Japan On Film

Japanese film scholar Lindsay Nelson is back on the show to discuss Hirokazu Kore-eda's heartbreaking drama, Nobody Knows. Based on a true story about a family of children abandoned by their single mother, there's a lot to talk about in this. Hosted by Perry Constantine Guest-Starring Lindsay Nelson View Lindsay’s website and her film reviews. Get NordVPN 2Y plan + 4 months extra here ➼ https://no...

Comic creator Ryan Estrada makes his debut to discuss one of Studio Ghibli's strangest films, 1994's Pom Poko! We talk about the movie's interesting structure, the deeper themes, and, of course, the power of raccoon balls. Hosted by Perry Constantine Guest-Starring Ryan Estrada Visit ryanestrada,com to find out more about Ryan's comics. Get NordVPN 2Y plan + 4 months extra here ➼ https://nordvpn.c...

Author Jennifer Upton returns for a fun discussion about Ryuhei Kitamura's Versus! A genre-bending film that plays with archetypes and looks far better than its budget should allow for, it's a quick, entertaining watch. Hosted by Perry Constantine Guest-Starring Jennifer Upton Visit Jennifer’s website for information on her writing and read her book, Japanese Cult Cinema: Films from the Second Gol...

Fellow podcaster Sam Inglis returns to discuss 1985's Typhoon Club. A great character study, though with some aspects that are difficult to watch. Hosted by Perry Constantine Guest-Starring Sam Inglis Follow Sam on Bluesky and Letterboxd, and listen to his podcast, Fearless Pretender: The Jennifer Jason Leigh Podcast. Get NordVPN 2Y plan + 4 months extra here ➼ https://nordvpn.com/fspn. It’s risk-...

This is the one many listeners have been waiting for. Podcaster Jason Kleeberg joins Perry to dive into the wildly successful Godzilla Minus One! Praised both at home and abroad for good reason, there's a lot to unpack here. Hosted by Perry Constantine Guest-Starring Jason Kleeberg Listen to Jason on the Force Five Podcast. Get NordVPN 2Y plan + 4 months extra here ➼ https://nordvpn.com/fspn. It’s...

Welcome to a new season of Japan On Film! We kick things off with returning guest and author Frank Schildiner to discuss Ring 0, the prequel to the Ring series and the origins of Sadako. Though better than some of the other sequels, this still leaves a lot to be desired. Hosted by Perry Constantine Guest-Starring Frank Schildiner Check out Frank’s books on Amazon. Get NordVPN 2Y plan + 4 months ex...

Podcaster Chris Osborne comes by the show for a discussion of one of the classics of J-Horror. In this episode, we dive into Takeshi Shimizu's Ju-on: The Grudge, which helped contribute to the J-Horror craze of the early 2000s (and Hollywood's obsession with remaking them). This is the final episode of the season. Thank you so much for listening, and we'll be back in a few months with Season 12! H...

Director Seijun Suzuki is a really unique figure in the world of Japanese cinema, with a style all his own. In this episode, Japanese film scholar Jennifer Upton returns to the show for a discussion of one of his most famous works, Tokyo Drifter. Hosted by Perry Constantine Guest-Starring Jennifer Upton Visit Jennifer’s website for information on her writing and read her book, Japanese Cult Cinema...

Fellow podcaster Mike Lund returns to the show for a discussion of Godzilla Raids Again. The first of many Godzilla sequels, it also set the tone for the Showa Era of Toho's blockbuster property. Listen to our fun debate over the merits and faults of this film. Hosted by Perry Constantine Guest-Starring Mike Lund Listen to Mike on The Old Switch-a-roo and follow him on Letterboxd. JapanOnFilm.com...

Film fan and podcaster Sam Inglis joins the show today to discuss Masaharu Take's boxing romance, 100 Yen Love. We break down the story, discuss some of its commentary on Japanese society, and praise the amazing performance by Sakura Ando. Hosted by Perry Constantine Guest-Starring Sam Inglis Follow Sam on Bluesky and Letterboxd, and listen to his podcast, Fearless Pretender: The Jennifer Jason Le...

Jamie Ryder, author and proprietor of Yamato Magazine, stops by the show to discuss Akira Kurosawa's gangster classic, Drunken Angel! Notable for being the first of Kurosawa and Toshiro Mifune's string of collaborations, it also contains a number of themes Kurosawa would continue to explore throughout his career. Hosted by Perry Constantine Guest-Starring Jamie Ryder Follow Jamie at Yamato Magazin...

This week, Perry is joined by Trevor of the First Look, Final Word podcast. We've discussed the first Lone Wolf and Cub film long ago, now we're skipping the second and jumping straight into the third to discuss this action-packed samurai thriller! Hosted by Perry Constantine Guest-Starring Trevor Listen to Trevor on the First Look, Final Word podcast JapanOnFilm.com Threads Bluesky Instagram Face...

