The Karate Kid

The Karate Kid (1984)

Runtime: 126 minutes

Directed by: John G. Avildsen

Starring: Ralph Macchio, Pat Morita, Elisabeth Shue, Martin Kove, Randee Heller

From: Columbia

The crowd I saw this wasn't the best around, but it was still neat seeing this theatrically: 

I recently mentioned how I watched something I hadn't seen in literally decades; that label also applies to this film. When I saw a short awhile ago that Fathom Events would be showing this film on the big screen as a 35th (!) anniversary deal-and it's also a way to plug the new 4K UHD release of the movie-it was the right time to revisit The Karate Kid.

I do get how some wouldn't be fans of the movie. It is really cliché, some may not enjoy how 80's-riffic it is and Mr. Miyagi as a wise old sage is a trope as “mystical Asian person who dispenses fortune cookie advice” is stereotypical, at least on the surface. Yet this is simply a nice movie and it is incredibly easy to root for the underdog Daniel LaRusso as he's the new kid in school and is bullied by incredibly evil teens just because he has a budding relationship with Elisabeth Shue and the leader of the pack used to go out with her. It is sweet that he has a single mother who cares about him and he was able to find a father figure who through some unorthodox methods not only taught him to stand up for himself but also become a better person. Unlike some other 80's flicks, this doesn't have any moments which seemed fine then but are incredibly insensitive or gross by modern standards.

Pat Morita is the highlight here; he was not only wise and amusing but you get to see why he would take interest in a teenage boy and help him out. Scenes such as finding out about his past help make Mr. Miyagi more than just stereotypical; so did Morita's great performance. The Karate Kid is more than just “You're the Best” or “Sweep the Leg!” or “Wax On, Wax Off!” It teaches some nice life lessons and is a reminder that you shouldn't learn karate just to beat people up, as it's far more than just that and that was just a way for Daniel-san to be more confident, earn the respect of his peers... and be lucky enough to win the love of 1980's Elisabeth Shue.

Absurd

Absurd (Rosso Sangue) (1981)

Runtime: 94 minutes

Directed by: Joe D'Amato

Starring: George Eastman, Katya Berger, Kasimir Berger, Edmund Purdom, Annie Belle

From: Several Italian companies

I chose the title to refer to this by (as it's known by many different names) as it accurately describes the logic in this film: 

I've known of this film for awhile now; I've never seen Antropophagus (involving the same director and star) but know it is wildly over the top, especially the gross ending. Absurd-this has had many titles over the years, but Absurd is the one I'll go with; I watched the film via last year's Severin Blu-ray and it's under that title-is something I saw a few minutes of awhile back and it was at least memorable so I might as well see the entire thing, right?

This, even more than most at the time, was an obvious Halloween riff. Get this: there were some priests who were into “bio-chemical” matters and for reasons never explained, they took some dead guy and did experiments on him. Things go wrong, so now George Eastman is on the loose and not only can he regenerate dead cells, but his blood coagulates very quickly; in short, the only way he can be killed is like a zombie: killing the brain as that conveniently can't regenerate. To make myself laugh, I'll compare him to Wolverine as why not?

Absurd is an apt title for this movie. Logically, the movie is bad; I mean, there's a priest who might as well be named Dr. Loomis and he only receives help from two cops in this small town because... everyone else is busy watching an (American) football game that is implied to be the Super Bowl?! You can see why this had plenty of unintentional laughs. George ends up at a house which has an annoying young kid and an older sister that is bedridden due to illness. Things happen, and to be frank this was just an excuse to show some gory, sadistic deaths. This is not for all tastes but overall I'll say that this nonsense is fine as at least I was entertained. I mean, you see people watching the big football game and it is actual footage from an NFL game between the Pittsburgh Steelers and Los Angeles Rams... you hear an announcer say things that an NFL announcer would never say, but that only added to the hilarity... along with those people being dressed up for the occasion and eating spaghetti! It is tremendous that this is what the Italians thought watching American football was like.

The Blu release not only includes a CD of the groovy soundtrack from Carlo Maria Cordio in stereo (in a bit of trivia, those that have seen the US version of Pieces will recognize it) but the Italian version-Rosso Sangue-is also included. I don't quite know why the only difference is that a few minutes of random material is excised, the deaths are unchanged and everyone is watching American football instead of soccer, but I can only assume there are multiple cuts of this movie out there.

Kilometre Zero

Kilometre Zero (2005)

Runtime: 85 minutes

Directed by: Hiner Saleem

Starring: Nazmi Kirik, Eyam Ekrem, Belcim Bilgin, Ehmed Qeladizeni, Nezar Selami

From: Several companies

Wednesday night, I went out and saw The Godfather: Part II on the big screen; the movie is still legendary so I was happy to see it that way. Tuesday, I saw something completely different: this flick... from France, Finland and... IRAQ: 

Yes, the main reason I chose this film was that one of the production companies was from Iraq and in fact this was set and filmed in the country; that is quite the novelty from me. In addition, this focuses on the Kurdish people; I'll let the reader decide for themselves if there should be a Kurdistan made out of several existing countries or not.

