Movie Tab II

Last Tango in Paris

-- A great movie. I really love Marlon Brando in this. It could be a little better. The score bugs me somewhat and not in a good way.


Three Amigos!

-- It's not really funny. It's kinda charming and the movie is nice... in that rated PG way. But it should have been a lot better, especially coming from John Landis (not that I'm a huge John Landis fan, but I just think he should have done better.) It feels too much like a silly kid's movie to me, even though it does have some adult humor. Would probably be more enjoyable if you were intoxicated. Steve Martin is really the only interesting amigo.

Steve Martin, Martin Short and Chevy Chase and you expected funny? That would go against almost everything they've ever done.

Conan the Barbarian (2011) – This was a good hack and slash sword fighting movie, and even a good Conan movie but I did not see the Remake part, this just seemed like Conan 3, maybe it’s just me and it’s true I have not seen the original in a while but from what I remember of it the (2011) version had nothing in common with it, but if your wanting to see a huge muscular man slashing people up with a big sword then this is your movie.

Super 8 (2011) – I have been waiting to see this movie for a long time and was so horribly disappointed by this that I felt like all the reviews and people on TV had just been lying to me, you must remember that this is just my opinion. This movie to me was more like having two TV’s and watching E.T on one and Stand by Me on the other, put those two movies together and you get Super 8.

Hot Coffee (2011) – This is a great Documentary about the Judicial system, this starts with the lady who sued McDonalds because the coffee was too hot and she spilled it and burned herself, I have always thought that case was just ridiculous and a waste of money and then I watched this movie, there is so much to that case that they did not tell everyone and I am glad the lady got the money. Warning this movie will make you mad at how broken the Judicial system is, it is so pathetic that the girl that went to Iraq to help feed the starving people got drugged, gang raped, and beaten, then she went to talk to the higher ups at the company and because she signed her contract when she got hired the small print said that she signed away her right to sue or do anything that would harm the company so they just told her to either keep her mouth shut or quit. Everyone should watch this movie.

The Change-Up (2011) – I have been waiting quite a while to see this movie, I am so-so on Ryan Reynolds but a big fan of Jason Bateman. I thought this movie was hilarious, it is crude, raw, offensive to just about everyone and that just makes it so awesome because that is exactly what they were going for when they were making this movie. If you are just wanting a really good laugh and don’t mind really offensive language then I really suggest this movie to you.

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I've resolved to give Super 8 another go as just didn't see where the praise came from, seemed like a hollow Spielberg without the magic. Glad you liked Conan though, found it to be a pretty serviceable flick

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Tale Of Tales (1979)


A charming, innocent piece of animation which has won the "Best animated film of all time" in two festivals. It did not live up to my expectations for the "best animated" film.

Dimensions of Dialogue (1982)

A simple but direct work by surrealist Jan Svankmajer. And obscene.

The Old Man and the Sea (1999)

Painstakingly hand-painted and then made into a 20-min short animation which took years for completion. My highest recommendation

Sansho the Bailiff (1954)



Some of you may recall that when I first joined this site, I listed Sansho The Bailiff as my second favourite film of all time. It's been more than 1 year since I've last watched this masterpiece and so, I thought to myself, 'Has it lost any of its appeal or edge over time?' Granted that my movie taste has changed so much over the past year that I became, initially, hesitant to watch this film, afraid that I might ruin its spell and charm. Let me put it in all honesty that Sansho The Bailiff remains at that slot, above all the pantheons and echelons of the hundreds of other films, second only to Kubrick's 2001: A Space Odyssey, and that it shall remain as it is - a timeless, universal film for the ages.


Of all the things that this film succeeds at, it's the cinematography which stands out the most from all other films shot in that period in time. Each shot is so precise and well positioned that it's almost like you're viewing authentic Japanese paintings. Mizoguchi's direction is so prominent, as with his other films, but in Sansho, the Japanese director has found the correct formula. None of his common themes such as feminism and the female character struggling in a cruel world have been compromised in this tale of tragedy, and combined with the brilliant camerawork, marks the director's most accomplished work.


In this film Mizoguchi tackles slavery set in 11th Century Japan, a time as Mizoguchi says, when “Man has not yet awakened as human beings”. It follows two children Zushio and Anju as they were taken away from their mother when their father, a local governor was deposed and sent into exile because he was compassionate to the slaves. The children were sold as slaves to a rich man named Sansho. Now this Sansho is one of the most brutal and tyrannical piece of **** I've ever seen on film, and he would resort to cruel measures such as branding by fire to deter slaves from escaping.


