Reviews

This movies exists - That's all

Given that the cast is great and the production isn't bad for it's time, one would expect that this would at least be half-way decent movie. But no. This movie fails in terms of story and plot. The characters exist. It's like a slice of life with no interesting plot points. The only somewhat interesting plot point isn't really finished off. It's like the movie was created to fill time so it didn't matter to it's creators whether all questions were answered. Or, whether all characters completed some sort of development arc or not. I imagine that it falls off the way-side as an ending. An event that happens. Unexpected but not enough of a big deal to leave a lasting mark.

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Tentang Kutukan, atau Serangan Astral?

Sejujurnya saya agak lupa bagaimana alur cerita dari horror yang satu ini karena saya sudah lama menontonnya, yakni pada tahun 2020. Film ini bergenre horror namun menurutku lebih banyak ke arah misteri karena sejujurnya pada awalnya saya agak bingung apakah ini tentang terror, kutukan atau serangan mahluk astral ; kenyataannya menurutku ini lebih mengarah ke kutukan yang dilakukan oleh seseorang yang memuja setan. Cerita berfokus ke seorang polisi bernama Jong Goo bersama keluarganya, kutukan terfokus pada anaknya - walaupun bukan hanya anaknya yang terkena kutukan. Ada beberapa jump-scare dan beberapa bentuk mahluk astral ditampilkan di sini, ada gambaran mahluk yang tidak enak dilihat oleh mata dan scene-scene yang punya nuansa menegangkan. Di awal saya kurang begitu suka karena menampilkan adegan yang tidak senonoh bahkan menurut saya tidak perlu ditampilkan di sana. Secara cerita mungkin horror ini menarik, namun entah kenapa ada yang kurang menurutku, tapi variabel x tersebut saya tidak bisa menjelaskannya. Review ini ditulis dengan sisa ingatanku terhadap film ini, karena filmnya menurutku kurang berkesan, aku hanya memasukannya ke list karena saya menyimpan file ini di hard-disk drive saya ; saat itu saya menontonnya bersama teman saya, berdua.

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Prison buddy movie missing a coherent plot

Bolo gave star and director Bolo Yeung Sze a chance to play against type. Instead of the bruisingly brutal bad guy the good guy pummels at the end of the movie to show the hero's prowess, Bolo played the big dumb ox. After watching this not once but twice now, I think I like him better as the bad guy.

Aside from the synopsis that Bolo and Jason Pai were prisoners sent to be sheriffs in a lawless town where the sheriffs kept getting murdered, I'm not entirely sure what the plot was. Bolo seemed to think he was the sheriff and stumbled into helping people though the townspeople didn't support him with the exception of Lau Hok Nin. Pai spent more time in the brothel or searching for the missing gold that had landed him in jail in the first place. Then the plot tumbled off a cliff and was swept out to sea. Whether the prison buddies were working for good or evil was debatable, although they did find the mastermind behind a sex trafficking ring and the missing gold. The film had bathroom humor and sexual jokes. Most of the jokes came at Bolo's expense.

Sadly, Bolo's fights were mostly kung fu posing, emphasizing his power and size. Pai's fights were quicker and stressed his agility. I'm all for a shirtless Bolo more on the side of good than bad, I just I wish they hadn't made him quite so slow. Jason Pai was engaging as a character and fun to watch fight. The final fight was the best one when a Japanese fighter wearing a metal pan on his head took the two buddies on. When the two combined their skills, it was cute to watch, deadly, but cute.

If you love slap stick humor and don't mind an almost incoherent plot, you could try this one. I'm a big Bolo fan and enjoyed Pai's sly character, but this movie stressed my patience.

3/28/23

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A disappointing gothic horror from the Philippines

The movie reminds me of some of the old Hammer films, cheaply produced but entertaining. This production is not as entertaining but retains that same essence of gothic horror. That said it does come with some hefty warnings: Sexual violence towards women (mostly offscreen but acknowledged in the story), era-typical blackface characters (servants), and general violence towards women (mother vampire is whipped and imprisoned). If those things bother you I would avoid this film.

