By Jasper Sharp
2009
Behind the Pink Curtain takes the reader on a wild joy ride deep into the hinterlands of Japanese culture, society and radical politics by way of the weird and wonderful world of the Pink Film and Roman Porno genres.
The book focuses on the art and industry of one of the most notorious sectors of Japanese filmmaking, the erotic Pink Film, or pinku eiga genre, and the closely related Roman Porno films produced by Nikkatsu studios from 1971 to 1988. A phenomenon distinct from the cheaply-produced hardcore Adult Video (AV) market, from the early ’60s onwards major Japanese film studios and independent producers alike have kept up a conveyor belt level of output of pornographic features intended purely for cinema release. Still today, just short of 100 such titles are shot on 35mm every year intended for screening in a specialist network of adult cinema across the nation.
In recent years, many have found themselves released on DVD in the West or screened at international film festivals, while many of Japan’s most noted filmmakers today have cut their teeth in this industry.
For reviews, articles and more information about this title, click here.
Hardcover available from FAB Press
Paperback available from Amazon.co.uk, Amazon.com and Amazon.co.jp
By Tom Mes and Jasper Sharp, with a foreword by Hideo Nakata
2003
Leading filmmakers as diverse as Quentin Tarantino (Kill Bill), Jean-Pierre Jeunet (Amelie), Darren Aronofsky (Requiem for a Dream) and Walter Salles (The Motorcycle Diaries) acknowledge its influence; Hollywood churns out remakes (The Ring, The Grudge, Dark Water) and imports its filmmakers in the hopes of recreating its magic – Japanese cinema today is a force to be reckoned with, whose influence can be felt on a global scale.
Now, The Midnight Eye Guide to New Japanese Film offers a groundbreaking and gap-filling insight into the inner workings of the industry and the leading creative minds that have made Japan such a cinematic talking point. From the exuberant excesses of Takashi Miike, via the gangster cool of Takeshi Kitano and the atmospheric horror of Hideo Nakata, to the restrained humanism of Hirokazu Kore-eda, this brand new book shines a revealing light on the many fascinating aspects of Japanese film.
Written by MidnightEye.com’s editors Tom Mes and Jasper Sharp, and created with the collaboration of the filmmakers themselves, this is an indispensable guide to one of the most exciting film industries in the world today.
For reviews, articles and more information about this title, click here.
Paperback available from Amazon.co.uk, Amazon.com and Amazon.co.jp
anthology chapters
By Ian Luna, Tom Mes, Lauren A. Gould, David G. Imber and Yoshida Mika, with an introduction by Toshiko Mori
2008
The divergent personalities profiled in this book have collectively engineered entirely new ways of seeing, expanding their influence well beyond Japan and into the arts of Asia, Western Europe, and North America. Featuring the work of renowned talents as well as rising stars, this book is organized around the physical city and the role of the megalopolis as both the site and inspiration for an unprecedented explosion in the visual arts.
Contains ‘Future Designs’ by Jasper Sharp.
Hardcover available from Amazon.co.uk, Amazon.comand Amazon.co.jp
Edited by Matthew Edwards
2007
Operating outside the commercial boundaries of Hollywood cinema, alternative and independent filmmakers have much to offer the discriminating viewer. Yet they struggle for a place in the popular culture, and even more for recognition by the scholarly community.
The specific aim of this book is to provide much-needed critical examination of titles, particularly those by British filmmakers. In-depth commentary from such acclaimed writers as Maitland McDonagh, Jasper Sharp, Johannes Schönherr and Marcus Stiglegger considers filmmakers who work at the very heart of the independent medium, giving the reader specific insight into alternate cinema and the struggles its filmmakers endure. Featured are interviews with both rising and established filmmakers, including the infamous Guy Maddin and Herschell Gordon Lewis. Finally, this collection of interviews and essays boasts a 20th anniversary retrospective on the British cult classic The Company of the Wolves, complete with an exclusive interview with director Neil Jordan.
Contains ‘Inside Pink’ by Jasper Sharp.
Paperback available from Amazon.co.uk and Amazon.com
Edited by Justin Bowyer
2004
The Cinema of Japan and Korea is the fourth volume in the new 24 Frames series of studies of national and regional cinema, and focuses on the continuing vibrancy of Japanese and Korean film. The 24 concise and informative essays each approach an individual film or documentary, together offering a unique introduction to the cinematic output of the two countries. With a range that spans from silent cinema to the present day, from films that have achieved classic status to underground masterpieces, the book provides an insight into the breadth of the Japanese and Korean cinematic landscapes. Among the directors covered are Akira Kurosawa, Takeshi Kitano, Kim Ki-duk, Kenji Mizoguchi, Kinji Fukusaku, Kim Ki-young, Nagisa Oshima and Takashi Miike. Included are in-depth studies of films such as Battle Royale, Killer Butterfly, Audition, Violent Cop, In the Realm of the Senses, Tetsuo 2: Body Hammer, Teenage Hooker Becomes a Killing Machine, Stray Dog, A Page of Madness and Godzilla.
Contains ‘Page of Madness’ and ‘Perfect Blue’ by Jasper Sharp.
Paperback available from Amazon.co.uk and Amazon.com
