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Make The Devil Laugh (2021) review [Skip City International D-Festival 2021] (27:00)
An amazing socially-engaged piece of cinema that beautifully sketches out how problematic the enjoyment of the societal Other can be.
Spring 2021 First Impressions – Let’s Make a Mug Too
Streaming: Crunchyroll Episodes: 12 (15 minutes apiece) Source: Tajimi City Promotional Manga Story Summary: After her father’s company goes bankrupt, Himeno moves in with her grandmother and…
Make a Girl Anime Film Review
Make a Girl is, simply put, a film with some interesting ideas but poor execution.
Review: THE HORIZON will make you suffer
Before The Boxer, JH drew the short but powerful survival parable The Horizon. What does it mean to live when the whole world is against you?
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Goto-san (2021) review [OAFF 2021]
“Gokan expertly reveals the position of the freeter as an attempt to escape the capitalistic machinery but also as a position that most easily falls prey to the…
Review: Shallow (2021)
Shallow 出拳吧妈妈 China, 2021, colour, 2.35:1, 95 mins. Director: Tang Xiaobai 唐晓白. Rating: 6/10. Despite a few shortcomings in the script, under-rated Mainland actress Tan Zhuo throws herself…
February 2021 Review
Ah, February is here and thus another traditional post to be done-a review focused on character relationships and/or romance. Hard to believe I have done reviews of this…
Review: Secret (2021)
Secret 秘不可言 China, 2021, colour, 2.35:1, 90 mins. Director: Cao Yong 曹涌 [Cao Yong 曹勇]. Rating: 5/10. Intriguing, well-mounted psychodrama-cum-mystery starts well but becomes scarcely credible later on.…
March 2021 Review
You know, I have never been too keen on superheroes. Not much a comics guy, nothing against them, but just never struck my interest. Hell out of the…
Frantic (2021) review
“Fuji delivers his best movie yet and, quite possibly, the cult-film of the year.”
Blue (2021) review
“A very emotional journey about the difficulties of dealing with loss and lack.”
Review: Synesthete (2021)
Synesthete 越界 China, 2021, colour, 2.35:1, 80 mins. Director: Liang Honghua 梁鸿华. Rating: 3/10. An interesting idea never comes to fruition in this messy, low-budget ghost movie with…
Review: Yanagawa (2021)
Yanagawa 漫长的告白 China, 2021, colour, 1.85:1, 112 mins. Director: Zhang Lv 张律. Rating: 3/10. More accessible than most of Zhang Lv’s features, this indie confection is still a…
Character (2021) review
It might not be a film that challenges or subverts the tropes and dynamic of the mystery and thriller genre, but it sure does deliver a satisfying and…
Underdog (2021) review
“Take’s film powerfully shows that the heroism of the art of boxing lies in the very subjective meaning that power the jabs, the hooks, and the uppercuts.”
2021 in Review
The world continues to go to hell in a handbasket. The pandemic continues to rage. The world supply chain is borked. Inflation is rampant. W...
Rain Boy, Yawara!, Bakumatsu no Spasibo, Super Cub, Horimiya
Homunculus (2021) review
“A worthy attempt to offer something fresh to the horror-table, but Shimizu struggles to blend the many pleasing parts into a whole that truly engages and pleases the…
When Will Ayumu Make His Move Review — C-
Two kids have obvious crushes on each other but are too chickenshit to say it. I have certainly never been in this situation before. *thinks of middle school…
Pokemon Horizons Episode 27 Review – Let’s Make Curry!
Step 5 of making curry is Moe Moe Kyun!
The Clothes Make the Waifu – Tsugumomo Spoiler Review
So, I think Tsukumogami are a sort of interesting subject. Surprising probably no one, in addition to anime itself I kind of have an interest in the culture…
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Sweet Bitter Candy (2021) review [OAFF 2021]
“An amazing exploration of the clash between a sweet youthful romantic desire and the bitter urge of a wounded subject to defend his subjective wounds.”
'You Have to Make What You Want to Make'
Unearthing an archival interview with Faith and John Hubley.
Review: Water Boys (2021)
Water Boys 五个扑水的少年 China, 2021, colour, 2.35:1, 110 mins. Director: Song Haolin 宋灏霖. Rating: 7/10. Very free re-make of the 2001 Japanese hit comedy about a male synchro…
Review: Chinese Doctors (2021)
Chinese Doctors 中国医生 China, 2021, colour, 2.35:1, 127 mins. Director: Liu Weiqiang 刘伟强 [Andrew Lau]. Rating: 6/10. Wuhan-set Covid drama has a propulsive, convincing first half but slacker,…
Review: Embrace Again (2021)
Embrace Again 穿过寒冬拥抱你 China, 2021, colour, 2.35:1, 123 mins. Director: Xue Xiaolu 薛晓路. Rating: 5/10. “Inspirational” light drama, about volunteers in Wuhan during the Covid lockdown, is rescued…
Review: Ultimate Code (2021)
Ultimate Code 终极代码 China, 2021, colour, 2.35:1, 89 mins. Chief director: Wu Zhiting 吴治廷. Director: Li Ke 李柯. Associate directors: Zhang Lizhi 张立志, Xiong Chunsheng 熊春生 [Xiong Jie…
Year in review 2021
As I sit at my desk typing up this long overdue post, I’m reflecting on all that has changed over these last 6 months. Normally this post would…
Review: Lie Detector (2021)
Lie Detector 测谎人 China, 2021, colour, 2.35:1, 91 mins. Director: Yang Yuanhan 杨沅翰. Late-stage director: Qian Guowei 钱国伟. Rating: 5/10. Wry, well-cast comedy about two opposites disappointingly fails…
Zokki (2021) [Film Review]
Zokki; or, Too Many Secrets Lately, I've been thinking. If a living creature loses what it keeps secret, maybe it can't go on living. O...
