Log: week 19 / 2021

Tanjiro became a demon hunter after his family was murdered. With a couple of fellow hunters he sets out to investigate the Mugen train, where a lot of people have been disappearing. There he meets Rengoku, one of the toughest demon hunters around. He'll need the help of Rengoku to rid the train of its demon, but darker forces are lurking about.

The art style is pretty bold and expressive, the fight choreography is insane, and the animation quality is feature film worthy. The problem is that there's a bit too much filler in between the fights. Some padding is expected, but the characters themselves aren't that interesting and the melodrama takes up too much of the runtime. Still, if you love a good action/fantasy anime, this comes well recommended.

Tang Ren and Qin Feng are invited to visit Tokyo in order to crack a brand-new case. They're not the only ones who are looking for the culprit though, other prominent Asian detectives are also joining the hunt. Meanwhile, the police aren't too happy with all these detectives trying to solve the case before them.

An impressive cast, ambitious action scenes, a fun mystery and deep pockets make this an enjoyable blockbuster. The Chinese sense of humor won't be for everybody and the film's a bit too long, with a little too much time spent on explaining everything to the smallest detail, but other than that this was some decent entertainment.

Kota has the feeling something is missing from his life. He's studying to become a doctor, but can't quite commit to his study. Then he learns about a project that helps to build schools in Cambodia. He convinces some friend to join him on a trip, after that they all come together to raise the money needed for building a school there.

Performances are rather weak, and the direction feels a bit cheap. It's clear that Fukasaku wanted this film to be all about the humanitarian aid given in Cambodia, but it's just not subtle nor captivating enough. Drama just isn't really the genre for him, best to keep this for when you're really in need of something sappy and sentimental.

In this second film, Kaji, after trying to protect some Chinese prisoners, is forced to join the army. Though he is a model soldier, his reputation precedes him and he is given the toughest tasks of the squad. Luckily, he gets support from his wife Michiko, who pleads his case and tries to get the military off of Kaji's back.

The black and white cinematography doesn't really pop, the dramatic performances are well over the top and at 180 minutes, it's at least half a film too long. The second half is easier to get through though, which makes me somewhat hopeful for the third part, but I really don't see what all the fuss is about.

Johnny is a gambling trickster who gets caught by Mundson, owner of an illegal casino. Johnny convinces Mundson to hire him, what he doesn't know is that Mundson is about to marry Rita, an old acquaintance of Johnny. The two can't stand each other, but well ... we all know how that tends to end.

Though Hayworth tries, I didn't care much for her somewhat trampy character. She wasn't really the vamp she needed to be, and with the rest of the film not trying too hard either, the 110-minute runtime is pretty excessive. The typical noir clichés keep it somewhat interesting, but this was hardly worth its reputation.

Li Yunxiang is a young guy living in a slum. He partakes in bike races and does a little smuggling on the side, trying to provide the people in the slum with extra water (a valuable property in his world). When he gets targeted by the son of Boss, an arrogant rich prick, he gets the help of Nezha to plan his revenge.

While technically not quite up to par with its US counterparts, the film sure is ambitious. A sprawling fantasy world, big action scenes and bold designs make Nezha Reborn a film that stands out. I wasn't quite on board with the "cool" rock vibe and the flashback scene in the middle shows there are more interesting art styles to work with, but all in all this was a pretty fun flick.

Settlers and Mormons butt heads in this film. Rather than peacefully live together, they seem unable to put their differences aside. Against this backdrop a tepid romance between a boy and girl develops. It's a good old Romeo and Julia story, one of the biggest tearjerkers I've seen in quite a while.

The direction is really weak, performances are incredibly overstated, and the drama never feels genuine. The film's criticisms on religion and human nature are quite crude, and the romance just wasn't that convincing. I didn't care one bit for this film, then again I didn't expect much with Cain helming this film.

Banister and Burns are a loveless couple who are about to get married. Until Judy shows up into their lives. She takes a liking to Banister and doesn't take no for an answer. Add a couple of identical-looking bags into the mix and you have all the ingredients for an hour and a half of hysterical confusion.

