Log: week 2 / 2024
An early (but not the earliest) film version of Oscar Wilde's famous story. For people unfamiliar with the plot there may be some narrative appeal, but the film stays relatively close to the story I am familiar with, so there wasn't anything particularly novel for me here. The only difference is the 40s vibe, which I'm not a fan of. The most jarring (but in a good way) moment is when Gray's painting is shown in full color, whereas the rest of the most is stern black-and-white. The pacing is slow (this story doesn't need 110 minutes), the film is very narrative-focused and Gray's plight isn't explored in full, but I wasn't too bored, so I guess this could've been way worse.Read all
Ah yes, Japan. Mad Cats is a film constructed around some wonky internal logic, which is never explained in full. Somehow cats have taken over the world (and have taken on human form), Japanese people are living in a land that looks like 20th-century America and some mythical catnip has become the center of a dispute between a gang of cats and an archeologist and his brother. If you're fine with that, please go ahead and watch this film, because it's a real hoot. Dry comedy, cool action scenes, and random weirdness, that's why I love Japanese cinema.
A somewhat older horror film I used to love. I guess it was the location of the film that sold it for me (it certainly wasn't Pink), because looking back at it now, I feel it's a film that struggles to rise above its peers. It's not a bad horror film, I thought it was still pretty entertaining, but it's hardly a genre masterpiece. The setup is certainly interesting enough, but the actual horror elements leave a little to be desired. The killer is rather dull, the twists are a bit too predictable and the slick style of direction isn't quite as slick anymore (on top of that, the rave music is pretty terrible). It's lots of fun to see the lead run through the catacombs, but it's not enough to brand this a must-see horror flick.Read all
As someone who watches quite a bit of Chinese cinema I come across a lot of propaganda discussions. I tend to be relatively lenient, but some films do cross a line. And it's not just Chinese ones. Take a film like Sergeant York for example. Fair enough, it was made during wartime, but this was just near impossible to sit through. So yeah, if you want to give meaning to your life, become an army man and they'll turn you into veritable heroes. The performances are grotesque, the drama is cheesy and the with a runtime of two hours plus, the film greatly outstays its welcome. I think this is a film best left forgotten.Read all
One of those films you need to see in pitch black darkness. It's been a while since I last watched The Descent, and while it stood the test of time pretty well, it has lost some of its shine since its original release. The second half in particular isn't quite as tight as it needed to be. Back then that was a bit easier to forgive, as it stood at the very start of a horror renaissance. Nowadays, it makes the difference between a bona fide genre masterwork and mere prime genre filler. The setup is moody and uneasy, the first half of the film does a great job of building up the tension. The reveal of the monsters is also great, but then things start to crumble a bit. Too much monster exposure takes away from the dread and some of the scenes are a little silly when you're not 100% invested in the escape. Still, there are some moments of greatness here, and it remains a tense and claustrophobic horror flick. A rightful horror classic, just not a personal favorite anymore.Read all
Koreeda's latest is more plot than it is a gentle character study, and that means that he's not playing to his strengths. It's a pleasant enough film, with some touches that are unique to Koreeda, but the mix of an overly construed plot and subtle drama don't necessarily mix well together. The Rashomon setup felt a little unnecessary, the LGBTQ+ themes are also somewhat superfluous, and two hours is a little too generous for what is a simple story. The setting, performances, and non-narrative moments are vintage Koreeda though. A pleasant enough film, but he can do a lot better.Read all
A film with history. It handles a part of black US history I wasn't aware of, the film was also the first one directed by an Afro-American woman that got a full-fledged theater release. Not bad for an indie production. The film itself has some interesting elements but also bordered on cheesy. Daughtes of the Dust makes a real effort to be a bit more poetic. The music is interesting and some of the shots are nice, but while the premise is interesting, the drama that comes of it is pretty basic. The film is also a bit too long, but since this is a non-trivial indie production, I can respect that choice.Read all
Shiraishi is back with the latest installment in his Kowasugi series. This film came out of nowhere for me, but I was glad to see Shiraishi return to this franchise. Not that they're terribly great films, but they are short, sweet, and fun, and after a rather tepid start they did go interesting places. Shigeo Ôsako is the star of the show, I dig his puny alpha-male character, especially now that he is bested by his female producer. The horror is pretty standard, but the finale is pretty weird and freaky, and thanks to the short runtime the film never outstays its welcome. Not essential, but good fun.Read all
A rather tepid Christmas film from Payne. I'm not his biggest fan, I like my comedies a bit sharper and a tad more overt, but his films rarely dip below a certain level. There were moments in The Holdovers where I felt Payne should've done better though, unless he truly aimed to make a cheesy Christmas flick. So yeah, guess how this film ends. The dialogues aren't too bad and there is some fun wordplay going on, but apart from that, it's all very dusty and predictable. The characters were rather boring, while the drama felt stiff and repetitive. Performances were okay, but nobody was excelling either. A very middling film, stretched way too thin.Read all
