THE DESCENT (2005) Movie Review

THE DESCENT (2005)

After a tragedy one year before, six female friends gather in the Appalachian Mountains to explore a cave system together. Soon after they enter the caves, a collapse blocks the path behind them and they are forced to venture forward, hoping to find another way out. As tension and fatigue begins to put a strain on the group, they discover to their horror that they are not alone in the dark. That is all the synopsis you're going to get, and all that you need.

This was bar none the best horror movie to hit the United States in 2006, even with its truncated ending (more on this later). Anyone who will try to argue this point simply hasn't seen this movie. It is that scary. So scary in fact, that your intrepid writer, who usually goes out of his way to keep the writing in third person and remain somewhat objective, is going to slip into full-on first person narrative for a moment.

No movie has done to me what THE DESCENT did since I watched the Japanese film PULSE. That was in 2001. As I watched this movie, alone at night on my couch, I could not help but move from one uncomfortable position to the next as the tension ratcheted up and the carnage spilled out on the screen. When the screen went black, my heart rate was bumping, my fingers were shaking and gosh-darn-it if I didn't pause just a moment before going into a dark room to turn on the lights.

This is Neil Marshall's second full-length outing as director. His first film, DOG SOLDIERS, was a unique take on werewolves and pitted them against a small band of military soldiers in the woods of Scotland. He returns again to the similar themes in his writing, only this time around six females discover what goes bump in the shadows and learn what goes bump within themselves. The film has a feminist agenda, without being preachy at all, and allows these women to let loose an inner strength that is too often in this world suppressed.

Throughout the entire film there is some very active camera and sound work going into creating a very specific mood and subconscious feeling within the viewer. In the beginning of the film, great pains are taken to use as many full and wide angle shots as possible, to give an open and airy feeling. But once inside the cave systems, the camera closes in on the actors and thus closes in on the viewer which brings about an uneasy and claustrophobic sense.

There are many shots where most of the screen is "dead" space, as the characters climb through the tiny tunnels, as if the blackness were swallowing them up. Speaking of blackness, lighting takes an interesting and sinister turn once they go underground. The second part of the film is lit purely from source light, i.e. torches, flares, glow sticks and a camera's infra-red lens, which washes entire scenes in strange hues of red and green, and can be quite disorienting at times.

While watching this film, the average horror fan will be able to easily spot several references and nods to past horror films, which in include ALIEN, THE THING, CARRIE and even the not so horrific GOONIES. Marshall does not try to hide the fact that his film includes these references. It is almost as if to say: remember the terror you felt when watching those other movies? Well I'm going to try and give you that same visceral reaction.

And now onto the "two" endings. This film was originally released in Great Britain, and the original end of the film had a much more bleak and somewhat open end. When Lion's Gate got the rights to the film, they literally stopped the movie halfway through the end. The truncated ending created a more happy ending for a movie-going American audience that would not be able to accept the true implied fate of what happened. Sadly this downbeat ending, which implied that no one made it out alive and was seen in full on the US DVD release, was overridden with the release of THE DESCENT: PART 2.

BLOOD BROTHERS Movie & DVD Review

BLOOD BROTHERS (2007)

In 1930s China, Fung (Daniel Wu) and two brothers Kang and Hu lead a quaint life in their hometown village. But with dreams of finding a better life, the naive trio head off to Shanghai with visions of success and wealth. There, Kang gets a job as a waiter in the Paradise Club, while Fung and Hu pull rickshaws. When Boss Hong, a shady movie producer who runs the Paradise, is caught up in a gang turf war, he sends Kang on a mission to rob a rival boss, who in turn brings along Fung and Hu.

Before the three friends realize it, they are swept up into Hong’s gang and turn to a life of crime and murder. Kang, a natural fighter, rises through the ranks quickly gaining power and respect. Hu, on the other hand, is unable to deal with the situation and turns to the bottle. Meanwhile, Fung becomes infatuated with LuLu, the club’s main entertainment attraction, who also happens to be Boss Hong’s girl. The pressure of the criminal underworld takes its toll on the trio’s friendship, but when Chen orders them to murder LuLu (Shu Qi) who has been having an affair, they will be forced to choose sides that will forever sever their bond.

Read my full review at The DVD Lounge!

THE BACKWOODS Movie & DVD Review

THE BACKWOODS (2006)

In the summer of 1978, two English couples head off into the forests of Spain to spend their holiday. At the head is Paul, whose family home is where the four will be staying, and who is all to eager to soak up nature and begin hunting again. Following his lead is Paul’s wife, Paul’s business partner Norman, and Norman’s wife. After being sized up by the locals in the town’s pub, the group finally makes it to the house and begins setting up the gear.

At first light the next morning, Paul and Norman head off for their first hunting expedition. But on their way home, they discover what appears to be an abandoned house. However, inside is a little girl who has been locked inside a room. Paul and Norman bring the child back to their house, and devise a plan to get her into police custody. When the locals show up at the door, armed with shotguns and looking for the child, Paul makes a risky move by joining their party to look for her, and instructs Norman to sneak the child off to the police. But will Paul’s diversion give his friend enough time to make it through the forest undetected, or are the locals already well aware of where the girl really is?

Read my full review at The DVD Lounge!

