Japan the weird and the wonderful

[Watanabe Ken]

I thought I'd create a Thread dedicated to all the funny,strange and downright terrifying commercials that feature on the wonder that is Japanese television.



I'd thought I'd start things off with this commercial for McDonald's

 

[serpantino]

Here's a couple of oldies but goodies starring good old Arnie.

Edit: I must add the trailer to my favourite comedy of all time, the brilliant Survive Style 5+

 

[Watanabe Ken]

That Vinnie Jones film looks absolutely bonkers

 

[Joshawott]

This is my absolute favourite, combing the two greatest things ever: the Softbank Dog and Alien Tommy Lee Jones:

 

[Watanabe Ken]

Pretty sure this isn't reel

 

[Watanabe Ken]

This is pretty disturbing

 

[Neil.T]

I'd thought I'd start things off with this commercial for McDonald's

♪Itsudemo soki ni、Makudonarudo♪
= "Always right there: McDonald's"

*shudder*

And those Tarako ads...

*shudder*

 

[serpantino]

Pretty sure this isn't reel

I own that film on blu-ray it's 100% real. The film is very weird but an even more disturbing one (given the state of Japan) is a film called Suicide Club in which teens start committing suicide en masse. As for weird... Takashi Miike's film Ichi The Killer is a real crazy gorefest and has the title famously emerging from semen allegedly donated by the cast and crew. However even Ichi The Killer pales in comparison to a certain lesser known film he did called Gozu.

Here's a trailer of the latter (definitely NSFW or the squeamish.) The film can be a real slog to watch though at times.

 

[Neil.T]

However even Ichi The Killer pales in comparison to a certain lesser known film he did called Gozu.

I watched Gozu a while back on Film4, not knowing what to expect. I... really enjoyed it!

 

[Watanabe Ken]

Don't suppose any of these are on Netflix perchance

 

[IncendiaryLemon]

Don't suppose any of these are on Netflix perchance

I doubt it, their Japanese film selection is lacking. It's pretty much Battle Royale and that's it from what I recall.

 

[HWR]

Takashi Miike is one of my favourite directors, I own a fair few of his films, including the Black society and Dead or Alive Trilogies, Audition, Ichi and Happiness of the Kakaturis. Even if the story doesn't always make sense he has such a style and flair that I've never seen any other filmmaker come close to achieving. A lot of his films are silmultaneously dark and disturbing whilst being gory and entertaining fun. We have him to thank for some truly weird and disturbing moments in film.

I'm grateful that Arrow Video keep giving his films such good releases! I recommend to anybody interested in his work to seek them out since they're usually accompanied by great extras including commentaries by Miike himself in some cases.

 

[Watanabe Ken]

His wiki page says he's direction both Blade of the Immortal and Jojo's Bizarre Adventure live action adaptations

 

[NormanicGrav]

His wiki page says he's direction both Blade of the Immortal and Jojo's Bizarre Adventure live action adaptations

Yep, in fact Blade of the Immortal has been picked up by Arrow and will be given a UK theatrical release late November.

 

[HWR]

Now I need to see both of those.

 

[Peachy]

Ichi the Killer was my very first foreign language film. Just thrown right on in there, no holds barred. Happiness of the Kakaturis & Auditon being shortly after. What I'd give to go back & see those for the first time again.

I see Tokyo Gore Police mentioned! I love that film, if you want more of that side of the weird (& wonderful) try out Vampire Girl vs Frankenstein girl, same director (Yoshihiro Nishimura). Along the same vein are Dead Sushi & Machine Girl. Robo Geisha & Mutant Girls Squad aren't too bad either. The director (Noboru Iguchi) also tackled the live action Tomie (classic Junji Ito manga)

 

[HWR]

Tokyo Gore Police is just bizarre, recall watching it on Amazon Instant Video ages ago. Definitely lives up to the name.

 

[Adam-M]

So you know, yes to find this video I searched Google for "Hard Gay Ramen" on my works machine

Spoiler

 

[Watanabe Ken]

who is this Hard Gay they keep mentioning (man clad in leather and a dog collar twerks his way into view of the camera) Never mind

 

[Jon O Fun]

Someone correct me if I'm wrong but didn't Manga Entertainment release Survive Style 5 and some of the Chanbara films once upon a Time? Ahhhhh the good old days