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

[AlbertV]

A Moment of Romance - watched this years ago and decided to rewatch it. Great directorial debut of Benny Chan, thanks to the chemistry between Andy Lau and newcomer (at the time) Wu Chien-Lien...nice tight storyline combining Triad genre with romance. Not gonna give it away, but loved the camera shots that take place right before the finale.

[LeRolls]

Bubba Ho-tep

Finally got around to watching after having it in my Netflix queue for almost five years. Could have used more horror elements and humor but I still enjoyed it overall.

[LeRolls]

Prince of Darkness

One of John Carpenter's more underrated titles IMO. Loved the mix of science and religion, but wished that they could have taken it a bit further. The ending was a bit anti-climactic too but it was cool seeing some of the gang from Big Trouble in Little China.

[AlbertV]

Do the Right Thing - can never get enough of this, probably one of the only two films I can stand that involve Spike Lee (Bamboozled being the other).

Bad Blood - my review for it can be seen on my HK Cinema blog

[The Dragon]

For me, it's Do The Right Thing and Mo' Better Blues by Spike Lee.

I also recently caught Lord of The Rings: Fellowship of The Ring, The Two Towers, and of curse, Avatar.

About to view 14 Blades.

[kingofkungfu2002]

Just watched Avatar on Blu Ray...Wow !!. If you want to show people what Blu-Ray is capable of, then this is the disc to do it

[Winfred]

Watched Kara Hui in At The End Of Daybreak but can't say I was overwhelmed by the movie. Kara was good and natural but I kept waiting for her big dramatic scene which earned her 4 acting awards. It never came and the movie ended suddenly without any issues resolved.

[AlbertV]

Welcome Benji

Decided to give Spike Lee another shot

Crooklyn - pretty good look at an Afircan-American family in 1970's Brooklyn. Great performances by Alfre Woodward and Delroy Lindo, plus the newcomers as the kids.

[AlbertV]

Spent this weekend watching Wong Kar-Wai's movies:

Started with

AS TEARS GO BY (1988) - Wong's 1st film as director. Terrific film with Andy Lau and Maggie Cheung. Full review here: http://hkcinema2010.blogspot.com/2010/05/classic-reviews-as-tears-go-by-1988.html

then watched 2046 (2004). Loved this semi-sequel to IN THE MOOD FOR LOVE. Heard about two various stories with the plot, but once I saw the whole thing, it all made sense. Will be reviewing it tomorrow on my HK Cinema blog.

just finished watching IN THE MOOD FOR LOVE (2000). One of my favorite Wong films after CHUNGKING EXPRESS. Full review here: http://hkcinema2010.blogspot.com/2010/05/millennium-reviews-in-mood-for-love.html

[masterofoneinchpunch]

Spent this weekend watching Wong Kar-Wai's movies:

Started with

AS TEARS GO BY (1988) - Wong's 1st film as director. Terrific film with Andy Lau and Maggie Cheung. Full review here: http://hkcinema2010.blogspot.com/2010/05/classic-reviews-as-tears-go-by-1988.html

...

After one comment I have not been able to post a comment on your site (using typepad). Can you test to see if comments are working for you (or anyone else)?

RE: AS TEARS GO BY, it is impossible to think of this film without thinking of MEAN STREETS (just noticed a thread on IMDB dedicated to the similarities between the two films). That film is probably my least favorite from Wong. For me it doesn't add much to the genre and is too derived from other sources. You start to feel his stamp as a filmmaker, but it certainly is not fully defined.

[AlbertV]

yeah ill check my setting masterofoneinchpunch....awesome comment...i totally agree it is just that i loved the chemistry between Andy and Maggie and Jacky playing the troublemaker of the bunch. also noticed that Wong used a Chinese cover of a big pop song (Take My Breath Away), like he did in Chungking Express (Faye Wong doing a cover of the Cranberries' "Dreams").

[masterofoneinchpunch]

yeah ill check my setting masterofoneinchpunch....awesome comment...i totally agree it is just that i loved the chemistry between Andy and Maggie and Jacky playing the troublemaker of the bunch. also noticed that Wong used a Chinese cover of a big pop song (Take My Breath Away), like he did in Chungking Express (Faye Wong doing a cover of the Cranberries' "Dreams").

Thanks. It might be typepad, but I don't know. I had a comment on A Moment of Romance, but was unable to type it there. I'll just state in here in the meantime. Johnnie To has stated in Stephen Teo's book on JT that he actually did most of the direction in that film (just like THE LONGEST NITE and EXPECT THE UNEXPECTED). I thought that was some pretty cool info.

