Welcome to the archives. Here you will find nearly all of the reviews I have written for this particular blog. The reviews stretch out over the years and so some have no ratings. This is not everything I have seen but is still a sizeable list which I have broken down by region.
Japanese | South Korean | Elsewhere |
5 Million Dollar Life 五億円のじんせい (2019) Dir: Moon Sung-Ho
100 Yen Love 「百円の恋」 (2014) Dir: Masaharu Take (4.5/5)
13 Assassins 「十三人の刺客」2010 Dir: Takashi Miike
A Japanese Boy Who Draws ある日本の絵描き少年 (2018) Dir: Masanao Kawajiri
A Room of Her Own – Rei Naito and Light あえかなる部屋 内藤礼と、光たち (2016) Dir: Yuko Nakamura
A Silent Voice 声の形 (2016) Dir: Naoko Yamada
Actor’s Revenge, An 雪之丞変化 (1963) Dir: Kon Ichikawa
Actor, The 俳優亀岡拓 (2016) Dir: Satoko Yokohama
Adrift in Tokyo 「転々」 (2007) Dir: Miki Satoshi (4/5)
After the Storm 海よりもまだ深く (2016) Dir: Hirokazu Koreeda
Afternoon Breezes 風たちの午後 デジタルリマスター版 (1980) Dir: Hitoshi Yazaki
Alien vs Ninja 「AVN エイリアンVSニンジャ」(2011) Dir: Seiji Chiba (2.5/5)
All the Things We Never Said 生きちゃった (2020) Dir: Yuya Ishii
Amiko あみこ (2017) Dir: Yoko Yamanaka
An Ant Strikes Back アリ地獄天国 (2019) Dir: Tokachi Tsuchiya
And Your Bird Can Sing きみの鳥はうたえる (2018) Dir: Sho Miyake
Angel Dust 「エンジェルダスト」 (1994) Dir: Sogo Ishii (4.5/5)
Antiporno アンチポルノ (2016) Dir: Sion Sono
Apartment 1303 「1303号室」 (2007) Dir: Ataru Oikawa (3/5)
Aroused by Gymnopedies「ジムノペディに乱れる」 (2017) Director: Isao Yukisada
Arrietty 「借りぐらしのアリエッティ」 (2011) Dir: Hiromasa Yonebayashi
As the Gods Will 「神さまの言うとおり」 (2014) Dir: Takashi Miike (4/5)
At the Terrace (2016) テラスにて Dir: Kenji Yamauchi
Attack Girls’ Swim Team vs. the Undead 「女子競泳反乱軍」 (2007) Dir: Koji Kawano (1/5)
Audition 「オーディション」 (1999) Dir: Takashi Miike
Au revoir l’ete ほとりの朔子 (2014) Dir: Koji Fukada
BAMY バーミー (2017) Dir: Jun Tanaka
Bad Poetry Tokyo 東京不穏詩 (2017) Dir: Anshul Chauhan
Before We Vanish 散歩する侵略者 (2017) Dir: Kiyoshi Kurosawa
Being Good きみはいい子 (2015) Dir: Mipo O
Being Natural 天然☆生活 (2018) Dir: Tadashi Nagayama
Beloved Wife, A 喜劇 愛妻物語 (2019) Dir: Shin Adachi
Be My Baby 「恋の渦」 (2013) Dir: Hitoshi Ōne (4/5)
Beneath the Shadow (Eiri) 影裏 (2020) Dir: Keishi Otomo
Berserk: Golden Age Arc I: The Egg of the King 「ベルセルク黄金時代篇I:覇王の卵」 (2012) Dir: Toshiyuki Kubooka (4.5/5)
Berserk Golden Age Arc II: The Battle for Doldrey 「ベルセルク黄金時代篇 IIドルドレイ攻略」 (2012) Dir: Toshiyuki Kubooka (3/5)
Berserk: Golden Age Arc III: Advent 「ベルセルク黄金時代篇 III 黄金時代篇III:降臨」 Dir: Toshiyuki Kubooka (3/5)
Big Tits Zombie 「巨乳ドラゴン 温泉ゾンビVSストリッパー5」 (2010) Dir: Takao Nakano (2.5/5)
Birthday Wonderland バースデー・ワンダーランド (2019) Dir: Keiichi Hara
Bitter Honey 蜜のあわれ (2016) Dir: Gakuryu Ishii
Black Butler 「黒執事」 (2014) Dir: Kentaro Otani, Keiichi Sato (4/5)
Blame! ブラム (2017) Dir: Hiroyuki Seshita
Bleached Bones Avenue 白骨街道 (2018) Dir: Akio Fujimoto
Blood of Wolves, The 孤狼の血 (2018) Dir: Kazuya Shiraishi
book-paper-scissors つつんで、ひらいて (2019) Dir: Nanako Hirose
Born Bone Born 洗骨 (2018) Dir: Toshiyuki Teruya
Breathless Lovers 息ぎれの恋人たち (2017) Dir: Shumpei Shimizu
Bride of Rip Van Winkle, The「リップヴァンウィンクルノ花嫁」 (2016) Dir: Shunji Iwai 4.5/5
Bright Future 「アカルイミライ」(2003) Dir: Kiyoshi Kurosawa (4/5)
Bright Night レンコーンの夜 (2016) Dir: Yasumasa Konno
Bullet Ballet バルットバレエ (2000) Dir: Shinya Tsukamoto
Carved – The Slit-Mouthed Woman 「口裂け女」 (2007) Dir: Koji Shiraishi (2.5/5)
Cesium and a Tokyo Girl 「セシウムと少女」(2015) Dir: Ryo Saitani (4.5/5)
Charisma「カリスマ」 (2000) Dir: Kiyoshi Kurosawa (4.5/5)
Close-Knit 彼らが本気で編むときは、 (2017) Dir: Naoko Ogigami
Cold Fish 「冷たい熱帯魚」 (2011) Dir: Sion Sono (5/5)
Columbus (2017) Dir: Kogonada
Coming Back Sunny おかえり、カー子 (2019) Dir: Noriko Yuasa
Cooperation and Community [績(う)みの村] (2015) Dir: Keishiro Ikeda
