Recently Seen, Part 33 (November 2019)

divemaster13

Member: Rank 4
Royal Tramp (1992)

Stephen Chow is just damn funny. And as entertaining as his "worldwide blockbusters" (e.g., Shaolin Soccer; Kung-fu Hustle) have been, his earlier efforts are even funnier and more entertaining. Chow is a genius at portraying the "everyman" put in a situation above his skill-set and using just his wits to get through it.

Royal Tramp is like that. Chow plays a story-telling gadabout who somehow finds himself posing as a eunuch in the emperor's palace. There is palace intrigue concerning the amiable emperor, his little sister (played by a cute as the dickens Chingmy Yau) who is crushed on Chow, especially after she discovers Chow is not a eunuch (game on!), and an evil general (played by Cat III staple Elvis Tsui) plotting against the emperor. Man-tat Ng (one of Chow's frequent players) is a mentor/kung-fu protector for Chow who gets possessed and turns really goofy. The movie was actually directed by Wong Jing, who is like the Chinese version of Roger Corman. Typical Jing humor and visual gags (mostly lowbrow, but some quite clever!) pervade the film.

I laughed many many times. And I will say that, contrary to 99% of the time, in this particular case, the English dubbing actually enhances the viewing experience. The subtitles on the Dragon Dynasty DVD are fine, but not nearly as funny as the English dub. It's obviously a recent dub, not ported over from some earlier HK effort, and the language and double-entendres really come through--better than the subtitles. Never thought I'd say that, but there you are.

I'll watch Part 2 soon.

4 stars
 
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divemaster13

Member: Rank 4
Royal Tramp 2 (1992)

More of the same, as the story picks up right where Part 1 left off, except that now Brigitte Lin is one of the antagonists. Or maybe protagonist. There are so many "secret society trying to overthrow/spy on/infiltrate the royal family" factions it's hard to keep track. Especially when they seem to switch allegiances every 10 minutes and fight each other rather than the emperor. But no matter, there's still plenty of goofy Stephen Chow wordplay humor and Wong Jing crass humor to keep up the entertainment. Not quite as funny overall as the first one and like I said, the plot was all over the place. Still has Chingmy Yau and Man-tat Ng. A worthy effort.

One thing I forgot to mention for both of these movies--there's a ton of martial arts. Mostly of the wuxia/wire-fu style. And very well done. Part 2 has a couple of fights where one of the evil masters has a group of acrobatic henchmen using brass rings. Spectacular. Cirque du Soleil would be proud.

3.5 stars
 
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sitenoise

Member: Rank 5
It's obviously a recent dub, not ported over from some earlier HK effort, and the language and double-entendres really come through--better than the subtitles. Never thought I'd say that, but there you are.
I wonder if Netflix or Amazon or someone picked up rights to his stuff and had new dubs made. That would be quite the commitment. If these films have a lot of fighting in them I also wonder if the new dubbers added new grunting man sounds. That would be an odd job.

Dubs are usually anathema to me, and I think I've mentioned this before but one of the things that keeps (g)olden age HK flicks at bay from me is that they are all dubbed. It's just the way they produced films --all the audio/dialog done in post-production.

"Get Ready to Kick Some Grass"!
 

divemaster13

Member: Rank 4
13 Assassins (2010)

This is only the third Miike film I've seen, that I know of. I didn't care for Sukiyaki Western Django all that much (2 stars), and y'all already know what I think about Audition.

But 13 Assassins I got into. I'm predisposed to like samurai films, having seen MANY and enjoying most of them.

13 Assassins has the insane action of a Tarantino movie. Alas, Miike skipped most of the character development that would have helped here. But I forgive that, because I understand that it's not easy to give 13+ characters their own personalities. The plot set-up was good, though the lack of characterization does make it a little hard to get into the story. For one thing, all the samurai pretty much look alike. Same robes, same samurai hairstyle (bald/topknot pattern).

But the general set-up was easy enough to understand--there's a mid-level evil lord who has to be killed. He's under the protection of his half-brother (the high-level lord) in one of the clans. But this one guy is an evil baddie through and through--as cruel and sadistic as Joffrey. His actions throughout the other clans has them plotting to kill him. So our 13 good guys lay traps and ambushes and in a fight that lasts almost an hour, they kill over 200 of the samurai protecting the evil lord. The logic of it all is pretty ridiculous, but it was a fun watch. Quite the spectacle.

4 stars

Dubs are usually anathema to me, and I think I've mentioned this before but one of the things that keeps (g)olden age HK flicks at bay from me is that they are all dubbed. It's just the way they produced films --all the audio/dialog done in post-production.
I hear you. I almost never switch on the English dubbing, but, as you say, even the original Cantonese language tracks are dubbed in almost all of the films from that era. But the production values of HK films just don't bother me. That doesn't weigh into it, to determine whether I think a HK film sucks or not. But I will tell you this, I'd watch Royal Tramp I/II 2-3 more times before I ever felt compelled to watch 13 Assassins again. While 13 Assassins is a well-made, high production value movie that I rated 4 stars, it just doesn't bring the same joy as Stephen Chow's silly wuxia tale.
 
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plsletitrain

Member: Rank 5
I remember. It Sakura Ando eating a piece of meat in that boxing movie , right?
I can't remember which of your concubines but yeah I think its Sakura Ando. The only thing I can remember is you found it too funny a couple of years ago you had to share it with me.
 

BuX

Member: Rank 1
This is only the third Miike film I've seen
I've seen around 8 of his films now and they are a mixed bunch. Audition was one of my first of his and like his other films its just weird and wacky. 13 Assassins is one of his more normal films. I loved Ichi The Killer and For Love's Sake (totally werid, basically a musical but with fighting and blood etc, but singing and dancing at the same time), but hated Dead or Alive.

My favorite films by Miike of which i've seen has to be The Happiness of The Katakuris and Big Bang Love.
 

divemaster13

Member: Rank 4
Searching (2018)

I know, I know. It's a U.S. Hollywood film, but it stars a Korean-American (John Cho) and two other Asians as his wife and daughter. Plus it's directed by an Indian-American guy named Aneesh Chaganty, so there's definitely an international feel.

Cho's 15-year-old daughter doesn't come home one night. Over the ensuing week, Cho and a police detective search every on-line clue possible to try to trace her steps. Her social media posts; her Instagram photos; her chatroom discussions. He calls a bunch of her classmates. Everyone knows who she was, but didn't she have any friends? At various points it looks like she was kidnapped. Or she ran away. Or she's being pimped. Or she went off in search of an on-line "friend." Cho discovers secret bank accounts and other items that lead him to conclude that as close as he thought he was to his daughter "he never really knew her."

I can't really discuss the plot any more than that. Even discussing my emotions watching the film would give too much away. There are twists and reveals and red herrings. Some things look pretty obvious, but turn out not to be so obvious after all. I really liked the way the movie was filmed, although it has its detractors. But it TOTALLY worked for me. This was very well done.

4 stars
 

sitenoise

Member: Rank 5
Searching (2018)
4 stars
I've gone back and forth deciding to add this to the queue or not. Basically, 'well done' seems the consensus. After that, some embrace the 'principle' that a movie which takes place largely on computer device screens can't really be 'cinema'. I've seen it done before and have no problem with it, on principle. I think my main concern was if it could be construed as a Hallmark movie.
 

divemaster13

Member: Rank 4
I've never seen a true "Hallmark movie," but if you mean "is it sappy," then, no, it is not sappy. I am very hesitant to say much more because the movie's effectiveness depends a lot on the plot revelations being in the moment. If you know ahead of time "who, what, and why" then there's much less to enjoy.

It's not a perfect movie. I can find faults. But I will tell you (and no plot spoilers here), that the way the mother's death is handled in the first 10 minutes is genius. A story told via file folders and home movie footage and deleted files. I'll never change an Outlook appointment without thinking about these first 10 minutes. Maybe that's your sappy moment, but after that, it's pretty intense. The guy's daughter is missing and he's not at all prepared for what he finds on her computer.
 

plsletitrain

Member: Rank 5
Sounds like its right up my alley with all the mystery, chasing, twists, etc. but I have thesis coming up so I'm not sure if I'm free this weekend (said like a uni student acting cute) No. With my current state I might have to post my review of it on Recently seen part 55 already. I can't watch something these days!!! I'm still on that damn depression pit please rescueeee meeeeee!!!!! Okay I'll look for this on my amazon but please just watch it first, I'm really unreliable these days. All I do is stare out the window pensively and I wish it was as sexy as your women concubines but you'll probably say a "poor her" reaction if you see me than be thrilled. lol

