Udine Far East Film Festival 2010 line up!

by Matthew Hardstaff

Back in January we reported that Udine would be screening 15 Shintoho films produced in the 50's and 60's that have never been seen outside of Japan. Now, Udine has announced its line up and its mighty fine. Nudes! Gun! Ghosts! The Sensational Films of Shintoho is the much anticipated Shintoho retrospective. Here is the list:

• 'Black Line', Ishii Teruo, Japan 1960, thriller
• 'Death Row Woman', Nakagawa Nobuo, Japan 1960, thriller
• 'Female Slave Ship', Onoda Yoshiki, Japan 1960, erotic thriller
• 'Flesh Pier', Ishii Teruo, Japan 1958, thriller
• 'Ghost Cat of Otama Pond', Ishikawa Yoshiro, Japan 1960, horror
• 'Ghost of Yotsuya', Nakagawa Nobuo, Japan 1959, horror
• 'Yellow Line', Ishii Teruo, Japan 1960, thriller
• 'The Bloody Sword of the 99th Virgin', Magatani Morihei, Japan 1959, horror
• 'Cave Queens', Onoda Yoshiki, Japan 1960, thriller
• 'Girl Divers of Spook Mansion', Magatani Morihei, Japan 1959, horror
• 'The Horizon Glitters', Doi Michiyoshi, Japan 1961, thriller
• 'Queen Bee and College Boy Ryu', Ishii Teruo, Japan 1960, erotic thriller
• 'Revenge of the Pearl Queen', Shimura Toshio, Japan 1956, erotic thriller
• 'Vampire Bride', Namiki Kyotaro, Japan 1960, horror
• 'Women of Whirlpool Island', Ishii Teruo, Japan 1960, thriller

What makes me really excited is Nakagawa's 'Ghost of Yotsuya', a film I've been pining over for sometime now. Now the only thing we can all pray for is that either a) this films make their way over yonder or b) they at least get some kind of DVD release.

They will also be screening a slew of other Japanese films:

• 'The Accidental Kidnapper', Sakaki Hideo, Japan 2010, comedy/drama
• 'Bandage', Kobayashi Takeshi, Japan 2010, nostalgic youth music drama
• 'The Bugs Detective', Sato Sakichi, Japan 2010, comedy/fantasy
• 'Boys on the Run', Miura Daisuke, Japan 2010, comedy/drama
• 'Golden Slumber', Nakamura Yoshihiro, Japan 2010, thriller
• 'Housewife’s Afternoon Delight', Nakahara Shun, Japan 2010, roman-porno
• 'Oh, My Buddha!', Taguchi Tomorowo, Japan 2009, coming-of-age comedy
• 'Wig', Tsukamoto Renpei, Japan 2010, comedy
• 'Zero Focus', Inudo Isshin, Japan 2009, mystery thriller

Thanks to Wildgrounds for this wonderful piece of news.