Tag Archives: Reviews

Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince (review)

J. K. Rowling, Harry Potter and the Half-blood Prince (London: Bloomsbury, 2005). 7/10 I’d hotly anticipated this latest in the Harry Potter series. Even though Rowling is a poor prose stylist, Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban showed that, … Continue reading

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When Nietzsche Wept (review)

Irvin D. Yalom, When Nietzsche Wept: A novel of obsession (1992; repr. Ringwood, Vic.: Penguin, 1993). It’s sometimes argued that Friedrich Nietzsche’s philosophical work demonstrates an interest in psychology, introspection, and relations of power and desire, that in some way … Continue reading

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Samurai Champloo (review)

Watanabe Shinichirô, (dir.) Samurai Champloo, subtitled by AnimeForever, 7/10 Watanabe Shinichirô’s new series follows the precedent set by his earlier series, Cowboy Bebop, building a style by merging a historical period with an incongruous musical style. In Bebop, it was … Continue reading

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Kagemusha (review)

Kagemusha, directed by Kurosawa Akira (1980), DVD. 6/10 Kagemusha is set in the 1570s, towards the end of Japan’s Sengoku period (1467—1615). It draws on the uncertainty surrounding the death of the historical Takeda Shingen, one of the great warlords … Continue reading

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Sixteen Candles (review)

Sixteen Candles, written and directed by John Hughes (1984). 8/10 Tomorrow night a friend from high-school is having an 80s-themed birthday party. I had this lying around, and I hadn’t seen it before, so I put it on to rekindle … Continue reading

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The Amber Spyglass (review)

Philip Pullman, The Amber Spyglass (2000; repr. London: Point, 2001), 549pp. 8/10 This is the last in Philip Pullman’s His Dark Materials series, notable because its characters’ main quest is to destroy the god of Abraham. It’s a splendid thing … Continue reading

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Do rônin dream of electric girls?

CLAMP and Madhouse Production, Chobits, animated series (2002), 26 episodes, subtitled by a4e. 7/10

What if there were cute girl robots who could fall in love?

Such is the question that, no doubt, thousands of male rônin students living in Tôkyô guest houses have asked themselves. Motosuwa Hideki, the protagonist of Chobits, is one such man.

The answer to the question, if you’re unfamiliar with anime, may strike you as surprisingly sensitive. In the near-future that Chobits is set in, there are sexy girl robots, one of whom can fall in love, and it’s bad news for human women and the usual mix of heartache and joy for all concerned. Continue reading

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Donnie Darko (review)

Donnie Darko. DVD. Written and directed by Richard Kelly, 2001. 9/10 I am bewildered. I do not want to sleep. I do not want to do anything else. I just want to sit and think about it. I don’t understand … Continue reading

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Spanking Fashion Parade (review)

The Incredible Melk’s Spanking Fashion Parade. 9/10 Last night I overcame a bout of lethargy to go out to the Kitten Club and see a show my friend Mel was putting on. It featured some outrageously stylish catwalking from the … Continue reading

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