Japan

The Neglected Politicism of Yasujiro Ozu’s TOKYO STORY
The Neglected Politicism of Yasujiro Ozu’s TOKYO STORY

Released just one year after the end of the American occupation of Japan, Tokyo Story obliquely reflects on the changes that came over the country.

WHEN A WOMAN ASCENDS THE STAIRS: A Prescient Examination of Post-War Japan
WHEN A WOMAN ASCENDS THE STAIRS: A Prescient Examination Of Post-War Japan

Far from being moth-balled and prosaic, When a Woman Ascends The Stairs beats with the most devastating of lifebloods.

SONATINE: A Deconstruction Of The Yakuza Genre
SONATINE: A Deconstruction Of The Yakuza Genre

Sonatine, Takeshi Kitano’s riff off the Yakuza genre, helped him gain an audience outside of his native Japan. Read our review to learn more.

The Beginner’s Guide: Yasujiro Ozu, Director

Read our beginner’s guide highlighting the career of film director Yasujiro Ozu, a must-see for cinema fans due to his quintessentially Japanese images.

Venice International Film Festival 2019: THE TRUTH (LA VÉRITÉ)
Venice Film Festival 2019: THE TRUTH (LA VÉRITÉ)

Despite excellent performances from Binoche and Deneuve, Koreeda’s The Truth is rather more conventionally dull.

TORA-SAN, OUR LOVABLE TRAMP: One of Japan's Nostalgic Keepsakes
TORA-SAN, OUR LOVABLE TRAMP: One Of Japan’s Nostalgic Keepsakes

Tora-san is one of Japan’s national treasures running roughshod over the nation’s norms while still functioning as a lovable reminder of bygone times.

Why Is Godzilla King Of The Monsters?
Why Is Godzilla King Of The Monsters?

We look back at the history of Godzilla, starting in the 1954 Japanese film, and why the character has had a lasting impact all these years later.

Revisiting Godzilla & His Foes
Revisiting Godzilla & His Foes

Six short reviews for six Godzilla films that give a solid exploration of Godzilla and his major foes. But that’s just the tip of the iceberg.

G-SAVIOUR: A Japanese TV Special Made In Canada
G-SAVIOUR: A Japanese TV Special Made In Canada

As a live-action Gundam movie, this was very ambitious, but not quite the special many of the Gundam fans were hoping for.

OKKO’S INN: A Youthful & Endearing Look At Grief
OKKO’S INN: A Youthful & Endearing Look At Grief

Like Miyazaki, Kosaika focuses on growth as a result of loss and ties it with the spiritual and fantasy world in Okko’s Inn.

ROBOTECH: THE MOVIE: When Cannon Tried Anime
ROBOTECH: THE MOVIE: When Cannon Tried Anime

Cannon Films attempted to get into the animation market in 1986 – and the result was a hated film that remains out of print to this day.

BEFORE WE VANISH: Alien Invasion With A Twist

Before We Vanish is always working in two dimensions at the same time: it’s gross and funny, incisive as a work of modern commentary and blunt as a dozen hammers.

ONE CUT OF THE DEAD: Zombies Bite Back On Blu-Ray
ONE CUT OF THE DEAD: Zombies Bite Back On Blu-Ray

 Proving the undead ain’t quite dead just yet, One Cut of the Dead remind us that even though some ideas might sound generic or overworked, it’s ultimately up to the execution

GODZILLA - THE PLANET EATER: A Big Monster With a Small Bite
GODZILLA: THE PLANET EATER: A Big Monster With A Small Bite

The conclusion to the animated trilogy, Godzilla: The Planet Eater, is as flawed and unsatisfying as the previous entries – and it might be the dullest of the bunch too.

Anime's Mainstream Moment: Past, Present, and Speculation
Anime’s Mainstream Moment: Past, Present & Speculation

As anime becomes increasingly mainstream in the west, Film Inquiry’s Christina Tucker examines the past and potential future of the genre.