Masquerade Night (2021) review
A pleasant and entertaining narrative that is ultimately victim of the demand to be consumable for as many spectators as possible.
Review: Knock Knock (2021)
Knock Knock 不速来客 China, 2021, colour, 2.35:1, 104 mins. Director: Liu Xiang 刘翔. Rating: 7/10. Lightly comic crime puzzler, set in a grubby flat, holds the attention thanks…
August 2021 Review (Shirobako)
When I started this 10 years ago, blogging served as a way to pass the time when I went back to tech school for additional study to improve…
Review: Embrace Again (2021)
Embrace Again 穿过寒冬拥抱你 China, 2021, colour, 2.35:1, 123 mins. Director: Xue Xiaolu 薛晓路. Rating: 5/10. “Inspirational” light drama, about volunteers in Wuhan during the Covid lockdown, is rescued…
Review: Farewell Beijing (2021)
Farewell Beijing 您好，北京 China, 2021, colour, 2.35:1, 107 mins. Director: Cao Xixi 曹茜茜. Rating: 5/10. Interwoven stories of three Big City wannabes jogs along okay but is unoriginal…
Review: Be Somebody (2021)
Be Somebody 扬名立万 China, 2021, colour/b&w, 2.35:1, 122 mins. Director: Liu Xunzimo 刘循子墨. Rating: 6/10. Richly written and staged, this period Shanghai crime comedy is over-long and gets…
Baby Assassins (2021) review
“One of the most satisfying Japanese action films of this year.”
Somebody’s Flowers (2021) review
“A beautiful narrative that explores the mental and societal obstacles that litter the path of those subjects who suddenly need to grieve the loss of loved ones with…
Halloween 2021 Review (Yamishibai)
As we turn to October, and the leaves fall and shadows creep in, we tend to seek out stuff to give us thrills and chills. As such, I…
Moonlight Shadow (2021) review
“One of the most touching explorations of the inability to mourn and what can enable the subject to embark on the journey of saying goodbye.”
Review: Island Keeper (2021)
Island Keeper 守岛人 China, 2021, colour, 2.35:1, 124 mins. Director: Chen Li 陈力. Rating: 6/10. Well-played drama, based on a real-life story, of a couple on a lonely…
Cube (2021) [Film Review]
Cube (2021); or, Running Scared I see a sin in your eyes. My first encounter with the Cube franchise was not a positive one. Back in…
Review: Tempting Hearts (2021)
Tempting Hearts 有一点动心 China, 2021, colour, 2.35:1, 93 mins. Directors: Chen Jiashang 陈嘉上 [Gordon Chan], Zhu Xuefei 朱雪菲. Rating: 6/10. Offbeat, soso-scripted rom-com depends a lot on its…
The Family (2021) review
“A highly original yakuza narrative that beautifully touches upon the importance that the (idealized) figure of the father can have for a subject’s lifepath.”
The Women (2021) review
“A narrative with many beautiful touching moments but not a satisfying whole.”
Review: Daily Fantasy (2021)
Daily Fantasy 日常幻想指南 China, 2021, colour, 2.35:1, 97 mins. Director: Liang Dong 梁栋. Rating: 4/10. Ambling, pointless fantasy about a professional thief who suddenly has the ability to…
Nichijou - My Ordinary Life: Episode 0, Nichijou - My Ordinary Life
Review: Never Stop (2021)
Never Stop 超越 China, 2021, colour, 2.35:1, 96 mins. Director: Han Bowen 韩博文. Rating: 6/10. Mainland actor Zheng Kai is impressive as a onetime sports star, though the…
Review: Between Us (2021)
Between Us 我没谈完的那场恋爱 China, 2021, colour, 16:9/2.35:1, 95 mins. Director: Zhao Yu 赵宇. Rating: 6/10. Yoyo-ing between the present day and the Cultural Revolution, this light drama is…
Review: Cloudy Mountain (2021)
Cloudy Mountain 峰爆 China, 2021, colour, 2.35:1, 113 mins. Director: Li Jun 李骏. Rating: 6/10. By-the-book disaster movie starts gangbusters but then becomes more cartoony and unbelievable. STORY…
Review: The Pioneer (2021)
The Pioneer 革命者 China, 2021, colour/b&w, 16:9/2.35:1, 120 mins. Director: Xu Zhanxiong 徐展雄. Rating: 5/10. Biopic of CCP co-founder Li Dazhao is way above the genre’s routine level…
Spring 2021 in Review
This past anime season, counting holdovers from the Winter 2021 season, I watched 26 anime. Of those, I completed 22. Normally, we at the Backloggers would do an…