Recently Seen, Part 35 (January 2020)

[sitenoise]

Happy New Year!

This is the stupidest, most idiotic Editor I've ever seen on the Internet. Please enjoy how the whole post is a fucking link !!

DOOR LOCK (Do-eo-lak) [2018] • South Korea
Director: Lee Kwon
7/10

This is a remake of Sleep Tight that I think I saw and even saw a different remake of. Your basic 'woman in peril' flick.

my god why is this link I didn't paste here ... here?
https://letterboxd.com/film/door-lock-2018/
Hyo-Jin Kong totally works for me as an actress, especially when she's tasked with the outrageous things she's asked to do in this film. I imagine if anyone but her were the lead in the film it would be a zero.
The plot points are ridiculous. Hiding under the bed and crawling around some guy's apartment while he saws off a woman's arm, and etc. Hyo-Jin is completely engaging and a joy to watch. It doesn't make sense, bless her heart.
Typically, the production values of this Korean flick are great. So roll your eyes and suspend your disbelief and enjoy it scene by scene.
One of the script values that annoyed me the most is the red herring murderer trope: a complete creepy asshole who stalks and assaults our protagonist in public, betrays motive, and possesses appropriate murder weapons (he's a carpenter). Haha! Made you look! This is becoming a common script error in Korean films.
Just now when I bolded the 7/10 score it bolded the whole fucking post! Awesome!
In the end it's all about Hyo-jin. If you have no connection or interest in her, the dumbness of the plot will turn you off. If you recognize her as one of the most talented and fashionably beautiful Plain Janes on the planet, it rocks!

I just noticed that the director of this flick also directed the wonderful My Ordinary Love Story ... https://letterboxd.com/sitenoise/film/my-ordinary-love-story/

Stupid Stupid Editor

 

[sitenoise]

Natsumi's Firefly (Natsumi no Hotaru) [2016] • Japan
Director: Ryuichi Hiroki
3.3/10

I lost it at "Natsumi. Your dad ... he loved you"

This is the sappy Hiroki. He's good at it but this one didn't move me. Girl moves to the countryside, communes with locals, becomes a better person. Kasumi Arimura is okay but not anywhere near the grade-A Hiroki leading lady material we expect and deserve; other characters are just other characters. A couple gruffy old men. Meh.

Nice location, photography, soundtrack as per Hiroki. It cracks me up how He shoots intimate conversations from 30 meters away.

 

[plsletitrain]

@sitenoise Wow that was a mess. No idea how this happens though.

Happy new year guys! I'm still alive! Was a bit busy with health issues but I'll try to post some stuff again. Hopefully.

 

[divemaster13]

It's so good to see you post! This just made my day. :)

 

[sitenoise]

@sitenoise Wow that was a mess. No idea how this happens though.

Happy new year guys! I'm still alive! Was a bit busy with health issues but I'll try to post some stuff again. Hopefully.

​

 

[ebossert]

Highly Recommended

Dial M for Murder (1954) (American Drama/Thriller) – A tennis player attempts to murder his unfaithful wife and get away with it. This has excellent dialogue. Much of this film takes place in one location, the apartment, so it requires a great script that makes you think. It accomplishes this. Another very good flick from Alfred Hitchcock.

Exit (2019) (Korean Thriller/Comedy) – Two rockclimbers put their skills to use when a nutcase scientist unleashes a toxic fog that envelops the city. It’s a rarity when a film decides to focus on normal everyday people who are forced to scale urban buildings, and this one makes use of that premise. Lots of fun climbing scenes to enjoy, a few of which involve unorthodox climbing tools. The characters are likeable, the score is good and the film takes place over the course of one night. This is a refreshing viewing experience because it feels different from most movies. It’s not like a typical disaster film at all, nor is it like a typical suspense or comedy.

Society (1989) (American Horror/Drama) – A highschool boy who is dealing with family dysfunction (and the pressures of society) begins to suspect that nefarious behavior exists involving his family and other high society types. He is also suffering from hallucinations, which creates even more paranoia. This is a well-made movie that allows the viewer to understand the frustrations of the protagonist. It’s intriguing and interesting to watch from start to finish. The physical effects are quite good and sufficiently disgusting. The finale is insane.

