In 1931, Shochiku released the first “talkie” made in Japan: "" "(Madamu to nyōbō", 1930). Filming became increasing difficult at the Kamata studios during the 1930s with the rapid industrialization of the surrounding area with munitions factories and metal foundries, and Shochiku decided to close the studio and relocate to Ofuna, near Kamakura in 1936. The following year, Shochiku Kinema was merged with its parent company, Shochiku Entertainment, and adopted the new name of Shochiku Corporation.
During the World_War_II, Shochiku's President, Shiro Kido, helped establish the Dai Nippon Eiga Kyokai (Greater Japan Film Association), whose purpose was to coordinate the industry's efforts with Japanese government policy. From the mid-1930s until 1945, the films produced by Shochiku and other Japanese movie companies were propagandistic. After the , Kido and Shochiku's co-founder Otani were arrested and charged with Class-A war crimes by the authorities.
In 1953, after the end of the occupation, Kido returned to Shochiku and revived the melodramatic style of films which had been a Shochiku trademark in the pre-war era. Directors associated with Shochiku in this era included Ozu, Keisuke Kinoshita, and . Many of the films during the 1950s were aimed primarily at female audiences. In particular, 's three-part "What is Your Name?" ("Kimi no na wa?") in 1953 was the most commercially successful film of the period. Ozu's "", made in 1953, later earned considerable accolades, being selected in the international critics poll as the third best film of all time.
By the start of the 1960s, Shochiku's films were criticized as “old-fashioned” with the popularity of rival Nikkatsu’s "Taiyo-zoku" youth-orientated movies. The studio responded by launching the ("Nuberu bagu") which also launched the career of among others, though Oshima soon went independent; the films of Oshima and other film makers were not financially successful and the company changed its policies.
However, the growing threat from television led to the bankruptcy of Shochiku’s competitors, Shintoho in 1961 and Daiei in 1971, whereas Nikkatsu and Toei turned to movies and soft pornography to maintain attendance. Shochiku continued to maintain its family-orientated audience largely due to the phenomenal success of the directed by Yoji Yamada from 1969 through 1997. However, with the death of its star , the series came to an end, and the company faced increasing financial difficulties.
The Ofuna studio was briefly transformed into a theme park, Kamakura Cinema World, but this was closed in 1998 and the site was sold off in 2000 to . Since that time, Shochiku has relied on its film studio and backlot in Kyoto. Yamada’s “” ("Tasogare Seibei", 2002) was nominated for an Oscar as .
Shintoho
Shintoho Company, Limited (新東宝株式会社 "Shin Tōhō Kabushikikaisha", lit "New Toho Co., Ltd.") was a short-lived Japanese film studio. It was founded by defectors from Toho in 1947 and was financed by Daiei. In 1961, Shintoho declared bankruptcy and a successor was founded the same year, named Shintoho Eiga, which went on to specialize in pink films.
Shintoho is considered to be one of the 6 major film studios active during the 1950s' "Golden Age of Japanese Cinema", which also included Toho, Daiei, Nikkatsu, Shochiku, and Toei.
Founded in 1947 as an offshoot of Toho after the major company had become struck with labor turmoil, Shintoho began its relatively short existence producing such films as "", which was later distributed by Toho, and "". However, the company found itself to be outflanked by other much larger studios and appointed Mitsugu Okura as its new top executive in 1955 to guide the company toward better things. Under the guidance of Okura, Shintoho began producing such works as the critically acclaimed , , a slew of pink films, and a number of films centered around the supernatural among a handful of others.
In May of 1961, Shintoho declared bankruptcy and two new companies were formed to take its place. Mitsugu Okura, Shintoho's former president, created the studio after purchasing Shintoho's production facilities in Tokyo. At this time Koichi Goto, a former Shintoho employee, purchased the rights to the Shintoho name and 3 years later established Shintoho Entertainment. In 1972, this new company relocated from Osaka to Tokyo and absorbed another piece of the original Shintoho, as well as receiving a new name: "Shintoho Eiga". Shintoho Eiga also later went on to distribute a number of Shintoho's films and former director for Shintoho, Kiyoshi Komori, began directing pink films for Shintoho Eiga in 1964 until his retirement in the 1970s.Dialectical materialism
Dialectical materialism is a philosophy of science, history, and nature. It was developed in Europe and is based on the writings of Karl Marx and Friedrich Engels. Marxist dialectics say that real-world condition such as class, labor, and socioeconomic interactions are important. This is a contrast to Hegelian dialectic, which says that contradictions in material phenomena can be resolved by analyzing them and finding a solution. Marx thought that the most effective solution to the problems caused by such contradictory phenomena was to address and rearrange the systems of social organization at the root of the problems.
Dialectical materialism accepts that the natural world changes. New qualitiews of being will come to light with each change. . As Z. A. Jordan noted, "Engels made constant use of the metaphysical insight that the higher level of existence emerges from and has its roots in the lower; that the higher level constitutes a new order of being with its irreducible laws; and that this process of evolutionary advance is governed by laws of development which reflect basic properties of 'matter in motion as a whole'."
The formulation of the Soviet version of dialectical and historical materialism in the 1930s by Joseph Stalin and his associates (such as in Stalin's book "Dialectical and Historical Materialism") became the official Soviet interpretation of Marxism.
Sophie Reynolds
Sophie Reynolds (born April 4, 1999) is an American actress. She is known for her roles as Ashley Parker in "Gamer's Guide to Pretty Much Everything" and Isabel McKenna on "L.A.'s Finest".
Reynolds grew up in Vancouver, Washington, a suburb of Portland, Oregon. She has an older brother. The family moved to Los Angeles when she was 15.
Reynolds started dancing at the age of three. She trained in ballet, jazz, contemporary, hip hop and tap dance. At the suggestion of her dance teachers, Sophie tried acting to expand her palate, eventually falling in love with the craft.
She gained prominence through her role as Ashley Parker in the Disney XD series "Gamer's Guide to Pretty Much Everything". In 2015 she starred in "", an adaptation of a book by R.L. Stine. In 2017 she joined the cast of Anna Akana's YouTube Red series "Youth & Consequences". In 2019 she played the character of Isabel McKenna in the show "L.A.'s Finest".
Gamer's Guide to Pretty Much Everything
Gamer's Guide to Pretty Much Everything is an American comedy television series created by Devin Bunje and Nick Stanton that aired on Disney XD from July 22, 2015 to January 2, 2017. The series stars Cameron Boyce, Murray Wyatt Rundus, Felix Avitia, and Sophie Reynolds.
Conor is a professional video game player who goes by the name of Kid Fury. When he breaks his thumb during the singles final round of the World Gaming Pro Championship, his sponsors withdraw every free item that he was given upon cutting all ties with him, and he starts school again. Upon befriending Wendell, Franklin, and Ashley, Conor plans to enlist their help for the teams part of the upcoming World Gaming Pro Championship.