Our last thread went for two years!
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ebossert — 9 years ago(April 13, 2016 03:28 PM)
Japan's Longest Day was awesome. I really like Okamoto as a director.
I feel like I need to give Come Drink With Me a second chance. I didn't like it much the first time around.
I disliked Memories of the Sword. Performances are good, but right from the start I thought that the sword fights are overly-edited and irritating. I also felt that there were too many dramatic moments that were unsupported by normal moments. There is a fairly good twist that is revealed later on though, so I'll give it that.
Gohatto was beautifully shot and acted. There are a few good, realistic swordfights to enjoy too.
I hope to watch The Golden Cane Warrior soon.
YouTube Asian Movie Review Channel
https://www.youtube.com/user/anticlimacus100 -
ebossert — 9 years ago(April 17, 2016 06:03 AM)
Part 14 of my Asian Horror Year In Review playlist is now up. It provides a lengthy introduction on contemporary Asian horror, then includes mini-reviews on some of the less impressive films released in 1998 (the better ones will be covered in my next video):
Here are the films I saw this week.
Highly Recommended
The Flame of Devotion (1964) (Japanese Drama/Romance) The tale of a young woman from a mountain who fell in love with a fishermans son, and her devotion to him during World War II. Theres a lot of cultural value here that shows the daily life of these people. Another interesting aspect is that the female lead isnt a push-over, subservient woman; shes actually quite selfish, which makes her more interesting. This film is great to look at, with very nice environments that are beautifully shot in black-and-white. The ending is dramatically effective. This is really good stuff by Koreyoshi Kurahara.
Vengeance of an Assassin (2014) (Thai Action) (repeat viewing) When a young woman is targeted for assassination, some underworld hitmen and gangsters tangle in a series of deadly clashes in this film by Panna Rittikrai. Like many action films from Thailand, the story here is weakly constructed but the action is outstanding. Fight scenes are expertly crafted and extremely hard-hitting. Were talking tons of bloody violence, bone-crunching knock-out blows, and some fantastic deaths. There is one sequence that uses poor vehicle CGI, but its still fun. There are also some creative moments to enjoy, like the insane opening martial arts soccer match and two lengthy shootouts that were shot in a single take (with great use of squibs). For brainless action, you cant go wrong here.
Rocky 3 (1982) (American Drama) (repeat viewing) After successfully defending his title for the tenth time, Rocky Balboa is challenged by the hungry, powerful Clubber Lang. Easily the flashiest of the franchise to this point, it starts with a lengthy and entertaining 7-minute montage that sets up the whole film. The antagonist is shallow and poorly developed, but this is pure 80s entertainment regardless. You got Hulk Hogan, Mr. T, bromance between Stallone and Weathers, and Eye of the Tiger baby. This has got some good dialogue too, and two fights that do not go to the cliched 15th round. This is also very briskly paced. Oh, and it has one of the best freeze frame final shots in cinematic history. Let the smack talk begin.
Rocky 4 (1985) (American Drama) (repeat viewing) Rocky is coerced back into the ring to battle against Drago (Dolph Lundgren), a big Russian with freakish strength. This has the best music of the franchise. There are some outstanding montages that get the viewers blood pumping, and James Brown tears it up! Like Rocky 3, the pacing is very fast (likely due to the inclusion of an additional fight inserted near the mid-point). Its fairly ridiculous American propaganda, but if anything that makes it even more entertaining!
Recommended
When Animals Dream (2014) (Danish Horror/Drama) A teenage girl lives on a small island with her seriously ill mother and her father, who takes care of the family. But something strange is happening to her body, and the neighboring residents seem to know more than she does. This has a common premise that is fairly predictable, but the overall quality is good especially in terms of acting, direction, and dramatic build-up. The conflict between the protagonists family and the townspeople is vicious and effective. The seaside fishing town environment also adds some mood.
A Company Man (2012) (Korean Action) A hitman works for an organization that fronts itself as a legitimate company, but his morals create problems for his profession. Very generic premise here, but the action is solid. Both the hand-to-hand fighting and shootouts are quite good and sufficiently violent, with the highlight being the lengthy office shootout near the end. The lead actor is good and is a convincing badass. He kills female assassins along the way.
