Kokuho is an epic tale, a decades-long story that takes us inside the world of kabuki, and features some outstanding performances. Kikuo (Ryo Yoshizawa) has always had a talent as an onnagata. These are the female characters in kanubi shows, all played by men. He’s taken in by Hanjiro Hanai (Ken Watanabe!!), who will serve…
Tag: rivalry
I Only Read Murder (2023) – Ian and Will Ferguson
I didn’t know where to go after I finished Becky Chambers’ Wayfarer series. I hadn’t been moved and entertained by books like that in a long time. So I decided to go the opposite way, and find something light and fun. Enter: I Only Read Murder by Canadian authors Ian Ferguson and Will Ferguson. It…
Death Rides a Horse (1967) – Giulio Petroni
Lee Van Cleef stars alongside John Phillip Meceita in this spaghetti western from Giulio Petroni. My knowledge of spaghetti westerns is pretty slim, so it should come as no surprise that I had never heard of this one, but with Lee Van Cleef in it I figured why the hell not? What it is, is…
Battle Royale (2000) – Kinji Fukasaku
It’s been over a decade since I last watched this iconic action film. And while I didn’t remember all of the characters and details of the film I knew it was a kick-ass film and was eager to take a look at it. Wrapped in blood and violence the film is a harsh coming of…
Game Night (2018): Blu-Ray Review
Jason Bateman and Rachel McAdams are Max and Annie in Warner Brothers’ Game Night, which comes home on DVD and Blu-Ray today. They and their group of friends have a regular game night, but tonight their game takes on a new level when they find themselves caught up in an actual mystery. The game night…
The Adventures of Young Indiana Jones (1993/1999) – Tales of Innocence
Indiana (Sean Patrick Flanery) continues his service during the Great War in events that put him behind enemy lines. This film was a combination of two episodes, and first aired on 14 July, 1999. Northern Italy, June 1917 Written by Jonathan Hales this portion of the film aired as an episode on 17 April, 1993….
Those Magnificent Men In Their Flying Machines (1965) – Ken Annakin
The comedic slapstick romp recommendations from Great Movies – 100 Years of Film for Le Vacances de Mounsieur Hulot continue with this enjoyable look at aviation in the grand old year of 1910. An opening sequence with a journey through time features the comedic legend Red Skelton, and from there we join Richard Mays…
The Towering Inferno (1974) – John Guillermin
The 101 Action Movies brings me to the heights of the 1970s disaster movies with this all-star epic, produced by and some sequences directed by Irwin Allen. I’ve never been a fan of the disaster film sub genre, but with a cast like this it’s hard not to settle in for the adventure, even with an…
Hot Docs: Last Woman Standing – Lorraine Price and Juliet Lammers
The film opens with three important facts. Women’s Boxing has been added as an official medal event at the 2012 Olympics for the first time in history. The world’s two best female boxers reside in Canada. Only one can be selected to compete for Olympic gold. All that in itself would make for a captivating…
The Mind Reels 