"What can any testimonial do to Midnight Eye to better its ass-kicking supreme status in Japanese film writing for the English reader? For anyone who's ever typed and checked anything on the Internet on Japanese cinema, when the search takes you to Midnight Eye for the first time ... it's the day you'll never forget."
- Elliot Tong, producer of Ichi the Killer
News and Reviews
September 11, 2006 - Firecracker features a side-by-side review of Iron Man: The Cinema of Shinya Tsukamoto ("an immensely readable survey of Tsukamoto's distinctive approach and oeuvre") and The Midnight Eye Guide to New Japanese Film ("Mes and Sharp's superb tome").
May 26, 2006 - The May issue of the French Asian film magazine Kumite calls the Midnight Eye Guide "an effective way to build yourself a solid basis of knowledge in contemporary Japanese film."
January 6, 2006 - From the December 2005 issue of the Graduate Journal of Asia-Pacific Studies: "Mes and Sharp have created a work that is accessible, informative and entertaining. [...] an invaluable primer for those with an interest in contemporary Japanese cinema."
December 19, 2005 - The December issue of Japanzine reviews The Midnight Eye Guide: "Essential reading for anyone with a shred of interest in the movers and shakers on this country's movie scene."
December 1, 2005 - "an insightful, highly interesting read [...] exceptionally well-written in an easy-to-follow manner that you will enjoy reading no matter your previous knowledge (or lack thereof) of the subject matter." So speaks Sequential Tart.
September 29, 2005 - Dutch website 8weekly has its say about The Midnight Eye Guide. "A valuable work by two authorities in the field."
September 28, 2005 - In the October/November issue of J Select: "The book is a study in recent Japanese society as much as its cinema and for that alone it deserves a thorough going over. Worth every penny. Two thumbs and eight fingers up!"
September 26, 2005 - "A near-perfect guide to modern Japanese cinema" says The Fortean Times.
September 19, 2005 - Bizarre Magazine, in its October issue: "Growing out of their excellent Midnight Eye website, this handy tome on new Japanese film fills a yawning void in readable coverage of the diverse new-new-wave directors who've taken the world by storm. Mes and Sharp serve up informed profiles of recent Japanese cinema's major names as well as critical accounts of their key movies and lashings of useful background material."
July 27, 2005 - Senses of Cinema has its say about the Midnight Eye Guide: "Mes and Sharp paint a convincing story of the fall-and-rise of the "new" Japanese cinema".
July 13, 2005 - "For those who love Japanese culture and Japanese film the Guide will prove an indispensable resource," writes Dragonfire.
July 10, 2005 - "Excellent," says Film Fanaddict. "This is a book that I have already referred back to multiple times and will surely become a well worn addition to my film library."
July 5, 2005 - Johannes Schonherr writes in issue 15 of Film International: "Indispensable for anyone with a deeper interest in Japanese cinema."
June 13, 2005 - "Probably the most detailed Western publication about recent Japanese cinema," according to Camera Austria.
June 1, 2005 - "The best book available on modern Japanese film [...] as excellent as one would expect, an essential book," Zack Davisson writes.
May 31, 2005 - The Asian Reporter reviews the Guide: "Best of all, The Midnight Eye Guide offers priceless context for, and insights into, the most important aspect of the industry - the films themselves. This comprehensive guide is one that movie buffs and Japanophiles alike will want to hold on to long after the last page is turned."
May 20, 2005 - "Anyone interested in exploring current works in world cinema will appreciate The Midnight Eye Guide to New Japanese Film [...] interesting and valuable first-hand observations about an incredibly energetic, creative national film industry. Highly recommended." So says Choice: Current Reviews for Academic Libraries.
April 17, 2005 - Jasper Sharp is one of the interviewees, alongside Hideo Nakata and Fangoria editor Tony Timpone, in an article about Japanese horror films.
March 22, 2005 - 4 out of 5 stars for the Midnight Eye Guide, courtesy of Jonathan Clements in the April issue of Neo magazine.
March 3, 2005 - Tom Mes and Jasper Sharp talk about their book and about Japanese cinema, in an in-depth interview with Missing Image.
February 28, 2005 - Newtype USA reviews the book in its February issue:
"This is easily one of the most important books on Japanese cinema ever released in English. Asian film aficionados Tom Mes and Jasper Sharp (co-editors of the authoritative website midnighteye.com) bring us 97 reviews of Japanese films accompanied by 20 in-depth profiles of filmmakers including Kinji Fukasaku (Battle Royale), Seijun Suzuki (Branded to Kill) and Sogo Ishii (Gojoe). Chronicling the rise of today's crop of wildly talented indie filmmakers after the fall of the Japanese studio system, Mes and Sharp write with passion, insight and a collective critical voice that's neither cumbersome nor too casual. Of note to anime fans are featured write-ups on the films of Hayao Miyazaki and Katsuhiro Otomo, making this a book that every fan of Japanese cinema should own."
February 19, 2005 - "Mes and Sharp's book is a treasure that is sure to dictate your viewing habits for several years to come" says Japanvisitor.com.
February 11, 2005 - A review of the Midnight Eye Guide at kitanotakeshi.com, of course with special attention devoted to the book's chapter on Kitano:
"Reading The Midnight Eye Guide to New Japanese Film is simply a pleasure. Authors Jasper Sharp and Tom Mes seem to write with such ease, that one word just takes the other. Their knowledge about contemporary Japanese film is astonishing."
February 10, 2005 - VGO Anime reviews the Midnight Eye Guide:
"If you’ve got an interest in Japan through any aspect of its culture you’ll not want to pass up this invaluable guide to its film industry!"
January 20, 2005 - "Cool book" says The New York Post.
January 14, 2005 - Croatian movie e-zine Zuti Titl interviews Jasper Sharp and Tom Mes.
January 6, 2005 - Italian website I.H. Magazine reviews the Midnight Eye Guide.
January 3, 2005 - The Liarsociety blog reviews the Midnight Eye Guide:
"Even for fans of these unusual and often bewildering films, the Guide does a fine job giving them a solid cultural (and more importantly, human) context." 4.5 out of 5.
November 20, 2004 - What's On UK has the first review of The Midnight Eye Guide to New Japanese Film:
"From the makers of premier Japanese film website midnighteye.com comes this comprehensive survey of Japanese film tracing its evolution from the Japanese new wave of the 1960's through to the present day. Certainly not a rehash of the website (which is also highly recommended) the book contains extensive chapters on the major directors and some wonderfully rambling essays on individual films. Of interest both to the newcomer and long-time enthusiasts alike."
October 20, 2004 - Read an interview with co-author Tom Mes at 2ndname.com.
Intro | News | Samples | Interview
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