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.