NOW YOU SEE ME, NOW YOU DON'T Movie Review

NOW YOU SEE ME
NOW YOU DON'T (2005)

Little Alex is excited to have his father return home from the lab, and is quite curious as to a metal box he has brought home along with a cage with two mice in it. The following day, Alex’s mother discovers to her horror that Alex has become invisible. As fear and panic set in, she begs and pleads for her husband to undo what he has done, for she is positive it has something to do with a breakthrough at the lab. All of her horrors are realized though when he forlornly replies “I can’t.”

Read my full review on Geeks Of Doom!

KHADAK Movie Review

KHADAK (2006)

On the desolate plains of Mongolia, nomadic herders tend to their flocks and congregate in large tents to keep warm and pass away the days. Among these is Bagi, a young man who is dedicated to his mother, grandfather and most of all to his flock, and seems to be plagued with the same affliction that eventually lead to his father’s death. Life is hard for these nomads, but it is the life they have chosen and the life they cherish. That all changes when the government comes rolling in with military vehicles and wild claims that the flocks are contaminated with a mysterious plague and must be contained. The herders meanwhile, are rounded up and brought into a city where jobs await them.

Life may have been tough on the plains, but it becomes almost unbearable for Bagi and his family. Bagi is placed into a mail delivery service, while his mother is sent to work operating a gigantic crane at the coal mine. When Bagi is picked up for stealing, he is placed in a labor camp where he meets a group of dissident youths and fellow ex-nomads who believe that the animals are all safe and that the plague was made up. All the while, Bagi’s affliction, which a doctor diagnoses as seizures, are becoming worse and worse. And it is during one of his seizure attacks, where he drifts into an ethereal state of mind, that Bagi comes to believe he knows where their flocks are being held!

Read my full review on The DVD Lounge

PTU Movie & DVD Review

PTU (2003)

In a single night on the quiet streets of Hong Kong, two policemen could very well have their lives changed forever. When the obnoxious and out-of-shape Sergeant Lo (Lam Suet) loses his gun after being jumped by a local youth gang, he panics at the thought of the consequences that follow. Sergeant Ho (Simon Yam), a friend of Lo’s and a leader of a local Police Tactical Unit, offers to help track the gun down with his team. As long as they can find it before the shift is over, they will not have to report the infraction.

The two go their separate ways, with Lo becoming more frantic as the hours tick away, even going so far as to buy a replica toy gun as a last resort, and coming under the thumb a local triad boss who Lo believes may have come into possession of the gun. The triad boss asks Lo to kill his main rival, and he will return the gun. Meanwhile, Ho and his team keep their calm and begin hitting up the low-end criminals of the area for information. And by that, Ho literally begins hitting up anyone who may have information as he dishes out some not-quite-legal persuasive techniques to get the information he wants. As the dawn hours slowly creep up, a meeting between the two rival triad leaders and Lo on Canton Street could lead to an all-out gang war, and Ho must decide to let the events play out, or step in with his team and intervene.

Read my full review on Geeks Of Doom!

PTU is currently available on Amazon.com

THE KILL POINT Television Series Review

THE KILL POINT (2007)

It was supposed to be a lightning quick and perfect bank robbery, as five military veterans lead by the codenamed Mr. Wolf (John Leguizamo) assault a Pittsburgh bank, steal the millions of dollars that have just been delivered, and head off into the sunset in the waiting getaway car. But when variables beyond their control foil their plot, they are forced to hole up inside the bank with the terrified hostages. As S.W.A.T. take their positions and await further instructions, so do the curious crowd and media reports take theirs. Amidst this confusion is Horst Cali (Donnie Wahlberg), a top-ranked negotiator who has never lost a hostage.

Wolf and Cali begin a methodical back and forth conversation, as each try to outsmart the other and anticipate the next move. But Cali's slow and easy approach as he tries to get one hostage out at a time becomes foiled when the FBI are brought in to expedite the procedure with a harsh no-nonsense plan to break down Mr. Wolf. Meanwhile, Pittsburgh mayor Alan Beck (Tobin Bell), whose daughter is one of the hostages, takes his own risky and very dangerous approach to ending matters and getting his daughter out alive. As the hours roll into days, tension and exhaustion begin to take their toll on all involved, it is only a matter of time before someone makes a fatal mistake.

Read my full review on Geeks Of Doom and pick it up on Amazon now!

THE BANQUET Movie Review

THE BANQUET (2006)

It is 10th century China during the Five Dynasties Period. When the Emperor is murdered, his brother Li usurps the thrown and takes his wife Empress Wan as his own. Prince Wu, fearing for his life, and knowing that he will never have the heart of Wan, flees the palace and politics in favor of a life of theatre and song. Li fears that Wu will someday return and try to take the throne for himself, so he dispatches his loyal guards to assassinate him. Wan though, who was originally to marry Wu, sends her own dispatch to protect Wu. When Wu survives the assassination, he returns to the royal palace to face Li, who he believes is responsible for his father's death.

Upon returning, Wu finds a divided fracture of men who remain loyal to his deceased father and a royal court who are dedicated to Li in so much that they wish to keep their heads on their shoulders. As emotional tension rises, and with each party trying to get the better of the other through political trickery and dedication to traditions, Emperor Li forces Prince Wu into a position that he must accept, but will ultimately lead to his death. And with Wu believed out of the picture forever, Li confidently sets up a midnight banquet for his entire court against his chamberlain's warning that it is not an auspicious evening.

