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  • I caught Lee Chang-dong's latest Cannes and Academy Awards foreign film entry, BURNING which was "inspired" by Haruki Murakami's short story Barn Burning from his collection The Elephant Vanishes. I usually love Lee Chang-dong's films (OASIS & PEPPERMINT CANDY are classics) and he is one of my favorite South Korean directors but this movie left me cold. Perhaps it's due to the fact that I've never been a fan of Murakami or the miscasting of Steven Yeun. I've never really got into THE WALKING DEAD but he was okay from what little I saw of him and he was pretty good in MAYHEM but he's out of his element here. He's supposed to play this sinister, mysterious other worldly character whose true intentions are never revealed but he comes off as a goofball the majority of his screentime. Just something about this flick rubbed me the wrong way but I can't quite put my finger on it. It didn't help that long stretches of it were just plain boring! Perhaps a second viewing will give me a different perspective but not sure if I'm willing to take that chance.



    I got Hajime Anzai's ludicrous coming of age dramedy I AM A PERVERT on deck. Heard the ending of that one is a doozy. Hoping it'll be worthwhile.

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    • Eventually watched something from the roman porno reboot

      Antiporno 7/10
      First of a poor script that isn't really saved by pushing in the meta angle as an excuse for the rest. Sono going to his usual quirks & eccentrics which can be annoying, here its kind of half n half. Nonetheless it's a well made movie that kind of keeps you guessing where it's going next although it's downside is to many uncohesive ideas both visual and storytelling that kind of clashes. Although I'm no fan of the lensflare, bokeh and soapbubble wankery (which imo is more of musicvideo aesthetic) the films visuals rather keeps the interest up. Might sound negative, but as a roman porno reboot I think the quality is better then expected so I will get to the rest eventually when fansubs or releases turn up (think there's few more avail) I guess the Sato reference is unmissable (Kyrie Eleison if i recall it correctly) although here i thought the lizard was going places so to speak.

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      • Originally posted by ropo1 View Post
        but as a roman porno reboot I think the quality is better then expected so I will get to the rest eventually when fansubs or releases turn up (think there's few more avail)
        All the Roman Porno Reboot films have been released on DVD in Hong Kong with English subtitles. No need for fansubs.

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        • Originally posted by ropo1 View Post
          Eventually watched something from the roman porno reboot

          Antiporno 7/10
          First of a poor script that isn't really saved by pushing in the meta angle as an excuse for the rest. Sono going to his usual quirks & eccentrics which can be annoying, here its kind of half n half. Nonetheless it's a well made movie that kind of keeps you guessing where it's going next although it's downside is to many uncohesive ideas both visual and storytelling that kind of clashes. Although I'm no fan of the lensflare, bokeh and soapbubble wankery (which imo is more of musicvideo aesthetic) the films visuals rather keeps the interest up. Might sound negative, but as a roman porno reboot I think the quality is better then expected so I will get to the rest eventually when fansubs or releases turn up (think there's few more avail) I guess the Sato reference is unmissable (Kyrie Eleison if i recall it correctly) although here i thought the lizard was going places so to speak.
          The majority of these roman porno reboots are readily available as blu ray rips (from the Happinet domestic releases) with English fan subs or retail subs. I think the only one that isn't is AROUSED BY GYMNOPEDIES but I'm sure subs will appear soon as the retail HK dvd has been out for a few months already.

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          • Yellow Line (黄線地帯) (Japan, 1960) [DVD] - 3.5/5
            A very enjoyable Shin Toho noir by Teruo Ishii. There's a terrific opening with hitman Shigeru Amachi accepting an assignment and then walking into the Tokyo night. During his getaway he kidnaps a lady (Yoko Mihara) whose boyfriend (Teruo Yoshida) then tails them to Kobe where they hide in a red light district. There's a great momentum through most of the film (minus the 2nd quarter), especially towards the ultra intense climax, as well as moody sets and fascinating location work capturing the Japan of the era. One sexy night club especially is pure Ishii. On the minus side we are served the worst black face job you'll ever see, on what appears to be a Caucasian blonde actress from her looks. This was Part 3 in the Line series, the only one in colour.



