r100 is a japanese dramedy film directed by hitoshi matsumoto .

the film had its world premiere at 2013 toronto international film festival on september 12 , 2013 .

r100 ( film )

watch the exclusive debut of the trailer for “r100 , ” the hitoshi matsumoto film that will world premiere in the midnight madness section at september’s toronto international film festival .
r100 is directed by hitoshi matsumoto and was released on jan 23rd , 2015 .
arson murder and jaywalking : the american trailer for film begins with ( fictional ) rating card ( purposely created by the drafthouse films , the film ' s us distribution ) that says the film advertised has been rated r100 for
kicking , whipping , sloshing , spitting and grenades
.
word puree title : the title is a play on japanese film ratings . a movie rated r100 would be unsuitable for viewers under 100 years of age . in - universe , the film ' s director is quoted as saying that no one under the age of 100 will enjoy his film .
r100 received positive reviews from critics . review aggregator rotten tomatoes reports that 81 % of 21 film critics have given the film a positive review , with a rating average of 6 . 7 out of 10 . [ 7 ]
ai tominaga kicks nao omori in “r100 , ” written and directed by hitoshi matsumoto .
what to see at mpls . - st . paul international film festival - urltoken
breaking the fourth wall : starting about halfway through , the film will occasionally cut to a focus group who comment about the plot and quality of the film . the supposed director of the film is also occasionally shown in the movie theater .
review for william h . macy ' s beautiful film rudderless - sundance ' 14
what to see at the minneapolis - st . paul international film festival
tokyo – hitoshi matsumoto ’s latest film , r100 , a sex comedy starring nao omori and shinobu terajima , will be released by warner bros . japan on oct . 5 .
self - deprecation : the focus group hates the film and occasionally points out the plot holes . even hitoshi matsumoto called the film
stupid
to the media .
the film features a subplot in which a group of confused people are watching takafumi ' s story , a film - within - a - film directed by an elderly man who claims that one must have lived 100 years to understand its true brilliance .
reviewed at sundance film festival ( spotlight ) , jan . 19 , 2014 . ( also in toronto film festival — midnight madness . ) running time : 99 min .
r100 is primarily a parade of kink , topped off with explicit allegory for pushing subversive art past prudes .
there are no featured audience reviews yet . click the link below to see what others say about r100 !
r100 is a 2013 japanese black comedy directed by comedian hitoshi matsumoto , of gaki no tsukai ya arahende .
the world premiere of hitoshi matsumoto’s “r100” in the toronto international film festival’s midnight madness section must be frustrating for all those japanese auteurs out there who got rejection letters from north america’s most important festival .
“r100” is a play on the japanese film rating format . the version of “r100” screening within “r100” is directed by a centenarian who claims that only fellow 100 - year - olds can fully understand his film . i look forward to putting that notion to the test on my birthday in 2075 . for now , more important than understanding the movie’s meaning , if there even is one , is understanding that it is fun , funny , and immensely entertaining , even if it doesn’t make a lick of logical sense .
r100
suggests that extreme and perverse films allow the everyman to seek thrills in his otherwise - monotonous life .
yoshimoto will send a representative to cannes to promote r100 , but with the film still in post - production , it won’t be offering it for sale at market , a spokesperson from the agency told the hollywood reporter .
show within a show : the film is a show within itself . it ' s supposedly directed by a 100 year old man . scenes of a focus group occasionally comment on the film so far .
big man japan ( dai nippon - jin ) , matsumoto’s first foray into film , was selected for the directors’ fortnight at cannes in 2007 and is currently being remade in hollywood by neal h . moritz via original film .
i was at least 65 years too young to see this film . that ' s all i can say .
culture crypt looks at a few fantasia film festival features shaping up to be hot topics among horror fans in 2018 .
r100
teaches viewers how to watch it as its plot perpetually breaks down , then reforms . you cannot trust the film to deal with its dark subject matter since it ' s constantly admitting that takafumi ' s search for carnal enlightenment is necessarily frustrated . since takafumi likes losing control , he keeps losing it until the film goes off its sprockets , and we get a
a fourth wall breaking side plot is introduced where five people screen the r100 movie and puzzle over its bizarre meaning . they eventually learn that a 100 - year - old man directed the film and he claims that only other centenarians can fully understand it .
a cinematic interpretation of beethoven ' s
ode to joy
filtered through the sexual taboo of japan , r100 will entertain and perplex .
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fictitious behind - the - scenes look at perplexed filmmakers and censors behind the film . sorry ,
the film .
then the movie starts again . and then it stops , then starts again . if you try to get closure from
as with matsumoto’s previous films , big man japan and symbol , r100 exists in a genre netherworld , perched somewhere between slapstick comedy , raw pulp , and experimental art - film . the humor wears thin , because there’s only so many times that watching an ordinary schmoe get the crap kicked out of him is funny . and given the opening warning , r100 isn’t as sensationalistic as it seems like it ought to be .
the tomatometer score — based on the opinions of hundreds of film and television critics — is a trusted measurement of critical recommendation for millions of fans . it represents the percentage of professional critic reviews that are positive for a given film or television show .
the film premiered on september 12 , 2013 on the toronto international film festival [ 12 ] and was released on march 3 , 2015 on blu - ray disc in a 1080p video format [ 13 ] and dvd over drafthouse films . [ 14 ]
here are brief reviews , ratings and showtimes of more than 50 movies screening at the 2014 minneapolis - st . paul international film festival , april 3 - 19 . all ratings are out of four stars . ( photos provided by respective film distributors . )
matsumoto , a comedian and ubiquitous tv personality in japan , wrote and directed r100 and will make an appearance in the film , described as
an intense sex comedy about a man who joins a mysterious club which opens the door to another world he has never before experienced .
after all the end credits have rolled , we see the 5 people viewing the film - within - a - film standing / sitting uncomfortably in the waiting area , for a second or two . nothing is said , then the screen goes dark , finally .
transgressive , unclassifiable , ridiculous—all these words apply to r100 . but upon reflection , it becomes clear that matsumoto has achieved something remarkable here : he’s made a film at once boundary - defying and really fun to watch . it’s not for everyone , and best appreciated by those who already have a taste for such things ( kind of like bdsm , actually ) , but the 100 - minute running time flies by , and the film remains entertaining even when it begins to spiral out of control . to aficionados of the bizarre , r100 will be a rare pleasure indeed .
director hitoshi matsumoto ' s comedy & drama movie r100 is produced by yoshimoto kogyo company & warner bros . pictures was released 2013 - 10 - 05 .
matsumoto says he wanted to make a film that transcended the idea of genre , and in that respect , he has succeeded admirably .
culture crypt is the most reliable website for genre movie reviews and the best in popular culture , specializing in independent horror film entertainment .
adding another level to the film’s surreal comedy is the idea that takafumi and his fetish obsession are part of a wacky movie directed by a wizened old man of 100 , which is being screened by an official censorship committee . not only do they not understand the film ( and their perplexity is hilariously justified by all the inconsistencies in the plot ) , but the parade of whip - wielding ladies in black leather is too much for them to bear . hence the title r100 : they propose to rate the film as suitable for audiences of 100 and up .
an eager young film crew become embroiled in a deadly feud between rival gangs in a series of bizarre incidents that blend action and humour .
how will it play ? while warner bros . will release the film in japan , “r100” is unlikely to find a north american distributor with any company other than a genre label able to play up its irreverence to a vod audience . its theatrical prospects are severely limited by the strange plot and foreign language .
here are brief reviews , ratings and showtimes of more than 50 movies screening at the 2014 minneapolis - st . paul international film festival , april 3 - 19 . all ratings are out of four stars . ( photos provided by respective film distributors . ) complete festival listings are at urltoken
on friday 30 october 2015 , the mercury cinema got a taste of japan with the opening night celebration of the 19th annual japanese film festival .
the ballad of narayama
is a japanese film of great beauty and elegant artifice , telling a story of startling cruelty . what a space it opens…
if a dominatrix is one who takes total control of her passive partner , then “r100” is the cinematic equivalent of a kinky femme fatale in black leather and stiletto heels , cracking a whip and a smile . at least for the film’s first half , japanese writer - director hitoshi matsumoto gets a kick out of tantalizing and torturing [ … ]
this freedom , however , has its plus side , with matsumoto ( self - destructively ? ) inserting a grimly funny subplot about censors discussing a film — the one we are watching — and finding it incomprehensible . we are invited to side with the filmmaker ( whose identity i will not divulge ) , but it’s also obvious the censors have a point . the title “r100” refers to the rating they assign the film , presumably thinking it suitable for no one likely to see it in a theater .
there ' s a reason why
r100 ,
a deeply strange comedy about sadomasochism and other secular revelations , starts with a joke - y disclaimer . the film , which takes its name from an imaginary censor board ' s rating ( like the mpaa ' s
r
rating , only forbidden to anyone under 100 years of ago ) , is deeply silly , but also startlingly outlandish , and more than a little punishing in its repetitiveness . this , of course , is the film ' s point .
“there’s probably no bigger fan of hitoshi matsumoto’s comedy in north america than me , ” said drafthouse films founder tim league in a statement . “without matsumoto , there’s no ‘jackass ; ; there’s no extreme reality tv . with the release of his brilliant new film ‘r100 , ’ i hope to expose this legendary comic genius to a new , wide audience . ”
satire , anti - satire , critique , auto - critique , exploitation , put - on : sion sono’s film accommodates all of these positions equally and without prejudice .
the reveal furthers the discussion of the film while providing a space for readers who have seen it to discuss plot - sensitive details . in other words : spoilers ahead .
rob nelson of variety , said in his review that
if a dominatrix is one who takes total control of her passive partner , then
r100
is the cinematic equivalent of a kinky femme fatale in black leather and stiletto heels , cracking a whip and a smile .
