Nippon in New York: Babymetal Movie, ‘LOTR’ Anime, 8-Bit Big Band
By JQ magazine editor Justin Tedaldi (CIR Kobe-shi, 2001-02). Justin has written about Japanese arts and entertainment for JETAA since 2005. For more of his articles, click here.
With Thanksgiving (and the hopes of sensible eating) now just a memory, we turn to colder weather, falling snow, and the new year to come. Fortunately for Japanese culture fans, December is just as busy as the holiday season itself. Whether you’re hosting guests from out of town or looking to squeeze in an event or two in between parties, we’ve got you covered.
This month’s highlights include:
Searchlight Pictures
Now playing
Village East by Angelika, 181-189 Second Avenue
$17-$19
Golden Globe Nominee: Best Motion Picture - Musical or Comedy, Best Performance by a Male Actor in a Motion Picture - Musical or Comedy (Jesse Eisenberg), Best Performance by a Male Actor in A Supporting Role in Any Motion Picture (Kieran Culkin), Best Screenplay - Motion Picture (Jesse Eisenberg)
Written and directed by Jesse Eisenberg (The Social Network, Zombieland), this multi-Golden Globe-nominee pairs mismatched cousins David (Jesse Eisenberg) and Benji (Kieran Culkin), who reunite for a tour through Poland to honor their beloved grandmother. The adventure takes a turn when the odd-couple's old tensions resurface against the backdrop of their family history.
Falling Forward Films
Now playing
Village East by Angelika, 181-189 Second Avenue
$17-$19
“A poetic, tender, definitive and powerful tribute to the underdog.” (Hollywood Reporter)
The directorial debut by Jack Huston (Boardwalk Empire, House of Gucci), Day of the Fight follows a once renowned boxer as he takes a redemptive journey through his past and present, on the day of his first fight since he left prison. (Hollywood Reporter). Written by Huston, this acclaimed drama stars Steve Buscemi, Ron Perlman, John Magaro, Michael Pitt, and Joe Pesci.
Courtesy of Orlandoshakes.org
Now through Dec. 22
Orlando Shakes, 812 East Rollins Street
$25-$60
Adapted by Jim Helsinger and boasting a cast of twenty seasoned actors, the annual tradition that celebrates Charles Dickens’ classic tale continues at Orlando Shakes (in turn celebrating its 36th season) with the return of one of Central Florida’s favorite holiday classics! The miserly and miserable Ebenezer Scrooge greets each Christmas with a “bah humbug,” until he is visited by the Ghosts of Christmas Past, Present, and Yet to Come. Come see this classic, heartwarming story at Orlando Shakes–a magical and musical spectacle of live theater that the whole family can enjoy!
GKIDS
Dec. 7-11
Various theaters
Various prices
From the legendary Studio Ghibli, creators of Spirited Away and Ponyo, and Academy Award®-winning director Hayao Miyazaki, comes a classic tale of magic and adventure for the whole family. When Satsuki and her sister Mei move with their father to a new home in the countryside, they find country life is not as simple as it seems. They soon discover that the house and nearby woods are full of strange and delightful creatures, including a gigantic but gentle forest spirit called Totoro, who can only be seen by children. Totoro and his friends introduce the girls to a series of adventures, including a ride aboard the extraordinary Cat Bus, in this all-ages animated masterpiece featuring the voices of Tim Daly, Lea Salonga, and real-life sisters Dakota and Elle Fanning, in early roles.
© 2024 Amuse Inc./Photo by Taku Fujii
Dec. 11, 15
Various theaters
Various prices
Anime Expo Cinema Nights Presents a special concert film of the band BABYMETAL with their worldwide tour Legend-43. In April 2023, SU-METAL (Vocal, Dance), MOAMETAL (Scream, Dance), and MOMOMETAL (Scream, Dance) entered a new stage as the newly born BABYMETAL. Since then, they have embarked on their largest world tour, "BABYMETAL WORLD TOUR 2023 - 2024," which took them to 25 countries, including Japan. The headline tour, excluding festivals and guest acts, drew a cumulative audience of more than 280,000 people for a total of 98 performances. The final chapter of the world tour, the first Okinawa performance "TOUR FINAL IN JAPAN LEGEND - 43", has been fully filmed. The film is BABYMETAL's first live film that allows viewers to experience all of the diverse music, unique worldview, production that only a tour final can offer, and the overwhelming performance of BABYMETAL, which has evolved even further during their world tour.
A Diary of Chuji’s Travels © The National Film Archive of Japan
Thursday, Dec. 12, 7:30 p.m.
