You Only Live Twice: tired and formulaic film shouldn’t have lived even once
Lewis Gilbert, “You Only Live Twice” (1967) By the time this, the fifth film in the James Bond spy movie franchise, came along for the blockbuster…
Japanese Films
Reviews of films from Japan.
Japanese Films, North American Films
Minamata: a solid film on the power of image as social activism
Andrew Levitas, “Minamata” (2020) In these times when fake news and deliberate disinformation are the norm in mainstream news media, here comes a very welcome, solid…
Senga Tsubo: a tale within a tale about gratitude and returning favours
Sanae Yamamoto, “Senga Tsubo” (1925) Said to be the first animated film commission by the Ministry of Education in Japan back in 1925, this 16-minute short…
A folk tale with a moral in “Kyoiku senga: Ubasuteyama”
Sanae Yamamoto, “Kyoiku senga: Ubasuteyama” (1925) A restored animation, “Ubasuteyama” is based on a traditional Japanese folk-tale as so many animated films made in Japan in…
Tora-chan no Makan Mushi: warning children to behave well at work
Kenzo Masaoka, “Tora-chan no Makan Mushi” (1950) In the last cartoon to feature Tora-chan (Little Tiger) and his friend Miike-chan, the two kittens have grown up…
Tora-chan to Hanayome: family friction in a crude slapstick cartoon
Kenzo Masaoka, “Tora-chan to Hanayome” (1948) The last three animated films made by Kenzo Masaoka revolved around the adventures of the kitten Tora-chan (Little Tiger). The…
Suteneko Tora-chan: a charming and graceful film on the plight of war orphans and keeping society together
Kenzo Masaoka, “Suteneko Tora-chan” (1947) A charming film about an orphaned kitten found and adopted by a family of cats, “Suteneko Tora-chan” addresses some of the…
The Bear Dodger: a tale advising children to choose their friends carefully
Noburo Ofuji, “The Bear Dodger” (1948) Made in 1948 but with characters drawn in a much older early-1930s style, this animated short has a moral behind…
Tengu Taiji: a lively and comical animated folk tale from an early Japanese pioneer
Noburu Ofuji aka Fuyo Koyamano, “Tengu Taiji” (1934) A very comical tale about a town besieged by tengu – dangerous goblin spirits with the characteristics of…
Ugokie kori no tatehiki: the battle between fox and racoon dog spirits given fast energy and wacky style
Ikuo Oishi, “Ugokie kori no tatehiki” (1933) Japanese animators in the 1930s sure loved the Max Fleischer style of animation and Ikuo Oishi was no different:…