Bodhi Grrl! is the pseudonym of Julien R. Fielding, a part-time university lecturer and long-time entertainment writer. (The highlight of her existence was meeting Meatloaf and Bruce Campbell, although not at the same time. That would have been too much.) Her book, Discovering World Religions at 24 Frames Per Second, will be published through Scarecrow Press in October. She loves J-horror, Fight Club, Star Wars, and Hayao Miyazaki.

Protege (2007) Movie Review

Last year two films were the main contenders at the Hong Kong Film Awards: “Tau Ming Chong” (“Warlords”) and “Moon To” (“Protégé”). The former, which earned 13 nominations, is an epic scale, often surprisingly violent period film about three blood brothers. The latter, which earned...

March 8th, 2009 | Read More

Ninjas Versus Zombies (2008) Movie Review

The press information for “Ninjas Vs Zombies” explains the concept and strategy behind this indie horror film. Screenwriter and director Justin Timpane “spent an afternoon in a Blockbuster looking for ‘the film they haven’t made yet.’ … By studying the small but fierce fanbases of Joss...

March 5th, 2009 | Read More

Watchmen (2009) Movie Review

Time magazine listed Alan Moore’s graphic novel “Watchmen” as one of the 100 best English-language novels from 1923 to the present, and called it “a work of ruthless psychological realism. It’s a landmark in the graphic novel medium. It would be a masterpiece in any.” And this publication...

March 5th, 2009 | Read More

The Best Films of 2008

When compiling a Best of Film list, it’s always difficult to remember the ones that came at the beginning of the year. Learning from past mistakes, I kept a list of every film I saw in 2008, noting the ones that had an impact. All of the ones listed are either four or five star films, and are in no...

February 6th, 2009 | Read More

Burn After Reading (2008) Movie Review

Joel and Ethan Coen make comedies with a body count, and “Burn After Reading” is no exception. It starts off with the demotion of Osborne Cox (John Malkovich), an unpleasant f-word spewing and irascible CIA agent. Instead of suffering the demotion, he quits his job, telling Katie, his cold British...

September 17th, 2008 | Read More

Mirrors (2008) Movie Review

Being abnormally obsessed with Asian horror, about a year ago, on a whim, I bought “Into the Mirror” (“Geoul sokeuro,” 2003) through eBay. Written and directed by Sung-ho Kim, the film focuses on Woo Yeong-min (Ji-tae Yu of “Oldboy” fame), a traumatized former police officer who now works...

August 19th, 2008 | Read More

Tropic Thunder (2008) Movie Review

As a rule, I avoid comedies like the plague. Either they are too low-brow for my tastes, relying on flatulence or gross sexual situations for laughs, or they cannot sustain their humor. Comedies also tend to be dominated by flavor-of-the-month performers, usually someone who was on “Saturday Night...

August 18th, 2008 | Read More

The Midnight Meat Train (2008) Movie Review

All I want to know is what did writer-producer Clive Barker and/or director Ryuhei Kitamura do or say to someone at Lion’s Gate to get their $15 million film “Midnight Meat Train” dumped into second-run cinemas on its opening week? Did they kidnap an executive’s family and set everyone on fire...

August 8th, 2008 | Read More

The Mummy 3: Tomb of the Dragon Emperor (2008) Movie Review #2

The general rule is that the more sequels a film spawns, the crappier they are. Take “The Mummy” (1999). It had a cheesy B-film feel to it with an Indiana Jones vibe. Set in Egypt, it contained some romance, laughs and high adventure. It was entertaining summer fare that introduced us to Oded Fehr....

August 8th, 2008 | Read More

The Tattooist (2007) Movie Review

Let’s call it synchronicity. Last week, I was looking through the new DVD releases on Netflix, and I came across “The Tattooist,” a supernatural horror film about an American tattooist (Jason Behr) who, after swiping an ancient Samoan tattooing tool unleashes an avenging “evil” spirit. Being...

July 27th, 2008 | Read More

Mongol (2007) Movie Review

“Mongol” was nominated for a 2007 Academy Award, but it only just started making the festival rounds earlier this year, beginning at the Palm Springs International Film Festival and most recently screening at the Wisconsin Film Festival. Its limited cinematic release began on June 6, and since I...

July 25th, 2008 | Read More

The Dark Knight (2008) Movie Review

Since 1989, there have been six Batman films: Two starring Michael Keaton, one with Val Kilmer, one with George Clooney, and now two with Christian Bale. In these films, Batman has fought a line-up of villains that includes, we’ll go order: the Joker (Jack Nicholson), the Penguin (Danny DeVito), Catwoman...

July 20th, 2008 | Read More

Hellboy II: The Golden Army (2008) Movie Review

Hellboy is unique in the world of superheroes. He was conjured from hell by the Nazis, but he’s a good guy who watches too much TV, and enjoys a fine cigar, Baby Ruth, and the touch of a soft kitten. His weapons of choice are his rock hard Right Hand of Doom and a great, big gun. In his debut feature,...

July 15th, 2008 | Read More

Hancock (2008) Movie Review

Studios like an actor who is a “sure thing,” and Will Smith is one of those. He’s an extremely bankable superstar who is seemingly loved by all age groups and ethnicities, because he’s likable. Look at his top four grossing films, ranked in order from highest to lowest, “Independence Day,”...

July 2nd, 2008 | Read More

The (One-Armed) Machine Girl (2008) Movie Review

Ami (Minase Yashiro) is your typical high school student. She hangs out with her friend, plays basketball, and watches over her younger brother, Yu (Ryosuke Kawamura), who, unbeknownst to her is being bullied by the son of a yakuza and his friends. The gang extorts money from Yu and his friend Takeshi,...

June 30th, 2008 | Read More

Wanted (2008) Movie Review

“Night Watch” (2004) put Russian director Timur Bekmambetov on the map. Based on the novel by Sergei Lukyanenko, it tells of the ancient battle between light (good) and dark (evil) and the man who will decide which side will triumph. Why did this Russian language film make such a splash? It’s a...

June 29th, 2008 | Read More

The Great Happiness Space: Tale of an Osaka Love Thief (2006) Movie Review

As the credits rolled at the end of “The Great Happiness Space: Tale of an Osaka Love Thief” (2006), I immediately thought of “Leaving Las Vegas,” “The Grifters,” and “Requiem for a Dream,” three feature films that have also left me with a similar sense of numbness and depression. All...

June 28th, 2008 | Read More

The Signal (2007) Movie Review

Around midnight in the city of Terminus, Ben (Justin Welborn)’s TV turns itself on, waking him up. Broadcasting across the airwaves is a signal that consists of pulsating and morphing images and an annoying droning sound. After he returns to bed, his lover Mya (Anessa Ramsey) tells him that she has...

June 25th, 2008 | Read More

The Strangers (2008) Movie Review

(May contain spoilers) Following a friend’s wedding reception, Kristen (Liv Tyler) and James (Scott Speedman) return to the latter’s family vacation home. This was also supposed to be their big night as James proposes to Kristen. But she rejects him, saying that she isn’t “ready.” Still aching,...

June 4th, 2008 | Read More

Edges of Darkness (2008) Movie Review

Have you ever felt like watching a horror film, but couldn’t decide if you should choose a film about zombies, vampires, parasitic machines, the anti-Christ, or the apocalypse? Thanks to “Edges of Darkness,” you no longer have to make a choice, because this indie film contains ALL of these elements...

May 26th, 2008 | Read More