Joe's Talk

The Last House on the Left

Wes Craven (Scream, Deadly Friend) makes his film debut with an over-the-top thriller that'll have you thinking how far Hollywood could have made a movie like this go.

Synopsis: A group of convicts out on the loose take control of two young women for some sadistic fun that turns into murder. After the young girls parents find out about the slaughter, the old couple take the law into their own hands.

A first time film for Craven and well played with a few minor editing problems, but one can only assume that back then film qualities weren't so good depending on its producer and in this case if you know Sean S. Cunningham's work, you'd more or less know what to expect.

This film really goes crazy with some of the sequences that lead into a brutal rape scene. And if that's not enough, the additional brutality that concludes in the last house on the left is equally frightening - even for a film that was made in the 70's. Sandra Peabody who played the role of Mari Collingwood sometimes played the role very dark nearly making it believable this ordeal was really happening.

Overall it's one hell of a film to watch - at least one time and you'll see how tough at times it can be to grasp.

No way an original would ever be remade like this again despite it's hideous remake.

Paranormal Activity

Excellent film that leaves the reality era at its possible end with a bang.

Next to "The Exorcist" (in which is not scary any longer), I felt "A tale of two sisters" was just downright scary; setting aside "Pulse" which was more or less equivalent. Now it seems "Paranormal Activity" gets you ever so close to it.

There isn't a movie out there that can't possibly scare you more than this film can, so to say "it's the scariest film of all time" is not a bit of a stretch at all. The buildup is all there [straightaway] keeping the level of interest at its peak until the moment comes jumping at a glance that'll give you an unnatural tensely shock - most directors will be asking themselves how in the world Oren Peli did that?

What's really scary is if it wasn't for Katie Featherston and Micah Sloat's (whom only made a reported $500.00 each for the role) continuity that made their performance a frontrunner for the audience, the rest of the film may not have been so successful as it is today.

With only a 15 thousand dollar budget, it managed to score more than $60 million, so if it happened to "The Blair Witch Project" then it will happen again i. e. another paranormal part that may or may not have Katie and Micah doing it all over again with Oren Peli scaring us one more time...maybe.

A page off from "Poltergeist" tagline that best describes this phenomenon...

"It knows what scares you."

Paranormal Activity

Excellent film that leaves the reality era at its possible end with a bang.

Next to "The Exorcist" (in which is not scary any longer), I felt "A tale of two sisters" was just downright scary; setting aside "Pulse" which was more or less equivalent. Now it seems "Paranormal Activity" gets you ever so close to it.

There isn't a movie out there that can't possibly scare you more than this film can, so to say "it's the scariest film of all time" is not a bit of a stretch at all. The buildup is all there [straightaway] keeping the level of interest at its peak until the moment comes jumping at a glance that'll give you an unnatural tensely shock - most directors will be asking themselves how in the world Oren Peli did that?

What's really scary is if it wasn't for Katie Featherston and Micah Sloat's (whom only made a reported $500.00 each for the role) continuity that made their performance a frontrunner for the audience, the rest of the film may not have been so successful as it is today.

With only a 15 thousand dollar budget, it managed to score more than $60 million, so if it happened to "The Blair Witch Project" then it will happen again i. e. another paranormal part that may or may not have Katie and Micah doing it all over again with Oren Peli scaring us one more time...maybe.

A page off from "Poltergeist" tagline that best describes this phenomenon...

"It knows what scares you."

A Nightmare on Elm Street

Blood: The Last Vampire

Such anticipation even knowing all whom taken part of it, and am still wondering how could they have f--k this one up.

Director Chris Nahon (Kiss of the Dragon) takes the Japanese animation sensation of "Blood: the last vampire" and turns it into a live action thriller starring South Korea's own Jianna Jun (My Sassy Girl) in a post war demon blood shredder leaving - literally - no survivors.

Synopsis: Alice Mckee (Allison Miller) - the near teen rebellion - attends parties, doing her school thing ignoring her father's regulations, but her festivities come up short when she is confronted by evil demon vampires. With no background for combat, an intimidating schoolgirl name Saya comes to the rescue only to get herself involved in an all out vampire war.

The film starts off fairly well, but its conclusion moves in too fast with so much action - not to mention notable action sequences from another film - and not enough span to emphasize them. The acting in this movie is atrocious, the editing (even though I do like Marco Cave's work) transitions to something oddly cut and the CGI; how pitiful much less the plot which was all over the place. I just cannot emphasize enough how terribly wrong this film directed itself to without knowing who to blame for this mess.

