Daihachi Yoshida’s “Teki Cometh” is the first Japanese film in 19 years to win the top prize at the Tokyo International Film Festival. The win reflects a feeling of optimism that pervaded this year’s TIFF, as Japanese theaters bounce back from COVID-era lows and Japanese filmmakers like “Drive My Car”‘s Ryusuke Hamaguchi and “Godzilla Minus … Read more
Looking over the program for the Tokyo International Film Festival, there were a few titles that I recognized. The idea of catching up with films that had eluded me up to that point was tempting: Mati Diop’s intriguing “Dahomey,” perhaps, or a rendezvous with Almodóvar and “The Room Next Door?” In the end, however, I … Read more
I’ve seen the original “Godzilla” three times in theaters. Most films benefit from being seen on a big screen, and “Godzilla” especially so: It’s the only way to get a proper sense of scale, even if most movie screens top out at a fraction of the monster’s original 50-meter (164 foot) height. (Tracking Godzilla’s size, … Read more
At first, I thought maybe the audience didn’t like it. The world premiere of “Orang Ikan” at the Tokyo International Film Festival was scheduled to begin at 11:35 AM, not exactly prime time for a creature feature. But that’s just how it goes at festivals sometimes. And the audience was subdued, barely reacting to gory … Read more
The well received crime drama’s second season will be its last at Max. One of the most critically acclaimed shows on Max (formerly HBO Max) is coming to an end, with it revealed today that Tokyo Vice’s second season will be its last. The show starred Ansel Elgort as American journalist Jake Adelstein, upon whose … Read more
Christopher Nolan is one of the most legendary directors working today, and his love of film extends even to the Fast & Furious universe — a passion he says he isn’t ashamed of. During a recent appearance on The Late Show with Stephen Colbert, Nolan was asked about his infamous love for the franchise, and … Read more
The show’s second season begins immediately where the first left off, with Jake showing his mentor Hiroto (an always enigmatic Ken Watanabe) a video of Onyx club hostess Polina (Ella Rumpf) being murdered by a member of the Tozawa clan. Instantly, we’re pushed back into this world without a moment to breathe, along with its … Read more
Takemichi ultimately meets Kisaki in Tokyo Revengers Episode 13, and they have a heated argument during the meeting. Takemichi maintains his hard position and refuses to enable Kisaki to travel back in time. Takemichi’s comment stuns him and he pulls over in the middle of the road to fight him, but something unexpected happens at … Read more
At the end of this screening, the amazing Sandra Schulberg, who was the head of IndieCollect, who I’ve known for years and years, stood up and said, “I’m going to restore your film.” She said she volunteered to do it as part of the Jane Fonda Fund For Women Directors, which I knew nothing about. … Read more