What Films Have You Seen Recently?

[Nosferatu@Cult Labs]

The Master (1992) ★★½

By no means the strongest film that Tsui Hark or Jet Li have ever made/appeared in, this is a US-set Hong Kong film from the Golden Harvest production company, almost a forerunner for the many Jackie Chan films in the US.

The plot doesn't stand up to any scrutiny, with Jet Li (playing a character called Jet, reminiscent of the many films where Jackie Chan's character was called Jackie) travelling to the US to see his master, someone who is – for no reason at all – being beaten, harassed, and threatened by a former student (Jerry Trimble, sporting a spectacularly terrible mullet).

At the airport, Jet has some of his luggage stolen by the group of three Hispanic guys but after, showing some impressive athletic and martial arts skills to catch them, they fall to their knees and demand he becomes their 'shifu' (master). This is one of many sequences that lurches awkwardly between drama and comedy, with a further character, May (Crystal Kwok), creating a romantic element to the story.

This surprised me because of how few combat sequences allowed its lead to show his formidable skills, but this is probably born out of necessity because Li sustained a broken wrist during filming and there are many scenes where his right hand is notable by its absence, often hidden by a long sleeve, bag, or another actor.

There are some weird lines, glaring errors in continuity and sequence; the final sequence shows Li and Trimble drop down two flights from the roof of a tower block, fight, and appear at the window half a dozen stories further down. These mistakes aren't deal-breakers – they just underscore the film's mediocrity.

[MrBarlow]

Assassins. 1995.

Hitman Robert Rath wants to retire but is given a new target, when young up and coming Hitman Bain keeps taking away the targets, Rath teams up with a computer hacker and target Electra and fight back against Bain and retire once and for all.

Sylvester Stallone takes the lead as Robert Rath, ageing hitman looking for a new quiet life, Antonia Banderas proves he can play a evil badass as new guy Bain who tries to move in and retire those around him. Julianne Moore plays the hacker Electra who becomes a intended target and would be work partner for Rath.

This was a decent cat and mouse game between the two hitmen that's played out well even though director Richard Donner didn't think the film worked out well if the actors swapped roles but personally I think the film does work from start to finish even though Stallone's performance can be stiff and wooden in some places.

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[Demdike@Cult Labs]

Originally Posted by Demoncrat

The Child I put up there with Lemora for atmosphere ....

Probably just me but i think it would make for a great double bill with Let's Scare Jessica to Death

[Demoncrat]

Great triple bill then, next Boxing Day sorted

[MrBarlow]

Sudden Death. 1995.

Ex fireman Darren McCord takes his kids to a ice hokey game and takes on terrorists who have the Vice President hostage.

This is by no means a masterpiece, Van Damme does try to keep it entertaining as much as possible, there is one or two scenes that happen that will leave you scratching your head thinking shouldn't you be dead sort of thing. Powers Boothe plays the ex Secret Service agent turned terrorist who knows the system on money transfers, Boothe plays the part well and comes out with one or two funny comments. IMO this isn't Van Damme's greatest role yet it was a guilty pleasure of mine when it first came out and after watching it, it's still somewhat of a guilty pleasure.

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[Demdike@Cult Labs]

Comic Book Villains (2002)

Black comedy with a proper mean spirit as two rival comic book stores chase after Eileen Brennan's rare comic book collection following the death of her collector son.

A great cast of indie stars including Donal Logue, Cary Elwes, Michael Rapaport, Monet Mazur and the truly nasty Natasha Lyonne make this deliciously watchable, i've seen it four or five times myself now, but only DJ Qualls is truly likable.

Fun but spiteful.

[gag]

Island of death.


Most times a film with notoriety goes one way or the other, the film good but the violence gore or whatever doesn't live up to the hype, or it lives up to the hype but the film itself tends to be rubbish MSP anyone, and this fits into the second category, you can see what all the fuss was about when it was first released in the middle 70s, and why it got banned or censored, it's like a softcore porn film with rape and violence, don't know why the lead actress bothered to get dressed she spent most of the film with her clothes off, apart from the controversy I thought the film was garbage, so I don't know if to keep the film because it's uncut from Arrow and controversial, or get rid because it garbage and chances of me watching it again are more or less zero.

[nicholasrope]

Whole Nine Yards

Matthew Perry is a Dentist in Canada and finds out that his new next door neighbor is a Hitman in hiding played by Bruce Willis. Rosanna Arquette is Perry's Wife who wants him dead, Amanda Peet is Perry's Assistant (With a secret) and Michael Clarke Duncan is another Hitman on Willis's trail. Other than Peet's distraction scene, I couldn't remember a thing other that I enjoyed it and it's still good even though Perry is just really doing his Chandler role.

City Slickers II: Legend Of Curly's Gold

Billy Crystal finds a Treasure Map in Curly's hat and along with Daniel Stern and his Brother played play Jon Lovitz, goes to find it. Along the way, they encounter Curly's Identical Brother again played by Jack Palance. It's in ok sequel but not a patch on it's original.

Surviving The Game

Ice T is homeless and his given a job being a guide on a Hunting Expedition in the wilderness led by Rutger Hauer and Gary Busey. However it's a ruse and he is being hunted by them, therefore he has to outsmart them. This is a decent effort, well worth a watch.

Whole Ten Yards

The gang is back and after a gangster's fortune. Definitely not a patch on it's predecessor, the script just felt it was making it up as it goes along.

Law Abiding Citizen

Gerard Butler's Wife and Daughter are murdered and when D.A. Jamie Foxx makes a deal giving one of the Criminals a soft deal, he waits and takes his revenge on everybody involved. I thoroughly enjoyed this, Butler is well good in this with some inventive kills and a bit of a mystery on how he's doing everything.

Don't get why the Law Enforcement set of a bomb in a Prison though.

[Demoncrat]

Ogroff: The Mad Mutilator (1983, Norbert Moutier)

French madness. What's a man to do when he keeps finding non locals in his forest?
Rampage?
Aye, go on then ....
A nth tier delight, hideously dark in places (UHD SURELY on the cards? )

[MrBarlow]

Comedown. 2012.

Six friends head into a abandoned tower block where they once lived to set up a pirate radio signal for a friend, with booze and drugs fueled up, and a girl missing, one of the group thinks someone is in the building with them. Passing it off as the guy is tripping the group soon believe they are being stalked.

From the director of Kidutlhood tries his best to make a British horror film that's almost like watching Tobe Hooper's remake of Toolbox Murders, the acting is mediocre, even I was begging for one of the group to be killed in a hurry acting like a big man yet squealed when he got killed. There is some dark atmospheric moments and some claustrophobic scenes but wouldn't go out all the way to say It was the bee's knee's. If interested it's on youtube for free.

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