[ 8 ] deborah young in her review for the hollywood reporter praised the film by saying that
it’s hard to remember a film about s & m as funny as this one , or one as beautifully and weirdly imagined .
[ 9 ] colin covert of minneapolis star tribune gave the film three stars by saying that
to call this midnight movie entry
not for everyone
is understating it . but connoisseurs of weird , twisted sex comedy will revel in its transgressive , audacious mischief .
[ 10 ] katie rife of the a . v . club gave the film a b + . [ 11 ]
this happily scattershot approach obviously comes with its ups and downs . the introduction of a film - within - a - film subplot , whereby a set of disgruntled producers complain about the scandalous content of the film they ( and we ) are seeing , feels superfluous , an almost adolescent attempt to self - reflexively big - up its own daring . the increasing reliance on bad taste can also get enervating at times , even as it does indeed liven up the continuing stream of dominatrix interventions . in the film’s more calculated moments , you get the feeling that masumoto is all too concerned with playing to the midnight - screening gallery , where superficiality , shock value , and crassness are often virtues rather than stumbling blocks .
it’s certainly an unusual and provocative premise but not one that necessarily lends itself to a feature - length format and so it proves with a film that quickly becomes an exercise in repetitive weirdness . i do enjoy strange cinema but it is hard to ascertain the intentions of matsumoto and this story of humiliation and arousal . perhaps i am doing a disservice to the film and it possesses…
actress lindsay kay hayward is warning viewers not to talk or text during an exclusive nsfw ‘ r100 ′ psa . the clip for the s & m - themed comedy - drama showcases american actress lindsay kay hayward warning audiences that if they talk or text , they’ll get a spanking from a 6’8″ amazonian with a wooden paddle . the trailer for ‘ r100 , ’ which is currently playing in theaters and on demand , begins with hayward introducing herself , as she sits in front of a poster for the comedy - drama , as well as several s & m - themed accessories . she laughs as she informs viewers that if they talk or text while watching the film , she’ll hunt them down . she amusingly adds that she [ read more ] the post lindsay kay hayward warns not to talk or text during exclusive nsfw r100 psa appeared first on shockya . com .
the exquisite live - action quill : the life of a guide dog may be the family film of the year . quill , also referred to sporadically as qoo , is a labrador retriever born…
even if you like bizarre movies , you ' ll probably like
r100 ,
then hate it , then go back to liking it , then wonder what you ' re looking at . and then the movie will end .
shot in gloomy desaturated colors , “r100” focuses on one takafumi katayama ( nao omori ) , a sad - sack furniture salesman who is caring for his cute young son while his wife ( you ) vegetates in an irreversible coma .
in a comedic performance as a dead - pan , no - nonsense police officer , matsumoto asks the question : “what happens if you get what you asked for ? ” matsumoto set out to create a “far - out absurd nonsensical movie” that is kinky and even silly , full of s & m sexual fantasies . that’s a subject matsumoto has explored in his comedy skits and radio shows . he was intending to break down the notion of comedy . while his last three films used improvisation and employed a mockumentary style , with “r100” matsumoto stayed close to the script and hired professional actors . in that sense , “r100” resembles the more conventional structure of a feature film .
r100 , the outrageously funny film from matsumoto hitoshi will be out in cinemas and on vod on january 23rd from drafthouse films . we have an outrageous clip to share with you . it is from early on in the film and features our lead omori nao and tominaga ai , the first of many dominatrices you will meet during the course of the film . you would assume that the couple are out for a nice cup of coffee . omori is probably thrilled that a young woman as stunning as tominaga is sitting at the same table as him . and then he asks her if she knows the answer to his question . her response ? at first she seems drawn in . those words . those lyrics . then ? well , you will just have to watch , . . . [ read the whole post on twitchfilm . com . . . ]
“…despite its head - scratching moments , ‘r100’ also maintains an elevated cult movie consistency that’s par for the course with matsumoto , by combining its playful irrationality with an emotional and philosophical core , ” wrote indiewire’s eric kohn in his glowing review out of toronto .
layered on top of this is a meta b - story in which an appalled ratings board is attempting to figure out what rating to give the movie . the ancient “director” has insisted that this is the film he needs to make , and only centenarians will understand it , a timid assistant tells the incredulous suits . thus , they decide to rate it r100—no one under the age of 100 admitted . ( a r18 is the japanese equivalent of an nc - 17 . )
the brilliance of “r100 , ” if that word can be used to describe the film , is that it ramps up the bizarre meter so slowly that the audience never consciously realizes how subtly they were sucked into an uncertain absurdist unreality . one of the few things i know for sure is that i used the word “if” in four of the previous five sentences . that many qualifiers are unavoidable in order to accurately assess something so firmly entrenched in “for acquired tastes only” territory .
, a documentary that follows matsumoto over six months in 2010 . it has some fascinating behind the scenes look at matsumoto ' s process working with writers and other comedians and as he begins work on his third film ,
the r100 title is a play on the movie ratings r - 15 and r - 18 and represents the main character , played by omori , breaking through boundaries . filming wrapped last month , but further plot details and the production budget have not yet been announced .
no one under 100 will be admitted !
dang this looks crazy . drafthouse films has debuted their official us trailer for hitoshi matsumoto ' s r100 , a funky , wacky japanese thriller about a man ( nao ohmori of ichi the killer ) who joins an s & m club and gets into some crazy shit when dominatrices appear and kick his ass anytime of the day . the title r100 is a riff on the japanese movie rating system , whose equivalent to nc - 17 is r18 , and this is playing on the idea that it ' s not okay for anyone under 100 . ha . the new poster is a bit too much , aiming to sell it purely on the sex / s & m angle , but the trailer hints at the absurdity of the film in so many other ways . this definitely isn ' t for everyone , but it ' s not just for s & m fans either , i think . have fun . here ' s the official us trailer for hitoshi matsumoto ' s r100 ,
i think the film veers off too far into such strangeness ( could there be a japanese tv game show spun off from all this ? ) , but connoisseurs of this kind of thing will find the ripeness hard to resist .
there is a point where characters sit in a waiting room and discuss the same r100 we ' re currently watching . after exhibiting exasperation at the absurdity they ' ve witnessed one says
too much .
disappointingly , the real statement should be ' not enough . '
along the same meta - lines spoofing the film business are several interruptions in the story when characters think they feel an earthquake coming on . this is explained as being a nod to contemporary issues , apparently a requisite in japanese films .
fun fact : asked about his film’s divided critical reception at toronto , including a drubbing in the local paper , matsumoto noted the wild response from fans at its screening . “it pleased a lot of people , anyway , ” he said .
then , about 40 minutes into the film , matsumoto introduces a new meta twist . ( see the reveal . ) in keeping with the s & m theme , matsumoto keeps changing r100 ’s direction , defying the audience in hopes of providing a more perverse kick . often , the results are astonishing . at its best , r100 resembles some of the more outré takashi miike films , crossed with the punch - drunk love - like story of a nebbish who gets in over his head when he tries to pursue a few moments of joy . the plot takes some less - rewarding turns down the stretch , but after a certain point—when takafumi gets caught in the crossfire between an army of sadists and the covert government agency trying to bring them down—viewers have to let go of expectations and trust that matsumoto is going somewhere .
in the end , r100 does arrive at someplace oddly beautiful , concluding with a wondrous abstract homage to all those special souls who take pleasure from pain , both physical and aesthetic . when the film works , it isn’t because matsumoto is playing to the cult - movie crowd—he really isn’t—but because he’s sympathetic to all the takafumis out there who fade into the background of the service economy . when takafumi is being pursued through the streets and then kicked in the face , his giddiness in understandable . finally , somebody’s paying attention to him .
it’s easier to define what r100 isn’t than what it is . first of all , despite the presence of ninja dominatrices , it’s not a steamy thriller , and the raincoat crowd should apply elsewhere . ( might we suggest 1992’s tokyo decadence ? ) “comedy” is probably the most accurate word— r100 has a devilishly warped sense of humor , even if much of it is more “what the fuck ? ” than laugh - out - loud funny . and if you can’t call a movie with a character named the gobble queen , who literally swallows men whole , or the spit queen ( naomi watanabe , in a standout performance ) , who specializes in drenching her victims in flavored loogies , a comedy , then what do you call it ? director hitoshi matsumoto says he wanted to make a film that transcended the idea of genre , and in that respect , he has succeeded admirably .
r100 is a movie starring nao ohmori , mao daichi , and shinobu terajima . an ordinary man with an ordinary life joins a mysterious club . the membership lasts for one year only and there is one rule : no cancellation under any circumstance . the man enters into a . . . see full summary »
but in the ensuing action , which encompasses spitting , whipping and sushi pounding ( use your imagination ) , other influences are also at work . as those who follow matsumoto’s tv antics know , he is a devotee of the batsu game ( punishment game ) school of humor — and “r100” is an extreme example of it . it is as though , free to do as liked in his own film , he dreamed up “punishments” far in excess of what even japan’s lenient tv censors would allow . in excess , in fact , of anything resembling comedy , black or otherwise .