Fellow Film Stories podcaster Ian Buckley returns to the show, this time to discuss Satoshi Kon's anime thriller, Paprika! We have a fun discussion peeling back the layers of this film and comparing it both to Kon's more famous Perfect Blue and a certain American film about entering dreams... Hosted by Perry Constantine Guest-Starring Ian Buckley Listen to Ian on We Are Starfleet and Illumination...

Fellow podcaster KJ Brown joins Perry for a fun discussion of the infamous 1977 horror film, House! Widely regarded as one of the weirdest movies ever produced. We dive into all the wonderful and bizarre choices at play in this film. Hosted by Perry Constantine Guest-Starring KJ Brown Visit Talking Studios for KJ's podcasts. JapanOnFilm.com Threads Bluesky Instagram Facebook Discord Film Stories P...

Podcaster and screenwriter Nick Chandler joins Perry to discuss Dogora, an interesting kaiju film also directed by the great Ishiro Honda. One part monster film, one part heist film, it's a unique entry in the kaiju catalog. Hosted by Perry Constantine Guest-Starring Nick Chandler View Nick's website for his reviews and podcasts. JapanOnFilm.com Threads Bluesky Instagram Facebook Discord Film Stor...

In the first episode of Season 11, Perry is joined by Lindsay Nelson, an associate professor of Japanese cinema at Meiji University, to dive into Kiyoshi Kurosawa's classic horror film, Pulse! We discuss the film's prescient themes and how relevant it remains over twenty years later. Hosted by Perry Constantine Guest-Starring Lindsay Nelson View Lindsay's website and her film reviews. JapanOnFilm....

Author Frank Schildiner returns to the show for the final episode of the season. This time, we discuss Shinya Tsukamoto’s serial killer thriller, Nightmare Detective. Though it has some unique ideas and impressive filmmaking, there are some shortcomings that we discuss. Thanks so much for listening to this season of Japan On Film! We’re going to go on a hiatus, but we’ll be back in a few months wi...

Podcaster Mike Lund visits the show to discuss Kwaidan, an adaptation of four of Lafcadio Hearn's Japanese ghost stories. We discuss our favorite stories from this anthology, some of the impressive things the director did with the settings, and talk about the backstory for these tales. Hosted by Perry Constantine Guest-Starring Mike Lund Listen to Mike on The Old Switch-a-roo and follow him on Let...

In this episode, Ian Buckley joins the show to discuss Red Beard, one of Kurosawa's most renowned films. With a lot of similar themes to Kurosawa's earlier film, Ikiru, it's also got some other stuff that we have fun discussing. And the film is notable for Kurosawa going to excess with detail and creating a rift between him and star Toshiro Mifune. Hosted by Perry Constantine Guest-Starring Ian Bu...

Director and writer Claire Downs appears on the show to discuss the minimalist 2LDK. Featuring two actresses whose roommate quarrels spiral into violence, there's also a lot of stuff in here about the treatment of the Japanese entertainment industry's treatment of women. Hosted by Perry Constantine Guest-Starring Claire Downs Visit Claire on Twitter and Instagram and check out her video game, The...

We're going lighter this time with comedy podcaster Chris Andersen. In this episode, we discuss Getting Any?, Takeshi Kitano's 1995 comedy/parody film about a middle-aged guy obsessed with sex and his zany adventures to try to get some. Kitano called it one of the most fun times he had making a movie, and it's easy to see why. Hosted by Perry Constantine Guest-Starring Chris Andersen Listen to Chr...

Author and Japanese film scholar Jennifer Upton comes on the show to discuss Kiyoshi Kurosawa's psychological thriller, Cure. There's a lot to unpack in this movie, so get ready! Hosted by Perry Constantine Guest-Starring Jennifer Upton Visit Jennifer's website for information on her writing and read her book, Japanese Cult Cinema: Films from the Second Golden Age Selected Essays and Reviews. Japa...

In this episode, we dip into Nikkatsu's noir catalog. Illustrator Joey Weiser joins the show to discuss A Colt is My Passport, a fun noir film featuring Joe Shishido, the man with the most distinctive cheekbones in Japanese cinema. Hosted by Perry Constantine Guest-Starring Joey Weiser Visit Tragic Planet for Joey's work and listen his former podcast, Toho Yaro. JapanOnFilm.com Threads Bluesky Ins...

New guest Nick Frame joins the show to discuss Takashi Miike's gonzo ramen western film, Sukiyaki Western Django. Clearly inspired by spaghetti westerns and trying to mix the western genre with Japanese history, there's some good stuff here, but also some strange choices. Hosted by Perry Constantine Guest-Starring Nick Frame JapanOnFilm.com Threads Bluesky Instagram Facebook Discord We Made This o...

We kick off Season 10 with one of the most internationally renowned animated films of all time. Derick McDuff of the Underrated network returns to discuss Studio Ghibli's Princess Mononoke. We discuss the many themes in the movie and its enduring legacy. Hosted by Perry Constantine Guest-Starring Derick McDuff Listen to Derick on the Underrated and Infinity Stones and Dragon Bones podcasts JapanOn...