What Have You Just Seen... Marks Out of 5

bradavon · Post by **bradavon** » 16 Jul 2005, 19:15

Who's dubbed into English?

grim_tales · Post by **grim_tales** » 16 Jul 2005, 19:56

Well Jet certainly is.. the film seems to be part Cantonese and part English on the Cantonese track. Crystal Kwok speaks with her own voice (I think?) on her English parts.

bradavon · Post by **bradavon** » 16 Jul 2005, 21:03

So who speaks Cantonese? I thought Jet would (dubbed).

I didn't like the look of it before but if it uses English dubbing a lot then no thanks.

BiscLimpkit · Post by **BiscLimpkit** » 16 Jul 2005, 21:13

Once Upon a Time in Highschool - 4/5

Aye solid movie exploring the hardships of highschool. Nice to see what a South Korean military highschool was like during the 80's. Great performances and superb closing song.

Markgway · Post by **Markgway** » 16 Jul 2005, 21:44

For THE MASTER Jet was dubbed in both English and Cantonese. He couldn't speak either language at this point.

thelostdragon · Post by **thelostdragon** » 16 Jul 2005, 21:52

BiscLimpkit wrote:Once Upon a Time in Highschool - 4/5

Aye solid movie exploring the hardships of highschool. Nice to see what a South Korean military highschool was like during the 80's. Great performances and superb closing song.

Yeah, it was such a cool idea to use this particular tune at the end of the film.

grim_tales · Post by **grim_tales** » 17 Jul 2005, 10:06

Could Crystal speak Cantonese? I dont think she was dubbed in English.

EvaUnit02 · Post by **EvaUnit02** » 17 Jul 2005, 16:23

ReconFive wrote:Event Horizon - 4/5
I personally think its a well made, very good film that is genuinely scary. Not as much because of what is shown on screen, but what is left up to your imagination. Well worth a viewing if you like sci-fi/Horror films.

BWAHAHA

Thanks for that, I needed a good laugh. Event Horizon is one of the worst films I've ever seen. Ahhhhh the ship is in hell, Sam Neill is the space satan! Lame scenes like flashes of the original crew gone insane; when the smouldering fire man Sam Neill rises out of the lava or whatever had me in stitches. EH is about as scary as Tellytubbies.

I do admit that the production design was fantastic though. That's the only good thing about WS Anderson's drecks, the production design.

ReconFive · Post by **ReconFive** » 17 Jul 2005, 18:01

hey what can i say, i liked it. Sure the Sam Neill thing went alittle overboard, but i thought the concept was quite original and interesting. The scenes you thought were lame i thought were pretty good, not because of what's actually being shown on screen (although i found the FX to be quite good as well) but the idea that each member of the crew is having their inner fears shown to them.

I do not like most of Paul W.S. Andersons work, and I do see how this can be easily thought of as a very bad film...but i think the idea behind it is unique and interesting, i love most of the cast, and as you said production design looked great.

Sorry you didn't enjoy it

bradavon · Post by **bradavon** » 17 Jul 2005, 19:06

I liked it to ReconFive. Top horror sci-fi movie.

BiscLimpkit · Post by **BiscLimpkit** » 17 Jul 2005, 19:07

Yeah thought it was fab also.

grim_tales · Post by **grim_tales** » 18 Jul 2005, 08:45

Lone Wolf and Cub: Babycart at the River Styx - 3/5

Very violent chanbarra film

Love the OTT blood

Not sure if I like this better than the first one, though I did like the ending of No 2.
Whats the 3rd one called? I'm not sure if I want to see as far as No. 6, WHAH looked stupid in the trailer

However BC@TRS was very satisfying as I saw the film all the way through without taking a break (I havent done that for ages!) 8)

thelostdragon · Post by **thelostdragon** » 18 Jul 2005, 10:57

Public Enemy 2 (a.k.a. Another Public Enemy) - 3.5/5
As much as I would love to give it a 4/5, I simply can't, because it is not as good as the first part. At a running time of 148 minutes, I thought this would be going to be one hell of a boring ride. However, it didn't really feel like over 2 hours and the long running time is not filled with unnecessary scenes at all. Good comedy and good action as well. However, I wouldn't call it an action comedy, but rather a crime-comedy or so.

