Spoilers What Movie Are You Watching?

[bobob]

I realize there won't be many modern b-movie fans in this thread, but for any one interested in a down and dirty, end-of-summer, fight'n'drive movie - - well you're in for a treat!

The Transporter Refueled has all of the aforementioned, plus a story better than it has any right to, and a cast of game young charmers.

What a pleasant surprise!

B+


{I'm already looking forward to next summer's sequel featuring the further adventures of Frank and Frank Sr.!}

 

[kazmac]

LOL... oh Kurt made so much fun of John Wayne in that movie. My heart is with Lo Pan. Too bad my eyes aren't green.

Judgment of An Assassin (1977) - this is definitely shaping up as one of my most favorite Shaw Brothers films hands down. Every time I watch I see little nuances in the performances and catch a little something else in the nefarious master plan of the Bloody Devil's manipulative quest to rule the Martial Arts world. I love David Chiang's hippiesque gallant and Chan Wai Man's creepy Bloody Devil. Easily my favorite Sun Chung film (I am a big fan of Human Lanterns, and dig The Deadly Breaking Sword and The Avenging Eagle), but this story and the characters are firing on all cylinders.

Shaolin Martial Arts (1974) Leung Kar Yan owns this movie. His evil Steel Armor kung fu master Ba Gang is one of the nastiest villains he's ever performed. This is another Han vs. Manchu story and the celebration that incites the war between them was fun. This is all about the fights and some of them are the most vicious hand to hand I'd seen in a SB film up to that point. LKY is particularly brutal and his fight style fit his villain. LKY was unjustly overlooked by Chang Cheh and SB, so it was wonderful to see LKY get a more prominent role here as well he should have.

and

The Handcuff (1979) an indie modern fu film starring Chan Wai Man as a hitman who wants out but is unable to cut ties with his violent life. Betrayed by nearly everyone he worked or cared for, this is a paint by numbers story. But CWM's vicious fighting including western boxing and his insane stunt of jumping off a suspension bridge into the water made it worth watching. I prefer him in period wuxias, but was glad to see this dodgy copy.

 

[twietee]

@kazmac , thx for the link - found a cheaper copy, uncut, in the German store called Dealer Connection. About 90mins, should be the real thing.

Also saw a couple of Shaw Bros. flics some time ago now, all really entertaining. Five Venoms and Boxer from Shantung stood out the most so far. Saw also 14 Blades, not really my flavor, still anticipating Hongkong 13...

Mostly (re-)watching showsnow: X-Files S1, twenty years later, I totally forgot how creepy some of the episodes were. Pondering till what season I should re-visit to avoid the unevitable let-down later on as I remember it got super stale at some point. Should be good for a while though. Also re-watching Homeland since it's so good and waiting for True Detective 2 to be aired again later this month - unfortunately I've been in holidays during the grand finale...

 

[kazmac]

@twietee , glad you found a copy of the Heroin Busters (a.k.a. Dealer Connection). If you can watch in English do so, David Hemmings does his own dub and he's hilariously cranky as the dogged Interpol agent trying to keep Fabio Testi's narc safe.

There are a few slow moments showing the evils of heroin (which I appreciate because some drug films glorify usage - you won't find that here.) I am a little bummed Testi was not able to call back on his earlier career as a stuntman because he did some insane stunts prior to becoming a leading man. And this movie is full of bonkers stunts. This is in my top three performances for Fabio too (the others being What Have you Done to Solange? and the super nasty The Big Racket - do not buy the English dub of The Big Racket it kills the unrepentant awfulness the racketeer gang put forth. BTW, Racket is also a Castellari movie and the closest thing he ever did to a horror film.)

Shaws. Glad you liked Five Venoms. That's such a fun movie. Boxer from Shantung was pretty good (love how much an ass David Chiang was.) If you can find a region 2 of Shaolin Mantis (a.k.a. The Deadly Mantis) go for it. Really great film (just watched again...)

X-Files about mid way through season 5 it got dodgy. So you may want to stop with season 4. I went as far as half way through season six because I love the Krycek / Skinner episode S.R. 819. I am looking forward to the limited series return though, I do like those characters. I'd be super stoked if Mister X shows up in the limited series (yeah I know he and Krycek are dead but...they were both great supporting characters.)

