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Spoilers What Movie Are You Watching?
- Thread starter Huntn
- Start date
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Central Intelligence: Looks like one I'll have to rent. They seem like a great pair up and that poster tagline kills me.
And I do need to rent Hail, Caesar! and Zootopia too. Maybe next Sunday, if I'm not still delirious after seeing two Shaw Brothers films in 35mm.
Speaking of Shaws:
Black Lizard (1980) The Xiaos and Dings are embroiled in a long standing feud, but we ultimately learn it's one sided. What starts out as a potentially nice ode to Hammer Horror with a creepy disfigured coffin carrier known as the Monster in Red and a ghostly Lady in White lead into the explanation of the title creature. According to legend, every 3 years the black lizard rises up from lizard lake, taking on the human form of the Monster in Red and kills select people every 3 years. Or not.
Very quickly, you figure out there's something very scooby doo about the neato horror vibe and the film's armchair detective (played by the redwood forest stand in Derek Yee) seems to latch onto this before the noble young constable Tien Fu. Wonderful, so the cops in wuxia land are as clueless as the cops in Italian giallos.
And why does Sun Chien always play these guys?
I enjoyed this, but I think I would have loved it had the Monster in Red, Lady in White and Black Lizard all been real instead of fake outs.
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Ode to Gallantry (1982) If I could flush all but the last 10 minutes of this late day Shaws, I would. Wang Li's hilariously cranky Xie Yanke, an older Motian master whose skills in kung fu allow him to be judge, jury and executioner over every martial gang around. Xie decimates clans, killing anywhere from a dozen to eighty fighters at a clip. If wuxia had the Punisher, this old fellow is the de facto Frank Castle.
Fearing their demise at the old man's fists of fury, the local clan find an exact twin of their bad boy missing chieftain Shi. Though the exact twin is an innocent dumb ass of the highest order. The problem is the actor playing both twins is overbearing awful (Kuo Choi, one of the five Venoms whose tendency to overact could kill his performances, if not the entire movie, as what happens here.) The final fight was fun. Boasting some of KC's nimble Operatic cohorts, but it's not enough to save this stinker. I disliked this the first time around and I'm kind of sorry I gave up 90 minutes of my time last night to revisit it.
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and kung fu but not Shaws:
Black Society (1978) An indie triad film with some kung fu before the gun-happy heroic bloodshed triad films of the 80s kicked in. I still don't quite understand this (the English subtitles say hello for a few moments every 25 minutes or so), but what I did get was young Triad buck Wilson Tong and his boss, Big Brother Guang (Chan Wai Man, who actually was a triad for decades) don't quite see eye to eye after something goes awry during what may have been a robbery. The final fight is one of the most nasty and realistic looking I've watched: from the use of Triad blades called 'choppers' to kicks, punches, western style boxing and a variety of construction site implements. Tong must have consulted with CWM about all the many fights his older streetwise costar was engaged in around this time, because moments of their mano-a-mano get very ugly. And just when you think Tong will get the upper hand...well, no. I am a huge Chan Wai Man fan for his acting and characters as much as his fight style. He utterly steals any period Shaw Brothers film he plays a villain in ( I am so looking forward to seeing his "king of the ninjas" in 35mm next Saturday), and his independent film work is quite good too. Maybe around my 10th viewing I'll understand more of the story, but it's an interesting look at 1970s triads and one heck of a final fight.
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The Assignment (1974) An indie Taiwanese kung fu film. It's a rags to riches vengeance story with a fellow whose kung fu is seemingly unstoppable even though this guy looks like an out of shape Taiwanese version of Tuco. Uh huh. Well, despite this one note character, I liked this film because of the fu fellow I watched it for. Tae Kwan Do expert and Taiwanese Army Captain Dick Wei was all but 21 here, and his form is utterly beautiful. I love watching this man fight, he's not acrobatic like the Opera folks who would ultimately use him as a villainous punching bag, but Wei's kicks, punches and blocks are on point and look very, very painful. If I saw him coming at me, I'd run. I know nothing of Tae Kwan Do in practice, but I've seen enough performers employ it and Wei is just a joy to watch. He's my favorite kicker in a genre filled with great ones, but I dig his characters and just love watching him go to town. It is just annoying, for all of his great form here, he constantly gets the snot kicked out of him. Still, this was fun to see and I'm glad the uninteresting Tuco-looking character got his in the end.
And I do need to rent Hail, Caesar! and Zootopia too. Maybe next Sunday, if I'm not still delirious after seeing two Shaw Brothers films in 35mm.
Speaking of Shaws:
Black Lizard (1980) The Xiaos and Dings are embroiled in a long standing feud, but we ultimately learn it's one sided. What starts out as a potentially nice ode to Hammer Horror with a creepy disfigured coffin carrier known as the Monster in Red and a ghostly Lady in White lead into the explanation of the title creature. According to legend, every 3 years the black lizard rises up from lizard lake, taking on the human form of the Monster in Red and kills select people every 3 years. Or not.