Taking on Akira Kurosawa's penchant for turning Shakespearian tragedies into period swordplay epics, debut writers Qiu Gang-Jian and Sheng He-Yu loosely adapt "Hamlet" into THE BANQUET, which is helmed by mainland China director Feng Xiao-Gang, who undertakes his biggest challenge yet with this monstrously epic production. While Feng's previous experience dealing with smaller comedies and dramas might give pause in his ability to pull off Qiu and Sheng's script, his main production team, many of whom are being reunited once again after their work on CROUCHING TIGER HIDDEN DRAGON and HERO, has more than enough experience and raw talent to cover any of his blemishes.

The first thing that pops right off the screen as The Banquet begins is the breathtaking beauty of the costumes and scenery courtesy of art director Timmy Yip, whose wonderful previous period work on CROUCHING TIGER and before that the turn-of-the-century ONCE UPON A TIME IN CHINA III gives him an edge in bringing the biggest set ever created in China to life. Yip's use of color and sweeping fabrics rivals even that of 2002's HERO, and the costume designs are utterly fantastic, even if they are not one hundred percent accurate to the time period. Yip's visual creations are complimented by composer Tan Dun, another veteran of Crouching Tiger, who once again turns to rolling drums and quiet strings to give the auditory presence a film like this requires.

One thing that will no doubt make or break this melodramatic tragedy for many is the first fight sequence which washes across the screen like a slow-flowing river shortly after the movie begins. Master martial arts choreographer Yuen Wo-Ping, along with his unstoppable stunt team, bring to the screen what can only be described as the bloodiest ballet ever committed to celluloid. With the assistance of cinematographer Zhang Li, Yuen Wo-Ping slows his fight sequence down to nearly one-half speed, giving each swing of a weapon, each connected kick, and each spray of blood a dreamlike feel. His choreography is beautifully complicated and orchestrated as only one with his knowledge can conduct. While the movements are beautiful to look at, the damage dealt is anything but, as the intense focus on weapons impaling their targets and the force of each blow is only magnified by the film's slower speed.

Yuen's choice to maintain this ethereal motif throughout the film is a bold choice, but one that sets his work here apart from much of his recent fare. While those that are used to seeing his fast and frenetic work in the likes of FIST OF LEGEND and DRUNKEN MASTER 2 or his work on U.S. productions may be disappointed with how slowly his fights play out, this artistic choice can only be described as a parallel to song numbers in a musical. Each fight is a much an mental attack as a physical one, and these master fighters have honed their skills to the point where this is the speed at which they channel that energy and express their emotions.

When the action takes a backseat to the unfolding drama, Feng continues to use cinematographer Li's long fluid sweeps to bring the characters' inner and external struggles to the forefront. As with any period piece, Feng lets each scene slowly unfold so that the sets and costumes can become supporting characters capable of enunciating what is happening. But it is Feng's choice in actors that gives the storyline its core strength. Zhang Ziyi, who plays Empress Wan (a role that was originally intended for Gong Li) performs with a regal power that is a necessity in making the character believable. This is certainly her toughest role yet, and her successful tackling of the character shows that she is becoming a great actress to continue watching. Her counterpart, Daniel Wu, equally breathes the necessary tragic melancholy needed for his Prince Wu to become believable.

While the connection to Hamlet in the most rudimentary sense automatically implies the story's ultimate tragedy, it is Feng Xiao-Gang's placement of all the pieces that creates this successful Eastern adaptation of a Western story.

Read about the movie's U.S. DVD release, which has been renamed LEGEND OF THE BLACK SCORPION, at Geeks Of Doom and pick it up on Amazon now!

ELECTION 2 Movie Review

ELECTION 2
(aka TRIAD ELECTION) (2006)

It has been two years since the events of ELECTION, in which Lok (Simon Yam) battled for and won the seat of chairman in the Wo Shing Triad Society. Now it is time for a new election, and while Lok's godsons all vie for the position, it is Jimmy Lee (Louis Koo) who seems to be a shoe-in for the position. The only problem is, Jimmy doesn't want the title and is currently working on becoming a legitimate businessman in China. Even more so, the power of the chairman title has gotten to Lok's head, and he plans to defy tradition and make a power play to be re-elected.

When Jimmy makes a trip to China to try to finalize his new business venture, he is arrested by the police and forced into a very precarious situation - if he wants to continue doing business in China, he must win the election to be chairman so that they will have an inside connection. With dreams of still going legit, Jimmy agrees to make his bid as the next chairman. Jimmy soon realizes though that becoming chairman takes a lot more than just throwing money in the faces of those that would vote for him, and that Lok has no intention of simply giving up the title. It boils down to a battle of wits and perseverance, and only the one that is willing to shed the most blood will survive long enough to make it to election night.

Johnnie To returns to continue the saga of the Wo Shing Society and excels in every aspect from his original film with Yip Tin-Shing and Yau Nai-Hoi once again returning to screenwriting duty with a much more grand and attention grabbing storyline. All of the actors of the first film, those that survived to the end credits anyway, also return to step back into their character's shoes with strength and confidence.

Louis Koo, who held a supporting role in the original, now takes center stage as Jimmy Lee, in a role that seems somewhat inspired by Michael Corleoni in THE GODFATHER, as he fights to become free of the criminal element that created him so that he can lead a legit life with his wife and soon-to-be children. But the harder he struggles, the more the society clamps their fist around him. Koo's performance is incredible, and adds an electric current to the conflicted turmoil found in the script.

