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Since its inception in 1933, Toho Co., Ltd., Japan's most famous movie production company and distributor, has produced and/or distributed some of the most notable films ever to come out of Asia, including Seven Samurai, Godzilla, When a Woman Ascends the Stairs, Kwaidan, Woman in the Dunes, Ran, Shall We Dance?, Ringu, and Spirited Away. While the western world often defines Toho by its iconic classics, which include the Godzilla franchise and many of the greatest films of the legendary director Akira Kurosawa and actor Toshiro Mifune, these pictures represent but a tiny fraction of Toho's rich history. The Toho Studios Story: A History and Complete Filmography provides a complete picture o...
Considered one of the finest performers in world cinema, Japanese actor Takashi Shimura (1905-1982) appeared in more than 300 stage, film and television roles during his five-decade career. He is best known for his frequent collaborations with Akira Kurosawa, including major roles in the landmark classics Rashomon (1950), Ikiru (1952) and Seven Samurai (1954), and for his memorable characterizations in Ishiro Honda's Godzilla (1954) and several Kaiju sequels. This is the first complete English-language account of Shimura's work. In addition to historical and critical coverage of Shimura's life and career, it includes an extensive filmography.
From the 1950s through the 1970s, disaster movies were a wildly popular genre. Audiences thrilled at the spectacle of these films, many of which were considered glamorous for their time. Derided by critics, they became box office hits and cult classics, inspiring filmmakers around the globe. Some of them launched the careers of producers, directors and actors who would go on to create some of Hollywood's biggest blockbusters. With more than 40 interviews with actors, actresses, producers, stuntmen, special effects artists and others, this book covers the Golden Age of sinking ships, burning buildings, massive earthquakes, viral pandemics and outbreaks of animal madness.
Robbers, gangsters, murderers, and criminals of every description have long been a staple of popular entertainment. Movies are no exception, and film buffs and scholars alike now have a complete guide to the vast array of films that make up the fascinating world of crime cinema. The BFI Companion to Crime offers detailed information on the sub-genres and motifs of movies dealing with criminals and their behavior: prison dramas, heist stories, kidnappings, the exploits of serial killers, juvenile delinquents, and hired guns. Phil Hardy also includes articles on the historical and social background of crime movies. The Mafia, the Japanese yakuza, the FBI, and the underworld of union rackets, prostitution, and drugs are some of the topics covered. Fictional characters such as Sherlock Holmes, Inspector Maigret, Philip Marlow, and Pretty Boy Floyd appear in these pages, along with the literary sources of many crime films. The works of Graham Greene, Dashiell Hammett, Mickey Spillane, and Eric Ambler are among those featured. Abundantly illustrated with more than 500 photographs, this is the book for film enthusiasts and anyone interested in the crime genre.