Knowing talent, seeing talent, the talented people who supported "Stranger Than Paradise"

The wave of subculture that sparked

We cannot forget the participation of musical talent. " I Put a Spell on You ", sung by 1950s R&B singer Screamin' J. Hawkins, is Eva's favorite song and is featured several times in the film, serving as the film's main theme. Additionally, John Lurie, who plays Willie, is the leader of the avant-garde jazz group Lounge Lizards , and is also in charge of the music for this film. Richard Edson, who plays Eddie, is also a former member of Sonic Youth .

When this film was released in Japan, it was described by Peter Barakan and others as a ``musical movie,'' and this kind of genre mix was behind it.

It's not just a fusion of video and music. ``Stranger Than Paradise'' is both poetic and photographic, and the grainy black-and-white images have something of a sumi-e quality to them. From the late 1970s to the 1980s, New York was a gathering place for multi-disciplinary artists. New York punk icons such as Patti Smith and Talking Heads also turned their attention to art other than music. Jarmusch, on the other hand, is absorbed not only in movies but also in music, and is currently active in a band at the same time.

"Stranger Than Paradise" (C) 1984 Cinethesia Productions Inc.

In Japan in 1986, Jarmusch's name quickly spread. Following the success of ``Stranger Than Paradise ,'' he will come to Japan for the Pia Film Festival. In addition, his first full Permanent Vacation, '' which he created as his university The Graduate project, was released in Japan, and at the end of the same year, his new work `` Down by Law '' was released at the Subaru Theater in Yurakucho, and it also became a long-running hit. This caused further repercussions, not only ushering in the mini-theatre boom of the late 1980s and early 1990s, but also sparking a major wave of subculture. This movie was, after all, an “incident.”

Text: Manabu Soma

After working as an information magazine editor, became a freelance writer. He writes articles and reviews for magazines such as ``SCREEN,'' ``DVD & Video Distribution,'' and ``Cinema Square,'' as well as theater pamphlets and the movie site ``Cinema Today.'' Currently appearing on Star Channel "GO! Theater". I host club events as a hobby.

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(C) 1984 Cinethesia Productions Inc.