Blog Archives

Sakuran (2007)

(from , dir: )
Posted on March 23, 2008 by Deni

If Sakuran was a person, it would be the kind of person other people write songs about; quirky and vital and brave, marching to the beat of a drum no one else hears; charming and impossible to dislike, drawing everyone in like moths to a flame which is in the end gone far too soon.

Which sounds like a cliché (or a 70’s rock star) and in fact is. At first, Sakuran seems to be all about style and nothing … (read more)

Comments Off on Sakuran (2007)

Tomie (1999)

(from , dir: )
Posted on April 29, 2007 by Alison

Thought Japanese schoolgirls were cute? Think again. This one leaves a trail of corpses in her wake, although strictly speaking, it’s not her fault: boys get so enamoured of her that they fight over her. And die, of course. Thinning the competition, that’s the ticket.

This was a surprisingly enjoyable flick, given that it was made on a fairly low budget with bugger-all special effects. This is mainly due to the actress playing Tomie: the talented Miho Kanno, star of … (read more)

Comments Off on Tomie (1999)

Eko Eko Azarak (1995)

(from , dir: )
Posted on May 1, 2006 by Alison

If this film was an ad in the personals, it would read something like this:

LESBIAN SCHOOLGIRLS SEEKING SATAN needs recruits: intending applicants must bring their own sharp implements.

Of course, the whole film’s not like that. Not quite. For starters, there’s only one lesbian schoolgirl. But someone is seeking Satan, and there are plenty of sharp implements used to great effect on the students. In fact, the whole thing feels comfortingly like one of those 90s films of the … (read more)

Comments Off on Eko Eko Azarak (1995)

Lady Joker (2004)

(from , dir: )
Posted on October 29, 2005 by Alison

I’m sorry to have to say that this film was one of the two major disappointments of this year’s MIFF (the other being the execrable Pink Ribbon, possibly the only film in existence to make Japanese soft-core porn completely boring). While promising such excitement, the film devolved into a messy combination of docu-drama and mystery thriller, and failed to live up to any of its promises.

Part of the blame must be laid at the feet of the script-writers. … (read more)

Comments Off on Lady Joker (2004)