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

[masterofoneinchpunch]

Curry & Pepper (1990: Blacky Ko: Hong Kong)

It would not be until All For the Winner a few months after this that Stephen Chow would become a true superstar in Hong Kong though it still was a big year for Chow who acted in a total of 11 films. But here he is second billed to Jacky Cheung (Days of Being Wild, High Risk) who plays more of a straight laced role (relatively speaking). Chow is blossoming as a performer and gets to do a bit of his shtick but is tamer compared to his later films.

For the most part this is a typical buddy cop film with all the typical contrivances. Both cops are good at what they do, but take a more pragmatic approach to crime instead of by-the-book. There is even a woman reporter (Ann Bridgewater: Full Contact) that comes in between them that leads to the inevitable break-up (and later redemption) of the friendship.

The director Blacky Ko Sau-leung is also the terminator like bad-guy in the film. He had been a stuntman and supporting actor for years, known for his motorcycle jumps, so his approach to this film is certainly an action-oriented one. There are some impressive stunts, falls and fight scenes. There is a couple of very impressive pier dives early in the film. There is also a surprising gweilo fight scene where the two attempt to arrest two foreigners who are passing counterfeit bills who just happen to know kung fu (weird that in this film I have seen the most Caucasians I think ever in a Hong Kong movie; also a lot of English, which I have heard before, but some of the mangling of expletives is quite hilarious).

There is some great footage of Hong Kong and Andrew Lau’s (Infernal Affairs Trilogy) cinematography is the best aspect of the movie. There is so much on-location footage. While filming many unsuspecting audience members (sometimes though they are gathering around just to see the filming and get caught in the process) get unwittingly get caught up in the act like when Eric Tsang is trying to shake down customers to buy counterfeit watches (is that a Romex) or when Stephen Chow is trying to show to the reporter how people are hardened against crime and will not help.

Overall this is a fun film and a decent choice for those who are already immersed in Hong Kong movies. I watched the ancient (1999; has a hologram image for the DVD) Universal R0/NTSC release which has some of the typical problems of subtitle translation (getting he/she wrong; getting the spoken English phrases wrong, my favorite “Shit you, Shit you!”.) Though be warned upgrading your R0 doesn’t mean the translations are better.

[AlbertV]

I agree with masterofoneinchpunch, I enjoyed CURRY AND PEPPER myself

Dry Wood, Fierce Fire (Wilson Yip, 2002) - Before becoming Donnie Yen's collaborator on some of Yen's recent films, Wilson Yip co-wrote and directed this romantic comedy that stars Louis Koo and Miriam Yeung. Yeung plays Alice Tsui, a Chinese herbalist who has learned two lessons from her parents: never judge by looks and if anyone insults you, beat them up. Alice is not only an expert in Chinese medicine, but she is also a martial artist, learning Mantis Fist from her father, played by Turbo Lo Meng.

Koo plays Ryan, a magazine writer who is prone to fainting at the worst of times. When Alice meets Ryan, there is that tension there, not romantic, but he finds her annoying. However, when Ryan falls for new magazine boss Michelle (Fiona Chan), he needs Alice's help to woo her because Alice is a huge fan of Michelle's work. However, we all know where this goes...

Yeung gets to engage in fistacuffs against a homeless person, played by Cheung Tat-Ming. Choreographed by Adam Chan, it was meant to be played for comic effect, so there is wirework and stop motion used. Lo Meng and Kingdom Yuen King-Tan play Alice's parents and they do quite well at combining comic relief with their acting skills.

The title of the film refers to basically "a couple" who are opposites. In one scene, Alice, after confronting a fraudulent herbalist in the middle of a forest, calls Ryan to get her and he appears, they wind up seeing a couple get their groove on in the forest. Ryan says "Dry Wood and Fierce Fire are doing it in the forest".

Not a bad romantic comedy, but don't expect any big fight stuff, it is all meant as part of the comic elements. A decent Wilson Yip effort.

[OpiumKungFuCracker]

Assault on Precinct 13 (original 1976 version)

- I can't believe I saw that piece of crap remake before ever seeing John Carpenter's classic....

[masterofoneinchpunch]

Assault on Precinct 13 (original 1976 version)

- I can't believe I saw that piece of crap remake before ever seeing John Carpenter's classic....

