Knock Off

Knock Off (1998)
 

Runtime: 91 minutes

Directed by: Tsui Hark

Starring: Jean-Claude Van Damme, Rob Schneider, Lela Rochon, Michael Wong, Paul Sorvino

From: Tri-Star

This baffling film isn’t technically good, but boy can it be wacky fun. As several people (not just on Letterboxd) wanted me to see this after reading my review of the other Tsui Hark/Van Damme collaboration-Double Team-it seemed like a wise choice for my last review of 2024. Next month, I’ll fulfill a few requests made both here and elsewhere, & tomorrow afternoon I’ll be starting something new, but that will be explained then.

I couldn’t even begin to describe the plot, so I won’t. I can just speak vaguely. It’ involves such things as frogs, Van Damme and Rob Schneider as a fashion design duo, an illegal rickshaw race, the CIA, plenty of weird camera angles, “Pumma” (sic) shoes, OOT action scenes, Russians, green fire, durian fruit, weird camera effects and “nano-bombs” in bootleg merchandise, all in Hong Kong right before the British give the territory back to the Chinese. Inexplicably, this was written by Steven E. de Souza!

Knock Off is utter nonsense; at the same time, there are some solid laughs to be had (yes, even from Schneider) and if you enjoy films w/ plenty of wanton destruction… it was too zany for mainstream American audiences but Letterboxd dorks like us are more willing to enjoy something w/ such a strong Hong Kong flavor & still feature such different Western faces like Van Damme, Schneider, Lela Rochon and Paul Sorvino.

I couldn’t tell you why it appeared as if most of the martial arts scenes were edited (what an insult to Sammo Hung, who did the fight choreography) but I suppose that makes Knock Off even stranger.

I Viewed a Short 50's Documentary

It is 1956's Sunday in Peking, as reviewed below: 

My first-ever Chris Marker experience. Some probably are APPALLED that this is the case. Both La Jetee (the inspiration for 12 Monkeys) and Sans Soleil are popular among the hardcore cinephiles, after all. This played during the afternoon earlier in December on the Criterion Channel’s Criterion 24/7 service. The review was saved for a day like now where there wasn’t the time-inclination to view then discuss something.

It’s a 19-minute video essay where French documentary/essayist/writer/photographer/etc. Marker presents footage in Peking-the old Western name for Beijing-framed as a random Sunday in 1955 when in reality it was filmed in two weeks. The visuals are accompanied by narration in English which isn’t thought-provoking yet that wasn’t the goal of the short. Rather, it served as a nice artifact, presenting a typical Sunday for many city residents. This ranges from Chinese boxing done as exercise and children in a park to workers creating “the Peking of 2000 A.D.” and performers in the Peking Opera House. A short recap of Chinese history after Genghis Khan conquered the land was provided.

In addition, a yearly parade celebrating the founding of the People’s Republic of China was shown, and yeah that is awkward now. Maoist China began in late 1949 and Communism is addressed briefly. Not to get political here but this was before the Great Leap Forward (which led to the Great Famine), the Cultural Revolution, and other ideas that harmed many native Chinese. Thus, it was hard for me not to look at this footage wistfully at what happened to those people, especially the children.

Be that as it may, that of course played no role in my rating. While I wouldn’t have minded seeing more footage, what was present: a fascinating look at a time and place I knew little about, and a positive portrayal of those individuals despite the government they were forced to be led by. To make a comment that will make more people APPALLED, Agnes Varda worked on the film… and I’ve never seen anything directed by Agnes Varda. I promise that will change in 2025.

One from the Heart

One from the Heart (1982)

Runtime: I saw the 93 minute Reprise Cut

Directed by: Francis Ford Coppola

Starring: Teri Garr (RIP), Frederic Forrest, Raul Julia, Nastassja Kinski, Lainie Kazan, Harry Dean Stanton

From: Zoetrope Studios

A belated RIP to Teri Garr. Hearing two months ago she passed away made me as sad as it did many others, even if I haven’t reviewed too many of the prominent roles Garr had. I don’t love After Hours or Close Encounters of the Third Kind like most do but my not liking those movies had nothing to do with the quality performances Garr gave.. Back in the summer when the film released on 4K UHD, a blind buy was made. Those rarely occur these days yet the hope was that it’d at least be something to play on mute in the future to have something pretty on screen. That presumption was correct, BTW. To clarify, I saw the new Reprise cut rather than the Theatrical cut included on the accompanied Blu.

Back when the disc was purchased, I was hopeful that Megalopolis (a.k.a. the other example of Coppola spending millions of dollars on a passion project only for it to be ruinous for him critically and commercially) would be a delight. Instead, Megalopolis was pure misery, utterly stupefying! Romantic musicals aren’t a genre I seek out-be that as it may, the talent involved plus the deliberate artificial artifice of creating Las Vegas on soundstages intrigued. One from the Heart was at least better than Megalopolis.

