Re: MemoryTest

["Jordan Plitteris" <jsp@morgan.com>]

The first time I ever saw sumo, was that scene in "You Only Live Twice". I saw
the film in a movie theatre when it first was released, and I was 12 years old.
I vowed to myself that one day I would travel to Japan and see sumo live. And
I did! (16 years later). I wonder how many others were affected by that scene.

(I also developed an incredible crush on Japanese "Bond Girl" Akiko
Wakabayashi. But I digress...)

Speaking of Sumo scenes in movies, I just rented Takeshi Kitano's (a.k.a.
"Beat" Takeshi) recent film "Sonatine". Toward the end of the movie, there's
a strange and wonderful scene where some Yakuza who are hiding out in
a beachfront house entertain themselves with one of those sumo toys, where
little wooden rikishi are made to move about on a drum-skin like surface
while the players manipulate them by banging on the surface from underneath
with little wooden mallets. Anyway, after we watch them play one game of
this, Beat Takeshi removes his wooden rikishi and replaces is with a tiny
oragami rikishi. His friend says "What's that?" to witch Takeshi replies
"Mainoumi". I had a good laugh when I saw that.

Shortly after, the Yakuza guys draw a dohyo in the sand on the beach, and
there is a strange pixilated sequence where they become life-size versions
of the little sumo toy they were just playing.

If you don't mind some extreme violence, its a pretty good, if melancholy,
Yakuza film.

Looking forward to the Hatsu Basho,

jsp