 

[twietee]

@twietee , glad you found a copy of the Heroin Busters (a.k.a. Dealer Connection). If you can watch in English do so, David Hemmings does his own dub and he's hilariously cranky as the dogged Interpol agent trying to keep Fabio Testi's narc safe.

Yep, English and Italian
will have a look at Mantis, thx.

X-Files, I really like the characters too. Bit of nostalgia involved since I was a HUGE X-files fan back then, but Duchovny and Anderson just have such a great chemistry going on. One thing I recognized lately is that I have a harder time to fully embrace series which conclude a story within one single episode. Feels mostly rushed at the end no matter what. With the X-Files it's different though, at least within S1. Those stand-alones work really, really well imo. Maybe because they don't have to wrap it up 100% but can chalk it up with a: "Well, I can't explain it anyway but you better believe, Scully"

Always loved the 'Ice' episode - almost Lovecraftian.

 

[kazmac]

Yep, English and Italian
will have a look at Mantis, thx.

X-Files, I really like the characters too. Bit of nostalgia involved since I was a HUGE X-files fan back then, but Duchovny and Anderson just have such a great chemistry going on. One thing I recognized lately is that I have a harder time to fully embrace series which conclude a story within one single episode. Feels mostly rushed at the end no matter what. With the X-Files it's different though, at least within S1. Those stand-alones work really, really well imo. Maybe because they don't have to wrap it up 100% but can chalk it up with a: "Well, I can't explain it anyway but you better believe, Scully"

Always loved the 'Ice' episode - almost Lovecraftian.

The Italian dub for Dealer Connection is good too (you hear some Italian slang uttered by the bad guys during the last 30 minutes.) But if you want to hear David Hemmings in all his cranky glory watch in English.

X-Files: Ice was a direct homage to John Carpenter's The Thing too (even if the writers still do not acknowledge it is pretty obvious. And that episode was what sold me on the series.) Another fun fact, the actor who played Krycek from season 2 on was a guest star in Season 1's Gender Bender (he's a victim of the title character.) I agree about David and Gillian.

The season 1 done in one episodes were usually quite good. I haven't watched much tv as of late, but when a series has a concrete interesting storyline running through it, I am intrigued by those.

Shaolin Mantis (a.k.a. The Deadly Mantis) has a very good story and a brilliant, almost Twilight Zone twist ending. I am a huge David Chiang fan and he really delivers both in his acting and martial performance here. People get down on David for not having perfect forms, but he always puts his all into his performances. You never once see him phone it in... and Mantis style is one of my most favorite styles of Kung Fu. It comes late in the movie, but boy is it worth getting to.

Here's the original Shaolin Mantis trailer (with director / fight coordinator Lau Kau Leung, David Chiang and other stars in the film. This plays more like a demonstration reel and is amazing. Annoying it was omitted from the dvd releases.)

 

[Savor]

Cate Blanchett is going to portray Lucille Ball? I think she is a great actress and she did a great Katherine Hepburn. But Lucy? I have my reservations. Could end up looking too melodramatic and giving off the wrong mood like the upcoming Steve Jobs film.

Which leads me to...

Some Like It Hot (1959) - 8.5/10

It is like a great episode of I Love Lucy but where Lucy & Ethel are two guys instead trying to cross-dress, head to Florida, and hilarity ensues. What makes I Love Lucy hold up so well after 70 years is the rapid dialogue. Fred Mertz is probably one of the funniest characters in TV history. It is all about the smart, witty screenplay that clowns on marriage and each other. With Some Like It Hot, the music is upbeat and lively similar to watching I Love Lucy. Screwball comedy classic.