Tl:dr (or whatever internet calls it to make a long story short): Please watch it for me. I'll catch up if I can.
 

ebossert

Member: Rank 3
Highly Recommended

Parasite (2019) (Korean Drama/Thriller) – A lower class family takes peculiar interest in a wealthy and glamorous family for their livelihood. This film by Joon-ho Bong has fantastic acting and a very interesting script that flows naturally and in gripping ways. This is an impressive character study. It has social commentary but thankfully avoids eye-rolling speeches, which was a problem with Bong’s last two movies. Kang-ho Song, Sun-kyun Lee, and So-dam Park are stand-outs, but Yeo-jeong Cho steals the show.

The Crossing (2018) (Chinese Drama) – Studying in Hong Kong but living in Shenzhen (a port city of Mainland China), a teenage girl agrees to smuggle cell phones across the border. This movie focuses both on the criminal enterprise as well as the relationships between the characters, with our main protagonist being the connecting tissue between all of it. Acting is very good, with the lead actress (Huang Yao) being a highlight. The film is shot well too, despite having a first-time director. The ending is abrupt, but this is a solid drama.

Hell Girl (aka Jigoku Shojo) (2019) (Japanese Horror) – This revolves around a supernatural spirit who can be called to enact revenge on a human being’s behalf, but there is a price to pay for using her services. This film by Koji Shiraishi is right up my alley! It has some fantastic atmosphere and visuals, despite a few dodgy CGI shots, and a great horror design that avoids jump scares entirely. The spiritual entities are dressed in Japanese clothing from the samurai era, and the death scenes are entertaining. This is a visually creative horror flick for sure. Better yet, the performances are generally good (with Sawa Nimura being a stand-out) and the human interaction bridges the scares nicely.

The Hidden (1987) (American Action/Thriller/Horror) – Law abiding people suddenly become violent criminals because a mysterious organism transfers itself between humans via their mouths. A cop (Michael Nouri) and an FBI agent (Kyle MacLachlan) race for answers. There’s a bunch of action in this movie! Lots of shootouts and chases to enjoy. The bad guy is tough to take down, due mostly to his high resistance to damage and his ability to transfer. There’s an amusing cameo near the end too. Very cool flick.

Once Upon A Time In Hollywood (2019) (American Drama/Thriller) – A faded television actor and his stunt double strive to achieve fame and success in the film industry during the final years of Hollywood's Golden Age in 1969 Los Angeles. This film meanders a lot, but you get a good feel for the characters. The immersive recreation of the time period is impressive. There are some long takes without edits and the use of old movie footage is cool. There are also some effective sequences of suspense involving the Manson family. The ending is neat. Another solid flick from Quentin Tarantino.
 

ebossert

Member: Rank 3
PART 2

Recommended

Kingdom (2019) (Japanese Action) – This is set during the Warring States period of China and is about two orphan boys who grow up in a village and dream of becoming great generals. Quite odd that we have a Japanese movie about an alternate history of China, with Japanese actors and fantasy elements, but it’s fun to watch. There’s a healthy quantity of swordfighting and the quality is good too. The story and dialogue are cliched, but the splash of fantasy provides for some interesting stuff.

Scars of Dracula (1970) (British Horror) – This begins briskly, with a group of men who go to kill Dracula (Christopher Lee) to avenge the murder of a young woman. Then, we quickly move on to a womanizing troublemaker who visits Dracula’s castle for an evening’s stay, not knowing the dangers that lie within. The death scenes are pretty bloody and violent. There is a pacing lull during the middle section, but the castle is cool and the actresses are gorgeous. It’s nice to have a different story too, when compared to the usual adaptation. Oh, the bats are vicious in this one!

The White Storm 2: Drug Lords (2019) (Chinese Crime Action) – A wealthy businessman (Andy Lau) tries to take down a drug kingpin (Louis Koo) that he used to work with, while a policeman tries to find justice without breaking the law. Conflicts/characters are basic but effective. The cast is good; I always like seeing Koo as a bad guy. Lau’s character does some bad stuff too, which creates a certain dynamic with the cops. Action is well-staged and exciting, especially that car chase/shootout finale.

