Log: week 23 / 2023

Not the best Almodóvar. While it sounds pretty wild on paper, the film itself isn't as vibrant and original as I'd hoped it would be. That's an issue I have with most of his post-2000 films though, he's one of those rare directors whose older films are actually more appealing to me, so I came in prepared.

Based on an actual murder case. The Sparring Partner could've been an amazing neo-noir (like Limbo), but it mixes in a lot of courtroom drama, which messes up the pacing of the film (and adds to the runtime unnecessarily). My hopes were a little higher going in, but Ho Cheuk-Tin shows he has potential.

A light comedy from the 30s. That means you expect lots of spitfire dialogues, some confusion and coincidences, and a fickle romance. I'm not a big fan of the screwball comedies of that era, but this one wasn't the worst of the bunch, in part thanks to Colbert's spirited performance.

Horror with an odd twist. I wouldn't go as far as to call it a comedy, but there are some dark comedy streaks here that help liven things up. Not everything works and the film could've used a little extra polish (and be a little less obvious), but for a first feature, there's more than enough potential.

One of the darkest and most uncomfortable films I know. Begotten is an experimental film with a strong cult feel. The high-contrast cinematography is extreme (to the point where scenes become very hard to follow), the plot is very muddy (best to do some reading up afterward), and without dialogue or discernible performances, it really comes down to the atmosphere. Luckily, the film is dripping in mood, though it's undoubtedly divisive. Films like this are very singular and because of that, they are very much hit-or-miss. For me, Begotten was definitely the latter: a unique and worthwhile experience.

Well, this sure was something. Evrenol already made a statement with Baskin, he repeats that with Housewife. It may not be the most coherent or properly structured horror film, but it oozes atmosphere and it doesn't hold back when it's time to deliver. That's what good genre cinema is all about.

This second film in the series offers more of the same. It's a peculiar mix of elements that don't quite fit together, at the same time it's what gives this film its unique identity. If the idea of watching a band of underage girls solving big spy mysteries in an alternative take on Victorian England appeals to you, this is definitely the anime you should be watching.

Early Fassbinder. I'm not really familiar with his work yet, but I liked this one slightly better than Ali: Fear Eats the Soul, the other film of his I've seen. It's rather slow and uneventful, but the stark cinematography and restrained performances create an almost trance-like atmosphere. Not great, but quite unique.

A loose sequel. The Buddy Games themselves (what's in a name) are pretty much gone this time around, instead, the film offers a new adventure for the same group of friends (minus one, the plot killed him off). It's not the best premise and the film is wildly uneven, but there's still some fun to be had.

A short and cheap Japanese horror film. The premise is pretty fun, but Mari Asato didn't have much in the way of budget and time to turn this into something of significant worth. It's not too bad if you're looking for generic horror filler, or if you're a fan of the video game series this was based upon, as long as you keep your expectations in check.

A fun little meta-horror. The societal critique is only skin-deep, the performances are borderline and some parts are a bit too heavy on the wink-wink-nudge-nudge, but there are some fun little twists here, and fame-whoring social media poses are thankful victims when there's a layer of dark comedy present.

A Western-style horror seen through an Asian lens. You don't find those too often. While Hollywood has been eager enough to remake the more lauded Asian horror films, Asia has been mostly doing its own thing. The Apostles is a pretty fun diversion, but it's a little messy and unfocused. A cocktail of familiar elements that lacks cohesion.

A film that raises the question: what's the meaning of a sequel in the age of Chinese streamers? The same directorial duo tackles a new story set in the same world as the first film, which sounds like the usual sequel fare. But there are so (so) many similar films out there these days, that you need to have a good look at the title and credits to even notice the similarities.

A by now legendary cult anime. Cat Soup used to be one of those in-crowd titles that were passed around on obscure anime forums. You had to be quite entrenched in the genre (or extremely lucky) to have heard of the film, though throughout the years its reputation has grown significantly. Solid animation, a high dose of absurdity mixed with surrealism, and high pacing make this film a real treat. And every time you feel you start to get a grip on the film, Sato introduces something completely new to pull the rug from under you. An absolute delight.

A very solid sequel. It's not just a bigger and bolder redo of the original, instead, Kacevski uses this film to expand and grow the Skinford universe. The madness of the original is still present, most of the characters make a (welcome) return, and the lore remains fresh and original. This is how you do a sequel.

Yimou Zhang's latest feels like a reimagining of Hero with all the fight scenes removed. If you didn't like Hero's focus on fantastical martial arts that may sound like a wet dream. And sure enough, there's plenty of intrigue here, it's just that people talking about conspiracies for almost three hours straight isn't the most invigorating way to construct a film.