The plot-set in late 80's Iraq and in the midst of the Iraq/Iran War-revolves around two stories: a family who wishes to escape the area of Iraq they live in but have to deal with their old feeble father... yeah, sort of like A Separation. The other revolves around several Kurds who are forced to join the Iraqi army and one has to go on the road to transport a fallen soldier's body home; those two plots intersect but not until the very end and we get much more of the latter than the former.

This film is only average overall; while there are some laughs and dramatic moments, tone at times is an issue and for something less than 90 minutes long, there are long dull stretches. Still, I can't complain too much about seeing this flick, as it was interesting seeing the Iraq countryside, hear the native music, see the people who live there... and the main vehicle is a sweet 1980's GMC Suburban.

BuyBust

BuyBust (2018)

Runtime: 127 minutes

Directed by: Erik Matti

Starring: Anne Curtis, Brandon Vera, Victor Neri, Arjo Atayde, Levi Ignacio

From: Reality Entertainment/Viva Films

This wasn't the Filipino film I was planning on seeing last night, but as sometimes occurs, a messageboard discussion inspired me to check this out. I've known of this for awhile so it was this talk that gave me the push to watch the film. More on what some people have said later.

BuyBust is another example of a motion picture that was “inspired” by The Raid. A few months ago I saw and reviewed Jailbreak, which was a Cambodian version of that riff. While Jailbreak had too much comedy and it did not always work, I thought it was fine overall as at least I enjoyed the action and how it was shot. I heard a key plot point in the aforementioned messageboard discussion that gave me pause-more on that later-but the entire tone of the movie was just a big turn-off.

The way they created the “special forces are stuck in cramped quarters against overwhelming odds” scenario was having special forces using a recently arrested guy to draw out a drug lord in the slums of Manila. Things go wrong and what results is action that I guess I'll say is satisfactory, although I was a little bamboozled that the lead girl does hand to hand combat and yet it was basic and not done all that well; curious decision... as others have said, I wouldn't have minded Brandon Vera (former UFC competitor and native Filipino) be the lead, as his fighting skills were better and I liked the character more. The fact that too many characters were either forgettable or not likable at all was a big issue, although not the biggest one.

The largest problem I had involved the subplot of the residents of this shanty town getting mad at the police as they could not prevent one of their citizens from being murdered. This results in those residents attacking all parties, and unfortunately this means our “heroes” killing said citizens. I do not know if this was some sort of satire or commentary on law enforcement in Manila/The Philippines; I do know that this made the film not enjoyable at all to watch. This was the detail I learned even before I saw the film-I found it puzzling but I did go into this with an open mind. But I was turned off by that.

It was nice seeing the country and various sites around Manila; yet even with a pulsating soundtrack and some scenes bathed in neon light, when this is not a lot of fun and this is over 2 hours long and it takes forever to get going... I will go there and say that this was a bust.

Us

Us (2019)

94% on Rotten Tomatoes (out of 336 reviews)

Runtime: 121 minutes

Directed by: Jordan Peele

Starring: Lupita Nyong'o, Winston Duke, Elisabeth Moss, Tim Heidecker, Shahadi Wright Joseph, Evan Alex

From: Universal

I am glad most people love this movie; as for me... 

Us did not give me the excitations.

I have to preface what will be an outlier review by noting how it took me a whole year to see Get Out... and I realized what a fool I was at Get Out was great. At least I got to see the film theatrically with a big crowd. I did not want to make the same mistake twice with Us; in addition, I know some people who were REALLY looking forward to it, one of them even analyzing the trailer as if they were going to do a half hour YouTube video about it! Ironically, I know someone else who actually does such things on YouTube, but he's not a Letterboxd member, and neither was the person who analyzed the trailer for this film. I'll mention that I haven't talked to them about this movie (and I have no idea if they've seen it yet) but their hypothesis in general was right.

While I avoided reading the reviews for this movie I saw on Letterboxd and elsewhere, I still noticed all the high scores so my expectations were pretty high by the time I viewed this last night. Boy did I ever end up disappointed. It was not my opinion at first as the first half of the movie happened and I saw what was presented in the trailer, which was a family with a decent amount of money was vacationing in California when they encounter their doppelgangers one night. There were frightening moments, a great musical score from Michael Abels, and the cast as a whole does a swell job, especially Lupita Nyong'o. I was concerned when I heard her doppelganger speak and suddenly Christian Bale's Batman voice did not sound so bad after all but that could have just been me.

