Can't wait for this Miike chambara remake:
Monday, October 04, 2010
Thursday, September 30, 2010
Tony Curtis R.I.P
-The Vikings
- Some like it hot !
- Spartacus
- The Boston Strangler
- The Manitou
and dozens of others, good and bad alike.
Respect for a party animal that had a really "cool" attitude.
Below the final duel of richard Fleischer "The Vikings", one movie that traumatised me for life when I was a child, with Tony Curtis & Kirk Douglas:
Friday, September 17, 2010
Monday, September 13, 2010
Dream Home - Ho-Chueng PAng - Hk - 2010 - trailer
Looking forward to watch the last Ho-Cheung Pang movie, with Anthony Wong !
I really enjoyed his previous movies: "You shoot, I shoot", "Men suddently in black" and "Exodus". All extremely original ones.
International trailer:
Saturday, September 11, 2010
Nikutai no Mon aka Gate of Flesh - Seijun Suzuki -Japan - (1964)
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0058409/
Plot by imdb: "After World War II, some Tokyo prostitutes band together with a strict code: no pimps, attack any street walker who comes into our territory, defend the abandoned building we call home, and punish whomever gives away sex (who falls in love). Maya, a young woman whose family has died, joins the group. Into the mix comes Shin, a thief who's killed a G.I. The women allow him to hide while recovering from wounds, but then he won't leave. Maya is drawn to him, discovering as she falls in love that she can feel again; she's now more fully human, but at the same time, she's endangered herself and her livelihood. Can she and Shin make it out of Tokyo to establish as a couple?"
A sexploitation plot, a realistic historical background, the pop/flashy colorful aspect of Seijun Suzuki frame composition, his desperate romanticism and his fascination for outlaw groups, in this case prostitutes, all these are turning this movie into an instant cult classic for me.
How can I describe how magnificent is the movie ? Just watch the trailer and the screencaps. It's mesmerizingly beautiful. Having been shot in the Nikkatsu studio with all the crafty technicians around and a comfortable budget allowed this very stylish director to fully control every aspect of his creation. It will go even further in his following works, "Tokyo drifter" & "Branded to kill", pop insanities disguised as yakuza eiga, leading to his firing by the Nikkatsu in 1968, supposedly for "making incomprehensible pictures". Those fucking dumb suits !
A wonderful dive into the dark underbelly of post-war Japan, a huge sense of desperation and bitterness is felt all along the movie, that really explains a lot about the generation of directors that emerge in the 60's: Suzuki, Fukasaku, etc.... Having lost their illusion on mankind in their childhood during the war, they went on making "genre" movies that were extremely cynical and quite desperate, but who showed an incredible vitality.
"Gate of flesh" is amongst those movies. A sense of constant emergency and at time, hysteria is only compensate by the inner feeling of the main characters that "there is more to life than this". "This" in that case is stealing, robbing, being a prostitute, etc... Anything that can make you survive in a desperate situation.
The cast is top notch, all the prostitutes having their own strong personality but the main roles belongs to Yumiko Nogawa and Jo Shishido (and his silicones cheeks), both great.
Another amazing piece of work from Suzuki and a movie that goes really beyond its exploitation genre.
Kiru aka Kill ! - K.Okamoto - Japan - (1968)
Plot by Imdb:"Two ronin - an ex-samurai and an ex-farmer - get caught up in a local officials complex game of murder and betrayal."
Technically impressive and beautifully framed, this classical tale of two extremely different characters, one disillusioned ex-samurai and a poor farmer wannabe samurai, being thrown into a local treacherous politics maneuvers, finds its originality in its constant humor and ironic comments on Japanese Medieval stereotypes. Kihachi Okamoto knew his craft well, having directed such Chambara classics as "Samurai" and the amazing "The sword of Doom" (both with Toshiro Mifune), and once again he delivers. Photography, framing, lightning, editing, etc, all technical aspects are excellent and should be praised but what really tops everything else are the actors performances. The two main characters are likeable and complex. They try to find their own way in the mist of the violent and erratic events happening all around them. Tatsuya nakadai, who'll be a Akira Kurusawa favorites many years later, is just wonderful in his depiction of a cynical character in search of his own way.
