Log: week 4 / 2023

Nikkatsu's Roman Porno revival has been relatively successful, so it's no surprise they're doing their best to keep the momentum going. They've done a good job attracting famous directors, with Shûsuke Kaneko they hooked another interesting name. When the Rain Falls didn't disappoint.

A decent enough drama, but My Back Page is a bit long in the tooth, and feels a bit safe for a film about the student protests. If you've seen a couple of Wakamatsu's films, you know stories like these deserve a slightly cruder edge. It's not a bad film, it's just that it doesn't quite line up with its subject matter.

A quirky Japanese indie drama. It took me a little while to warm up to Sad Tea, but that's because it plays with a subtle balance that needs a bit of time to surface. About halfway through I had a handle on the peculiar mix of drama, romance, and comedy. From there on out it's a fun build-up to a worthwhile finale.

Another Reed noir. These old British films can feel a bit crusty, The Fallen Idol is no exception. For a film that tries to have a darker edge, it's all a bit too prim and proper, which makes for a somewhat awkward vibe. It's a shame, as Reed is capable of a little visual refinement, which goes to waste that way.

Basic J-Horror, with an above-average finale. I watched the remake years ago, but never really managed to get a hold of Oikawa's original. He's certainly not the most gifted director of his generation, but he can turn out a proper horror film, and that's exactly what you should expect from this film.

A cute little whodunit that mostly scores points with its lush production design. The film offers a mix of fantasy, action and comedy wrapped up in a mystery plot and served in a 70-minute bite-sized package. These Chinese straight-to-streaming films have their formats down, the only thing missing are directors able to elevate these films to be slightly more than prime genre filler.

Forman's final Czechoslovakian film before he moved his career to Hollywood. It's a somewhat loud and messy comedy, quite hit-and-miss and often stretched to its limits, but thanks to the short runtime and a handful of amusing setups scattered throughout the film, it was a pretty easy watch.

Murnau's final film. What separates Tabu from films of its time is the exotic setting (filmed on location too). It's a nice little perk, but it's also a bit cheesy and it feels a little exploitative. It's certainly not the worst film though, thanks to proper pacing and a pleasant romance that forms the heart of the film.

A film that has been fighting an uphill battle since the day it was announced. Directed by Goro Miyazaki, son of legendary animator Hayao Miyazaki, expectations for this were completely unrealistic from the get-go. And yet, I've always liked the film, in part because of the way it set itself apart from his father's work, and other Ghibli films. Goro did find his own voice, rather than trying to mimic what people have come to expect under the Miyazaki name. The result is a darker, more mysterious fantasy film set in a world that is left for the viewer to be explored and is supported by Ghibli's quality animation, a lovely score, and tremendous voice work. This holds up very well on rewatch.

A nifty little surprise. Hell Target is a pretty generic-sounding title that failed to impress when it was originally released on VHS. The remaining copies are not of the best quality, but it's not difficult to see that this could be a major hit if someone would clean it up and re-release it. Fans of horror and sci-fi would do good to seek this one out.

A pleasant surprise. Sure enough, my expectations were quite low going in, but sometimes that can be a blessing. Valerie and her Week of Wonders offers a playful and creative mix of fantasy and horror elements, no doubt wrapped in several layers of symbolism. How much of it you want to unpack is up to you.

A fine mix of crime and drama, where Miike is allowed to showcase his versatility. It's a film that would've felt at home in the Young Thugs trilogy, but it stands well enough on its own. It did feel slightly less special watching it again 15 years later, having seen more films along the same vein.

A fun take on Japanese horror. While the setup feels quite familiar, the execution is decidedly more modern. It's a film that seems to deliberately distance itself from the style of horror that people have come to expect from Japan. If it hadn't been for some slight structural issues, this might've been a bona fide contemporary horror classic.

70s Wakamatsu is an entirely different beast from 60s Wakamatsu. He became fascinated with torture throughout the ages and directed some films vaguely relating to this concept. Torture Chronicles is one of them, a disjointed series of torture and rape scenes with little or no connection.

A decent but simple horror film. What sets this film apart is the Jewish/American setting, drawing from their cultural/religious lore to serve a slightly more original haunting. The creature isn't quite as scary as it was supposed to be though, and once you take the cultural elements away, what remains is a template horror flick with decent production values.

A nice but expected Japanese drama bound to fade in a sea of similar films. Tanada has been consistently releasing good films, but something is missing to push her work to the next level. While the drama is solid and the performances are on point, the emotional outbursts scattered throughout take away from the solemn experience.

A French drama that starts off pretty nicely, but loses itself in endless dialogue. That's not an enormous surprise, France has a tendency to produce chatty dramas, and To Our Loves fits that tradition perfectly. I wish Pialat had cared just a bit more about the presentation, as the first half shows the potential for a better film was definitely present.

A surprisingly capable film from Patrick Lussier. His track record isn't the greatest, with some pretty poor horror remakes messing up his oeuvre, but Play Dead is a nice change of pace for him. Not that it is a very original or remarkable film, but as a horror/thriller mix it does just about everything right.

Kawajiri takes on Tezuka's Hi no Tori manga with Rintaro acting as a producer. It's a pretty impressive array of names, and they were able to deliver. I'm a bit surprised this short anime isn't better known among anime fans, as Kawajiri does a stellar job building up the story within the short amount of time that was given to him. Fans of sci-fi and fantasy won't be disappointed.

There's life outside of Bollywood. Bandit Queen is a film with a pretty hefty reputation, though it appears that's mostly because of political reasons. Not that it's a very happy or pleasant film, but people who are used to watching darker and/or more shocking cinema will have little trouble coping.

A peculiar film that takes a while to show its true face. It's not a film that stood out to me for any other reason than being unsure where it would go next, but somehow that was enough to keep me entertained. I'm sure a better director could've done more with the material at hand though.

A costume drama with (slightly) more contemporary elements. It's a film that offers a more down-to-earth and sobering take on a famous historical figure, not unlike Larraín's Spencer. While Kreutzer's intentions were good, I don't think the result is quite as strong or outspoken as it could've been.