japanese cinema is well known for the weird and bizarre and r100 certainly continues this tradition . directed by hitoshi matsumoto ( big man japan ) this dark and self - reflexive comedy is centred on the awakening of a japanese salaryman who joins a mysterious bondage club where kinky and submissive experiences can happen anytime and anywhere .
actress kirin kiki wants an ending with no twists when life gave her lemons , film star kirin kiki didn ' t make lemonade , but wild grass enzyme juice . it ' s the only thing that has satisfied her taste buds since her advanced - stage cancer caused he . . .
so if “r100” is a misfire , it also has its mysteries and , since it is by the insanely talented matsumoto , it’s bent appeal . i just hope that , having made this in - joke of a movie , he dreams up one for the rest of us , including this fan from the start , the next time around .
when the bondage boss asks an increasingly aggrieved takafumi , “isn’t this what you wanted ? ” the nerved - up fan of hardcore genre fare becomes mindful of the “contract” he signed upon entering the theater . alas , matsumoto ends up tipping the meta scale a touch too hard with intermittent scenes of censors screening a movie called “r100 , ” directed by a century - old man in a long white beard . eventually the film runs out of satiric steam altogether , resorting to a lame war - movie climax with bondage’s seven - foot tall ceo ( lindsay hayward ) as a cross between a distaff bond villain and a third reich heavy .
venue : toronto film festival ( midnight madness ) a warner bros . pictures presentation of a yoshimoto kogyo co . production in association with yoshimoto creative agency , phantom film cast : nao omori , mao daichi , shinobu terajima , eriko sato , ai tominaga , naomi watanabe , hairi katagiri , haruki nishimura , gin maeda , suzuki matsuo , atsuro watabe , lindsay hayward director : hitoshi matsumoto screenwriter : hitoshi matsumoto producer : akihiko okamoto executive producer : hiroshi osaki director of photography : kazushige tanaka production designer : etsuko aikou costumes : satoe araki music : hidekazu sakamoto editor : yoshitaka honda sales : free stone productions no rating , 100 minutes .
after beethoven’s “ode to joy” plays over a montage , the manager from bondage narrates that takafumi transitioned from masochist to sadist . having submitted to a superior sadist , they in turn conceived another sadist . takafumi is then seen as a pregnant man posing for pictures with his son arashi . after the credits , the quintet outside the r100 screening room is seen again , looking flummoxed .
simply put , the best film i ' ve ever seen . it destroys the medium and reconstructs it , just like jesus did with it back in 1894 . tackles the relevant issue of s & m ninjas in a fresh , funny , darkly satiric way . also , the human condition is commented upon via talking about earthquakes .
safe , sane and consensual : katayama is never treated as a pervert for being a masochist , though it is the fodder for dark comedy . the
consensual
part of the contract disappearing is actually the reason for the film ' s conflict . katayama withdraws his consent and has to fight the dominatrixes for refusing to honor his decision .
written and directed by hitoshi matsumoto ; director of photography , kazushige tanaka ; edited by yoshitaka honda ; music by hidekazu sakamoto ; production design by etsuko aikou ; costumes by satoe araki ; produced by akihiko okamoto ; released by drafthouse films . in japanese , with english subtitles . running time : 1 hour 40 minutes . this film is not rated .
a totally bizarre experience that exists as two movies the one with the main characters and another involving a group of people watching a movie about the main characters . this film has to be seen to be believed it is utterly bewildering with its main character acquiring the dominatrix from hell who feels it ' s okay to attack him at any moment to the group of people watching his exploits as a film in a screening room . it appears to be a comment on what is acceptable in modern cinema especially in countries such as japan . it is laden with filth and uncouth characters such as the queen of saliva who spits on her customers but the black humour and the way some scenes are set up makes this very intriguing .
“r100” ( a riff on the japanese movie rating system , whose equivalent to nc - 17 is r18 ) tells the story of lonely everyman , takafumi katayama , who hires a boutique s & m agency that specialize in random acts of extreme public degradation . at first , this changes his outlook on life for the better , but a bizarre accident violates the terms of the contract and hurdles takafumi into a confounding spiral that will test his very soul .
i think that in japan , because i ' m really famous as a comedian , in a way it ' s a bit difficult when i make films . they ' re always seen in the background , on the side of my other activities . in other countries , i ' m more appreciated as a film director , it ' s not just a background thing . so it ' s completely different .
it’s hardly matsumoto’s fault , since that’s just the way the system works . strange , crazed films from japan’s “brand name” directors are in demand by overseas festivals — and that is what he happily supplies . but whereas 2007’s “dai - nipponjin ( big man japan ) , ” 2009’s “symbol” and 2011’s “saya zamurai ( scabbard samurai ) ” were full - throttle comedies , if ones utterly weird by local genre standards , “r100” plays like a confused erotic nightmare , with fun moments scattered and few .
nobody does bizarre quite like the japanese , and hitoshi matsumoto’s latest offering is right up there in the realm of cult classics . from the opening ‘disclaimer’ right until the final post credit scene , r100 is a laugh a minute story of a furniture salesman , takafumi katayama , who joins an exclusive s & m club for a year of dominatrix attention which is delivered at random times and places . the catch is , he can’t quit and has to stay the full year . sounds easy , right ?
everything about it should provide a typically ' out there ' experience normally associated with japanese cinema , a man signs up for a year of kinkiness only to try and break away when it gets too much resulting in him being pursued by the entire organization . but , like the colour palette , the whole thing comes across as incredibly muted and never quite delivering on the r100 promise ( though i ' m sure in some way that ' s part of the joke , one that strangely we don ' t…
as if his movie cannot progress any further back into the left field it came from , matsumoto breaks the fourth wall to publicly acknowledge the mental instability of his own movie’s personality . a self - aware side plot involving a focus group screening the same film verbally echoes identical sentiments of strangely delighted confusion running through the viewer’s mind . matsumoto is in effect granting permission to stop questioning the madness and to start basking in the gloriousness of the insanity .
the first 40 minutes ( or so ) of r100 plays out in a quite
ordinary
manner . we get to know takafumi . his wife is in a coma since 3 years back . he has a son . he has a job as a salesman of furniture . he ' s looking for some excitement and that leads him to becoming a member of a club that offers surprise dominatrixes . they kick him around ( literally ) . they smash his sushi to mush . they hold him under water . he likes it .
true , the section is devoted to quirk and kink , which fits matsumoto’s fourth feature , about a man trapped in an ever - escalating s & m game , to a t . but if it did not feature the name of matsumoto , who has reigned for decades as a top tv comic , this mess of a film would probably not get the prestige boost of the toronto label , as well as its distribution in japan by hollywood major warner .
based on the novel by nobel laureate mo yan , red sorghum is a wonderful story of a young woman who inherits a distillery making sorghum liquour also known as kaoliang ( similar to japanese sake ) . made into an award winning film by zhang yi mou , this dance theatre adaptation presented by the song and dance theatre of qingdao performing arts group is a delight to the senses and is perhaps a closer rendition to mo yan’s story as per his own admission
matsumoto’s gigantically funny “big man japan” ( 2007 ) hardly prepares one for his stylistic sadism here . so bleached of color that it’s nearly black - and - white , “r100” begins in full - on noir mode , with takafumi katayama ( nao ohmori ) taking a beating from a cig - smoking , trenchcoat - clad bondage queen , his bruised body tumbling down a flight of stairs in a scene that playfully recalls the s & m - inflected classic “kiss me deadly . ” the gag’s visual punchline is a series of cheesy cgi ripples emanating from the head of the victim , signifying his dumbfounded ecstasy .
rivers of spit and acres of shiny fetish wear glisten in the japanese fantasy “r100 , ” a gleeful gross - out in which a meek salaryman hires an army of dominatrixes to do their cruel worst . the s - & - m gear has been selected with conspicuous care , from the pointy heels ( the better to kick bad boys down the stairs ) to the suitcase of instruments that look modeled on those in david cronenberg’s gynecological horror show , “dead ringers . ” in that 1988 movie , the sinister tool kit was for “operating on mutant women” ; here , it’s hauled out to dig deeper under the viewer’s skin .
but then the viewer has to accommodate these laugh - out - loud moments with the sobering fact that takafumi’s beloved wife is in a coma and he has to look after his little boy arashi with only occasional help from grandpa . as the mix of straight drama with kinky madness gets wilder and wilder , the audience feels more and more uncomfortable about their guilty visual pleasures . it soon becomes apparent why matsumoto felt the need to preface the film with a warning that it’s fictional and none of god’s creatures were hurt in the making .
the film opens with an irresistible take - off on the dark lady thrillers of yore . in a well - heeled restaurant , takafumi is meekly talking to a sultry vamp about beethoven’s ode to joy , when she kicks him in the face bruce lee style . he follows her out on the street , where she drops her trenchcoat , revealing a costume that would make victoria’s secret blush , and kicks him down a flight of marble stairs . strange comic - strip ripples radiate out from his puffed - up face as he gets off on the mistreatment .
in hitoshi matsumoto’s r100 , nao omori plays takafumi katayama , a mild - mannered , deeply depressed department - store clerk who’s been raising his grade - school - aged son almost on his own , while his wife lies in a coma at a nearby hospital . seeking a little escape , takafumi contracts with an unusual dominatrix service , which sends out leather - clad women to beat and humiliate him in public . but the thrills begin to cut a little close to home when the mistresses start interfering with his work , messing up his parenting , and showing up in his wife’s room during visiting hours . and then takafumi discovers , to his dismay—or perhaps delight—that he can’t cancel his subscription .
