Highbrow Magazine - japanese films https://www.highbrowmagazine.com/japanese-films en ‘Missing’ Is a Brilliant, Dark Story About Mystery and Death https://www.highbrowmagazine.com/21920-missing-brilliant-dark-story-about-mystery-and-death <div class="field field-name-field-cat field-type-taxonomy-term-reference field-label-hidden"><div class="field-items"><div class="field-item even"><a href="/film-tv" typeof="skos:Concept" property="rdfs:label skos:prefLabel" datatype="">Film &amp; TV</a></div></div></div><span class="submitted-by">Submitted by tara on Mon, 11/07/2022 - 16:16</span><div class="field field-name-field-image field-type-image field-label-hidden"><div class="field-items"><div class="field-item even" rel="og:image rdfs:seeAlso" resource="https://www.highbrowmagazine.com/sites/default/files/styles/large/public/field/image/1missingfilm.jpg?itok=Zvyu6ul9"><img typeof="foaf:Image" src="https://www.highbrowmagazine.com/sites/default/files/styles/large/public/field/image/1missingfilm.jpg?itok=Zvyu6ul9" width="480" height="320" alt="" /></div></div></div><div class="field field-name-body field-type-text-with-summary field-label-hidden"><div class="field-items"><div class="field-item even" property="content:encoded"><p> </p> <p><span style="font-size:18px"><span style="font-family:Times New Roman,Times,serif">Watching foreign films is an interesting experience because it shows how other cultures handle different genres. From Italian-made westerns to Chinese action thrillers, these movies offer bold, refreshing takes on what could be a tired formula. </span></span></p> <p> </p> <p><span style="font-size:18px"><span style="font-family:Times New Roman,Times,serif"><em>Missing</em> is a fascinating Japanese mystery movie that stands out due to its intriguing twists and turns, and dark plot. By the end of the film, I was left feeling a strange mix of emotions and I was completely engrossed in the interesting story.</span></span></p> <p> </p> <p><span style="font-size:18px"><span style="font-family:Times New Roman,Times,serif">Santoshi is a newly widowed father going through depression and dealing with debt as he tries to keep his daughter Kaede happy and in school. After telling his daughter that he plans to track down a serial killer for the reward money, Santoshi vanishes, leaving Kaede to investigate what happened to him. The first quarter of the movie has an almost lighthearted tone as Kaede does her best to find leads on her father’s whereabouts, but things get dark quickly after she has a confrontation with the serial killer. <em>Missing</em> handles its premise well and offers twists that were surprising without undermining the plot.</span></span></p> <p> </p> <p><img alt="" src="https://www.highbrowmagazine.com/sites/default/files/2missingfilm.jpg" style="height:650px; width:439px" typeof="foaf:Image" /></p> <p><span style="font-size:18px"><span style="font-family:Times New Roman,Times,serif">One minor flaw in the first half of the movie is that Kaede’s classmate joins her in tracking down her dad, but his character doesn’t really add much to the storyline. The three most important characters are Santoshi, Kaede, and the serial killer, and while they’re all portrayed very well with solid acting, there’s a lack of interesting side characters to help move things along. </span></span></p> <p> </p> <p><span style="font-size:18px"><span style="font-family:Times New Roman,Times,serif">Once the twists ramp up around halfway through the movie, viewers will start to wonder where the plot will end up. Seeing events from different perspectives creates lingering questions that are eventually answered, and I like how the movie’s ending wrapped things up while also leaving a bittersweet feeling that Western movies rarely achieve. </span></span></p> <p> </p> <p><img alt="" src="https://www.highbrowmagazine.com/sites/default/files/3missingfilm.jpg" style="height:439px; width:658px" typeof="foaf:Image" /></p> <p><span style="font-size:18px"><span style="font-family:Times New Roman,Times,serif">The film ends up feeling dark and depressing after a while, but it does not push things to a gratuitous degree. <em>Missing</em> doesn’t want to revel in how depraved or depressing its plot is, but to juxtapose it with normal life and happiness --  and that’s what makes this film so effective. Kaede’s character becomes a lone light in a dark story, and the film’s ending reflects this perfectly.