Another For Otakus, Know Your Enemy: Japan

Know Your Enemy: Japan. Should go
over well at any anime convention. Not!

                               Another For Otakus, Know Your Enemy: Japan

                                                                 by

                                                                     Jay Agan

      Yes, anime fans. The kind of film to watch the day before attending a convention. Wartime anti-Japanese propaganda. So why should you see this one in particular? Because in spite of what it is I have found Know Your Enemy: Japan to be an excellent little quick & (very) dirty "rough guide" /summary of pre-1945 Japanese culture/history.

      Made by Frank Capra, though not part of his "Why We Fight" series of films, it follows the same style & format, with narrations by Walter Huston, & Dana Andrews. Released just after Hiroshima/Nagasaki, it was pulled from theaters at the end of August '45.

      You get a brief, detailed summary of geography, belief, history, & outlook of pre-45 Japan. There are some mistakes: Korea is not China. Actual Bushido is not the "death cult" the militarists twisted it into (And Americans accepted at "face" value.). If you can get around these & the fact it's wartime propaganda (Warning: This film is quite racist.) you may find Know Your Enemy: Japan to be informative. If you're getting your Japanese history/culture lessons through the "Patricia Martin school of thought", this film is definitely a cut or two above.

      The best copy I could come up with would be the one previously marketed by Digiview as a dollar disc. Any others out there seem to have a distracting defect or two. Again, this film is very much on the racist side. If you can get around the derogatory "jap" (small J) being used a lot (The onscreen intro is laughable in one place.) you may find a viewing interesting.

Article copyright © 10-5-2011 Jay Agan

YouTube link to Know Your Enemy: Japan here.

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Atragon: One That Grew On Me

                                          Atragon: One That Grew On Me

                                                                  by

                                                                     Jay Agan

      In my younger days, I really got to hate this one.

      The early 70s were a time when Screen Gems' Shock Theater package was pretty much played out as TV stations had their pick of other horror/sci-fi selections. For some reason (cheep?) Channel 10 (WBNS Columbus, Ohio) got one or more crammed with these (then) execrable Italian, Spanish, & Japanese flicks. We could only get four stations (Cable wouldn't come out our way.) so I had to make do with 10s' Chiller Theater for my diet of the fantastic.

      Because of the above situation the 30s, 40s & 50s classics Famous Monsters of Filmland had me so hyped up over were few & far between. When one was on, it was usually as the second feature on Chillers' double bill for Friday night. I wasn't allowed to stay up late except on Friday/Saturday & only then for the first movie. The "good" folks at 10 had a nasty habit of putting the crappy one of the two on first thus the "classic" was out of reach (Today, a lot of these clinkers are considered classics & must sees!). I really got to hate Dan Imel & later Fritz the Nite Owl for that.

      One of these "cheezits" was Atragon. It was to Chiller Theater what Trouble With Tribbles was to channel 4s' (WLWC/WCMH Columbus, Ohio) Star Trek scheduling. PLAYED TO DEATH! I was something of a media snob & wanted only stuff from 30s to 50s. Foriegn films, especially Tohos' unbearable cheesiness of being, were too much for me. Atragon came to symbolize all that I then disliked in Japanese movies. The flick itself is draggy at times & the commercials certainly didn't help it any.

      Synopsis: Before the Mu Empire makes its' moves on Japan & the rest of the earth, it tries through covert means, to destroy its' only real opposition: Captain Jingujis' super submarine, Atragon. The captain is more interested in securing the glory of Japan until the bad guys snatch his daughter. Then it's a harrowing escape & a battle royal against Mu & their serpent/dragon god Manda. You know the Mu Empire is mean as the empress has a head of Chernobyl red hair to rival anything in anime.
     
      In 2005, I attended the Ohayocon anime convention at the Hyatt Regency in Columbus (I prepped myself the night before by watching Frank Capras' Know Your Enemy: Japan.). There, while fishing around for goodies in the dealers room, I came across a table selling live action films (There was a table next to it with a young lady YELLING out "We got yaoi!" every so often. Sheesh!). Scrabbling through a stack, I found Atragon. Not having seen it in over 20 years, I thought, "why not?" The price was right so I snapped it up.

      Big difference. Seeing something in color, widescreen, & NO commercials I actually got to liking it. Tsuburayas' spfx don't look so cheezy when viewed properly. From hated film to one liked. It's not a bad little time waster.

Article copyright © 9-17-2011 Jay Agan

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