HCF Review - Last Rites

SEVEN WEEKS (2014)

Given the projects Obayashi directed in the Kadokawa Years trilogy you might be surprised to find that some of his other films are more serious. In Seven Weeks the nostalgic and sometimes shallow elements are replaced by a darker atmosphere of loss and regret. Which isn’t to say that the style of the film is any more realistic, but there’s certainly a more ominous tone to the story. Can this sustain itself for a lengthy running time of nearly three hours without being oppressive? Does it have more depth than those 1980s melodramas? There are some rough moments in the first act but the results are more complex than they first appear.

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Monster Bites - Cosmic Shenanigans

GAMERA VS. VIRAS (1968)

Oh boy, here's where things really start to tumble of the miniature cliff. If the difference between Gamera's last two adventures, versus Barugon and Gyaos respectively, weren't obvious enough, it's the late 1960s where the series reaches new depths. Some literal, others purely in quality. Shoe-string UFOs and stock footage are imminent as the infamous Gamera March is introduced. As a result it's a time in the franchise where the line between each film gets a little blurry; all the mischief making children rarely feel distinct. But is there still a fun time to be had, and are the resulting productions charming in the face of such low budgets? 

Horror Bites - New Years Evil

THE HORROR FILM CATCH-UP (2024)

The stage was set for a truly magical holiday season when the bad news arrived; a wide release for Robert Egger's retelling of Dracula, the new Nosferatu remake, had been pushed to January. After so much anticipation Christmas had been ruined. Or so it seemed... as luck would have it the previous twelve months had been generous with other gifts. In this particular case I'll be taking a look at three other nightmare visions from film-makers that all bring a very distinct style. The results will of course vary but it's at least a trio that offers variety whether they all manage to stick the landing or not.

HCF Review - Cold Steel

THE SWORD (1980)

The late 1970s and early ’80s saw a period of films released in Hong Kong known as the New Wave, or the First Wave, during which directors such as Tsui Hark began their film-making careers. It was also the period in which the famous Golden Harvest title card first appeared at the start of action movies; an image certain genre fans can instantly hear the sound of. Patrick Tam’s debut feature The Sword (aka The Famous Sword) falls into this period and under this banner; a minimalist wuxia movie focusing not on honour and revenge but simple ambition. Let’s take a look at this tale of ominous blades and selfish egos and see how it holds up today.

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HCF Review - Hokage

SHADOW OF FIRE (2024)

While his earlier films are full of anxiety about urban landscapes, technology, and a whole lot of repressed urges, Shinya Tsukamoto’s recent projects have expressed other concerns. Together with Fires on the Plain and Killing his latest film forms a kind of anti-war trilogy; the manic energy being replaced by a darker more contemplative mood, suggesting his feelings about the fears of audiences today. That this is another period drama is secondary to the emotional content of the story; the message is intended to be evergreen. But how successful is this as a human drama on its own terms? Let’s take a look at how all of these sombre ingredients come together.

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