NGN 3 MOVIE CHANNEL (Digital Ch. 679)
Premiere titles air on Friday. “Movie of the Month” premieres on the first Saturday. Movies are shown at various times. Check your digital on-screen guide for movie schedules, using either the GUIDE or INFO buttons (up to one week ahead). Or call NGN, Mon.-Fri. from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. at 538-1966 for inquiries or to request an e-mail of NGN 3 programming information. All movies are in Japanese language with full English subtitles.
PREMIERE TITLES OF THE MONTH
May 6: “Shokei Yugi (Execution Play),” 1979 action film, 1 hour and 40 minutes.
Directed by Toru Murakawa. Starring Yusaku Matsuda and Lily.
Shohei Narumi, a deadly freelance assassin, gets set up by a mysterious woman. Abducted and tortured, Narumi is forced to take on a difficult job. The target is a veteran killer who is as good as him.
May 13: “Gokudo no Onnatachi Kejime (Yakuza Ladies: Decision),” 1998 action film, 1 hour and 56 minutes.
Directed by Sadao Nakajima. Starring Shima Iwashita and Rino Katase.
Kasuga’s husband gets arrested for a murder of his beloved protégé. She and her family investigate and find out he was trapped by greedy Nagoshi, the boss of their rival yakuza family. She has to make a decision to revenge Nagoshi.
MOVIE OF THE MONTH
May 7: “Zakurozaka no Adauchi (Snow on the Blades),” 2014 drama,
1 hour and 59 minutes.
Directed by Setsuro Wakamatsu. Starring Kiichi Nakai and Hiroshi Abe.
Kingo Shimura serves his lord Naosuke Ii, Shogun’s chief minister. One day in 1860 Kingo fails his duty to protect him when Ii is killed by ronins from the Mito Domain. He is not allowed to kill himself and receives a secret order to exact revenge. However, all but one of the assassins die before Kingo can reach them. Still, Kingo presses on and travels for 13 years to find the last enemy.
MOVIE SYNOPSIS (in alphabetical order)
“893 (Yakuza) Gurentai (Yakuza Hooligans),” 1966 action film, 1 hour and 29 minutes.
Directed by Sadao Nakajima. Starring Hiroki Matsukata and Ichiro Araki.
A bunch of young, angry and penniless misfits are full of great vitality. They aren’t quite up to joining the yakuza and and execute a variety of petty scams. After being approached by a yakuza and asked to become a spy for them, they are now planning to take 10 million yen from the yakuza.
“Be Free!,” 1986 drama, 1 hour and 34 minutes.
Directed by Shinichi Nakada. Starring Kenji Haga and Kazue Ito.
Adventures of a young high school teacher and his oddball students.
“Benikujaku Dai-ippen Nachi no Kotengu/ Dai-nihen Norio ni Mateki (Crimson Peacock 1 & 2),” 1954 jidaigeki, 1 hour and 53 minutes.
Directed by Ryo Hagiwara. Starring Kinnosuke Nakamura, Chiyonosuke Azuma and Koji Arima.
Entrusted by Roman saint, the brave soldiers guard the key to the treasures of Crimson Peacock from malicious pirates.
“Beranme Tantei Musume (Tokyo Girl Detective),” 1959 drama, 1 hour and 22 minutes.
Directed by Kiyoshi Saeki. Starring Hibari Misora and Isao Kimura.
Woman private eye Emiko goes undercover to reveal the truth of a murder case.
“Capone no Shatei Yamato Damashii (Brothers of Capones 2),” 1971 action film, 1 hour and 28 minutes.
Directed by Ryuji Harada. Starring Tomisaburo Wakayama and Minoru Oki.
A man returns from Chicago pretending to be a subject of Al Capone.
“Hibari Minyo no Tabi Beranme Nakanorisan (Feisty Edo Girl Nakanori-san),” 1961 drama, 1 hour and 26 minutes.
Directed by Masamitsu Igayama. Starring Hibari Misora and Ken Takakura.
