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COVERCHORD CULTURE

Leading creative personalities share their recommended viewing for the holidays
 

Another year has passed and 2022 is just around the corner. 

To help you make the most of your downtime over the holiday period, COVERCHORD presents its annual recommended New Year’s viewing guide compiled by leading creative personalities.  


Thank you for shopping at COVERCHORD this year. Stay safe, enjoy your holidays and we look forward to serving you again in the new year.

Shinsuke Nakada
 

Memories of Murder
2003 South Korea
Director: Bong Joon-Ho

A suspense film based on the true story of the Hwaseong serial murders, which took place in Korea between 1986 and 1991. When it was released, I was blown away by the power of Korean cinema. It was even more shocking than Parasite, which was also directed by Bong Joon-Ho. I was so disturbed at the time that I didn't want to watch any more mystery films for a while. Last year, when Parasite won an Academy Award, I did a little digging and found out that the murderer was identified in 2019, which made me want to watch the film again 20 years after I first saw it, relieved that they had finally caught the killer. However, it was an atrocity like no other in history that will never be forgotten by the bereaved. 

The Blood of Wolves
2018 Japan
Director: Kazuya Shiraishi

Directed by the brilliant Kazuya Shiraishi, The Blood of Wolves is a film about gang warfare and police corruption in Hiroshima Prefecture. Ichiro Furudate said this is Toei’s (motion picture and video production company) answer to "Outrage,” and I can only hope it lives up to expectations. I want to watch it in the middle of the night after the children are asleep. A great way to spend the New Year.

My Girl
1991 USA
Director: Howard Zieff 

Lately, I've been feeling bad because I don't have time to watch movies with my kids. I want to spend time with them… I want to be a parent who teaches… So I want them to watch movies that are sad and sweet and touch their hearts. I want to watch this movie with my family on New Year's Day as I imagine them growing up to be warm-hearted people. Released in 1991, I experienced this film as a sensitive youth, so I'm looking forward to seeing it as a parent, watching my children’s faces. In the end, I'm sure they'll just say "Dad, you're annoying" and pass on this suggestion. 

Shinsuke Nakada
Creative Director
Born in 1977, Nakada joined the BEAMS PLUS Harajuku store in 2000 as a member of the opening staff and was appointed director of BEAMS PLUS in 2012, before taking on the role of the chief buyer at BEAMS in March 2015. He now heads the entire BEAMS men's casual collection.

Website_beams.co.jp/ 

Instagram_@nakadashinsuke 

Miyuki Arashihara
 

Her Love Boils Bathwater
2016 Japan
Director: Ryota Nakano

At Christmas time and I usually want to watch foreign movies, but if I had to choose a Japanese movie, this would be it. Christmas is a time when we want to feel love, right? I want to share the warmth in my heart after watching it.


Love Actually
2003 USA
Director: Richard Curtis

The story of a man and a woman whose Christmas is just around the corner is so real that it's hard not to get caught up in it. I love watching this film with my friends at a Christmas party and laughing out loud. It makes me want to watch "Notting Hill" again too, which was written by the director of this film.


New Year's Eve
2011 USA
Director: Garry Marshall

You may be enjoying Christmas, but your mind is already on New Year's Eve. Watch this to raise your spirits.

Miyuki Arihara
Model
Miyuki Arihara is a highly sought-after model working in magazines and advertising. She is also a vintage clothing enthusiast who's personal style attracts attention from both men and women. Under the influence of her father who is a cyclist, she is an active rider of bikes. 

Website_gunns.jp
 
Instagram_@ariharamiyuki

Yu Imaizumi
 

Ready Player One 
2018 USA
Director: Steven Spielberg

With the rise of the Metaverse, Oasis is finally a reality. It's an incredibly fast-paced time, and you want to make sure you don't get left behind.

Her
2013 USA
Director: Spike Jonze

I found the idea of an AI love story really interesting. It got me really thinking about the future and that is not so far away. 


Asakusa Kid
2021 Japan
Director: Gekidan Hitori

I love the Showa era. How did Takeshi Kitano live? I don't usually watch Netflix, but I really want to watch this.

Yu Imaizumi
Designer, ayame

Website_ayame-id.jp
Instagram_@uimaizumi 

Etsumi Nagao
 

Captain Fantastic
2016 USA
Director: Matt Ross

The film tells the story of a family who lives a life of survival in the mountains, away from civilization and under the unique education of their father. After the death of their mother, the children learn about the world of the city. As they grow up and reach adolescence, they begin to see the gap between their lives and the outside world and long for the city. It’s a film about the depth of family ties. As someone who had a very conventional upbringing, it makes me long for a life like this.

