“An exquisite visual experience that is sadly held back by its unfitting manga-like moments.”
Category: Directors
Onpaku (2022) review
While Fujii does not re-invent the J-horror genre with Onpaku, he does prove the horror-frame can still be exploited to deliver satisfying horror narratives.
The Midnight Maiden War (2022) review
“A visually exciting experience that shows that the only revolutionary thing that can give life its worth is desire that remains desire.”
Lesson In Murder (2022) review
In Shiraishi’s talented hands the narrative transforms into a visual elegant and compelling examination of the desire that drives us all.
The Island Closest To Heaven (1984) review
“This might be the purest idol-film Obayashi made and the clearest example of how Kadokawa wanted to exploit the audio-visual medium.”
School In The Crosshairs (1981) review
A heart-warming sci-fi flick that dazzles the spectator with its expressive and colourful effects.
The Girl Who Leaped Through Time (1983) review
The film does not merely celebrate the beauty of the transiency of being-in-love, but also powerfully stages the tragedy of the missed encounter.
His Motorbike, Her Island (1986) review
Obayashi ensures that this narrative, after so many years, still succeeds in captivating and mesmerize the spectator.
The Mole Song: Final (2021) review [Fantasia Film Festival]
Miike’s narrative delivers everything a fan of the previous narratives desires and even succeeds in inviting newcomers to delve into Reiji’s past exploits.
Just Remembering (2022) review [22nd Nippon Connection]
An experience that will stir the spectator’s unconscious and affect his heart.
A Madder Red (2021) review [Nippon Connection 2022]
Machiko Ono and Yuki Katayama breathe extra-ordinary life and realism into the pain, the hopes, the white lies, the tears, the smiles, and the anger of contemporary female subjects subjected to a phallically-structured societal system. Highly recommended.
Journey To The Shore (2015) review
“An elegant and touching exploration of arrested mourning, unresolved subjective regrets, and the impact of unfinished business on the deceived or the living subject.”
Punk Samurai Slash Down (2018) review
“Ishii’s narrative meanders a bit too much, but it luckily never outstays its welcome.”
Crazy Thunder Road (1980) review
“A nihilistic and wild exploration of the self-destructive nature of a relentless search for a dose of pleasure.”
Drive My Car (2021) review
“A meditative and intimate masterpiece with a rich but challenging intertextuality.”
psycho-cinematography 