Sansho the Bailiff is a cruel film. The children struggle to survive for years in Sansho's compound, finding hope and strength through their father's words that “without mercy, man is like a beast” and to show compassion to others. His words are strangely ironical, because they do not reflect the real world of slavery. We wonder to ourselves if those words are merely high ordeals that are impossible to be realised in Mizoguchi's world plagued by sufferings. Even the barren and crooked trees which pervade the frame in a very expressionistic manner, as one reviewer observes.


The final sequence is summarised aptly by critics – Mother and son finally become united while the camera pulls back, dwarfing them in comparison to the serene landscape. It is as if nature is indifferent to the ephemeral triumphs of the unification of mother and son, while a nearby fisherman continues his daily routine of drying seaweed, totally oblivious of our main characters.

The Horseman (2008)
Directed by: Steven Kastrissios
Written by: Steven Kastrissios

I randomly put this movie on my Netflix Queue because it sounded like something I would be interested in and I am really glad that I did. The story starts out with Christian (Peter Marshall) beating the crap out of someone with a crowbar, taking a video, covering the room and guy with gasoline and setting everything on fire. You quickly learn that the video was a underground porn movie that his daughter was involved in right before she was killed, the rest of the film is Christian traveling around New Zealand tracking down everyone that was involved in the film. Along the way he befriends Alice who is a down on her luck teenager that he tries to help and protect by giving her fatherly type advice.



This is a fairly low budget movie, you can tell because of the way they filmed the torture and fighting scenes, it worked for this movie because it left more to your imagination. Even though the budget was low the brutality of the torture and fighting is very realistic and in certain scenes you almost feel sorry for the bad guys until Christian finds out the rest of the story then you find yourself really wanting Christian to just kill everyone that had anything to do with his daughter. Sadly what happened to his daughter is probably not far from the truth that happens to a lot of young girls in real life. Christian is a ass kicking character but not in a cheesy way where he kills all these people and does not get a scratch, he gets his face kicked in during probably half the movie along with the bad guys. This movie is brutal but if you like that kind of stuff like me then you should watch this.

Mulholland Drive (2001)



This film is unlike anything i've ever seen, and I don't think i'll ever see anything quite like it again. Mulholland Drive is the first Lynch i've viewed, and after careful contemplation I think it's a masterpiece. This is a surreal, confounding piece of work without any logical explanation; but it's also a fascinating mystery, an indictment of Hollywood, and a beautifully shot and amazingly well-acted film. The best movie of the 21st century so far, at least out of those i've seen.

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"Puns are the highest form of literature." -Alfred Hitchcock

Fitzcarraldo -

I'm more interested in the making of this film rather than the film itself. Not as tight and focused as Aguirre.

Rabbit Proof Fence -

Heart-breaking story with good performances.

Fist Of Legend -

This is the best Jet Li film i've seen. The fight scenes are awesome, though not good as the penultimate 'ladder' fight scene in Once Upon A Time In China, also a fantastic Li film.

Ratcatcher -

Subtitles needed. The accent is very heavy. Does not go into the details of this 'coming-of-age' drama; the content is surprisingly little.

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I assume then that you have already seen, or are at least aware of, Les Blank's documentary Burden of Dreams?

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"Film is a disease. When it infects your bloodstream it takes over as the number one hormone. It bosses the enzymes, directs the pineal gland, plays Iago to your psyche. As with heroin, the antidote to Film is more Film." - Frank Capra

Feast (2005)
Directed by: John Gulager
Written by: Marcus Dunstan, and Patrick Melton

Honeykid brought this movie to my attention, but until I watched it I had no idea what this was about or anything about the story at all, also HK did not mention that this movie has Henry Rollins in it. The movie starts in a dive bar in the middle of nowhere and starts introducing the characters you will be watching for the next little bit. I thought I would put the introductions the same way they do in the movie, it’s not an original idea for a movie to do this to the characters but I liked the humorous swing that they put on these so I apologize for the extra room it is going to take up, but let’s get started…

Name: Bozo
Job: Not Likely
Occupation: Town Jackass
Life Expectancy: Dead by Dawn

Name: Harley Mom
Fun Fact: Robbing Bar in Ten Minutes
Life Expectancy: Wild Card

Name: Hot Wheels
Occupation: Selling Fireworks to 7th Graders
Life Expectancy: They Wouldn’t Kill A Cripple, Would They?