BiscLimpkit · Post by **BiscLimpkit** » 18 Jul 2005, 11:00

Damn... I loved for the first one like.

EvaUnit02 · Post by **EvaUnit02** » 19 Jul 2005, 03:36

Naked Lunch - 3/5
A strange, but still loads of fun film from David Cronenberg. The effects are great. This has to be one of the wackiest biopics one will ever see.

Dead Ringers - 5/5
A powerful tragedy film again from Cronenberg. The dual performance from Jeremy Irons is nothing short of brilliant. Also Howard Shore's score is excellent.

Crash - 2.5/5
Sex scene upon sex scene, upon sex scene... it was hillarious. A movie about car crash fetishists, they have sex in car wrecks, recreate famous car crashes (eg James Dean's Porsche Spider crash), etc. Definately the weakest Cronenberg film I've seen to date.

Bring Me the Head of Alfredo Garcia - 4/5
A great blood-soaked revenge tragedy film from Sam Peckinpah. The action is superb and Warren Oates was great in the lead role.

degeneration · Post by **degeneration** » 19 Jul 2005, 10:09

The Descent 4.5/5

Some genuine chills in this one that's for sure! Very good creepy film that, as my girlfriend said "was scary enough before the monsters came into it"!!! Maybe the claustrophobia added to the scariness of it, but it was well shot, and used music to a minimum which is something i like.

A few things left me a little confused, like the engraving on Juno's (sp?) necklace thing... Gonna have to speak to other people who have seen it to make sure I'munderstanding things correctly...

But top film.

ReconFive · Post by **ReconFive** » 19 Jul 2005, 17:06

degeneration wrote:The Descent 4.5/5

Some genuine chills in this one that's for sure! Very good creepy film that, as my girlfriend said "was scary enough before the monsters came into it"!!! Maybe the claustrophobia added to the scariness of it, but it was well shot, and used music to a minimum which is something i like.

A few things left me a little confused, like the engraving on Juno's (sp?) necklace thing... Gonna have to speak to other people who have seen it to make sure I'munderstanding things correctly...

But top film.

Glad to hear this is good! Neil Marshall is an awesome director and its great to see that he is making more films.

Wish i didn't have to wait for the damn DVD :x

romerojpg · Post by **romerojpg** » 19 Jul 2005, 18:12

degeneration wrote:The Descent 4.5/5

Some genuine chills in this one that's for sure! Very good creepy film that, as my girlfriend said "was scary enough before the monsters came into it"!!! Maybe the claustrophobia added to the scariness of it, but it was well shot, and used music to a minimum which is something i like.

A few things left me a little confused, like the engraving on Juno's (sp?) necklace thing... Gonna have to speak to other people who have seen it to make sure I'munderstanding things correctly...

But top film.

explain I will, here I will try

The Juno necklace had the inscription from the other lasses husband on it, he says that in the film and he and Juno must have been having an affair! thats why there an uneasy feel at the begining between Juno and the Husband

so that why that lass goes mental at her in the end, shes a cheating bitch and deserved to die.

But I loved the film too, cracking stuff heres what I though, no spoilers in this I dont think

dont even mention what the hells down there.

The Descent 4 out of 5

Well I have looked forward to Neil Marshall's 2nd film for a long time now. After the over the top and extremely fun Dog Soldiers he had me watching him. This 2nd real film really is better in many ways, its far more serious and scary for starters, and ends up a cracking little film. Yet maybe not quite as much fun, as it is light on the laughs.

An all female band of adventuring nutjobs go on a cave exploring trip and it all just goes horribly wrong and soon the girls are terrified, bloody and running for there lives (as fast as you can run underground in very tight spaces in the complete black dark). all the time something else is down there with them, waiting for a chance to maybe have a free meal.