Very quickly, you figure out there's something very scooby doo about the neato horror vibe and the film's armchair detective (played by the redwood forest stand in Derek Yee) seems to latch onto this before the noble young constable Tien Fu. Wonderful, so the cops in wuxia land are as clueless as the cops in Italian giallos.
And why does Sun Chien always play these guys?I enjoyed this, but I think I would have loved it had the Monster in Red, Lady in White and Black Lizard all been real instead of fake outs.
---
Ode to Gallantry (1982) If I could flush all but the last 10 minutes of this late day Shaws, I would. Wang Li's hilariously cranky Xie Yanke, an older Motian master whose skills in kung fu allow him to be judge, jury and executioner over every martial gang around. Xie decimates clans, killing anywhere from a dozen to eighty fighters at a clip. If wuxia had the Punisher, this old fellow is the de facto Frank Castle.
Fearing their demise at the old man's fists of fury, the local clan find an exact twin of their bad boy missing chieftain Shi. Though the exact twin is an innocent dumb ass of the highest order. The problem is the actor playing both twins is overbearing awful (Kuo Choi, one of the five Venoms whose tendency to overact could kill his performances, if not the entire movie, as what happens here.) The final fight was fun. Boasting some of KC's nimble Operatic cohorts, but it's not enough to save this stinker. I disliked this the first time around and I'm kind of sorry I gave up 90 minutes of my time last night to revisit it.
---
and kung fu but not Shaws:
Black Society (1978) An indie triad film with some kung fu before the gun-happy heroic bloodshed triad films of the 80s kicked in. I still don't quite understand this (the English subtitles say hello for a few moments every 25 minutes or so), but what I did get was young Triad buck Wilson Tong and his boss, Big Brother Guang (Chan Wai Man, who actually was a triad for decades) don't quite see eye to eye after something goes awry during what may have been a robbery. The final fight is one of the most nasty and realistic looking I've watched: from the use of Triad blades called 'choppers' to kicks, punches, western style boxing and a variety of construction site implements. Tong must have consulted with CWM about all the many fights his older streetwise costar was engaged in around this time, because moments of their mano-a-mano get very ugly. And just when you think Tong will get the upper hand...well, no. I am a huge Chan Wai Man fan for his acting and characters as much as his fight style. He utterly steals any period Shaw Brothers film he plays a villain in ( I am so looking forward to seeing his "king of the ninjas" in 35mm next Saturday), and his independent film work is quite good too. Maybe around my 10th viewing I'll understand more of the story, but it's an interesting look at 1970s triads and one heck of a final fight.
--
The Assignment (1974) An indie Taiwanese kung fu film. It's a rags to riches vengeance story with a fellow whose kung fu is seemingly unstoppable even though this guy looks like an out of shape Taiwanese version of Tuco. Uh huh. Well, despite this one note character, I liked this film because of the fu fellow I watched it for. Tae Kwan Do expert and Taiwanese Army Captain Dick Wei was all but 21 here, and his form is utterly beautiful. I love watching this man fight, he's not acrobatic like the Opera folks who would ultimately use him as a villainous punching bag, but Wei's kicks, punches and blocks are on point and look very, very painful. If I saw him coming at me, I'd run. I know nothing of Tae Kwan Do in practice, but I've seen enough performers employ it and Wei is just a joy to watch. He's my favorite kicker in a genre filled with great ones, but I dig his characters and just love watching him go to town. It is just annoying, for all of his great form here, he constantly gets the snot kicked out of him.
Still, this was fun to see and I'm glad the uninteresting Tuco-looking character got his in the end.Warcraft (2016)- As a once Warcraft and World Of Warcraft player, I can say this movie was ok, a lot of familiar settings and names. A decent story of how Orcs originally came to Azeroth, hybrid live action/massive CGI, lots of action, good animation, but nothing that gave me chills. At Rotten Tomatoes it gets a 26% but has an audience rating of 83%. Notice, that me saying OK is not raving about it.
I never played the games, but with low expectations, this movie wasn't that bad. It wasn't great, but it was exciting.
I watched Love and Air Sex http://www.imdb.com/title/tt2388759/ an indie rom-com and Wild Card http://www.imdb.com/title/tt2231253/ typical Statham on a transcontinental flight.
Both recommended if your're in the right mood for them.
B
Both recommended if your're in the right mood for them.
B
The Club (Wu Ting) (1981) Seminal heroic bloodshed triad film, that star Chan Wai Man says was based on some of his real life experiences as a bigwig triad. Basically, CWM's gang goes on a vengeance spree after another forcibly takes a profitable nightclub away from the heroic gang.
