Castle Under Fiery Skies (2009)

Blood Spilled at Takadanobaba

The tale of Nakayama Yasubei’s duel is famous, even if he in reality probably did not cut down 18 opponents. The story has been related in film, rakugo, kodan and on stage many times, in part because Nakayama later joined the famous 47 Ronin (Chushingura) as Horibe Yasubei. But Makino and Inagaki’s version gives no hint of this more serious future, playing up the thrills and the comedy with Bando’s bravura performance. The multiple pans of Yasubei running to the duel are an exemplar of the experimental flourishes of 1930s Japanese cinema and the final duel, performed virtually like a dance number, is a marker of Makino’s love of rhythm and one of the best sword fights in Japanese film history. The film was originally released under the title Chikemuri Takadanoba (Bloody Takadanobaba) with a length of 57 minutes, but suffered some cuts and a title change when it was re-released in 1952.

Ask This of Rikyu

Sen no Rikyu (Ebizo Ichikawa) is the son of a fish shop owner. Sen no Rikyu then studies tea and eventually becomes one of the primary influences upon the Japanese tea ceremony. With his elegant esthetics, Sen no Rikyu is favored by the most powerful man in Japan Toyotomi Hideyoshi (Nao Omori) and becomes one of his closest advisors. Due to conflicts, Toyotomi Hideyoshi then orders Sen no Rikyu to commit seppuku (suicide). Director Mitsutoshi Tanaka's adaptation of Kenichi Yamamoto's award-winning novel of the same name received the Best Artistic Contribution Award at the 37th Montréal World Film Festival, the Best Director Award at the 2014 Osaka Cinema Festival, the 30th Fumiko Yamaji Cultural Award and the 37th Japan Academy Film Prize in nine categories, including Best Art Direction, Excellent Film and Excellent Actor.

猪猪侠大电影·海洋日记

Unforgiven

An old swordsman, his former comrade and a young braggart are hired by prostitutes to track down bandits who mutilated one of the women.

Godai - The Wunderkind

A biographical story of Tomoatsu Godai, the influential entrepreneur of the Meiji era who laid the foundation of the modern Japanese economy.

Blooming over the line

Born in 1918 in the ideal village of independence activists in the northern part of Manchuria, pastor Moon Ik-hwan lost his childhood friend Yun Dong-ju under Japanese oppression and Chang Chun-ha during the Yusin regime. Moon survived the mass of modern Korean history, giving hope everywhere suffering.

The Last Ferry

One of the passengers on a ship carrying Poles on a cruise in December 1981 is a dissident high school teacher sent abroad by Solidarity. He is under surveillance of the secret police, anxious to get their hands on the info that he is carrying. When the ship is in the middle of the Baltic sea, martial law is declared and the ship is militarized. The captain announces he will turn and return the home port. Many anguished passengers put the life vests on and jump into the sea, where they are picked up by two German ships. The teacher, however, decides to return to Poland and continue the struggle for freedom.

Amor Xtremo

Two brothers travel from Mexico City to Las Vegas for the U.S. Motocross Open.

The Real Sherlock Holmes

So you think you know Sherlock Holmes? Well, hold on to your deerstalker hats because this new fast-paced documentary directed by Gary Lang, provides compelling evidence that the famous fictional sleuth has influenced the 21st century in ways that few could possibly imagine.

Not Dumb, the Bird

An old lady is far from suspecting everything that is going on behind her back, in particular what her servants are up to.

Portae Infernales

Joshua

Kelby Unger is a young man from a dysfunctional family that lives with his girlfriend Amelia Gates and has sleeping problems with dreadful nightmares. When he proposes Amelia, he coincidently receives a phone call from the warden of the prison of his hometown telling that his father had just died from heart attack. He decides to return to Bisbee for the funeral and Amelia goes with him. Kelby and Amelia lodge at his mother's house and he meets his slut sister Trish, his former friends James Lilly and the policeman Wally and his unknown uncle Tom. When Wally has a nervous breakdown with the name of Joshua, Kelby is haunted by the evil past in Bisbee.

Dil Pardesi Ho Gayaa

Major Ram is one of the few soldiers from the Indian Army who have been held captive in Pakistan, following the war with India. The Indian army and politicians are unable to make any decision so as not to jeopardize the lives of the captives. Major Ram's brother, Arjun, alias Sunny decides to take it upon himself to enter Pakistan and get his brother free. He now calls himself Salman. On the way he meets with beautiful Ruksar and both fall in love with each other. Unfortunately for them, they cannot be married, so they elope, leading to an unrest within their community, and a hunt is on for them. Salman and Ruksar chance upon the prison camp that is housing Ram, and do get him free, only to find themselves trapped by Pakistani Jihaadis and soldiers.

A Slice of Terror

Pizza isn't the only thing delivered in this horror-comedy. Zaffo is a pizza-delivery guy who's constantly ridiculed by his friends and co-workers. When a group of teenagers force Zaffo into a homoerotic situation, he finally decides to fight back, enlisting the help of a psychic and an over-the-top gay customer to cast spells on the boys. Once Zaffo has them under his power, he tortures them … one at a time.

My Only Love

The unexpected acquaintance with a young prostitute helps the venerable writer to overcome writer's block. Quite shocking story of her life inspires him for a new book.