BATTLE HEATER
This beyond-ridiculous horror comedy would appear to be Japan’s answer to the Troma movies of the eighties
EXECUTIVE KOALA
Japanese director Minoru Kawasaki’s follow-up to his cult hit THE CALAMARI WRESTLER was this goofy 2005 psycho thriller about a businessman koala bear who may or may not be a murderer
SUICIDE CIRCLE
This Japanese shocker has a compelling first hour that seems to portend great things…which makes it all the more frustrating when SUICIDE CIRCLE loses its hold in the final half hour
SEANCE
Kiyoshi Kurosawa is one of the most distinctive talents in the J-horror field. SÉANCE, a loose remake of the sixties classic SÉANCE ON A WET AFTERNOON, is not one of his better films, but it definitely has moments
SCREWED
One of the final films by Japan’s late, occasionally great Teruo Ishii, adapting a manga by the legendary Yoshiharu Tsuge
KURONEKO
This was filmmaker Kaneto Shindo’s follow-up to his unquestioned masterpiece ONIBABA (1964). The highly ambitious KURONEKO isn’t up to the same high standards, but does contain stunning black-and-white photography and some genuinely startling elements
ONIBABA
One of the all-time classics of Japanese horror, ONIBABA is a stunningly photographed, deeply stylish film
YOKAI MONSTERS: 100 MONSTERS
A floating umbrella monster, a hairy three eyed critter with no arms, a guy with no face, a woman with a looooooong neck and a walking fish creature are just a few of the 100 monsters on display here
PULSE (2001)
No, this isn’t the lame Hollywood PULSE from 2006, but the 2001 Japanese original, directed by the skilled Kiyoshi Kurosawa
PINOCCHIO 964
Director Shozin Fukui employs innumerable over-the-top touches here, creating what may be the ultimate “punk” movie