Sunday, 14 April 2013

Chasing world (2008)


The emptiest hospital in the whole world,

There is a whole lot of chasing and running in this film (ironic hey)

http://asianwiki.com/The_Chasing_World
http://blackholereviews.blogspot.co.uk/2009/04/chasing-world-2008-deadly-fast-paced.html
http://www.nipponcinema.com/blog/the-chasing-world
http://www.heroic-cinema.com/reviews/the-chasing-world-2008/
http://odditycinema.com/2008/the-chasing-world-review/
http://www.avistaz.me/horror-movies/the-chasing-world-japanese-2008.html


When the characters Tsubasa Sato is introduced , The Anime/ Manga Tsubasa: Reservoir Chronicle's is something that the name resembles which is ironic seen as how the narrative is essentially about the main character who transports into an alternative reality.The narrative drives Tsubasa to save the original world by saving the people from the alternative world but as the story progresses the original world seem less important to the narrative and Tsubasa seems to prefer the alternate reality where His sister is more active. In the original world, Tsubasa's sister is in hospital but there does'n appear to be any other patients in the ward that are seen and the doctor that is caring for His sister is so clearly a pervert that He may as well announce by wearing a signs around His neck because He is not being discreet about it. In both reality's you have the media which reflect on current event but both reality seem to be disinterested in sense to the strange evens that are occurring ; in the original reality you have mysterious deaths or suicide which there are no indication to investigations regard these events but that wouldn't follow the narrative. The narrative is not meant to be questioned like a dream within a dream ( inception) or playing a video game; the view understands that their are the heroes and villain's but there is no need to question the why and where's to the story-line in fact when the story is explained it make less and less sense.you have men who are dressed up as monsters, who are going around killing people for a game; there is a reporter who keeps turning up and she is more interested in capturing all the story rather than help the victims . Basically the narrative goes in loops and circles, it starts out looking like suicide circle vs fight club, then it turns into the matrix vs battle royale, or it could be described as being like spirited away vs the girl who leapt through time with some stars wars costumes added ( there where allot of concepts that didn't connect that where floating around).

 Things that where good about the film, where the fact that the end was only the beginning, you where left questioning if all of what happened was a dream or not because no of the reality's made sense after all. Tsubasa was shocked to hear his sister speak but though-out the film he is filled with a desire to hear his sister speak because he feels abandoned and it is almost like he has given up on the world around him so it would make sense for him to make a world up for himself to escape to (even if that world has monsters in it).   The film does what is says on the tin, The characters are chased from the beginning to the end of the film and they are hunted down by monsters but the meaning behind the film was a little lost. The second film doesn't have the original cast in it though, but the first film had some interesting costumes in it though and the monsters alone are a good enough reason to watch the film. even if they have brilliant hunting still until they face the main characters where upon they become defective. 

Monday, 8 April 2013

Kamui : The Lone Ninja (2009)

Tales of a Awesome:

There are of symbolism and pretty pictures


http://asianwiki.com/Kamui
http://www.filmjuice.com/kamui-the-lone-ninja.html
http://www.beyondhollywood.com/kamui-the-lone-ninja-2009-movie-review/
http://www.fareastfilms.com/reviewsPage/Kamui-The-Lone-Ninja-2346.htm
http://www.easternkicks.com/reviews/kamui-the-lone-ninja#sthash.zZodJ7Zg.dpbs
http://www.filmschoolrejects.com/news/kamui-the-lone-ninja-trailer.php
http://www.cityonfire.com/kamui-gaiden-2009/

Kamui is a Ninja searching for freedom but the whole film is iron in it's approach, The film switches to Manga imagery from time to time and it has a similar atmosphere to Dororo (2007) . The characters in the film are constantly changing as the situations in the film progress, we see Kamui when he is training with Kashiwabara but we are not told how told He is, Never-the-less Kamui and Kashiwabara even from the beginning have a different ideals. The first half of the film there is the most Ninja action where Kamui strides from tree to tree in a Feline, Kamui is a character with a complicated past so he is always on the move and when He meets a family that He becomes attached to. Even then He cannot escape His past, Now the confusing thing was that people in the film did question the fact there was a old man drawing pictures all the time, Kamui didn't until the end because the old man also has been seen around the enemy. Fudo is a Ninja/ Pirate, He tricks Kamui into believing that He is on His side by asking Him to join His clan and then turning against Him at the last second by killing Kamui's friends. Gonbei constantly seems drunk or on some kind of substance in the story-line,  He and Ayu (Anna Tsuchiya) are not involved a lot in the narrative but  they represent a different outlook to the society  Kamui lives in. lastly we have Yoshito, who is also a confusing character , He is in love Sayaka but when Her father tell's him to back-off, He thinks the solution to get with Sayaka is to get the father arrested ? Hanbei's wife is also a blast from Kamui's past , She is suspicious of Kamui throughout the film but eventually accepts Him but it is far too late by this stage. The film is filled with irony, Kamui's journey as a Ninja is endless or never-ending so His adventure with Hanbei's family is assumed to be one of many and He is constantly searching for freedom. You sympathies with Kamui , He can't escape His destiny as a Ninja and He seems to have a reputation that constantly hounds Him down ; You have a better understanding of Kamui by comparing Him to the world around Him.

