Tag: Japanese

Howl’s Moving Castle

2004 Director: Hayao Miyazaki Words – Christian Abbott In 2004, the landscape of animation was rapidly changing. 9 years previous, Pixar released the revolutionary Toy Story, showcasing the very first fully 3D animated feature. The following years, and especially at the beginning of the… Continue Reading “Howl’s Moving Castle”

Kiki’s Delivery Service

1989 Director: Hayao Miyazaki Words – Christian Abbott In film circles you will often hear the phrase “every frame a painting”. An experience, both poetic and practical, used to describe the inherent beauty of cinema. Cinematography, lighting, editing, and more, all can come together… Continue Reading “Kiki’s Delivery Service”

Battle Royale

2000 Director: Kinji Fukasaku Starring: Tatsuya Fujiwara, Aki Maeda, Tarô Yamamoto, Takeshi Kitano Words: Katherine Guest Battle Royale, a Japanese dystopian thriller, is a film in which violence is made into a spectator sport. More specifically, it is about children on children violence as… Continue Reading “Battle Royale”

Princess Mononoke

1997 Director: Hayao Miyazaki Words – Christian Abbott. Ghibli fans are like a loving mother, they would never pick a favourite. All are equal in their eyes, each different, each unique, each loved. Yet, there seems to be this vocal minority rising-up that challenge… Continue Reading “Princess Mononoke”

Spirited Away

2001 Director: Hayao Miyazaki Words – Christian Abbott. Asking someone to choose a favourite Studio Ghibli film is like asking someone what their favourite song is. It is an ultimately pointless question, as much like music, Ghibli’s filmography feels subjective to mood and emotion.… Continue Reading “Spirited Away”

Shoplifters

2018 Director: Hirokazu Kore-eda Starring: Lily Franky, Sakura Ando, Mayu Matsuoka, Jyo Kairi, Miyu Sasaki Words – Joe H. Winner of the Palme d’Or at the 2018 Cannes Film Festival, Shoplifters is an exploration of relationships from director Hirokazu Kore-eda; known for exploring themes… Continue Reading “Shoplifters”

Must See Movies: November

At Reel Steel we want to make sure you’re getting the most of your cinematic enthusiasm, so each month we put together our short list of some of the best new releases, from popcorn munching explosion fests to the often weird and wonderful. Take… Continue Reading “Must See Movies: November”

Mary and the Witch’s Flower

2018 Director: Hiromasa Yonebayashi Words – Joe H. The dearly loved Studio Ghibli announced it was stopping production in 2014, alongside director Hayao Miyazaki announcing his retirement, and with the passing of Studio Ghibli co-founder Isao Takahata (director of Grave of the Fireflies and… Continue Reading “Mary and the Witch’s Flower”

Isle of Dogs

2018 Director – Wes Anderson Starring – Bryan Cranston, Koyu Rankin, Edward Norton, Bill Murray, Jeff Goldblum, Bob Balaban, Kunichi Nomura, Scarlett Johansson, Liev Schreiber, Greta Gerwig Words – Rhiannon Topham Only Wes Anderson’s zany aptitude for endearing repartee could enchant an adult audience… Continue Reading “Isle of Dogs”

My Neighbour Totoro

1988 Director: Hayao Miyazaki Words: Christian Abbott. Some have called this the gateway film into the works of Studio Ghibli, Hayao Miyazaki, even Japanese animation itself, and it isn’t hard to see why. This is a film about, and a celebration of, child-like wonder.… Continue Reading “My Neighbour Totoro”