A Japanese jidaigeki directed by Toshiya Fujita, starring Meiko Kaji, Juzo Itami and Yoshio Harada.
Lady Snowblood, the main character from the first film, is supposed to be working for the government to bring down an anarchist. He has a document which will cause problems for the government and she ends up on his side.
A lackluster sequel to a classic. The video looked fine, except for a lack of spraying blood and violence in general. There were some great shots from rooftops, a hallmark of the era and area. There were also lots of handheld shots, which I found odd. The audio was terrible: gritty and treble-biased. The plot failed to hold my attention and I saw some really bad acting. I imagine some bad writing was also involved. It was boring and I was counting down minutes until the end. I rate this poor because there is so much worse out there.
An American blaxploitation horror directed by William Girdler.
A minister visits Africa and unleashes an evil spirit. The spirit possesses a woman from his church.
Terrible. It failed to hold my attention in any way. The audiuo and video were some of the worst. All grainy, fuzzy and pixelated video with old kung fu style clipping audio. The only interesting comment that I can make is to compare black and white possession. Honky possessed women sit around in bed, waiting for the exorcist to show up. They may puke pea soup and jill off with a cross, but can easily be found. This black woman took off. She was hitting the town, going to bars and seducing men. I rate this bad because it was painful to watch and I was counting down time until the end. However, I could hear and see it and understood what was happening. Don't watch it.
A Czech animated fantasy directed by Karel Zeman.
Sinbad the sailor has many adventures as he sails from kingdom to kingdom and outwits danger after danger.
I really liked this. The animation style was unique, somewhere between Lotte Reiniger's paper cutouts and "standard" hand drawn cell animation. The plot seemed like a series of vignettes because it was originally released as a series of shorts, each including a single adventure. There were some inconsistencies, like calling birds that look the same doves and then seagulls later, but I don't really want to get into that here. I just want to say how good it was. The pacing was dynamic and the characters and backgrounds all looked amazing. I would recommend it if you don't mind fast paced subtitles, not as fast as Night is Short, Walk On Girl (2017), but be ready to read pretty quickly. I rate this awesome.
A French Italian comedy directed by Luis Bunuel, starring Julien Bertheau, Jean Rochefort, Jean-Claude Brialy and Michel Piccoli.
Continuous characters are involved in unrelated events which are meant to make the viewer question socially accepted norms of behavior.
Most of this was incoherent. It just seemed like there was no point. Some of it made a great deal of sense, though. There were 3 scenes that I wish to highlight.
In the first scene, a group of people sit at a table which has toilets instead of chairs. As the scene goes on, it is revealed that they find food to be disgusting. 1 man from the group gets up and goes to "the dining room" to eat in private.
The second scene involves a school girl who has disappeared. Her parents are notified and they rush to the school. When they enter the classroom, the teacher is trying to explain the situation and the girl walks up to tell them she is there. The teacher calls roll and the girl stands up when her name is called. The parents and child go to the cops where the man filling out the report examines the girl who is standing right next to him in order to fill in hair color, eye color, clothing, etc.
A man with a rifle is in a tall building and picks off people on the street. The court hears his case, sentences him to death and he walks out with everyone else like nothing happened.
By using nonsense, absurdity and opposites, Bunuel has created something more than just a comedy. Unfortunately, the people who get it and understand some meaning are the ones who would not need these preconceptions questioned. AND Those who need these preconceptions questioned and should think about them would not understand the film enough for it to prompt them to reflective thought. Using this line of thought, it could be seen as a film used to boast mental superiority. Smart people who get it would show it to their dumb friends and laugh when the friend did not understand. I rate this adequate because what I understood of it was quite funny.
An American comedy directed by Robert Altman, starring George Segal and Elliott Gould.
A pair of gamblers meet and become friends. One of them is in debt so they go to Reno and gamble some more.
