Shogun Assassin 5-Film Collector’s Set — dvd box set review — early!

Shogun Assassin 5-Film Collector’s Set. By far, the easiest review I’ve ever done. Chris has done all the dirty work already with his awesome reviews of the rogue ronin Ogami Itto and his impossibly adorable son Daigoro, so all that’s left for me to do is reveal the special features.
You’ll find program notes [...]

Quantum of Solace (aka: B22) — movie review

While I am still not in full support of the choice for a blonde Bond (I was hopeful for the rumors of Clive Owen or even Julian McMahon), Daniel Craig exemplifies the return of beefy, shirtless, action-oriented Bond, and fits the vengeful edge necessary for Quantum of Solace.

Revenge of a Kabuki Actor — dvd movie review

Director: Kon Ichikawa
Starring: Kazuo Hasegawa, Fujiko Yamamoto
Genre: Drama, Comedy
I’ve seen a number of stylish and outlandish revenge films in the past few years, but none quite like Kon Ichikawa’s Revenge of a Kabuki Actor. For with Revenge, Kon Ichikawa has created a surprisingly lighthearted tale of vengeance, a picture where style, fun, and wit [...]

Synecdoche, New York — he said, she said — movie review — screener!

Ironically, when presented in such a lackadaisical, fatalist farse, it’s enlightening and reassuring to realize how much control we really do have over our lives.

Missing - Criterion Collection — dvd movie review — early!

This is where acclaimed director Costa-Gavras excels, painting courage vs. vulnerability, elation vs. frustration, hope vs. grief.

Welcome to the Quiet Room — he said, she said — movie review — early!

Suffice it to say our main character goes away with far more than a flippant non-sequitur regarding their time with the kooky girls of Ward C.

Death Note: The Last Name (aka: Desu Noto 2) — movie review — early!

Director: Shusuke Kaneko
Starring: Tatsuya Fujiwara, Kenichi Matsuyama, Erika Toda
Genre: Manga

I’ve officially had to watch this film twice past my patience limit just because I couldn’t get on the review quick enough before I forgot it all. So here it is, just in time for Halloween cosplay ideas, and so I won’t have to watch [...]

Our Big-Screen Debut

Remember our “Gay for a Day” article from way back? Well the trailer for Gus van Sant’s Milk is finally out, and our hours of sunburned extra-ing have paid off. There’s not one, but a whole bunch of shots from our shoot in the trailer. In fact, I’d say a good third of it is [...]

Devil May Cry: The Animation vol. 3 — Black Lagoon: The Second Barrage vol. 1 — Glass Fleet vol. 6 — Shuffle! vol 5 — anime — dvd reviews

And, we’re back. I’ve finally had time to sit down and watch a few of the anime titles sent us, and you know what? There were actually some great shows this time around. Some shows I’ve reviewed previously only continued to derail, but the vast majority of the others surprised me with their quality. Since [...]

The Wolves (aka: Shussho Iwai) — dvd movie review

Director: Hideo Gosha
Starring: Tatsuya Nakadai, Noboru Ando, Tetsuro Tamba, Kyoko Enami
Genre: Yakuza
To be completely honest, I’ve about worn myself out on Yakuza films. In fact, I really had to push myself to finally sit down and watch The Wolves (aka: Shussho Iwai). Sure, I knew it was a Hideo Gosha picture, and starred [...]

The X-Files: I Want to Believe — he said, she said — movie review

Director: Chris Carter
Starring: David Duchovny, Gillian Anderson
Genre: Drama, Supernatural

HE-SAID
X-Files: I Want to Believe. Color me pleasantly surprised. I know that this film has been receiving quite a bit of flack from the general viewing populace, but I’m finding that for the most part, the people who are upset or disappointed by the film are casual [...]

My Blueberry Nights — movie review

Director: Wong Kar-Wai
Starring: Jude Law, Norah Jones
Genre: Drama, Romance

Whaa–t? What’s wrong with blueberry pie? In Wong Kar-Wai’s Hollywood effort, My Blueberry Nights, the homely dessert is the one cast off by customers every night, an icon for the discarded, much like the fishbowl melange of housekeys left by jilted non-pie eaters in Jeremy’s [...]

Ge Ge Ge no Kitaro — dvd movie review — early!

Director: Katsuhide Motoki
Starring: Eiji Wentz, Mao Inoue, Yo Oizumi
Genre: Action, Fantasy, Manga
US DVD Release Date: October 28, 2008

GeGeGe no Kitaro tries too hard. It tries to be enchanting but relies too heavily on floppy CG (nearly 700 shots). It tries to be a comedy without wit. It wants to be an action [...]

Hana (aka: Hana yori no maho) — dvd movie review

Director: Koreeda Hirokazu
Starring: Junichi Okada, Rie Miyazawa, Susumu Terajima, Tadanobu Asano
Genre: Japan, Samurai, Drama
Koreeda Hirokazu is the master of the saccharine. The man has managed to tackle such subjects ranging from dealing with the suicide of a spouse (Maborosi) to the prospect of life after death (After Life), and in each instance, rather than depressing [...]

Chris’s Summer Catchup — Theatrical films and DVDs

It’s been a while since my last update, so here goes. Kris and I’ve seen quite a few films this summer – far more than we can hope to cover even in a capsule format. In an effort to weigh in on these titles (both theatrical and DVD), I’ll simply provide a one to [...]

Wool 100% — dvd movie review

Director: Mai Tominaga
Starring: Kyoko Kishida, Kazuko Yoshiyuki
Genre: Japan, Curious, Fantasy
With the whimsy of The Shoe Fairy (which had the whimsy of Amelie) and the languid fluidity of a glorified French film spurns Wool 100%, a Japanese movie with a European pulse. Vivid visuals and an enigmatic aura enhances the stark lack of dialogue and [...]

Ballad of Narayama aka: Narayama Bushiko (1983) — he said, she said — dvd movie review

Director: Shohei Imamura
Starring: Ken Ogata, Sumiko Sakamoto
Genre: Japan, Drama
Release Date: June 10, 2008
SHE SAID:
Sometimes I think movie awards are granted to the films that show the most boobies. Just show a little heart and a little tragedy and a lot of skin and there’s your accreditation. Take the laurel-gilded Ballad of Narayama for [...]

Yaji and Kita: The Midnight Pilgrims (aka: Mayonaka no Yaji-san Kita-san) — movie review

Director: Kankuro Kudo
Starring: Shichinosuke Nakamura, Tomoya Nagase
Genre: Japan, Comedy, Curious, Fantasy
See it at SF Indie’s Another Hole in the Head June 2008!
Everyone loves a roadtrip movie. Maybe even a gay roadtrip movie. How about a couple of Edo era gay samurai who are forbidden to ride their motorcycle (by famed Susumu Terajima, no [...]