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zelig77
Reviews
Sin City (2005)
nerd alert!
for all you comic nerds out there that complain that the movies don't follow the books closely enough, this one is for you. we're talking PANEL BY PANEL here. almost all the dialogue is word for word as well, and when yer adapting something from a Frank Miller book, that's a damn good idea! not a perfect movie, but a buttload of fun, and the audience was totally absorbed. i haven't been in a crowd that quite in a long time. i heard a rumor that they plan to make two more of them, as well....as long as the same people are involved, i'm all for it! if you want to see something different in the movie theater, go see this movie! p.s.--Mickey Rourke is amazing as Marv, and watch for Frank Miller's cameo.
Jûbê ninpûchô (1993)
pretty cool, but don't expect a real story
this was one of the first anime movies i'd seen, maybe the first, so of course not knowing any better, i thought this was as good as they came. i now know this to be untrue. well, to be fair, i guess it depends on what you're looking for in an anime movie. if you want something original, moving, beautiful, or intelligent--stick with Akira, Royal Space Force, Grave of the Fireflies, Roujin Z, Princess Mononoke, etc, etc...i think these are all examples of what anime can be when people who want to change the worlds perception of anime, make a film. they are all truly works of art, and are generally underappreciated by the public, largely in part to movies like ninja scroll. people see these types of anime, and think all anime is sex, gore,and bad voiceovers. its unfortunate, because the movies i listed above could really speak to many people in unique ways, and hey, those movies aren't without their share of violence either! i like violence too, i just like it with imagination, or on a bigger scale i guess. ninja scroll is very entertaining, and the animation is very very good, its just not what im looking for anymore. i gave it a 7 out of ten for very cool fight scenes , and slick animation, but thats all it is to me.
The Tube (1999)
not too shabby
this is a very entertaining little short, with very good pacing. it doesn't give you a chance to get bored with throwaway dialogue, it's all action. some very funny moments, including a mock soap opera, and a commando style raid to reclaim a prized possesion both stand out. very promising start for the director, producer, writer, actor, cinematographer, editor,key grip, and best boy, justin smith. if someone were to ask me "do you want this copy of 'the tube', i was going to use it to start this bonfire, but i found some twigs..." i'd say "sure, i'll take off yer hands, i was looking for a good door-stop." it's just that good. really.
Gekisatsu! Jadô ken (1977)
most ridiculous kung fu ever (but in a good way)
this is my favorite kung fu movie of all time! and i have seen more than a few. it is totally absurd, implausible, and incoherant, but that's what i look for in a great kung fu movie!!! watch for the following scenes: 1.the old woman ramblin on for about 5 straight minutes about "this man is my son" 2.sonny chibas girlfriend taking out two guys with her hair as a weapon 3.ridiculously stupid stunts, too numerous to mention 4.sonny and his sidekick managing to elude several dozen men with automatic weapons, who are running maybe 20 ft behind them! this included the impossible act of making a bow and arrow, using his arm,a piece of string, and a twig! 5.the highlight of the movie, however, is the slow motion fight between sonny chiba, and 5 men who are possesed by monkeys! the matrix stole this fight scene, i swear to god! it is so cool looking, and i keep my copy cued up to this scene! if you love kung fu, MST3K, and monkeys, then seek out this classicly stupid movie! its fun!!
Zoolander (2001)
not for all tastes, but certainly for mine!
let me first say that i love almost everything ben stiller has ever done, so i'm a little biased. i don't think the movie warrants extensive analysis, but i watched it 3 times in the first week of it's release, and with many different people, with different tastes, and levels of humor/intelligence. i noticed something while watching this with my different groups of friends. now i love all my bestest pals, but not everyone of them is exactly what i'd call a supergenius. in fact some of my friends range from flakey, to downright morons! anyway, what i noticed is this: my friends which i would classify as more on the "intelligent" side were laughing their guts out through the duration of the film, while my "dimmer" friends were stone cold. hmmmmm...it was almost as though they didn't get the jokes! weird, huh? the jokes that they thought were "stupid" or "gay", as they would put it, were often the ones that had me, and some others in tears! i'm not sure exactly how i want to put it, but it's like many of the jokes were some new form of "smart-stupid". i don't know, they were just jokes of the broadest kind, the kind that almost stop the movie to say "do you get who i'm making fun of right now"? you could make the criticism that the jokes were often forced, but i for one felt relieved that i wasn't the only person who feels surrounded by idiots now and then. that may sound snobbish, but i don't care. i'm sick of peolpe who are willing to accept anything the entertainment industry throws at them. to quote ben stillers pal, jeanenne garafolo, "there's a part of me that's envious of people who don't care what's put in there eye hole, ear hole, mouth hole, nose hole, etc. acid washed jeans? sure. lion king? yes. lion king soundtrack? i'll take one." well, i best not get too riled up, i'll go on like this for far too long. (i may have already) basically what i'm saying is , i think ben stiller has succeeded in making a damn funny film, that is , i think, a little more subversive than given credit for. he's not just picking at fashion, i think he's testing the audience a little too. i think the movie is more personal for him than most people would guess. i loved it.
p.s--the dvd has a hilarious narration by ben stiller for each section of the menu! if anyone cares.
p.s.s---i hated supertroopers by comparison, if it helps put this rant into perspective.