War of the Worlds (1953) (American Sci Fi Horror/Action) – Martians engage in a worldwide invasion of Earth. This movie does not waste time. Within the opening 20 minutes, these aliens exhibit hostile behavior, which leads to an impressively large body count when all is said and done. I like the design of the space ships, with the bright green segments. The aliens themselves are very briefly shown as goofy-looking but colorful, which I appreciate. The ending is rather abrupt though.

Dolls (1987) (American Horror) (repeat viewing) – A group of people stop by a mansion during a storm and discover two magical toy makers and their haunted collection of dolls. This was directed by Stuart Gordon (“Re-Animator”, “From Beyond”). This could be the first horror film I ever saw as a little kid, as I remember secretly staying up at night to watch it. This is the first time I’ve seen it in 30 years, and it’s a cool little movie that has a magical vibe to it. The little girl is basically the main character, which makes this a neat and creepy experience for youths. The special effects are pretty good and the humor works well too.

Bad Moon (1996) (Canadian/American Horror) – Oh man, the opening scene in this film is memorable for sure. This almost starts off like a “Friday the 13th” movie, but with a giant werewolf instead of Jason. The death scenes are bloody and entertaining. The werewolf practical effects are surprisingly good; the thing looks a bit like Gmork from “The Neverending Story.” There is one shot of CGI effects that do not hold up, but it does not last long. The villain is a very unlikeable dude, and his feud with the family dog is interesting and compelling (it’s actually the main conflict!).

The Blackcoat’s Daughter (2015) (Canadian Horror) – Two girls get left behind at their boarding school over winter break, and strange things begin to happen. This is a slow-burn that is a bit perplexing for a while because the viewer is not sure what exactly is going on. Score and sound design are creepy. The violence is matter-of-fact but impactful and realistic.

The Forest of Love (2019) (Japanese Thriller/Drama/Horror) – A con man and a would-be filmmaking crew separately force themselves into the lives of two grief-scarred young women. Meanwhile, a serial killer is on the loose. This feels a bit rushed near the beginning, in terms of how it brings all of these characters together. However, this is interesting and the focus on the two girls results in some good development for them. Performances are good; Kippei Shiina effectively plays the slimy man who can coerce people into doing his will. His ability to influence is unrealistic and contrived, which will be a stumbling block for some viewers. This was directed by Sion Sono, so there’s a bit of perversion and some dark elements at play. There’s also some bloody violence. A bit too long at 151 minutes, and it feels like a lesser version of Sono’s best films, but it’s still good.

Avengers Endgame (2019) (American Action) – The fourth installment in the Avengers saga is the culmination of 22 interconnected films and the climax of an epic journey. The runtime of over 3 full hours does feel too long. The first hour deals with emotional fall-out from “Infinity War” and the second hour incorporates a quantum realm mission that has no impressive action set pieces at all (they’re all minor scuffles). Also, there are plenty of scenes that feel supplementary and are not directly related to the main conflict. Basically, the theatrical cut already feels like an “extended edition” that would typically be released for home viewing. It’s good overall, but at times I started losing interest and just wanted to get to the finale. Fortunately, the finale is lengthy and very entertaining.

The Abominable Dr. Phibes (1971) (British Horror) – A doctor, scientist, organist, and biblical scholar, Anton Phibes (Vincent Price), seeks revenge on the nine doctors he considers responsible for his wife's death. This begins with an atmospheric organ performance and a weird band/dance scene that immediately sets up the odd feel of the movie. There are quite a few corpse shots of characters who are killed under a variety of circumstances (e.g., animal attacks, traps, temperature changes, etc.). Sure, it’s unrealistic and ridiculous, but no one should care because it is quite fun to watch. It’s stylishly presented as well.

The Day the Earth Stood Still (1951) (American Sci Fi Drama) – An alien lands and tells the people of Earth that they must live peacefully or be destroyed as a danger to other planets. This is the opposite of “War of the Worlds”, because here the aliens come in peace but the humans are quick to start conflict. A few of the human protagonists are stuck-up and annoying, and this does have some slight dull patches, but it’s still a pretty interesting drama.
 

ebossert

Member: Rank 3
PART 3

Not Recommended

The Confidence Man JP: The Movie (2019) (Japanese Comedy/Drama) – A rich dude tries to find the people who stole a large sum of money from him. Meanwhile, the con artists themselves have a new target. The humor is too wacky at times and merely decent overall. The romance and manipulations are very flimsy and/or convoluted. The film does not come off well when it takes itself seriously. Runtime is too long at almost two full hours. The cast is solid (led by Masami Nagasawa) and they have good chemistry, but that’s not enough here.

