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The Menu (2022)
Ludicrous plot and an annoying cast. Nothing positive to say about this one.
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In honor of Thanksgiving, I watched the cheesy slasher Blood Rage. It's about a pair of twins, one of which is evil. As a child, Terry murders someone at a drive-in with an axe and then frames his brother Todd. We fast forward years later to Thanksgiving dinner and Todd breaks out of the mental institution, sending Terry into a murderous rage.
Even for a slasher movie, this is pretty basic. I think more could have been done with the twin set-up. Characters mistake Todd for Terry a few times, but there's never any doubt to the audience which one is which (Terry has the awful hairstyle). I would've liked to have seen someone initially scared of Todd realize that he isn't the evil twin, but we don't get any of that.
The special effects are pretty good. Body parts flop on the ground a bit after being cut off, which is amusing. Terry likes to taste blood and say "that's not cranberry sauce", which was weird the first time and weirder the second. Overall, Blood Rage is entertaining, but doesn't do enough to stand out in the slasher genre.
I came away from Blood Rage feeling 100% certain that, that was indeed, cranberry sauce.
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In honor of Thanksgiving, I watched the cheesy slasher Blood Rage. It's about a pair of twins, one of which is evil. As a child, Terry murders someone at a drive-in with an axe and then frames his brother Todd. We fast forward years later to Thanksgiving dinner and Todd breaks out of the mental institution, sending Terry into a murderous rage.
Even for a slasher movie, this is pretty basic. I think more could have been done with the twin set-up. Characters mistake Todd for Terry a few times, but there's never any doubt to the audience which one is which (Terry has the awful hairstyle). I would've liked to have seen someone initially scared of Todd realize that he isn't the evil twin, but we don't get any of that.
The special effects are pretty good. Body parts flop on the ground a bit after being cut off, which is amusing. Terry likes to taste blood and say "that's not cranberry sauce", which was weird the first time and weirder the second. Overall, Blood Rage is entertaining, but doesn't do enough to stand out in the slasher genre.
The Menu (2022)
Ludicrous plot and an annoying cast. Nothing positive to say about this one.
Variety Lights - 7/10
I think I saw part of this movie before, because a lot of it felt familiar.
I think I saw part of this movie before, because a lot of it felt familiar.
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Aw, I've been reading all these reviews of how good it is, I was getting excited.
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One star review aside, I'm still eager to see The Menu since John Leguizamo based his performance on Steven Seagal. Based on what John said about his experience filming Executive Decision, they didn't exactly get along (but does Steven get along with anyone besides dictators?).
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Thumbs-up for Del Toro's Pinocchio.
The children in the audience appeared to be enjoying themselves, but this goes to some heavy places. Religion, death, Fascism, war- all things you'd expect from a Del Toro film but probably not an animated kids' film. (Is this intended for kids? Probably, I'm not even sure.)
But yeah, as a stop-motion buff I was thoroughly charmed by the character design/animation. It is gorgeous and does not look like a Disney or Laika film. The story was engaging, even if it felt overstuffed a few times. I'm not sure the Mussolini/Fascism stuff was necessary. The "war is bad" message seemed to be pretty clear early in the film, so being so specific later on about which war we were dealing with seemed superfluous. But that's a minor quibble. I wasn't expecting musical numbers, but they weren't unpleasant. The voice cast was pretty great all around, with some surprising names in there. I'm an easy crier but I emerged from this one dry-eyed, which might be considered a criticism given some of the stuff that happens, or you can interpret that to mean it wasn't cloying. I'm leaning toward the latter.
So yeah, more crucifixions than I was expecting but a beautiful film nonetheless.
The children in the audience appeared to be enjoying themselves, but this goes to some heavy places. Religion, death, Fascism, war- all things you'd expect from a Del Toro film but probably not an animated kids' film. (Is this intended for kids? Probably, I'm not even sure.)