takafumi is pathetic because he achieves sublime transcendence every time leather - clad dominatrices beat him up . takafumi ' s masochism is , in that sense , not treated seriously—sorry ,
fifty shades of grey
fans ! —because it ' s just the catalyst for a series of abidingly strange episodes that are all about one thing : escaping the hell that is yourself . matsumoto ' s style of comedy is , in that sense , a far - flung descendant of jerry lewis ' slapstick - y , self - loathing schtick .
r100
is , consequently , a comedy that tries to alienate you by suggesting that escapism is futile , all things inevitably devolve , and nothing inherently means anything .
the climactic showdown , a crazed action set piece involving ninjas , grenades and an unexpectedly upbeat musical finish , gets at the essence of matsumoto’s ingenuity : by pitting inexplicable weirdness against a somber quality , he makes bold grasps for the meaning of life and concludes his search with a shrug that serves the agenda at play : how does a ratings board apply logic to something in such gleeful defiance of it ? flaunting its extremes , “r100” gets away with the naughty sensibility . “you must always be submissive , ” takafumi is told by his captor , though the statement extends to the experience of the movie . there’s no way to handle matsumoto’s nutty storytelling unless you’re willing to just sit back and take it .
where was i ? oh , right , the plot . so , takafumi gets kicked in the face , and thrown down a flight of stairs by a very sexy , terribly bored woman , which makes takafumi realize how much he likes being dominated—not necessarily in a sexual way , mind you , though yes , there is a lot of that in
r100 .
takafumi desperately wants to escape his dreary home - life , which consists of taking care of son arashi ( haruki nishimoto ) while wife setsuko lies comatose in a nearby hospital . so takafumi joins a mysterious gentlemen ' s club whose services eventually escalate in perversity , from being dominated in a sushi restaurant to being flogged and spat on at home , right next door to arashi ' s bedroom .
aside from a cheeky running gag about earthquakes , matsumoto says that he isn’t trying to make a larger social point here . but he does approach the subject of masochism from an interesting viewpoint . not only does r100 refrain from lampooning katayama’s desire to get the crap beat out of him , it’s sympathetic to it . take the scene where we see the character leaving the hospital where his wife is lying in a coma . the sky is gray , the music is melancholy , and it’s all very sad . katayama walks with his shoulders slumped and his head down . then , out of nowhere , a woman clad in leather and high heels comes running towards him , knocks him to the ground , and starts kicking him violently . his face begins to contort in blissful ripples—an effect rather like the lusty nosebleeds common in anime—and one can feel katayama’s release , the relief of feeling any sensation , even a painful one , after the numbness of grief .
you might not like this movie and as the movie itself states several times , that might be because you ' re too young for it . . . obviously that is meant to be a joke . and if you don ' t like the nature of the joke wait til you see the rest of it . it only gets weirder and is difficult to explain in a nutshell . a man is responsible for things going crazy for him , because he hires someone for that exact purpose . you have to really get into the mood of the film to like it and to enjoy it . something that cannot be said about the main character . on the other hand . . . who knows what is really going on with him ? you also get
breaks
from the movie , with some weird analysis that kind of stops the flow . . . but on the other hand is a perfect fit , if you think about it . if you like weird and not really predictable , you will love this . otherwise stay clear
currently in post - production , the sex comedy is being made with one eye on the international market .
it was matsumoto’s appearance at cannes in 2007 that inspired hiroshi osaki , the ceo of his agency , yoshimoto kogyo , to launch the okinawa international movie festival in 2009 on japan’s southern tropical island .
a very ordinary man ( nao omori ) who takes care of his son while his wife lies in a coma , enters a very ordinary building . following a seductive ride on a merry - go - round , he signs up with an exclusive club . membership is one year only and cannot be cancelled under any circumstances . happily he endures dominatrix intrusions in his daily life , until they get a little too close to his unsuspecting family . with a courage not displayed in his professional life as a bed salesman , he tries to cancel his membership , evoking the wrath of the american ceo , who descends upon tokyo to teach him a lesson…
eric kohn and anne thompson discuss their favorite films of the year so far . they also debate several new releases and share some streaming recommendations .
in an episode dedicated to the show within the show , “glow” illustrates its grand capacity for storytelling , and the very good tv podcast breaks down how .
rules weren’t meant to be broken when it comes to tv episode lengths , but these 10 examples — introduced on the very good tv podcast — are clear exceptions .
after studying under cinematographer ed lachman , shevaun mizrahi forged her own unique filmmaking path with its own set of rules .
the actress and director both love the genre , but as they told indiewire , they also knew it needed to be retrofitted to tell the true story of catherine weldon and sitting bull .
lane and schoenbrun discuss how her interest in morgellons disease patients ( “the pain of others” ) and his exploration of the slenderman myth ( “a self - induced hallucination” ) led them to make archival films from youtubes .
, with his partner masatoshi hamada . in 1989 , downtown launched a popular variety show ,
ran from 1991 to 1997 and popularized downtown ' s sketches or
kontos .
* in 2010 , matsumoto started another sketch show ,
. but as his own comedic sensibility changed and became more surreal , he began making films . as he told
( 2009 ) , premiered at midnight madness . and matsumoto will always be enshrined in my heart as the man who got mm programmer colin geddes to wear
( 2011 ) . as the announcer states with great gravity ,
what the camera captures behind the stage is the solitary fight of a man who sold his soul for comedy .
watch it , subtitled ,
the strange colour of your body ' s tears : another l . . .
more wacky than provocative in the end , hitoshi matsumoto ' s s & m - themed item could become a cult fetish on vod .
nao ohmori , mao daichi , shinobu terajima , hairi katagiri , ai tominaga , eriko sato , naomi watanabe , gin maeda , you , haruki nishimoto , suzuki matsuo , atsuro watabe , lindsay hayward . ( japanese , english dialogue )
soon signing on for a year of such blissful degradation , takafumi is told he’ll never know when one of the wicked dominatrices of the bondage gentlemen’s club will bring the pain . thus the viewer is kept on edge during languorous interludes that would appear benign if not for the threat — or promise — of sudden attack . one hilarious early scene , a showcase for matsumoto’s razor - sharp comic timing , has takafumi suffering the humiliation of having his sushi rolls repeatedly squished by a femme’s fist .
shifting from gentle piano music to jazzy pop and ’70s - style disco , the score by shuichi sakamoto and shuichiro toki mirrors the gamut - running pic itself . sound work periodically breaks total silence with david lynchian blasts of noise . other tech credits are tops .
( japan ) a drafthouse films ( in north america ) release of a yoshimoto kogyo co . production , in association with yoshimoto creative agency , phantom films . produced by akihiko okamoto . executive producers , hisaya shiraiwa , hiroshi osaki .
directed , written by hitoshi matsumoto . camera ( color ) , kazunari tanaka ; editor , yoshitaka honda ; music , shuichi sakamoto , shuichiro toki ; production designer , etsuko aiko ; costume designers , rie araki , daisuke iga ; sound , yoshitaka honda ; visual effects supervisor , kentaro nishio ; associate producers , natsue takemoto , keisuke konishi ; assistant director , tomohide sano ; casting , masunobu motokawa , yumi takada .
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without aca adjustment pay , minnesota health plans could take $ 71 . 7m hit
family dog rescued after 25 - foot fall over falls in southwestern minn . park
drag story hour brings glitz and kid lit to st . paul ' s public libraries
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comments that violate the above will be removed . repeat violators may lose their commenting privileges on startribune . com .
july , 2016 : garrison keillor reflects on the art of the performance as
prairie home
celebrated 40 years with a live show at macalester college in st . paul .
thousands of sheet - draped , dirt - streaked and blood - soake , limping party animals took to the streets of downtown minneapolis for the 2015 zombie pub crawl .
national portrait gallery is one of washington , d . c . ' s best .
movies and tv shows are certified fresh with a steady tomatometer of 75 % or higher after a set amount of reviews ( 80 for wide - release movies , 40 for limited - release movies , 20 for tv shows ) , including 5 reviews from top critics .
matsumoto works overtime to keep this vital once the basic premise has been established , but the cultural subtext is so potent that he really can ' t go wrong .
a little punishment goes a long way , especially for the rest of us , yet on it drags , torturously , slap , kick , slap , kick .
the self - reflexivity , the bone - dry salaryman foibles , the sudden appearance of office - style interviews among the assorted dominatrices - are attenuated by a hopelessly tedious a - plot .
matsumoto stamps his lurid creation as inappropriate for all audiences under the age of 100 - which some will consider sound advice .
heady stuff , indeed , but perfect midnight - date movie fare if you ' re , uh , in the mood .
suggesting “fight club” as directed by luis buñuel , the plight of takafumi continues along its cartoonishly reckless trajectory , with the beleaguered man facing down a series of combative dominatrixes under the orwellian gaze of their employer and worrying about the fate of his family . setting aside what it all means , the sheer lunacy is increasingly hilarious , particularly as it enters “big man japan” territory with its superhuman creations : dominatrixes with inventive personas like the queen of impressions and the queen of saliva stalk takafumi from every direction to keep him from asserting control of his life . and that , in turn , arouses him .
the deal was negotiated by tim league and james emanuel shapiro on behalf of drafthouse films and miyuki takamatsu of free stone productions on behalf of the producers .


pretty baby is a 1978 american historical drama film directed by louis malle , and starring brooke shields , keith carradine , and susan sarandon .

the plot focuses on a 12-year-old prostitute in the red-light district of new orleans at the turn of the 20th century .