Returning with his lust for power as Lok is Simon Yam. Yam works as a polar opposite to Koo with a determined cool and a bottled rage that was seen in such evidence in the original. His character becomes all the fearful with his zen-like calm, as we know that at any moment, he could simply snap if he felt he was in danger.

Johnnie To, who has had a string of triad-based crime drama over the past few years, reaches the apex with ELECTION 2. He finds a perfect balance of his tried-and-true stoic long shots and visceral exposure of true violence to give his fans, as well as inquisitive newcomers, a one-two combination that can not be beat. Given the more dynamic script this time around, To is able to bring a more varied emotional energy to the screen, and with both Jimmy Lee's tumble into the chairman position, and Lok's young son taking his first steps into the criminal lifestyle, To hones in on the darkness that permeates the story.

A special mention must be made to the soundtrack that underscores almost the entire film. With heavy rumbling percussion and moody deliberate guitar string plucking, the music simultaneously recalls the notions of a pre-battle build-up to a fight where there is no winner and inevitable post-battle blood-stained recollection. It captures the tone of the desperate and tragic story, and is a key element that makes the movie work as well as it does.

While ELECTION 2 certainly references the first ELECTION and makes for a much more fulfilling experience in its character development and mirror scenes, it is not necessary to see the original. U.S. distributor Tartan Asia Extreme makes a bold decision to rename it TRIAD ELECTION (though the film credits retain the original title) as a way to disconnect it as a sequel so that it may stand on its own. Though it echoes the blatant re-titling seen by Miramax/Dimension in the 1990s and countless distributors before them, in their defense they do seem to have the film's best intentions at heart.

PERTH Movie Review

PERTH (2004)

Harry Lee is a middle-aged Singaporean who has been unable to keep up with the modern changes in society, and has been left behind by a world that does not care. His dream, which he can not help but talk about to anyone within earshot, is to emigrate to Perth in Australia. He has been saving and saving, but when he is laid off from his current job, he must reduce himself to driving a taxi to make ends meet.

It is as a taxi driver that Harry, along with his longtime friend Selva, is tapped by his old supervisor Angry Boy to become a driver for an underground prostitution trafficking racket. The high wage he'll receive will help him to get to Perth that much faster, and which can not come any sooner. For the city of Singapore seems to be closing in around Harry, and what little control he has over his life is quickly slipping away. Harry's first assignment is to become the driver of Mai, a Vietnamese woman who has come to raise money to pay off a gambling debt and support her family. Harry becomes instantly enchanted by her. When Harry's payday comes, he asks that Angry Boy use the money to buy Mai's freedom.

After a night of heavy drinking with Selva, Harry believes that Angry Boy has not kept his promise. In reality, it is his boss who says no to Mai's release, but Harry only sees it as Angry Boy being unfaithful to his word. In Harry's drunken stupor, he surmises that the only way to set Mai free is a brutal assault on the club armed only with his trusty machete!

For many people, the first real introduction to Singapore was in 1994 with the highly-publicized caning of Michael Fay for vandalizing cars. From here, we quickly learned of Singapore's tough enforcement on crimes and keeping the city clean. Director and writer Djinn (who real name is Ong Lay Jinn) attempts here to show that while Singapore tries to keep a very clean public image, the reality is, like any other big city, it has problems with crime, drugs, and a very real sex industry. His vision of Singapore is a grimy and gritty, literally shown via the quality of the filmstock. Many of the scenes take place within the shadow of night, while the few day scenes are smeared with an ugly hue.

PERTH suffers from being unavoidably comparable to TAXI DRIVER, in that Harry is an ex-soldier now making a living driving taxis, and eventually comes to the conclusion that by saving a prostitute, he will in turn redeem his own life. Unfortunately, PERTH suffers further with the fact that Harry is not likable in the least. He drinks constantly, he beats his wife, and there is nothing given to the viewer to allow a moment compassion to him for the way life has treated him. If anything, Harry's current life is wholly of his own creating. However, Kay Tong Lim, who portrays Harry, does give a very compelling performance and while you may not like Harry, watching the pathetic character at least is not boring.

The saving grace for PERTH, is that Harry serves as only a piece of paper to send a message written by Djinn to the world from Singapore. Through Harry, he is able to talk about the rampant consumerism that has taken over Singapore, the loss of importance on the individual, and above all to show the many blemishes of the city that are desperately attempted to by hidden, not least of which is the prostitution and sex trafficking ring that permeates through the poor sections, and the very cruel business that it is. If the film does find its audience though, it will most likely be due to the final scene, which as with TAXI DRIVER, crescendos in a brutal bloodbath, and while quick, is a great payoff after watching ninety minutes of Harry spiraling downward.

CONFUSIONS OF AN UNMARRIED COUPLE Movie Review

CONFUSIONS OF AN UNMARRIED COUPLE (2007)

After spending several months of living on his brother's couch, Dan finally builds up the courage and intoxication to finally confront his ex-girlfriend Lisa (ex-fiancee, current fiancee, what the fuck is she?) about catching her sleeping with another woman, maybe patching things up, or at the very least getting his Pretty In Pink soundtrack LP back. He treks over to her apartment and the pair spend the rest of the afternoon bickering, arguing, and smoking a joint before getting right back into it, still not quite aware that they are absolutely perfect for each other.

Read my full review at Geeks Of Doom!

