Miike's made for cable masterpiece - Imprint

Masters of Horror is a made for cable series featuring individual one hour short films by various notable genre directors. Takashi Miike was included, but apparently when it was reviewed it was determined that it could not be aired because of the content. This is a hypocritical move for a show that is about horror. It shows that there is a divide between the popular concept of horror films and what Miike's film is, which is influenced and builds on the rich and deep history of unnatural tales and culture of Japan. We can show murder, dismemberment, rape, and other gruesome forms of violence on tv, but there is always some sort of catholic distinction of good and evil. Miike shows us that horror can derive from common, ordinary things like love and friendships can turn to despicable acts of violence. They are flip sides to the same coin. Imprint is a ghost story made manifest, taking place in 18th century Japan. Billy Drago stars as an American journalist named Christopher, who returns to Japan in search for Komomo, a prostitute he had loved and promised to come back to bring her to the US. He has searched long and hard for her, but her whereabouts are unknown. He is taken to an island that is surrounded by a misty fog, and bodies litter the water. Prostitutes inhabit the island, and demons are rumored to roam about in the night. Christopher, not finding his woman, takes shelter for the evening, staying at one of the brothels, where he spends the night with a prostitute whose face is half contorted. He tells her of his search, and she mentions that she knew Komomo, who was part of the brothel several months ago, but had committed suicide. Christopher is in a rage, upset that his love could not wait for his return, and demands to know what happened to her. She tells him that Komomo was an innocent, childlike woman who was the most popular of the prostitutes in terms of receiving clients, and this brought about jealousy amongst her peers. Her heritage (she claimed to be from a wealthy family) was derided by the others. Komomo and the prostitute became friends as both were picked on by the group. One day the madam's ring was stolen, and the only evidence was a hair pin left behind. Madam storms the ladies' quarters, demanding to know who took it. One of the women blamed Komomo, and the rest are quick to agree. Komomo pleads that she didn't do it, and her friend realizes that she has been framed. Komomo is tortured in one of the most breath taking and awful spectacles on screen -- she is burned with incense sticks, her nails pierced with pins, her gums pierced as well. The violence has a point - to show the depths of cruelty that the others had for her, and her subsequent drive to suicide. Her friend finds her hanging from the rafters the following morning. Christopher is aghast, and attempts to leave, but the prostitute convinces him to stay the rest of the night -- it is too dangerous to go outside. Sleepy, he asks the prostitute to tell him her story. She is the daughter of poor parents, the mother a midwife and the father suffering from lung disease. She was born with the deformity, and teased by others. Under the guidance of a local priest, she learns about good and evil, heaven and hell. She was sold into a brothel, and eventually came to the island. She says that she was the one who killed Komomo, to end her misery and suffering, he one true act as a friend which would sent Komono to heaven, but the prostitute to hell. Christopher is unconvinced; a whore never speaks the complete truth, and in fact, there were gaps in her story. She finally admits she stole the ring and planted the evidence. And casually slips a mention about her sister. Sister? She starts to act strange, spamsing and screaming. A hand with a face in it appears from the side of her head -- it turns out it is her twin sister, the demon who drove her to do these things. Her parents were brother and sister, cast out of society by their sins, and her mother performed abortions to make money. When she gave birth, she dumped the baby in the river. But the baby was alive days later, and the mother finds her and decides to raise her. She reveals that she was sexually assaulted by her father and the priest, and sold into the brothel. Christopher is revealed to have had a relationship with his own sister, who died young, and that his relationship to Komomo was similar. Confronted with this, and the twin manifesting itself from her head, he shoots her. The prostitute turns into Komomo, then dies. Christopher is imprisoned and left to his insane visions and rants.

Written by the same screenwriter who did Audition, Imprint is an outstanding tale of deception, cruelty and violence, a nightmare world where poverty and suffering make life impossible and women to lead lives that lead to self destruction. The unflinching and graphic nature of Komomo's torture scene will send many to eject their dvds, but it is less horrifying than something from other contemporary horror films, like Haute Tension, which I find to be a movie of bad taste in content and execution. It is hard to watch, but the point is that cruelty amongst people for the lightest of reasons can be more horrific than any type of genre horror we have been accustomed to seeing. However, the sexual scenes are treated with great care and discretion - filmed behind thinly veiled screens or done off camera. Incest and abortion are probably two of the items that lead to the banning of the film, and that is a result of our cultural taboos, not Japan's. Billy Drago is fine in his role, effectively coming across as a drained, half insane man in search for the one light in his life. The prostitute is played by Youki Kudoh, who is better known for starring in Mystery Train, was in Memoirs of a Geisha, and shows that she is a fine actress who deserves more featured roles. The cinematography, like all of Miike's film works, is outstanding, one of the finest and most elegant in the business. A great bonus feature on the dvd is a 45 minute interview with Miike, who talks about his creative process, and in so doing reveals how much film buffs and critics miss the point to much of his works. It is also interesting to note that the author of the story the movie is based on appears in the film as the primary torturer of Komomo. Now of course this film is not for everyone, whose who hate the squeamish should not even come near this. But as a fan of good storytelling and good filmmaking this gets my highest recommendation. I consider this to be a summation of Miike's works to date, and at the peak of his abilities. For those who think he is just a gore hound, check out Bird People of China, the Negotiator, or Zebra Man, all outstanding films, and without the graphic violence or horror - just good stories. Outstanding!!!

Forbidden Quest

Forbidden Quest is a rich and beautiful period film that is subversive in subject matter yet quirky in mood and execution. It takes place during the late Choson period, in the 18th century. The Choson (or Joseon) period was a long running dynasty of Korean origin that ran from 1312 to 1910, before being taken over by Japan. The monarchy had established absolute control over Korea, and implemented Confucianism ideals and doctrines into society and culture (reflecting its Chinese influence). It was also a great cultural period where the arts flourished. The movie centers on a court inspector, Kim Yoon-suh (played to perfection by Han Suk-kyu) who during an investigation of a family crisis comes across a store that stocks houseware and pornographic books. He writes stories as well, and is intrigued by one book, a popular dirty novel and reads it. He decides that its outrageous descriptions and fantasies are what he needs to stimulate his work, but is too embarrassed to put it to paper. His encounter with the royal concubine Jung-bin (Kim Min-jung), brought about from hearing about his "heroic" deeds in a prior investigation, spurs him to write his own fantasies, using her as a character in the book. He establishes a relationship with the owner of the store that distributes the books, and the first chapter is a sensation. But it second only to another author, and Kim Yoon-suh's desire to succeed leads him to be more innovative. He recruits Lee Gwang-hun (Lee Beom-su), a court administrator known as "The Angel of Death," who paints on the side. They are assisted by two men who help produce the pictures and writing, but also pose for the various sexual positions. The creative process that this involves is outrageously funny. Kim Yoon-suh and Jung-bin meet and make love in secret -- she risks her life in leaving the palace. This encounter is used in the content of the book, and the pictures of the people in the chapter are too similar to the real people -- Lee Gwang-hun watched them make love and drew them. The second chapter becomes wildly popular. The ladies of the court see the similarities, and Jung-bin finds out and is horrified by the betrayal. She informs the emperor, and Kim-Yoon-suh is imprisoned and tortured -- they want to know who did the drawings as well. He refuses to tell them, and Lee Gwang-hun, who is present during the torture, tries to take his friend away to hide, but is confronted by the eunuch guards. A brutal confrontation ensues, where most of the guards are killed, but The Angel of Death is wounded, and is carried away, and Kim Yoon-suh is brought back to the palace. He is to be condemned to death, but Jung-bin surprisingly intervenes, and the two confess their love for each other. The emperor releases Kim Yoon-suh, but the two are never to see each other again -- they will be reunited in the afterlife. Lee Gwang-hun finds Kim Yoon-suh living on the seashore, and Yoon-suh concocts a new idea for an even more outrageous dirty book, one about homosexual love.

