Log: week 11 / 2022

Seydoux does well, the film looks slick enough, but the critique on the media feels half-arsed and France's character simply isn't interesting enough. The runtime is also a bit excessive, but I guess that's simply an attempt to give the film a little extra weight. It's not a terrible film, just a bit toothless.

The plot is bonkers, the effects are makeshift, the styling is hyper cute. It's completely nonsensical, but if you like the Sushi Typhoon style then you're pretty much set with this film. It's not as over-the-top or out there as some others in the genre, but that's a pretty high bar to begin with. Fun stuff, but don't expect quality film making.

The setup is nice for a drama, the lead performances are superb (with standout roles for Lily Franky and Tae Kimura) and the drama is subtle enough, but Hashiguchi's direction is a little too plain to justify the 140-minute runtime. It's a pleasant drama that won't disappoint fans of the genre, but it's nothing you haven't seen before.

The fantasy/sci-fi elements are extremely well realized, the cinematography and performances are intense and the film clearly influenced a bunch of others (Oshii cited it as an influence on Avalon, I also felt The Land of Cards vibes from it). If Zulawski could have found a better way to complete it, it might have been a personal favorite, but definitely worth checking out.

Not that I'm a big fan of the Civil War setting, but it sure beats western villages and Indian tribes. Eastwood plays the character he always plays, and it works quite well during the first half of the film, but as it pivots more and more to straightforward western territory, I started to lose interest. Certainly not the worst western I've seen, but this could've been a lot better.

The setting is great and Roeg really tries to set his film apart. He also succeeds I guess, I just didn't care too much for the soundtrack and the somewhat crude editing. The finale is also somewhat disappointing, but at least Walkabout is a pretty memorable, well-paced film, so it certainly wasn't all bad.

Something is clearly amiss, but the audience won't get the answers until the end of the film. The characters are awkward enough to arouse suspicion, the dark woods and creaky cabin make for a perfect setting and the grungy camerawork is fitting. It's all very predictable and the film fails to stand out, but I had a pretty good time with it.

Snyder is Snyder. When all the stars align, that's a good thing, but for a film like Justice League, his super serious and over-the-top style doesn't really work. The soundtrack is hilarious, the performances are dreadful, the plot overflowing with cheese and misplaced sentiment. At least the visual bravura is back in full force, but he really shot himself in the foot with that 4:3 business. An utterly stupid and misguided film, but not quite as dumb as the original.

It's a four-hour film about an artist trying to regain his passion for his artistry. A lot of the film is actual painting (and not the cool speed-painting you can find on YT), though the real core of the film lies in the conversations between the model and the painter and the relationship that develops between them. I didn't care for either of them, so tough luck for me.

The film jumps from drama to horror quite briskly, and the setting is nice. Performances aren't that great and the pacing does have some issues, but the horror elements are fun enough and the film does manage to keep you on your toes. An easy recommend for fans of off-kilter Japanese horror, but not a highlight of the genre.

The drama is very light and uneventful (though not necessarily in a bad way), while the slick black and white cinematography lends the film a little extra class. But the romance angle is poorly realized, and the performances are cold and unpleasant. The result is a clumsy romance I never really cared for.

Reynolds and Mani are a fun duo, but their characters are a little too one-note. The premise is fun, the effects are surprisingly decent and the first half of the film does feel original, but the second part is a bit too aimless, and the comedy becomes too repetitive. Not a bad effort, but the potential was there to do better.

The animation quality is surprisingly decent, and the fantasy/sci-fi designs have a unique flair to them. Leda definitely isn't the most original anime, the plot is very basic for one, but it's distinct enough to stand out amongst a bunch of similar films. It's a very pleasant discovery and a simple, yet clear recommend for fans of 80s anime.

This is a film where gangsters bark and Bogart does his best to play it cool. The setup in the hotel (with a hurricane raging outside) is tailored to be tense and nervous, but the effect is never really there. I got bored by uninteresting characters and a plain narrative. Visually the film has very little to offer, the soundtrack is also an afterthought and the ending left me completely cold. Not good.

The idea is pretty solid and Chan makes a real effort to go well over-the-top, but it's just not his style. The gore isn't impressive, the ghosts look a little silly and the critique on the housing situation in Hong Kong has been done countless times before. It's good fun and there are some memorable moments, but I'd hoped for more, considering the film's illustrious predecessor.

The often monochrome visuals are pretty stylish and the mech designs are simply yummy. The animation quality isn't that great though and the plot is dense and somewhat nonsensical, but if you like sci-fi tropes that shouldn't be a bother. If you want something short, sweet and highly futuristic, Bounty Dog won't disappoint.

There's a huge range of styles on display and the overarching concept is pretty interesting, but too many shorts fell flat, and the impressive ones are few and far between. Someone like Isao Takahata stands out among the rest, but with only one minute on the clock, he too struggles to impress. Certainly worth a watch, but there's some untapped potential here.

Not everything is equally believable, but there are some superb sights, director Ford does manage to get you on the edge of your seat and the film is pretty harsh and nasty when needed. There's hardly any padding, the pacing is perfect and people with vertigo might have to think twice before watching this one. Great genre fun.

It's a familiar premise, so it was smart to keep the film short and punchy. Performances were a little better than expected (but let's be honest, expectations were pretty low to begin with), the cinematography is decent and there are some small variations to the game that make things a tad more interesting. It's not a remarkable film by any means, but I did have quite a bit of fun with it. Solid filler.

The performances aren't all that great and the plot is pretty simplistic, but even then the film does get pretty tense towards the end. I probably would've liked it better if I cared more about purely narrative films, as a whole I still think it was pretty basic and dull, but at least some scenes did get to me.

With Louis Koo, Nick Cheung and Francis Ng headlining the film, you can rest assured that the characters are properly portrayed. The action is loud and slick, the cinematography flashy and the pacing swift. It's not the most refined film, but if you're looking for some kick-ass Hong Kong gun action, look no further.

The sets look great, the action scenes are stylishly executed and the performances are well above average. There's still a little subpar CG, that feels even more out of place when the rest is done so well. But fans of oldskool martial arts films are sure to have a lot of fun with this one. One of the best coming out of China so far.

These nihilistic Japanese dramas are always tons of fun, but the pinku elements do take away from the impact. Zeze doesn't take them too seriously, but they still get in the way and mess with the rhythm of the film. If you like an edgy drama there's still plenty of fun to be had with this one, but Zeze made better ones.

Grohl and the others aren't the best actors, the plot is pretty basic and the campy setup feels a little lazy. The horror bits aren't that bad though, and it was fun seeing Carpenter make a little cameo, but it wasn't quite enough to make this a success. Not the worst film, but I wouldn't expect them to make another film.