Now have you seen Rio Bravo to contrast where Carpenter got some of his influence from on this film (more than just the siege aspect)? Personally I really like the 1976 version. It has an offbeat, fun sometimes horror feeling to it.

[Fightingfist]

Watched Dispicable Me yesterday, quite an enjoyable animation.

[wongfeihung62]

Godzilla 2000. This is the American re edited version of 1999's Godzilla 2000 Millenium. To be honest I prefer the US version over the original Japanese version. (shock horror). Exra sound effects such as more roars and inclusion of G's footsteps add to the movie.

Some of the dialogue has been tightened and some non essential scenes shortened.

overall 100 mins of rubber-suited fun for all you Kaiju fans out there.

[TheFlyingPanda]

ELIMINATORS 1986 on VHS. Just watched it last night, hadn't watched it since I was 9 or 10. I was laughing so much at the cheese! Conan Lee is in this move (doing martial arts of course) I wonder if it's on DVD clean anywhere? Now Im in the mood for more 80's sci-fi throwbacks!

[massa_yoda]

Limitless with Bradley Cooper. VERY good and interesting movie.

[skipsweet]

watched BIG STAN the other day.... why had i never heard of this before? not only is it hilarious, but co-starring with Rob Schneider is David Carradine, and supporting roles from Randy Couture, Simon Rhee & Dan Inosanto!!

[ShaOW!linDude]

THE EAGLE --- (2011) stars: Channing Tatum, Jamie Bell, Donald Sutherland

Set in England, CT plays a Roman centurion whose father had previously been stationed there and lost a golden eagle emblem to a Northern tribe. With the help of his British slave (JB), he seeks to find and retrieve it.

I enjoyed the film. The acting, story, and cinematography were all very well done. The action is pretty cool, too. As always though, it is hampered by quick cuts and close ups so that much of the fighting is lost on the viewer. CT does seem pretty handy in his swordplay though. Wouldn't mind seeing him in another role like this. (Not bad for a homeboy! He's from Cullman County, Alabama and I live in Jefferson County; only a few miles apart.)

[blue_skies]

I've been watching an animated series called death note that if anyone hasn't watched is pretty damn entertaining. It's not particularly visual but very mentally stimulating if you're into that sort of thing. I can't say the first episode or two grabbed me but after watching a few episodes it really got addictive making me want to watch more and more episodes. If you haven't seen this check it out! I've now seen the first 20 or so episodes now:smile:

[jmungus]

Quick korea, 2011

i`ll make it quick- QUICK sucks balls. huge ones (from approx mins 0 to 40; then i`ve had it and shut it off).

totally annoying . structure, pacing, plot, dialogues, characters (if this was a slasher flick, the kind of characters u wish bite it first; in quicks case, pretty much every single one of em).

its an action thriller and the action is lame, the thrills non existent (quick`s one beaten track). avoid.

[AlbertV]

I've been watching an animated series called death note that if anyone hasn't watched is pretty damn entertaining. It's not particularly visual but very mentally stimulating if you're into that sort of thing. I can't say the first episode or two grabbed me but after watching a few episodes it really got addictive making me want to watch more and more episodes. If you haven't seen this check it out! I've now seen the first 20 or so episodes now:smile:

The live action movies are just as good as the series I heard.

I saw these last night

Conan the Barbarian (Marcus Nispel, 2011) - I actually liked this reboot of the 1982 film that starred Arnold Schwarzenegger. I had my doubts when I first saw Jason Momoa in the lead role, but he actually pulled it off quite nicely. Ron Perlman made the most of his screen time as Conan's fated dad and Stephen Lang was a pretty good villain.

The scene that really shocked me is when a young Conan kills 4 adversaries in a forest and brings their heads to his father. The young Conan was played by teen martial arts champion Leo Howard, who also played young Snake Eyes in the 1st G.I. JOE movie and is the star of Disney Channel's martial arts-themed sitcom KICKIN' IT.

In the Name of the King: Two Worlds (Uwe Boll, 2011) - Now, normally I can't really tolerate Uwe Boll's films. However, this was actually one of the few that I liked. Dolph Lundgren plays Granger, a retired Special Forces agent who is whisked away to a medieval world to a kingdom run by King Raven (Lochlyn Munro). There, he must perform a few quests to save the kingdom and return to his world. Interesting twists abound and overall, Uwe Boll has won some points with me IMO.