            Fire Line (火線地帯) (Japan, 1960) [DVD] - 2/5
            The 5th and last Line film, scripted but not directed by Teruo Ishii. At first this feels like Shintoho action gone Nikkatsu youth film. Unfortunately it then settles on a more casual gangster action gear. Technically quite slick, but uninvolving and unremarkable.

            The Rapist (続日本暴行暗黒史 暴虐魔) (Japan, 1967) [DVD] - 2/5
            Wakamatsu / Adachi arthouse pink supposedly inspired by the infamous serial killer / rapist Yoshio Kodaira. A traumatized Japanese man attacks young women in a small seaside town and drags their naked corpses to a cave where we get an occasional colour scene in an otherwise b/w film. Wakamatsu fans may be in for a treat; I found this a bit uninvolving and pretentious like many of his other films. There's intermittent, dry artiness without the kind of constant momentum and characterization that the films of his that I like, Shinjuku Mad and A Pool Without Water, have. Note: this is part 2 in the "Dark Story of a Japanese Rapist" series. There were four films in 1967-1970 + one that might be part of the series in 1972. There's confusion about the English titles as there are several of those, none are well known, and parts 1 and 2 both sometimes get called "Dark Story of a Japanese Rapist".

            Hot Springs Geisha 2 (温泉ポン引女中) (Japan, 1969) [DVD] - 3/5
            The first Hot Springs Geisha (1968) film, a harmless sex comedy and one of Teruo Ishii's dullest efforts, only managed to sneak in one or two brief topless shots. This sequel does more in the opening credits scene alone. It's a skin flick in and out, but thankfully one with an enjoyably laidback swing, drenched in 60s aesthetics, and without too many boring bits. And just when you're about to get a bit tired of it, it throws in a bizarre nude party scene with Tatsumi Hijikata's Butoh dancers! And then there's a super violent shocker final reel that makes you wonder if the filmmakers decided they should've gone the Joy of Torture (1968) route instead. Though unjustified quality wise, you can't quite help but to see the Beneath the Valley of the Dolls (1970) parallels. This is as good if not better than the two Norifumi Suzuki directed instalments (parts 4 and 5).



            Hot Springs Geisha 3 (温泉こんにゃく芸者) (Japan, 1970) [DVD] - 2/5
            This is a step back in the wrong direction after the wild and entertaining part 2. Somehow it's a whole lot tamer as well. A small town girl (newcomer Miwako Onaya) becomes a geisha to make money to send home. There are some minor points of interest like Ichiro Araki and street demonstrators, but generally speaking not much interesting or exploitative happens until the great climax where she competes in a three set sex duel. The scene is outrageous, not least because her own (foster) father is there to coach her!

            Gambler's Code - Loyalty Offering (博徒仁義 盃) (Japan, 1970) [TV] - 2/5
            Three yakuza brothers grow apart when chivalrous Bunta Sugawara goes to prison for his clan. Kyosuke Machida goes bad under Tatsuo Endo's rotten influence, Sugawara is still the same when he's released and Goro Ibuki is confused. And then thereí¤s Tomisaburo Wakayama who becomes a Christian priest who occasionally kicks people in the face with karate kicks. Unexciting ninkyo yakuza film sounds more fun than it is, being mainly a sappy melodrama with one-dimensional characters and too much crying after suffering and dying characters.

            Taifu Club (台風クラブ) (Japan, 1985) [35mm] - 5/5
            A long time personal all time favourite and frequently considered one of the finest Japanese films ever made (e.g. Kinema Junpo), I finally got to see Shinji Somai's youth film masterpiece in 35mm. This is Somai at the height of his powers, diving into the sexually confused psyche of a group of third year junior high school students trapped in a school building during a typhoon, shot in a slow-burn fashion that takes some patience but comes with incredible rewards. The ending with Yuki Kudoh walking in the midst of flourishing nature and soaked roads captures the hopefulness of childhood like no other film ever. Another incredible scene is the slow tracking shot dance scene. Aside from the wonderful performance by Kudoh, it's not so much a character film but something that caught an era, location, and adolescence on film. Admittedly it's an auteur film and there are bits where Somai is flying a bit too high, e.g. the scene where the boy kicks the door 73 times, but then again those bits only add to its fascination.



