Blog Archives

Election 2 (2006)

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Posted on August 11, 2009 by Samson

With this sequel to the excellent 2005 film Election, Hong Kong director Johnnie To adds yet another great film to his long and impressive list of work. Few other directors have managed to make so many movies and maintain the same high standards in one film after another. Election 2 sees the return of all the characters (at least those who managed to survive) from Election, and guess what; it’s time for another triad election.

It’s been two … (read more)

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Ouran High School Host Club Part 1 (2006)

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Posted on August 11, 2009 by Samson

Since its release in 2006, Ouran High School Host Club has established itself as a fan favourite. It has a reputation for being a bit strange, but also extremely funny. This is my review of Part 1, which consists of the first 13 (of a total of 26) episodes of the anime.

The Ouran Host Club is where handsome boys with too much time on their hands entertain and charm girls, who also have too much time on their … (read more)

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Gurren Lagann (2009)

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Posted on August 7, 2009 by Andy

Kudos to Madman for posting episodes of Gurren Lagann as part of their free streaming service: Screening Room. While miserly companies would have hosted lesser titles, with prime cuts like fan favourite, Full Metal Alchemist and top shelf work like Gurren Lagann from Studio Gainax, Madman is giving fans a real gourmet selection of titles to taste.

Studio Gainax is best known for Neon Genesis Evangelion and it sure must be one hell of a place to work. Up in … (read more)

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5 Centimetres per Second (2009)

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Posted on August 7, 2009 by Andy

Yep, trying to write a synopsis for a new Makoto Shinkai anime is a thankless task. It comes off sounding like a TAFE writing course exercise veering off into high school therapy territory. But in the hands of Makoto Shinkai, a master of creating emotional landscapes, the result is entirely the opposite. There aren’t too many creators like Makoto Shinkai. He is a true iconoclast in the world of anime. He writes, storyboards and directs his projects. The content of … (read more)

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Gozu (2003)

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Posted on July 18, 2009 by Samson

Takashi Miike is a controversial filmmaker, and Gozu is one of his most controversial films to date. It was banned from cinemas, and yet it was invited to the Cannes Film Festival. It was loved by many, but others were disgusted by it. So, how did I find the viewing experience? Well, let me try and explain.

The story begins with the killing of a ‘Yakuza attack dog’ (more like an innocent cute little puppy) by Ozaki, a member of … (read more)

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Black Blood Brothers (2006)

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Posted on July 13, 2009 by Deni

With all the brouhaha about vampires these days — from Laurel K Hamilton to Stephanie Meyer; and HBO’s True Blood to Park Chan-Wook’s Thirst — it’d feel a little like jumping on the bandwagon, except I hesitate to put Black Blood Brothers in anywhere near the same category. Sure, it is about vampires, and it’s got all the right bits and pieces – a lost love, dark secrets, feral vampires, shadowy conspiracies, innocent bystanders, idealistic humans and plenty of slaying … (read more)

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Darker Than Black (2007)

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Posted on July 13, 2009 by Andy

I know I go on a bit, but the problem with a lot of anime is how slow they are to show their hand. It’s as if there is some misplaced prevailing wisdom that starting with lazy stereotypes, predictable set-up and a culminating in freak-of-the-week fight sequence of all speed lines and no substance will lull the viewer into a sense of pattern-recognition comfort. Once subdued, five or six episodes in, all manner of aces, kings and queens start appearing … (read more)

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Blood: The Last Vampire (2009)

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Posted on June 25, 2009 by Elizabeth Kerr

It’s 1970 and centuries old half demon Saya (Gianna/Jun, My Sassy Girl) is on a revenge mission. Orphaned almost at birth, she was raised by Kato (Kurata Yasuaki), the mentor who taught her all about sword fighting and, apparently, demons. Saya’s looking for Onigen (television stalwart Koyuki), the oldest demon and the source of her misery. With her handler Michael (Irish veteran Cunningham) and his assistant Luke she infiltrates an American army base in Japan to eliminate some “bloodsuckers” … (read more)

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