One of my favorite episodes of I Love Lucy is this episode in Season 6 called "Off To Florida." Season 4-6 is where I felt the episodes were the strongest. From Hollywood in S4 to Europe in S5 to Florida/Cuba in S6. The ones with Lucy tries to get into showbiz are too redundant. The Lucy-Desi Hour (aka We Love Lucy) was more miss than hits. By 1957, it got worse while 1955-1956 had most of my favs. Some Like It Hot is similar to those travel episodes of Lucy but done as a 2 hr film with a Three Stooges-style "drag" gag. Some James Cagney gangster stuff to bookend the story. And it shows gold digging for both sexes.

I read Marilyn Monroe was flakey on set but she did a wonderful job. Tony Curtis was great too. I laughed at their lines. But almost every response, facial expression, and nuance Jack Lemmon did in it is comic gold. He could be one of the funniest characters I've ever seen on film. This was an actor where my gen wasn't introduced to him or Walter Mathau until Grumpy Old Men. I think only Don Rickles could've done as well as Lemmon in this flick but not better.

Favorite scene - The scene switching between the kissing scene and tango scene. Then right after, Tony Curtis' character ask "How can a guy marry another guy?" Lemmon still dancing goes, "Security!" This is way before they legalized gay marriage in certain places but that line is still perfect just like the final line of the film which could be the best ever. I think of Lemmon's role is like Kevin Kline in In & Out without the Out part.

I enjoyed both Billy Wilder classics in Some Like It Hot and Sunset Boulevard. There are two Wilder movies I still want to see. First is One Two Three. For ADHD folks, I've read this movie moves fast. And the other is arguably one of his Top 2 films is The Apartment. My only complaint with Some Like It Hot is the print can be flawed. I saw it in the DVD copy too. I see black circle marks at least half a dozen times. Like Maverick, this film needs a restoration and remaster.

Well, nobody's perfect.


History Of The World Part I (1981) - 8/10

I love this movie because I love Madeline Kahn and Dom DeLuise in it. RIP to both & Gregory Hine. Mel Brooks is no Billy Wilder but I actually enjoy this movie a little more than Some Like It Hot. It might be my favorite Brooks film. It is hilarious because it is total farce on something universally known like world history. I didn't find Blazing Saddles all that funny but maybe because I am not big on westerns to see the inside jokes. I used to love Spaceballs as a kid and still think it is fun. But I didn't think it aged as well with the jokes like so many spoofs and the original source it tries to parody. Neither for Robin Hood: Men In Tights.

I borrowed this film from the public library maybe 3x. That's three weeks worth of watching the movie on loop almost every day for free. This and Some Like It Hot are two of my most borrowed comedies from the library. The movie moves fast too. It slows down with the witty dialogue towards the end but the musical stuff is still excellent and doesn't bore. The Jews In Space at the end pretty much inspired Spaceballs and the song for Men In Tights.

Favorite scene - Entire Ancient Rome scene especially inside Caesar's Palace (Las Vegas). Bea Arthur's scene is hilarious. "Aww, a bulls*it artist!" Dom's laugh is contagious. The next shot Caesar always had something in his mouth. "Did he just say big, fat pig? Do you think he meant me? Ohh.." And then "Kill him!" Kahn probably had the funniest line in that scene.. "Ah, but the servant waits while the..." And how she says, "Yes!" while picking for a midnight orgy. The second fav set piece is The French Revolution. Both had the longest screen time and both were easily the best written skits.

Unlike Some Like It Hot, the film isn't marred by blemishes. Mine is a DVD-rip in XVid and still looks excellent for not being HD. I enjoy my downloaded versions more because they are louder to listen to than my DVD copies and I pretty much got all my Top 100 favorite movies. "The only thing we don't got. Premature ejaculation. But I hear that's coming quickly."... "Even the little *** gets it."


The Fall (2006)

A second time review and I must say once you follow the dialogue closely and understand all the characters in the story, it is much better the second viewing. My gf wanted to see it last night. Throughout the film, I went a-ha! I get it now and the double meaning or why Lee Pace told the story that way. First time you see it, it isn't interesting or you are overwhelmed by the landscapes to notice the nuances. It moves faster too the second time and you appreciate the excellent acting. It truly is an underrated gem. I give it 8/10 for story and overall over the 7.5/10 I gave it earlier. Might even make my Top 100 favorites list. My gf said she liked it. Cute story about friendship between the injured stuntman and little girl and how the latter saved the man by meeting. Nice humor too. The ending montage with many if the silent star greats and their stunts is fantastic. Highly recommended.