Story (3.5/10): The story doesn't waste time with character development and instead starts on the mystery of the woman in the basement. The use of lighting as a story device is rather clever during the mother vampire's scenes but the use of red/blue lighting can be somewhat jarring to the viewer. There is a heavy emphasis on catholic imagery throughout the story that can feel a little heavy-handed at times. The story is mostly driven by bad decisions made by various characters so I would say the story can get a bit frustrating to watch and is very easy to predict.

Acting/Cast (4.5/10): There is an actor who plays a servant (during the scene where the father reveals the mother) that looks to have blackened his face for some reason. He sounds like an "Igor" character but I'm confused as to why the film found that necessary (budget constraints/cultural/era-typical racism?). It was repeated with several female servants as well. I'm new to Filipino-produced films and so I can't make any solid judgments or conclusions as to why they used blackface. So warning for potential racist blackface/racist undertones?
Many of the character's actions make them hard to like or emphasize with their struggle. In fact, the whole family dynamic is unhealthy and problematic. It made it hard to stay engaged with the movie. Their actions are sometimes for a lack of a better word, really dumb and it makes the fine irritating to watch at times.
Amalia Fuentes (Leonore) is perhaps the most interesting character to watch. I think this is mostly due to the actress being a decent acting talent. She has an emotional quality to her that makes her performances more intriguing to watch compared to several of the other main actors.
Romeo Vasquez (Daniel) is rather wooden for an actor trying to play a naive young hero type. I found his performance rather flat especially when paired with Amalia Fuentes. Eddie Garcia (Eduardo) did a decent job as a villain and his acting was more nuanced than Romeo Vasquez's but he isn't in any way likable and due to one of my prior warnings (sexual violence towards women) in the scenes with Rosario del Pilar (Christina) I was hoping he would be killed sooner than later.

Music (4/10): The music isn't awful but it is a rather large step down from the gothic horror soundtracks used by the popular horror film companies in the US during this era. This isn't surprising but I had hoped the music would help the film's pacing and tension. The dubbing is not great either. It was not synced very well to the film and some of the character's lines were hard to understand.

Rewatch Value (1/10): I had a hard enough time watching the entire film and found myself having to avoid hitting the fast-forward button several times. I doubt I will ever give this a second watch.

Overall (3.5/10): The only real part of the film that I found interesting was how the genre of gothic horror was treated in the Philippines during the 60s/70s horror movie era. It was not a very entertaining watch but it's definitely not unwatchable either. If you are determined to watch it I suggest having a remote handy or doing an additional activity like ironing or laundry.

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If you want it, come and get it!

The title 10 Magnificent Killers pretty much sums up the story for this Hong Kong kung fu flick. Two young fighters are trained by two different masters, one a constable and one a criminal with a dark secret. The movie features numerous B level kung fu actors and stuntmen. With four different martial arts directors the numerous fights all looked a little different. Fong Yau who normally plays the bad guy, wrote, directed, produced, and did work as a martial arts director which might explain why he actually played a good guy in this movie!

Hsia Chuan (Nick Cheung Lik) was raised by Tu Shu (San Kuai), a cagey master who cons Hsia into signing a contract giving him 50% of his earnings for life. The resident Big Bad, Leng Chieh (Bolo!), begins sending his top ten killers against Tu Shu. Hsia is not afraid of using poison against his enemies, including Hsiao Li's master Lee Yu Wei (Fong Yau). Lee survives and continues training the young Hsiao (Chu Chi Ming) to become a constable. Tu Shu and Hsia are more concerned with collecting the bounty on the killers' heads and how they are going to split it. A beggar uses his stick of doom, a coffin maker shows up literally in a coffin before beginning to fight, and Addy Sung appears as a kung fu fortune teller among the other assortment of killers doomed to die. Tu Shu and Hsia find out where the killers are and begin taking them out one by one until only Bolo is left. Somewhere else in the wooded area, Lee continues to train the marshmallow looking Hsiao. Eventually, all the secrets are revealed and the story comes to a head with the two young fighters meeting and then a rushed ending given the revelations at stake.