Creepy クリーピー 偽りの隣人 (2016) Dir: Kiyoshi Kurosawa
Crime or Punishment?!? 「罪とか罰とか」 (2009) Dir: Keralino Sandorovich (4/5)
Cure「キュア」 (1997) Dir: Kiyoshi Kurosawa (5/5)
CYCLE-CYCLE (2018) Dir: Junichi Kanai
Daguerrotype ダゲレオタイプの女 (2016) Dir: Kiyoshi Kurosawa
Dark Maidens, The 暗黒女子 (2017) Dir: Saiji Yakumo
Dawn of the Felines「牝猫たち」 (2016) Dir: Kazuya Shiraishi
Day of Destruction, The 破壊の日 (2020) Dir: Toshiaki Toyoda
Deadball 「デッドボール」 (2011) Dir: Yudai Yamaguchi (3.5/5)
Dead Waves 「死霊波」 (2005) Dir: Yoichiro Hayama (2/5)
Dear Doctor 「ディア・ドクター 」(2009) Dir: Miwa Nishikawa (4.5/5)
Dear Etranger 幼な子われらに生まれ (2017) Dir: Yukiko Mishima
Demolition Girl JK エレジー (2018) Dir: Genta Matsugami
Destiny: The Tale of Kamakura DESTINY 鎌倉ものがたり (2017) Dir: Takashi Yamazaki
Destruction Babies ディストラクション・ベイビーズ (2016) Dir: Tetsuya Mariko
Detroit Metal City 「デトロイトメタルシテイ」 (2008) Dir: Toshio Lee (4/5)
Devil’s Path, The 「凶悪」 (2013) Dir: Kazuya Shiraishi (2.5/5)
Disciples of Hippocrates 「 ヒポクラテスたち」 (1980) Dir: Kazuki Ohmori (4/5)
Distance ディスタンス (2001) Dir: Hirokazu Kore-eda
Dolls 「ドールズ 」 (2002) Dir: Takeshi Kitano (4/5)
Don’t Look Up (1996) 女優霊 Dir: Hideo Nakata
Double Life 「二重生活」(2016) Dir: Yoshiyuki Kishi
Dreams for Sale 「夢売るふたり」 (2012) Dir: Miwa Nishikawa (4/5)
Drudgery Train, The 「 苦役列車」 (2012) Dir: Nobuhiro Yamashita (4/5)
Dynamite Graffiti 素敵なダイナマイトスキャンダル (2018) Dir: Masanori Tominaga
East of Jefferson ジェファソンの東 (2018) Dir: Koji Fukada
Emi-Abi エミアビのはじまりとはじまり (2016) Dir: Kensaku Watanabe
Emperor’s Naked Army Marches On, The ゆきゆきて、神軍 (1987) Dir: Kazuo Hara
Erica 38 エリカ38 (2019) Dir: Yuichi Hibi
Eureka Seven Hi-Evolution 交響詩篇エウレカセブン ハイエボリューション (2017), Dirs: Tomoki Kyoda, Hisatoshi Shimizu
Exte: Hair Extensions 「エクステ」 (2007) Dir: Sion Sono (3.5/5)
Eyes of the Spider 「蜘蛛の瞳」 (1999) Dir: Kiyoshi Kurosawa (4.5/5)
Fable, The ザ・ファブル (2019) Dir: Kan Eguchi
Fate/stay night Heaven’s Feel I. Presage Flower (2017) Dir: Tomonori Sudo
Filled with Steam 湯気満ちて (2017) Dir: Rina Tanaka
Fine, Totally Fine 「全然大丈夫」 (2008) Dir: Yosuke Fujita (5/5)
Fires on the Plain 野火 (1959) Dir: Kon Ichikawa
Fires on the Plain 「野火」 (2014) Dir: Shinya Tsukamoto (4/5)
Fish Story フィッシュストーリー (2009) Dir: Yoshihiro Nakamura
Flowers and Rain 花と雨 (2019) Dir: Takafumi Tsuchiya
For Love’s Sake 「愛と誠」 (2012) Dir: Takashi Miike (5/5)
Foreign Duck, The Native Duck & God in a Coin Locker, The 「アヒルと鴨のコインロッカ」 (2007) Dir: Yoshihiro Nakamura (5/5)
Forest of Love, The 愛なき森で叫べ (2019) Dir: Sion Sono
For Rei レイのために (2019) Dir: Yukari Sakamoto
Fuan no Tane 「不安の種」 (2013) Dir: Toshikazu Nagae (4/5)
Fuku-chan of Fukufuku Flats 「福福荘の福ちゃん」 (2014) Dir: Yosuke Fujita (5/5)
Fuse: A Gun Girl’s Detective Story 「伏 鉄砲娘の捕物帳」 (2012) Dir: Masayuki Miyaji (4/5)
Gan / Wild Geese / The Mistress 雁 (1953) Shiro Toyoda
GEMINI 双生児 -GEMINI- (1999) Dir: Shinya Tsukamoto
Getting Any? みんな~やってるか! (1995) Dir: Takeshi Kitano
Ghost System 「ゴーストシステム」 (2002) Dir: Toshikazu Nagae (2/5)
Ghost Train 「オトシモノ」 (2006) Dir: Takeshi Furusawa (3/5)
Girl Returned 帰ってきた少女 (2017) Dir: Satoru Hirohara
Girl, Wavering 空っぽの渦 (2015) Dir: Noriko Yuasa
Goke, Body Snatcher From Hell 吸血鬼ゴケミドロ (1968) Dir: Hajime Sato
Good-bye グッドバイ (2020) Dir: Aya Miyazaki
Goodbye Silence Saraba Seijaku サラバ静寂 (2018) Dir: Kenichi Ugana
Goth – Love of Death 「ゴス」 (2008) Dir: Gen Takahashi (4/5)
Graceful Brute, The しとやかな獣 (1962) Dir: Yuzo Kawashima
Great Passage, The 「舟を編む」 (2013) Dir: Yuya Ishii (4/5)
Greatful Dead 「グレイトフル デッド」 (2013) Dir: Eiji Uchida (4/5)
Guard From Underground, The 「地獄の警備員」 (1992) Dir: Kiyoshi Kurosawa (3/5)
Gukoroku – Traces of Sin 愚行録 (2017) Dir: Kei Ishikawa
Gun, The 銃 (2018) Dir: Masaharu Take
