I’m a lifelong cinephile, but I’m not ashamed to admit that I had never gotten around to watching a film by Jean-Luc Godard. The French-Swiss filmmaker, well-known as one of the pioneers of the French New Wave film movement of… Read More ›
foreign film
With GKIDS Films’s brand-new 4K UHD remaster of Makoto Shinkai’s “Your Name.,” one is quite inclined to stay a little longer.
“Ah, if only our voices speak at night Could ever reach the very edge of this world and the time … “ – Dream Lantern by RADWIMPS 2016 was a strong year for animated films. While there was Academy Award… Read More ›
Ichikawa and Wada’s dark comedy “Ten Women in Black” joins Radiance Films’s collection with a 4K HD restoration.
When it comes to cheating and cheaters, there’s often more than one side to the story. Someone wasn’t getting what they needed from one partner, so they sought it elsewhere. This, of course, doesn’t make the act of cheating correct… Read More ›
Genki Kawamura’s “Exit 8” now brings its rewarding and challenging exploration of the human psyche into your home.
Liminal spaces are making a comeback … or rather, an arrival. With the success of Kane Parsons’s high-grossing 2026 hit Backrooms and the word-of-mouth reputation of Alexander Ullom’s 2025 It Ends (a film initially released on Letterboxd Video Store then… Read More ›
Off its recent theatrical remaster re-release, Michael Arias’s 2006 animated adventure “Tekkonkinkreet” arrives at home with a first-time 4K UHD edition via GKIDS Films.
“At least believe in love, Kimura. Love is all you need.” – Suzuki in Tekkonkinkreet The bonds we make in life have a tendency to follow us everywhere. We don’t always know what they mean to us, either, until we’ve… Read More ›
“Unholy Night” embodies the highs and lows of gathering together for a holiday dinner. [Fantasia]
When a movie gives the vibes of The Evil Dead (1981) meets Anna and the Apocalypse (2017) (sans music), it sets a high bar for itself and it is a letdown if it just doesn’t reach that height. However, there… Read More ›
“The Specials” mashes up all the genres with their fancy footwork. [Fantasia]
Mixing genres is a frequent and sometimes dangerous proposition. We’re not talking about mixing romance with comedy or horror with thriller elements (though there is a science to this, as well), but films which incorporate seemingly desperate genres like yakuza… Read More ›
Art and commerce collide in Amanbek Azhymat’s chaotic crime comedy “Backstage Madness.” [Fantasia]
What is “happiness”? Is it freedom; the ability to be your own boss? Is it creativity; the ability to pursue your vision at all times? Is it divine; to either consume whatever prey you like or see your enemies crushed… Read More ›
“Tunnels: Sun in the Dark” captures the human toll on conscripted people during the Vietnam War. [Fantasia]
Trigger Warning: As a war film, there are obviously going to be presentations of conflict that involve physical violence. There is also a minor, yet significant storyline involving sexual assault that may be difficult for sensitive viewers. Under the guise… Read More ›
“Home Bodies” inspires audiences to visit the films that inspired it for a far better payoff. [Fantasia]
Having its world premiere in the Septentrion Shadows section of Fantasia International Film Festival 2026, Home Bodies, written by Adrian Murray (Retrograde) and Marcus Sullivan (Withdrawn) and directed by Casey Walker (A Little Bit Zombie), ensures audiences want to do… Read More ›
Ryuya Syzuki’s contemplative existential drama “Jinsei” arrives on home video with few supplemental materials.
How does one measure a life? Through the seasons of change? Through their age? Through their responsibility? In the scope of all things, how does one determine how well or poorly someone lived their life? You could live for a… Read More ›
Kentaro Hagiwara’s manga adaptation “Wind Breaker” transforms shōnen entertainment into a theatrical Blue Sky experience. [Fantasia]
What does it mean to be strong? What does it mean to hold power? Is it the means to defeat a thousand foes and to draw fear from opposition *or* is it to be able to protect all who matter… Read More ›
Chinese legend is adapted into a modern bombastic action adventure with heart in Mu Zhengyang’s directorial debut “All Wishes Come True!”
Over the last seven years, Chinese studios have tapped the 16th century Chinese novel Fengshen Yanyi (Investiture of the Gods) to craft stories in live-action (Creation of the Gods trilogy) and animated (Legend of the White Snake; New Gods: Yang Jian; Ne Zha)…. Read More ›
Filmmaker Bertrand Tavernier’s darkly comic crime drama “Coup de torchon” joins The Criterion Collection with a brand-new 4K HD restoration.
“All Crimes Are Collective.” – Title of the included essay by Professor Lynn A. Higgins. A society is nothing more than a collection of individuals who agree on rules. This is obvious, of course, and, quite frequently, presumed, which is… Read More ›
Lionsgate Limited offers a first-time 4K UHD edition that celebrates the happy-sad musical, coming-of-age tale “Sing Street.”
“For our art, Cosmo. You can never do anything by half.” — Raphina to Conor in Sing Street There are films that, once seen, never leave you. It could be because of the shared experience of seeing something that feels… Read More ›
Techno-action thriller “God Skin” examines the choiceless choices people face. [Fantasia]
No matter how well off we think we are, each of us are one bad day away from mountains of debt. This is especially true in areas where medical bills can mount, forcing people to make choiceless choices regarding what… Read More ›
The “Crime City” series shifts to Japan with head-bashing action thriller “TOKYO BURST.” [Fantasia]
In 2017, director Kang Yun-sung’s based-on-a-true-story The Outlaws introduced audiences to Detective Ma (Don Lee), colloquially known as “Beast Cop” for the way he resolves conflicts within his district with his power-packed fists. Watching Ma tackle Chinese gangsters trying to… Read More ›
“The Samurai and the Prisoner” traps itself.
Things are not going great — globally and locally. Upheaval is in the air, and we’re all waiting to see when it will come down. In 1578, the same could be said for the feuding Samurai lords of Japan, and… Read More ›
Bergholm and Rautsi’s “Nightborn” falls short in delivering something darker to sink your teeth into. [Fantasia]
I first got to discover director Hanna Bergholm with her debut film, Hatching, in 2022 as part of virtual Sundance, and instantly fell in love with her direction, writing, and prowess. So, when it was announced that Hanna and her… Read More ›
Filmmaker Kenichi Kutsuna’s animated video game adaptation “Sekiro: No Defeat” beautifully captures its jidaigeki roots through classic animation and action. [Fantasia]
What does it mean to live an honorable life? Is it honoring yourself? Honoring your community? Existing by a code? These may sound like old-fashioned queries, the sort of things that warriors or soldiers asked themselves when written by poets,… Read More ›