Films I Would Like To Own (In the Database)

I really enjoyed this, and it's very annoying that I can't find a region 2 DVD version of it.

Novel was amazing, and this adaptation does not fail. It remains true to the text almost exactly. Grenouille should have perhaps been uglier, but Ben Whitshaw really pulls it off well. I have one negative comment in the way of Dustin Hoffman's accent (if he's Itallian, I'm the Pope), but it doesn't detract much from the overall enjoyment of the film.

This is one of the creepiest Asian horrors, and also one that makes me cry like the girl I am at the finale. Angelica Lee is brilliant. Just hope that the remake flood doesn't ruin it, although I tend to like a lot of the remakes anyway...

I've read some terrible reviews of this, but on watching it I was pleasantly surprised. It has rather high production values, but it is certainly melodramatic and rather nonsensical. If you can stomach that, it has something for almost everyone; fans of gory death scenes, fans of nudity (particularly fans of Asia Argento's breasts), fans of unintentional comedy screaming, BBW fans, fans of poets having an argument in a pool, rat fetishists...
Everyone except Leroux purists, who are not going to be happy with all the liberties taken with the original story - the phantom isn't even physically deformed.

Verdict: Julian Sands with long hair, butt naked = yum. Two large, beautiful women = yum (even if one of them does get called a fat cow twice...). Two poets having a fight = hilarious. Fans of classic horror stay away. One for my collection.

Funny, but no where near as good as the series. The script was apparantly watered down from the original, and that shows.

I don't usually like Mob movies, but superb performances from all (especially Jennifer Tilly and Gina Gershon) really drew me in. I caught this by chance, and I'm very glad I did.

The style of the film takes a while to get into, but if you can manage it, it is worth it. The dialogue strays at times into philosophical/conspiracy theory/pretentious (depending on your view) areas, and the surrealism will turn a lot of viewers off, but aficionados of Asian, 'extreme' and vampire cinema should give it a try - if only to say that you've watched it.

Really enjoyed this. Sexy, creepy and very stylishly done.

This made me want to seek out the source matierial (in this case a graphic novel), as all good film adaptations should. Not only was it engaging but it had swords, conspiracy, a little love, and a serious message to put forward. And two of my favourite actors were in it, as a bonus. Natalie Portman's British accent is actually not bad either.

Lovely. I was unsure whether black and white would really work for me, but it made the visuals more arresting not to be distracted by colour, especially in the case of Angela herself.

I loved this film. I found it because of my interest in Onnagata, but it is a great film in its own right, with intricate plotting and suspenseful atmostphere.

With Asian horror's slight obsession with the hair of wronged women, this film was bound to be created. As long as you don't take it too seriously (particularly the hair effects) it's an enjoyable film, more comedy horror than anything else despite the quite horribly realistic portrayal of child abuse.

Seen because of an interest in the orignal urban legend. I loved the make up for the Kuchisake-Onna, but wasn't particularly keen on the reveal and showdown because I prefer the UL's motivation and question ("Do you think I'm beautiful?") rather than the suggestion that this was misheard.

Considering that I've only ever seen two Bollywood movies, (one being this one, the other the newer version of Devdas) I can't really compere this effectively to others. However, as a film in its own right it's pretty damn good. A lot of Western viewers would probably be put off by the musical element and the language barrier/having to read subtitles, but if you suspend disbelief of people spontanously bursting into song and perservere with the subs you'll be suprised at how witty and relevant it is even to a Western audience. The nightclub dance routine is visually spectacular too.

I loved the stylised sets and the twist at the end. However at first I was a little unappriecative, especially as the version I watched was very poor quality (I watched it over the net from a film archive, and the screen was very small).

I like that they kept some of the stylised manga elements, it makes the film more fun. I was a bit non-plussed by the abrupt ending though, were they planning on a sequel I wonder?

An entertaining film, most of which is made up of a clever cat and mouse dynamic between Light and L.
The shinigami effects I wasn't particularly keen on, it was very obviously computer generated - but I guess they were keeping to the original manga design for it.
The ending's pretty abrupt so I guess the sequel should pick up almost exactly where this left off.

I'll be looking up the manga now.

Beautiful, lush, sumptuous...all words that can be used to describe various aspects of this film. My only issue would be that the love between Farinelli and the woman who would later be his wife was barely explored at all - they go from arguing and ignoring each other to later living with each other in Spain, she being ready to have 'his' child. I could've done with a bit more of his childhood as well.

I'm not usually a fan of most werewolf movies, but this one is both subtle and lurid at different times, which I find engaging - though the effects are often clumsy compared to today's quality of prosthetics etc (the hand metamorphosis and Eddie's acid burn face were still pretty cool even so). I also found the serial killer/media slant on the story rather enjoyable. I think the film might improve with repeated viewings, as I saw this before (but didn't remember until halfway through) and enjoyed it, but not as much as I did this second viewing.

Rather surreal fictionalisation of the night Frankenstein was thought up. I particularly liked Timothy Spall as Polidori, and all the creepy-cool automatons. The film plays up Bryon's evil reputation to a slightly ridiculous degree - though Gabriel Byrne seems to enjoy himself somewhat playing it. It being a Russell film there is the obligatory nudity (male and female).

Just as good as the original, but with more modern art. I do wish the English voice soundtrack was louder though, I nearly ran out of volume bars.

For some reason I find this adaptation very sexy. Perhaps the unresolved sexual tension. Otherwise, as an adaptation it's pretty spectacular, with original and reworked bits to make it somewhat fresh. The costume and set departments really make this a treat for the eyes.

Thrilling film. The effects are pretty rubbish by today's standards, but the overall atmosphere of the film really makes up for it. Charles Grey gives an unnerving performance, and Christopher Lee as a hero is far more fitting that one would expect given his usual roles.
*Spoilers....*
There is some overlap in the interpretation of the evil - Mocata says he is a magician (not the rabbit out of the hat kind), and true magic is neither black nor white - which is as far as I'm aware true, but the fact that he's what would properly be called a Satanist means that viewers would probably end up tarring magic practitioners with the same brush. But that can be put down to either the time period it was written in or Mocata trying to mislead people into thinking he's more innocent than he is (especially as the Lee character uses Christian-esque occult magic to defeat the evil). Either way it doesn't really affect enjoyment of the film too much.

Cheesy and campy, but great fun. Lots of eye candy for both sexes too. As long as you don't take it that seriously, then you probably won't be disappointed.

I found this really beautiful, moving and sympathetic.

The storyline itself is pretty generic - nothing you won't have seen outside other films in vaguely the same area like Memoirs of a Geisha and Moulin Rouge, only with more graphic sex (it is the nature of the Oiran after all). What made this special for me was the stunning way it was shot, with bright colours, an eclectic mix of modern and historical elements in costume and set, and a few experimental or unusual shots. Kiyoha's character seems pretty modern, or at least not in any way meek, which is refreshing but not really automatically endearing - that comes later.

Those of you who want to see this, be prepared to be there for the long haul. I wouldn't call it dull, but the plot isn't especially action-packed.

A.K.A. The Yin Yang Master, which sounds a bit rubbish. However, my wish to see this did not lead in me being disappointed. The effects and acting aren't always great, but they more than get the job done. In places it is slow paced, but I found the storyline interesting enough to overcome that, and the sets and costumes were really rather special. For me, the highlight was the appearance of a hannya, for which the make up was actually rather good.

I was completely charmed by this film, in particular by Friend's performance. Blunt does well too, and while the script isn't exactly inspired it is at least fairly accurate to history. Which is all I really require for a historical drama in order for me to approve of it.