Chef
2014 USA Director: Jon Favreau


A man quits his job as a chef at a top restaurant to start a Cuban sandwich food truck and travels across America with his best friend and his son. The Cuban sandwiches look delicious! I went to Versailles Restaurant, the historic Cuban restaurant in Miami that inspired the main character in the film to make Cuban sandwiches, three years ago and have good memories of eating there while remembering the scenes from the film. The music in the film is Latin, which I love, and the film is a lot of fun to watch. The bond between the man and his son is very warm.


High Fidelity
2020 USA
Based on the novel by Nick Hornby

High Fidelity is the story of a record shop owner who lives in Brooklyn, New York, reflecting on her love life. There's nothing particularly profound in the story, but there are lots that I can relate to. Zoe Kravitz, who plays the main character, is really cute and I love her style. The music is great too and it makes me want to go back to Brooklyn. I heard that Zoe's mother, Lisa Bonet, appeared in the movie version released in 2000, so I'd like to see that too.

Etsumi Nagao
Women's Fashion Director, Takashimaya
Born in Hokkaido, Nagao worked as a sales assistant at a specialty shop for 12 years from the age of 18. She then moved to Tokyo at the age of 30. After working as a buyer for Takashimaya's select shop STYLE&EDIT, she was appointed as the Creative Director of Takashimaya's Women's Fashion Department in Spring 2020. She is active in a wide range of fields, including buying, shop visuals, product direction, and collaboration projects with other brands.


Instagram_@yoshiminagao 

James Oliver
 

Die Hard with a Vengeance
1995 USA
Director : John Mctiernan

I could have easily picked all three from the original Die Hard trilogy but this one definitely takes the cake. I think all three of these films define this era of films as well as Bruce Willis as an actor. The fact the storyline is so outlandish and perhaps the technology was a bit behind its time made it almost believable. Then there is something about the John McClane character combined with teaming up with Samuel L Jackson that defines this film. You have to watch this film! 

Love, Honour, and Obey
2000 USA
Director: Ray Burdis & Dominic Anciano


A Ray Winston and Jude Law special. Proper serious London gangster with just the right amount of humor added. While Guy Ritchie's Lock Stock and Two Smoking Barrels and Snatch are high on my list it is something about this film that makes it unique. What really defines this film is the fact the actors largely improvised their roles. The story focuses on a postman who convinces his best friend to let him join his uncle's criminal gang. Once accepted into the firm, the new recruit soon grows disillusioned with a life that is less glamorous than he expected and starts to take increasingly reckless risks.


Once Were Warriors
1994 New Zealand 
Director: Lee Tamahori


This one really hits home for me. The setting of this film was only a 10-minute drive from my childhood home. Set in South Auckland in New Zealand, this film is a must-watch. Showcasing the beauty and brilliance of New Zealand film. A family descended from Maori warriors is bedeviled by a violent father and the societal problems of being treated as outcasts.


James Oliver
Former professional footballer James Oliver is a Tokyo-based editor, photographer, and creative director. He founded the online magazine SLAMXHYPE in 2003, before launching bi-annual print magazine THE NEW ORDER magazine in 2009, and her., a cultural magazine focusing on female creators, in 2015. 

Instagram_@jamesoliver_tno
Instagram_@thenewordermagazine
Instagram_@hermagazineofficial 
 

Shara Rajma
 

Victoria
2015 Germany
Director: Sebastian Schipper

The film is 140 minutes long and is shot entirely in one cut. The first scene, which is set in a club, is incredible. It’s a film about Berlin and what happens at night. 

A Dangerous Method
2011 Canada
Director: David Cronenberg


The title is a little misleading, but this is a great film about the rift between Sigmund Freud and Carl Jung. 


Agora (Alexandria)
2009 Spain
Director: Alejandro Amenábar 

A historical film that tells the story of Hypatia, a female mathematician in the turbulent Roman Empire of the 4th century. It tells of the rise of Christianity, which was beginning to flourish in Alexandria, Egypt’s great city of learning.  


Shara Rajma
Model and writer
Of Bangladeshi roots, model and writer Shara Rajma was born and raised in Tokyo. She is a borderless model who is not bound by nationality or race. She made her debut as a campaign model for LOEWE in 2020. 

Instagram_@lalazima_ 

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