I heard that you used to be a typical movie fan in your school days. Why didn’t you find work in the film industry?

It was rather calculating. I thought that it would be an indirect way to be a director in the film industry. But the biggest reason is I felt that I should not be a film mania because I could make a film from my experience in my daily life. I wanted to see around the world. When I made ‘Blister’, I think I could make good use of my experience from walking around Shibuya or staying with my friends. I think I cannot make a film if I only focus on films being in the film industry. The reason why I decided working for an advertising agent is to see all sorts of industrial forms and see fashions and cultures in a broad view.

About the future plans.

I think I need to experience many more things to make films. When I was making ‘Blister’, it was the reality I felt at that time. To make the next one, I need to look for the next reality. I cannot be qualified to make a film to show people without the next reality.

Now, let me introduce the story. The story starts with the scene like the world after the futuristic war, and it surprises the audience. There’s a character armed with handy weapons in the desert. It creates atmosphere mixing Star Wars and Mad Max. Everything is detailed like the smart conversation about weapons and hand props. The question why such a scene is needed for this story becomes clear at the end of the story, and it helps to make this film a ‘non-maniac film’.

Then the scene where the main character is running at full speed follows. He dashes into a shop and looks around restlessly for an item. The scene is very real and it makes me happy. The shop is where geeks and manias get together and it creates a strange atmosphere. The main character is working at a place that looks like a club and living together with his girlfriend who is a student photographer, and it’s real enough. They sometimes have a quarrel and it always happens for manias. As a result, the girlfriend approves him and it makes the whole story heartwarming. The scene in which her photos are recognized and she buys a figure he wanted for him especially moved me.

What makes ‘Blister’ attractive is the supporting actors/actresses. A SF mania, Terada. He appears in the film as a symbol of ‘adults’ in some way, but you’ll know he’s lost some intellectual power. A rival of the main character (maybe), Kimu. He collects everything and they all look strange. His explanation about his collection is really fun. A machine mania. The episode of Hasamoto and a nail artist, Iruma must be emotional for those who can understand the mentality of manias. They all are outstanding and unique characters who can only exist in a film.

The girlfriend of the main character, Mami is a nice person. I’m sure she cannot understand the essential part of ‘his heart loves figures’, but even if she cannot understand him, she approves and loves him. It’s really wonderful. Also, the figure Hellbanker is made in detail. It looks like a real American comic character.

There are so many scenes I like in this film, but the true virtue of this film is that it makes the audience feel like they’re looking for the figure Hellbanker together with the characters. The episodes of each character arouse the audience’s sympathy. Also, the editing of the film is really sharp and a little actions of the main character is pictures in detail. There’s a certain ‘link’ between Hellbanker and the future scene, and it doesn’t makes this film just a ‘documentary film of manias’. I hope many people experience this film.

Blister!
1999 / Japan / 108 min / 35 mm / stereo / vista size
Director: Taikan Suga
Screenplay: Shinichi Inotsume
Distribution: Slowlearner
Production: Hakuhodo + TV Tokyo + Buena Vista Home Entertainment
http://www.hakuhodo.co.jp/movies/blister/