Masahiko Iimura

Birth : 1928-06-05, Utsunomiya, Tochigi Prefecture, Japan

Movies

Rex: A Dinosaur's Story
Cinematography
A young girl befriends an infant T-rex after her palentologist father nurtures a lair of lost dinosaur eggs.
Faraway Sunset
Cinematography
Faraway Sunset tells the story of the famed bacteriologist who is known to have discovered the agent that cause syphilis, and for his relentless search for a cure to yellow fever. As a toddler, his mother's neglect had caused an accident to his left hand, fusing together all the fingers in a bizarre twist of fate. Naturally extremely remorseful for being the cause of her son's handicap, she does everything she could to ensure that he gets to lead a normal life, despite having to fend off bullies and unfair prejudices.
Tokyo Blackout
Director of Photography
Based on a science-fiction novel by Sakyo Komatsu. Tokyo is suddenly covered by a dome shaped electromagnetic cloud for an unknown reason and is totally blocked and isolated from other parts of the world. The temperature inside the cloud is slowly increasing. The Soviet Pacific fleet is getting closer. The U.S. is forcing Japan to form a new government. Scientists and research workers outside Tokyo have to race against time to find out how to get through the cloud in order to rescue the 12,000,000+ lives in Tokyo and the fate of the country.
Surgical Designs in Flames
Director of Photography
A story of the skilled brain surgeon, Todo, whose talent and ambition are put to test through a series of high risk surgical procedures.
The Ballad of the Sea of Genkai
Director of Photography
A young woman's life is turned upside down when her husband suddenly disappears, leaving behind numerous debts and his illegitimate child. Desperate to track down her missing husband, she travels to Kyushu in hopes of finding clues to his whereabouts and in the process discovers disturbing secrets about the man she loves.
Big Magnum Kuroiwa
Director of Photography
Kuroiwa, a high school teacher who carries a “Big Magnum 44” gun is sent to a school that is full of violence. Can Kuroiwa reform the students with the gun?
Station to Heaven
Director of Photography
From a true incident that happened in 1960s Japan. This drama is contemporary in setting but medieval in its characters and emotions as it focuses on a tangled web of murder and deceit encountered by a beautiful woman, Kayo (Sayuri Yoshinaga) after her abusive husband is murdered.
Kukai
Director of Photography
The life and times of Kûkai, a Japanese monk who studies Esoteric Buddhism in the far reaches of India, China and Tibet, then uses their combined influence to establish the Shingon school during the Heian period in early 9th Century AD.
The Imperial Japanese Empire
Director of Photography
Story of three people, a barber, a Christian and a graduate of the Tokyo Military Academy during the 2nd World War.
Port Arthur
Director of Photography
Depicts the bloody siege of the fortress of Port Arthur, one of the most strongly fortified positions in the world, during the Russo-Japanese War of (1904 - 1905). In the story dominated the character Lt Takeshi Kogyo (Teruhiko Aoi), teachers, and a reserve officer who became commander of the platoon and later company. At the same time monitors the conduct of the army commander general Nogi (Tatsuya Nakadai), which was commissioned of the emperor Matsuhito (Toshirô Mifune) to the conquest of the fort.
New Female Prisoner 701: Scorpion
Director of Photography
Once again we focus on Nami Matsushima. This time she has a sister who goes missing and after getting too caught up in doing something about it, our innocent heroine is given a fifteen year sentence for a murder she didn't commit. She's sent to an all women prison where she's not exactly welcome. Her fellow inmates torture, humiliate and try to kill her; but the Scorpion prevails long enough to get some justice.
Festival Champ
Director of Photography
A man working in a fish market is crazy about festivals.
The Machine Gun Dragon
Director of Photography
Ryu, a low life thug, along with his mother, steals a shipment of drugs. Now with his machine gun and a gang of hoodlums, he must face the yakuza and the mafia.
Truck Rascals II: Ichibanboshi Runs Wild
Director of Photography
The comical adventures of two long-distance truck drivers, Momojiro and Kinzo, continue. Momojiro and Eizo help bring home the father of two young children in time to celebrate New Year’s together.
The Return of Sister Street Fighter
Director of Photography
When Koryu's childhood friend Shurei is abducted by gangsters, the desperate young woman recruits a female martial artist and a tough-as-nails stranger to join her for a dangerous rescue mission.
The Bullet Train
Director of Photography
One of the Japanese Shinkansen, “Bullet Trains,” is threatened with a bomb that will explode automatically if the train slows below 80 km/h, unless a ransom is paid. Police race to find the bombers so the train crew can learn how to defuse the bomb.
A Haunted Turkish Bathhouse
Cinematography
A sly gangster hatches a plot against his own wife, who works at a brothel-cum-bathhouse, with the help of the bathhouse owner’s wife.
A Single Flower Withered
Cinematography
Military Comfort Woman
Director of Photography
Movie based on a book by Kakou Senda about the use of women as sexual slaves by the Japanese Army during WW2.
