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Showing posts with label Japanese short film. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Japanese short film. Show all posts

Sunday, September 28, 2014

Another Japanese Short Film Review

Kafkaesque

Runtime: 5:49
Link: Kafkaesque

 Labeled Kafka on the Vimeo site, I decided to screen this little gem. Kafka was a German author that wrote about strange things and strange relationships. I'd say that if he were around today, or five years ago when this movie was made, he'd approve.

 It's about two men who are in a situation of executioner and prisoner. The final meal the prisoner was given was so sorry that he asks for a little chat.

Begging for a little chat before death
 The executioner owes the man that much, since the fare was so unfair.

Not a sneeze about to occur, but a hesitation in pre-death chatting
During the flashbacks, the prisoner is replaced with the executioner, showing that he places himself into all stories told to him.

Seems both men use umbrellas for sunshades
Even the food given to the prisoner by his wife is eaten by the imagined executioner.

One final meal before the death of an unloved one
Explanations of wrongful conviction start bringing the men closer together.

I enjoy close-ups like this one
The use of imagery and solid color evoke feelings for both men.

Even better than close ups that cut portions off is time-lapse clouds
The action described in this portion of flashback aren't portrayed, but overlaid with images.

Nothing beats red grass
Time for chatting is done and both men look at the tool of death in anticipation.

Time for the noose to get a use
Credits roll 3/4 of the way through. After these, another glimpse of the prisoners last day of freedom is seen through the imagination of the executioner.

The technique of color here denotes suspicion

Seems the innocence of the accused was also very imaginary. 

Practicing accidental murder
The movie ends with a surprise ending. I couldn't spoil everything for you! Until next time, stay.



Monday, March 5, 2012

Japanese Short Review After a Rant About Gremlins

Okay, here we go.

My last Doomcast(thanks for that name, kinda fits, in an opposite nickname sort of way), had a part at the end where I asked for ideas.

D4 wanted me to interview someone. That someone ended up to be That Bastard From Bellingham. I find his stories and walls of text to be pretty darn inviting, and wanted to know more about the man behind the  8 blogs.

It took a while to get the logistics down, but we had finally met up in  a G+ hangout. I had only done one hangout before then, so I am still a fledgling hanger-outer. That said, I thought the rules governing chats also applied to hangouts*this comes into play later.

We had a blast for about an hour and a half. Me questioning Bast, him answering in kind. It was a smooth process all the way through, with a couple of randoom pop-ins by a couple of wanderers. We really had a lot of fun, and I even changed my twitter status to a shortened version of one of the answers.

After it was all said and done, the gremlins hit. Those little malevolent, mischievous little buggers erased the whole chat somehow! I searched help sections for a few hours, looking for any way I could retrieve our interview. I was aghast to learn that the only chats that are saved are ones from the gmail main page. Then why did it tell me that the pop-ins were off the record? The whole chat was off the record, sheesh!

 I have since sent an apology and message to Bast, asking forgiveness and another time set aside for the interview. If all goes well, and without gremlins, expect the interview tomorrow.

For today I give you a scene from a short film from Japan.

I do not know the name of the film, but I have seen it in a collection of shorts called Wholphin. I'd watch these with my mother because we're both into odd and short. This is a part of one of those films. It doesn't start with the beginning, so I'm not sure what we've missed, but with these kind of things, you can pretty much pick up at any point and have the same level of understanding/confusion.

I have screencaps to provide you, as well as a description of the scene in order.

The scene opens with "Tony" locking the doors. He sounds pretty upset about something. I wonder what's got him all worked up.
I need a jacket with "Ruki" on it now.

Looks like there's a parasite attached to one of the tennis players' armpit. I've never heard of such a creature, but I'm sure my Brute deodorant works double duty in repelling women as well as this kind of sucker.


At least she shaved, right?

A doctor is called in. He's acting like he's seen this kind of thing before. He seems to really know his parasites, because even without seeing any junk, he already knows the sucker's gender.

Yup, those look like male suckers to me.

The thing is scaly, but the doctor yanks the outer shell off to reveal that it's a little person!
This is what my face looks like when I'm concentrating.

        The doctor has a technique for getting this little guy to let go. Chastising him. I know it makes me want to flee when I'm yelled at, so why would a little guy parasite be any different?

Coffee breath is yum.



He then goes a little further by accusing the parasite of being a pedo because the first tactic of just shaming someone by saying they should be ashamed did not work.

What? I like Peter Pan, and I want to fly. I don't want to die, though.


 When that doesn't do the job, he gets a little more physical with the bloodsucker while still insulting him still..

Don't ask me, because I really don't know.

After squeezing some goo from the parasite, the doc finds a hard piece in his, um, tentacle. He squeezes that out to find that it's a name stamp.

What else would fit there?

The doc finds out that his name is Yamada after using the stamp on Tony's clipboard. I liked this part, mostly because when the doc keeps saying it it sort of sounds like "Your motha". Hahaha, your mama jokes get me, even when they're not "Yo mama" jokes.

I'm so ashamed of my common name. Wait, Shock isn't that common, is it?

After saying "Yamada" tons of times and making the little thing so ashamed of itself, it unhinges form the tennis player's underarm.
He was checking for hairs, I knew it!

                             What a doctor! He has saved the day, but gives a puzzling prognosis.
You think? You did not take 6 years of med school to think! You must know!

I liked this short. Mostly because it was so bizarre. I'm into bizarre and was really glad that Lord Phrozen gave the idea to review this. I'm sure he did not realize that I had already watched this film and enjoyed it.

I hope you've enjoyed this review. 

Until next time!