Because there were four martial arts directors-Bolo, Cheung, Fong, and San, there wasn't a cohesive fight experience but that might have been a good thing for some fights were better than others. A variety of styles were used such as Snake, Bolo's "I'm not looking at you" style, and a kick-fest for the finale. Nick Cheung Lik and San Kuai were featured in nearly all the fights, some serious, others comedic, and held their own. Chu Chi Ming was a lackluster hero who had little screen time which was no loss.

While the fights came fast and often, the flimsy story doomed the movie to forgettable. Bolo and his terrible mustache couldn't even save this movie. For a short kung fu film it was below average but watchable with nothing terribly offensive. No spurting blood, no nudity (although there was a lead up to an intimate scene), but also no memorable fights. The story could be confusing diluting the big reveal at the end. The main focus of the film was the two guys who poisoned and killed their way through a vicious gang, who weren't much better themselves. I was happy to see Fong Yau play a good guy and I'm a Bolo fan, but I'm not sure that's a recommendation for watching.


3/28/23

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Great Underrated Independent Movie

Were it not for Han Hyo Joo I would have never discovered this movie. Thankfully I did! This is a great independent movie with a very unique plot, realistic characters, and superb acting. Most everything about it is understated leading to a subtle sense of curiosity and eventually a subtle yet deep sense of compassion. This movie is far from being a mystery yet there is a constant mysterious aura about the main character that culminates in a heart wrenching reveal at the end..less of a surprise or shock because of how heart wrenchingly realistic it could be…

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story

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A VERY BEAUTIFUL STORY OF LOVE!

I love this so much! The storyline is amazing. I've seen and felt different kinds of love in this BL, romantic, family, friendship, unrequited love and others, and it was showed amazingly. I deeply felt the feelings the two male leads had for each other and... aahh, I really want to say more but I don't want to mention spoilers. I actually watched both the movie and series version because I don't want to miss anything and I plan to rewatch them again. Oh, and by the way, the two male leads are very good-looking, just perfect for each other. I love the effects, the music... everything! I already added this to my favorite list. Love this so much!

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The futility of rebellion ...

WOW ... this 1992 movie was very thought provoking and really really well done and is as relevant today in 2023 as it was in 1992 ... 31 years later.

The OS, a simple low repeating tune, and the amazing cinematography created a palpable sense of heaviness and dankness of a decaying world. Everywhere, inside and outside, was so confining ... so chock a block full of stuff but so 'dead' and 'empty'. The built environment, always in a state of decay and repair (which never seemed to make any overall difference), was mirrored in the trapped lives of the characters inhabiting it. Decay and alienation ebbed and flowed in their lives like the drain in Ah-Tse's apartment, like the low repeating tune that played in the background ... ever present ... ebbing and flowing ... every step forward they made, they were pushed back three ... never getting ahead ... always wallowing in decay. The alienated and dead pan looks on everyone's faces ... I wondered how they kept on going on when nothing seemed to make any difference .. not even rebellion made a difference.

The 360 degree "cause and effect" and the interconnectedness of all the events that played out in everyone's lives was very well scripted and very thought provoking ... from that fateful meeting where the taxi mirror was smashed to the same taxi bringing the 'smashed' perpetrators back home ... the Father leaving the door to their apartment ajar after having slammed it in his son's face telling him he was not allowed in ... the hug between Ah-Tze and his girlfriend Ah-Kwei while standing in the overflowing drain water, both wanting to escape but having no idea where to escape to or even how to escape ... it really hit hard ... it felt so desperate and hopeless ... like a terrible oppressive black hole that mercilessly swallows up any joy and pulls you back in every time you try to escape ... the futility of it all.

At the end of the movie, feeling really emotionally depleted, I wondered ... how would things have turned out if Ah-Tze hadn't smashed the taxi mirror and Hsiao-Kang and his Father ended up going to the movies ... hmmm ... sadly, I think it would have only delayed the inevitable ... one way or another their souls will be consumed by the decay.

