Category: Misc video clips

With the theatrical release of Yusuke Narita’s Flower & Snake 3 (Hana to Hebi 3) a little over two months away, the film’s official website has been updated with a new video clip of Minako Komukai being tied up by renowned kinbakushi (rope master) Go Arisue during a rehearsal binding session.

Arisue also did the rope work for Takashi Ishii’s 2004 remake of Nikkatsu’s 1974 film, which itself was adapted from an erotic novel by Oniroku Dan.

Set in Italy, the new film follows the conventions of the previous ones by featuring a woman named Shizuko (Komukai) whose secret desires are unlocked through varying degrees of sadomasochism.

Komukai will also be featured in a new bondage photo book by photographer Masashi Hashimoto which will be released on July 1. There is some concern that it may be too controversial for ordinary bookstores to stock due to the subject matter, nudity, and its extreme cover image (see above).

“Flower & Snake 3” will be released in Japan on August 28, 2010.

Sources: Official website, Cinema Today

A bit of catchy kitsch from the Brocco Records YouTube channel - it's the theme song of Yu Irie's 8000 Miles 2: Girl Rappers performed by the film's cast (as B-hack).

8000 Miles is a (very) indie comedy from 2008 about a group of wannabe rappers living in a rural suburban town. Most of the comedy comes from how dead serious everyone is, often leading to cringe-inducing scenes such as a question and answer session in which a woman on the town's education committee politely asks them which schools they each attended so she can check to see if any adjustments need to be made.

The sequel seems to be much in the same vein, but with girls instead of guys, higher production values, and a more dramatic "follow your dreams" type of story -- as opposed to us just mercilessly laughing at their dreams for being so stupid. Nevertheless, the theme song is oddly hypnotic. And check out Sakura Ando's bit at 1:45. Is there anything that girl can't do?

Both 8000 Miles and 8000 Miles 2 will be getting their North American premieres at this summer's New York Asian Film Festival (June 25 - July 8) with Yu Irie in attendence.

Edit: Sorry guys, YouTube nuked the uploads for copyright infringement. See this link for more on Confessions. Original article continued below:

While checking YouTube for the much ballyhooed next TV spot for Tetsuya Nakashima's Confessions, something infinitely more interesting popped up: 18+ minutes of PR for the film, complete with interviews, behind the scenes clips, and tons of footage. Unfortunately there are no subtitles, but it's worth watching even without knowing what's going on; it looks incredible.

The film stars Takako Matsu as a junior high school teacher whose daughter is killed. Suspecting two of her own students were responsible, she enacts a cruel plan for revenge.

Toho will be releasing it in Japan on Saturday, but those in NYC can catch it at this year's New York Asian Film Festival (June 25 - July 8); it's the Centerpiece Presentation. Check their blog on Monday for the screening schedule.

Spotted Productions has posted three short making-of clips for Mutant Girls Squad, which opened at Theater N Shibuya on May 22nd. The X-Men-inspired action/gore film was co-directed by Yoshihiro Nishimura, Tak Sakaguchi, and Noboru Iguchi and will get its international premiere this July in a co-presentation between the New York Asian Film Festival and Japan Cuts Festival of Contemporary Japanese Cinema.

The first clip features Suzuka Morita getting lots of girly direction from Iguchi followed by some gore hijinx with Nishimura's crew. Clip #2 features Yuko Takayama receiving direction from all three directors. In the recently-uploaded third clip, Yumi Sugimoto makes use of her mutated claw hand.

Source: Spotted Productions blog

Update (5/30): Added third clip.