If you like low-key humour and some time-twisting fun, you should not miss Yamaguchi’s latest.
Aug 1, 2023 • Subscribe
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Insomniacs After School (2023) review [Fantasia Film Fest 2023]
Ikeda’s narrative contains all the right ingredients, but the final mixture is not able to give the narrative the emotional impact it looks for.
River (2023) [Film Review]
River; or, The Edge of Afternoon What will you wish for? The year 2023 is coming to an end soon, but I managed to find some time…
Shin Kamer Rider (2023) review [Fantasia Fest 2023]
Anno delivers an action-hero experience that is both incredibly fun and emotionally touching.
As Long As We Both Shall Live (2023) review [Fantasia Fest 2023]
An over-the-top and highly powerful romance narrative.
Fantasia Film Fest 2022: A Girl Meets a Boy and a Robot
Part of a bigger sci-fi anthology feature called TAISU, Watanabe's short brings together an international team to create a new post-apocalyptic world.
Fantasia Film Fest 2022: Girl from the Other Side: Siúil, a Rún
WIT Studio brings this intriguingly abstract world, about a man finding small joys with his ward, to life with resplendent animation.
Review: Full River Red (2023)
Full River Red 满江红 China, 2023, colour, 2.35:1, 156 mins. Director: Zhang Yimou 张艺谋. Rating: 6/10. A top cast, led by comedian Shen Teng, initially makes this costume…
River (リバー、流れないでよ, Junta Yamaguchi, 2023) [Fantasia 2023]
The staff of a hotel along with its guests find themselves trapped in an infinite two minute loop in Junta Yamaguchi’s strangely poignant farce.
16th Japanese Film Fest!
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Fantasia International Film Festival Confirms Complete 2023 Programme
In Montreal July 20 to Aug. 9.
Review: Only the River Flows (2023)
Only the River Flows 河边的错误 China, 2023, colour, 1.85:1, 101 mins. Director: Wei Shujun 魏书钧. Rating: 5/10. Darkly-shot psychodrama-cum-whodunit is a brave stab at a China Noir but…
Shin-Ultraman (2022) review [Fantasia Film Festival]
Higuchi and Anno deliver an impressive love letter to their childhood, yet their devoted love, which is sensible in every aspect of the narrative, might not be able…
Tokyo Revengers (2021) Review [Fantasia Film Festival]
“An exciting blend of satisfying violence, tensive moments, surges of pleasing lightheartedness, and touching emotional moments.”
House of Sayuri (2024) review [Fantasia Film Festival]
The thoughtful manipulation of this atmospheric field is integral to create an effective and engaging genre-blend.
The Fish Tale (2022) review [Fantasia Film Festival]
A very heart-warming and touching narrative that shows that a subject does not necessarily need to make use of the neurotic solution to inscribe himself within the societal…
Convenience Story (2022) review [Fantasia Film Festival 2022]
Miki delivers a great psychological mystery narrative, yet it might not be for everyone.
Hold Me Back (2020) review [Fantasia Film Festival]
“Ohku delivers, once again, a refreshing and highly touching romance-comedy.”
Dreams of Fire (2021) review [Fantasia Film festival]
“McKie’s film is not only the best dance-film of recent years but might very well be one of the best Japanese films to be released this year.”
Our recommendations: Fantasia 2023
Any cinephile should watch these 5 Japanese movies at the Fantasia Film Festival.
The Mole Song: Final (2021) review [Fantasia Film Festival]
Miike’s narrative delivers everything a fan of the previous narratives desires and even succeeds in inviting newcomers to delve into Reiji’s past exploits.
Love, Live, and Goldfish (2021) review [Fantasia Film Festival]
“While Makabe’s narrative does not offer anything truly new or groundbreaking, what it does brings to the table is served with excellence.”
Kizumonogatari – Koyomi Vamp – (2024) review [Fantasia Film Festival 2024]
An evocative experience that succeeds in giving the vampire and the well-explored themes a fresh coat of drama and sexiness.
Baby Assassins: Good Days (2024) review [Fantasia Film Festival]
Yugo Sakamoto successfully mixes up the formula that structured his previous two action narratives. Highly Recommended.
Georama Boy Panorama Girl (2020) review [Fantasia Film Festival]
‘Seta’s poetically composed narrative blows a fresh breeze into the ‘traditional’ Japanese romance genre.’
Jigoku-no-hanazono ~Office Royale~ (2021) review [Fantasia Film Festival]
“An absurd and crazy cocktail full of violence and funny twists and unexpected turns.”
