Log: week 39 / 2021

Jean, an ex-model, is killed in her apartment. Two detectives, one seasoned cop and one rookie) are put on the case. They go around the neighborhood, asking people for information. It doesn't take long before they're on the tail of a group of burglars, who seem to be related to the case.

Though the films boasts (literally, in the intro monologue) about its use of outside locations, there are still many indoor scenes. These are incredibly dull, just static shots of men endlessly discussing the murder case. It isn't until the very end that New York is used to its fullest potential, but I'd stopped caring at least an hour earlier.

Hans is visiting his parents with his family. They're running late and Hans' mom doesn't like to wait, but nobody is cooperating. When they hit the highway, Hans gets stuck behind a van who prefers to keep to the speed limit. In a nearby gas station, there's a confrontation between Hans and the driver, which only escalates the situation.

The family is pretty annoying, so it's easy enough to root for the "bad guy", brilliantly played by Willem de Wolf. There's a coldness to his performance that makes his character really memorable. The pacing is perfect, the horror elements are limited but effective and the film has no excess cruft. A very entertaining bit of genre cinema.

Oliver and Barbara meet each other at an auction. Barbara outbids Oliver, but the two hit it off, marrying not long after. Life is good to them, but throughout their marriage rut creeps in. When they finally reach the point they worked for all these years (executive job, big house, kids), their marriage is dead. And so, Barbara asks for a divorce.

Turner and Douglas fall short here. Not that it's easy, playing characters who are fundamentally flawed and annoying, but they manage poorly. I did like the more over-the-top scenes (mostly near the ending), the introduction is a bit long in the tooth though. Not dark enough for a black comedy, not funny enough for a plain comedy.

Amy is an older cabaret singer who decides to try her luck elsewhere. When she arrives in Morocco, she feels attracted to Tom, a member of the French foreign legion. The two go well together, but Tom feels threatened by Kennington, a wealthy man also gunning for Amy's hand.

There are some nice shots here, and the performances are decent, but not enough to make me care for the characters, nor their romantic problems. I'm sure it's a film that will sit well with fans of classic romances, it's certainly not too long or dragged out, it just wasn't all that interesting.

Four years after the zombie outbreak, Jung-seok, together with a small team, has to go back to the place where it all started, retrieving a big load of cash that was left behind. It sounds like an easy job, but they clearly underestimated the amount of zombies still roaming the place. The people who survived the zombie plague aren't too welcoming either.

More action than horror this one, with mediocre CG car chases and lots of fire weapon action (the lame kind). The zombies are pretty generic, the horror elements are very limited and there's a bit too much melodrama, but the pacing is decent enough and the film serves a nice enough adventure. Decent filler, but nothing more.

The Deep Space mission was sent out to find alien life. After going off the radar for a couple of decades, the station returns to Earth with just one survivor on board. Through an interview with the survivor, we learn what happened on the spaceship, and what happened to the rest of the crew.

The production values are surprisingly good, the creature designs are fun and creative and the pacing is perfect. There's no cruft here, there's hardly any drama that holds up the plot and the film delivers a fine mix between sci-fi and horror. Fingers crossed this is the first of many, I would really like to see more of this.

Phoenix kills a thief who broke into her house, but she is convicted for the crime anyway. In court, she meets Jade. Jade is supposed to be the prosecutor, but the two have a sensual night together, complicated the case. Jade had a very strict upbringing though, and she can't just admit she's gay, leaving Phoenix hanging.

Chou struggles with the budget, but she makes the scenes that matter count. The performances are decent, the characters are intriguing, and the plot is full of surprises. Wrath of Desire is a gripping romantic drama with solid mystery and thriller elements to push the intrigue, no doubt knocking down some taboos in the process.

Briony is a young girl living in a big estate. She has a crush on the caretaker's son Robbie, but he is more interested in Briony's sister, Cecilia. Things take a turn for the worse when Briony misinterprets a fight between Cecilia and Robbie, a fluke that sets off a series of events that will change the lives of everyone involved.

The performances are decent, the sets are grand, the cinematography is neat, and the soundtrack is proper. I admit, it's borderline kitsch, but Wright gets away with it. The plot's a bit too sentimental though and the film is quite long, it's also not a very memorable film, but that's probably just because it's really not my type of film.

Brendan is looking for Emily, his ex-girlfriend. She disappeared a couple of days ago and Brendan is trying to retrace her steps. With the film of some kids at school he tries to piece together Emily's final days, but when Brendan gets mixed up with some local druggies, his quest suddenly becomes extremely dangerous.

