The Japanese Filmography: A Complete Reference to 209 Filmmakers and the over 1250 Films Released in the United States, 1900 Through 1994

This encyclopedia reference work treats a near-century's worth of Japanese films released in the United States in theaters or on video and the important actors, directors, producers and technical personnel involved in them.

If Japanese movies are a weak spot in your collection, this reference source should fill the gap. The feature films listed here are limited to those that have appeared (or the author hopes will soon be available for viewing) in the United States, including what is already on video and laserdisc. American versions of foreign films usually have notably sketchy credits, which not only presents problems for scholars but makes it difficult for fans to confirm that the actor in one movie is the same one who played a vastly different role in another. As a result, the primary concern of author Galbraith (Japanese Science Fiction, Fantasy and Horror Films, McFarland, 1994) is to provide a complete credit list for these films. In the first section, "Personnel," actors predominate, but composers, directors, cameramen, and screenwriters are included. The second section briefly describes the different film studios. The third and by far the largest section of the book, the film list, is the work's primary focus. Detailed entries are arranged alphabetically by U.S. release title and also provide Japanese title, production crew, cast with roles, Japanese production company and U.S. distributor, running time, release date, MPAA rating, etc. Several interesting appendixes on the Japanese film industry round out the book. The only drawback is the absence of plot synopses, however brief, but this remains a good, basic source on the subject. Highly recommended.?Marianne Cawley, Enoch Pratt Free Lib., Baltimore, Md.
Copyright 1996 Reed Business Information, Inc.