TokyoScope: The Japanese Cult Film Companion

by Patrick Macias

Patrick Macias' The Japanese Cult Film Companion. TokyoScope is the first book of its an elegantly designed, engagingly written introduction to the world of Japanese pop films covering Godzilla, karate, gangster, horror, Japan's infamous "pink" movies, and more. Did you know that Samuel L. Jackson's Biblical speech in Pulp Fiction was borrowed from the brain-damaged Sonny Chiba karate flick The Bodyguard? Or that the design for the Smog Monster in Godzilla vs. the Smog Monster was based on a bathroom sketch of female anatomy? TokyoScope is a densely packed and illustrated volume full of trivia, biographies, poster art, and reviews of some 100 of the top films to see. It provides an attractive and accessible introduction to the world's most notorious movies and is an indispensable reference that belongs in the library of any true cult film fan. Battle Royale director Kinji Fukasaku, who penned the Foreword to TokyoScope, writes, "In this book you will find as good an analysis of what we were trying to do as I have ever read. Patrick Macias has written very keenly and with much understanding about Japanese films, mine included."

Genres: Film, Japan, Nonfiction, History

240 pages, Paperback

First published July 13, 2001

Reviews

[Eddie Arafat · Rating 4 out of 5]

Great book that covers many genres of Japanese cult films.

[Devin · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book absolutely rules. Macias covers a nice variety of the kinds of flicks movie mutants like me would give a shit about, and he does so with a fun and engaging voice.
Employing reviews, synopses, low brow/high appreciation analyses, art, and a true love of the subject, the author has created something like the ultimate fanzine, as if written by the people’s professor of pulp sleaze and exploitation.
I wish there was more just like this, I wish I had easier access to many of the movies he features, but also appreciate this for the rare gem that it is.
One of the most enjoyable things I read all year.

[Richard · Rating 3 out of 5]

A light overview of a bunch of Japanese exploitation genres ... kaiju films, yakuza films, pinky violence, disaster films, as well as in depth profiles of Sonny Chiba, Kinji Fukasaku, Takashi Miike and other major figures. Nothing is covered in too much detail, but it's a good overview of Japanese cult cinema.

[Richard · Rating 4 out of 5]

I wouldn't call myself an expert on Japanese movies, but I do get to every movie festival I can that has Asian features (a great one--the Philapdelphia film festival and their Action Asia selections). I regularly scan the gray market and grab at whatever tickles my fancy even remotely. But this book still provided me with an education. I quibble sometimes with the author's taste, but his breadth of knowledge is undebatable. I now keep this book on my computer desk as I scan for more titles to fuel my little obsession.

[Jonette · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book is great if you can get the films. Portland is a very film friendly city with great video stores, but I have had quite a bit of difficulty getting my hands on several of the films reviewed.

[Brian · Rating 4 out of 5]

Not really an overview of Japanese cult films but more of a love letter from a fan.

[CountZeroOr · Rating 4 out of 5]

A very good rundown of the various stripes of Japanese film, though there are a few occasions where it feels like Macias is recommending certain films ironically.

[Matt Alt · Rating 5 out of 5]

Amazingly, awesomely demented fieldguide to Japanese cult movies. A personal inspiration.