Brick is a simple whodunit, executed with a lot of flair. The camera work is deliberate, the soundtrack is very moody, performances are solid and Johnson manages to keep the mystery alive until the very end. Brick's a good film for sure, it just didn't feel as special anymore. It's probably because I watched a lot of other films since then, but the core quality is hard to miss. Very good.

Ambar sneaks into the USA, hoping she can find work there to pay for her fake passport. She ends up staying in a boarding home, run by a rather odd man. It doesn't take long before Ambar starts hearing sounds and seeing figures in the shadows, it's clear the home is housing a dark secret.

The performances are decent, but it's the mix of the eerie cinematography and the moody soundtrack that makes sure the tension is grounded. Someone around the midpoint I started to wonder whether the film would be able to bring anything new to the table, the ending surely shut me up. Good stuff.

The story is pretty basic for an Appleseed film. Deunan and Briareos are taking on a new mission, where they'll be pitted against a small, secret faction of the Human Liberation Front, a group who doesn't like that bioroids are taking over, believing the world belongs to pure humans. Little is known about this faction, except that they operate from an elusive fortress.

The animation style is pretty interesting, especially for a CG film, but the limited budget doesn't do it justice. The plot on the other hand is rather mediocre, feeling more like filler ep material, though maybe the second film is going to set things straight. As it stands, Tartaros is fun enough, just not really at the level where I expect an Appleseed production to be.

After his mother dies, Sven is taken in by Höglund, a rich landowner, forced to work in his factory for free. Sven isn't very happy there, but his luck changes when he meets Anna. He moves in with Anna's family and things are finally looking up, but Höglund isn't willing to let Sven go without a fight.

Skarsgård's performance is grossly overstated, the music is overdone, and the light fantasy elements are incredibly kitsch. All that combined made it impossible for me to care about the characters and the drama. I wanted to like this more, Alfredson had some good ideas, but the execution failed on every count.

The boys in Eddie's class tease him because he's never had a girlfriend. Meanwhile, Eddie's dad, an army man, wouldn't be happier if Eddie joined the army. Eddie himself is worried he might be gay, but as his surroundings aren't very accepting, he prefers to ignore his feelings. That is, until he starts dating Amber, a lesbian girl.

Fionn O'Shea and Lola Petticrew are both hilarious and endearing, the chemistry between them is perfect, and they have no trouble carrying the weight of the film. The comedy is a little crude but perfectly executed, and it's balanced well with the drama. Certainly not the most dashing film, but it's not as needy, and thus a lot better than most of its peers.

Unless you've been living in a cave for the past two years, you're probably already familiar with the plot, even when this film isn't very interested in giving a proper, historically correct recount of the events. Early 2020 the corona virus suddenly hits Wuhan, a state of emergency is declared, and the hospitals do their very best to get a grip on the pandemic.

There's hardly a coherent plot, characters merely exist to symbolize the Chinese spirit, the way China handled the beginning of the pandemic is described as some kind of incredible success story and there's not a single ounce of critique or self-reflection. A film like this is really in bad taste, I generally don't care too much about a little extra heroism in films, but this was just utterly insane and completely tone-deaf.

Though there might be a plot and underlying themes, it's not something that really transpired while watching. I'm sure repeat watches might help, then again it's not something I felt was missing. The common thread seem to be that most characters are stuck in some Sisyphus-like punishment or folly, other than that it's too abstract for me to care about.

Even though I wasn't the biggest fan of the soundtrack, it does combine well with the visuals. The cinematography is interesting, especially the editing of still images resulting in a semblance of motion is something that stood out. While certain parts are certainly better than others, it never got dull and the film does work up towards a pretty impressive finale. An interesting find for sure.

Alan and Jill are on a hike with their two sons. When they arrive at their destination, two scrappy figures show up, immediately taking them hostage. While it looks like a random act of violence, it slowly transpires that the two know Alan from a former life, and are looking for some kind of redemption.

The cinematography is dark and grainy, the performances are solid (with Daniel Gillies as the obvious standout), the moral ambiguity pretty interesting. It's nothing particularly new and/or original, but Ashcroft does a fine job and delivers a very good genre flick. Prime filler, especially with Halloween drawing closer.

Hsiang is known in the world of martial artists as a master thief. When three prominent men are found dead, poisoned, people suspect Hsiang is the killer. He claims he is being set up, but the only way to prove his Innocence is by unmasking the real killers. He sets off on a perilous journey, guided only by a handful of clues.

After seeing oodles of Shaw Bros films, something like Clans of Intrigue does have trouble standing out. The characters, the plot, the trademark sets, it's everything you'd expect from a 70s Shaw Bros production. But Chor's set designs and eye for visual detail do stand out. Not as much as with some of his best films, but it makes that Clan of Intrigue is a worthwhile genre flick.

