Grave Of The Fireflies (1988)

Not only one of my favourite animated films but one of my favourite films of all time. This film is truly a masterpiece, depicting the harsh lives of two siblings during WW2 in Japan, it is heartbreaking and utterly beautiful with some of it's images just leaving me in awe. Also it's great music score always gets to me. A totally compelling and all around fantastic film.
*****

Kiki's Delivery Service (1989)

Another wonderful film from Miyazaki, more beautiful animation, more hope and more general niceness. An Absolute joy to watch, film full of charm.
****

Nausicaä of the Valley of the Wind (1984)

The film that started Studio Ghibli and a brilliant one at that. Hayao Miyazaki presents a beautiful and thoroughly engaging post apocalyptic fantasy containing strong themes of anti-war and conserving nature. It has a great imaginative story and of course a great score as always by Joe Hisaishi. The first of many great Ghibli films.
*****

Shield Of Straw (2013)

Here's a super solid thriller directed by the great Takashi Miike, a film that's almost on the cusp of greatness but doesn't quite reach it. It has a very engaging story and a number of twists and turns, which may be a bit much for some people, but I was really into it and thought it all worked. The film also has a good cast and I think both Tatsuya Fujiwara and Takao Osawa are great in their roles.
This actually reminded me of another Miike film called Sun Scarred but only in the way it kind of questions certain moral points and I'm sure many will be frustrated with the main character Mekari who I found to be quite fascinating with his actions and way of thinking. All in all, this is an exceedingly solid thriller that is thoroughly engaging with a smidgen of depth.
***1/2

Executive Koala (2005)

I remember watching Calamari Wrestler a number of years ago and wanting to check out some of Minoru Kawasaki's other films but have never managed to until now. All I can say is this movie is simply wonderful. A movie about an Anthropomorphic Koala that is an office worker is one I'm sure alot of people hate, but not me, I really like it. I admire it's absurdand don't give a fuck nature,
and although it is a little messy, most of the film just works. Wacky, fun and very enjoyable.
***1/2

Smuggler (2011)

It's been a long while since I've seen a Katsuhito Ishii film and this one is pretty good. It's an adaptation of the manga and the film definitely has a manga type feel which works really well. The story is slightly wacky and interesting, and Hikari Mitushima is in it (albeit a small role), so how can I not like this movie. Also has a good use of colour and slo- mo effects. Overall, I really liked it.
***1/2

Twenty-Four Eyes (1954)

Regarded as one the greatest Japanese films of all time, I somewhat kind of see why some people would think this, as this 1954 Keisuke Kinoshita film truly is great. It's a very sad film that depicts the struggles school kids had to lead ideal lives during the rise and fall of Japanese Ultra-nationalism despite their teacher's attempts for more positive outcomes. The film also has some beautiful cinematography, making great use of the its island location. I think the film's only real flaw is that it is overly sentimental and I didn't have the same amount of emotional investment that the film seems to want. Other than this, it is a very effective and engaging drama that is a great piece of classic film making.
****

The Piano Tuner Of Earthquakes (2005)

Strange little film from The Quay Brothers, it's quite interesting with some intriguing set design and has its own unique kind of vibe. I wasn't hugely impressed but it worked.
***

X-men Day Of Future Past (2014)

Bryan Singer returns to the series and helms another great X-men movie, probably even my favourite X-men film. Everything is handled exceedingly well, the story is great, with the time travel element being handled quite well, the acting is great, with particular praise to Michael Fassbender, James Mcavoy and even Evan Peters who does really good as Quicksilver. There's a good mix of action, drama and humour with a fair amount of depth and very consistent pacing. It's tense, emotional and thoroughly engaging, an all around great movie. Bring on Apocalypse.
****1/2

The Wolverrine (2013)

So I found this to be a very standard affair and don't care that much for it, I mean the acting is fine, the action is fine, it's well shot and I really liked how Jean Grey was implemented. But I think the film is a tad overlong and quite a few of the exposition filled scenes just seemed to drag and nothing really stands out at all. Overall, It's alright but nothing special
**1/2

X-Men First Class (2011)

This is a really solid prequel in the X-Men series and partly made up for the two disasters that came before it. I think one of the strongest points of this film is its casting, particularly with James McAvoy and Michael Fassbender who are both really good (aside from Fassbender's irishness seeping in at the end). So acting is solid, action is solid and its construction and execution is solid. On whole  this is a film that has a number of great moments but the overall product doesn't quite overwhelm as much I'd like it too.
***1/2

X2 (2003)

Now here's a great superhero/comic book movie. The story is really good and within it quite a few characters have their own little things going on, which could have easily turned it messy and overwrought (x-men last stand anyone?) but it's all kept together really well and brings out  alot of good performances. There's a nice amount of action, a strong dramatic core and a good layer of humour, leading to a thoroughly enjoyable film and one the best films of its type.
****

X-men (2000)