Name: Coach (my idol Henry Rollins)
Occupation: Motivational Speaker
Reputation: The Poor Man’s Tony Robbins
Life Expectancy: Stay Far, Far Away

Name: Grandma
Fun Fact: Blew Mick Jagger… Recently
Life Expectancy: May Be Dead Already

Name: Jason Mewes (it is Jason Mewes aka Jay from Jay and Silent Bob)
Occupation: Actor
Life Expectancy: Already Surpassed Expectations

Name: Beer Guy (Judah Friedlander – 30 Rock)
Occupation: Beer Guy & Part Time Host at Red Lobster
Life Expectancy: Losers and Dorks go First… He’s Both

Name: Bartender
Fun Fact: Shot 4 Times, Stabbed 6 Times, Bit by 1 Squirrel
Life Expectancy: Horrifying Death in 70 Minutes

Name: Tuffy
Occupation: Career Waitress
Job: Single Mom
Life Expectancy: Expects Nothing From Life

Name: Vet
Fun Facts: Has Never Had Fun
Life Expectancy: Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell

Name: Bossman
Vibe: Mean, Stoned and Horny
Life Expectancy: Regular or Extra Crispy

Name: Honey Pie
Occupation: Actress/Singer/Dancer/Model
Fun Fact: Dying To Get Out Of Town
Life Expectancy: May Get Her Wish

Name: Cody
Occupation: Tax Break
Skill: Can Fit Into Tight Spaces
Life Expectancy: A Wonderful, Full Life

After the lineup of the films main characters who are all obviously locals and regulars at the bar some action starts to happen and in pops…

Name: Hero
Occupation: Kicking Ass
Life Expectancy: Pretty F*cking Good

Hero charges in with a gun (completely Bruce Campbell Evil Dead 2 style) in one hand and a dead Alien/Monster in the other telling everybody that a storm from hell is about to come down on the bar, upon hearing this then exactly that starts happening. We start off with a lot of blood (always a good beginning), an amputation and a couple of people get shot by accident, wow these people that it just spent the first bit of the movie taking all the trouble to introduce are starting to drop like flies already, also and I don’t consider this a spoiler since it’s so close to the beginning of the movie but the one just introduced as Hero immediately dies right after the introduction. Just before they get the first alien taken care of something I found disturbing and funny happened and the alien starts dry humping the stuffed Deer head on the wall. 15 minutes into the movie and someone else pops in uninvited and another introduction takes place…

Name: Heroine
Occupation: Wear Tanktop, Tote Shotgun, Save Day.
Life Expectancy: Hopefully Better Than The Last Hero

Even with all the guns that everyone seems to have in the bar they do not seem to really do any good against the monsters, people continue dying, seriously I thought they were going to run out of actors 30 minutes in. There is some comedy to balance out the horror for example the monster puking green stuff mixed with maggots, ok it’s gross humor but that’s the kind of movie this is, oh yeah and the monsters having sex on the hood of the car and then immediately after dropping a baby onto the ground, or slamming a monsters penis in a door and then cutting it off, yeah it’s pretty much all dark comedy. Well now I thought I was through with this but then it’s time for another introduction…

Name: Heroine 2
Occupation: Childless Mother
Fun Fact: Dealing With The Loss Fairly Well
Life Expectancy: Let’s All Hope For The Best This Time

I could not find a picture of Henry Rollins in the Pink Sweats so I just thought I'd put an awesome picture of him on here instead.


As with all movies where a group of people are trapped in a confined space throughout the movie everyone starts having personal problems or personality problems with other people leading to violence amongst themselves, makes sense to save the monsters the trouble and just do it to yourselves. The movie is great, tons of blood and gore throughout, enough to please any horror/monster movie fan. And I have to give this a really good rating just for Henry Rollins wearing a pair of very Pink sweatpants then having his head used as a battering ram. Thanks HK for making me aware of this movie I really thought it was great.

Very behind on my tabbing, so this is what I've seen in the past week and a half (barring re-watches and ones I've forgotten...)

Mission: Impossible - Ghost Protocol (Brad Bird, 2011) -

I don't go in for new blockbusters very often and even then I only saw this because Tintin was sold out. Despite this, it was still a decent if disposable-feeling piece of action fun.

