march around the world 2026 | 14/30 | 🇨🇳 China
Wow. I had a feeling this would be right up my alley, but I don't know if I was expecting to be completely spellbound start-to-finish. In Buddha Mountain, Fan Bingbing, Chen Bolin, and Fei Long play a trio of best friends who barge into the life of a retired opera singer (Sylvia Chang) when they answer her ad for tenants. All four actors were great, and I loved the dynamics…
if I had a nickel for every 1994 Hong Kong movie I watched this week that had a restaurant employee, a famous cantopop singer, and Garfield, I would have two nickels
Fast-paced slapstick action. Karate Kid if most of the characters were losers, kinda. I had fun.
anti-criterion challenge 2026 | 6/52 |released by Vinegar Syndrome
2026 asian cinema challenge | 10/52 | Week 36 - Hong Kong Comedic Cinema
My favourite Ishii film so far, I think. The black and white imagery was stunning, but the highlight for me was the audio. Really liked the use of silence.
march around the world 2026 | 9/30 | 🇮🇪 Ireland
Fréamhacha: roots. Tangled, twisted, anchoring. This is a story about the roots of the Irish people, specifically Irish women, as well as a modern take on Irish (fair) folk horror. Very cool to see a film almost entirely in Irish. Clare Monnelly and Brid Ní Neachtain were great as the two leads. I spent some time in Ireland when I was younger, and loved seeing the familiar (albeit spookier than…
march around the world 2026 | 27/30 | 🇫🇮 Finland
From director Pirjo Honkasalo (and written by her partner Pirkko Saisio), Fire-Eater follows the protagonist Helena as she wanders around both Helsinki (in black and white) and the memories of her youth (in colour). Raised by their Stalinist grandmother after their mother runs off with a German soldier, then in an orphanage after their grandmother dies, Helena and her twin sister Irene eventually reunite with their mother, who's now seeing…