Alice In Earnestland (2015) (Korean Comedy/Drama/Thriller) A woman gets some bad breaks in life and must now earn money to pay off hospital bills. She is granted an opportunity to assist in a redevelopment project, but soon realizes that her honest mentality may not be the right way to go. This is a fairly slow-paced film that is infused with low-key, black comedy from start to finish. One hilarious scene involves an unintentional assassination. There are a few scenes of bloody violence and macabre moments, but the humor component never completely goes away. The lead actress is quite good. An interesting genre-bender.
The Virgin Psychics (2015) (Japanese Comedy) This theatrical film is a spin-off of the J-drama about sexual perverts who are endowed with supernatural powers. It is recommended to watch the television series first because the film focuses less on developing the characters (although it does give a brief introduction -
zelena33 — 9 years ago(April 17, 2016 07:40 PM)
Its so friggin stupid, with atrocious dialogue and even worse acting.
Yeah I have to agree with you on that one. I recently re-watched this one, and I was surprised how poorly it aged. It came out when I was a teenager and it seemed pretty hardcore then. So I think Lynch had a lot to do with introducing certain styles that became really mainstream in the 90s and are completely tiresome now. Also it's just a terrible movie. I generally hate David Lynch, but that's why I was surprised how much I loved
Mulholland Drive
(although it has some of that cheap, Lynchian awfulness). It's a film I re-watch over and over. So he's a guy with "one film" as far as I'm concerned.
Man,
Alice In Earnestland
is pretty polarizing. Has been on my watchlist but not sure whether it's for me. -
ebossert — 9 years ago(April 17, 2016 07:53 PM)
That's weird. I also find Mulholland Drive to be the only Lynch film that I actually enjoyed.
YouTube Asian Movie Review Channel
https://www.youtube.com/user/anticlimacus100 -
sitenoise — 9 years ago(April 19, 2016 04:16 PM)
Man, Alice In Earnestland is pretty polarizing. Has been on my watchlist but not sure whether it's for me.
Saying it's
polarizing
gives it way more credit than it deserves. It's not a film that takes chances. For ebo it
is
an effective genre-bender with black humor. If you have a good idea of what he likes and dislikes and you have a good idea of what I like and dislike then you have some help deciding if it's for you.
It's not. -
zelena33 — 9 years ago(April 20, 2016 07:58 AM)
Lol Well I am pretty much on exactly the same page as Ebo-san when it comes to comedies. But I can't stand any of the blood and gore that both of you guys are fine with. And it's hard to tell which films I am on the same page as you with. I guess the dramas and more high artsy-fartsy stuff. Actually my ratings of films are almost always in the range of what everyone else thinks, but sometimes more emphatically yours is more unpredictable. So I'm on the fence. Like most people on this board it's at the point where I'm hurtin' for more good asian films to watch. I've burned through 70% of the classics from the past 20 years and I'm scrapin' the bowl. I get a substantial proportion of my leads from this board.
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ebossert — 9 years ago(January 22, 2017 06:50 AM)
Highly Recommended
Dead or Alive 2: Birds (2000) (Japanese Drama/Action) (repeat viewing) Two hitmen (who are also friends from childhood) decide to kill and donate stolen money to children in need of medical aid in this film by Takashi Miike. This is not a direct sequel, but more of a re-telling that uses the same actors. Its primarily a drama and a very good one at that with very little action on display until the final third, which presents a series of killing engagements (a few of which get bloody) and a showdown with some Chinese hitmen. There are some creative moments in this movie that add a lot of charm, and the interaction is nuanced and interesting. Sho Aikawa and Riki Takeuchi are again very good in the lead roles. Edison Chen shows up in a cameo, and Shinya Tsukamoto is hilarious in a small supporting role. In contrast to its predecessor, which showcased a lot of urban environments, this film showcases a lot of island environments (which include shots of the ocean). This is the best of the trilogy.
On the Waterfront (1954) (American Crime Drama) A has-been boxer (Marlon Brando) experiences a crisis of conscience while working for mobbed-up union boss Johnny Friendly (Lee J. Cobb). He turns a blind eye when Friendlys thugs kill a fellow dockworker to keep him from testifying in a corruption case, but he has second thoughts when the victims sister urges him to take a stand. This is a good, solid movie all-around. A bit simplistic, but the conflicts are convincing and properly developed.
