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I think it's the best thing I've seen Page in. I really liked the movie (though I honestly can't think of a McDonald movie I haven't liked).
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See You in YouTube (2008) -- produced by Oxide Pang and directed by seven different directors, incl. Pang (under the alias Seven's). Elanne Kong and Janice Man are best friends, since high school, who have always been extremely competitive. They get involved in a young filmmaker's (Him Law) reality competition film, with the expected crazy results. All very funny until one round takes place in a cemetary, which plays out in amazingly scary fashion (possibly Oxide's episode). Gets a bit sentimental and weepy at the end but otherwise quite good.Comment
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True Women for Sale (2008) -- Herman Yau's follow-up to Whispers & Moans, also co-written by Yeeshan Yang and based on her book. Decent prostitute drama with veteran Prudence Liew in the lead and an amusing turn by Anthony Wong as an insurance salesman. Might be a bit too lowkey and parochial for anyone expecting a sleaze-fest from Yau, based on the two or three Cat III films he did, but a good indicator of what the man can do in other genres as well as shows his knack for social commentary.
Twins Mission (2007) -- Originally saw this CNY in Malaysia on release, but felt like rewatching it yesterday. A big loud fun action adventure with the Twins (Charlene Choi and Gillian Chung) leading, with Sammo Hung and Wu Jing as Tibetan monks and Yuen Wah as the former leader of "The Twins", an elite group of pickpockets comprised entirely of (real-life) identical twins. Lots of wire-heavy kung fu, some CGI, a pounding score by Lincoln Lo, a brilliant fight/chase by EVERYONE in a multi-level shopping mall and a cracking end smackdown by EVERYONE (again); but a big note towards two Yuen Wahs and Sammo kicking it (or at least, them in close-up and their doubles in medium/longshots). Loses a point for having no ending -- it just finishes without wrapping the story and credits roll!
Red to Kill (1994) -- I haven't revisited this one for years, but tonight was the night in prep for something to come on the blog (after everything else). Not nearly as shocking as I remembered it, though the subject matter alone is distasteful enough (rape of an intellectually disabled girl). No-one did roaring, OTT villians like Ben Ng in his prime and the climax is a powerhouse of senseless brutality. It's an odd mix: sympathy for the disabled, gushing melodrama and horrendous rape and graphic violence. One of the kings of Cat III cinema.Comment
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Red To Kill still flips me out. It was one of the first of the notorious Cat III films I remember seeing and I was totally unprepared for it. I haven't seen it in a while and am probably jaded enough that it wouldn't hit me the way it did initially, but I remember wanting to curl up in the fetal position and cry when I watched it the first time.Rock! Shock! Pop!Comment
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It had the same effect on me when I first saw it -- in the cinema, uncut (without the blessing of the Aussie censors), on the big screen. Watching it now, after all these years of "extreme" mainstream horror (that has effectively topped the worst of overseas shock cinema in every way imaginable), it's not quite as shocking as it once seemed. As I said, though the subject matter is still as distasteful as ever, time has taken the edge off the film. Give it a spin -- you'll be surprised (I was!).Originally posted by Ian Jane View PostComment
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Yeah, I'll want to revisit that one soon - just becase it's been a long time, but you're probably right, I'm sure it's been topped plenty of times since then. I can't think of another one to take on the same sort of premise though, so it earns its spot just for the sheer nastiness of the very concept.Rock! Shock! Pop!Comment
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All the Boys Love Mandy Lane (2006) -- What was this? Seriously...what was this? Why oh why must horror filmmakers continuously go for the obvious? Here's the spooky obsessed kid, so you know...he's the killer, and there's a twist...but you'll figure that out straight away. Take a few friggin' risks, people -- show us something different other than formula, okay? Why was there so much hoopla about this film before it was released? It was so mediocre that it was boring. Sheesh...
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Speaking of going for the obvious, watched The Rite last night. It had its moments and it was cool to see Hauer in the movie, but I had no problem figuring out how this was going to end which made it a bit dull, actually. Decent performances, nice cinematography, well put together in a technical sense and with a few interesting set pieces - it wasn't awful or anything - but I'd hoped for more.Rock! Shock! Pop!Comment
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Wow... old Anthony Hopkins looks a lot like Rutger Hauer.
Å–Çƈḱ!Ꞩẖȫçꞣ!Ƥӧê•!Comment
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Cabin Fever 2 (2009) -- so this is what a film looks like when the director cracks the shits over the contract he signed and walks, leaving the producers to assemble the film without his input. I liked the original, but this was a pretty piss-weak follow-up; which I should have expected as Ti West's made nothing of consequence so far anyway...
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Still haven't seen Cabin Fever 2, don't have any burning desire to either, but I too liked the first one.
Last night? Legend of the Fist. Well, most of it. Someone got sleepy so we didn't finish the last half hour but will tonight. So far it's fun. Good action scenes and Yen has a funny moustache.
I also watched The Challenge Of The Gobots and it was even more terrible than I remember it being, but that's okay, I still love it.Rock! Shock! Pop!Comment
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Well played -- as you'll be missing nothing, trust me. ;) I anticipate my next movie to be watched will be some other crock of shit I bought ages ago, let collect dust, and never watched.Originally posted by Ian Jane View PostComment
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You make it sound so enticing!Rock! Shock! Pop!Comment
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So, anyway, Aussie actor Bill Hunter died last week and they ran a couple of his films (I'd seen before) on the telly last night...
Mad Dog Morgan (1976) -- it's not a bad rendition of the Daniel Morgan story, but it's certainly not a great film. Parts of it, such as the cinematography and editing, are downright amateurish on occasions; it's a wonder we got Dennis Hopper to star in such a low budget piece. Yet, some passages are absolutely brilliant. It's an odd film, and was definitely one worth a second look with much older eyes. Unfortunately, the ABC* print (although in scope) seemed to have a few noticeable teensy trims in it.
Stone (1974) -- I had forgotten just how BAD this film is, and as an Aussie it's an total embarrassment that this has become a cult film overseas (and locally). The whole production reeks of amateur hour, and it's completely obvious Harbutt was aping the American biker/cop/espionage angle of the era -- right down to including a couple of characters who speak in inexplicable faux-American accents. Ken Shorter (Stone) has to be the worst leading man I've ever seen, and the rejig from the 126m release print down to Harbutt's 98m "director's cut" results in one of the most useless narrative's I've seen in "Ozploitation" (why the killings occurred, and who was doing them, is almost completely peripheral). A dreadful piece of shit.
* ABC also stands for: Australian Broadcasting Corporation (ala ABC @ Wiki)Last edited by Mike T; 05-28-2011, 08:51 PM.Comment
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Maniac Cop - this one is still fun. Flawed, yes, but fun. Some cool action, some cool horror, you get Bruce Campbell before he became a self parody, Laurene Landon's non-acting, Robert Z'dar's chin and Shaft.
Black Belt Jones 2: The Tattoo Connection - Not Jim Kelly's best and Bolo is underused but that's usually the case.Rock! Shock! Pop!Comment
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