April 15, 2005

Midnight Eye. Pink.

Love Cinema Besides racking up several awards at festivals around the world, Vibrator was named by the critics of the Japanese film magazine Eiga Geijutsu (Cinematics) the best film of 2003. Jaspar Sharp does ask Ryuichi Hiroki about the film, as well as about his contribution to the Love Connection series, L'amant, but he also, about midway through, introduces the overriding theme of the new issue of Midnight Eye: "You began in your career working in the pink industry, working for Genji Nakamura's production company during the 70s. What were these days like?"

The director's recollections segue nicely into the current Round-Up: "Pink films and more." Some of these are available, but as Sharp notes, some are "probably unlikely to ever see the light of day in the West." For more background, see Andrew Grossman's swift history in Bright Lights as well as his piece on gay pink films. Online browsing tip: Pink movie posters.

Sharp also reviews Takahisa Zeze's A Gap in the Skin, and it's there that we get a little more background on the pink film revival of the mid-90s. As for the film at hand, "What any of it all means is anyone's guess. The closest comparison I could come up with is Korean director Kim Ki-duk's The Isle (1999), another film where the mood and colour of the natural elements suffuses every frame, and another work where the meaning is left opaque enough to provoke hostile reactions for those trying to seek meaning in the chaos."

More reviews:

Neighbor 13

And finally, a special tribute by Mes: "The death of Kihachi Okamoto brings us yet another step closer to the disappearance of a truly matchless generation of Japanese filmmakers."



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Posted by dwhudson at April 15, 2005 9:56 AM