Shinichiro Watanabe

“[Translated] This 'The Killing of a Chinese Bookie' is one of my favorites among Cassavetes' films. How should I put it? It's a mix of raw, anime-like elements and drama-like parts, and it feels like it's on the boundary between a new documentary and a gang movie, which I really like.”

“[Translated] This 'Branded to Kill' is a film I've been recommending for a long time... Well, maybe I can't recommend it, but I personally like it. It's one of Seijun Suzuki's representative works. It's hard to explain, you'll be confused when you see it, but it stays in your heart. It's very impressive, or rather, I really love it. It's not just well-made films that stay in your heart, so I think this kind of unusual film is good once in a while. I heard the director was fired because of thi...”

“[Translated] This is Fritz Lang's 'M' which I just happened to find. It's a pre-war German film. The German aesthetic is very concentrated in it, and it's an interesting film. I'll include this one.”

“[Translated] Oh, there's a Jacques Tati box set! This is the best. Jacques Tati is French, and his films are comedies but not exactly cheerful... They're cool and he delivers gags with a straight face. I think that kind of humor has influenced my own work. I love that kind of comedy, so I definitely have to take this. This probably has all of Jacques Tati's works since it says 'Complete'. Is that right? I'll take this.”

“[Translated] 'Bruce Lee: His Greatest Hits'. I've loved Bruce Lee since I was in elementary school and was greatly influenced by him. In my mid-20s, I re-evaluated Bruce Lee, for example, when the Beastie Boys featured him. I thought, 'Wait, the Bruce Lee I loved?' and when I looked at his philosophy again, I found it very interesting. I was greatly influenced by it, and a passage of Bruce Lee's words appears in Cowboy Bebop.”