3 BRAND NEW Abroad in Japan Videos in 1 WEEK: What Have I Been Up to? | *FILM FRIDAY* "Black Rain" (1989)

For me, a busy week is making one video. 

Making two videos in a week is simply outrageous.

And three videos in a week is nothing short of treason. Treason to my sanity.

But somehow this week, fate aligned three projects I'd been working on to all go into production in the space of 7 days. (Well, fate and poor scheduling).

Three separate unrelated videos, all covering completely different topics.

The hardest part of being a creator/Youtuber/Japanese Spyman, are those long weeks in-between releasing new videos, when it appears like I’ve disappeared off the face of the Earth. Eager viewers hammer me with requests for new videos, while detractors would have you believe I’m bathing on a beach, grasping a can of Pocari sweat and a smug expression.

Meanwhile the reality is, I’m probably running through a fish market at 5am trying not to get run over by a forklift (Thursday), desperately trying not to crash my drone into a tree (on Tuesday), or shouting in rage at my uncooperative folding green screen (earlier today).

So far this week I’ve filmed a documentary about What it’s Like to Own a Sushi Restaurant, spent hours capturing scenes of my car in the countryside for a video about Driving in Japan and perhaps most bizarrely of all, shrunk myself down to fit in a diorama of a 1980’s Japanese living room for a video on Why I Hate Japanese Television.

In terms of release order, the Japanese Television episode is the one coming out next (in a few days), drawing on my bizarre and often frustrating appearances on Japanese TV over the years. It’s a topic I’ve wanted to cover for years, but I needed to put some distance between featuring on TV here, and giving a commentary on my experiences - especially as my commentary will be largely unflattering and filled with lots of swearing.

Despite the hell I’ve put myself through, I’m proud of how all three videos are shaping up and I can’t wait to share them with you, and give you a sneak peek of the videos in the next few days.

But for now folks, it’s time we jumped into Film Friday!

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Black Rain (1989), Director: Ridley Scott

Starring: Michael Douglas, Andy Garcia, Kim Basinger, Yusaku Matsuda

Official Synopsis: Nick (Michael Douglas) and his partner, Charlie (Andy Garcia), are New York City policemen who must track down Sato, a Japanese gangster, who gives them the slip while being transported to Osaka for his murder trial. Things quickly escalate out of control due to a clash of cultures, ruthless Yakuza clans and an uncooperative Osaka police department.

Abroad in Japan Review: Black Rain is and always will be a guilty pleasure.

The dialogue might be cheesier than a slab of camembert, and the ridiculous overuse of the word ‘Gaijin’ beyond hilarious (especially when Kate Capshaw’s character translates it as ‘foreign barbarians’ at one point). And the spectacular - yet undeniably over the top soundtrack - tends to overwhelm every single scene and blast you out of your chair at every turn. But Black Rain is a movie I find myself drawn back to at least once a year.

First off, it’s no secret I love just about everything that came out of the 1980’s (except for bloody ET); I also have an obsession with the movie Blade Runner, for its depiction of dystopian Neo-futuristic cityscapes. And while Blade Runner’s story remains leagues ahead of Black Rain (it’d be like comparing a Ferrari to a Tricycle), the cinematography of Black Rain, feels very much like a spiritual successor to the 1982 sci-fi classic - hardly surprising given both films were directed by the legendary Ridley Scott.

To this day, Osaka has never looked as gritty or as engrossing as it’s depicted in Black Rain. One of my favourite shots in the film is set in the heart of the city on the infamous Ebisu Bridge with the neon lit Glico man towering overhead, as smoke billows across the bridge from the exhaust of the fleet of cop cars. That shot is the reason I continue to return to Osaka - and to that district - year after year to take night time photography, in the hope that I can re-capture the reason I fell in love with the city, the first time I saw it depicted on the big screen in this movie.

Credit where it’s due to Michael Douglas, he gives an intense performance - he’s also particularly Jouzu with chopsticks. But it’s the film’s absolute fucking madman antagonist, Sato (terrifyingly portrayed by Yusaka Matsuda), who steals the show with his blistering performance, as he tears up every scene - and usually every person in the scene as well.

But while the plot remains entertaining but somewhat forgettable, the real star of the show is Japan. 1980s Japan remains something of a fascination for me; a time of excess and wealth, when the country’s economy was ballooning in size (before the bubble burst in the early 90s and it all went downhill fast).

I’ve heard legendary stories from friends over the years of how guys would stumble into hostess bars and literally throw money in the air, buying champagne for all their fellow customers. Gold watches hung from every arm and bars and restaurants across the land were rammed full of patrons splashing the bonuses they’d received from their hugely successful companies, that dominated the world with electronic goods which had found their way into every western household.

To me, Japan WAS the 1980s and Black Rain is one of the few Hollywood films to offer us a glimpse - a taste - of that period. A snapshot of Japan arguably at its peak. Come for the intense action sequences, the overuse of the word “gaijin” and the thrill of Michael Douglas single-handedly taking on half of Kansai.

 Stay for the beautiful cinematography of Osaka and a glimpse of a time when Japan ruled the world.

Available on iTunes, Amazon, Google Play