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Ying hung boon sik III: Zik yeung ji gor (1989)
A TIMELESS CLASSIC... I wish i'd say that about ABT1/2 that sadly with the coming years only decreased in quality and really got far from the grandeur of this masterpiece
I remember how once i purchased this film hoping for an action film along the lines of the first two entries in the series. What I got was an epic love story set during the waning days of Saigon. And I loved it! The emotions in this film are real and the response to the them are earned. As a fan of the John Woo films I hate to say it but the gunplay in this film interfered with the human interactions. Not just a mindless action sequences. As a Chow Yun Fat fan I was really impressed with the range he displays here. Instead of the brash cowboy he played in the first two films he shows depth, vulnerability and the best portrayal of this character. And what can you say about Anita Mui: beauty, brains, brawn, and charisma. A true cinematic masterpiece on par with the best Melville, Renoir or Shaffner could have offered there. But then again, who would have thought that exactly this film will be still so cherished after many years. It seems that only the fools reward the films for not being ahead of their time. Wait, what's that... ah i guess i hear as Tsui Hark is having the last laugh there. OK, he deserves that this time.
10/10
Qi jian (2005)
Tsui Hark's best film of his career!
I have seen many Tsui Hark movies, if not all, and many wuxia films, and a great deal of solid martial arts films. Believe me, this is by far one of the best. It's a highly artistic and spiritual wuxia film. However, the pacing, action choreography incredibly helped by the dizzing whirl of shaky camera and the editing. Moreover, the romantic entanglements rank among the most effectively and innovatively pulled off complex devices in the recent memory. Those who think otherwise probably are still not aware how far the world cinema can also go. They need to see more movies to see different alternatives. This is a movie some average Joe would definitely not fully comprehend and that's probably why i have to recommend this film to people who are interested in movies that can mainly deeply enlighten them and show them new dimensions and possibilities in the film magic. These people at least deserve to see this masterpiece.
To others, go back to pretentious Hero, Crouching piece of Hidden crap and House of Flying Elephants and continue to have as empty life as i'm sure you have. It's obvious that "Seven Swords" is way too good for you.
10/10 The only complaint i have: I wish i could give it more than ten!
Doom (2005)
Landmark piece of cinema
Not my best, had to hack it out between meetings and deadlines.
In a remote section of Mars, something has gone horribly wrong for the scientists of the Union Aerospace Corporation's research facility. Scientists run screaming for their lives from a deadly threat. Trapped on a barren world against forces unknown, the call goes out for an elite team of specialists to contain the situation, and neutralize the threat at any cost. In the new game to film adaptation "Doom" which is based on the phenomenally popular game series of the same name, International Action Star The Rock stars as Sarge, a by the book, no nonsense leader Of a rapid response team who have been tasked with quelling the situation on Mars.
His #2 is John (Reaper) Grimm (Karl Urban), the son of two scientists who were killed years earlier in a move that drove John from the Red Planet and into the corps. Unsure about where his head is Sarge suggests John take leave and skip the mission less he provide an unstable factor. Driven by his concern for his sister on the planet, and his devotion to duty, John accompanies his team to Mars via a teleportation device know as the Arc.
In no time the team has arrived and begun sweeping the affected areas of the base, and working to ensure that nothing can return to Earth without permission. As the team surveys the dark and isolated lab areas, John is also reunited with his sister Sam (Rosamund Pike), which brings up the memories of their dead parents and repressed hostility over his departure and emotional distance. Of course this is a movie based on monsters and violence, so in no time, there are some strange things lurking in the darkened corridors of the lab and the team finds themselves locked in a series of deadly confrontations against enemies of unimaginable horror. In short order the team is picked off by the deadly opposition which causes strain amongst the survivors, as it becomes clear that the work being conducted at the base was far from the simple excavations that they had been claiming for years. The truth is far more dangerous and soon has the very safety of Earth in the balance. The changing dynamic soon divides Sarge and John and they find themselves at odds with not only the creatures but themselves as they battle for survival and the safety of the Earth.
As a fan of the game series I had followed the long development of the film with interest. As production began there were reports that the film would deviate from the game in not being set on Mars and following Zombies more than demons from hell. While the film is set on Mars there is some deviation that may upset fans of the game. Hell does not serve as the source of the enemies; rather it is something that is not present in any of the games. Another deviation is that the film unlike the game is not nonstop action. "Doom" moves at a very deliberate pace and when the action comes, it tends to be against a solitary foe. Only for a brief segment near the conclusion of the film do we get a battle against a large mass, and then it is very short. The novel first person perspective shown late in the film was great fun as the audience howled with delight during this segment.
The Rock shows once again that he is a rising Star as his charisma and commanding presence propels the film even though he is a supporting character. No matter the cheese factor, or stiff lines, The Rock is such a compelling presence, he makes the film viewable. Urban is good in the lead role, though he is overshadowed by The Rock, as his strong soft spoken mannerisms seem out of place in a macho action setting.
All of this said, while it is by no means a landmark piece of cinema, "Doom" is fun, and is easily the best game adaptation to film yet.
