Super Mario Bros - well, well, well… dinosaur creatures, special effects and bomb gag are worth a watch in this dimensional crossover adventure - oh yes and de-evolving machine is fine idea - it is funny though to see myself not to laugh about jokes i laughed almost twenty years ago
Taken (2008) - Another exceptional action flic of recent years. Had not seen it yet and was not a let down from all the hype. Will have to see part 2 now. Really enjoying a lot of recent action films I’m watching lately
[B]Aces Go Places III[/B] - Tsui Hark’s entry into the series, as usual ridiculous but a whole lot of fun, Maka and Hui sure make up a team for some enjoyable viewing.
The past two days I’ve seen a pair of Giallios’, both outstanding pieces of cinema:
The Strange Vice of Mrs. Wadh - a strong heroine played by genre veteran in her star making performance, Edwige Fenech, is the centrepiece in this perverse murder myster full of red herrings that is almost a retort to the traditional misogyny of the Giallos’. Incredible direction by Sergio Martino, sly borrowings from Les Diaboliques and terrific score and cinematography make this the best new (for me) thriller I’ve seen this year.
Don’t Torture a Duckling - Lucio Fulci, more famous for his gory and a censors-nightmares horror films like City of the Living Dead, but this is a film that approaches it’s serial killings from a different angle, making this a social commentary on ignorance and religion, powerfully made, superbly acted by Tomas Millian, Barbara Bouchet and Florinda Bolkan as well as an out-and-out brilliant music score. Plus, there’s a scene here that surely influenced Quentin Tarantino when it came to the infamous ear-cutting scene from Resevoir Dogs. This is hard hitting and a classic of cinema, not just gialli.
[quote=“John Welles, post:8344, topic:1923”]The Strange Vice of Mrs. Wadh - a strong heroine played by genre veteran in her star making performance, Edwige Fenech, is the centrepiece in this perverse murder myster full of red herrings that is almost a retort to the traditional misogyny of the Giallos’. Incredible direction by Sergio Martino, sly borrowings from Les Diaboliques and terrific score and cinematography make this the best new (for me) thriller I’ve seen this year.[/quote]My favourite Martino giallo. I suspect if it was put to vote Torso would win the vote though because of gorehounds who judge a film on carnage more than quality. Don’t get me wrong I think Torso is great but it’s all about Wardh for me.
I just ordered the dvd, can’t wait to see it.
[quote=“John Welles, post:8344, topic:1923”]The past two days I’ve seen a pair of Giallios’, both outstanding pieces of cinema:
The Strange Vice of Mrs. Wadh - a strong heroine played by genre veteran in her star making performance, Edwige Fenech, is the centrepiece in this perverse murder myster full of red herrings that is almost a retort to the traditional misogyny of the Giallos’. Incredible direction by Sergio Martino, sly borrowings from Les Diaboliques and terrific score and cinematography make this the best new (for me) thriller I’ve seen this year.[/quote]
One of my favorite gialli too. Some really surprising twists, and what’s more: you accept them, you don’t feel betrayed by the screnwriters (which is often the case with radical twists)
[url]http://imageshack.us/photo/my-images/543/thelostbladesman2011201.jpg/[/url] [size=12pt]THE LOST BLADESMAN[/size] (2011, Felix Chong, Alan Mak)
Apart from the opening scene and the film’s coda, the action is set in 199 A.D., that is nine years before the Battle of the Red Cliffs, described in John Woo’s Red Cliff. It summarizes a key event in the life of one of China’s most famous generals in history, Guan Yu, who served under warlord Liu Bei near the end of the Han Dynasty.
In 199, during a northern campaign, Guan Yu is captured by Cao Cao, the chancellor of the emperor (and the rival of his master Liu Bei). With the young and weak emperor unable to govern properly, Cao Cao is also the most powerful man in the country. He treats Guan Yu well and offers him a high position in his own army. After a few victories, Guan Yu receives an official title, but eventually he’ll leave Cao Cao because his true loyalty is with Liu Bei.
The Lost Bladesman is not an easy watch. Those unfamiliar with Chinese history and culture might be lost in the complex story and all those discussions on values and duties (try to keep in mind that their conceptions of loyalty, unity, divinity, etc. are quite different from ours). Directed by Felix Chong and Alan Mak (the duo responsible for the Infernal Affairs trilogy), I would have expected the storytelling to be a bit more crisp. Some of the action is devastating (especially a duel in an alleyway) but the movie is based on a chapter from a 14th Century novel, and shows Guan Yu as a person with true supernatural powers, able to beat dozens of opponents in a fight. Donnie Yen is a great and charismatic fighting star, but he’s still not a great actor. It’s therefore Jiang Wen who steals the show as Cao Cao.
