Los Angeles Asian Pacific Film Festival Reviews: “Death of Nintendo” and “Atomic Cafe: The Noisiest Corner in J-Town”
By: Joseph Perry (Twitter - Uphill Both Ways Podcast)
Philippines/U.S. coproduction Death of Nintendo is a charming coming-of-age story about a group of four friends growing up in a suburb in The Philippines in the very early 1990s (the story largely takes place before the 1991 eruption of Mt. Pinatubo). They are in their young teens, at the age where first loves and crushes occur. Director Raya Martin’s feature brilliantly captures an air of nostalgia about growing up that is relatable regardless of country or decade.
The film, featuring a delightful screenplay from Valerie Castillo Martinez, follows Paolo (Noel Comia, Jr.) a middle-class boy with a doting, overprotective mother; Kachi (John Vincent Servilla), whose mother and promiscuous older brother are having a difficult time making ends meet; and siblings Gilligan (Jiggerflip Sementilla) and his younger tomboy sister Mimaw (Kim Oquendo), whose mother is dealing with her husband moving to America with another woman. The boys spend their free time playing the latest Nintendo games at Paolo’s house or practicing Michael Jordan and Magic Johnson moves while playing basketball at the park, as well as snacking on junk food or swimming at the local community pool, often with Mimaw in tow. They do share some boyhood rituals without her, though, such as sneaking copies of Playboy to gawk at together, and they believe that having a local witch doctor perform a certain procedure on them will make them grow taller and become girl magnets. Complicating matters is that Paolo is falling for Shiara (Elijah Alejo), leader of a group of girly-girls, not knowing that Mimaw has a crush on him. Shiara welcomes Mimaw into the fold and the two girls’ shared interest in the supernatural leads to the boys accompanying the two girls on a clandestine nighttime ghost-hunting trip to the local cemetery.
Equally heartwarming, bittersweet, and lump-in-the-throat–inducing, Death of Nintendo is a fun tale of scuffed elbows and bruised hearts, treating even its weightiest adult issues with the sentimental mindset of youngsters. From conquering The Legend of Zelda to buying an ice cream for someone who you hope has the same romantic feelings that you do to taking the next step toward adulthood, it is a well-directed film with superb performances from its young leads and fine ones from its supporting cast of all ages.
Atomic Cafe: The Noisiest Corner in J-Town is a short film about the Atomic Cafe, a Los Angeles diner known originally for its noodles and rice dishes from its opening in 1946 that became a hangout for musicians, poets, and writers — particularly punk rock and new wave figures — in 1970s and 1980s Los Angeles. As then-owner Atomic Nancy relates, local bands started hanging out there after their gigs in Chinatown, and soon all sorts of artistic types followed suit, making it a place where the band X, Linda Ronstadt, Andy Warhol, Sid Vicious, The Go-Gos, Devo, Blondie, and other cutting-edge rock luminaries frequented.
Atomic Nancy and her photographer/director daughter Zen Sekizawa recall both the vibrant energy of the diner because of its magnet for artists of all stripes, and the downsides, including the drug use that Nancy — who is now a substance abuse counselor — and others went through at the time. Photos of Nancy and Zen, customers, and floor-to-ceiling album covers and concert flyers from Atomic Cafe’s heyday help set the mood for those who never had the chance to visit there, and interviews with former employees and patrons give further insight into what the scene was like.
Co-directors Akira Boch (who also did the cinematography and editing) and Tadashi Nakamura have crafted a loving tribute to a place that was an important gathering spot for Los Angeles-based and visiting punk rockers and postpunk acts, and the woman who was the spirited heart of the place.
Death of Nintendo and Atomic Cafe: The Noisiest Corner in J-Town screened as part of Los Angeles Asian Pacific Film Festival, which runs from September 24–October 31.
Joseph Perry is one of the hosts of When It Was Cool’s exclusive Uphill Both Ways podcast (whenitwascool.com/up-hill-both-ways-podcast/) and Gruesome Magazine’s Decades of Horror: The Classic Era podcast (decadesofhorror.com/category/classicera/). He also writes for the film websites Diabolique Magazine (diaboliquemagazine.com), Gruesome Magazine (gruesomemagazine.com), The Scariest Things (scariesthings.com), Ghastly Grinning (ghastlygrinning.com), and Horror Fuel (horrorfuel.com), and film magazines Phantom of the Movies’ VideoScope (videoscopemag.com) and Drive-In Asylum (etsy.com/shop/GroovyDoom).
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