The set up is simple, yet the execution is magnificently created and unlike most films it really does lay on the darkness for real. As most other films just seem to pretend its dark, when in reality we see it all as its obviously all lit up by studio lights. This film is truly dark, and such small amounts of light are used that it gets to you and you feel this darkness creeping in all around you, a simple torch or glowstick lights the way, and maybe sometimes a flare when you really want to illuminate a larger area. It all works in making us feel we are in a very small place, as its always black in places and you feel anything could happen or jump out from beyond the blackness.

The claustrophobia is amazingly realised at times. I was blown away by one very tight situation in the film and scenes like this really work, as I fear small places and only crazy people go down into caves and crawl thru tiny tunnels. The sense of nowhere to run fits the film and many times I felt it got it too right, as I did feel my god that's a bit tight. So they have the Dark and tight spaces perfect and that's even before they lay on the gore and start the ride.

The all lady cast do a fine job and feel pretty realistic doing there jobs. When the crap hits the fan and the killing, maiming and running away stars, they all do a fine job. The jumps in the film got me to start with, and I did get jumped out my seat a few times in the 1st 30 minutes from some very well created simple tactics, hey that's what I went to see it for and that they made me jump at all is a good start. The effective lighting does disorientate a bit when the action gets going as we can loose track of where people are, and who people are. As when the crap does hit the fan all hell breaks loose and people are scattered all over the place and that's what would happen I guess.

The blood and guts of the film are on the screen for all to see and when the killing, maiming and accidents start happening we see it all and the blood really does flow quickly and in large quantities. The various slaughters are usually fast and seen on screen quite plainly. Sharp implements thru various body parts, legs, heads, necks all work well. As the film gets further and further into the caves its gets more bloody, maybe not as shocking as the 1st few jumps and shocks, but it does make up by adding some far more over the top sequences to the mix. The cast of ladies all get to be in some great tense and exciting scenes and a few really step up to the role of hero and fight back with all they have. Maybe a little unrealistic, but we don't know what there backgrounds have, so maybe they are as hard as they seem. We get many very tense parts in the film some with Blood, and some without, the climbing over the abyss scene is very good, as are the small tunnels exploring. They just lay on the tension as we don't know what's ahead and I was holding my breath many times waiting for the outcome.

The only problems with the film are it does get a little confusing at times because its soo dark, but that doesn't mean that's bad as it really would be confusing in the dark for these ladies, so in a way they got it right. The ending is a strange one for me and I don't think I liked it much, it didn't make me think as I just found it silly. I guess its open to interpretation, but hey I like my Horror pretty simple.
Some effects shots look a little ropey round the edges, mainly simple things like some bats, or some large tunnels shots, things most people wont even spot and I wont spot on DVD I am sure as the scale of a cinema screen can magnify very minor faults.

The films a good un, and that's all that counts for me.
I loved it, a simple, effective spooky slow build up, bloodandgutsathon. The cast are all great and try to act there little hearts out among the scenes of terror and carnage and it all just worked for me. It will be a very interesting to see if Neil Marshall can follow up this with another top horror film and I really look forward to The Out Post (that's its name so far) about Zombies on an Oil Rig, bring it on! and don't water it down Neil.

BiscLimpkit · Post by **BiscLimpkit** » 19 Jul 2005, 23:01

Dark Water - 1/5 (American Remake)

Man I felt the film was pretty pathetic. If you've not seen the Japanese version then maybe it's ok... however I felt it came close to being a scene by scene rip off.

It tried to be original by involving a lot more of the minor characters, namely the husband, but these scenes feel redundant. There is no tension and even cheap Hollywood jump frights are kept to a minimum.

The ending was the worst, very anti-climactic and disappointing. Plus in typical Hollywood style - everything is nicely explained to the audience.

