Tag: Japanese Cinema
It is hard to know where to begin when discussing the epic that is Labyrinth of Cinema, the final directorial feature of Nobuhiko Obayashi. Perhaps it is best to start with the director himself. With a career spanning sixty years, Obayashi has garnered critical acclaim and an incredible cult following. From his first feature House
When considering currently acclaimed Japanese filmmakers there are several names that can readily spring to mind. From the exhaustively prolific creations of Takashi Miike to the bombastic and arresting works of Sion Sono or even the award-winning output of Hirokazu Kore-eda. By every right, Toshiaki Toyoda is a name that should be just as well
Being a subjective genre, horror, much like its fans, is incredibly varied compared to other genres in film. From solid scares, slow-burning tension or just a general spooky atmosphere, there are a lot of things that can be grouped together under the horror umbrella. But, for those that require something a little more unyielding in
The strength of the Japanese independent cinema has often rested on its ability to embrace absurdity and bring it together in a distinct yet cohesive manner. Consequently, the intuitive approach to micro-budgeted madness has launched such titles as Ryuhei Kitamura’s Versus into international acclaim. Comparative to the breakout action flick, director Yugo Sakamoto embraces the
I didn’t really have a whole lot going during my high school years. I went to class and did stupid hijinks with my friends, but I mostly just watched movies and played video games. I guess when I write it out… that’s pretty much exactly what I do now, almost fifteen years later. Who says
Over the years of watching cinema, we have all experienced something so shocking, so horrifying that it has stuck with us long after the fact, permanently burnt into our memories. Whether it was a scary movie seen at far too young of an age or something so visually intense that was mentally overwhelming, we have
Prisoners of the Ghostland wastes no time engaging viewers with its opening scene depicting the curious contrast of the stark white interior of a bank with its many patrons donned in bright vibrant solid colors. Seconds later, Nicolas Cage, as our lead simply dubbed Hero, bursts through the front door clad in black and wielding
Jigoku narrates the tragedy of unatoned wickedness with poetic piquancy, proving that Japan and horror are efficacious accessories that constantly innovate cinema. As expected from the monumental master of Japanese horror, Nobuo Nakagawa‘s seamless combination of surreal imagery and horror: a feat that breathes frenzy and immortality to a classic and timeless arthouse horror. The story
One of the biggest highlights of the Japan Film Fest Hamburg rests within the diverse selection of short films. For the audience, this means getting the chance to see original shorts seldom screened outside of Japan and unlikely to ever release in the West. The fest embracing multiple genres, too, ensures a varied experience. This
A film about the intersection of sexuality with food might initially feel like a pretty out-there pitch. However, anyone casually considering the topic will find that the concepts of hunger and desire are far more intertwined than we may readily want to admit. In Sexual Drive, writer/director Kota Yoshida explores this theme across three different