The performances are actually quite decent here, it's just a bummer that the actors have little to work with. The dialogues are bland, the jokes are dim, and the plot isn't interesting in the least. It's a good thing the film is relatively short, even then it grossly overstays its welcome. Not great.

Jigsaw is still around and doing his thing, though he's clearly on his last legs here. That doesn't mean he hasn't got some final tricks up his sleeves. He targets a few more people who end up in his famous traps, this time though we see more of his accomplices and how they are tied into his big master plan.

The traps are absolutely nasty here, which is a big plus. Sadly, some of them are overshadowed by a plot that didn't really engage the second time around. Performances are middling too and Bousman is a bit too busy trying to copy Wan's visual flair, rather than give the film a spin of his own. Saw III is still pretty solid and a clear recommend for horror fans, but it should've kept to its strengths.

Kouga teams up with Rin, a young priestess, to save Jabi. Meanwhile, Legules (a dark lord) is resurrected and is planning to destroy the world. I'm sure I missed quite a few intricacies in the plot, but all things said and done, it's a pretty basic "good guys vs bad guys" affair that shouldn't be too hard to follow, even if you've never seen the series.

Performances are weak, the effect are dirt cheap and the look of the film comes off quite lazy. 105 minutes is also way too long for this type of cheese. Amemiya shows a lot of ambition making this film, but when means are limited it's often better to tone things down a bit. It's an interesting train wreck, but a train wreck nonetheless.

Charlie is poor and doesn't even have any aspirations to dream big. Until Wonka launches a campaign with five golden tickets. Charlie wants to visit to chocolate factory more than anything in the world and even though chances are slim, he and his grandpa never stop believing they can win a ticket.

The first half hour is a little slow and the effects are pretty cheesy, but there's a streak of dark comedy that I liked a lot and Wilder's performance really is spot on, especially when he comments on the unfortunate fate of his visitors. A quirky and joyous little film, its reputation is well deserved.

Hyperion is sending three people into space to conduct experiments on and around Mars. After some initial hiccups, the real trouble starts when they discover a stowaway. The guy got there by accident, but him being there compromises the mission. Oxygen is sparse, and the math suggest there isn't enough to support 4 people.

Colette and Kendrick overdo it with the drama, the plot is quite shaky and it would've been nice if Penna could've shortened the film to 90 minutes, but the second half is quite thrilling and there are some truly beautiful shots here. Pretty solid sci-fi space filler, not a film I'd actively recommend but nice for fans of the genre.

Various couples and friends end up in a hotel that is suddenly closed down for quarantine. They'll have to remain into the hotel for the next two weeks, even though everyone there has other plans. Old guys trying to cheat their wives, rivaling Triad bosses, a couple about to get married and the hotel boss trying to flee his sinking ship, they are all trying to make the best of these trying times.

The comedy is light but fun (if you appreciate the HK brand of comedy), the actors do a solid job and the film cycles through different genres (a little romance, some action, a touch of drama), though keeping things breezy at all times. This is pretty much a typical lunar comedy, only prepped for a different occasion. Amusing, but forgettable.

Xu Ruoqing, a writer, moves into her ancestral house together with her husband. It's a beautiful French Baroque-style mansion, but it houses a dark history. It doesn't take long before ghostly apparitions haunt the family, but Xu's husband is so busy trying to save his business that he pays no heed to his wife's suspicions.

The film isn't terribly original or scary, but the lush cinematography and beautiful imagery kept me captivated from start to finish. Performances are good, the score is capable and though predictable, the plot is solid. It's a polished and capable horror film, prime filler if you're thirsty for a good haunted house flick.

The plot revolves around a music agent with a strong love for reggae. Troubles at the company he works for (they care more about marketability than the actual music) and problems with his girlfriend (who becomes increasingly more dependent on drugs throughout the film) drive him to a life of crime.

Performances are mediocre, Wakamatsu's direction feels flat and uninspired, the plot is dull, and the reggae angle comes off as random and tacked on. There's almost nothing left of the spirited, vibrant and creative force that Wakamatsu was just a decade earlier, which makes a film like this all the more painful to watch.

