Local Movie Reviews

Once upon a time I used to review just about everything that came down the pike -- the good, the bad and the stupid. Now I've narrowed the focus a bit and try to review movies that reflect my interests a little more closely, with the occasional left-field item thrown in for fun.

You can browse an alphabetical or chronological archive of this category.

If you're curious about the order in which entries were added (for instance, to catch up with older articles only now being migrated in), you can browse by article order.

Total entries in this category: 415

Picaresque [2012/02/20]
No Longer Human / Ningen Shikkaku (2010) [2012/02/19]
Helldriver [2012/02/08]
United Red Army [2012/02/05]
Sucker Punch [2011/09/02]
Goemon [2011/07/04]
Tetsuo: The Bulletman [2011/07/01]
Technotise (Edit I Ja) [Edit and I] [2011/04/24]
Ong Bak 3 [2011/03/11]
Enter the Void [2011/02/06]
Burning Paradise [2011/01/15]
A Woman Called Sada Abe [2011/01/13]
Smithereens [2011/01/12]
Absolute Beginners [2011/01/11]
Sada [2011/01/10]
Sukeban Deka 2: Counter-Attack of the Kazama Sisters [2011/01/09]
Confucius [2010/11/27]
The Last Princess (The Hidden Fortress (2009)) [2010/11/24]
Centurion [2010/11/20]
Sakuran [2010/09/28]
Shutter Island [2010/09/21]
Suicide Manual [2010/09/09]
Yatterman [2010/09/01]
Pleasures of the Flesh [2010/08/29]
Space Is The Place [2010/08/28]
MW [2010/08/26]
Barking Dogs Never Bite [2010/08/26]
Besos de Gato (Cat Kisses) [2010/08/21]
Max Headroom [2010/08/11]
Mother [2010/07/24]
Tsubaki Sanjuro (2008) [2010/07/24]
Kantoku Banzai (Glory to the Filmmaker) [2010/06/28]
Freesia [2010/06/06]
Queen's Blade [2010/06/03]
Yakuza: Like A Dragon [2010/06/01]
K-20: Fiend With Twenty Faces [2010/05/29]
Heaven's Door [2010/05/22]
Ponyo [2010/05/12]
Long Dream [2010/05/10]
Samurai Chicks [2010/04/30]
Ninja Assassin [2010/04/28]
High Kick Girl! [2010/04/28]
Stormy Night (Arashi no yoru ni) [2010/04/26]
Battle Heater [2010/04/25]
Sorcerer (1977) [2010/04/12]
Tebana Sankichi: Snot Rocket and Super Detective [2010/04/12]
Big Man Japan [2010/04/08]
Battle Girl: Living Dead In Tokyo Bay [2010/04/08]
Thirst [2010/04/06]
Astro-Boy (2009) [2010/04/03]
The Hurt Locker [2010/03/31]
The Rebirth [2010/03/24]
Black Kiss [2010/03/21]
Moon Child [2010/03/14]
Black House (Korea) [2010/03/12]
Hundred Stories (Kousetsu Hyaku Monogatari: Kowai) [2010/02/24]
Black Dynamite [2010/02/22]
The Face of Another [2010/02/18]
Doubles [2010/02/14]
Onimasa [2010/02/13]
Ong Bak 2 [2010/02/04]
Divide [2010/01/31]
Departures [2010/01/30]
Lost By Dead [2010/01/22]
Ōoku (The Inner Chambers) [2010/01/15]
The Young Murderer (Seishun no satsujin sha) [2010/01/12]
District 9 [2010/01/01]
Princess [2009/12/28]
Sayonara Jupiter [2009/12/13]