the title of the film is inspired by the tony jackson song , " pretty baby , " which is used in the soundtrack .

although the film was mostly praised by critics , it caused significant controversy due to its depiction of child prostitution and the nude scenes of brooke shields , who was 12 years old .

pretty baby ( 1978 film )

interior scenes for louis malle’s
pretty baby
( 1978 ) were shot at the columns hotel .
flake , carol . âpretty baby of ours . â figaro , april 5 , 1978 , pg . 25 - 27 .
music video by blondie performing ' pretty baby ' from ' parallel lines ' album . no copyright infringement intended ©1978 chrysalis records & images ©1978 paramount pictures | all rights reserved .
pretty baby is a 1978 historical fiction , dramatic film directed by louis malle . the screenplay was written by polly platt . the title is inspired by the tony jackson song ,
pretty baby
, which is used in the soundtrack .
arnold , gary . âdirecting a pretty baby - the trauma and the glory . â the washington post , april 30 , 1978 , pg . 17 - 19 .
duplantier , stephen . âa modern bellocq meets âpretty babyâ . â figaro , april 12 , 1978 , pg . 25
looking for movie tickets ? enter your location to see which movie theaters are playing pretty baby near you .
from jump cut , no . 19 , december 1978 , pp . copyright jump cut : a review of contemporary media , 1978 , 2005
in 1917 , in the red - light district of new orleans , they called her
pretty baby
.
pretty baby is a 1978 historical fiction drama film directed by louis malle . the screenplay was written by polly platt . the title is inspired by the tony jackson song ,
pretty baby
, which is used in the soundtrack . although the film was mostly praised by critics , it was quite controversial at the time , especially for its scenes of the nude pre - teen brooke shields .
urltoken for more weird videos plus strange film nights in london . 35mm trailer for the 1978 drama pretty baby , directed by louis malle and starring brooke shields , keith carradine and susan sarandon . plus check us out on : urltoken urltoken urltoken urltoken urltoken
pretty baby is a 1978 drama film . it was the american debut of french director louis malle and it was also the star making role of a child actress named brooke shields . the movie is best known for its controversial content and subject matter .
the soundtrack used many local new orleans musicians playing in the jazz , ragtime , and blues style of the city in the early 20th century . a lp album of the soundtrack , also entitled pretty baby , was issued in 1978 on abc records .
pretty little liars region code 1 ( us , canada . . . ) dvds
you will be relieved to hear that the attorney - general was able to announce in the house of commons last week that the director of public prosecutions is not to take any action against your film pretty baby
.
into law in july 1978 , and taking into account the views of the various people who had seen and considered the film , the board concluded that two minor cuts would be required before the film could be granted an x certificate . accordingly , a cuts list was sent to the film ' s distributor on 16 august 1978 . the cuts were as follows : -
kroll , jack . âalice in brothel - landâ . newsweek , april 10 , 1978 , pg . 106 .
in 1978 he directed pretty baby , the story of a 12 - year - old resident of a brothel in new orleans . his later films included the critically acclaimed atlantic city ( 1980 ) , a comedy - drama about the emotional renewal of a small - time criminal ; my dinner with andré ( 1981 ) , an unusual film consisting almost entirely…
in conjunction with its current exhibition on new orleans ' legendary storyville district , the historic new orleans collection has scheduled a free screening of the locally shot 1978 drama
pretty baby ,
which is set in storyville in its heydey . it tops this week ' s listing of off - the - beaten path events on tap for local film fans .
brooke shields , left , and susan sarandon , in the new orleans - shot drama ' pretty baby , ' set in the city ' s famed storyville district . ( file image )
…involved ) brought her greater attention : pretty baby ( 1978 ) and atlantic city ( 1981 ) . in both films sarandon played women who are initially presented simply as objects of male desire but who later reveal their underlying intelligence and independence . her performance in atlantic city led to her first oscar nomination . she next…
the pretty baby of the title is named violet , and is played by brooke shields , as an extraordinarily beautiful child . before anyone had seen
pretty baby ,
malle was being accused of exploiting that fact . but he ' s thoughtful and almost cautious in his approach : given the film ' s subject matter and its obligatory sex scenes , malle shows taste and restraint . and shields really creates a character here ; her subtlety and depth are astonishing .
louis malle ' s pretty baby is a pleasant surprise : after all the controversy and scandal surrounding its production , it turns out to be a good - hearted , good - looking , quietly elegiac movie .
set and filmed in new orleans , pretty baby , directed by louis malle , is a film that surrounds the unconventional love story of child prostitute violet and photographer earnest bellocq . [ 1 ] the film , set in 1917 and released in 1978 , is based on âactual denizens of the legal red light district . ” [ 2 ] inspirations for the film include historian al roseâs book about storyville and photographs of new orleans prostitutes taken by the real earnest bellocq . [ 3 ] controversy surrounded the film with accusations of âchild pornography” [ 4 ] causing unexpected censorship problems [ 5 ] and even a few instances of bans placed on the screening of the film . [ 6 ]
: violet , as well as her playmates in the brothel . she also has a baby brother , who is
a pretty , popular teenager can ' t go out on a date until her ill - tempered older sister does .
louis malle ' s controversial drama pretty baby , featuring a very young brooke shields , comes to dvd with a widescreen anamorphic transfer that preserves the original theatrical aspect ratio of the film . regardless of how one feels about the film ' s content , pretty baby is most assuredly a resounding visual success . the exquisite art direction , costumes , and lighting look fabulous on this disc . certainly the film has never looked this good before on home video . english and french soundtracks have been rendered in dolby digital mono . english subtitles are accessible . there are no supplemental materials of any consequence , but seeing as how malle is one of the most respected french directors of his era , this disc is worthwhile for any art film devotee .
unless indicated otherwise , the text in this article is either based on wikipedia article
pretty baby ( film )
or another language wikipedia page thereof used under the terms of the gnu free documentation license ; or on original research by jahsonic and friends . see art and popular culture ' s copyright notice .
1972 — events : 1st new york international festival of women ' s films and the women ' s event at the edinburgh film festival . publications : 1st issue of women & film magazine ; special issues devoted to women and film in take one , film library quarterly and the velvet light trap ; women ' s filmography in film comment .
susan sarandon appears in pretty baby as violetâs mother , hattie , a prostitute working in a new orleans brothel in which she births and raises a daughter . [ 22 ] during the filming of pretty baby , sarandon was intimately involved with the director , louis malle . [ 23 ] in response to harsh criticism of the film and of malleâs treatment of brooke shields , sarandon wrote a letter of protest to new york stating that much of the criticism was âa distortion of the whole situationâ and that âlouis was always considerate of brookeâs feelings . ” [ 24 ]
saperstein , sandra . âobscenity in films target of unique maryland panel ; maryland panel able to ban film ; censors have power to ban showings . â the washington post , may 30 , 1978 , pg . 11 - 13 .
in the meantime , the film was seen again at the beginning of june 1978 by members of the bbfc , as well as by members of the dpp ' s office , customs and excise , and the williams committee , who were currently looking into the whole issue of film censorship and obscenity . details of these screenings were leaked to the press , resulting in the bbfc issuing a public statement on 2 june 1978 stating :
no hasty decision will be taken by the british board of film censors on the film pretty baby , which was seen by some members of the board yesterday . the protection of children bill currently going through parliament raises new legal issues , and since it is not the role of the board to pre - empt the wishes of parliament in such matters , we shall be waiting until the bill has been passed in its final form by both houses before making our decision on the film ' s acceptability in britain
.
despite the scandalised yelps about child pornography , a film of disarmingly subversive innocence .
2 .
structuralist
and
melodrama
were the two names analyzed in papers presented by bruce jenkins and william horrigan respectively , my co - panelists at the purdue conference on film , april 1978 , where an earlier version of this paper was read .
french director louis malle has a passion for directing films that âsurround our greatest taboosâ said film critic carol flake . [ 11 ] before directing pretty baby , his first american film , [ 12 ] malle worked on films such as black moon [ 13 ] and the lovers , which generated much interest and lead to both french and american film offers . [ 14 ] malle claims that over the years his directing style has evolved from a âyoung and innocent and pretending to be toughâ to a style that is âactually tough . â [ 15 ]
an unmarried woman richly deserves its new name
projectile
as do the turning point for its barely disguised misogyny , and louis malle ' s pretty baby for its conversion of the socially retarded photographer e . j . bellocq ' s woman - identified voyeurism into a malle - identified manipulation of women .
caroline eades | louis malle’s reverse cinematography : from the ethnographic gaze to fiction film .
: my soul to take in 3d is an american horror film written and directed by wes craven . [ 3 ] the film is the first film since wes craven ' s new nightmare ( 1994 ) that he both wrote and directed . [ 4 ]
the most imaginative , most intelligent , and most original film of the year to date .
