Over time i thought id post some quick reviews of the Godzilla films ive been getting. Ill probably review the ones i like most last… i got most of them from madman… but i also really want Godzilla vs. Biollante… ill have to get that from the link Hung Fist provided in the Kaiju topic… anyway heres the first one…
Godzilla vs. Megaguirus ( Japan, 2000 ) 3/5
This is probably my favourite of the Millennium Era Godzilla films. The battles are epic, the monsters huge and menacing ( for Suitmation ect ) When crowds of extras run away they look terrified. The great musical score, style and tone come close to rivalling the better of the Heisei Series. But the plot is often convent and the continuity is strange… I think i like it because its less a reintroduction/reinvention of Godzilla ( dispite the way he appears in the film being a little different ) then it is a classic monster clash with Godzilla himself being as big a threat as Megaguirus… Some trivia… When the complete Megaguirus appears and flys around the city you can clearly see the wires…
Sasori: Den of the Beast (Japan, 1973)
Although still a very solid and competent piece of genre-cinema, I can’t help feeling a little cheated with what became of it during the last ten minutes. Completely different in tone and athmosphere, “Beast Stable” (international title) was the first in the series that actually worked as a serious drama, and while there were some truly nasty exploitive elements to boot (dealing with themes like Incest or Forced Abortion, the third “Sasori”-flick is anything but you’re average mainstream crime-fluff), they’ll have to be considered in a character-oriented context, rather than serving mere graphical shock value. The Arthouse-direction has been abandoned in favour of a more gritty and depressing approach to real life events, yet not without offering bits of awesome picturesque quality throughout. But instead of concluding with a full-blown accord on the human score of emotions, this “Female Convict Scorpion” kinda dribbled away. Slowly fading out, instead of delivering a powerful dissonance, a well groomed punch to the stomach; an all-out radical Run for Revenge, that is. So much for my disappointment with it.
- German DVD
Sukiyaki Western Django (Japan, 2007) – 3/5
Takashi Miikes’s sukiyaki western is not a remake of the Sergio Corbucci original but has a slight connection to it. The new age eastern suffers from some irritating flaws such as unnecessary playing with colours and contrast, but manages to entertain as a whole. Shot fully in English the dialogue spoken by the Japanese cast can prove challenging to understand at times, but it’s not as bad as some people would let you understand. At 120 min the film feels long but not necessarily in a bad way. Nevertheless, the first 60 minutes could do with some tweaking as not all scenes are entirely successful. The second half is more enjoyable and also packs a very stylish finale. The new Djago theme is excellent but only used at the very end of the film (which is for a reason, though). On Miike’s career Django marks another mainstream effort, although there’s a handful of scenes that remind you of who exactly is sitting behind the camera.
Sasori 4: Grudge Song (Japan, 1973)
In many ways I found “Grudge Song” to be a shamefully underappreciated entry into the “Female Convict Scorpion” series. It may not seem as meticulously composed as previous parts, but story-wise it’s still a very satisfying, hardboiled and anarchic crime-thriller, with Meiko Kaji’s character at her most ambivalent (and therefore most fascinating). The use of colour was bleak and depressing, the action crude and unpolished, but in a good “Zero Woman: Red Handcuffs”-way. Exploitive Rape-Scenarios, grisly beatings, sadistic superiors, Revenge … it’s all there and then some. Got me hooked in no time, and didn’t let go until the melancholic finale.
- German DVD
Man, I love you for understanding that movie. Grudge Song is indeed a terrific crime drama and so often misunderstood.
The White Dragon (Hong Kong, 2004) – 2/5
SPL director Wilson Yip’s modern wuxia comedy isn’t a terrible movie, just a hard one to get very excited about. The action is neither terrible nor great, just like almost everything about the movie. Leading lady Cecilia Cheung is a bit boring, but Francis Ng has his moments.
- dvd / R3 HK
Naked Island (Japan, 1960) – 2,5/5
95 minutes without dialogue or storyline. I can imagine how painful this could be for someone who doesn’t like slow movies and isn’t interested in the essence of Japan. The music however is beautiful, and the longer the movie gets the more captivating it becomes. Still, not the most exiting one and half hours in my life, but an interesting experience nevertheless. Abandoning plot driven storytelling is always a respectable move, too.
