Blog Archives

Sanshiro Sugata (1943)

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Posted on December 3, 2005 by Justin

I’ve been a huge fan of Akira Kurosawa’s work for a while now, since devouring his samurai films (The Seven Samurai, Yojimbo, Sanjuro and others), then moving on to his later work — in particular, the stunning Ran and Kagemusha. Every one has been an excellent film, on all counts: cinematography, writing, acting and direction. Throne of Blood, as well, has some of the most wonderful black and white cinematography I’ve ever seen. So, I … (read more)

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Audition (1999)

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Posted on November 28, 2005 by Jonathan

“Ban this sick film!” has become a bit of a cliché, but it’s sure a hell a functional one. Advocating censorship is now almost as fashionable as whinging about it – the two obviously compliment each other, and as long as there are people going to see some of the more intense examples of film art that are on offer in this fine country of ours, then chances are there’ll be someone to complain about them.

How Audition slipped under … (read more)

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Macross Plus (1994)

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Posted on November 27, 2005 by Mat

My first experience with the Macross universe was with the series Robotech. I was quite young, and every Saturday morning I would wake up early to get my giant transforming-mecha fix. A number of years later, I have matured and my tastes have become more refined, but I still get a hankering for some mecha-on-mecha action. It is thus with some trepidation that I enter the world of Macross Plus; a more recent production set in the same … (read more)

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Canary (2005)

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Posted on November 27, 2005 by Jason

For years now the talk of cults has touched on wounds for the Japanese population, following the 1995 Aum cult gas attack on Tokyo. Consequently, a number of Japanese films have very effectively looked at the stories of individuals and groups associated with these cults. These films have been the most breathtakingly touching and poignant amongst contemporary Japanese cinema. Canary (or Kanaria) is one such film, looking at the journey of twelve year old Koichi, his struggles while living … (read more)

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Zatoichi: Zatoichi Meets Yojimbo (1970)

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Posted on November 25, 2005 by Mat

Zatoichi Meets Yojimbo, is the first Zatoichi film to see Shintaro Katsu go head-to-head with screen legend Toshiro Mifune. We know that they have to fight one another, but whose fighting skills will reign supreme?

What an incredibly good film! The entire film feels as though there was more money to spend than in all the previous Zatoichi films put together, and this has resulted in a forty year old film that is just as much, if not more, … (read more)

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Zatoichi Meets the One-Armed Swordsman (1971)

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Posted on November 25, 2005 by Mat

Zatoichi meets the One-Armed Swordsman follows in the same footsteps as the previous Zatoichi film, Zatoichi meets Yojimbo, by introducing a guest character from a popular series or film of the time. In this case, we are introduced to Wang Yu, of One-Armed Swordsman fame.

Having travelled from China to Japan in an attempt to escape from a past shrouded in mystery, Wang Kong (Wang Yu) doesn’t waste much time in making new enemies. After saving a child from … (read more)

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Zatoichi: New Tale of Zatoichi (1963)

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Posted on November 25, 2005 by Mat

Having defeated almost all of the bad guys in the previous two films, Zatoichi: The Tale of Zatoichi and Zatoichi: The Tale of Zatoichi Continues, Zatoichi returns to do battle with yakuza thugs and sore shoulders in Zatoichi: New Tale of Zatoichi!

When we last left our hero, in The Tale of Zatoichi Continues, he had just killed his brother, a gang leader, and a multitude of hired goons. In New Tale of Zatoichi, Zatoichi, wanting … (read more)

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Zatoichi: The Fugitive (1963)

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Posted on November 25, 2005 by Mat

Shintaro Katsu returns as the sword-wielding, blind masseur Zatoichi, in this, the fourth film of the Zatoichi series. Having defeated a sizeable portion of the yakuza gangs in Japan, you would think that Zatoichi would be allowed to enjoy a well-earned rest, but alas, this is not to be. Ichi finds another bounty on his head and, as if that’s not bad enough, Zatoichi finds that the village he’s arrived in is swarming with Yakuza and a ronin in a … (read more)

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