Definitely the best part of my Spotify Wrapped this year 😅

#NowWatching Yugo Sakamoto’s BABY ASSASSINS: NICE DAYS. The thing I love most about these films is how well each genre is tackled. The slacker comedy is really funny and the choreographed fight carnage is so well executed! This latest one looks like it could be the darkest yet!

If you’re a fan of Asian cinema but haven’t seen this film yet then seek it out immediately!

#NowWatching Keishi Kondo’s NEW RELIGION. This one is near and dear to my heart! A visionary film about loss that explores its themes in such a mysterious way. Tonally sitting somewhere between Lynch, Cronenberg and SILENT HILL, but with a strikingly bold visual style. I love it!

Oh dear 🤦‍♂️ Is this a thing over here?

This has been a long time coming but I could not be more thrilled to finally be checking the check disc for @thirdwindow.bsky.social’s physical release of Keishi Kondo’s NEW RELIGION. There’s something on this release that is so incredibly exciting! All will be revealed December 10th 😉

#NowWatching Ataru Oikawa’s TOMIE. 4 years ago I binged all 9 of these films back to back, and this first entry was by far the strongest in the series! Part abstract arthouse mystery, part bizarre exploration of trauma cycles, and part gory psychological J-horror. It’s amazing!

#NowWatching Keisuke Yoshida’s MISSING. Apparently this is a thematic follow up to Yoshida’s incredible INTOLERANCE from a few years ago. A study of the devastating power of guilt and blame after abject tragedy, and the responsibility of the media in handling the story afterwards

Just caught this awesome little horror short called THE INVITATION by Miroho Mieno! It feels like a throwback to the early 2000s J-Horror boom. All shot in a single location and mostly by flashlight in the dark, it makes really effective use of the simple premise! I loved it!

#NowWatching Kiyoshi Kurosawa’s CLOUD. If you follow me then you probably know that this is without a doubt my most anticipated movie of the year. Kurosawa is a master of genre filmmaking, and his latest is a social commentary, a shoot-em-up, and a brooding moral tale all in one!

#NowWatching Kiyoshi Kurosawa’s SERPENT’S PATH. I’m revisiting this after catching Kurosawa’s own French language remake. It’s a pivotal piece of his filmography! Written by Hiroshi Takahashi, starring Shô Aikawa and Teruyuki Kagawa, and all filmed in one week on a micro budget!

#NowWatching Kiyoshi Kurosawa’s SERPENT’S PATH. At the moment CHIME is still my favourite film of the year, and whilst I’m eagerly awaiting the release of CLOUD I thought I’d check out the master’s 2024 French language remake of one part of his experimental double bill from 1998!

The “Director’s Company” series from @thirdwindow.bsky.social have already been some of the most exciting releases of 2024, but it’s looking like 2025 is going to be just as impressive! I can’t tell you how excited I am to get my hands on these beauties 🙌

Before I dive into THE CREEP TAPES I thought I’d revisit the two films that started it all! I love both of these so much, not just because of how effective they are but for how they were made and the ethos behind just getting out there and filming something to see what it becomes

#NowWatching Itaru Mizuno’s TRESPASSERS. I’ve heard wonderful things about this female-led heist comedy about three unlikely thieves who break into a mansion looking for the cash they believe the owner is hiding, only to encounter unexpected complications. Madcap caper fun 😅

#NowWatching Kiyotaka Oshiyama’s LOOK BACK. Adapted from “Chainsaw Man” creator Tatsuki Fujimoto's one-shot manga of the same name, It is fitting that a story about the inspirational power of art has received such a carefully crafted and beautifully recieved adaptation! #anime

I’m going to put more time in here and want to follow fellow folks who love East Asian cinema, horror and gaming! Any recommendations would be greatly appreciated 🥹

Gakuryū Ishii’s THE CRAZY FAMILY is one of those films you have to see to believe. At its core it is a deconstruction of the modern nuclear Japanese family, but it escalates from quirky comedy to wild Battle Royale driller killer free-for-all in a blink of an eye! Another must watch 😅

Toshiharu Ikeda's MERMAID LEGEND is one of the greatest films I’ve ever seen! It starts as a relatively tender study of grief, but the last half is brutal beyond belief! Mari Shirato’s performance from oyster-shucking housewife to blood-drenched angel of vengeance is a must watch for genre fans 🙌

Four films to get to know me 🤓