Cinema File: Kick-Ass
June 25, 2011
In person, I’m a pretty easygoing guy. I’m the kind of person who can appreciate when someone uses "freedom of speech" to its fullest. Back when Carlos Mencia did stand up and had a point to make, he was speaking to people like me. So it takes a lot to offend me when we’re talking about self-expression or works of art. As long as we keep our actions civil, I’m cool. So it’s quite strange and shocking that I find myself being offended by Kick-Ass. Read More...
Cinema File: The Fighter
May 29, 2011
Fact: I love Boston movies. The Boondock Saints, Good Will Hunting, The Town, The Departed, Gone Baby Gone, Edge of Darkness, the list goes on. They all have this blue-collar quality, where people with ridiculous problems pull themselves up by their bootstraps and the sweat of their brows, while spewing profanity left and right and generally wanting to pick a fight with every wicked retahded cawksuckah that looks at them funny. Read More...
Cinema File: 5 Fa5t 5 Furiou5
May 10, 2011
5 Fa5t 5 Furiou5 opens with a prison break where a prison bus ramps over a muscle car and does a few barrel rolls. Why orchestrate a prison break where you have a high chance of killing the guy you’re breaking out? It turns out this is the least nonsensical thing that happens in the movie. Read More...
Every Tona Jaa movie ever in 4 brutal, bone-shattering steps
March 9, 2010
Do you like Tony Jaa movies? The correct answer is yes, although the more accurate answer is probably “I’m too afraid of Tony Jaa to dislike them.” Ok, so the title of today’s post is a bit pompous because Tony Jaa has only really starred in three films. But the casualty count of those films has already surpassed those of the Rambo series, all of Arnold’s movies, and hell probably even the Lord of the Rings trilogy. Certainly, Tony Jaa has crippled or killed more Thais than anyone else in cinema history. Tony Jaa movies rule because they all stick to an established formula. Read More...
Things I want to see in the Battle Angel Alita movie
March 4, 2010
I love Battle Angel Alita. It’s my favorite manga of all time (granted I’m not really a manga afficionado). The story is soulful, the central characters are very interesting and cool, and the setting is just amazing. It has been in the news recently as James Cameron, the man behind some of the great sci-fi films of our generation, has set into motion a film adaptation of the manga series. If you’ve read my review of the Battle Angel OVA, you’d understand why this may be cause for concern. The OVA didn’t give enough context to its story elements, and it replaced the manga’s internalized, contemplative narration with... well, nothing. Now, I’m cautiously optimistic about a live action* adaptation, because come on. This is James Fucking Cameron. This man eats money and shits records and money. He made Aliens and Terminator 2, two of the best sci-fi action movies ever made (and sequels that have been argued to surpass the originals). As far as effects-oriented directors go, you could do worse. It could have been a Paul W.S. Anderson flick. Read More...
Cinema File: Chungking Express (Chung Hing Sam Lam)
January 8, 2009
I haven’t done a movie in a while, so I’ll go back to an old favorite: Chungking Express. I’m pretty sure I wrote about it a long time ago for import.BOOST, maybe. This is the first Wong Kar Wai film I ever saw, and I have to say the guy is good at making you utterly riveted and absorbed by a film about nothing. I picked up the Criterion Collection’s Blu-Ray release just recently. The transfer to high definition does not hurt its raw, amateur look in the slightest. Christopher Doyle’s superb cinematography is largely responsible for the distinct look of the film, but Wong’s direction is also palpable. The two make a great team. Read More...
Cinema File: Kill Zone (SPL: Sha Po Lang)
April 10, 2008
SPL (2005) stars Donnie Yen and Sammo Hung—a clash that perhaps is not as anticipated Jackie Chan vs. Jet Li or Bruce Lee vs. Tony Jaa (wouldn’t that be epic?), but seems like a good idea nonetheless. The only question is, how good is the film around the action? Read More...
Cinema File: Evangelion 1.0: You Are (Not) Alone
February 15, 2008
This is Eva as it should have been. Read More...
Cinema File: 5 Centimeters Per Second part 1: Oukashou
July 15, 2007
So pretty your eyes will cry eye tears. I guess those would just be normal tears. Read More...
Cinema File: The City of Violence
July 15, 2007
Jung Doo-hong. Ryoo Seung-wan. Need I say more? Well, yeah, probably. Read More...
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