It seems fair to say that we’ve all experienced a sense of loss in some form or another since March 2020. It may be literal in the form of a loved one passing or as an extended estrangement due to… Read More ›
Japan
Let the gales of song guide you to director Mamoru Hosoda’s “BELLE,” coming to home video from Shout! Factory and GKids Films.
One can never really predict what we’ll discover with art — what emotions, what memories, what reactions will be triggered through an artist’s work. When I first learned of writer/director Mamoru Hosoda’s BELLE, I presumed, like most, that it would… Read More ›
Animated comedy “Pompo: The Cinéphile” is powered by the magic of celluloid and freshly made popcorn.
If there’s one thing that all cinephiles share, it’s that excited feeling when the house lights turn down low, the screen lights up, and the possibilities are endless for the adventure to come. It doesn’t really matter if you’re in… Read More ›
Shout! Factory and Eleven Arts present a limited-edition steelbook of Satoshi Kon’s “Millennium Actress.”
Generally speaking, each of director Satoshi Kon’s films are beloved by critical and general audiences. Each one is revered for its ability to entertain whether evoking thrills, drama, or laughter; each one considered for more mature audiences, despite being constructed… Read More ›
Even newbies will get into dark fantasy manga adaptation “Jujutsu Kaisen 0.”
Started by creator Gege Akutami in March 2018, Weekly Shōnen Jump series Jujutsu Kaisen is a supernatural horror/comedy action series involving sorcerers who protect the world’s population by destroying or controlling curses (primarily sentient monster-like creatures) that come to being… Read More ›
Documentary “Crows are White” is a surprising exploration of the intersection of faith and truth. [SXSW Film Festival]
On Mt. Hiei in Japan lives a secretive sect of Buddhists who push their bodies to their limits in order to achieve enlightenment. Seeking guidance, documentarian Ashen Nadeem travels to the monastery in hopes of chatting with Kamahori, a monk… Read More ›
A Conversation with “Beyond the Infinite Two Minutes” director Junta Yamaguchi.
EoM contributor Thomas Manning recently spoke with filmmaker Junta Yamaguchi, the director, cinematographer, and editor of Beyond the Infinite Two Minutes. In this conversation, they discuss the complicated long takes in the film, the imaginative screenplay from Makoto Ueda, the… Read More ›
Arrow Video restores Yasuzô Masumura’s anti-war film “赤い天使 (Red Angel)” into a nice updated package for the world to enjoy.
With its opening shots of war-torn landscapes, skulls absent flesh and sinew, and other indicators of lifelessness, Yasuzô Masumura’s 赤い天使 (Red Angel) is quickly determined to be anti-war, the bleakness on display never softening from the beginning to the ending…. Read More ›
Writer/director Mamoru Hosoda’s “BELLE” brings together the heart and imagination, creating a transcendent cinematic experience.
In a career spanning over 20 years, writer/director Mamoru Hosoda has cultivated a filmography of works which communicate to the general masses (Digimon: The Movie (2000)) and to a specific niche audience (Summer Wars (2009); Mirai (2018)). Full disclosure: Mirai… Read More ›
Snag yourself a ticket to ride on the “Mugen Train” as it heads to home video via Funimation.
In 2020, the first feature-length film from the manga-adapted anime Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba, Mugen Train, released in Japanese theaters and absolutely dominated to the point where it was the highest-grossing film of the year. After some time, Mugen… Read More ›
Arrow Video offers a duel restoration of director Shinji Sômai’s 1981 cult hit “Sailor Suit & Machine Gun.”
Sailor Suit and Machine Gun is a film built on dichotomy. The lead character, Izumi (Hiroko Yakushimaru), is a high school teen, suggesting innocence or, at the least, a touch of naiveté. She’s not old enough to have been touched… Read More ›
GKIDS’s complete series Blu-ray release for “Neon Genesis Evangelion” is a strong way to kickstart a new fandom obsession.
Somehow, in one way or another, stories transcend times and locations, growing to become global phenomena. We’ve seen it with the characters of DC Comics and Marvel Comics, the Transformers series (based on the run of Hasbro toys), and, of… Read More ›
Large in scope but small in focus, “My Hero Academia: World Heroes’ Mission” is everything and nothing like you’d expect from the long-running series.
Just after season five of popular anime My Hero Academia ends its run in the U.S. and before the sadness of no new episodes can set in, fans of Class 1-A may rejoice in a new adventure featuring their favorite… Read More ›
Writer/director’s Kaneto Shindo’s “Onibaba” joins the Criterion Collection in two different editions.
There are many proverbs or common phrases that have worked their way into the moral fabric of society. “It’s better to be safe than sorry.” “Don’t judge a book by its cover.” “Treat others the way you’d like to be… Read More ›
“Baby Assassins” is a bubbly action crime comedy that’s not afraid to kick a lot of ass. [Fantastic Fest]
If you’ve ever sat absorbing something for the first time — a song, a book, a play, a movie — and thought to yourself, “I can’t wait to revisit this,” then you’ll have some sense of what will await you… Read More ›
Arrow Video releases a fourth Yasuzô Masumura remaster, 1969’s “Blind Beast.”
As with previously reviewed films Giants and Toys (1958) and Irezumi (1966), Arrow Video is restoring and offering up to audiences outside of Japan another Yasuzô Masumura film: Blind Beast. Arrow Video provides an opportunity to expand what viewers may… Read More ›
In the style of teen classics like “The Breakfast Club” and “Dead Poets Society,” Daigo Matsui’s “Remain in Twilight” appeals to our restless youthful spirits with wit and sincerity. [Fantasia International Film Festival]
It’s not every day we get the chance to chat with a loved one who has passed on. Skeptics would say that we never get that opportunity. If you’ve lost someone important to you, you’ve probably at least imagined having… Read More ›
“The 12 Day Tale of the Monster that Died in 8 (8日で死んだ怪獣の12日の物語)” is a carefully produced, lovingly crafted COVID-related tale. [Fantasia International Film Festival]
I don’t mess with COVID-related content. I’ve lived it for the past 18 months and, when I watch a movie, I absolutely do not want to be reminded of it in any way. Locked Down? I refuse to watch it…. Read More ›
Beautiful, strange, and bonkers, welcome to “Wonderful Paradise (脳天パラダイス).” [Fantasia International Film Festival]
Japan is gonna Japan whether or not you want Japan to Japan, and when it Japans, it Japans hard. That in and of itself could be the singular tagline for Masashi Yamamoto’s Wonderful Paradise (脳天パラダイス), celebrating its North American premiere… Read More ›
You’ll want to travel “Beyond the Infinite Two Minutes” more than once. [Fantasia International Film Festival]
Every now and then this gig, writing about movies, is an absolute godsend. It’s not that you get to travel the world from the safety of your couch, learning histories, seeing unimagined sights, but that there’s incredible opportunity to be… Read More ›