</span></span></p> <p> </p> <p><span style="font-size:18px"><span style="font-family:Times New Roman,Times,serif">Foreign films usually offer a unique perspective, and the best ones show why experiencing stories from outside our usual bubble is worthwhile. <em>Missing</em> is a mystery-drama that doesn’t betray its own plot and characters with needless twists or supernatural elements, and the end result is one of the best mystery movies I’ve seen in a long time.</span></span></p> <p> </p> <p><em><span style="font-family:Times New Roman,Times,serif"><span style="font-size:18px"><strong>The film will also be on VOD on all major platforms in the US and Canada on November 18 and on Blu-ray on December 6.</strong></span></span></em></p> <p> </p> <p><span style="font-size:18px"><span style="font-family:Times New Roman,Times,serif"><strong>Author Bio:</strong></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:18px"><span style="font-family:Times New Roman,Times,serif"><strong><em>Ulises Duenas is a senior writer at</em> Highbrow Magazine.</strong></span></span></p> <p> </p> <p><span style="font-size:18px"><span style="font-family:Times New Roman,Times,serif"><strong>For Highbrow Magazine</strong></span></span></p> <p> </p> </div></div></div><div class="field field-name-field-tags field-type-taxonomy-term-reference field-label-above"><div class="field-label">Tags:&nbsp;</div><div class="field-items"><div class="field-item even" rel="dc:subject"><a href="/missing" typeof="skos:Concept" property="rdfs:label skos:prefLabel" datatype="">missing</a></div><div class="field-item odd" rel="dc:subject"><a href="/japanese-films" typeof="skos:Concept" property="rdfs:label skos:prefLabel" datatype="">japanese films</a></div><div class="field-item even" rel="dc:subject"><a href="/mystery-movies" typeof="skos:Concept" property="rdfs:label skos:prefLabel" datatype="">mystery movies</a></div><div class="field-item odd" rel="dc:subject"><a href="/movies-about-death" typeof="skos:Concept" property="rdfs:label skos:prefLabel" datatype="">movies about death</a></div><div class="field-item even" rel="dc:subject"><a href="/foreign-films" typeof="skos:Concept" property="rdfs:label skos:prefLabel" datatype="">foreign films</a></div><div class="field-item odd" rel="dc:subject"><a href="/new-films" typeof="skos:Concept" property="rdfs:label skos:prefLabel" datatype="">new films</a></div></div></div><div class="field field-name-field-author field-type-text field-label-hidden"><div class="field-items"><div class="field-item even">Ulises Duenas</div></div></div><div class="field field-name-field-pop field-type-list-boolean field-label-above"><div class="field-label">Popular:&nbsp;</div><div class="field-items"><div class="field-item even">not popular</div></div></div><div class="field field-name-field-bot field-type-list-boolean field-label-above"><div class="field-label">Bottom Slider:&nbsp;</div><div class="field-items"><div class="field-item even">In Slider</div></div></div><div class="field field-name-field-videos field-type-video-embed-field field-label-hidden"><div class="field-items"><div class="field-item even"> <div class="embedded-video"> <div class="player"> <iframe class="" width="640" height="360" src="//www.youtube.com/embed/rbcLFX66I_I?width%3D640%26amp%3Bheight%3D360%26amp%3Bautoplay%3D0%26amp%3Bvq%3Dlarge%26amp%3Brel%3D0%26amp%3Bcontrols%3D1%26amp%3Bautohide%3D2%26amp%3Bshowinfo%3D1%26amp%3Bmodestbranding%3D0%26amp%3Btheme%3Ddark%26amp%3Biv_load_policy%3D1%26amp%3Bwmode%3Dopaque" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe> </div> </div> </div></div></div> Mon, 07 Nov 2022 21:16:27 +0000 tara 11439 at https://www.highbrowmagazine.com https://www.highbrowmagazine.com/21920-missing-brilliant-dark-story-about-mystery-and-death#comments How South Korea, Japan, and Other Countries Came to Dominate the Pop Culture Landscape https://www.highbrowmagazine.com/19773-how-south-korea-japan-and-other-countries-came-dominate-pop-culture-landscape <div class="field