Log: week 33 / 2025
Lots of film royalty present. The director was once the scriptwriter for people like Wakamatsu and Hiroki (so he knows the industry), Ayano and Emoto are more than solid actors, and Honami Sato more than holds her own. It's the kind of film where you know up front that the result is going to be interesting. The performances are excellent, the unique peek into the pinku industry is fascinating, and the presentation is polished. The reversed application of black-and-white (present) and color photography (flashbacks) felt a bit forced, and the film's a tad too long. Other than that, there's not a lot to complain about.Read all
Gotta be a little careful on how to phrase critiques on Superman nowadays. Before you know it, you're assigned a side of the political spectrum for not enjoying a piece of bland Hollywood franchise culture. Luckily, my dislike for this film has nothing to do with the content. It's that Gunn's answer to superhero fatigue seems to be nostalgia, which is probably the worst thing that could happen to the genre. There are other questionable parts, like the horrendous performance of Hoult, or the excruciating addition of a super dog, which acts as Superman's hard-to-control pet. On top of that, the styling is dreary and cheesy, the action is bland, and the sentimentality is completely inappropriate. I like Gunn when he has fun with the genre, but when he tries to do anything more serious with the genre, the result is absolute garbage.Read all
Love You as the World Ends Final
It took me a while to understand why I hadn't heard about this film before, because the production value was there and the opening showed potential. But then it hit me that this was probably an extension of a TV series, and it started to show as time passed. Too much melodrama and uninteresting characters, on top of a lack of world-building. The series is being compared to The Walking Dead, and that's probably apt. It's not so much about the virus and zombies (or golems, as they are called here), it's about the effect this emergency has had on humanity and the tensions and shifts in power it brought forward. It's still a decent watch, but there's too much focus on things I just didn't care for, and not enough focus on the things that make genre films fun.Read all
Silent crime cinema. The positives here are that the cinematography is decent, making good use of the grim and misty setting, and that there aren't too many intertitles. The story is simple enough, and the dialogues aren't all that deep or complex, so the less time spent reading, the better. The soundtrack is ill-fitting though, and the story isn't all that interesting. The characters are quite basic, the romances are frivolous, and the outcome is predictable. It's a good thing then that the film is quite short and that the pacing is decent. It's a decent enough silent, but not a memorable film.Read all
iQiyi is moving up in the world, supporting this Feng Xiaogang-directed crime drama. It's not just simple streamer fare anymore, they're also aiming at more prestigious projects. While We Girls isn't Xiaogang's best work (it's a little too sentimental in places), it's a more than solid drama with some stand-out moments. Lan Xiya is the big star here, and together with Zhao Liying, she forms a strong team. The crime elements are light but essential, while the drama is a bit slick, but that's the norm for these bigger projects. The presentation is one point, and the length is perfect, so apart from some minor issues, I enjoyed this one a lot. Read all
A somewhat feeble attempt by Wong and Chang to keep their gambling sagas going. It's only because it's been a while since I watched a film like this that I found something to enjoy (not counting Qi's presence), as this was a clear failed attempt to rekindle the highs of the early 90s. Cheung isn't a great lead, and Wong isn't the best actor (but he's still fun to watch). The story is pretty basic, and the cons/gambling matches aren't too elaborate or exciting. It's simple Hong Kong genre fare, not the worst of its kind, and very easy to get through, but all the parties involved have made much better films.Read all
Legend of the Sacred Stone
I instantly recognized this as a Chris Huang film. I only ever watched The Arti, but his aesthetic is unmistakable. The puppet designs, classic Chinese lore, and wicked action scenes are present in all their glory. The result is a wildly entertaining and imaginative film, with few peers to compare it to. The story isn't too difficult, but the narration, pacing, and exposition make it more complex than needed. Some familiarity with Chinese fantasy lore will definitely come in handy. Otherwise, there's a chance you might feel lost and overwhelmed. If you don't let that get in the way of the lovely animation, there's a lot of fun to be had with this one. Huang's a one-of-a-kind director.Read all
