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What ELSE (other than KUNG FU) has everyone been watching?


Guest kenichiku

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Think I'd like to check this one out.

How did this film fair to its US remake, Pulse?

Like most remakes, avoid like the plague. The original has this incredibly morbid atmosphere and some subtley frightening moments as well as the full blown shit-your-pants moments.

All in all a pretty incredible J-horror, I'd say a cut above the rest.

The remake just missed the idea completely and is incredibly shit.

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masterofoneinchpunch
Some more titles....

...The 39 Steps (1935)

Have all of Hitchock's major works. This is still my favorite of his British releases.

The Postman Strikes Back (1982)

Wasn't too crazy about this at first but then...those last few chapters. Great ending!

...The Great Escape (1963)

Best war flick - ever. I've lost track of the number of times I've watched this.

My favorite of Hitch's British works is probably The Lady Vanishes. Do you have the Criterion release of The 39 Steps?

If you get bored here is a 1000 word review of The Postman Strikes Back from me.

While I love The Great Escape I think my favorite WWII Prison flick is Stalag 17 but both I have seen multiple times. I'm a Steve McQueen fan so that always helps.

I've been watching at least one Johnnie To directed (or co-directed) film a week for the past several weeks. Love on a Diet was my latest one this weekend. I might write a capsule review on this soon. I noticed that the co-directed ones I have not quite liked as much as his auteur period films (To states this started with Loving You which I have not seen) in which he directs alone (like Election, Exiled, Sparrow etc... except for Mad Detective which I will see in a few months after some more of his earlier work; I've heard quite great things about that film I bought the MOC version). Unfortunately with watching more Triad movies has left me watching less MA movies.

For you Luis Bunuel fans I finally watched Simon of the Desert this weekend and found that another outstanding movie from him.

For those who use listsofbests here is my watchings this year.

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My favorite of Hitch's British works is probably The Lady Vanishes. Do you have the Criterion release of The 39 Steps?

Actually a tape from the 10 box set of his British releases. A few dogs in there but it includes Lady --

which is another great one from that period. Those two Brits and their cricket obsession slayed me.

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For those who use listsofbests here is my watchings this year.

Was looking over your recent viewings. You got a nice selection of varied flix in there!

Good to see another fan of Keaton. If you can find this semi-cheap, you should pick it up...

11-disc boxed set The Art of Buster Keaton

Its a bit pricey but I landed one on eBay for $40. Well worth it.

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masterofoneinchpunch
Was looking over your recent viewings. You got a nice selection of varied flix in there!

Good to see another fan of Keaton. If you can find this semi-cheap, you should pick it up...

11-disc boxed set The Art of Buster Keaton

Its a bit pricey but I landed one on eBay for $40. Well worth it.

Luckily I already own this and watched all of it last year. I've been doing some rewatching. I got it cheap (not as cheap as your purchase) on Deep Discount when it was 50% off. I finally got and watched the Keaton/Fatty Image set. Have you seen this? It is not as good as his later films, but when watching Arbuckle you can see certain things in him that you can see in Chris Farley and even Sammo Hung (and not just the size; Arbuckle was quite an adroit and nimble actor/director).

I am curious about the latest release of The General (2-disc set) on Kino. Keaton I wish was on Criterion or at least Kino would put a little more effort in his releases.

Speaking of Keaton, watched College again this weekend (after feeling slightly down from Eastwood's Changeling -- not down because of the film, the subject matter). It is not the best of the Keaton films, but it certainly has some excellent moments. He is such an athlete and makes the end of the film quite exciting.

Also saw Johnnie To's Yesterday Once More. Fans of To should probably watch this (or not since it has its problems) to see several themes he would do better with Sparrow. This film is pays several homages to American films (especially a certain Steve McQueen acted film -- The Thomas Crown Affair) while Sparrow was more influenced by the French New Wave.

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masterofoneinchpunch
Well watched ong-bak 2 last night, watching another jaa film the protector-looks good.

Hopefully you are watching the longer version Tom Yum Goong.

semi-terse comments on:

Yesterday Once More (2004: Hong Kong: **½/****):

The third in a series of romantic comedies staring Andy Lau and Sammi Cheng was the least successful at the box office in Hong Kong following Needing You (2000) and Love on a Diet (2001). The previous two were co-directed with Wai Ka-fai and while I have only seen Love on a Diet there is definitely a stylist difference one that fits in more of the To's auteur direction and themes. This film is more languid, more nuanced, less commercial, but is much more uneven then Love on a Diet (that film feels mostly like an American romantic comedy with the help of the special effects team from The Nutty Professor and I rate that film slightly higher ***/****).

The story centers around two professional thieves Andy Lau and Sammi Cheng who divorce at the beginning of the film for an unknown reason only to find themselves still in love as the years go by. Sammi is engaged to a rich momma's boy, but only because she is interested in his jewelry. Andy's character (they are never named) is jealous and decides to steal the very jewel she is interested in (causing the breakup of Sammi and her beau). The rest of the movie deals with their relationship until a tragic fact about one of their fates is learned.

The movie is quite beautiful to look as the locations vary from Hong Kong to Italy and the characters intrigued me (and often irritated me); however, the biggest fault was with the most unsatisfying ending since well Running On Karma.