field-name-field-cat field-type-taxonomy-term-reference field-label-hidden"><div class="field-items"><div class="field-item even"><a href="/media" typeof="skos:Concept" property="rdfs:label skos:prefLabel" datatype="">Media</a></div></div></div><span class="submitted-by">Submitted by tara on Fri, 04/22/2022 - 10:27</span><div class="field field-name-field-image field-type-image field-label-hidden"><div class="field-items"><div class="field-item even" rel="og:image rdfs:seeAlso" resource="https://www.highbrowmagazine.com/sites/default/files/styles/large/public/field/image/1foreignmedia.jpg?itok=rFdpKh1i"><img typeof="foaf:Image" src="https://www.highbrowmagazine.com/sites/default/files/styles/large/public/field/image/1foreignmedia.jpg?itok=rFdpKh1i" width="480" height="320" alt="" /></div></div></div><div class="field field-name-body field-type-text-with-summary field-label-hidden"><div class="field-items"><div class="field-item even" property="content:encoded"><p> </p> <p><span style="font-size:18px"><span style="font-family:Times New Roman,Times,serif">Hollywood is the center of the entertainment universe. The majority of the world’s most popular television, film, and music is created in one city in California, but the content produced is enjoyed worldwide. </span></span></p> <p> </p> <p><span style="font-size:18px"><span style="font-family:Times New Roman,Times,serif">Americans are spoiled when it comes to media – the majority of the media content that is out there is made first and foremost for English-speaking/ American audiences. Media created in foreign countries doesn’t often push its way onto the global stage of pop culture on the same scale as Western productions.</span></span></p> <p> </p> <p><span style="font-size:18px"><span style="font-family:Times New Roman,Times,serif">However, the past several years have shown some interesting foreign media gaining viral and international recognition, trumping even the blockbuster films annually broadcast around the world.</span></span></p> <p> </p> <p><img alt="" src="https://www.highbrowmagazine.com/sites/default/files/2foreignmedia_pixabay.jpg" style="height:607px; width:417px" typeof="foaf:Image" /></p> <p> </p> <p><span style="font-size:18px"><span style="font-family:Times New Roman,Times,serif">The most notable example of this is Netflix’s original series <em>Squid Game</em>. For the unacquainted, <em>Squid Game</em> is a South Korean thriller series released as a Netflix exclusive show in September 2021. The show was an instant hit, with <a href="https://www.cnet.com/tech/services-and-software/netflix-biggest-shows-and-movies-ranked-according-to-netflix/" style="color:blue; text-decoration:underline" target="_blank">Netflix statistics indicating within the first 28 days of its release that Netflix users had collectively watched the show for 1.65 billion hours, making it the channel’s most watched show</a>. The show was all over the internet, sparking memes and discussion over its dark themes.</span></span></p> <p> </p> <p><span style="font-size:18px"><span style="font-family:Times New Roman,Times,serif">It’s hard to recall such a cultural phenomenon. With media becoming more and more diverse and plentiful, and split up between so many different platforms, it’s easy to miss out on some of the most popular shows. I’m too young to remember the day when there wasn’t an almost infinite span of film and TV at my fingertips, but if office satires are anything to go by, there was once a day when network TV ruled, and people would talk about popular television shows by the watercooler. </span></span></p> <p> </p> <p><span style="font-size:18px"><span style="font-family:Times New Roman,Times,serif">But I digress, the point is it is impressive that any TV show achieves that level of cultural relevance now,  and it’s made all the more interesting by the fact that one of the most notable shows to achieve this reign is foreign. However, <em>Squid Game</em> isn’t the only popular foreign show on Netflix; <a href="https://www.cnet.com/tech/services-and-software/netflix-biggest-shows-and-movies-ranked-according-to-netflix/" style="color:blue; text-decoration:underline" target="_blank">in fact, number three on the same