 

[kazmac]

Savage Five (1974) A more realistic and gritty Shaw Brothers film sees Chen Kaun Tai, Ti Lung and David Chiang try to fend off a gang of robbing rapists who overtake their poor town. Problem is, only Chiang is relatively skilled in kung fu (ironic) and after they're nearly taken out by the thugs, these unyielding heroes take out the bad guys any which way they can.

Not really my cup of tea, but Chen Kaun Tai's performance here makes me think of his vastly superior turns in Crippled Avengers and Human Lanterns. It was nice to see him step up the plate. And Chiang's death made me sigh just a little bit... I do really like a couple of the more contemporary thrillers Ti and Chiang made (Vengeance! and The Duel being the two that come to mind), but I was glad to finally see this one. I'll probably revisit somewhere along the way...

 

[balamw]

Boyhood

I enjoyed it, a thoroughly well executed coming of age story for the times. However I couldn't shake the feeling of wanting something more.

B

 

[mobilehaathi]

Rome, Open City

German Nazis and Italian Fascists search for the leader of a resistance cell in occupied Rome...

Highly reccomended!

 

[JamesMike]

Rome, Open City

German Nazis and Italian Fascists search for the leader of a resistance cell in occupied Rome...

Highly reccomended!

View attachment 579896

Had not heard of it, will check it out, thanks!

 

[Scepticalscribe]

Rome, Open City

German Nazis and Italian Fascists search for the leader of a resistance cell in occupied Rome...

Highly reccomended!

View attachment 579896

Had not heard of it, will check it out, thanks!

Hm, interesting. It is not a movie I have heard of either; must check it out.

 

[mobilehaathi]

Had not heard of it, will check it out, thanks!

Hm, interesting. It is not a movie I have heard of either; must check it out.

One of Roberto Rossellini's neorealist films shot in January 1945 just a few months after the liberation of Rome, there are some great shots of the city.

It's, ah, not a feel-good movie.

 

[Scepticalscribe]

One of Roberto Rossellini's neorealist films shot in January 1945 just a few months after the liberation of Rome, there are some great shots of the city.

It's, ah, not a feel-good movie.

Ah, Italian postwar neorealism; hm. Well, I seem to recall that that is the world where Luchino Visconti cut his teeth as a director, too. Some seriously good stuff came from that stable. No, not feel-good. But thought-provoking, well acted, and invariably beautifully shot.

 

[kazmac]

The Heroic Ones (1970) - I rewatched this last night and woke up to how wonderful it is. Seeing Ku Feng's barbarian king and his 13 sons / Generals as a kind of counterculture F.U. to the established Tang era government. After Ku Feng and his sons hold off the invader Wang they celebrate with the Tang military elite. However, the celebration starts to go awry when the king and his boys start drinking. The military status quo are horrified by the culture of their new protectors and go so far as to insult the youngest son (David Chiang - whose hilarious entrance and unbelievably brutal exit are highlights of this film.) Things go very downhill from there as the Tang government begins to see Ku Feng's people as an enemy. And the dissension within the ranks grows as some brothers are resentful of the treatment the father throws upon his youngest son.

I can watch some really gory demises, but Chiang's death here is one that I 'feel' - it's truly painful and nightmarish (a very realistic exit, that for 1970, is particularly nasty.) I appreciate this film more now that I see the wink at the establishment versus the counterculture and it's no doubt that director Chang Cheh absolutely adored David Chiang. The camera loves Chiang and when he gets to do stunts and act together, the result is pretty amazing. This film was a huge hit and I can see why. While that one death might give me nightmares, it's a very entertaining action film filled with characterization. One minor quibble: outside of Chiang and Ti Lung (playing his usual too handsome bad ass), the other 11 brothers in the king's brood are largely interchangeable / forgettable - not unlike most of the dwarves in The Hobbit movie. In this particular case, it's not a detriment to the film since Chiang and Ti Lung more than make up for that, but on a character-level it would have been neat. The subtitles are a bit dodgy but that's okay too. Worthy of its beloved status and now beloved by me too.