Garr and Forrest were a tumultuous couple who broke up on their 5th anniversary & spent the night w/ new partners; of course it’s more complicated than that, but… to state a controversial opinion right off the bat: the popularity of Tom Waits & his music is a phenomenon that will forever be perplexing. In Heart, it is full of chilled jazz which sounds nice and I enjoyed Crystal Gayle’s contributions. Lamentably, I wish someone else would have been the male singer other than Waits… someone whose singing voice isn’t like fingernails on a chalkboard, sorry. At least there were long stretches where he didn’t sing and otherwise the soundtrack does rate highly.

The film as a whole: a shame it wasn’t as enchanting as it was for many here on Letterboxd. My confusion over why Hank and Frannie were even a couple after the venomous, vindictive argument they had in the opening act—that was a problem. I was hoping they’d find loves more compatible. An even bigger problem: was I supposed to hate Hank by the end? I sure as heck did. The first two acts it was alright but the final act, I hated him. Then again, I HATED most of the final act and it ruined the entire movie; blunt, yet I did get angry at the decisions that were made, the odd moments of editing, the random 30 seconds of slapstick that stuck out like a sore thumb. It made me turn against One from the Heart.

What a , the movie’s artifice did work in the context of the movie and it was a nice main cast on display. It’s always nice seeing the likes of Raul Julia & Nastassja Kinski; the most amusing characters to me were portrayed by Lainie Kazan and Harry Dean Stanton. Stanton’s tanned appearance, his clothing, and especially his hair… incredible, and that’s even before I heard him utter some hysterical lines.

Garr did arguably have the best performance; it was more than just how she looked in that red dress… she was fetching and at least for me, I was hoping she would find a happy outcome, no matter it be with Ray or another character that was not Hank. As much as I didn’t like the final 20 minutes before they hit the end credits, there’s about a 5 minute stretch that I loved—it was the big elaborate musical number. The 4K release I do rate quite highly so if you have a UHD player and love the film…

While I wish it wasn’t the case that Teri Garr was the best part of several films I don’t love like most everyone else… it was overdue for me to offer her praise. Her lengthy struggles w/ MS + other health issues: a shame. She still left an impressive legacy behind.

True Romance

True Romance (1993)

Runtime: 118 minutes

Directed by: Tony Scott

Starring: Christian Slater, Patricia Arquette, many familiar faces in smaller roles

From: Morgan Creek

In my first of two reviews to be posted today, I talk about a film that should have been revisited long ago: 

Undoubtedly a movie written by Tarantino & (an uncredited) Roger Avary. Of course, True Romance was tackled by me before; however, this was long before I joined Letterboxd almost 12 (!) years ago. Yes, I remembered how profane it was; that didn’t seem to bother me then and now, I’d prefer less F-bombs but that’s something which I’ve grown tired of in recent years. What I didn’t remember: Bob & Harvey Weinstein were two of the executive producers. That played no part in my rating of a movie tackled on Prime before it leaves the free (to me) status at the end of the year.

The opening scene is Clarence Worley talking to a random blonde in a dive bar, where he first mentions how sexy Elvis was in Jailhouse Rock, then praises Sonny Chiba as the best, then goes to a theatrical showing of Chiba’s three Street Fighter movies. So yes, you don’t need the opening credits to determine who wrote the script. At that screening, Worley meets Alabama Whitman; they have a whirlwind romance and long story short, because reasons, they steal cocaine (that was stolen to begin with) and are on the run.

It's more than a QT picture directed by someone else; Tony Scott was in control and injected his expected flourishes. It’s a wild 90’s film where (for better or worse) the N word is heard plenty of times, because Tarantino. I’m able to enjoy its kinetic energy, the nice score, the cool Hans Zimmer score, some assuredly bold ideas, the great performances from leads Christian Slater and Patricia Arquette. It also has a sterling cast jam-packed full of familiar faces, some of whom have glorified cameos… but it was nice seeing them all.

Gary Oldman arguably played the most memorable character, due to the OOT nature of Drexl Spivey. However, arguably Dennis Hopper delivered the most memorable soliloquy, even though it was designed to be inflammatory and it was the capper to a great scene which also involved Christopher Walken and James Gandolfini. Naturally, not everyone cares for a vulgar film full of profanity, scenes of graphic violence and yeah, witnessing a woman brutally beat up. I’m sure that butthead woman on Letterboxd who made a dumb man-hating list that went viral on Twitter… this fool must hate True Romance because “it’s a movie that men like.”

