| 50 First Dates | |||||||||
| Amazon | |||||||||
| Blue Heron | |||||||||
| Amazon | |||||||||
| Bushido | |||||||||
| Amazon | |||||||||
| Comments | The first samurai film from director Kazuya Shiraishi, released in 2024 | ||||||||
| Carolina Caroline | |||||||||
| Amazon | |||||||||
| ChaO | |||||||||
| Amazon | |||||||||
| Comments | Romantic comedy anime film about an environmentalist who ends up marrying a mermaid. | ||||||||
| Chapter 51 | |||||||||
| Amazon | |||||||||
| Chivalry of a Failed Knight | |||||||||
| Amazon | |||||||||
| Comments | Fanservice-y romantic comedy fantasy anime. | ||||||||
| Click | |||||||||
| Amazon | |||||||||
| Cold Steel | |||||||||
| Amazon | |||||||||
| Colt is my Passport | |||||||||
| Amazon | |||||||||
| Comments | 1967 Yakuza film about an assassin who is betrayed by his employers and has to try to evade them across Tokyo. | ||||||||
| Desperate Living (Criterion Collection) | |||||||||
| Amazon | |||||||||
| Don’t Play With Fire | |||||||||
| Amazon | |||||||||
| Comments | Crime thriller from Tsui Hark about a group of high school students who are blackmailed into an escalating series of crimes after a hit-and-run. | ||||||||
| Drive Back Home | |||||||||
| Amazon | |||||||||
| Comments | Starring Alan Cumming | ||||||||
| Fast Forward | |||||||||
| Amazon | |||||||||
| Comments | Directed by Sidney Poitier | ||||||||
| Ghost of Kasane Swamp | |||||||||
| Amazon | |||||||||
| Comments | 1957 Japanese horror film about the children of a samurai who are haunted by the ghosts of their mother and a moneylender, both of whom were murdered by their father. | ||||||||
| Godson | |||||||||
| Amazon | |||||||||
| Comments | Starring Rodney Dangerfield and Dom DeLuise | ||||||||
| Grey | |||||||||
| Amazon | |||||||||
| Hairspray (Criterion Collection) | |||||||||
| Amazon | |||||||||
| Hang ‘Em High | |||||||||
| Amazon | |||||||||
| How to Kill a Judge | |||||||||
| Amazon | |||||||||
| I Know What You Did Last Summer | |||||||||
| Amazon | |||||||||
| I Left My A-Rank Party to Help My Former Students Reach the Dungeon Depths! | |||||||||
| Amazon | |||||||||
| Comments | Game based fantasy anime series where the premise is pretty much explained in the title. | ||||||||
| I Love Boosters | |||||||||
| Amazon | |||||||||
| Last Showgirl | |||||||||
| Amazon | |||||||||
| Magellan (Criterion Premieres) | |||||||||
| Amazon | |||||||||
| Masters of the Universe: Revelation/Revolution | |||||||||
| Amazon | |||||||||
| Comments | Blaine: This is the Kevin Smith series, that I feel was unfairly maligned for inaccurate reasons. If you are interested in the franchise but let reviews keep you away, give it a shot. | ||||||||
| Mr. K | |||||||||
| Amazon | |||||||||
| My Name Ain’t Suzie | |||||||||
| Amazon | |||||||||
| My Sunshine | |||||||||
| Amazon | |||||||||
| Comments | 2024 Japanese drama film about a hockey coach who ends up training two young people in figure skating. | ||||||||
| Nun in Rope Hell | |||||||||
| Amazon | |||||||||
| Comments | 1984 Japanese “pinky” nunsploitation horror film. | ||||||||
| Odyssey: The Real Story | |||||||||
| Amazon | |||||||||
| Piranha 3D | |||||||||
| Amazon | |||||||||
| Savage Bees | |||||||||
| Amazon | |||||||||
| Shape of Night | |||||||||
| Amazon | |||||||||
| Comments | 1964 Japanese Crime thriller about a woman from the countryside who ends up falling for a guy from the city who ends up pressuring her into prostitution. | ||||||||
| Shinobi Vol 2 | |||||||||
| Amazon | |||||||||
| Comments | Contains the ninja films Siege, Return of Mist Saizo, and The Last Iga Spy | ||||||||
| Simple Plan | |||||||||
| Amazon | |||||||||
| Slither | |||||||||
| Amazon | |||||||||
| Sunset | |||||||||
| Amazon | |||||||||
| Comments | Starring Bruce Willis and James Garner, directed by Blake Edwards | ||||||||
| Sympathy for the Underdog | |||||||||
| Amazon | |||||||||
| Comments | Yakuza film from director Kinji Fukusatsu from 1971, before his landmark Yakuza Papers series of films. | ||||||||
| Underworld Beauty | |||||||||
| Amazon | |||||||||
| Comments | 1958 Yakuza film from director Seijun Suzuki, about several different groups of Yakuza trying to get ahold of some stolen diamonds. | ||||||||
| We Are Pat | |||||||||
| Amazon | |||||||||
| What Dreams May Come | |||||||||
| Amazon | |||||||||
| White Palace | |||||||||
| Amazon | |||||||||
| Comments | Starring James Spader and Susan Sarandon | ||||||||
Finally, the picks of the week. Alex says, “Of the various Japanese films this week, Sympathy for the Underdog is probably my top pick, though A Colt is My Passport and the Shinobi collection are also strong contenders.” Blaine says, “I highly recommend the Kevin Smith Masters of the Universe series.”
Masters of the Universe: Revelation/Revolution
Blaine is right, this was great! It respects what came before, but if you’re a middle aged adult like me who ever tried to go back and watch it, you remember it was really, really made for the kids. Kevin Smith made this for us who remember it, but want something that’s more on our level today. It completely respects the fact that we’re watching toys be mashed together, but still tells a good, fun story.
Also, if you’re familiar with Jay and Silent Bob and you aren’t into the stoner/dude humor of all that, this doesn’t have that. They’re as different as Family Guy is from The Orville.
MotU from Smith is absolutely a blast. The soundtrack is on my work playlist as well.
What Dreams May Come isn’t for everyone, but it’s one of my favorite Robin Williams films.