Mad Cats (Reiki Tsuno, 2023) [Fantasia 2023]
The captive felines of Japan are mad as hell and they aren’t going to take it anymore in Reiki Tsuno’s absurd action comedy.
Mad Cats (2023) [Film Review]
Mad Cats; or, Demon Warriors This has nothing to do with me! I just got dragged into it! Welcome to another December review, in which I...
Techno Brothers (2023) [Film Review]
Techno Brothers; or, A Musical Oddity The greatest musicians of our time. Genius comparable to Bach, Mozart, Beethoven, Miles Davis and...
Perfect Days (2023) [Film Review]
Perfect Days; or, The Art of Mindfulness Next time is next time. Now is now. When I heard about a new movie project by Win Wenders cent...
Fly Me To The Saitama: From Biwa Lake with Love (2023) review [Fantasia Film Festival 2024]
A fun romp that works well as an introduction to the cultural diversity that enriches the Japanese archipelago.
My Broken Mariko (2022) [Fantasia Film Festival]
Tanada offers a compelling exploration of the emotional turmoil a female subject caused by the sudden death of someone important.
Devils (악마들, Kim Jae-hoon, 2023) [Fantasia 2023]
A detective consumed by thoughts of vengeance suddenly wakes up in the body of the serial killer he’s hunting in Kim Jae-hoon’s twisty thriller.
Fortune Favors Lady Nikuko (2021) [Fantasia Film festival]
“A great animation film that offers an emotional and moving celebration of the strength of the bond between a daughter and a mother.”
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Fantasia International Film Festival Confirms Complete 2024 Programme
In Montreal July 18 to Aug, 4.
Fantasia Film Festival: 7 Films not to miss.
This year, we, once again, explored the wide selection of films screening at the festival to select some films that we, psychocinematography, duly recommend to the audiences.
Fantasia International Film Festival Confirms Complete 2022 Programme
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Review: River of Salvation (2020)
River of Salvation 一江春水 China, 2020, colour, 1.33:1, 108 mins. Director: Gao Qisheng 高启盛. Rating: 5/10. Well-played study of a 30-something woman in workaday central China doesn’t really…
Review: River of Salvation (2020)
River of Salvation 一江春水 China, 2020, colour, 1.33:1, 108 mins. Director: Gao Qisheng 高启盛. Rating: 5/10. Well-played study of a 30-something woman in workaday central China doesn’t really…
Hawaii International Film Festival 2021’s J-Fest Film Program (May 13 -23)
Hawaii International Film Festival 2021’s J-Fest Film Program (May 13 -23)
What To Do With Dead Kaiju (2022) review [Fantasia Film Festival 2022]
“An extremely well-structured genre-blend that does not only provides the laughs and giggles with its pleasant political satire, but also allows the spectator to immerge himself into the…
The Pass: Last Days Of The Samurai (2022) review [Fantasia Film Festival]
A very engaging samurai narrative that does not only offer an intriguing glance at one of the most important crossroads of Japanese history, but also a melodramatic exploration…
The Pass: Last Days Of The Samurai (2022) review [Fantasia Film Festival]
A very engaging samurai narrative that does not only offer an intriguing glance at one of the most important crossroads of Japanese history, but also a melodramatic exploration…
Deep Sea (深海, Tian Xiaopeng, 2023) [Fantasia 2023]
A young girl finds herself in a whimsical fantasy world of colour and light in TIan Xiaopeng’s stupendous animation.
The Childe (귀공자, Park Hoon-jung, 2023) [Fantasia 2023]
A boxer finds himself in a precarious position after travelling to Korea in search of the father who abandoned him in Park Hoon-jung’s bloody thriller.
Five Films Not To Miss [Fantasia Film Festival 2022]
Let us present 5 Japanese films that should already be high on your to-watch list.
LBW Liuzhou River Style Instant Rice Noodle Cup (No River Snails) Review
This is one very interesting instant noodle cup out of China. The first thing I'll mention is that no river snails were actually harmed or ...
Killing Romance (킬링 로맨스, Lee Won-suk, 2023) [Fantasia 2023]
A once famous actress sets out to reclaim her autonomy from an abusive, controlling, billionaire husband in Lee Won-suk’s hilariously off the wall comedy.
Full River Red (满江红, Zhang Yimou, 2023)
A bumbling corporal is swept into intrigue when charged with retrieving a compromising document in Zhang Yimou’s Song Dynasty mystery.
Bagmati River バグマティ リバー Dir: Yusaku Matsumoto (2021) [Osaka Asian Film Festival 2022] vcinema review
My rewrite of my review for Bagmati River バグマティ リバー Dir: Yusaku Matsumoto (2021) [Osaka Asian Film Festival 2022]