ACF 1169: Thanks, Joe Shishido!

I interviewed Japanese actor Joe Shishido at Lincoln Center's Elinor Bunin Munroe Theater yesterday afternoon. He's in town this weekend for personal appearances at some screenings of Nikkatsu films in which he starred, such as Yasuharu Hasebe's Retaliation (1968), which was shown Saturday evening. It'll be shown again on October 13th, but Shishido won't be at that screening.

I'm going to make every effort to transcribe, edit and post the interview as soon as possible. In the meanwhile, I have to share the wonderful autograph he gave me on the cover of the booklet to my DVD of Youth of the Beast:

I kept referring to him as "Shishido-sama," using the highest honorific out of respect, and he kept telling me to call him "Joe." He's 77 years old (he'll be 78 this coming December 6th), still acting, and a wonderful person to sit and talk with.

Joe Shishido in Gate of Flesh

"Joe" (as he asked me to call him) will also be appearing in person at the screening of Seijun Suzuki's Gate of Flesh at 6:30 PM today. For info and to order tickets to that screening click here.

These screenings are part of Velvet Bullets and Steel Kisses: Celebrating the Nikkatsu Centennial, a Masterworks side-bar to the Film Society of Lincoln Center's annual New York Film Festival.

Film descriptions, schedule information, and ordering tickets for the Velvet Bullets film series here.

Information about the entire 49th NY Film Festival here.