Part of the fear was lost by knowing what the main ghost girl (Natasha) looked like, quite early on in the film. In the Japanese version, her face is obscured in the poster and even when we get to see her in the flesh, her facial features are too disfigured to make out.

I don't see how Natasha can mess around with the plumbing in the school.

There was a lot of unintentional humour. Like when Jennifer Connelly's character opens the tank, gets a fright... then opens the tank again. Later we see the ambulance/police come once... and then again in the space of a few hours. Plus John C. Reilly and Pete Postlethwaite were used as comic reliefs, which was utterly embarasing. The Japanese one had no humour, non stop suspence and chills all the way through.

Obviously if you hated the Japanese version, don't even bother with this.

ReconFive · Post by **ReconFive** » 20 Jul 2005, 06:19

The Descent - (downloaded & watched on PC with crappy image) - 4/5
I simply could not wait until October 31st to see this.
Kick ass movie, as i expected. Great scares, well shot, well acted, just great stuff. The ending was alittle strange, but thought provoking. Personally i think that Sarah was knocked out while trying to escape from the cave, and then dreamed everything up until waking up in the cave again. Her daughter being there was just symbolism, obviously. I'm really not even sure, but that was just my first impression. Its very open to interpretation.
Anyway.. awesome movie

Would be getting a 4.5 if i had seen it under better circumstances.

romerojpg · Post by **romerojpg** » 20 Jul 2005, 17:49

You have to wait a little to see it, at least it coming out at Haloween it seems and may make some cash over there. As its made bugger all over here sadly

EvaUnit02 · Post by **EvaUnit02** » 21 Jul 2005, 04:10

Land of the Dead - 5/5
Saw it at the Auckland International Film Festival. IT FUCKING ROCKED. Romero is still the lord of zombie flicks.

Steamboy - 3/5
Could be best described as if Michael Bay started pontificating about the dangers of scientific progression and the tired "power corrupts". It was filled with cliched anime characters (semi-whiny boy who's suddenly shouldered with big responsibilites; semi-whiny boy's father who has big ambitions but is corrrupted by power; bratty bitch queen who'd you'd want to through down a flight of stairs) and the social commentaries are served up bluntly - just how the Japanese seem to like it. Overall it's a fun film, with top notch animation from Production IG (responsible for Ghost in the Shell 1&2 and the series).

It was surreal at first, it's as if modern-speaking Japanese had gone back in time and conquered Victorian England and outlawed English. I quickly got over that though.

grim_tales · Post by **grim_tales** » 21 Jul 2005, 08:33

Monty Python and the Holy Grail - 5/5

IMO the best and funniest of the Python films.

"Its' just a flesh wound"

"Now we see the violence inheriting the system - help help! I'm being repressed!"

"Is that an African swallow or European one?!"

"Your mother was a hamster and your father smelt of elderberries!"

degeneration · Post by **degeneration** » 22 Jul 2005, 09:20

I, Robot 3.5/5

Good visual spectacle and some nice action and on the whole a decent almost no brainer action flick. Enjoyable but not overly memorable. Was very much put off by the cheesy ending where the robot had to choose, just like the experience from Will Smith's character's past. That was too contrived and too convenient for my liking.

Stephen King's The Stand 4/5

Recently rewatched this, and while not as enjoyable as first time round, it was still very good. Has dated a bit, but it is still a production on a large scale. Lots of dead people, and a nice good Vs evil battle.

BiscLimpkit · Post by **BiscLimpkit** » 22 Jul 2005, 09:24

degeneration wrote:I, Robot 3.5/5

Good visual spectacle and some nice action and on the whole a decent almost no brainer action flick. Enjoyable but not overly memorable. Was very much put off by the cheesy ending where the robot had to choose, just like the experience from Will Smith's character's past. That was too contrived and too convenient for my liking.

That's what I felt. Enjoyable but hardly memorable.

Bullets 'n' Babes

What Have You Just Seen... Marks Out of 5

Baby Cart at the River Styx