International: Asia Interviews
TRIGGERED (TOPAKK) Interview: Richard V. Somes on Filipino Action Cinema and PTSD
Filipino director Richard V. Somes talks 70s American horror, 80s American action cinema, and the social dimension in genre filmmaking.
BEYOND THE INFINITE TWO MINUTES Interview: Junta Yamaguchi on His Inventive Sci-Fi Comedy
In the midst of a pandemic, with limited resources and using an iPhone to shoot, Junta Yamaguchi and his team made one of the most ingenious movies in recent years: Beyond the Infinite Two Minutes. The Japanese sci-fi comedy proves...
BELLE Interview: Director Hosoda Mamoru Provides Hope For The Future
To many anime lovers worldwide, Hosoda Mamoru probably doesn't need an introduction. For the past fifteen years, the man has had a regular output of excellent films, making him one of the current giants of the Japanese animation industry, and...
PRISONERS OF THE GHOSTLAND Interview: Bill Moseley on Crafting Another Memorable Antagonist
Bill Moseley first saw The Texas Chain Saw Massacre in Boston, Massachusetts, as part of a double feature with Enter the Dragon. After watching The Texas Chain Saw Massacre he “became afraid of rural America," revealed the actor in the...
Interview: Take Masaharu on Directing THE NAKED DIRECTOR Season 2
Brash and shocking as the subject it is based on, Netflix’s The Naked Director shows no sign of modesty in its second season. Delving further into the 'fall' part of the rise and fall of porn industry pioneer, Muranishi...
Interview: RIDE OR DIE's Mizuhara Kiko and Sato Honami Test Cinema Sexuality, Gender Norms
A combustible erotic tale of two opposites drawn together by a shocking act, Netflix’s Ride Or Die is determined from its outset to push envelopes. Starring Japan’s It Girl, Dallas-born model, fashion designer/entrepreneur, Mizuhara Kiko, and former Gesu...
EARWIG AND THE WITCH Interview: Miyazaki Gorô On Helming Studio Ghibli's CGI Debut
As the years went by, the influential Studio Ghibli didn’t seem interested in using computer animation, which had its first big movie success, Toy Story, more than a quarter of century ago. Their most recent work, Earwig and the Witch,...
Interview: Director Sato Shinsuke on Finding Hope in ALICE IN BORDERLAND
By the time LMD had last interviewed Director Sato Shinsuke at 2018's Japan Cuts film festival premiere of Bleach, he was already pre-producing his epic adaptation, Kingdom, and lining up his next project; an eight-part miniseries that would mark his...
Fantasia 2020 Interview: Director Sidharth Srinivasan Talks KRIYA, Death Rituals and Male Guilt
India’s representative at this year’s (virtual) Fantasia International Film Festival was Kriya, written and directed by Sidharth Srinivasan. At a nightclub party, the DJ, a young man named Neel (Noble Luke), ends up hooking up with a girl (Sitara, played...
PENINSULA Interview: Superstar Gang Dong-won Enters the Zombie Apocalypse
The high expectations on a sequel to a runaway blockbuster might be daunting for any actor, but with Peninsula, superstar Gang Dong-won was up for a challenge. Leading the way into this new chapter in the Train to Busan universe,...
PENINSULA Interview: Director Yeon Sang-ho Talks Zombies in the Age of Coronavirus
Eight years ago, I met an artist blazing new trails in Korean cinema. Disturbing and dark as pitch, director Yeon Sang-ho’s The King of Pigs {2011} was a decidedly un-family-friendly animated feature that glared unblinkingly at the ills of South Korean...
Rotterdam 2020 Interview: Mattie Do Talks About THE LONG WALK
A few years ago, the International Film Festival Rotterdam re-instated its genre segment, the Rotterdämmerung, as part of the general program. And ever since it's back, it is always literally the first part of the programming where I will look....
PARASITE Interview: Choi Wooshik on His Second Time Around with Bong Joon-ho
In the two years since Choi Wooshik made his appearance in Bong Joon-ho’s Okja, the sky has been the limit. Choi has rocketed from bit parts in television dramas, to award-winning feature performances in Set Me Free and co-starring in...
PARASITE Interview: Park So-dam on Failure, Family, and "Appa" Song Kang-ho
After facing the rejection of 17 failed auditions a month, Park So-dam held to her dream, and is now one of South Korea’s most sought-after actresses. Receiving worldwide acclaim for her role as the crafty, whipsmart baby sister of Parasite’s...
PARASITE Interview: Acting Legend Song Kang-ho on his "Relentless" Relationship with Bong Joon-ho
The term “God of Acting” gets thrown around pretty freely these days. However, LMD got to meet the real deal. In his fourth collaboration with Bong Joon-ho (after Memories of Murder, The Host and Snowpiercer), South Korea’s superstar, Song Kang-ho,...
Interview: Miike Takashi on FIRST LOVE, Yakuza Subtypes, and the Joy of Not Evolving
After over 100 projects over 30 years, Miike Takashi has more than earned his status as one of the world’s most celebrated and fascinating directors. Unrestrained by style, or genre, or the limits of “good taste,” Miike has fearlessly made...
Japan Cuts 2019 Interview: Director Toyoda Toshiaki Talks Quiet Rebellion in THE MIRACLE OF CRYBABY SHOTTAN
The films of Toyoda Toshiaki are known for their brash and exciting style, laced with acid takes on society. Returning to the big screen after four years with The Miracle of Crybaby Shottan, director Toyoda shows his quieter, more contemplative...
Japan Cuts 2019 Interview: Cut Above Winner Tsukamoto Shinya Talks KILLING and TETSUO: THE IRON MAN
From his beginnings as a 14-year-old with a Super 8 camera, to his latest film, KILLING; a twist on the classic samurai movie, Tsukamoto Shinya has always blazed his own cinematic path. Receiving Japan Cuts 2019 Cut Above award...
Japan Cuts 2019 Interview: HIS LOST NAME Director Hirose Nanako Uncovers Dark Truths
His Lost Name is the story of a young man whose mysterious presence in a small town engenders willing deceptions, and reveals uncomfortable truths. At Japan Cuts 2019, director Hirose Nanako spoke exclusively with LMD about creating her first feature...
Japan Cuts 2019 Interview: DEMOLITION GIRL Director Matsugami Genta, Star Kitai Aya Talk Teenage Crushing
Demolition Girl places a coming-of-age story against the backdrop of the sketchy world of fetish videos. At Japan Cuts 2019, LMD had an exclusive chat with director Matsugami Genta and actress Kitai Aya, who has a standout performance as the...
