Books and Anthology Chapters by Jasper Sharp

By Jasper Sharp (Scarecrow Press, 2011)
560 pages

The cinema of Japan predates that of Russia, China, and India, and it has been able to sustain itself without outside assistance for over a century. Japanese cinema’s long history of production and considerable output has seen films made in a variety of genres, including melodramas, romances, gangster movies, samurai movies, musicals, horror films, and monster films. It has also produced some of the most famous names in the history of cinema: Akira Kurosawa, Hayao Miyazaki, Beat Takeshi, Toshirô Mifune, Godzilla, The Ring, Akira, Rashomon, and Seven Samurai.

The Historical Dictionary of Japanese Cinema is an introduction to and overview of the long history of Japanese cinema. It aims to provide an entry point for those with little or no familiarity with the subject, while it is organized so that scholars in the field will also be able to use it to find specific information. This is done through a detailed chronology, an introductory essay, and appendixes of films, film studios, directors, and performers. The cross-referenced dictionary entries cover key films, genres, studios, directors, performers, and other individuals. This book is an excellent access point for students, researchers, and anyone wanting to know more about Japanese cinema.

More details on Rowman & Littlefield Publishing Group website.

Hardcover available from Amazon.co.uk, Amazon.com and Amazon.co.jp

By Jasper Sharp (FAB Press, 2008)
384 pages

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.

Hardcover available from FAB Press
Paperback available from Amazon.co.uk, Amazon.com and Amazon.co.jp
A Polish translation, Za różową kurtyną, was published in 2011 by Korporacja Ha!art Press

By Tom Mes and Jasper Sharp, with a foreword by Hideo Nakata (Stone Bridge Press, 2004)
376 pages

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.

Paperback available from Amazon.co.uk, Amazon.com and Amazon.co.jp

By Ian Luna, Tom Mes, Jasper Sharp, Lauren A. Gould, David G. Imber and Yoshida Mika, with an introduction by Toshiko Mori (Rizzoli International Publications, 2008)
496 pages

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 the essay ‘Future Designs’ by Jasper Sharp, about representations of Tokyo in anime.

“Jasper Sharp and Tom Mes are gods of the written word…” – MIchael Guillen at Twitch.

“The book highlights the work of more than 80 creative minds— including painters, architects, fashion designers, filmmakers and photographers— with the only commonality of pushing their specific art to the limit. Some are well known (like Takashi Murakami and Naoto Fukasawa) and others are rising stars that have yet to get recognition in the West. Authored by Ian Luna (who has produced several books on architecture, urbanism and design) TokyoLife has contributions from a team of art and design professionals on both sides of the Pacific.” – Doug Black at Cool Hunting.

Hardcover available from Amazon.co.uk, Amazon.com and Amazon.co.jp

Edited by Matthew Edwards (McFarland, 2007)
263 pages

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 (Wallflower Press, 2004)
288 pages

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.

Hardcover available from Amazon.co.uk and Amazon.com
Paperback available from Amazon.co.uk and Amazon.com