- TV
Sars Wars (Thailand, 2004) – 1,5/5
Hip and cool horror comedy for the Charlie’s Angels remake generation. Just what you’d expect. A couple of funny scenes have found their way into the movie, though. I also liked the songs during the “romanticâ€
Queen’s High (Hong-Kong, 1991)
Here’s a rhetorical question: Can a movie, that starts off with Cynthia Khan gunning down Triad baddies in Slo-Mo with an Uzi, while wearing a blood-stained wedding dress, actually be bad? “Queen’s High” a.k.a. “In the Line of Duty: The Beginning” (or just “The Beginning”) was one of those rare lucky finds, considering it’s not even listed on the imdb yet. Once you’ve learned to ignore them pretty nonsensical English subs, you’re in for extremely fast-paced Ass-Kickin’ on behalf of Miss Khan, and perhaps the most awesome Warehouse Finale of all times. If you get off on hard hitting Girls-with-Guns Action, plus you like your Kung-Fu to be a rather raw and painful affair, instead of artistic dance performance, a pair of extra pants will certainly come in handy, because you’re sure as hell gonna need to change by the time the credits start rolling.
- HK-VCD
Shadowless Sword (Korea, 2005)
Considering that this is a recent movie, it’s one of the better attempts at filming a period action-flick solely depending on swordplay choreographies. Historical background is given, but the plot itself was pure fiction, employing a Wuxia-like fighting style. Also the main focus lies more within superficial moments of adventure, impressive set-design and colourful wardrobe (bad beard-job alert, too), than recreating a proper effigy of historical circumstances. The action itself is a Hollywood-thing, though, relying heavily on dynamic editing and quick cuts, but there was still enough exciting stuff going on to keep me thoroughly entertained. Also the drama actually succeeded in creating a feel of something truly epic going on.
- German DVD
All Men are Brothers (Hong-Kong, 1975)
This movie is archetypical for themes Director Chang Cheh usually likes to employ in his movies; one Alibi-female with as little screentime as possible, while all the rest goes on account of extremely violent Macho-Fantasies, brave men literally fighting to their last drop of (light red, if not orange) blood. Expect gory, most brutal Hack’n Slash Mayhem instead of elaborate Kung-Fu Choreographies. The story was easy to follow, though: a couple of Chosen Ones infiltrating enemy ground in order to spy out ideal tactical positions for a large-scaled invasion. Besides crudely exciting (and also continuous) action, “All Men are Brothers” features impressive mass-scenes to boot. Note, that some DVD-releases are more cut than others, but you won’t be able to find an absolute uncut version.
- TV
Retribution (Sakebi) (Dir. Kiyoshi Kurosawa, Japan, 2006) 4/5
The only previous Kiyoshi Kurosawa film that I had seen was Pulse (Kairo), which I thought was pretty good. But it didn’t blow me away or anything. The reason I decided to seek out another Kurosawa film was because what I did really like about Pulse was his style. It was slow-paced (especially for horror) and beautifully shot; and some of his choices I found intriguing. Like how sometimes when he cut to another character in the same scene, I would think it was a different scene and immediately start figuring out where it was only to realise it was the same scene. I don’t know if that was intentional, but something about the way it cut confused me. Sakebi I found more enjoyable, mostly because I was more attracted to the storyline this time (of a police detective being drawn into the drowning of a woman in a shallow pool of water). By the time the end came around though, it still didn’t make much sense just like Pulse. But I think it is something I need to watch again to fully understand. All in all, I really enjoyed it.
Running on Karma (Hong Kong, 2003) – 3/5
Andy Lau’s ridiculous muscle suit would probably feel out of place in any other movie. But since in Running on Karma he’s accompanied by an Indian killer fakir, detectives that are exceptionally brutal even by HK movie standards, and of course himself; a bodybuilder monk turned stripper who can read people’s karma, the suit doesn’t really feel all that weird. The film is a mess, but thankfully interesting and entertaining mess. Following the storyline also requires some brainwork at times, which is not a bad thing. Cecilia Cheung co-stars.