The movie is beautifully shot, with well composed scenes and gorgeous color. You get a feel of the historic period, and the subversive role that the dirty books have on a conservative culture. However, I found the shift in moods a bit odd, from the gritty police procedural that takes place in the first 15 minutes of the movie, to the comedic sequences of the creative process that goes on in making the book, to the torture and love story that crops up at the end. I'm not really sold on the love story -- while it is clear that Jung-bin and Kim Yoon-suh are attracted to each other, I don't feel that it was a strong love that could lead to her pleas to have his life spared, or for him to declare his love for her. He was using her from the start, and she was looking for a fling, for something exciting and dangerous, to get away from the stale and confining palace. And there was a funny sequence between Kim Yoon-suh and Lee Gwang-hun, as they are discussing new sexual positions, where you have a miniature couple in black stage uniforms act out the various positions. It is funny but it doesn't fit with the rest of the movie -- in tone, perhaps, but visually it is very different. You don't see that fantasy stuff played out at any other time. I like that the titillation is described but not shown, demonstrating the power that words have on the imagination. A good movie, though inconsistent in parts. Recommended.

Weepies, part 2 - Love Phobia

Love Phobia is a recent 2006 romance film that stars Cho Seung-woo (Jo-kang) and Kang Hae-jung (Ari), as lovers whose relationship spans the years as Ari appears and disappears from Jo-kang's life. It starts when they are children, and they meet on Ari's first day at school, dressed in a raincoat, which attracts attention since it is a sunny day. She relates to her classmates that the raincoat is necessary because she is cursed -- anyone who touches her has an accident, or gets sick, or some misfortune. This scares all but one classmate, Jo-kang, mainly because she is his seatmate, and this begins their friendship. She has a pet lizard which scares the bejeezus out of the teacher, and during one of their walks, loses it and it goes into the marsh. Jo-kang dives in to find it, and it begins to rain. It is never found. The two sit under shelter, and huddle under the raincoat. Ari falls for him, but when the next day Jo-kang comes down with the measles, Ari never comes back to school. Ten years later, Jo-kang is studying for exams, and unexpectedly receives a message from Ari, telling him to come and meet him at the temple, where she has been living all this time, with her uncle, who is a priest. After some comedic miscommunication, they meet, and live together in the temple, studying and playing with one another. During this time they fall in love, but when after they kiss, Jo-kang becomes ill with the flu, and Ari disappears once again. Eight years later, Jo-kang is working at a bank (fulfilling a dream they both shared, where he would work at a bank, they would rob it and use the money to fly off in a Russian spacecraft). His coworker thinks that he needs to move on and date some women, but Ari shows up one day. They have a long, wonderful time together, but Ari breaks the news that she is off to the United States the following day, which devestates Jo-kang. Also she has this belief that she will be picked up by a UFO, and be relieved of her curse -- that bring outs a big huh? from Jo-kang. They separate, but while visiting his injured coworker in the hospital, spots Ari as a patient. It turns out that her parents were killed in a car accident, and while being treated for injuries, received an infected blood transfusion -- AIDS. Her uncle broke the news to her in a way a child could understand, which was the reason for the raincoat, and the aliens, as that became symbolic for hope for a cure, however fantastic. Ari is a photographer who is having a show in a gallery, filled with pictures of her past and the temple where she lived. Jo-kang and Ari meet up again, to spend final times together while she is slowly dying. He even makes a crop circle to call on the UFOs as she is seemingly about to pass away, but given photographs of him, she recovers enough to go with him to see the circles. They confess their love for each other, she apologizes to him for everything, then a bright light comes and carries her away. He spends his life working at a sushi bar (Ari loved sushi), never to forget her.

The conceit of the movie is that Cho Seung-woo and Kang Hae-jung are romantically linked in real life. Their chemistry is carries the movie, which storywise is a cliche of a romance of a man in love with a dying woman. The reasons for her strange behavior are clever. I just wish the disease wasn't AIDS -- too extreme or too dramatic. I also think they could have played up the fantasy vs reality even more -- Ari's lies were developed from her uncle's white lies, to protect her. As she matured she understood the seriousness of her condition. Yet in dealing with her feelings for J0-kang, she reverted to using those lies. Jo-kang initially scoffed at her excuses, but grew to believe in them as his love for her grew, because of his desire for them to be together once and for all. The ending, where the lovers are in the field, saying their final goodbye, is heartwrenching. The ray of light is unexpected and I'm not sure necessary. I mean it could be symbolic of her passing away, or the end to their relationship, but to think that she was picked up by a UFO upsets the tone of the entire movie. Whatever. This is a notch above the standard Korean romance film, and it is a credit to the director and the main leads, though I'll take a police procedural or horror flic any day. But I did shed a tear. Recommended for those with lonely hearts, or Korean film buffs.

A Bloody Aria

A Bloody Aria is the second film by director Won Shin Yeon, who was responsible for the atrocious horror flick The Wig. This is a much better effort, but with mixed feelings. A music professor, Park Young-sun takes his student, In Jeong, to the countryside, driving a new, white Mercades. In Jeong is a pretty female singer who confesses to haviong a crush on the professor, and it is clear the Park Young-sun's intentions are not noble. As they sit by a campfire, he attempts to force himself on her. In Jeong fights him off and flees, repulsed by his amorous attempt. Park Young-sun encounters a group of men who seem menacing and yet are initially friendly to him. His car is stuck in the sand. A man picks up the student on the road, and brings her back to the site. There they try to move the car, but the wheels have dug too deep into the ground. The men cook some pork. All this time, there is a large bag that clearly has someone inside it. The professor and the student realize that these men are not good people, and that their leader is a mentally unstable person. The bag is exposed and a young male student pours out, bloodied and beaten. He is humiliated in front of the woman, who tries to escape but is caught by the men and dragged into the car to be raped. The leader forces the professor and the student to fight it out, the result leading to the possible freedom of one of them and the woman. The boy snaps, defeating the professor and proceeds to knock out the gang, and rescues the woman. The professor flees, finding a phone and calling the police. A cop comes, and takes him back to the site, where they find it completely empty. After defeating the gang, the boy was prepared to kill them all but In Jeong stops him. The leader recovers, and captures them both, tossing them both in the trunk. But the boy has a gun and shoots in the trunk. The cop hears this and he and the professor go and confront the gang, where it becomes apparent that the leader and the cop knew each other a long time ago, and that the boy is the cop's brother. The movies ends with the gang captured and the professor and the woman being towed home in the car.

