Eclectic Shadows: The Rediscovery of Yasuzo Masumura

Firecracker Magazine #12... Eclectic Shadows: The Rediscovery of Yasuzo Masumura. "...It is well known that Japanese cinema of the sixties was incredibly rich and diverse, with such figures as Akira Kurosawa, Yoshujiru Ozu and Hiroshi Teshigahara all working at the height of their significant powers in a variety of different styles and genres. The recent touring programme of films by Yasuzo Masumura, curated by the Independent Cinema Office, adds a new name to this already heady mix, as well as marking the first chance for English cineastes to see the films of an intriguing and prolific director. Masumura worked firmly within the studio system, making between three or four films per year for Daiei throughout his thirty year career. This revival of eight of Masumura’s films from his first decade as a filmmaker still represents only a fraction of his total output of 58 films, none of which have ever been released in this country." Also... Give me passion and ideas - Masumura's films were erotic gore-fests that dragged Japan into the modern world. Steve Rose salutes a lost hero (The Guardian, September 1, 2005).