2013 James Mangold film about that old kanucklehead.
Here is your trailer:
Is the Wolverine the best at what he does in this movie? Well, let's talk about the set-up first. Logan saves a Japanese soldier's life in Nagasaki when the A-bomb drops. Years later Logan is living in the Alaskan wilderness, having taken a vow never to kill again. He is haunted by the ghost of Jean Grey. A Japanese woman finds him and tells him that the man he saved years ago is dying and wants to have a chance to say goodbye. Off to Japan we go!
Tuesday, August 6, 2013
Sunday, August 4, 2013
An Old Friend That Never Loses Its Edge - Oldboy
I recently got a chance to re-watch what is quite possibly my favorite movie of all time. Oldboy, the 2003 film by Park Chan-wook.
The trailer:
Oh Dae-su is a husband and a father, but he has made bad choices and he is a drunk. One night, on his daughter's birthday, he is kidnapped. He is held in a hotel room that has been converted into a prison cell. 15 years pass, with only a TV to keep him company, and no word on why this has been done to him. He attempts suicide several times. He jerks off to lady pop stars in music videos. He learns about the world. They give him the same food every day. He trains his body by punching a wall. Then one day he is set free. He is given a cell phone and a wallet full of money, and he is told he has 5 days to find out who is responsible for his imprisonment and why. Revenge ensues.
The trailer:
Oh Dae-su is a husband and a father, but he has made bad choices and he is a drunk. One night, on his daughter's birthday, he is kidnapped. He is held in a hotel room that has been converted into a prison cell. 15 years pass, with only a TV to keep him company, and no word on why this has been done to him. He attempts suicide several times. He jerks off to lady pop stars in music videos. He learns about the world. They give him the same food every day. He trains his body by punching a wall. Then one day he is set free. He is given a cell phone and a wallet full of money, and he is told he has 5 days to find out who is responsible for his imprisonment and why. Revenge ensues.
Like Butter
Sorry for the long delay, but I'm back. 2011 film by Jim Field Smith.
Trailer time:
Yes, butter sculpting. Is this a real thing? A young black girl in foster care is interested in trying this thing. Ty Burrell is the undisputed king. He is told it is time to step down. His wife, played by Jennifer Garner, has delusions of his fame transitioning them into a political bid. She doesn't like the idea of him moving into a judging position. They have an argument and he sleeps with a stripper. Garner decides that she is going to compete so that the fame stays in her family.
Trailer time:
Yes, butter sculpting. Is this a real thing? A young black girl in foster care is interested in trying this thing. Ty Burrell is the undisputed king. He is told it is time to step down. His wife, played by Jennifer Garner, has delusions of his fame transitioning them into a political bid. She doesn't like the idea of him moving into a judging position. They have an argument and he sleeps with a stripper. Garner decides that she is going to compete so that the fame stays in her family.
Tuesday, July 23, 2013
God Is A Thai Policeman And Only God Forgives
New film by Nicolas Winding Refn, the director of Drive.
The trailer paints an impressive picture:
Julian runs a kickboxing venue in Bangkok that is a front for his drug smuggling operation. He runs it in conjunction with his older brother Billy. Billy kills a teenage hooker. The hooker's father is brought by a creepy policeman to the hotel where it happened, and is told he can do whatever he wants to Billy. He beats Billy to death. The policeman then takes the father out to a secluded area and cuts one of his arms off. The policeman does this because the father is still responsible for what he did, and so that the father will keep a better watch on his other daughters.
The trailer paints an impressive picture:
Julian runs a kickboxing venue in Bangkok that is a front for his drug smuggling operation. He runs it in conjunction with his older brother Billy. Billy kills a teenage hooker. The hooker's father is brought by a creepy policeman to the hotel where it happened, and is told he can do whatever he wants to Billy. He beats Billy to death. The policeman then takes the father out to a secluded area and cuts one of his arms off. The policeman does this because the father is still responsible for what he did, and so that the father will keep a better watch on his other daughters.
Monday, July 22, 2013
Learn Several Japanese Subcultures In Kamikaze Girls
2004 girl power film by Tetsuya Nakashima - Kamikaze Girls.
Excuse the horribly dated trailer voice-over guy:
Momoko is a Lolita. That means she dresses like she is from 18th century France. Ichiko, later Ichigo, is a Yankii. That means she is the Japanese equivalent of white trash. They meet, and both being kind of strange, they form a bond and become friends.