But yeah, as a stop-motion buff I was thoroughly charmed by the character design/animation. It is gorgeous and does not look like a Disney or Laika film. The story was engaging, even if it felt overstuffed a few times. I'm not sure the Mussolini/Fascism stuff was necessary. The "war is bad" message seemed to be pretty clear early in the film, so being so specific later on about which war we were dealing with seemed superfluous. But that's a minor quibble. I wasn't expecting musical numbers, but they weren't unpleasant. The voice cast was pretty great all around, with some surprising names in there. I'm an easy crier but I emerged from this one dry-eyed, which might be considered a criticism given some of the stuff that happens, or you can interpret that to mean it wasn't cloying. I'm leaning toward the latter.
So yeah, more crucifixions than I was expecting but a beautiful film nonetheless.
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The Phenix City Story (1955)
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Come Drink With Me (1966) -
Being the second film I've seen from King Hu (the first being A Touch of Zen), there were definitely some clear differences with the ways both films handled the characters. The initial portrayal of Golden Swallow as formidable in combat and Fan as harmless, yet noble recalled the characters in A Touch of Zen, but as the film went on, the clearer it became that Fan had a lot to hide, both in regards to his superior fighting skills and his history with the bandit's leader. While Golden Swallow can fight well in combat by herself and kill a few bandits here and there (albeit taking some scratches in the process), Fan is shown to understand the craft far better than her and can kill his opponents much quicker. How surprising it will be when, given the strong emphasis on Golden Swallow's rivalry with Jade Faced Tiger, she gets overshadowed and pushed aside during the final fight by Fan's rivalry with Liao (a dynamic which was given comparably less screen time in the film). It's an unexpected change of focus and, while such an idea would normally be a flaw, it's a more than fitting narrative choice for this film, given how well Fan was developed throughout the film (if I could change one aspect though, I'd give Liao some more prominence since he lacked the memorable development which Fan had). Not sure I like this film more than A Touch of Zen, but the former film has sat better with me upon reflection. The idea of slowly revealing the true colors of a formidable fighter who eventually rips through the fabric of the narrative has resonated with me quite well.
Being the second film I've seen from King Hu (the first being A Touch of Zen), there were definitely some clear differences with the ways both films handled the characters. The initial portrayal of Golden Swallow as formidable in combat and Fan as harmless, yet noble recalled the characters in A Touch of Zen, but as the film went on, the clearer it became that Fan had a lot to hide, both in regards to his superior fighting skills and his history with the bandit's leader. While Golden Swallow can fight well in combat by herself and kill a few bandits here and there (albeit taking some scratches in the process), Fan is shown to understand the craft far better than her and can kill his opponents much quicker. How surprising it will be when, given the strong emphasis on Golden Swallow's rivalry with Jade Faced Tiger, she gets overshadowed and pushed aside during the final fight by Fan's rivalry with Liao (a dynamic which was given comparably less screen time in the film). It's an unexpected change of focus and, while such an idea would normally be a flaw, it's a more than fitting narrative choice for this film, given how well Fan was developed throughout the film (if I could change one aspect though, I'd give Liao some more prominence since he lacked the memorable development which Fan had). Not sure I like this film more than A Touch of Zen, but the former film has sat better with me upon reflection. The idea of slowly revealing the true colors of a formidable fighter who eventually rips through the fabric of the narrative has resonated with me quite well.
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The Glass Key, 1942
Ed (Alan Ladd) is the right-hand man to a bigwig called Paul (Brian Donlevy). There's a messy set of relationships at play, with Paul being in love with Janet (Veronica Lake), the daughter of a man Paul is going to try and help elect. But Paul's little sister Opal (Bonita Granville) is in love with Janet's brother, Taylor (Richard Denning). Not complicated enough? Well, someone goes and offs Taylor, and Ed must sort through the various players and motives to find the real culprit.
The most pressing thing I have to say about this film is, WOW, did anyone have a straight face for those sequences where it looked like Lake accidentally left a washcloth on her head before putting on her hat?
Anyway, this is a very solid film noir with all the typical trappings of the genre executed well.
Ladd (who described himself as having "the face of an aging choir boy and the body of an underfed featherweight") doesn't feel like your typical noir detective. He does look a bit young, and every time he put on his big coat it looked like he mistakenly grabbed a coat belonging to a man a size or two larger. But he kind of makes it work because there is something a bit "other" about Ed generally. There's a degree of detachment he has from what happens, a meta awareness of the games being played even as he is still trying to figure out the exact moves.