 

[Savor]

Just finished watching...

TRON: Legacy (2010) - 8/10

I remember following Noah Kravitz (aka The PhoneDog before they sued him) and tech blogger, James Whatley on Twitter back in December 2010. They were both in Los Angeles for a tech event. After the show, they got passes to watch TRON: Legacy. Noah didn't think much of it. Thought the story was mediocre. WhatleyDude was ecstatic about it. Has a cool toy figurine of the white cycle if you ever see his blog.

I saw the movie during its theatrical run. Saw it once again around 2012 in Starz and then watched it twice again the last few days from my SSD. After 4x and twice with my gf who loves it, I find the movie to be a bit underrated. Yeah, the story sucks and is a bit convoluted. I agree with Noah's opinion on that. But like James Whatley and gamer babe, Rachel Moore, I absolutely love the look and sounds of this film.

Almost every frame looks good enough to be a, wallpaper on your computer. My gf saw The Fall (2006) in between her first and second viewing of TRON: Legacy, so we can appreciate beautiful films whether with CGI or not. And Hans Zimmer + Daft Punk, what more can we ask? "The Game Has Changed" is one of the most epic songs I've heard next to Inception's "Mind Heist" that came out that same year.

I used to rave in my late-teens. So all the orange and white lights appeal to me. I give it a 7 for story but a 10/10 for looks and sound. Awesome movie to watch at night while The Fall is beautiful to watch during the day.


Right now, another cool movie to watch at night...

Lost In Translation (2003) - 8/10

Watching it again for a third time. It can be a bit overrated and boring to watch. I have no qualms if people say Sofia Coppola is the queen for overrated. I still haven't forgiven her for The Godfather Part III but I probably should blame her daddy for that. But hey, this film has freakin' Bill Murray in my favorite city (Tokyo) and country (Japan) in the world!

Japanese culture has always fascinated me. And what heterosexual male wouldn't want to see Scarlett Johansson's creamy thighs and delicious bum in her panties every night? The replay value goes sky high for those reasons alone. She already showed her figure and potential to me as early as Ghost World (2000) and she is pretty bad*** as Black Widow.

I like this movie the same level as Eternal Sunshine Of The Spotless Mind. A little slow, boring, and overrated but good enough movies to keep. Both I can definitely enjoy more than Interstellar, Gone Girl, and alot of other overrated Chris Nolan and David Fincher films which generally loses replay value after two viewings.


My movie watchlist for the next week or so -

One Two Three (1960)
Big Fish (2003)
The Life Aquatic Of Steve Zissou (2004)


My copy isn't clear. Need to re-download -

Avengers: Age of Ultron (2015), out now
Ted 2 (2015), not clear
Jurassic World (2015), HD clear already but with Chinese subs...

 

[twietee]

The Heroic Ones (1970)

Started watching this some time ago but didn't finish (ended at the point where they separated due differences re two of the brothers molesting that woman/girl).. was very good until that. Think I have it only in Mandarin so not a kind of movie I can 'just' watch. Didn't really read your post due possible spoilers but will finish it soon now.

 

[mscriv]

This past weekend we introduced my oldest son, who is 10, to 1984's Gremlins.

He really enjoyed it with his favorite part being the microwave scene. He couldn't believe the movie was rated PG as he's not really familiar with the old ratings system. In reading up on the movie it was interesting to discover that Gremlins was one of the primary movies that led to the introduction of the PG13 rating as several of the scenes were deemed to be beyond PG, but not enough to be R.

Along with Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom, also rated PG, Gremlins was one of two films in 1984 to influence the MPAA to create the PG-13 rating, with Red Dawn being the first film given the new rating in August 1984. The scene in which a gremlin explodes in the microwave was particularly influential to the idea that some films too light to be rated R are still too mature to be rated PG. The change to the rating system was not insignificant; the rating PG-13 turned out to be appealing to many film patrons, as it implied some excitement without being too explicit.