Sunday, 24 March 2013

Shock labyrinth (2009)

It's all Fun and Games:

it's a no Brainier

http://twitchfilm.com/2012/05/blu-ray-review-shock-labyrinth.html
http://blogcritics.org/video/article/blu-ray-review-shock-labyrinth-3d/
http://www.denofgeek.com/dvd-bluray/8665/shock-labyrinth-3d-dvd-review
http://horrornews.net/34199/film-review-the-shock-labyrinth-3d-2009/
http://www.beyondhollywood.com/the-shock-labyrinth-2009-movie-review/
http://mubi.com/films/the-shock-labyrinth-3d
http://asianwiki.com/The_Shock_Labyrinth


The films main narrative structure seems to be caught in a constant loop of cause and effect, how the characters cause instants to occur and how their action effect the overall picture.each characters blames themselves for their past which involves the disappearance of Yuri and their logic seems to be ever misunderstood or misread by their own logic because they are looking at their own lives through a child prospective. the reasoning behind the girl being left behind does not make sense and neither does the the reasoning for the children wondering in to the abandoned building which seems to have a alluring atmosphere. the camera work was interesting and with 3D movies being ever so more popular it is amazing to see japan also making movies in this way like there counterpart america. the director Takashi Shimizu also is responsible for the Tormented (Rabbit Horror 3D) 2011 and the Ring is being rebooted into 3D form. Shock Labyrinth is nothing like Ju-on because it is 3D film the imagery is crisp and clear but in Ju-on the camera work is a little grainy or like a handheld camera to get a more realistic effect. the symbolization of the rabbit is interesting because it reflects on the adults lost innocence and at the same time it is a entity that is feared greatly by the adult because it represents the mistakes that they have made. but the building that the children/adults are in is a place where time doesn't seem to follow in a natural order but instead the bleed into each other in an eternal loop. the film is not a Horror but instead it is like a dream that turns into a nightmare at the end; the building that they are in has many different statues that come to live and the question is it all real or a made up dream that one boy has to keep himself from feeling guilty. the monster or ghosts are like dolls and this reminds me of Doll Master (2004) with is a Korean film but the convection of dolls coming to life or human becoming dolls are similar. both films are about being abandoned, maybe Takeashi Shimizu was inspired by the Korean film, that would explain the whole concept of the dolls, the most interesting character in the film was Yuri accuser She was the cause of the situation but even she was a complicated character and her relevance was misunderstood. The dolls symbolize in a way the fragile state that Yuri is in,the film also refers to mental health issues that Ken has.

Saturday, 9 March 2013

Go Find a Psychic! (2009)


Dreams can come true...

Esper's, Aliens and Time-travelers ??


http://filmsblitz.blogspot.co.uk/2010/12/go-find-psychic-movie-review-12.html
http://www.isugoi.com/go-find-a-psychic-review/
http://gamecalibur.binarycore.org/2010/10/movie-review-go-find-a-psychic/
http://movies.insing.com/feature/go-find-a-psychic-mental-torture/id-a48d2b00
http://asianwiki.com/Go_Find_a_Psychic!