Lake also has some of this detached air, and the sequences where the two of them banter really stand out from the rest of the interactions. Lake is luminously beautiful here, and like any good femme fatale, she presents a constant temptation for Ed to betray Paul both personally and professionally.
The rest of the cast all make a good impression, particularly William Bendix as a tough guy who is repeatedly called on to beat Ed senseless. His character's interest in Ed is both funny and disturbing. I wasn't sure if it was meant to be a queer/kink thing, or just a joke about how this guy who is a tough would naturally see his victims as almost co-workers. Either way, there's certainly a vibe to their interactions. A sequence where Ed is taken captive and repeatedly beaten unconscious is particularly brutal and vicious, punctuated by banal or even humorous dialogue ("My first wife was a second cook at that third rate joint down on 4th street") between the men holding him hostage.
The central mystery itself unfolds in a pretty satisfying way, and honestly right up to the last few minutes I wasn't totally sure how everything would shake out.
My only real struggle with this one was how often I found Ed kind of smarmy and unlikable. And not in the fun, "flawed noir detective" way. A man dies of suicide and Ed delivers the news to the man's wife with a smirk he doesn't bother concealing. When he is in the hospital recovering from his beating he treats his nurse like a secretary, flirts with her and kisses her (don't worry--a man wrote this movie so she LOVES IT when her patient puts the moves on her and she never gets a name because why would she?). The side effect of this aloofness and occasional smarminess is that I found it hard to have any interest in his possible romance with Janet and spent a good deal of the hospital scenes rolling my eyes.
Overall, though, this one was very satisfying. I read quite a bit of Hammett's work about 15 years ago (Red Harvest might be my favorite book). I thought I'd read this one but the plot was not at all familiar to me so I guess I must have missed it somehow during my Hammett binge.
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Come Drink With Me (1966) -
Being the second film I've seen from King Hu (the first being A Touch of Zen), there were definitely some clear differences with the ways both films handled the characters. The initial portrayal of Golden Swallow as formidable in combat and Fan as harmless, yet noble recalled the characters in A Touch of Zen, but as the film went on, the clearer it became that Fan had a lot to hide, both in regards to his superior fighting skills and his history with the bandit's leader. While Golden Swallow can fight well in combat by herself and kill a few bandits here and there (albeit taking some scratches in the process), Fan is shown to understand the craft far better than her and can kill his opponents much quicker. How surprising it will be when, given the strong emphasis on Golden Swallow's rivalry with Jade Faced Tiger, she gets overshadowed and pushed aside during the final fight by Fan's rivalry with Liao (a dynamic which was given comparably less screen time in the film). It's an unexpected change of focus and, while such an idea would normally be a flaw, it's a more than fitting narrative choice for this film, given how well Fan was developed throughout the film (if I could change one aspect though, I'd give Liao some more prominence since he lacked the memorable development which Fan had). Not sure I like this film more than A Touch of Zen, but the former film has sat better with me upon reflection. The idea of slowly revealing the true colors of a formidable fighter who eventually rips through the fabric of the narrative has resonated with me quite well.
Being the second film I've seen from King Hu (the first being A Touch of Zen), there were definitely some clear differences with the ways both films handled the characters. The initial portrayal of Golden Swallow as formidable in combat and Fan as harmless, yet noble recalled the characters in A Touch of Zen, but as the film went on, the clearer it became that Fan had a lot to hide, both in regards to his superior fighting skills and his history with the bandit's leader. While Golden Swallow can fight well in combat by herself and kill a few bandits here and there (albeit taking some scratches in the process), Fan is shown to understand the craft far better than her and can kill his opponents much quicker. How surprising it will be when, given the strong emphasis on Golden Swallow's rivalry with Jade Faced Tiger, she gets overshadowed and pushed aside during the final fight by Fan's rivalry with Liao (a dynamic which was given comparably less screen time in the film). It's an unexpected change of focus and, while such an idea would normally be a flaw, it's a more than fitting narrative choice for this film, given how well Fan was developed throughout the film (if I could change one aspect though, I'd give Liao some more prominence since he lacked the memorable development which Fan had). Not sure I like this film more than A Touch of Zen, but the former film has sat better with me upon reflection. The idea of slowly revealing the true colors of a formidable fighter who eventually rips through the fabric of the narrative has resonated with me quite well.