Then the second half began and the plot expanded... and my interest & enjoyment took a nosedive. I won't give any spoilers; instead I'll mention that I understand this is supposed to be some sort of allegory where the interpretation is up in the air (I've seen some interesting theories and heck, maybe several different interpretations are all correct) but on a surface level, the story doesn't make any damn sense and it just comes off as laughable. This was a case of “please movie, tell me LESS.” I grew more and more frustrated with how the plot did not hold up to any scrutiny and the crowd I saw this with seemed to think the same thing. The final shot of the film is an extended one, yet plenty of people left before that was completed and the end credits began. They were also like me and laughed AT the movie rather than WITH it. To me at least it was not as funny as Get Out and the only times I chuckled was at how preposterous the story was and I have a sinking feeling that cretins will start imitating the noises that the doppelgangers made out in public; those moments definitely got the most derisive chuckles from the crowd. Now, perhaps I shouldn't measure things by how these random people acted at a movie theatre where beforehand I found a SOILED DIAPER lying on the ground in the men's room, but... I will say that I did not discover Tim Heidecker had a supporting role until this past afternoon; thankfully the humor here wasn't the alleged “humor” of the Tim & Eric Show.

I am glad that most people love the movie and they weren't let down after their screening concluded; I wish I could have felt the same way. Saying this will be controversial but I'd rather not watch the film again to notice various details that some picked up on right away, or to see if this plays differently now that I realize what sort of motion picture this was. For me it is not worth the time or effort to try and unpack Us. I am crestfallen I did not enjoy the film far more, as it does look great and it was put together quite well. It was just the story that let me down; admitted, the plot of Get Out is far-fetched too although at least it was obvious social commentary and the scenario is not utter science fiction and magic like Us was. Maybe I should just skip the flicks that are classified pretentiously as “heightened horror” as I also found the likes of It Follows, Hereditary and The Babadook to be massively overrated.

Shot

Shot (1973)

Runtime: 92 minutes

Directed by: Mitch Brown

Starring: Richard C. Watt, Frank Himes, Chuck Russell (yes, the director), Neil Lifton, Denise Sondej

From: Cinemaguild

What an oddity this is: 

It's OK for cops to steal a bottle of tequila from the liquor store.

This is a film I had never heard of before the fine folks at Vinegar Syndrome restored it and put out the movie on disc last year. It is a film shot by college students at the University of Illinois (located in the twin cities of Champaign and Urbana; I've been there before back in my youth when I grew up in the Land of Lincoln) and for a movie that only cost 15 thousand dollars, I can't complain about the action; hell, there are even shots from a helicopter. If only the story wouldn't have been so generic in general... but note that U of I did not have a film school program.

Still, I was entertained overall. Two young loose cannon cops who are happy to flagrantly break department rules go after a drug dealer (imagine James Franco with funny facial hair); they but some of his underlings but it takes a girl working undercover to give them the big break. Not James Franco is the highlight of the picture... there are intentional and unintentional laughs throughout, such as funny clothing & our “heroes” stealing booze from a liquor store and keeping a dirty book in their unmarked police car, but the heel of Shot was great in how he constantly yelled at his idiot stooges (one of whom resembled Domhnall Gleeson) and was an A-hole in the best of ways.

This doesn't compare to the obvious inspirations the filmmakers tried to ape (The French Connection, especially) yet at least there was enough to where I can give this a passing grade. There are shootouts, car chases-hilariously, you hear squealing tires, even if the cars are on mud and grass-drug busts, arrests, and other smash-em-up action that had its low-budget charm. I did appreciate that this at least has a satisfying score created specifically for the movie and there is plenty of local flavor as you get to see both the city and countryside of Central Illinois; trust me, that area is definitely Illinois in the late autumn time.

Most of the people involved with this did not do much else in the film industry, but there is one familiar name... one who had a prominent role in the cast and later became a director: Chuck Russell-no relation. Directing the likes of the third Nighmare on Elm Street, The Mask and Eraser is a step up from this regional oddity.

The Changeling

The Changeling (1980)

Runtime: 107 minutes

Directed by: Peter Medak

Starring: George C. Scott, Trish Van Devere, Melvyn Douglas, Madeleine Sherwood

From: Chessman Park Productions

This is another movie I hadn't seen in ages; at least for me this holds up: 

Once again this is one of those movies that fall into the category of “motion pictures I hadn't watched in at least 20 years”; the circumstances of how I first saw this are odd... as this was viewed over the span of a few days in a high school English class! I don't know why either, but what little I recalled about this, they were positive memories. Naturally I recalled the most famous bits, involving the wheelchair and the bouncing ball. With some of the horror I've watched in recent years, genre filmmakers for certain remembered the latter and have alluded to it in various ways.

George C. Scott plays John Russell-no relation-a composer who in the opening scene loses both his wife and young daughter in a horrible accident; this is a plot point as he moves to Seattle (although this was mostly filmed in Canada) and a Victorian mansion that hasn't been lived in for more than a decade... and turns out, it is haunted by a paranormal entity. The movie takes its time and yet it is always intriguing; it helps that the lead is a great actor like Scott, who sometimes can be subtle and other times he does yell and shout, which he is known for in some circles. Anyhow, a pair of mediums I'll call “Not Ed and Lorraine Warren” help him figure out this conundrum but Russell has to do a lot of work on his own also.

