Articles in Japanese Movie Reviews
Laputa: Castle in the Sky (1986) Movie Review
It’s always difficult to put a stamp on any film as being ‘the best,’ whether of all time, a certain genre, or what have you, but I believe a strong argument could be made that “Laputa: Castle in the Sky” is, in fact, the greatest animated film ever made. It is in my mind the [...]
March 2nd, 2005 | Oshram | 0 Comments | Read MoreNin X Nin: Ninja Hattori-kun (2004) Movie Review
“Nin X Nin: Ninja Hattori-kun” belongs in the recent trend of Japanese cinema translating popular manga and anime properties to the big screen with a wink and a nod. Unlike their American counterparts, the Japanese take the approach that ninjas and girls in skimpy outfits who fight crime can’t possibly be taken seriously, so it’s [...]
February 22nd, 2005 | Nix | 0 Comments | Read MoreKunoichi Lady Ninja (1998) Movie Review
Hong Kong period action films have long been notorious for over-the-top combat sequences involving plenty of wire-fu and head-spinning camera moves. Japanese period pieces, on the other hand, tend to be more uptight and somber productions punctuated by lightning quick swordplay and the now ubiquitous bazooka blood. The idea of mixing the two styles together [...]
February 20th, 2005 | Gopal | 0 Comments | Read MoreIchi the Killer, Koroshiya: Episode 0 (2004) Movie Review
Takashi Miike’s infamous splatter-fest “Ichi the Killer” has proved to be a controversial cult favourite, and so it comes as no surprise that it has inspired a spin off in the form of an anime prequel. Although the initial reaction for fans of the original film may be to sigh with cynical disgust, it should [...]
February 11th, 2005 | James Mudge | 0 Comments | Read MoreKyoto Nocturnes: Elegant Slaughter (2004) Movie Review
“Elegant Slaughter” is part one of a five-part anthology set in the Japanese underworld, aka the Yakuza. Part one concerns a Yakuza boss (Keishu Tsumagata) who flees to a late-night restaurant along with his lieutenant Uchida (Manabu Inoue) and a couple of foot soldiers after a rival gangster launch a successful surprise attack (not shown [...]
February 10th, 2005 | Nix | 0 Comments | Read MoreEvil Dead Trap 2 (1991) Movie Review
Shy and sullen Aki Otami (Shoko Nakajima) is a projectionist at a fleabag theatre in a rundown and seedy section of town, where she’s haunted by fleeting visions of a small boy whom she spots in various places around the building, though no one else seems to notice him but her. One night, she meets [...]
January 24th, 2005 | Erick Kwon | 0 Comments | Read MorePerfect Blue (2002) Movie Review
Ahhhh, the vagaries of stardom. Plenty of money, private jets, fast cars, an entourage of “Yes” men doing your bidding, and millions of screaming fans. However, fans sometimes become a star’s worst enemy. We’ve all seen news reports of obsessed fans stalking and sometimes harming the celebrities they’re fixated upon. This obsession sometimes spins out [...]
January 14th, 2005 | Gopal | 0 Comments | Read MoreTomie: Forbidden Fruit (2002) Movie Review
“Tomie: Forbidden Fruit” is the fourth in the franchise based on the Japanese manga by popular horror artist Ito Junji, whose unique talent also produced the inspirations for the films “Uzumaki” and “Kakashi”. “Forbidden Fruit” is linked to its predecessors only through the titular demoness, and so unfamiliar viewers who have a taste for half-hearted [...]
January 12th, 2005 | James Mudge | 0 Comments | Read MoreIchi the Killer (2002) Movie Review
“Ichi the Killer” is easily one of the most controversial films of the last decade, and its undeniably extreme content has become synonymous with the name of its director, the notorious Takashi Miike. For many, this is the quintessential Miike film, a hyper stylised visceral barrage of over the top gore, torture and rape, which [...]
January 4th, 2005 | James Mudge | 0 Comments | Read MoreNausicaa of the Valley of the Winds (1984) Movie Review
“Nausicaa” (also known by the longer title, “Nausicaa of the Valley of the Wind”) is based on the manga series of the same name, written and drawn by the film’s writer/director Hayao Miyazaki. The story is set 1,000 years from now, in a so-called Ceramic Age, where the human race is about ready to join [...]
December 21st, 2004 | Erick Kwon | 0 Comments | Read More
It looks like a dud. I saw the trailer. Tom is the only person speaking with an American news network ...
nothing they payed fox.... 
OMG!!!! 
