Originally published on metropolis.co.jp on June 2010

PHOTO ©東映

On June 19, Ikebukuro cinema Shin-Bungeiza (1-43-5 Higashi-Ikebukuro, Toshima-ku; www.shin-bungeiza.com) will hold an all-night screening of Female Convict 701 films (1972-73; pictured). The series, based on a manga by Toru Shinohara, follows the adventures of Nami “the Scorpion” Matsushima, a yakuza moll who lands in prison after stabbing her double-crossing lover. The 1972 debut was an instant success, spawning sequels, remakes and homages that continue to this day; the enka theme song by star Meiko Kaji was recycled in Quentin Tarantino’s Kill Bill.

The EU Film Days 2010 festival (www.eufilmdays.jp) continues through June 20 at the National Film Center (3-7-6 Kyobashi, Chuo-ku; www.momat.go.jp/english). Highlights include Hanami (2008), a homage to Yasujiro Ozu’s Tokyo Story set in Berlin, and Once (2006), a musical tale of buskers in Dublin.

Through July 10, Laputa Asagaya (2-12-21 Asagaya, Suginami-ku; www.laputa-jp.com) is screening a retrospective of films by the late Senkichi Taniguchi. As part of Toho’s stable of young postwar directors, Taniguchi made films ranging from youth dramas to historical set pieces to savvy action flicks. A highlight is International Secret Police: The Key of Keys (1965), a spy movie starring two Japanese actresses who went on to be Bond girls. It was later redubbed by a young Woody Allen as the comedy What’s Up, Tiger Lily?

Unless noted, Japanese films screen without English subtitles. Non-English-language films are shown with Japanese subtitles only