He is assisted by a lady friend (Trish Van Devere) and even though she was played by Scott's longtime wife, their relationship does not blossom into a romance; once you find out what the plot is all about, it probably isn't the time for love anyhow. Even when there isn't the horror moments, the film always captured my interest as our heroes try to right a wrong. Appropriate for Russell's occupation, the musical score-from Rick Wilkins-is quality. It is what you'd expect from the genre, as it is violin-heavy. Yet it is not bombastic and over the top. This is psychological horror and I was happy this did not have jump scares nor loud musical stingers.


This is purportedly based on real life events that happened to one of the film's screenwriters, although I do question the veracity of that. In any case, I am relieved I was not disappointed with this revisit.

Guardians (But Not Of The Galaxy)

Guardians (Zashchitniki) (2017)

Runtime: 89 minutes

Directed by: Sarik Andreasyan

Starring: Anton Pampushnyy, Sanjar Madi, Sebastien Sisak, Alina Lanina, Valeriya Shkirando

From: Several Russian companies

When watching a movie because its trailer became a meme goes wrong... 

I imagine that at least some of you remember the trailer that went viral a few years ago... you know, the trailer of a random Russian superhero movie and a dude turns into a bear; at least for me, how could I forget something so bizarre? Once it came out, I heard mostly bad things about this but I was hoping I could at least howl with laughter at the spectacle I was witnessing.

Sure, I did laugh a few times but overall this movie is pretty bad. Experiments by the Soviets during the Cold War created some superhumans, and indirectly lead to the creation of the villain... Bane if he had the power to control machinery. Really, he might as well have been called that. The story brings up a number of questions-such as the timeline and if any of the superhumans actually age-the movie never dwells on it so I suppose I shouldn't either.

This is effects-heavy, and when your budget is probably little more than what The Asylum spends on one of their pictures, you can just imagine how “good” all that CG looks... woof, or in the case of the furry hero that's an Incredible Hulk ripoff, roar! If you think that one hero getting laser whips in the second half is blatant enough, in the first half you see Not Bane replicate a moment that even I know is famous in comic book history, and has already been done on film before; c'mon now!

And to boot, Guardians is dumber than a stump. There are many examples I could list (such as how our heroes are given machinery to use against the bad guy that can control machinery), but the chief one is how the protagonist that is a furry's dream-who usually only has part of his upper body change into a bear-twice fully changes into one and yet when he becomes human again, his destroyed pants and boots suddenly reappear, with no explanation. While the movie occasionally did make me chuckle, overall it is a lame, poorly plotted mess that isn't really worth seeing.

Triple Threat

Triple Threat (2019)

Runtime: 96 minutes

Directed by: Jesse V. Johnson

Starring: Tony Jaa, Tiger Chen, Iko Uwais, Celina Jade, Scott Adkins, Michael Jai White

From: Several companies

What a Thai/Chinese movie this was: 

Tony Jaa wearing a flowery chef's robe gives me life.

On various sites and messageboards, there's been plenty of hype for this motion picture, as it features several martial artist stars from Far East Asia along with two martial artist actors who should be FAR bigger stars than they are currently in Scott Adkins and Michael Jai White. Director Jesse V. Johnson has been in the stunt field for a few decades now and has directed various pictures, but this is his highest profile gig. While this is not gore-soaked like The Night Comes for Us or transcendent like the first Raid, I thought this was a great time and if you're a genre fan...

The story is not Dostoevsky, but I never expected it to be. The young daughter of a billionaire promises to put a stop to organized crime in that part of the world-while not specifically mentioned, this film was made in Thailand-and this gets the expected reaction. A terrorist is broken out of a jungle camp in order to put a hit on this young lady, and for different reasons, this causes Tony Jaa, Tiger Chen, & Iko Uwais to seek revenge against said terrorist (Adkins) and the people who broke him out, including White and former MMA fighter Michael Bisping. In a supporting role is JeeJa Yanin and it reminds me that I need to finally check out her starring roles in such films as Chocolate and Raging Phoenix.

For low budget action fans, you likely will find this to be a blast. The action is plentiful and it's not just hand to hand combat; there is plenty of gunfire and many people are mowed down. But it's the martial arts battles that are the most memorable, and all are thrilling to watch as all those different styles are shown, and thankfully everything is shot clearly so you aren't bumfuzzled as to what's going on. There are also amusing bits, such as Tony Jaa: Chef. Triple Threat is an example of how lower budget action usually kicks the ass of bigger budget counterparts that Hollywood has put out in recent years.

I saw this movie theatrically last night when Well Go USA had screenings of it for one night only across the country. Those that missed out, don't worry: it will be released on VOD this upcoming Friday (March 22).

Singin' In The Rain

Singin' in the Rain (1952)

Runtime: 103 minutes

Directed by: Stanley Donen (RIP)

Starring: Gene Kelly, Donald O'Connor, Debbie Reynolds, Jean Hagen, Millard Mitchell

From: MGM

This is a few weeks later, but my review is still a better Stanley Donen tribute than what the Academy did last month, which was “nothing at all.”