An artfully made nothing. The pacing was noticeably slower than the current 4 second average shot length trend. Calling the plot sparse would be an extreme understatement. Some stuff does happen like when the angry poker player reappears. Characters were written very well. The 2 main protagonists made a great "straight man funny man" team. I think that lots of the dialogue was added after filming by voice-over. Locations looked good to me. There seemed to be a good mix of seedy and reputable gambling establishments. Camera-work was amazingly artful. There were some longer shots of the main characters in crowds that looked best to me. Audio was correctly mixed, but sometimes a little too busy. IMDb has a rating of 7.3/10 for this, AllMovie has it at 4/5 site and user ratings and Rotten Tomatoes lists 93% Tomatometer with 84% audience score for an average of 82%. Although that is lower than I would grade, it's in the neighborhood. I rate this good. You should watch it if you pay attention to cinematography.
A Japanese samurai series directed by Kenji Misumi, Yasuzo Masumura and Yoshio Inoue, starring Shintaro Katsu.
Hanzo is a loose cannon petty officer with a big dick and a penchant for blackmail who has had enough of government corruption.
Sex and violence! Four and a half hours of Hanzo in one day is a little bit much. It started off great, but I was wishing it would end like 3/4 through the third film. The pacing was really moderate all the way through. There were a few sections where editing cuts picked up speed in fights and sex scenes though. The plot was basically the same through all of the films. There were different people involved in side-plots, but the main idea remained constant. The main characters were developed quite well. Hanzo himself identifies himself by his penis maintenance regimen in the beginning of each film and then goes on to have his lackeys lower a girl in a net onto him, who he spins while she hangs from a rope. The lackeys were criminals that Hanzo freed and act as comic relief. The constant villain is Magobei "snake" Onishi, Hanzo's superior officer, but Hanzo dispatches other bad guys in each film. The dialogue was all written well and crossed the language barrier decently. The actors all knew their roles and played their characters fine. Obviously, Hanzo was the best. The sets and costumes were evidently planned very well and fit the samurai genre to a T. The camera-work included lots of creative angles and shot composition. The first film even had an "inside the vagina" shot. Special effects included lots of blood, as would be expected and was definitely appreciated. The audio was mixed dynamically, with good dialogue levels and a funky psychedelic rock soundtrack. The overall style reminded me of Lone Wolf and Cub. On IMDB, Sword of Justice has 6.8/10, The Snare has 7.1/10 and Who's Got the Gold? has 6.7/10. I think these ratings are very low for such a good series. I rate this awesome for Hanzo's wang and excessive blood.
A Canadian horror directed by Bob Clark, starring Olivia Hussey, Keir Dullea, Margot Kidder and John Saxon.
A psycho killer is making obscene phone calls to a sorority house right after he murders anyone.
This was another film based on the Canadian urban legend of "The Babysitter and the Man Upstairs". It reminded me of When a Stranger Calls (1979) because they are basically the same story. So there go any points the plot could have earned. There was a unique twist at the end, but I won't spoil that. The characters were all pretty drab and dull except two of the cops who served as comic relief and the Housemother, Mrs. Mac. The video was mostly good, but crept toward that horror cliche of hand held camera in total darkness at some points. The audio was mostly rotary phones ringing, but somehow did not get annoying. Overall, a passable take on the urban legend with decent production quality. I rate it o.k.
An Italian romance adventure directed by Lina Wertmuller, starring Giancarlo Giannini and Mariangela Melato.
A rich woman on a yacht cruise is stranded on an island with a sailor from the boat. They fall in love, but are separated when they are rescued.
This was different from the 2002 version. It seemed far more serious and emotional. It lacked the comedy element that the remake used so prominently. I still liked the plot and characters. The video seemed more thought out and carefully planned than the remake. There was a scene in which the characters are sitting on the beach and we can see that the sand around them has no footprints in it. The ending was also different. In this original, the sailor's emotions and consequences are more fully demonstrated, whereas the remake just left him on a pier when the rich woman left. The audio on this was very low, but the subtitles were very good. Overall, I thought it was interesting to see both versions of this. I rate it adequate.
An Irish American science fiction written, produced and directed by John Boorman, starring Sean Connery and Charlotte Rampling.
