The late Satoshi Kon is without exaggeration one of the most talented and significant directors in the history of animation, and thanks to French filmmaker Pascal-Alex Vincent he is now the focus of a feature-length documentary about his life and … Continue reading FANTASIA REVIEW: Satoshi Kon: The Illusionist (2020)
An attempt by an independent theatre company to expand into filmmaking appears to have resulted in one of the best science fiction films of recent years. Beyond the Infinite Two Minutes is an instant cult classic, and represents a dizzying … Continue reading FANTASIA REVIEW: Beyond the Infinite Two Minutes (2020)
Mikio Naruse is one of the key early directors of Japanese cinema, having made his directorial debut with Mr and Mrs Swordplay in 1930 (a silent film, now sadly lost) and continuing to direct through to his death in 1969. While other … Continue reading REVIEW: Ginza Cosmetics (1951)
While Toho’s long-running Godzilla franchise offered viewers a relatively repetitive string of giant rubber suit monster fights, from film to film there were regular changes in focus and tone. The so-called ‘Heisei era’ had kicked off with 1985’s serious Return of Godzilla … Continue reading REVIEW: Godzilla vs Mothra (1992)
After a terrifying attack kills her mother and permanently disables her father, Yuki (Rina Akiyama) boldly dons gothic lolita fashion and goes on a violent mission of revenge against the assassins who destroyed her life. That is it; that is … Continue reading REVIEW: Gothic & Lolita Psycho (2010)
A decrepit old hotel behind a cafe is the home for an assembly of anonymous, regretful strangers in this surreal and weirdly mournful drama – a Japanese feature performed in Korean, and directed by Hideta Takahata. The early 2000s saw … Continue reading REVIEW: The Hotel Venus (2004)
The high density apartment living experienced by many Japanese people makes it difficult for most people to own and care for pets. This has led to the popularity of cat cafes – venues where customers can visit and play with … Continue reading REVIEW: Cat Cafe (2018)
In Ishiro Honda’s science fiction film Atragon (1963) the Earth faces the threat of a hidden underwater empire, but all things considered it is a somewhat middling threat – and a fairly mediocre movie. Honda absolutely holds the pedigree to pull … Continue reading REVIEW: Atragon (1963)
For some reason, anime director Masaaki Yuasa never gets quite the level of international acclaim as those for his contemporaries. Certainly it’s not for a lack of work. His debut feature Mindgame (2004) was a worthy cult hit, and subsequent works … Continue reading REVIEW: Ride Your Wave (2019)
For adolescent fetishists of half-naked Japanese women, there is Sion Sono’s The Virgin Psychics. For everybody else, it would be less irritating to simply watch some pornography. Sion Sono has established a strong and well-earned reputation as one of Japan’s most idosyncratic … Continue reading REVIEW: The Virgin Psychics (2015)