Gyo: Tokyo Fish Attack 「ギョ」 (2012) Dir: Takayuki Hirao (4.5/5)
Hammock (2018) Dir: Kentaro Kishi
Hana-bi 「花火」 (1998) Dir: Takeshi Kitano (5/5)
Hanagatami 花筐 (2017) Dir: Nobuhiko Obayashi
Happy Hour 「ハッピーアワー」 (2015) Dir: Ryusuke Hamaguchi (4/5)
Hard-core ハード・コア (2018) Dir: Nobuhiro Yamashita
Harmonium 深田晃司 (2016) Dir: Koji Fukada
Haruko’s Paranormal Laboratory 春子超常現象研究所 (2015) Dir: Lisa Takeba
Haruneko はるねこ (2016) Dir: Sora Hokimoto
Heat After Dark (1997) Dir: Ryuhei Kitamura (3/5)
Helldriver 「ヘルドライバー」 (2011) Dir: Yoshihiro Nishimura
Hellevator: The Bottled Fools 「グシャノビンツメ」 (2005) Dir: Hiroki Yamaguchi (3/5)
Her Sketchbook 世界は今日から君のもの (2017) Dir: Masaya Ozaki
Here and Here 憧れ (2017) Dir: Yoshimasa Jimbo
Higanjima Escape From Vampire Island 「彼岸島」 (2009) Dir: Kim Tae-Gyun
Himizu 「ヒミズ」 (2012) Dir: Sion Sono (5/5)
Horse Thieves. Roads of Time, The オルジャスの白い馬 (2019) Director: Yerlan Nurmukhambetov, Lisa Takeba
hospitalité 歓待1.1 (2011) Dir: Koji Fukada
House 「ハウス」 (1977) Dir: Nobuhiko Obayashi,
How Selfish I Am! 「自分の事ばかりで情けなくなるよ」 (2013) Dir: Daigo Matsui (4/5)
Human Comedy in Tokyo 東京人間喜劇 (2008) Dir: Koji Fukada
Hungry Lion, The 飢えたライオン (2017) Dir: Takaomi Ogata
I Am a Hero アイアムアヒーロー (2016) Dir: Shinsuke Sato
I Wish 「奇跡」 (2011) Dir: Hirokazu Kore-eda (4/5)
Ice Cream and the Sound of Raindrops アイスと雨音 (2018) Dir: Daigo Matsui
Idol アイドル (2020) Dir: Ryushi Lindsay
If Cats Disappeared From the World 世界から猫が消えたなら (2016) Dir: Akira Nagai
Inabe いなべ (2013) Dir: Koji Fukada
Infection 「感染」 (2006) Dir: Masayuki Ochiai (4/5)
Inuyashiki いぬやしき (2018) Dir: Shinsuke Sato
Isn’t Anyone Alive? 「生きてるものはいないのか」 (2012) Dir: Gakuryu Ishii (4/5)
It Feels So Good 火口のふたり (2019) Dir: Haruhiko Arai
jam (2018) Dir: Sabu
Japanese Girls Never Die 「アズミ・ハルコは行方不」(2016) Dir: Daigo Matsui
Jeux de Plage 浜辺のゲーム (2019) Dir: Aimi Natsuto
Jimami Tofu ジーマーミ豆腐 (2017) Directors: Jason Chan, Christian Lee
Joy of Man’s Desiring 人の望みの喜びよ (2014) Dir: Masakazu Sugita
Judge! 「ジャッジ!」 (2014) Dir: Akira Nagai (4.5/5)
Ju-On: The Curse 「呪怨」 (2000) Dir: Takashi Shimizu
Ju-On: The Curse 2 「呪怨 2」 (2000) Dir: Takashi Shimizu
Ju-On: Old Lady in White/ Girl in Black 「呪怨白い老女/ 呪怨黒い少女」 (2009) Dirs: Ryuta Miyake, Mari Asato
Kako: My Sullen Past ふきげんな過去 (2016) Dir: Shiro Maeda
Kamagasaki Cauldron War, The 月夜釜合戦 (2018) Dir: Leo Sato
KAMATA PRELUDE 蒲田前奏曲 (2020) Dirs: Ryutaro Nakagawa, Mayu Akiyama, Yuka Yasukawa, Hirobumi Watanabe
Key of Life 「鍵泥棒のメソッド」 (2012) Dir: Kenji Uchida (5/5)
Kikujiro 「菊次郎の夏」 (1999) Dir: Takeshi Kitano (4.5/5)
Kimi no Tomodachi 「きみの友だち」 (2010) Dir: Ryuichi Hiroki (5/5)
Kinta and Ginji 金太と銀次 (2020) Dir: Takuya Dairiki, Takashi Miura
Kirishima Thing, The 「桐島、部活やめるってよ」 (2012) Dir: Daihachi Yoshida (4.5/5)
Kiseki 「奇跡」(2011) Dir: Hirokazu Kore-eda (4/5)
Kontora コントラ (2019) Dir: Anshul Chauhan
Kotoko (2011) Dir: Shinya Tsukamoto (4.5/5)
Ku_On 「クオン久遠」 (2013) Dir: Takayuki Hatamura (4/5)
KUSHINA, what will you be クシナ (2018) Dir: Moët Hayami
Land of Hope, The 「希望の国」 (2012) Dir: Sion Sono (4.5/5)
Last Judgement / Saigo no Shinpan 最後の審判 (2019) Dir: Shinya Kawakami
License to Live 「ニンゲン合格」 (1998) Dir: Kiyoshi Kurosawa (4/5)
Light Shines Only There, The 「そこのみにて光輝く」 (2014) Dir: Mipo O (5/5)
Like Father, Like Son 「そして父になる」 (2013) Dir: Hirokazu Koreeda (4.5/5)
Locker, The (aka Shibuya Kaidan) 「渋谷怪談」 (2004) Dir: Kei Horie (2.5/5)
Locker 2, The (aka Shibuya Kaidan II) 「渋谷怪談 2」 (2004) Dir: Kei Horie (3/5)
Loft 「ロフト」 (2005) Dir: Kiyoshi Kurosawa (4/5)
Long Excuse, The 「永い言い訳 」 2016 Dir: Miwa Nishikawa
Looking for my lost sunflowers あの、ヒマワリを探しに (2014) Dir: Noriko Yuasa
Love and Goodbye and Hawaii 恋とさよならとハワイ (2017) Dir: Shingo Matsumura
Love and Other Cults 獣道 (2017) Dir: Eiji Uchida