list was the Spanish crime drama <em>Money Heist</em>”</a>. A number of the noteworthy shows listed in Netflix’s statistics are foreign, <em>Lupin</em> (French), <em>Who Killed Sarah</em> (Mexican), and <em>Queen of Flow</em> (Colombian). </span></span></p> <p> </p> <p><img alt="" src="https://www.highbrowmagazine.com/sites/default/files/3foreignmedia.jpg" style="height:600px; width:405px" typeof="foaf:Image" /></p> <p> </p> <p><span style="font-size:18px"><span style="font-family:Times New Roman,Times,serif">It’s not as if foreign TV shows have suddenly sprung up in the U.S. Japanese anime has a long history of viewership in the U.S. However, anime is also growing in leaps and bounds. Netflix has started purchasing anime to be released as <em>Netflix Originals</em> with the anime adaptation of <em>Jojo’s Bizarre Adventure’s 6th</em> part <em>Stone Ocean</em>, <em>Komi Can’t Communicate</em> and countless other anime that are being released in Japan and the U.S simultaneously. </span></span></p> <p> </p> <p><span style="font-size:18px"><span style="font-family:Times New Roman,Times,serif">Japanese media often has staggered releases, with Western localizations of anime, manga, and games sometimes coming years after their initial Japanese debut. <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TBsd7d215fs" style="color:blue; text-decoration:underline" target="_blank">Netflix’s 2020 year in review video </a>stated there was 100% growth in anime viewership on the platform.</span></span></p> <p> </p> <p><span style="font-size:18px"><span style="font-family:Times New Roman,Times,serif">There is an increasing Western market for foreign media, and Asian media in particular is doing exceptionally well. <a href="https://www.comicsbeat.com/report-graphic-novel-sales-were-up-65-in-2021/" style="color:blue; text-decoration:underline" target="_blank">Manga (Japanese graphic novels) not only outsold but dominated the comic and graphic novel market in 2021, holding over three-quarters of the market share -- with traditional superhero graphic novels and comics taking under 6.5%. </a></span></span></p> <p> </p> <p><span style="font-size:18px"><span style="font-family:Times New Roman,Times,serif">While the Avengers may have defeated Thanos, it seems their next fight is to maintain relevance against <em>Demon Slayer’s</em> Tanjiro, and <em>Jujutsu Kaisen’s</em> Yuji.</span></span></p> <p> </p> <p><img alt="" src="https://www.highbrowmagazine.com/sites/default/files/4foreignmedia_koreadotnet.jpg" style="height:327px; width:603px" typeof="foaf:Image" /></p> <p> </p> <p><span style="font-size:18px"><span style="font-family:Times New Roman,Times,serif">South Korea is also making strides into the American media landscape. Aside from the Korean dramas that have been making their way onto Netflix, Korean Pop music has also been gaining popularity among American audiences.</span></span></p> <p> </p> <p><span style="font-size:18px"><span style="font-family:Times New Roman,Times,serif">BTS is the 7-man Korean group with the most international name recognition. The closest Western equivalent to BTS and K-Pop groups would be the boy bands of the 1990s. Like the Backstreet Boys and N-Sync, groups like BTS have high-production-value shows, with lots of complicated choreography, and are built around the personalities of the performers who are all primarily singers and dancers. </span></span></p> <p> </p> <p><span style="font-size:18px"><span style="font-family:Times New Roman,Times,serif"><a href="https://www.forbes.com/sites/bryanrolli/2018/08/17/bts-sell-out-first-u-s-stadium-show-in-minutes/?sh=4c379756413c" style="color:blue; text-decoration:underline" target="_blank">Back in 2018</a><u>,</u> BTS became the first Korean group to have an album top the Billboard 200, and a song from the same year, “Fake Love,” debuted at number 10 on the Billboard Hot 100. For something more recent, a set of<a href="https://www.8newsnow.com/news/local-news/bts-sells-out-4-las-vegas-shows-before-public-sale/" style="color:blue; text-decoration:underline" target="_blank"> four concerts set in Las Vegas in April </a>sold out before tickets were open to purchase for the general public. </span></span></p> <p> </p> <p><img