Latest From Reviews

Infestation (2009) Movie Review

You know the worst thing about sitting through a horror/creature movie where a group of disparate characters are trapped in one locale and forced to put aside their differences and team up in order to survive the menace outside? You can pretty much count on at least one (sometimes more) asshole in the...

September 14th, 2009 | Read More

20th Century Boys: Chapter Two – The Last Hope (2009) Movie Review

The epic Japanese “20th Century Boys” trilogy, based upon the hugely popular manga by Urasawa Naoki, continues with its second instalment, “The Last Hope”. Director Tsutsumi Yukihiko (previously responsible for cult hits such as “2LDK” and “Forbidden Siren”) returns to continue the sprawling...

September 12th, 2009 | Read More

Book Review: Draculas, Vampires, and Other Undead Forms – Essays on Gender, Race, and Culture

Not yet another book on vampires! You may be excused for reacting like this upon seeing this title: vampires have been done to death – in movies, in comics, in fiction, in non-fiction, in criticism… The only trouble is, there’s no real ‘death’ when you’re talking about...

September 12th, 2009 | Read More

Private Eye (2009) Movie Review

“Private Eye” offers a twist on the recent trend of modern noir detective stories by adopting a period setting, making for a change from the usual tortured cops, car chases and neon alleyways. The film marks the debut outing for Korean director Park Dae Min, and was a high profile production, boasting...

September 12th, 2009 | Read More

Breathless (2008) Movie Review

Brutal Korean indie “Breathless” was obviously a personal project for Yang Ik June, who wrote, directed, produced and starred in the lead role. Certainly, the film is a very brave and raw one, being a partly autobiographical tale of an extremely aggressive and violent man, himself the product of...

September 12th, 2009 | Read More

Till Death Shall We Start (1990) Movie Review

Originally released back in 1990 when the Hong Kong ghost comedy was enjoying somewhat of a resurgence, “Till Death Shall we Start” joined the ranks of films with suspiciously familiar sounding titles, including the likes of “Till Death do we Scare” and “Till Death do us Laugh”. The film...

September 12th, 2009 | Read More

Buttonman (2008) Movie Review

Grim crime drama “Buttonman” is the latest offering from rising Taiwanese director Chien Ren Hao, previously responsible for “The Underground Order”. The film is the first from Taiwan to be produced by Hong Kong company Mei Ah, and boasts a suitably impressive cast which includes Francis Ng,...

September 6th, 2009 | Read More

The Code (aka Thick as Thieves, 2009) Movie Review

If there was a genre of film entitled ”Mediocre Heist Films” “The Code” would be on the top of the list, without a shadow of a doubt. Unfortunately there is not a genre of that nature so “The Code” gets put towards the bottom of the list of ‘Heist Films’....

September 6th, 2009 | Read More

Pretty Ghost (1991) Movie Review

It’s time again for that most uniquely Hong Kong of genres, the ghost comedy romance, with the re-release of the 1991 outing “Pretty Ghost”. The film, which apparently also went under the bizarrely inaccurate title of “Alien Wife” (the film features no aliens, and no wives), marked the directorial...

September 6th, 2009 | Read More

H2: Halloween II (2009) Movie Review

IRS auditors and repo men have encountered cheerier faces than those seen leaving a screening of Rob Zombie’s latest magnum opus. Where is Michael Myers, and what has Zombie done with him? Instead of a horror icon, we’re given a shambling hulk who looks like a homeless man with a pituitary...

September 2nd, 2009 | Read More

Fermat’s Room (2007) Movie Review

The Spanish “Fermat’s Room” is the latest in the enduringly popular puzzle thriller genre, which sees characters trapped and being forced to solve enigmas in order to avoid inventively gruesome fates. Here, writers and directors Luis Piedrahita and Rodrigo Sopeña (previously better known for their...

September 2nd, 2009 | Read More

The Housemaid (1960) Movie Review

Fans of Korean cinema have a real reason to be excited with the long awaited release of the 1960 classic “The Housemaid” on DVD. The film was directed by Kim Ki Young, who was known for his controversial features, which often tackled head on themes of sexual obsession through horrific subjects. Although...

August 27th, 2009 | Read More

Team of Miracles: We Will Rock You (2009) Movie Review

Directed by Adrian Kwan, previously responsible for the likes of “The Miracle Box” and the Sam Lee horror “Scaremonger”, turns his attention to the age-old sports underdog story with “Team of Miracles – We Will Rock You”. The film is based on the true story of the Hong Kong homeless football...

August 25th, 2009 | Read More

Boot Camp (2007) Movie Review

In “Boot Camp”, director Christian Duguay has given us a strange mishmash of a film. At first glance, the movie seems to be a well-intentioned exposé of the abuses in juvenile detention camps, so-called “tough love” boot camps where at-risk teens are sent in lieu of rehab or prison. But at some...

August 25th, 2009 | Read More

Boy Director (2007) Movie Review

The Korean independent cinema scene continues to thrive with “Boy Director”, written and directed by documentary filmmaker Lee Woo Yeol. Here, he tries his hand at narrative form, whilst still keeping to his realist sensibilities, with a film about film making as seen through the eyes of a child....

August 23rd, 2009 | Read More

Love Connected (2009) Movie Review

“Love Connected” is the latest outing from Hong Kong director Patrick Kong, who previously enjoyed commercial success with the likes of “Nobody’s Perfect”, “Marriage with a Fool” and “Love is Not All Around”. Although 2008 did see him dabble in the horror genre with “Forgive and Forget”,...

August 23rd, 2009 | Read More

DVD Review: Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: 25th Anniversary Collector’s Edition (Blu-ray)

Even if I were the world’s greatest clairvoyant and had envisioned the coming of Blu-ray only a few years back, I still would not have believed this could have happened: “Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: 25th Anniversary Collector’s Edition.” The mere title sends shivers down my spine — not...

August 18th, 2009 | Read More

Sexy Killer: You’ll Die for Her (2008) Movie Review

Spanish horror has been prominent on the international scream scene of late, with the likes of “REC” and “The Orphanage” offering another alternative to the increasingly bland tide of remakes flowing sluggishly from Hollywood. “Sexy Killer”, from director Miguel Martí (previously responsible...

August 16th, 2009 | Read More

Kung Fu Girl (1973) Movie Review

“Kung Fu Girl”, also known as “None but the Brave”, was originally released back in 1973 as a vehicle for Cheng Pei Pei, the former Shaw Brothers martial arts queen, who had been lured back to Hong Kong by Golden Harvest after apparently giving up her career and moving to the US. Having starred...

August 13th, 2009 | Read More

From Within (2008) Movie Review

“From Within” is the first film from Phedon Papamichael as a director for nearly 15 years, following his forgettable early 1990s thrillers “Dark Side of Genius” and “Sketch Artist”. The time since has certainly been well spent, with Papamichael honing his craft as one of the top cinematographers...

August 13th, 2009 | Read More

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