A Chinese comedy directed by Stephen Chow.
A famous television chef turns out to not be good at cooking. He meets street food vendors and helps them. He then takes part in a cooking contest against the man who replaced him as top chef.
Stephen Chow is so weird. It really came out in his style with this film. The plot was complex and the characters were interesting. I really liked the ugly street food vendor woman with bad teeth. The video style involved lots of editing, good shots and some compositing. The shot of the final food judge rolling on meat was priceless. Chow's deadpan delivery of humor shines here. Overall, exactly what I expected. I rate this good because I like Stephen Chow and this gave me what I wanted.
An American black comedy drama directed by Wes Anderson, starring Owen Wilson, Gene Hackman, Anjelica Huston, Bill Murray, Ben Stiller, Luke Wilson and Danny Glover.
A rich family has problems. The absent dad returns pretends to be dying, a brother and sister are in love, etc...
This was very well-made. The plot was very complex and there were lots of characters. I tried to keep up, but I may have to watch it a few times to really understand everything. The video style is standard Wes Anderson awesomeness and the soundtrack is even better than the last few films I watched. My favorite scene was the grandfather - grandsons mischief montage. It must have been very fun to make. Pacing is slow, but an hour 49 is a tad on the long side. Overall, this was fun to watch and I liked it. I will be watching it again soon. I rate this best for prompting repeat viewing. Not many films can make me want to see them again. It's really something special when that happens. WATCH THIS!!!!!
An American adventure comedy directed by Wes Anderson, starring Bill Murray, Owen Wilson, Cate Blanchett, Anjelica Huston, Willem Dafoe, Jeff Goldblum and Michael Gambon.
An aging documentary film maker and his crew embark upon their last adventure. He is deserted by his wife and joined by a man claiming to be his son. His frienemy has a better equipped lab than their boat, so they rob it. Then they are boarded by foreign pirates and some of their crew are taken hostage.
This was actually good. I liked the plot and setting, with lots of underwater shots and things happening on a boat. The characters caught my interest and interacted in a dramatic manner without bringing in too much romantic relationship baggage. The guitarist playing David Bowie songs in Portuguese really added a unique twist. There was a lot of compositing and video editing involved. I don't think any of the marine life footage was stock. Even if it was just color editing, every fish and crustacean was changed in some way. The soundtrack really fit the scenes, with bubbly, arpeggiated synth for underwater scenes. Overall, this is what movies should be like. I rate it a solid green rating for setting a standard of film making.
An American comedy directed by Peter Bogdanovich, starring Owen Wilson and Rhys Ifans with a cameo by Quentin Tarantino.
People working on a Broadway play have all had relationships or affairs with one another. They hire a real prostitute to play the role of a prostitute, who brings in more people with complex relationships.
This was not so great. Again, the plot and characters did not interest me. There were too many characters and the plot revolved around their complex relationships that ended up all being tied together somehow. The video style was awesome, clear and all correctly exposed. There was a video mistake: when the 2 main characters are sitting on the couch, the girl gives the guy a gift and he puts it on the table behind them. The mistake is that I saw a hand come up from behind the table and move the gift while they were talking. The dialogue was all good and the soundtrack fit the scenes. It was well-made, but not what I like to watch. The ending was the only part that I really liked, but I won't spoil it. I'm going to have to give this a weird pink rating.
An American black comedy directed by Wes Anderson, starring Jason Schwartzman, Bill Murray, Olivia Williams and Seymour Cassel.
A high school student has a crush on a new teacher at school. When he uses a mutual friend to communicate with her, things go awry.
This was not so great. I didn't care about the plot or characters and didn't find them interesting. The video style was good and the soundtrack fit the story. It was all made very well, but just not my favorite story. I really like Wes Anderson's style. The framing and shot composition are always good and the editing puts things together in a way that makes sense. I'm glad that Jason Schwartzman moved on to better roles that I liked more. I didn't even recognize him in this. Overall, well made, but not for me. I give it a weird pink rating. You might like it, but I don't.
A Mexican horror fantasy directed by Guillermo del Toro, starring Ron Perlman, Claudio Brook and Margarita Isabel.
