Week 3

It's Japanuary! Watch a movie with a Japanese theme

Hey there CineChums! This week, we're diving headfirst into the cinematic world of Japan for our next movie challenge!

Ideally, you’ll immerse yourself in an authentic Japanese film. Perhaps a Studio Ghibli classic like "My Neighbor Totoro" or "Spirited Away", or a classic Akira Kurosawa like "Seven Samurai" or "Rashomon". If horror is your bag, jump into the ever popular J-Horror, maybe you’ve not seen "Ringu" or "Ju-On". Or if standard horror is too light, how about a dark treat like "Battle Royale" or "Audition"?

If you’re not in the mood for subtitles this week, there are still plenty of options: like a movie set in Japan, like "Lost in Translation", Wes Anderson’s "Isle of Dogs", "The Last Samurai" or "47 Ronin". More than a handful of J-Horrors have had US remakes, like "The Ring" (Ringu) or "The Grudge" (Ju-On). Failing that, you could watch something starring a prominant Japanese actor like Ken Wattanbe (Inception, Memoirs of a Geisha) or Rinko Kikuchi (Pacific Rim, Babel)

Suggestions

These movies are mentioned in the video as potential suggestions for the challenge.

Challenge Stats

Completed the Challenge
81
Total Movies Watched
132
Different Movies Watched
86
Hours Watched
244
Paprika
7
Paprika (2006)
Godzilla
6
Godzilla (1954)
Spirited Away
5
Spirited Away (2001)
The Boy and the Heron
3
The Boy and the Heron (2023)
My Neighbor Totoro
3
My Neighbor Totoro (1988)
Ghost in the Shell
3
Ghost in the Shell (1995)
Shin Godzilla
3
Shin Godzilla (2016)
Howl's Moving Castle
3
Howl's Moving Castle (2004)
Seven Samurai
3
Seven Samurai (1954)
Godzilla Minus One
3
Godzilla Minus One (2023)
Battle Royale
3
Battle Royale (2000)
Pulse
2
Pulse (2001)
Your Name.
2
Your Name. (2016)
Suzume
2
Suzume (2022)
Rashomon
2
Rashomon (1950)
Tetsuo: The Iron Man
2
Tetsuo: The Iron Man (1989)
Audition
2
Audition (1999)
Words Bubble Up Like Soda Pop
2
Words Bubble Up Like Soda Pop (2021)
Onibaba
2
Onibaba (1964)
Cure
2
Cure (1997)
Isle of Dogs
2
Isle of Dogs (2018)
Ikiru
2
Ikiru (1952)
The Tale of The Princess Kaguya
2
The Tale of The Princess Kaguya (2013)
Drive My Car
2
Drive My Car (2021)
One Cut of the Dead
2
One Cut of the Dead (2017)
Akira
2
Akira (1988)
Maquia: When the Promised Flower Blooms
1
Maquia: When the Promised Flower Blooms (2018)
Hiruko the Goblin
1
Hiruko the Goblin (1991)
Hard Days
1
Hard Days (2023)
Tokyo Olympiad
1
Tokyo Olympiad (1965)
Suicide Club
1
Suicide Club (2001)
Dead or Alive: Final
1
Dead or Alive: Final (2002)
The Hidden Fortress
1
The Hidden Fortress (1958)
Throne of Blood
1
Throne of Blood (1957)
Kuroneko
1
Kuroneko (1968)
Cube
1
Cube (2021)
Minamata
1
Minamata (2020)
The Cat Returns
1
The Cat Returns (2002)
Dead or Alive 2: Birds
1
Dead or Alive 2: Birds (2000)
Cowboy Bebop: The Movie
1
Cowboy Bebop: The Movie (2001)
Memories
1
Memories (1995)
Good Morning
1
Good Morning (1959)
Like Father, Like Son
1
Like Father, Like Son (2013)
Gamera 2: Attack of Legion
1
Gamera 2: Attack of Legion (1996)
Ride or Die
1
Ride or Die (2021)
Beyond the Infinite Two Minutes
1
Beyond the Infinite Two Minutes (2020)
Jiro Dreams of Sushi
1
Jiro Dreams of Sushi (2011)
Merry Christmas, Mr. Lawrence
1
Merry Christmas, Mr. Lawrence (1983)
13 Assassins
1
13 Assassins (2010)
Porco Rosso
1
Porco Rosso (1992)
Confessions
1
Confessions (2010)
Mishima: A Life in Four Chapters
1
Mishima: A Life in Four Chapters (1985)
Ju-on: The Grudge
1
Ju-on: The Grudge (2002)
Violent Cop
1
Violent Cop (1989)
Lu Over the Wall
1
Lu Over the Wall (2017)
Tokyo Story
1
Tokyo Story (1953)
Silence
1
Silence (2016)
Ran
1
Ran (1985)
High and Low
1
High and Low (1963)
Ju-on: The Curse
1
Ju-on: The Curse (2000)
Never Let Me Go
1
Never Let Me Go (2010)
Weathering with You
1
Weathering with You (2019)
Samurai Cop
1
Samurai Cop (1991)
Night Is Short, Walk On Girl
1
Night Is Short, Walk On Girl (2017)
Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles III
1
Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles III (1993)
Ju-on: The Curse 2
1
Ju-on: The Curse 2 (2000)
Golgo 13: The Professional
1
Golgo 13: The Professional (1983)
Onoda: 10,000 Nights in the Jungle
1
Onoda: 10,000 Nights in the Jungle (2021)
Fireworks
1
Fireworks (1997)
maboroshi
1
maboroshi (2023)
Kamen Rider Geats: 4 Aces and the Black Fox
1
Kamen Rider Geats: 4 Aces and the Black Fox (2023)
Batman Ninja
1
Batman Ninja (2018)
The Happiness of the Katakuris
1
The Happiness of the Katakuris (2002)
Nausicaä of the Valley of the Wind
1
Nausicaä of the Valley of the Wind (1984)
The Tsunami and the Cherry Blossom
1
The Tsunami and the Cherry Blossom (2011)
Cats on Park Avenue
1
Cats on Park Avenue (1989)
Tokyo Godfathers
1
Tokyo Godfathers (2003)
Gamera: Guardian of the Universe
1
Gamera: Guardian of the Universe (1995)
Antiporno
1
Antiporno (2017)
Millennium Actress
1
Millennium Actress (2002)
Departures
1
Departures (2008)
Memoirs of a Geisha
1
Memoirs of a Geisha (2005)
Perfect Days
1
Perfect Days (2023)
Emperor
1
Emperor (2012)
The Meg
1
The Meg (2018)
Dead or Alive
1
Dead or Alive (1999)