alt="" src="https://www.highbrowmagazine.com/sites/default/files/5foreignmedia.jpg" style="height:400px; width:600px" typeof="foaf:Image" /></p> <p> </p> <p><span style="font-size:18px"><span style="font-family:Times New Roman,Times,serif">The tickets for all 65,000 seats of Allegiant Stadium were bought up by members of the BTS Global Official Fanclub ARMY. <a href="https://www.usbtsarmy.com/tutorials/bts-global-official-fanclub" style="color:blue; text-decoration:underline" target="_blank">Members of this group pay a yearly fee</a> for opportunities to get early access to content, purchase exclusive merchandise, and can apply to attend exclusive BTS events, just to name a few of the perks listed on their website.</span></span></p> <p> </p> <p><span style="font-size:18px"><span style="font-family:Times New Roman,Times,serif">While K-Pop and anime are all the rage, it is important to include the critical success of foreign films of late. In 2020 the Korean film <em>Parasite</em> became the first foreign-language film to win the Best Picture award at the Oscars. This year, the Japanese film <em>Drive My Car</em> has been nominated for the prestigious award.</span></span></p> <p> </p> <p><span style="font-size:18px"><span style="font-family:Times New Roman,Times,serif">The growth of foreign media’s popularity poses many interesting questions as to the future shape of media in the U.S. and worldwide. While platforms like Netflix seem content to purchase and serve as a distributor for foreign content, how will American media producers, especially in fields in which they are lagging behind foreigners, try to appeal to domestic audiences? How will questions of media representation be perceived with art created in different nations and different local contexts? How will Western fandoms of foreign works play into accusations of cultural appropriation, insensitivity, and other controversial topics regarding race and culture exceptionally relevant in Western nations? </span></span></p> <p> </p> <p><span style="font-size:18px"><span style="font-family:Times New Roman,Times,serif">Perhaps the dispersion of culture this way will contribute to the erosion of national borders in our increasingly connected world, helping to, as the internet started, form a true global community. Exactly how the media landscape of tomorrow will unfold before us remains to be seen. In the meantime, the increasing access to and popularity of new storytelling – both foreign and domestic --  is an exciting prospect for media consumers.  </span></span></p> <p> </p> <p><span style="font-size:18px"><span style="font-family:Times New Roman,Times,serif"><strong>Author Bio:</strong></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:18px"><span style="font-family:Times New Roman,Times,serif"><strong><em>Garrett Hartman is a contributing writer at </em>Highbrow Magazine<em>. He is a California State University, Chico, student double-majoring in media arts design technology and Journalism/PR. A lover of pop culture, Garret enjoys a wide array of film, television, video games, and literature. However, as a drummer in a rock band and an alt-rock enthusiast, music holds a special place in his heart.</em></strong></span></span></p> <p> </p> <p><span style="font-size:18px"><span style="font-family:Times New Roman,Times,serif"><strong>For Highbrow Magazine</strong></span></span></p> <p> </p> <p><span style="font-size:18px"><span style="font-family:Times New Roman,Times,serif"><strong>Image Sources:</strong></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:18px"><span style="font-family:Times New Roman,Times,serif"><em>--<a href="https://pixabay.com/illustrations/character-anime-manga-cartoon-5615466/" style="color:blue; text-decoration:underline">Pixabay</a> (Creative Commons)</em></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:18px"><span style="font-family:Times New Roman,Times,serif"><em>--Korea.net (<a href="https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Korea_KPOP_World_Festival_13.jpg" style="color:blue; text-decoration:underline">Korean Culture and Information Service</a>, Wikimedia, Creative Commons)</em></span></span></p> <p> </p> <p> </p> </div></div></div><div