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

thelostdragon · Post by **thelostdragon** » 13 Feb 2007, 00:58

Probably just like you have read only half of my last post.

grim_tales · Post by **grim_tales** » 13 Feb 2007, 09:30

It must be good then Tom

grim_tales · Post by **grim_tales** » 13 Feb 2007, 09:35

Hand of Death - 3.5/5

I enjoyed this

Jackie has a fairly meaty role in it as a woodcutter who helps the hero fight against traitor James Tien, Sammo as a bad Manchu lord sports ridiculous teeth

Interesting to see Woo and Jackie's early work I thought.

Wu Yu Shen is John Woo's Mandarin name?

I don't think Jackie is mentioned on the credits, but Sammo is - as he provided the fight choreography (which I liked). He uses his Mandarin name (Hung Ching Pao).

thelostdragon · Post by **thelostdragon** » 13 Feb 2007, 13:50

Jackie provided some of the, too.

grim_tales · Post by **grim_tales** » 13 Feb 2007, 13:58

The what?

thelostdragon · Post by **thelostdragon** » 13 Feb 2007, 14:35

LOL! The fights.

What's wrong with me today?

grim_tales · Post by **grim_tales** » 13 Feb 2007, 14:41

I didn't know that, thanks

Markgway · Post by **Markgway** » 13 Feb 2007, 14:57

grim_tales wrote:Wu Yu Shen is John Woo's Mandarin name?

Yes.

I don't think Jackie is mentioned on the credits

He's third billed under the name Chen Yuan Lung.

HKL mistranslate some of the names.

grim_tales · Post by **grim_tales** » 13 Feb 2007, 14:59

I watched the Fox DVD not HKL

Markgway · Post by **Markgway** » 13 Feb 2007, 15:45

He's still third billed.

grim_tales · Post by **grim_tales** » 13 Feb 2007, 16:47

OK then.

I thought Yuen Lung was Sammo's "Little Fortunes" name and Jackie's was Yuen Lo/Lau.

Markgway · Post by **Markgway** » 13 Feb 2007, 18:18

He used Sammo's Yuan Lung but his own Chen (Chan).

grim_tales · Post by **grim_tales** » 13 Feb 2007, 19:15

romerojpg · Post by **romerojpg** » 13 Feb 2007, 20:10

My second Van Damme review after the introduction to VD, Bloodsport.

Cyborg – 4 out of 5

A true classic. One of the first Van Damme films that I ever saw, or remember. Its all fond memories it has to be said. Even now many years later its just a film that works so well for me, it may be low budget and rather simple to watch, but that doesn’t take away from the fact it works and it really is a great martial arts/sci fi movie.

The structure of the film is payback in a future world went bad, it’s an easy going thing and most the film is spent with Van Damme killing off various bad guys in quick, efficient ways. Fairly stylishly made, the fights are well maintained in reality, apart from the overlong unbelievable end fight sequence which maybe crosses the reality lines a few times. As Van Damme takes a little too much of a beating and keeps on ticking, even if a normal man would have probably died from all them knocks and bangs around the head and face. Especially the car door slamming on his noggin a few bone crushing times.

The rest of the fights are usually quickly done and dusted, one slash of a knife, one well times snap of the neck and they are over, more reality based than many other Van Damme films even if it is set in a future world. Van Damme does get to fight against many opponents of varying quality. Some are pathetic little minions who die quickly, no matter what their size or how hard they seem to think they are. While others give him a run for his money and give as good as they receive, but on the whole none of them are an equal to the hero of the movie and he quickly dispatches most of them with ease and agility (and lots of slow mo). Most of the bad guys in this world are big men, men’s men, with big hair and very misguided fashion sense. They also seem to know martial arts of some sort and instantly go into a special jumping kick or some flashy move that Van Damme usually just blocks or ducks, then proceeds to kick the living crap out of them. Which is always nice to see.

