Log: week 8 / 2024

I'm not a big Batman fan, but its anime incarnations are pretty cool. This Madhouse anthology offers a nice collection of shorts that combines Madhouse's traditional animation style with more experimental art styles. Each short is clearly "Batman", but it feels very different from its US counterparts (which is why I cheated and watched it with the Japanese dub). There are no weak entries here, and at least two standouts, which is crucial for any anthology film. Not sure if core Batman fans would appreciate Gotham Knight, but anime (and Madhouse fans in particular) should give it a shot.

Ever since Into the Spider-Verse was released, US animation has been a bit more keen to play around with art styles. The Bad Guys is one of those films that takes a bland and familiar premise and hopes to add a little shine by applying a slightly different visual polish. Sadly, it failed.

A simple but stylish romance. It's a story about two very different personalities hooking up, and the problems that come with such a relationship. Certainly not the most original premise, but the presentation is pleasant and the performances are on point, which resulted in an easy watch.

French classic that feels a bit stuffier than its age would suggest. While Godard was kickstarting the Nouvelle Vague, Demy's Lola feels like a film from a previous era. It's not quite as dynamic and energetic, and ultimately not all that interesting. That said, it's hardly the worst film of that era.

A classic J-Horror film from Koji Shiraishi. Not one that made it onto the international market, and it's not that hard to see why. It follows the usual patterns, and tries to surprise with a reverse chapter structure (but fails). It's one for the hardcore fans and completists, others have plenty of other films to give priority.

An old favorite that didn't quite stand the test of time. Killers is a pretty crude film, but that is part of its core appeal. It's the terrible performances that took me out of it though. Not that I put a lot of weight on actors, certainly not in a freaky horror comedy like this, but some bits were just a bit too flaky.

A slightly more mundane version of La Haine, set in London. It's a good film, with solid performances and a great selection of hip-hop tracks, but the plot's a little too predictable and the direction a tad too simple to be a true masterpiece. I used to love this film, but it lost some of its appeal over the years.

The Chinese streamer scene is a complete maze, still, especially when it comes to directors. There's just one name that jumps out so far, and that's Dai Yilin. His work is usually pretty consistent, so when I noticed he had a new film out I was ready to give it a shot. It's not his best work, but it's a pretty decent addition to his oeuvre.

I often complain that South Korea lacks the type of indie genre directors that make Japanese cinema such a wondrous industry, Park Sye-young is proving me wrong. He's a young director whose first feature film is an absolute dream. There are dashes of Tsukamoto in there, maybe a little Dupieux and Hellraiser too, but it's mostly just Park delivering a wholly unique experience. The plot's a little out there, but the presentation makes all the difference here. The cinematography and score are superb, creating a weird, uneasy yet beautiful atmosphere. A real find, and I couldn't be more grateful to the person who recommended it to me.

A proper grindhouse flick that retained most of its cool. This is thanks to a strong central performance and some notable directing choices, which help to set the film apart from its peers. The graphic sex is probably what landed the film its reputation, but it's by far the least interesting aspect of Thriller.

There was just one reason for me to watch this film, which was Takeshi Kitano's involvement in the project. Not that it looked like a terrible film, but there wasn't much here that stood out. I'll say Comic Magazine was a tad better than I expected, but it's far from a memorable film (save maybe one or two scenes).