A antiques dealer accidentally discovers that he owns a device made by an alchemist for immortality. A wealthy and sick man has a younger relative trying to track down the device because he owns the instruction manual for it.
This was half in Spanish and half in English. The plot was interesting, but not as I would have made it. The characters were good and the viewer wants the heroes to win. Pacing felt a little odd, possibly too dynamic. The video style started out very clear and correctly exposed, but transitioned to all too dark and underexposed by the end. This did correlate with the main character's condition, but I still didn't like it. Overall, not too shabby. I rate this adequate. You may want to check it out.
An American horror drama directed by Guillermo del Toro.
A young woman falls in love with a visiting business man. Her father objects to this, but when he is murdered, they get married and move to the man's house where he lives with his sister. When the new bride finds living arrangements not to her liking, the real story of the man and his sister emerges.
This was alright. The plot was on the basic side. The pacing and character development were both very slow. I liked the period style complete with wax cylendar recordings and there were quite a few good camera shots. I felt like the ending was a let down and should have had more action. Overall, decent. I rate it o.k.
A Mexican American science fiction directed by Guillermo del Toro, starring Idris Elba, Rinko Kikuchi and Ron Perlman.
Giant monsters are coming out of a portal in the ocean and people create and drive giant robots to fight them.
Robots fighting monsters? Pretty cool! The plot and characters held my attention between special effects fight scenes. The style was a little too "new movie" for me, with fast camera movements and fast editing cuts. The robots were alright, but the monsters were amazing. The 2 hour duration seemed a little long to me. Overall, watch it for the monsters. I rate this good.
A Japanese anime directed by Hayao Miyazaki.
A princess rides a jet-propelled hang glider through a fantasy world of poisonous forests and giant insects.
This is brilliant. I saw it a long time ago before starting this blog, but it was cool to see again. The plot held my interest and the main character was well developed. The animation style is very Miyazaki and exemplary of traditional anime. One thing to note is the princess' lack of underwear. Overall, great. I rate this awesome. Watch it!
An American action film directed by David O. Russell, starring Mark Wahlberg, Christian Bale, Amy Adams, Melissa Leo and Jack McGee.
A boxer has problems with being managed by his family. The manager mother roots for the trainer brother who used to be a boxer, but is now a crackhead. The brother goes to jail and the boxer gets new management, but then the brother gets out of prison.
This was alright. It had it's moments, but was generally not so hot. The plot was interesting, but a little complex. The characters were developed well, but there were so many of them. Camera-work looked fine and pacing seemed right for the scenes. I was just not overly impressed. Overall, middle of the road. I rate this o.k.
An American thriller directed by Darren Aronofsky, starring Natalie Portman, Vincent Cassel, Barbara Hershey and Winona Ryder.
A ballet dancer works hard to get the leading role in a show, but her mental stability and personal relationships are falling apart.
This took time to get cool, but was well worth the wait. Obviously, the climax scene was my favorite part. The plot had some depth and the main character was very well developed. The camera-work was good and there were some special effects used. The pacing starts out very slow and builds speed toward the ending. Overall, this is what I'm looking for in a good movie. I rate this one of those solid green ratings. Watch it!
An American adventure directed by Darren Aronofsky, starring Russell Crowe, Jennifer Connelly, Ray Winstone and Anthony Hopkins.
The biblical story of Noah and his ark is told in a somewhat altered form.
This was sort of good, sort of cheesy and way overdone. The plot was over dramatized and the characters didn't make much sense. The camera-work was absolutely terrible and the style reeked of new super-hero flicks. The special effects on the watchers were really good, but I didn't like much else. Overall, not the best, but it has some merits. I rate it o.k.
An American horror thriller directed by Ryuhei Kitamura, starring Bradley Cooper, Brooke Shields, Ted Raimi and Vinnie Jones.
A photographer sees a model before she is abducted and reported missing. He investigates and finds a butcher who rides a subway.