[jmungus]

The live action movies are just as good as the series I heard.

meaning the series blows ???

DN- The Movie part 1 is wack. part 2 is watchable. i ve read the comics, tho im neither an expert here nor a fan.

that matsuyama guy is one corny actor. the kind i feel i deserve a discount for having invested in a movie with him in the cast. anyhoo, hes in it (portrayin "L"), adds insult to injury.

no idea about the series. might give it a shot on a rainy day.

[DiP]

Predator (1987)

Some classics from the 80s don't age well but Predator is not one of them. Some lines in the film do show quite lot of significance of its' time but it's done in a way that doesn't disturb or take anything from the thrills and excitement that is provided. Special effects still hold up (much better than the CGI films we get today), and the masculinity of the cast gives the action the look that has always struck audiences ever since its' release. One of Arnold's best films. Rating: 10/10

Predator 2 (1990)

A sequel that had the potential to pull off equally well as the original but never did. Danny Glover and the rest of the cast aren't bad and Stephen Hopkins' direction fit the the film's violent style. But the biggest problem is the inconsistency of the script. The first half almost matches the thrills and mystical tone of the first film but from there it falls off from where the Jamaican kingpin is introduced to the train massacre. The film becomes less enthralling and those twists (making the Predator more exposed and less threatening rather than the opposite) are a little boring to follow through. Rating: 5.5/10

The Terminator (1984)

Arnold's big break and a classic that continues to impress and stand out as years passes. Its' success lies in the complex story as well as its' blend of action and sci-fi elements that were worked together into something gritty, violent, colored and grounded opposed (kinda like action and 1980s neo-noir) to just giving the film a futuristic look like some other films that came around at the time. Special effects really shows alot of age (the ending with the Terminator's "real" appearance in particular) but it's minimal and it's mostly the excellent make-up that gets to do the work. Phenomenal performances by Arnold and Michael Biehn. Rating: 10/10

The Abyss (1989)

James Cameron sure looks to spend alot of money on grand-scale pictures. This time it takes place in deep waters and involves divers and the military in search of lost nuclear missiles as well as friendly aliens wanting to form a communication link with Mankind. Again, no complaints on special/visual effects as Cameron knows what he's doing (T1, T2, Titanic, Avatar). While the alien subplot was a nice tough, it kind of interfered the main story as things didn't seem significant until the end. If Cameron somehow could've integrated the aliens more intact with the other subplots I think it would've made for a better film. Still, it's a pretty well done picture with great production values and overall fine performances (credit to Ed Harris, M.E. Mastrantonio, and Michael Biehn as the villain). Rating: 8/10

Terminator 2 - Judgment Day (1991)

One of the best sequels ever made. It's broader, more explosive, superior production values as well as special/visual effects, and more depth. It's also lighter which means gone is the pessimism and the anxiety of the original and some cliched dialogue. But overall I think T2 is equally as great in its' own right. Arnold continues the performance of his lifetime and nothing gets better than to have him face an actor playing a superior and more threatening villain. Rating: 10/10

True Lies (1994)

Arnold and Cameron form a fine actor-director team and this is no exception. Lots of action, distinctive characters, excitement, secrecy. But it's all done with an almost comical twist and the film at times starts to play off as an action parody. But if you're in for a little bit of everything packed in one film, True Lies successfully delivers that premise. Rating: 7.5/10

[AlbertV]

A Very Harold and Kumar 3D Christmas (Todd Strauss-Schulson, 2011) - Funny 3rd installment of the stoner comedy series starring John Cho and Kal Penn. This time, they must find a Christmas tree for Harold's father-in-law after the duo, who reunited a few years after escaping Guantanamo Bay, accidentally burned the original tree down. Add a funny homage to the Claymation X-Mas classics, a dance number with Neil Patrick Harris, and a Russian mobster in the mix, and its madness only Harold and Kumar could take.

[Drunken Monk]

I've been watching True Blood, a show I thought I'd despise but actually really enjoy.

I've also watched...

8mm - A really underrated film. As dark and gritty as "Seven" but with a pretty unique plot. This plays as a perfectly capable thriller and I enjoyed every minute of re-watching it.