class="field field-name-field-tags field-type-taxonomy-term-reference field-label-above"><div class="field-label">Tags:&nbsp;</div><div class="field-items"><div class="field-item even" rel="dc:subject"><a href="/squid-game" typeof="skos:Concept" property="rdfs:label skos:prefLabel" datatype="">squid game</a></div><div class="field-item odd" rel="dc:subject"><a href="/foreign-films" typeof="skos:Concept" property="rdfs:label skos:prefLabel" datatype="">foreign films</a></div><div class="field-item even" rel="dc:subject"><a href="/drive-my-car" typeof="skos:Concept" property="rdfs:label skos:prefLabel" datatype="">drive my car</a></div><div class="field-item odd" rel="dc:subject"><a href="/anime" typeof="skos:Concept" property="rdfs:label skos:prefLabel" datatype="">anime</a></div><div class="field-item even" rel="dc:subject"><a href="/manga" typeof="skos:Concept" property="rdfs:label skos:prefLabel" datatype="">manga</a></div><div class="field-item odd" rel="dc:subject"><a href="/money-heist" typeof="skos:Concept" property="rdfs:label skos:prefLabel" datatype="">money heist</a></div><div class="field-item even" rel="dc:subject"><a href="/tv-shows" typeof="skos:Concept" property="rdfs:label skos:prefLabel" datatype="">tv shows</a></div><div class="field-item odd" rel="dc:subject"><a href="/films" typeof="skos:Concept" property="rdfs:label skos:prefLabel" datatype="">films</a></div><div class="field-item even" rel="dc:subject"><a href="/pop-culture" typeof="skos:Concept" property="rdfs:label skos:prefLabel" datatype="">pop culture</a></div><div class="field-item odd" rel="dc:subject"><a href="/korean-films" typeof="skos:Concept" property="rdfs:label skos:prefLabel" datatype="">korean films</a></div><div class="field-item even" rel="dc:subject"><a href="/japanese-films" typeof="skos:Concept" property="rdfs:label skos:prefLabel" datatype="">japanese films</a></div><div class="field-item odd" rel="dc:subject"><a href="/media" typeof="skos:Concept" property="rdfs:label skos:prefLabel" datatype="">Media</a></div><div class="field-item even" rel="dc:subject"><a href="/streaming-movies" typeof="skos:Concept" property="rdfs:label skos:prefLabel" datatype="">streaming movies</a></div></div></div><div class="field field-name-field-author field-type-text field-label-hidden"><div class="field-items"><div class="field-item even">Garrett Hartman</div></div></div><div class="field field-name-field-pop field-type-list-boolean field-label-above"><div class="field-label">Popular:&nbsp;</div><div class="field-items"><div class="field-item even">not popular</div></div></div><div class="field field-name-field-bot field-type-list-boolean field-label-above"><div class="field-label">Bottom Slider:&nbsp;</div><div class="field-items"><div class="field-item even">In Slider</div></div></div> Fri, 22 Apr 2022 14:27:11 +0000 tara 11058 at https://www.highbrowmagazine.com https://www.highbrowmagazine.com/19773-how-south-korea-japan-and-other-countries-came-dominate-pop-culture-landscape#comments Pinky Violence: Shock, Awe, and Liberation in Japanese Exploitation Films https://www.highbrowmagazine.com/12407-pinky-violence-shock-awe-and-liberation-japanese-exploitation-films <div class="field field-name-field-cat field-type-taxonomy-term-reference field-label-hidden"><div class="field-items"><div class="field-item even"><a href="/photography-art" typeof="skos:Concept" property="rdfs:label skos:prefLabel" datatype="">Photography &amp; Art</a></div></div></div><span class="submitted-by">Submitted by tara on Wed, 07/21/2021 - 12:38</span><div class="field field-name-field-image field-type-image field-label-hidden"><div class="field-items"><div class="field-item even" rel="og:image rdfs:seeAlso" resource="https://www.highbrowmagazine.com/sites/default/files/styles/large/public/field/image/1japanposters.jpg?itok=J5Y_uWBe"><img typeof="foaf:Image" src="https://www.highbrowmagazine.com/sites/default/files/styles/large/public/field/image/1japanposters.jpg?itok=J5Y_uWBe" width="480" height="480" alt="" /></div></div></div><div class="field field-name-body field-type-text-with-summary field-label-hidden"><div class="field-items"><div class="field-item even" property="content:encoded"><p> </p> <p><span style="font-size:18px"><span style="font-family:Times New Roman,Times,serif">The Toei-produced, female-driven, action/exploitation films known as “Pinky Violence”  reached their crescendo in the late 1970s – and are almost single-handedly responsible for the first wave of Japanese feminism.