Even if you’re not an extremist psychopath, people can be turned off by a movie such as True Romance. That said, there are many that still can enjoy a brash, aggressive movie w/90’s sheen and if you enjoy the director and/or especially the screenwriters, there’s a good chance you’ll either enjoy or still enjoy the adventures of Clarence & Alabama Worley. The Hopper & Walken scene isn’t the only tremendous scene; there’s at least two more, including the bravura climax.

Double Wedding

Double Wedding (1937)

Runtime: 87 minutes

Directed by: Richard Thorpe

Starring: William Powell, Myrna Loy, Florence Rice, John Beal, Jessie Ralph

From: MGM

It was time to view something from the 30's again; it's been especially a long time since tackling anything from Myrna Loy. As any Powell-Loy collaboration is typically a safe bet, I hit the DVR and finally checked out something recorded off of TCM early August of this year. 

The plot is to the point: Powell is a Bohemian who is pals with Florence Rice and her milquetoast fiance John Beal, w/ the incredible name WALDO BEAVER. In contrast is Loy, a serious businesswoman who is the sister of Rice and controls her life to the point that she selected Beal for her sister to marry. Conflicts happen and of course the two leads fall in love despite their polar opposite beliefs. There's a reason why the title is Double Wedding...

The death of Jean Harlow had a negative impact on the production; she wasn't in the film but not only was she Loy's close friend, the fact that she was Powell's fiance—I can only imagine how he felt about working on a film involving marriage. It's not the best you'll see from either, although that doesn't mean the movie is bad. They're still charming and the movie is aided by several colorful supporting characters, from other Bohemians and a cop turned Myrna's butler to an uncredited actor (I won't name them either, except they were in more than one John Ford picture) as a judge. 

As there's some slapstick and a madcap conclusion, Double Wedding is still a picture I was entertained by, flaws duly noted.

I Reviewed Fire Music

It's a 2021 documentary on the Criterion Channel... at least until the last day of the year: 

This “fire music” is free jazz, i.e. avant-garde jazz. Before this leaves the Criterion Channel after the 31st, this had to be viewed. My musical tastes are “many different genres… almost all of it 10 years or older”; the modern stuff is of no interest to me. That includes jazz; there’s plenty from that genre I like—it ranges from a century ago through Charlie Parker, the bop era, Miles Davis, Herbie Hancock, Oscar Peterson and plenty of other names. I do like Davis and Hancock both in traditional jazz and their fusion albums.

I also dig some from free jazz and the masters like Ornette Coleman, John Coltrane, Sun Ra, Eric Dolphy, and others; of course, some of it is too far out there for even my standards, but full respect to them.

It's a standard documentary (aside from some trippy visuals, apparently from Stan Brakhage and others, according to a mutual… those suddenly go away, never to return) where various figures connected w/ the old free jazz movement were interviewed; the big figures were mentioned, NYC as the epicenter was mentioned, vintage footage of the greats was shown, the music’s polarizing nature was made patently clear.

A few niggles here and there could be made; the biggest fault for me is my own curiosity. A feature-length documentary could have been done on the likes of Coleman, Coltrane, Don Cherry, and especially Sun Ra. Ra was so eccentric, he was a dude who claimed to be from Saturn… in the 1950’s! His entire essence (let alone his music) was so out-there, it’d be fascinating to learn about a proponent of Afrofuturism who wore Egyptian-style outfits.

The end credits revealed this to be a Kickstarter project; it is an explanation for its occasional rough around the edges style. Be that as it may, the spotlight on many different figures in that field was appreciated; even I learned of people new to me. The percentage of those reading this that possess even a small amount of interest in jazz is presumably low. Even so, for my edification, I was happy to learn some new facts.

Don't Open Till Christmas

Don’t Open Till Christmas (1984)

Runtime: 86 minutes

Directed by: Edmund Purdom… and others

Starring: Purdom, Alan Lake, Belinda Mayne, Gerry Sundquist, Kelly Baker

From: Spectacular Trading International

Merry Christmas, everyone!

I went into this British slasher film with the foreknowledge that it may be in bad taste to discuss a “psychopath murders everyone dressed as Santa Claus” picture on December 25th… there also was the foreknowledge that this was a troubled production, which was apparent on screen. Star/director Edmund Purdom feuded w/ the producers so he was gone for part of the production, resulting in scenes never filmed/other directors taking over and it was exactly as coherent as you’d expect once you hear this was also from some of the people who gave us Pieces.

The general idea wasn’t bad; for reasons that probably won’t surprise, a masked psychopath starts killing people in London who are dressed as Santa Claus. Both the daughter of a victim and Scotland Yard attempt to crack the case. Now, the highlight of the movie: the variety of different gruesome deaths. It is more than just stabbings and many were bloody. That was more compelling than the herky-jerky, fragmented plot which was difficult to follow or even care about at times. At least there’s an unforgettable scene at a urinal I dare not spoil.