It's very hard to believe such a talented director like Chris Nahon releases a film like this the way it is and of course ends up an awfully disappointing watch. I refuse to believe that he had much control over this one, I mean his "Kiss of the Dragon" was just in simple terms...better.

I most feel badly for Jianna Jun aka Jeon Ji-hyun who looks so great giving such a cool and strong enough a performance to show what she really is made of and its upsetting that she won't be so remembered for her work in this.

If you want to watch this film anyway - which I'm sure you'd want to -considering the amount of action that's in it, well, I can tell you that the cinematagraphy by Hang-Sang Poon was just gorgeous, sound quality is good and some of the build up to action scenes are worth looking at i.e. if you like movies with great battles in it then you'll like what was mix in this film.

Pay close attention to Jianna Jun, the camera loves her.

Paranormal Activity

Excellent film that leaves the reality era at its possible end with a bang.

Next to "The Exorcist" (in which is not scary any longer), I felt "A tale of two sisters" was just downright scary; setting aside "Pulse" which was more or less equivalent. Now it seems "Paranormal Activity" gets you ever so close to it.

There isn't a movie out there that can't possibly scare you more than this film can, so to say "it's the scariest film of all time" is not a bit of a stretch at all. The buildup is all there [straightaway] keeping the level of interest at its peak until the moment comes jumping at a glance that'll give you an unnatural tensely shock - most directors will be asking themselves how in the world Oren Peli did that?

What's really scary is if it wasn't for Katie Featherston and Micah Sloat's (whom only made a reported $500.00 each for the role) continuity that made their performance a frontrunner for the audience, the rest of the film may not have been so successful as it is today.

With only a 15 thousand dollar budget, it managed to score more than $60 million, so if it happened to "The Blair Witch Project" then it will happen again i. e. another paranormal part that may or may not have Katie and Micah doing it all over again with Oren Peli scaring us one more time...maybe.

A page off from "Poltergeist" tagline that best describes this phenomenon...

"It knows what scares you."

Kataude mashin gâru (The Machine Girl)

From the creators that brought "Tokyo Gore Police" to your home theater, take a look at the already R1 DVD arrival of "The Machine Girl", a totally twisted and non-stop action flick that'll leave you flooded to a warp of laughter.

Directed by oboru Iguchi, this film packs a bloody punch while at the same time introducing a lovely Japanese gravure idol by the name of Minase Yashiro who guns down - Japanese equivalent to the mafia - Yakuza perpetrators for nothing more and nothing less then indisputable retribution. Let us not forget Yoshihiro Nishimura for lending a hand with some outstanding pre-gore before his "Tokyo is Burning" sensation in the special effects division by slashing a finger or two along with body parts galore.

Synopsis: The bleeding saga revolves around a young and endearing schoolgirl name Ami Hyuga (Yashiro) who enjoys playing B-Ball and taking care of her younger brother Yu Hyuga while having to cope with deceased parent's no longer held accountable. During after school hours, Yu and his friend face off with the son of Yakuza's head chief Sho Kimura to further pay off a debt that's in need of clearing up. When Yu's sisters life is threatened, he attempts to fight back despite being outnumbered by the spoiled brat's followers. To a surprise, Ami finds her brother lifeless on the floor next to his friend who happens to be the son of a female mechanic named Miki (Asami). Although Ami attempts to take revenge on her own, she is eventually confined to a Yakuza beating with a taste of torture and accidentally loosing half an arm. She finds a way to escape and puts her trust with Miki who seems to be taking things a bit on the serious side finding it hard to cope with the loss of her son that Ami had no control over, however, with little tension between Ami and Miki, they both find a way to work together for a possible backlash at those who destroyed their lives using hand-to-hand combat, a deadly chain saw and a pulsing machine gun comfy snuggled at Ami's arm for some blood-scoring hell.

