Blog Archives

Naruto (2002)

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Posted on March 11, 2007 by Deni

10 Rules for Aspiring Ninja

  • Be not afraid. The Bad Guy will not kill you until he has explained – in lengthy detail – how he is going to kill you.
  • Be fair. Do not attempt to escape the Bad Guy’s clutches while he is explaining to you how he is going to kill you. Only when he is finished is it permissible for you to attempt an escape. If you do escape, make sure he finds it impossible to
    • … (read more)
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    My Neighbours the Yamadas (1999)

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    Posted on March 11, 2007 by Ching Yee

    I always know that I’m in for an anime treat if I’m seeing a Studio Ghibli [that’s Ghi-bu-ri] film but even I was completely taken by surprise by My Neighbours the Yamadas. The quality of work here still abides by the high achievement previously set by awe-inspiring films such as Princess Mononoke, Nausicaa, My Neighbour Totoro just to name a few.

    OK, the first surprise is the look of the film – simple, yet warm aquarelle/ watercolour … (read more)

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    My Neighbour Totoro (1988)

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    Posted on March 11, 2007 by Andy

    My Neighbor Totoro is a deceptively simple tale. It is the story of a father and his two young daughters moving to the country and adventures the two girls, Mei and Satsuki, have with the forest spirits they find there.

    This simplicity makes My Neighbor Totoro one of the purest examples of Myazaki and Studio Ghibli’s themes and preoccupations. There is the pleasure in discovery of the delights of rural life (Only Yesterday), the multifaceted life of children … (read more)

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    Lone Wolf and Cub Vol 4: Baby Cart in Peril (1972)

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    Posted on March 11, 2007 by Alison

    This is the first film I’ve seen that starts with a nipple. I’ve mentioned this fact to a few people, and the response has overwhelmingly been “So what?” No-one else has been at all impressed, and it seems that I’ve been watching all the wrong films. Apparently it’s nipples-a-go-go out there in cinema-land, and everyone’s off to see the latest Kurosawa Nipple Retrospective, leaving me alone in my nippleless wilderness.

    Be that as it may, the aforementioned nipple works well … (read more)

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    Lone Wolf and Cub Vol 3: Baby Cart to Hades (1972)

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    Posted on March 11, 2007 by Alison

    Once again, we catch up with Itto Ogami and his son Daigoro, as they trundle their way across Japan, killing some folks and not killing others while wandering through a lot of extremely scenic countryside. For some reason, the music is a sort of ghastly 70s blarting, which distracts considerably from the action it’s supposed to underscore.

    As the credits roll, accompanied by the nasty blarting music, we’re treated to Ogami and son bathing in a stream and catching fish, … (read more)

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    Lone Wolf and Cub Vol 1: Sword of Vengeance (1972)

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    Posted on March 11, 2007 by Alison

    Well, I have to say, it’s amazing what a man will do to carry out an assassination. And I really don’t think the synopsis does it justice, and I’m not sure I can either.

    For one thing, Tomisaburo (Ogami) is not an actor who over-emotes. I can’t imagine him at acting classes pretending to be an ice-cream. I swear the only difference in his expression throughout the film is whether his eyes were downcast or staring at someone. And I … (read more)

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    Kyo Kara Maou! (2004)

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    Posted on March 11, 2007 by Deni

    I can be shallow and I’ll admit it freely. I like my dramas, the serious, thoughtful works exemplified by Kon or Abe or Ooshi. I also like my action, titles like Fullmetal Alchemist or Gungrave or Yukikaze. But occasionally I like a little brainless entertainment – entertainment that at least doesn’t involve a lot of explosions or bloody deaths or deep-seated angst – which is a large part of the reason why I started watching Kyou Kara Maou!. … (read more)

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    Pulse (2001)

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    Posted on March 11, 2007 by Alan

    I’m gonna start this review with a little literary diversion. Sometime fantasist John Crowley wrote a book a few years back entitled Aegypt. The title was a deliberate displacement, taking an archaic spelling of Egypt and infusing that name with a mythic, alternate reality. By the same token the film Pulse is also known as Kairo.

    Now this is not a deliberate thing, of course, Kairo being Japanese for ‘circuit’ — bear with me here — but it … (read more)

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