Most watched actors

Koichi Yamadera
Koichi Yamadera (8)
Paprika (2006)
Ghost in the Shell (1995)
Words Bubble Up Like Soda Pop (2021)
Tokyo Godfathers (2003)
Millennium Actress (2002)
Batman Ninja (2018)
Memories (1995)
Cowboy Bebop: The Movie (2001)
Takashi Shimura
Takashi Shimura (7)
Godzilla (1954)
Seven Samurai (1954)
Ikiru (1952)
Rashomon (1950)
High and Low (1963)
Throne of Blood (1957)
The Hidden Fortress (1958)
Ren Osugi
Ren Osugi (6)
Shin Godzilla (2016)
Cure (1997)
Audition (1999)
Dead or Alive (1999)
Fireworks (1997)
Dead or Alive 2: Birds (2000)
Minoru Chiaki
Minoru Chiaki (6)
Seven Samurai (1954)
Ikiru (1952)
Rashomon (1950)
High and Low (1963)
Throne of Blood (1957)
The Hidden Fortress (1958)
Ryunosuke Kamiki
Ryunosuke Kamiki (6)
Spirited Away (2001)
Godzilla Minus One (2023)
Howl's Moving Castle (2004)
Suzume (2022)
Your Name. (2016)
Weathering with You (2019)
Akio Otsuka
Akio Otsuka (5)
Paprika (2006)
Howl's Moving Castle (2004)
Ghost in the Shell (1995)
Tokyo Godfathers (2003)
Porco Rosso (1992)
Kanji Tsuda
Kanji Tsuda (5)
Shin Godzilla (2016)
Audition (1999)
Onoda: 10,000 Nights in the Jungle (2021)
Ju-on: The Grudge (2002)
Fireworks (1997)
Jun Kunimura
Jun Kunimura (5)
Shin Godzilla (2016)
The Boy and the Heron (2023)
Audition (1999)
Like Father, Like Son (2013)
Minamata (2020)
Renji Ishibashi
Renji Ishibashi (5)
Tetsuo: The Iron Man (1989)
Audition (1999)
Dead or Alive (1999)
Cats on Park Avenue (1989)
Cowboy Bebop: The Movie (2001)
Toshirō Mifune
Toshirō Mifune (5)
Seven Samurai (1954)
Rashomon (1950)
High and Low (1963)
Throne of Blood (1957)
The Hidden Fortress (1958)