MIDNIGHT EAGLE Movie Review

MIDNIGHT EAGLE (2007)

When a U.S. Bomber carrying a nuclear bomb crashes shortly after taking off from a military base in Japanese Alps at the northern tip of the country, the Japanese Prime Minister orders two sets of rangers to scale the mountain from different sides, hoping to reach the fallen aircraft as soon as possible, and without any leaks of information. The trip will take at the minimum two and half days.

Meanwhile, an ex-war photographer named Yuji, who was taking pictures of the night sky, captures a faint blip in the sky in one of his photos, unaware that it is the bomber falling out of the sky. He is hired by his long-time friend and recently fired journalist Ochiai to scale the mountain with him to discover just what fell. As the pair begin their accent through the blizzard conditions, it is only a matter of time before their paths cross with the Japanese rangers. And it is only a matter of time before they all cross paths with the enemy agents that are just as quickly making their way toward the bomb, with every intention of setting it off!

Get the full review at Geeks Of Doom!

THE TEACHER Movie Review

THE TEACHER (1974)

School is out for summer, and Sean is planning on to spend the months before college getting his van working, and lounging by his pool. His former teacher and neighbor Diane, though, has different plans for Sean and sets out to finally seduce him. And with Diane's smoking hot body and expertise in getting what she wants, she has no difficulty luring Sean into her bed. For the two of them, the summer should be nothing more than quickie romps and afternoons in Diane's boat, but trouble is lurking in the shadows in the form of a demented former Vietnam soldier, Ralph, who is completely obsessed with Diane and on top of that blames Sean for his brother's death. The summer sun is heating things up, but only two of these three will make it to see September!

This is essentially a seventies porno film without the money shots. The underlying sleazy feel and heat is radiated in every scene, and almost every single scene has the potential to branch off into some wild and dirty sex. The entire female cast spends most of the movie in a bikini, or at least some very revealing and suggestive attire, and the dialogue is riddled with innuendo and desires.


Diane, played by Angel Tompkins, takes her top off in almost every scene she is, and it is her steamy moves and gorgeous body that is the main reason to even watch this film, along with the added bonus of the classic fantasy of the teacher/student affair. She may not be believable as anyone you'd see at a chalkboard, but as the older woman hunting down some teenage man meat, she's got that down to a science. Jay North, who played Dennis The Menace as a kid in the fifties, takes on Sean in one of his final roles.

The tension is brought to their affair by Ralph, whose constantly follows Diane around, and hopes that one day she will return the love he has for her. His subplot is a bit at odds with the romantic affair and Sean's changing into a "man", and often detracts from the sex scenes as he pops up in windows at just the right time. If writer and director Howard Avedis was trying to bring anything to the screen past some taboo-breaking lusting and raincoat entertainment for the 42nd Street crowd, one could almost see Ralph as the flip side to Sean's attractiveness and vulnerability, or a comment on the mental damage done to the soldiers. As it stands, Ralph merely brings just the extra oomph of sleaze.

There's not much going for THE TEACHER, save as a reminder of just how far erotic and seductive entertainment has come over the years. For those that prefer sexual imagination and DEBBIE DOES DALLAS to Jenna Jameson's latest release, this is just the time travel ticket to a more innocent time. This movie is part of double-feature in the new "Welcome To The Grindhouse" line, and available on Amazon right now!

SHALL WE DANCE? Review

SHALL WE DANCE? (1996)

Sugiyama (Koji Yakusho, who may be recognized from his many roles in Kyoshi Kurasawa's recent horror films) is a salaryman who is dedicated to the ideals of Japanese society - career, family, material wealth - even at the cost of his own happiness. Every evening during his long commute, he sees a woman staring out a window of a dance studio. He feels drawn to her, and eventually makes the fateful decision to go to the dance studio.

Sugiyama, while devoted to his wife and daughter, feels a pull to meet Mai. And while at first his only intention was to see her, Sugiyama slowly succumbs to the joys of dancing. But Sugiyama is ashamed of his newfound love and hobby, and keeps it secret from his family and co-workers, save for Aoki, who he discovers is also a student at the studio. As an amateur dance competition grows near, Sugiyama doubles his efforts to perfect his steps in order to compete. The joy he finds in dancing helps Mai, who has become jaded to dancing to rediscover her passion for the art form as well. Meanwhile, Sugiyama's wife, who has noticed Sugiyama's aura of happiness, believes he is having an affair, and turns to an investigator to follow him.

Japan is a very morally and socially conservative nation, despite the opposite inclinations their entertainment exports may exude. Even social dancing, which is their catch-all term for ballroom and modern dance styles, is looked upon with distaste, and is believed to only be a hunting ground for lechers and perverts. Within the context of the film, social dancing becomes the stand-in variable for all activities and hobbies in Japan that are seen as less-than-fitting for the common Japanese man.

The common Japanese man. Here, the character Sugiyama practically embodies all of modern Japan and more importantly is a dissection of the salaryman (a term bestowed upon the rat-racing middle-management white-collar worker) who does everything that he is supposed and expected to do. Deviation from his strict daily routines are not tolerated and even personal enjoyment is basically out of the question. When he discovers dancing, he must hide this very personal part of him, while still dedicating himself to the learned steps and styles, as if it were an important skill.

