Directed by Juzo Itami • 1987 • Japan
Starring Nobuko Miyamoto, Tsutomu Yamazaki, Masahiko Tsugawa
Certainly the most exuberantly entertaining film ever made about the intricacies of the Japanese tax system, this delightful comedy stars Nobuko Miyamoto as a fiercely dedicated tax collector who goes to elaborate lengths to nab a tax-evading hood (Tsutomu Yamazaki) operating a string of adult motels. Director Juzo Itami stages the ensuing battle of wills with breathless verve (and a dash of sex) while cleverly critiquing capitalist greed. The film’s success inspired both a video game and an equally inventive sequel.
Directed by Luis García Berlanga • 1963 • Italy, Spain
Starring Nino Manfredi, Emma Penella, José Isbert
This masterpiece of black humor, beloved in Spain but too little seen elsewhere, threads a scathing critique of Franco-era values through a macabre farce about an undertaker who marries an ex...
Directed by Charles Chaplin • 1952 • United States
Starring Charles Chaplin, Claire Bloom
Charlie Chaplin’s masterful drama about the twilight of a former vaudeville star is among the writer-director’s most touching films. Chaplin plays Calvero, a once beloved musical-comedy performer, now a was...
Directed by Sammo Hung • 1985 • Hong Kong
Starring Jackie Chan, Sammo Hung, Yuen Biao
Hong Kong martial-arts greats Sammo Hung, Jackie Chan, and Yuen Biao join forces in this goofball kung fu lark, the second film in Hung’s popular LUCKY STARS series. Chan is an undercover cop who enlists his bu...