You don't want these people coming after you. Screw guns, choppers are just what they sound like: machete-like blades which hack and cut deep. And the finale was off the wall hack and slash. Not as gory as you'd expect, but that made even more vicious to me.
As par for the course during this period, Chan Wai Man was a wonderfully vain bastard: always including workout shots and sex scenes. Although this workout had the single most dangerous bit I've ever seen with a free weight. Literally wearing some kind of bungee apparatus over your skull so you can lift a free weight with your head. I can't imagine the arthritis Chan Wai Man has now from doing that. Sheesh, that's way beyond hardcore.
Just proves I will watch some of these guys in just about anything they do. And while I much prefer CWM's wuxia roles to real life, I can watch his less predictable triad and crime material from the 70s and 80s, no problem.
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The Delightful Forest (1972) This movie sees Wu Sung (Ti Lung), the drunken, tiger-killing, vengeance seeking young fellow before he joins up with the hundred plus anti-heroes of the classic Chinese novel, The Water Margin.
In retribution for the murder of his mentally slow older brother (thanks to older brothers scheming wife and the man she was having an affair with), Wu Sung kills both his sister-in-law and her lover. When the constables arrive, he gives himself up willingly as a rightful hero would do. Off to prison for Wu Sung, but not before we see some very inventive kung fu while Ti Lung's head and hands are bound in a stock. Ti's vibrant and playful energy make Wu instantly likable and he also gets to show off just what a great kicker he was (it's safe to say that Ti Lung mastered just about every Kung Fu style he was trained in, either in real life (Wing Chun, Gyo Ryu Karate) or screen style. The man could pretty much do anything both bare handed and his weapons-work is just as stunning.)
So once in prison, the warden has a proposition for the young hero. Get rid of the bullish crime lord who forcibly took over the Warden's title restaurant and walk away a free man. Wu Sung reluctantly accepts the proposition and off we go.
As much as I adored the first 15 minutes or so of this movie, it took me four viewings for the rest of the movie to really click. The spaghetti western influence (and not just from SB nicking the Once Upon a Time in the West music) runs deep in this one and it really is one of the best Shaw Brothers wuxia of that period. I'd wager Wu Sung was Ti Lung's break out role as he'd been working alongside his much more popular pal, David Chiang for a couple of years at this point. He'd revisit this character two more times, most notably in the prequel made a decade after this.
You don't want these people coming after you. Screw guns, choppers are just what they sound like: machete-like blades which hack and cut deep. And the finale was off the wall hack and slash. Not as gory as you'd expect, but that made even more vicious to me.
As par for the course during this period, Chan Wai Man was a wonderfully vain bastard: always including workout shots and sex scenes. Although this workout had the single most dangerous bit I've ever seen with a free weight. Literally wearing some kind of bungee apparatus over your skull so you can lift a free weight with your head. I can't imagine the arthritis Chan Wai Man has now from doing that. Sheesh, that's way beyond hardcore.
Just proves I will watch some of these guys in just about anything they do. And while I much prefer CWM's wuxia roles to real life, I can watch his less predictable triad and crime material from the 70s and 80s, no problem.
---
The Delightful Forest (1972) This movie sees Wu Sung (Ti Lung), the drunken, tiger-killing, vengeance seeking young fellow before he joins up with the hundred plus anti-heroes of the classic Chinese novel, The Water Margin.
In retribution for the murder of his mentally slow older brother (thanks to older brothers scheming wife and the man she was having an affair with), Wu Sung kills both his sister-in-law and her lover. When the constables arrive, he gives himself up willingly as a rightful hero would do. Off to prison for Wu Sung, but not before we see some very inventive kung fu while Ti Lung's head and hands are bound in a stock. Ti's vibrant and playful energy make Wu instantly likable and he also gets to show off just what a great kicker he was (it's safe to say that Ti Lung mastered just about every Kung Fu style he was trained in, either in real life (Wing Chun, Gyo Ryu Karate) or screen style. The man could pretty much do anything both bare handed and his weapons-work is just as stunning.)
So once in prison, the warden has a proposition for the young hero. Get rid of the bullish crime lord who forcibly took over the Warden's title restaurant and walk away a free man. Wu Sung reluctantly accepts the proposition and off we go.
As much as I adored the first 15 minutes or so of this movie, it took me four viewings for the rest of the movie to really click. The spaghetti western influence (and not just from SB nicking the Once Upon a Time in the West music) runs deep in this one and it really is one of the best Shaw Brothers wuxia of that period. I'd wager Wu Sung was Ti Lung's break out role as he'd been working alongside his much more popular pal, David Chiang for a couple of years at this point. He'd revisit this character two more times, most notably in the prequel made a decade after this.