Not only does "The Machine Girl" show tough looking characters like Miki played by soft-core porn-star Asami and Hardcore Honoka who plays the violent Mrs. Kimura, but includes outstanding special effects production from Yoshihiro Nishimura's Nishimura Motion Picture Model Makers Group combined with some cleverly pasty cinematography making Minase Yashiro's sailor outfit notable along with all the blood-spray sticking out nicely created by Yasutaka Nagano who also did picture-making work for 2007 Tomie Vs. Tomie. Who could have guessed that a film audience would get to see a woman equipped with a Violet's secret deadly "Drill Bra" and a custom made Gatling gun shredding a human anatomy to bits, in any case, this film already seemed to have something going before cameras began rolling. In spite of all the blood-soaked allegory, it isn't just guts and gush.

Much like what Quentin Tarantino did with his Kill Bill Volume where comedy elements were connected with most of its slaughter shots, the director creates far-fetched scenes regardless of its low-budget status. In one particular scene, Ami uses a human body as a conditioner spouting blood to lotion an individual's body while in the bathtub, hilarious yet disturbing at the same time. Additionally, there are humorous skits that don't involve blood, like Ami being trained by Miki in the same area during the same time frame showing her that she must be well fit and prepared to go up against the likes of Yakuza and ends up going from negative to positive while the sun is still up. By the time you reach the ending, it leads to a brutally yet funny finale that'll bond the Kimura's forever. Perhaps the acting from the cast is not to par, but in a film like this it merely gives dismissive appropriateness that is usually captured in most Japanese anime.

Not everyone needs to know the background to take pleasure in this silly slasher picture, but for a gun-slinging demented schoolgirl, blowing heads and legs off brought to the silver screen is quite enjoyable enough.

Look for The Machine Girl Remix as it features a second DVD of "Machine Girlite", a short spin-off with some overly hilarious scenes that'll extend your love for the world of The Machine Girl.

XX (ekusu kurosu): makyô densetsu (X-Cross) (XX)

Lovely

Director Kenta Fukasaku finally delivers his best film to date starring Nao Matsushita and Ami Suzuki in this deranged storytelling (sometimes comedic) conveyor, you'll love it from beginning to its splendid ending.

Synopsis: Shiyori (Matsushita) needs a break from her significant others recent infidelity and decides to travel with her "sort of" friend Aiko (Suzuki) to a secluded area where they can be at peace, but the laidback vacation ends up giving them a real reason to escape being confronted by those who wish to use them for other means.

To be honest I have to say that I wasn't much of a big fan of Kenta Fukasaku who directed the sequel to BattleRoyale and then going on to make the forgettable "Yo Yo Girl" that had so much potential of becoming a great action film, but just wasn't drivingly directed to my expectations, though after viewing this new film, I gotta say that its most definitely his best film and can finally be added amongst the elite.

This film had it all and then some from shades of BattleRoyale to a taste of that Quentin Tarantino style and molded innovatively from the son of the late Kinji Fukasaku. Don't base too much on my synopsis, this film has more than you think. You'll be surprised how entertaining this film is as you watch it with high anticipation for a nice ending.

I'm always looking forward to a Kenta Fukasaku film when it comes out, because he is the son of a great director, but now I give him the credit he now disserves and for the first time look forward to see his next movie with no more shadows.

Jigoku (The Sinners of Hell)

You can't really call yourself an Asian-Horror-fan until you have seen this Japanese Classic.

Director Nobuo Nakagawa, memorably acclaimed for his work in this torture fest where all whom sin will fall into the depths of eternal glorifying hell starring Shigeru Amachi and the beautiful Utako Mitsuya.

Synopsis: Shiro Shimizu (Shigeru) takes a drive with his friend who commits a hit-and-run putting most of the blame on Shimizu. His guilt drives him mad and attempts to go to the police with his future wife Yukiko, but gets into a serious accident. Soon thereafter, a series of murders become imminent which leads to Shimizu being plunged into the depths of the unbearable hell.

Nobuo Nakagawa made his directorial debut in 1938, but it was to be in 1960 where he would be most remembered for in his partake of a well lid screenplay written by Ichiro Miyagawa. It would be Shintoho's last production and may have been the reason behind the whole film looking to have been rushed, but for a demanding movie deadline, this one did quite well. Not only is the story interesting enough, but the making of the film was tremendous and possibly a bit advanced for its time. The budget reputably being low didn't seem it was at all, the special effects were done quite more than expected and the cinematography supported it threw it's hundred and one minute run time.

I loved Utako Mitsuya in this film and wouldn't hesitate to catch more of her classic films, and thought the whole living world and the dead world - as they presented it - was amazing and kept myself wondering the true meaning of time and eternal. Time and eternity are two different paths where in the living world (earth) time exists and in the realm of the dead time does not.

