Blog Archives

Yatterman (2009)

(from , dir: )
Posted on February 23, 2011 by Alan

Years ago, I saw Takashi Miike’s Gozu. When the film finished a certain reviewer behind me laughed for about a minute, then drew breath and exclaimed “What the f*ck was that all about?”

That’s Miike for you. And so welcome to Yatterman, a film that’s kind of like inserting that weird popping candy into your eyeballs. But not, as it happens, a WTF flick for the right reasons.

Yatterman was originally a ’70s anime on the telly that … (read more)

Comments Off on Yatterman (2009)

The Slayers Evolution-R (2009)

(from , dir: )
Posted on February 11, 2011 by Tom

Welcome back to a two-part review. What’s that, you missed the first part? Well that won’t do. You should probably check out the review for The Slayers Revolution before reading the review for the sequel series The Slayers Evolution-R (you see what the creators did with the title there. Those kooky animators, what will they think of next). So I’ll just sit here for a moment while you read the first review. All caught up? Good, we can now begin.… (read more)

Comments Off on The Slayers Evolution-R (2009)

The Slayers Revolution (2008)

(from , dir: )
Posted on February 11, 2011 by Tom
There are some fantasy and science fiction realms that fans would just love to jump into. Middle Earth, Sunnydale, Endor and New York are fictional places that fans just want to be real. I’m really glad however that lands featured in Slayers isn’t real. Sure they look real peaceful and nice place to vacation. I just really would hate to be in country when Lina Inverse and friends roll into town. Chances are that in an attempt to save the town they’d blow it up trying.
Comments Off on The Slayers Revolution (2008)

Ong Bak 3 (2010)

(from , dir: /)
Posted on February 3, 2011 by Justin

Tony Jaa returns to our screens in another Ong Bak film, released here in Australia on DVD by Eastern Eye. And unlike Ong Bak 2, which shared nothing with its predecessor but the name and the lead actor, volume 3 picks up directly where the last one left off (so the rest of this review contains spoilers for that one — you can’t say I didn’t warn you!)

We begin the film with our hero Tien (Jaa) in chains, … (read more)

Comments Off on Ong Bak 3 (2010)

Sengoku Basara: Samurai Kings (2009)

(from , dir: )
Posted on January 23, 2011 by Deni

For anyone who’s played even five minutes of the long-running Koei title Dynasty Warriors, the concepts driving the Capcom franchise Sengoku Basara won’t be all that alien. Basically, they’re what’s quaintly titled a ‘crowd fighting game’. If body count stats are your thing, if you like watching that ticker go up too fast to count, it’s the game for you. Games of this kind I’ve found involve a lot of dramatic posturing, a lot of powering up, and more … (read more)

Comments Off on Sengoku Basara: Samurai Kings (2009)

Shaolin (2011)

(from /, dir: )
Posted on January 23, 2011 by Justin

Our first Chinese film release in Australian cinemas this year is Benny Chan’s Shaolin, a big-budget action film packed full of stars and showcasing Shaolin kungfu and philosophy with an official seal of approval from the Shaolin Temple itself.

Straight off the back of his starring role in Detective Dee, Andy Lau stars as warlord Hao Jie, a calculating general who delights in ravaging across the countryside, capturing cities and amassing a serious retirement nest-egg. His most recent … (read more)

Comments Off on Shaolin (2011)

Raging Phoenix (2009)

(from , dir: )
Posted on January 17, 2011 by Justin

I spun up the disc for Raging Phoenix with some reservations. I’d seen the trailer and formed a number of assumptions: martial arts film, female lead, some sort of custom mixture of Muay Thai and hip-hop dancing. The latter sounds like something thrown into the mix by a marketing executive early in production: we’ve got to appeal to a younger crowd, people, so you’re gonna add some b-boy stylings and perhaps chuck a music video or two in there … (read more)

Comments Off on Raging Phoenix (2009)

Eden of the East (2009)

(from , dir: )
Posted on January 15, 2011 by Samson

If you ask me what my absolute favourite anime series from the last decade was, I will answer with a high level of certainty: ‘Ghost in the Shell: Stand Alone Complex‘. The handsomely drawn, brilliantly scripted and amazingly entertaining series is quite simply a modern anime masterpiece. The genius behind Ghost in the Shell: Stand Alone Complex was director Kenji Kamiyama, and from this man now comes a new anime series, Eden of the East, which I … (read more)

Comments Off on Eden of the East (2009)