Log: week 20 / 2023

A basic romcom with a slightly more interesting premise. The film never really figures out what it wants to be though, bouncing back between comedy, romance, and sci-fi, with none of the genres being all that effective. It's still a fun exercise and a brave attempt to try something a little different.

Yuya Ishii's latest is a solid but overly basic Japanese drama, a film that doesn't really add much to Ishii's oeuvre, nor to the overcrowded niche it was released in. That's not to say it's a bad film, just that there are already too many films like it, making the long runtime somewhat of an unnecessary hurdle.

Another overly talky noir. They sure loved to squeeze every last drop from their writers back in the day, because simple genre fluff like Murder, My Sweet is overflowing with dialogue. It's an easy way to keep the cost down I guess, since most of the film is just people yapping at each other.

I never watched the original, but after seeing Esterhazy's Level 16 I was ready to give this film a fair shot. It turned out a lot better than I'd expected. Yes, it's another one of those horror films switching around gender roles, but it is so self-aware (and funny) that it actually worked in the film's favor.

Koji Wakamatsu's masterpiece. If you want to breach his somewhat daunting oeuvre, this is no doubt one of the best places to start. The film mixes raw and gritty drama with a more poetic vibe, though an easy watch this is not. The stark black-and-white cinematography is fitting, the soundtrack is remarkable and the characters are intriguing yet mystifying. It's certainly not a film for anyone considering its crude handling of themes like rape and suicide, but if you can stomach it, you might just discover one of the most creative films of the 60s.

A nifty little genre film. The premise is rather basic and the mystery is stretched to its limit, but the stylish presentation and intriguing setup kept me glued to the screen. The payoff could've been better, and a slightly shorter runtime might've helped, but Esterhazy delivers quite the calling card.

A pleasant and wholesome Japanese drama. If you're looking for feel-good with a little tinge of drama then this is a pretty ideal film, but having seen so many Japanese dramas already, the film lacks a few standout elements that help to set it apart from its peers, which left me wanting.

A basic haunted house story, sporting padding that is at least a tad more original than usually the case. The problem is that it doesn't really affect the film much, worse is that the horror elements are relatively ineffective and leave the film stranded in a limbo that makes you wonder what its target audience was.

Ueda's latest is an oddball mix of wacky Japanese comedy and a self-reflective road movie. It's the comedy that takes center stage though, so don't expect a very deep or heavy film. The plot is incredibly ridiculous and the drama is pretty by the numbers. At the same time, the journey of the lead character is one that takes him through all his past mistakes and forces him to reflect on his life choices.

A simple but fun little take on the infected niche. Mixing zombie elements with the current COVID craze, Hall is a film that tries to make the most of a single location (the title is a dead giveaway). It does a pretty good job too, though the build-up is a tad slow and the payoff could've been a bit more exciting.

A neat surprise. With a title sporting the words Buddha Palm, I'd expected some pretty traditional martial arts streamer filler. Instead, I got a fancy urban fantasy flick that transports the classic martial arts elements to a more futuristic/fantastical setting. It's a level of creativity and boldness rarely seen in Chinese streamer land, but I sure welcome the diversification.

One of Fritz Lang's early USA films. His move to the US drove him to the noir genre, a disappointing switch that made the latter half of his career a lot less appealing. You Only Live Once falls prey to the pitfalls most 30s films faced: exaggerated performances mixed with an overabundance of dialogue.

A cute little comedy that tacks on a bunch of other genres to make things a bit more interesting. Horror, fantasy, and crime elements were added, but in the end, everything is played for laughs. There was a touch too much drama for my taste though, which messed with the pacing of the film.

The second of the Dragon Ball films pretty much delivered what I expected from it. It has that cute retro 80s anime charm, making it a rather simplistic but entertaining mid-length feature. My expectations were pretty limited when I started my recent Dragon Ball journey, but these older films at least turn out to be pretty light and fun.

Guardians of the Galaxy is one of Marvel's most colorful properties and Gunn has proven himself to be a fun director before, but this series never really finds its footing. This is exemplified by the coolest action scene of the third film, set to an oldfarty Beastie Boys track that drains it from half of its power.

An earlier Almodóvar, which in Almodóvar's case, is not a bad thing. His earlier films are a bit more vibrant and dynamic compared to his later work. Law of Desire is no exception. While not a film that is typically in my wheelhouse, there was enough here to keep me entertained throughout.