Westworld (1973) (American Sci Fi Western Action/Horror) – A robot malfunction creates havoc and terror for unsuspecting vacationers at a futuristic, adult-themed amusement park that has a Wild West setting. Written by Michael Crichton, this feels like “Jurassic Park” but with robots instead of dinosaurs. It’s cool stuff. Certainly interesting and fun to watch. Yul Brynner is sufficiently menacing. The score is unnerving too.

Recommended

Ash Is Purest White (2018) (Chinese Drama/Romance) – A woman falls in love with a gangster, but will it work out? This is another good one from Zhang Ke Jia. Has the crime conflict aspect that is similar to As Tears Go By, which could attract non-arthouse fans. There’s a good, violent fist fight at one point. But this is only the opening half. This eventually develops into a more free-flowing art-house vehicle with a few odd moments peppered in, but it stays connected to the main story enough to be engaging. Good dialogue. Good acting. Good direction. Good production values. I like the ending too.

Silent Night, Deadly Night (1984) (American Horror) – Little Billy witnesses his parents getting killed by Santa, so he grows up mentally unhinged. There’s a hilarious scene early on involving an old man who scares the crap out of a little boy, but the tone turns dark pretty fast. Almost half of the film concerns the backstory of the murderer. It’s good overall, but it takes a little while to get to the main event. Regardless, the whole second half is staged murders. The death scenes are good too. There’s a satisfying amount of holiday atmosphere here as well. The actor who plays the killer is not intimidating at all, but that’s okay here. In fact, you want him to kill a few of the people because they are jerks.

The Gangster, the Cop, the Devil (2019) (Korean Crime Thriller/Action) – After barely surviving a violent attack by an elusive serial killer, a crime boss (Dong-seok Ma) finds himself forming an unlikely partnership with local detective to catch the sadistic killer. The dynamic between the protagonists is pretty good, but the serial killer is wafer thin and forgettable. Still, there are enough thrills and interaction to be legitimately entertaining.

Reset (2017) (Chinese Sci Fi Thriller/Action) – Scientist Xia Tian's hard work finally pays off when she successfully sends living tissue back through time by 110 minutes. When her son is taken at the hands of kidnappers, she must give up the technology. This time travel flick is simplistic enough to be easy to follow and it avoids being convoluted, which helps to make it enjoyable. The lead actress is good and there is plenty of suspense and a brisk pace.

Brain Damage (1988) (American Horror/Comedy) – One morning, a young man wakes to find that a small, disgusting creature has attached itself to the base of his brain stem. The creature gives him a euphoric state of happiness but demands human victims in return. There are some nasty bits of disgusting gore. The story is thin, but it’s interesting in its weirdness and body horror visuals.

The Divine Fury (2019) (Korean Horror/Action) – A mixed martial arts fighting champion lives a normal life, but his past comes back to haunt him because he develops Stigmata and teams up with a Vatican priest to perform exorcisms. This is definitely more of a horror movie that revolves around exorcisms, which feels like a missed opportunity because the physical fighting does not play into the conflict until the finale. Still, the horror elements are pretty good and there are a few bells and whistles that give it a different feel.

Basket Case (1982) (American Horror) – A young man carrying a big basket that contains his extremely deformed Siamese-twin brother seeks vengeance on the doctors who separated them against their will. More entertaining for its weirdness than its story. The death scenes are rather disappointing and repetitive. Acting is a bit off too. The monster is bizarre though.

The Irishman (2019) (American Crime Drama) – A mob hitman recalls his possible involvement with the slaying of Jimmy Hoffa in this film by Martin Scorsese. This is watchable stuff with some good performances, but at times it feels like a parody of Scorsese’s prior gangster films. It’s just the same old, same old stuff. It’s so basic and cliché. The story is static and none of the “eventful” scenes (e.g., deaths, etc.) are impactful. It doesn’t help that at the beginning of the movie everyone already knows that Jimmy Hoffa is going to die (real life news) and DeNiro’s character is going to live (because it’s told in flashback). In typical Scorsese fashion, there’s not a single interesting female character in the entire film. The 3.5-hour runtime is also unnecessary; the story finishes and it takes forever to get to the credits.

