Log: week 18 / 2023

Landon takes on a more kid-friendly horror project, to the point where it probably can't be called a horror film anymore. We Have a Ghost is more of a Ghostbuster-like film that prefers a fresh start rather than contemporizing an existing franchise. You have to respect that, but the film itself could've been better.

A famous title, and some familiar songs. Fiddler on the Roof is a certified classic, but I had no clue what the film was about, nor what I could expect. It turned out to be a pretty drab and overlong musical, a three-hour-long ordeal about a poor Jewish Russian farmer who can't seem to get rid of his daughters.

Daniel Lee repeats his 14 Blades trick. From out of nowhere he revives a niche that was seemingly dead. The large-scale Chinese martial arts epics have been struggling to reach their former glory, Lee revitalizes a genre that has been in dire need of an energy injection. He doesn't bring anything new to the table, but Song of the Assassins thrives on skill and enthusiasm. It doesn't go overboard on bad CG, the action scenes are spectacular, the cinematography is bold, the steampunk influences are very cool and the plot is solid enough. I had a blast with Song of the Assassins, long overdue.

Wenders' take on Tom Ripley, the infamous art forger. It's not too long since I watched Purple Noon, I preferred Wenders' adaptation by a small margin. It's clear that he put a bit more care into the styling of the film, though the harsh 70s look is not something that really vibes with me.

Exactly what you'd expect from Hollywood's most archetypical director doing a biopic of Abraham Lincoln. An important part of American history is turned into a cheesy drama with predictable build-ups and an overdose of sentimentality, saved only by a grand budget skillfully applied.

An old favorite of mine, that turned out to be just a little too heavy on sentiment the second time around. Some of it works and the second half is an upwards trajectory, but the setup is too obvious and Doi's direction is a tad too unsubtle for me to fully go along with it. Fans of Japanese drama and romance should still give it a try though.

Think of the worst, most outdated, old-fashioned clichés about women doing comedy ... and that's exactly what A Nice Girl Like You is. Only it's directed by two men. This is a pretty drab and bland sex-centered romcom, undoubtedly one of the most prudish films I've ever seen on the subject.

A pretty generic sci-fi comedy, but I didn't expect that much more from a short OAV based on a video game franchise. No doubt they were dipping their toes in the water to see whether this would be profitable in some way or other, clearly it didn't pan out the way they hoped it would. I don't think too many cared in the end, but if you're looking for some light anime fluff, it's not the worst.

Just another exorcist film. The fact that it is based on a rather colorful character (Gabriele Amorth - he actually existed and wrote some books on his profession) is a nice bonus, but it doesn't really change all that much. All the clichés are present, and having someone like Russell Crowe in the lead just adds to the cheese.

It's only somewhat appropriate that Jing Wong ended up directing a Once Upon a Time film about Hong Kong. With a slew of actors that helped boost his career (and visa versa of course), he made a pretty decent but ultimately generic crime epic that fits well into his oeuvre but does very little to stand out amongst a crowd of literally hundreds of films.

A precursor to the indie/mumblecore scene that blossomed during the 00s. Only now you get to follow some very regular people from the 70s. Fans of this type of cinema will no doubt have a lot of fun with this one, it carries all the trademark elements, I just didn't care much for the characters, and that's about all there is.

A simple but cute rom-com. There's a quirky, somewhat goofy premise, a cast of genuinely enjoyable characters, and a pleasant (though predictable) structure. Sure enough, there's a little drama too, but it never overpowers the other elements and it doesn't get in the way of the good vibes.

Seagal returns to save the world. This time he's on a train, not on a boat, which doesn't change the dynamic of the film at all. And there's your entire premise of the Under Siege sequel, another bland 80s/90s US action flick that got way more recognition than it actually deserved. It's pure action fare and in that sense somewhat decent, but hard to recommend, unless you have a thing for this kind of action cinema.

A pretty decent horror film. It's a mix of Asian suspense, tech doom, and some good old societal pressure, but even though it does a solid job blending together all those influences, Clocks has a tough time standing out from the crowd. Maybe it's because the premise felt a little dated.

Another adaptation of the Peter Pan story. Films keep tumbling out of the Disney remake machine, I've long lost track of what classics they've covered and what they still have in store. It gets only more confusing when others outside of Disney also adapt these classic properties, but for what it's worth: there's a new Peter Pan adaptation, and it's directed by arthouse favorite David Lowery.

Emmerich tackles Pearl Harbor. It's a simple enough premise that pretty much gives away the entire film. Midway is pretty close to Bay's blockbuster attempt, only without the extra swagger. Emmerich has never been the boldest of directors, without an interesting setup there isn't a whole lot that kept me engaged, apart from some expensive set pieces.

One of Tsutsumi's many SPEC-related projects. It's almost impossible to keep track of everything Tsutsumi was doing back then, not in the least because there are many TV tie-ins with shows that are virtually unavailable in the West. I watched this film knowing very little about the SPEC lore, that said, it was basic enough to catch up while watching.