Excuse the horribly dated trailer voice-over guy:
Momoko is a Lolita. That means she dresses like she is from 18th century France. Ichiko, later Ichigo, is a Yankii. That means she is the Japanese equivalent of white trash. They meet, and both being kind of strange, they form a bond and become friends.
I Wanna Go Fast & Furious 6
Justin Lin is back behind the camera for his 4th go round helming the Fast franchise.
Here is a trailer:
Get the idea what you are in for?
Dom and buddies are all on the lam after pulling their big job in Rio. Everyone is enjoying riches and happiness. Except Han. Han is always sad. Hobbs (The Rock) is on the trail of a new group of car driving baddies, led by a former SAS man, Shaw. They are out of Hobbs' league. He needs the help of some professional drivers. Luckily he knows some, and has some leverage to get their help. For one, he can offer them all pardons so they can return to their homes. For two, Letty - Dom's long thought dead girlfriend - is alive and is running with Shaw's crew.
Here is a trailer:
Get the idea what you are in for?
Dom and buddies are all on the lam after pulling their big job in Rio. Everyone is enjoying riches and happiness. Except Han. Han is always sad. Hobbs (The Rock) is on the trail of a new group of car driving baddies, led by a former SAS man, Shaw. They are out of Hobbs' league. He needs the help of some professional drivers. Luckily he knows some, and has some leverage to get their help. For one, he can offer them all pardons so they can return to their homes. For two, Letty - Dom's long thought dead girlfriend - is alive and is running with Shaw's crew.
John McClane Is Invincible In A Good Day To Die Hard
Yippie ki-yay, Ruskies!
Trailer (complete with dialogue that isn't in the actual movie):
John McClane Jr. is a CIA agent on a secret mission to take down a politician in Russia. The politician's ex-partner in crime is in prison and about to go on trial. So JMC Jr. gets himself put in prison, too. He has a file with info that implicates the politician. John McClane Sr. thinks his son is a drug dealer. He goes to Russia to somehow get his son out of trouble. The day of the trial all hell breaks loose!
Trailer (complete with dialogue that isn't in the actual movie):
John McClane Jr. is a CIA agent on a secret mission to take down a politician in Russia. The politician's ex-partner in crime is in prison and about to go on trial. So JMC Jr. gets himself put in prison, too. He has a file with info that implicates the politician. John McClane Sr. thinks his son is a drug dealer. He goes to Russia to somehow get his son out of trouble. The day of the trial all hell breaks loose!
Sunday, July 21, 2013
Say Goodbye to the Wolfpack In Hangover Part 3
Bangkok, Mexico and Vegas! One crazy ride.
Mr. Chow breaks out of a far eastern prison. Alan's father is dead. The Wolfpack wants to send Alan to rehab. That is where Marshall comes into things. Chow stole a lot of money from Marshall. He wants it back. He wants the Wolfpack to get it for him.
Mr. Chow breaks out of a far eastern prison. Alan's father is dead. The Wolfpack wants to send Alan to rehab. That is where Marshall comes into things. Chow stole a lot of money from Marshall. He wants it back. He wants the Wolfpack to get it for him.
Who Pooped the Bed or How I Sat Through Pacific Rim
Guillermo Del Toro's latest offering.
Trailer below:
The trailer gives the setup fairly well. Giant monsters referred to as Kaiju are coming through a hole in the Pacific Ocean referred to as the Breach. The governments of the world work together to build a program to fight the Kaiju. The fighting is done in Yaegers (giant robots). Each Yaeger is piloted by two people, because the load of interfacing with the robot is too much for one person's brain to handle alone. When two people pilot a Yaeger they are connected through an interface called the Drift, which allows each pilot to be totally aware of everything in the other's mind.
Trailer below:
The trailer gives the setup fairly well. Giant monsters referred to as Kaiju are coming through a hole in the Pacific Ocean referred to as the Breach. The governments of the world work together to build a program to fight the Kaiju. The fighting is done in Yaegers (giant robots). Each Yaeger is piloted by two people, because the load of interfacing with the robot is too much for one person's brain to handle alone. When two people pilot a Yaeger they are connected through an interface called the Drift, which allows each pilot to be totally aware of everything in the other's mind.
Getting In the Skyline Business with Broken City
Movie review of the new-ish Allen Hughes film starring Marky Mark, Orange Russell Crowe, and that woman that is owned by Michael Douglas.
Here is a trailer with a special intro:
Feel it, feel it.