 

[ebossert]

Not Recommended

Collide (2016) (American Action) – An American backpacker gets involved with a ring of drug smugglers as their driver, though he winds up on the run from his employers across Cologne high-speed Autobahn. The opening half hour setup is ineffective and the girl is barely in the film afterward. Script is stupid and the acting stinks overall (this is the worst performance I’ve seen from Holt). The action ranges from good to mediocre, with some highlights being a few car crashes. The anticlimactic ending is not satisfying, however.

Santa’s Slay (2005) (American Horror/Comedy) – Santa Claus (Bill Goldberg) is actually a demon who lost a bet with an Angel, so he becomes the giver of toys and happiness. But when the bet is off, he returns to his evil ways. The opening scene has an intriguing cast, but the dialogue and execution is lame and annoying. Then we get annoying characters and a fake jump scare. The opening 15 minutes are crap. They try to infuse a new mythology for Santa, but everything around it is so damn boring. Most of the death scenes are too quick and not set up properly, almost as if the filmmakers wanted to rush thru them. The characters are also lackadaisical regarding the threat and are not phased by it much. Dialogue is really bad the whole way thru, which is a big problem. The lead actor is lame too, as is the finale. Goldberg just plays himself. There are a few amusing moments, like the claymation sequence and a few jokes. The lead actress is hot too. Not enough though.

The Borrower (1989) (American Horror/Comedy) – Aliens punish one of their own by sending him to earth. The alien is very violent, and when the body he occupies is damaged, he is forced to find another. This is a low-grade rip-off of the very entertaining film “The Hidden” (1987). Rae Dawn Chong is the main protagonist but she’s barely in the film. The reason for this is that the scriptwriters are more concerned with showing the alien dude walking around and hanging out with homeless people for most of the runtime. Yes, this movie loaded with boring filler and lacks any excitement or genuinely funny moments. Bleh.

 

[clayton-12]

Basket Case (1982) (American Horror) – A young man carrying a big basket that contains his extremely deformed Siamese-twin brother seeks vengeance on the doctors who separated them against their will. More entertaining for its weirdness than its story. The death scenes are rather disappointing and repetitive. Acting is a bit off too. The monster is bizarre though.

I haven't seen this since it first came out on VHS around 83/84, but I recall the stop-motion animation was one of simultaneously cool and corny things I have ever seen.

 

[clayton-12]

Gone With The Light (Dong Runnian, 2019) A mysterious burst of light appears over random cities, resulting in hundreds of people in each location simply disappearing into thin air. Those left behind start noticing that most of those who have disappeared can be linked through a romantic entanglement to someone else who disappeared. The media frenzy that follows the event soon starts promoting the notion that the light has taken away everyone who was truly in love with one another, and this idea quickly becomes accepted wisdom.

Huang Bo is a high school teacher whose life is in a rut. He lives in a cramped and dingy apartment, his wife of seventeen years (Zhou Tan) consents to sex because she needs his attention for a few minutes if she wants to nag, and his daughter’s (Vicky Chen) communication with her parents ranges from scowling to pouting. Despite all this, he would have thought himself perfectly happy with his life. But now the constant chatter about the meaning of this supernatural event starts him wondering about why his family was left behind. Does his wife really love him? Is she having an affair? Does he really love her? What is love anyway? Is he even capable of properly understanding his own emotional state?

Meanwhile, uptight career girl Wang Loudan was supposed to meet her philandering husband of seven years at the registry office to finalise a divorce, and leave him free to run away with his slutty, dumb-as-bricks mistress (Huang Lu). Only problem is he disappeared with the light, leaving both women behind. So they figure there must have been an unknown third woman, one that he truly loved, and they embark on a quest to find her identity – compiling a growing list of possibilities as they go.

After a couple of really strong opening sequences, I started to think that the film was going to develop into something really quite hokey, as if the series Lost had been given a Hallmark makeover. But the film actually became more grounded as it went on – the focus wasn’t on the supernatural elements (in fact, they explicity became beside-the-point), but on how ordinary people respond when events they can neither understand nor control start to challenge their belief systems.

