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Reviews
The Creature Walks Among Us (1956)
An intelligent sequel
I loved the original, and was excited to see more of Gill-Man and this film delivered - and with a little more.
The Creature Walks Among Us, despite its clumsy title, is very clever and chooses to focus more on the human characters than the body count. It is full of good acting, smart dialogue, and discussions on science and philosophy to make it an interesting as well as fun monster B-movie.
As the Lovecraftian creature lumbers around in its typical glorious fashion, hard questions are raised about the nature of the amphibious creature, both its physiological and psychological properties. The people then too begin to investigate themselves, what is the nature of man, society, good and evil.
With much more brains than either its predecessors, I really hope audiences overlook this little gem.
Revenge of the Creature (1955)
I thought it'd be an enjoyable sequel, but no.
Everything was interesting about the original film. Not so for 'Revenge.'
I thought it would be a fun monster mash, this time with Gill-Man running amok in the big city. But instead it's forty minutes of a romantic drama set in Sea World and to be honest I started to fast forward through all the scenes without Gill-Man, which turned out to be most of the movie, and I'm not saying it's easy to make a movie but all they had to do was have Gill-Man exceed the body count of the previous film amidst different surroundings but the studio or the director or somebody decided to shoehorn The Most Boring Romantic Subplot which eats away about 40 minutes of its running time. Now, the original had a romantic subplot, but it was taut, full of conflict and meshed with the broader themes the film dealt with. In 'Revenge' there seems to be two different films being made at the same time, which wouldn't be so bad if the Gill-Man's vengeance took center stage, but that sadly doesn't happen. It's crap.
Tightrope (1984)
Solid addition for your Clint Eastwood to-watch list
Detective Wes Block (Eastwood) is on the trail of a serial killer, and has to swim into the seedyunderworld of New Orleans' red-light district in pursuit. There he has to confront not only sin of all forms, as well as the darkness in his own soul, at the same time becoming ever-absent as a father for his two young girls.
The performances are solid, and Eastwood shows a little of his tender, particularly around his children, while being self-aware of his ineptitude as a parent. Geneviève Bujold also gives a strong performance. The kids are really great.
My problem with this, and this 'detective vs. serial-killer' subgenre, is that it doesn't evoke the suspense of a straight slasher, and lacks the fun of a police film.
Yet it is one of the better outputs, and seeing Eastwood show some of his sweetness, stepping away from the persistent bitterness of Dirty Harry, makes the film watchable.
It's entertaining as a cop drama, but by no means un-missable except for Eastwood fans.
Ginrei no hate (1947)
A surprisingly moving and poetic film.
Don't expect a cops-and-robbers film full of action here. This is a slow, pensive movie that is surprisingly touching in moments. The plot follows some hardened criminals finding their soft side, when hiding out in a mountain cottage with an old man and his good-humored grand-daughter.
The beauty of their snowy surroundings, as well as the generosity of their hosts, slowly begin to change the attitudes of our runaway bandits. But, crime does not pay, and the scenic mountains are also treacherous.
In other words, expect a poetic film that avoids moralization, but instead shows and explores. Images and sounds, including classical music (sometimes played diegetically on an old record in the hideout cottage), speak in layers, not in terms of black and white - very different from the typical gangster films of its decade.
Minagoroshi no kenjû (1967)
Enter a hellish realm of power, fast women, and bloodshed
A neat little flick for 60/70's yakuza film fans. It has all the regular ingredients - suits, shootouts, car chases, good-looking women, and scenes of Tokyo night-life of its day.
This movie is only 90 minutes long, but strangely it felt a lot longer. It is perhaps the complicated plot and the wide web of plot strands which bogs down the plot.
However, there is plenty of action - often brutal, sudden, and violent.
I enjoy this genre, and I hope to continuing watching these types of films, yet Gun Massacre is not one of my favorites. Themes of honor, and brotherhood is confused, and perhaps the aim of the film is to clarify - crime does not pay.
In fact, it pays a hefty fine. The world depicted in this movie is full of baddies and youth who are led down a dangerous or destructive path. Some are reluctant to participate in this hellish realm of money, power, and bloodshed - understandably so.