Despite the social context that drifts along the entire storyline throughout the picture, at its heart it is a comedy, and goes to great lengths to keep a smile on your face. The supporting characters, who much like Sugiyama go through their own dynamic transitions in discovering themselves, provide some fantastic comedic moments. At the forefront of these is Aoki, Sugiyama's co-worker who also dances with him. He is obsessed with Latin style dancing, and can only dance when he has a chin-length wavy wig covering his otherwise shaved head. Much like Samson, he is powerless without his hair. Aoki also provides some philosophical advice and thoughts on what dancing means, which helps Sugiyama truly appreciate what he has discovered.

Masayuki Sao, the director and writer of the movie, treats his film very much like a long dance number accompanied by multi-tempo song. There are quick-steps, long sweeping movements, a climactic build-up, and a drawn out denouement. Sao's camerawork is very fluid and always seems to be moving around the action, pausing just enough to note the "dance move" just performed before moving on to the next. The entire production seems to be a very personal piece, drawn as much from Japanese culture in general as much as he draws from his own personal views of modern Japan.

Although the full version of the film which runs 136 minutes (there is an shortened version provided by Miramax, of course) may seem a little long and slow-paced for American audiences, Japanese audiences fully embraced this made-for-television film upon its broadcast. Critics also praised the movie, and it wound up completely dominating the Japanese Academy Awards in 1997, taking home all of the major categories with fourteen wins in all! It is really a wonderful film that much like a musical piece can be interpreted and examined in several ways based on the individual's experiences, and enjoyed by anyone with a melody in their heart that they must dance to.

Johnnie To's EXILED Review

EXILED (2006)

When Wo is discovered to be living in Macao, Boss Fay orders Blaze to kill him. Wo once attempted to assassinate Fay, and now he must pay the price. But Blaze and Wo were once friends, and Blaze is unable to pull off the job. Even more so, his friend Tai has pleaded for Blaze to spare Wo’s life. These three, along with their gangster friends Cat and Fat, conspire to pull off a highly risky assassination job of Boss Keung, and intend to give the money they earn from it to hide away Wo and his family. Their plot to kill Keung is quite tricky, and even the slightest deviation from their plan will alert Fay, and bring his henchmen down on them. And on top of all this, the clock is slowly counting down to the handover of Macao to the Chinese government, their lives and fates are up in the air as to what the future holds.

For fans of Hong Kong action with knowledge that goes past John Woo and Chow Yun-Fat, you have only to look at the laundry list of talent attached to this film to know that it will succeed on every level. Johnnie To directs, through his Milky Way Image production company. The script comes from the pen of two writers whose previous scripts include EXPECT THE UNEXPECTED, A HERO NEVER DIES, and BREAKING NEWS. And the cast is a perfect assortment of Hong Kong's classic gangster actors including Anthony Wong, Simon Yam, Francis Ng, Lam Suet, and Roy Cheung, which coincidentally is most of the main cast for Johnnie To's classic THE MISSION. [Read My Full Review at Geeks Of Doom]

DESCENT (2007) Review

DESCENT (2007) Shy college student Maya (Rosario Dawson) would rather spend her evenings curled up with a book studying than going out to parties. When her friend finally convinces her to go a house party, she meets Jared, who uses his finesse with words to gain Maya's trust. The two go out to dinner and have a lovely first date before he brings her back to his apartment. It is here that he lets his true intentions be known and after failing to coerce her to voluntarily have sex with him, he rapes her. Shattered by this violation, Maya spends the summer drifting distantly through a job and falls into an world of drugs and dangerous partying.

When she returns to school the following Fall, she finally lands a teacher assistant position, only to discover that Jared is now one of her students. After class one day, she insinuates to Jared that she would like to see him again. Jared, being too arrogant to even question her request, comes over to an apartment to meet her. But Maya is not the insecure woman he once prayed on, and is now full of a demanding confidence that Jared is about to meet head on. [Read The Rest Of The Review at Geeks Of Doom]

PUMP UP THE VOLUME Review

PUMP UP THE VOLUME (1990)

By day new-in-town Mark is a reclusive high school student with no friends and even less social skills. But by night, hidden behind a microphone on his pirate radio station he runs out of his bedroom, Mark becomes Hard Harry, a voice for the town's angst-filled youth. His take-no-prisoners attitude stirs up his fellow classmates, who in turn begin to stand up against the authoritarian rule of the principle, who has been expelling students right and left in order to secretly build up the school's test scores to get more funding. Mark, who only wanted to reach out via the airwaves to be heard, soon finds himself way over his head as school officials close in on him and the FCC comes to town in order to stop his pirate broadcasting. But as Hard Harry, he knows that he must follow through to the bitter end to finish what he started.

On the heels of the Reagan years and an era that spurned some brilliantly angry voices and music, comes this rallying call for the voiceless to stand up and really make themselves known. This is one of those right-time-right-place movies that really captured the uneasy and unaccepted feelings that were flowing through the tail-end of the official Gen-X revolution. Christian Slater, who the year before won over girls' hearts everywhere as a psychopathic teen in HEATHERS, takes on his first top-starring role here and completely nails the character. Though his devilish looks makes it just a tad hard to swallow that his character would not be instantly accepted within the ranks, his transformation into the introverted Mark more than makes up for it.

