Product Description

Directed by Nobuhiro Yamashita, LINDA LINDA LINDA depicts the musical and personal dramas of an all-girl high school rock band and has played to critical acclaim at more than 40 major international film festivals. The film notably offers a soundtrack by ex-Smashing Pumpkins guitarist James Iha and a cameo by punk rock legends The Ramones.
The DVD release includes a new audio commentary by noted film critic and Japanese pop culture journalist Patrick Macias. LINDA LINDA LINDA was originally released in 2005 and follows an all-girl high school rock band after an untimely break-up. Only three days before their high school festival, guitarist Kei (Yu Kashii), drummer Kyoto (Aki Maeda of Battle Royale), and bassist Nozumi (Shiori Sekine) must recruit a new lead vocalist for their band. They choose an unlikely Korean exchange student Son (Doona Bae of Sympathy for Mr. Vengeance), even though her comprehension of Japanese is a bit rough! It's a race against time as the group struggles to learn three tunes for the festival's rock concert -- including a classic '80s punk-pop song by the famous Japanese group The Blue Hearts called "Linda Linda."

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #28081 in DVD
• Released on: 2007-05-08
• Rating: Unrated
• Aspect ratio: 1.85:1
• Formats: Color, Full Screen, NTSC, Subtitled, Surround Sound
• Original language: Japanese
• Number of discs: 1
• Running time: 114 minutes

Customer Reviews

Never would have guessed it would be this good
This is not just a chick flick or a movie about a band. It is a feel good movie along the lines of "Bend it like Beckham," but its also a lot more than that.

Its greatness doesn't lie in the plot, which is unremarkable. A band has a split up and the three remaining members almost accidently recurit a Korean exchange student who barely knows Japanese to be the new vocalist, and they only have 3 days to prepare for a school concert.

I think the one thing that sets it apart is the outstanding ensemble acting of the four band members. Shiori Sekine, the cute bass player, is the quiet but dependable one. Aki Maeda is the sweet, amiable and love struck drummer. Yu Kashii is the edgy, exotic beauty, probably the highest on the school's coolness scale of the four, who is 51% sweetheart and 49% b***. And Doona Bae is incredible in her portrayal of a complex, adorable, and totally real character who is part outgoing and confident, and part ditzy.

There are so many subtleties that enrich the story. Every line and scene has a purpose. And there is great humor. Many laugh out loud scenes. The characters seem so real you really find yourself pulling for them.

As an added bonus for students of Japanese language, there is a lot of material you can understand without the subtitles. But its not just a great Japanese movie, its a great movie period. I don't know if Hollywood could match the acting or directing.

School Days
This movie brought me back to a happier time in life before work became all consuming. I was a Foreign Exchange student going to Kansai Gaidai in Osaka, Japan and learning Japanese. At the end of the school year, there was a school festival with lots of food, games, and entertainment. Whatever your interests are there is a club for you. I started out checking out the Classical guitar club, then moved on to the Jazz/blues club, and finally ended up in a Japanese Death Metal club. I never thought I would hear death metal in Japan, but I was wrong. I would play guitar with those guys. It was cool.
Also, at the school cafeteria, there was a stage set up with drums and different instruments. It easy to put a band together. You just have to get on stage and start playing.
The movie showed what the school festival is like at the high school level. It also showed how committed those girls were to making it work and operating as a solid unit.
They stayed up all night and day just to learn 3 songs, whereas other people in different countries would probably just wing it and hope for the best.
Linda, Linda, Linda starts out slow but it does increase little by little until the rocking finish. The pace of the movie didn't bother me at all. What I liked about it was the day in the life quality it has. Its not just about being a Japanese student going to a Japanese high school because there's more going on. I think it has universal appeal because it shows things that every student goes through like the need for friends, spending time with friends, everyone working together toward a common goal, crushes that work and go no where, and the sense that Senior year will never happen to you again so you have to make the best of it.
The soundtrack is one of my favorite parts of the movie. I love the Blue Hearts now. During the ending credits you can hear their song Owaranai Uta which has a driving beat and fun punk quality to it.
I don't think you will be disappointed in this film unless slow pacing bothers you but sometimes life is like that it has those wonderful slow moments.

Slow . . . yes . . . but
Linda Linda Linda is also very sweet. It a cute story of a high school girls band that is practicing to play for festive. That is about the extent of the plot. There are some crushes and professions of love as well. Why did I still like this movie if it has a slow pace and not much plot? It may be about Japanese teenage girls, but it sure reminded me of me and my friends growing up. When are adventures did not actually involve doing anything, but some how remained the part of growing up that I remember even now. Plus, the soundtrack is great and if you are not inspired to track down The Blue Hearts, well then there is something wrong with you. The characters are all interesting as well and the actresses portray a lot with their silences. The Korean exchange student Son really made my day and I'm sure I will be smiling about her for a long time to come. If you are not patient and have not seen many Japanese movies you'll probably want to stay away from this movie.