This was a little on the lame side. The plot almost held my interest, but the characters seemed shallow. The villain was the most developed character of all. Pacing was on the slower side, which I liked. The camera-work included lots of unintelligible scenes like Enter The Void (2009) which is a very bad thing. There was a lot of digital blood involved and it was very clearly fake. The ending seemed stupid and tacked on like they didn't think about it much. Overall, not so great. I rate this poor.
A Canadian American made for TV fantasy directed by Joshua Butler.
A monk is sent through a portal from the past into modern times. He is given a dagger and is hunting two succubi.
This was alright. The premise was interesting and the succubi were awesome characters. They were good looking in that high school goth too much eye makeup type of way. The pacing seemed slow to me and the style looked better than a TV movie should. I liked the monster that the succubus gave birth to during the climax as well. Overall, pretty decent and no real complaints. Nowhere near as bad as it's reputation would lead one to believe. I rate it adequate. You might want to check it out.
An American horror fantasy directed by Clive Barker, Starring David Cronenberg.
A man who has dreams about killing people is confronted by his therapist because those people have been killed as he said. He goes to a certain cemetery where he is shot by police, but vanishes from the hospital. His girlfriend tries to find him dead, alive or undead.
This was almost as cool as Hellraiser. There were monsters and special effects. The plot was in line with the UPO and the "fun & games" section was the girlfriend seeing all the monsters in their underground lair. I thought that was just amazing. I almost cared about the main characters, but when cool monsters take the screen, my attention gets diverted. The camera-work was invisible because I was watching for plot and special effects. Pacing kept a decent jaunt, but I would have put more monsters into 2 hours if it was mine. More demonstrations of monster abilities and those being used in conflicts would have been amazing, but obviously expensive. I really liked it, but I felt that there was not enough monster screen time. Maybe a slow pan of monster faces could have eaten some seconds and given the viewer a better look at the characters. I don't know. I'm rambling. I rate this awesome. Watch it if you like Hellraiser and Subspecies.
An American thriller directed by Clive Barker.
An evil magician is bound by his protege and buried. The protege then fakes his own death. A police investigator is put on the case to deal with damages.
This was cheesy, but not horrible. The main attraction here was special effects. Plot and characters were like a B movie. Pacing and style were typical of '90s horror and thriller flicks. Special effects began with screws on a metal mask turning themselves into the evil magician's face. There were a few fake monsters and fire effects and the ending was mostly video trickery. Another interesting point to note is the evil magician's pet mandrill in the beginning. I thought that was a nice touch. Overall, a cheesy flick with some interesting things to see. I rate it adequate.
A British American drama directed by Bill Condon, starring Ian McKellen and Brendan Fraser.
An old film director has had a stroke and is suffering from mental instability. He befriends the groundskeeper at his mansion, but their relationship is rocky.
This was not too bad. The plot held my interest and I cared about the characters, even Brendan Fraser. Fraser was the groundskeeper and has starred in many comedies of the '90s. The director was Ian Mckellen or Gandalf from The Lord of the Rings series. Camera-work was clear and pacing was dynamic. The style was very clear and bright and focused on the plot. As the two men get to know each other, the old director recounts stories of directing Frankenstein, WWII and gay parties at his house. He tries to draw the Groundskeeper, who is weirded out by the nature of the old man's tales and unstable mental state. Overall, pretty cool. This just barely makes a good rating. You should probably watch it.
A British horror directed by Anthony DiBlasi.
A group of college students are making a video about fear when one of them takes things too far.
Another new crappy horror. This was of the gross-out type. As with all new horror, there were some scenes in which I wondered if they knew how to operate a camera or even took the lens cap off. The hallways of the school were the darkest I have ever seen and totally unrealistic. The plot was pretty typical of new horror and I found that it was a good thing not to care what happens to the characters. That being said, I did not like the ending. Overall, yet another crappy flick. I rate this shit. DO NOT WATCH!!!
An American horror directed by Hal Masonberg.
All the children in the world simultaneously become catatonic. 10 years later, they wake up and attack any adult like a zombie apocalypse.
This was lame, stupid and dumb. I hated it. The plot was a slightly creative spin on the overdone zombie apocalypse flick and the characters were ALL shallow extras. There was some decent camera-work here and there as in any film. The ending was what really pissed me off. I won't ruin it for those who choose to watch, but damn, was it cheesy! Overall, a klunker. I rate this shit. DO NOT WATCH!!!!!
