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

HungFist · Post by **HungFist** » 26 Sep 2007, 12:04

Dai Nipponjin – 3/5
Hitoshi Matsumoto’s directorial debyt can’t be blamed for lack of originality. Matsumoto himself stars as Daisato, a big Japanese (Dai Nipponjin) man of extraordinary skills. Whenever Japan is in danger he will transform into 80-foot superhero to fight all sorts of Godzillas and Gameras. Unfortunately times are not good and Daisato has lost his popularity. TV reports of his fights have been pushed past midnight and people mock him as ’big idiot’.

Matsumoto’s brightest idea has been not to deliver a laugh-out-loud comedy but sort of kaiju/super hero mockumentary where a documentary crew follows Daisato’s everyday life and interviews him, his agent, family members and bystanders. The pace is very slow, the humour mostly low key and the style, well, documentaristic. But it’s this contradiction between the content and the execution that makes the film so hilarious. The ending on the other had goes to such limits you probably won’t believe your eyes.

Eastern Promises – 3/5
Cronenberg’s latest is a surprisingly compromised effort. Some elements and plot turns are abysmal and feel like studio requirements. It’s a shame because without those flaws this would be a very impresive movie. On the other hand Cronenberg has not softened his depiction of violence. Eastern Promises features one of the most disturbing and graphic bursts of violence ever seen in a major studio production.

Like a Dragon (Ryu ga gotoku: gekijo-ban) – 3,5/5
Takashi Miike’s video game adaptation isn’t one of his best works but entertains thoroughly nevertheless. Miike sets up a sweaty summer night in Tokyo with a half dozen hot-headed participants on crash course. CGI is kept close to minimum and what there is doesn’t feel too distracting due to the video game origins. The obvious pg-12 requirements show although you have to remember it still allows a couple of hundred baseball bat headshots plus some stylish high bodycount gunplay. Visually the movie looks fantastic with bight colours and endless neon light glare. The cast features some great Miike regulars such as Sho Aikawa as well as many new faces, including the beautiful Saeko who nearly made me yell ”I love you” at the screen a couple of times.

Markgway · Post by **Markgway** » 26 Sep 2007, 14:31

I think I might rewatch 'Road to Perdition' tonight.

THE LAST SAMURAI
4/5

Richly textured epic starring an underrated Tom Cruise. Director Ed Zwick brings the same visceral feel to the battle scenes as he did in Glory. The Japanese sister/widow is quite lovely.

bradavon · Post by **bradavon** » 26 Sep 2007, 14:33

Is it filmed entirely in English?

Whereby they throw in a bit of Japanese just to show the Japanese actors are really Japanese honest? I hate when they do that, especially when there is a scene with no foreigners yet they still speak English.

I do hear it's good though.

romerojpg · Post by **romerojpg** » 26 Sep 2007, 14:39

Markgway wrote:HALLOWEEN (1978)

Jamie Lee Curtis = 20
P.J. Soles = 28
Nancy Loomis = 29

Well thats open to debate

Jamie said she was 18 in the commentary when I listened to it the other day I think, she was 19 acctually by birthday working out

Nancy Loomis rocks its amazing as she just does not look that old in the films

Assualt on Presinct 13 still blows Heloweener away.

romerojpg · Post by **romerojpg** » 26 Sep 2007, 14:44

bradavon wrote:Thanks Gasteropod.

Ah well at least it's partly fixed. It wouldn't stop me buying it though. It's not a big enough issue to me. I didn't realise Carpenter had gone as far as disowning the BD.

Carpenter has not disowned anything from what I have seen, link please? He aint even seen the BR version so thats hard.

bradavon · Post by **bradavon** » 26 Sep 2007, 15:04

Gasteropod has already posted it

. What do you think I was responding to?

A Better Tomorrow 2

I finally watched this the other night and it's a marked improvement on ABT which I thought was fairly good but big parts of it were pretty boring. Far from the classic most have made out. Fair enough it marked a new direction for HK cinema, but that doesn't mean it's any good.

What I liked:

* Obviously the gun action was awesome. The end is a huge blood bath

. I loved all the white walls and the white suits to really show off the red of the blood.
* The two handed gun action can never cease to be cool.
* Chow Yun-Fat unsurprisingly was very good, as were the other actors (mostly).

What I disliked:

Sadly it was ruined by a huge part of the film being wasted by an absolutely stupid storyline. It's Transporter type quality here. What was Woo thinking? It was absurdly obvious Si Lung shot no one, the bullet came from completely the wrong direction (not once but twice). As soon as the police would've checked the bullet against the gun he was holding they'd have seen it was from a completely different gun.