While ultimately this movie fails as an aesthetic cohesive whole it has many interesting elements that would later be used in Sparrow to better effect. While Sparrow had references to French Cinema, this movie had several quite obvious homages to the original The Thomas Crown Affair from the introductory scenes reminiscent of the multi-splitscreen style used in that film to the relationship and the characters to one specific interview technique used in original film.

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Fightingfist
Hopefully you are watching the longer version Tom Yum Goong.

semi-terse comments on:

Yesterday Once More (2004: Hong Kong: **½/****):

The third in a series of romantic comedies staring Andy Lau and Sammi Cheng was the least successful at the box office in Hong Kong following Needing You (2000) and Love on a Diet (2001). The previous two were co-directed with Wai Ka-fai and while I have only seen Love on a Diet there is definitely a stylist difference one that fits in more of the To's auteur direction and themes. This film is more languid, more nuanced, less commercial, but is much more uneven then Love on a Diet (that film feels mostly like an American romantic comedy with the help of the special effects team from The Nutty Professor and I rate that film slightly higher ***/****).

The story centers around two professional thieves Andy Lau and Sammi Cheng who divorce at the beginning of the film for an unknown reason only to find themselves still in love as the years go by. Sammi is engaged to a rich momma's boy, but only because she is interested in his jewelry. Andy's character (they are never named) is jealous and decides to steal the very jewel she is interested in (causing the breakup of Sammi and her beau). The rest of the movie deals with their relationship until a tragic fact about one of their fates is learned.

The movie is quite beautiful to look as the locations vary from Hong Kong to Italy and the characters intrigued me (and often irritated me); however, the biggest fault was with the most unsatisfying ending since well Running On Karma.

While ultimately this movie fails as an aesthetic cohesive whole it has many interesting elements that would later be used in Sparrow to better effect. While Sparrow had references to French Cinema, this movie had several quite obvious homages to the original The Thomas Crown Affair from the introductory scenes reminiscent of the multi-splitscreen style used in that film to the relationship and the characters to one specific interview technique used in original film.

Oh cool so there is another version of this film.

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watched 2008/9 UK release of Shaw Brothers' classic King Boxer recently, never seen it before, brilliant flick.

tonight i've got a few choices......

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Omni Dragon
So seen tom yum goong, mite watch fists of legend.

watch the Bruce Lee Fist of Fury first it one i'm going to lend you.

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Omni Dragon
Ok cheers.

heres the full list of films the Big Boss, King Boxer aka Five Fingers of Death(not 2 be mixed up with The King Boxer), Fist of Fury, Way of the Dragon, Magnificent Bodyguards, the 36th Chamber of Shaolin, Heroes of the East, Snake and Crane Arts of Shaolin, Drunken Master, Game of Death, Knockabout, the Odd Couple, Fearless Hyena, the Young Master, Game of Death 2.

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Fightingfist
heres the full list of films the Big Boss, King Boxer aka Five Fingers of Death(not 2 be mixed up with The King Boxer), Fist of Fury, Way of the Dragon, Magnificent Bodyguards, the 36th Chamber of Shaolin, Heroes of the East, Snake and Crane Arts of Shaolin, Drunken Master, Game of Death, Knockabout, the Odd Couple, Fearless Hyena, the Young Master, Game of Death 2.

Tell me what is the best order 2 watch all these in on saturday lol thanks.

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watched Flashpoint last night.

was very impressed by the level of virtually non-stop action, made the movie feel quite short (it is compared to most!!) but at no time did i get remotely bored :D

for a guy in his mid 40s Donnie Yen can still kick some serious ass!!! also fantastic to see Ngai Sing/Collin Chou back on magnificent villainous form like he was in mid 90s in the likes of Return To A Better Tomorrow & Bodyguard From Beijing.

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Fightingfist
watched Flashpoint last night.

was very impressed by the level of virtually non-stop action, made the movie feel quite short (it is compared to most!!) but at no time did i get remotely bored :D

for a guy in his mid 40s Donnie Yen can still kick some serious ass!!! also fantastic to see Ngai Sing/Collin Chou back on magnificent villainous form like he was in mid 90s in the likes of Return To A Better Tomorrow & Bodyguard From Beijing.

Yh tht film was brill, loved the fight scenes

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Omni Dragon
Tell me what is the best order 2 watch all these in on saturday lol thanks.

i would say watch all the Bruce Lee's first then King Boxer, Magnificent Bodyguards. then i don't know 36 or snake & crane after them heroes or drunken then odd or knock or fearless h

we still going watching 2?

i don't know if to watch big boss, magnificent, 36, knock, odd, fearless h

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Fightingfist
i would say watch all the Bruce Lee's first then King Boxer, Magnificent Bodyguards. then i don't know 36 or snake & crane after them heroes or drunken then odd or knock or fearless h

we still going watching 2?

i don't know if to watch big boss, magnificent, 36, knock, odd, fearless h

Ok thxs, yh we shud b able to fit them in, hw bout we watch 1 in the morning and the other in the afternoon?

???

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Last couple of movies I've watched have been early Golden Harvest old school wu xia movies with Nora Miao, The Comet Strikes and The Hurricane.

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