What general film/series have you just seen.. marks out of 5

Film Reviews and Release Comparisons
Post Reply
User avatar
HungFist
Bruce Lee's Fist
Posts: 11704
Joined: 14 Dec 2005, 15:50
Location: Japan
Contact:

Re: What general film/series have you just seen.. marks out of 5

Post by HungFist »

Miami Connection (USA, 1987) [BD] - 3.5/5
Korean-American B-action with a rock band made of tae kwon do black belts fighting Miami motorcycle ninjas. Bad movie fans should get their kicks from sloppy action and hilariously bad acting. The real reason to watch the film, however, is the fantastic soundtrack and beautiful 80s aesthetics, including long club sequences, a great beach scene, and a band of ninjas riding motorcycles on the streets of Florida. Star Y.K. Kim has his own broken charm; he can barely speak and makes Van Damme and Lundgren look like character actors in comparison.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=R43dYg_Kuc0

Image
User avatar
HungFist
Bruce Lee's Fist
Posts: 11704
Joined: 14 Dec 2005, 15:50
Location: Japan
Contact:

Re: What general film/series have you just seen.. marks out of 5

Post by HungFist »

Mo wrote:Miami Connection sounds right up my alley. I've heard about movies in recent years that are made to be so bad they're good on purpose, and that doesn't make any sense to me. You can't try and make a movie that's as laughably bad as Manos or Kung Fu Fever. It has to happen naturally.
True. That's why for example Samurai Cop is a rather fun film, while the recent sequel looks just utter crap. It's like someone slipping on a banana peel... it's not very funny if you do it on purpose and inform the audience in advance that you're gonna try and slip on a banana peel.

Generally speaking, though, I really hate the expression "so bad it's good". I think most of the time it's used by culturally ignorant people watching foreign films (I've seen Kinji Fukasaku films called "so bad they're good" for God's sake!) or people who are afraid to admit they enjoy a non-fashionable/non-intelligent film (e.g. every other 80s action movie).

Besides, there are very few films that are enjoyable just because of their badness. I haven't seen Manos or Kung Fu Fever, but Samurai Cop is one of the few films I can name that partly fall into that category. I say "partly" because while it's full of unintentionally funny scenes that make it more enjoyable, it still has good pacing and good enough technical execution to actually be watchable. Genuinely bad films are just unwatchable.
User avatar
Markgway
Bruce Lee's Fist
Posts: 20177
Joined: 18 Feb 2005, 02:04

Re: What general film/series have you just seen.. marks out of 5

Post by Markgway »

Mo wrote: I've only seen Kirk Douglas in a couple movies. He never stood out to me but he's great here. He kept reminding me of another actor, Michael Douglas. So I went to IMDB to research. Turns out they are father and son. I had no idea.
In other shocking news... the Pope is a Catholic!

Stay tuned for more! ;)
Image
User avatar
Masterofoneinchpunch
King of Beggars
Posts: 863
Joined: 10 Jan 2014, 19:36

Re: What general film/series have you just seen.. marks out of 5

Post by Masterofoneinchpunch »

Mo wrote:...
Also watched The Burbs. Great movie, although not as great as I remember. So I had to give masterofoneinchpunch credit for calling me out on it asking why I had it ranked so high.
I still like the film. I actually still reference it now and then: especially the house and a few scenes. I had seen it several times and I thought the plot could have been better overall -- not a damning of the movie, just hurt rewatches.

That Douglas line made me laugh. Now have you not seen Spartacus (1960) or Paths of Glory (1957) or Ace in the Hole (1951)?
User avatar
Masterofoneinchpunch
King of Beggars
Posts: 863
Joined: 10 Jan 2014, 19:36

Re: What general film/series have you just seen.. marks out of 5

Post by Masterofoneinchpunch »

Mo wrote:Off the top of my head the only other movie I've seen with Douglas is The Villain 1979.
I've seen that too. :D It is so goofy. What do you think of it?
User avatar
Markgway
Bruce Lee's Fist
Posts: 20177
Joined: 18 Feb 2005, 02:04

Re: What general film/series have you just seen.. marks out of 5

Post by Markgway »

Delirium (1987-Italy) *½
Disappointing giallo from Lamberto Bava; a minimum of suspense, a good dose of T&A (the leading lady has spectacular breasts it has to be said).
Image
User avatar
Markgway
Bruce Lee's Fist
Posts: 20177
Joined: 18 Feb 2005, 02:04

