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Birthday:
05-15-1933
Deathday:
12-20-1997 (64 years)
Birthplace:
Kyoto, Japan
Biography
Jūzō Itami (1933–1997) was a Japanese actor and, later, a popular modern screenwriter and film director. Many critics came to regard him as Japan's greatest director since Akira Kurosawa. His ten feature-length movies and one short film, all of which he wrote himself, are comic satires on elements of Japanese culture. He died under suspicious circumstances in December 1997 and may have been murdered by the yakuza.
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Their works
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Sweet Secret
event1971
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A dynamic woman who aspires to be a writer, living a wild life in constant search of freedom while indulging in lust with four men.
Private Collections
Act like (segment "Kusa-Meikyu")
event1979 star_border 6.1
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Three stories. A solitary sailor falls from his boat and washes ashore on a tropical island. While seeking rescue, he's found by a nearly naked woman who is playful and compliant. He decides to erase his signs of distress and remain on the island. What awaits? In the second, an adolescent searches for the words of a nursery rime he remembers bits of. His journey takes him into dreams, sexual awakening, and Oedipal fantasy. Third, a man of wealth in late-nineteenth century Paris hires a prostitute for the night. She's also cabaret performer and takes him to her room. He fears he's about to be robbed. What's her secret?
Lady Snowblood 2: Love Song of Vengeance
Act like Ransui Tokunaga
event1974 star_border 6.4
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Lady Snowblood is caught by the police and sentenced to death for her crimes. As she is sent to the gallows she is rescued by the secret police who offer her a deal to assassinate some revolutionaries.
A Young Man's Stronghold
event1970
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A 1970 juvenile delinquent drama.
The Making of "Tales of a Golden Geisha"
Act like Self
event1990
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A behind-the-scenes look at the creative process behind Juzo Itami's "A-Ge-Man" a.k.a. "Tales of a Golden Geisha".
The Making of "Minbo: the Gentle Art of Japanese Extortion"
Act like Self
event1992
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A behind-the-scenes look at the creative process behind Juzo Itami's "Minbo no Onna" a.k.a. "Minbo: the Gentle Art of Japanese Extortion".
Itami Juzo Museum's "13"
Act like Self (archive footage)
event2011
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A documentary about the Juzo Itami memorial museum in Matsuyama, Ehime Prefecture on the island of Shikoku, Japan.
Sing a Song of Sex
Act like Ôtake
event1967 star_border 5.5
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Four sexually hungry high school students preparing for their university entrance exams meet up with an inebriated teacher singing bawdy drinking songs. This encounter sets them on a less than academic path.
Her Brother
Act like Son of Factory Owner
event1960 star_border 6.9
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Set in 1926 when Japanese tradition was much stronger, this drama looks at the inner workings of a small family, especially the relationship between a sister and brother.
No More Easy Life
Act like Takamizawa
event1979 star_border 7
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Mariko is living the life of a typical Japanese college student in the 70's, spending far more of her time balancing boyfriends and part-time jobs than on her schoolwork. She finds herself torn between a former boyfriend who's the tough, insensitive-but-sexy, type, and a new acquaintance who's more sensitive to her feelings, but who still acts childishly selfish at times. Will she choose one of them, or decide to go her own way?
The Making of "A Taxing Woman's Return"
Act like Self
event1988 star_border 4.6
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A behind-the-scenes look at the creative process behind Juzo Itami's "Marusa no Onna 2" a.k.a. "A Taxing Woman's Return".
The Making of "A Taxing Woman"
Act like Self
event1987
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A behind-the-scenes look at the creative process behind Juzo Itami's "Marusa no Onna" a.k.a. "A Taxing Woman".
Kidnapping Blues
Act like Walking Man
event1982 star_border 9
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A man and a little girl meet in a bicycle parking in Tokyo. The little girl says she wants to watch the sea, and their travel begins. The man does not intend to be a kidnapper – he asks the girl to phone her mother and tell her she's with him. During their trip they meet various people, but they always must continue on, lest the man be arrested.
Making of Daibyonin
Act like Self
event1993
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A behind-the-scenes look at the creative process behind Juzo Itami's "Daibyonin" a.k.a. "The Last Dance".
My Way
Act like Dr. Takagi
event1974 star_border 5.7
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Based on a true story, an elderly woman resiliently spends nine months attempting to retrieve her husband's dead body, fighting government bureaucracy and indifference all along the way.