Not bad, but I had expected a bit more. No Red Cliff.
The Wrath Of God - really enjoyed this early 70’s action flick. Robert Mitchum, Victor Buono and Ken Hutchison are on a mission to kill an evil Mexican warlord played by Frank Langella. This is one of them films that somehow managed to get a PG in America (It was an X here) back then, it’s pretty violent with quite a few blood squibs, even a kid about seven or so gets shot in the back and you see the blood expolode out of his chest!
I’d never heard of this one before the Warner Archive disc was announced.
Some of the action scenes reminded me of Spaghetti’s at times. Recommended.
There’s some great looking posters for this.
Enjoyed this one myself, with a bonus of a Lalo Schifrin score.
Sounds like a good view, will have to take a look at The Wrath Of God
[quote=“ENNIOO, post:8350, topic:1923”]Enjoyed this one myself, with a bonus of a Lalo Schifrin score.[/quote]Did you get Zig Zag Ennioo? I’m thinking of picking it up, also Mr.Ricco.
Yes picked up Zig Zag. Unusual story to that one about a man who frames himself, worth a view if not seen before.
Le Petit Soldat (The Little Soldier) (1960) by Jean Luc Godard.
I didn’t know what I should expect from this one - the plot sounded very promising, but it’s pretty low rated at rotten tomatoes. Nonetheless already after 5 minutes of the movie, I knew I was going to like it. The beginning is a truly mesmerizing experience, with unusual sound synchronization and bizarre ice-cold minimalistic camerawork, this really astonished me with its elegance and eminent beauty. Not only bizarrely and nicely shot, but also interesting from a historical point of view. It shows us that leftists or rightists used and use the same way of obtaining or maintaining power. It’s uncompromisingly pessimistic vision of world where politics is just a word and only beauty of culture and art can break the biggest barriers between other nationalities. The main story of tragic love between rightist and a communist is very murky and depressingly sad. I can understand why anybody dislikes it. This might not be a perfect movie, but Godard with this flick tackles very important problems and he executes the film almost perfectly. 8/10
Harley Davidson and Marlboro Man - i was surprised that Simon Wincer directed it, it is actually interesting guy this Wincer, he also did Free Willy 
anyway, this is a western movie like hell (Don Johnson’s even shoots a belts off fatty coppers) with bikes instead of horses
Mickey Rourke and Don Johnson are great, shame they didn’t make few sequels - i haven’t seen Tom Sizemore for some time in a movie and here he is young and absolutely perfect, more screentime and he’d steal the show - especially hilarious is the finale inside skyscraper, not the action actually, but these three guys just talking about business
it is action film of course, and Wincer handle it well, but what is more important is relationship between two guys, believable and emotional for a viewer - the very final scene in front of rodeo arena is my favorite moment of this film
Men In Black 3 - Easy to watch and enjoyable enough, pretty violent considering.
The Cabin In The Woods - Much better than I thought it was going to be, I was expecting a totally different style of film.
Sitting Target - Don’t need to say anything. 8) 8) 8)
![http://imageshack.us/photo/my-images/543/thelostbladesman2011201.jpg/[/url]](http://imageshack.us/photo/my-images/543/thelostbladesman2011201.jpg/%5B/url%5D){kind=link}
Have heard some good things about Cabin In The Woods… really wish I would have seen it at the dollar house now, sounds like it would have been good on the big screen
[quote=“autephex, post:8357, topic:1923”]Have heard some good things about Cabin In The Woods… really wish I would have seen it at the dollar house now, sounds like it would have been good on the big screen[/quote]To be honest I wouldn’t have given it a second glance but a friend who reckons I would like it got it for me for my birthday, and I’m glad he did too.
The Woman in the Window by Fritz Lang
-Lang’s Scarlet Street is one of my favorite films and this film was like a twin-brother of that film. Both have Edward G. Robinson and Joan Bennett in the leading roles and similar in tone. I liked this one too but Scarlet Street has really impressive ending but here the ending is laughable. Probably Lang was forced to add the happy ending by producers I think.
[quote=“Bill san Antonio, post:8359, topic:1923”]The Woman in the Window by Fritz Lang
-Lang’s Scarlet Street is one of my favorite films and this film was like a twin-brother of that film. Both have Edward G. Robinson and Joan Bennett in the leading roles and similar in tone. I liked this one too but Scarlet Street has really impressive ending but here the ending is laughable. Probably Lang was forced to add the happy ending by producers I think.[/quote]
Yeah, very suspenseful film… if they had ended it just before the very end scene it would have been so dark and amazing