The movie that helped spawn the reemergence of superhero movies and a very solid one at that. Everything is handled really well and the film flies by quickly due to its 90 minute run time (excluding credits) which very rare run time for a superhero film.There's a nice mix of drama, humour and action and overall it's a very solid film.
***1/2

Embalming (1999)

This was quite an interesting mystery drama centered around Embalming (of course). had quite a laid back sort of tone and few i.nteresting story details, though, certain moments were questionable. It has some good cinematography with a nice use of wide shots, also the embalming stuff has some nice practical effects. Overall it was pretty decent.
***

Swallowtail Butterfly (1996)

Here's a great film from Shunji Iwai, that has a very interesting story that manages to keep you engaged for its 2 and a half hour running time. It jumps about alot and has a lot of energy, with some really intriguing kinetic cinematography keeping a very uppity kind of pace. It's not perfect, but I think overall, it's a very wonderful film that stands on its own and has a lot going on. Shunji Iwai keeps managing to impress me so far.
****

Gohatto (2000)

Samurai drama from Nagisa Oshima that is really good. It deals with homosexuality of Samurai and has a very interesting and engaging story. I did find some of the narration and on screen text exposition a little odd but it kind of worked. Also the film has a great cast of actors including Takeshi Kitano, Ryuhei Matsuda and Tadanobu Asano and is really well shot. Overall, I really liked this film.
****

Violence At High Noon (1966)

1966 Nagishi Oshima film that's alright. Certainly has a few interesting moments and there's nothing particularly bad about it, I just wasn't into it that much. The story and the acting is fine and there's some intriguing shot choice,s but overall, it didn't fully engage me.
***

The Battle Wizard (1977)

I do like mad martial arts films and this one is pretty damn wacky. Fully of dodgy effects, odd shots and editing and holding a very fast pace, this movie was a hell of a lot of fun to watch. Wacky, strange and hugely enjoyable.
***1/2

Godzilla (2014)

I had hopes that Gareth Edwards would pull this off and while it didn't overwhelm me, I can safely say that Edwards has a successfully made a good Godzilla movie, one that contains the same spirit of the Toho films. Now while I'll admit that the film's plot contains a number of cliches and conventions and there's nothing that unique about it, what really brings the rating for this movie up is its execution.
I saw this in IMAX 3D, and while the 3D is practically non-existent (but that doesn't matter, less distractions if anything)  it is visually incredible, with some superb cinematography, makingitone of the best shot Kaiju movies I've seen. It also has a fantastic use of sound, making this film a perfect viewing in the cinema.
I thought the performances were also pretty good, particularly, Bryan Cranston's who is great as usual.
If giant monster movies aren't your thing, you may not find much to enjoy here but I think everyone else should definitely check it out, it is exceedingly entertaining, wonderful to look at and ultimately a really well done Godzilla movie.
****

Godzilla vs Destoroyah (1995)

The final film in the Heisei series and a good one to end on. I think the movies main strengths are its little creative details, I like its links with the original movie and whole concept of Destoroyah and Godzilla's internal meltdown is really interesting. Also the costume designs of Destoroyah look great and the monster action is really good. A very solid Godzilla film  indeed.

Godzilla vs Mechagodzilla II (1993)

Here's another Solid entry in the Godzilla series, the story is pretty standard but the monster action is really good, with some really nice effects in this. I like Rodan's revamped design and I like the cutesy baby godzilla, before they ruin his look in the next one by overdoing the cuteness factor. Not much else to say really other than it's a very enjoyable film.

Goemon (2009)

Now this movie was filmed on a digital backlot (likethe  director's previous film Casshern) which means majority of it sets are CGI and it has an abundance of visual effects, something that will certainly turn a lot of people off this movie. However despite it's shoddiness and overuse I think if you view this as a kind of live action anime hybrid, then you may find some enjoyment with in it. I myself found the film to be very engaging and think this is down to the story which although a little bloated is incredibly interesting and as certain depth to it, this is of course helped by the acting which I thought was particularly good. I do think Kazuaki Kiriya has a lot of potential as a director, he certainly has the ambition and I look forward to seeing how his English language debut pans out. Overall once you get past it's overboard visuals Goemon is quite a decent movie.
***

Godzilla vs King Ghidorah (1991)

This is one of my favourite films of the Godzilla series, it has a unique and interesting story involving time travel that may seem a little farfetched but I think they pull it off well. The monster action is also great and you've also got the introduction of Mecha-King Ghidorah who looks amazing. There's even a little touching moment with in the action between godzilla and a human character and while people may look down upon the whole WW2 stuff, it didn't phase me at all.
In the end this was the first film of the Heisie Series I ever watched and I still love it too this day, don't question its logic too much and you're sure to have a swell time.
****

Terror Of Mechagodzilla (1975)

The first Godzilla film I ever watched and the last in the Showa Series. Original director Ishiro Honda also directed  this which explains why it has a darker tone to the previous films. Now obviously this is the follow up to the first mechagodzilla film and I what I like about this one is how it tried to add a bit more depth to some of it's characters and story. Now it does take a while to build up and arguably spends too much time on the Titanosaurus side of things but the monster action still manages to deliver when it finally comes and I have to give credit to Akihiko Hirata (Dr Serizawa in the orignal Gojira) who manages to show the broadness of his acting by playing a different kind if professor role than he usually does. Overall it's an enjoyable final entry in the Showa series.