Love & Peace ラブ&ピース (2015) Dir: Sion Sono
Love Exposure 「愛のむきだし」 (2009) Dir: Sion Sono (4.5/5)
Lovers on Borders ポルトの恋人たち時の記憶 (2018) Dir: Atsushi Funahashi
Lying to Mom 鈴木家の嘘 (2018) Dir: Katsumi Nojiri
Machine Girl, The 「片腕マシンガール」 (2008) Dir: Noboru Iguchi (4/5)
Mai Mai Miracle 「マイマイ新子 と千年の魔法」 (2009) Dir: Sunao Katabuchi (5/5)
Maison de Himiko 「メゾン・ド・ヒミコ」(2005) Dir: Isshin Inudo (4/5)
Matango マタンゴ (1963) Dir: Ishiro Honda
Meatball Machine 「ミートボールマシン」 (2006) Dirs: Yudai Yamaguchi, Junichi Yamamoto (3/5)
Melancholic メランコリック (2018) Dir: Seiji Tanaka
Memoirs of a Murderer 22年目の告白―私が殺人犯です― (2017) Dir: Yu Irie
Milocrorze: A Love Story ミロクローゼ (2011) Dir: Yoshimasa Ishibashi
Mind Game マインド・ゲーム (2004) Dir: Masaaki Yuasa
Miracle of Crybaby Shottan, The 泣き虫しょったんの奇跡 (2018) Dir: Toshiaki Toyoda
Miss Hokusai 「百日紅 ~Miss HOKUSAI~」 (2015) Dir: Keiichi Hara (4/5)
Mitsuko Delivers 「ハラがコレなんで」 (2011) Dir: Yuya Ishii (3.5/5)
Miyamoto 宮本から君へ (2019) Dir: Tetsuya Mariko
Modern Lovers, The 東京の恋人 (2019) Dir: Atsuro Shimoyashiro
Murders of Oiso, The ある殺人、落葉のころに (2019) Dir: Takuya Misawa
Mushishi 「蟲師」 (2007) Dir: Katsuhiro Otomo (4/5)
Mutant Girls Squad「戦闘少女 血の鉄仮面伝説」 (2010) Dir: Tak Sakaguchi, Noboru Iguchi, Yoshihiro Nishimura (3/5)
My Dad and Mr. Ito お父さんと伊藤さん (2016) Dir: Yuki Tanada
My Little Sweet Pea 「麦子さんと」 (2013) Dir: Keisuke Yoshida (4/5)
NAGISA なぎさ (2017) Dir: Takeshi Kogahara
Neko Atsume House ねこあつめの家 (2017) Dir: Masatoshi Kurakata
New Directions in Japanese Cinema (2019) Dir: Various
Night is Short, Walk on Girl, The 夜は短し歩けよ乙女 (2017) Dir: Masaaki Yuasa
Nightmare Detective 「悪夢探偵 」(2007) Dir: Shinya Tsukamoto (5/5)
Ninja Kids!!! 「忍たま乱太郎」 (2011) Dir: Takashi Miike (4/5)
Noriko’s Dinner Table 「紀子の食卓」 (2006) Dir: Sion Sono (5/5)
Normal Life: Chronicle of a Sumo Wrestler 辛抱, A (2009) Dir: Jill Coulson
Noroi: The Curse 「ノロイ」 (2005) Dir: Koji Shiraishi (3.5/5)
Norwegian Wood 「ノルウェイの森」 (2011) Dir: Anh Hung Tran
Nunchaku and Soul ヌンチャクソウル (2019) Dir: Akiyoshi Koba
Of Love and Law 愛と法 (2017) Dir: Hikaru Toda
On the Edge of Their Seats アルプススタンドのはしの方 (2020) Dir: Hideo Jojo
One Cut of the Dead カメラを止めるな! (2017) Dir: Shinichiro Ueda
One Missed Call 「着信アリ」 (2004) Dir: Takashi Miike
One Missed Call II 「着信アリ 2」 (2005) Dir: Renpei Tsukamoto (3/5)
One Missed Call Final 「着信アリファイナル」 (2006) Dir: Manabu Aso (3/5)
One Night ひとよ (2019) Dir: Kazuya Shiraishi
Ordinary Everyday 優しい日常 (2017) Dir: Noriko Yuasa
Orphan’s Blues オーファンズ・ブルース (2018) Dir: Riho Kudo
Our Little Sister / Umimachi Diary 「海街 Diary」(2015) Dir: Hirokazu Koreeda (4.5/5)
Oyayubi Sagashi 「親指さがし」 (2007) Dir: Naoto Kumazawa (2.5/5)
Oyster Factory, The 牡蠣工場 (2016) Dir: Kazuhiro Soda
Parade 「パレード」 (2010) Dir: Isao Yukisada (4/5)
Paranormal Activity 2: Tokyo Night 「パラノーマル・アクティビティ 第2章/TOKYO NIGHT」 (2010) Dir: Toshikazu Nagae (3/5)
Parks Film Review パークス (2017) Dir: Natsuki Seta
Passage of Life 僕の帰る場所 (2017) Dir: Akio Fujimoto
Patema Inverted 「サカサマのパテマ」 (2013) Dir: Yasuhiro Yoshiura (4.5/5)
Path Leading to Love, The アイニ向カッテ (2017) Dir: Kohei Takayama
Penguin Highway ペンギン・ハイウェイ (2018) Dir: Hiroyasu Ishida
Petal Dance 「ペタル ダンス」 (2013) Dir: Hiroshi Ishikawa (4/5)
Pink and Gray ピンクとグレー (2015) Dir: Isao Yukisada
Pinkie, The さまよう小指 (2014) Dir: Lisa Takeba
Poetry Angel ポエトリーエンジェル (2017) Dir: Toshimitsu Iizuka
Ponyo (2010) Dir: Hayao Miyazaki
POV – A Cursed Film 「POV~呪われたフィルム~」 (2012) Dir: Norio Tsuruta (4/5)
Promises 子供たち (2015) Dir: Mikihiro Endo
Pulse 「回路」 (2001) Dir: Kiyoshi Kurosawa (5/5)
Puzzle 「パズル」 (2014) Dir: Eisuke Naito (4.5/5)
Quirky Guys and Gals 「サビ男サビ女」 (2010) Dirs: Yosuke Fujita (Cheering Girls), Mipo O (Claim Night), Tomoko Matsunashi (Boy? Meets Girl), Gen Sekiguchi (Sebiro Yashiki) (4/5)