I had a Wong fan tell me on the Criterion site where I mod that there is a scene in Stranger Than Paradise (1984) that was echoed in AS TEARS GO BY, but I have not seen the JJ film yet (I should) to see if that was correct. I've always been a fan of Maggie, but over the years I've appreciated Andy more than I originally did.

[LeRolls]

Watched Dragonslayer and The Ghost and the Darkness in HD via Netflix streaming. Podcasts on the way.

[DiP]

Johnnie To has stated in Stephen Teo's book on JT that he actually did most of the direction in that film (just like THE LONGEST NITE and EXPECT THE UNEXPECTED). I thought that was some pretty cool info.

Very interesting. There might even be other movies that he isn't credited for directing but actually directed. Speaking of The Longest Nite and Expect the Unexpected, I think To also did direct The Odd One Dies otherwise credited for Patrick Yau.

[AlbertV]

Undisputed III - my copy came in and was so worth the wait!!!

Dreadnaught - classic Yuen Woo-Ping film with Yuen Biao and Kwan Tak-Hing in his final Wong Fei Hung film with Yuen Shun-Yi as one of my favorite bad guys in kung fu films, White Tiger.

Dragon Family - great Lau Kar-Wing gangster film with a shocking scene midway through. Great performances by Alan Tam, Andy Lau, and Max Mok, plus Kent Cheng doing kung fu in one scene and a nice kickboxing/gunplay filled finale choreographed by Lau Kar-Leung

Shrimp on the Barbie - Cheech Marin in Australia!!! Yes, I like this low budgeted comedy...Cheech didn't need Chong or get high...pretty funny for its budget and locations.

Grandma's Boy Unrated - It's like watching one of Adam Sandler's comedies without Sandler, but longtime friend Allen Covert did pretty well as the lead role and Shirley Jones killed me as the oversexed friend of "Grandma".

[masterofoneinchpunch]

Very interesting. There might even be other movies that he isn't credited for directing but actually directed. Speaking of The Longest Nite and Expect the Unexpected, I think To also did direct The Odd One Dies otherwise credited for Patrick Yau.

I can't believe I missed this post (the forums non-read portions tends to act differently than other forums I'm used to, unless I'm missing a specific setting here).

Yes, To also has stated in interviews as well as the book I mentioned above that he ended up finishing The Odd One Dies.

Grandma's Boy: don't forget that the pot tea gag was previously done in Saving Grace (2000). For me the highlight of the movie is Joel Moore as the consummate silicon nerd success who reminds me of people I have worked with.

[fiol]

Ninth Happiness (1998): i couldnt watch it till the end. Too boring. The only thing ok was the fight between Leslie Cheung (i dont know if it was a double though) and Michael Chow.

The comedy was awful...

[Morgoth Bauglir]

fiol you watch non mainland movies?

I watched White Lotus Cult and it was very good. Good story and great actors. I enjoyed seeing some of my favorite actors like Gai Chun Wa, Lily Li-Li-Li, Chiu Cheung Gwan, Yue Hoi and Cho Wing (sadly not much screen time for these last 3 actors). And the lead actor who I had never heard of before, Do Siu Chun, is good. The lead actor’s friend who turns evil, Taam Chiu, gives an even better performance. The action is a bit wirey for my tastes, but the wirework is done well, and the grounded action is very good. For some reason I didn’t have this movie on my priority list, but I should have. I give it a solid ratng of 4/5.

Finally now that I’ve seen this, I will be able to watch the other 2 movies in this series which I’ve had on DVDR for awhile. Sam the Iron Bridge and One Arm Hero.

[fiol]

fiol you watch non mainland movies?

i sure do

i love hk movies , follow by korean and lastly japanese eheh

[Cesare]

Dr. Lamb

Friggin' awesome. Loved every minute of it. Dense atmosphere, lots of rain (I love movies with lots of rain) - and excellent performance by Simon Yam.

[masterofoneinchpunch]

Yi Yi (2000: Edward Yang: Taiwan) ****/****:

RE: Comments on the movie (some spoilers ahead)

I found this a brilliant moving piece on several interlocking stories of an upper class Taiwanese family. In certain aspects it reminds me a bit of Robert Altman in the use of character changing and cross-plot interchange with even more use of parallelization (especially between the older and younger relationships). With the description of "...beginning with a wedding and ending with a funeral..." I was thinking that I might get a Four Weddings and a Funeral type of film (I do like that film), but it certainly has its own vibe and current throughout the film.

