Tag: Japanese Cinema
The strength of the Japanese independent cinema has often rested on its ability to embrace absurdity and bring it together in a distinct yet cohesive manner. Consequently, the intuitive approach to micro-budgeted madness has launched such titles as Ryuhei Kitamura’s Versus into international acclaim. Comparative to the breakout action flick, director Yugo Sakamoto embraces the
I didn’t really have a whole lot going during my high school years. I went to class and did stupid hijinks with my friends, but I mostly just watched movies and played video games. I guess when I write it out… that’s pretty much exactly what I do now, almost fifteen years later. Who says
Over the years of watching cinema, we have all experienced something so shocking, so horrifying that it has stuck with us long after the fact, permanently burnt into our memories. Whether it was a scary movie seen at far too young of an age or something so visually intense that was mentally overwhelming, we have
Prisoners of the Ghostland wastes no time engaging viewers with its opening scene depicting the curious contrast of the stark white interior of a bank with its many patrons donned in bright vibrant solid colors. Seconds later, Nicolas Cage, as our lead simply dubbed Hero, bursts through the front door clad in black and wielding
Jigoku narrates the tragedy of unatoned wickedness with poetic piquancy, proving that Japan and horror are efficacious accessories that constantly innovate cinema. As expected from the monumental master of Japanese horror, Nobuo Nakagawa‘s seamless combination of surreal imagery and horror: a feat that breathes frenzy and immortality to a classic and timeless arthouse horror. The story
One of the biggest highlights of the Japan Film Fest Hamburg rests within the diverse selection of short films. For the audience, this means getting the chance to see original shorts seldom screened outside of Japan and unlikely to ever release in the West. The fest embracing multiple genres, too, ensures a varied experience. This
A film about the intersection of sexuality with food might initially feel like a pretty out-there pitch. However, anyone casually considering the topic will find that the concepts of hunger and desire are far more intertwined than we may readily want to admit. In Sexual Drive, writer/director Kota Yoshida explores this theme across three different
One of the more unique entries in this years Japan Film Fest Hamburg (JFFH), A Beast in Love (2020) is the latest film from the mind of Koji Shiraishi. Prolific in horror, having explored a multitude of sub-genres throughout the years, Koji Shiraishi is most known for his entries into ‘mocumentary horrors’ such as Noroi
One of the more curious selections to be found on the lineup for the 2021 Japan-Filmfest Hamburg (JFFH). Crowded in among the various alluring arthouse features and more straightforward bombastic exploitation flicks, you’ve got director Shingo Kanemoto’s raunchy little black comedy that is sure to leave viewers amused or storming off in disgust in equal
Featured in JFFH (Japanese Film Fest Hamburg), One Cut in the Life is a poignant drama written, produced, and directed by Shintaro Hachi- a relatively unknown, up-and-coming filmmaker. He stated, “I would like to show my own determination regarding violent events of all sizes that I encounter in my daily life, and with the goal