Re: What general film/series have you just seen.. marks out of 5

Post by Markgway »

Unthinkable (2009-USA) **½
Muslim convert plants three nuclear devices in major US cities; can the authorities make him talk before they detonate?
Thought-provoking thriller asks us if the torture of a terrorist is justified to save innocent lives. Obviously, it is, at least in this case, but film does a decent job of stringing us along...
Image
User avatar
Markgway
Bruce Lee's Fist
Posts: 20177
Joined: 18 Feb 2005, 02:04

Re: What general film/series have you just seen.. marks out of 5

Post by Markgway »

Blue Thunder (1982-USA) **½
Slick, well-made actioner with Roy Scheider as police pilot out to uncover government conspiracy. Excellent photography, aerial battles.
Image
User avatar
Markgway
Bruce Lee's Fist
Posts: 20177
Joined: 18 Feb 2005, 02:04

Re: What general film/series have you just seen.. marks out of 5

Post by Markgway »

Sorority Babes in the Slime Bowl-O-Rama (1987-USA) **
A demonic Imp is unleashed from a bowling trophy(!)
Amusing low budget horror comedy; total cheese, but works as late night cable fodder.
Very little gore, fair bit of nudity (though not from Linnea Quigley who keeps her clothes on).
Image
User avatar
Markgway
Bruce Lee's Fist
Posts: 20177
Joined: 18 Feb 2005, 02:04

Re: What general film/series have you just seen.. marks out of 5

Post by Markgway »

The Perfume of the Lady in Black (1974-Italy) *
If anyone tells you they know what the fork this was all about they're probably lying...
Image
User avatar
Markgway
Bruce Lee's Fist
Posts: 20177
Joined: 18 Feb 2005, 02:04

Re: What general film/series have you just seen.. marks out of 5

Post by Markgway »

Malice (1993-USA-Canada) **½
Good, twisty mainstream thriller; red herring subplot doesn't fit though.
Image
User avatar
Markgway
Bruce Lee's Fist
Posts: 20177
Joined: 18 Feb 2005, 02:04

Re: What general film/series have you just seen.. marks out of 5

Post by Markgway »

Friday Foster (1975-USA) **
Tongue-in-cheek blaxploitation; no great shakes, but Pam Grier is fun to watch.
Image
User avatar
Markgway
Bruce Lee's Fist
Posts: 20177
Joined: 18 Feb 2005, 02:04

Re: What general film/series have you just seen.. marks out of 5

Post by Markgway »

Grimsby (2016-UK-USA-Australia) **
Spectacularly vulgar action comedy crams in as many crude gross out gags as possible in a short run time.
How on earth did this manage to get a '15' and what on earth did they cut from the '18'?
I laughed several times, but the sappy underclass 'scum' (wrongly cited as working class) are worthwhile message feels obligatory and mars the satirical bite. Also, some of the bad taste elements are just sour.
Image
User avatar
Markgway
Bruce Lee's Fist
Posts: 20177
Joined: 18 Feb 2005, 02:04

Re: What general film/series have you just seen.. marks out of 5

Post by Markgway »

Kinjite: Forbidden Subjects (1989-USA-Israel) **½
Sleazy Charlie Bronson vehicle best taken as a black comedy.
Image
User avatar
Markgway
Bruce Lee's Fist
Posts: 20177
Joined: 18 Feb 2005, 02:04

Re: What general film/series have you just seen.. marks out of 5

Post by Markgway »

Hail, Caesar! (2016-UK-USA-Japan) **½
Coen Bros. parody of 50s Hollywood; some good individual scenes, but they don't gel, and there aren't quite enough laughs.
Image
User avatar
Markgway
Bruce Lee's Fist
Posts: 20177
Joined: 18 Feb 2005, 02:04

Re: What general film/series have you just seen.. marks out of 5

Post by Markgway »

Green Room (2015-USA) **
Violent, gory thriller in which a punk band (whose music sucks) becomes trapped in a neo-Nazi compound after witnessing a murder. Not without merit, but the storytelling is very clumsy.
Image
User avatar
Markgway
Bruce Lee's Fist
Posts: 20177
Joined: 18 Feb 2005, 02:04

Re: What general film/series have you just seen.. marks out of 5

Post by Markgway »

