Log: week 50 / 2021

The film offers sentimentality galore, and makes little or not effort to offset any of it. The cinematography is bland and functional, the soundtrack is poor, and the performances aren't very subtle either. At least the film isn't too long (though there is a second part), but unless you really love classic sentiment, I wouldn't actively recommend this film to anyone.

It's not that there's too much drama, but it does get heavy-handed really fast. Other than that, the creature effects are great, the actors do a solid job and the finale is spectacular. Antlers isn't the most original film, it's really just a simple creature horror, but the execution is on point and for once, the budget isn't lacking.

The biggest difference with US films of that era is that the film isn't overflowing with dialogue. Gabin doesn't appear at ease though, as he seems to be shouting most of his lines. It's a very awkward delivery that makes it virtually impossible to take the drama serious. The rest of the film isn't much to look at either, which results in a pretty poor classic.

The setup is pretty basic, meaning it takes a while for the film to get up to steam. Once everything is in place, Kazakov starts introducing more interesting elements, which leads to a pretty worthwhile finale. Appealing cinematography, moody sets, a good score and a thrilling finale make this a fun little horror flick.

The first half of the film is very basic. Ujicha's art style is decent, and the animation has its charm, but it's hardly revolutionary and not that suited to tell a simple story. Things definitely improve during the second half, when the creep and crazy finally surfaces, but by then it's a case of too little, too late. I'm a little surprised Violence Voyager is actually the newer of the two films, it certainly felt the other way around. It's still a cool film, just not as good as Burning Buddha Man.

The stop-motion animation is a little crude, but the style is certainly very imaginative. The editing and sound design are great, and the plot is intriguing, the only thing I wasn't a big fan of was the use of common household objects to create the film's fantasy world. Pretty bizarre, very layered and truly unique, with a little extra polish Shengwei's next could be a true masterpiece.

Sexy Killer has some solid ideas, and it's quite madcap in places, but it never really committed enough to be truly great. The comedy is rather predictable, the film is not quite as outrageous as it could've been, and the performances are somewhat flat. I still had fun with it, but I feel it could've been a lot better.

With a story like this, things are bound to get a little sentimental. The performances are decent but nothing great. The romance is a little daft and the drama in the second half isn't quite subtle enough to leave a big impression. It's a pretty basic classic drama, not something that excites me.

The film offers some reflections on cinema, some I agreed with, others quite removed from my personal experiences. The film in the film looked absolutely crap, so there's certainly that, but the characters are fun, the animation is solid, and the overall vibe is pretty easy-going. A very charming film.

What stands out the most is Fukasaku's dynamic cinematography. The camera jerks and twirls, giving the action scenes quite a bit of flair. The Yakuza/police drama on the other hands feels not as well-developed, which sometimes slows the film down unnecessarily. Not as bad as I'd feared, but I prefer the more contemporary Yakuza films.

It's certainly a fun idea, but once the novelty wears off director Targarona struggles to keep the film going. The performances are mediocre, the film isn't graphic enough, and the second half slowly fizzles out. It's a good thing the runtime is short, and the concept is pretty original, but I expected a bit more from this one.

Gordon Lam is a solid lead and the cinematography is rather polished, but the film lacks urgency. The crime scenes are a bit derivative, and the drama elements feel tacked on. Even though the film tries to get away from the beaten path, I never got the idea I was watching something new or refreshing. There are signs of quality here though, so fans of Hong Kong crime should definitely give this a go.

The performances are pretty basic, the cinematography is crude, and the plot is extremely predictable. It's a pretty generic Hong Kong crime flick in many ways, except that Wong doesn't shy away from blood and nudity. These grittier moments stand out, but they can't really save the film.

The cinematography is dead cheap, I don't even remember whether there even was a soundtrack. The characters are lovely though, especially the two rather cynical and perpetually disinterested twins who take over this film project. The writing is witty, some references are bonkers (Bergman's The Seventh Seal, I kid you not) and the short length is perfect. My rating is slightly generous considering the film's shortcomings, but it's such a charming project that I don't really mind.

Tom Hardy gives a great performance, which was needed too as he's the only one you'll be watching for the entire runtime. The camera remains in the car at all times, others are just heard through the phone. The cinematography is solid considering the limited space, but the drama feels a bit too forced to make a real big impact. A solid film, but not quite the future classic I'd hoped to see.

The setting is pretty pedestrian and the coming of age elements aren't exactly the most original. Deruddere's direction is a tad more playful than usual, but it's hardly remarkable, and the second half (after the time jump) simply doesn't work as well. Not the worst Belgian classic, but still too close to the type of film that deterred me from watching Belgian cinema.

Aykroyd and Murphy are decent, though the latter has the best scenes. The plot is predictable, Landis isn't the most gifted director and the runtime is a bit excessive, but the premise is solid enough and there were a couple of funny moments. Hardly the comedy some make it out to be, but it's not the worst film either.

The cinematography is bland, the soundtrack feels out of place and the editing is amateurish. The film tries to draw some appeal from its various settings, but with such poor technical skills these attempts are just moot. I didn't care much for the social critique, which is about all there is to this film. Disappointing.