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Nostalgic Impulse: Akira

Any list of most influential and greatest anime will inevitably feature one name above all others. Some have favourites that supersede it (indeed, I myself do) but no other film can claim as singular an impact on bringing Japanese animation ...

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Nostalgic Impulse: Network (1976)

No matter what the subject or how affecting the lessons were, humanity never learns from mistakes of the past. Sidney Lumet’s 1976 masterpiece could easily have been made in 2017. Watching Network post-Trump feels like a particularly cynical (though accurate) look ...

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Nostalgic Impulse: Battle Royale

This cult classic courted controversy when it was first released for its ‘vulgar violence’. It was rated R in its home country of Japan and was either banned or found only limited releases in other countries. Watching it now, I ...

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Nostalgic Impulse: Invader Zim

In 1999, comic book writer Jhonen Vasquez pitched his idea for a cartoon to Nickelodeon. That wacky little idea became Invader Zim, a series that began airing in 2001. The network had no idea what a gem Vasquez had produced for ...

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Nostalgic Impulse: Ghost in the Shell

Ahead of the alternately anticipated or dreaded live-action version, this week saw the re-release in cinemas of Mamoru Oshii’s Ghost in the Shell. The film is a landmark in world and animated cinema, spawning a host of imitators and is, ...

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Nostalgic Impulse: Double Indemnity

Billy Wilder’s Double Indemnity is a recognized noir classic, preserved by the National Film Registry for being deemed ‘culturally, historically, or aesthetically significant’. Perhaps you will focus on the venetian blind lighting style that became a staple of the noir ...

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