#1751
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Master of the Flying Guillotine (1975). Somehow, this martial arts flicks fits in a story between fights. Anyone that likes lots of action and little dialogue will find this Kung Fu movie wonderful. Each fighter has a unique style and uses it to advantage. The ridiculously long fight tournament was superb. The titular weapon- awe-inspiring. All in all worthy of a martial arts cult classic. Ashe.
derek
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Fate is my mistress, mother of the cruel abomination that is hope. |
#1752
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ip man.....
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#1753
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Ringu 2 (1999). This sequel had a lot of promise. It starts up a week after Ringu ends, and it attempts to delve into the meaning of what is actually happening. For me, it took on too much and was thereby unable to deliver. The original probably took some of the air out of the sequel's sails, but i still think too much was going on here for to be credible. As well, certain things just seem to come about without much back-plot (does telekinesis run rampant in Japan?). Given that, it was still a very good effort and definitely worth a watch. It may have helped had i watched the two within a week of each other, but i did not. Ashe.
derek
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Fate is my mistress, mother of the cruel abomination that is hope. |
#1754
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Glad you enjoyed it!! :D
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#1755
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Samurai Spy (1965). This samurai flick is almost in a league of its own. In fact, it would almost be better to classify it as a classic ninja flick. Though the intrigues in this number are at times difficult to follow, they never quite get lost and only serve to keep one's attention more focused. The acting is pretty good, but it is the direction and cinematography that help drive this brilliant story into its own singular genre. The fight scenes are enough to keep most guys attention, and some of the nija stuff is pretty cool. The way the scenes line up towards the end makes for some wonderfully discombobulating tension. All in all a solid samurai/ninja classic. Ashe.
derek
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Fate is my mistress, mother of the cruel abomination that is hope. |
#1756
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Mother (2009)
Another great slow burn thriller with dark humor from the director of acclaimed Asian films like The Host and Memories of Murder. When her mentally handicapped son is arrested for the murder of a school girl, the boy's over protective mother believes that the police have made a mistake and that he is being made a scapegoat for their lazy, sloppy investigation. When the police, who are convinced they have the right suspect-her son, won't help her, mother takes matters into her own hands, finding potential clues that turn out to be mostly red herrings and dead ends. Director Joon-ho Bong retreads much of the same territory as he did in "Memories of Murder," but in a slower, more straightforward fashion, instead of focusing on the cops' perspective, this time the spotlight is on the mother of the murder suspect. The film opens with a lyrical shot of a middle aged woman slowly approaching the camera in some seemingly idyllic rural setting. She begins to dance as the credits roll. Then we cut, back to find that woman as a mother in her business & keeping an eye on her errant son in the street. Tracking through the story with her provides thrills and shocks and more than a bit of bone grating violence in the rather graphic fashion. But there's again quite some mastery here in telling the story. What makes this film stand alone is its tenacity. It doesn't let you go, it keeps on trying in the form of the mother attempting to follow every trail. It's a great premise and you are kept guessing throughout but you can't predict the ending. Like MOM, all the actors did a great job here too..specially the woman who played the title character gave a top notch performance. Overall, it may not as great as MOM but surely another very promising & good film from the same maker. >>: A-
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@Letterboxd Last edited by roshiq; 11-04-2009 at 12:07 AM. |
#1757
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The Quiet Family (1998). At first this one seemed like it was going to be a straight "when bad things lead to bad choices lead to more bad things" sorta flick, but then the black comedy side started to shine through. This was a fun story of events that could not have been choreographed any better. Everything about this flick was darkly comical and entertaining. Ashe.
derek
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Fate is my mistress, mother of the cruel abomination that is hope. |
#1758
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Quote:
I can guess the ending already. Mommy is the murderer. ;)
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I'm right. It's the rest of the world that's wrong. |
#1759
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Nope! You are wrong, buddy:D
But you know what? .. . . . . . **Spoilers Ahead** . . . . that's indeed a pretty close call!;)
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@Letterboxd |
#1760
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Double Suicide (1969). A daring masterpiece of cinema, this film is intimately based on a a Japanese puppet play, and there are obvious elements which are indicative to the guiding hands of fate that remain ostensibly apparent to the viewer. How Masahiro Shinodo pulled this off is itself a miracle. A dark, tragic, and well-crafted love story for sure, there is enough distance between the viewer and character such that the insanely tragic situation that comes to fruition is not too much for the viewer to bear. The acting and set scenes were appositely overdone, once again a daring triumph as it only added to the stroke of cinematic genius found in this immaculate work of art. That the lead actress played both female leads flawlessly was not only superb in its own right, but i would contend that there were some symbolic elements to this casting choice as well. The cinematography was incredible, and that ending, stunningly brilliant!!! This movie was simple a courageous and magnificent work of art. Ashe.
derek
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Fate is my mistress, mother of the cruel abomination that is hope. |
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