An American horror directed by Bernard Rose, starring Virginia Madsen.
A woman is doing research on urban legends for college and encounters a story about a ghostly killer. She follows the tale to it's logical conclusion.
This is not the candy man who makes the world taste good, but he does mix it with love. The plot was relatively interesting and I cared about the main character. The fact that she earned female anatomy points did sway my decision. The camera-work was exemplary of the early '90s, with lots of wide angle overhead shots. I think they relied a little too heavily on music to create the spooky atmosphere. The hospital scene was very accurate. I know because I've been there. Missing time, heavy restraints and no answers from the inhospitable staff are all key points. The style was typical of late '80s/early '90s horror. Overall, not bad. I rate it adequate. You might want to watch this.
A British horror directed by John Harrison.
A paranormal investigator goes to a haunted house with her videographer and a young man who supposedly acts as a medium.
This was pretty lame. The plot did not hold my interest and I did not care about the characters. The camera-work was alright, but very dark like most horror flicks. With slow pacing, an hour forty seemed to take forever. Now the positives: The paranormal investigator earned some pretty good female anatomy points. In the beginning, she is teaching a class and her students agree with me (picture). Overall, shabby and stereotypical. I rate this bad.
A French American musical adventure directed by Joel Coen, starring George Clooney, John Turturro, John Goodman and Holly Hunter.
A trio of inmates escape from a labor camp during the depression. They are on their way to find a buried treasure, but record a hit song while en route.
This was alright at best. It was supposedly based on Homer's Odyssey, but I failed to see much connection. Plot and characters blah blah blah, pacing and camera-work blah blah blah. My main issues were the color correction and musical aspect. I don't like musicals and the color correction used on this gives me a headache. They used too much of the warm colors and neglected a balance of cool hues. Also, my ex-girlfriend really liked this and I hate most movies that she liked. Overall, headache and painful memories prevented any enjoyment. I rate this poor.
An American war film directed by Angelina Jolie.
An Olympic runner wins the games and joins the airforce. His plane goes down over an ocean where he and 2 of the other soldiers spend a very long time floating before being captured by the Japanese. They are put into a prison camp where one of the officers decides to treat the runner very badly.
I usually don't like war films too much, but this wasn't too bad. The plot held my interest and I cared what happened to the characters. The most developed characters were the American runner and the Japanese officer. Everything was shot well with good visibility and the audio sounded good. Pacing was dynamic, with appropriate ups and downs. The style was like an epic biography. Overall, better than o.k. but not "good" by my definition. I rate this adequate. You might want to watch it.
An American western directed by Joel and Ethan Coen, starring Jeff Bridges, Matt Damon and Josh Brolin.
A girl hires an old cowboy to track down the man who killed her father.
This was pretty accurate to the original. It was more violent and more graphic though. It seemed as though Rooster was nastier, Mattie was younger and they suffered through tougher times together. The plot held my attention and I cared about the characters. It was shot well and things made sense. The pacing was a little on the slow side and style more contemplative. I really liked Jeff Bridges in this. His acting fir the Rooster part very well. Overall, a pretty cool flick. I'll rate this good. Watch it!
An American crime comedy directed by Joel and Ethan Coen, starring Tom Hanks.
A group of criminals pose as musicians to rent a room in a woman's house whose cellar is near the vault of a casino. The heist goes off alright, but the aftermath gets messy.
This was just fine. When it started, I was asking WTF? but by the middle, everything made sense. The plot was unpredictable and held my interest. The characters, although somewhat stereotypical, were acted very well and I cared what happened to them. The camera-work communicated the action very well. Everything was shown clearly and in a way that makes sense. Pacing had ups and downs, but was generally on the quick side. The style and flavor aspect was not neglected. Althought it may be a soup of many flavors, they all taste good together. Overall, I think this is a little bit above what a movie should be. I rate it awesome for going that extra little bit.
A British American comedy drama directed by Joel Coen, starring Tim Robbins and Jennifer Jason Leigh.
