HOLLYWOOD FILMS / JAPANESE FILMS

Bluebird Photoplays

A Society Sensation (1918) Early Japanese cinema were, of course, under the influence of D. W. Griffith, Charles Chaplin, Douglas Fairbanks, and other early Hollywood cinema. Serial photoplays from Unites States and France, in addition to fast-paced westerns and Max Linder comedies were also textbook materials. Intolerance sent shockwave through young cinema lovers, while Zigomar was so sensational that it had to be banned in fear of copycat crimes. The films of Mourice Tourner, Thomas Ince and other Hollywood notables, plus early Italian epic films, and German Expressionisms were all flooding the Japanese cinema theaters. These films were universally acclaimed …

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JAPANESE FILMS

What are they eating ?

In one scene in “Tokyo Story”, Fumiko, Koichi’s wife, speaks of “Kid’s Lunch Plate”. What is it? “Kid’s Lunch Plate” or “Okosama Lunch” was a staple menu in department store canteens across Japan. This lunch menu was first introduced in 1930, in Mitsukoshi Department Store’s canteen to attract family customers with children. Served on a section plate, it usually consists of fried shrimps, potato salad, Neapolitan pasta, and fried rice, all in small portions. Fried rice is usually molded in a cup, with a small Japanese flag on top. Let’s not forget this menu usually comes with a small toy. …

 
JAPANESE FILMS

Frames Per Second

What is the right speed for silent film projection? 16fps. That’s the standard. Right? Or, somewhere between 12 and 24 fps, some says. There are on-going debates about the speed even for Hollywood studio films in twenties, let alone some early films of 1910s and 1900s. When it comes to early Japanese cinema, the question sounds like a bad joke. Makoto Ohmori, the cinematographer since the wake of Japanese film production, gave a vivid picture about how the shooting and projection of films had done in early 20th century Japan. First of all, the camera speed during the shooting was …

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