BEYOND OZU: HIDDEN GEMS OF SHOCHIKU STUDIOS coming to The Museum of Modern Art

The Museum of Modern Art (MoMA)
Presents

Yoru no henrin (The Shape of Night). 1964. Japan. Directed by Noboru Nakamura. Courtesy Shochiku

Beyond Ozu: Hidden Gems of Shochiku Studios
When: June 10 - July 9, 2022
Where: The Museum of Modern Art
11 West 53 Street, NYC

Founded in 1920 by a pair of peanut vendors who hoped to achieve the commercial success of Hollywood, the Shochiku film studio adopted Western methods of filmmaking (a training institute, a star system, a studio campus) and made Western techniques of storytelling (closeups, flashbacks, panning shots, dissolves, montage editing) into something distinctively Japanese.

 

Thanks to the generosity of Shochiku, together with the National Film Archive of Japan and Japan Foundation, New York, MoMA will present a centennial selection of hidden treasures, most of them in archival 35mm prints, from the studio that produced such masterpieces as Yasujirō Ozu’s Tokyo Story, Keisuke Kinoshita’s Ballad of Narayama, Nagisa Oshima’s Cruel Story of Youth, and Masaki Kobayashi’s Harakiri.

 

This exhibition goes beyond these perennial favorites to deepen appreciation of the history of Japanese cinema, featuring newfound discoveries like Hiroshi Shimizu’s Eternal Heart (1929), Kôzaburô Yoshimura’s Temptation (1948), Tai Kato’s The Ondekoza (1981), and Kôhei Oguri’s The Sting of Death (1990).

 

The exhibition opens on June 10th with the North American premiere 4K restoration of Masahiro Shinoda’s Demon Pond (1979).

Complete series information and screening schedule is available here.

Subway Cinema's next SUNDAYS ON FIRE screening this Sunday, May 8th

Subway Cinema
Presents

Sundays On Fire
When: Sunday, May 8, 2022 at 12:00 pm
Where: Nitehawk Cinema
188 Prospect Park West, Brooklyn, NY

Tickets

The second Sunday of every month sees Subway Cinema take over the Nitehawk Cinema in Brooklyn to unleash an action classic from the golden days of Hong Kong movies. The titles are not revealed until they appear onscreen because it’s more fun that way but, believe that you'll be celebrating the biggest stars of the ‘80s and ‘90s in their best movies, all presented in glorious 35mm.

This Sunday’s movie redefines “celebrate.” Every Chinese New Year, Hong Kong’s biggest and most badass turn in their greatest movies and this is one of the most insane Chinese New Year movies ever made, a tornado of absolutely all the action stars, comedians, and stunt wizards in Hong Kong cinema rampaging through a movie from one of HK’s greatest action directors. It’s a bit of a western, a bit of an action movie, a bit of a comedy, but most of all it’s a delirious spectacle where the stunts and the fight scenes keep getting bigger…and bigger…and bigger until there isn’t a building left standing onscreen. If you ever wanted to be astonished, this is the movie that’ll astonish you until you explode.

GHOST IN THE SHELL kicks off Japan Society's new Monthy Anime series this Friday, April 15th

Japan Society NY
Presents

Ghost in the Shell / Kôkaku Kidôtai
Directed by Mamoru Oshii
With Atsuko Tanaka, Akio Otsuka, and Iemasa Kayumi
DCP, color, in Japanese with English Subtitles
Japan, 1995, 83 minutes

When: Friday, April 15 at 7:00 pm
Where: Japan Society NY
333 East 47th Street, NY, NY
Tickets: $15 / $5 members

Japan Society NY's new Monthly Anime series begins on Friday, April 15 at 7:00 pm with a screening of Mamoru Oshii's cyberpunk hit Ghost in the Shell. The series will explore the widely influential legacy of anime through in-person screenings of classic, underseen and contemporary visions from Japanese animation.

