Recently Seen, part 11 (March, 2016)

Ahhhhh. A fresh thread.

Part 8 of my Asian Horror “Year In Review” playlist is now up. It covers movies released from 1987-1989: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WKzyzrr-ur0

Here are the films I saw this week.

Highly Recommended

Accident (2009) (Chinese Thriller) (repeat viewing) – The leader of a team of hitmen (who kill people and make their deaths look like accidents) grows suspicious when one of his team members dies in an apparent accident. This film is a non-stop exhibition of paranoia. The scriptwriting is first-class as it straddles the line between chance and intent through a number of events that may signify an orchestrated murder by another party. Pacing is surprisingly deliberate, but this could be considered a positive because it allows the paranoia to take center stage. The accidents themselves are very cool, Louis Koo gives a great performance, and the direction is top notch.

Office (2015) (Korean Mystery Horror) – After a section chief murders his family, a detective questions the man’s co-workers but suspects that they are hiding something. This is a proficiently executed slow burn that feels somewhat unconventional due to its emphasis on the relentless, psychological pressures of competing in an office environment. This provides a sufficiently dramatic basis for the violence. I work in an office myself, so two additional elements worked well for me: (1) the concept of a psycho killer who hides and lives within an office building; and (2) the fact that danger is manifested by working late at night. The way the mystery is crafted holds interest throughout. This is nicely directed and acted (Ah-sung Ko is really good), with a creepy vibe that is earned thru excellent sound design. Some intense moments to enjoy down the stretch.

Recommended

Socialphobia (2014) (Korean Drama) – After an internet message board poster leaves vicious comments on a soldier’s death, a group of young men seek out the person’s house in order to scare her. An unexpected event occurs, which forces these people to perform their own investigation so that the incident does not negatively impact their futures. This focuses quite a bit on social media. It’s glacially paced, which results in some dull patches, but it’s got enough to hold interest and is well-acted.

Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon 2: Sword of Destiny (2016) (Chinese Action) – I went into this expecting a typical period action film that’s less artsy than its predecessor, and that’s basically what I got. Nicely shot, with some impressive locations. Good fights are peppered throughout – the best of which involve Donnie Yen on an iced-over pond and Michelle Yeoh in a dark room (fighting a witch). There is use of wires (as expected) and some use of CGI (but not too much). The characters and story are generic, which makes this feel like a “by-the-book” movie. Certainly a style-over-substance affair, but a watchable one.

Not Recommended

The Visit (2015) (American Horror/Comedy) – M. Night Shyamalan continues his streak of underwhelming films with this tale of two siblings who become frightened by their grandparents disturbing behavior while visiting them on vacation. Right from the start, the comedy simply does not work. The rapping kid is annoying, and the lame humor basically just destroys any sense of dread or fear. Plenty of idiotic moments to sit thru, as well as some terrible performances by the grandparents. Everything feels so staged and fake. The dialogue is boring to sit through, so this flick feels longer than its 94-minute runtime. Attempts at serious drama are embarrassing. This is a very poor effort, and I have no idea why it’s getting positive reviews.

Bottom of the Barrel

Apartment 1303 (2012) (American Horror) – Following a family dispute, a woman moves out of her home and moves into apartment 1303 on the thirteenth floor of a downtown Detroit apartment building. However, a 9-year-old neighbor explains that a previous occupant of her new apartment killed herself. Strange things begin to occur in the apartment. This is a remake of a Japanese horror film that fails miserably to live up to the fairly low standards of the mediocre original. This is god awful garbage that is almost incomprehensibly worthless on every single level! Immediately the viewer will notice the atrocious acting; Rebecca De Mornay is at her worst, but this film showcases one of the most embarrassing performances by a lead actress in years (Julianne Michelle). The dialogue is abysmal and totally artificial. The scare tactics are as lazy as humanly imaginable. The only redeeming factor is the unintentional laughter that it provokes. This is truly one of the worst horror films of recent memory.

YouTube Asian Movie Review Channel
https://www.youtube.com/user/anticlimacus100

So glad to see you're the host of our Recently seen thread! :)


Although I tried to fasttrack watching some Asian stuff so I can do the honors of starting the recently seen thread. Only to find out you beat me to it  So to compensate, I made this post to see my name on the first page.  lol Welcome to my life.


I've been quite slow with my viewings lately as I'm re-watching the anime series Fushigi Yuugi (Mysterious Play). I'm still on episode 9, out of 52 episodes, so goodluck to me as I still have a long way to go.




====================
Silentium-https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hh8gXW8eV6I

I logged in with a load to post and couldn't post it so I started the new thread. We should start a new thread when the posts trail off instead of waiting for iMDB to lock it. Giddy up!