1977 — 1st issue of camera obscura ( journal of film theory founded by the dissident women & film members , initially in opposition to it ) ; publication of karyn kay and gerald peary ' s women and the cinema , first anthology of criticism on women and film .
midway through her wrenchingly beautiful film , pretty baby , brooke shields is auctioned off in a new orleans bordello . she plays a child prostitute with a disconcertingly angelic air : her toulouse - lautrec pout is sensual , ethereal , mesmerizing . yet her body—later seen naked—is a child’s , thin and gawky . “i can feel the steam , ” she whispers to her successful bidder , mimicking coquettishness , “coming through my dress . ”
louis malle ' s
pretty baby
is a pleasant surprise : after all the controversy and scandal surrounding its production , it turns out to be a good - hearted , good - looking , quietly elegiac movie . that ' s a coup for malle , who sometimes seems to dare himself to find acceptable ways of filming unacceptable subjects .
this hungarian film is a careful , compassionate and beautifully acted character drama with a social conscience .
although the release of pretty baby lead to many negative associations with his name , malleâs film also received much positive feedback ; film critic jack kroll called it âa civilized intelligent work by one of the worldâs most intelligent and civilized filmmakers . ” [ 16 ] in an interview with gary arnold , malle stated , âi feel that it is my function to disturb , in fact to transmit my own disturbances which is immense . i want to force people to look inside themselves even if they hate me for doing that . ” [ 17 ]
scott , jay . âsusan puts it down to luck : sarandon never planned the career most actresses would kill for . â the globe and mail ( canada ) , december 5 , 1978 , pg . 8 - 10 .
in their separate spheres , davis and crawford deal with the success of “baby jane” very differently . in real life , davis did tons of publicity for the film ( sarandon re - creates davis’s appearance on the “andy williams show” when , in a flowing , sky - blue dress , she sings a “funky” pop song called “whatever happened to baby jane ? ” ) . crawford did very little publicity , despite warner’s warnings that this could hurt her come oscars season . the reviews of “baby jane” focus mainly on davis , causing joan to toss down a newspaper in fury : “it’s like i wasn’t even in the damn thing ! ”
pretty baby is pushing brookie ( as her friends call her ) into dizzying financial brackets . she got $ 27 , 500 for three months’ work in pretty baby before teri hiked her contract to $ 62 , 500 for 12 days in the forthcoming king of the gypsies . that rose to $ 150 , 000 for this summer’s wanda nevada with peter fonda . teri recently turned down a $ 300 , 000 bid from warner brothers . “we weigh each offer , ” she says , “to see if it’s beneficial to brooke . ” the money , handled for the brooke shields co . , inc . , is being held until she’s of age . her only fee that hasn’t inflated is for babysitting—still $ 6 an evening .
as a more disturbing than revealing tract on prostitution : the film was banned in england and ontario , canada . though critics like roger ebert applauded the artfulness of malle ' s film , others , like
this film is not currently playing on mubi but 30 other great films are . see what’s now showing
the sense of place is as pervasive as a character in “moss , ” a film by daniel peddle .
red light district : storyville where the film takes place , is the red light district of new orleans .
3 . women artists working in film continued , as before , to make avant - garde films , but these lie outside my present concerns . i am taking up only that area of intentionally feminist film activity .
is here for all you quotes spouting fans of the brooke shields and susan sarandon movie . this script is a transcript that was painstakingly transcribed using the screenplay and / or viewings of pretty baby . i know , i know , i still need to get the cast names in there and i ' ll be eternally tweaking it , so if you have any corrections , feel free to
keith carradine appears in pretty baby as earnest bellocq , the man who in reality photographed storyville prostitutes , and in the film photographs hattie ( sarandon ) and becomes romantically involved with child prostitute violet ( shields ) . [ 27 ] director louis malle chose carradine for the film because of a certain âstrangeness to his face : he really has the most bizarre looking of the whole carradine family , if you observe his face closely . ” [ 28 ] screen director polly platt said of him , âheâs come a long way from playing the all american sex hero to an asexual eccentric . ” [ 29 ]
, which made it a legal requirement that all films released on video in the uk should be classified by the bbfc , it became necessary for the bbfc to consider all the vhs tapes that were already on the market . because of the scale of the task , a staggered implementation of the act was introduced , under which pretty baby would need to be assessed and classified by 1988 .
aside from pretty baby , sarandon has appeared in a multitude of films and received many awards including an academy award for her role in dead man walking and five nominations for her roles in atlantic city , thelma and louis , lorenzoâs oil , and the client . [ 25 ] although critic jay scott describes her career as âone most actresses would warm naugahyde casting couches - and slit throats - to attain , â sarandon claims that she never planned on a career as a film star . [ 26 ]
1973 — events : toronto women and film festival and season of women ' s cinema at the national film theatre in london . publications : marjorie rosen ' s popcorn venus , first book on image of women in film , and notes on women ' s cinema , bfi monograph edited by claire johnston , the first collection of feminist theory .
irréversible ( 2002 , france ) is a film written , directed , edited , and photographed by gaspar noé . it stars monica bellucci and vincent cassel . several reviewers [ who ? ] declared it one of the most disturbing and controversial films of 2002 . the film employs non - linear narrative . the music is by french electronic musician thomas bangalter , who is best known as half of the band daft punk . irréversible won the
bronze horse
award at the stockholm film festival and competed for thepalme d ' or at the 2002 cannes film festival , [ 1 ] as well as the
best foreign language award
by the film critics circle of australia . it was also voted
best foreign language film
by the san diego film critics society ( tied with les invasions barbares ) .
subsequent to the film ' s run in uk cinemas , at least outside cardiff , the film was released on vhs in 1981 . at the time , there was no requirement for videos to be vetted or classified by the bbfc and , perhaps inadvertently , the film ' s distributor released the uncut version of the film . significantly , no legal action was taken against the uncut video release under the terms of the protection of children act . following the introduction of the
.
this is a film i cared a lot about , and looking back it had the potential to be one of my best achievements . it may have been a mistake to make it as my first film in america .
his subject this time is a twelve - year - old girl who is raised in the new orleans brothel where her mother works . she plays in the garden , she rides a pony , she likes ragtime music , and one day she ' s auctioned off to the man who will deflower her . this is , of course , tragically perverted , but
pretty baby
itself is not a perverted film : it looks soberly , and with a good deal of compassion , at its period of history and the people who occupied it .
in addition to the subject of child prostitution , some eye browes were raised because of scenes involving a 12 - year - old brooke shields appearing nude . because of this , the 109 minute film was edited down to 106 minutes in some releases . the unedited version of the film is now available on dvd , but there is controversy amongst its fans because of differences in film dimensions , leading some people to believe that the film was either incorrectly matted or the victim of false letterboxing .
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5 . nancy scholar ,
maedchen in uniform ' in women & film , no . 7 , p . 71 .
due date is a 2010 american comedy road film directed by todd phillips , co - written by alan r . cohen , alan freedland , and adam sztykiel , and starring robert downey , jr . and zach galifianakis . the film was released on november 5 , 2010 . [ 3 ] the film was shot in las cruces , new mexico and atlanta , georgia .
the tomatometer score — based on the opinions of hundreds of film and television critics — is a trusted measurement of critical recommendation for millions of fans . it represents the percentage of professional critic reviews that are positive for a given film or television show .
audition ( オーディション ōdishon ? ) is a 1999 japanese horror film directed by takashi miikeand starring ryo ishibashi and eihi shiina . it is based on a ryu murakami novel of the same title . over the years , the film has developed a cult following
a film that
cries out for a director with a point of view .
he also noted the poor taste of releasing a film without any negative appraisal of child prostitution during a concurrent public discourse on the horrors of child pornography and prostitution in america .
: kurt & courtney is a 1998 documentary film by nick broomfield investigating the circumstances surrounding kurt cobain ' s death , and allegations of courtney love ' s involvement in it . the film concludes that there is not enough evidence to prove that cobain was murdered .
1974 — events : chicago films by women festival . publications : 1st issue of jump cut ; two more books on images of women in film , molly haskell ' s from reverence to rape and joan mellen ' s women and their sexuality in the new film .
herein lies the crisis facing feminist film criticism today , for after seven years of film practice and theory , no new names have come into being . we still lack our proper names . the impact of such a lack on the actual films is of immediate concern .
after “ baby jane ” wrapped , bette davis — in anticipatory panic that the film would bomb , and an equally intense panic that she would be pilloried for her broad characterization in the film — placed an ad in “variety” with the heading “situation wanted . ” the ad read , in part : “thirty years experience as an actress in motion pictures . mobile still and more affable than rumor would have it . wants steady employment in hollywood . ( has had broadway . ) references upon request . ”
as a starting point , one classic film rediscovered through women ' s film festivals indicates the sort of mis - naming prevalent in film history . leontine sagan ' s maedchen in uniform is a 1931 german film detailing the relationship between a student and her teacher in a repressive girls ' boarding school . the film has been widely received as anti - authoritarian and anti - fascist , made as it was during the rise of nazism in germany , and containing montages of prussian - like repression counterpointed to the humanism of the favorite teacher . typical of this reception was george sadoul ' s characterization of maedchen as
a sensitive and restrained attack on german militarism .
[ 4 ]
caroline eades specializes in film studies and contemporary french culture . she received her phd in film studies from the université de la sorbonne nouvelle - paris iii and has taught at the university of grenoble ( france ) , the university of southern california , and the university of california at santa barbara , before joining the university of maryland . her main fields of research are european cinema , post - colonial studies , film feminist theory , film and myth . her book le cinéma post - colonial français appeared in 2006 ( paris : collections 7eart , editions du cerf ) . she is currently working on a book on classical reception in film and a co - edited volume on the essay film . she has published numerous book - chapters and articles on french cinema , culture , and literature in international scholarly series and journals .
pretty baby , although based in the red - light district of new orleans , was filmed at the columns hotel located in the uptown area of the city at 3811 st . charles avenue . [ 7 ] the hotel , during the filming âhad been converted into a baroque hollywood version of a storyville bordello . ” [ 8 ] studio designer trevor williamâs dã©cor , indigenous pieces such as beds with mosquito nets , and victorian furniture filled the hotel for what screen director polly platt described as âsplendor without comfort . ” [ 9 ] local rumors of âbabylon coming to new orleansâ prompted production company paramount and director louis malle to develop a low key publicity strategy for the film in an attempt to avoid receiving an âxâ rating ( the film eventually was rated r ) . [ 10 ]
buried is a 2010 thriller film directed by rodrigo cortés . [ 6 ] it stars ryan reynolds . [ 7 ] it was written by chris sparling . the film revolves around iraq - based american truck driver paul conroy ( reynolds ) , who , after being attacked , finds himself buried alive in a wooden coffin , with only a lighter , flask , flashlight , knife , glowsticks and a mobile phone to help him escape before the oxygen in the coffin runs out . since its premiere at the sundance film festival , the film has received a positive critical reception .
