Film / Reviews Oct 16, 2019
'Special Actors': Ueda fumbles sophomore feature
by James Hadfield
Shinichiro Ueda, best known for 2017's "One Cut of the Dead," releases his second solo feature, again using a largely unknown cast
Film / Reviews Aug 14, 2019
'Aesop's Game': Ueda follow-up is neither tortoise nor hare
by Mark Schilling
Last year, Shinichiro Ueda made Japanese film history with "One Cut of the Dead," a zombie comedy he scripted and directed. Opening in just two Tokyo theaters in June, 2018, the film ended up earning ¥3.21 billion — or more than 1,000 times its ...
Film | Wide Angle Jul 11, 2019
Tomorrow's film legends descend on Saitama
by Mark Schilling
Launched in 2004 to promote digital cinema, the Skip City International D-Cinema Festival (July 13-21) in Kawaguchi, Saitama Prefecture, has become a showcase for emerging filmmakers. Among the Skip City alumni who have gone on to thriving careers are Cannes Palme d'Or winner Nuri ...
Film / Reviews Jun 20, 2018
'One Cut of the Dead': A zombie flick that brings indie filmmaking back to life
by Mark Schilling
Both budgets and box-office prospects for Japanese indie films have been declining for years. As the former approaches the zero mark, so do recognizable actors and other standard indicators of quality. Audiences, smelling amateurism, stay away. Flying in the face of this dismal trend is ...