Golgo 13
Cinematography
Live-action adaptation of the hit manga. Golgo 13, also known by the pseudonym Duke Togo, is a professional assassin. His age and birthplace are unknown and there is no consensus in the worldwide intelligence community as to his true identity. Most of his jobs are completed through the use of a customized, scoped M16 rifle. Golgo 13 is contracted to kill Boss Goa, the head of a worldwide crime syndicate responsible for drugs, weapons, and human trafficking.
Neon kurage: Shinjuku hanadensha
Director of Photography
Pinku from 1973.
Criminal Woman: Killing Melody
Cinematography
Reiko Ike stars as the daughter of a man who has been pushed into drug dealing by the local Yakuza mob. Having outlived his usefulness to the gang he is murdered and Reiko is gang raped, leading her to attempt a knife attack on the Yakuza boss (Ryoji Hayama) at a swank nightclub. Failing to kill him she ends up in prison, where she befriends a crew of other malcontents (including Yumiko Katayama and Chiyoko Kazama) and meets the Yakuza boss's girlfriend (Miki Sugimoto). Upon release Reiko reassembles her mob and launches a Machiavellian scheme to engineer a gang war between Hayama's Oba Industries and the formerly dominant Hamayasu Clan. The rival gangs begin killing each other off and Reiko works her way closer to her ultimate vengeance.
A Flower in a Neon Jungle
Cinematography
The School Deviate Waru
Cinematography
Contemporary Tales of Chivalry: The Traitor Shall Die
Director of Photography
The ninth and final film in the Contemporary Tales of Chivalry series.
New Abashiri Prison Story: Honor and Humanity, Ammunition That Attracts the Storm
Director of Photography
Gang Warfare
Director of Photography
The Armed Organization
Director of Photography
Violent Gang Re-Arms is a rousing tale of friction in yakuza and labor interactions with Koji Tsurata as a yakuza supervising a dockworker's union. He finds himself between a rock and a hard place, at odds with both the dockworkers' leader (Tomisaburo Wakayama) and sadistic, unprincipled bosses (Fumio Watanabe and Tetsuro Tamba).
The Gambler's Counterattack
Director of Photography
Aiba is a gang boss who has just got out of jail, and finds everything has changed. His old gang has broken up, and only a few people still respect him. So he becomes a consultant to another gang who are about to be clobbered by a much larger gang moving in from out of town. Aiba proves a crafty tactician, and does very well at playing gangs off against each other in order to save the smaller gang. His advice is not always taken by those he tries to help, but he is generally proved right.
The Last Kamikaze
Director of Photography
With World War II is coming to its end and Japan nearing defeat, Japanese military leaders step up suicide attacks on Allied ships. Toei legend Koji Tsuruta stars as a Kamikaze squad leader who has second thoughts about suicide runs. He becomes torn between his own morality and his duty to his country when he must deal with a pilot under his command who refuses to complete his mission.
Wolves of the City, Money Hunters
Director of Photography
The hoodlum group tries to help a little printing factory against gangsters.
New Prison Walls of Abashiri: The Vagrant Comes to a Port Town
Director of Photography
Katsuji takes revenge on evil Tamaru who forcefully took control of the fishery business run by Katsuji’s friend.
Woman
Cinematography
The Private Police
Director of Photography
After the war, Kijima (Bunta Sugawara) returns to Tokyo where he meets Ôba (Noboru Andô), an Ex-Kamikaze pilot, and the two ruffians gather hooligans to join their group. In Ginza, the Togawa gang have taken over Sakurada's territory. After several fights Kijima and Ôba gain control of the territory by chasing out the notorious Togawa Group in the name of Sakurada. But Kijima is arrested for assaulting an American soldier. A few years pass. Kijima has served his prison term and the sears of war have been erased from Ginza. Ôba is now president of a company specializing in collection of bad debts, cheque frauds and everything that means money. People call their organization the “Private Police,” and Kijima begins to work for Ôba. Now the Takegami gang waits a chance to seize the Ginza territory.
Quick-draw Okatsu
Director of Photography
This film focuses on Okatsu; the adopted daughter of a master swordsman. She is a master with a sword herself and her talents far overshadow that of her brother, and real child of the man who adopted her. Her brother unfortunately has a gambling habit, and it plunges the family into trouble when he loses a lot of money in a crooked dice game. After releasing he is unable to pay the debt he owes; the blame is shouldered by the father, who is killed, leading Okatsu on a path of revenge.
Sex and Life
Cinematography
Dr. Mikami is an elderly somewhat clumsy, very popular therapist, his patients turn to him with all possible and impossible questions. Because Dr. Mikami's specialty is sexual clarification... The world's best-selling sex literature was filmed here in a manner close to the original. And the openness of the image shows the shocking conflicts of young people in scenes that were never filmed. Shocking documents about sex life from the doctor's office.
Downtown Blues
Director of Photography
The desires and pretensions of woman of the Ginza are depicted.
Secret Information
Director of Photography
A gangster named Sagara killed a broker at the request of a friend named Oba, was arrested and spent eight years in prison. Now released, he wants to find out who squealed on him.
