Log: week 25 / 2024
According to this film, the greatest show on Earth is ... a circus. I never understood the appeal of these shows and this film didn't clarify anything. The circus footage is messy, dull, and often annoying. The weird narrative layered on top didn't help things either. All it did was extend the runtime beyond the acceptable. A lot of the film consists of bare circus show footage, which gives it an almost documentary-like feel. The shows are terrible though, no entertainment value whatsoever. The narrative part is badly acted, poorly scripted, and terribly integrated. And this mess lasts a full 150 minutes. Good riddance to circus culture if you ask me.Read all
A slightly older Oxide Pang film that never made it over here. I'm not quite sure why (apart from the West losing interest in Asian genre cinema), because this was a fun and slick crime/thriller, sporting Pang's flashy editing and stylish presentation. It's not among the best films he made, but still pretty damn solid. The cinematography is nice, the editing is slick and the score is effective. The Pangs always made sure the presentation of their films was on point, and The Big Call is no exception. The plot isn't too original though and the film could've been a little shorter, other than that, a very good film.Read all
Popular comedy from Mike Nichols. The setup is simple, and the comedy is pretty crude and basic, but the film isn't the worst of its kind. It may not have aged that well and it could've been a fair bit shorter too, but as 90s comedy blockbusters go, there are at least some memorable moments. Conservative vs liberal, oldskool values vs flamboyant drag queens and queers. This is a classic farce, with Hackman (playing the conservative politician) as the obvious standout. The rest of the cast isn't on his level, the styling is basic and the jokes could've used a little extra polish. Not great, but I got a few chuckles out of it.Read all
Onyanko the Movie - One Shot Crisis!
This one reminded me a lot of Perfect Blue. Onyanko is a 40-member Japanese girl group who were immensely popular in the 80s. Some of the setups, the shows, and the performances seem to have been an inspiration for Kon's masterpiece, though Harada's take isn't quite as good. There's a bit too much focus on the actual girls and their music, which isn't the most interesting part of the film. The thriller elements are more fun, though it remains somewhat comical. Harada already shows promise here, there are some fun scenes and the link with Perfect Blue added to the intrigue.Read all
Hiroki's TV movie is a film that rises above its limitations but still finds itself stuck in TV land (meaning the topics and themes are quite pedestrian). The drama isn't too bad, and there are moments of genuine warmth and empathy, but it lacks Hiroki's edgy approach and raw delivery. It's not the most original setup, and Hiroki tries to balance standard drama with more insightful moments. But as the film needs to keep a relatively light tone, it inevitably becomes borderline sentimental. The slick cinematography and decent score make sure it never crosses that line, making this a pleasant little drama. Not a standout in Hiroki's oeuvre though.Read all
Not the Berlin rave parade, but an early talkie that offers a standard mix of comedy, romance, and musical elements. Lubitsch made a name for himself with these types of films, but this was still early days, and it shows. It's all rather slow and unimpressive, not what you want from a film like this. The musical bits are bland and uninspired, the comedy is dull and the performances aren't that great. I'm not the biggest fan of these classic musicals in the first place, but usually, there's a lot more skill on display than here. On top of that, the film is also way too long. Not a great film.Read all
Cheesy but fun Tokusatsu film. Everything about this film screams Keiya Amemiya, so it shouldn't come as a surprise that he co-wrote and directed the film. If you don't care for Tokusatsu at all this isn't a film that will change your mind, if you can look past the cheese there's some solid fun to be had. The effects are cheesy and the film is pretty low-budget, but the designs are fun and the commitment to genre pulp is pure and unrelenting. It's also a shorter film, so the pacing is high. It's not great cinema, but it's made with passion and there is plenty of fun to be had. Decent Amemiya filler.Read all
A British noir. The classic British films tend to be a lot stuffier than their modern-day descendants, in part because they never seem to make use of their large selection of juicy accents and dialects at their disposal. The Blue Lamp is no exception, but at least the cinematography adds a little extra flair. The plot isn't too interesting, the performances are very wooden and unnatural and the pacing is rather slow. The only thing that made this a bit more bearable was the stark black-and-white cinematography, especially during the night scenes. It's not much, but at least it was something.Read all
In many ways, this is Dai Yilin's best film to date. It's the one where he seems to be leaving his streamer roots behind, upping the overall quality of the production. And he doesn't disappoint, only now that he is playing with the big boys, the competition is getting way tougher. And that's where the film falls just a little short. The costumes are superb (flashbacks of The Banquet), the cinematography is nice and the action is on point. But it lacks the grandeur and the excess of the best films in the genre, and because it's a more serious film, it's not quite as snappy and fun compared to the streamer flicks. Yilin has talent though, so just give the man more time and an even bigger budget, and he'll get there in the end.Read all
Yuen Chor trying to marry his moodier sets and fantastical elements with some proper martial arts. The result is a very solid film, but one that lacks the pure strength of what makes Chor's films stand out. This is a good entry-level film for people who want to know what Shaw Bros cinema is about though. The fight scenes are a step up from most of Chor's other films, but the fantasy elements are toned down. As a result, this is not one of Chor's best films, but it does offer a nice mix of Shaw Bros signature elements, properly executed too. A good, solid film, I'm a bit surprised I only found out about it now.Read all
Music matters. The Long Day Closes could've been a pretty atmospheric, impressive film, but the soundtrack is an absolute hindrance. Now, I appreciate it when a director makes bold choices with the score, but it just didn't work for me. For that, the selection was simply too bland and predictable. The cinematography is on point and there are several scenes that stood out because of the lighting and colors, but you need a good score to go along with that, and that's where the film stumbles. The performances are solid too, sadly I didn't care as much for the setting or the drama. It's a shame the film doesn't fulfill its potential.Read all
Shiraishi returns with a novel found footage concept. This time he is featuring himself, as a director who gets sent lots of scary videos. It's just repackaging the same old horror stories though, then again, Shiraishi has made series like these before, which did get interesting several episodes in. Haunted houses, mysterious apparitions, and cursed visitors. And all that is presented in a faux-doc style. I think Shiraishi is one of the few remaining directors who is still making films like these. This isn't his best work, nor is it still very effective, but it's short and there's some genre fun to be had with it.Read all
A quirky South Korean comedy. It holds the middle between Volcano High and Cromartie High, but it isn't quite as good as either. The first half of the film is very promising, after that it runs out of steam a little too quickly. Still, if you love madcap Asian comedy, this is a very simple recommendation. The comedy is pretty weird and all over the place, the problem is that once the setting and characters have been established, the film shifts into a more narrative mode, which isn't quite as interesting. The finale is still fun, but the entire middle section leading up to it could've been better. Still, this is a fun comedy if you like your comedy weird.Read all