This has been described as a Korean Deliverance, but I don't see that. The central plot, of the gang vs the boy vs the cop, with the professor and the student as unlucky observers, is fine. But the men aren't exactly local yokels with an axe to grind against big city folk, they are just thugs whose leader has a specific goal in mind for dealing with the boy, as a retaliation for what happened between him and the big brother cop long ago. The one location film is a good idea, feeling like a play. The acting is solid, but with the exception of the woman and the boy I don't connect with any of the other characters, who are just unlikeable. Perhaps this disconnect leads me to have an unsatisfied feeling at the end of the movie. The story is interesting, and there are moments of nail biting tension, but the pay off feels so unsatisfying. I have no feeling towards this film one way or another.

Before Zatoichi - Shiranui Kengyo

Shiranui Kengyo is an interesting movie, a character study of a young blind man who rises from poverty to become Secretary of Religious Affairs (hence the movie title). It was released in 1960, a couple of years before the first Zatoichi film, but this is notable because it starts the same actor, Katsu Shintaro, and that his acting here led to the Zatoichi role. He seems much younger here, and thinner, but he comes across as being very self assured. He plays Suginoichi, a blind man who since childhood has taken advantage of others because of his disability. He steals and connives to get what he wants -- in one sequence, he slips his nose pickings into a tub of fine sake in order to get free booze for his family. Years later, now a young man in his twenties, he aspires to be the Secretary, which is the highest position a blind man can be in Japan. He encounters a traveller on the road and seeing that he is carrying a large sum of money, kills him. He is spotted by another traveller, and Ichi gives him half. Ichi persuades him to give him a token so that he could prove to an inn that he is going to that he knows this man, but instead plants it on the body as evidence. Afterwards Ichi becomes more evil in pursuit of his goals. He steals more money. He rapes a young maid, then later a wife of a samurai. He fakes his own death to avoid accusation. Now studying under the Secretary, he plots his master's murder, using petty criminals to do his deed. He becomes Secretary, and marries a beautiful woman who was an artist's model and his lover. Knowing that he could never win her heart, he poisons the artist and kills his wife. Before long, his past sins catch up to him, and the mistaken murderer of the traveller comes forth to expose him. As Ichi is about to go to see the Emperor's daughter, the police arrest him.

Katsu Shintaro carries this film, which is good up until the contrived ending, which I think wrapped up matters too neatly and too quickly. It's interesting to compare this role with the Zatoichi character. They are similar except in demeanor. The evil Ichi is sly, misogynist, more gestural. Zatoichi is humble and restrained, except when forced into action. The direction is very good; nice composition of scenes, and the action sequences have a documentary feel to it. A good black and white widescreen transfer. Too bad about the ending. Worth seeing for the Zatoichi influence.

A Haunting, Chaotic Classic - Brutal Story at the End of the Tokugawa Shogunate

This 1964 black and white samurai film bleeds blood red in violence and anger thoughout its 90+ minutes. It depicts the Shinsengumi clan (a group of samurai dedicated to the preservation of the Tokugawa government) and their closed and brutal world where recruits have to undertake a kill or be killed initiation swordfight. One young man, Enami, is starstruck by their prior accomplishments and decides to join them, though he shows his nativety in all aspects of becoming a warrior. He and the other recruits witness a beheading, and tries not to throw up. In training he is almost pummeled senseless by one of the ruthless superiors. When asked to perform a beheading he practically botches the job, hacking the man to pieces. He clearly is not of samurai stock, but manages to survive the training. Sato (played by Junko Fuji, who is known for her starring role in the Red Peony Gambler series), a maid who is part of a group of servants left behind by the original owners of the facility, takes to him because of his innocence. Over time though, he becomes more adept with the sword, especially with beheadings. While the Shinsengumi is preparing to head off to battle, they spend a lot of movie time rooting out spies, rule breakers and those with a conscience. It is not a pretty place. There is homosexuality among some members, and others frequent the brothels for some action. Enami and Sato couple in the warehouse the evening before the battle, while the others get inebriated. Sato wonders why he is in this place, and later we find out: he is actually the nephew of a man who was the original head of the Shinsengumi, assassinated by the current leader. The boarded house in the facility was where he was killed with his woman, shown in a great expressionist flashback sequence. Sato proposes to Enami before he is about to leave, and he is suddenly called away to see the leader. They expose his past, and he does not deny it. In a terrific fight sequence, Enami battles for survival as he rushes to escape, but is cut down by his one friend whom he thought shared the same feelings about the cruelty of the clan. Sato cries over Enami's corpse in the alley, while his friend angrily slashes the written code of the Shinsengumi, then prepares to join the others for war.

Directed by Tai Kato, this fast moving film hits you hard with its no nonsense, gritty depiction of a closed world of violence and trechery. Unlike any other samurai film of its day, the fight scenes are not carefully choreographed, but chaotic and brutal. Men stumble, slash away at empty air, bump into each other. The paranoia of the leaders in maintaining their position is enforced by the tightly packed rooms that they live and work in -- the screen is dense with people. Only with Sato is there privacy and space. This was apparently a low budget film that clearly rose above its limitations with solid acting and a good story. The camerawork is fantastic, deftly making the viewer feel the action rather than just watching it -- Enami's death scene is harrowing and unexpectedly graphic for its time, but it is shown only in a punctuated still rather than in motion. Highly recommended!

Jasmine Women

Jasmine Women is a film adaptation of a novel by Su Tong called Women's Life. The story is split among three generations of women who live in Shanghai, from the 30's to the 80's. Zhang Ziyi and Joan Chen play daughter and mother (later grandmother) to the same family in all three generations, and the movie is really an acting showcase for both women. In the 30's, Zhang plays Mo, a silly young women who loves movies. She works for her mom (Joan Chen) who runs a photo shop, and one day a man comes in and introduces himself as a film director, and wants to do a screen test. She willingly does so, against her mother's wishes. She does a screen test and is horrible, but gets a role in a b-movie detective film. The director sets her up in a hotel, where he later seduces her. Mo later finds out she is pregnant, and the director, finding out, wants her to have an abortion, under the lie that she can only continue to have a film career if her aborts the fetus. She does not, terrified by the screams from inside the operaing room. Later, the Japanese invade Shanghai, and the director takes all his money and moves to Hong Kong at a moment's notice, shutting down the film production company and abandoning Mo. She returns home to her mother, and is heaped abuse for making a bad life decision. She has the baby, a daughter, and raises her in her mom's house. Her mom is having a relationship with a hair stylist, who is entralled by Mo, and attempts to seduce her, but they are caught. The mother, grief stricken, commits suicide, Mo alone to raise the baby.

The second part deals with Li (played by Zhang Ziyi), the daughter, eighteen years later. It is now Communist China, and we see Li falling for and later marrying a handsome young man who is a member of the Party. Mo (now played by Joan Chen) is resentful towards her daughter because she symbolizes her ruined life, but tries to keep her from making the wrong choices in life. Li's husband is a good man who is from a poor family, and when Li moves in with them, finds that their way of life is not acceptable to her. She moves back to her mom's and a few days later, her husband follows, willing to move out to be with her. All is well except she finds out that she cannot have a child. This makes her become mentally ill, though it is a gradual decline, and becomes worse only after they adopt a child and raise her for a couple of years. One night Li imagines that her husband is attempting to rape their daughter, and accuses him in front of the entire family. She drives him to suicide, and ridden with guilt, follows him. Mo is left to raise the grandchild, Hua.