55 Days at Peking
Act like Col. Shiba
event1963 star_border 7
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Diplomats, soldiers and other representatives of a dozen nations fend off the siege of the International Compound in Peking during the 1900 Boxer Rebellion. The disparate interests unite for survival despite competing factions, overwhelming odds, delayed relief and tacit support of the Boxers by the Empress of China and her generals.
MacArthur's Children
Act like Hatano
event1984 star_border 5.4
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In this drama at the end of World War II, the inhabitants of a small Japanese fishing village must come to terms with their nation's defeat and the sudden occupation of General MacArthur and his troops.
Itami-ryū super na supermarket ga dekiru made
Act like Self
event2012
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A special feature included with the Juzo Itami Film Collection about the production of "Super no Onna" a.k.a. "Supermarkt Woman".
'Marutai no Onna' satsuei wo oete
Act like Self
event2012
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A special feature included with the Juzo Itami Film Collection about the production of "Marutai no Onna" a.k.a. "Woman in Witness Protection".
Itami Jūzō Kinenkan ga dekiru made
Act like Self
event2007
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Featurette included with "Juzo Itami: The Man with 13 Faces" about the creation of the Itami Juzo Museum in Matsuyama, Ehime.
"Utsukishiki Shizuka na Seikatsu" + satsuei genba hōmonki
Act like Self
event2012 star_border 6
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A special feature included with the Juzo Itami Film Collection about the production of "Shizuka na Seikatsu" a.k.a. "A Quiet Life".
Safari 5000
event1969 star_border 7.3
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A Japanese racing driver for Nissan named Godai (Yujiro Ishihara) have a rivalry with a French driver named Pierre (Jean-Claude Drouot). Godai is enlisted to race in an annual endurance race, The East African Safari Rally. Peripheral to this is the story concerning Godai's former lover Yuko (Ruriko Asaoka), a fashion designer, and her friend Anna (Emmanuel Riva), who happens to be Pierre's wife.
The Flame of Devotion
Act like Takuji Yoshii
event1964 star_border 6.8
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The tragic tale of Kiyono, a young woman from the mountain who fell in love with Takuji, a fisherman's son, and her devotion to him during a time of war.
The Family Game
Act like Mr. Numata
event1983 star_border 6.8
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A sendup of the stereotypical Japanese family: dad is a salaryman jerk, unable to relate to anyone; mom is a hopeless housewife; the older son is a moderate academic success; but the younger son is a rebellious goof-off for whom a tutor must be hired. The tutor, played by the prototypical bad boy actor Matsuda Yusaku, proceeds to blow the entire family apart.
Grass Labyrinth
Act like Principal / Priest / Old man
event1979 star_border 7.3
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Akira is haunted by a "bouncing ball" song that he remembers his mother singing when he was a small child, and now on the verge of a sexually active adulthood, he wants to find the origins of the song. The young man ostensibly wanders into a time-warp in which aspects from his childhood and adulthood mix together. In this never-never land he comes across a beautiful woman/witch who is lost inside the labyrinth of her mansion, just as the young man is lost in the labyrinth of time — and on some levels, perhaps the labyrinth of his subconscious.
Juzo Itami: The Man with 13 Faces
Act like Self (archive footage)
event2007
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A documentary about the legendary Japanese filmmaker.
Shirayuri Girls' Academy Western Archery Club: A Silver Target
event1991
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An archery club on retreat in Hokkaido is forced to rescue their teacher who is kidnapped.
Lord Jim
Act like Waris
event1965 star_border 6.8
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After being discredited as a coward, a 19th century seaman lives for only one purpose: to redeem himself. Preserved by the Academy Film Archive in partnership with Sony Pictures Entertainment in 2000.
Heat Wave Island
Act like Iino
event1969 star_border 6
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Otowa is a former Seto Inland Sea island farmer who has moved to the mainland in order to find work, but instead ends up dead. The film begins with the discovery of her corpse, which leads to an investigation that uncovers the narcotics, prostitution, and murder in which many poor farmers had found themselves trapped after World War II.
By a Man's Face Shall You Know Him
Act like Shunji Amemiya
event1966 star_border 8
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Immigrant gangs terrorize a Japanese town with their threats, loud jazz, and tasteless fashion sense, and only the tough but suave Dr. Amamiya (Ando) can stop them, as long as he gets rid of his silly peace-loving ideals.
Island of the Evil Spirits
Act like Ryuhei Ochi
event1981 star_border 6
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Famous detective Kosuke Kindaichi follows a dying man's words to an enigmatic island, where he meets beautiful twin sisters and tragic events unfold.
