Catch ‘Em If You Can: An Incomplete Guide to Ninja on Celluloid
The following essay was included in the program for a VCinema-sponsored screening of the film Kamui Gaiden on 11/19/10. As you watch the renegade ninja...
Princess Raccoon (Japan, 2005)
Popular thought dictates that the films of Seijun Suzuki are difficult, obtuse, and illogical works that exist in a very aestheticized universe. Watch a few...
Episode 17: Return of the 5 Deadly Venoms
aka Crippled Avengers, aka Avengers Handicapped, aka Mortal Combat. Yes, it’s going to be one of those mixed up film title episodes again… On the...
Three Times (Taiwan, 2005)
The films of the Taiwanese director Hou Hsiao-hsien have dealt alternately with the tumultuous periods of Taiwan’s past and the pressing problems of its present,...
Take Aim at the Police Van (Japan, 1960)
Seijun Suzuki’s hard-boiled crime thriller Take Aim at the Police Van is so keen to deliver on the promise of its provocative title that the...
Tekkonkinkreet (Japan, 2006)
The first time I saw Tekkonkinkreet, it was the second film of a four part anime all-nighter at the London Sci-fi festival in the summer...
If You Were Young: Rage (Japan, 1970)
It’s a sad fact, but economic prosperity is built on the backs of people who will never get the chance to taste the fruits of...
Yasuharu Hasebe: Pink, Rape, Art.
The name Yasuharu Hasebe is one that may not be all that familiar to some of you who are reading this. He is a filmmaker...
The Professional: Golgo 13 (Japan, 1983)
Director Osamu Dezaki’s action-packed anime The Professional: Golgo 13 concerns the dangerous career of Duke Togo – otherwise known as Golgo 13 – an exceptionally...
Episode 16: Barking Dogs Never Bite
We take a little break away from our participation in this year’s Japanese Film Blogathon to sneak in a little South Korean coverage. In this...