I was so stoked when I watched Lilting and saw the credits and was like "GASP! Pei-Pei Cheng!"
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By POV - Impawards, Fair use, https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?curid=20372284
Angela's Ashes - (1999)
Taken by itself, Angela's Ashes is a fascinating film, not holding back when it comes to the filth and deprivation of growing up poor. It's based on a 1996 memoir by Frank McCourt, who went on to win a Pulitzer for his book. So good is the read, that many people feel let down by the film, but as I've never read it I enjoyed watching this immensely. It's one of my family's favourite films, but I'd yet to watch it. First of all, the slums look so real in all their filth, as does the terrible life of the McCourt siblings who have an alcoholic father who drinks all the money he earns - leaving his entire family starving and without recourse. When Malachy (Robert Carlyle) gets some money for a new baby, he goes straight to the pub, even though his kids try to stop him. The baby goes without. There's a lot here that really got to me - the desperation, humiliation and painful sadness of a family destitute. The death of Frank's siblings due to disease and starvation. The typical growing pains of a young Irish boy. Maybe if I'd read the book I'd feel differently, but I thought this was really good.
8/10
By Phase 4 Films - http://www.heyuguys.co.uk/images/201...-UK-Poster.jpg, Fair use, https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?curid=40724174
The Dirties - (2013)
I really didn't like Matt Johnson's found footage film Operation Avalanche - the idea and it's execution seemed a little too juvenile and unrealistic for me. His debut feature however (also found footage) - The Dirties - is an interesting look at school shootings, growing pains and childhood friendship. It's also much more realistic than his follow-up feature. The film had an extraordinarily low budget - which goes to show that if you have a good idea, there's nothing stopping you from making a good found footage film. Filled with various film references - and it's nice to see some young filmmakers who are already in love with great films from yesteryear.
7/10
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The Glass Key, 1942
Then I watched The Gun For Hire and was satisfied with the amount of Veronica Lake.
Sometimes you need two movies for your daily dose of Veronica Lake.
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Come Drink With Me (1966) -
Being the second film I've seen from King Hu (the first being A Touch of Zen), there were definitely some clear differences with the ways both films handled the characters. The initial portrayal of Golden Swallow as formidable in combat and Fan as harmless, yet noble recalled the characters in A Touch of Zen, but as the film went on, the clearer it became that Fan had a lot to hide, both in regards to his superior fighting skills and his history with the bandit's leader. While Golden Swallow can fight well in combat by herself and kill a few bandits here and there (albeit taking some scratches in the process), Fan is shown to understand the craft far better than her and can kill his opponents much quicker. How surprising it will be when, given the strong emphasis on Golden Swallow's rivalry with Jade Faced Tiger, she gets overshadowed and pushed aside during the final fight by Fan's rivalry with Liao (a dynamic which was given comparably less screen time in the film). It's an unexpected change of focus and, while such an idea would normally be a flaw, it's a more than fitting narrative choice for this film, given how well Fan was developed throughout the film (if I could change one aspect though, I'd give Liao some more prominence since he lacked the memorable development which Fan had). Not sure I like this film more than A Touch of Zen, but the former film has sat better with me upon reflection. The idea of slowly revealing the true colors of a formidable fighter who eventually rips through the fabric of the narrative has resonated with me quite well.
