Movies
Chacun Son Cinéma
An American crime flick, only the Mafia has been replaced with Chinese Triads. There's also Micky Rourke, who looks suspiciously old and has no clue how to do justice to his characters (which isn't all that complex). There are a few decent action scenes though and the film at least deserves some props for having a few scenes in Cantonese. Apparently there was some controversy surrounding this film, so many years later it's difficult to tell what the upset was about exactly. The film overstays its welcome, the direction is rather bland and the performances are mediocre at best. If you really want to see the Triads in the US, watch Lau's Revenge of the Green Dragons instead.Read all
A film with a reputation. It bankrupted its studio, but in time it became somewhat of a cult classic, especially when the longer cut was rereleased. I'm certain there's an audience for films like this, 3.5 hour westerns with paper-thin characters, cheesy drama and dreary cinematography, but clearly I'm not a part of it. I didn't care for the characters at all, the runtime is excessive and I don't think I'll ever come to like the Western setting. The slightly more realistic depiction is nice enough (it's no cowboys and indians silliness), but that hardly saved the film for me. Comparing it to similar films of that era, I don't think Cimino deserved the flack, but I'm glad it's finally behind me.Read all