freakus Reviews

The Big Tease: Here Comes Another One (1984)

Reprehensible

[1/10 · 31 August 2011]

This movie is basically a crime put on film. I wonder what the laws in Israel were like that this exploitative garbage could even legally be shown. I can't believe the participants would sign a waiver.

It's horrible in every conceivable way. The humor is boorish and classless, the set-ups aren't very funny or clever and the bits of real people they capture aren't interesting. The episode with the large breasted woman is sad and embarrassing to watch for many reasons. It's really hard to believe anyone ever thought this thing was funny even with the changing of attitudes since then.

Just awful.

Stray Cat Rock: Sex Hunter (1970)

Serious subject through the Nikkatsu lens

[9/10 · 9 August 2004]

On the face of it, this is a very "violent youth" type of exploitation film but there are some very interesting social matters running through the film. It revolves around the relationship between Japanese, occupying Americans and the "half" offspring of the groups.

There are interesting contrasts. Baron's gang runs around in American military jeeps yet we see through flashback that Baron's hatred of "halfs" may spring from his sister being raped by a US serviceman. His gang sets up a "party" with foreigners but they are the most ugly and brutish types imaginable. We have these ugly stereotypes of whites on the one hand yet the soundtrack features an on-cameras role by the group "Golden Halfs", five attractive "half" japanese women.

This is all packaged in a fantastic Suzuki style "exploitation "film. Great use of color and composition mark the influence of the Seijin Suzuki style on the director Hasabe. A great film for any "Violent Youth" fans.

Mizu no onna (2002)

Heavy on visuals, light on story

[6/10 · 21 April 2003]

This films story is not very engaging but I found myself enjoying many of it's moments purely for the visual poetry. The scenes of men and women in the bath house, the 9crazy?) woman's living space complete with chickens, the incarnations of the painting of Mt. Fuji on the wall...all these images will stay with me for awhile after I have forgotten what the film was about. UA gives a good performance as a woman haunted by the rain and Asanobu does a good job with what little is given him in the way of character. Don't expect to come away moved by the drama of the film but you may feel as if you have been to a rather good gallery showing.

YMCA Yagudan (2002)

Classic Baseball Film with a bit of History thrown in for good measure

[8/10 · 10 March 2003]

The time is 1905, a time when Korea was in the beginning of it's annexation by Imperial Japan. Resentment was high against the Japanese and into this Era came Korea's first Baseball team. The players for the YMCA Baseball team became a national sensation and Heroes for a country suffering under Imperialism.

Director Hyeon-seok Kim (Writer for "Joint Security Area" and "The Isle" amoung others) brings us a light comedy set in an Era that has spawned mostly very serious and grim films. It's a film that any Baseball genre fans will instantly recognize with elements from "The Bad News Bears" to "The Natural" (special note to fans in San Francisco, spot the reference to Pac Bell Park!) A group of ragtag beginners play hard and win, rising to take on the Empire of Japan in the inevitable Good vs. Evil showdown.

Kang-ho Song (Shiri, J.S.A., The Quiet Family) puts in another great performance this time in a comedic role as a kind of Babe Ruth of Korea, Lee Ho-chang. Lee has the classic struggle between fulfilling his father's wishes to be a scholar and pursuing his passion for baseball. There's also a light love interest between him and Min Jeong-rim (played by Hye-su Kim) which leads to a hilarious mixup with a love poem and a will.

All in all, an enjoyable film without too many serious pretentions. Fans of Sports Comedies/Baseball Genre films will be very pleased.

Pistol Opera (2001)

Visual Feast in color and composition

[9/10 · 25 April 2002]

This film is not for those who are looking for a typical narrative structure. It can be very chaotic in it's visual style and you may not completely understand what is going on at all times but if you just let this film wash over you with it's vision you will be rewarded.

The plot deals with the rankings in a guild of professional killers. (It is a sequel of sorts to Suzuki's earlier film, "Yaju no seishun" (1963) aka. "Youth of the Beast".) This plot is only an excuse for Suzuki's wild and gorgeous visual style. At times I found myself forgetting the story and just smiling at a certain shot's composition and color. It's a riot of color and a pop culture landmark, do yourself a favor and look for it.

One Fine Spring Day (2001)

Masterful filmmaking

[10/10 · 22 April 2002]

This is another very quiet film by Hur about the relationship between two people. Like "Christmas in August" the direction is such that excessive dialogue is unnecessary. We know what the two people involved are thinking at all times through their eyes, the way the look (or don't look) at each other.

It's a story that anyone who has had any experience in love will immediately recognize and get that "I have been there" feeling. The film doesn't sympathize with one person or the other but you probably will empathize with one of them based on your own experiences in love and loss. Two people fall in love, one of them falls out of love (or does she?), is anyone to blame?

The Uprising (1999)

Interesting history and nice cinematography, plot is slow...