Godzilla vs Mechagodzilla (1974)

The mechagodzilla films were always my favorites as a kid and with the first one what I liked so much was that the monster action was just great and there's a good amount of it too. The human story is very standard but works well enough to keep you engaged between the action and overall it's a very enjoyable entry in the series.
***1/2

Godzilla vs Hedorah (1971)

This is one of the films that sticks out in the Godzilla series, it has the weirdest looking monster, a very heavy handed anti-pollution message and just has a different kind of feel for most part. The monster action is plentiful, including some nice little absurd moments and overall it's alot of fun.
***1/2

The Wind Rises (2013)

So here we have Miyazaki's final film and while it may not have the same levels of greatness as his previous work, the film is still really wonderful. Beautifully animated as usual, the film deals with ambition and the idea of making your dreams become a reality in the form of drama that has both touching and funny moments. Some people may dislike how Miyazaki kind of smooths over the more delicate subjects in this film, but he's always been a director of hope who doesn't like to linger on sadness, he wants leave us with a smile and he does.
It may not be the most emotionally enriching, but it's totally compelling with a good heart, that I'm sure will inspire many.
****

Frank (2014)

Here's really good little comedy about musicians and the whole creative vs commercial relationship. It has a bunch of interesting and weird characters, with really good performances from all the actors, though I still thought Maggie Gyllenhaal was a bit of a strange casting choice.
The film does go down quite a safe route, but it still works really well and stays interesting throughout.
It's also got quite a few funny moments, including the nice way it integrates social media and overall, I really liked it.
****

Hanzo The Razor: Who's Got The Gold? (1974)

The third and final film in the Hanzo The Razor trilogy and it's pretty decent.
It's still much of the same thing with it's sex, corruption and swordplay, but still rather fun and nicely shot. I prefer the first two films, but this one is still entertaining for what it is.
***

Murder Party (2007)

So this is Jeremy Sauliner's (director of Blue Ruin) feature length debut and I managed to pick this up super cheap on DVD, and what we get is a pretty decent movie overall. The film sounds a lot madder than it actually ends up being but it's still quite fun.
I think that main thing that worked here was it's narrative was quite interesting and different and it seemed to poke fun at 'artists'.
There's a little bit of gore here and there and a really nice use of steadicam, as well as a fitting retro horror score. Though it's not hugely funny for a horror comedy, it managed to keep me engaged throughout and worked well most of the time.
***

Why Don't You Play In Hell? (2013)

Sion Sono is one of my top favorite film makers and here he delivers another mad dose of brilliance. a film that is over the top and ridiculous but masterfully kept together, a homage and celebration of Gonzo cinema that is exceedingly fun and engaging. A film about film-making that seemingly ridicules the idea of realism. It has a great cast, great directing, is nicely shot, and I loved it.
****1/2

The Hourglass Sanatorium (1972)

Here's a great strange polish film for you with great set design and some really nice tracking shots. It's very dreamlike and surreal in approach and kept me constantly engaged, even when I didn't quite understand what was going on.
Tthe film flows through each scene quite seamlessly and stays consistent with its tone and atmosphere, and quite alot of the dialogue also comes a cross as rather poetic.
All in all, it's very unique film that I thoroughly enjoyed. It's intricate, surreal and simply great.
****

Bad Neighbours (2014)

This film is simple, effective and very funny. It does it's job of just being a fun comedy exceedingly well. All the actors have good chemistry and there's never really a dull moment. It was also fun seeing Craig Roberts in a small role. The plot is pretty standard though and if you're not into Seth Rogen's type of comedy, then your probably not gonna like this. But overall I found this thoroughly entertaining and funny for what it was.
***1/2

Plastic (2014)

I didn't expect much from this when I saw the trailer,  I thought that maybe it could be a little fun, but it wasn't much fun at all. One of the problems is that the main characters are a bunch of fraudsters that have hardly any interesting traits, so in my eyes they are just a bunch of dickheads that I couldn't care less about (not helped by the fact that I once had my debit card stolen). Also, I'm not entirely sure what sort of tone they were going for but the whole thing just comes across as bland really.
It also pointlessly opens with a shot from the end with narration over the top, a cliche that hardly ever works, especially here. The film does pick up a bit before the end, but the entire thing is just pretty standard and meh.
**

Kamui The Lone Ninja (2009)

So this was ok I guess, it's a little messy, with lots of dodgy CGI, and at times, it's a little dull. But the film still has it's moments (Kamui's super german suplexes) and it's not awful, just rather underwhelming.
**1/2