Cruel Story of Youth (1960)
So first off, I've never seen an Oshima film before, I was intrigued by the front cover of the disc box and the fact that it was on the MoC label gave it some seal of approval. This is one great film, I'm kinda obsessed by Japanese society so anything that's a study of that is right up my street. Funny though that this is the second film within a week I've watched that is set during the 1960 student demonstrations. The difference being that this is filmed at the time of them rather than being a period film. I'm not going to go into a synopsis or the themes of themes of this movie, but if you have an interest in Japan you'll enjoy this slice of 1960.
The Kingdom of Dreams and Madness (2013)
Studio Ghibli is a powerhouse of animation to rival only Disney. Their films might not be as many as Disney but they are all revered by fans and critics alike. This 2hr long documentary films follows Miyazaki and Takahata as they make what is reported to be their final films, The Wind Rises and The Tale of The Princess Kaguya. It's an intriguing fly on the wall where nothing really happens but you remain entertained for the duration!
Natural Born Killers (Directors Cut) (1994)
Ah Natural Born Killers, there isn't much to say, the film which shocked the entire world in 1994. I saw this at the Odeon one afternoon when I didn't have lessons at college, I'm not exaggerating when I say almost all of the audience walked out of the screening before it even got to the real violence of the riot scene. I though, loved it and was keen to go on my American family holiday the following summer so I could buy the VHS unrated. Flash forward 20 years and at least 15 since I've seen the film. It's lost all of it's shock power - TV is worse these days! However it's still a brilliant send up of media frenzy, I thoroughly enjoyed myself for 2hrs on a Sunday afternoon!
Alice (Neco z Alenky) (1988)
This is the best Alice in Wonderland I have ever seen, bold statement I guess but in my mind accurate. In fact the best film I've seen in a LONG time. I pre-ordered this BFI bluray and have had it on my watch pile since, just waiting for the right time. Had I'd known it was so good I would have watched it 3 years ago hah... It's a surreal experience but so is the book it's based on. I was surprised how scary and creepy it was, I expected it to be before watching it, but the first 30 mins or so are funny and Alice is so naughty that the change in tone kind of crept up on me until it was full Lynchian terror for a few minutes culminating in the scene on the screenshot above. If you've not seen this version of Alice in Wonderland, give it a try you might be surprised, I was!