James Balmont

Writer

Nukie
Film & TVNukie: the strange story behind the forgotten ET knock-off
Ryuichi Sakamoto
Music6 Ryuichi Sakamoto albums you need to know
Yukihiro Takahashi
MusicRemembering Yellow Magic Orchestra’s Yukihiro Takahashi, in his own words
16X9 korea
Life & CultureIn 2022, Korean culture cemented its place in the mainstream
Silent Night, Deadly Night (1984)
Film & TV6 disturbing Xmas films for people who were bad this year
Return-of-the-Witch
Film & TV5 forgotten horror sequels that deserve re-evaluation
A Confucian Confusion, 1996 (Film Still)
Film & TV9 must-see films from London East Asia Film Festival 2022
Girl Of Time
Film & TVThe mind-bending world of Japanese time travel films
The Legend of the Sealed Book
Film & TVThe story behind this lost 1980s Chinese animation
Memories
Film & TVFive classic anime films you probably haven’t seen
Funky Forest (2011)
Film & TVTwo of Japan’s weirdest comedies have arrived in the UK
Helter Skelter (2012)
Film & TVSix women filmmakers from the Far East that you need to know
Lost Highway
Film & TVLost Highway at 25: the best musical moments from David Lynch’s horror
Crazy Thunder Road by Sogo Ishii5
Film & TVHow Sogo Ishii became the godfather of Japanese cyberpunk cinema
Hiruko the Goblin – Shinya Tsukamoto
Film & TVCyberpunk icon Shinya Tsukamoto on his black sheep horror Hiruko the Goblin
The Happiness of the Katakuris (Takashi Miike, 2001)
Film & TVSex, zombies, and guitars: why Japan is king at making mad music films
A Tale of Two Sisters
Film & TVA Tale of Two Sisters: South Korea’s touchstone psychological horror film
Jeon Do-yeon, Beasts Clawing at Straws
Film & TVBeasts Clawing at Straws: the wild Korean thriller for fans of Parasite
Tezuka’s Barbara
Film & TVTezuka’s Barbara: the ‘un-filmable’ erotic fantasy from Japan’s Walt Disney
Over The Edge 3
Film & TVOver The Edge: exploring the Gen X touchstone and Kurt Cobain’s fave film
Wong kar-wai, In The Mood For Love 1
Film & TVIn The Mood For Love remains a spellbinding introduction to Wong Kar-wai
Johnny Mnemonic1
Film & TVThe 90s Keanu Reeves cyberpunk film connecting Blade Runner to The Matrix
One Cut of the Dead, Shin’ichirô Ueda (2017)
Film & TVHow films about filmmaking are revolutionising Japanese cinema
AWAY, GINTS ZILBALODIS
Film & TVFive international films pushing animation forward in 2021