The Tatami Galaxy: A Masterpiece

The following is a review for the television series, The Tatami Galaxy. If this review has interested you in the show, the first episode can be found here. Masaaki Yuasa’s 2010 animated television series, The Tatami Galaxy, is a personal favourite of mine. It follows a young man, simply referred to as “watashi” which is […]

Annihilation: Cancer

Early on in Alex Garland’s 2018 film, Annihilation, one of the characters remarks that each of the five women that comprise the films central cast are, “damaged goods”. What is meant here is that each of these characters is afflicted with some form of cancer, not necessarily in the biological sense of the word, but […]

The value of independent Cinema

Several months ago, I saw the film, Yoru wa Mijikashi Aruke yo Otome. As one can probably glean from the title, this is a film that did not receive wide release, I had to go to a local independent cinema in order to see it. Many films don’t receive wide releases; this often applies to […]

Texhnolyze: Nihilism

The following article contains heavy spoilers for the series Texhnolyze. If you have not seen the show, and want to avoid spoilers, the first episode can be watched here Hiroshi Hamasaki’s2003 animated television series, Texhnolyze,is one of the bleakest, most depressing, and nihilistic works of science fiction ever created. It tells a harrowing tale of […]

How to watch a Film

I’ve often been asked how I glean the information I do from watching a film. In truth, interpreting a film isn’t all that difficult; it just requires a bit more effort than most people are willing to put into watching a film. Watching a film is not a passive experience as some may believe, on […]

Seven Psychopaths: Meta-Comedy

There’s a moment halfway into Martin McDonagh’s 2012 film, Seven Psychopaths, where the main character, a struggling screenwriter, says of the script he’s been working on, “You know what I think the movie should be? The first half should be a perfect setup for an out-and-out revenge flick. Violence. Guns. All the usual stuff. And […]

Kanamewo: Meaning

The following article is about a animated short film. If you have not watched the film I highly recommend that you take the five minutes to do so. The film can be found here. There’s something almost voyeuristic about watching a short film like Kanamewo. It’s almost as though you’re watch the innermost emotions of […]

Shin Gojira: Evolution

Ishirō Honda’s 1954 masterpiece, Gojira, remains, to this day, one of the boldest political statements put to film. It’s a pointed statement against American interventionism as well as a harrowing look at the horrors of nuclear weapons. It disguises itself as a monster movie, but it presents an incredibly poignant look at the attitudes of […]

Borrowed Time: Grief and Regret

Regret is a powerful force that can overshadow all other aspects of one’s life. The events of one’s past shapes their life, and coming to terms with life’s hardest moments can be a long and painful challenge. Oftentimes the most difficult person to forgive is oneself; we are after all, our own worst critics. Andrew […]