Akutou: Juuhanzai Sousahan (2011)

Actors: Hiroaki Murakami (actor), Katsunori Takahashi (actor), Kôtarô Koizumi (actor), Rina Uchiyama (actress), Kosuke Suzuki (actor), Tomio Umezawa (actor),

Genres: Drama,

Okuribito (2008)

Actors: Tarô Ishida (actor), Akimasa Kawashima (editor), Joe Hisaishi (composer), Kazuko Yoshiyuki (actress), Tatsuo Yamada (actor), Yukiko Tachibana (actress), Kimiko Yo (actress), Takashi Sasano (actor), Tsutomu Yamazaki (actor), Tetta Sugimoto (actor), Tarô Suwa (actor), Tôru Minegishi (actor), Ryôko Hirosue (actress), Yôjirô Takita (director), Masahiro Motoki (actor),

Plot: Daigo Kobayashi is a devoted cellist in an orchestra that has just been dissolved and now finds himself without a job. Daigo decides to move back to his old hometown with his wife to look for work and start over. He answers a classified ad entitled "Departures" thinking it is an advertisement for a travel agency only to discover that the job is actually for a "Nokanshi" or "encoffineer," a funeral professional who prepares deceased bodies for burial and entry into the next life. While his wife and others despise the job, Daigo takes a certain pride in his work and begins to perfect the art of "Nokanshi," acting as a gentle gatekeeper between life and death, between the departed and the family of the departed. The film follows his profound and sometimes comical journey with death as he uncovers the wonder, joy and meaning of life and living.

Keywords: baby, bathhouse, birthplace, boss, cafe, career-change, casket, cellist, cello, character's-point-of-view-camera-shot
Genres: Drama, Music,
Taglines: The gift of last memories

Quotes:

[first lines]::Daigo Kobayashi: [voice over narration] When I was a child winter didn't feel so cold. It's nearly two months since I moved home from Tokyo. It's been an awkward time.

Ikuei Sasaki: [to the grieving family] We are here for the encoffinment. May we offer incense?

Daigo Kobayashi: [to the grieving family] The right of encoffinment is to prepare the deceased for a peaceful departure. Please come closer and watch. I will now wipe the body.

Sonezaki: The orchestra is dissolved.

Ikuei Sasaki: Oh, you... So you're not depressing.::Daigo Kobayashi: Thank you::Ikuei Sasaki: I knew an ad would work. Make some tea.::Daigo Kobayashi: My resume...::Ikuei Sasaki: Good. Sit down.::Daigo Kobayashi: Thank you.::Ikuei Sasaki: Will you work hard?::Daigo Kobayashi: Uh... yes::Ikuei Sasaki: You're hired. What's your name?::Daigo Kobayashi: Daigo Kobayashi.::Ikuei Sasaki: [to Yuriko] Get him some cards.::Yuriko Kamimura: Okay.::Daigo Kobayashi: But what about salary and stuff like that?::Ikuei Sasaki: Oh... how about one hand to start?::Daigo Kobayashi: One hand? 50,000 yen.::Ikuei Sasaki: 500.::Daigo Kobayashi: 500,000 yen?::Ikuei Sasaki: Too low?::Daigo Kobayashi: You pay that much?::Ikuei Sasaki: In cash, if you want.

Daigo Kobayashi: What does the job involve?::Ikuei Sasaki: Well... At first, being my assistant, I guess.::Daigo Kobayashi: Specifically...::Ikuei Sasaki: Specifically? Casketing.::Daigo Kobayashi: Casketing?::Ikuei Sasaki: Putting bodies in coffins. It bloomed!::Daigo Kobayashi: You mean dead bodies?::Ikuei Sasaki: That's really funny.::Daigo Kobayashi: Uh, no, I mean... The ad said departures, so I thought it meant a travel agency.::Ikuei Sasaki: That's a misprint. It's not departures, it's the departed.::Daigo Kobayashi: The departed.::Ikuei Sasaki: NK stands for nokan, casketing. Anyway, fate brought you here. Give it a try, Quit if you don't like it. Today's pay.::Daigo Kobayashi: No, I couldn't.::Ikuei Sasaki: It's fine.::Daigo Kobayashi: No, no.

Mika Kobayashi: So what is it?::Daigo Kobayashi: Ceremonies.::Mika Kobayashi: Like weddings? Maybe you can play cello for them. I'll get the sukiyaki ready.

Yuriko Kamimura: The model's ready.

Tsuyako Yamashita: Look after him. Daigo's a dear boy. He takes it all on himself. When his folks split up, he'd never cry in front of his Mum. But he would when he was alone in that bath. The poor little thing, his shoulder's shaking... So thats how he is. Please understand him.::Mika Kobayashi: I will.

