High Kick Girl (2009) May 24, 2009
Posted by ayasawada in Film.Tags: Film, Japan, Karate
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“The Japanese Karate Kid” was how this was billed, the other film I went to see at the Terracotta Festival. High Kick Girl is DV shot, low-budget and pretty much what you’d expect: high on action, low on plot, acting and drama. But it never pretends to be anything other than a all-action B-movie, and delivers all you could want on that account.
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Bi-mong (Dream) (2008) May 24, 2009
Posted by ayasawada in Film.Tags: Film, Kim Ki-Duk, Korean movie
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I caught Kim-Ki Duk’s latest at the Terracotta Far East film festival, which took place in London this weekend. Having enjoyed the likes of 3-Iron and Spring, Summer. Autumn Winter… and Spring I was really looking forward to this. While I certainly wasn’t disappointed per se, I was left rather confused. But perhaps that is because of the very nature of the film, blending reality and dreams to the point where you’re not sure what’s ‘real’ and what isn’t.
The story follows Jin, a Japanese artist living in Japan, who’s been having disturbingly vivid dreams. Mysteriously, he finds that these dreams are being acted out by Korean hemstress Ran. The two are on opposite ends of a spectrum, jin still in love with his ex-girlfriend and Ran having just dumped a boyfriend she can’t stand. Their dreams are connected, the reason for which is unclear.
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20th Century Boys Chapter 2 (2009) May 11, 2009
Posted by ayasawada in Film, Manga.Tags: 20th Century Boys, Film, naoki urasawa
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Last Monday, the second movie in the 20th Century Boys live-action trilogy received its UK premiere as the closing film of the Sci-Fi London Film Festival. I can’t tell you how excited I was about seeing it. After watching the first part back in November, I’d been eagerly awaiting the next installment and feared that the usual slow Japan to UK transfer would mean waiting a year for the second and third parts (if they appeared at all). Since then, the trilogy has been picked up for UK DVD release and Viz have finally started releasing the graphic novels. Relief all round for Naoki Urasawa fans. ^^
So how about the second movie? Well, it certainly had me on the edge of my seat throughout, if only because I really wanted to know what happened next. I did enjoy the film but, on first impressions, I also found it a little disappointing. But that shouldn’t take away from what is still a fabulously enjoyable film.
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Tengen Toppa Gurren Lagann the movie: Gurren-hen May 9, 2009
Posted by ayasawada in Anime.Tags: Anime, GAINAX, Gurren Lagann
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I watched the first Gurren Lagann movie the other night and it’s worth a quick post. Largely, it’s just an edit down of the first half of the TV series, but there are some changes to note.
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