SION SONO, crazily prolific film director of ultraviolence (and other things)

Or at least isn't a fan but despises his influence.

Sono's pretty funny. He says in a Q&A that his plan for Lords of Chaos was to do it like 90210, and that audiences should engage with Love Exposure like pro wrestling.

Love And Peace is like a kids film, it's so cutesy I was welling up a couple of times. The sewer hobo with the discarded animals and toys reminds me of Babe: Pig In The City. It's pretty good but I think there could have been a tighter cut.

I adored Love Exposure when I saw it a few years ago, would be interesting to see if it holds up

I watched some of it last night (no way I can get through this film in one sitting). I love it but I think I love the first half more, with the multiple converging intro chapters, complex cross-cutting, and endless Bolero. It becomes simpler and more linear in the second half, although I wouldn't necessarily change anything.

Looked through the available trailers of the ones I haven't seen. Shinjuku Swan, Tag and Virgin Psychics look like far more commercial films but Whispering Star looks more "indie" than anything he's done in a while. Anti-Porno will probably be similar.

Had no idea he married Megumi Kagurazaka.

Eureka is releasing Tag. I think I'll give this one a miss. Don't understand the fascination for highschool.

Every now and then I remember the lyrics in Love & Peace about Tokyo Olympics. Not sure if it was supposed to be funny but I thought the way he sings it is pretty funny.

Tag is really good, though. And not actually a high school movie at all.

Just finished watching all five of the 2015 Sonos. They run the gamut, from the almost great Tag to the unbearable Love and Peace. To celebrate my accomplishment, I think I’ll drop my Sono top ten here:

1 Love Exposure
2 Strange Circus
3 Himizu
4 Guilty of Romance
5 Tag
6 Tokyo Tribe
7 Into a Dream
8 Hazard
9 Suicide Club
10 The Whispering Star

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=M-xLV7NlHN8
Not sure what's going on with this, both an amazon tv series (japan only?) and a movie

Okay, the tv series was cut into a movie version for festivals

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qT7DeuUvAxc

Haven't seen any of his stuff since Love & Peace

been stoked for this one for ages :D

the Cage Trilogy concludes

I didn't know about it until a few days ago

the last Sono film, The Forest Of Love iirc, was great btw

That was a tv show that got edited into a movie too? I just seen a trailer with a really silly english dub, I had no idea people still did dubs of this kind of film

oh i didn’t know there was an ilx sono thread

i owned a copy of suicide club in hs and it was def the most fucked up movie i owned

i loved antiporno and need to see everything else he’s done

Cold Fish is more fucked up than Suicide Club but he's made so many I haven't seen.

since it's one of the best movies ever, noriko's dinner table is def my top pick. so funny and sad and raw and intense.

It's funny because back then I thought that hired family stuff was just Sono's brilliant dystopian vision but it's real

well, kinda:
https://newrepublic.com/article/160595/new-yorker-japan-rent-family-fabricated

So was the Herzog documentary bunk too?

haven't seen it so I have wondered about that. I would like to think that herzog's BS radar is pretty strong. wonder if he's ever commented on it?

seems safe to say that it isn't nearly as widespread a phenomenon as a lot of people in the US, etc. think tho.