New Police Story (2004) (Chinese Action) (repeat viewing) Solid movie with Jackie Chan playing a cop whose colleagues are targeted for slaughter by a gang of adrenaline junkie bank robbers (led by Daniel Wu). This does rely more on character development than most actioners and is darker than most of Chans filmography. Nicholas Tse is fun to watch as the side-kick. The action is a mix of kinetic shootouts and martial arts, with the highlights being: (a) the warehouse scene where a host of cops attempt to elude numerous booby traps; and (b) the fight between Chan and Andy On that takes place in a childrens playland. Chan gives one of the best performances of his career in this film that has some balls. Directed by Benny Chan.
The Empire of Corpses (2015) (Japanese Anime Horror/Action/Drama) In an alternate version of 19th Century England, corpse reanimation has become industrialized and regulated for the purposes of providing an unending supply of workers for society. After breaking a law pertaining to this practice, young Watson has to either work for the government or face punishment. He has to go on a secret mission, to find the notes of Viktor Frankenstein, who reanimated the first human corpse. There are many historical names and well-known fictional characters who are dropped into the mix, which is rather interesting. This has a lot of creative ideas at work and a very good overall quality. Animation itself is solid and there are plenty of horror/action moments to enjoy. One of three films in the Project Itoh trilogy.
Flying Colors (2015) (Japanese Drama/Comedy) After putting no effort into studying for years, a highschool girl is motivated by a tutor to catch up and go to college. Outshined by her brothers accomplishments, she gets little support from her teachers or father. I really like this lead actress (Kasumi Arimura), and Atsushi Ito makes for a good tutor. Everyone has good chemistry in this film, which adequately showcases the pressure that Japanese students face regarding studying. Reminded me of the times I spent studying for the CPA exam. This is more dramatically effective than one might expect.
Recommended
Dabbe 5: Zehr-i Cin (2014) (Turkish Horror) (repeat viewing) After suffering from nightmarish visions, a woman seeks help from a spiritualist. This is nicely shot, with a lot of creepy imagery (e.g., occult-themed rituals, hypnosis, standing corpses, etc.). This is loaded to the brim with horror, which helps the pacing. Flash editing is occasionally used, and this is fortunately one of the few examples where it works, mostly because the horror relies heavily on nightmarish visuals. Performances are good. Some small sections of this film suffer from western horror cliches (like the husband who refuses to believe that anything supernatural is going on, or jump scares), but it does not rely on those things. This is a good flick by Hasan Karacadag. (Viewed without subtitles.)
Dead or Alive (1999) (Japanese Crime Action/Drama) (repeat viewing) A man and his small group decide to make their own place by trying to take over the Shinjuku underworld and drug trade, but a cop stands in their way. The 10-minute opening sequence in this crime flick is classic! The middle section is rather meandering, but it does establish a convincing conflict between the cops and criminals. The final 30 minutes are superb though. It kicks into high gear with an impressive shoo -
zelena33 — 9 years ago(January 24, 2017 08:45 AM)
I'm just going to review
La La Land
because why not.
I have bailed on so many Asian films that I found boring in recent weeks, it must be that the novelty has worn off.
Summer Time Machine Blues, Kotoko, While the Women Were Sleeping
, blah blah blah.
Anyway, I saw award-magnet La La Land in the theater recently. It got me thinking that cinema [still] has a really important place that has always been occupied by social ritual in human life. I'm not a film scholar but I'm sure this has been written about a lot that you go in the movies and it's an occasion to reflect on human experience in a way that only that particular kind of context can facilitate. The kind of context where your attention is demanded for two hours straight. You just can't do this on the internet, on your smartphone. It's like doing peyote around the campfire was for our ancestors, only with less puking. Or more puking, if it's a Clint Eastwood movie. In the case of La La Land it leads you to reflect on some things about seizing your destiny. A lot of movies lead me to that state of mind where you walk out of the theater jarred, shattered almost, not by something spectacular but by something small and fragile. Thinking, God, yeah, it is important. There is a meaning. You can't just get up for work every morning and march another day closer to death.