A mailroom worker at a large company is seen as foolish by management and is given presidency of the company when the president commits suicide. It turns out that he is not a fool.
This was pretty cool. Everything was shot really well. It looked really cool and made sense. The plot held my attention and I cared what happened to the characters. Pacing was moderate and the style was very clear and generally good. This is one of those films that gets a nice, solid, green rating for being exactly what I want and hitting the mark. I rate this good. Watch it!
An American black comedy directed by Joel and Ethan Coen, starring Nicolas Cage, John Goodman and Holly Hunter.
A stupid criminal marries the police photographer and they steal a baby together.
There was something undefinable that irked me about this movie. The plot and characters were decent and made me care what happened. It was all shot very well and the pacing was moderate. It seems very well made and it all made sense. I even almost liked Nicolas cage in this role. Maybe it's just that I didn't find it funny or get the humor. Overall, a decent flick. I rate it adequate.
An American crime drama directed by Joel and Ethan Coen.
An Irish gangster is involved in organized crime.
This was just as bad, if not worse than The Godfather series. Super-long with too much time between action scenes. The plot was mud central. I don't know what happened! I was unimpressed by the characters. Need I mention slow pacing? I guess there were a few scenes that were shot well, but aren't there in any movie? Overall, crappy crappy crappy. I rate this shit.
An American drama directed by Steven Spielberg, starring Tom Hanks.
An American lawyer defends a captured Russian spy in court and prevents a death sentence. He then goes to Europe to negotiate a trade of the Russian for 2 Americans there.
This was rather dull. The slow pacing and uninteresting plot made sure of that. Only the main character can be said to have been developed. The camera-work was good and everything made sense. It looked really professional, but it was just so long and boring! I rate it o.k. I guess.
An American crime thriller by Joel and Ethan Coen.
A bar owner's girlfriend is cheating on him and he hires a private investigator to find out about it.
This was no good. Not the Coen brothers that we have come to know and love from their future films. The plot was muddy as fuck with undeveloped characters that the viewer knows nothing about. No style, no notable camera-work and jumpy pacing. There was lots of shooting, a dude got his hand pinned to the window sill of the next room with a knife and someone else got buried alive after being shot. Apparently, these guys are capable of doing wrong. I rate this bad. Do not watch!
A British American film noir drama directed by Joel and Ethan Coen, starring Billy Bob Thornton.
A barber whose wife is cheating on him blackmails the man she is having an affair with in order to invest in a dry cleaning business. He kills the man his wife is sleeping with in self defense and the wife gets blamed.
This was pretty cool. It would be best to watch right before or after Bad Santa (2003) to see Billy Bob in opposite roles. The plot was complex and made me care what happened to the characters. The pacing was slow and black and white video added to the style. Billy Bob's heavy narration was also a positive point. Overall, exactly hitting the mark for being good without going much beyond it. I rate it good.
An American black comedy directed by Joel and Ethan Coen, starring Oscar Isaac and John Goodman.
A folk singer is having some problems. He gets beat up, may have impregnated a friend's girlfriend, loses a cat, gets abandoned on the highway and turned down by a music company.
This was AMAZING!!!! Such style! Such grace! Everything was shot really well and the pacing went very slowly to let it all really soak in. The music was slow and soothing, but in a good way. In fact, I can't find anything to nay-say about this. I could keep singing it's praises and saying the Coen brothers can do no wrong, but it's better for you to just watch this movie. I rate it awesome. WATCH IT!!!!
A British American comedy directed by Michael Hoffman, written by Joel and Ethan Coen, starring Cameron Diaz and Alan Rickman.
A dissatisfied employee and an art forger set up a trick for the boss. They put a fake painting in a woman's house and have the boss try to buy it, thinking that it is real.
This was not too shabby. The Coen brothers know style and flavor. Their quick pacing and writing in character is awesome. The plot held my attention, I cared what happened to the characters and it was shot well. I'm having trouble finding flaws in this. The Coen brothers may be added to my list of folks who can do no wrong along with Alejandro Jodorowsky, Ralph Bakshi, Quentin Tarantino and Tony Jaa. If you're looking for high quality movies, this would be one to add to your list. I rate it good. Watch it!