A decent but not all that spectacular Indonesian horror. If you've seen a couple, then you should know the drill by now. Take a small, rural village, add some folklore and curses into the mix, let it simmer for a while and you have a film that doesn't spook or frighten, but feels uncomfortable enough to be called a proper horror flick. There's a bit of gore and some lurid scenes, but nothing that will upset real horror aficionados. The plot is basic but amusing, but the film is short and sweet and there are a few memorable moments spread throughout. If you're a fan of Indonesian horror and you're looking for pleasant filler, go for it.Read all
An old thriller that could be cataloged as either horror or noir, depending on how you're willing to shift the boundaries of genres throughout the years. Either way, it's a rather tepid affair that failed to get me fully engaged, though there is some inspired black-and-white cinematography. The setting is appropriate and thanks to the clever use of black-and-white some scenes manage to build up tension, but many endless conversations immediately tear it down again. The plot is weak, the horror elements are unimpressive and the somewhat cheesy finale left me wanting. Not great, but if you consider this a noir, it's not even all that bad.Read all
Part 3 in this popular Taiwanese horror franchise. I still haven't seen the first film, but that's hardly a bother. The plot is pretty simple, the setup hasn't changed all that much either. This is a pretty basic Asian horror flick centered around ghosts, if you've seen a couple of them you probably know the drill. The handycam aesthetic coupled with proper Taiwanese photography makes for a fine mix, that's about the only thing that sets this film apart from the rest though. It's not bad when you're in the mood for Asian horror, but it's not a film that will leave a strong impression. Decent horror filler.Read all
Zack Snyder's latest is an attempt to recreate the Star Wars magic. Don't go in expecting a real sci-fi epic, this is a fantasy space opera pur sang. It's not my favored genre, but I'll take anything sci-fi-related I can get these days. Sadly, Snyder's attempt is quite lame and shallow and has a tough time setting itself apart. When a film like this starts in a Middle Ages-style farmers' village, a local inn, and flute music included, you know it's going to take a lot of effort to recover from that. The world-building is pretty disappointing, the plot is dull and the characters are bland. Even the bad guys aren't all that cool. It's an expensive spectacle, that's the only thing this film has going for it.Read all
An early TV project by the venerable Ryûsuke Hamaguchi. It's a pretty simple setup for a drama, but Hamaguchi is rather good at drawing out simple setups. The TV roots of the film aren't working in its favor, but at the same time, I've seen much worse, so kudos to Hamaguchi for dealing with that variable rather efficiently. If I explain any more about the story than I covered just about the entire film. You won't be watching this film for the plot though. Instead, there are some nice performances and Hamaguchi deals with the situation in an interesting way. A pleasant, though very basic and simple drama.Read all
Donen is a musical legend, his classic Hollywood work includes some of the most notorious films in the genre. This is all good if you love musicals, but it's not my preferred genre. Seven Brides for Seven Brothers is a particularly cheesy example, and even though it's shorter than most of its peers, it was at least twice too long for me. The decors look incredibly fake, the costumes are rather ridiculous and the song and dance scenes just aren't my thing. The only thing that keeps it from getting the lowest score is the endless positivity that oozes from every frame. It's a respected musical though, so Donen fans should do well to check it out.Read all
You have to wonder when this is going to stop. I'd love to get some kind of insight into the production of these films, and what kind of industry is churning them out with what goals. But sure enough, I do like a good fantasy/actioner from time to time, and these films are delivering in spades. What it all boils down to is quite a bit of complicated fantasy lore, which is explored at a lightning-fast pace. Add some martial arts and fantasy action, some interesting bad guys, and a token brothel scene, and you have all the ingredients for a fun, condensed Chinese fantasy epic. It's no masterpiece, but I do appreciate these films a lot.Read all
It's not that Psycho-Pass is factually bad, it's just that it reminds me too much of a time when Production I.G was still pushing out groundbreaking anime. No matter how you look at it, Psycho-Pass is a somewhat tepid Shirow derivative. Which wouldn't even be so bad if it wasn't made on the cheap. The plotting is interesting, as is the setting. It's a typical Shirow universe, where action, technology, and politics intertwine. But the film looks like an extension of the TV series. The animation is paltry, the CG is mediocre and when the film directly references Ghost in the Shell material (like the parade), it's just painful to see how much worse things got in two decades. Not a bad film, but this material deserved so much better.Read all
A classic Italian crime comedy. I'm a bit surprised this film is such a big deal, though the presence of some of Italy's most respected actors probably had something to do with that. It was a bit too loud and chaotic for my taste, but at least the film is quite light and doesn't take itself too seriously. With Mastroianni and Cardinale you can find some of the biggest names in Italian cinema here, only, the performances are anything but subtle, and they don't have the greatest comedic talent. The plot is predictable, and the cinematography is nothing remarkable. Not my kind of film, but still, a lot easier to sit through than the Neorealism cinema of that era.Read all
This is what you get when you mix Mad Max with some typical 80s action. It's an incredibly cheesy flick with some atrocious performances (not in the least Van Damme), but they did put some effort into the setting and the characters, which made it at least somewhat watchable. Van Damme is horrible (even after cutting much of the man's dialogue, which is the bare minimum), and the rest of the cast isn't any better. The plot is pretty simple too, but the camerawork and the costumes are rather fun. It's a shame they didn't have a better crew to make the best of them, but overall it's not as bad as some other 80s action flicks.Read all