            Akira (アキラ) (Japan, 1988) [35mm] - 4.5/5
            My 3rd time seeing this in 35mm, as amazing as always. It seems I'm always in Tokyo when Akira screens, and of course I had to go this time as well since I was in town. It's a good print save for a few scratches but the sound was a bit shrill this time around. I'm not sure if the theatre at fault or what, as I don't recall any audio issues the last two times I saw it (clearly the same print) in 2016 and 2014. It probably didn't help the audio was cranked up really high.

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            • I recently re-watched Wu Kuo Jen aka James Wu's NINJA CONDORS 13 with Alexander Lo Rei. I just dig all those ninjasploitation flicks with Alexander & Eugene Thomas. yes, they are cheesy as hell and not very good but nonetheless they are quite entertaining. I think Lo Rei's charisma and magnetism are what makes these flicks watchable. I still remember Toby Russell saying Lo Rei was a baaaaadddd man IRL and wasn't one to be fucked with or played. Lo Rei admitted he would be in prison or dead if it wasn't for his venture into movies and I believe it! he just gives off a real tough guy vibe. Too bad they didn't show him boning the cute blonde gf of Lucifer at the end though. Having said that, this one is one of the weaker ones in the series and not as good as some of the others.

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              • I watched Hajime Anzai's indie flick, I AM A PERVERT. I actually enjoyed this despite the fact I knew going in that it was going to really off beat and weird but I still enjoyed it in spite of its weirdness. It's pretty run of the mill in the beginning about a struggling musician with a wife and newborn who can't shake his perverse S&M relationship with an ex-college groupie from his indie band days. Things really go south or (is it north?) when he gets a gig playing out in the boonies during the dead of winter. A bear is involved along with a massive dildo, butt plugs and just OTT insanity. Despite it being low budget, I will say the effects team responsible for the bear makes the bear look like CGI in comparison to bear scenes in past Japanese movies like MANHUNT but still not up to the level of Chiba in KARATE BEAR FIGHTER.







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                • I went to check out Chin Ka-lok's THE GOLDEN JOB at the theater the other night. All the familiar faces from the YOUNG AND DANGEROUS series are back including Ekin Cheng, Jordan Chan, Jerry Lamb, Michael Tse, & Chin Ka-lok himself. Eric Tsang also appears as a godfather/boss figure too. All of them are older of course and despite the weathered skin, male pattern baldness and stockier figures, they are all pretty much as I remember them from the 90s. The storyline pretty much continues in the same vein as that series with brotherhood and loyalty taking centerstage in terms of plot but it has more of an Expendables type of action delivery.

                  This mashup of Heroic Bloodshed with big budget action set pieces sort of works. Some decent action scenes (especially the two car chase scenes) are trickled throughout and the European & Japanese locations are a nice change from having everything centered in HK or mainland China. There's a neat sequence at an auto show where Ekin Cheng commandeers an LMP type race car and engages in a raging battle on the streets of Japan with a baddie in a rally cross car. Reminded me a bit of DRIVEN but unfortunately it was marred by some crappy CGI and under cranking.

                  Nice to see Yasuaki Kurata in a minor role as a sake brew master with some serious karate skills. I can't tell if they doubled for him in the close quarters hand to hand combat scene but if they didn't, he sure as hell looked impressive for a guy in the twilight of his career. Overall, a decent flick but nothing special. Still heaps better than that crap remake of MANHUNT John Woo put out earlier. I can't help but feel this is the type of flick that John Woo should've made instead with Chow Yun-fat or Tony Leung as the lead. Speaking of Chow Yun-fat, I'm going to check out his latest, PROJECT GUTTENBERG later tonight.

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                  • I checked out Felix Chong's latest crime thriller PROJECT GUTENBERG starring Chow Yun-fat and Aaron Kwok. This flick would've made my top 10 flicks of 2018 if not for the awful final act. The denouement literally ruined a very good movie. It still has a lot going for it though and the top of that list has to the superb performance by Chow Yun-fat - easily his best performance in years. The guy is 63 freakin' years old and yet he still exudes such allure and persona onscreen that he simply overshadows everyone else including his co-star Kwok, who is no slouch in that department either. I can't think of another actor who could've pulled off this role that requires equal parts charm and utter ruthless vile criminal behavior. He puts mainstream "Hollywood" action stars like Stratham, Neeson, Willis, the Rock, etc to shame.