[7/10 · 20 August 2001]

This is a the story of an uprising against the Christian factions backed by France in the Cheju island region of Southern Korea. The scenery is quite beautiful and it's very educational from a historical standpoint but the storytelling leaves something to be desired. The characters were never really developed too well and you will probably be checking you watch during the last half of the film.

Gorgeous (1999)

See it for Brad Allen's footwork alone..

[6/10 · 5 April 2001]

The movies weak points have been well explained by other's so far. I want to mention what a great job the Australian Brad Allen does. Not only does he steal the show from Chan during the fight scenes (despite the fact that he is six inches shorter) but his acting is actually pretty good as well! Allen has been on Chan's stunt team for awhile, kudos to Chan for giving him a chance in the spotlight.

I.K.U. (2000)

Trippy Sci-Fi sex romp that's fun for awhile

[6/10 · 13 March 2001]

This experimental sex movie is kind of a sequel to Blade runner. It's book-ended by scenes that are a cheesy homage to the film and the sex robots are supposedly replicants. It's very funny at times and is certainly diverting with it's relentless intercutting of neo-psychedelic special effects with wild camera angles, but this soon all wears a bit thin. Mercifully the version I saw was only 73 minutes long. I enjoyed it and found it exciting but soon started looking at my watch when it was apparent that nothing was really going to happen beyond sex scene after sex scene.

Shadow Magic (2000)

Complex drama about film and east/west relations

[8/10 · 13 March 2001]

This film is about so many things. Most obvious is the hold that film can have over an audience and how capturing life on film can be a kind of magic. There is also the tense relationship between China and the West as many Chinese saw (probably rightly so) the "Barbarians" as trying to take over and pollute their way of life. Liu even seeks to preserve their way of life on film because he sees that it will one day disappear. Their is also Liu's internal conflict between the loyalties and traditions of China versus the self-determination philosophy of the West. All these themes are woven quite skillfully into a coherent and enjoyable whole by Hu. A very enjoyable film.

Love/Juice (2000)

funny and tragic

[9/10 · 12 March 2001]

This is a sweet film about two girls with a very emotionally complicated relationship. Chinatsu is a lesbian who is in love with her friend and roommate, a straight girl (Kyoko). Kyoko loves Chinatsu but doesn't want to have sex with her and resents her interference in her relationships with men. These two live so closely (they even share a single bed) that chinatsu is basically torturing herself emotionally. Yet despite the serious emotional content, it's a very sweet and funny film. Lot's of really cute slice-of-life moments helped immeasurably by the appeal of Chika Fujimura as Kyoko. It's hard not to fall in love with such a goofy and sweet character.

Joint Security Area (2000)

Fascinating glimpse at a complex political situation.

[9/10 · 20 February 2001]

It's a shame that so few Korean films (almost none) get any showing in the U.S. I saw this film at a mini film fest held at a university and I'm very glad I went. The story is set as a murder mystery but that is only the framework to study the tense situation that North and South Koreans have to live with every day as their people are split in two with absolutely no communication between them. Even under the threat of execution, the soldiers in this film risk a friendship. Yet it doesn't devolve into "can't we all just get along" smarminess, the beliefs and motivations of these characters are complex. Sgt. Oh may like the treats that the southerners send but he has no desire to leave his country and believes it will one day surpass the south in every way. I read that this is the number one movie of all time in Korea surpassing even Titanic. I think the fact that it deals with a topic so central to Korean life and yet so seldom openly discussed is a big reason for its success.

Interview (2000)

A love story that keeps you a little off balance

[8/10 · 20 February 2001]

It's an interesting little love story but the technique is what I liked best. The jumps in time and sequence keeps it a little off balance, you hear the same dialogue come up four or five times in the film leaving you a little confused as to when things are actually happening. Some may find this a little off-putting but I found it an interesting puzzle and I think the central story was clear enough.

Chunhyang (2000)

A beautiful fairy tale

[9/10 · 20 February 2001]

This is a lush and beautiful Korean fairy tale with "Romeo and Juliet" like qualities. As I understand it, it is traditionally told in "Pansori" style with a rhythmic singer/storyteller accompanied by a drummer. The film uses a pansori concert as the framework to tell the tale and interweaves the action with the singer's narration to good effect. The story is classic, star-crossed lovers separated by societies rules. A governor's son falls in love with a concubine's daughter and their love must endure long separation and an evil lord's lust. Classic story and an interesting story-telling method make for a truly entertaining film.

Green Fish (1997)

A nice "modern life" film

[8/10 · 20 February 2001]

I see this as a film about how hard it is to do the right thing in the complex modern world. Makdong's family used to own acres of farmland that are now covered in ugly apartment buildings and now they get by selling eggs to the residents. All Makdong wants to do is make this easier for his family and in the process he becomes a gangster just to get by. Even the gangsters are between doing the right thing and doing what they must to survive. Makdong's "Big Brother" likes to think of himself as different from the other thieves and killers that make up the underworld but in the end he is no better.