I Am a Cat
Act like Meitei
event1975 star_border 3.3
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Nakadai is an English teacher at a local school. He’s put-upon like the patron figure of dozens of films and televisions shows. Viewers who are especially fans of Nakadai will appreciate how the actor comically rants about here. His home life is almost disastrous, with a ditzy (but attractive) wife, three young children, a loud school nearby that’s controlled by a corrupt businessman he loathes, and frequent visits from layabout friends. And the grey-furred, green-eyed cat!
Choji Snack Bar
Act like Kawara
event1983 star_border 7
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Eiji lives a quiet life running a small Izakaya with his wife. He spends his days cooking for and serving the lively residents of his small hometown.
Convenience Jack
event1992
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A youth action drama depicting the struggles of a young man who gets involved in an extraordinary incident at a convenience store. This film is based on the novel of the same name written by Asato Izumi, written and directed by newcomer Hisashi Toma. Isamu Nagata of “Asatte DANCE” was in charge of the photography.
Human Torpedoes
event1968
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Story of loyal sailors giving their lives for their country as human torpedoes towards the end of the War.
The Young Eagles of the Kamikaze
event1968 star_border 6
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The film is dedicated to the souls of flight school graduates killed in World War II. Young boys dream about becoming pilots and apply to flight schools. However, the flight schools have extremely demanding, harsh training, and once they finally become pilots, they must become suicide bombers and give their lives for their homeland.
Play it, Boogie-Woogie
Act like Lawyer
event1981 star_border 6
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A runaway cat-loving girl begins a love triangle with a reckless older man and a young biker in high school. The film follows their subsequent chaotic relationships.
The Notorious Concubines
Act like Ximen Qing
event1968 star_border 3.5
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Dark, cynical Japanese epic brought to U.S. in a dubbed version by shlockmeister Harry Novak. Still, this gory, sexy epic is made with style and interesting for to compare to "Yojimbo" and other masterworks of the form.
The False Student
Act like Sozo
event1960 star_border 6.5
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A youth drama set in a Japanese university which is home to a group of active, leftist students.
Ten Dark Women
Act like Hanamaki
event1961 star_border 5.9
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Kaze is a philandering TV producer. His wife and nine of his mistresses conspire to kill him. However each woman would rather keep him alive, as long as she was the only woman in his life.
The Making of "Tampopo"
Act like Self
event1986
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Documentary about the making of Juzo Itami's film "Tampopo" (1985).
Rubber Band Pistol
event1962 star_border 4.8
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Jūzō Itami's debut short film, concerning a group of unique young people in the high economic growth period who are into games with rubber band pistols.
The Makioka Sisters
Act like Tatsuo
event1983 star_border 7.3
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This sensuously beautiful film chronicles the activities of four sisters who gather in Kyoto every year to view the cherry blossoms. It paints a vivid portrait of the pre-war lifestyle of the wealthy Makioka family from Osaka, and draws a parallel between their activities and the seasonal variations in Japan.
Bumpkin Soup
Act like Professor Hirayama
event1985 star_border 4.6
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A country girl visits Tokyo in search of her college heartthrob. Here she meets horny students, a psychology professor in search of the theory of shame, and Yoshioka who has become a campus nobody.
Parole
Act like Kenji Kijima
event1967
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Three men vs. gangsters in a fight involving smuggled gold.
Team of Ruffians
event1969
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Prisoners with special skills from all over Japan are sent to the battlefront on a mission.
Until Evening
Act like Sasa
event1980
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Intellectual collegue professor Sasa becomes obsessed with beautiful Sugiko, a virgin. Eventually, luring her to a love hotel.
The Big Wave
Act like Toru
event1961
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Yukio, a farm boy, and Toru, a fisherboy, live in a small Japanese village that is periodically threatened by a volcano on one side and tidal waves on the other. Yukio's younger sister Setsu follows then and dreams of becoming a pearl diver. Toru is preparing to go fishing with his father when a bell tolls and a danger flag is hung high on the hill behind the village to warn of an impending tidal wave by the village patriarch, known as Old Gentleman.
Sweet Home
Act like Kenichi Yamamura
event1989 star_border 6.6
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A TV production crew are making a documentary about the infamous painter Mamiya Ichiro. When they start filming at his old home, they come under attack from the ghost of the painter's wife.
The Gentle Japanese
event1971
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A survivor of the tragic mass suicides on Tokashiki Island in 1945 falls in love with a near-mute motorcycle engineer.