It was about time I made mention of a great director passing away, and as Turner Classic Movies showed a few of his films last night, I went with his most famous effort, which just happens to be in the running for “greatest movie musical ever.” The film is simply a delight as a movie studio in the late 1920's notices that The Jazz Singer is a massive hit so they better start making talkies themselves. It's a problem when the two big stars that always team up actually hate each other, the girl in that duo has a funny and not aesthetically pleasing voice, & just knowing how to film and mic everything correctly for the first time is a hassle.

Overall, the movie is legendary; Gene Kelly singing the title tune in one sequence on a rainy street has become iconic but all of the musical/dance numbers are tremendous in terms of choreography, singing, dancing, sets, etc. Every single main player (Kelly, Donald J. O'Connor, Debbie Reynolds, Jean Hagen, Millard Mitchell) have tremendous chemistry with each other. There are plenty of laughs for-among other things-how this Hollywood product satirized Hollywood itself. It is bittersweet a bit that many silent stars suddenly were stars no more because their voice did not match their image.

Other than that, Singin' in the Right is a true treasure, such a pleasant movie to watch; there are laughs throughout. For me, a highlight in that regard was the disaster that was the first screening of, the initial talkie movie the studio is doing. No matter what you think of movie musicals, this classic is a must-see for all film fans.

A Midsummer Night's Dream (The 30's Version)

A Midsummer Night's Dream (1935)

Runtime: I saw the full 143 minute version

Directed by: Max Reinhardt/William Dieterle

Starring: An all-star cast

From: Warner Bros.

James Cagney singing while having the head of an ass: a mindf***. 

I will presume that-at least in the United States-it was common in the curriculum of high school English classes across the United States to read William Shakespeare's A Midsummer Night's Dream, along with other plays from the legendary bard; I certainly did. It has been adapted for the screen many times-and this won't be the only version that I ever review-and this version was chosen due to its great cast of faces from the golden days of Hollywood: Cagney, de Havilland-her first role-Joe E. Brown, Dick Powell, Hugh Herbert, Mickey Rooney, etc. There's also Ian Hunter, whose character Egeus is not Once Bitten, Twice Shy about who his daughter should marry.

This comedy in general follows the plot of the play and not only shows Theseus marrying Hippolyta, but also the six mechanicals (i.e. amateur actors) who are controlled by the faeries throughout as they want to put on a play in honor of the marriage. Another assumption on my part is that people in general know at least something concerning the plot to this story, so I won't dwell on all the machinations. The film does have some lavish sets, a plentiful amount of 30's special effects, and is nicely co-directed by Max Reinhardt & William Dieterle; both are from central Europe and the former was great at theatre while the latter excelled at motion pictures. Both came to America once things started to become hairy in Germany, for obvious reasons. There are nice dance numbers and songs throughout.

It does have to be said, though, that if you watch the version which includes the overture at the beginning, the film is almost 2 ½ hours long and at times it does feel that length. Plus, some performances are definitely theatrical (Cagney is more than just a tough guy actor... he just usually never got that chance), while others were just over the top. Still, this was a fun, whimsical version of the oft-told tale.

Crippled Avengers

Crippled Avengers (Can Que) (1978)

Runtime: 100 minutes

Directed by: Chang Cheh

Starring: Chen Kuan-Tai, Phillip Kwok Chun-Fung, Lo Meng, Sun Chien, Lu Feng

From: Shaw Brothers

You know, some of the characters here (hero or villain) could do battle against Thanos...

This weekend on the El Rey Network, they showed various films from the Shaw Brothers, which they used to do on a weekly basis but that went away. This was chosen as it was the highest rated film (here and at the IMDb) that I hadn't seen before and it fit my schedule. I could have seen this on Prime but I saved some bandwidth by checking it out that way... or at least that was the plan. Of course, things went awry as both my cable and Internet went out as I was watching the film, requiring me to finish viewing it today via Prime.

Crippled Avengers starts off with a mother's death via legs being chopped off and a young boy has his limbs from the forearms down cut off; you'd think that he and his dad would become heroes, but instead they turn into evil bastards... so evil that when the kid becomes an adult, he and his dad rule the area, assisted by prosthetics the son has... that are made of iron; hell, projectiles even shoot out of them. Several people mouth off and act foolish, so they get crippled... one becomes a deaf-mute, the second is blinded, the third has his legs chopped off, and the final suffers the cruelest fate by suffering a brain injury which “makes him an idiot”; thank Heavens it wasn't as awkward and Simple Jack as it could have been, although OF COURSE the idiot still has his kung-fu skills.

Even the blinded character could see how implausible and silly the plot of this motion picture is. That is fine with me when the movie is so damn fun; the camp value is accentuated by the fact that what is available is a cheesy dub instead of having subtitles. It is easy to root for the heroes and loathe the father, son, and their minions. The direction, choreography, sets, situations, etc. are top notch, as I've come to expect from a Shaw Brothers joint. The training that this unique quartet does to become great despite their handicaps: great. In the second half, there is plenty of action and it becomes more and more impressive-it's usually creative-building nicely to a rousing final battle & finale.

I discovered that what good words I heard about this film were not utterings from buffoons and knaves.