I liked this a lot.

 

[ebossert]

Highly Recommended

The Kirishima Thing (2012) (Japanese Drama) (repeat viewing) – High school students go about their business despite the absence of a popular classmate. This is a fairly unorthodox film because it shifts between a number of different characters. It’s seemingly more interested in capturing realistic character interaction and school life than following a traditional narrative. In this way, it is a resounding success and one gets a good feel for each of the characters. The performances are great by the young actors. Since the script is dialogue driven, there are a number of interesting conversations too. I very much enjoyed the student filmmaker who was trying to shoot a zombie film on school grounds (my favorite parts are his humorous arguments with the saxophone girl, as well as the rooftop finale). The viewer should pay close attention throughout, as there are many subtle details in this film by Daihachi Yoshida.

Marriage Story (2019) (American Drama/Romance/Comedy) – This is a look at a marriage breaking up and a family staying together, starring Adam Driver and Scarlett Johannson. This has very good performances, even by ScarJo (which is surprising). There’s also quite a bit of laid-back humor, which I appreciated. The process involving the manipulative divorce lawyers and the court process is probably the most interesting thing in terms of content, and it’s the major aspect of the story. The script gets into the details too. I never knew divorce could be such a pain in the butt!

Cold In July (2014) (American Thriller/Drama) – When a man kills a home invader in self-defense, the burglar’s father begins threatening the man’s family. The story is somewhat unpredictable, which is a nice surprise and keeps the viewer enthralled from start to finish. Solid acting, suspense, and a nicely flowing narrative make this one memorable. The synth score works.

Dawn of the Felines (2017) (Japanese Drama) – A story of three escort girls living in Ikebukuro, Tokyo. They work at the same escort service while feeling lonely in their urban lives. This is a good flick that is well-acted and has some interesting interaction that mixes in some perverted elements. The moments with their “regular” clients show some insight into their mentalities. The most valuable thing here is that these ladies feel like real people who simply have a naughty profession. It’s also quite funny at times. Viewers beware of some steamy moments. Part of the Nikkatsu Roman Porno Reboot Project.

Recommended

Dead Kids (2019) (Filipino Drama/Thriller) – A socially awkward teen bonds with a group of misfits who plot to abduct the schools arrogant rich kid for ransom. The script is basic but it works because it focused on the characters and the pressures of life. Performances are solid. This is a good one by Mikhail Red, but it’s not as great as “Birdshot.”

The Scythian Lamb (2017) (Japanese Drama) – Suffering from population decline, the government of a small seaside town decides to welcome 6 ex-cons into the community but keeps it a secret from the residents. This ensemble film by Daihachi Yoshida has a good cast (Ryuhei Matsuda, Kazuki Kitamura, Yuka, Mikako Ichikawa, etc.). It focuses more on character interaction than story, but it works quite well and delves into the problems of ex-cons who try to reacclimate to society.

Virgins from Hell (aka Maidens Revenge) (1987) (Indonesian Action) – This begins as a conflict between an all-girl motorcycle gang and a drug cartel, but it quickly morphs into a 70s-style exploitation girls-in-prison flick (without the nudity). Action is low-grade, but plentiful and fun to watch due to awkward actors, death scenes, an unpredictability regarding who will survive, and unintentionally funny moments. Score is a rip-off of “Mad Max” and other popular films. There are some funny absurd moments to enjoy, which include the most absurd bullet extraction scene ever.

Terrifier (2016) (American Horror) – On Halloween night, Tara Heyes finds herself as the obsession of a sadistic murderer known as Art the Clown. This movie has a low-budget awkwardness to it, similar to the Necrostorm films. It tries to be witty and charming near the beginning, which is appreciated, but the general vibe is pretty mean-spirited and nasty. The clown is kinda creepy and the actor does a good job despite the character being a mute. There are a few nasty death scenes to enjoy. Lighting is pretty good in spots, despite the very low budget. There are scriptwriting and character decision-making problems, as well as a basic misunderstanding of human biology. Good flick.

