I am all too familiar with the idea of taking a back seat to my own life. It is not necessarily because I am satisfied with my situation or the status of my relationships with the people in my life; it is because I am fearful of altering what has become familiar to me. The idea of confronting the bitter and souring circumstances surrounding me is discomforting because they are all I know. I have adjusted my life accordingly, making…
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Fallen Angels 1995
We all long for a special connection that magically makes the familiar parts of life feel fresh again. That type of bond with a person that somehow makes foods taste better, city lights shine brighter, and makes the most mundane of activities feel like a thrill ride. Some would call that love. But when we're in love, our hearts afire, it's easy for our vision to get clouded. Everything can seem so perfect, but what happens if the person we…
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Cure 1997
Cure is one of my favorite films of all time. I find myself thinking about it all the time. Yet, whenever I speak or write about it, I always fear that I am not doing it justice. Sometimes favorites are funny that way, where they mean so much and have such a profound effect, but it is hard to articulate why. However, on the most recent episode of the Adventures Through Asian Cinema podcast with Jack, I tried my hardest…
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Tokyo Blood 1993
Gakuryū Ishii's filmography is so exciting to work through because he has three distinct filmmaking phases. The punk years are the first phase, spanning from the late 1970s through the late 1980s. Next, the 1990s marked a transition to metaphysical mood pieces, which lasted until the mid-2000s. Then finally, there is the current phase, denoted by Ishii's name change from "Sogo" to "Gakuryū" (dragon) in 2012. I have come to find that his punk years were his most influential for…
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1/2 Man 1986
Who is Einstürzende Neubauten?
Before watching Gakuryū Ishii's 1/2 Man, all I knew was that Einstürzende Neubauten is an industrial band from Germany. Nothing more and nothing less. I had not heard any of their music, and I only learned of their existence because of this film project from Ishii. I debated working through their discography before watching Ishii's collaborative project with them, but I decided that this might be the best introduction to their music.
After watching 1/2 Man,…
