P.P. Rider

P.P. Rider
P.P. Rider
Japanese name
Kanji	ションベン・ライダー
Revised Hepburn
Transcriptions
Revised Hepburn	Shonben Raidâ
Directed by	Shinji Sōmai
Screenplay by	Takuya Nishioka; Chieko Schrader;
Story by	Leonard Schrader
Starring	Tatsuya Fuji; Michiko Kawai; Masatoshi Nagase; Shinobu Sakagami;
Cinematography	Masaki Tamura; Akihiro Itô;
Edited by	Akira Suzuki
Music by	Katsu Hoshi
Production; company	Kitty Films
Distributed by	Toho
Release date	February 11, 1983;
Running time	118 Minutes
Country	Japan
Language	Japanese

P.P. Rider (Japanese: ションベン・ライダー, Hepburn: Shonben Raidâ) is a 1983 Japanese teen yakuza film directed by Shinji Sōmai. The film centers on three adolescents in search of their kidnapped classmate.^[1]

Cast

Tatsuya Fuji as Gonbei, a yakuza member past his prime
Michiko Kawai as Bruce, the tomboyish female member of the adolescent trio
Masatoshi Nagase as JoJo, an assertive member of the trio
Shinobu Sakagami as Jisho, the more reserved of the three youths
Hideko Hara as Arare, a schoolteacher
Yoshikazu Suzuki as Nobunaga Deguchi, a kidnapped classmate of Bruce, JoJo, and Jisho
Masatō Ibu as Tanaka, a policeman
Ryo Kinomoto as Masa
Masahiro Kuwana as Yama
Ichirô Zaitsu as the Shimada gang leader
Hiroaki Murakami as Kinta, a Shimada gang member
Mitsuko Baisho as an associate of the Shimada gang
Casey Takamine as a moneylender
Takehiko Maeda as Nobunaga's dad

Production

P.P. Rider was produced by Kitty Films with whom Sōmai had previously collaborated on 1980's Tonda Couple. Sōmai's final cut of the P.P. Rider was four hours long; he had to cut the runtime in half as the film was intended to run as part of a double feature.^[2]

Release

Theatrical

The film was released in Japan by Toho on February 11, 1983, as a double feature with Urusei Yatsura: Only You.^[3]

2K restoration

In 2023 P.P. Rider was restored for distribution in the United States by the Cinema Guild, who collaborated with Japan Society to present the film as part of a Shinji Sōmai retrospective. The restoration was screened in previews throughout the year and premiered at the IFC Center in Manhattan on September 8, 2023, alongside a new 4K restoration of Typhoon Club, another film by Sōmai.^[1]^[4]^[5]

References

^ ^a ^b Spagnoli Gabardi, Chiara. "P.P. Rider, Shinji Sōmai's Masterpiece Is Revived For Modern Audiences". Cinema Daily US. Retrieved 6 October 2023.
^ Deschaumes, Tim (November 2022). "Sōmai Shinji, the Forgotten Master of Long Take and Coming-of-Age Cinema". Offscreen. 26 (9-10-11). Retrieved 6 October 2023.
^ McCarry, Ed. "Run Towards the Screen, or Reality's Return: An Interview with Koji Enokido on Shinji Somai". Ultradogme. Retrieved 6 October 2023.
^ n.a. "P.P. Rider". Japan Society. Retrieved 6 October 2023.
^ n.a. "PP Rider (1983, Somai Shinji) Film Screening". Yale MacMillan Center Council on East Asian Studies. Retrieved 6 October 2023.

[cdus-1] Spagnoli Gabardi, Chiara. "P.P. Rider, Shinji Sōmai's Masterpiece Is Revived For Modern Audiences". Cinema Daily US. Retrieved 6 October 2023.

[2] Deschaumes, Tim (November 2022). "Sōmai Shinji, the Forgotten Master of Long Take and Coming-of-Age Cinema". Offscreen. 26 (9-10-11). Retrieved 6 October 2023.

[3] McCarry, Ed. "Run Towards the Screen, or Reality's Return: An Interview with Koji Enokido on Shinji Somai". Ultradogme. Retrieved 6 October 2023.

[japan_soc-4] .a. "P.P. Rider". Japan Society. Retrieved 6 October 2023.

[5] .a. "PP Rider (1983, Somai Shinji) Film Screening". Yale MacMillan Center Council on East Asian Studies. Retrieved 6 October 2023.

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