Radiance 光 (2017) Dir: Naomi Kawase
Rage 「怒り」 (2016) Dir: Sang-il Lee
RANDEN: The Comings and Goings on a Kyoto Tram (2019) Dir: Takuji Suzuki
Ravine of Goodbye, The 「さよなら渓谷」 (2013) Dir: Tatsushi Omori (4/5)
Real 「リアル 完全なる首長竜の日」 (2013) Dir: Kiyoshi Kurosawa (3/5)
Reiko and the Dolphin れいこいるか (2019) Dir: Shinji Imaoka
RE:BORN リボーン (2017) Dir: Yuji Shimomura
Rentaneko 「レンタネコ」 (2012) Dir: Naoko Ogigami (4/5 )
Retribution 「さけび 叫」 (2007) Dir: Kiyoshi Kurosawa (5/5)
Road, A あるみち (2015) Dir: Daichi Sugimoto
Room For Let 貸間あり (1959) Dir: Yuzo Kawashima
Rurouni Kenshin 「るろうに剣心」 (2012) Dir: Keishi Ohtomo (4.5/5)
Rurouni Kenshin Kyoto Inferno 「るろうに剣心京都大火編」 (2014) Dir: Keishi Ohtomo (4.5/5)
Sacrifice サクリファイス (2019) Dir: Taku Tsuboi
Samurai Marathon サムライマラソン (2019) Dir: Bernard Rose
Samurai Princess 「サムライプリンセス外道姫」 (2009) Dir: Kengo Kaji (3/5)
Sawako Decides 「川の底からこんいちは」 (2010) Dir: Yuya Ishii
Sayonara さよなら (2015) Dir: Koji Fukada
Sayounara 左様なら (2018) Dir: Yuho Ishibashi
Scythian Lamb, The 羊の木 (2018) Dir: Daihachi Yoshida
Seance 「こうれい 高齢」 (1999) Dir: Kiyoshi Kurosawa
See You Tomorrow, Everyone 「みなさん、さようなら」 (2013) Dir: Yoshihiro Nakamura (2.5/5)
Serpent’s Path, The 「蛇の道」(1999) Dir: Kiyoshi Kurosawa (4/5)
Seventh Code (2014) Dir: Kiyoshi Kurosawa (3.5/5)
Shady 「かしこい狗は、吠えずに笑う」(2012) Dir: Ryohei Watanabe (5/5)
Shell and Joint (2019) Dir: Isamu Hirabayashi
Shikoku 「死国」 (1999) Dir: Shunichi Nagasaki (3.5/5)
Shindo – The Beat Knocks Her World – 「震動」(2013) Dir: Asami Hirano (4/5)
Shindo – Wonder Child 「神童」 (2007) Dir: Koji Hagiuda (4/5) A great drama about a piano prodigy.
Shinjuku Tiger 新宿タイガー (2019) Dir: Yoshinori Sato
Shoplifters 万引き家族 (2018) Dir: Hirokazu Kore-eda
Sion Sono, The 園子温という生きもの (2016) Dir: Arata Oshima
Sisterhood シスターフッド (2018) Dir: Takashi Nishihara
Slowly ゆっくり (2019) Dir: Momoko Fukuda
Snake Beneath the Flower Petals 湖底の蛇 (2016) Dir: Rina Tanaka
Snake of June, A 「六月の蛇」 (2002) Dir: Shinya Tsukamoto (4/5)
Snow White Murder Case, The 「白ゆき姫殺人事件」 (2014) Dir: Yoshihiro Nakamura (4.5/5)
Snow Woman 雪女 (2017) Dir: Kiki Sugino
Snow Woman, The 怪談雪女郎 (1968) Dir: Tokuzo Tanaka
Sower, The 種をまく人 (2016) Dir: Yosuke Takeuchi (2016)
Stacy: Attack of the Schoolgirl Zombies 「ステーシー」(2008) Dir: Naoyuki Tomomatsu (2.5/5)
Starfish Hotel 「スターフィッシュホテル」(2007) Dir: John Williams (3.5/5)
Still Walking 歩いても 歩いても (2008) Dir: Hirokazu Kore-eda
Story of Yonosuke, The 「横道世余之介」(2013) Dir: Shuichi Okita (4.5/5) A wonderful film about memories and the positive impact a person can have
Strange Circus 「奇妙なサーカス」 (2005) Dir: Sion Sono (5/5) Brilliant
Suffering of Ninko 「仁光の受難」(2016) Dir: Niwatsukino Norihiro
Suicide Circle (aka Suicide Club) 「自殺サークル」 (2002) Dir: Sion Sono (5/5) Magnificent
Suicide Manual, The 「自殺マニュアル」 (2003) Dir: Osamu Fukutani (2.5/5)
Su-ki-da 「好きだ,」(2006) Dir: Hiroshi Ishikawa (4/5)
Summer Lights 「なつのひかり」 (2016) Dir: Jean-Gabriel Periot
Survive Style 5+ 「サバイブスタイル5+」(2004) Dir: Gen Sekiguchi
Sway 「ゆれる」 (2006) Dir: Miwa Nishikawa (4.5/5)
Sweet Bean あん (2015) Dir: Naomi Kawase
Sweet Home 「スウィトホーム」(1989) Dir: Kiyoshi Kurosawa (4/5)
Sweetest Truth スイーテスト・トゥルース (2016) Dir: Evdoxia Kyropoulou
Sword of the Stranger ストレンヂア -無皇刃譚- (2007) Dir: Masahiro Ando
Tag リアル鬼ごっこ (2015) Dir: Sion Sono
Tajomaru: Avenging Blade 「タジョウマル」 (2009) Dir: Hiroyuki Nakano
Tamami: The Baby’s Curse 「赤んぼ少女」(2008) Dir: Yudai Yamaguchi (4/5)
Taste of Tea, The 茶の味 (2004) Dir: Katsuhito Ishii
Temple of Wild Geese, The 雁の寺 (1962) Dir: Yuzo Kawashima
Ten Dark Women 黒い十人の女 (1961) Dir: Kon Ichikawa
Tetsuo: The Iron Man 「鉄男 Tetsuo」 (1989) Dir: Shinya Tsukamoto (5/5) Cinematic Classic that Needs to be Seen!