Yamashita: People are talking.::Daigo Kobayashi: About what?::Yamashita: Get yourself a proper job!

Japonika uirusu (2006)

Actors: Toshio Furukawa (actor), Masahiro Toda (actor), Lemon Hanazawa (actress), Masanori Tominaga (actor), Yôichirô Saitô (actor), Yû Irie (director), Shûichi Okita (actor), Hikohiko Sugiyama (actor), Kinako Satô (actress), Shun Nakayama (actor), Hijiri Sakurai (actor), Itsuki Fujii (actress), Naoko Tosu (actress), Yoshiko Fukuyama (actress), Manabu Adachi (actor),

Genres: Drama,

Taiyô no kizu (2006)

Actors: Ken'ichi Endô (actor), Kôji Endô (composer), Sei Hiraizumi (actor), Hiroshi Katsuno (actor), Tôru Kazama (actor), Yutaka Matsushige (actor), Shô Aikawa (actor), Takashi Miike (director), Yasushi Shimamura (editor), Shin Takuma (actor), Yasukaze Motomiya (actor), Toshimichi Ookawa (writer), Aiko Satô (actress), Miho Yoshioka (actress), Miho Ninagawa (actress),

Plot: Katayama (Aikawa Sho) is on the way home to his wife and little daughter when he stumbles on a gang of punks beating up an innocent man. Katamaya decides to help the stranger and surprisingly wins the fight. This turns out to be a bad decision as his daughter is kidnapped and murdered by the leader of the same band of young thugs. Katayama seeks revenge and tries to trace the gangs location.

Keywords: air-gun, ambush, apology, assault, attempted-robbery, bad-influence, band, bandaged-hand, beaten-to-death, beating
Genres: Action, Crime, Drama,

Ringu 0: Bâsudei (2000)

Actors: Seiichi Tanabe (actor), Takashige Ichise (producer), Yoshiyuki Morishita (actor), Kumiko Asô (actress), Kazue Tsunogae (actress), Yôji Tanaka (actor), Yukie Nakama (actress), Kaoru Okunuki (actress), Atsuko Takahata (actress), Masato Hara (producer), Yoshiko Tanaka (actress), Norio Tsuruta (director), Hiroshi Takahashi (writer), Daisuke Ban (actor), Ryûshi Mizukami (actor),

Plot: The prequel to the horror film Ringu, this movie provides the background story of how Sadako later became the vengeful murdering spirit. The story starts with her as a shy, somewhat withdrawn, college student who nonetheless gets involved in a drama club. The director thinks she has talent, but some of the other performers start to get jealous of the attention he gives her. Meanwhile, a reporter investigating Sadako's spiritualist mother thinks there's something very suspicious about the young woman, and arrives on campus to confront Sadako just as a series of strange deaths start sweeping through the drama club.

Keywords: anger, curse, dead-girl, dead-woman, dead-woman-with-eyes-open, death-stare, destruction, ghost, good-versus-evil, horror-movie-prequel
Genres: Horror,

Tora no o wo fumu otokotachi (1945)

Actors: Denjirô Ôkôchi (actor), Susumu Fujita (actor), Akira Kurosawa (director), Takashi Shimura (actor), Akira Kurosawa (writer), Sôji Kiyokawa (actor), Yoshio Kosugi (actor), Akitake Kôno (actor), Masayuki Mori (actor), Ken'ichi Enomoto (actor), Tadashi Hattori (composer), Dekao Yokoo (actor), Motohiko Itô (producer), Hanshirô Iwai (actor), Yasuo Hisamatsu (actor),

Plot: In 1185, the Heike family fights against the Minamoto family. After a bloody naval battle in the Pacific Ocean, Yoshitsune Minamoto defeats the enemy and the survivals commit suicide. When the triumphant Yoshitsune arrives in Kyoto, his brother, the Shogun Yoritomo, is lured and orders his men to arrest Yoshitsune. However, Yoshitsune escapes with six loyal samurais led by Benkei and they head to the country of his only friend Idehira Fukiwara. Nearby the border, after crossing the forest disguised as monks, their smiley conveyor Suruga discloses that they are Yoshitsune and the six samurais and advises that the fearful Kagiwara and his soldiers are waiting for them in the border to arrest them. Yoshitsune disguises as a carrier and Benkei has to convince Kagiwara that they are six monks traveling to collect donation to build a large temple in Kyoto.

Keywords: 1180s, 12th-century, based-on-play, japan, kabuki, royalty, samurai
Genres: Adventure, Drama, Thriller,