In a post-apocalyptic future, the elite are immortal and the rest of the population works on farms to supply the elite with food. This social system is enforced by exterminators who kill the farmers and a giant, floating head that orders them to do so. One of the exterminators stows away in the giant head and enters the area of the immortal elite. Although they originally want to kill him, he is permitted to live and learns the secret of their society. He then calls the other exterminators in to destroy their way of life and save them from immortality.
This is one of the films that I vowed never to review when I started this blog. I had tried to watch it before, but did not like it. The plot seemed to meander aimlessly, but did in fact have a point. I think that it brings up questions of authority and social systems that are followed by tradition, but have lost their meaning. The main character was interesting and did develop significantly. That is, if you can get past his absurd costume. The main villain developed some by a role reversal, but was absent for most of the duration. Everyone else was extras. The video was planned quite well. Their set designs were extravagant and colorful. There were also psychedelic altered states of consciousness sequences that entertained me. Some of these were done with careful placement of mirrors and looked really cool. The audio was pretty standard of the time, featuring classical music in the soundtrack. The dialogue was audible and mixed correctly with the music. Overall, this film was more fun to write about than to watch. I rate it o.k.
An American action film directed by Sam Peckinpah, starring Warren Oates.
A piano player in a bar is contracted to kill a man and return with his head in exchange for a million dollars. He begins his quest with a prostitute girlfriend who also knows the target.
It was alright. Pretty standard for the '70s. The plot was easy to follow and held my attention relatively well. The main character was stereotypical of a sleazy '70s gangster/detective type of half-criminal. He wore a light colored suit, had a mustache and chugged liquor like it was his job. The piano playing gig and prostitute girlfriend were the icing on his sleazy cake. All of the other characters were extras. The video was typical of the times. A little bit of grain, longer shot range and duration, you know the deal. There were some female anatomy points awarded to the girl in the intro and outro whose father was the target and the girlfriend on at least two occasions. Audio was normal as well. I could hear what people were saying and they hid the girlfriend's guitar playing enough so I couldn't tell if she was actually the one playing it. Overall, a regular movie. I rate it o.k.
A Japanese daikaiju science fiction directed by Jun Fukuda.
A false Godzilla flies out of Mount Fuji and begins to attack Japan. Anguirus tries unsuccessfully to stop it, but calls real Godzilla before returning underground. A pair of Japanese traditionalists are aided by a journalist and a pair of archaeologists to summon King Caesar/Shisa to help Godzilla battle the false metal replica of himself.
I seriously thought they were saying "King Seesaw", but he turned out to be a pretty cool monster. The metal pipe that the archaeologist made was cool too. The enemies gaining gorilla masks in death was another interesting point. That's about it. I rate this o.k.
An American Canadian adventure directed by Philip Kaufman, starring Warren Oates, Timothy Bottoms and Louis Gossett Jr.
Men from a whaling ship crash and are rescued by eskimos.
This was amazing compared to most of the other Philip Kaufman films I've seen. The whaling sailors blend into eskimo society in varying degrees. The blonde guy goes native, the black guy is neutral and the bearded guy wants to leave. Technical aspects were fine with subtitles for eskimo language. The plot actually held my attention and the characters were interesting. As is standard for Philip's work, there were sex scenes and nudity. No female anatomy points were earned though. Overall, a triumph for piss-poor Kaufman. I rate this good because it's actually worth watching compared to his other crap.
A West German documentary directed by Werner Herzog.
A champion ski jumper has difficulties and record-breaking jumps.
This was pretty good. The plot did not make much sense. The fact that Steiner's normal job is carpentry was not explained at all. The film starts with him showing beautiful carved wood sculptures, but without any explanation that this is his day job. His character as a champion ski jumper was portrayed quite well though. The camera-work showed the jumps in great detail with the use of high speed cameras. The sountrack was typical of Herzog, with Popol Vuh supplying slow and ambient music. Overall, not too shabby. I'm liking Herzog's documentaries more than his fiction films. I rate this adequate.
