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

Lourdes · Post by **Lourdes** » 08 Aug 2006, 00:35

Cheers chaps, I'll look some of those up. I really need to see more HK film and I'll start here.

grim_tales · Post by **grim_tales** » 08 Aug 2006, 09:30

I thought from Beijing With Love was real funny (used to have an Australian VHS).

BiscLimpkit · Post by **BiscLimpkit** » 08 Aug 2006, 18:22

I like the middle finger gag in forbidden city cop. Had me in stiches for about a week.

Knetan · Post by **Knetan** » 08 Aug 2006, 18:43

hey,

the award ceremony bit and subequent reactions worked wonders for me when screening FCC.

ReconFive · Post by **ReconFive** » 09 Aug 2006, 00:04

The Classic - 5/5
As much as i love Sassy Girl, i believe this is Kwak Jae-Young's finest work.

thelostdragon · Post by **thelostdragon** » 09 Aug 2006, 00:22

I love "The Classic", but it has its flaws. The present love story doesn't work well enough in my opinion. The love story from the past works a lot better.

People have criticised that the film didn't elaborate on Taesoo's fainting all the time. Doesn't matter to me. That way there is something we can think about. What I really would love to know is why in the name of God does he have hair in one scene, although he didn't in the scene before that? It's told in chronological order so I haven't worked that out, yet. If it was a mistake by the director, he could have cut that library scene out. It's not really necessary, is it? I mean for the sake of hiding a mistake.

ReconFive · Post by **ReconFive** » 09 Aug 2006, 00:41

Yeah i did notice that the first time i saw the film, but it really did not detract from my enjoyment one bit...still interesting though.

As for Tae-soo's fainting...i originally thought it had something to do with embarrassment or stress about Joon-hee...but then when he fakes it right before he hangs himself it left me puzzled.

But, like you say...doesn't really matter.
Brilliant film as far as i'm concerned

Lourdes · Post by **Lourdes** » 09 Aug 2006, 14:15

Ping Pong Club 4.5/5
- Hilarious and crass anime from '95. I thought it was brilliant, laughed out loud a great many times. It's tasteless yet in a strange way it's quite clever and intriguing, and most certainly amusing.

Flower Island 5/5
- I can't quite describe why I like this film. To me it just emnates a very nice feeling and I sit captivaated until it's over. Slow, serene, well acted and beautiful.

HungFist · Post by **HungFist** » 09 Aug 2006, 15:47

Porno Jidaigeki – Bohachi Bushido - 4,5/5
Some early scenes were a bit hard with no subs, but after the first 20 minutes you won’t even miss them. Stunning colors, good soundtrack, gory fight scenes, Tetsuro ’the madman’ Tanba... and lets not forget the ninja vs. naked women killer squad fight. Just what I was expecting from Teruo Ishii...

Lourdes wrote: Flower Island 5/5
- I can't quite describe why I like this film. To me it just emnates a very nice feeling and I sit captivaated until it's over. Slow, serene, well acted and beautiful.

I liked it in parts, but overall it just felt somehow fake. I especially hated the gay couple. It was so calculated. Realism and misery for the sake of realism and misery. But then again, it worked at times. I like most early scenes very much. For example the part when they're lost in the mountains is great.

I have the Korean dvd. I've been meaning to sell it for a long time. But then I remember all the good parts and see that great cover art and start having second thoughts :x

BiscLimpkit · Post by **BiscLimpkit** » 09 Aug 2006, 21:05

HungFist, you always watch interesting films... have a little wish list building up based on your reviews.

Anyways...

The Ant Bully 3.5/5
I can't believe how much of a slating this film got on imdb. I was expecting this to be terrible but was pleasantly suprised. Alright so it's not a masterpiece but I was certainly entertained. If anything, I wish they made it a bit darker but it's not bad, considering it's a kid's film.

I would definitely considering buying the DVD.

Markgway · Post by **Markgway** » 10 Aug 2006, 02:59

Marks out of ***** and relative to the 007 series

Thunderball ***
The Spy Who Loved Me **
For Your Eyes Only **
A View to a Kill **
The Living Daylights ****
Licence to Kill ****
The World is Not Enough ***

Lourdes · Post by **Lourdes** » 10 Aug 2006, 03:59

HungFist wrote:I liked it in parts, but overall it just felt somehow fake. I especially hated the gay couple. It was so calculated. Realism and misery for the sake of realism and misery. But then again, it worked at times. I like most early scenes very much. For example the part when they're lost in the mountains is great.