Set during WWII, the film follows Ivan, a young boy who works for the Russians. When he is captured in Germany by a Russian regiment, they don't believe his story, but after checking in with the people back home it becomes clear Ivan has vital information for them. Through flashbacks, we find out more about Ivan's past.

The cinematography is the clear winner here, the scenes in the swamp in particular are very beautiful (and reminiscent of similar scenes in Come and See). The film could've used a better soundtrack and a little less dialogue, the story itself isn't too special either, but at least Tarkovksy makes sure there's plenty of pretty images to look forward to.

Three girls are on their way to a heavy metal concert. On the way there, a speeding van hits their car with a milkshake. When they arrive at the concert, they recognize the van, and they decide to take revenge on the boys. After some horsing around, the six of them enter the concert together.

Daddario and Hasson aren't really suited for their parts, the film is neither funny nor gory enough and the final act doesn't deliver. Even so, Meyers does keep you guessing what direction the film will go in next. Though the destination itself may be somewhat disappointing, the trip there was at least interesting enough.

The focus here lies on the 80s and early 90s, dominated by people like Jackie Chan, Hark Tsui, Sammo Hung and several other prominent figures. You get a little history lessons first, but the doc quickly zooms in on the stunt teams that would dominate the 80s. I would've liked a more comprehensive look at Hong Kong action cinema, but the past 25 years don't get much attention.

Still, it's nice to see these familiar faces talk about some of the biggest action classics of the 80s. These were golden times for Hong Kong, though also somewhat of a wild west, which makes for some interesting stories. At the end it felt a bit too close to a promo video for a certain age/group of film crews, but it's a must-see if you fancy yourself some Hong Kong martial arts.

Branko, aka Floyd, is a young kid whose life revolves around racing and women. He lives with his parents and doesn't look ahead, his only worries are making sure he doesn't have to join the army and winning the next car race, which would mean he could be promoted to a higher series.

The performances are pretty dim, the direction is lifeless, and the film is as predictable as they come. I didn't find any characters to care about, neither did I see anything to suggest the director had a real vision for this film. It's just a tale about a young racer that lacks the proper flair and pacing to keep things interesting.

Lilly and Jack are a married couple who face tough times when their daughter Katie dies. Jack ends up in a mental hospital, Lilly tries to carry on with her life, but suffers in silence. When she decides to redo her garden, an aggressive starling starts harassing her. It's a seemingly futile event that kick-starts her healing process.

McCarthy and O'Dowd are decent (though clearly gunning for comedians-can-handle drama points), the lighter vibes offer a pleasant twist on the seriousness that generally goes with this subject and the styling is slightly better than the norm, but the drama lacks impact and the rest of the film just isn't memorable enough.

Ziming is an undergrad in English literature, who is hired by Mrs Yu to tutor her daughter. He is a handsome man and both women develop romantic feelings for him. Ziming certainly doesn't mind, taking them on separate dates to go and see movies that bring out their innermost feelings.

Yonfan is ambitious here. The film reflects on Hong Kong during the 60s, works in a love triangle and tackles a bunch of classic cinema in the process (not unlike Millennium Actress). The animation is a bit limited, but the art style is pleasant and the music very stylish. The film is a bit too meandering at times, but Yonfan never loses grip and delivers a beautiful and complex film.

Teena is born as a girl, but identifies as a boy, calling herself Brandon. She cuts her hair, tapes down her breasts and tries to fit it with the other boys. She hangs around with John and Tom, who are completely unaware of Brandon's secret. When Brandon starts dating their sister Lana, things get a lot more complicated.

I'm not a big Swank fan, but she performs surprisingly well here. Sevigny is also good and there's some real chemistry between the two, but it's not quite enough to save this film. The second half is pretty heavy-handed, the cinematography and score feel a bit uncontrolled and the finale is not as emotional as intended. A missed opportunity.

The documentary starts with a rather artistic presentation about the journey of the Olympic torch, then moves on to more typical sport reports. That kind of reporting has evolved a lot since then though and without the proper context, you're just watching some badly shot athletic numbers with nameless athletes competing.

This is only the first part, I don't think I'll be watching the second part in the near future. The sport segments were rather dull and apart from some nice shots left and right there's really not much to enjoy here. A doc that was ahead of its time, but is hopelessly trailing the current norm.

A spirited socialist won't pass up a chance to tell others how they should live their lives and how society is doing them wrong. When he gets into trouble with the law, they are unable to deal with his ideas and he ends up at the mercy of a system that prefers people who don't deviate from the norm.

While I like some of the concepts that drive the film, the characters are absolutely maddening and the film itself is pretty crude, not doing a very good job at making its point. The performances are weak, the direction isn't very appealing either. I wanted to like this more, but it just didn't really work for me.