                    This movie starts off light and breezy in tone with a heist film theme and then becomes much darker and Chow Yun-fat's character mirrors the change and just when you think it's going to be all fun and games, Chong flicks the switch and it becomes an action vehicle for Fat as well. It was reminiscent of his glory days with John Woo as Fat turns to his famous two handed gun play and there is a scene in the Golden Triangle straight out of HEROES SHED NO TEARS. That's perhaps this film's strength and weakness...Chong didn't know in which direction to take it and tried incorporating both to ultimately mixed results. Still definitely worth checking out if nothing else than Chow Yun-fat's acting clinic.

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                    • Modern Yakuza x 3

                      Modern Yakuza: Outlaw's Code (現代やくざ 与太者の掟) (Japan, 1969) [DVD] - 3.5/5
                      Surprisingly good transitional ninkyo / jitsuroku film sparks nicely in both genres, unlike most similar 'halfway-there' efforts. Bunta Sugawara is a jailbird back on the streets, a rough and violent but also chivalrous man who makes friends with a fellow yakuza (Kyosuke Machida). Perhaps better than any other yakuza film, this movie captures the psyche of a man just out of prison with no friends, no home, nothing to go back to. It's also beautifully filmed with ninkyo romantics and jitsuroku roughness somehow co-existing without cannibalizing each other. Add a bit of noirish atmosphere, a great Tomisaburo Wakayama supporting role (he sings also!) and an ultra bloody ending, and the film successfully overcomes its unexceptional story and the comedy-resembling Shingo Yamashiro stuff inserted in the middle. Fine effort from Yasuo Furuhata, whose films often strike as dull to me.



                      Modern Yakuza: Outlaw's Honor and Humanity (現代やくざ 与太者仁義) (Japan, 1969) [DVD] - 3/5
                      Noirish but not especially moving tale makes Sugawara play the second fiddle to young lovers (Masakazu Tamura, Ai Sasaki) on the run from the yakuza. Sugawara is the loyal yakuza brother trying to protect them, Ryo Ikebe an older brother obliged to bring the runaways to his boss. Violent and stylish, with some excellent character dynamics between Sugawara and Ikebe, it's a shame the central story about the young lovers is superficial and predictable, giving the viewer little reason to care.



                      Modern Yakuza: Loyalty Offering Breakdown (現代やくざ 盃返します) (Japan, 1971) [DVD] - 1.5/5
                      Slow moving and quite frankly boring part 3. Dodgy boss Koike orders loyal and clueless Sugawara to stab another boss, who is actually a pretty decent man with a rational son (Hiroki Matsukata). Sugawara eventually comes to realize this. Oddly enough, this is a ninkyo film rather than anything even remotely resembling the modern, soon-to-come jitsuroku films. Should've been called "The Conservative Yakuza" instead.

                      Note: this is part 3, not part 4 like Chris D claims (he mistakenly included Outlaw of Shinjuku in the series). The series then continued with Sadao Nakajima's Three Cherry Blossom Blood Brothers (1971) and what is the best known film in the series, Fukasaku's Street Mobster (1972).



                      Others

                      Zatoichi the Outlaw (座頭市牢破り) (Japan, 1967) [BD] - 4/5
                      The consequences of dealing death come haunting Zatoichi in this excellent entry. This was the first film produced Katsu's own company as opposed to the more conservative Daiei (still the distributor here). He got the politically minded Satsuo Yamamoto to helm the film with a great character touch. While the film retains all the humour, action and chivalry of the series, it also shows the corrupting effect of power and how the men Zatoichi slays are, in fact, real people. Rentaro Mikuni has an excellent supporting role as a yakuza boss sympathizing poor farmers.



                      Zatoichi and the Fugitives (座頭市果し状) (Japan, 1968) [BD] - 3.5/5
                      A good, darker than usual entry with a powerful ending. This was made soon after Zatoichi the Outlaw (there was one film in between) and in its depiction of Zatoichi's vulnerability it feels like a follow up of sorts. Takashi Shimura (likeable noble doctor) and Kyosuke Machida (one of the titular fugitives) provide good support. I haven't paid much attention to Machida in his Toei films, but he's pretty good here.