An American romantic drama directed by Jack Clayton, starring Robert Redford, Mia Farrow, Bruce Dern and Karen Black.
Rich people have rich people problems. Their affluenza causes them to have affairs with married folks until someone gets killed.
This was pretty boring. The camera-work was good, but the plot did not hold my interest. The characters were acted pretty well through endless talking scenes. It was made pretty well and things made sense, but oh so boring. Overall, a well constructed piece of shit. I rate it poor. You probably should not watch this.
An American science fiction by Mike Hodges, starring George Segal.
A once peaceful and successful man's personality has changed after a car accident. He has seizures which induce fits of rage and knows that computers and machines are taking over the world. He is released from prison to have experimental surgery of putting electrodes in his brain to stop the seizures.
The premise and head nurse role reminded me of Clockwork Orange and this film brought up some of the same topics, mixed with a little bit of Terminator. What is considered mind control? A character in this film classifies compulsory high school education to be mind control. Is it right to use techniques like this if they may save someone's life? The plot brings up interesting questions and I think that the main character was developed well. I also noticed good camera-work throughout. The intro scene of photos in front of glasses with a shallow depth of field was cool. I also liked the blood going into valleys between tiles on a white floor. Interesting topics brought up and good camera-work? I think I'll rate this good. It's definitely worth watching.
An American made for TV western directed by Ken Trevey, starring Steve Forrest, Dean Jagger and Will Geer.
A man who killed another man (possibly in self defense) is hanged, dies and comes back to life. He then protects the widowed wife of the man he killed from outlaws who want to shut down her mine.
This wasn't bad, but it wasn't good. The plot and characters were presented relatively clearly and there were no audio/video problems. The plot was a little vague and boring in some parts and only the main character was developed. overall, it was a regular western. I rate it o.k.
An American made for TV western directed by Daniel Petrie.
A gunfighter narrowly escapes a hanging, finds a dead preacher and impersonates him in the next town. Outlaws run the town and the gunfighting preacher encounters conflict with them.
This was pretty standard and mediocre. The plot and characters were presented clearly and there were no audio or video problems. Just a regular western. I rate it o.k.
An American western adventure directed by Earl Bellamy.
The true story of the Sager family of pioneers is depicted in a fictionalized account. The parents die and the oldest son, who has only caused mischief, leads his siblings to finish their journey.
The plot and characters were pretty much clearly presented. There were some slight gaps with lack of information. The storay was also a little on the sappy side. The audio sounded alright and the video was in color and looked o.k. to me. The pacing was on the slow side and the style was very much of the time. Overall, it wasn't bad, but not that great either. I rate it o.k.
An American horror thriller directed by Sean MacGregor and David Sheldon.
Some friends, lovers and co-workers are on vacation at a snowbound mountain resort. The icy roads nearby have cause the crash of a minivan transporting a group of children from a mental institution. The groups meet.
Any movie with no links on the credits in Wikipedia and 4 titles has got to be really special. I'm talking style here. STYLE! The acting was perfect and the characters made sense to me. My favorite line was in the beginning: "Hot damn, got me a knife! WOOOOH!". I had another favorite part, but it's the best part in the movie that I won't spoil for you. Obviously I liked the plot, with the premise being to my strange tastes. The audio and video were a little on the shitty side, but sometimes that's alright when what's going on is interesting enough. There were some slow motion sections that I thought were far too long and drawn out. Maybe a few seconds of slow motion would be o.k., but this was just too much. That was my only beef with this film. I call it successful and rate it good. This is definitely one to watch if you like obscure horror.
A South African thriller directed by Ivan Hall.
A professional revolutionary seeks to steer the politics of a nation by murder and a police officer tries to stop him.
I had to read the plot on Wikipedia because it was not apparent in the film. In fact, nothing was apparent. The video looked nasty and the audio sounded trashy like a low budget horror flick or a porno. The characters remained a mystery throughout the duration as well as the plot. The style reeked of the sleazy '70s in every way possible. I'm going to have to rate this bad because it's worthless trash.
