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- Godzilla Minus One (2023)
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- Magnificent Warriors (1987)
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- Dreadnaught (1981)
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- Bad Guy
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Elsewhere on the Web
Broken Oath (1977)
I’ve never had much opportunity to see much of Angela Mao’s work on screen: her films have never been available on DVD (until now, anyway) and I think that all that I’ve seen of her work is her small role in Enter the Dragon and her part in King Hu’s Fate of Lee Khan, a film that I hope I’ll one day own a decent copy of.
The floodgates have opened, though, and decent DVD versions of many of … (read more)
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Space Firebird 2772 (1980)
A little while ago I was fortunate enough to catch the film Interstella 5555: The 5tory of the 5ecret 5tar 5ystem at the Mercury Cinema in Adelaide. Why I was fortunate was that the film opened my eyes to different ways in which to convey a story. You see, what made Interstella 5555 a unique anime experience was that it contained no lines of dialogue whatsoever. Instead, the film consisted of the animated story with an audio track contributed by … (read more)
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Asian Cinema at the 55th MIFF
6:30pm, Wednesday August 16th.
Glurg… well, my wonderful festival has been topped off in the worst possible way by a nightmare bus ride home (curse my cheapskatery) and a nasty spot of flu that’s had me flat on my back the past few days. In the unlikely event that anyone’s still reading, I’d like to thank you for having done so! MIFF was a blast once again, made even better by the use of the magnificent Regent Theatre. Let’s just … (read more)
Posted in Festivals
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Heart, Beating in the Dark (2005)
Heart, Beating in the Dark is not the sort of film you expect. Labelled a remake, a sequel and a continuation, the first thing you’d expect it to be is confused, but it is far from that. Director Shunichi Nagasaki weaves these seemingly disparate purposes into a deft and rich fabric with little to no apparent effort. In his original film, an independent production shot in 1982 on Super8, Ringo and Inako are hiding out in an apartment, trying to … (read more)
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Red Shadow (2001)
Ninjas. Ninjas are cool; ninjas are deadly. They are masters of the hidden arts and dress in tight, black leather. They work in the shadows. They conk their heads on low hanging beams…
It’s somehow impossible to imagine that director Hiroyuki Nakano didn’t have his tongue planted at least a little in cheek during his Toei Studio 2001 film Red Shadow. In fact, it’s almost as if he couldn’t resist having just a little fun, and that light-heartedness might … (read more)
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Ermo (1994)
Since the institution of economic reforms beginning in the late 1970s, China has been a country that has seen a lot of change; even now more so than ever before. As more private enterprises have been allowed to flourish, the country has found itself in quite a dramatic transition from traditional Maoism to the materialist values of capitalism. While Ermo may comically tell a simple tale of a family from a small Chinese town, it finds itself deep within this … (read more)
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A Moment To Remember (2004)
This is one for the girls, and no mistake. If you don’t end up sobbing like a baby some way through the film, then you’re a better man than I. Err, make that “a better woman”. This is a quintessential weepie romance, with all the necessary attributes.
First up, Su-jin is a little unsure of herself, and slightly dippy. That makes her a perfect romantic heroine, since the audience (ie women) can see themselves in her. Son plays her role … (read more)
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The Postman Fights Back (1981)
There was a time in the mid-90s when everything coming out of Hong Kong was cool and exciting. Guns were blazing while gangsters oozed charm; supernatural heroes were flying for the sake of the world while others performed death-defying stunts merely for our sakes, and we were more than appreciative. Every local release was hired from the video store down the road followed by many a bruise and abrasion with the occasional sprain – though no bones were broken.
Looking … (read more)
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