Godzilla 2000 (1999)
Aug 26, 2000Japanese Monster Bash
The 23rd Godzilla film where the effects were at such a peak for the genre that this became the first Godzilla film to be given a US theatrical release in fifteen years
Naomi Nishida
The Happiness of the Katakuris (2001)
May 5, 2007Gonzo Black Comedy
Completely madcap film from Takashi Miike, a black comedy about a family who run a guesthouse where the guests keep dying. This comes replete with musical numbers and Claymation sequences
Library Wars (2013)
Dec 30, 2015Future War Between Libraries and Censors
Fahrenheit 451-esque work set in a future where libraries have to create private armies to defend themselves from the highly militarised forces of censorship. I had some major problems with the credibility of the social scenario but this Japanese Young Adult film works rather well on screen
The Complex (2013)
Feb 7, 2017Japanese Ghost Story/Haunted Apartment
Hideo Nakata will always be known as the director of the original Ring. Here he revisits the kaidan eiga in the story of a haunted apartment but the show falls apart after a confusing Sixth Sense-type twist mid-film
Re/Member (2022)
Jan 25, 2024Timeloop Horror Film
A Japanese-made variant on the oft-used Groundhog Day timeloop theme that pushes things well into horror movie territory