Lat sau san taam (1992)
if only all of woo's movies could be this great...
I hate John Woo films! There, I've said it. Mission Implausible 2 , Face Off, Broken Arrow - God, these movies were ridiculous! They all featured plots that seemed to have been written by a 7-year-old with ADHD, and directed by someone who drank 10 gallons of nyquil! Then we have Hardboiled. This is an action movie! The script wasn't great, but it didn't seem like it was a rejected pitch for a marvel comic either! For the most part it was believable, mature, and managed to create a tension that haven't experienced in john woo's other movies. The acting wasn't great, but the actors did just enough to make you care,or hate, them appropriately. These two aspects of the film are just a bonus for me,because the plot and acting in an action movie just needs to hold its own, while things like editing, effects, and cinematography are key in my opinion. These latter 3 categories are done with incredible efficiency in hardboiled! The fact that mr. woo "limited" the use of slow motion in this film compared to his others, made it so much more effective when he did use it! Also, never have i seen so many squibs and pyrotechnics used so boldly! I swear to God, it seems like the actors are standing in a tornado in several shot,because there's debris and shrapnel flying all around them! Finally, the director seemed to be trying a much wider variety of shots here than his other films. My personal favorite is the 4-5 minute continuos tracking shot that follows chow yun fat and his "partner" through the halls of a hospital,on an elevator, through the halls of another floor before cutting! All the while, blasting away with pistols and shotguns, slo-mo kicking in and out. what a great shot! What a great action movie! If only all of Woo's movies could be this great...
Apt Pupil (1998)
implausible, pointless, laughably bad....etc., etc.
this was the closest i've ever come to leaving a theater. i was so disappointed with this movie, because it really had great potential.my god, did it fail miserably! first of all, the boy does all this "investigating" on the old man to see if his suspicions are true-that he is indeed a nazi war criminal.well? why not SHOW at least a little of this meticulous process? i'm sure it could be done in a way without making it too tedious.(not having any respect for the audience-STRIKE ONE.) second of all, why the homosexual undertones? two words:SHOCK VALUE. this aspect of the film only added to the confusion, and lack of direction. then you have the many scenes that left me saying (out loud, i might add) "what the hell was that??!!" for instance:why make the old man appear to be just an old man trying to escape his past, and then have him throw a cat in an oven?! or why the extra-over-the-top marching in place scene? or killing the homeless man? does anyone actually believe that just because someone committed horrible acts under orders from their government, would of course have to be evil incarnate, and incapable of living alongside other people ever again? i think that's ridiculous! also, what the hell kind of relationship was that between the old man, and the boy? one minute, the man appears to be a willing mentor, and grandfather to the boy, the next minute he's trying to blackmail him, or frame him for murder! i know, i know, it was showing how there's "evil in everyone." yeah, when stephen king is involved, everybody's got a dark secret. oooooooo..... oh, and don't worry cause they all get punished in the end. why was david schwimmer in this film? why was david scwimmer's moustache in this film? my guess is comic relief. after all that "intense" drama, we need a few laughs right? too bad they were all unintentional! it just makes the point perfectly clear that this movie has no point. actually, it just missed the point. (wasting the audiences time-STRIKE TWO) last but not least, we have the final shot of the film. now, i know the boy was a high school athelete.ok. the last thing i need after enduring two hours of mudled crap, is a silly, pretentious ending like that! please don't try reading anything into that shot, you're wasting brain cells!(horrible ending-STRIKE THREE) YOU'RE OUT!!! i got the hell out for some fresh air.what a waste of time this movie was, not to mention talent! maybe good enough for a tv movie. i don't know, i doubt even U.S.A. network would want to make its viewers feel THIS dirty! i'm trying so hard to forget this stinker. please don't put yourself through this! if you've already seen it, i feel for you, and if you enjoyed it, then i pity you. you are easily pleased. oh yeah, i liked the cinematography.
Jin se tai yang (1975)
Hilarious Bruce Lee tribute!
This is a great martial arts movie! It tells the story of a young man who is saddened upon finding out his idol, Bruce Lee, is dead. He then goes about trying to uncover the "conspiracy" involving his death. Highlights include Bruce Lee's ghost guiding our hero on his search for justice, and possibly the greatest death scene ever filmed! (by great, I mean really funny!) If you love martial arts films, especially cheesy ones, you need to see this movie!
Disco Godfather (1979)
...where...am I...is this...really..happening?
Usually, I LOVE cheesy movies, but this movie is SO PAINFUL!!! It is so incredibly boring! They spend about 10 minutes fighting drug lords, and abot 75 minutes dancing! When they do speak, it's usually funny. The problem is, there's not that much dialogue to choose from! Maybe I was just tired when I watched this movie (which I own, by the way) I think I need to see it again. What am I saying!!??? Just to let you know my threshold for punishment, let me tell you that I've seen Manos: the Hands of Fate at least a dozen times! I've watched Disco Godfather once! Many people gave this movie good ratings, presumably because of its cheesy/cult qualities, but I had to give it a 1. At least Manos had a little better pacing. Maybe MST3K could save it for me. As it stands, this is quite possibly the most painfully boring movie I've ever seen! I will watch it again though, I'm a masochist!