Memories [2009/12/12]
Zoo [2009/11/27]
The Astonishing Work of Tezuka Osamu [2009/11/27]
Crazy Lips [2009/11/25]
Samurai Princess [2009/11/12]
The Black House [2009/11/05]
Sword of the Stranger [2009/11/03]
X-Cross [2009/11/02]
Blood: The Last Vampire (2009) [2009/10/27]
Jungle Emperor Leo [2009/10/23]
Makai Tenshō (2003) (Samurai Resurrection) [2009/10/23]
The Most Terrible Time In My Life [2009/10/23]
The World Sinks Except Japan [2009/10/14]
Crows Zero [2009/10/09]
Monster X: Attack the G8 Summit [2009/10/07]
Toward the Terra (1980) [2009/10/02]
Blade of the Immortal [2009/10/02]
The Midnight Meat Train [2009/09/30]
The Rug Cop [2009/09/29]
Unlucky Monkey [2009/09/29]
Onéchambara: Bikini Samurai Squad [2009/09/24]
Samurai School: Be A Man! [2009/09/23]
Empire of Passion [2009/09/20]
Executive Koala [2009/09/20]
Space Travelers [2009/09/15]
Killing Machine [2009/09/14]
Merry Christmas, Mr. Lawrence [2009/09/12]
Yo-Yo Girl Cop (Sukeban Deka) [2009/09/12]
I Am an S&M Writer [2009/09/01]
Genghis Khan: To the Ends of the Earth and Sea [2009/08/30]
Chameleon Street [2009/08/02]
Away With Words (Kujaku) (San tiao ren) [2009/07/31]
Big Bang Love, Juvenile A [2009/07/13]
Tokyo Decadence [2009/07/13]
Maiko haaaan!!! [2009/07/04]
Kaidan [2009/07/03]
Tokyo Rampage [2009/06/29]
Kao (Face) [2009/06/29]
Kairo (Pulse) (Signal) [2009/06/21]
Bright Future [2009/06/21]
Charisma [2009/06/21]
Doppelganger [2009/06/21]
Retribution [2009/06/21]
Cure [2009/06/21]
Eraserhead [2009/06/19]
Sway (Yureru) [2009/06/01]
Tokyo Zombie [2009/05/30]
Late Bloomer (Osoi Hito) [2009/05/29]
Geisha Vs. Ninjas / Geisha Assassin [2009/05/28]
In the Realm of the Senses [2009/05/17]
Ghost in the Shell: Stand Alone Complex 2nd GiG [2009/05/15]
Ghost in the Shell: Stand Alone Complex [2009/05/15]
Bashing [2009/03/27]
White Dog [2009/01/22]
Sukiyaki Western Django [2009/01/19]
Tokyo Gore Police [2009/01/14]
Carnival in the Night [2009/01/12]
Gegege no Kitaro [2009/01/04]
Nightmare Detective [2008/12/24]
Blade Runner [2008/12/13]
Death Trance [2008/11/10]
The Happiness of the Katakuris [2008/10/30]
Sukeban Boy [2008/10/11]
Horrors of Malformed Men [2008/10/04]
Doomsday [2008/09/13]
Pyrokinesis (Cross Fire) [2008/09/13]
Karaoke Terror [2008/09/12]
Machine Girl [2008/07/03]
Violent Cop [2008/06/12]
Sunshine [2008/01/19]
Time [2007/11/11]
DOA: Dead or Alive [2007/11/11]
Scrap Heaven [2007/10/12]
The Woods [2007/10/10]
The Fountain [2007/10/10]
The Accidental Tourist [2007/10/10]
Ghost in the Shell: Solid State Society [2007/09/11]
The Mystery of Rampo [2007/09/09]
The Host [2007/08/08]
if.... [2007/08/08]
Pan's Labyrinth [2007/07/07]
Kinamand (Chinaman) [2007/07/07]
Ashura [2007/06/06]
The Emperor's Naked Army Marches On [2007/06/06]
The Last King of Scotland [2007/06/06]
Sansho the Bailiff [2007/06/06]
Performance [2007/05/05]
The Glamorous Life of Sachiko Hanai [2007/05/05]
Dora-heita [2007/05/05]
Children of Men [2007/05/05]
Train Man (Densha Otoko) [2007/05/05]
Grass Labyrinth [2007/04/16]
Limbo [2007/04/04]
Moon over Tao [2007/04/04]
The Edukators [2007/04/04]
Casino Royale [2007/03/22]
Kaidohmaru [2007/03/03]
When a Woman Ascends the Stairs [2007/03/03]
Baian the Assassin [2007/03/03]
Rainbow Kids [2007/02/02]
The Red Spectacles [2007/02/02]
Harmagedon (Genma Taisen) [2007/02/02]
Last Quarter [2007/02/02]
Blind Beast Vs. Killer Dwarf [2007/01/29]
Vampire Hunter D: Bloodlust [2007/01/01]
Yaji and Kita: The Midnight Pilgrims [2007/01/01]
The Great Yokai War [2006/12/12]
Ninja Resurrection [2006/12/12]
Manji [2006/12/12]
Why Does Herr R. Run Amok? [2006/12/12]
Karas: The Prophecy [2006/11/11]
Trinity Blood [2006/11/11]
Mikadroid: Robokill Beneath Discoclub Layla [2006/11/11]
Lethal Force [2006/11/11]
Rampo Noir (Rampo Jigoku) [2006/11/11]
Shinobi: Heart Under Blade [2006/11/11]
Otogi-Zoshi [2006/11/11]
Dead End Run [2006/10/10]
Vibrator [2006/10/10]
Neji-shiki (Screwed) [2006/10/10]
United 93 [2006/10/10]
The Hidden Blade [2006/09/09]
UltraViolet [2006/09/09]
Cowboy Bebop [2006/09/09]
Caché (Hidden) [2006/09/09]
V for Vendetta [2006/09/09]
Blood: The Last Vampire (2001) [2006/09/09]
SARS Wars: Bangkok Zombie Crisis [2006/08/16]
Shadowless Sword [2006/08/08]
Brothers (Brødre) [2006/08/08]
Cromartie High: The Movie [2006/08/08]
Neighbor #13 [2006/08/08]
Ki-Rei? Terror of Beauty [2006/08/08]
Secret Garden (Himitsu no Hanazono) [2006/07/07]
Tetsujin 28 [2006/07/07]
SPL (Sha Po Lang) (Kill Zone) [2006/07/07]
Cromartie High School [2006/07/07]
Running on Karma [2006/07/07]
Jigoku (Hell) [2006/06/06]
Time of the Wolf (Le Temps du Loup) [2006/06/06]
The Last Unicorn [2006/06/06]
Burst City [2006/06/06]
Birdy the Mighty [2006/05/05]
War in Space [2006/05/05]
Eijanaika [2006/05/05]
Address Unknown [2006/05/05]
The Bow [2006/05/05]
The President's Last Bang [2006/04/04]
The Samurai Trilogy [2006/04/04]
Final Fantasy VII: Advent Children [2006/04/04]
Goyokin [2006/04/04]
Samurai Champloo [2006/04/04]
The Constant Gardener [2006/04/04]
Portrait of Hell [2006/04/04]
Ratcatcher [2006/03/03]
Tenjho Tenge [2006/03/03]
The Coast Guard [2006/03/03]
Umberto D. [2006/03/03]
Kaze no Yojimbo [2006/03/03]
Aimless Bullet (Stray Bullet) (Obaltan) [2006/03/03]
Tony Takitani [2006/02/02]
Breaking News [2006/02/02]
Giant Robo [2006/02/02]
Memories of Murder [2006/02/02]
Yamakasi [2006/02/02]
Kamikaze Girls [2006/02/02]
The Brother From Another Planet [2006/02/02]
Le Portrait de Petite Cossette [2006/01/02]
Vital [2006/01/01]
A Time to Live and A Time to Die [2006/01/01]