1971 — release of growing up female , three lives , the woman ' s film , and janie ' s janie , all feminist documentaries .
12 . here i am considering only english language feminist film criticism ; there are other complex issues in french and german criticism , for example .
( 1978 ) centers on a beautiful prostitute hattie ( susan sarandon ) and her 12 - year - old
trick baby
daughter violet ( brooke shields ) . violet , who plays inside the brothel walls and counts the prostitutes as her playmates , stands on the cusp of entering her mother ' s profession . raised knowing little beyond the life of the brothel , violet can imagine nothing else , and tends to romanticize her mother ' s life , especially when a photographer , e . j . bellocq ( keith carradine ) arrives to photograph the resident ladies of the evening .
pretty baby
has been attacked in some quarters as child porn . it ' s not . it ' s an evocation of a time and a place and a sad chapter of americana . the ragtime music and the blues that fill its sound track take on a deeper meaning , in the context of the story , and we are reminded that the artists who sang
do you know what it means to miss new orleans ?
knew very well , and perhaps for that reason missed it less than their listeners .
historian al roseâs book storyville , new orleans , is one of the main inspirations for the film pretty baby . [ 31 ] however , rose claims that the film is inaccurate and although he had been paid for the rights to the book , he was âignored . ” [ 32 ] one discrepancy in the film , rose claims , is âthe presence of both black and white prostitutes in the same bordello . ” [ 33 ] also , rose stated that louis malle âsensationalizedâ the story of child prostitute violet , which was so brief a segment in his book . [ 34 ] the book contains a short interview with the real violet in which she states , âi know itâd be good if i could say how awful it was and like crime donât pay - but to me it seems just like anything else - like a kid whose father owns a grocery store . he helps him in the store . well , my mother didnât sell groceries . ” [ 35 ]
20 .
paul mazursky interviewed by terry curtis fox
in film comment 14 , no . 2 ( marchapril l97b ) , 30 - 31 .
in 2006 , the film was resubmitted to the bbfc , in a widescreen version for dvd release , the first time it had been issued on a home viewing format since the original vhs tapes were released in 1981 . on this occasion , the film was classified 18 uncut with the bbfcinsight ' contains child prostitution theme . serious consideration was given to whether the film ' s visual discretion might warrant a downwards reclassification to 15 . however , given the difficulty of the film ' s theme and the complex manner of the theme ' s presentation , it was concluded that the existing 18 was still reasonable and defensible .
the ballad of narayama
is a japanese film of great beauty and elegant artifice , telling a story of startling cruelty . what a space it opens…
127 hours is a 2010 biographical adventure film produced , co - written and directed by danny boyle . the film stars james franco as mountain climber aron ralston , who became trapped by a boulder in robbers roost , utah for more than five days before amputating his arm with a dull knife in april 2003 .
he gets off lightly compared to brooke’s divorced manager mother , teri shields , 44 . “the press has referred to me as a stage mother , a frustrated actress living through brooke and even a one - woman film - wrecking crew , ” teri admits . on the set brooke is sweet ; teri is salty but clearly a favorite with the crew . she can also be meddlesome and was briefly banned from the set of pretty baby . “they can say what they want about me , ” teri explains . “but brooke can’t fight back . that’s why i’m here . i’m not a stage mother . i’m brooke’s mother . the most important thing is that i love brooke , and it’s fun to make her happy . ”
there have been two types of feminist film criticism ) [ 12 ] , motivated by different geographical and ideological contexts , each speaking in a very different voice .
9 . presented at the center for twentieth century studies ( university of wisconsin at milwaukee ) , international symposium on film theory and practical criticism , november 1975 .
first , the domestic update . wonder woman earned another $ 15 . 575 million in its fifth weekend of release , falling just 37 % despite losing over 529 theaters and despite some pretty stiff competition in the form of baby driver and despicable me 3 . of course , it helps that warner bros . / time warner inc . ' s the house pretty much crashed - and - burned , which means wonder woman is still warner ' s top priority until chris nolan ' s dunkirk on the 21st . anyway , that ' s the 15th - largest fifth weekend of all time , which isn ' t a record of any sort but still puts it in the company of jurassic world , frozen and the sixth sense among others . it ' s a bigger fifth weekend than spider - man , but not guardians of the galaxy ( which had a holiday boost ) .
certainly mazursky ' s confusion is justified , for his film is indeed being given a name that is paramountly inapplicable according to his understanding of
a woman ' s movie .
and if we wonder why all the guys are so anxious to see the film in question , the depressingly predictable answer is coming right up .
and later , praising most of the film as a successor to greed , mekas contended that the heroine ' s silence was more
revolutionary
than the murder . mekas thus made a case for the film ' s artistic merit as separate from its social context , moving the work into the area of existentialism at the expense of its feminism . amy taubin considered the film
theatrical
and , while commending the subjectivity of the camerawork and editing , she attacked the character of jeanne :
10 things i hate about you is a 1999 american teen romantic comedy film . it is directed bygil junger and stars heath ledger , julia stiles , joseph gordon - levitt , larisa oleynik , david krumholtz , and larry miller . a loose adaptation of shakespeare ' s the taming of the shrew set in a modern seattle , washington , american high school , the screenplay was written by karen mccullah lutz and kirsten smith . the film ' s title is a reference to a poem written by the film ' s female lead to describe her bittersweet romance with the male lead . the film was released march 31 , 1999 , and it was abreakout success for stars stiles and ledger . [ 1 ] [ 2 ] [ 3 ] the film marks the motion picture directing debut of junger , who previously directed only for television .
on may 31 brooke will be 13 years old . tall for her age at 5’4″ ( her father is 67″ ) , brooke is blessed with the most stunning new child’s face in movies since elizabeth taylor . the skin is flawless ; eyes deep blue ; lashes black ; hair silken . the direct gaze is full of ambivalent sexuality . now her scandalizing role in the r - rated film has plunged the former child model into an international furor . pretty baby has been banned outright in the canadian provinces of ontario and saskatchewan . no less a moral arbiter than rona barrett solemnly advised her tv audience that the movie is “child pornography . ” others have attacked its french director louis ( lacombe , lucien ) malle as a combination of humbert humbert and roman polanski .
gernre : alpha dog is a 2006 crime drama film written and directed by nick cassavetes , first screened at the sundance film festival on january 27 , 2006 , with a wide release the following year on january 12 , 2007 . the film is based on the true story of the kidnapping and murder of 15 - year - old nicholas markowitz and related events in 2000 . it portrays the involvement of jesse james hollywood , a young middle - class drug dealer in california . [ 2 ] the film stars emile hirsch , justin timberlake , shawn hatosy , ben foster , olivia wilde , amanda seyfried , anton yelchin withharry dean stanton , sharon stone and bruce willis .
these proposed cuts were put to the film ' s director , louis malle , who was very reluctant to make any changes to his film . although he agreed to make the first cut , in the bathroom scene in reel 4 , he was particularly reluctant to delete the shot showing violet lying on the sofa . for him , this was one of the key shots in the film and a direct reference to the publication , ' storyville portraits ' , whose cover image had inspired the whole project .
, would criminalise the manufacture and distribution of any ' indecent ' images of children under the age of 16 . given that the film featured not only a child prostitution theme , but also full frontal nudity involving a 12 - year - old brooke shields , it was inevitable that the board would have to scrutinise the film very carefully .
louis malle ' s drama about child prostitution in early twentieth century new orleans had already aroused controversy in the press and overseas when it was first seen by the bbfc on 28 march 1978 . however , it raised particular difficulties for the board given that it was submitted at the precise moment the protection of children bill was making its way through parliament . this bill , which became the
ichi the killer ( 殺し屋１ koroshiya ichi ? ) is a 2001 japanese film directed by takashi miike , based on hideo yamamoto ' s manga series of the same name .
another aspect of history made explicit by the chronology involves the initial cross - fertilization between the energies of the women ' s movement and cinema , which took place in the area of practice rather than written criticism . the films came first . in fact , we find two different currents feeding into film work : one made up of women who were feminists and thereby led to the other made up of those of us already working in film and led therein to feminism . it was largely the first group of women who began making the films , [ 3 ] which were naturally named
feminist
, and largely the second group of women , often in university film studies departments , who began holding the film festivals , just as naturally named simply
women and / in film .
spadework has continued in both directions , creating a new women ' s cinema and rediscovering the antecedents , with the two currents feeding our film criticism , which has drawn from both kinds of knowledge and experience for its dual - purpose discourse .
men of honor ( released in the uk and canada as men of honour ) is a 2000 drama film , starring robert de niro and cuba gooding , jr . the film was directed by george tillman , jr . it is inspired by the true story of master chief petty officer carl brashear , the first african - americanmaster diver in the united states navy .
the critical reception of the film in one paper , the soho weekly news , by three different reviewers points up the confusion engendered by linguistic inadequacy . [ 7 ] jonas mekas questioned ,
nature adores a virgin : when violet ' s virginity is auctioned off , madam nell makes sure to extol her purity . having been raised in a whorehouse , violet is actually pretty knowledgeable about sex in spite of having not done it yet . she ' s told to exaggerate her innocence because
this guy is buying a virgin
.
there is little known information on the life of photographer earnest bellocq . he lived in new orleans , photographing the prostitutes of storyville , and created a collection of photographs that were discovered after bellocqâs death in 1949 by local collector larry borenstein and then sold to photographer lee friedlander . [ 36 ] friedlander created prints of bellocqâs work , which appeared in 1978 in the museum of modern artâs exhibit âstoryville portraits . ” [ 37 ]
another name popularly applied to jeanne dielman is
ethnographic
in keeping with the film ' s insistence on real - time presentation and non - elliptical editing . again , however , the name negates a basic aspect of the film by its reference to a cinema of clinical observation , a kind of filmmaking known for its distance and non - involvement with the subject , observational rather than engaged . the film ' s very warm texture and akerman ' s clearly committed sympathies ( the jeanne dielman gestures borrowed largely from her own mother and aunt ) make the name inappropriate .