Westward the Women (1951)

remarkable for its time

[8/10 · 20 February 2001]

This film has a lot of aspects that are quite refreshing and remarkable considering when it was made. The main supporting role is a Japanese cowboy! His character is not a typical stereotype either. Though he is comic relief, he is also given a role as a wise friend to Taylor's character. The unglamourous but brave and capable women in this film are also a nice surprise. They shoot, ride, lift and pull and do all the jobs usually done by men on this trip without complaint. One of the most touching scenes is right after an Indian raid as the women call out the names of the dead and the camera pans down to their lifeless bodies. It's a simple and unsentimental memorial to the sacrifices made.

Female Prisoner Scorpion: Jailhouse 41 (1972)

A beautiful assault on the senses in both story and images

[9/10 · 19 January 2001]

I think the substance of the story has been well described by others already but the look of the film has only been hinted at. It's a wonderfully psychotic vision, I often sat there thinking "Where the heck is the camera? How did they get that angle?". The opening shots of Matsu and the warden in her cell were simply incredible. Throughout the film there are surreal interruptions of the narrative in a "Theatrical" style where the location turns into an obvious backdrop and the lighting becomes more intrusive. These scenes usually highlight what's happening behind the eyes of the silent Matsu.

I won't give it away, but near the end of the movie there is a transition between shots that is so incredible and unexpected that the audience broke out into applause just for a TRANSITION! If you are a fan of surreal film or 60's/70's psycho-cinema you owe it to yourself to seek out this film. It is available on DVD now as well.

Panda! Go Panda! (1972)

Great for kids...interesting for Miyazaki and Takahata fans

[8/10 · 11 January 2001]

This is a very cute little film. The animation is limited but elegant, the characters are very appealing (The Papa in particular is an interesting Proto-Totoro figure) and the story is very easy for young ones to follow. Adults will not really find much of interest unless the are real Miyazaki complete-ists like myself. And the song will stick in your brain.

I Remember Mama (1948)

Dated and Corny and made me cry anyway

[8/10 · 22 October 2000]

O. K. so...I'm your typical cynical San Francisco cinema snob. I recognize all the dated aspects of this film but I balled like a baby at all the right times anyway. I like this film a lot. Though the drama may seem a bit overwrought at times, the basic themes still ring true.

Babes in Arms (1939)

Not only Corny, but more than a little disturbing...

[5/10 · 22 October 2000]

Considering the time in which this was made, many of the elements in this flick are a little disturbing. While the Nazis were getting ready for world domination, these kids are running through the streets of their town with torches. As the kids make a bonfire in the middle of the street, one Arayan ideal sings along to a Wagner score while wreathed in flames. The only thing missing is the tossing of books by "degenerate" authors into the fire. Don't even get started about the Mr. Sambo minstrel show they put on....

Gemini (1999)

Edgar Allen Poe filtered through a japanese cyberpunk lense

[8/10 · 17 October 2000]

This film is based on a story by Edogawa Rampo, a japanese writer who was so enamoured of Edgar Allen Poe that he even took on his name. This Film is the best evidence I've seen of Poe heavy influence. The twins, the well, the wife.... at times I was reminded of "Tell-Tale Heart", "Cask of Amontillado" and "Fall of the House of Usher". Yet the film's art direction and directorial style took these themes in brilliant new directions. I loved the sound design in the early part of the film using Bulgarian(?) female chorus voices to punctuate the terror of the dark house as the wife searches for the father-in-law. The hair and make-up on the wife made her both beautiful and poisonous at the same time. A uniquely creepy film.

Timeless Melody (1999)

reminiscent of Kore-eda or Ozu..

[8/10 · 11 October 2000]

A very sweet and simple film. The director really takes his time with shots, at times it reminded me of Maborosi because I felt a certain distance from the characters. The film isn't necessarily inside the characters heads but is more content to watch them from a respectful distance. Some might find it a little slow and at times my mind did wander but I appreciated it's simplicity.

Wild Life (1997)

Watch Hiroki cope with the chaos

[8/10 · 8 October 2000]

Hiroki abruptly finds himself in the middle of chaos. With yakuza, a thief, a kidnapped boss, the boss' amorous daughter and a cop with a crush all pulling him in different directions, watching him try to make sense of it all is quite entertaining. Some very sweet scenes with Toyohara and Natsuo as Hiroki and Rie as well all the "Wild" comedy. There's also a nice contrast between the wild complexity of the situation and Hiroki's calm demeanor in the face of it all.

A Chinese Ghost Story III (1991)

Holds up well for a sequel.

[8/10 · 4 September 2000]

The visuals and effects are up to par with the the original film and provide a lot of entertainment even if the storyline is essentially the same as the first two films. It also seems a lot more erotically charged than I remember the other films being. If you're a big fan of flying prehensile hair and tongues that can reach all the way down into your stomach, you'll like this film.

Boo! (1932)

Goofy!

[7/10 · 27 August 2000]

I wish I knew the story behind the making of this goofy little short. Basically, it's a bunch of clips from Universal horror features edited together with a wiseacre narrator providing "funny" commentary. Sort of reminds me of a first year editing class project. What was the point?