La La Land has to do with seizing control of your own fate in relationships and in work. There is a lot to criticize about this film. A lot. Like, a lot a lot. But skipping over that for a minute, in fairness, it really is a "perfect" film experience too, if you let it be one. When the film ended, I wanted to just go right back in and watch it again, and I rarely feel that way. I should have. Instead, I went back a week later, and the spell was broken, and I didn't like it the second time.
Emma Stone really is a great actor. I don't want to know anything about her, or even seek out more of her films (she was only okay in
Aloha, Birdman, Crazy Stupid Love
) but she was born for this role. She does a good job of acting normal and genuine without being afraid that the way she acts won't look like how someone "would" act. Her only problem is that her enormous personality tends to chew the living **** out of the scenery in a smaller-minded movie than this one. She just does things that everyone else is unwilling to do, and don't realize or admit that they are unwilling to do. Everybody wants to be renowned. Nobody wants to cry out of real experience of abysmal despair. Emma is willing and able.
Ryan Gosling, not so much. But he had a fabulous wristwatch.* The fact that neither of them can sing didn't add a lot to the movie. The filmmakers "make up for it" by having supporting cast that also can't sing, so as to not upstage the principals. (Can I get an eye-rolling emoji, please?) In fact, much of the music was terrible it's strange that they brought this guy John Legend (what a name) to add legitimacy on the music side, but he does the opposite. His contribution is enough to make someone who loves this movie run out of the theater screaming. Some of the tunes are catchy but superficial and don't stand up to repeated listening. In your mind. While you are trying to go to sleep.
The Director is a few fries short of a happy meal, being unable to rise above his own tastes and biography, and personal acquaintances, etc etc. Not great director material yet the best Hollywood has got these days (?) *My enjoyment of the film the second time was partly deflated just by reading that the director wore some $14,000 watch that I bought him to an awards show. That's just me. I don't want to know these things.
I've drifted into the criticism of the movie. The main concern is that it feeds into that "success" concept that is so incredibly misguided in our society, and it's not aware of the problem. Still, for me, that was part of the experience of the film. Witnessing other people's very misguided beliefs about the need to be "successful" and the total unacceptability of being mediocre this is the social ecosystem I operate in. Sanity is out there somewhere, but not in this movie. I once saw a bumper sticker in Kill Devil Hills, North Carolina that said "The Outer Banks we're loser-friendly."
In its pixaresque manufactured poignancy, this movie tries to ape 1940s musicals (thus the 1940s Omega wristwatch). But unfortunately, a lot has changed since then. I don't know if you ever noticed this, but in classic movies, people don't wear vintage clothes or fancy Omega watches. When you saw crowds of people singing and dancing in the background of those old movie, you knew nothing about them, and you never would know. Now, you look at these millennial LA hipsters with mustaches, and. you know who they are. It's impossible to build the magic spell of belief. The dream is over, or rather, the ability to dream is over.
Unless you're in China -
sitenoise — 9 years ago(January 24, 2017 11:53 AM)
Funny and moving review notwithstanding, I'm not going to watch this. Not because I hate musicals (I hate any attempt to express or convey meaning by singing it, even in a song format, most of the time). And not because of Ryan (who's a way better onscreen personality than most of the over-moisturized Koreans who get a pass around here). (I love Emma, btw). I'm not going to watch this because you didn't name the director. I had to go look it up. Look at the name, look at the picture. I got about 15 seconds into
Whiplash
before hurling a T-bomb, so I'm right. This is easy. I have some regret because I was genuinely moved by your writing, but I gotta go with my gut. -
zelena33 — 9 years ago(January 24, 2017 12:47 PM)
Haha, I wrote this thinking, this is one that our friend sitenoise won't be able to bring himself to watch, so just hoping to amuse with the review in your case.
I hate musicals as much as you in fact I can't remember ever watching one. But I just decided to let myself enjoy this one. Partly because my niece is the age where she's into Hamilton and stuff like that, and I enjoyed recommending this one for her.
Ryan is not a terrible actor, but he was way outclassed by Emma in this one, to the point where I wish they had bagged their first choice for the male lead, whoever that may have been. He's pretty okay in the straight-faced funny flirty scenes, but overall he's not the James Dean he thinks he is. More of a wristwatch mannequin.
