Thursday, November 10, 2005

Well here's a jolly story...

I'm actually going to get around to something I said I would in a previous post!
Thats right!
Yup, as I said I would, I'm going to give you lucky, lucky people some reviews of some films I have watched recently. Here goes...

Oldboy
Lets start with a nice light Korean film involving incest. An award winning korean film involving incest at that! As I have been discovering over the last few years, and the last few months especially, there are fewer boundaries on a film-makers creativity in eastern cinema. They make probably the most outrageous films in the world, and brilliant films as well, not just shock value films that don't really try and make a film around their shock value. This is one of the latest films to challenge viewers. It isn't a simple film. It has twists and turns, and the story is one that would almost certainly never get made in the west. It involves a man who was imprisoned for 15 years without being told his crime, then released and given 5 days to find out why he was imprisoned. But along the way, the tangled web of intrigue you would expect throws up a fantastic story, which really grips you, and although some extreme parts of the film may put off some people, I would recommend this film to anyone who likes their cinema bold, with a great story and great acting. Not to be missed
9/10

Tetsuo:Iron Man
Headfuck. One long cinematic, black and white fit inducing nightmare headfuck. That is the best way to describe this film. It is probably the boldest film I have ever seen. I have never seen anything remotely like it, and althouggh it lasts just over an hour, what you have seen will linger in your head long after. A prime example of Japanes cinema. One you should all see.
8/10

Save The Green Planet
If ever a film deserved the label 'utterly bonkers' then this is it. It concerns a youn man, Byung-Gu, who is perfectly normal. Apart from believing aliens are trying to infiltrate the earth. Aliens that communicate through their hair. This is another brilliant Korean film, at a time when the film industry over in asia has never been better. This film has the most bonkers storyline I have ever seen, and it also has some of the best acting I have ever seen in a foreign film. Sometimes it is hard to really connect with the characters when the film is in a different language, but this is one film where you can really empathise with the characters, even through the language barrier. It also helps that it has obviously been a labour of love. It feels like someone has poured their soul into this movie, and after I had watched it, I felt like I had really experienced something. If a movie does that to you the you know you have watched something special.
10/10

Hellraiser 2 & Hellraiser 3
I had already seen the first one long before I decided it was time to watch the first 2 sequels, and I had high expectations for these films. I wasn't too disapointed. They are both really good films. There are some really inventive set pieces and creatures, and also some very funny moments, as well as a few great lines. It does help that the creations of Hellraiser are some of the greatest monsters ever, and also that creator and director of the first film, Clive Barker, is involved in both of these, although not as director. Obviously if you are not a fan of horror movies then these films won't be for you, but they are both highly entertaining, with great moments.
Hellraiser 2: 8/10
Hellraiser 3: 7/10

Cat Returns
A fine film from studio Ghibli, who are gaining a worldwide repuatation for their animation and storytelling. This is, from what I can gather, the only one of their films to have an english dialogue track, and this may upset some purists, but what doesn't work on live-action films, works great on animations such as this. A very different film from most of the others I am reviewing here, it is a family flilm, and one that people of all ages can enjoy. It a very well told magical tale of a girl who's life isn't going great. Every day is 'one of those days' for her, and she's sick of it. Then one day she save a cat from getting run over, and this prompts events that will change her life. I watched this film with a smile on my face all the way through, it may not have flesh eating zombies, but what it lacks in any sort of horror it makes up in heart, soul and a great story. If you're a big softie at heart, you'll like this
8/10

Thats all for today, to be continued...
< Motor-fucking-head! Farscape-The Best Thing Ever, wooo!!!!