Mostly hilarious stuff I loved the Regency and Elizabethan bits, though the futuristic segment is the weakest.
If anything, Ebeneezer becomes worse than the other Blackadders - at least he gets revenge on the horrible people like Mrs. Scratchitt who took advantage of him but it really isnt fair on poor Baldrick - at least the others waited until he had done something stupid that merited a punch in the face before punching him in the face. And for someone of such good virtue, he turns bad surprisingly quickly and easily.
Still funny though!
By series 4 Blackadder really seems world weary instead of evil or cruel, and I think in Back and Forth he is just more cynical and self interested than actually evil.
High and Low - 4/5
Would have been a 5/5 and the best kidnapping film I ever saw if it wasn't for the over-long drug obtaining sequence at the end. Otherwise though it is one spectacular Kurosawa film. The best and most intelligent ransom handover scene ever if you ask me.
man i love this film, Morgan Freeman is one of my favourite actors. usually im not a huge fan of prison dramas and the like but this film is just awesomely done, nothing "great" happens in the first 90minutes of the movie, but you really dont notice this, as everything glides so smoothly, then at the end everything happens and everything else fits into to place. and you cant help but laugh at the smartness of the guy...its one of the greater movies i've seen and becomes one of my favourites. the character development and the development of the movies and friendships and stuff is done so great it really is quite a seamless, beautiful movie...
*edit*...upon sleeping i take kurgans advice
Last edited by Shen on 16 Jun 2006, 10:08, edited 1 time in total.
Very true. The depiction of the friendship between Red and Dufresne is very well done and its to Darabont's credit that, though the escape sequence is incredibly pieced together, it doesn't overshadow the film.
Even the minor characters in the film (like Clancy Brown and William Sadler) put in memorable performances. Can't really fault the film, myself... Give it the maximum marks, Shen
See Green Mile now, since it's cut from the same cloth more or less. Another great prison drama from the same director (Frank Darabont), adapted from a novella by the same author (Stephen King).
Okay just finished watching the entire Neon Genesis Evangelion including the 4 director cuts. Got the boxset from dvdpacific.
I love this anime show, it is excellent and really makes you think. The ending is very surreal, but I think I get it... human sharing each other minds
I really loved the show and love mecha animes. The only other one I have seen is Patlabor 1 and 2 (which I need to get the Limited edition )
Also you got to love the beginning theme tune, it is simply one of the best most memorable theme tune there is
See Green Mile now, since it's cut from the same cloth more or less. Another great prison drama from the same director
lol i have i didnt like it much...cant remember it much either
Kurgan wrote:
Even the minor characters in the film (like Clancy Brown and William Sadler) put in memorable performances.
yeah i really loved the Brooks character lol he was like a sweet old grandad, but even his story alone fit perfectly into the film, especially as red followed his footsteps at the end of the film, sort of tied it all together in a way.. but i agree even tho characters had small parts it was all memorable, and the escape scenes didnt take center stage really. even though it was the biggest part of the movie it was put in perfectly...
I think Stephen Chow's best film is still "King of Comedy". I think "Kung Fu Hustle" is the weaker than both KofC and "Shaolin Soccer". It's still good, though.
As for his previous films, I think "From Beijing with Love" was awesome.
I would say From Beijing With Love is the best of his non "big bucks" movies. Kung Fu Hustle is maybe not as clever as Shaolin Soccer in terms of concept, but I just love the sheer style and confidence in the whole production. I love King of Comedy too. I nearly bust a gut when I watched it for the first time.
"We do not train to be merciful. Mercy is for the weak. A man confronts you, he is the enemy. The enemy deserves no mercy."
Shen wrote:*edit*...upon sleeping i take kurgans advice
I'm glad you saw sense
I'm could bitch and moan about Kung Fu Hustle not being as good as Shaolin Soccer and King Of Comedy, but I won't, seeing as how LD's already covered that
Samurai Wolf - 4/5
The best way to describe this movies is 'a samurai spaghetti western'. I'm not sure who borrowed what from who, but the film is filled with Sergio Leone esque images and sounds. A bit surprisingly for such old film the action scenes are mostly very good.
Samurai Wolf 2 - 4/5
The sequel is every bit as good as the original, maybe even better. It's a lot less spaghetti western esque but both the story and the action are even better. The film is short (68 min), fast and action packed. I think even those who generally find B&W samurai movies boring will enjoy these films.
Violent Streets - 4,5/5
I haven't seen many 70's yakuza films, but this is the best so far. Gosha has created a violent crime opera where Once Upon a Time in America meets Seijun Suzuki. The result is an extremely enjoyable film with good characters, great soundtrack and beautiful but not too over-the-top visuals.
Nana - 3,5/5
Good music, cute girls and good actors. The storyline isn't too original, but the ending manages to avoid the genre clichés. Nice film with some really good supporting characters (that art student was so cute...)
It's quite understandable why most distributors backed away from some of the remainder of this saga. Part 4 not only has Zhao Wen-zhao as Wong Fei-Hung (who doesquite well for himself admittedly) but also lion dance fighting taking center stage again, goofing off between the Max Mok and Hung Yan Yan characters, Lau Shun neglected to simply being around and precious little fight action (Chin Ka-lok and Billy Chow are sadly underused).
We're instead given a view of extreme lion dancing and the fantastique powers of Wong Fei-Hung, don't like the latter to completely dominate personally. Plus there's a completely useless subplot introduced where Wong perhaps is falling in love with the sister of Rosamund Kwan's character. I said it upon my initial viewing and I'll say it again, Yuen Bun directs competently, film looks gorgeous (especially on the HK Video dvd) but Yuen Bun is clearly trying to make a Tsui Hark movie, not his own. Running an initiated series comes with a responsibility of carrying on the traditions of course but letting a series run long can be devastating and perhaps the Kwan Tak-hing movies went on autopilot after a while as well.
Still, part 4 is a spectacle that entertains and achieves some similar depth previous installments established already. Go in with low expectations, it isn't ALL bad, just not well thought out.
I actually enjoyed part 4. It was the first OuaTiC-film I ever saw when it was on TV many years ago. It's the one where Billy Chow knocks out the horse, right?
I loved the Regency and Elizabethan bits, though the futuristic segment is the weakest.
passable time filler nothing more. christopher lee looks ancient in this.
