Contributor James Balmont

Two people sitting in a flooded room, one wearing a black jacket and the other a white shirt, against a backdrop of shelves and a computer monitor.
Interviews

‘I watched the film crash and burn at the box office’ – Jang Joon-hwan on Save The Green Planet!

by James Balmont

The director of the cult classic Korean wave sci-fi comedy reflects on his wild debut two decades on, and the forthcoming remake from Yorgos Lanthimos.
Woman looking pensive in low light, with violet and blue tones.
Film Music

How Chungking Express brought dream pop to Hong Kong

by James Balmont

Cocteau Twins’ Simon Raymonde and The Cranberries’ Noel Hogan reflect on the musical legacy of Wong Kar-wai’s 1994 film.
Two people in diving gear embracing mid-air, surrounded by white butterflies against a bright blue sky.
Review

Away

by James Balmont

This spellbinding and spiritual Latvian animation has parallels with Studio Ghibli’s The Red Turtle.

3
Anticipation
4
Enjoyment
4
In Retrospect
Two young men engaged in a physical altercation in a wooded setting. The image shows one man grabbing the other man's arm forcefully.
Home Ents

The action-horror hybrid that took Asia Extreme to a whole new level

by James Balmont

Ryûhei Kitamura’s frenetic, crazily-ambitious cult favourite is low-brow filmmaking at its mind-boggling best.
Rainy city street at night, dimly lit with neon signs and a lone figure with an umbrella walking through the puddles.
Home Ents

Why now is the perfect time to watch Goodbye, Dragon Inn

by James Balmont

Tsai Ming-liang’s 2003 film, newly released on Blu-ray, is a poignant and powerful love letter to the cinema.
Elderly man wearing a woven headdress with vibrant orange flowers in a lush, verdant setting.
In Praise Of

How Takeshi Kitano went from comedian to crime auteur

by James Balmont

With his yakuza thriller Boiling Point, “Beat” Takeshi staked his claim as a serious filmmaker.
A man in a white robe leans over another man lying on a bed.
In Praise Of

How V-Cinema sparked a Japanese filmmaking revolution

by James Balmont

The ’90s straight-to-video boom reinvigorated the industry and made stars of directors like Takashi Miike.
A close-up of a smiling woman with long dark hair, embraced by two men in suits.
In Praise Of

The Japanese cult classic that paved the way for the modern female action hero

by James Balmont

In 1972’s Female Prisoner #701: Scorpion, Meiko Kaji emerged as a bona fide, badass star.

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