Horror is typically regarded as the least feminist genre of film; a genre that routinely objectifies, sexualizes, tortures, rapes and murders women and girls. However, if viewed from a different angle, horror films often feature story lines that grant wronged women the power and agency (in death) to respond to the injustices done to them [...]
Archive for the ‘Film Reviews’ Category
Feminism in Horror Film: Dead Wet Girls and Onryō
Posted in Film Reviews, Japan, Japanese Film Reviews, tagged constantine in tokyo, constantineintokyo, critical essay, film, film review, Film Reviews, ghosts, horror, J-horror, Japan, japanese film, JU-ON, Kwaidan, Nakata Heideo, Oiwa, Okiku, onryo, Shimizu Takashi, The Grudge, The Ring, yokai, yotsuya kaidan, yurei on January 23, 2012 | 5 Comments »
Japanese Film Review: Takahashi Gen’s GOTH (2008)
Posted in Film Reviews, Japan, Japanese Film Reviews on January 19, 2012 | 5 Comments »
Based upon the novel by Otsuichi, GOTH is about two morbid high school students who share a fascination with murder. Kamiyama (Hongo Kanata) is an outwardly friendly and popular boy who hides his potentially sociopathic nature with a carefree, happy attitude. Loner Morino (Takanashi Rin), on the other hand, does little to hide her strange [...]
Japanese Film Review: Yamada Yoji’s KABEI: OUR MOTHER (2008)
Posted in Film Reviews, Japan, Japanese Film Reviews, Japanese History on December 14, 2011 | Leave a Comment »
Yamada Yoji does not make action-packed Hollywood blockbusters. Stemming from the branch of Japanese filmmakers taught by Ozu and Mizoguchi, Yamada’s films usually take a more introspective, down-to-earth direction. While Kabei: Our Mother marks his 80th film, it was only in the early 2000s that Yamada gained the recognition of Western audiences. The films of his samurai trilogy (The Twilight [...]
Film Review: Eli Craig’s TUCKER & DALE VS. EVIL (2010)
Posted in Film Reviews, tagged alan tudyk, constantine in tokyo, constantineintokyo, eli craig, film, film review, Film Reviews, horror, tucker and dale vs. evil on December 2, 2011 | 4 Comments »
This is one of the best movies you will see all year and everyone should watch it. Tucker & Dale Vs. Evil is the funniest, smartest, and most lighthearted satire of horror movie tropes to be released since Shaun of the Dead. Playing with some of the most tiresome and common clichés of slasher movies, this [...]
Japanese Film Review: Kaji Kengo’s SAMURAI PRINCESS (2009)
Posted in Film Reviews, Japanese Film Reviews, tagged constantine in tokyo, constantineintokyo, film review, Film Reviews, horror, J-horror, japanese film, kaji kengo, nishimura yoshihiro, samurai princess on November 30, 2011 | 5 Comments »
I’m a big fan of Asian Extreme cinema (Patrick Galloway’s Asia Shock is a great introduction). Like most nerds, I’ll watch all movies that fall into this category…even if I only end up liking 50% of them. Unfortunately this was the case with Kaji Kengo’s Samurai Princess (2009). Sporting the talents of Nishimura Yoshihiro (the [...]
Film Review: Kevin Smith’s RED STATE (2011)
Posted in Film Reviews, tagged constantine in tokyo, constantineintokyo, film review, Film Reviews, horror, kevin smith, red state on November 28, 2011 | 8 Comments »
I like Kevin Smith as a filmmaker. Though I had my reservations about him making a horror film (seriously, why? Why make a horror film?), I really wanted to like Red State. Overall the movie isn’t really bad per se; it is bizarre, fairly thought-provoking, and decently entertaining. While there are several moments in the [...]
Japanese Film Review: Kon Satoshi’s PERFECT BLUE (1998)
Posted in Film Reviews, Japan, Japanese Film Reviews, tagged anime, CHAM, constantine in tokyo, constantineintokyo, critical essay, film review, Japan, Japanese culture, japanese film, Japanese film review, Kon Satoshi, Perfect Blue on November 26, 2011 | 7 Comments »
Already before Perfect Blue I wrote a script for another director [Katsuhiro Otomo], an episode of the omnibus film Memories called Magnetic Rose. It was also a story of confusion between memory and the real world. Because I didn’t direct it myself I was a bit concerned about how it was turning out. On many occasions I [...]
10 Best Horror Movies to Watch on Thanksgiving
Posted in Film Reviews, tagged blood feast, blood feast 2, cannibal holocaust, constantine in tokyo, constantineintokyo, feed, film review, Film Reviews, horror, lucky mckee, motel hell, poultrygeist, ravenous, thanksgiving, thankskilling, the woman, troma on November 23, 2011 | 1 Comment »
Because extreme over-eating and mandatory quality time with in-laws isn’t gruesome enough already, here are the 10 Best Horror Movies for Thanksgiving. Remember, it’s hard to run away from monsters and cannibals with a stomach full of turkey, so plan the most efficient exit strategy out of your house before binge-eating yams and pumpkin pie. [...]
Film Review: Jason Eisener’s HOBO WITH A SHOTGUN (2011)
Posted in Film Reviews on November 21, 2011 | 2 Comments »
Remember seeing the awesome ‘fake’ trailer for Machete when you watched Grindhouse? Remember how they made Machete into a full-length feature film? Do you also remember how much it sucked? I do. If you want to see exploitation cinema done right, then go watch Hobo With A Shotgun. Trust me, you won’t be disappointed. It’s [...]
Japanese Film Review: Shimizu Takashi’s SHOCK LABYRINTH 3D (2009)
Posted in Film Reviews, Japanese Film Reviews on November 20, 2011 | Leave a Comment »
I think one thing that nearly every Japanese film buff can agree on is that commercialization is never a good thing in the modern Japanese film industry (I am purposely overlooking the golden age of Japanese cinema here, it’s a different animal entirely). Particularly for Japan’s horror industry, which became explosively popular internationally off the [...]
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