Tetsuo II: Body Hammer 「鉄男 Tetsuo II Body Hammer」(1992) Dir: Shinya Tsukamoto (5/5)
That’s It それだけ (2015) Dir: Gakuryu Ishii
Third Murder, The (2017) 三度目の殺人 Dir: Hirokazu Koreeda
Tokyo Fist 「東京フィスト」(1995) Dir: Shinya Tsukamoto (4.5/5)
Tokyo Gore Police 「東京残酷警察」(2008) Dir: Yoshihiro Nishimura (3/5/5)
Tokyo Idols (2017) Dir: Kyoko Miyake
Tokyo Night Sky is Always the Densest Shade of Blue, The 夜空はいつでも最高密度の青色だ (2017) Dir: Yuya Ishii
Tokyo Sonata 「トウキョウソナタ」(2008) Dir: Kiyoshi Kurosawa (5/5) Classic/Masterpiece and every other word used for high praise
Tokyo.Sora 「Tokyo.Sora」(2002) Dir: Hiroshi Ishikawa (3.5/5)
Tourism (2018) Dir: Daisuke Miyazaki
Toward a Common Tenderness あの優しさへ (2017) Dir: Kaori Oda
Transferring 転校生 (2012) Dir: Junichi Kanai
Twilight Samurai, The 「たそがれ清兵衛」(2002) Dir: Yoji Yamada (4/5)
Twisted Justice「日本で一番悪い奴ら」 (2016) Dir: Kazuya Shiraishi (3.5/5)
Uzumaki 「うずまき」(2000) Dir: Higuchinsky (4/5)
Uzumasa Limelight 「太秦ライムライト」 (2014) Dir: Ken Ochiai (4/5)
Vampire Clay 血を吸う粘土 (2017) Dir: Soichi Umezawa
Vampire Girl vs. Frankenstein Girl 「吸血少女対少女フランケン」(2009) Dir: Yoshihiro Nishimura, Naoyuki Tomomatsu (4/5)
Videophobia (2019) Dir: Daisuke Miyazaki
Villain 「悪人」(2011) Dir: Sang-il Lee
Virgin Psychics, The 映画みんな!エスパーだよ (2015) Dir: Sion Sono
Vision ビジョン (2018) Dir: Naomi Kawase
Visualized Hearts 可視化する心たち (2017) Dir: Akiko Igarashi
Vital 「ヴィタール」(2003) Dir: Shinya Tsukamoto (5/5)
Wandering Alien Detective Robin さすらいのエイリアン 私立探偵ロビン (2012) Dir: Lisa Takeba
Wasted Eggs (2018) Dir: Ryo Kawasaki
Watashi no Otoko 「私の男」(2014) Dir: Kazuyoshi Kumakiri (4/5)
Wet Woman in the Wind「風に濡れた女 」(2017) Dir: Akihiko Shiota
When I Get Home, My Wife Always Pretends to Be Dead 家に帰ると妻が必ず死んだふりをしていま (2018) Dir: Toshio Lee
Whispering Star, The ひそひそ星 (2016) Dir: Sion Sono
White Panic 「怖来」(2005) Dir: Shugo Fujii (1/5)
Whole (2019) Dir: Bilal Kawazoe
Why Don’t You Play in Hell? 「地獄でなぜ悪い 」(2013) Dir: Sion Sono (5/5)
Wild 7 「ワイルド7」(2011) Dir: Eiichiro Hasumi (3.5/5)
Wild Berries 「蛇イチゴ」(2003) Dir: Miwa Nishikawa (5/5)
Wild Geese / The Mistress 雁 (1953) Dir: Shiro Toyoda
Wild Tour ワイルドツアー (2018) Dir: Sho Miyake
Wild Zero 「ワイルドゼロ」 (1999) Dir: Tetsuro Takeuchi (3/5)
Wolf Children, The 「おおかみこどもの雨と雪」(2012) Dir: Mamoru Hosoda (5/5)
Woman Called Abe Sada, A 「実録阿部定」(1975) Dir: Noboru Tanaka (4.5/5)
Woman of the Photographs 写真の女 (2020) Dir: Takeshi Kushida
Woodsman & the Rain, The 「キツツキと雨」 (2012) Dir: Shuichi Okita (5/5)
World of Kanako, The 「渇き」(2014) Dir: Tetsuya Nakashima (4.5/5)
X-Cross 「エクスクロス 魔境伝説」 (2007) Dir: Kenta Fukasaku (4/5)
Yakuza Apocalypse: The Great War of the Underworld 「極道大戦争」 (2015) Dir: Takeshi Miike (3/5)
Yalta Conference Online ヤルタ会談 “オンライン化”! (2020) Dir: Koji Fukada
Yamato (California) 大和(カリフォルニア) (2017) Dir: Daisuke Miyazaki
Yan 燕Yan (2019) Dir: Keisuke Imamura
Zero Focus 「ゼロの焦店」 (2009) Dir: Isshin Inudo (4.5/5)
Zigeunerweisen ツィゴイネルワイゼン (1980) Director: Seijun Suzuki
Zombie Self-Defence Force「ゾンビ自衛隊」 (2006) Dir: Naoyuki Tomomatsu (3/5)
Arirang (2011) Dir: Kim Ki-duk (4/5)
Beasts Clawing at Straws 지푸라기라도 잡고 싶은 짐승들 (2020) Dir: Kim Yong-hoon
Bedevilled (2010) Dir: Jang Cheol-Su (4/5)
Behind the Camera (2013) Dir: E J-Yong (4/5)
Berlin File, The (2013) Dir: Ryoo Seung-Wan (3/5)
Bittersweet Life, A (2005) Dir: Kim Jee-Woon (5/5)
Broken (2014) Dir: Lee Jung-Ho (4/5)
Company Man, A (2012) Dir: Lim Sang-Yoon (3/5)
Death Bell (2008) Dir: Chang (3.5/5)
Desire to Kill (aka Enemy at the Dead End) (2010) Dir: Owen Cho, Kim Sang-Hwa (4.5/5)
Doll Master, The (2004) Dir: Lee Myung-se (2.5/5)
Duelist (2005) Dir: Lee Myung-se (4/5)
Flu, The (2013) Dir: Kim Sung-Su (4/5)
Gangster, The Cop, The Devil, The 악인전 (2019) Dir: Lee Won-Tae
Han Gong-Ju (2013) Dir: Lee Sujin (4/5)
I Saw the Devil (2010) Dir: Kim Jee-Woon (4.5/5)