The only plot point that slightly annoyed me (I wasn't the only one) was probably the murder. It just seemed a bit out of place (though not completely unreasonable). The use of the software to show the murder was hilarious. The most shocking scene for me was when Yang-Yang went for a swim. I wasn't sure what was going to happen to him until of course he shows up later all wet.

I'm thinking that Yang-Yang and Nj Jian are the autobiographical characters of Edward Yang since the combination of Yang-Yang's interest in film, derision by teachers and NJ's engineering background (Yang received his Masters Degree in Electrical and Computer Engineering from University of Florida).

Mr. Ota was a fascinating "muse" type of character. I wonder if a bit too much, but I liked his dialog like "Why are we afraid of the first time? Every day in life is a first time. Every morning is new. We never live the same day twice. We're never afraid of getting up every morning. Why?" (unless of course you are afraid of getting up, I call those Mondays).

Edward Yang's Mise-en-scene I found quite interesting. He lets the master shot play out, doesn't cut much and keeps his characters in the mid-ground for many scenes. I know this works quite well on a good theatrical screen, though not as well on the TV (not a critique, just wish I had a bigger television). Many scenes are either reflections or shot through a window showing another reflection while you focus on the character dialog. I look forward to watching other auteurs as well as Yang's other work to compare. I do hope Criterion comes out with another Taiwanese film.

After watching the film, the Criterion cover makes much more sense . The subtitles are more of an England-centric translation (such as using terms like lift and spellings) which I found interesting for a Criterion release (not a critique just an observation; I see the same thing on a lot of MA movies released here which normally means that they were done in HK or elsewhere). I probably won't get to the commentary anytime soon though. Has anyone listened to this (or will)?

RE: New video interview with Rayns about Yang and the New Taiwan Cinema movement

Whenever I read or hear something dealing with this topic I know that the genre, martial arts, that has resulted in the creation of the most films in Taiwan will either be ignored or derided. In this segment it is derided. Now there is definitely a truth that many of those films were quickly done, with a tight budget (even though that is the same issue with much of the Taiwanese movement) and do not have the most pleasing cinematography aesthetics, but to scoff everything as a whole (as it appears to me in this doc with Rayns) seems a bit problematic. But while I have seen a decent amount of Taiwanese films (you can guess what genre) I have not seen much of the later directors (I will make a point to correct this; I started with this film, hereby finishing all the Chinese language films in Criterion).

Ultimately the documentary is just too short to cover such a vast topic as the New Taiwan Cinema movement. What can you do with 15 or so minutes? This doc seems to ignore Tsai Ming-Liang as well as Ang Lee while focusing on (of course) Edward Yang and Hou Hsiao-Hsien. When I revisit the doc, I will have more to say about this.

[Wheat Thin Man]

I watched the first part of the Mobile Suit Gundam Movie Trilogy last night. I haven't watched those movies in a few years; it was even better than I remember it.

[skipsweet]

Dr. Lamb

Friggin' awesome. Loved every minute of it. Dense atmosphere, lots of rain (I love movies with lots of rain) - and excellent performance by Simon Yam.

Dr. Lamb is an amazing film!! shows just how good of an actor Simon Yam really is.

last night watched Prince Of The Sun, starring Cynthia Rothrock, Lam Ching-ying & Conan Lee. great fun flick, reminds me of how cool fight scenes used to be in Hong Kong movies

[AlbertV]

HIGH KICK GIRL - throwaway plot but nice fight scenes thanks to the use of no wires or CGI.Rina Takeda's opening fight scene was fun, beating the crap out of a bunch of male blackbelts.

THE SLAMMIN' SALMON - the latest from Broken Lizard, revolving around a chaotic night at a restaurant owned by ex-boxing champ Michael Clarke Duncan. Very funny IMO.

SUMMER JOB - one of the last of the 80's teen comedy films, always a fav of mine. Eclectic characters working at a resort for the summer, from a cowboy to a diva who only want rich guys to a guy scared of women because of a fear of a STD.

THE LADY IS THE BOSS - loved thios culture clash Shaw Brothers film with Kara Hui as the Westernized daughter of a kung fu master clashing with Lau Kar-Leung's traditional kung fu master.Loved the gym filled finale, with Hsiao Ho, Gordon Liu and Chang Chen-Peng (Alexander Fu Sheng's brother) against the likes of Wang Lung-Wei and Sun Chien.

BANGKOK ADRENALINE - love the fight scenes but the comedic scenes fall a little short. Glad to see the foreign stuntmen from Thailand holding their own here.

[Secretmember]

hkgodfathermediocre (((((((( notrecommended