I'd like to share a note towards this film pertaining to the Bodhisattva (bode-eh-SAWT'-vah) that was demonstrated by the spirits in the realm of hell. When I saw these scenes I did not assume them to be all sinners, I don't think that was the point of the outlook. These characters did not do so wrong, but are Bodhisattva's - like Jesus a true Bodhisattva - that praises for those in need, and in return for their evildoing, they suffer for the sinners that are bound to stay for eternity that is hell. If you understand this, you will better comprehend the story and Shigeru Amachi's character.

Tomie: Beginning

Slightly cheesy, but there's nothing like good photography, nice sound and justified acting that can't show you what "Tomie" is really like.

Rio Matsumoto (Cyborg She, God's Puzzle) stars in a prequel to the "Tomie will not die" cult classic film series directed by Ataru Oikawa (Tomie, Tomie: Revenge) who began the franchise in 1999 thus making a beginning that perhaps connects to the first film rather then a Tomie origin.

Kawagami Tomie enters a new school filled with male students who are instantly dazzled with her fine features while getting caught up with jealous female students who will stop at nothing to rid her away from their boys. While walking home from school, Tomie notices a student from her class who doesn't seem to overtly evade her presence and begins a companionship in hopes to become apart of her life. However, the attempt of a brewing friendship is cut short when students plot a scheme to rid her from their school before she continues to wreak havoc amongst a circle of classmates.

The exceptional thing I can mention about this low budget horror is that the multi-talented Rio Matsumoto seemed to have nearly nailed a solid portrayal of the infamous Tomie following Nozomi Ando's flawless performance in Tomie: Forbidden Fruit. She delivered it all in this prequel i.e. given the psychotic prissy impression, the gently refined argument and that trademarked sarcastic cackle all Tomie fans love to hear.

Yoshiyuki Morishita (Go Go Yubari's first on-screen kill at the bar scene in Kill Bill) fits just right playing the role of Takagi - a teacher inlove with his student - and the music having good sound with gratifying cinematography is as feeling as Hideo Yamamoto's work in Tomie: Replay, and the only downfall is from the attire to the special effects wasn't to par.

Nevertheless, this is a Tomie film and fans won't have any trouble wanting to see it, but if you don't know much about the beautiful girl who will not die then I would suggest watching this part where some of its dialogue will give you a real understanding to the nonconformists of the world.

Seelai ng yi cho (My Mother Is a Belly Dancer)

So you think you can...belly dance?

Director Lee Kung-Lok makes dancing magic with the camera aimed at Krystal Tin, (Look for a star) Amy Chum, (Night and Fog) Lei Sue, (Dragon Strike) Monie Tung, (Look for a star) Pasha Umer Hood, Gordon Lam (IP Man) Ken Tong (Brothers) Cheung Wing-Hong (Brothers) Lam Chi-Chung (Shaolin Soccer) and the people's Idol, Andy Lau (Look for a star) in an all out theatrical real with some happening dance schooling travesty.


Synopsis: Yui-Lei a.k.a. Mrs. Wong (Krystal) struggles with everyday life having to raise four kids lacking work from both her husband Mr. Wong and herself. Only she finds that she isn't the only one struggling with living issues and finds somewhat contentment with her friends whom all take up some belly dance training to help heal their emotional wounds. However, their significant others do not approve of the new community boogie trend and attempt to put a stop to the one thing that helps them get threw the day.

Some might think by the title itself that this could be something like "My Sassy Girl" or "My Big Fat Greek Wedding", but in any case, it carries a more serious tone with dramatic story slums and moving scenes with no room for a laughing matter. But aside from the gloominess, the belly dancing moments share an inquisitive reflect upon the enduring efforts the characters relinquish and Lee Kung-Lok delivers that feeling almost every time belly dancing is displayed in the film. By the time the movie is over, not only will you have learned a valuable lesson, but you'll almost want to go out and start belly dancing yourself.

The cast did an excellent job portraying their characters to the best of their intentions and works just right with the original music by Goon Chung Wong (great belly dancing music by the way) who mixed up some good tracks. Not so much as having humor, but it's more about everyday living in a not so moneyed community dealing with marital issues, young love and intended infidelity.

So if you're still interested, you won't be disappointed for even in a movie like this, one can learn how to belly dance even if you don't want to.