The Way (Emilio Estevez, 2010) - +

Admittedly a rather schmaltzy comedy-drama about a father (Martin Sheen) coping with the death of his son by taking his remains on a religious pilgrimage through Europe and meeting a handful of colourful characters along the way. Personally, I liked it, though I imagine other people's opinions will vary wildly - I honestly don't know if I can recommend it to others.

Falling Down (Joel Schumacher, 1993) -

Somehow, it took me about seven years between first reading about this movie (and spoiling it as a result, damn it) and actually seeing this on late-night TV. All in all, it's kind of flawed but still competently made on all levels - plus I can't stop thinking of that recent Foo Fighters video that parodied it.

Deep Blue Sea (Renny Harlin, 1999) -

Another one that just showed up on TV and I just had to watch it. Fairly amusing in a so-bad-it's-good kind of way, but admittedly it's a mediocre (albeit likeably mediocre) killer shark movie through and through.

Dillinger (John Milius, 1973) - +

Just when I thought Public Enemies couldn't get any more unimpressive, I end up watching this. Sure, it lacks the nuances that Mann's film attempted to grant the characters - not to mention the technological advances and whatnot - but the rough-and-ready "hey, it's cinema in the Seventies, let's get wild" vibe fit just perfectly with the tale of the titular bank robber (as played by the suitably gruff Warren Oates) and the G-man that pursues him (Ben Johnson, who almost completely steals the show here). The Peckinpah-style action sequences and character development are welcome stylistic choices as well.

The Cranes are Flying (Mikhail Kalatazov, 1957)
Picture Snatcher (Lloyd Bacon, 1933) -
House of Strangers (Joseph L. Mankiewicz, 1949)

The Thing (John Carpenter, 1982) +
Mission: Impossible - Ghost Protocol (Brad Bird, 2011)
The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo (David Fincher, 2011)

Cul-de-sac (Roman Polanski, 1966)
Shaolin Soccer (Stephen Chow, 2001)
Angels with Dirty Faces (Michael Curtiz, 1938)

CJ7 (Stephen Chow, 2008) +
Yes, Madam! (Corey Yuen, 1985) +
Vanishing Point (Richard C. Sarafian, 1971)

Sherlock Holmes: A Game of Shadows (Guy Ritchie, 2011)
The Circus (Charlie Chaplin, 1928)
The Artist (Michel Hazanavicius, 2011)

Magnificent Obsession (Douglas Sirk, 1954)
Hamlet (Michael Almereyda, 2000)
Scott of the Antarctic (Charles Frend, 1948)

Love this film. Better than I Am Cuba.

Both are great. Cranes is beautiful, has a strong story and really touching characters; Soy Cuba has the best/most over-the-top camerawork I've ever seen and a constant barrage of fantastic imagery. My personal preference right now is I am Cuba.

The Football Factory (2004)
Directed by: Nick Love
Written by: Nick Love and John King

So being an American it is hard for me to grasp the point of these football organizations or firms I believe they called themselves, also what is even more mind blowing to me is that these firms or whatever they are called actually exist to some extent, not saying that this movie is a documentary. I watched Green Street Hooligans a while back and when I started this film I immediately was reminded of it, the main difference in my opinion was Green Street Hooligans was more of a youthful thing whereas The Football Factory is more grown up and older people that are involved in these “firms”. As I said I am American so if I am getting this wrong that they really exist just let me know and I will correct my mistake.



I am a big fan of Danny Dyer who plays the main character who is going through something big in his life, everyone telling him that he needs to grow up and stop kicking peoples face’s in. Dyer’s character starts thinking he is having some kind of breakdown because he starts seeing things on TV and Billboards that he thinks are talking directly about him, also he keeps having the same nightmare over and over where he is the one getting kicked in the face. The movie is basically building up to the big match between their team (it never sais exactly where this takes place so I have no idea) and their arch rivals, basically planning how they are going to beat the piss out of the other people that really is what this movie is about. There is a sad kind of side story about Dyer’s grandfather and his best friend, they had went through WWII together and bean best friends ever since. They have plans to move to Australia and live out there few remaining days drinking and enjoying the girls in bikinis. This was a good movie but just boggled my mind that people would actually go through all the trouble just to beat the crap out of another group of people over a football match, still I suggest if you have not seen this then you should watch it.

Precisely. While I admire the audacious camerawork in I Am Cuba, i found it to be emotionally vacant. I'm leaning towards Cranes. I remember I teared up a little bit as I watched this film a year ago. Bleh.. I feel sad easily nvm..