I had mixed feelings about Whiplash. It was partly bad and vain, partly very effective and well-acted by what's-his-name. Don't think the guy could have improved in his second feature film? He's only a 30 year old dude I think.
I don't like the director guy or his $14k watch, but this is one of those cases where I had to pass the peace pipe and get past it in order to connect with the ritual communion with this concept. You would surely hate all the badness of this film, but you're missing out on a Cinematic Experience that you could let yourself enjoy. Ebo and soggy will probably like it. -
inacastleinthesky — 9 years ago(January 24, 2017 09:16 PM)
Have you seen Guy and Madeline on a Park Bench? I saw it a while ago but never finished it. I didn't realize La La Land is directed by the same person. I just looked it up because I was curious who the director is. I don't like Ryan Gosling, so I won't be watching this.
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plsletitrain — 9 years ago(January 24, 2017 05:09 PM)
All this La La Land talk has got my other foot running towards the cinema but my other foot holds it back. What to do.
For one, I'm not really into musicals. I like singing people in movies, only if its animated. But seeing live people cut the scene and turn it into a production number, someone press the fast forward button for me. Second, I still can't with Ryan Gosling and Emma Stone. Emma StoneI can't remember her in the movies honestly (although I know I've seen her in a couple of them). Ryan Gosling, I haven't seen him in a movie yet. I give you guys the license to laugh but I honestly don't have any motivation to watch him. He looks exactly like a mannequin, I can't see any life to him. Add to that that I usually don't go for romance type (he's into that, right?) of movies. him and I haven't met yet. I don't know when we'll meet but as of this time, I don't know. Maybe La La Land will do the trick? I'll check if its playing in our theaters this weekend.
Reading your review, its not like The Tree of Life, right? "La La Land has to do with seizing control of your own fate in relationships and in work." > I swear I heard this from someone who reviewed A Tree of Life too. And I couldn't get past the 10 minute mark.Age of Loneliness-
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zelena33 — 9 years ago(January 24, 2017 05:54 PM)
Reading your review, its not like The Tree of Life, right? "La La Land has to do with seizing control of your own fate in relationships and in work." > I swear I heard this from someone who reviewed A Tree of Life too.
LOL! No no, it's not at all. You made me lol though because I realize that my review sounds like I'm talking about Tree of Life, so you nailed it. I guess I always sound like I'm talking about Tree of Life even when I'm reviewing a dumb Chinese chomedy.
LaLa is closer to Titanic crossed with a romcom. I guess we are unanimous about hating musicals, but that's not really the point here. I think in this case, the music just helps you to feel sympathy for the characters, because they are so bad at mediocre as singers. It's definitely one to see in the theater instead of on video. -
plsletitrain — 9 years ago(January 24, 2017 06:28 PM)
lol yeah, I haven't even watched The Tree of Life but for some reason, reading your review reminded me of how everyone reviewed about it and I couldn't understand one thing when I watched the first 10 minutes!
"LaLa is closer to Titanic crossed with a romcom."
Now that's what I like.
Alrighty, I'll take your word for it. Here's to hoping it still shows in our theaters this weekend.Age of Loneliness-
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sitenoise — 9 years ago(January 25, 2017 11:32 AM)
I guess I always sound like I'm talking about Tree of Life even when I'm reviewing a dumb Chinese chomedy.
I think through self-selecting what films you decide to watch, this is probably true. In a very positive way, for me at least. Life is an organic struggle, a continual (Nietzschean) self-overcoming (or whatever), as you pointed out in your LaLa review about what the film experience allows us (perhaps more, or only, theatrically as opposed to home viewingwhich I'm contemplating very much right now after watching and loving
The Girl on the Train
even after reading all its bad reviews). Some folks watch films to live out vicariously some fisticuffs, a gun fight, a car chase, a little J-navel gazing, perhaps. Some folks watch Olympic level Women's indoor volleyball oops.