Daughter of a lumber shop in Edo strives to protect her family business from the competitor.
“Inazuma Touge no Ketto (Showdown at Lightning Pass),” 1962
jidaigeki, 1 hour and 31 minutes.
Directed by Nobuo Nakagawa. Starring Utaemon Ichikawa and Shinjiro Ebara.
A story about a spear master’s spiritual and martial discipline.
“Kantsubaki (A Midwinter Camellia),” 1992 drams, 1 hour and 55 minutes.
Directed by Yasuo Furuhata. Starring Nishida Toshiyuki, MInamino Yoko, Takashima Masahiro and Katase Rino.
A bittersweet love story between Iwago, a yakuza, and a beautiful young geisha named Botan.
“Ken to Mary Ameagari no Yozora ni (Ken and Mary: The Asian Truck Express),” 2013 drama, 1 hour and 27 minutes.
Directed by Kenta Fukasaku. Starring Naoto Takenaka and Hu Bing.
A former hardcore rocker in his youth, Ken Katakura has now become a bitter salaryman after his wife dies. While traveling to Malaysia with the intention of stopping his daughter’s wedding, Ken’s plans change when the plane is forced to make an emergency landing. Ken is stranded on the opposite side of the island and grudgingly accepts help from “Mary,” a goofy, charismatic Chinese truck driver who has all the right intentions but seems to cause more harm than good.
“Kenka Gasa (Fighting Disposition),” 1958 jidaigeki, 1 hour and 24 minutes.
Directed by Masahiro Makino. Starring Hashizo Okawa, Ryunosuke Tsukigata and Ryutaro Otomo.
With the help of famous yakuza Jirocho, brave and quick tempered
Eijiro takes revenge on the death of his close friend.
“Kita no Zeronen (Year One in the North),” 2004 film, 2 hours and 53 minutes.
Directed by Isao Yukisada. Starring Sayuri Yoshinaga, Ken Watanabe, Etsushi Toyokawa and Toshiro Yanagiba.
In 1871, the Inada Clan of Awaji is ordered to emigrate to Hokkaido by the new Meiji government. In hopes of building new lives in a new world, the people of the Awaji Clan begin carving a settlement out of the wilderness, led by the leader of the group Komatsubara Hideaki, his wife Shino and daughter Tae. The clansmen soon realize the harsh reality of living in the rugged land of Hokkaido: bitter, long winters make it impossible to grow crops for their food. The devastating news of the sinking of the second group of emigrants’ boat and loss of everyone aboard as well as the abolishment of clans by the Meiji government only adds to their despair and isolation.
When all hope seems to be lost, Hideaki decides to leave the town for Sapporo on business with the promise to return in few months time. Shino, along with her young daughter Tae, faithfully wait for her husband’s return but to no avail, and come to the realization that in order to survive they must make it on their own.
“Little Forest – Fuyu/Haru (Little Forest: Winter/Spring),” 2015 drama, 2 hours.
Directed by Junichi Mori. Starring Ai Hashimoto and Takahiro Miura.
Ichiko continues to live self-sufficiently, taking advantage of local seasonal ingredients for the meals she prepares for herself. The film depicts both the blessings and harshness of nature as Ichiko continues surviving on her own through the changing seasons and concludes as she embraces the limitations of the winter season and the ultimate triumph of spring.
“Oedo Kenka Matoi (Cantankerous Edo),” 1957 jidaigeki, 1 hour and 23 minutes.
Starring Ryutaro Otomo and Hibari Misora.
A former samurai becomes the town fire chief.
“Otoko no Shobu Byakko no Tetsu (Tetsu, the White Tiger),” 1968
action film, 1 hour and 29 minutes.
Directed by Kosaku Yamashita. Starring Hideo Murata and Saburo Kitajima.
A railroad line brings changing times to a community.
“Otoko wa Tsuraiyo Funto-hen (Tora-san the Good Samaritan),” 1971 comedy/drama, 1 hour and 32 minutes.