Indie and cult cinema with a strong nod to grindhouse. That's all nice and well, but it's also dirt cheap and presented with a severe lack of talent. It's a good thing this is a rather lively and fast-paced film, because the horrid performances and crummy presentation take away from the fun. The idea isn't too bad, with a squad of women taking revenge on rapists and criminals who target girls. There are some attempts to create gruesome and memorable moments, but everything looks so amateurish that the effect wasn't there. I had higher hopes for this one, but five minutes in, it was clear that this was going to be somewhat of a struggle to get through.Read all
There are some interesting twists and turns here, but Altman's style feels a bit too light for this type of film. The concept is interesting, and the way the narrative develops is quite unique, but the presentation never felt slick and dense enough to make this an enveloping cinematic experience. It also didn't help that I'm not the biggest fan of Duvall and Spacek, and pretty much the entire film revolves around the two of them. It's a shame, because with a different cast and director (Lucile Hadzihalilovic would be a solid option), this could've been something I would have loved. In its current incarnation, it's mostly a film of missed opportunities.Read all
There already is a second Chasing the Dragon, but somehow the Western naming skipped that one and refers to this spin-off as part 2. Such nostalgia for those who lived through early 90s HK cinema. To make things even more complicated, there's also a prequel to this film. Not that it matters much, this is just a Jing Wong-directed Chinese streamer flick. It doesn't play in the same league as its Hong Kong peers, but it's still a relatively fun crime flick. Especially now that Hong Kong isn't really producing these types of films anymore. Jordan Chan is solid, Ho-Shun Wong is good too, and Kent Cheng is always amusing. The film isn't quite as epic as it needed to be, but it's short and it's decent genre filler.Read all
Eccentricities of a Blonde-Haired Girl
One of Oliveira's later films. He has had a long and prosperous career, though I must admit I haven't seen many of his films. This is only the second one, and so far, I can't say I'm that impressed. Of course, he made this one at the end of his career, and at a rather respectable age, too. Generally speaking, I'm going to struggle with these types of films. The cinematography is too classic for my taste, the pacing is too slow (because the styling isn't on point), and some of the conversations felt extremely scripted. There is a little intrigue, and the film is quite short, so it's not the worst thing ever, but I'm pretty sure I won't be remembering this one for long.Read all
A subdued and understated horror film that takes a little to get going, but builds up the tension quite nicely. Light fantastical elements add a more mysterious vibe. The rest is handled by somewhat classier cinematography and a nice score. All that's missing are some truly chilling moments to make it stick. I guess you call this a Japanese take on the Spanish murder mystery/horror films that built up a decent reputation over the years. Not nearly as gruesome and with a slightly bigger focus on the supernatural, but the core mystery is very similar. I liked this one, though I do think a tiny bit more urgency would've made it better still.Read all
A decent film with a bland premise. Right off the bat, it's clear where this film is heading, and it makes no noticeable effort to cover up its predictability in any way. Which is fine if the direction is outstanding, but it never gets all that tense or exciting, nor does it look like anything special. The cinematography is decent, and the score is moody, but that too is by the numbers. The performances are decent but nothing special, the finale is formulaic, and the film has nothing interesting to say. It's genre filler with a budget. Not the worst film of its kind, but not one I'll be remembering for long.Read all
The start of something big. It's Shiraishi's first film, and already he was experimenting with the faux documentary style (even before TBWP became a thing). The quality is rough, and it takes a while before the film gets going, but the second part is noticeably better and often harsh and nihilistic in its delivery. It's also fun to see some stabs at other popular genres (the cyberpunk segment stood out for sure), but this is mainly about two guys who are completely out of control. The footage is pretty rough, and so was the acting, but there were some messed-up moments that made this worth the effort. It does help if you know who Shiraishi is and what niche he occupies in the realm of Japanese cinema.Read all