3 stars out of 5 Gareth Von Kallenbach
Village of the Damned (1995)
Very Exceptional Moment When a Remake Beats an Original
There are very few horrors in Hollywood that are truly scary from an adults point of view like this one. it looks almost like it was done by an European contemplating the violence in contemporary America but in fact, it's surprising that was John Carpenter himself who's very well aware of that marginal point of America (frivolity of violence) that is so deeply implied in this movie. So this brainy stuff in horror is one of the aspects why this film didn't make good in box-office.
Beginning: i love the way how we are introduced to our essential characters then the family and full of harmony feeling that follows as if we're treated to something romantic, and in one moment everything is destroyed. The black-out scene is so chillingly frightening in a very serious tone achieved especially due to that sweet beginning. What follows is what you actually get and that's a very tragical feeling that something bad is gonna happen which is masterfully directed almost in a non-speakable way. That feel of dread flows through the "childbirth scene" that features little flashes of happiness for their characters (for a short time). One of the most beautiful scenes is the "baptizing of that baby" showing us our human side in contrast to that inhuman-or should i say extraterrestrial.
OK first death scene: brilliant, brilliant, brilliant. From the "boiling-water scene" to jumping off a cliff it's almost without words which makes it all the more powerful conclusion. Here i must say i'm a big Carpenter fan and i've seen all his movies but this scene (along with that one at a cemetery w/ Alan Chaffee & David) is one of his most spectacular i have ever seen and only proves that Carpenter is indisputably far better filmmaker than before. After the interrogation with K.Alley we are treated to a beautiful film-montage of the village shifting to a truly majestic scene of the marching children which accompanying an enchanting music with an appropriate sound nuances directly for the children's theme. Second death scene was done in a very old-fashioned style (which is more or less beautiful and disturbing than just frightening), that is important for us just to get to a point when they represent a real threat with complete lacking of any empathy and compassion for others which leads me to mention a cute scene with David learning something about humanity: in that scene you can take David as some kind of a symbol of hope that there still can be a little of humanity or take Linda Kozlowski character as a symbol of a parent that's actually responsible for that humanity to the future, anyway beautiful scene. Interesting moment is the suicide of Salenger's Melanie Roberts character - was she compelled by some outer force (extraterrestrial) or was it her own decision (which doesn't make much sense). There's truly magnificent scene with David and Reeve's character at a cemetery concerning human emotions - i almost thought that i was watching some Jean Cocteau film, and those who say that Garry Kibbe is a low-class cinematographer should see at least this scene, definitely this film is one of his best collaborations with Carpenter. There are many really old-fashioned scenes that were fancy maybe in 50's or 60's but in a way they're still very elegant and impressive, mainly because Carpenter took from those days only what is at its core virtually timeless, so i don't think there's a way that Village Of The Damned could seem to be dated, on the contrary there's a chance that this will probably find its audience in the future! And by the way for a Carpenter film you gotta have an acquired special taste. What i also admire is that carnage scene at the end of the movie which is a really classic Carpenter scene affluent of the rhythm and style similar to 'Assault On Precinct 13'. Anyway going through with this remake is an experience of a life time that the 1960 version by far ain't equal to. I have seen Carpenter's VOTD 8 years ago and still i can't put those images from this film out of my mind, i was really convinced that i was in that village and believed those events were happening, that's something i can't say about a lot of pretentious movies in Hollywood today.
I think Carpenter really outdid himself with this very powerful film that not only beats its inferior original but even in its way Carpenter's early stuff like 'Halloween', 'The Thing' or 'Prince Of Darkness'. You know, it's very easy to prefer a film that is shocking and very serious like 'The Thing', but Village Of The Damned is pretty much opulent in his portrayal of violence in a more brooding sense, it's not so much a horror within itself(The Thing) as it is rather a low viewpoint of the true horror outside and about the way how to deal/struggle with that. So from this perspective it very easily transcends something like 'The Thing' but in fact they're both great, even though 'Village Of The Damned' doesn't try to be that extremely documentary-like serious and 'The Thing' doesn't succeed in that intelligent satiric portrayal of violence and old fashioned artistic film beauty.
i can't help but this film is simply a true masterpiece that is criminally under-appreciated.
Dao (1995)
Right behind another classic "Seven Swords" as the most powerful film i might have ever seen.
Almost every image in this film has a million unspoken words and many expressed words actually hinting at many images your mind can conceive at that very moment - it's just up to you what you take from it. In reality of this bleak world Tsui Hark showing us the way how to survive and at the same time there's searching for non-existent love and harmony (almost i'd say the lost paradise), it is so far away from a usual action film, it's more about a wicked human behaviour and feelings, very interesting demonstration of a corrupt world wherein is not a way of escape. Though not a revolutionary landmark film of the high caliber of "Seven Swords", yet, this masterpiece is another proof (with many more - Chinese Feast, Don't Play With Fire, Peking Opera Blues, Green Snake, Butterfly Murders, Once Upon A Time In China, Seven Swords, Legend Of Zu) that an innovator and revolutionary perfectionist "Tsui Hark" rightfully belongs to the same league of such greats like H.Hawks, O.Welles, A.Kurosawa, F.Truffaut, S.Leone, S.Fuller, J.L.Godard, R.Polanski. After all, he's responsible for many more classics than even the great A.Hitchcock himself! Which seems to me quite ironical.