: case 39 is a 2009 horror film directed by christian alvart and stars renée zellweger and canadian actress jodelle ferland with bradley cooper . the film was shot in vancouver in late 2006 , and was scheduled to be released in august 2008 , but it was pushed back to april 10 , 2009 , and then january 1 , 2010 . it still has not been released in the u . s . it was released in the uk on 5 march 2010 . the film is scheduled to be shown on tv in parts of the middle east on may 1 , 2010 .
molina has been doing wonderful work in the series , and this week he has one of his best moments , when he is overcome by a sense of shared pride at seeing joan crawford surrounded by a crowd of fans after a preview of “baby jane . ” it’s extremely vulnerable work from him . he bursts with happiness for her . ( jessica lange’s stare back at him is an intense kaleidoscope of pride , gratitude and steely self - satisfaction . ) aldrich’s career unhappiness post - ”baby jane” is evident when we see him directing a bullying and uncooperative frank sinatra ( toby huss ) in “4 for texas” and trying to assuage the fears of davis , who is baffled that the offers haven’t been pouring in .
this visually evocative tale of a child prostitue , louis malle ' s first american film , is not as strong as his next ( atlantic city ) , but susan sarandon and brooke shields are splendid .
while true enough , this anti - fascism is not as central to the film as its portrait of female eroticism , focusing attention on the erotic attachments of the students and teachers at the school and on the nature of power relations , both pure and corrupt , available to women living under patriarchy . nancy scholar , writing in women & film , reiterated the emphasis on the film ' s anti - fascism but extended that definition to include the
antiauthoritarian forces… of love and compassion represented by manuela and fraulein von b and the young girls who joined forces with them .
[ 5 ] in fact , the dynamics of maedchen are not found only in such external movements or bondings , but rather in the twin internal movements of manuela and fraulein von b toward voicing the love that dared not speak its name at film ' s start . indeed , maedchen in uniform is central to this paper ' s concerns for sagan ' s own positing of the act of naming as a pivotal moment in her film .
derek schilling is professor of french at johns hopkins university , where he directs the french section of the department of german and romance languages and literatures . his teaching and scholarship bear on modern and contemporary french literature and film , with an emphasis on the interwar period as well as on the second postwar in relation to urbanization and the emergence of the suburb . his monograph eric rohmer appeared in 2007 in the manchester university press
french film directors
series . a second title , screening the paris suburbs before the banlieue film , a multi - author volume co - edited with philippe met , is forthcoming with manchester university press . in 2015 - 2016 , professor schilling is acting director of the center for advanced media studies ( cams ) which houses johns hopkins ' newly created graduate certificate in film and media .
if so , jeanne dielman ' s pathology mitigates against our willingness to generalize . by holding a reformist position ( i . e . she should vary her menu , change her wardrobe ) in relation to a revolutionary character ( i . e . a murderer ) , taubin was forced into a reading of the film limited by notions of realism that she as an avant - garde film critic would have ordinarily worked to avoid . her review split the film along the lines of form / content , annexing the aesthetics as
the real importance
and rejecting the character of jeanne as a pathological woman . again we find a notion of pure art set up in opposition to a feminism seemingly restricted to positive role models . third , annette michelson submitted a written protest to mekas which defended the film ' s importance for
adrienne rich ' s remarks at the 1976 and 1977 women ' s commission panels of the modern language association inspired this investigation into the nature of language in the field of feminist film criticism . the situation for women working in filmmaking and film criticism today is precarious . while our work is no longer invisible , and not yet unspeakable , it still goes dangerously unnamed . the extent of the problem was manifested in the very decision of a title to this paper , designed to analyze naming in terms of film and the women ' s movement but limited to the two unsatisfactory choices of
feminist film
or
films by women .
both are vague and problematic names : the one disregarded or even denied by certain women filmmakers and writers , the other descriptive of nothing but a sex - determined ghetto of classification .
chantal akerman ' s jeanne dielman ( 1975 ) is a chronicle of three days in the life of a brussels housewife , a widow and mother who is also a prostitute . it is the first film to legitimize housework , showing a woman ' s activities in the home in real time , to communicate with veracity the alienation of woman in the nuclear family as it exists under advanced industrialized capitalism . more than three hours in length and nearly devoid of dialogue , the film charts jeanne dielman ' s breakdown via a minute observation of her performance of household routines , at first methodical and unvarying , later increasingly disarranged , until by film ' s end , the order is permanently disrupted by her murder of her third client . the film was scripted , directed , photographed and edited by women motivated by a consciously feminist sensibility .
21 . many of the ideas in this article were first tested in a discussion in chicago in february , 1978 which has been published as
women and film : a discussion of feminist aesthetics
in the new german critique , no . 13 ; i am indebted to the three editors and to my co - discussants michelle citron , julia lesage , judith mayne and anna marie taylor for their feedback and support . thanks also to my friends on the original purdue panel , bill horrigan and bruce jenkins , for their reactions and intellectual generosity . finally , the article has benefited from the tough but sympathetic criticisms of the manuscript by joan braderman , regina cornwell , and linda williams .
unlike the precocious likes of tatum o’neal , brooke has remained surprisingly unaffected . “somebody with her background should be a monster , a little robot , ” says malle . “but brooke has managed to stay very natural , very close to her childhood . ” she is a movie star who thinks being a script girl would be “sooo neat” and who admits she is an only recently reformed thumbsucker . brooke still has an imaginary friend ( “i talk to her about my problems” ) . she plays football in central park , watches tv ( “even though i know charlie’s angels is corny” ) and collects wooden dolls and glass knickknacks . brooke loves movies , though mom recently indexed coma . as for pretty baby , “i wouldn’t go see it alone , ” brooke exclaims . “gross ! ”
but before you dive into the newest gore - filled version of the original brian de palma - directed film , let’s take a look back at the old cast and see what they’ve been up to since the disco era .
adam sandler ' s eight crazy nights is a 2002 animated musical comedy film co - written by and starring adam sandler . unlike most mainstream holiday films , it is centered around jewish characters during hanukkah season , as opposed to religious or secular celebration ofchristmas . despite being animated in the style of television christmas specials , the film is adult oriented , featuring significant sexual and scatological humor , and focusing on such topics as alcoholism , bereavement , and depression .
let me in is a 2010 american horror / romance / drama film directed by matt reeves . it is based on the 2008 swedish film let the right one in ( låt den rätte komma in ) , directed by tomas alfredson , and the novel of the same name by john ajvide lindqvist . it tells the story of a bullied12 - year - old boy who develops a friendship with a vampire child in a new mexico town in the early 1980s .
this is not just a timely topic but a timeless one . ( kathy bates’s joan blondell points this out in one of the show’s 1978 interview segments : any film starring women that makes money will be treated as a “fluke” by the boys club . ) we’re seeing a situation like that right now with “hidden figures , ” the best picture nominee that is still in theaters months after it opened and has box - office receipts far exceeding those of “x - men : apocalypse” and “star trek beyond , ” according to a recent report by the wrap . will the success of “hidden figures” be treated as a fluke ? or will it spur a paradigm shift in terms of business decisions ? money talks . the boys club would do well to listen .
if you are familiar with the story of oscars season in 1963 , the year “baby jane” was nominated — and with the story of what happened that year on academy awards night — then you know it was one for the books . the episode ends like a horror movie . to quote margo channing , one of davis’s most iconic characters : “fasten your seatbelts . it’s going to be a bumpy night . ”
occasionally the intimacy between mother and daughter turns into anger . “oh , mommy , you’re so dumb ! ” brooke complains . teri , offended , snaps back , “i don’t have to take that crap ! ” and storms out of the room . “that’s my worst habit , ” brooke admits . “i talk back to my mom . but it’s not like we start punching each other . ” teri , who likes to take her vodka with a beer chaser , adds , “if the press is really concerned about my drinking and fighting with brooke , they should hang around for a couple of months and tune in . ” susan sarandon , brooke’s prostitute mother in pretty baby , says , “i don’t think teri is exploiting brooke . both wanted this stardom . there’s a lot of love and a lot of hate , as in any close , complicated relationship . ”