Thriller
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Episode #84 (S11E4) – Paprika [パプリカ] (2006)
Fellow Film Stories podcaster Ian Buckley returns to the show, this time to discuss Satoshi Kon's anime thriller, Paprika! We have a fun discussion peeling back the layers of this film and comparing it both to Kon's more famous Perfect Blue and a certain American film about entering dreams...
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Episode #80 (S10E9) – Nightmare Detective [悪夢探偵] (2007)
Author Frank Schildiner returns to the show for the final episode of the season. This time, we discuss Shinya Tsukamoto's serial killer thriller, Nightmare Detective. Though it has some unique ideas and impressive filmmaking, there are some shortcomings that we discuss.
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Episode #77 (S10E6) – 2LDK (2003)
Director and writer Claire Downs appears on the show to discuss the minimalist 2LDK. Featuring two actresses whose roommate quarrels spiral into violence, there's also a lot of stuff in here about the treatment of the Japanese entertainment industry's treatment of women.
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Episode #75 (S10E4) – Cure [キュア] (1997)
Author and Japanese film scholar Jennifer Upton comes on the show to discuss Kiyoshi Kurosawa's psychological thriller, Cure. There's a lot to unpack in this movie, so get ready!
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Episode #70 (S9E8) – My Friend “A” [友罪] (2018)
Perry welcomes back returning guest Jenn to discuss My Friend "A". Marketed as something of a mystery or even a thriller, it actually turns out to be more of a drama with some strong performances, but also some questionable decisions.
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Episode #50 – Lesson of the Evil (悪の教典)
Returning guest Jenn comes back for a chat about Takashi Miike's 2012 thriller, Lesson of the Evil. Despite an interesting use of Die Moritat von Mackie Messer, it's a bit of a let-down compared to some of Miike's other films.
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Episode #42 – Death Note (デスノート)
What if you could kill with the stroke of a pen? That's the concept behind the internationally popular Death Note franchise. In the latest episode, Perry is joined again by Ken of the Ongaku To You podcast (and Death Note fan) to discuss the first live-action Death Note film.
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Episode #41 – Suicide Club (自殺サークル)
Sion Sono's controversial 2001 movie shocked right from its opening scene of over fifty schoolgirls jumping in front of a train. Perry and returning guest-host John Atom engage in a spirited debate about the different themes and how they think some things work and don't.
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Episode #25 – Perfect Blue (パーフェクトブルー)
This episode, I’m joined by guest-host Jenn to discuss Satoshi Kon’s 1997 psychological thriller anime, Perfect Blue. We especially focus on the film’s commentary of the treatment of women in Japan’s entertainment industry, particularly J-Pop idols, and why the potential American remake would never have worked.
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Episode #20 – Battle Royale (バトル・ロワイヤル)
Perry spotlights Kinji Fukasaku's iconic thriller, Battle Royale, and explains why it's quite possibly the greatest Japanese film ever made!
