Log: week 14 / 2024

The Tenmasou Inn exists in a space between the worlds of the living and the death. Those in limbo come to the inn, spending time there until they're ready to move on (in either direction). When Tamae arrives, she learns her two half-sisters are working at the inn, but the reunion is bittersweet.

The mix of drama and fantasy works well, Kitamura is skilled enough to handle a film like this and the cast is pretty damn strong. The second half gets a bit too sentimental though and the runtime is excessive, even for a Japanese film. There's quite a lot to like here, but the potential was there to be even better.

Hazel is diagnosed with terminal cancer, but an experimental treatment is giving her family some hope. Hazel herself fears committing to something pointless, until she meets Gus. He's a cancer survivor, and the two hit it off. While Gus is clear about his intentions, Hazel still tries to keep her distance.

It's been a staple of Japanese romance for almost two decades now, this US take on the genre isn't adding anything new to it. There's a dumb twist, lots of cringy dialogue, and two leads who lack chemistry. And while the film is also way too long, it's still an easy watch. Not the worst of its kind, but I didn't care for it.

The Purple Butterfly was a resistance group that tried to fight the Japanese occupation of Shanghai. Ding Hui is a member of the group. When she is reunited with an ex-boyfriend she doesn't suspect any foul, what she doesn't know is that he is tasked with weeding out the Purple Butterfly members.

Le goes for a noirish take on the genre. There's lots of rain, many a dark alley, and plenty of shady deals. The cinematography is proper, the performances are solid and the score is pleasant, but there are many similar films out there and Purple Butterfly doesn't do quite enough to set itself apart. It's a good film, just not the masterpiece I once thought it to be.

Cecile is a young girl who hopes to become a nun. After her community shuts down in the US, she is brought to Italy to join a small convent. Not long after she arrives, she learns she is pregnant. She never had any relations with a man before, so the people in the convent believe this is a miracle bestowed upon them.

The first half of the film is pretty subdued, with a lot of attention going to the setting and Sweeney's character. Once the setup is clear, the film morphs into a more graphic kind of horror, though it's never all that gory or extreme. Mohan keeps things stylish while avoiding any less-is-less pitfalls. A fine horror film.

Béatrice Dalle plays herself in the film, as she travels to Japan to remake Resnais' famous movie Hiroshima Mon Amour. She struggles with the project and being in a foreign country, talking with the director through a translator doesn't make things easier. The harder she tries, the harder it becomes to continue.

There are some interesting stylistic touches, but H Story is slow cinema about cinema, and that's not entirely my thing. The performances are solid and there are some interesting moments. It's certainly not a bad film either, just not the little gem I once thought it was. If you like arthouse and you care for the classics, it's a must-see though.

John Robie is a retired thief who paid his dues. When a copycat criminal commits several crimes in Robie's neighborhood, he becomes the obvious suspect. To clear his name, Robie will need to figure out who the real thief is. Then he bumps into Frances, a young lady who is intrigued by Robie.

There's no real chemistry between Grant and Kelly, and the ugly colors don't do justice to the stupendously beautiful setting. What remains is a film that fails as mystery as well as a romance. I didn't even care about the resolution of the plot, I was just glad this Hitchcock was finally over. At least the film doesn't take itself too seriously, its only saving grace.

A young woman is getting ready for her date, trying to look her best for her boyfriend. When he doesn't show up, she gets a little antsy and she begins to panic, fearing he might have stood her up. As she waits, she slowly loses grip on reality, and we learn that not everything is as it seems.

A film like this needs a strong principal actor, sadly that's not the case here. The synth soundtrack isn't the greatest either and the cinematography could've used a little polish, but there are some interesting touches left and right and the short runtime makes sure the film doesn't overstay its welcome. The potential is there, the execution needed to be better.

The demon and human world are at odds with each other once more. The talented Liu Zimo finds himself in the middle of this battle, aided by his master. But the adversaries are tough and they use sneaky ways to try and tip the scales to their advantage. Zimo and his master will need to go to extremes to protect the emperor.

Plot be damned though, this is a mad fantasy spectacle. The pacing is incredible, the CG is functional (and somewhat better than usual) and the action scenes are fun. There's nothing too original here, it's the usual folklore creatures and demons trying to best the humans, but it's a lot of fun if you like this kind of thing.

The warship White Base survives an attack by Char and Garma, but that doesn't mean they're in the clear. They still have quite a way to go if they want to reach the Earth Federation's headquarters. The crew has to face various obstacles, including their own drama and insecurities.

The art style is a little limited, though the animation during the action scenes is pretty decent. The story is a bit too melodramatic, and the film doesn't flow all that well, but that's when you get when you cram 15 episodes into two hours. Still, it beats watching 15 episodes of Gundam, so it wasn't all bad.

Real food has become a luxury, most people are forced to eat products from Soylent Green, processed foods that give them the necessary nutrients. Only the rich can afford actual vegetables and meat. When one of the directors of the Soylent Green company is murdered, a detective wants to get to the bottom of the case.

The performances are pretty bad and the world-building could've used a bit more care. That said, the story is pretty amusing, the pacing is okay and the finale delivers. It's easy to say why this became a cult favorite, but it's hardly a timeless classic. Still, slightly better than I expected it to be.

Superman is inadvertently responsible for releasing three dangerous criminals from their intergalactic prison. They come to Earth and wreak havoc here, nobody on Earth can withstand their powers. Superman is called to save the day once again, but then the criminals realize that he has a thing for Lois Lane.

The effects are terrible, the characters are pretty dumb and the plot is rather lazy, but at least there's some charm that isn't dependent on gaudy CG. A handful of moments keep this film from being a complete disaster, but it's tough getting any real enjoyment out of these films when the genre has evolved so much over time.