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Feng shen Di yi bu: Zhao ge feng yun (2023)
Bombastic, loud, and a lot of fun
Chinese mythological epics are rare - mainly because cast of characters and their relationships to mystical themes can be overwhelming. Lots of characters and events compete with waning audience attention.
It's surprising how satisfying the film is. There's battles galore, assisted by the support of abundant CGI in nearly every frame; some effects worked (the battles) while others didn't (the flying fox spirit), while a visit to the realm of the immortals was disappointing. While the story itself was irregularly paced, I found it more absorbing than, say, LOTR, and you can't deny that Chinese mythology has never been rendered as well as this film.
There's loud instrumental music from start to finish, with plenty of fights to keep your attention. The sincerity of the narrative is balanced by an amusing trio of spirits who try to prop up a failing Shang dynasty. It's really a miracle of sorts that the narrative coheres so well.
Evil Dead Rise (2023)
Evil Dead Disappointment
The Evil Dead franchise, admittedly, has had its share of ups and downs. Most fans acknowledge that the second installment was the classic, though there's plenty of entertainment value with #1 and 3.
Sam Raimi doesn't direct this installment. So, don't expect the all-out inventiveness of #2, nor the craziness of #1, or even the fun quotient of #3. It is, put simply, a sequel. Most of the action happens in a dumpy apartment building, and everything turns bad then the kids find a copy of the Necromicon bound in human skin. A spell (and an ancient recording) set the the violence to a predictable conclusion
Is it scary? Not really. Is it fun? Eh, not at all. It it entertaining? Yeah, I think so. Several plot twists make the story interesting, but you hope that the story could be a little more extreme or blackly comic. Even the classic tracking shots which begin the story end after the opening credits.
But one can see the roots of the problem immediately. The movie was originally produced to be seen on HBOMax, and the content likely had to be damped down for streaming audiences. But what's really missing is the prominent presence of Bruce Campbell (he does appear in a supporting role), whose campy antics made the early Evil Dead series so appealing.
Himitsu no hanazono (1997)
Cache is a winner!
My Secret Cache (aka My Secret Garden) is a winning, deadpan comedy - thanks mainly to the winsome soundtrack, and the hilarious performance of Naomi Nishida.
Akiko (Nishida) has always liked money, but her job as a bank teller left her a little disillusioned. In a twist of fate, she's kidnapped by hapless bank robbers, leaving her a only taste of wealth. So, she the long way to get that money back.
Nishida's character is said to be "ugly" by a few characters, but at best, she's cute and almost cluelessly blunt. Since she's in nearly every frame, it ends up being a story of a young woman's realization that once you find inner wealth, money inevitably follows.
A naive notion? Perhaps, but Cache is a completely disarming comedy, and the slapdash special effects and editing can't erase its basic charm. It's fine on video, but the film really works with a live audience.
Bread in the Bones (2020)
Scattered, unfocused documentary
This interview-based documentary queries bakers, artists, poets, historians, and everyday folk in the quest to learn more about one of the most iconic foods. However, since the film approaches the subject from various points of view, there's very little in the way of focus or point of view.
In the beginning, you're treated to lingering shots of freshly baked bread - and food porn would not be a bad direction for "Bread in the Bones." The film draws you in as we learn about bread-making during the late-19th and early 20th centuries, but bread lost its center as Wonder Bread took over - but the history of bread in this documentary is mostly hit-and-miss. I lost interest as a poet waxed about her personal history with bread.
Brigadoon (1954)
Just don't think about it
Brigadoon, in its various versions, has enjoyed great popularity over the years. The best advice for a new viewer: don't think about it. Just enjoy the tune and the dancing.
But you can't ignore the plot. A pair of single Americans (Gene Kelly, Van Johnson) go hunting in Scotland, but get lost. They end up in a quaint village which, to their surprise, appears only once every 100 years, for only one day - then vanishes into mist. The details have something to do with avoiding witches, and a deal with God to keep the town of Brigadoon unspoiled for all time. If one person decides he wants to leave Brigadoon, then the town is supposed to disappear, as if blotted from memory.