Earwig is a young girl who lives an easy life at the orphanage. Her life takes a sudden turn when an odd couple comes to collect her. The woman is a witch who needs a pair of extra hands around the house, Earwig becomes her apprentice, though she feels more like a slave. For the first time in her life, she can't force her will onto others.

The different levels of visual fidelity can be a bit jarring in the beginning, but the art style did grow on me. And while it never comes close to the classic Ghibli films, it's really not that ugly. The lack of annoying sidekicks, dreadful jokes and ADD pacing is what makes this easier to stomach than its American peers, some nifty characters (like Mandrake) turns this into a respectable, but ultimately somewhat mediocre Ghibli production. Not terrible, but that's an extremely low bar for one of the best animation houses in the world.

A man escapes from a detention camp after he receives a letter stating that his daughter is featured in a newsreel. He travels to the closest village that's about to show the film reel, but an orphan girl has other plans for the celluloid. She desperately wants it to create a lamp shade for her brother.

One Second harks back to Zhang's early rural dramas, though the focus lies more on comedy and the communal feeling of an entire village coming together to watch a film. The cinematography is polished, performances are decent, and the peculiar ending is interesting, but this isn't really Zhang at his best.

A young student with no place to stay visits her teacher and asks her if she can stick around. The teacher and her husband see no problem with this request, but it doesn't take long before she gets mixed up in their relationship. There's some fantasy nonsense in the margins, which makes very little sense and is probably best ignored.

The pinku scenes aren't very enticing, the plot is nonsensical, and the film looks terribly cheap. Even so, Sato would end up directing a short for the Rampo Noir anthology, one of my absolute favorites, so I guess it was all worth it in the end. I would skip this film if I were you though, there's really nothing of interest here.

Jimmy is a smart kid, he just isn't very popular. That's about to change when parents around the world are being kidnapped by malicious aliens. Neutron is the only one who can save them, and with his band of outcast friends he sets out to save their parents from the extraterrestrials.

The CG is absolutely dreadful (well below what you'd expect the major US studios to put out), the comedy is terrible (it's just loud and obnoxious) and the plot is bland (but what did you expect). This really is for younger audiences only, though you may wonder if this is the kind of garbage you want kids to watch.

Jin is an actress who works as an undercover agent for the people of Shanghai. She discovers Japan's plan to attack Pearl Harbor, but her life gets a lot more complicated when the Japanese try to get Jin on their team. Romance, betrayal, shady figures in dark allies, all the usual noir elements are present here.

The cast is exceptional (with Gong Li and Joe Odagiri leading the pack) and the blue/gray monochrome filter looks attractive enough, but the cinematography feels a little lazy, the action doesn't translate, and the films runs a little too long. One of Lou's weaker efforts, a shame considering how great The Shadow Play was.

The film was pretty much what I expected it to be. A decidedly sentimental and dramatized slice of life about two sons who move off to Tokyo to build a life of their own, leaving their father behind in a small rural town. The usual tension between young and old, urban and rural drives the narrative of this film.

Performances are solid (with a young Masatoshi Nagase as one of the standouts), the Japanese countryside is as beautiful as ever and the deliberate pacing helps to ground the drama. It reminded me a bit of Ôbayashi's 80s/90s dramas, the difference being that Ôbayashi seemed more inspired when directing his films. My Sons feels a little unremarkable by comparison, but it's certainly not a bad film.

The film follows a team of pilots as they are prepped to become America's first astronauts. There's a space race with Russia going on, so even though Yeager is the first to breach the sound barrier, the news is kept quiet. Technicians, pilots and the wives at home all chip in and play their part in the US' big space victory.

The characters are highly unpleasant, performances are rather poor, so spending three full hours with them is quite the chore. There's also way too much padding, I understand that a 3-hour runtime is supposed to underline the epicness of the undertaking, but it doesn't pan out when all you're getting is some bad drama. There's about 90 minutes of borderline decent material here, the rest is sentimental garbage.

Ren an Aoi literally bump into each other when they're still kids. The two hit it off, and it's immediately clear they are meant for each other. But Aoi's home situation is hardly ideal, and before the two can properly hook up, Aoi flees her home, leaving Ren behind. It's the start of a long journey where fate will actively work against the reunion of the two.

