Log: week 20 / 2019
A very decent and solid but somewhat predictable thriller/mystery along the lines of The Other and The Orphanage. The acting is on point, the film looks stylish enough, but the drama is a little overworked and the twists at the end aren't all that effective. It's very likeable filler material, just don't expect too much from this one.
A peek into the sect of Charles Manson, through the eyes of three women that got caught in Manson's web. Harron's direction is confident, the actors do a pretty decent job and the whole vibe is rather credible, but the film doesn't quite succeed in explaining how Manson could lead these people to commit the gruesome murders for him. Not bad though.
A very talkative comedy that lacks likeable villains, or at the very least a sharper pen. There's a lot of pent-up anger and frustration flying around in a single living room, but in the end the film is too safe, too nice and too predictable to be funny. Apart from Hendricks the actors are disappointing and Egg simply never gets the momentum it needs to make a good impression.
A pretty decent but slightly dusty crime investigation flick that hinges on a more than solid cast. Ching Wan Lau, Nick Cheung and Karena Lam do a great job. The plot is amusing enough, there are a few proper twists and even though the ending could've been a tad slicker the film doesn't outstay its welcome. Integrity is nothing grand, just good, solid filler.
An overly detailed and overly weighty thriller about a man who comes up with an elaborate plan to free his wife from prison. Crowe does a pretty poor job, Haggis never manages to build up any real tension and the ending is way too predictable. It's little more than a shoddy thriller that thinks it's a classic in the making.
Blue Spring was the break-through film for Toyoda and Matsuda. This high school punk drama is quite particular to Japan and might come off a little strange at first, but the mix of violence and drama is actually quite poetic and moving. Well acted, superbly directed and to the point, this is definitely a film for the history books.
Love, Death + Robots
A fun anthology that thrives on variety. The overall quality of the individual shorts is a little lacking and there aren't that many stand-out entries here, but there are plenty of different art styles, ideas and directions to ensure things don't go stale. While the film doesn't live up to its full potential, it's a real step up for US animation.
A very straight-forward horror film that still manages to surprise by bypassing its own twist potential. Apart from that, it's bog standard genre fare that amuses, but doesn't really excite. It's properly executed, not too long and has a couple of genre pleasures hidden away, but it never rises above itself. Good genre filler, but nothing more.
Cheh Chang doing something different. In contrast with the typical Shaw Bros production, Chinatown Kid moves its actors to a more contemporary (read 70s) setting. It's clear that Chang didn't feel entirely comfortable directing this film though, as the plot is poor and the action scenes aren't good enough to compensate. One of his lesser efforts.
A carbon copy of early millennium horror films like Shutter, Ringu and a bunch of other ones. The first part is moody and atmospheric, but once the evil gets a face and the films pivots to mystery solving it loses a little steam. Instead of focusing on the cookie cutter drama driving the horror, the horror itself could've used some extra attention. Not bad though.
The Garden of Sinners - The Hollow Shrine
Explanatory episode that reveals a lot of intricate details about the nature of the Garden of Sinners universe. But it's also one of the most atmospheric films so far, making for a rather unique combination. It's all quite heavy and conceptual, but not without some dark and fantastical moments to keep things moving along. Pretty good and a fine setup for the rest of the films.
Pretty decent Teruo Ishii film, sadly it gets a little bogged down by its story. Ishii is at his best when he's doing weird, freaky and bloody (like a Miike avant la lettre), the gang related antics are a lot less fun to watch. This is an amusing and economic film that makes for decent filler, but it's just a little too uneven.
A film about a bunch of 50-about women going on a trip to celebrate their friendship. Unless you share either age or gender with these characters though, I'm afraid there's just not that much here. The characters are irritating, the comedy is predictable and the drama is annoying. It's pretty horrible, which only one or two smirks along the way.