The actual setting of the film is another thing to behold, the films dilapidated structures and buildings all have an air of end of the world about them, run down factories and unfinished building work all seem to really do the job perfectly. It feels like the people have deserted them and no one lives near them anymore, so that’s some good location scouting the films got going for it. The limited use of special effects only helps the film and it’s a good job they hold back as they obviously have no cash to create anything visually impressive. What we do get are a few matte paintings and that’s about as classy as it gets, but that’s no bad thing for a film of the 80’s, as it’s all you need to create a sense of where you are and what’s around you. The film has some nice special effects in the form of stop motion animation, it hasn’t dated to badly and its got a certain charm about it all. Compared to bad CGI, I will take stop motion anytime, especially when it comes to humans and their faces. Cyborg attempts to put a stop motion human face on the screen, its not exactly perfect, but its not shocking and doesn’t jump you out of the film that’s for sure like most CGI shots do.

The music is very nice, a simple tune played throughout the films short running time always seems to suit it well. Even the beginning titles seem familiar, hell they look a lot like Terminator 2, but hey T2 came a few years after Cyborg. Like the film the music is repeated over and over again, it’s a good job I like that musical score and its simple haunting ways. The structure of the films oddly done, plenty of flashbacks and each time we see a little of the one event, each time it gets longer and shows us more. It kind of pads out the films already short running time, but it works and once you see the full story I think it does give good old Van Damme some reason to want to kill the big bad guy.

Talking of the bad guy. Fender, lead bad guy is a solid fella, built like a big pack of bricks inside his bulky oiled body. He doesn’t exactly seem real in a sense that his love of death is silly to be honest, no one would want to live in that world. As far as bad guys go he has some skills, mainly loud shouting and grunting at the camera while screaming like a muppet with his striking eyes piercing down at you. Hey he does the job and for most the film his bad guy duties are very effective and he seems to be a good ruler of his many minions.

The problems come in the rainy finale where he just cannot keep his mouth shut. He moans and screams like some man possessed, he tenses up his body and just looks rather odd, like he is going to the toilet. Still his presence is a well maintained and quite disturbing one, and like his gang he says little. In fact the films like a silent movie at points, as the dialogue isn’t exactly slipping off people’s tongues around every corner. Instead we have long moments of silence, with only the sound effects and music to keep our ears attentive. Not that the film needs much talking, its easy to keep up to date with what’s going on and its not a complex film to tax peoples minds.

While the film is a simple tale, and a cheap genre movie to get Van Damme started, it works. It does everything it sets out to do and really it keeps the talking back and has entire chunks of silence from all the cast (apart from the odd grunt). We get some great action scenes, some nice stunts and plenty of chase sequences that go on and on and on. It’s not subtle and isn’t shy of showing some gore and blood. Or even some boobs for that matter from the great leading lady, as it is an 80’s action film and you may as well shove everything in there as you know its made for the home rentals market where this film gained quite a following and lots of cash.

In the end Cyborg is a love it or hate it film. I love it and take it for what it is, a good action sci fi adventure.

Markgway · Post by **Markgway** » 13 Feb 2007, 22:52

Cyborg isn't bad for what it is and it would be interesting to see an unrated version.

grim_tales · Post by **grim_tales** » 14 Feb 2007, 09:08

Life on Mars - Series 2 Episode 1 and 2 - 5/5

WOW WOW WOW

I really liked it. The 2nd episode in particular was superb. It's not just the time travel, its the surreal cop-show aspect, sharp, witty script, and humour combined with the "am I really here" time travel element that makes it good IMO.
I thought Sam just made "Hyde" up? When that guy called him and said "the jobs nearly over" the operator told him it was a Hyde call.
And did you notice in the scene when Woolf asks Hunt "Do you read much Freud?" he answers "I'm more of a Dan Brown man myself".
Dan Brown????
Unless there was a different guy who wrote different books in the 70's.

Lourdes · Post by **Lourdes** » 14 Feb 2007, 09:16

Here's my roundup...

Amores perros - 3/5
Second viewing. It's over-stylish and the presentation loses all emphasis by the second half when you have all the puzzle pieces. But before tedium sets in it is quite impressive.

21 Grams - 2/5
Iñárritu is a one-trick pony it seems. Almost exactly the same but the presentation was even worse and I was completely bored after the first half. Waiting for what I knew would happen - to happen.

Babel - 3/5
Again, same shit. He even uses music in a identical fasion in every film. However, I did find this film the most entertaining. It took me a lot longer to find things tedious and the acting, stories and the message were interesting. Plus I have a hardon for Koji Yakusho.

