilla films worked on Death Kappa as well. A nod of the hat to the monster lizard and a beautifully crafted effort that puts the rampage of the Death Kappa firmly on the map!
Mutant Girls Squad, July 29th at 7:00pm
(Directed by Noboru Iguchi, Yoshinori Chiba and Yoshihiro Nishimura, 2010, 90min, Digital, English Subtitles)
The Mutant Girls Squad does ongoing battle with the sinister Ministry of Defense. These black clad evildoers wear black ‘tengu’ devil masks that have long protruding noses which aren’t just for show. They are actually machine gun noses and a deliver a ballet of bullets for each scene they enter. This film delivers all the bizarre effects and humor and blood-spurting goodness viewers can handle and possibly a bit more. Film contains explicit content, adults only.
VIZ Cinema is the nation’s only movie theatre devoted exclusively to Japanese film and anime. The 143-seat subterranean theatre is located in the basement of the NEW PEOPLE building and features plush seating, digital as well as 35mm projection, and a THX®-certified sound system.
VIZ CINEMA CONTINUES TO SPOTLIGHT ICONIC JAPANESE DIRECTORS IN JUNE WITH SCREENINGS OF CELEBRATED FILMS BY YASUJIRO OZU
June 3, 2010 by J!-ENT · Leave a Comment
Four Classic Films By Influential Director Include Tokyo Story, Early Spring, The Only Son And Record Of A Tenement Gentleman
San Francisco, CA, June 3, 2010 – VIZ Cinema and NEW PEOPLE continue to celebrate iconic Japanese filmmakers throughout June with the Untold Legends series and announce four films by director Yasujiro Ozu that will screen at the theatre between Saturday, June 12th and Thursday, June 17th. The series will continue with four films by director Kenji Mizoguchi set to screen Saturday, June 19th – Thursday, June 24th.
Yasujiro Ozu is one of the most influential film directors of the 20th Century and his Tokyo Story is consistently is ranked among the Top 10 films of all time. From Jean-Luc Godard to Wim Wenders to Aki Kaurismäki, many of cinema’s most acclaimed filmmakers have been deeply influenced by Ozu. VIZ Cinema proudly presents his four masterpieces – Tokyo Story, The Only Son, Record of a Tenement Gentleman, and Early Spring – in precious 35mm with English subtitles.
Tickets, screening times and more details are available at: www.vizcinema.com.
Tokyo Story, June 12th – 14th and also June 17th
(1953, 136min, 35mm, with English Subtitles)
Tokyo Story follows an aging couple, Tomi and Sukichi, on their journey from their rural village to visit their two married children in bustling, postwar Tokyo. Their reception is disappointing. Too busy to entertain them, their children send them off to a health spa. After Tomi falls ill she and Sukichi return home, while the children, grief-stricken, hasten to be with her. From a simple tale unfolds one of the greatest of all Japanese films it depicts generational conflict in a way that is quintessentially Japanese and yet so universal that it continues to resonate as one of cinema’s greatest masterpieces.
The Only Son, June 13th – 14th and also June 16th
(1936, 82min, 35mm, with English Subtitles)
Yasujiro Ozu’s first talkie, the uncommonly poignant The Only Son is among the Japanese director’s greatest works. In its simple story about a good-natured mother who gives up everything to ensure her son’s education and future, Ozu touches on universal themes of sacrifice, family, love, and disappointment. Spanning many years, The Only Son is a family portrait in miniature, shot and edited with its Ozu’s customary exquisite control.
Record of A Tenement Gentleman, June 13th, June 15th and also June 17th
(1947, 72min, 35mm, with English Subtitles)
A man finds a lost boy in a war-torn village and brings him to his tenement. He tries to find someone to take care for him but no-one accepts the responsibility. The child eventually ends up with a sour widow Tané despite her refusal.
Early Spring, June 12th – 13th and June 15th – 16th
(1956, 144min, 35mm, with English Subtitles)
In his first film after the commercial and critical success of Tokyo Story, Ozu examines life in postwar Japan through the eyes of a young salaryman who, dissatisfied with career and marriage, begins an affair with a flirtatious co-worker.
VIZ Cinema is the nation’s only movie theatre devoted exclusively to Japanese film and anime. The 143-seat subterranean theatre is located in the basement of the NEW PEOPLE building and features plush seating, digital as well as 35mm projection, and a THX®-certified sound system.
NEW PEOPLE offers the latest films, art, fashion and retail brands from Japan and is the creative vision of the J-Pop Center Project and VIZ Pictures, a distributor and producer of Japanese live action film. Located at 1746 Post Street, the 20,000 square foot structure features a striking 3-floor transparent glass façade that frames a fun and exotic new environment to engage the imagination into the 21st Century. A dedicated web site is also now available at: www.NewPeopleWorld.com.
SEX & POP CULTURE IN JAPANESE FILM DISCUSSED AT TOKYOSCOPE TALK ON 6/11 AT VIZ CINEMA
June 3, 2010 by J!-ENT · Leave a Comment
JAPANESE SEX CINEMA COMES TO SAN FRANCISCO
TAKE A WALK ON THE WILD SIDE AT VIZ CINEMA IN TOKYOSCOPE TALK: HOT TEARS OF SHAME
Latest Installment Of Lively Discussion Series Explores Sex In Japanese Film
San Francisco, CA, June 3, 2010 – The hot and salacious side of Japanese pop culture comes to VIZ Cinema in TokyoScope Talk Vol. 4: Hot Tears of Shame on Friday, June 11th at 7:00pm. Join host Patrick Macias, Editor-in-Chief of Otaku USA magazine, and his special guest, Tomohiro Machiyama, the founder of Japan’s Movie Treasures magazine, as they sift through the wreckage of filmic genres such as “Roman Porno”, “Pinky Violence”, and scandalous school girls in search of the most mind-blowing films ever to emerge from the Land of the Rising Sun!
Adults only (18+); General admission tickets are $10.00. More details and advance tickets available at: www.newpeopleworld.com/films
“From naughty hot spring geisha, to S&M-addicted salarymen, to the latest bizarre innovations in adult video, this pulse-pounding presentation will give an entirely new perspective to ‘getting it on’ in Japanese film,” says Macias. “We’re planning a trip across the more bawdy sides of Japanese pop culture including memorable moments from such tarnished classics as Zero Woman, Secret Acts Within Four Walls, Watcher in the Attic, and many more. We invite the vanilla and the kinky alike to enjoy this fun and sexy evening!”
VIZ Cinema is the nation’s first movie theatre devoted exclusively to Japanese film and anime. The 143-seat subterranean theatre is located in the basement of the NEW PEOPLE building and features plush seating, digital as well as 35mm projection, and a THX®-certified sound system.