I have the Korean dvd. I've been meaning to sell it for a long time. But then I remember all the good parts and see that great cover art and start having second thoughts :x

It's strange, I do agree with this but for some reason I find the faker characters the most fascinating. Their faces and expressions really grip me... The actress who plays Oak-nam the housewife just has the most perfect appearance for her role and she looks so nice. All those close up shots of her kind looking eyes and those freckles, it's dear. And the main gay guy, as fake as he was the looks on his face were always spot-on.
One of the few Korean films I really like.

Lourdes · Post by **Lourdes** » 10 Aug 2006, 04:22

Yesterday evening I sat through Nausicca and then later on Laputa and Mononoke. Why is it that I've never seen these referred to as a thematic trilogy? It's all there, they're all so linked. They could even be set in the same world. This was only my second viewing of Nausicca and I was thinking on that a lot hence the watching of all three. They all share so much and they are the only three Miyazaki's I'd own if it was just for me personally (everyone loves Miyazaki so one must keep a few discs about). Even wth these three I have a few grimaces at the childish aspects but overall I love them enough to forgive that. Same can't be said for Totoro, Kiki etc.

The Nausicca dub isn't at all bad. I still prefer the original language but I thought it was better than other Ghibli dubs and Uma Thurman was impressive.

tom2681 · Post by **tom2681** » 10 Aug 2006, 13:52

The Blade (Tsui Hark - 1995): 3,75/5

Good, but not a masterpiece IMO.
Chiu Man-Cheuk is the only good actor in this movie, everybody else is constantly overacting for no reason.

The Bride with White Hair (Ronny Yu - 1993): 4,5/5

A little bit weird... Too much of it was filmed in a studio I guess.
Daylight scenes don't look right, the rest is OK.

Top-notch acting by Brigitte Lin, Leslie Cheung and Francis Ng.
Great choregraphies by Philip Kwok.
Great story.

gasteropod · Post by **gasteropod** » 10 Aug 2006, 14:50

Markgway wrote:
The Spy Who Loved Me **

What?!

Markgway · Post by **Markgway** » 10 Aug 2006, 15:54

Yeah, I was surprised. But the first hour is really lackidasical. It was less a thriller and more like an episode of Whicker's World. The big finale was impressively handled, but otherwise this was average, throwaway stuff.

slasher13 · Post by **slasher13** » 10 Aug 2006, 16:14

Markgway wrote:Yeah, I was surprised. But the first hour is really lackidasical. It was less a thriller and more like an episode of Whicker's World. The big finale was impressively handled, but otherwise this was average, throwaway stuff.

The Spy who loved me, is my favorite bond movie ever!!!, to hear anything against it is........ :shock:

:D

I got it on DVD, I will watch it again, but prob i can't watch it with an open mind, even if it was crap, i'm still going to love it

gasteropod · Post by **gasteropod** » 10 Aug 2006, 16:40

It's my favourite Bond film too.

Toge · Post by **Toge** » 10 Aug 2006, 16:40

Inside Man 4/5
16 Blocks 3.5/5
Election 4.5/5

Toge · Post by **Toge** » 10 Aug 2006, 16:44

Laputa - 4.5/5

Miyazaki = god.

How he makes anime so life like is INCREDIBLE.

Lourdes · Post by **Lourdes** » 10 Aug 2006, 17:23

Forbidden City Cop - 3/5
- There were some very funny parts but I though most of it was a bit naff. Please don't hurt me, I've more Chow lined up to watch.

Markgway · Post by **Markgway** » 10 Aug 2006, 17:28

I have a soft spot for all the Bond movies and don't dislike any of them but I'm rewatching them with a more astute critical eye as I'm trying to reduce my collection to just the very best entries. And surprisingly SPY just didn't cut the mustard this time out.

EvaUnit02 · Post by **EvaUnit02** » 10 Aug 2006, 17:38

The US title of just Castle in the Sky is much better. Laputa is degrading of women (which is ironic given Miyazaki's love of strong-willed heroines).

grim_tales · Post by **grim_tales** » 10 Aug 2006, 17:45

How is it degrading?

EvaUnit02 · Post by **EvaUnit02** » 10 Aug 2006, 17:50

grim_tales wrote:How is it degrading?

I was being sarcastic, only a Tardis wouldn't pick up on something so obvious.

BTW La Puta = Spanish slang for whore. In the US, being PC is serious business. Disney no want to offend the large Spanish-speaking communities in the US.