Slater's supporting cast makes the movie very easy to feel like you are a fly on the wall of the high school. These actors look the part and great attention is given to making a cross-section of high school life. These characters are given just enough screen time that they breakaway from being stereotypes in the background to real kids who happen to be geeks, brains, punks, jocks, and princesses. Mark's parents, as well as the some of the supporting cast's parents, are given enough screen time to present them as mostly well meaning but clueless as to what their offspring are going through. Mark's angry rants, which come off somewhat as junior-league Denis Leary monologues, are certainly passionate, if not a little misguided. But hey that's hormones for you. Older viewers may find that Mark's words bring up faded memories of years gone by. Today's youth, however, may not be able to identify with it (you tell me). This is after all the voice of a previous generation of teenagers.

Pairing perfectly with the angry vocal undertones of the film lies an even angrier soundtrack. Leonard Cohen's dismally depressing yet thoroughly brilliant "Everybody Knows" plays as the central theme song to the movie, playing several times during throughout. College radio heroes The Pixies, Soundgarden and Sonic Youth lend their fully distorted guitar work, while the Bad Brains team up with Henry Rollins for an growling cover of MC5's "Kick Out The Jams".

Director and writer Allan Moyle, who would later give angry youth a bubble-gum makeover with EMPIRE RECORDS, does a pretty solid job of capturing the murmur of his subjects. Not since perhaps FAST TIME AT RIDGEMONT HIGH has high school seems so real on screen. (Both of course would be trumped by the criminally short-lived television show My So-Called Life). Moyle's direction is subtle, and his cinematic angles and choices give the feeling that the camera was just left on and recorded these scenes as they naturally happened. Only briefly does the film betray these notions as it turns to an almost hyper-reality, whose only purposes are to move the story to an end point.

At the end of the day, PUMP UP THE VOLUME has but one universal message that will always be true - everyone has a voice and everyone deserves to be heard and listened to. In today's age, with massive digital peer communities and more ways to communicate than ever needed, getting your voice heard only takes a few strokes at the keyboard, a few button pushes on a blackberry or a cheap webcam. But with millions of voices shouting at once, the easier it is to be heard, the harder it becomes. Amongst those millions are a few voices that are "talking hard" and struggling to make a difference. Mark, where ever his character is today, would be proud, and is probably broadcasting on some remote website as we speak.

MEMORIES OF MURDER Review

MEMORIES OF MURDER (2003)

It is 1986, in South Korea. In a small village, a young woman is found raped and brutally murdered. The local police force is completely caught off guard, and have no idea how to handle the situation. Then another body is found, and they realize they are dealing with a serial killer, which they are completely unequipped to deal with. Detective Park (Song Kang-Ho, of SYMPATHY FOR MR VENGEANCE and JOINT SECURITY AREA) and his partner resort do what they do best - hauling in suspects on the slimmest of evidence and "interrogate" them endlessly hoping to get a confession.

When Detective Seo arrives from Seoul, he brings with him a more sophisticated set of police skills, and quickly dismisses the suspects captured based on a little real investigating. However, the damage has already been done, and the village citizens know all about the interrogation tactics being used to try and find the suspect, which makes their job even harder. As months pass, and other women fall victim to the killer, small yet crucial clues focus the police squad's eyes on a local factory employee. But they find in this suspect an adversary that will not submit to a few threats, and proclaims his innocence. Is this the man they've been after, or merely another faux-suspect that merely matches their shaky evidence?

Based on the true serial killings in South Korea that took place between 1986 and 1991, MEMORIES OF MURDER is a gritty, downbeat detective film that rivals SEVEN for its intelligence and character analysis. Director and co-writer Bong Joon-Ho (whose current film THE HOST is tearing up cinemas worldwide) carefully and slowly unfolds this tale that focuses on the pressure and stress of Detectives Park and Seo as they struggle against each other in terms of tactics and struggle to find common ground that will allow them to finally capture the killer. He uses subtle camerawork to capture the progressing story, and slips into a Cops-documentary style to get the more frantic scenes. This particular style culminates in a spectacular and spinning nighttime foot chase through the village.

Bong tackles some hard topics, as he focuses on the slightly-inept police force who simply want to find a suspect and close the case, the all-too-familiar interrogation room tactics used. These are some of the more disturbing scenes of the film, and certainly the most graphic in terms of violence. The film is decidedly anti-police brutality, as important and valuable time is lost as the characters take the easy route in kicking and torturing innocent suspects, which leads to more victims being killed. The actual killings are all done off camera, with only the aftermath shown briefly, which creates the huge grey area that the film lives in. Here, there is no black and white, and even the best intentions by the protagonists are bruised with bloodied knuckles.

Song Kang-Ho and Kim Sang-Kyung (who portrays Detective Seo) fully immerse themselves in their respective roles. While at first Park is the time-bomb cop who does what he needs to get results and Seo stays even-tempered and calculating, as the film progresses the dynamic roles slowly reverse. Park matures his style as he realizes what a real detective is supposed to be, while Seo becomes unhinged dealing with hopeless frustration. The character switch completes itself during the film's climax, as Seo falls from grace with a single pistol-whip while Park redeems himself as he finally puts his full trust in lab paperwork.

At over two hours, the film does take its time to get to each of its destinations. For those that have become fully acclimated to Hong Kong and Korean pacing, there should be little difficulty waiting out the slower scenes. There is little action to be had during the entire picture, and even the "adrenaline" pumped scenes barely get above a steady jog. This is 100% conversation-based cop drama. The only main problem, which is purely subjective, is the film's lack of time pacing and the immense criminal investigation. There are no dates given as the film progresses to present the length of passed time - the movie starts with the first murder in 1986, but no way to tell how many years into the investigation the film goes, nor is there any scope to the epic scale that the case covers. According to the film's trailer, over 3000 suspects where checked and thousands of police officers where involved, however the actual film give the assumption the suspects and police involved are centralized to the village area the murders take place in.