Go Find a psychic is a film which tries to explain unexplained Phoenicia's like UFO's and Esper's or psychic's. In the first instance of the film , our main character see's a UFO and the film questions her logic therefore after. Is Yone Sakurai delusion over a childish memories which may be misunderstood or did She really witness something unexplained? The whole film surrounds Yone's belief that She saw a UFO, other characters including reports, television crew or the general public are separated into two group, believers and none believer in the supernal. There was nothing over expressed throughout the film, the television sides to the film was set out like a really television set and the off set scene's where set out like everyday in japan so when the audience is introduced to the character with special abilities. there is no real dramatic pause or change in the narrative follow ( the characters are normal human beings who happen to have special powers). Kanda is the one who walks out of the street into the Esper bar but the thing which is a little confusing is if you don't want people to know you are a Esper why put a sign outside announcing it to the world ?? Kanda spend more time in  the film with the Espers than Yone does, She explore the city while Kanda fools the Espers into showing him their powers and the becoming a little bit trapped. Yone spends the day interviewing psychotic individual's who believe that they posses special powers ??? so by the time she arrives at the cafe she is already filled with a appointed feeling.  basically throughout the film Yone works really hard to find what she is looking g for and she proves to herself that the is more to life than what you can see. She follows Her dream of discovering the unexplained and she achieves her goal. The Espers want to not be discovered because they want simple lives but when the discover what it means to Yone their attitude change. the film end with a UFO visiting Japan :)

Saturday, 2 March 2013

Mitsuko Delivers (2011)

Just take the pickle for the love of Mitsuko ??

Everything is just really really cool...........



Mitsuko Delivers is full of drunk logic and awkward moments: the whole film is full of question and no answers; what does Mitsuko Delivers apart from a baby. the conclusion is a bunch of questions on society and peoples attitudes about pregnancy or even women on a whole. We see Mitsuko as a young girl and a pregnant adult so that that We gain an insight into why She is the person She has developed into. Mitsuko is not influenced By Her parent but instead a stranger whom She  Starts calling grandma, now the reason I mention that it is a film about society is that the characters are not be like or hated but instead there is a big difference in the strengths between characters. you have the individuals that run away from the problems and the individuals that stand and fight; Now Mitsuko is one of the characters that stands and fights for what She believes in until the end of the film when She goes into labor. The film show the strength of women whether they are young or old; the film also questions the generational gap throughout society and the difference in attitudes and Mitsuko's grandma teaches Her a lot about life which develops Mituko's overall character for the better. Basically Her grandma teaches Her not to runaway from her problems and stand and fight, The effects of Mitsuko's attitude benefit everyone for the better even though some individual seem psychotic at time the overall message is trying to portray a positiveness message. the film is not main stream, it is art-house, exploitation or even a feminist film; even though the main character is pregnant , it is not not about pregnancy but rather about life and death with the journey in-between. 

Life is what you make it, I am going to make it. No matter what it takes, we gonna take it.


Tuesday, 19 February 2013

Battle League Horumo (2009)


The Battles of the Thirteenth Girl still Continue:

Starting From the Beginning Once more with feeling.


http://twitchfilm.com/2010/02/battle-league-horumo-review.html
http://japancinema.net/2010/07/22/battle-league-horumo-review/
http://www.filmschoolrejects.com/reviews/fantastic-fest-review-kamagawa-horumo-battle-league-in-kyoto-colea.php
http://cineawesome.com/battle-league-horumo-review/
http://www.scifijapan.com/articles/2010/07/17/battle-league-horumo-press-notes/


Chiaki Kuriyama is an amazing Actress, appearing in films such as Battle Royale (of course), Kill Bill (2004), Azumi 2 (2005) and Exte (2007) but Her character in Battle League Horumo was usual because Fumi Kusunoki was a shy and reserved character. whereas Takako Chigusa in Battle Royale was a head strong character, who in the Novel and Manga is similar to  Mitsuko Souma because they are both misunderstood characters. Takayuki Yamada also is one of the cast member of Gantz and the whole cast of Battle League Horumo was an interesting combination of talent. The narrative itself from the perspective of the trailer was slightly different from what i was expecting and it was not until the ending when thing started to pick up. The film does go into detail to explain what Horumo is about so the view understands where the creature come from, it is also has a energetic theme running though the plot-line and  the audience are aware of all the subtle hints that are placed throughout the film which Akira Abe is unaware of. In the trailer Kyoko Sawara is portrayed as being a bit of a bitch but is the film She seem unaware of the impact that She made on other people, She did not spend much time in the film with Akira and there was no real communication between the two so the film was less about what the trailer indicated it was about. So the  film is about a group of teenager who join a cult so they can understand life better by battling with small creatures, they do so by preforming interactive dance and there is a big cloud god floating around; who exploded in a big ball of fire. Battle League Horumo is simply a off-the-wall comedy