Hello all. It's been several years since I've frequented the IMDb boards, so it's good to know this community is still going strong. I'm trying to get back to watching more Asian films and the most recent recommendation I took upon viewing was Koreeda's Our Little Sister.

Having seen some of his earlier films, I came into it knowing it would be a slow burn of a family drama. Although it was, I was not disappointed at all. The acting was nothing short of great, and I genuinely felt as if I was invited into the lives of these sisters and became empathetic to their situation a quarter-way into the film. The attention I gave it may also be due to the actress who plays the oldest sister, Haruka Ayase. Having just seen Cyborg Girl - another recommended film by some of you - I was not only surprised to know she starred in this but was surprised at her 7 year transformation as an actress and a woman (or maybe I shouldn't be?). Much more mature now - yet still breathtakingly beautiful - she played the part of the older and responsible sister quite convincingly. But the actress who really shone here was the titular little sister, Suzu Hirose. The expressions she portrayed with limited dialogue kept me invested. Koreeda has a knack for choosing and directing child actors and actresses. I wouldn't mind watching any of her future starred films.

In short, I loved it. The pacing was slow and deliberate but I felt as if I wanted to spend more time with the family in the end. Thanks for the tip.

Part 9 of my Asian Horror “Year In Review” playlist is now up. It covers movies released from 1990-1991: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CoqglDZ_ZzU

Here are the films I saw this week.

Highly Recommended

The Piper (2015) (Korean Horror/Drama) – This film is inspired by the Pied Piper of Hamelin legend. Shortly after the Korean war, a father and a son are wandering through the country and make a stop in a remote village, where the residents still believe the war to be ongoing. During his visit, the protagonist attempts to help the villagers with their rat infestation problem, but he gets a bit too nosy regarding the local secrets. The horror elements are backloaded, but the opening 45 minutes do a very nice job at establishing the characters and conflicts. This builds a nice dramatic impact when the horror arrives. Direction and performances are solid. This is an old school, classy, legend-inspired horror.

Trouble Every Day (2001) (French Horror) – While visiting France with his new wife, a man (disturbed with thoughts of murder) seeks out a neuroscientist for help. Unfortunately, the doctor’s wife (Beatrice Dalle) suffers from the same condition and must be locked indoors to prevent her from murdering people. Viewer be warned that there are some really nasty, disturbing scenes of bloody violence. Some of the violence is also mixed with sexual content. It’s truly disgusting stuff, but it is also elevated above mere exploitation due to the overall quality of the film. Sound design and direction are very impressive. This is deliberately paced but still piles on a menacing tone and tension. Minimal dialogue helps matters.

Room (2015) (Canadian/Irish Drama/Thriller) – A kidnapped mother and son live their lives in a small room. This begins rather slowly but efficiently builds tension with the situation. If the viewer is lucky enough to avoid an online plot synopsis, they will be treated to an unforeseen turn of events that adds more depth to the characters and premise. Very good performances anchor this emotionally affecting drama.

Recommended

Mermaid (aka Mei Ren Yu) (2016) (Chinese Fantasy Comedy) – An estate project involving reclamation of the sea threatens the livelihood of the mermaids who rely on the sea to survive. So they dispatch one of their own to seduce and kill the project manager. Director Stephen Chow gives us a charmingly wacky, high energy film that moves at a brisk pace from start to finish. The premise allows for some unorthodox character interaction, which is especially entertaining. Like some of his other flicks, there are some serious moments that are introduced but they work well despite resulting in some tonal shifts. The special effects are lower grade, but they don’t distract quite as much due to the comedy genre. The environmental theme and characters are basic, but this is certainly fun and quite different.

Bronson (2008) (British Comedy/Drama) – A young man who was sentenced to seven years in prison for robbing a post office ends up spending three decades in solitary confinement. During this time, his own personality is supplanted by his violent alter-ego. Tom Hardy is very good in this; it’s definitely one of his livelier roles and he’s frankly hilarious as an incredibly surly dude who loves to punch people in the face. I was totally surprised at the amount of humor present, since IMDb inexplicably does not list it as a comedy. The script meanders around and is a bit odd, but it works overall.

The Witness (2015) (Chinese Thriller) – A former policewoman, blinded by an auto accident, crosses paths with a serial killer who targets women. This is a remake of the Korean film “Blind” (2011), with the same director returning here. The original film was good, but this film is just as entertaining, if not better. It is a conventional thriller that is executed well and has a bit of heart. The acting is good and the characters are likeable. Some good set pieces are introduced, like a chase involving a motorcycle and a rollerblader, as well as a pretty good finale.