For Eastern Asian crime-and-investigation junkies, this is a no brainer to watch. Past that, it becomes a crap shoot. The film is not very enjoyable, due to the harsh subject matter, and if you enjoy your cops with a healthy dose of pulp-action this should probably be skipped. Suffice it to say, if you liked SEVEN and can take the grimmer episodes of Law & Order: Special Victims Unit, definitely keep this one in mind.

LUSTRE Review for Cujou.com

Cujou.com is a new online magazine where I'll sporadically be reviewing more artsy and indie-natured films. Stay tuned for my look at FLOURISH and A SCANNER DARKLY. For now my debut exclusive review and a few reposts are currently available.

LUSTRE (2005) After forty years of being a loan shark and collecting gambling debts, Hugo (Victor Argo) has become a worn out shell of human. He spends his days wondering the streets of New York, lamenting about the old days, and how the city is losing its defining characteristics and wondering where all the "real" New Yorkers disappeared to. When he is not collecting, he spends his free time sitting at the bedside of his comatose daughter, a victim of a drug overdose.

When Hugo begins to hear voices in the sky, he at first chalks it up to exhaustion. But when he begins to see things as well - a businessman carrying a cross, the Virgin Mary in his spilled coffee - he fears that he is going insane... [Read The Rest Of The Review]

JOINT SECURITY AREA Review

JOINT SECURITY AREA (2000)

Three days after a firefight that leaves two soldiers dead in the De-Militarized Zone that separates North Korea and South Korea, Sgt. Jean, a Korean who grew up in Switzerland and is now part of the Neutral Nations Security Council is sent to investigate and hopefully clear up a potentially devastating event. Within the DMZ, she meets survivors Sgt. Lee of the South and Sgt. Oh of the North. They both give RASHOMON-esque different tales of the events that transpired, and Jean realizes that she has a very tough job ahead of her. She begins to pour over the evidence for the truth, while the reality is that everyone just wants this brushed under the rug.

From here, time is flashbacked six months ago. Here it is learned that Lee and Oh, who both guard their nation's respective posts on opposite sides of a small river, have become friends, and secretly meet in the shadows of night as brothers and comrades. Along with them are North Korean soldier Jung and South Korean soldier Nam, who have joined in the intimate circle. They tell war stories, drink to unity, and in the wee hours, Korea becomes reunified once again. However, as the dates slip away, the unavoidable conflict comes closer and closer and the truth behind the events will finally be revealed.

Two years before director and writer Park Chan-Wook became an international name to be reckoned with upon the release of SYMPATHY FOR MR. VENGEANCE, this love letter to the people of the Korean peninsula became one of the highest grossing films for 2000. Even to Westerners, who may only have a fleeting knowledge of the two countries' history over the past fifty-odd years since it was divided in two, will be able to easily understand the pressure that is mounted on the main characters here. The closest hypothetical example that could be compared would be if two families on opposite sides of the Mason-Dixie line were to meet in the spirit of American brotherhood during the Civil War.

Through both symbolic cinematic framing, Park is able to convey how a simple line in the middle of the bridge can be a razor-sharp blade that has cut a country in two. Great pains are taken throughout the movie to show symmetric imagery, with half the screen representing the North and the other the South. And while it is obvious that the cut has been made, what is not always represented is which side is which. This is set up on purpose obviously, to show just how similar the two countries are, and that if they could only set aside their political differences, Korea could once again become whole.

Both Lee and Oh give monologues on brotherhood and how the same Korean blood runs through their veins. Lee presents gifts of music, sweets, and pornography to his Northern brethren, while Oh instills a sense of military honor and loyalty, and what it means to be a soldier that was somewhat lacking in Lee combat philosophy. The finest moment in JOINT SECURITY AREA, which wraps up the entire message of the film, is when a photograph is taken of the soldiers. They are in their respective uniforms, but have exchanged hats, and come closer and closer together within the frame until a photograph of Kim Jong-Il in the background is blocked by their heads. Let that image soak in for a moment.

Park Chan-Wook is not purely to thank for this message of ethnic unity. The conviction and professionalism of all the actors involved is what really sells the film. Lee Byung-Hun, who would later reunite with Park for his segment of THREE: EXTREMES, plays Sgt. Lee. Song Kang-Ho, who later takes of up the role of "Mr. Vengeance", is Sgt. Oh. Lee Young-Ae, would go on to take up the "Lady Vengeance" role, is Sgt. Jean. Together these three, who represent three factions of ideals, bring out emotional performances that verge on tear-jerking, as their characters attempt to deal with their ethnic division.

Even with the completion of the VENGEANCE TRILOGY and Park's now international recognition, JOINT SECURITY AREA seems to still elude the general populous as even existing. Though it appears that the film is available on Netflix, the film criminally has still not received a proper domestic release. Perhaps any potential distributor feels people will not be able to connect to the film? That foreign history and military policy will be too tough to understand? That the subtle and slight tinges against the American military within the film will turn off the viewer? It is a sad day indeed if these are the reasons to keep this film hidden away, for anyone with a heart and soul who is exposed to the film will find a connection, and be able to interpret the film's overriding message to coincide with basically any conflict they've dealt with, for it is conflict that paradoxly unites all humans.