Happy Feet - What...the...fuck? Ridiculous, plotless for the first 45 minutes I actually sat through and tedious.

Harold and Kumar Christmas - I managed an hour of this one before turning it off. There is nothing worse than BAD dick jokes.

[jmungus]

MAGIC TO WIN

harry potter lite reimagined by the hong kong disney club studios.

i bailed after the 50 mins mark. 2.7/10 up until then.

TOWER HEIST

snoozefest galore. i didnt expect much, but not even a single amusing character given the peeps involved, that i did not see coming. not that im particularly fond of any of the cast, but still...

it didnt even provide for some diverting noise and ruckus one could expect from ratner.

the "highlight" and money shot moments barely managed for me to not turn the movie off b4 the end credits. 2.7/10

IMMORTALS

curious flick by tarsem singh, whose "THE FALL" i highly recommend.'bastard child of the banquet and 300' (?) came to mind watching the "immortals".

the first half i thought was rather lukewarm, then things would heat up a little and a bit of tension came into play.

didnt like how the gods were incorporated into the screenplay, also i would have appreciated to learn more about them along the way.

it`d bother me how small and limited the world of immortals was conceived.

visually it sure was nice and artistically elaborate (and all cg). but a) too repetitive and too dark too often.

the story itself wasnt too hot either. in some ways i feel its a failure, then again im thinking it did have a touch of class and a bunch of redeeming sequences.

5.7/10

THREE MUSKETEERS

followin the olde hollywood formula to the fullest. zorro, fantastic four, tomb raider, narnia etc and now this one... they re all the same. some work more or less well, some dont, musketeers is one of the latter.

one big cliche raisin the good flick bad flick ratio of the past two months once more in favor of the bad ones. total crap but not as boring as ie tower heist- 3.2/10 (im being kind).

[AlbertV]

A Dolphin Tale (Charles Martin Smith, 2011) - A heartwarming story of a young boy who befriends a dolphin named Winter, who has lost its tail in an accident. With the help of Morgan Freeman, the dolphin attempts to move with the help of a prosthetic tale. I have to admit, I almost shed a tear at the end of this one.

Real Steel (Shawn Levy, 2011) - One critic described the film as "ROCKY with robots". While that is true in some sense, it also holds shades of THE CHAMP as it pertains to the relationship between Hugh Jackman's washed up boxer turned trainer and his son as they train a sparring robot named Atom as a real boxer. The robot boxing scenes are nicely done and the finale was quite a bit of a surprise.

1911 (Zhang Li/Jackie Chan, 2011) - Unless you are into Chinese history, chances are you may not like this film. Jackie Chan truly is transitioning himself away from the once everyday action hero to a more serious actor. He plays a soldier who is one of the most entrusted friends of Dr. Sun Yat-Sen (a show stealing Winston Chao) who finds himself in the midst of war, both physically and emotionally during the 1911 Revolution, which formed the People's Republic of China. Wu Gang choreographed one nicely shot fight scene between Chan and two Qing Dynasty thugs on a ship. The war scenes are at times very brutal. Personally, I enjoyed the film as a whole.

[DiP]

Life Without Principle (2011)

New from Johnnie To. Following Alan Mak/Felix Chong's stock-market thriller Overheard, this takes a much different approach. It's a mixture of reality and satire of money-obsessed people in a depressing society who will do anything to survive, including betraying their own morals and principles. Style and themes are as recognizable as ever but this leaps into something different in terms of substance yet is familiar ground (greed, the stock-market, survival, loyalty, morality) being explored in a refreshing way. There's no gimmicks and flairs to spice up the shots. But as a To film, it doesn't forsake other elements and the strength here and what drives the picture is the cast. Many recognizable faces play little to big key roles in the story without anything feeling too rushed or sudden. It's broad. The actors perform to the extent of fitting in their roles, are used economically accordingly, and each of the actors has a distinct flavor in their performance that shows the wide variety of characteristics throughout the film. Lau Ching-Wan has hit jackpot this time and won't disappoint. Next to Mad Detective and Sparrow, this shows great improvement and versatility in ways that very few HK actors can match nowadays.