Directed by Yoji Yamada. Starring Kiyoshi Atsumi and Chieko Baisho.
The seventh installment of the series of “Tora-san.” Tora-san returns to his hometown and is reconciled with his mother, who has left him behind since he was born. He then starts his life as a wanderer again, and meets Hanako, an innocent but unintelligent girl who works in a textile mill. Tora-san intends to help her back to her hometown, but Hanako ends up working in the dumpling shop of Tora-san’s uncle.
“Seiha (Domineering),” 1982 drama, 2 hours and 23 minutes.
Directed by Sadao Nakajima. Starring Toshiro Mifune and Bunta
Sugawara.
The aftermath of the death of the biggest yakuza family.
“Shin Abashiri bangaichi Arashi Yobu Shiretoko Misaki (New Prison Walls of Abashiri: Stormy Cape),” 1971 drama, 1 hour and 45 minutes.
Directed by Yasuo Furuhata. Starring Ken Takakura and Tatsuya
Mihashi.
Former inmate Katsuji gets involved in the horse gambling business while lending a helping hand to a ranch operator.
“Shundo (Bushido),” 2013 jidaigeki, 1 hour and 42 minutes.
Directed by Yasuo Mikami. Starring Takehiro Hira and Go Wakabayashi.
During the reign of the 8th shogun, Tokugawa Yoshimune, the western part of Japan suffered a severe famine in the year 1732. Three years later, a sword instructor Jyuzo Matsumiya is sent on a mysterious mission by the shogunate, culminating with an epic sword battle in the snow.
“Tabi ni Deta Gokudo (Yakuza on Foot),” 1969 action film, 1 hour and 35 minutes.
Directed by Junya Sato. Starring Tomisaburo Wakayama and Shingo Yamashiro.
An Osaka gangster Shimamura just got married. His new bride, Mineko is also involved in drug-trafficking, and when she goes to China to make a deal, things get botched pretty badly. Shimamura must travel to save her and recoup his employers’ losses.
“Toyama no Kinsan Sakura Hangan (Sakura Official),” 1962 jidaigeki, 1 hour and 31 minutes.
Starring Chiezo Kataqoka and Koji Truruta.
Magistrate Kinshiro investigates a series of unsolved deaths that are connected to a mysterious monk.
Umon Torimonocho Janomegasa no Onna (Woman Under the Umbrella),” 1963 jidaigeki, 1 hour and 28 minutes.
Directed by Toshikazu Kono. Starring Ryutaro Otomo and Eitaro
Shindo.
A mysterious woman with an umbrella interferes with Umon’s pursuit of Tomokichi, a fugitive known to have hidden stolen treasures.
“Waru no Sin’eitai (Troops of Darkness),” 1971 action film, 1 hour and 27 minutes.
Directed by Kazuhiko Yamaguchi. Starring Tsunehiko Watase and Jerry Fujio.
A fledgling yakuza goes all out to gain acceptance from a gang.
“Yagyu Bugeicho Katame Suigetsu no Ken (The Yagyu Military Art: Yagyu List),” 1963 jidaigeki, 1 hour and 24 minutes.
Directed by Yasuto Hasegawa. Starring Jushiro Kone and Hiroki
Matsukata.
Jubei must stop evil plot of Lord Hayatonosho who secretly plans to overthrow the Shogunate.
“Yakuza Keibatsushi (Lynching),” 1969 action film, 1 hour and 36
minutes.
Directed by Teruo Ishii. Starring Bunta Sugawara and Ryutaro Otomo.
A story of yakuza lynching during Edo, Taisho, and Showa periods.
“Yoru no Kayo Series: Onna no Michi (A Woman’s Road),” 1973
drama, 1 hour and 20 minutes.
Directed by Kazuhiko Yamaguchi. Starring Tatsuo Umemiya and Yutaka Nakajima.
Poor Yoko knows she is getting played and used by a playboy, but she loves him with all her heart and soul.