Baian the Assassin
Act like Sahei Oumiya
event1981 star_border 9
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This is an ensemble period drama adapted from Shotaro Ikenami's popular novel, featuring the famous Kabuki actor brothers Kinnosuke Manya and Katsuo Nakamura, who made the transition from the Kabuki world to the film industry, and a cast of gorgeous and diverse faces. The Edo period. Nagato Abe, a Hatamoto (a feudal lord), is annoyed by his son's bad behavior, and when it becomes a hindrance to his own career, he asks Otowaya Hanemon, a black marketeer, to assassinate his son. The target is then taken care of by the assassin, Umeyasu. In order to keep his mouth shut, Nagatomon no Mamoru also attempts to take Otowaya's life. Nagato's brother-in-law, Omiya Sahei, a corrupt merchant from the Kamigata region, also plans to replace Otowaya as the head of Edo's black market business, so Umebayashi and his fellow trapper Hikojiro set out to eliminate them.
The Politicians
Act like Itakura
event1983
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Who will be the next prime minister? As two candidates start to compete, political game and brutal murder ensue. And the existence of secret love letters changes the situation.
Kodawari Otoko to Marusa no Onna
Act like Self (archive footage) (1 ep.)
event2012
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2012 NHK drama based on the Juzo Itami film "A Taxing Woman" (Marusa no Onna).
Tampopo
Director (1 ep.)
event1985 star_border 7.8
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In this humorous paean to the joys of food, a pair of truck drivers happen onto a decrepit roadside shop selling ramen noodles. The widowed owner, Tampopo, begs them to help her turn her establishment into a paragon of the "art of noodle-soup making". Interspersed are satirical vignettes about the importance of food to different aspects of human life.
A Taxing Woman's Return
Director (1 ep.)
event1988 star_border 6.5
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Ryōko Itakura returns as the tough-as-nails government taxing agent. This time she must figure out a way to expose a fanatical religious cult lead by a corrupt sociopath.
A Taxing Woman
Director (1 ep.)
event1987 star_border 6.9
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Intrepid tax investigator Ryoko Itakura sets her sights on the mysterious and philandering Hideki Gondo, a suspected millionaire and proprietor of a thriving chain of seedy hourly hotels, who has for years succeeded at hiding the true extent of his assets from the Japanese authorities. Itakura and Gondo soon find themselves engaged in a complicated, satirical battle of wits.
The Funeral
Director (1 ep.)
event1984 star_border 7.2
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When Wabisuke's father-in-law unexpectedly dies, the family goes through a series of random events and occurrences as the funeral unfolds over three days in their home.
Tales of a Golden Geisha
Writer (1 ep.)
event1990 star_border 6.3
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The film stars two of Itami's regular actors, Nobuko Miyamoto as a geisha who brings luck to the men with whom she sleeps, and Masahiko Tsugawa as her unfaithful, sometimes partner. As well as showing her relationships with the man she loves and the men who employ her, it satirizes corruption and the influence of money in Japanese politics.
A Quiet Life
Writer (1 ep.)
event1995 star_border 7.4
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A melodrama about the life of a mentally disabled young man and his devoted sister after their famous novelist father and housewife mother go to Australia on a business trip.
The Last Dance
Writer (1 ep.)
event1993 star_border 6.6
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A successful Japanese movie director in his sixties becomes increasingly ill while working on his latest film. Though his family, friends, and doctor try to keep the secret of his terminal cancer from him, Buhei gradually comes to realize the truth of his condition, leading him on a journey of despair, anger, and – ultimately – acceptance.
Supermarket Woman
Director (1 ep.)
event1996 star_border 6.5
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A struggling Japanese neighborhood supermarket manager chances upon an old classmate, who has plenty of ideas for revitalizing his business.
Minbo, or the Gentle Art of Japanese Extortion
Writer (1 ep.)
event1992 star_border 6.7
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An upscale Japanese hotel hires Mahiru Inoue, a lawyer adept at dealing with the Yakuza, to help them rid their hotel of the local gangsters so they can get a contract for a meeting of important foreign officials.
Woman in Witness Protection
Director (1 ep.)
event1997 star_border 6.4
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Vain, middle-aged actress Biwako is placed in witness protection while authorities investigate the brutal murder she witnessed. Under the watch of two dedicated cops, Biwako struggles to maintain her career, her public image, and her personal life as she prepares for her new role on the witness stand.
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