<strong> </strong><br /> <br /> Looking at the key-art on these posters can be deceiving, and that was the point. A handful of Japanese writers, directors, and stars dedicated almost a decade to producing films with badass ladies as the leads, frequently with overt messages of empowerment. </span></span></p> <p> </p> <p><img alt="" src="https://www.highbrowmagazine.com/sites/default/files/2japanposters.jpg" style="height:600px; width:600px" typeof="foaf:Image" /></p> <p> </p> <p><span style="font-size:18px"><span style="font-family:Times New Roman,Times,serif">By using nudity as a draw for male viewers, they were able to subvert the culture away from the chauvinism and misogyny that ruled the day and change the expectations that saddled all young women.  </span></span></p> <p> </p> <p><span style="font-size:18px"><span style="font-family:Times New Roman,Times,serif">These tastemakers had seen the political power of pinku eiga (“pink films”), which were a category of erotic films ranging from sensual to explicit that had ushered in an era of sexual liberation just a few years earlier. Those films played primarily in the Japanese equivalent of Red Light Districts with an occasional Art House run. </span></span></p> <p> </p> <p><img alt="" src="https://www.highbrowmagazine.com/sites/default/files/3japanposters.jpg" style="height:600px; width:600px" typeof="foaf:Image" /></p> <p> </p> <p><span style="font-size:18px"><span style="font-family:Times New Roman,Times,serif">But the <strong>Pinky Violence</strong> films combined the sensibilities of <strong>Shōhei Imamura</strong> and <strong>Russ Meyer</strong> to produce a commercially salacious product steeped in social responsibility that could play in most neighborhood theaters.  They often played as the 2nd feature in back of a Toei gangster film, which exposed them to a much wider (and more general) audience. Some of the same actors might appear in both films on those double-bills, which included <strong>Ken Takakura</strong>, <strong>Bunta Sagawara</strong>, and <strong>Sonny Chiba</strong>. </span></span></p> <p> </p> <p><span style="font-size:18px"><span style="font-family:Times New Roman,Times,serif">To some Western viewers, it must shocking to see nudity on a movie poster, but there is no such taboo associated with nudity in many other cultures. Italian, French, and German movie posters, as well as those advertising films in post-Franco Spain, have promoted nudity on their key-art, but almost none as brazenly as the Japanese. </span></span></p> <p> </p> <p><img alt="" src="https://www.highbrowmagazine.com/sites/default/files/4japanposters.jpg" style="height:600px; width:600px" typeof="foaf:Image" /></p> <p> </p> <p><span style="font-size:18px"><span style="font-family:Times New Roman,Times,serif">And to be fair: These films are still considered exploitation films in the same sense that most 1980s  horror and comedy films from the U.S. can also be categorized as exploitation. They have nudity, violence, and sometimes even torture and bondage, but what separates the Toei films from their lesser  competitors are the victories achieved by the protagonists – often against incredible adversity, and invariably with a social message.<br />  </span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:18px"><span style="font-family:Times New Roman,Times,serif"><strong><u>About this collection:</u></strong><br /> <strong>Gallery 30 South</strong> owner <strong>Matt Kennedy</strong> was the founder of <em>Panik House Entertainment</em>, which was the first company dedicated to the remastering and release of these films in the United States. </span></span></p> <p> </p> <p><img alt="" src="https://www.highbrowmagazine.com/sites/default/files/5japanposter.jpg" style="height:600px; width:600px" typeof="foaf:Image" /></p> <p> </p> <p><span style="font-size:18px"><span style="font-family:Times New Roman,Times,serif">Back in the early 2000s, most