As I suggested, don't think about the plot. The general theme has to do with Gene Kelly and Syd Charisse characters opting a blissful love in Brigadoon over the realities of modern life. Remarkably, the film itself manages to keep your attention throughout. The scenery itself has an almost magical charm (and maybe a bit too magical), even if the music wasn't particularly memorable.
Enjoy the film - but don't think too hard.
Voyna i mir (1965)
Spectacular in a theater, okay on video
War and Peace is a huge book with lots of characters, scenes and, vivid incidents. You might think that a movie version wouldn't be possible. But you'd be wrong. The Russian government pulled all the stops to adapt one of the greatest novels ever written.
Ball scenes are vast and extravagant, but the battle scenes astonish. Some battle sequences seem to go on for minutes without a cut, and include everything to the horizon.
That said, War and Peace is a profoundly visual piece of cinema. It's one of the rare films that revel in the visuals, letting the images engage the moviegoer. Few films of that time had the poise and confidence to present the narrative visually - a feat that's quite hard to achieve.
Sergei Bondarchuk's vision is best experienced in a theater, with a pristine print. Video minimizes the power. I believe the film works best with the stirring battle scenes - never surpassed. Perhaps the human drama lacks the finely-etched qualities you expect, say, from a David Lean production.
Dead or Alive: Hanzaisha (1999)
A classic of sorts
This is the kind of movie that works best in a theater, with a receptive audience - but even then, this is an insanely fun ride. Director Miike Takeshi is most comfortable with genre films, and his favorite genre is the yakuza film. Dead or Alive is an energetic crime drama with lots of violence, humor, and cruelty, to a particular end: not only are concepts like "good" and "evil" inevitable for crime films, but choosing one side over another always ends in tragedy of sorts. Once you've sorted that out, Dead or Alive is best enjoyed as genre entertainment, with "good vs evil" hard-wired into the film itself. The master-stroke comes in the final sequence, where the climactic duel takes on video-game dimensions.
Dead or Alive had two sequels, but it would be hard to come up with a better finish than the first installment.
Zatôichi senryô-kubi (1964)
Flawed, but enjoyable
Zatoichi and the Chest of Gold is one of the most exciting - and exasperating - installments in the series.
The plot is rich in incident and characters. After rural farmers pay their taxes, a corrupt magistrate and his cronies steal the gold, and leave the farmers desperate for a solution. Zatoichi finds himself in the middle of the problem. On one hand, he's pressured by the farmers, who suspect Zatoichi might have participated in the heist...and on the other, the burglary is pinned onto a cadre of honorable yakuza in a secluded hideout.
The story has a few "firsts" for the Zatoichi series. Earlier installments were bloodless, but ZATCOG shows violence for the first time - mostly with a sprinkling of fake blood. It's also the first chance for Zatoichi to develop a truly comic incident - when a smelly, less-than-competent masseuse serves him - then overcharges him.
The most problematic "first" relates to the filmmaking style. Instead of the restrained style of the first few Zatoichi films, ZATCOG uses looser editing and sound than before. Visual edits use slapdash jump cuts that are closer in spirit to the LONE WOLF AND CUB series. Faked visual and sound effects marred less several extended sequences. The most embarrassing sequence has Zatoichi carrying a little boy - clearly a dummy - on his shoulders as he slides down a ridge.
At the least, ZATCOG comes up a bunch of new situations and characters to invigorate the series - even if the director, Kazuo Ikehiro, is less than proficient at this job.
Beverly Hills Chihuahua (2008)
The "Citizen Kane" of dog movies
I wasn't a fan of BEVERLY HILLS CHIHUAHUA 2 and 3, but the original makes up for it all: a talking- dog movie that's also a strangely involving exploration into a chihuahua's racial roots.
The DOGS & CATS franchise was more of a Hollywood caper (with loyal dogs and unreliable cats mixing it up); sure, BHC has the expected animated dog voices, but the film has more of a "I can't believe I'm actually enjoying this" feel. Yes, the south-of-the-border chihuahuas in this film actually have Mexican accents, and spend a long time exploring their doggie heritage.