Hua's (Zhang Ziyi) story takes place in the 80's, and she too marries a young man who is off to college, and hides this from Mo, who knows that the long distance relationship will fail. Sure enough, he makes excuses not to come home, but one day he does, and they sleep together. Hua is pregnant. Mo tries to set her up with a nice man from America, forcing Hua to tell her what she did. Mo is stunned, and sees her family as cursed because of her initial foolish decision to have a child. Hua agrees to get an abortion, but is also afraid, seeing the results of the operation. One day her husband shows up, and wants a divorce. Hua uses her pregnancy as leverage to keep him over for the night, to act as man and wife one last time. She tries to gas him in his sleep, but fails because she suddenly bleeding from the womb. They separate without divorcing. Mo dies, and Hua is disconsolate, not being able to tell her of the decision she made for herself. Hua gives birth to her daughter in the pouring rain in the street. It is a harrowing scene, and Zhang does a great job showing stress, fear, and determination to deal with the sitation all by herself. It is a scene of birth and rebirth. The movie ends with the two moving to a newly built housing complex, as she starts her new life on a clean slate.

Young Hou, the director, should be credited for a fine effort. He tells each story slightly different from the others, using different tones and moods to reflect the times. There are no wasted scenes in this movie. Zhang Ziyi proves that she is not just a pretty face; she gives a great performance in three roles where she does appear as a different woman, in looks and in demeanor. The only conceit is that she plays the granddaughter, who is adopted -- and therefore should bear no resemblance to the mother! Ah well. Joan Chen is terrific as well, deserving of more roles than she seems to be getting. This is not the only time she plays a mom -- remember Saving Face? Recommended!

Epic Mess - Seven Swordsmen, part 2

I finished watching all 39 episodes, and the first thing I have to say is I can't get those 20+ hours back. The build up is decent, and certain character plotlines are very well formed, but the rest is a muddled mess, and the conclusion so unsatisfying that it ruins the entire viewing experience. And it is clear that there will be another season.

Picking up from the last blog, the story shifts to Yung Yanchong, number two brother, who becomes involved with Fei Hongjin, the warrior woman in red who leads the nomadic tribe of the Eagles of the Desert. She is an extremely stubborn and angry person who nevertheless falls in love with Yanchong, after a fighting with them and helping them get water. Chu Zhaonan, the big brother, returns from his disasterous experience with Green Pearl, and has the hots for Hongjin, but the love triangle is never truly formed. Yanchong and Hongjin do spend a night together, but he was drunk, and can not remember. The two constantly argue, especially about each other's feelings. Yanchong, in an attack on the military base, is wounded and meets Menghui, a beautiful princess who is the daughter of one of the generals. They fall in love, and he escapes. Menghui is later captured and held hostage, but Hongjin and Yanchong fight over what to do with her. Yanchong frees Menghui, who is sent back to the military base, where Duo Gedou, the general pursuing the martial artists, falls in love with her. Yanchong tries to free her again, but is repelled because she thought he lied to him. In a big battle all the Desert Tribe is killed, and Zhaonan, Yanchong and Hongjin are barely left alive. Zhaonan comes to and is left behind by the other, for he in his machinations to destroy the enemy backfired, and made him look like a traitor.

Switch over to the capitol city, where there is some political intrigue. The emperor is being plotted against by another general, who is seeking power. A woman scholar is held hostage and would be used as a pawn to force the emperor's hand. The emperor is seeking an annulment to a woman we never see in the show, and his survival as ruler depends on his actions and how his mother and the others see him. The scholar's husband and child are met by the white bearded leader of the Swordsmen, and two of the other swordsmen. Their attempt to rescue the woman ends in tragedy as she is killed leaving the castle, and the husband and child are also killed. The emperor is overthrown, but the general is himself killed by Duo Gedou, who is brought back to the capitol to see the emperor. A child is then put on the throne as puppet ruler.

We find Zhibang and company hiding out in a house with a fruit orchard, still protecting the children from the authorities. They meet the other three swordsmen and encounter another faction of the Red Spear Society, and they merge as one large group. They plot to kill Gedou as he is planning to wed Menghui in a few days. Unbeknownst to all, Menghui is hiding right next door to them, pregnant with Yanchong's child, and gives birth.

There is a good subplot that is a variation of the film Dragon Inn. Hongjin and Yanchong are hiding out in an inn, and they encounter a band of evil agents of Gedou, who are pursuing them. The relationship between Hongjin and Yanchong are still strained, but they manage to escape their situation and go to the capitol separately.

The gang gets back together, as Zhibang is made head of the tribe after the other leader is killed by the authorities. Yufang still has the hots for Zhaonan, but he only treats her as a little sister. Zhaonan plots to inflitrate the capitol by being Gedou's ally, but it all backfires as every move Zhaonan makes is turned against him, and he is seen by his comrades as a traitor. Yanchong and Menghui are reunited briefly, but she is ill, and is captured by Gedou and bought back to the palace, where they marry. Menghui, giving up her daughter, and abhorring all violence, goes slowly mad. Hongjin has the daughter, and develops maternal feelings and the tenderness that she never had. She uses the child to try to bring Yanchong back to her, but he is still too insane with love for Menghui, even though it is clear that his feelings are naive and undefined.

We get the Big Battle. The Seven Swordsmen unite and with the tribe, attack Gedou at the palace during the wedding. It is a disaster. Yufang's father is killed, apparently by Zhaonan, and she renounces her love for him, seeking revenge. Gedou escapes and Menghui, who is used as bait, finally goes insane. They later attack Gedou near the ocean, taking on the garrison, and Zhaonan confronts Gedou on the tower and sends Gedou to his fate by casting him into the ocean. Hongjin is apparently killed as she sacrifices herself by defeating one of the evil masters that were sent to destroy the swordsmen, and it is only then that Yanchong realizes his feelings for her. He apparently dies as well, leaving the child in the hands of one of his brother swordsmen. The children and most of the tribe are killed in an ambush on their hideout, and Yufang kills the man responsible for their deaths. Only one of the children survives, the oldest. It turns out brother Yuanyin was responsible for leading the man to their hideout, but that person was in disguise, and Yuanyin's naivety in not trusting his suspicions costs him. Yufang and Zhibang are together again, as Yufang has no one else to turn to, and Zhibang is placed in charge of rebuilding the tribe. The child stays with them, and the Gandalf leader and two swordsmen hunt for the others. Zhaonan, rebuffed by everyone and seen as a traitor, is in hiding, waiting for his time for revenge. Yanchong is brought to Mount Heaven. A crazy guy in the castle foretells an upcoming age of great chaos, and the series ends.

