November 24, 2010

The Naked Kitchen (Ji-yeong Hong, 2009)

The Naked Kitchen is disappointing, even with the presence of Ji-hun Ju (Kim from last year’s Antique) and its appealing premise. It does everything wrong.
October 17, 2013

Shield of Straw (Takashi Miike, 2013) | Lesson of the Evil (Takashi Miike, 2012)

Shield of Straw My first film at Fantasia in 2013 was Takashi Miike’s Shield of Straw, one of the director’s contribution to the festival. Miike is a known workhorse, directing sometimes three films per year, in a myriad of genres and styles. Yet, there seems to be a connecting thread through his films, which feels harder to ascertain for me […]
November 26, 2010

Brass Knuckle Boys (Kankuro Kudo, 2008)

Brass Knuckle Boys is a Japanese comedy about an old Japanese punk-rock music band from the ’70s and ’80s looking to extend their 15 minutes of fame.
April 20, 2010

Love Exposure (Sion Sono, 2008)

Love Exposure is a beautiful film, a cherished secret I find myself unwilling to share but incapable of keeping. It's one of the best films I've ever seen.
June 29, 2010

20th Century Boys Trilogy (Yukihiko Tsutsumi, 2008-2009)

WHAT IT IS: Kenji, a failed musician turned convenience store clerk, notices about a terrible (but familiar) virus outbreak in Africa. When a popular doomsday cult surfaces branding the symbol Kenji conceived as a child with his friends, world events take on new meaning. Someone is using the Book of Prophesies Kenji wrote years ago as a blueprint for the […]