Log: week 3 / 2025
The more films I see from Hisayasu Satô, the more I'm convinced he's one of the hidden gems of Japanese horror/fantasy cinema. Hana-Dama is not the cleanest, most refined film, but it is certifiably bonkers and there are more than a handful of memorable moments that are bound to live in my brain for some time to come. The setup is simple, the first half of the film could've been a bit tighter too, but once the flower pops up the film goes completely off the rails. It's one of those films that is impossible to explain afterward, all I know is that I had a pretty good time watching. Not Sato's best, but great fun if you love wacky Japanese movies.Read all
One of the crazier entries in the Masters of Horror anthology. Tobe Hooper took a page out of Tony Scott's book, which makes this one of the more unique shorts in the series. I had fun revisiting it, but some icky performances and bad music kept it from maintaining its personal favorite status. The cinematography is pretty hectic and the setup is fun. There are also some pretty twisted moments and Englund is a nice addition. The rest of the cast isn't great though and the music in the club is atrocious. It wasn't as intense and maximalist as I remembered it to be, but still good fun.Read all
Haars teams up with Nick Frost once more, this time for a more traditional horror/comedy. The setup is simple, the mix of comedy and horror feels familiar and the twist, while fun, isn't exactly earth-shattering. Thanks to some spirited performances and a tight runtime, it's still an amusing film though. Frost is perfect for his part, Aisling Bea matches him with ease. The two kids are not quite on the same level and the locals are a bit too silly, but that comes with the territory. It takes a while before the film gets going, but the second half is entertaining and that's all I really needed from this film. Haars can do better, but this was fine.Read all
A very standard crime flick, made just a little better by Soderbergh's colorful direction. It's what saves this one from complete anonymity, but it's not enough to turn this into a memorable film. The dreary plot and poor performances are too much of a hindrance and Soderbergh didn't go all out. In all fairness, if you like (US) crime flick you probably won't be as bothered by the story, I simply didn't care for it. I appreciated the colorful photography and the pacing was decent, that's about all I'm afraid to say. Other than that, it's very generic and by the numbers, but at least it was bearable.Read all
Chinese animation keeps raising the bar. The Umbrella Fairy has a classic anime look and a typical Chinese fantasy plot. What makes it stand out is the quality of the animation, a level I've only seen in Studio 4°C anthologies. To stretch that to a feature-length film is madness, but they've pulled it off without much effort. The result is a visual feast, a style much better suited to bring these Chinese fantasy/folklore films to life. It's time for Japan to step up its game.