After all this, one hopefully can understand my frustration. 30+ episodes with no traces of any conclusion is a slap in the face, but there were so many loose ends. Characters not developed -- After having a prominent apperance in the beginning, the Gandalf character is barely seen until the end. Another swordsman, a bald man who relates to one of the children, as he too saw his parents killed, runs off and is not seen until the end as well. He barely has an impact in the story. I recognize the actor from other Hong Kong films, but clearly he was underused. Yufang becomes just a plot excuse, and the relationship that seemed so intriguing with the love triangles that developed around her all fall apart. She never does experience having relationships with other men, and ends up back to her true love. Zhibang has some character development, becoming the leader, but his leadership is never really proven or grows -- he is still the young brother of the swordsmen. And there is no great sacrifice that he has to make, which was something that the plotline hinted that he must do. The main characters are Zhaonan and Yanchong. I believe Zhaonan is played by Vincent Chao, a b-list action star and heart throb with a plastic smiley face that shows little character, though he has screen presence and does a decent job with his role. I don't know the actor for Yanchong, but he is the standout male lead. Ada Choi is fantastic as Hongjin, has great depth and emotion to her character, and is easily the best thing about the show. She's best known for her television work, and has appeard in movies, notably Fist of Legend. Hopefully she'll get better material in the future.

For 30+ episodes the storyline rambles and stumbles, has some high points and a lot of low ones. The use of flashbacks is understandable in a series like this, but it becomes padding, especially towards the end. This was a highly watched series in China in 2005, so I can assume that the ending was changed to accomadate a sequel, but it is a big disappointment. Widescreen, with a cast of thousands, some gorgeous landscape cinematography, CGI, and costumes, with was a big budget production all around. Too bad some of it couldn't have been invested in a better storyline.

The Cynical yet Entertaining Miike - The Great Yokai War

Japanese director Takashi Miike has been making films for about 20 years, and has drawn worldwide attention for his outrageous and visually stunning movies. Many people think that his mid to late 90's work, like Fudoh, Ichi the Killer, and the Dead or Alive trilogy, are his best works; that he has strayed away from his violent outre style to become more a conventional filmmaker. I think those who say that are paying too much attention to his shock value and not the underlying theme that runs through most of his films -- a study of the modern condition of his country, and his criticism of it. In The Great Yokai War, a visual masterwork and highly entertaining movie, Miike attacks Japan's lack of respect for tradition and its material wastefulness. Tadishi is a boy who is going through a difficult time - his mom just got a divorce, and has moved with him into her father's house in a small town near a bay and at the foot of a mountain, which has been a source for a local legend. A Kirin Rider is appointed during a time of trouble, who would go to the mountain to claim a great sword, held by the Great Goblin, and defend the people from war and injustice. During the local festival Tadishi is selected to be the Kirin Rider. But he is too afraid to go up; he can't go past a certain point because he is frightened by the dark forest. He is also afraid of a lot of other things as well, and is picked on at school. He befriends one Yokai demon who looks like Stuart Little and a cat, who tells him that he must go to claim the sword. Tricked by another Yokai demon by pretending that his grandfather is in trouble, Tadashi goes up the mountain and encounters a small group of demons, from a tortoise man to a pretty young girl with pointy ears, oily skin and monstrous hands, a demon in red and a ball of fire. With them he claims the sword. What is the great problem then? A demon who is formed by the indifference, violence, waste and hatred that is cast off by the Japanese people, who with a renegade Yokai demon (Kuriyama Chiaki, the girl from Battle Royale and Kill Bill) begin to enslave Yokai demons and convert them into warriors to destroy the world. Tadashi and the Yokai demons are off to battle, though not after some trial and tribulations, and chasing the bad guys to Tokyo in one super nuclear explosion of a finale. Let me say this is one stunning movie to look at. The colors are super saturated, with lots of intense reds and soothing blues and greens. The editing is very unconventional, cutting between scenes to fill in story gaps or describing an event without any linear pattern, yet maintaining the thread of the story. There is a lot of humor in the film; for instance, the enemy cloud city flying toward Tokyo is described by some wry townfolk as Gammera being back in town! There are walking wall demons, umbrella demons, snow demons. The CGI is top notch, though there are moments when it seems the quality control has slipped. The director's underlying message is that the demons are created in part by the physical or emotional waste that is being produced, and that the boy's trial in defeating the demon is a cleansing that the new generation has to make for the previous one. And it is cyclical, judging from the ending which generates that usual huh? from Miike. While I don't think this reaches the upper eschalon of Miike's top works -- for that I would put Audition, Ichi, Happiness of the Katikuris, The Negotiator, City of Lost Angels and Izo -- I think this is a highly entertaining work. Recommended!

It's All About Manly Honor - Seduced and Abandoned

Filmed in 1964, made right after the classic Divorce, Italian Style, Seduced and Abandoned returns to the skewering of Sicilian life of the previous film, in a much more viscious way. This is a funny, outrageous, and crazy film that makes its almost two hour length roll right by. Peppino Califano is engaged to Matilde Ascalone, but is busy making eyes at her younger sister, Agnese. He pursues and seduces her while his fiancee is asleep, in the kitchen and then on the balcony! Agnese begins to act very strange afterwards, and her father Vincenzo (played to perfection by Saro Urzi), who keeps the entire family under his strict control, sends for a doctor, and discovers that she is no longer a virgin. Worse, tests later reveal she's pregnant. The lengths that Vincenzo goes to protect himself and his family honor are what drive the film. He astutely determines that it was Peppino who did the damage, and then directs the breakup of the engagement, putting the blame on Agnese. He connives to have the local sucidal Baron to date Mathilde, and locking Agnese in the basement, plots to have Peppino marry her. Things never work out as planned. Peppino decides that he can't marry someone who isn't a virgin (though he was the one who deflowered her!), and the two families engage in an all out battle to gain the upper hand in the matter; all while trying to keep matters as private as possible. To lose face amongst the locals means public humiliation and loss of social status. The film is filled with jabs at the family, the church, the townsfolk, marriage, and masculinity. While willingly participating in the act that leads to this mess, Agnese clearly becomes the victim and the critical focal point. Victimized by her father for maintaining social appearances, by Peppino for abandoning her, by society because they want to force marriage on her to absolve the sins of both parties. Apparently, even in the 1960's if a man seduces a minor, and they get married, he is absolved of the crime. The black and white film conveys the atmosphere of the still, hot weather and the crumbling buildings of the town, the severe blacks of the townsfolk and the women's hair and clothes. The editing is lightning quick, never dwelling too long on a particular cut or scene. The masterstoke is when all is revealed to the police and the townfolk, and the daughter, villified, is chased through the streets by the men, cutting back to her screaming in bed and forth to running in the town square, showing the insanity of the whole issue. The message is serious, but the execution is done with a precise, wicked scalpel, and you won't stop laughing. One of the best Italian movies I have ever seen; look for all of Pierto Gerni's films! Recommended!

Family Ties

Family Ties is a movie divided into three stories, all dealing with various family relationships. The first story is about a woman who lives alone, who one day received an unexpected visitor: her brother, whom she has not seen in a long time. He brings his new wife with him, a woman clearly older than him, and as we later find out, both aren't exactly acting their age in terms of being mature adults. They make themselves at home, to the sister's dismay, because her brother is not working, and takes advantage of both women for money. One day a girl is at the door, and the sister is shocked to discover that it is her sister-in-law's daughter from a previous marriage. The wife is surprised as well, because she left her behind when she got married. The brother was responsible for bringing her. He becomes such a source of tension that the sister finally musters the courage to confront him, and offended, he leaves, abandoning his wife and the child. They too leave soon afterwards.

