Mamoru Oshii 7
Books: Ghost in the Shell
By Andrew Osmond. Like or hate it, last year’s live-action Ghost in the Shell performed a service in reminding many people of the Japanese original. But many people probably thought of one Ghost only. At least in Britain and America, it does seem that the 1995 cinema anime film, directed by Mamoru Oshii and co-produced […]
Anime Architecture
By Lee Brimmicombe-Wood. If you were hoping for Anime Architecture at the House of Illustration to show a futurists’ view of architecture, you’ll be disappointed. It’s the subtitle, Backgrounds of Japan, where the show’s true focus lies. This is not an exhibition of design, but rather of scenery, highlighting the background illustrator’s craft. It is […]
Ghost in the Shell (2017)
by Jeremy Clarke. Major (Scarlett Johansson) is the first of her kind – rescued from a refugee boat many years ago and cyber-enhanced to be the perfect soldier. Only her mind remains; the rest of her is artificial, putting her in a unique position as society faces a new threat. Cyber warfare has evolved to […]
Living Life Live
By Andrew Osmond. This month, nostalgia’s really not what it used to be; it’s been tweaked. Two huge Hollywood movies are rolling out with lavish effects and female stars (Scarlett Johansson, Emma Watson). Both are remakes of 1990s films that gained iconic stature. In particular, the trailers for both new films feature numerous shot-for-shot recreations […]
Seijun Suzuki 1923-2017
The legendary director Seijun Suzuki, who died on 13th February, is best known in the West for such quirky, idiosyncratic works as Youth of the Beast, Kanto Wanderer and Tokyo Drifter. These 1960s B-movie genre pictures playfully riffed on the “borderless action” mash-ups of gangster films, youth movies, musicals and westerns fostered by the Nikkatsu […]