                      Violent Money Network (暴力金脈) (Japan, 1975) [DVD] - 3/5
                      If you ever wondered what a capitalist corporate & society satire would look like as a Toei jitsuroku yakuza film, here it is. Hiroki Matsukata stars as boxer turned small time thug who makes a living by marching into company offices and starting trouble until they pay him to leave, or he gets paid by a third party who has hired him to make trouble. Scriptwriter Kazuo Kasahara based the character on a man called Kaoru Ogawa whom he interviewed while doing research for Battles without Honor and Humanity. This is quite a different type of film though the cast, crew (Fukasaku was originally set to direct before being replaced by Sadao Nakajima) and the underlying mentality are largely the same. Also, there's no explicit violence or sex until Reiko Ike walks into the picture around the 50 minute mark in one of her better drama roles. The lack of violent mayhem makes this a smaller picture than some of its contemporaries, but the Nakajima - Matsukata pairing produces energetic results, and there are nice supporting turns by Takuzo Kawatani (thug) and Tomisaburo Wakayama (Ike's sugar daddy), among others. Also features an extremely funny cat killing scene.

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                      • All those sound fantastic. I suppose there's no chance of ever getting my hands on an English friendly version of Violent Money Network.

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                        • Originally posted by Takuma View Post
                          Fine effort from Yasuo Furuhata, whose films often strike as dull to me.
                          Furuhata's non-toei film "station" is one of my favourite films... do you like it ?

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                          • Originally posted by Jason C View Post
                            I suppose there's no chance of ever getting my hands on an English friendly version of Violent Money Network.
                            I don't see it quite impossible, perhaps some fansubber could make subs for it (it is Nakajima/Matsukata/Ike/Jitsuroku/Toei after all) or even Arrow pick it up, but frankly I wouldn't hold my breath.

                            Originally posted by tetrapak View Post
                            Furuhata's non-toei film "station" is one of my favourite films... do you like it ?
                            I haven't seen it, but I'll promise to rent it some day.

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                            • One of my fave movies from last year was Thai director Nattawut Poonpiriya's BAD GENIUS, so I made it point to catch his debut COUNTDOWN from 2012. Obviously this flick was made with a much smaller budget and the tone of the film is very different too but you can see that Nattawut had the directing chops even back then. I've seen this storyline play out many a time & the plot is nothing original but overall, it's nicely scripted, with decent acting and as mentioned Poonpiriya does a very good job directing. The standout was mixed Thai-French actor, David Asavanond who plays Jesus (pronounced like the Hispanic name), a small time drug dealer who just might be God himself. He really chews up the screen and you can tell he really enjoyed playing this role. He's had some bit parts in some other Thai productions (namely THE PROTECTOR) but this flick got me itching to see more of him. I wish the supplemental feature titled "Meet Mr. Jesus" delved into his background more but instead it was played for laughs. Anyway, Poonpiriya is definitely one of the upcoming Thai directors to keep an eye on and I will check out his future projects for sure.



                              I just got back from watching the big budget epic Korean sageuk movie, THE GREAT BATTLE and will have more to say about this flick later.

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                              • As previously mentioned, I went to check out Kim Kwang-sik's THE GREAT BATTLE. An epic historical film about the Siege of Ansi in 7th century Manchuria starring Jo In-sung and Nam Joo-hyuk. Thought it was fairly entertaining and worth checking out. The plot is generic and character development is non-existent but the action/battle scenes were engrossing & well done. I was pleased that the night battle scenes were well lit and not murky as in some other films which made it easy to follow the action. There is a quite a bit of CGI and slo mo bullet time effects and it does get repetitive but the high production value (the opening sequence is reminiscent of SAVING PRIVATE RYAN replete with the graphic war gore) and generally good VFX effects make it worthwhile. Also, another plus is Seolhyun is in this and she's definitely trending upward. She's only had bit roles so far but at least here she's able to showcase some of her physicality & prove she can handle some meatier roles.

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