Monday, September 3, 2007

Linda, Linda, Linda


I seem to be betraying my true colours by following up an interview with 'Hell in Eros' instructor Ryan Mitchell with yet another interview with someone committed to screening the best of Japanese cinema here in Toronto. This time, it's Chris MaGee, founder of the Toronto Japanese Film Appreciation Pow-Wow and editor and chief of it's Facebook group. I can't remember who first alerted me to the existence of this group but whoever you are, thank you. The Toronto Japanese Film Appreciation Pow-Wow is just the sort of thing Kino-Eye loves to cover - a small group dedicated to spreading the good word of world cinema to Toronto's student masses. I haven't been fortunate enough to attend one of the TJFAPW's screenings and am looking forward to catching it's screening of 'Linda, Linda, Linda' on September 21, as I've heard good things about this film.

(By the way: TJFAPW's Facebook photo is a work of art and big props must be given to Chris for squeezing a picture of perennial virgin Setsuko Hara in between photos of Takeshi Kitano blowing his brains out in 'Sonatine' and Tetsuo the Iron Man.)

What follows is an email interview I conducted with Chris this weekend. For more info on the Toronto Japanese Film Appreciation Pow-Wow and it's upcoming screenings, check out it's Facebook group. It's loaded with almost 90 reviews of recent and not-so-recent Japanese flicks, so it's definitely worth a look.

2 comments:

Bob Turnbull said...

"Linda, Linda, Linda" is pretty terrific, so I highly recommend you catch the showing on the 21st. Two specific things to note: 1) Yamashita uses a number of long takes with the girls (together, with other friends, etc.) and it really gives you the feeling of having spent time with them, 2) the songs at the end should leave you smiling ear to ear.

Great interview with Chris by the way.

E. Dirks said...

Thanks for the notes on 'Linda, Linda, Linda' - now I'm even more psyched to see it.

And awesome blog, Bob, really cool stuff.