Journey
Director of Photography
Express Train
Director of Photography
Atsumi Kiyoshi, famous for his role in Torasan, stars as Aoki Goichi, a veteran train conductor who dedicates himself in providing quality service to his passengers. With his many years of experience, he never fails to find solutions for any troubles that occur along the way. A comedic drama revolving around the lives of those who ride the express train.
Flower Cards Chivalry
Cinematography
An absolutely astonishing art house ninkyo yakuza film. Wandering gambler runs into a young swindler woman working with old man. They are both arrested by detective. A year later gambler is staying with gangster boss when he comes across that woman and her partner again. Boss lusts for both her and his own daughter, while the boss's crazy yakuza brother loves his daughter, who, in turn, watches the player and wants to destroy the people standing in her way. And here lies one of the film's remarkable departures from the standard ninkyo efforts: it doesn't have a third party villain, nor a clear distinction between good and evil. It's bursting with romantic emotion and wrenched with gritty realism, shot with striking black and white compositions, and explodes into shocking carnage. It has lengthier, more detailed gambling scenes than any other yakuza film I've seen. And it has a heartbreakingly beautiful score. You could call it the Ashes of Time of ninkyo yakuza films. A masterpiece!
Wild Spirit
Cinematography
It has been 5 years since Eijiro Kikukawa of the Asakusa Kaminarimon family killed the head of the Suzaki family. Finally he gets out of prison and comes to the city of Odahama, where he had a mistress, Okei, whom he could not forget. He accidentally helped a man named Hanji from the Kurokane family and was received by the family as a guest. And soon Eijiro is involved in a showdown between the yakuza families.
Gambler's World 2
Director of Photography
Thriller about a gangster and an outlaw who become friends despite their different outlooks.
Gambler's World
Director of Photography
Koto—The Lake of Tears
Director of Photography
A touching story following young shamisen string maker, Saku. Beautiful Saku moves to Lake Yogo, known for its production of quality shamisen strings, only to find her peaceful life turned upside down when a master musician takes personal interest in her.
A Thousand Suspects
Director of Photography
Suspense film based on Ryuji Hori's non-fiction book about the kidnapping and murder of 4-year-old Yoshinobu Murakoshi in 1963.
Three Generations of Yakuza
Cinematography
The film depicts the fate of a young yakuza boss and his father, who confront each other, not knowing that they are relatives, and become victims of a brutal war for territory between the clans according to the merciless laws of the yakuza.
A Circus Girl
Director of Photography
Japanese drama film.
Cold Rice, Osan, Chan
Director of Photography
Three stories revolve around independence, a man searching for his wife, and a poor craftsman trying to make money.
Raised in a Palace
Director of Photography
Set in the pleasure district of Kyoto, Tamiko (Yoshiko Mita, in her first lead role) is a young girl attending high school by day and training as a geisha at night She sees her future as an entertainer, not a prostitute, & she expects a happy marriage with a medical student, Yasuke (Katsuo Nakamura), a sweet fellow she deeply loves. but things started to getting worse for Tamiko and she's forced to become the mistress of the disgusting Tsukada (Seiji Miyaguchi).
The Desperate
Cinematography
A House in the Quarter
Director of Photography
With her family suffering from extreme poverty, Yuko, as the eldest daughter, is sold to a successful brothel in Kyoto. There she is assigned to serve Takamatsu, one of the brothel’s top customers. But while Takamatsu falls madly in love with Yuko, she finds herself attracted to a young priest named Kunugida. Torn by jealousy, Takamatsu hatches an evil plan to tear them apart.
Four Sisters
Director of Photography
A story about the lives of four sisters and their manipulative mother who must come to terms with each of their decisions in life.
Run, Genta, Run!
Director of Photography
A touching story about a young boy, Genta, who bravely takes on life's challenges in hopes of finding a better life for himself and his sickly mother.
Drifting Detective: Black Wind in Harbor
Cinematography
Fukasaku and Chiba are back in a sequel filmed with the same cast and released just two weeks after the first film. This time the storyline is set in a small seaside town and the film favours detective and watadori film influences over westerns. Like its predecessor, the film runs barely over one hour and never drags. It’s a little less goofy, but doesn’t have as beautiful landscapes the first movie had. Not an especially good film, but for fans of Fukasaku and Chiba it’s an entertaining if flawed 60 minutes.
Drifting Detective: Tragedy in the Red Valley
Director of Photography
The great Sonny Chiba stars as Goro Saionji, a drifting thrill-seeker. Out to investigate a suspisious plane crash in the Red Valley, he uncovers a plot involving yakuza and a shady land developer to evict an old farmer off of his land to build a sky resort. Goro must now help the old farmer and his daughter and take those criminals on.
The Harbor Lights
Director of Photography
Man of the World
Director of Photography
An upstanding young man who is popular with the ladies takes on a corrupt group of men in his company.
Moonlight Mask: The Monster Gorilla
Director of Photography
Fourth Moonlight Mask theatrical film.
Prince of Space
Director of Photography
When an alien force tries to invade Earth to steal a powerful new rocket fuel, a mysterious hero intervenes.