Merry Christmas, Mr Lawrence
By Jonathan Clements.
In a Japanese prisoner-of-war camp in 1942, interpreter Lawrence (Tom Conti) struggles to maintain the uneasy peace, as camp commandant Yonoi (Ryuichi Sakamoto) feuds with the charismatic prisoner Celliers (David Bowie). The love-hate between the two is mirrored in a different sort of relationship between Lawrence and the brutal officer Hara (Takeshi Kitano), until their places switch after the war. Lawrence, however, wonders if anything has really changed.
Have you ever bought a disc just for the extras? A couple of times, I’ve caught myself doing just that – ignoring the film and going straight for Brian Blessed’s commentary on Flash Gordon, or the writers’ chat by Palahniuk and Uhls on Fight Club. There are some films I know so well that I don’t feel the need to actually watch them again any time soon, but I am always up for knowing more about them. And in that regard, the new Blu-ray edition of Nagisa Oshima’s Merry Christmas, Mr Lawrence is a dream come true. Continue Reading
The Place Promised in Our Early Days
By Eija Niskanen.
Makoto Shinkai has built a notable career as a central figure of the post-Ghibli generation of anime directors. The difference is that Shinkai was not initially connected with any single studio name, but has built his profile by working alternatively alone, and later with a few other colleagues, mostly composer Tenmon. His favorite anime is Castle in the Sky by Hayao Miyazaki, and many reviewers have noted the Miyazaki-type of elements in Shinkai’s work. In his early feature The Place Promised in Our Early Days, such influences might be seen in the quirky airplane the protagonists build in order to reach the mysterious Ezo Tower. Another well-known reference to previous masters is the poem read out in the film’s opening – it is by Kenji Miyazawa, author of Night Train to the Stars and The Life of Budori Gusuko. Continue Reading
Shinkai Easter Eggs
by Andrew Osmond.
Following the blog’s hunts for Easter Eggs in the Gundam franchise, this article focuses on Eggs relating to Makoto Shinkai’s biggest blockbusters, Your Name and Weathering With You. Warning – SPOILERS for both films. Continue Reading
[UNBOXING] Love Live! Sunshine!! – Season 2 Collector’s Edition Blu-ray
Recently we were able to release the second season of Love Live! Sunshine!! on Collector's Edition Blu-ray and regular DVD. With the way things have been in recent times it's only now that we're able to bring you an unboxing of the Collector's Edition Blu-ray set!
So if you've been on the fence about ordering this, or perhaps were waiting until we could publish an unboxing before deciding to make your purchase, then this is the post for you!
Worth noting that you can order this set from our AllTheAnime online shop using the link below.
Read on below for more details. Continue Reading
[UNBOXING] Mobile Suit Gundam 0083. Take a look at our Collector's Edition Blu-ray set featuring both the 13 episode OVA and the film .
It's been a few months since we first released this set but with the way things have been, being able to bring you an unboxing of this hasn't been possible until now!
So today we're here to bring an unboxing of this Mobile Suit Gundam 0083 Collector's Edition Blu-ray set - which at time of writing, is still available but stock levels are starting to run a bit low.
This set is available to order now, and we do still have copies at our AllTheAnime online store too
Read on below for all the details regarding this set! Continue Reading