The second story deals with a young woman who is starting her life away from home, taking a new job as a tour guide. She has a mother whom she hates, because she is having an affair with a married man. She also has a much younger brother (from another father?). The mother is terminally ill. The daughter acts horribly to her mom and the child, but begins to turn around and develops some sisterly affection to the brother. In a devestating sequence though, she goes to the adulterer's home, and as they are preparing for dinner, confronts the man about the affair, to the horror of his wife and two children. Her mom dies, and the daughter is left alone and grieving for her loss.

The third story is about two young lovers who meet on a train, and have a relationship. The woman has issues: she can not give him her full attention, in conversation, or anything else. For instance, he talks to her and she is more worried about him stepping on a flower than listening to him. He invites her over for dinner at his sister's place, and she fails to show up. The man is very angry about this, and complains to her. But nothing seems to improve. The seesaw relationship becomes too much for him, and he wants to break up. They do, get back together again when she apologizes for her behavior. They end up outside her place, and in a nice twist, we are brought back full circle to the first story -- she is the daughter, now grown up. A nice reconciliation, with a very funny postscript involving the good for nothing brother, who does show up again.

A good film with fine acting performances all around. The stories are well conceived, and are a interesting examination of contemporary relationships, their quirks, angst, and love. None of the characters are stable emotionally, but they aren't crazy nor bad people. Moon So Ri plays the burdened sister, with a stand out performance by Eom Tae-Wong as the brother. Gong Hyo Jin, Bong Tae-gyu also give solid performances. Recommended!

The Life of Sister Thirteen - Portland Street Blues

Portland Street Blues is a spinoff of the popular Young and Dangerous series, taking a very minor character and showcasing her in a separate movie. The entire series is about the triads, specifially the young men and women who work for the leaders. Sandra Ng plays Sister Thirteen, who was born and raised on Portland Street, an area filled with gambling, prostitution, and other vices. She rises above all this to become a triad leader of Portland Street, and in the flashback, it tells her story. Her father is in the local triad, working for a viscious and womanizing leader who constantly takes advantage of others. Thirteen has a best friend, played by Kristy Yeung, who helps her con men out of money by promising to sleep with them. This gets them into trouble, when they try to trick the local gang leader. Yeung escapes, and Thirteen is held hostage. Yeung calls Thirteen's dad for help, and in the attempt to rescue his daughter, he is killed. Thirteen is beaten up and she flees, and is aided by a mysterious woman played by Shu Qi. Qi is a spurned love from a corrupt officer. The gang lord is killed by a hit man who also happens to be a kickboxer that Thirteen has a crush on. Thirteen flees again, this time with the kickboxer, to another area to hide working at a car repair shop. She falls in love with him, but it isn't returned. Yeung finds her and stays with her, but things get ugly when Thirteen sees that Yeung and the kickboxer are getting along really well. They have an arguement, and split. The repair shop is attacked by a triad, and she goes back to Hong Kong and joins the major faction of the triads. The corrupt officer is killed by Qi and Thirteen, for revenge, and Thirteen becomes the Portland Street triad leader. Because of her failed relationship with the kickboxer, she becomes a lesbian. In the end, she reconciles with Yeung, who is a major Taiwanese actress on tv, and the kickboxer, who is killed. Cameo appearance by the Young and Dangerous crew at the end.

This is a mish mash of a movie, if you haven't guessed by now. The uneven plot sinks some fine performances, especially by Sandra Ng, who won best actress for her performance. She has gone on to do better movies, notably Golden Chicken, which is her finest moment on film. Kristy Yeung and Shu Qi (who won best supporting actress) have fine supporting roles as well. But the resolution is too quick and tidy, amost convenient. I think the "realism" of the film, the on-the-streets filmmaking, slows things down. In the end I don't get a real feel for who Thirteen is; it's like she starts off as a real person and ends up being a cariacture. It's a shame, because Sandra Ng wrestles as much out of her role as she can. A rental, but with reservations.

NANA

NANA is a movie about two young women in their early twenties who have a chance encounter on a train, and how that leads to a lasting friendship. Apparently this is based on a manga series that I have never seen, but is very popular and this movie is considered to be a faithful adaptation to the series. It is a well done film that is fairly straightforward, which is refreshing when compared to the outre nutty style cult flicks or the tear jerkers that junk up the rental queues. Nana One is an overly cute young lady who has left everything behind to go to Tokyo to be with her boyfriend who is in college. Nana Two is a rock star singer for a successful small town band, whose boyfriend Ren left her to go to Tokyo to join a mega successful rock group. Ren is the standard dark, sullen James Dean type who as a young kid in an orphanage made nightly escapes to be in an abandoned warehouse, which later became his home. Though in the movie you see that it has been magically transformed into an expensive East Village or SoHo style loft space. Nana Two has her pride, and she wants very much to be a successful singer, and Ren has his visions of glory in being in THE big rock band of the moment. Nana One and Two meet on the train, split, and Nana One discovers that her man doesn't expect her to live with him (red flag warning if I ever saw one!). She finds an apartment that by sheer coincidence Nana Two is also looking at. So they move in together and split the rent. It then becomes mostly about Nana One's falling out of her relationship, and finding out about Nana Two's past, how they bond and Nana Two's resolving her feelings for Ren. Still, at almost two hours, it could have been trimmed, but that's my nitpicking. The acting is very good, and the woman who plays Nana Two is very striking not only in her appearance -- she has that emaciated punk rock 90's look, and stealing a bit from Hopey from the Love and Rockets comic -- but her acting as well. Recommended.

Heaven's Heroes - Seven Swordsmen part 1

I'm three discs into viewing this massive 8 dvd set of a Chinese television series that derived from Seven Swords, a muddled Tsui Hark directed epic that was released a a couple of years ago. Both are adaptations of a novel written by Liang Yusheng, called Qi Jian Xia Tian Shan. I have not read the book. Based on the little info I can find from other sites, this is a dense novel with lots of characters, relationships, plot twists, etc. that watching the tv series I can see why Seven Swords failed to impress me. It tried to be too faithful to the book, keeping so many details, characters, and subplots that it lost any coherence in the end. The Seven Swordsmen is a lot more entertaining, so far. The first few episodes are exciting, as the new Manchurian government, having gained control of China, is trying to establish their power in the Central Plains, an area of desert and mountains. In doing so an edict was passed outlawing anyone practicing or dealing with the martial arts. This gave the soldiers an excuse to terrorize the countryside, and many were executed. One group has managed to survive, holding two precious items: the children, one of whom is supposedly the rightful heir to the empire, and seeds, representing their hard work, monetary value, and their future hope. Yufang is the daughter of the tribal leader, who is a teacher to the children and is responsible for their and the seeds' safety. Her fiancee, Zhibang, and their best friend, Yuanyin, are two of the tribe who are standouts in their courage and deeds. In an initial encounter with the Manchurian troops, a mysterious man rescues one of the chidren, who somehow wandered out of the village. He is basically the Chinese Gandalf. He helps the Martial tribe and leads Zhibang and Yuanyin to Mount Heaven, to hopefully get the aid of the legendary martial arts masters who live there. They enlist the aid of four men, and are all given magical swords (each with unique abilities) to help them in their cause. They help the Martial tribe escape, first into the mountains, to a secret cave, which they later flee. Subplots abound. The main relationship so far is Zhibang and Yufang, and it isn't going so well. Zhibang is nuts about Yufang. Yufang has only known Zhibang since childhood, and wants to encounter other people (read: men), to enrich her life. The whole marriage is on hiatus unless Yufang comes around. In the course of the following episodes, she has a crush on one of the other swordsmen (who doesn't return her love), and is forced to marry another swordsman so they and the children can cross a checkpoint to safety! As of episode 14 she is an unhappy gal. Zhibang, if he wasn't busy saving her skin, engaged in combat, or helping other people, should be chasing after someone else, 'cause frankly, Yufang ain't worth the wait! Another subplot that wasted a few episodes was one of the swordsman's relationship with a prostitute named Green Pearl, who meet by chance in several places. Both of them finally end up in the clutches of one of the generals. Pointless repetition of her entering and leaving the general's quarters, giving her hero some water while he is chained up and negotiating with the general for her freedom. All the while arguing about true love and decency, whether it exists in this world, and how she doesn't have the capability to love. But she falls for the swordsman, and helps him escape. They dash off together, but she decides to kill herself. What? there is another subplot involving another swordsman, and his meeting a roving band of warriors who are led by a swordswoman clad in red. She's nasty with the whip, and is mean to all men. Of course, they are destined to fall in love. Yeech......

