Taro Bonten and the Birth of Sukeban Cinema COVER PHOTO

The genre, now referred to as “Pinky Violence”, would absolutely dominate cinema in the early 70’s, which was largely helmed by Toei in their focused attempt to pump out many popular films to quickly and cheaply as possible to meet their quota of two new films every fortnight in order to obtain exclusivity contracts with

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Christmas Horror List Cover Photo

It’s that time of year again when it’s dark at 2 pm and colourful lights and Christmas music assault the senses. But fear not, as we have a list of films to keep you warm and cozy at home but still celebrate the holiday spirit with some spooky Christmas-themed horror movies from around the world.

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Khavn De La Cruz, or simply Khavn, is a Filipino director best known for his 2010 crime comedy film Mondomanila. His works never cease to emanate with his knack for creating gritty and unsettling features that defy the Philippine cinema landscape. However, Mondomanila overshadows his earliest attempts to dare the conventions of filmmaking. His Three

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Sailor Suit and Machine Gun 1981 Cover Photo

To say that Shinji Sômai is one of the greats of cinema is an understatement. He is quoted as describing his directing philosophy as “humanity observing humanity”, his approach was vastly different from that seen in Japan at the time. As such, his films all have an unyielding realism to their story and characters, strongly

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Re:Born (2016) Cover Photo

The evolution of action films has come a long way over the years; from cheesy one-liners and over-the-top shootouts, the genre has progressed to slick visuals and epic hand-to-hand combat. Although the old style is still prevalent with fans today, these present-day techniques are vastly superior in displayed skill from both the director and the

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Creepy Hide and Seek Review

There have been several films made about the Japanese urban legend known as Hitori Kakurenbo. There are also several ways that the title has been presented in English: hide and seek with a ghost, one man hide and seek or even hide and seek with yourself. It’s difficult to track it back to its origins,

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I distinctly remember when it was announced that Takashi Shimizu, one of the most consistent contributors to Japanese horror over the last two decades, was going to direct a film based on the infamous Aokigahara forest. It came as a surprise to those of us who were still waiting on a similar project to come

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Undertaker Film Review

While zombie flicks are a dime a dozen here in the West, the walking dead don’t really occupy the same space in Japanese horror. Not to say that there have not been phenomenal films and stand-out manga, yet, even when the titles do stand out it is often because of a very distinct, culturally different

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Death Games Cover Photo

The “Death Game” is an unofficial genre of thriller wherein a set of humans (or at least sentient beings) are pitted in a contest where the consequence of failure is the player’s last reward. The appeal isn’t hard to explain – the premise packs immediate tension as characters are faced not only with the threat

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Shaw Brothers Cover Photo

If you enjoy martial arts films, then you have probably heard of the incredible Shaw Brothers, one of Hong Kong’s biggest and most significant film production companies of all times. Having over 800 films made over nine decades and winning hundreds of awards, their name is synonymous with cinema all over the world. But, who

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