Not Recommended

Insidious: Chapter 3 (2015) (American Horror) – A prequel set before the haunting of the Lambert family that reveals how psychic Elise Rainier reluctantly agrees to use her ability to contact the dead in order to help a teenage girl who has been targeted by a dangerous supernatural entity. This has the same general flaws as its precedessors, with loads of boring filler material that is infused with jump scares. Dermot Mulroney is terrible and Lin Shaye is yet again completely unwatchable. There are some incredibly dumb scenes in this, especially during the latter half. The big confrontation between the psychic and the spirits has some eye-rolling dialogue.

YouTube Asian Movie Review Channel
https://www.youtube.com/user/anticlimacus100

Saw some of those films recommended here and some others:

1. Our Little Sister: I wish I could have liked this half as much as you guys. I'm on board with Koreeda but I think his films are split into two types: those with problems and those without problems. Little Sister suffered from a severe lack of a problem. I appreciated all the nicey-nice, especially considering some of the horror we accidentally get exposed to in films (see below). It's a nice break from that and a refreshing atmosphere generally. But when they started complementing each other's pickled cabbages and supportively showing up for every junior-varsity soccer practice... my internal screaming irony meter started going nuts. Like, come on.

I got really bored of this film about halfway through and bailed, because it was very clear nothing was ever going to happen. Koreeda sometimes thinks he can just Ozu his way through a film with nothing in particular happening. But his characters and his photography are not as good as Ozu. I also bailed on Still Walking. He is just Woody Allening his way through films, enjoying making them, but he doesn't care how they 'come out.' But his films Like Father, Like Son, and Nobody Knows, where there is a very severe problem, are world-class good. I guess it says a lot for a filmmaker if he is different things to different people.

Some Japanese films are just too sincere and don't rise to a higher level of self-awareness..

2. ... Like this one, Jinkusu!!! Also had some charm, but never rose above the one-dimensional level. Just too dry and pat for me. Okay, it had a few good jokes, when referencing Western films in a very Japanese way. I did enjoy the comparative Japan-Korean thing. Especially since it has been much discussed here. 

3. Flying Colors (2015) right up the same alley. If you like very straight, sincere heartwarming Japanese fare, you'll be gratified with this one. But as film... cute girls doing cute *beep* -- It's not enough, and I start to fast-forward through the last half hour.

4. The Witness makes me think that for lack of a better plan, the Chinese are trying to just make Korean movies with Korean scripts and Korean directors. This one is about average for a Korean thriller. Well it's on youtube in high quality so it don't cost you nothin' to watch it.

5. On a slightly higher level, Black Coal, Thin Ice is another very Korean Chinese movie. This is certainly one of the best Chinese films I've seen so far. I'm still optimistic their output will improve. Certainly when they overthrow the communists it will. Great cold-weather setting in this one. Harbin is not on my shortlist of must-see places, thanks anyway.

6. Spirited Away. The stuff of nightmares.

7. Lost In Thailand. As stupid as this film is, it's got to be one of the best "movies" out of China so far, in an 80s American comedy kind of way. You can almost see the tectonic plates of China's culture grinding, this thing is so new to itself. If you like a good stupid comedy once in a while, this one doesn't fail to deliver, but it also has a lot of that toe-curlingly bad Chinese quality to it. Too straight, too baldly corporate and censor-friendly. Shallow, crass consumerism, the worst kind of new-money materialism, objectification of da girls... Some Chinese films come from the same place, theatrically, as those corporate rah-rah sessions where everyone demonstrates excellent posture and team spirit for the boss. Gag me with a spoon. The one major cockup of this film was the inevitable Fan BingBing cameo, where she should have strode out gamely, but instead really came off as the flint-hearted corporate whore she is. Yikes. Would it kill you to smile once?

8. Devil and Angel (2015) was another really bizarre one. I still just can't decide what I think of this one. It's bad, but really interesting and enjoyable in some ways. Weirdly square Beijing millennial hipsters. There's something about Chinese films with the sound -- like they overdub everything and you feel like you're in a strangely one-dimensional and tedious dream; everything a little bit at arm's length, sonically. Visually, there's an element of 1980s London punk underground to it that I'm sure they are not even aware of. Pretty bad film apart from the hilarious supporting role from unknown hottie Lele Dai. Must-see for anthropologists of China.