Soap opera? Hell yes, which is why this series has been annoying and somewhat addictive to watch. There are good fight scenes, and decent moments of drama and suspense, but overdone at times. I can't stand the slow motion to emphasize drama, nor the quick pan to show off some stylistic camera work. It doesn't work. The acting is fine for what it is. The story is interesting when they don't stray from the main theme, but wallows a lot when it does go into subplot mode. I'll add updates as I watch more -- I only have 25 more episodes to go through.

Godzilla 2 dvd edition

FINALLY! It's hard to believe that the original version of Godzilla (called Gojira), has not been issued in the United States until now. 52 years have passed. After watching it, I can see why, although it was part exploitation and shrewd marketing by a couple of American producers who watered it down to make it more palatable and entertaining to US audiences. But this should not be seen as a monster movie. Rather, a disaster film that tread carefully upon the nuclear bombing of Hiroshima and Nagasaki 9 years before. Japan was still under US occupation, and still rebuilding, but the scars were there. Ishiro Honda, the director, was an assistant to Akira Kurosawa, and a lot of his style appears in the non monster sequences, especially the relationship between Emiko and Ogata, and Emiko and her childhood friend, now scientist, Dr. Serizawa. Think of Scandal, or earlier Kurosawa melodramas from the mid to late 40's. In fact, Emiko's father is played by one of Kurosawa's main actors from the 50's, Takashi Shimura, who plays a scientist as well. Ships are mysteriously sinking in the Pacific, with lots of casualties, and a research ship is sent to investigate, near one of the islands. They set up camp, and not too long after Godzilla appears (with a laughable rubber face), scares everyone, then vanishes into the sea. Back in Tokyo, a huge conference shows their findings, and Emiko's father wishes to find this creature to study it, because he theorizes that it was awakened by the atomic tests held in the area, and that it emits the same kind of radiation as an a bomb. But no, Godzilla is considered a threat, and an anti-Godzilla task force is made. The public is made aware, and the area cleared of people. The monster comes out of the ocean and is attacked. It then proceeds to go onto land and destroy half of Tokyo, in what is still a harrowing view of devestation, the despair of the people and their deaths. Meanwhile, Dr. Serizawa shows Emiko his great invention, the Oxygen Destroyer, a device that deprives oxygen in water, truning fish to bones, then to nothing. Emiko is of course, horrified. Dr. Serizawa was a victim of WWII, losing his eye. It still doesn't completely explain why he wanted to make this device, although it could be similar to Nobel when he made dynamite. He wanted to make this device a secret, but after seeing the devestation on tv of Tokyo, he knows that he must use it against the monster. Along with Ogata, the two men go deep sea diving to Godzilla's sleeping lair. Serizawa activates the device after Ogata leaves, who thought they were leaving together. Sacrificing himself, he destroys the monster. Salute! The filmmaking is very good, and the special effects a miracle considering the budget and materials. The glowing spine as Godzilla breathes fire is a nice touch. Some characters are not very well developed, like Shimura's role, and Dr. Serizawa, who functions only to explain what might be going on, and to end the film. Emiko and Ogata are the human focalpoint, and they are handled well. I'm glad to see this without Raymond Burr, but there is a bonus disc with the Americanized version. I'm only disappointed in the quality of the film, which is still beat up in spots, with lots of scratches, but since this came from the Toho archives, I can only assume this is the best cut. The subtitles could have used a better font; the words are smashed together. The sound is in mono and is loud and clear. Comes with a 16 page booklet, that for some reason does not list the actors and people who worked on the film. A classic made 1000 times better by stripping away the crud. This came out the same year as Seven Samurai, also by Toho -- a banner year for them, and great for us, since both dvds have come out around the same time. Recommended!

THE Masterpiece - Kurosawa's Seven Samurai

Seven Samurai is considered one of the great movies of all time. As an action film, it was widely imitated -- in the US, remade into The Magnificent Seven -- ironic because Akira Kurosawa, the director, was himself influenced by westerns, especially those directed by John Ford. There are no great open landscapes, no Grand Canyon to marvel at in the background. This is a farmer's village at the bottom of a valley, placed between the mountains and the forest. The villagers are victims of roving bandits who terrorize the countryside as they seek food, drink, and women, while battling similar groups. It's 1587, a chaotic time in Japan. The farmers are mad as hell, and aren't going to take it any more, and several go into town to seek samurai willing to take up their cause. Not an easy thing, since even though times are tough, it is still a class issue, and no self righteous samurai is going to stoop so low as to risk his life for farmers. However, they luck out when they meet Kambei, a masterless samurai, or ronin, who is shown to be a soldier of heart and great intellect, as he is first seen rescuing a hostage child from a madman. He in turn recruits some others, until there are 7, the most that the villagers can afford, as they can only pay in food and shelter. Mifune plays Kikuchiyo, his famous role, an ex farmer turned rogue who fights for their cause. All of this takes place in the first hour, and for the next 2 1/2 hours we see Kambei and his men win the confidence of the villagers, prepares them for the inevitable battle which comes into the third hour of the film, and a great cinematic battle it is! Yes, this is a 3 1/2 hour film, but it never loses momentum. Kurosawa keeps everything tight, so even when there are side events going on -- one being Katsushiro, the young man of the samurai, who has an affair with one of the village women, Shino, a daughter of a man who lost his wife to the bandits in an earlier encounter. They symbolize both sides, as well as how unlikely it is for them to ever mix, even though they are fighting the same battle. For the farmers it is for their survival, for the samurai, it is for the nobility and honor of defending the downtrodden. One brief sequence I don't see mentioned at all is Shino's father, going with a couple of the samurai on a scouting mission, find the bandits in a farmhouse in the mountain. There was a night of orgy, and everyone is asleep. The samurai decide to burn the place down, and as they are setting it, they see through the window a woman, awake, in total disgrace. She turns out to be Shino's mother, and amid the burning flames, runs into her husband, who is shocked and relieved to find her alive. Ashamed of being at the mercy to the bandits, she kills herself by running back into the far, burned alive. What is interesting about this sequence is that her look of utter despair is repeated in a much later Kurosawa film, Ran, where the Emperor, played by Tetsuya Nadakai, is in his burning castle, awaiting his doom as his sons' armies converge to kill him and his men. In Seven Samurai, the scene is brief but powerful. In Ran, it is played out not only for dramatic effect but to show the utter chaos of that world. There is no sense of despair here. Just a countdown of the bodies of the enemy as they are foiled in every attempt to enter the village. Criterion has just released a 3 dvd version, and you might as well sell your old copies because this is the definitive edition. The print looks fantastic, much better than before; everything looks sharp and clean, the blacks and whites are defined, not muddied like you would see from a later generation source. The subtitles are completely redone, to better reflect the dialogue, the crudeness of Mifune's talk, for example. Sounds great as well, solid mono, with everything clear and up front. The movie is spread out over two discs, so to maintian the high digital quality, with commentaries, documentaries, and a two hour interview between Kurosawa and Nagisa Oshima, another well known director and writer. Thick booklet with essays that generally praise the heck out of this movie; a little too self serving, in my opinion. So what are you waiting for, BUY this movie! An all time classic.

