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Hotaru no haka [Grave of the Fireflies] (1988) --> This classic in Japanese anime is a very depressing watch. It is difficult for a director of this genre to draw from his audience any strong emotion as the film is essentially a cartoon. Lent more to humour than the more powerful feelings of sadness or anger, serious animated stories are crippled from the beginning. That is why director Isao Takahata should be congratulated for this film. Grave of the Fireflies will bring tears to many people's eyes. The story is about a boy Seita and his younger sister Setsuko who are disenfranchised during the American's attack on Japan in WWII. Shunned by the population of their town (the people are also trying to eke out a living), the siblings move into a cave and try to live on their own. Forced to beg and steal to keep his sister and himself alive, Seita has to watch his sister slowly succumb and die of starvation. Grave of the Fireflies is a devastating watch and is one of the great Japanese anime films.


Full Spectrum Staff

Rear Window (1954) --> Except for Psycho, this movie is Hitchcock's best. Nominated for 4 Oscars, but not winning any as the movie had the bad luck of being put out the same year as Elia Kazan's On The Waterfront. James Stewart and Grace Kelly star in this suspense thriller that tells of a man who witnesses a murder by peeping into other people's lives through the rear windows of their apartments. But did he actually view a murder or do all the clues point to a different conclusion? Hitchcock is the master of suspense and Rear Window is another example of why. Rear Window is a must addition to a DVD library (along with most of Hitchcock's films).


Full Spectrum Staff

The 40 Year Old Virgin (2005) --> Deciding that writing comedy wasn't enough, Judd Apatow decided to direct a film he wrote as well. Getting his feet wet in television (he worked on both the Larry Sanders Show and the Ben Stiller Show), Apatow moved on to write the screenplays for Heavy Weights (1995) and Celtic Pride (1996). Returning to TV for a time (almost a decade) Apatow decided that directing a movie he wrote would be a good idea and The 40 Year Old Virgin is the result. One of the best comedies of the year, it takes both a comical and sensitive look at how it could actually be possible for a man to reach 40 without losing his virginity. Starring Steve Carell in his first leading role, The 40 Year Old Virgin did not disappoint.


Full Spectrum Staff

Mangiati vivi [Eaten Alive] (1980) --> This was Umberto Lenzi's second foray into cannibal movies (his first, which started the sub-genre, was Il Paese del Sesso Selvaggio, [Man from Deep River] (1973)). Lenzi decided to not only show the ususal murder, rape, animal dismemberment and gore that these films became famous for, but he decided that having his victims alive and conscience while they are being devoured would add to the horror. He was right as Eaten Alive will turn your stomach.


Scott D. Brown

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Complete List of Short Movie Reviews