Being the second film I've seen from King Hu (the first being A Touch of Zen), there were definitely some clear differences with the ways both films handled the characters. The initial portrayal of Golden Swallow as formidable in combat and Fan as harmless, yet noble recalled the characters in A Touch of Zen, but as the film went on, the clearer it became that Fan had a lot to hide, both in regards to his superior fighting skills and his history with the bandit's leader. While Golden Swallow can fight well in combat by herself and kill a few bandits here and there (albeit taking some scratches in the process), Fan is shown to understand the craft far better than her and can kill his opponents much quicker. How surprising it will be when, given the strong emphasis on Golden Swallow's rivalry with Jade Faced Tiger, she gets overshadowed and pushed aside during the final fight by Fan's rivalry with Liao (a dynamic which was given comparably less screen time in the film). It's an unexpected change of focus and, while such an idea would normally be a flaw, it's a more than fitting narrative choice for this film, given how well Fan was developed throughout the film (if I could change one aspect though, I'd give Liao some more prominence since he lacked the memorable development which Fan had). Not sure I like this film more than A Touch of Zen, but the former film has sat better with me upon reflection. The idea of slowly revealing the true colors of a formidable fighter who eventually rips through the fabric of the narrative has resonated with me quite well.
I will recommend checking out Legend of the Mountain at some point. It's probably my favourite King Hu (although I'm overdue for rewatches of a few and haven't seen a bunch of others). It applies that sense of movement that's especially pronounced in A Touch of Zen, but in a more fantastical, ethereal context. And while you're at it, check out Dragon Inn and The Fate of Lee Khan, which have killer back halves. Hsu Feng features in all of these, and is especially good in the latter, where she plays an utterly ruthless villain in a cute hat.
I will also recommend Chang Cheh's sequel to Come Drink With Me called Golden Swallow. Surprisingly it downplays the heroine's role (I recall MKS had some good words back on RT about its importance in the history of Hong Kong martial arts cinema), but I will add that its transitional quality also manifests in the tone (stately with bursts of schlock) and action direction (occasional injections of handheld to shake up the clean sense of composition). Then you gotta work your way through Chang's work from the proto-heroic bloodshed of the earlier films (Vengeance, The Boxer from Shantung to name two) to the more cartoonish yet no less impressively directed stuff he's best known for (Crippled Avengers, Five Elements Ninjas to name two). Their stilted dramatic sense will register more clearly as a deliberate narrative choice if you work through them relatively chronologically.
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I will recommend checking out Legend of the Mountain at some point. It's probably my favourite King Hu (although I'm overdue for rewatches of a few and haven't seen a bunch of others). It applies that sense of movement that's especially pronounced in A Touch of Zen, but in a more fantastical, ethereal context. And while you're at it, check out Dragon Inn and The Fate of Lee Khan, which have killer back halves. Hsu Feng features in all of these, and is especially good in the latter, where she plays an utterly ruthless villain in a cute hat.
I will also recommend Chang Cheh's sequel to Come Drink With Me called Golden Swallow. Surprisingly it downplays the heroine's role (I recall MKS had some good words back on RT about its importance in the history of Hong Kong martial arts cinema), but I will add that its transitional quality also manifests in the tone (stately with bursts of schlock) and action direction (occasional injections of handheld to shake up the clean sense of composition). Then you gotta work your way through Chang's work from the proto-heroic bloodshed of the earlier films (Vengeance, The Boxer from Shantung to name two) to the more cartoonish yet no less impressively directed stuff he's best known for (Crippled Avengers, Five Elements Ninjas to name two). Their stilted dramatic sense will register more clearly as a deliberate narrative choice if you work through them relatively chronologically.
I will also recommend Chang Cheh's sequel to Come Drink With Me called Golden Swallow. Surprisingly it downplays the heroine's role (I recall MKS had some good words back on RT about its importance in the history of Hong Kong martial arts cinema), but I will add that its transitional quality also manifests in the tone (stately with bursts of schlock) and action direction (occasional injections of handheld to shake up the clean sense of composition). Then you gotta work your way through Chang's work from the proto-heroic bloodshed of the earlier films (Vengeance, The Boxer from Shantung to name two) to the more cartoonish yet no less impressively directed stuff he's best known for (Crippled Avengers, Five Elements Ninjas to name two). Their stilted dramatic sense will register more clearly as a deliberate narrative choice if you work through them relatively chronologically.
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Those are a lot of recs to get through, but I'll keep an eye out for them.
j/k
Once upon a time a bunch of Shaw Brothers movies were on Canadian Amazon Prime. Perhaps they are on some of your streaming services, but if not, most of them are available for HD rental on YouTube.
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