Kick the Moon (2001) Dir: Kim Sang-Jin (4/5)
Lucky Chan-sil 찬실이는 복도 많지 (2019) South Korea Dir: Kim Cho-hee
Maggie 메기 (2018) Dir: Yi Ok-seop
Man From Nowhere, The (2010) Dir: Lee Jeong-beom (3.5/5)
Memento Mori (1999) Dir: Kim Tae-Yong, Min Kyu-Dong (5/5)
Mother (2009) Dir: Bong Joon-Ho (4/5)
Night Working 夜間勤務 (2017) Dir: Kim Jung-eun
Our Sunhi (2013) Dir: Hong Sang-Soo (4/5)
Petty Romance (2010) Dir: Kim Jeong-Hoon (4.5/5)
Poetry (2010) Dir: Lee Chang-Dong (5/5)
Public Enemy (2002) Dir: Kang Woo-suk
Quiet Family, The (1998) Dir: Kim Jee-woon (5/5)
Seoul Station 서울역 (2016) Dir: Yeon Sang-Ho
Thieves, The (2012) Dir: Choi Dong-Hun (3/5)
Thirst (2010) Dir: Park Chan-Wook
Train to Busan 부산행 (2016) Dir: Yeon Sang-Ho
Way Back Home 비밀의 정원 (2019) Dir: Park Sun-joo
Whispering Corridors (1998) Dir: Park Ki-Hyeong (4.5/5)
Wishing Stairs (2003) Dir: Yun Jae-Yeon (3.5/5)
Voice, The (2005) Dir: Choi Ik-Hwan (4.5/5)
12 Years a Slave (2013) US Dir: Steve McQueen (5/5)
2 Days in New York (2012) FRA Dir: Julie Delpy (4/5)
4,3,2,1 (2010) UK Dir: Noel Clarke
47 Ronin (2013) US Dir: Carl Erik Rinsch (2.5/5)
Adventures of Tintin: Secret of the Unicorn 3D, The (2011) UK/US Dir: Steven Spielberg (4/5)
Ad Astra (2019) USA Dir: James Gray
Alice in Wonderland 3D (2010) UK/US Dir: Tim Burton
All is Lost (2013) US Dir: J.C. Chandor (3.5/5)
Artist, The (2012) FRA Dir: Michel Hazanavicus (4/5)
Astro Boy (2010) HK/JP/UK Dir: David Bowers
Attack the Block (2011) UK Dir: Joe Cornish
Avatar (2009) US Dir: James Cameron
A Yellow Bird (2016), Singapore, Dir: K Rajagopal
Back to the Future (1985) US Dir: Robert Zemeckis
Bad Lieutenant Port of Call: New Orleans, The (2010) US Dir: Werner Herzog
Belle (2013) UK Dir: Amma Asante (4/5)
Best of Youth La meglio gioventù, The, (2003) ITA Dir: Mario Tullio Giodarna
Birdshot (2016) Philippines Dir: Mikhail Red, Philippines, Mikhail Red
Black Death (2010) UK Dir: Christopher Smith
Black Swan (2011) US Dir: Darren Aronofsky
Blue Ruin (2013) US Dir: Jeremy Saulnier (4.5/5)
Book of Eli, The (2010) US Dir: The Hughes Brothers
Bulbul Can Sing (2018) India Dir: Rima Das
Carnage (2012) FRA/US Dir: Roman Polanski (3/5)
Cabin in the Woods, The (2012) US Dir: Drew Goddard (5/5)
Cave of Forgotten Dreams 3D (2011) FRA/GER Dir: Werner Herzog
Certified Copy (2010) FRA Dir: Abbas Kiarostami
Chico and Rita (2010) ESP/UK Dir: Fernando Trueba, Javier Mariscal and Tono Errando
Cold in July (2014) US Dir: Jim Mickle (4/5)
Conjuring, The (2013) US Dir: James Wan (4/5)
Crossing, The (2018) China Dir: Bai Xue
Drive (2011) US Dir: Nicolas Winding Refn (4.5/5)
Due Date (2010) US Dir: Todd Phillips
Edge of Tomorrow (2014) US Dir: Doug Liman (4/5)
Eternity Between Seconds, The (2018) Dir: Alec Figuracion
Fair Game (2011) US Dir: Doug Liman
Four Lions (2010) UK Dir: Chris Morris
Gainsbourg – Vie Heroique (2010) FRA Dir: Joann Sfar
Garden of Evening Mists, The 夕霧花園 (2019) Malaysia Dir: Tom Lin
Ghost, The (2010) UK/US Dir: Roman Polanski
Gift, The (2015) Dir: Joel Edgerton (4/5)
Girl and the Gun, The (2019) Philippines Dir: Rae Red
Girl with the Dragon Tattoo, The (2010) SWE Dir: Niels Arden Oplev
Godzilla (2014) US Dir: Gareth Edwards (4/5)
Green Zone (2010) US/UK Dir: Paul Greengrass
Guest, The (2014) US Dir: Adam Wingard (4.5/5)
Hana (2018) Japan/South Korea Dir: Mai Nakanishi
Happy Old Year (2019) Thailand Dir: Nawapol Thamrongrattanarit
Haywire (2012) US Dir: Steven Soderbergh (4/5)
Heavy Craving 大餓 (2019) Taiwan Dir: Hsieh Pei-ju
I Am Love (aka Io Sono L’Amore) (2010) ITA Dir: Luca Guadagnino
I Am Not Madame Bovary (2016) CHN Dir: Xiaogang Feng
Inception (2010) US/UK Dir: Christopher Nolan
Insidious (2011) US Dir: James Wan
Insidious Chapter 2 (2013) US Dir: James Wan (3.5/5)