Okay, here we go. Political thriller/murder mystery. Billy Taggart is a New York cop. He is the subject of a police tribunal in relation to the shooting death of a young man. The evidence is weak and it doesn't go to trial. He is brought in to meet the Mayor and the police commissioner, at which time he is told that he needs to surrender his gun and badge.
Here is a trailer with a special intro:
Feel it, feel it.
Okay, here we go. Political thriller/murder mystery. Billy Taggart is a New York cop. He is the subject of a police tribunal in relation to the shooting death of a young man. The evidence is weak and it doesn't go to trial. He is brought in to meet the Mayor and the police commissioner, at which time he is told that he needs to surrender his gun and badge.
Saturday, July 20, 2013
Side Effects of a Poisonous Fog
2013 Steven Soderbergh film Side Effects.
As always a trailer:
At the beginning this movie would seem to be a study of people suffering from an ailment that is prevalent in our society. It is about how overpowering that ailment can be, how others treat those afflicted, and how it is treated. If it were nothing more than that it would have been an interesting film. This is more though, and while it wasn't bad it is definitely something we have seen many times before.
As always a trailer:
At the beginning this movie would seem to be a study of people suffering from an ailment that is prevalent in our society. It is about how overpowering that ailment can be, how others treat those afflicted, and how it is treated. If it were nothing more than that it would have been an interesting film. This is more though, and while it wasn't bad it is definitely something we have seen many times before.
Friday, July 19, 2013
It Is No Fun Being Chinese In Japan - Ley Lines
The final film in Takashi Miike's Black Society Trilogy.
Trailer incoming:
Ley Lines is a great movie, but on the heels of Rainy Dog it is somewhat of a step down. Here we have a story of several Chinese immigrants living in Japan. We are shown right away that it is not easy being Chinese in Japan. The main characters just want to get away. Perhaps they will leave Japan and go to Brazil, where they can samba. There is a hold up, though, as the film makes it seem as though it is impossible to get a passport from the government if you are Chinese. So, no one wants you in this country, but you can't leave.
Trailer incoming:
Ley Lines is a great movie, but on the heels of Rainy Dog it is somewhat of a step down. Here we have a story of several Chinese immigrants living in Japan. We are shown right away that it is not easy being Chinese in Japan. The main characters just want to get away. Perhaps they will leave Japan and go to Brazil, where they can samba. There is a hold up, though, as the film makes it seem as though it is impossible to get a passport from the government if you are Chinese. So, no one wants you in this country, but you can't leave.
Wednesday, July 17, 2013
Rainy Dog - Every Day It Rains In Taipei
The second film in Takashi Miike's Black Society Trilogy
Trailer in 3, 2, 1:
I guess Miike's movies weren't always so crazy. Neither this film nor its predecessor Shinjuku Triad Society were as over-the-top as his later movies (I'm looking at you Ichi the Killer). Interesting side note, did you know that when Ichi the Killer premiered at its first film festival they handed out custom-made barf bags as a commemorative gift? Anyway, that isn't the movie I'm reviewing today.
Trailer in 3, 2, 1:
I guess Miike's movies weren't always so crazy. Neither this film nor its predecessor Shinjuku Triad Society were as over-the-top as his later movies (I'm looking at you Ichi the Killer). Interesting side note, did you know that when Ichi the Killer premiered at its first film festival they handed out custom-made barf bags as a commemorative gift? Anyway, that isn't the movie I'm reviewing today.
The Machine Is Coming In Superman Unbound
Supes is not my favorite superhero, but he isn't half bad.
We are thrown right into this one with a number of things not being explained to us. It makes me wonder if this slots into a timeline of some show. Supergirl is here, Kal's cousin, but none of her backstory is given up front. It could be that they just expect us to know, which I did, but I find it hard to believe that most casual viewers would have much knowledge of Kara's origins.
Tuesday, July 16, 2013
Shinjuku Triad Society Teaches Us How To Properly Use An Ice Cube
After that brief interlude with a Russian war film we're back to Miike:
This is a classic. It looks all dirty and low budget, which really lends to the type of film it is. This was very early Takashi Miike, and is the first of a thematic trilogy referred to as his Black Society Trilogy. This was an era in which Miike was making a lot more straight-to-video movies than he does now. STS, however, was a theatrical release. Take note that in Japan straight-to-video movies don't necessarily have the same stigma that they do here. As a matter of fact, they call it V-Cinema and there are people that become stars in the V-Cinema world. All the info I just gave you may be completely outdated, as I learned it around the turn of the millennium.