Braindead

Braindead (i.e. DeadAlive) (1992)

Runtime: 103 minutes

Directed by: Peter Jackson

Starring: Timothy Balme, Diana Penalver, Elizabeth Moody, Ian Watkin, Brenda Kendall

From: Several New Zealand companies

I had actually forgotten how bats--- crazy this film was: 

 

I was originally going to watch this later in the month; however, the horrible tragedy that happened in New Zealand last night necessitated a change in my schedule so I could say today how awful the events in Christchurch were. I actually know some people who live in the country (they are fine) and as the founders of Letterboxd are Kiwis... this seemed like the right thing to do. I realize this is a way over the top splatter picture in every which way, but...

Late 1950's Wellington turns wild after the horrible old mother of Lionel is bitten on the arm by a “Sumatran Rat Monkey”, and she turns into a horrible creature which starts biting people that turn into horrible creatures themselves. That for sure hampers the budding romance he has with Paquita, the Spanish Romani ladies who has a family that falls into the old Gypsy stereotypes, but what can you do? As I mentioned, the film is gleefully over the top and not just with the premise; there's the characters-who knew that there were greasers in 1950's New Zealand?-the situations they get themselves in, how Lionel handles this mounting problem, etc. The fact that there's an old priest who knows kung-fu and states “I kick ass for The Lord!”, need I say more?

More so than for most movies, this definitely is not for all tastes; offensive things happen, hundreds of gallons of fake blood are sprayed all over, dozens of entrails and other body parts are ripped or spilled out, and overall this is a seriously F'ed up movie... albeit one that to me is quite funny in its pitch-black humor. There are many creative ways that people get maimed and killed, for certain. A necessity was that the practical (and plentiful) gore effects were done well, and thankfully they were.
Braindead is by far the goriest movie I've ever seen and personally, I hope no one tries to top this feat, as it probably would turn out to be a disaster, and likely wouldn't be as fun as this insane picture is.

Le Cercle Rouge

Le Cercle Rouge (1970)

Runtime: 140 minutes

Directed by: Jean-Pierre Melville

Starring: Alain Delon, Bourvil, Gian Maria Volante, Yves Montand, Paul Crauchet

From: Several French/Italian companies

This French/Italian caper is pretty great: 

This movie... it is effortlessly cool. Le Cercle Rouge is 140 minutes long and takes its time, but that does not make it boring. Rather, this story of how a con artist just released from prison, a wise convict breaking free from being transported to prison, and an alcoholic ex-cop attempt to rob a high-end jewelry story is greatly enthralling and this movie is just great in general.
The incredibly French actors that lead this (Alain Delon, Bourvil, Yves Montand) all do a bang-up job, along with Gian Maria Volante. The story always intrigues-along with the trio attempting the heist, the cop that allowed the convict to get away, of course he wants redemption and that does mean what can kindly be called “bending the rules” to get the job done. Jean-Pierre Melville did a fantastic job directing this, and the locations they shot at were all lovely in their own ways, whether it was Paris (where there were Citroens as far as the eye could see), a roadside cafe, an estate out in the forest, or the woods themselves.

What tied all this together was the astounding jazz score from Eric Demarsan; it set the mood perfectly & dictated the pace this film would follow. In case there are any doubts as to the effectiveness of the heist itself... thankfully it was pretty tense and done just about perfectly. Those that love heist films-especially the ones that the French did in the past-need to set time out to check this out, whether it was via the Criterion release or via other methods.

Rabid Grannies

Rabid Grannies (Les MemesCannibales) (1988)

Runtime: I saw an uncut 91 minute version

Directed by: Emmanuel Kerwyn

Starring: A bunch of random French people, to be frank

From: Several companies... including Troma!

Would you believe this is not the first time watching this European horror-comedy? Actually, that may not be a stunning revelation...

This is another one of those films that falls into the category of “I saw this many, many years ago but barely remember it so it might as well be a first time watch.” I mean, this was a VHS rental for me, that's how far into the past my first and only viewing was. I only remembered like two moments yet this month being one of foreign film observation and there being an uncut version that someone put together on YouTube-more on that later-meant this was the time for a second watch.

The plot seemed fine on paper: a family full of A-holes goes to a party hosted by a pair of very old ladies-who are sisters, and also very rich-and the A-holes can't wait for the grannies to die, as it meant they would all get a nice, phat inheritance. Well, the black sheep of the family (a Satanic priest!) sends them a gift, which causes the old ladies to become hideous demons, and the A-holes are all killed in brutal ways. It does sound great... only this does not rise above being OK. There are memorable moments and funny bits, but not enough of them and the family is usually annoying to be around. The fact that some overact to a tremendous degree and because these French actors speak phonetic English in an awkward way, only to be dubbed later by random British people who have to match their mouth movements... what a shock then that the dialogue is rather stilted.