LWP is very well-made with the usual touches and production values. But it's something of a new phase for To who seems to maintain his skills but is beginning to move into more substantial films. I personally think it's a great move. Rating: 9/10

L.A. Confidential (1997)

A detective story set in the 1950s and basically treating subjects concerning police investigations ranging from abuse and homicide to corruption. Story is kind of standard but the greatest about it is the diversity of the story and the way the cast is used. It's filled with distinct feats in the character development and the plot points that it elevates the narrative and gives the entire picture a nice spin to it. The cast is simply a huge complement to the overall film as everyone acted off the top like what. Crowe, Pearce (the most memorable actor in the film to me, his demeanor did all the work for him), Spacey, Cromwell, Basinger, DeVito all did so well playing their roles. It's been while seeing a film carrying many talents performing so differently yet equally as great all in one film without one or the other getting more or less exposure. Rating: 10/10

[KUNG FU BOB]

BLUE VALENTINE- A film about a relationship, showing different stages of it in a non-linear fashion. Astounding performances from Ryan Gosling and Michelle Williams. 10/10

PARANORMAL ACTIVITY 3- This was more of the same ol' stuff from the first two films. Lots of slowly building dread for about 5 minutes of payoff/scares. 4/10.

TUCKER AND DALE VS EVIL- That was really funny! Nice turning of the genre on it's head, plus great performances and funny shit. I love how the Tom Cruise-looking kid was actually a sick freak just waiting to happen! 7/10

SUCKER PUNCH-... was a virtual, almost scene by scene ripp-off of the Charles Bronson film HARD TIMES (1974)! I enjoyed it a lot though. It was so low budget it almost felt like a documentary. Some decent bare knuckle fighting in it. 6/10

THE BLEEDING- We attempted to watch this due to the cast- Michael Madsen, Vinnie Jones, Armand Assante, DMX... with this cast it had to be at least interesting right? Wrong! Argh... it was SO bad it wasn't even funny! It started off as though it might be poorly acted, but promising. Vampire motorcycle gang... But... no. LOL 1/10

DRIVE- Rewatched (my son and I saw in the theater) this with my wife, who loved it, and I liked it even more this time around. Ryan Gosling stars as a mechanic/stunt driver who gets involved with both good and bad people. The scene in the elevator is perfect. 9/10

I watched the new TWILIGHT movie... for my gal. Got to compromise sometimes, eh? It was amusing and not too painful. Kind of romantic in it's own twisted way. LOL 6/10

GENTLEMAN BRONCO- The second film from NAPOLEAN DYNAMITE's director. Um... off-the-wall odd, bizarrely funny, original, and kind of unlike anything I've ever seen before. Sam Rockwell plays two vastly different roles with his usual quirky, dependable cool. 7/10

3:10 TO YUMA- My son has been trying to get me to watch this remake for a few years. It was excellent. 9/10

T:2- For the hundreth time, on BD this time with audio commentary. 9/10

[ShaOW!linDude]

IT'S KIND OF A FUNNY STORY --- (2010) Stars: Keir Gilchrist, Zack Galifianakis, Emma Roberts, Lauren Graham, Jim Gaffigan, Viola Davis, Zoe Kravitz

A 16 yr. old boy (KG) feeling suicidal checks himself into the hospital and is placed in the adult psych ward. There he is befriended by an adult patient (ZG) and meets a teenage girl (ER) who he develops a budding romance with.

I found it to be a really neat movie with a few oddball characters and laugh-out-loud moments. There's a really cool dream sequence of the patients as a band performing the Queen and David Bowie collaboration Under Pressure. I have an affinity for movies about mental institutions/psych wards. I recommend it as being worth a rental or dvr it like I did.

[skipsweet]

http://youtu.be/0xdtH3Lw25c

[Fightingfist]

Catching up with the new TVB series-On Call 36 hours. pretty good

[ShaOW!linDude]

YOUR HIGHNESS --- (2011) Stars: Danny McBride, James Franco, Natalie Portman, Zooey Deschanel, Justin Theroux

Set in medieval times, 2 princely brothers (DM & JF) set out to save one's fiance (ZD) from an evil wizard (JT) and meet up with a female warrior (NP) on a quest for revenge.

It had some funny bits in it and the f/x weren't too bad. The fighting was actually pretty good, too. Some of the dialogue really made me snicker as the delivery seemed so offhanded.