It seemed very much like "The Borrowers", which, since they are based on the same book, makes sense. It was funny reading the reviews complaining about how it stole everything from "The Littles" since "The Borrowers" was published first.
I just arrived home from the theater after watching this.
Independence Day: Resurgence (2016)
I thought it was pretty good and lived up to my expectations for a sci-fi action flick. It also paid some respectable homage to the first ID4 20 years ago. There were a few over-the-top parts toward the last half, even for this type of movie, but it wasn't enough to detract from my enjoyment of it.
Independence Day: Resurgence (2016)
I thought it was pretty good and lived up to my expectations for a sci-fi action flick. It also paid some respectable homage to the first ID4 20 years ago. There were a few over-the-top parts toward the last half, even for this type of movie, but it wasn't enough to detract from my enjoyment of it.
There were a couple of things that kind of bugged me though.
- There was a moon base out at Saturn, on Rhea, that was taken out by the mother hive ship on its way to Earth. It was known early on and right away, yet no one relayed the message back to Earth or the military/president and they proceeded with the 20 year celebration anyhow. Something of that magnitude, losing an outer solar system base, directly after shooting down another ship, which they believed was the enemy, at the Earth's Moon, should have facilitated DEFCON 1 by the whole planet.
- This, I thought bugged me until now when I looked it up: When the hive ship arrived at the Moon, someone said it was 3,000km in size. One quick scene showed it nearly totally overshadowing the Moon on its way to Earth and I thought they had the scale all wrong and that the ship was way too big or the Moon way too small given the stated size of the ship and how they presented the scene. However, once I looked it up they appear to have gotten the scale correct because the Moon is 3,475km in circumference.
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So I have a question, just because this sort of thing fascinates me: if you didn't like the first one very much, and from the previews this looks clearly looks like more of the same, but with several additional things working against it, and generally bad buzz leading up to the release ...
Why go see it?
Five Elements Ninjas and House of Traps in 35mm. Well, I went, I saw and I loved.
I tried so hard to control my geek for Five Elements Ninjas and largely succeeded. It was a crowd pleaser to say the least. My friend had to bail before the second film, but she was getting into it too.
RZA was very subdued and polite, he was gracious about everyone he discussed. I would have enjoyed a more lengthy discussion (we got about 20 minutes max), but that's me.
Nice surprise, the prints were subtitled and in pretty decent shape.
I'd happily pay to see Five Elements Ninjas on 35mm again. What a fun experience. Can't wait to go back to this theater, I think it'll be a monthly ritual for me and I hope they show more Shaw Brothers films. Being in Chinatown, it makes sense they screen a lot of Asian fare.
I tried so hard to control my geek for Five Elements Ninjas and largely succeeded. It was a crowd pleaser to say the least. My friend had to bail before the second film, but she was getting into it too.
RZA was very subdued and polite, he was gracious about everyone he discussed. I would have enjoyed a more lengthy discussion (we got about 20 minutes max), but that's me.
Nice surprise, the prints were subtitled and in pretty decent shape.
I'd happily pay to see Five Elements Ninjas on 35mm again. What a fun experience. Can't wait to go back to this theater, I think it'll be a monthly ritual for me and I hope they show more Shaw Brothers films. Being in Chinatown, it makes sense they screen a lot of Asian fare.
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I could do a Karate Kid marathon, I can't remember what childs play is but it siunds like it bordera on horror (category I avoid).
If you get a chance, the 2016 Jungle book is really good (excusing the sing alongs those were better in the cartoon).
I enjoyed it. Yeah it was over the top but thats what I wanted. Some of the alien scenes were really cool and the renders of the jets and crafts out over the desert looked fantastic.
My family saw this Friday night. We enjoyed it. I liked the original better, but this wasn't bad.
Just finished another Liam Neison Classic.
Not as good as the first, but still a good escape for a couple of hours. Not seen 3 yet.
Is it any good?
Not as good as the first, but still a good escape for a couple of hours. Not seen 3 yet.
Is it any good?
100%. It's a great film. This one is ok, but nowhere near as good.I loved the original.
Mad Max: Fury Road (2015)- I love this movie. Solid, non-stop action and so well choreographed.
Trivia: Not filmed in Australia, but Namibia when heavy rains made the Australian desert too pretty.
Trivia: Not filmed in Australia, but Namibia when heavy rains made the Australian desert too pretty.
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Mad Max: Fury Road (2015)- I love this movie. Solid, non-stop action and so well choreographed.
Trivia: Not filmed in Australia, but Namibia when heavy rains made the Australian desert too pretty.
So, that's the name of THAT movie....
Not bad, but i kinda lost interest half way through. The only thing good were the chases. And i dunno who the heck that guy was supposed to be with the flame thrower guitar.
Kept my attention.