Irma Vep (1995) FRA Dir: Olivier Assayas (5/5)
Jane Eyre (2011) UK/US Dir: Cary Joji Fukunaga
John Carpenter’s The Ward (2011) US Dir: John Carpenter
Kick Ass (2010) UK/US Dir: Matthew Vaughn
Kids Are All Right, The (2010) US Dir: Lisa Cholodenko
King’s Speech, The (2011) UK Dir: Tom Hooper
Leaving (2010) FRA Dir: Catherine Corsini
Let Me In (2010) UK/US Dir: Matt Reeves
London Assurance (2011) UK Dir: Nicholas Hytner
Melancholia (2011) DEN/SWE/FRA Dir: Lars von Trier
Miss Andy 迷失安狄 (2019) Malaysia-Taiwan Dir: Teddy Chin
Monsters (2010) UK/US Dir: Gareth Edwards
Monty Python’s He’s Not the Messiah (He’s a Very Naughty Boy) (2010) UK Dir: Aubrey Powell
Museum Hours (2013) US/AUT Dir: Jem Cohen
My Prince Edward (2019) Hong Kong Dir: Norris Wong
Nightcrawler (2014) US – Dir: Dan Gilroy
Nosferatu the Vampyre (1979) W GER/FRA Dir: Werner Herzog
Once Upon a Time in… Hollywood (2019) US Dir: Quentin Tarantino
Pacific Rim (2013) US Dir: Guillermo del Toro (4/5)
Please Give (2010) US Dir: Nicole Holofcener
Poetic Voices (1960s) Taiwan Dir: Various
Pontypool (2009) CAN Dir: Bruce McDonald
Prometheus (2012) US/UK Dir: Ridley Scott
Prophet, A (2009) FRA Dir: Jacques Audiard
Red Light Revolution (2012) CHN Dir: Sam Voutas
Resident Evil Afterlife in 3D (2010) US Dir: Paul WS Anderson
Revenge: A Love Story (2011) HK Dir: Wong Ching Po (3/5)
Ruined Heart: Another Love Story Between a Criminal and a Whore (2014) Philippines Dir: Khavn
Salt (2010) US Dir: Philip Noyce
Sake-Bomb (2013) US/JP Dir: Junya Sakino (3/5)
Sally Potter’s Rage US Dir: Sally Potter
Scott Pilgrim vs. the World (2010) US Dir: Edgar Wright
Secret in their Eyes, The (2010) ARG Dir: Juan Jose Campanella
Shame (2012) UK Dir: Steve McQueen (5/5)
Sherlock Holmes (2010) UK/US Dir: Guy Ritchie
Shutter Island (2010) US Dir: Martin Scorsese
Skin I Live In, The (2011) ESP Dir: Pedro Almodóvar
Skyfall (2012) UK/US/JP Dir: Sam Mendes (5/5)
Social Network, The (2010) US Dir: David Fincher
Somewhere (2010) US Dir: Sofia Coppola
Source Code (2011) US Dir: Duncan Jones
Spinal Tap, This is (1984) US Dir: Rob Reiner
Stake Land (2011) US Dir: Jim Mickle
Still Human 淪落人 (2018) Hong Kong Dir: Oliver Siu Kuen Chan
Submarine (2011) UK Dir: Richard Ayoade
Sucker Punch (2011) US Dir: Zack Snyder
Tam Cam: The Untold Story (2016), Vietnam, Dir: Veronica Ngo
Three Musketeers 3D, The (2011) UK/US Dir: Paul WS Anderson
Tinker, Tailor, Soldier, Spy (2011) UK Dir: Tomas Alfredson
True Grit (2011) US Dir: Joel & Ethan Coen
Up in the Air (2010) US Dir: Jason Reitman
Unstoppable (2010) US Dir: Tony Scott
Vulgaria (2012) HK Dir: Pang Ho-Cheung (4/5)
Warrior’s Way, The (2010) AUS/KOR Dir: Sngmoo Lee
We Are What We Are (2010) MEX Dir: Jorge Michel Grau
Winter’s Bone (2010) US Dir: Debra Granik
Woman in Black, The (2012) UK Dir: James Watkins (5/5)
World War Z (2013) US/UK Dir: Marc Foster (3.5/5)
You’re Next (2013) US Dir: Adam Wingard (4/5)
Your Name Engraved Herein 刻在你心底的名字 (2020) Taiwan Dir: Liu Kuang-hui
Haven`t you seen any Imamura’s film?
This is just a list of film reviews I’ve posted on this blog. I’ve seen many films from the Golden Age and New Wave directors from Japan (Ozu, Kurosawa, Mizoguchi, Oshima, Imamura) and many more by ’90s directors (Kitano, Ishii, Shimizu) but most haven’t been reviewed yet. I’ve got quite a few reviews in the draft stage with Gifs and Jpgs ready to roll.
As for Imamura, my favourite is Warm Water Under a Red Bridge:
Terrible looking trailer… I know it’s one of his tamer ones but I like it a lot!!!
I’m glad to read that, well you’ve hit the target, cause Warm water is my favourite too.
It’s original, funny and with chemistry between the couple.
Great to meet another fan! I have it on VHS and DVD. I’ll get around to reviewing it at some point!