Rousing Saturday Morning Adventure - Golden Peacock Castle

Golden Peacock Castle is a four part movie that runs like a Saturday morning serial: the castle, set in the southern Japanese islands, was a place of tranquility until the warring armies of the mainland, in their zeal for total control over Japan, invaded and destroyed the palace and the citizens were scattered. Twenty years later, the three children of the castle's royal family appear, in various states of life: one is adopted by the samurai who destroyed the castle, one by a wizard, and another by a loyal Peacock bodyguard. The series follows their adventures, and for its time (1960), it was exciting popular entertainment. Lots of sword fights, overenthusiastic orchestrations, cool demons (including a terifficly evil she-demon that could have come out of Kurosawa's Ran), thrilling escapes, and more! Each film builds on the previous, in story and tone, so you don't get any repeated explaining. Part 4 has a great dragon battle scene which must have been great for the viewers of that time -- however, the Godzilla films must have already topped that in terms of special effects. Lots of pixie dust and explosions and colorful light for special effects. How far we have come...... Entertaining and well worth picking up the entire series.

Italian Neo Realism - The Railroad Man

Director Pierto Germi is not as well known as an associate of his, Federico Fellini, but he did make some fine films in the 50's and 60's, notably Divorce, Italian Style, Seduced and Abandoned, and this one, The Railroad Man. It is a story of Andrea Marcocci (played by the director who is also a fine actor), a railroad man who is head of a dysfunctional family. He avoids going directly home after a couple day's work driving the train. His eldest son is a no good, living at home unemplyed slacker who gambles. His daughter is knocked up by a man who works at a store, gives birth to a stillborn, and has to suffer a loveless marriage to him. The youngest son is still a child, who is having lousy grades in school. Marcocci is involved in a train accident; a man decides to throw himself in front of the train. He takes up drinking. The elder children are kicked out of the house, and the railroad workers have a strike, which he has to break because he needs the money. His daughter has an affair. He loses his friends and his job, due to drinking. In the end though, they all eventually come back to gether one final time during the Christmas holidays, in reconciliation. Melodramatic? Yes, but it is well told and the acting is superb. You get the sense to of life in an Italian city in post war Italy; there are still large swaths of empty and cleared fields where the children play, and huge urban housing projects are being built. The family is symbolic of the problems that people faced in the 50's, and for this Pietro Germi was criticized. The story is dramatic without being syrupy. Good photography; I liked the opening sequences with the young boy running to the station, cut with shots of the arriving train. NoShame is a company that specializes in Italian movies; their reissues have been excellent in picture and sound quality, with copious notes. After a busy couple of years, they seem to have slowed down a lot in reissuing dvds. Hopefully there will be more to come. The Railroad Man is well worth watching.

APT - High rise horror

This is another in a long line of long black haired, evil women who seek for vengeance horror flicks. The Ring and the Grudge were successful because they blended elements of old ghost stories into a contemporary setting; with few exceptions, everything else that has been influenced by them are cheap, weakly directed imitations. APT at least tries to borrow from different sources -- Rear Window, Misery, and One Missed Call, but fails to use them effectively. A designer who lives alone in her high rise apartment encounters a woman in red in a subway, who commits suicide and tries to take the designer with her. Meanwhile, people in her high rise complex are mysteriously dying, at the same time each night, after the lights mysteriously turn off. A woman who looks similar to the woman in the subway lives across from the designer, who can't walk. Her parents had died in a freak car accident, and she lives alone, but is being taken care of by all the neighbors. They become friends, but unbeknownst to the designer, her friend is being abused by all those who are claiming to help her, an outlet for their own desires. And there is a crazy guy living in the building as well. What's the connection? You'll be disappointed when you find out. It should have been a more interesting movie, but it isn't. Tired cliché suspense build ups, weak main characters and plot twists sink this film. Pass this one by.

Bewitching Attraction - a dark, star-crossed comedy

This is categorized as a romance, but there is none of the usual elements that crop up in Korean romances. For one thing, the man and the woman in the film do not get together and have a life changing blissful experience. Eun Sook, in a fine performance by Moon So-Ri, is a professor in an arts college who has affairs with many of the male staff. She is also an enviromentalist who, in the beginning of the film, has a torried one nighter with a reporter. Her relations with men are seen as flowing from one to another, scene after scene being paired with the men in her professional and personal life, from dinners, to work, to clandestine meetings. She uses the men not just for sexual pleasure (a few on camera, and others implied through dialogue). It's for the companionship, as well as hiding from herself her own ghosts. Suk Gyu, played by Ji-Jin Hee, plays a comic book artist who becomes a professor at the same school, and it is apparent that when he and Eun Sook meet, they avoid looking at each other, as if they dislike each other immediately, which surprises the coworkers -- he is handsome, and the men were fearful of another rival. In a flashback, as teenagers they had known each other, Eun Sook dating his brother. In a tragic incident, a third friend rivalling for her affections is killed after falling into an empty swimming pool, running from the two brothers to escape a beating. Since then they went in different directions, convinced that when their paths meets, innocent friends of theirs are hurt. Mr. Yoo, another professor, discovers this past and tries to make Suk Gyu acknowledge this, but he does not. Eun Sook has an on and off relationship with the reporter, who is married, and wants to run off to Japan with her. Suk Gyu and Eun Sook do get together, not romantically, but because of their past, and the death of Gyu's mother and Mr. Yoo convince them that they cannot be near each other. This is a muddled movie; the story is too dense and not many characters are fleshed out enough. The humor in this film is dry and subtle, expressed mostly in the men's rivalling for Eun Sook's affections, and her surfing on their waves of emotions. The conclusion is not that satisfying, especially given all the plot elements that are developed. The reason to see this film is because of Moon So-Ri. She sells her character as this beautiful yet flawed woman. Eun Sook has a limp (reasons for which are not known, since in the flashback she walks and runs normally) that drives the guys wild when she moves. Her face is polished, almost bronzed, with pale lipstick and dark eyeliner that makes her severe yet alluring. She doen't bend the men to her will so much as lets things happen as they may; her mere presence is enough of a persuasion for possibilities. Sook breathes a lot of life into her role and this film, but it isn't enough. Her other notable roles were in Oasis and A Good Lawyer's Wife, both outstanding films. I would check those out instead of seeing this one.