Books on Japanese Cinema from the University of Michigan

The wonderful University of Michigan Monograph Series includes books relevant to scholars of Japanese Cinema. In particular, the RESEARCH GUIDE TO JAPANESE FILM STUDIES by Abé Mark Nornes and Aaron Gerow seems to be of essential reading, and a benchmark of scholarship: http://www.umich.edu/~iinet/cjs/publications/monograph%20links/65.%20Research%20Guide%20to%20Japanese%20Film%20Studies.htm

For those willing to venture into 1920’s avante-garde Japanese Film, there is A Page of Madness Cinema and Modernity in 1920s Japan by Aaron Gerow. http://www.umich.edu/~iinet/cjs/publications/monograph%20links/64.%20A%20Page%20of%20Madness.htm

Click on the Classics link to see more titles. The wonderful Monograph series makes fascinating books affordable.

And…did I mention, FREE books, as well, digitized? http://www.umich.edu/~iinet/cjs/publications/michclassics/index.html

Get your Ozu primer, Noel Burch and Richie’s Film Style and National Character (!). Free is awesome, no?

Thanks, Coco! Have you had the chance to look into Research Guide to Japanese Film Studies? How comprehensive is it?

Sorry for the late response, Vili-the university was on recess for the holidays… we’re back now, in light snow.

I’ve been gleaning bits and pieces from the free online sources-just ‘cuz I’m cheap like that. But, here’s a bit of what they say about Nornes and Gerow’s book:

This book is the first all-embracing guide ever published for approaching the complex archive for Japanese cinema. It lists all the libraries and film archives in the world with significant collections of film prints, still photographs, archival records, books, and periodicals. It provides a comprehensive, annotated bibliography of the core books and magazines for the field. And it supplies hints for how to find and access materials for any research project. Above and beyond that, Nornes and Gerow’s Research Guide to Japanese Film Studies constitutes a comprehensive overview of the impressive dimensions and depth of the print culture surrounding Japanese film, and a guideline for future research in the field. This is an essential book for anyone seriously thinking about Japan and its cinema.