of the key art for these films was missing from the Toei vaults, and Kennedy had to contact private collectors all over Japan to source them. He amassed one of the largest and most thorough collections of posters and ephemera dedicated to this niche. </span></span></p> <p> </p> <p><span style="font-size:18px"><span style="font-family:Times New Roman,Times,serif">The first Panik House titles were released on July 2, 2005, providing an anniversary of sorts for this exhibition. The first <em>Art of Pinky Violence</em> exhibition was held in November 2009, and showcased 16 artworks. This exhibition features almost 50 items, most of which are linen-backed original release movie posters. Linen-backing is a museum-recommended archival preservation process that gives the absolute best presentation to the artwork and significantly increases the value.</span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:18px"><span style="font-family:Times New Roman,Times,serif"> <br /> <strong><em>For more information about this exhibit, visit <a href="https://gallery30south.com/pinky-violence/" style="color:blue; text-decoration:underline">Gallery 30 South</a></em></strong>.</span></span></p> <p> </p> <p><span style="font-size:18px"><span style="font-family:Times New Roman,Times,serif"><strong>Highbrow Magazine</strong></span></span></p> </div></div></div><div class="field field-name-field-tags field-type-taxonomy-term-reference field-label-above"><div class="field-label">Tags:&nbsp;</div><div class="field-items"><div class="field-item even" rel="dc:subject"><a href="/pinky-violence" typeof="skos:Concept" property="rdfs:label skos:prefLabel" datatype="">pinky violence</a></div><div class="field-item odd" rel="dc:subject"><a href="/japanese-films" typeof="skos:Concept" property="rdfs:label skos:prefLabel" datatype="">japanese films</a></div><div class="field-item even" rel="dc:subject"><a href="/japanese-exploitation-films" typeof="skos:Concept" property="rdfs:label skos:prefLabel" datatype="">japanese exploitation films</a></div><div class="field-item odd" rel="dc:subject"><a href="/exploitation" typeof="skos:Concept" property="rdfs:label skos:prefLabel" datatype="">exploitation</a></div><div class="field-item even" rel="dc:subject"><a href="/gallery-30-south" typeof="skos:Concept" property="rdfs:label skos:prefLabel" datatype="">Gallery 30 South</a></div><div class="field-item odd" rel="dc:subject"><a href="/feminism" typeof="skos:Concept" property="rdfs:label skos:prefLabel" datatype="">feminism</a></div><div class="field-item even" rel="dc:subject"><a href="/violent-films" typeof="skos:Concept" property="rdfs:label skos:prefLabel" datatype="">violent films</a></div><div class="field-item odd" rel="dc:subject"><a href="/japanese-cinema" typeof="skos:Concept" property="rdfs:label skos:prefLabel" datatype="">japanese cinema</a></div><div class="field-item even" rel="dc:subject"><a href="/posters" typeof="skos:Concept" property="rdfs:label skos:prefLabel" datatype="">posters</a></div><div class="field-item odd" rel="dc:subject"><a href="/collectible-posters" typeof="skos:Concept" property="rdfs:label skos:prefLabel" datatype="">collectible posters</a></div></div></div><div class="field field-name-field-author field-type-text field-label-hidden"><div class="field-items"><div class="field-item even">Matt Kennedy</div></div></div><div class="field field-name-field-pop field-type-list-boolean field-label-above"><div class="field-label">Popular:&nbsp;</div><div class="field-items"><div class="field-item even">not popular</div></div></div><div class="field field-name-field-photographer field-type-text field-label-above"><div class="field-label">Photographer:&nbsp;</div><div class="field-items"><div class="field-item even">All images courtesy of Gallery 30 South</div></div></div><div class="field field-name-field-bot field-type-list-boolean field-label-above"><div class="field-label">Bottom Slider:&nbsp;</div><div class="field-items"><div class="field-item even">Out Slider</div></div></div> Wed, 21 Jul 2021 16:38:21 +0000 tara 10521 at https://www.highbrowmagazine.com https://www.highbrowmagazine.com/12407-pinky-violence-shock-awe-and-liberation-japanese-exploitation-films#comments