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Shinobi (2005)

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One of my friends likes to refer to this film not as Shinobi, or even as the clever and yet ridiculously literal subtitle, Heart Under Blade, but as – and this is a patented title you understand – the People With Shiny Eyes Movie. Now, that might sound ill-considered, but it’s much more descriptive than you’d think, because the main couple in this big-budget fantasy romance about warring ninja clans do indeed have very shiny eyes. Admittedly, … (read more)

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St John’s Wort (2001)

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Okay, the World Movies precis runs thus: “Based on, and playing like, the hugely popular Japanese video game, a terrifying horror film that uses interactive video, animation and computer graphics to horrifying effect.” Not entirely true, but not entirely false either. Walk with me through the film…

For starters, the main story, that of a girl exploring a house left to her by her painter father, is reflected not-quite-faithfully in the video game being designed by a group of her … (read more)

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