Log: week 14 / 2022

It's 2022 and the US is still trying to sell metal as the ultimate in rebellious music. This time it is packaged as a prim and proper coming of age drama, as a 40-year-old with no interest in the music genre whatsoever that's a little hard to get into. It's not a terrible film, it just feels like a fantasy from some kid who lived 4 decades ago.

Renny Harlin, the man who follows the money. The Finnish director spent a long time in Hollywood, but moved to China when he saw opportunities in their budding movie industry. He directed a handful of Chinese blockbusters so far, and like most of his films, they aren't the greatest, but offer decent blockbuster fun for those who care for such things.

Slightly above-average noir. It's not a complete game changer, but the premise is a tad more creative than most of its peers, and Zinnemann competently draws some tension from that. Genre cinema is always about the little details, and Act of Violence is another good example.

You can't be a proper comedian nowadays without headlining in your own, dedicated dramedy. These films are rarely anything special, but for some reason they keep making them. And so it's no real surprise to see Jake Johnson pop up in one. The result is rather unremarkable.

A fine surprise. I went in blank, not knowing what this film was about, but from what I'd picked up about it, I figured this might be something I could like. I was a bit bummed after the first 15 minutes, but then director Matsoukas proves that films like this can be about more than messages and points being driven home.

Turkish cinema certainly is somewhat of an acquired taste. Revered in its homeland, I've been having quite a bit of trouble getting a feel for it. The older films in particular feel very crude and unpolished, The Herd is a perfect example. At more than two hours long, this wasn't a great watch.

Studio 4°C's latest feature animation is a sprawling fantasy adventure that echoes Noiseman Sound Insect and Tekkonkinkreet, only targeted at a slightly younger audience. The animation is riveting, the art style imaginative and the pacing perfect. The plot is a bit basic and the soundtrack can get a little J-Pop centric, but these are just minor hiccups that didn't really get into the way of my overall enjoyment. Fans of animation (and 4°C in particular) will have a field day with this film.

Peculiar timing, but Sion Sono's early (and only) AV film became available just a few weeks ago. It's an extremely bare-bones affair, with virtually no plot and a limited runtime that spans four bouts of sex. There's little here for film fans, only Sono completists (and AV collectors) need to take an interest.

A truly daft British comedy that is good for a couple of laughs. Don't expect any highbrow comedy or sophisticated jokes, I Love My Mum revels in its nonsensical plot and milks its moronic characters until there is nothing left. And truth be told, the film does the job remarkably well.

A promising, though somewhat uneven debut of Jaycee Chan. Jackie's son has a pretty respectable acting career, it's no surprise he would eventually move on to direct his own films. It's not quite as daring as some of the films he headlined, but Chan does show quite a b it of promise.

A bit of simple iQiyi filler. This is another one of those shorter fantasy epics that tackles a slice of Chinese folklore (or at least lends royally from it). While the quality of these releases has increased visibly over the years, most of them have trouble shaking off that filler vibe, no doubt because that's exactly what they are.

Kiarostami will test your patience, so this will be a pretty big hit-or-miss film for most. The documentary-like approach isn't new for him, but this is by far the most static, ugliest-looking film he's ever made. It all depends on whether you consider the characters interesting enough. For me that was a definite 'no'.

A horror film built on a singular concept. It's basically one big build-up towards the ending, which explains the rather short runtime. I don't mind a shorter film, the premise has everything to make this a successful horror, but the execution isn't quite where it needs to be. Less can be more, but sometimes it's just less.

Peter Jackson's first film has undoubtedly aged a lot, but the sheer joy and energy keeps it from slipping completely. There's a lot to love here and gore fans will have a field day with Bad Taste, it's just a bit tougher to love when you can grab Braindead and have everything this film has to offer, times two.

Hong Kong does exorcism. Asia is no stranger to ghost stories, but you don't often see classic Western exorcisms in their films. Daughter takes a stab at the subgenre. The overall execution is pretty slick, but the specific horror elements do feel a tad sloppy. It's decent enough for genre fans, but don't expect a niche highlight.

A pretty typical noir, but with a British twist. It's not a perfect match, as the British influences can get a little too prim and proper, but it's certainly not all bad. Boulting's direction is a bit more inspired compared to his American contemporaries and the film feels just a tad slicker. But it's still very much a typical noir.

A Japanese remake of Natali's Cube, in the most basic sense of the word. It's the same film, 25 years later, with Japanese actors (and slightly longer). It's been ages since I watched the original, but the concept is so singular that it doesn't really need a remake, certainly not one that stick so closely to the original material.

A quirky Japanese slacker comedy with strong indie touches. The Foolish Piggies have had a pretty good decade, though it's tricky to get to their films in the West. While this wasn't entirely my type of film, there's enough quirkiness and oddness present to leave me with a pleasant feeling, and the incentive to watch the rest of their films.

Jissoji's most Japanese New Wave-like film I've seen so far. The mix of sexuality, politics and brutality is reminiscent of the work of Wakamatsu, only Jissoji has a more controlled and deliberate signature, though no less experimental. It makes Mandala a very intriguing film.

A simple horror film, mixed with mystery elements. Shoulberg aims for atmosphere, so don't expect too much in the way of scares or gore, because you won't find it here. Instead, you get lush locations, moody lighting and a mystery that slowly unravels itself. All you need for a fun little horror film.

A pretty typical, dedicated Japanese romance. Virgin Snow is a simple genre flick that has no real intention to color outside the lines. Instead, it banks its entire success on its two leads, and with Aoi Miyazaki's headlining, that probably wasn't such a bad call. It's certainly not the best of its kind, but you could do a lot worse.

Nagisa Isogai comes up short. The subject is interesting enough, and it could've been a fun/gritty genre film, it's just that the execution isn't there. The direction is really poor, performances are amateurish, and the film has a rather cheap feel that drags it down. It's no surprise Isogai's direction career didn't really come off the ground.

What could've been a fun and adventurous fantasy anime, gets bogged down by unnecessary melodrama. There's a lot of potential here, only in the hands of this director and studio, the film never blossoms. There are some inspired moments and the premise is solid, but that only gets you so far.

A rather bland romance with strong sci-fi/time travel influences. What could've been a promising mix of genre elements turned out to be a predictable and drawn-out drama that only occasionally serves inspired moments. I'm happy to see Netflix export more Japanese cinema, but they can do better than this.