Japan Society, 333 East 47th Street
$22-$31
One of the great masterworks of Japanese silent cinema, Daisuke Ito’s A Diary of Chuji’s Travels exists in incomplete form—a triptych missing its first segment with remnants of its second and third parts—yet stands out as a seminal jidaigeki (period drama), voted the greatest Japanese film of all time in a 1959 Kinema Junpo poll. Starring Ito’s frequent collaborator Denjiro Okochi, another great star of the silent era known for his portrayal of Tange Sazen, A Diary of Chuji’s Travels recounts the exploits of Chuji Kunisada (Okochi), the outlaw bakuto (gambler)—a real-life proto-yakuza figure who took on a romanticized Robin Hood reputation. A fragmented version of its once four-hour long runtime, A Diary of Chuji’s Travels is a kinetic dispersal of rapid-cut swordplay sequences, fluid camerawork (Ito was nicknamed Ido daisuki, a pun on his name meaning “big fan of camera movement”), expressionist techniques and political commentary—an embodiment of the modernized period drama that both Ito, “the father of jidaigeki,” and Okochi helped pioneer. Followed by a private gathering for artists and members. A pre-performance lecture on benshi begins before the screening at 6:30 p.m.
Chushingura © The National Film Archive of Japan
Friday, Dec. 13, 7:30 p.m.
Japan Society, 333 East 47th Street
$22-$31
One of the representative works of Shozo Makino, the “Father of Japanese Film,” and Matsunosuke Onoe, Japan’s first superstar, Chushingura adapts the classic tale of the 47 ronin who enact vengeance following the unjust death of their master. Makino, once the theater manager for Kyoto’s Senboza Theater, was said to have discovered Matsunosuke, a regional kabuki troupe leader known for his stage tricks. Rather than simply adapting the complicated narratives of kabuki plays, Makino would meld them with choreographed swordplay and heroic tales, becoming a pioneer of the kyugeki (old theater)—a classical period drama that would precede the now better-known jidaigeki (period drama). The film is patchwork of sorts—a continual “work-in-progress”—wherein newer Chushingura films starring Matsunosuke would include scenes from the previous releases, evolving with every release. This presentation primarily includes scenes from the 1910 production (said to be the first full-length version of the story in Japanese cinema), a print of Jitsuroku Chushingura held by Matsuda Film Productions, and a tinted 35mm print discovered by benshi Ichiro Kataoka in Kyoto. Followed by an artist Q&A. A pre-performance lecture on benshi begins before the screening at 6:30 p.m.
Warner Bros. Pictures
Premieres Friday, Dec. 13
Lord of the Rings: The War of the Rohirrim
Various theaters
Various prices
Peter Jackson presents this all-new anime film by award-winning director Kenji Kamiyama (Ghost in the Shell: Stand Alone Complex)! Set 183 years before the events chronicled in the original trilogy of films, The Lord of the Rings: The War of the Rohirrim tells the fate of the House of Helm Hammerhand, the legendary King of Rohan. A sudden attack by Wulf, a clever and ruthless Dunlending lord seeking vengeance for the death of his father, forces Helm and his people to make a daring last stand in the ancient stronghold of the Hornburg—a mighty fortress that will later come to be known as Helm’s Deep. Finding herself in an increasingly desperate situation, Héra, the daughter of Helm, must summon the will to lead the resistance against a deadly enemy intent on their total destruction.
GKIDS
Dec. 15-16
Various theaters
Various prices
The acclaimed film based on Yoshitoki Oima’s beloved manga hit returns to theaters! After transferring into a new school, a deaf girl, Shoko Nishimiya, is bullied by the popular Shoya Ishida. As Shoya continues to bully Shoko, the class turns its back on him. Shoko transfers and Shoya grows up as an outcast. Alone and depressed, the regretful Shoya finds Shoko to make amends. A Silent Voice is a moving coming-of-age drama that depicts the struggles of adolescence through its memorable characters and beautiful animation.
Courtesy of Sonyhall.com
Monday, Dec. 27, 7:30 p.m. (SOLD OUT) and 10:00 p.m.
Sony Hall, 235 West 46th Street
From $35
The 8-Bit Big Band is a Grammy Award winning contemporary symphonic Jazz orchestra created to celebrate and reimagine video game music’s most beloved hits rearranged in exciting and creative new ways in order push the envelope of how we experience the music from these legendary soundtracks as a standalone body of musical work! Since the inception of the band in 2017, they have garnered an online following aggregating millions of views on YouTube, and hundreds of thousands of subscribers, followers, and listeners across the globe, selling out concert venues across the U.S. The band’s vocabulary ranges from the classic big band writing styles of the past, through the timeline of music’s evolution, and lands in this contemporary and eclectic no holds barred musical listening experience containing influences across genre and time.
For more JQ articles, click here.