Koji Chihara Movies
From acclaimed Japanese filmmaker Toshiaki Toyoda (Blue Spring) comes this poignant tale of nine escaped prisoners hoping to find redemption in an unsympathetic and constantly changing society. Convinced that a secret buried treasure could be the key to finally realizing their lifelong dreams, a mad bomber, a violent biker, a pornographer, and six other determined convicts acquire a van and set off to find their fortune. Along their arduous journey, the convicts form a unique bond as they attempt to reconcile tragic pasts and make the best of an uncertain -- but increasingly bleak -- future. ~ Jason Buchanan, Rovi
- 2000
In this startling psychological thriller from Japan, Mami (Hijiri Kojima) is a teacher who meets Tomo (Koji Chihara), a psychotic criminal with a short temper and no visible means of support. Amour fou blooms between them, and a year later they're living together, with Mami taking part as Tomo abducts, tortures, and kills one of their neighbors. Eventually the cycle of crime goes too far for Mami and she leaves Tomo, but several years later, he arrives at her home to disrupt her life with her new husband. Hysteric was directed by Takahisa Zeze, who previously received critical acclaim for the film Kokkuri. ~ Mark Deming, Rovi
- Starring:
- Hijiri Kojima, Koji Chihara, (more)
Toshiaki Toyoda makes his directorial debut with this hallucinatory vision of sex and violence set in Tokyo's ultra-cool district of Shibuya. The film centers on Arano (Koji Chihara), a sociopathic and silent type who is first seen shoving his way through a crowd with utter indifference to those around him. He kills without remorse or fear -- as he does to one trash-talking yakuza before dumping his body at the gang's doorstep. Arano meets his match with Kamijo (Onimaru), a low-level mobster who runs a date club in Shibuya. With business slumping and heat from the mob dons growing, Kamijo and his boys take out a couple foreigners and steal their massive stash of LSD. Afterwards, he and his gang celebrate with a hot-tub orgy featuring hundreds of floating tomatoes. While Arano and Kamijo, eye each other -- both aware of the other's violent, crazy tendencies -- the loudly dressed boss of a rival gang (Tetta Sugimoto) demands a cut of the stash. Meanwhile, when Alisu (Rin Ozawa), a date club prostitute who has the hots for Kamijo, swipes the acid and tries to sell it herself, things turn very violent. ~ Jonathan Crow, Rovi
- Starring:
- Koji Chihara, Onimaru, (more)