Si Lung then quickly goes to the States and we have lots of shots of really annoying American accents and completely unrealistic speech. Word to HK film-makers, NO one speaks like that. Stop it!

It sadly gets even worse when Si Lung saves, that's right saves a girls life but for some reason not explained he is sent to a mad house (since when did the police do that?). For some reason completely disregarded Ken just literally appears. What on earth was he doing walking around a mad house?

The film then gets really annoying. Si Lung was really getting on my nerves by this point. The scene where Ken throws his food around is just annoying. Remember I even said ABT2 is better than ABT.

Thankfully all this crap finishes and the film gets back on track. The second half of the film is much, much better.

Hard Boiled and The Killer are in another world of quality compared to ABT and ABT2. That's not to say those are perfect. Hard Boiled has good action and interplay between Leung/Fat. The Killer has very good hitman codes of honour and is definitely Woo's most iconic work, but neither I'd say are classics. I'd probably rate both Hard Boiled and The Killer 7 out of 10.

None of Woo's work has completely worked for me (except Face/Off and MI2). Sure he does fantastic action but his stories are often lacking. After some thought I'd say Hard Boiled is Woo's best Asian film (it's the one that mostly worked for me).

I've yet to see Bullet in the Head. I think I'll check it out soon (I have the HKL). Until then I still say Face/Off is Woo's best film, sure it's not half as deep as some of his Asian output but at least it completely works. The interplay between Cage and Travolta is so much fun.

I'm in two minds whether to sell my Fortune Star Trilogy box set, the action at the end of ABT2 is very good. I cannot be bothered to watch Part 3 (too many better films to watch).

The higher than normal mark is given for the excellent gun action in the latter half.

6 out of 10

romerojpg · Post by **romerojpg** » 26 Sep 2007, 15:32

I know what he posted

and Nope there is no info on that link, thats someone comments, and a review where they think they know what Carpenter wants and thinks. Did they ask him? I seriously dont think so.

The review looses any credability when they lower the score so much becuase of that colour thing, pretty sad really. Its like lowering the Terminator 2 picture from 5 to 1.5 becuase they messed with the colour a little. Most reviewers can see past things like that and score picture like they should.

bradavon · Post by **bradavon** » 26 Sep 2007, 15:36

romerojpg wrote:I know what he posted and Nope there is no info on that link, thats someone comments, and a review where they think they know what Carpenter wants and thinks. Did they ask him? I seriously dont think so.

What are you on? The link specifically says Carpenter disowned it. Agreed thee is no source to back it up and of course it could be false, but it could also be true:

"I take particular issue with the decision to yet again utilize a compromised master that's been disowned by John Carpenter himself for this release."

That looks pretty conclusive to me.

romerojpg wrote:The review looses any credability when they lower the score so much becuase of that colour thing, pretty sad really.

I seem to remember many DVD Times reviewers giving a zero to the audio for just including a 5.1 remix.

I tend to agree though.

romerojpg · Post by **romerojpg** » 26 Sep 2007, 15:44

Hey I am sure more people would have heard if Carpenter had disowned the transfer and I have read all the things about this colour problem over the years (well all the stuff on certain sites, do not remember them posting he disowened it).
If the reviewer actually showed us where he said that, I may trust him, until then its just some reviewers imagination.

Putting words into film makers mouths is ignorant of reviewers to do. Unless they can prove what they say. He may well have said it, god only knows, but when you judge a transfer on the colour timing, its good to back up that very bold comment it facts, esspecially when you lower the score for such a thing.

thelostdragon · Post by **thelostdragon** » 26 Sep 2007, 16:07

Who is Si Lung?

romerojpg · Post by **romerojpg** » 26 Sep 2007, 16:10

thelostdragon wrote:Who is Si Lung?

Ti Lungs Blind Smoker brother

saltysam · Post by **saltysam** » 26 Sep 2007, 16:16

Like i said earlier Halloween looks a fine transfer on blu-ray but it's not a jawdropping one imo.

bradavon · Post by **bradavon** » 26 Sep 2007, 16:28

thelostdragon wrote:Who is Si Lung?

That's what the IMDB listing says for the name of the character Dean Shek played.

thelostdragon · Post by **thelostdragon** » 26 Sep 2007, 16:51

Ah, lol. Thought you always believed Ti Lung was actually called Si Lung.