This is a classic. It looks all dirty and low budget, which really lends to the type of film it is. This was very early Takashi Miike, and is the first of a thematic trilogy referred to as his Black Society Trilogy. This was an era in which Miike was making a lot more straight-to-video movies than he does now. STS, however, was a theatrical release. Take note that in Japan straight-to-video movies don't necessarily have the same stigma that they do here. As a matter of fact, they call it V-Cinema and there are people that become stars in the V-Cinema world. All the info I just gave you may be completely outdated, as I learned it around the turn of the millennium.
War Is Hell - Come and See
Review of the film Come and See directed by Elem Klimov.
Here is the trailer:
Florya is a young Beylorussian (now Belarus) man that wants to join up with the partisans to fight the Nazis. He is hardly more than a boy. There isn't much of a story here, to be honest. We are watching a young man live through the most horrific experiences war has to offer. Over and over again. Nonetheless the movie is very powerful. We've seen some pretty graphic and raw war movies in modern cinema. This movie pretty much tops them all in my opinion, in depicting just how despicable humankind can be. It is unrelenting, and the filmmakers play a trick on us by physically aging Florya's face as the movie unfolds. Though very little time actually passes from the beginning of the film to the end, Florya experiences several lifetimes of terror.
Here is the trailer:
Florya is a young Beylorussian (now Belarus) man that wants to join up with the partisans to fight the Nazis. He is hardly more than a boy. There isn't much of a story here, to be honest. We are watching a young man live through the most horrific experiences war has to offer. Over and over again. Nonetheless the movie is very powerful. We've seen some pretty graphic and raw war movies in modern cinema. This movie pretty much tops them all in my opinion, in depicting just how despicable humankind can be. It is unrelenting, and the filmmakers play a trick on us by physically aging Florya's face as the movie unfolds. Though very little time actually passes from the beginning of the film to the end, Florya experiences several lifetimes of terror.
Zebraman II wants you to Stop AIDS!
And now for something completely different: Zebraman 2: Attack on Zebra City.
"What the hell?!?! Now this is a Takashi Miike film." That is what I was uttering only 10 minutes into Zebraman 2. Even from the trailer you should be able to tell that this movie is a lot...stranger than its predecessor. That isn't necessarily a bad thing. Unless it is, as is the case with this movie.
"What the hell?!?! Now this is a Takashi Miike film." That is what I was uttering only 10 minutes into Zebraman 2. Even from the trailer you should be able to tell that this movie is a lot...stranger than its predecessor. That isn't necessarily a bad thing. Unless it is, as is the case with this movie.
Monday, July 15, 2013
Zebraman says, "I know why I fight. It is for dreams. Not my dreams. It is for his dreams!"
Two days, two posts. Not bad. We'll have to see how long I keep this momentum.
Today's Takashi Miike selection: Zebraman
Trailer here:
Another Miike superhero movie!
Okay, I did Yatterman yesterday, so I figured I would jump back a couple of years and watch his previous superhero outings. Stay tuned, because I'm reviewing Zebraman II: Attack on Zebra City next.
Today's Takashi Miike selection: Zebraman
Trailer here:
Another Miike superhero movie!
Okay, I did Yatterman yesterday, so I figured I would jump back a couple of years and watch his previous superhero outings. Stay tuned, because I'm reviewing Zebraman II: Attack on Zebra City next.
Sunday, July 14, 2013
First Post: Yatta! Yatterman
Enough celebration. Lets get right down to it. Today's selection: Yatterman.
I've been on a bit of a Takashi Miike kick lately. If you don't know who he is, you should.
http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0586281/bio
Here is a trailer to kick things off:
Way outside anything we see here in the US, right? So what is it about?
First I want to say something about the title. Now I could be wrong here, but I think the name Yatterman has a root in the Japanese exclamation, "Yatta!" In the US when the hero saves the day we throw a fist in the air and shout, "Yes!" Yatta is pretty much the Japanese version of that (I'm being simple in my explanation here).
I've been on a bit of a Takashi Miike kick lately. If you don't know who he is, you should.
http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0586281/bio
Here is a trailer to kick things off:
Way outside anything we see here in the US, right? So what is it about?
First I want to say something about the title. Now I could be wrong here, but I think the name Yatterman has a root in the Japanese exclamation, "Yatta!" In the US when the hero saves the day we throw a fist in the air and shout, "Yes!" Yatta is pretty much the Japanese version of that (I'm being simple in my explanation here).
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