87 episodes
Japan On Film We Made This
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- TV & Film
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4.4 • 7 Ratings
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Anime, kaiju, J-horror, exploitation, and everything in between—Japan has been producing some of the most interesting and creative movies for decades. In this show, author and Japanese film lecturer Perry Constantine and his guests will introduce you to the wide, wonderful, and sometimes weird world of Japanese films. We not only review, but also use these movies to provide some education on Japanese society, history, and culture.
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Nightmare Detective (2007)
Author Frank Schildiner returns to the show for the final episode of the season. This time, we discuss Shinya Tsukamoto’s serial killer thriller, Nightmare Detective. Though it has some unique ideas and impressive filmmaking, there are some shortcomings that we discuss.
Thanks so much for listening to this season of Japan On Film! We’re going to go on a hiatus, but we’ll be back in a few months with more great discussions about Japanese movies. And if you’re interested in being a guest yourself, please visit the website to find out more information.
Hosted by Perry Constantine
Guest-Starring Frank Schildiner
Check out Frank’s books on Amazon.
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Kwaidan (1965)
Podcaster Mike Lund visits the show to discuss Kwaidan, an adaptation of four of Lafcadio Hearn's Japanese ghost stories. We discuss our favorite stories from this anthology, some of the impressive things the director did with the settings, and talk about the backstory for these tales.
Hosted by Perry Constantine
Guest-Starring Mike Lund
Listen to Mike on The Old Switch-a-roo and follow him on Letterboxd.
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Red Beard (1965)
In this episode, Ian Buckley joins the show to discuss Red Beard, one of Kurosawa's most renowned films. With a lot of similar themes to Kurosawa's earlier film, Ikiru, it's also got some other stuff that we have fun discussing. And the film is notable for Kurosawa going to excess with detail and creating a rift between him and star Toshiro Mifune.
Hosted by Perry Constantine
Guest-Starring Ian Buckley
Listen to Ian on We Are Starfleet and Illumination Above All.
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2LDK (2003)
Director and writer Claire Downs appears on the show to discuss the minimalist 2LDK. Featuring two actresses whose roommate quarrels spiral into violence, there's also a lot of stuff in here about the treatment of the Japanese entertainment industry's treatment of women.
Hosted by Perry Constantine
Guest-Starring Claire Downs
Visit Claire on Twitter and Instagram and check out her video game, The 7th Guest VR.
JapanOnFilm.com
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Getting Any? (1995)
We're going lighter this time with comedy podcaster Chris Andersen. In this episode, we discuss Getting Any?, Takeshi Kitano's 1995 comedy/parody film about a middle-aged guy obsessed with sex and his zany adventures to try to get some. Kitano called it one of the most fun times he had making a movie, and it's easy to see why.
Hosted by Perry Constantine
Guest-Starring Chris Andersen
Listen to Chris on Uncle Monster's Spooky Time Fright Hour.
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Cure (1997)
Author and Japanese film scholar Jennifer Upton comes on the show to discuss Kiyoshi Kurosawa's psychological thriller, Cure. There's a lot to unpack in this movie, so get ready!
Hosted by Perry Constantine
Guest-Starring Jennifer Upton
Visit Jennifer's website for information on her writing and read her book, Japanese Cult Cinema: Films from the Second Golden Age Selected Essays and Reviews.
JapanOnFilm.com
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Customer Reviews
Very Knowledgeable
Perry is a great host and provides a lot of insights!
Insightful Material for All Audiences
[My name is Michael Hale and, as a disclamir, I was fortunate enough to have interviewed the host of Japan on Film for a forthcoming episode release]
I have long adored Japanese film ever since I watched Tokyo Story many, many years ago. In the West, in my opinion, popular reviews of Japanese media tend to focus on samurai, anime, or some manner of combination. I was excited when the Japan on Film podcast launched just because Yojimbo was to be the first episode covered, but what convinced me it had longevity as a property was precisely because the next film covered was Kamikaze Girls and then Shoplifts. I find the conversation about Japan is enriched by older and contemporary content in conert with one another, and that is exactly what Japan on Film's goal is. In the same way I would hate to see American film examined from the persoective of only Westerns, transitioning into such a broad range of genres means that Japan on Film is going to be capable of reaching a wide variety of listeners.
In terms of craft, it is evident that the host 1) is capable of delivery tight and well composed content, 2) that said content covers a unique range of sources and perspectives and 3) the material is fun. I cannot stress that the 'fun' aspect is important because this isn't going to be like listening to a Donald Dichie commentary on a Kurosawa DVD. The material is less technical and more focused on issues of character, narrative and cultural importane.
All in all, having listened to the first three episodes thus far and having been fortunate enough to have spoken with the host, I can say this podcast stands out as being well constructed, it covers a great range of films and its craft is excellent.
Great way to learn about Japanese film
If you're looking to get some background and context on classic Japanese films, this is the place to start. Looking forward to more!