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It was ok, I'm surprised I finished

I thought the movie was a wholesome simple one about a stranger connecting with another through time and talking about each of their crushes. While this was true, I wasn't thinking too much of the following plot twist that ensued. The plot twist led me to believe the guy friend is a jerk. How is he gonna pick up his friend's turtle, call it the same name, and continue to raise him with his kid? Also, turtles live that long? The girl also isn't any better for always being near the guy friend despite having a boyfriend. I feel bad for the main guy.

I didn't expect to tear watching this on the plane, but a tear definitely trickled down near the end. It was a bittersweet note learned, although the very last clip ruined it for me. I wish they kept it simple instead of throwing us off with timeline madness.

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Esta película definitivamente es memorable para mí. La vi hace tiempo ya pero me acuerdo perfectamente de las emociones que me hizo sentir cuando la vi por primera vez.

Me gusta el desarrollo que tiene Hiro, igualmente la superación de Mika, pero creo que faltaron unos buenos personajes secundarios que ayuden a los protagonistas con sus problemas, que tuvieron que cargarlos por años ellos solos. Es un problema común la inmadurez y falta de comunicación en una pareja de la edad de ambos pero, en un tema tan complejo como lo es el de Hiro, me parece que fue un conflicto muy, muy, inflado de drama.

Por otro lado, excelente la segunda mitad de la película. Me dejó nuevamente el mensaje de "Uno no sabe lo que tiene hasta que lo pierde." pero en este caso, ya era demasiado tarde. ¿El final pudo haber cambiado si ambos tomaban mejores decisiones? Quién sabe. Es tan agridulce, pero me gustó mucho. Pude acompañar a Mika en el sentimiento porque esperé un milagro hasta el último segundo.

**spoiler**
Tuve dos personas importantísimas para mí que tuvieron cáncer también. Una se salvó, pero la otra no. Realmente es una montaña rusa el ilusionarse con que todo va a salir bien y al rato el deprimirse dando todo por perdido. Pude revivir esas emociones gracias a esta película.

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Everything it is and Everything it isnt

I think this movie isn't all that bad, it's worth the watch, but I must say. Its not exactly what you will be expecting. The movie will keep you guessing, confused, and trying to figure out what's happening, and wondering if it can be fixed. The ending, was definitely a "wtf" moment, and perhaps a bit underwhelming, but the movie was meant to go for that emptiness. Considering the Korean name of the movie is disappeared time, and that's exactly what the ending makes you feel. Which isnt necessarily a bad thing, but what I will say, leaves you questioning what happened even after the movie ended. It was interestingly put, and a different type of ending than I was expecting, and I don't necessarily hate it for that. I just want to say if you're considering watching this, lower your expectations, and don't expect anything, don't assume, just watch, and let the movie be itself, for everything it is and everything it isn't.

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The best in the franchise

like everyone else I watched the novelist first and then mood indigo. I thought that was that until I found out they were 3 other movies/short videos after that. I didn't watch the short videos but only the movie ( the pornographer: playback). I was eager to see how their relationship would be like, although it had it's ups and downs it generally turned out alright.
I'm not gonna lie I expected more sex scenes but I'm satisfied with the ones I got cos their chemistry is off the charts!!! And whenever they're kissing I feel like I'm violating their privacy or something cos they're so passionate about it. Overall it was wonderful rollercoaster of events.

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Overall: this is a 22 minute short available on Mind Trio's YouTube channel (they did On Cloud Nine and Calculating Love)

Content Warnings: teasing/bullying?, gaslighting

What I Liked
- the actors did a decent job
- a few cute moments

Room For Improvement
- the plot was confusing, they started with a flash forward/flashback and then I wasn't sure what their relationships were to each other (long-time friends, acquaintances, classmates, etc)
- not a fan of the central premise and then how it's an open ending
- maybe I missed something but the reactions didn't make sense, the one guy smiled but he didn't return his feelings, why did he smile and then complain later about the teasing if he enjoyed it???
- the two tropes in the very beginning should have been reversed which would have been more realistic
- the character gaslighting and saying he doesn't have those feelings

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