Taro the Dragon Boy [2006/01/01]
Morvern Callar [2006/01/01]
Harakiri (Seppuku) [2006/01/01]
Lady Vengeance (Sympathy for Lady Vengeance) [2006/01/01]
Cutey Honey (2004) [2006/01/01]
The Bad Sleep Well [2006/01/01]
A Bittersweet Life [2005/12/21]
Record of Lodoss War [2005/12/12]
Berserk [2005/12/03]
Seven Swords [2005/11/12]
Samurai Rebellion [2005/11/11]
Sword of the Beast [2005/11/11]
To-ri [2005/11/11]
Ugetsu [2005/11/11]
Pom Poko [2005/10/10]
Pretty Poison [2005/10/10]
Izo [2005/10/10]
Neo-Tokyo [2005/10/10]
Wonder Boys [2005/10/10]
Batman Begins [2005/10/10]
Kill! [2005/10/10]
Initial D [2005/10/10]
Red Lion [2005/09/09]
Paranoia Agent [2005/09/09]
Layer Cake [2005/09/09]
Nobody Knows [2005/09/09]
Battlefield Baseball [2005/09/04]
Swords of Vengeance [2005/08/08]
Woman is the Future of Man [2005/08/08]
A Tree of Palme [2005/08/07]
Another Lonely Hitman [2005/07/08]
Rōnin-gai (Street of Samurai) [2005/07/07]
Samurai Banners [2005/07/07]
Onibi: The Fire Within [2005/07/07]
On the Occasion of Remembering the Turning Gate [2005/07/07]
Mind Game [2005/07/07]
Real Fiction [2005/06/06]
Samurai Assassin [2005/06/06]
Love Song For Rapper [2005/06/06]
Three-Iron (3-Iron) (Binjip) [2005/06/06]
Rock & Rule [2005/06/06]
Immortal (ad vitam) [2005/06/06]
Cat Soup [2005/06/06]
Primer [2005/05/05]
Samaria [2005/05/05]
Twenty-Four Hour Party People [2005/05/05]
Oasis [2005/04/04]
Kagemusha [2005/04/04]
Naked [2005/04/04]
Nausicaa of the Valley of the Wind [2005/03/16]
Ghost in the Shell 2: Innocence [2005/03/06]
About Schmidt [2005/03/03]
Blues Harp [2005/03/03]
Sword of Doom [2005/03/02]
Shall We Dance? [2005/02/05]
Sengoku Jietai (G.I. Samurai / Time Slip) [2005/02/02]
Ninja Wars (Iga ninpoucho) [2005/02/02]
New Police Story [2005/02/02]
The Cat Returns [2005/02/02]
Tokyo: The Last Megalopolis [2005/02/02]
Rubber's Lover [2005/01/03]
9 Souls [2005/01/01]
Bring Me the Head of Alfredo Garcia [2004/12/12]
Yojimbo [2004/12/12]
The Sea Is Watching [2004/12/12]
Hiruko The Goblin [2004/12/12]
The Nest (Nid de guêpes) [2004/12/11]
When the Last Sword is Drawn (Mibu Gishi Den) [2004/12/10]
Gozu [2004/11/28]
Casshern [2004/11/14]
Geroppa! (Get Up!) [2004/11/11]
Alien³ [2004/11/11]
Onmyōji II [2004/11/11]
Alive [2004/11/11]
Lemora: A Child's Tale of the Supernatural [2004/10/10]
Young Thugs: Nostalgia [2004/10/10]
Dead Leaves [2004/10/04]
Living Hell [2004/09/09]
The Punisher [2004/09/09]
We're Going to Eat You [2004/09/09]
The Black Cauldron [2004/09/09]
Junkers Come Here [2004/09/09]
Junk [2004/09/09]
A Snake of June [2004/08/28]
Azumi [2004/08/09]
Party 7 [2004/08/08]
Shogun's Samurai: The Yagyū Clan Conspiracy [2004/08/08]
Ley Lines [2004/08/08]
At kende sandheden (Facing The Truth) [2004/08/08]
Witch Hunter Robin [2004/08/08]