A memorably shot of a lone gunman, wounded and bloody, struggling to walk while continuing to shoot back was an attesting image.
Ankokugai no bijo (1958)
Sexy, Smart, and Stylish -- a good date movie
Another classic romp that ticks all the boxes - gangsters, shoot-outs, loyalty, betrayal, twists and turns.
The film is not as lurid as the poster suggests. But, if like Mr. Burns, you think movies were sexier when people kept their clothes on, then this one's up your alley.
But while it's not exploitational, this film is not exactly 'feminist' either. In fact, what we get is a fully-formed female lead - we see her in a wide range of situations, she falls in and out of love, she acts emotionally, sometimes foolishly, but also displays acts of valor.
It works as a date movie.
And the final showdown is, as expected, really exciting.
Tôkyô nagaremono (1966)
style/substance 60's punk-cabaret shoot 'em up filled with suited-up yakuzas
This is definitely what you'd call "style over substance." Regarding said style, it is done exceptionally well. However if you're a viewer that likes consistency or realism, this is not the film for you.
The plot is not what's important, but such as it is - a former Yakuza boss and his loyal henchman, Tetsu, are being bullied into an unfair real-estate deal by an active Yakuza gang, lead by Otsuka. Gunfights ensue, as Tetsu fights back, skips town, returns home, and learns the meaning of loyalty.
Unfortunately, the lead character, Tetsu, is just not that interesting. The actor plays him completely straight, and a lot of the time he looks bored as opposed to stoic.
His undying loyalty to his former boss is the main drama of the film, but the two actors lack any chemistry to give this relationship any emotional depth.
So ultimately, it becomes all about the action sequences. The bar brawl in the middle was my favorite, and the surrealistic final showdown takes second place for me.
In summary, if a 60's punk-cabaret shoot 'em up filled with suited-up yakuzas is what you're after, give this a go. It's too bad though that there wasn't more humor or romance in it, to make it something more.
Nora inu (1949)
A slow, overly long action-less Detective Drama
There was a great chase scene in the begining where a policeman's gun is stolen. That's it. The rest is mostly a snail-paced, boring detective drama. It lacks in suspense, is overly long, and has moments of un-earned melodrama. But its biggest fault is that the plot circles around from having too many scenes without any plot development.
It is set during a Tokyo heat-wave, which should create a mood of claustrophobia and tension, but instead it becomes a metaphor on the tedium as you endure watching actionless scene after actionless scene.
It is directed well. Scenes are shot, there's some interesting cinematography, and the acting is okay. However the script itself is too weak to make it a worthwhile watch, except for maybe Kurosawa devotees.
Koruto wa ore no pasupooto (1967)
An uber-cool crime flick from the 1960's
An uber-cool crime flick from the 1960's. The story is quite straight-forward, and I don't want to spoil any of it, just that it contains murder, betrayal, and a femme fatale.
As an action film, it is smart, well-paced and full of twists and "he got 'em!" moments. But it could also be read as a character study of a stoic, and nihilistic gangster facing a probable death-sentence.
There's not much else to say. It's a joyride, right up until the final shot - that made me at least - want to cheer out loud.
Fûzen no tomoshibi (1957)
A fun little flick for fans of the fifties'
This is a treat if you are a fan of films from the fifties or sixties.
Set over the course of one day, a lower middle-class family living in the countryside, one sunny day receives good news: the father has won a newspaper competition. THe prize - an expensive camera. But as the news spread 'cross town, an ensemble of variouscharacters descend upon the house seeking part or whole of the loot.
It is generically a comedy, but, as the title suggests, there is a sense of sinister forboding maintained right 'til the end. In fact, the film quickly shifts gears - light comedy, crime-thriller, melodrama to slapstick.
The acting is what holds the film together. The ensemble cast are mesmerising - nobody misses a beat. The direction too, which often opts for show don't tell approach ensures an interesting viewing experience.
Finally, it is not very long. So, even if you are not charmed by this modest feature as I was, know that it will only thieve a fraction of your afternoon.