FILMS/
BIG MAN JAPAN
Dainipponjin
Spotlight: The Late Show
Japan, 2007, 113 minutes
SHOWTIMES
Fri, May 2 / 11:00 / Kabuki / BIG02K
Thu, May 8 / 5:15 / Kabuki / BIG08K
Wed, May 7 / 4:15 / Clay / BIG07Y
CREDITS
- prod
-
Akihiko Okamoto
- scr
-
Mitsuyoshi Takasu, Hitoshi Matsumoto
- cam
-
Hideo Yamamoto
- editor
-
Hisaya Shiraiwa
- mus
-
Towa Tei
- cast
-
Hitoshi Matsumoto, Takayuki Haranishi, Itsuji Itao, Ryunosuke Kamiki
- source
-
Magnolia Pictures, 49 West 27th St. 7th Floor, New York, NY 10001. FAX: 212-924-6742. EMAIL: mwendel@magpictures.com
Things aren’t going so well for Mr. Daisato (cowriter/director Hitoshi Matsumoto), employee at the Department of Baddie Prevention. Speaking to a documentary film crew about his mundane life, he bemoans the estrangement of his wife and daughter, the increasing dementia of his formerly famous grandfather and the low ratings of his televised battles with baddies. See, our (super)hero is a sixth-generation member of the Dainipponjin (“The Great Japanese”), a rarefied breed who defend Japan from various villains scourging the land. Whether it’s saving the land from the stink clouds of Smelly Baddie or the dangerous projectile eyeball of Mean Look Baddie, it’s in Daisato’s job description. As his health starts to suffer from the high voltage exposure he needs to attain fighting stature, however, criticisms of his efforts increase. Locals blame him for destroying property and getting fat and throw rocks through his office window. So when a truly vicious bad guy hits Japan, it’s anyone’s guess whether or not Daisato will be up for the job. Director Matsumoto, a superstar comedian in his native land, showers Big Man Japan with color and verve, satirizing talking head–style documentaries, the omnipresence of sponsor placement and the ephemeral nature of popular culture along the way. Referencing Japanese monster movie classics while reveling in amusingly juvenile humor, and building to an unforgettable climax populated with numerous baddies and heroes, Matsumoto has created an immensely pleasurable, amusingly outrageous future cult classic.
—Rod Armstrong
Presented with support from the Consul General of Japan, San Francisco and in association with SF Indiefest. West Coast Premiere. Sponsored by Stella Artois.