The end result has the expected amount of gore, sleaze & nudity-wow was it ever sleazy-the footage seen usually wasn’t done poorly and the score was interesting. A shame that it has some fatal flaws. Don’t Open Till Christmas has preposterous moments such as a guy thinking that the girlfriend of his buddy will automatically accept his offer to take some dirty pictures for publication, that buddy randomly playing a flute on the street, a character named Sgt. Powell who is no Sgt. Al Powell by any means and you can’t forget the cameo from Caroline Munro… as herself (!) singing a song (!!) on a stage and it looks like an early 80’s music video (!!!) Happy Holidays, indeed.

 

Home for the Holidays

Home for the Holidays (1972)

Runtime: 73 minutes

Directed by: John Llewellyn Moxey

Starring: Sally Field, Julie Harris, Eleanor Parker, Jessica Walter, Jill Haworth, Walter Brennan

From: ABC

A Christmas movie featuring slut shaming, vodka dinners, & a pitchfork-carrying killer wearing a yellow rain slicker. For awhile now I’ve known of this made-for-television movie shown on ABC, November of 1972. Directed by Tarantino favorite John Llewellyn Moxey and written by Joseph Stefano (of Psycho fame, although he mainly wrote in the made-for-TV genre), it does have a Christmas tree and Christmas Eve dinner but it is set in Southern California so it’s full of rain instead of snow; this allows for the killer’s rain jacket/red boots/red gloves ensemble.

Walter Brennan is an invalid dad who has daughter Eleanor Parker invite his other three daughters (Sally Field, Jessica Walter, Jill Haworth) home for Christmas. He believes his second wife is poisoning him, you see. What a dysfunctional family it is. Their mother apparently took her own life, the daughters don’t get along w/ dad and don’t trust their stepmother, dad literally slut shames one daughter… much of this 73-minute film is dialogue where these characters in this mystery deliver this tawdry material.

Someone starts killing while wearing a distinctive outfit and using a pitchfork as a weapon. Not only are there giallo vibes, this is also a proto-slasher; seeing some of these actors in such a picture is a rare treat, especially the aspect of (redacted) as a scream queen. Regrettably, the movie has more than one lull despite its brief length; that aside, it was an entertaining mystery w/ decent atmosphere and the expected red herrings. It was a rare TV film that came out on disc, although that was DVD, resulting in some dark scenes becoming nigh unintelligible when viewed on YouTube.

There are a few moments where you imagine Jessica Walter telling someone else, “Good for her.” Her saying that about her own character here… not so much, unless you are a fan of vodka dinners.

 

Twilight of the Warriors: Walled In

Twilight of the Warriors: Walled In (Jiu Long cheng zhai · Wei cheng) (2024)

Runtime: 125 minutes

Directed by: Soi Cheang

Starring: Raymond Lam, Louis Koo, Sammo Hung, Richie Jen, Chun-Him Lau

From: An absurd number of different companies

Featuring an adorable little girl… called FISHBALL

A movie set in Kowloon Walled City proved to be a fascinating experience. If it wasn’t for my last-minute journey to Kansas in August, I would have checked out Walled In theatrically. It’s been available to me on Prime since the start of the month but-shock of shocks-messageboard praise gave me the push to press “play.” If seen on Amazon Prime, the default language is unfortunately English BUT there is the option to switch to the original Cantonese.

As Kowloon Walled City has been extinct for a few decades, an explanation is needed. For a long span in the 20th century, it was an enclave in Hong Kong that was among the most densely-packed areas on Earth, containing over 30,000 residents (many refugees) in a mass of different buildings never in harmony w/ each other, presenting the appearance of a different world once you enter. It was a lawless area full of illegal activities, from drugs and dog meat to unlicensed doctors and as shown in the film, bootleg porn! Needless to say, the Triads were in control of KWC.

In the 80’s it was announced that the City would be razed as Hong Kong was ceded by the British to China in 1997; demolition would start in ’93. That last detail is a plot point in the film, set during the 80’s. The protagonist is Lok, a refugee who because of circumstances ends up in KWC, where he befriends a variety of people. After a first 20 minutes of action, time is spent w/ the drama… but it was compelling to me. The action itself featured more than a few preposterous moments and one unbelievable character in general; again, that was OK as it gave the audience several incredible badass moments.

From hearsay, I understand the film built a reasonable facsimile of the Kowloon Walled City; the distinctive area provided plenty of favor, what with its cornucopia of different services. Speaking of cornucopia, that was the amount of production company logos that are seen before the film; it was about as many as seen before Late Night with the Devil! Regardless, those that like Hong Kong action of the 80’s and 90’s stand a good chance of enjoying this picture, not just because of the inclusion of such veterans as Sammo Hung.