Annabelle Comes Home (2019) (American Horror) – While babysitting the daughter of Ed and Lorraine Warren, a teenager and her friend unknowingly awaken an evil spirit trapped in a doll. The opening half is pretty good, albeit kinda dull. The characters are somewhat likeable. Unfortunately, the second half uses some atrocious jump scares, with the ghosts screaming loudly into the camera. It’s bad. The story is pretty much non-existent as well.

Take Point (2018) (Korean Action) – On the day of the U.S. presidential election in 2024, Jung-woo Ha and his team of elite mercenaries get caught in the crossfire which causes tensions to escalate to the brink of World War III. This is one of the most Americanized Korean films ever made. Ha’s English skills are good though. The political aspects are kinda interesting but they are absurdly unrealistic and rushed. Extremely limited indoor locations create a tedious experience rather quickly. Shootouts are numerous but very repetitive and run-of-the-mill. Sun-kyun Lee doesn’t do much in a supporting role.

Bottom of the Barrel

Invincible Dragon (2019) (Chinese Action/Comedy) – Jin Zhang tries to take down Anderson Silva in this film by Fruit Chan. Oh boy, this is a disaster. The director tries to subvert expectations by throwing in huge comedic tonal shifts at the most inappropriate times. There’s no craftsmanship here, only a ton of awkwardness. It is at its most embarrassing when it takes itself seriously and tries to be dramatic. This is a stupid film from start to finish, with practically no impressive fight scenes (there are a few exchanges that are “pretty good”). Features one of the worst training montages in motion picture history.

Train of the Dead (2007) (Thai Horror) – Five teenagers (on the run) decide to rob a train, but soon realize that something is very wrong. I’ve avoided this film for years, but curiosity killed the cat. This begins with a stupid dream sequence that is also very badly acted. Then we get some MTV-style editing during the opening credits. This low-grade amateurism continues during the robbery, with some more terrible acting to endure. This cannot be overstated . . . the performances in this film are about as bad as humanly imaginable. You’ve seen the twists a million times before. There is a sequence in this movie that is quite possibly the worst CGI scene I’ve ever seen in an Asian horror movie. And that’s saying something. Wow.
 

divemaster13

Member: Rank 4
The 8 Diagram Pole Fighter (aka Invincible Pole Fighter) (1984)

If you liked the 36th Chamber of Shaolin, you will like this as well. Same studio (Shaw); same director (Chia-Liang Liu, who also directed Drunken Master II); same main star (Gordon Liu). Like 36th Chamber, this is a classic of the genre.

It doesn't start off that way, however. The intro plot and fight was rather silly and confusing. I understood that there were 7 brothers defending the honor of their family and of whatever dynasty they were fighting for, but the antagonists confused the hell out of me. Mongols? Tartars? It was never clear, and the fact that they were dressed like Santa's elves and the obviously cheap soundstage used for the "battle" did not make it easy for me to get into the swing of things. And at times it seemed that there were three warring parties, not two.

Ok, but get past that and the rest of the movie is a fantastic story of honor, family, devotion, searching for self and meaning, and all-out great fights, one after the other.

Basic plot is that a father and 7 sons went into the aforementioned battle and due to a betrayal, only 2 sons survived. 6th son was so traumatized that he developed dementia, and 5th son (Gordon Liu) sought refuge at the famed Shaolin Temple of Wutan Mountain. He was determined to become a monk. So determined, in fact, to prove his newfound dedication to harmony and inner peace, he threatened to kick the ass of any monk who tried to stand in his way of peaceful enlightenment.

Meanwhile, back at the homefront, mom and the two daughters (8 and 9) get wind that 5th son is still alive and do whatever they can to bring him back. The 8th and 9th daughters are CUTE as the dickens and kung fu masters themselves. Girls kicking ass! With swords! And did I mention they were CUUUUTE!

If you like weapons-based martial arts (poles, spears, swords) and a good story, this is a tremendous movie. Might want to ffwd through the first 15 minutes, though.

4.5 stars
 
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