I have no idea why this was the case considering that TROMA not only released it but they were one of the producers... but the version they released had much of the gore cut out. Thankfully someone on YouTube created a version where the goriest moments were added back in; for the budget, those effects look good and it's a shame they were cut out of the version most people would have seen. But that doesn't really impact my rating. I'll admit that its English title is great and as this is not American horror you shouldn't automatically assume the children will be fine... among films of its type, Braindead (i.e. Dead Alive) is much better.

A Brighter Summer Day

A Brighter Summer Day (GuLing Jie Shao Nian Sha Ren Shi Jian) (1991)

Runtime: 237 minutes!

Directed by: Edward Yang

Starring: Chang Chen, Lisa Yang, Chang Kuo-Chu, Elaine Jin, Wang Chuan

From: Yang & His Gang Filmmakers

This is a now-beloved film online, at least in the hardcore film community. I now know why this movie from Taiwan is so highly revered: 

 

I wish I had pals as a kid with nicknames such as SEX BOMB and UNDERPANTS.

A Brighter Summer Day's 4 hour length is the reason why I hadn't checked out the film until last night, but I had enough free time where I could see it all in one day. I only became familiar with it a few years ago when it finally received an official release in the United States via the Criterion Collection putting it out in a restored version, but its high rating on IMDb and here at Letterboxd meant that this seemed like something I should view.

The setting is early 60's Taiwan and this tracks the downfall of teenager Xiao Si'r-who probably would be as successful as his wise father if he just had the ambition to do so-but the story encompasses much more than that. This has dozens of characters and yet things never become rushed or confused as Si'r's family, friends, love interests, and rivals are all followed. Many themes are brought up and discussed, including the political turmoil on the island, how many Chinese moved there after their country became Communist, how rock and roll even reached their shores and became beloved (Elvis was as awesome there as he was in the United States), and other aspects I won't spoil here. There is no shortage of intriguing subplots and it makes for a 4 hour experience that did not feel so lengthy. The movie does explain how Xiao is in a gang, why he pals around with such types, and why gangs were popular in Taiwan at the time for disillusioned, directionless teens and young adults. Why they had such wacky nicknames if you were in a gang, that was left unexplained. Anyhow, the big event that closes out the film was based on an actual event that occurred in Taipei back in '61.

A Brighter Summer Day is excellent all around, from the performances to the natural scenery of Taiwan, to how there is no score and instead the music you hear comes from the radio, stage performances, etc. Putting it all together masterfully was Edward Yang, who used many long takes shot from a distance. The movie is not a short journey, but it sure as hell is a rewarding one as you discover how a rich tapestry was woven and how many messages were delivered w/ expert care.

McQ

McQ (1974)

Runtime: 111 minutes

Directed by: John Sturges

Starring: John Wayne, Eddie Albert, Diana Muldaur, Colleen Dewhurst, Clu Gulager

From: Warner Bros.

John Wayne has a MAC-10 by the side of his hip!

This past Saturday night I watched Turner Classic Movies as they showed this film; this was despite how last month Wayne trended on Twitter for a few hours because people were appalled to read the most controversial comments he made in a 1971 Playboy interview. Well, I have known of those comments for YEARS now and he wasn't the only actor at the time to feel that way, so even though I for certain disagree with his opinions on minorities and homosexuals, that won't make me suddenly stop watching his films.

Anyhow, Wayne was asked to star in Dirty Harry but he declined because he thought it was far too violent; well, after Harry was a success, he suddenly changed his tune. Thus, we got this film, where The Duke played the improbably named Lon McQ, an old loose cannon cop who is nonetheless a badass who drives an early 70's Trans Am, is a crack shot and becomes quite angry when his fellow officer friend is shot in the back and dies. Turns out, there are some corrupt cops-perhaps not as shocking now as it was back then-and there is also Al Lettieri... is it a spoiler to mention he plays a bad guy?

This is not great like Dirty Harry yet it's a good time. The Duke's star power definitely helps, along with the film being led by an experienced director-John Sturges-the cast being full of familiar faces, from Eddie Albert and David Huddleston to Diana Muldaur to a small role from Julie Adams... RIP to her. This does end up being pretty violent; there are car chases, bloody gunshots, and as I alluded to in the beginning, an elderly Wayne shoots a MAC-10 at a bunch of fools as if he's Eazy-E in a song from N.W.A. I was also tickled pink at Old John starring in a movie which has a funky, jazzy score-from Elmer Bernstein.

If you enjoy the dark, cynical cop movies from this time, then this is worth a shot, nevermind what you may think of John Wayne now. After all, he interacts with a pimp-Roger E. Mosley!-on several occasions, and to me that is incredible.

Trances

Trances (Transes) (1981)

Runtime: 89 minutes

Directed by: Ahmed El Maanouni

Starring: This is a documentary about the Moroccan band Nass El Ghiwane

From: Interfilms/Ohra-Sogeav

This is a documentary from Morocco & France... and an informative one at that: 

For a few years now I've owned on Blu-ray the Criterion release of Martin Scorsese's World Cinema Project, Vol. 1; the World Cinema Project has found and restored all sorts of interesting foreign films from across the world, and that release contained six feature flicks. Before last night I hadn't seen this Moroccan/French co-production, about the Moroccan band Nass El Ghiwane. They formed in 1971 and actually are still around, although naturally not all the members seen in this documentary are still in the act.