Keanu (2016-USA) **
One-joke comedy doesn't know whether it wants to challenge tired stereotypes or reinforce them; the kitten is adorable, however.
Image
User avatar
HungFist
Bruce Lee's Fist
Posts: 11704
Joined: 14 Dec 2005, 15:50
Location: Japan
Contact:

Re: What general film/series have you just seen.. marks out of 5

Post by HungFist »

Terminator: Genisys (USA, 2015) [VoD] - 2.5/5
Surprisingly watchable sequel isn't nearly as bad as the abysmal Terminator: Salvation. The film mainly suffers from boring CGI action and bland (though not terrible) new cast; however, it is surprisingly well written with a genuinely interesting storyline - for the first 80 minutes at least. Oh, and of course Arnold is fun to see on screen even in a mediocre movie.

I must say I misjudged two major films based on their trailers... Terminator: Genisys looked terrible but turned out to be entirely watchable (2.5/5), and Jurassic World was actually a good film (3/5). Unfortunately both films saved the worst for the last... with better final thirds there would've been an additional 0.5 stars to both ratings.
User avatar
Markgway
Bruce Lee's Fist
Posts: 20177
Joined: 18 Feb 2005, 02:04

Re: What general film/series have you just seen.. marks out of 5

Post by Markgway »

Everybody Wants Some!! (2016-USA) *½
Hugely disappointing (thematic) follow up to Richard Linklater's masterpiece Dazed and Confused.
The charm, the heart, and the wit have evaporated in the ensuing 23 years, only to be replaced with boorish behaviour, tired drug material, and (surprising) sexism.
Image
User avatar
Markgway
Bruce Lee's Fist
Posts: 20177
Joined: 18 Feb 2005, 02:04

Re: What general film/series have you just seen.. marks out of 5

Post by Markgway »

Messenger of Death (1988-USA-Israel) **½
Newspaper reporter investigates slaughter of Mormon family.
Nice change of pace for Charlie Bronson, ending's a bit of a damp squib though.
Image
User avatar
HungFist
Bruce Lee's Fist
Posts: 11704
Joined: 14 Dec 2005, 15:50
Location: Japan
Contact:

Re: What general film/series have you just seen.. marks out of 5

Post by HungFist »

Markgway wrote:Messenger of Death (1988-USA-Israel) **½
Newspaper reporter investigates slaughter of Mormon family.
Nice change of pace for Charlie Bronson, ending's a bit of a damp squib though.
I skipped this one. I was under the impression it was one of the weaker Bronson films.
User avatar
Markgway
Bruce Lee's Fist
Posts: 20177
Joined: 18 Feb 2005, 02:04

Re: What general film/series have you just seen.. marks out of 5

Post by Markgway »

HungFist wrote: I skipped this one. I was under the impression it was one of the weaker Bronson films.
It's not a kill fest, sure, but I found the plot pretty interesting.

The denouement could've done with a re-shoot, however.

It's not edgy like 10 to Midnight or Kinjite, or off its tits like Death Wish 3, but it passes the time acceptably.

If you have a spare 90m give it a shot.
Image
User avatar
Markgway
Bruce Lee's Fist
Posts: 20177
Joined: 18 Feb 2005, 02:04

Re: What general film/series have you just seen.. marks out of 5

Post by Markgway »

M (1931-Germany) **½
Dated, though still reasonably effective thriller about the hunt for a child murderer.
The finale tends toward preaching and is unduly abrupt, but for most part this is worthwhile.
Image
User avatar
Masterofoneinchpunch
King of Beggars
Posts: 863
Joined: 10 Jan 2014, 19:36

Re: What general film/series have you just seen.. marks out of 5

Post by Masterofoneinchpunch »

Markgway wrote:M (1931-Germany) **½
Dated, though still reasonably effective thriller about the hunt for a child murderer.
The finale tends toward preaching and is unduly abrupt, but for most part this is worthwhile.
As you whistle In the Hall of the Mountain King when you go out in public. I thought Lorre was fantastic in this. In a few years he would be off to Hollywood. One of my favorite of his earlier roles would be 1935's Mad Love.
User avatar
Markgway
Bruce Lee's Fist
Posts: 20177
Joined: 18 Feb 2005, 02:04

Re: What general film/series have you just seen.. marks out of 5

Post by Markgway »

Lorre is intense for sure, his eyes bulging out their sockets, but there's no nuance or subtlety in his performance. It's of its time to be honest.
Image
Post Reply