Apparently inspired by Sergio Leone and its Spaghetti western original style, the "comic book" approach is clearly visible here. Once again, a Japanese classic Jidaigeki happens to be a very special movie: a Chambara satire, hilarious, deep and exhilarating at the same time. Highly recommended for fans of the genre.
Trailer:
Monday, August 30, 2010
Rabid (also known as Rage) - David Cronenberg - Canada - (1977)
Plot by Imdb:"A young woman develops a taste for human blood after undergoing experimental plastic surgery, and her victims turn into rabid, blood-thirsty zombies who proceed to infect others, which turns into a city-wide epidemic."
Excellent follow up to "Shivers" and annunciating the little known masterpiece "The Brood", this vampire-zombies-virus paranoid movie is one of the gems from the early years of master David Cronenberg carrier. Low budgeted but already carrying all the ingredients of Cronenberg's obsessions: mutation, biological decay, contamination, social ostracism in front of a disease, society (or culture) seen as weak in front of biology, etc...The carrier is sexy pornstar Marylin Chambers, that pulls out a great performance and shows everybody that she can act with clothes on, as well. As she carries on spreading the virus, the weakness of human sociological behavior in front of a biological threat is more and more present until a chaotic final that is clearly shows that our society can fall into panic anytime, confronted to its very organic composition: us.
Then our only response for survival is a non-human one: extermination.
Incredibly modern in its themes, this Cronenberg movie will creep under your skin and make you unconfortable.
If you start spitting white mossy liquid and feeling enraged, it's too late.
Trailer:
Wednesday, August 25, 2010
SATOSHI KON R.I.P
SATOSHI KON
(1963-2010)
Maybe my favorite contemporary animation director.
Paprika (2006), "Paranoia Agent" tv series (2004), Tokyo Godfathers (2003), Millennium Actress (2001), Perfect Blue (1998). All cinema masterpieces. Full of poetry and intelligence.
He also was the scriptwriter of "warudo apatomento hora", the Otomo live directorial debut. He was working on "The Dreaming Machine".
It's a gigantic loss. He passed away at only 46 years old.
All animation fans are orphans today.
R.I.P
Okuyami moshiagemasu.
Okuyami moshiagemasu.
Perfect Blue:
Millenium Actress:
Tokyo Godfathers:
Paranoia Agent Tv serie:
Paprika:
Tuesday, August 24, 2010
El Infierno - Luis Estrada - Mexico - Trailer
Part of a trilogy about Mexico contemporary life, comes this satirical view on the Narcos.
Seems hilarious and violent enough to be mentionned here.
Sorry no subs yet. Better revise your mexicano.
Wednesday, August 18, 2010
Best movie about the Cuidad Juarez sexual crimes: "Backyard, el traspatio"
And another excellent crime movie from Mexico: This one is a "serious" one and will give you the creeps. Great work again from the director of "El crimen del Padre Amaro", Carlos Carrera.
New Darren Aronofsky's movie: "Black Swan" - Trailer
:"A psychological thriller set in the world of New York City ballet, BLACK SWAN stars Natalie Portman as Nina, a featured dancer who finds herself locked in a web of competitive intrigue with a new rival at the company (Mila Kunis). A Fox Searchlight Pictures release by visionary director Darren Aronofsky (THE WRESTLER), BLACK SWAN takes a thrilling and at times terrifying journey through the psyche of a young ballerina whose starring role as the duplicitous swan queen turns out to be a part for which she becomes frighteningly perfect."
Look amazing and, as a fan of Aronofsky's movies - including the least popular one like "The Fountain"-, I am really expecting this to be another masterpiece. I'm thinking Giallo and Gothic Horror right now.