At the time they were incredibly popular in North Africa-a point proven out when you see fans jump the stage during their performances; this happens quite a few times. Their music is native to the region, meaning that to my Western ears it is very catchy acoustic tunes with plenty of percussion, and they added in different instruments such as a banjo. Some of the instruments I cannot identify by name but I do understand why Ghiwane was such a hit in the region. Sometimes their lyrics are political and have a message; it is basic tenements such as “lusting after materialistic wants is bad” and “everyone should get along”, but they are still relevant statements.

Along with concert performances you get to see snapshots of life in Morocco... the vehicles, dress, random citizens talking to the camera, etc. Also, the band members talk about themselves and being in the band; even they get ripped off by unscrupulous promoters. As an aside, I now know that Renault sold a lot of cars in Morocco. Without this being a deep-dive into life in the area, I was still intrigued by what I saw and heard... especially when a Moroccan legend was shared, which concerned them being occupied by the Portuguese back in the day. For a documentary about a act I knew nothing about beforehand, it was very interesting and I really enjoyed the music.

History Of The World: Part I

History of the World: Part1 (1981)

Runtime: 92 minutes

Directed by: Mel Brooks

Starring: Mel Brooks, Dom DeLuise, Gregory Hines, Madeline Kahn, Harvey Korman

From: 20^th Century Fox

“It is said that the people are revolting.” “You're right, they stink on ice!”
  
Long ago I last saw this film, so now was the right time for me to see something where I remembered only several moments, which were naturally the most famous scenes, such as the entire Spanish Inquisition segment.

This is an anthology which has several segments throughout history, such as The Roman Empire and The French Revolution. Many people who you expect in Mel Brooks films show up, such as Dom DeLuise, Harvey Korman (as Count De Money... excuse me, Count De Monet) and Madeline Kahn. Gregory Hines shows up in his film debut; originally it was going to be Richard Pryor-which would have been tremendous-but “getting so high you light yourself on fire & burn yourself severely” will leave you out of action for awhile, and Hines does a fine job as a replacement. I'd be surprised that Orson Welles added gravitas as the narrator, but it was the 80's so he was always happy to get a paycheck then.

Naturally, plenty of the humor is pretty vulgar; I know that's not for everyone but the only moment that looks bad in modern times is a certain homophobic slur being uttered a few times at a flamboyantly gay character. Otherwise, I did laugh at all the dirty puns and jokes based on sex, along with wordplay that isn't crass in nature. There are nice matte paintings on display throughout so those historical worlds are brought to life effectively. The highlight is indeed the Broadway musical number about The Spanish Inquisition, which was nicely choreographed, is a catchy tune, and manages to be funny without being in poor taste despite it being about a horrible moment from the past.

Of course I wouldn't have minded a Part II either and this isn't the funniest thing that Brooks has done... that doesn't mean this wasn't a pleasant revisit as Part I was funnier than I had remembered from the past.

The Road Movie

The Road Movie (Doroga) (2016)

Runtime: 70 minutes

Directed by: Dmitrii Kalashnikov

Starring: This is a documentary only consisting of Russian dash cam footage... really.

From: Several companies

For years now I have enjoyed such things as the car chases you'd see on a variety of shows, both defunct and present (COPS, World's Wildest Police Videos, the Most Shocking show that was on CourtTV back before that channel was rebranded as TruTV and subsequently became utterly woeful) & crazy driver behavior that can be found in a plethora of YouTube videos; henceforth, I was intrigued when I discovered that a film was created-from Belarus, not Russia-where a little more than a hour's worth of dashcam footage from Russia was put together and as I understand insurance reasons created the situation where many citizens use dashcams, there is no shortage of footage to choose from.

There is no narration and instead this is like a YouTube video someone put together, albeit one where the Russian dialogue is translated, and I realized that not only did Russians utter foul language as if they were sailors on shore leave, but a few times they made grossly offensive comments I dare not repeat here. Perhaps it shouldn't be a surprise, as many examples are shown which prove the new stereotype that Russians are insane. I mean, it's not just car crashes that are shown but there's also car chases, a guy yelling at a bear running on the road, people marveling over a meteorite blazing across the sky, fights between motorists, sausage thefts, and more.

I have no idea why Russians act this way; maybe it's the cold weather, perhaps it's something in the vodka, or... actually, I better not get political here. I will say that I wish some clips would have either been longer or shorter, and personally, narration would have been better; even if it was poppycock, hearing that someone somehow avoided death in a nasty wreck could assuage fears that people have over the gnarliest footage.


Even with the complaints I lodged, I can still say this is good overall. I laughed often at all the improbable moments that were presented, plus it was interesting for me to see all the footage of the Russian countryside and city... not to mention, getting to hear for the first time what I presume were the hottest pop hits of that country from a few years ago. If wind is blown up your skirt by what I described at the beginning, for certain this is worth a shot.