A lot of things can get in the way of finding time to review films including work, family and THE ATTACK OF THE FLYING MONKEYS, but some movies still deserve a mention, so that’s where my Mini Movie Reviews come in. Each is less than 100 words long or your money back. That’s a promise people! Today it’s My Neighbors The Yamadas.
A lot of things can get in
the way of finding time to review films, including work, family and even sunshine, but some movies still deserve a mention, so that’s where my Mini
Movie Reviews come in. Each is less than 100 words long or your money back.
That’s a promise people! Today it’s Eyes Wide Open.
Over at www.myfilmviews.com, a new event has begun, titled the 5 Obstructions Blogathon. Each month a challenge is set which is designed to test writers in ways they may not have encountered before. In June, I completed obstruction 1 by writing a negative review for a film I love; Avengers Assemble. Unfortunately, I didn't manage to complete Obstruction 2 but I did successfully write Obstruction 3, a jigsaw review for The Conjuring which you can read here. Next up, Obstruction 4.
At first, I figured that this challenge would be pretty easy to complete but the trick here is to keep the review interesting throughout the entire 1250 word length. Today I'm going to review North Sea Texas, a Flemish coming of age drama which is close to my heart. Click below to read my views on the film and to read more about the blogathon, click here.
With all the excitement that surrounded the Oscars this February, it was easy to forget that something very special was about to occur in the realm of world cinema. Yes, that's right. The acclaimed director of 'Oldboy' and 'Thirst' is back with a new psychological thriller starring Nicole Kidman and Matthew Goode in his first English language film. The majority of Asian directors who have made the move to Hollywood have had little success so far, aside from Ang Lee of course, but the reviews for Park Chan-Wook's latest are in and 'Stoker' is as disturbing and beautifully shot as any of his South Korean offerings. If you're interested in the effects of violence and revenge on the human psyche then you're in the right place, as this list of Chan-Wook's five best scenes should provide some insight into the auteurs fascination with the limits of morality in contemporary society. Deep stuff. Let's get started with what is arguably Chan-Wook's signature film, Oldboy.
Makato Shinkai. You might not have heard of this anime filmmaker yet but you should have. The triple threat talent produces, writes and directs beautiful movies which have encouraged comparisons between him and the king of anime himself, Hayao Miyazaki. Films such as 'Voice Of A Distant Star' and 'The Place Promised In Our Early Days' have won Shinkai many honours in his native Japan but I first noticed him for his acclaimed work on '5 Centimeters Per Second', which explores the relationships that a boy named Takaki Tono develops from his youth up to the present day. The film consists of three segments which each focus on a different time in Takaki's life, titled Cherry Blossom, Cosmonaut and 5 Centimeters Per Second.
Like many countries across the world, Australia has seen a resurgence of horror films in the past decade, with a range of titles now reaching us from down under. As with any country, these vary in quality somewhat but there are some gems to be found if you're a dedicated horror fan. I've chosen three of my favourite Australian horror films to determine whether the country that also gave us Kylie and Neighbours could really be the best at horror worldwide. My first choice is...
Japan has a long history of disturbing and influential horror films, ever since the release of silent film 'A Page of Madness' back in 1926. I was lucky enough to see this innovative film at university but for the majority of film fans, it is the more recent horrors that have catapulted Japan to the forefront of terrifying world cinema. The past decade has seen the most popular of these films copied and parodied to a ridiculous extent so I think it is worth taking a look back at the originals, to see what makes them classics of the genre. In this post, I have chosen my three favourite Japanese horror films to try and determine whether Japanese horror really is the best. Obviously, not every fan favourite could make it onto such a short list so some popular releases like 'The Grudge' and 'Pulse' might be notably absent to some. My apologies. But let's see if you agree with my three choices...
From mathematical chillers like 'Fermat's Room' and the sci-fi terror of 'Timecrimes', to even the fantastical world of 'Pan's Labyrinth', Spain has produced some of the most exciting and unusual horror films of the past decade. These films take ideas from a range of other genres, all in an attempt to scare the hell out of us and boy do they succeed! In this post, I have chosen my three favourite Spanish horror films to try and determine whether Spanish horror really is the best. Let's see if you agree...
Asian horror gained a huge following after the success of 'Ringu' back in the early 2000s, but in more recent years, Korea has overtaken Japan in the horror stakes, with a number of darkly innovative films making their mark on world cinema. Korean cinema is no longer the 'poor relation' of Japanese film and has become hugely successful in its own right, with a distinctive national identity all of its own. But is Korean horror the best worldwide? Here are three films that I've handpicked to prove that Korean horror is where it's at!
Spirited Away. Howl's Moving Castle. Arrietty. My Neighbour Totoro. Anyone who has watched a Studio Ghibli film knows just how incredible they are. Full of depth with stunning animation, most of these films are not just for kids but are really adult animations that children can also enjoy, so if you're one of those people who say they don't like 'cartoons', you obviously haven't watched a Ghibli film before. Watch this clip below, which is like a trailer for almost every Ghibli film that has been released so far, up to Howl's Moving Castle.
Many of my favourite Studio Ghibli films were created by Hayao Miyazaki, who co-founded the studio in Japan with Isao Takahata almost 30 years ago. Here is Miyazaki.
Ok, first off, Eden of the East is an awesome anime series that I've just discovered and wanted to share with you guys. However, I must prepare you straight off; very little of it makes actual sense. Watch the opening credits to see if you can understand what the hell is going on, because I sure don't still and that's after I've watched all 11 episodes!