Zeze deliver a rather typical romantic drama, but with Komatsu and Suda in the lead it's a lot easier to capture the audience's attention. The plot is decent, the cinematography is clean and the soundtrack, though borderline sappy, does what it's supposed to do. A very good film, there's just nothing that makes it truly great.

Fang Yuan is a lonely tour guide who can't get a break in life. When his latest romantic interest turns him down, another girl hugs him out of the blue and asks him to pretend to be her girlfriend. After this fateful encounter, the two decide to spend the evening together, as they're both celebrating their birthday. At the end of the evening though, the girl disappears in thin air.

The mix of genres works quite well, the cinematography looks polished and the pacing is pretty decent. The problem is that it all feels very derivative. China moved a little too fast from having no blockbuster industry to having a dominant one that relies on formulaic output. Not a terrible film, just not very memorable either.

Orphée is a poet who becomes infatuated with Princess Death. The princess quite likes Orphée too, but she's jealous of his wife, so she sends her cronies to help her on her way to the Underworld. Orphée may have developed feelings for Princess Death, but he is faithful to his wife and travel to the Underworld to get her back.

The performances are weak, conversations are terribly overstated, Cocteau's attempts to create a fantasy world are meager, and the soundtrack is annoying. There's just very little left of the creativity and atmosphere he was able to create in his earlier films, this was just poorly executed and felt terribly misplaced.

After the death of her mom, Ichiko returns to the countryside. City life isn't for her, instead she prefers to be surrounded by nature, looking around for edibles and turning them into delicious dishes. With a little help from her neighbors and the townsfolk, Ichiko quickly adapts to her new life.

Beautiful images of the Japanese countryside, a light and breezy soundtrack, loving closeups of pots and pans and a lot of tasty-looking dishes. It's all very soft and idyllic, though I have to say that 120 minutes was a bit much for me, especially since there's virtually no drama to speak of. Just dishes.

Ferrand is a director who is getting ready to turn his latest film: Meet Pamela. Like always, the production has its ups and down, with producers bugging the directors, actors putting themselves in front of the film and complex love triangles forming between cast members. Ferrand wonders if he'll ever be able to finish the film.

Day for Night is a pretty typcial film about film. It's quite hectic, there's some slight comedy that's never too ironic or sarcastic and in the end the audience is always supposed to marvel at the fact that directors can actually deliver a finished product. At almost two hours long, this didn't do much for me. Way too self-indulgent.

Set in the town of Ashibetsu, the film revolves around the funeral of Suzuki. His family gathers there and stories from the past are dug up, as they generally are during funerals. It gives Ôbayashi the chance to deal with some deeper themes, like death, love and Japan's tragic war history.

There are some pretty shots here, sadly the characters stick out like sore thumbs, often completely breaking the illusion. Ôbayashi has some neat directorial tricks up his sleeve, but they break up the drama and take away from the more serious moments. It doesn't often happen, but it seems I prefer Ôbayashi's older work.

This third film starts off with the introduction of a new girl, who is quickly assembled into the team of magical girls. Together they do a great job getting rid of the witches, until it dawns on them that's something's not quite right. What follows is a lot of conversation, mixed with crazy visuals and cool fights.

Three films in, I'm still not sure who the target audience of this franchise is supposed to be. I'm glad Shinbo left it behind (though I heard he might be returning for a fourth film), because with different material his particular style is a lot easier to appreciate. There's a lot to love here, it's just too often interrupted by some childish nonsense.

Vinny is a young guy who has made a downright mess of his life. He cheats on his wife, he gets pushed around by some local wannabe mobsters and his best friend just turned into a punk lover. Meanwhile, a serial killer is on the loose in New York and starts killing people in Vinny's neighborhood.

Performances are decent but not good enough to carry the film, the characters are somewhat annoying, the film is too long and the soundtrack is lazy. Lee's direction is a notch above Scorsese's (who I think could've been in the running for this script too), but in the end Summer of Sam is overly long and just not interesting enough.