Wow ! Can't wait.
A new "giant monsters" movie is crashing on us: "Monsters" - Trailer
Looks like a mix between District 9 & Cloverfield...Everybody seems excited.
Hope it'll meet its expectations.
Monday, August 16, 2010
Caribbean Basterds - Enzo G. Castellari is back !
Enzo G.Castellari is not only the director of Inglorious Bastards (the original), but also of dozens of others great movies form the 70's italian exploitation frenzy, including "The New Barbarians" and others post-apocalyptic genre flix.
I still consider KEOMA as his masterpiece, with Franco Nero in another "Django" character.
But this one looks.....wild, to say the least. Apparently shot in 5 weeks in Venezuela, it will have a limited release.
Coming from a 72 years old man, it looks as fresh as ever.
Rispetto direttore.
Trailer:
Thursday, August 05, 2010
Tribute to Wesley Willis
Wesley Willis was a obese, schizophrenic black man from Chicago (some says homeless but apparently not, look in the comments section at the end of the page).
He had a big black bruise on his forehead, because he used to headbutt people to say hello.
He was also, and mostly, a genius musician and painter.
Check out some of his music below and you can check his paintings here.
Short doc:
"Alanis Morisette" song by Wesley Willis:
One of his hits: "Rock'n'rolls McDonalds":
Another masterpiece: "Cut the Mullet"
"I Wupped Batman's ass"
Sorcerer - William Friedkin - USA - (1977)
Plot by Imdb: "A group of outcasts from different backgrounds/nationalities are forced by misfortune to work in a remote oil drilling operation in South America.. When fire breaks out of control, the outcasts are given the opportunity to earn enough money to get out by transporting two crates of unstable nitroglycerin through miles of jungle in ancient trucks. Will they succeed and regain their honor and citizenship, or get blown up for their efforts? "
Where to begin?
A Remake of the all-time classic adventure movie from Henry-George Clouzot's "The Wages of Fear", this strangely often forgotten masterpiece from William Friedkin is also the one movie that destroyed his career in Hollywood and sent him to the "blacklist" hell.
First, the movie: In my humble opinion, this is a fascinating piece of cinematography. Almost every aspect of 70's cinema is represented here: an overall documentary aspect (a huge influence on Friedkin), part of a gripping thriller in the tradition of the Film Noir (the main character story), the political times of the decade (for the Palestinian terrorism and the French political scandal sequences), the exotic-fantastic settings (not unlike Apocalypse Now, the jungle environment begins as an hostile environment to turn into a mental landscape of the protagonists) and the experimental cinema (for the hallucination sequence in the end) .
Mixing all this, and despite the very different backgrounds of his main characters, Friedkin shows us that, in the end, everything comes down to pure survival. And survival means pure capitalism in our world, as they all end up being forced to work for this Oil company in the middle of nowhere, risking the only thing they have left to sell: their very lives.
The cast is brillant: Roy Scheider, Bruno Cremer, Francisco Rabal, Amidou...They are all perfect and credible.
The soundtrack from Tangerine Dream is one of my favorite and works perfectly with the images, whether it is in an urban landscape or inside the "magical" jungle. Check out the trailer to hear a bit of this wonderful partition.
Last but not least, it is also a tragedy, as it will be Friedkin last movie for a long while in Hollywood. The making of the movie was catastrophic (late, over budget, filled with accidents and mayhem, etc...) and the dictatorial attitude of a megalomaniac Friedkin at the time just killed his reputation as a A-list director and sinked his career, almost for good. It would take him a long time to regain the trust of financial partners and go back to filmaking on a large scale again.
A journey to hell and back for its director, "Sorcerer" is Friedkin's "Apocalypse Now": Unfortunately for the director, it didn't end up well for him.
Absolute masterpiece, to be watched and studied over and over.
Trailer:
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