The Rise of Skywalker (2019) (American Sci Fi Action) – The surviving members of the resistance face the First Order once again, and the legendary conflict between the Jedi and the Sith reaches its peak bringing the Skywalker saga to its end. This movie falls apart if you think about it . . . at all. J.J. Abrams attempts to rectify this by moving the film at 1,000 miles per hour and rushing thru everything as fast as possible. It kinda works, at least enough to be brainless fluff. The retconning of elements from “The Last Jedi” is annoying and Palpatine’s return is the definition of lazily reaching for low-hanging fruit.

 

[ebossert]

Not Recommended

Deja Vu (2018) (Korean Thriller/Horror) – After accidentally killing a woman while driving, and fleeing the scene, Ji-min goes to the cops. But the body is missing. This begins with some generic ghost girl horror imagery, and continues with inept horror tactics throughout (pulling hair out of throat, cheap jump scares, etc.). The script is messy and also unfocused, choosing to feature gangster subplots instead of the main mystery. The best scene in the movie happens when our protagonist intentionally wrecks her work desk out of anger.

Eating Woman (2018) (Japanese Drama) – The film shows the daily lives of eight women in Japan who interact, eat, drink, date with abandon, have high expectations and practice materialism. This is a shallow movie with boring interaction and thin characters. It’s also mediocre at showcasing food. A waste of a good cast.

Murderer (2009) (Chinese Thriller) – This notoriously bad mystery is centered on a detective who has been framed for a series of gruesome murders. Lighting is quite nice and the reservoir location is cool, but the plot is boring and the runtime of 2 full hours is too long. This takes itself very seriously, but is lacking in an interesting script to make it work. Aaron Kwok acts really hard, but it’s too much forceful expression and overkill. There is one good death scene. The twists are incomprehensibly stupid and laughable in their execution. There are a few unintentionally funny moments, but not enough to make it watchable.

Re:Mind (2017) (Japanese Thriller Television Series) – After awaking in an old European-style room, eleven high school classmates find themselves sitting at a large dining room table, with their feet shackled to the floor. The plot is lame and the scriptwriting is thin and soap opera-ish. This is a big problem since this show primarily takes place in one room. We basically get a bunch of J-pop idols who attempt and fail badly to act. I quit after 4 episodes.

 

[clayton-12]

Cold In July (2014) (American Thriller/Drama) – When a man kills a home invader in self-defense, the burglar’s father begins threatening the man’s family. The story is somewhat unpredictable, which is a nice surprise and keeps the viewer enthralled from start to finish. Solid acting, suspense, and a nicely flowing narrative make this one memorable. The synth score works.

I thought this one was great - one reviewer's comment that summed it up really nicely was along the lines of "the viewer walks out of a different film to which they went into".

 

[clayton-12]

新年快乐 !!!

Lost on Journey (Raymond Yip, 2010) is the type of film that I imagine gets trotted out onto Chinese television at this time every year. Xu Zheng is the ruthless owner of a toy manufacturing company, who is flying home to his wife and daughter in Changsha this New Year/Spring Festival - much to his annoyance he can only get economy seats. Wang Baoqiang is a dimwitted, illiterate farm worker who has been tricked into going to Changsha to collect a bogus debt. Their paths initially cross in the line at the check-in counter, where first-time flyer Wang is holding up the line with countless questions (“Which platform does the plane arrive at?” “Is this a seated or standing ticket?”). Of course, they end up seated next to one another, but the plane gets diverted and they both end up on the same train, but the track is blocked and they end up on the same bus, but the road is blocked and they end up …

You really know where this is going right from the beginning – its set-up is squarely within the odd-couple formula. However, the film succeeds because it is genuinely funny. Wang Baoqiang basically reprises his roles in Blind Shaft and World Without Thieves, placing a comedic twist on the naivety of the earlier characters, to create someone who you can’t help rooting for the whole way through. Xu Zheng’s straight-man character is spot on, too – he’s established in the opening scenes as the archetypal asshole, but he’s played with just enough humanity from the beginning to make you care for him, at least a little. And the chemistry between the two hits the mark.

You’re not going to find anything groundbreaking watching this, but it is a really pleasant experience. It made me smile inside. Kind of like the cinematic equivalent of a nice pair of comfy slippers.