The Apple [2004/08/08]
Better Luck Tomorrow [2004/08/03]
Ninja Scroll: The Series [2004/07/07]
Angel's Egg (Tenshi no Tamago) [2004/07/07]
Makai Tenshō (Samurai Reincarnation) (1981) [2004/07/07]
Haibane Renmei [2004/07/07]
Blue Spring [2004/06/06]
Oldboy [2004/05/05]
Battle Royale II: Requiem [2004/05/04]
Natural City [2004/04/04]
Throw Away Your Books, Let's Go Out into the Streets [2004/04/04]
Battle Royale [2004/04/04]
Yesterday [2004/04/04]
Tokyo Godfathers [2004/04/04]
Dogura Magura [2004/04/02]
The Pornographers [2004/03/14]
Funeral Procession of Roses (Bara no Soretsu) [2004/03/03]
Zatōichi [2004/03/03]
Ong-Bak [2004/02/22]
Osamu Tezuka's Metropolis [2004/02/02]
Chihwaseon [2004/02/02]
Alien [2004/01/20]
Dune (1984) [2004/01/01]
Maborosi [2003/12/27]
Twilight Samurai [2003/12/12]
The Big Lebowski [2003/11/11]
Le samouraï [2003/10/20]
Save the Green Planet! [2003/10/10]
28 Days Later [2003/10/10]
Wild Zero [2003/10/10]
The Adventures of Robin Hood [2003/10/10]
Russian Ark [2003/09/15]
Pink Floyd The Wall [2003/09/12]
Take Care of My Cat [2003/09/09]
Brimstone & Treacle [2003/09/09]
Wonderful Days [2003/09/09]
Onmyōji [2003/08/21]
Irreversible [2003/08/08]
All About Lily Chou-Chou [2003/08/08]
Satomi Hakkenden [2003/08/08]
Owls' Castle [2003/08/04]
Resurrection of the Little Match Girl [2003/07/07]
Ali: Fear Eats the Soul [2003/07/07]
Vengeance Is Mine [2003/06/09]
Kwaidan [2003/06/06]
The Animatrix [2003/06/06]
The Eye [2003/06/06]
Castle in the Sky [2003/05/07]
The Isle [2003/05/05]
Adrenaline Drive [2003/05/05]
Uzumaki [2003/05/05]
Kiki's Delivery Service [2003/04/04]
Vidocq [2003/04/04]
Rebels of the Neon God [2003/04/01]
Ran (Criterion Remaster) [2003/03/03]
Akira Kurosawa's Dreams [2003/03/03]
Bullet Ballet [2003/03/03]
Sympathy for Mr. Vengeance [2003/02/22]
Mysterious Object at Noon [2003/02/16]
Angel Dust (Enjeru Dasuto) [2003/01/01]
Spirited Away [2002/12/10]
Avalon [2002/11/27]
The Eel [2002/11/11]
Ichi the Killer (Koroshiya ichi) [2002/10/10]
The Brotherhood of the Wolf [2002/10/10]
Koyaanisqatsi [2002/09/23]
Versus [2002/09/09]
JSA (Joint Security Area) [2002/08/08]
Whasango (Volcano High) [2002/08/08]
Chaos (Kaosu) [2002/08/08]
The Man Who Stole The Sun [2002/07/07]
Sakuya Yokaidan [2002/07/07]
Legend [2002/05/05]
Jin-Roh: The Wolf Brigade [2002/04/04]
Salò: or the 120 Days of Sodom [2002/03/06]
Rashōmon [2002/03/03]
Akira [2002/03/03]
Zipang [2002/02/02]
Gojoe (Gojoe reisen-ki / Gojoe: Spirit War Chronicle) [2002/01/01]
The Hunted [2001/12/29]
Kikujiro [2001/12/02]
Mishima: A Life In Four Chapters [2001/09/02]
Princess Mononoke (Mononoke-hime) [2001/08/14]
Gohatto (Taboo) [2000/12/12]
Gemini [2000/11/11]

Previous entries in this category:
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