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Yabu no naka no kuroneko, a review by Danae Cassandra

Yabu no naka no kuroneko  (Kuroneko)

Year of Release:  1968
Directed By:  Kaneto Shindo
Starring:  Kichiemon Nakamura, Nobuko Otowa, Kiwako Taichi, Kei Sato 
Rated:  Not Rated

Overview:
In this poetic and atmospheric horror fable, set in a village in war-torn feudal Japan, malevolent spirits are ripping out the throats of itinerant samurai. When a military hero is dispatched to confront the unseen force, he finds that he must struggle with personal demons as well. From Kaneto Shindo, director of the similarly terrifying Onibaba, Kuroneko (a.k.a. Black Cat) is a spectacularly eerie twilight tale, with a shocking feminist angle, evoked through ghostly special effects and exquisite cinematography.

My Thoughts:
What a magnificent film!  The cinematography is so perfect, so gorgeous, the unconventional use of lighting, the play of darkness and shadow in the film, the eerie fog that heralds entering the supernatural realm.  The look of the film and its atmosphere are so wonderfully done, the use of black and white so appropriate that I can't imagine what this would look like in color.  The actors are all great as well.  Poetic, tragic, symbolic, chilling, I would highly recommend this for any fan of classic or Japanese horror.  Avoid only if you can't watch a subtitled film (in which case, I feel sorry for you).  Any other horror film I watch this month has a high bar set by Kuroneko.

Bechdel Test:  Fail

Overall:  4.75/5

(From Danae's 2012 Horror on October 8th, 2012)

Avatar, a review by addicted2dvd

Avatar (2009/United States) Trailer |IMDb |Wikipedia | Twentieth Century Fox Home Entertainment Director: James Cameron Writing: James Cameron (Writer) Length: 162 min. Rating: Rated PG-13 : Intense Epic Battle Sequences and Warfare, Sensuality, Language and Some Smoking Video: Widescreen 1.78:1 Audio: English: DTS-HD Master Audio: 5.1, English: Dolby Digital: Dolby Surround, Audio Descriptive: Dolby Digital: 5.1, Spanish: Dolby Digital: 5.1, French: Dolby Digital: 5.1, Portuguese: Dolby Digital: 5.1 Subtitles: English, Portuguese, Spanish

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Stars:Plot:Extras:

• Scene Access
• THX

Brittany and I decided to watch this one today. It is a film out of her collection... but the first time either one of us has seen it. I was a little nervous going into this one... mainly due to the length. But I had always heard good things... so was more then willing to see it through. The first thing I notice on this one is that it is an absolutely gorgeous film. I am thrilled that I got to see this one for the first time on Blu-ray. Unlike my brother who watched it for (I believe) the first time on a basic cable channel. As for the story itself... I was also happy there. It kept my attention through-out with ease. It is definitely one I would recommend.



(From What Movies I Been Watching on August 16th, 2013)

Angel Marathon, a review by addicted2dvd

10. Reunion
Original Air Date: 12/19/2000
Angel goes on a frantic search after Drusilla turns Darla back into a vampire, and he must catch them before she rises again and the two go back to their old ways and paint the town red.

Guest Stars:
Elisabeth Rohm
Christian Kane
Stephanie Romanov
Sam Anderson
Julie Benz as Darla
Juliet Landau

My Thoughts:
Another excellent episode. I really enjoyed every minute of this one. I especially enjoyed seeing the newly vamped Darla back together with Drusilla. I been meaning to mention Cordelia's new haircut for the past few episodes. I do not care much for it at all... shorter and darker. It just don't look right to me.

My Rating:

(From Angel Marathon on March 4th, 2010)