Barry Lyndon (1975)
BAD FILM FOR ORDINARY PEOPLE
technically magnificent, maybe the best epic movie illustrating period of 18th century but it's hard for an average viewer to get into, especially when it's so cold and abstract experience, for me there is almost kind of an unhuman approach to its characters from Kubrick which i really don't like in his films. The largest part of audience used to be going to movies to be entertained, emotionally involved, and even though it's actually only my point of view but i think generally what makes the greatest movies of all time is not just how beautiful and artistically brilliant the film is but it's the longevity and the popularity by most people in the world and in every generation. if there is Kubrick's the greatest one it must be rather Dr.Strangelove... or 2001 Space Odyssey but you know what, i like Barry Lyndon too even though it's not emotionally and narativelly good film on a standard level.
Big Trouble in Little China (1986)
the real unforgettable entertainment
Words really can't describe how great this movie is. I loved it as a child and still love it as an adult. I personally believe BTILCH is gonna stay here for a long time in almost the same case as with "The Wizard Of Oz" continuing to entertain another generations, real timeless classic that will never lose its charm. John Carpenter is a real genius, not only absorbs into a completely different genre from "Starman" that did 2 years before but does that like he was an Asian kung-fu master and not a horror master like he's used to be. Only the greats like him can succeed in every genre (and, i dare to say, in every decade).
Now you have to excuse me i'm gonna show it to my children.
Escape from L.A. (1996)
one of the most audacious films of the 90's
At first i love both Escape films but this film is the real proof what Carpenter movies are really about and that's the story. It reminds me the fact that those who constantly complains about EFLA didn't get even Escape From New York this visual style, atmosphere and other great surrounding stuff, as everyone praising these days, doesn't make a good movie, it was, is and will be the story, and as for the richness of this Escape From L.A. is definitely far better including that it's the most personal Carpenter movie ever that is kind of philosophy on the freedom and also today's real problem in modern America. For these elements its unforgettable and only waiting for its time to be reevaluated again.
Ghosts of Mars (2001)
If you want to know something about John Carpenter go and watch Ghosts Of Mars
First of all, i have to say that John Carpenter is a brilliant, flawless director because his every shot, every scene, narrative style is perfect, whatever he wants it's on screen. I know, then why his movies are flops at the theatrical release? - 'cause there's a problem with us(people) to understand his films that are really old-fashioned aiming rather at the people in the 60's-70's and that's the only Carpenter's flaw as a director, his bad timing(maybe born out of time). But when his movies at its core are good it's only a matter of time to be fancied. I think we should start appreciate such a director who's devoted to an old genuine film-making and not to these days where everything has to be big, right in your face. I love his subtle style especially in future classic as Ghosts Of Mars. This film is very essential: it represents every directorial aspect what John Carpenter uses in other films(hardy women equal to men, defiance against authority etc..), but it's not just a hotch-potch of his early works it has its own low-key style and Forbidden Planet-like feel, it combines genres Sci-fi, Horror, Western, Action, Comedy, it has a message(perhaps Carpenter's biggest at all) that beautifully reflects us. I know it is a B-Movie, it has a silly dialogue, silly situations but that's exactly what Carpenter wanted and he takes all these elements to encapsulate into its own form and never let it slip out, it never tries to be serious, it never tries to be something what it's not, there's nothing what doesn't fit in (that's what i can't say about for example Kill Bill), something what should these young filmmakers learn from. i've been watching Carpenter films since the early 80's and still like them all so i'm deadly serious when i'm rating Ghosts Of Mars as a masterpiece and one of his best that will certainly stand the test of time especially for its form and uniqueness.
Somewhere i read a review where one guy as if justifying himself likes this movie only because he's a Carpenter fan but on the top of that i have to tell you that's what it's all about, only his fan can recognize his masterful touches, that he's a true author and that's why he has more cult films(which most of them were then supposed to be a failure) than any other director.
Detention (2003)
does justice to nowaday violence
This film is focused rather on the growing contemporary youthful violence in America: take notice how these youngsters act when they got a gun and how they kill people with ease. I don't think this film in 80's would be with kids as bad guys like this(i don't know but they seem to me as kids). It's hard to say that's a bad film, it's not so effective, almost no plot, no twists (there's really a problem with screenplay) but in spite all of that,its interesting entertaining guilty pleasure B-movie with always charming DOLPH LUNDGREN. According to plot and superior Furie's direction i hope Direct Action will be little comeback for Lundgren.
Vampires (1998)
instant classic
watch this a few times and you can feel this film like the others from Carpenter its not just frightening like Halloween its a western with classic horror tale about Vampires too i dont know why it is not appreciated as should be