Markgway · Post by **Markgway** » 26 Sep 2007, 17:09

bradavon wrote:Is it filmed entirely in English? Whereby they throw in a bit of Japanese just to show the Japanese actors are really Japanese honest? I hate when they do that, especially when there is a scene with no foreigners yet they still speak English.

There's enough Japanese in it... Cruise even speaks some.

Some the dialogue between Cruise and Watanabe is in English because only he and his son (can't remember the actor's name) speak English in the village and they want to practice.

bradavon · Post by **bradavon** » 26 Sep 2007, 17:09

I know

Markgway · Post by **Markgway** » 26 Sep 2007, 17:11

romerojpg wrote:Jamie said she was 18 in the commentary when I listened to it the other day I think, she was 19 acctually by birthday working out

She was apparently born in 1958, so she could've been 19 when filming.

Nancy Loomis rocks its amazing as she just does not look that old in the films

She gets away with it... as does Danielle Harris in the remake and she was a year older than Loomis yet looks younger.

gasteropod · Post by **gasteropod** » 26 Sep 2007, 18:50

Me and You and Everyone We Know. 4.5/5

I loved this!

thelostdragon · Post by **thelostdragon** » 26 Sep 2007, 20:07

bradavon wrote:About "The Last Samurai":I do hear it's good though.

It really is a very good film.

grim_tales · Post by **grim_tales** » 26 Sep 2007, 21:42

Garfield and Friends: Volume 1 (overall rating for S1 and part of S2) - 3.75/5

In the 1st season especially, Garfield was really a Heathcliff clone. There are some very funny moments/episodes indeed however. Binky is comedy gold and Lorenzo Music does an excellent sarcastic voice for Garfield, though Orson's Farm (US Acres) is annoyingly preachy. Some cartoons are better than others.

EvaUnit02 · Post by **EvaUnit02** » 26 Sep 2007, 22:00

thelostdragon wrote:
bradavon wrote:About "The Last Samurai":I do hear it's good though.
It really is a very good film.

Stop spreading lies, it's not even close to being a good film. It's a dreadful melodramatic cheesefest. Not forgetting Tom Cruise over-acting (especially the last scene, it looks like he's going to explode.)

The prime example of cheese:- Ken Watanabe's death scene. "Now I can see where the cherry blossoms grow." Ugh, what utter tripe.

thelostdragon · Post by **thelostdragon** » 26 Sep 2007, 22:27

@Eva
I wonder what that one hidden word in your post might be that could spoil a whole film.

Markgway · Post by **Markgway** » 26 Sep 2007, 22:56

EvaUnit02 wrote:Stop spreading lies

It's not lies. It's his opinion and by and large I agree with him. So put that in your crack pipe and smoke it.

EvaUnit02 · Post by **EvaUnit02** » 26 Sep 2007, 23:16

Lourdes wrote:The Last Hard Men - 2/5
James Coburn really shouldn't have starred in any Westerns. He looks like a scrawny inbred.

Duck, You Sucker.

Road to Perdition - 1/5
Dishwater - is there anybody that likes this film?.

Y'all crazy. That flick was good.

bradavon wrote:A Better Tomorrow 2

I finally watched this the other night and it's a marked improvement on ABT which I thought was fairly good but big parts of it were pretty boring. Far from the classic most have made out. Fair enough it marked a new direction for HK cinema, but that doesn't mean it's any good.

What I disliked:
Sadly it was ruined by a huge part of the film being wasted by an absolutely stupid storyline.

You do know that all that Dean Shek crap was forced upon Woo by Tsui Hark? Woo didn't get final cut on the movie either.

I cannot be bothered to watch Part 3 (too many better films to watch).

Don't bother, it's long and dull. The poor man's Bullet in the Head, pretty much.

gasteropod wrote:
bradavon wrote:I heard a rumour they fixed the colours, is this true?
http://bluray.highdefdigest.com/966/halloween1978.html

Not quite true. Although this site has given the image too low a rating just based on that fact.

But a link that actually quotes Carpenter?

bradavon · Post by **bradavon** » 27 Sep 2007, 01:05

You do know that all that Dean Shek crap was forced upon Woo by Tsui Hark? Woo didn't get final cut on the movie either.

I didn't know that, regardless I can only judge a film on what the final product gives. It wouldn't have been so if it was handled well but it was far from that.

Don't bother, it's long and dull. The poor man's Bullet in the Head, pretty much.

I heard it was okay, when I have stacks of better films to watch this comes way down the list. Enough for me not to bother.