9. Deadpool. The worst movie I have ever seen [half of, before walking out] by a long shot.

10. Penny Pinchers (2011). I don't know how I missed this one, but it's every bit as good as your average good krom-kom. Laugh out loud funny in parts, a little crude but not offensive, dialed right into the zeitgeist of millennial generation Koreans, touching and clever and twisty. CJ Entertainment just bats this kind of thing out like a machine; it really is exactly what it says on the tin. Han Ye-Seul is so incredibly nice to look at, I enjoyed every frame of this film. The girl knows how to wear a flannel shirt. Was thinking man, what is it about these korean chicks?... then saw that she's from LA.



------------

Bonus for reading this whole post:
Enjoyed this analysis of Memories of Murder, and some of you might too
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=v4seDVfgwOg

I entertained the notion of punting on Little Sister for a moment about half way through, then I decided to reassess my notion of what a film is supposed to do = ie., resolve conflict. Thanks Aristotle, but you're old. I applaud Koreeda for exploring "nice". It's got to be one of the greater challenges a film maker faces because of a reality TV culture that wants Jerry Springer BS vs the notion that nice means it belongs on the Hallmark Channel. And I'm weird in that I really don't give a turd what a film does if I like hanging out with the people in it.

Sidebar: Name one Korean film maker whose photography is better than Koreeda's. I challenge you. Korea doesn't seem to be known for photography. Production Values, yes. Sorry, but Monkees. In Still Walking, the shot of the kids reaching for the Sakura. Come on. Beat that with any moment from any film made by a Korean.

I'm bummed you didn't like Jinks!!!. I thought you'd at least have fun with it. I'm sure all those scenes of the Japanese doing their bowed head thing irritated you, while it entertained me. ... That scene where K tells J to smile and then K throws a perfect smile at her and J simply can't do it. Too good. Brilliant film.

Black Coal, Thin Ice kicks ass. You might try the director's Night Train. More more bleak. There's nothing Korean about his films but if being good means Korean to you, then okay.

Can't tell by your unwritten words if you know this (I bet you do) ... but The Witness is a Korean film. A remake by the same director of his Blind (Beul-la-in-deu) [2011]. It's in my queue out of curiosity. I don't know what to make of this kind of thing.

Lost In Thailand is the kind of movie I will never watch. Too bad it's what China is trying so hard to accomplish. But then again, I've all but completely given up on Hong Kong movies. They are mostly worse than the worst of Hollywood.

China has moved way out in front in terms of trying to sell movies with posters of people making stupid faces. So sad. Very few Japanese posters do that. Bless them. Korea is somewhere in the middle but advancing quickly on China. Sads.

Penny Pinchers = queued

Hey on a side note, I'd love to see your top 10 list of asian comedies. If I am reading your taste in films right, you can't stomach the crass broad comedies, and a lot of what you like is the arthouse style that is sometimes too dry and humorless for me. What kind of comedy is up your alley?

Believe me, I'm not bashing Koreeda and I will watch all his films on the strength of Father, Air Doll, and Nobody. And I know you're not directing the Jerry Springer thing to me, cause I don't resemble that remark. It's just for him particularly, that I think HIS films with a plot are much better than the ones without. I could give you a list as long as my arm of pure atmosphere films I dig -- starting with Lucrecia Martelwho not so famously remarked 'story is overrated' -- that's not the issue. I agree, nice people are underrepresented in the media.

Yeah funny you mentioned the bowing the head think in Jinkusu, I did enjoy that, and it reminded me actually of what's-his-name in Last Life in the Universe. A very Japanese thing, observed and visualized by that Thai director.

Black Coal, not Korean style? Seriously sitenoise? I thought I was watching Yellow Sea, or that other one, same director. It's totally formulaic Korean thriller in style and script. Name another Chinese film it remotely resembles. What I forgot to say about this one is it struck me as Jia Zhang-ke does a korean thriller. I dug it.

Yes I know Witness was korean, that's what I was trying to say in my contorted way. It was decent but could have been one hour, not two.

These Lost in Thailand type films greatly inform my impression of what's going on in China, which I have no end of appetite for, so I don't regret watching them. Even though it is basically warmed-over Tiny Times.

Name one Korean film maker whose photography is better than Koreeda
Easy. Chang-dong Lee. Neither of them are an Ozu, they're about on par. Pretty straight and classical. But there is some more fancy photography on display in flicks like Mother, Han Gong-ju, I'm not your go-to Kim Ki-duk fan but Spring, Summer? Come on. I would agree the Korean film industry probably pushes things in a more pop direction visually, whereas in Japan directors have a more classical auteur style. I think it's more just how they are trying to identify themselves and what they're doing. I don't see a lot that looks experimental coming out of Japan. Apart from the TV commercials..

Penny Pinchers is great fun if you're not expecting too much. Don't expect anything really intelligent. 