Log: week 10 / 2025
Quarxx's first feature is a real trip. It's a film that thrives on foreboding, cheats out on delivering the actual goods, then hits you hard with an unexpected finale. It's quite a dark and unpleasant film, not a film you'd want to watch if you're in for a fun genre flick, but that's not a negative in my book. The performances, score, and cinematography are all on point, Quarxx has a couple of surprises up his sleeve and the ending is a memorable one.
Not one of Kurosawa's worst, but the film takes way too long to reach its finale. It's one of those films that could've been handled in 90 minutes and would've come out a better film, but somehow Kurosawa managed to stretch it to 150 minutes. It's a shame, because some of these here are pretty decent. Some of the sets are interesting and the intrigue is there, but individual scenes take way too long and the pacing was just off. The performances are a little iffy and the cinematography not too consistent, but I do think it's a step up from Kurosawa's more infamous chanbara films. Not his worst, but the potential was there to do better.Read all
A pretty standard feel-good sports flick, but Ling Jia does add an extra dimension by playing the lead and going through the full transformation herself (rather than using body suits or multiple actors). It's not unheard of for an actor to gain or lose a lot of weight for a film, but to do it as part of a film is quite novel. The film itself is simple and inspirational. Those stories rarely work in movies, but because of Jia's dedication this feels (just a little) less fake. The runtime's a bit excessive and the direction is rather plain, but it's not the worst of films and the end credits give it that extra boost. I expected worse to be honest.Read all
Lo-fi sci-fi film that probably works better as an off-kilter mystery. The setup and world building contain some futuristic ideas, but most of the runtime you're just watching people trekking through a forest, while sometimes running into the most rudimentary of robots. Choices to keep the budget under control/ There are some fun ideas here and the mystery elements are effective. I wasn't the biggest fan of the lo-fi approach though and the runtime is a bit long for what is a relatively simple film. I certainly appreciated the effort to make something different, it's just that the execution left something to be desired.Read all
Zeze has a long history directing pinkus and it shows. While the prescribed nudity is present, the drama here is a lot more defined and outspoken compared to similar films. He tackles a taboo subject and adds a little depth to it, yet the rigid structure of pinku cinema still holds him back. It's not on the same level as Hiroki's films, but that's maybe an unfair comparison. On the other hand, this feels like it could've been an excellent Hiroki film with a few changes left and right. The performances are okay and the drama has potential, it's just that the rest of the film is somewhat dull and underdeveloped.Read all
The idea behind Soderbergh's latest is pretty cool, the execution could've been better. The entity is mostly just a floating camera that follows a family around that just moved to the suburbs after a traumatic experience. It rarely intervenes, and it doesn't do many other ghostly things, so most of the film is nothing more than plain, basic drama. Which isn't terrible, but it's a bit dry considering the premise that we're seeing things from an entity's perspective. The performances are decent, other than that it's all pretty basic. I'm not sure if the less-is-more approach was ideal here, but it's clear that the premise alone wasn't enough to make a great film.Read all
A fun indie sci-fi from South Korea. It's very different from the SK films that were popular around the turn of the century. The Butterfly is far less commercial, far less a mix of every possible genre in the book. Instead, expect more indie and arthouse vibes and a sci-fi plot that is just a hook for the drama. The cinematography is interesting at times, but it's a bit too unpolished for my liking. There are some good ideas here, but it is a bit underwhelming two decades later. The story is decent but a tad longwinded, and the mix of arthouse and genre isn't perfectly balanced. Still, it's an interesting and strong movie that still managed to draw me in.Read all
I've always had a soft spot for this film, and I feel it's still one of the better commercial films of its era. It is a bit longwinded and some of the performances are a little iffy (I'm not a fan of Kiefer Sutherland here), but the film still oozes atmosphere and there are some great scenes (and quotes) scattered throughout. The setup is simple but fun, and Schumacher makes good use of it to add some darker elements to the plot. The cinematography is proper, the build-up of tension is adequate and I like the escalation of the plot. If it had been a little tighter and a bit more focused on the fantastical elements, this could've been a timeless classic.Read all
After my recent Hideo Jojo discoveries, I figured it was time to dive into his back catalog. I wasn't expecting too much, Jojo is one of those guys who started out by making pinku films, and that's exactly what you're getting here. Mixed with a tiny bit of horror, but hardly enough to turn this into a solid film. The setup is decent and the siren mythology could've made for a decent horror, but Jojo is a bit too occupied with other things. The pinku scenes are bland, the performances are bad and the cinematography isn't all that. It's short and there are a few memorable moments, but this is nothing like his more recent work.Read all
Respect for Adams & Poser, who started making films out of sheer love for the medium. This DIY family made some decent horror work, but lately there hasn't been much improvement in their output. Hell Hole has potential, for sure, but its cheap indie roots get in the way of the actual fun. Hell Hole is basically The Thing on a budget. A demonic creature terrorizes the people at a building site, as they are cut off from the rest of the world. There's some decent gore here, but the impact is lacking and the pacing is off. There are some decent scenes, but a few too many lulls to call this a good film. Not quite what I was hoping for.Read all
Perkins can do more than just creepy and moody horror, he's also quite apt at comedy. Tackling the famous Stephen King short story, Perkins avoids the trap of turning it into a straight-faced dull horror spectacle. Instead, there's a streak of dark comedy present that livens up the film and makes it one of the best King adaptations out there. The kills are hilarious, the performances are tongue-in-cheek and the ending is appropriately over-the-top. If you go in expecting a basic genre effort, then disappointment will be the natural outcome. But if you appreciate a good chuckle while unsuspecting victims die horrible deaths, Perkins' latest is a real treat.Read all
Zhang Yimou making a typical Chinese people (or state?) pleaser. it's one of those films where a common man stands up for justice and makes a difference, exactly the kind of drama that has been doing very well at Chinese box offices these past few years. Yimou keeps it simple, turning this into a plain and rather long-winded drama. The performances are decent and there are some effective moments scattered throughout. But Zhang's visual bravura is completely absent and the 2+ hour runtime isn't justified for what is just a basic drama with a social message. It's not a complete disaster, and people who liked his early 90s work might think this is a return to form, but this wasn't for me.Read all
A manga brought to life. Knuckle Girl is a simple action flick, but the execution is spot-on. With some elements from the classic 1-on-1 beat'm up genre woven in, you'll find some cool action sequences and bad guys here, to the point where it reminded me a little of SPL (but it's not quite at that level). Miyoshi is a good lead, the cinematography is proper, the pacing is solid and the villains are appropriately nasty. The plot is basic and there are some unnecessary twists, but that's nothing too surprising when watching an action film like this. Prime entertainment, better than I expected it to be.Read all