Chris’s Summer Catchup 2008 Part 2: The Revenge

While most people look toward Summer as a period of relaxation, my Summer has been anything but. So, in another effort towards cleaning house, I bring you Summer Catchup 2008 Part 2: The Revenge. What follows is the briefest of brief looks at numerous films, books, and shows I’ve tackled over the Summer, but [...]

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 [...]

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 [...]

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 [...]

Lorelei: The Witch of the Pacific Ocean movie review

When I first picked up Lorelei: The Witch of the Pacific Ocean I expected a standard, rather boring WWII submarine flick from the other side of the Pacific. Then I found out it was a WWII submarine flick with Koji Yakusho, which made it seem it might be a little less boring, but didn’t really [...]

The Shoe Fairy (aka: Renyu Duoduo) dvd movie review

Uh-oh, I just discovered that I’m a shoe whore. I’ve always bought way too many shoes, but only recently I’ve been actually wearing them like a girl and not a guy, which means I’m not just wearing one favorite pair until they basically fall apart anymore. Oh what a joy it is to [...]

Shinobi: Heart Under Blade dvd movie review

Being that I’ve already reviewed Shinobi: Heart Under Blade, and professed my deep love for it in our Best of 2006 list, I’m going to launch straight into the DVD review.
Funimation presents Shinobi: Heart Under Blade in an absolutely pristine 2.35:1 transfer (truly the best I’ve seen) representing its theatrical aspect ratio, with your choice [...]

Shinobi: Heart Under Blade movie review

Based on the novel by Futaro Yamada, Shinobi: Heart Under Blade (aka: Shinobi 2005, nothing to do with the SEGA game) is a classic tale of star crossed lovers in Tokugawa era Japan. Oboro and Gennosuke, born to opposing ninja clans locked in a centuries long quiet war, have found a love that flies in [...]

Akira guest movie review

This guest review is the first from my friend Alex Candia, who actually submitted the link for the earlier Kikkoman article. A linguistic major and fellow Japanophile, give it up for Alex!
Old School and oh so great. Set in the shadow of a huge bomb crater and a giant Olympic stadium, Neo-Tokyo is a city [...]

Spirited Away (aka Sen to Chihiro no Kamikakushi) guest movie review

Anime isn’t for everyone. I know this, having been in my life both an enemy and a fan of the style. Just like styles of music, not everyone will like every style of animation. Given that, though, even people who aren’t anime fans can find something to like about Spirited Away.
Director Hayao [...]

Batman Begins movie review

Is it really worth nine bucks? I had really paid little to no attention to the making of this film, but in the weeks leading up to its release I gradually caught the Batman bug. The weekend it released, I was darn ready to slap down the $18.00 necessary to get Kris and I in [...]

Van Helsing he-said-she-said movie review screener!

STEPHEN SOMMERS STICKS IT WHERE THE SUN DON’T SHINE SHE SAID: God damned Dracula and Van Helsing to an eternity of Hell on earth, and tonight, Chris and I suffered along with them (well, at least for half of the movie). Straddling chaos and eye candy and mutantoid bat babies rose poignant moments, but those [...]

Tamala 2010: A Punk Cat in Space — movie review

SPACE KITTY BLASTS THROUGH SOME THICK NOGGINS “Possibly Maybe” –one of my favourite Bjork tunes and the best way to describe the experience of this incredible flick. Subtly referencing (possibly) everything from The Little Prince, Phillip K. Dick and Roman mythology, Masons and mind control, to Itchy and Scratchy, Happy Tree Friends, 50s TV Japanimation [...]