We all have projects and concerns that shape our experience. The beautiful thing is that the prism of analysis is subjective. I hope you don't waste any time boning up on different forms of martial arts in the hopes of offering us an objective review of the next
Raid
film. -
zelena33 — 9 years ago(January 25, 2017 05:59 PM)
Yeah, so interesting: I'm not sure if this is what you were getting at, but it's one of the beautiful things in life that sometimes people see things that are just not there. Sometimes they hear things that other people are just not really saying. And the agreement and the "yeah, right on, man!" that comes with it is based on a kind of misunderstanding. This can be kind of hilarious and touching, when people like and approve of things and genuinely like or respect each other based on subjective interpretations that are wrong.
This happens a lot in the movies, and god willing, it always will. It's part of that mysterious sauce of the Human Connection. As you say, the vicarious experience of other people's experiences. The experience of imaginatively seeing through their eyes. This pretty much mirrors "theory of mind" which is literally, scientifically,
the
thing that distinguishes people from other animals. Far out.
For many of us, Asian film is the shizzle, Japanese particularly, because it can't get any more foreign (from the American/Western perspective) than that, so you get that vicarious experience of something very novel, and purely human, because the cultural subtleties that we can't understand are scrubbed off, leaving pure human experience. Like we're children.
In LaLa, it's a lot to do with experience of that happy, childlike pursuit of some dream. It forces you to confront yourself with whether or not you're really doing it. The film thinks it's taking off and soaring on that point about chasing career dreams and "succeeding" and so on. It partly trips on that point, because it's misguided and hollow. But that doesn't take away from the power of that confrontation. Am I doing it? Did I just give up on it? Most people have completely given up on life, and they're living in way very similar to prison inmates who are intensely focused on their Bridge game, and not seeing the fact that they're in jail. -
plsletitrain — 9 years ago(January 30, 2017 09:49 PM)
Hi zelena. So unfortunately, the movie was already pulled out the time I decided to finally watch this. And now I regret it. I wish I saw this in the big screens. Tsk. I managed to contact my resource person to use his almighty piracy powers and look for a copy of this on the internet. And he did. You know those times you wish you did something when you still had the chance, this is one of those times. I passed by the theaters with La La Land playing countless of times and I just stared at the title doing nothing. pulls own hair
Anyway, to the movie now. I agree with everything you said. And I also agree with you about your remark when you tried to watch it the second time and you didn't like it as much.
What's kinda new (at least for me) is that the movie captivated me in the latter parts. Usual experience would be, I get so high on the first parts, starts to feel drowsy in the middle, and then just say wake me up when the movie ends. With La La Land,the first parts were the bummers. It starts sparkly in the middle, and the ending was one of the best endings ever.
Funny thing on the first scene. That scene alone where there's switching of sounds (to show what type of music each car on the throng of vehicles listens to) is award-worthy already but then..it cuts to a girl who slowly sings and then boom! A production number! I was about to say "Zelena, I didn't sign up for this!" but since it was just the first act, I can't bail out, right? Especially if everyone's raving for it, I have to check if the movie redeems itself somewhere down the road. And it did. I think what made the movie appealing is the fact that in this day, its refreshing to see a film that makes you feel like you're watching a broadway musical. The song and dance numbers are not Grease-type levels of catchy but they're passable.
And yeah, Emma Stone was born for this role. She was very natural (except on the sing and dance parts). And what do I know, lifeless-looking Ryan Gosling can actually act to save his life.
The director knows how to play with his camera. He shoots these angles that captivate life aside from the one he's shooting. I haven't heard of him before but if he works like this, he has just reserved himself a star in the hall of fame.
And now to the best part which is a masterpiece of its own: That scene showing the alternate ending. Its very refreshing to see this type of approach that the director utilised. He made it look like an animated movie with real people on it. And the ending was..it was the ending I was looking for!
I got teary eyed two times here. I think everyone who watched this cried too. The first time I cried was when they had that major fight and Mia was acting in her own-produced, own-starred play which no one watched. I cried when Sebastian came to her despite their fight and with him saying "I'll make it up to you!" (with Ryan looking confused/constipated/whatever) because he just doesn't know how to console her, what with them having a big fight just a night beforeI just..it was so real. The second time I cried, it was on the ending.
Overall, I think I can agree with the majority who loved this. I can't say I would watch this later again and I wouldn't call it a masterpiece either (although its 80% there) but this one is definitely one-of-a-kind. Something that is so above the usual hollywood movies that gets spewed every now and then. The director has potential, he is someone to look out for.Age of Loneliness-