Memento Mori
I'd give it a 4 for the highschool drama and a 2 for the supernatural nonsense that came in to spoil it.

This Charming Girl - 2/5
There isn't exactly anything bad about this film. It's just incredibly dull and there's simply nothing to connect you or create an atmosphere. And the girl isn't charming at all, she's rather dull and plain, like the movie.

The Quiet Family - 2/5
Suffers from the same flaws as many Korean films. It's crude with everybody swearing, hitting each other and acting goofy to the sound of 'wacky' music.

Jam Films
Arita, Kendama and Justice are quite good, rest are awful.

Jam Films 2
The first short - an instructional parody - is somewhat amusing. Rest are unwatchable.

Jam Films S
Unwatchable except for "Suberidai" which I loved.

Ansatsu - 3/5
Shinoda is so overrated. I felt that this was decidedly average. The MoC introduction lauded it's style, I was not at all impressed by anything visual. The only factors of redemption were a couple of strong performances and an interesting premise.

The Happiness of the Katakuris - 2/5
A remake of "The Quiet Family" by Miike. Weird and worse.

Vengeance is Mine - 4/5
I was very surprised by this. The films follows the path of a serial killer and crimminal but in such a day to day manner that it's a world apart from every other film. All his horrible crimes are commited so casually and presented as such. Most emphasis is put on family drama. It's a very interesting film, recommended viewing.

The Quiet Family - 4/5
I love Itami, no qualms and a talent for creating such interesting films. This is one of my favourites, it revovles around the life of a mild-mannered handicapped chap and his sister who looks after him. Some good comedy, some black comedy and some real beauty and 'slice of life' charm. Everything Itami does well.

Kare Kano - 5/5
Manga artists are highly protective, female manga artists are utter bitches. What this resulted in was 12 episodes of pure perfection, 7 lesser ones, Anno being replaced by Tsurumaki (FLCL), a couple of bad ones and and then some stellar episodes to wrap things up incompletely. Incompletely because the manga carries on for a whole lot longer.
This series was just incredible even with all the difficulties behind it. It's so beautiful and so well made. Far and above anything else and about as similar to other romantic anime as Eva is to other robot anime.

Devils on the Doorstep - 3/5
Were I Chinese this film would have floored me. But I'm not Chinese and my grandma wasn't bayoneted in the womb while being raped by a Japanese soldier so I can be more objective. This film was too long, intentionally inflammatory and the comic element really took away from any impact it could have had on me.

HungFist · Post by **HungFist** » 14 Feb 2007, 10:44

Shimotsuma monogatari (Kamikaze Girls) – 3/5
Not quite as enjoyable as I remembered. Too much ”lets make something hip and hope people will think we’re cool” attitude. All those ’whooh’ sound effect whenever someone nods his head and the cliché scenes of a bystander commenting the film’s events... God, they must really be proud of themselves. But there’s a lot of good, too. Anna Tsuchiya is still wonderful, and we absolutely need a film where the main character walks around looking like this. They should've done this film with a straight face, that would've been cool. It’s really a shame how much potential is wasted, like that shot of Kyoko in the train, it’s like 7 seconds when it should’ve been 2 minutes. The close up shots at the end are wonderful, and so is the idea of borrowing music from Fukasaku’s yakuza epic during the early scenes.

Sailor fuku to kikanju (theatrical cut)– 4/5
Since the only other Somai film I’ve seen is probably the best movie ever made, I wasn’t sure what to expect from Sailor Suit and Machine Gun. The very first scene wasn’t so impressive but I quite enjoyed the rest (exept maybe the land mine scene). Since the scenes where not much happens were my favourites (many scenes of Hiroko in her appartment for example) I started wondering if the longer 130 min version would actually be better. You know, that’s the kind of stuff that usually gets cut out first. I’d love to see more of Hiroko doing nothing.

Bayside Shakedown – 2,5/5
Another live action version of japanese manga/anime/tv series... I don't know what. Pretty decent detective/drama/comedy but lacks the punch. There's some funny jokes, the plot is both clever and stupid, the cast is okay... The film entertains but is a bit underwhelming at times. Nothing too special.

Fantasy Mission Force – 3/5
Fantastic whenever it’s not boring. That’s the problem with these kind of films. When the movie is built on nothing, you’ll lose your interest very fast if the current scene isn’t good enough.