Mamoru Oshii’s groundbreaking classic conjures a startling vision of the future—a new age of global interconnectedness wherein neural pathways and information networks have become inextricably linked. Surveilling the sprawling technopolis of New Port City, Major Motoko Kusanagi, a cyborg officer specializing in cybercrime, hunts down a mysterious entity responsible for a series of ‘ghost-hackings’ that have infiltrated human hosts. Known only as the Puppet Master, the newly-surfaced threat leads Major to uncover a vast conspiracy—prompting her to question her own humanity and purpose of existence. 

Note that while the movie screens at 7:00 pm, there will be a pre-screening party at 6:00 pm with Japanese foods and snacks provided by Kikkoman. The first 10 people who take photos in costume with our supporter banner and tag Japan Society on social media will receive a dual membership to Japan Society.

For the health and safety of Japan Society staff and visitors, all audience members are asked to:

- Wear a mask that covers your nose and mouth at all times. Masks with vents/bandanas are not permitted. Respirator-style masks (N95, KN95, KF94, etc.) are encouraged.

- Bring proof of vaccination and photo ID with you. As of February 1, proof of a booster shot is required for anyone who is eligible, with a 4-week grace period after eligibility.

For more information, please review Japan Society's Visitor Policies and Safety Protocols.

THE CHERRY BUSHIDO coming to theaters Friday, March 11th

HS Productions
presents

The Cherry Bushido
Directed by Hiroshi Akabane
Japan, 2022, 125 minutes
Japanese with English Voiceover

 

The Japanese live action feature The Cherry Bushido will release theatrically in North American theaters on Friday, March 11th. Look for a review here at AsianCineFest the week of March 7th.

Synopsis:
Shizuka is a college student with a strong sense of justice and a patriotic spirit. She is looking for a job, but she is secretly wishing to take over the dojo owned by her father, Shingen. One day, Shizuka is scouted by an entertainment agency, but in fact, it was a non-profit organization which was run by a group called the "Japan Salvation Conference (JSC)." The head of JSC, Satoshi tells her about the divine revelation that Japan may face its extinction in the 21st century. Shizuka joins the JSC and after undergoing rigorous spiritual training under the guidance of Satoshi, Shizuka decides to go on a special mission to save Japan from its crisis. Shizuka and her pals leave their astral bodies and head for the spirit world to defeat the Great Demon of Hades, a demon with an aim to destroy Japan. Will they be able to save Japan?

Watch the official trailer here.

In-person screening of FEMALE PRISONER SCORPION: JAILHOUSE 41 at Japan Society NY on March 4th

Japan Society NY
presents

Female Prisoner Scorpion: Jailhouse 41
Directed by Shunja Ito
Starring: Meiko Kaji, Fumio Watanabe, Kayoko Shiraishi
Japan, 1972, 90 minutes

When: Friday, March 4, 2022 at 7:00pm
Where: Japan Society NY
333 East 47th Street, NYC
Map
Tickets: $15 / $5 members

To mark the 50th Anniversary of this landmark Japanese film, Japan Society NY will be offering a rare 35mm presentation of it at an in-person screening this coming Friday, March 4th at 7:00pm.

 

Best recognized outside of Japan for her role as the mesmerizing, katana-wielding Lady Snowblood, Meiko Kaji’s equally definitive portrayal of the fearless convict Sasori (Scorpion) initially cemented her status as an icon of 70s exploitation.

 

Synopsis:

After a year in solitary confinement in a vicious women’s prison, Sasori has taken on a mythic stature among the prisoners. Escaping with an uncouth band of inmates, she leads the group while the prison’s sadistic guards follow in hot pursuit. The second film in Toei’s Female Prisoner Scorpion series, Shunya Ito’s fever dream sequel is recognized as the series’ best entry, bolstered by avant-garde tinged visuals, delirious violence, a fuzzy guitar score and, of course, Meiko Kaji’s fierce, steely-eyed performance of rage and vengeance.

Please review Japan Society's safety protocols at the bottom of this page.