From Wikipedia

 

[kazmac]

Started watching this some time ago but didn't finish (ended at the point where they separated due differences re two of the brothers molesting that woman/girl).. was very good until that. Think I have it only in Mandarin so not a kind of movie I can 'just' watch. Didn't really read your post due possible spoilers but will finish it soon now.

It is one of those films you probably could finish despite your only having a Mandarin copy. The acting style is very visual. With some films, I find I can get through them without English subtitles just fine. This is one of those.

 

[haxrnick]

This past weekend we introduced my oldest son, who is 10, to 1984's Gremlins.

He really enjoyed it with his favorite part being the microwave scene. He couldn't believe the movie was rated PG as he's not really familiar with the old ratings system. In reading up on the movie it was interesting to discover that Gremlins was one of the primary movies that led to the introduction of the PG13 rating as several of the scenes were deemed to be beyond PG, but not enough to be R.



From Wikipedia

Remember loving this as a kid. Had a gremlin plastic toy that I kept in my dad's desk because I always thought he would get out at night. Might have to watch it again!

 

[twietee]

It is one of those films you probably could finish despite your only having a Mandarin copy. The acting style is very visual. With some films, I find I can get through them without English subtitles just fine. This is one of those.

True. I have to be in the right mood though - still thinking I'm losing some major plot twist. But Heroic Ones seemed pretty straight forward with the visuals alone telling the story. Unfortunately there are a lot of Shaw-blurays out here (good) with only Mandarin or German (impossible, takes me out 100%) and no subs at all. Five Venoms would have been quite hard to follow for example - at least I'd think so. With multiple viewings it's different of course but I have hardly the time to do that as much as I would like to.

 

[kazmac]

True. I have to be in the right mood though - still thinking I'm losing some major plot twist. But Heroic Ones seemed pretty straight forward with the visuals alone telling the story. Unfortunately there are a lot of Shaw-blurays out here (good) with only Mandarin or German (impossible, takes me out 100%) and no subs at all. Five Venoms would have been quite hard to follow for example - at least I'd think so. With multiple viewings it's different of course but I have hardly the time to do that as much as I would like to.

You make great points. Five Venoms you definitely need that translation. There's too much in the dialog and many other films are like that. Five Elements Ninjas would be another at least until the last 22 minutes or so for which the visuals are the way to go.

There are also many Italian films I could not purchase with English subs too. There were a couple I was able to get through (in fact I still watch Keoma silently because the soundtrack nearly ruins the film and the awful score is non stop.) If you do not have the time to try and figure it out, it can be rough going. If the story is visual though, great. I hope you enjoy The Heroic Ones.

 

[mscriv]

Remember loving this as a kid. Had a gremlin plastic toy that I kept in my dad's desk because I always thought he would get out at night. Might have to watch it again!

It was a lot of fun watching it again, 21 years after it came out! We kept telling my son, those were "cutting edge" special effects at the time.

 

[kazmac]

Mad Monkey Kung Fu (1979)

The late, great Lau Kar Leung was all about bringing real kung fu to cinema and whether he coordinating fights / action scenes, directed or acted, you could depend upon him for delivering kung fu in an entertaining way.

This film is the first where Master Lau acts as the lead character Master Chan, a talented Peking Opera star whose wisdom of many forms of Kung Fu (especially Monkey style) is exploited by the swarmy villain Mr. Duan. Duan is entranced by Master Chan's younger sister and devises an awful plot to get the young lady as his mistress. It involves framing Chan for a rape he did not commit and then crippling Chan's character. Chan then becomes a street performer whose chance meeting with a young orphan ultimately leads to Chan's revenge upon Duan.

Monkey Kung Fu appeared insanely silly to me until I saw David Chiang's hilarious, dangerous and charming interpretation employed during the end fight in The Loot. Master Lau further enhances the style here by bringing a grace and fluidness I had not seen prior.

This was a very good movie even if it deliberately tugs on your heart strings. Very glad I took the plunge.

 

[millerj123]

Princess Mononoke. Hadn't seen it before, but it came highly recommended. Somewhat grim, with bizarre occurrences. I haven't decided what I think about it, but I'm currently on my second viewing.