Koara kachô aka Executive Koala - Minoru Kawasaki - Japan - (2005)

http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0830581/

Plot from Imdb:"Keiichi Tamura is a hardworking executive in a pickle company, who is making a big merger at work and struggling with memory loss and the mysterious disappearance of his wife three years prior. He's also a koala, which doesn't seem to bother people too much, but then the president of the company is a large white rabbit. Tamura enters the sights of the police when his current girlfriend is found stabbed to death and his murky past seem to imply that he is not the well-mannered Koala he appear to be."

Maybe the best work of Kawasaki, this "false" nonsensical thriller is filled by excellent ideas and witty artistic direction. The acting is great...or the animal masks are good, whatever you prefer. The gruesomeness of some scenes is made hilarious by the oddity of the costumes, until a certain point. Not unlike the masterpiece of adult animation from Satashi Kon "Perfect Blue", the childish aspect of the characters is becoming more and more odd, if not unsettling, as their behaviors grows more sinister. Perfect balance between the usual intimate stories told by iconic figures (a classic of Kawasaki, in Calamari Wrestler for example) and a denunciation of schizophrenia of the modern workplace, Executive Koala is a delightfully weird moment of cinema.  If you never had the chills on front of a maniac koala, now is just a good time.

PS: I, personally, discovered a few years ago, in Australia, that they are vicious little bastards, Eucalyptus junkies without moral or ethic !!! But that’s another story...

Tense moment at the precinct (extract): 

Japanese trailer:

Spun - Jonas Åkerlund - USA - (2002)

http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0283003/

Plot by Imdb:"An out-of-control speed freak (Schwartzman) is introduced his drug of choice's creator (Rourke) by his dealer (Leguizamo). A massive three-day adventure ensues (with Fugit, Murphy, and Suvari in tow)."

Speed ride into the meth-addict everyday life, Spun is a fun and crazy journey into over-the-top characters. A mix between Fear and loathing in Las Vegas (without the depth) and Trainspotting, it relies on a strong casting, especially John Leguizamo and Britany Murphy both perfect and hilarious. Made to be cult, it doesn't succeed entirely, even if some scenes will clearly stay with you for some times (the gf tied to a bed during half the movie for example). More a dark hysterical comedy than an addict "mind landscape", Spun is a post modern punk version of a 70's hallucinogenic movie. It's good fun and general cinematography is really excellent. Jonas Akerlund professional background as a musical video clip director  helped a lot. Overall a good little gem in  the forgotten Drugsploitation genre. Wicked !

Don't take speed watching this, your head  might explode !

Trailer:

Dolemite II: The Human Tornado - Cliff Roquemore - USA - (1976)

http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0074653/

Plot by Imdb:" Dolemite comes to the rescue of Queen Bee, whose primarily black Nightclub is threatened by White Mafia types."

A part of the Dolemite movie series (that, of course, have very little in common apart from the main character), "The Human Tornado" is a never seen before investigation into the absurd. A moment in cinema history that stands the test of time and will be referred as, in the future, one of the worst movie of all time, as well as one of the funnier. If you have my kind of humor. I must add right now that Rudy Ray Moore is one of my heroes (with Wesley Willis, amongst others. More on Wesley later on). Every movie he made during the seventies is a Blaxploitation gem, more hysterical and fucked up than the previous one. To begin with, Rudy Ray Moore is everything that is interesting in those movies, the rest is meaningless. 

HE is the MAN. 

And what a man: overweight, dressed as a pimp with clothes out of a Disneyland garage sale, beating the shit out of his adversaries with his invented-overacted-false-kung-fu (the fighting sequences are played in fast forward in general), Rudy Ray Moore is mainly a singer / entertainer and above everything else a womanizer. I'm sure the  ladies reading this will be turned on, just by looking at the pictures of Rudy.  Yes, Rudy's effect on women is amazing and he never misses a chance to score...The plot doesn't matter, the cheapness f it all doesn't matter, only Rudy Ray Moore matters. He makes this movie a marvelous experience, as you will just roll on the floor laughing more than once...

HILARIOUS & UNMISSABLE !

Check out his others movies that are equally insane: Dolemite (the first), Petey Weatstraw and Disco Godfather (a hell of a guilty pleasure).

Trailer:

Onna hissatsu ken aka Sister Street Fighter - Kazuhiko Yamaguchi - Japan - (1974)

http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0073714/

Plot by Imdb: "Lee Long is a martial-arts champion who the police use as an undercover agent to infiltrate a drug ring responsible for importing heroin from Japan to Hong Kong. When he is identified and imprisoned, the police pressure his sister, Tina Long, to help them locate and free him. She gets the help of Lee's martial-arts school, including the powerful Sonny Kawasaka, for the inevitable battle-royale with the drug gang, which includes masters of many different 'schools' of fighting."

Ultra classic plot for this little martial art flick, with the mythical Sonny Chiba playing only a small part, most of the action revolving on Etsuko Shihomi (aka Sue Shiomi on the posters). There are some good fights despite the extremely ridiculous 70's Japanese fighting  style of "Karate with  funny faces", that Chiba popularized. The main character is cute enough and , of course, deadly...Her onscreen adversaries are over the top villains from all kind of different martial arts and martial crafts. The main focus is more oriented toward Shorinjin Kempo, witch is a mix between Japanese and Chinese martial arts, with a much more realistic approach. Rare enough in a movie to be mentioned. Average "kung fu" movie but still enjoyable for having a women as the main character and the usual excess of a 70's pop Japanese exploitation movie. Check out the German trailer, it'll make fall from your seat ! Hajime !

German Trailer:

Opening Credits: