[screened for JPVC Volume 002]
there's an all-time great film hiding in here but Sono's indulgence and voyeuristic mindset keep it from coming through
this one trips me up because it feels ahead of its time in how it represents aimless young men obsessed with observing and participating in violence, but there's no real critique of it, its attempts to paint modern NYC with cartoony fantasies inspired by Taxi Driver and Death Wish create interesting clashes with the guerrilla filmmaking…
[screened for JPVC Volume 002]
did not realize how invested I was in this story until it all went sideways. a masterclass in doing a lot with a little, every major character feels fully rendered despite the reliance on amateur actors and improvisation, gorgeous handheld camerawork throughout
spent a lot of time thinking about how Wallace Shawn describes commodity fetishism in The Fever during/after this one, definitely the most human rendering of those feelings on celluloid I've seen
[screened for JPVC Volume 001]
the combo of classic Japanese punk and layers upon layers of exploitation cinema concepts (bikers, post-apoc/post-industrial Mad Max weirdos, rock music, sexual violence) works thanks to the impeccable cinematography, detailed costume and set design, and anarchic attitude, though its sleaziest elements are also its most extraneous and kill the vibe for almost no payoff (save that arc's memorable closing shot)
the battle of the bands scene is by far the highlight
