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.

Diary of the Dead — he said, she said — movie review

HE SAID:
Ty Burr of the Boston Globe said Diary of the Dead played “like Cloverfield for grad students.” I’m sorry to say, Ty, if this is your idea of grad school argument, you’d better ask for a refund on your college tuition. As far as social commentary is concerned, Diary of the Dead is freshman [...]

We Are the Strange — movie review

This review is so long overdue that a serendipitous run-in with the writer/director prompted a strict reminder. M Dot Strange (aka: Michael Belmont) is so completely casual and San Jose-centric that he frequents a local boba tea place, even today as he types out an article for Wired Magazine (August issue — be [...]

Paprika (aka: Papurika) — he said, she said — movie review — screener!

Paprika
Note: If you’re already a fan of anime and familiar with Satoshi Kon, skip to the third paragraph.
HE SAID
Truth be told, anime is no different than any other storytelling medium. The rabid otaku would like you to believe otherwise, but really, it’s just like everything else. There’s a vast wasteland of uninspired, tedious dreck, [...]

Doppelgänger (aka: Dopperugenga) — movie review

Let me remind you that Yakusho Koji (Tampopo, Charisma, Memoirs of a Geisha) is much more than a pair of walking cheekbones with a ‘fro. He possesses the ability to simultaneously emote strength and warmth, intelligence and naïveté, charming fragility with weight-of-the-world endurance. This is why he’s perfect in the role of Michio [...]

Charisma (aka: Karisuma) — movie review

Restore the rules of the world… Freedom’s just another disease… A truly healthy human longs to obey… These [magic] mushrooms are delicious!

CAN’T SEE THE FOREST FOR THE TREES? Kiyoshi Kurosawa became one of my favorite filmmakers rather quickly, although it has been a bumpy ride. I was enthralled by Cure, regrettably rushed through [...]