An American romantic comedy directed by Joel and Ethan Coen, starring George Clooney and Billy Bob Thornton.
A divorce lawyer falls in love with a woman who marries men to divorce them and get their money.
This was alright. The quick pacing was great after the Crappola marathon. A word I haven't used in a while is style or flavor. If this movie was food, it would have been a Mexican plate with jalapenos to contrast the sour cream. What I'm trying to say is that I liked the bold and stylized look. The sets and costumes were designed correctly and the acting fit the parts. It may just be that a newer comedy after the doldrums of Francis Ford made it seem that way in comparison. Whatever the cause, this was fun to watch. I NEVER EVER like romantic comedy so this was a damn good movie if I liked it. I'm rating it good. Watch it!
An American Romanian French Italian German fantasy drama directed by Francis Ford Coppola.
An old man is struck by lightning and becomes young again.
Upon completion of viewing Francis Ford Coppola's filmography, I have decided that I do not like him. Very few of his films were any good. Most were boring beyond the realms growing grass and drying paint. This one was no different. A few scenes were shot well and the premise seemed alright, but as a whole, it was dull. Overall, it barely held my attention. I rate this poor. Francis Ford Crappola sucks a fat one.
An American horror thriller directed by Francis Ford Coppola, starring Val Kilmer.
An unsuccessful novelist visits a small town where he fights writer's block with local folklore, whiskey and sleeping pills.
This was lame. I wish I had looked up the lead actor before watching it because Madmartigan from Willow (1988) would have been fun to imagine. The plot was stale and characters stereotypical. Some of the scenes were shot well and there was some light special effects, but otherwise it was a bust. The main character irked me most of all. Overall, pretty crappy. I rate it bad.
An American courtroom drama directed by Francis Ford Coppola, starring Matt Damon, Danny DeVito, Danny Glover, Jon Voight, Mickey Rourke and Virginia Madsen.
A new lawyer takes a difficult case involving health insurance.
I don't like watching games of Lawyers & Lawsuits. The plot does not interest me and I don't care what happens to the characters. Everything made sense and the characters were acted decently. The camera-work was nothing to write home about and the slow pacing made this seem longer than it actually was. Overall, I was not interested. I rate this poor.
An American drama directed by Sofia Coppola, starring James Woods, Kathleen Turner, Kirsten Dunst and Danny DeVito.
Boys from school chase after a group of sisters with strict parents.
I felt like this whole film was leading up to something that never happened. It seemed like all beginning with very little middle and no ending. The plot held my interest and I kind of cared what happened with the characters. The camera-work was really good. At times, it was noticeable in a good way and at others, invisible as the story came through. The pacing seemed rather slow to me. Overall, it was really weird for such tame subject matter. I'm giving this a strange pink rating for being so far out there in such an odd way. I don't know what to think about it.
An American crime drama directed by Francis Ford Coppola, starring Matt Dillon, Mickey Rourke, Nicolas Cage and Dennis Hopper.
A violent gang leader has a crazy brother who returns to town after a long absence and an alcoholic father.
This was alright, I guess. It was all in black and white except the Japanese fighting fish from the pet store. The plot seemed to go nowhere and the characters were static as fuck. The camera-work was AMAZING! They got some really good shots that were artsy and illustrated the scenes very well. Overall, a really good looking nothing. Hey, it was cool to watch, but lacked substance. I rate it adequate.
An American drama directed by Woody Allen, Martin Scorsese and Francis Ford Coppola, starring Mia Farrow and Nick Nolte.
3 stories happen in New York City. In the first, a painter breaks up with his girlfriend. The second concerns a rich and spoiled girl whose parents are away and in the third, a man's overbearing mother appears in the sky.
This was actually enjoyable. The plots followed the infamous UPO, but with 3 of them, it seemed better. The characters were all stereotypical and shallow, but I almost liked that about them. The pacing was just quick enough to keep things moving in all 3 sections. The only negative criticism that I have for this is that it was a little too hokey at times. I'm rating it good though. Watch this!