This is truly a classic.
Yarn (2016)
Short, unsatisfying
The New York Times claimed - with a little irony - that YARN was the best documentary film on the subject. Of course, there aren't any other docs on the subject - which is unfortunate, since there are so many possibilities for the film.
The potential for a for a film like YARN is vast, but - sequence by sequence - the final result is a bit underwhelming. All of the segments are united by an artistic/conceptual approach. In Iceland, Barcelona, Japan, and Cuba, a disparate community of artists roll out their modest installations, which range from an astonishing woven playground to a bland woven mermaid costume.. The artists' sentiments are sincere but mostly ponderous.
YARN may be the best documentary yet on the subject, but it's not a particularly good one.
Chihayafuru Part I (2016)
Winning anime adaptation
I have to admit, I'm not knowledgeable about kurata at all - but the film (based on the anime series) was exciting, fun, and quite satisfying.
Chihaya Ayase (perky, beautiful Suzu Hirose) scrapes together a five-some of kurata players at school; she's so intense after a match that she falls fast asleep afterwards. She's always liked Arata (Mackenyu), a kurata champion through generations, but another player loves Chihaya too, making for a rivalry on several levels.
Director Norihiro Koizumi captures the excitement and frustrations with high level kurata play, but it's the humor that makes the film so infectiously enjoyable. Suzu Hirose is particularly funny, a whirlwind of nervous energy.
The Boy Friend (1971)
Good or great, depending
It's not very well known that there are several versions of this movie available, from 109 to 135 minutes. The DVD version is the shortest, and excludes a few of the most extravagant numbers, while the director's cut has all of the musical sequences.
The full theatrical version of the film is an unapologetic mix of reality and fantasy - some of it wonderful, some other segments not fully successful. But the film has a buoyant energy, thanks to the delightful musical numbers. The DVD version eschews the wilder fantasy sequences in favor of a more realistic approach. It seems to lack a certain energy.
I'd rate the shortened, DVD version of the movie maybe 6/10 - a real disappointment. I'd rate the full-length, theatrical version of the movie 9/10. If you can, see the movie. Don't bother with the DVD.
Jerusalem (2013)
Glorious photography...and a bit stiff
JERUSALEM is a vivid documentary about how three faiths somehow manage to coexist in an exclusive piece of international real estate: a spiritual nexus of humanity. The film is only 45 minutes long, so there's scarcely enough time to go into the city's history. Even the portion on biblical archeology could be expanded into a multi part series. Basically, the filmmakers show modern-day JERUSALEM through the eyes of three young women - Christian, Muslim, and Jewish - as they try to explain why the city is so special to them.
The problem is - the young women don't get to explain why Jerusalem is so special. Individual sequences are ravishing, with a wealth of long tracking shots and a few astonishing digital recreations. The film itself, however, doesn't have much of a story or point of view.
Without a specific focus or point of view, JERUSALEM can seem like eye-candy; visually engaging, but emotionally remote.
Xianshi shi guoqu de weilai (2009)
A symphony of disorder
Documentary director Weikai Huang has assembled various footage photographed in urban China - to create a sort of symphony of disorder. A water main springs a spectacular leak in downtown traffic; passersby take advantage of the tumult to slow down and wash their tars. A man possibly fakes being injured in a car accident; motorists at first offer money to the injured party, who's brusquely dragged off the pavement by the police. A half-dressed man poises to jump from a bridge to bring attention to a stalled legal situation. Pedestrians repeatedly risk their lives by walking across a busy highway. People go their daily way, wading through flooded streets. Fattened pigs go loose across the highway, and don't seem interested in moving. A disheveled man dances between cars, narrowly avoiding being struck.
In a little under an hour, DISORDER captures everyday life gone wrong, a vision of civilization that's lost control of itself. The film is shot in black and white, on grainy stock to give the feeling of hopelessness and documentary reality - like modern-day newsreel footage. Except DISORDER doesn't narrate the action; it's up to the viewer to assemble the storyline into a portrait of modern life gone wrong. It's very effective, and almost surreal, at times.