Alice In The Cities (1974)

My third Wenders film (also seen: Wings Of Desire & Paris, Texas). Good black&white cinematography with decent performances from the 2 lead characters. Nothing much happens but it puts you in a state of calmness PS.. I think the guy is a pedo.

Down To The Cellar (1983)

Special thanks to re93animator for recommending me this brilliant, beautifully shot short film by czech surrealist Jan Svankmajer. It is amazing how a trip into the basement by a young girl to collect potatoes can be made into such a phantasmagoric nightmare. Think of Tarkovsky, think of Pedro Costa.

Good Morning, Night (2003) - Bellocchio
The domestic side of armed struggle with Maya Sansa as the lone female member in the apartment where they hold the kidnapped Aldo Moro. There are telling scenes when the Red Brigades scratch their heads when the working class don't spontaneously rise up and follow them in armed revolt---contrasted with their own passivity. They zone out before the TV after a hard day at the office; or the way they all bless their food and themselves mechanically at the dinner table, reveals just how far they have to go, before even liberating their own minds.



The Postman always rings twice (1946) - Garnett
This has a really nice structure to it. The typical film noir has the sappy guy and femme fatale taking a long stroll and ending up in the gas chamber. Here, they add on another act where they get away with it, and then are left to stew in their own growing bitterness and distrust. Great supporting actors. Lana Turner was insanely bewitching in all those white outfits.



Gigi (1958) - Minnelli
Every so often one of those mofo "best of" lists show provides a film that transcends it's genre; with it's exquisite set decoration; extravagant costumes; natural Parisian settings and the cleverness in the lyrics and songs: this is one of them. I was almost to the end of the film when I noticed the obvious distress of Louis Jordan, parading around his new sex kitten for the creme de la creme of Parisian society when it suddenly dawned on me: this young girl wasn't being prepared to marriage by her aunts---but was being trained to become a high class prostitute to live off rich men. How in the hell did this ever get made in 1958? Wonderfully subversive.



La Commune (2000) - Watkins
Herzog believes the doom of mankind is contained in commercial imagery, gradually attention spans will be so eroded collectively, we'll only be unable to understand a 15 second spot television commercial or a billboard. So the length of this film (6 hours) is wonderfully immersive.

What if there were a couple of reporters doing man in the street interviews during the Paris commune of 1871? This anachronism is more than a little clunky and blunt, but there are some nice subtleties in the film. The blackout transitions appear to be the embedded commercials excised from a television broadcast---and without them, they allow the audience to digest the content of the preceding scenes. The film is part history lesson; part cautionary tale; part teach in about techniques of mass media and the strangle hold and control they have on information.

Harakiri (Kobayashi, 1962)




Think of 12 Angry Men meeting Rashomon, and you'd get this superbly crafted “courtroom” drama called Harakiri. An aging samurai wishes to perform harakiri in the house of a samurai clan. However after learning about the gruesome methods which were carried out against another samurai, who happened to be his godson, he began to rebel against the the samurai code. Through flashbacks we witness how his godson, out of desperation for money, was forced to perform harakiri with a bamboo sword. This particular scene can be quite shocking for some; Kobayashi gives a no holds barred indictment of the ritualised act. The ending of this film is strongly reminiscent of Tarantino's Crazy 88 in Kill Bill part1.


Twenty minutes into the film and you have the aging samurai sitting in the courtroom, ready for his sacrificial ritual. Then, he begins to recount and narrate the story of his son to the rest of the samurai. It is interesting to note how calm and composed he is in the face of death. Now he is actually mocking the house of Iyi and all the samurai. These were the same people who embarrassed his godson earlier on.


This is an interesting technique which forces the viewer to be engaged in the flashbacks, while very aware that our protagonist is surrounded by blood-thirsty samurai who are more than willing to cut him down should he refuse to perform harakiri. One just cant wait for the finale which he already knows, right from the very start of the film, is surely inevitable.


The immaculate setting, the unflinching attitude of the samurai despite being mocked at, the samurais' refusal to apologise for their mistakes and the final attempt to cover-up the incident all point to the austerity and fanaticism of the “code of samurai” which Kobayashi intended to censure.


Question to ponder about: Why did the aging samurai commit harakiri at the end of this film when he clearly denounced the act of harakiri, claiming that the samurai code was merely a “facade”?

Grade: A