Eagle Shadow Fist (Fist of Anger) – 2/5
Highly unremarkable martial arts film. Not terrible, some of the fights are even good, but it’s all seen too many times before... and after.

Police Woman (Rumble in Hong Kong) – 2,5/5
A very basic mid 70’s modern day Hong Kong actioner with some nice 70's swing + the young Jackie Chan playing a villain. It’s a supporting role, but it’s a rather big one and it’s very interesting to see how Jackie handles it, especially as he’s given a little bit more freedom than in his most other movies of the era.

Hand of Death – 4/5
Excellent old school piece from John Woo. Great fight scenes and thankfully almost no humour at all. I think Woo’s style was perfect for old school films because his characters (old men of honor in front of a new world and ideologies, walking towards their death) were actually similiar to the old school genre itself (that would also have to chance and ultimately die soon). This was even more evident in his later wuxia masterpiece Last Hurrah for Chivalry.

Il Prezzo del potere – 2,5/5
A spaghetti western inspired by JFK’s assassination... Decent idea, decent film.

Run (1991) – 3,5/5
A childhood favourite, and still a kick ass film. Somehow I feel this is American early 90’s action cinema at it’s purest. I could remember almost every scene, even though it’s 10 years since I saw the film.

Bubba Ho-tep – 3,5/5
Probably the best Campbell film since Army of Darkness. What I liked most about it was that wasn’t totally over the top. There was some certain dignity that made it stand out.

THX 1138 – 3/5
Interesting but a bit too simple film. The ending is very good. A surprising film from Lucas.

The Machinist - 2,5/5
Badly written but well acted thriller.

Streets of Fire – 4/5
Need this on dvd. Amazing film with an amazing soundtrack.

Edit: english titles for the japanese movies added. I didn't want encourage Ken to list his films with original titles only

Knetan · Post by **Knetan** » 14 Feb 2007, 11:03

hey,

[img]Police Woman (Rumble in Hong Kong) – 2,5/5
A very basic mid 70’s modern day Hong Kong actioner with some nice 70's swing + the young Jackie Chan playing a villain. It’s a supporting role, but it’s a rather big one[/img]

It's thrashy fun but in no way worth a 2,5. I like the supporting element that upstaged Jackie: his mole! The 1.33 cropped version is hilarious as there's no one in the frame at times!

EvaUnit02 · Post by **EvaUnit02** » 14 Feb 2007, 12:00

HungFist wrote:Streets of Fire – 4/5
Need this on dvd. Amazing film with an amazing soundtrack.

That the Walter Hill film?

HungFist · Post by **HungFist** » 14 Feb 2007, 12:03

EvaUnit02 wrote:
HungFist wrote:Streets of Fire – 4/5
Need this on dvd. Amazing film with an amazing soundtrack.
That the Walter Hill film?

yes

no anamorphic disc anywhere. Damn. Need to get the OOP Korean disc (with 2.0)

EvaUnit02 · Post by **EvaUnit02** » 14 Feb 2007, 12:14

HungFist wrote:
EvaUnit02 wrote:
HungFist wrote:Streets of Fire – 4/5
Need this on dvd. Amazing film with an amazing soundtrack.
That the Walter Hill film?
yes

no anamorphic disc anywhere. Damn. Need to get the OOP Korean disc (with 2.0)

Have you seen The Driver and The Warriors? Those are two more Walter Hill films worth seeing.

Extreme Prejudice, Southern Comforts, Hard Times and The Long Riders are reportedly supposed to be great as well.

HungFist · Post by **HungFist** » 14 Feb 2007, 12:17

The Driver, yes. The Warriors, no (but I was thinking about getting the old dvd release)

EvaUnit02 · Post by **EvaUnit02** » 14 Feb 2007, 12:20

HungFist wrote:The Warriors, no (but I was thinking about getting the old dvd release)

The DC is perfectly fine and has a marvellous transfer.

HungFist · Post by **HungFist** » 14 Feb 2007, 12:23

The idea of director going back and adding stuff to the film 25 years after its original release doesn't sound very good to me... The DC does include the original soundtrack, though.

The old R1 transfer is supposed to be good, too.