Japanese New Wave Influences: Crazed Fruit (1956) and Tokyo Drifter (1966)

In this episode Sam and Alana continue to explore the foreign film movements that served as precursors to New Hollywood. The focus is on Japan and its studio-mandated ‘New Wave’ which allowed for salacious sex, violence, and a more anti-nationalistic worldview. In the spotlight are two very different films: Crazed Fruit directed by Kō Nakahira and Tokyo Drifter by Seijun Suzuki. Topics include: the Sun Tribe phenomenon and Japanese youth culture, pop art stylism, the 1964 Tokyo Olympics, and whether two brothers can romance the same lady and still remain “chill".