- dvd / Mei Ah
Hebi to muchi (Japan, 1986) – 1,5/5
Nikkatsu. Oniroku Dan. Masaki Ran. You know what you’ll get. 30 minutes of warm up, and then 30 minutes of non-stop sexual humiliation torture. All the nasty tricks are included (laxative torture etc.). Director Shogoro Nishimura, who has helmed some equally offputting genre landmarks in the past, manages to display some visual skill in the early scenes, though. The boredom part – or, that’s how I see it at least - follows, but once the closing closes, the director strikes again. The ending is a real stunner. But, it’s kinda late. Too much hebi before the reward. For those who want to see miss Masaki and her big tits Beautiful Teacher in Torture Hell is a less disturbing and more coherent option. Hebi to muchi does stock its shock value, though, but is that enough to get you through the film? Or is that what you’re looking for? If you know the genre, you probably don’t have to think twice.
- dvd / R2J
Hebi no ana (Japan, 1983) – 1/5
Let’s start by getting the positives out of the way. In the first scene on Hebi no ana a woman ties herself upside down without any help. Respect! As for the rest of the film I recommend falling asleep before the opening titles begin. I don’t know if this sex sex sex zero storyline film is an all time low for Nikkatsu but I sure hope so. It’s based on Oniroku Dan’s texts (like a few hundred other similar films) so you know the main character is going get rope tortured at some point but it’s all surprisingly unoffensive. Just plain and boring. No shock value, no camp value, no artistic value. The continuous and loud moaning hurts the anesthetic value as well.
- dvd / R2J
Afraid to Die (Japan, 1960) – 3,5/5
Yasuzo Masumura’s yakuza film walks the same path as many of Seijun Suzuki’s similarly themed classics. Cult novelist-actor Yukio Mishima, who later ended his life by commiting a samurai suicide, plays Takeo Asahina, a gangster who is released from prison and tries to get back into business. Masumura’s film is dark, stylish and hip. The underworld often appears darky humoristic and absurd. Asahina finds it easier to live behind the bars than in the outside world where every dumped girlfriend or old enemy could lead the assassins to your door. The cast is solid, but especially Mishima’s performance as a petty yakuza who doesn’t know how to live honest but isn’t that good at being a gangster either, is spot on.
- TV
Ugetsu (Dir. Kenji Mizoguchi, Japan, 1953) 5/5
Possibly Mizoguchi’s most famous film, Ugetsu is both beautifully shot and gloriously realised. Mizoguchi devotes just the right amount of time to each of the four characters as they are seduced by a ghost, forced into prostitution, attacked by starved samurai and decorated as a hero. It has so many things to say about war and greed, but perhaps its most notable success is the blending of fantasy and reality in a powerful and lyrical way.
@Hung Fist
Your new Avatar has a level of cuteness that’s beyond comprehension. I think I’ll go insane if I take so much as another look at it. 
Angel Terminators 2 (Hong-Kong, 1991)
One of the cooler GwG-Flicks, if not THE Girls with Guns Flick. Features some of the most ferocious ass-kicking in the Name of the Law you’ll ever see (hey, it’s the Golden Duo Moon Lee and Yukari Oshima), and while they’re at it, lots of shooting and violent killings as well. An incredibly explosive showdown finally made my day, though not as extensive as the Final Warehouse Battle in “Queen’s High”. But since you’ll need three Cynthia Khans to compensate for one Moon Lee, “Angel Terminators 2” still maintains it’s lead; heck, I can actually feel myself turning into a regular “Lunatic”, if you get my meaning. Taking real movie values (plot, suspense anyone?) into account, though, nothing beats the sheer, raw intensity of the first one, but (big BUT here) the girls in the sequel were definetely easier on the eye. Was that Sibelle Hu blasting away with a shotgun? She looked quite confident with it, liked that a lot. Also Bonus-Points for Yukari Oshima’s awesome Road Rage, complete in Slo-Mo, with Molotov Cocktails and a Machete.
- HK-VCD
Godzilla 2000: Millennium (Japan, 1999)
Solid performance by Hiroshi Abi as Military General, otherwise flawed “Godzilla”-Movie with lots of impressive destruction and heavy artillery attacks, but sporadically spoiled by convenient use of cheap CGI. Furthermore most of the action took place in the dark/at night, something I found more frustrating than athmospheric. The story has been borrowing elements from “Independence Days”, with a giant UFO showing up above Tokio and all, rather dark and serious in tone and execution, but some crucial turning points didn’t made a whole lot of sense, sorry guys. There was definetely something missing which most of the older “Godzilla”-Flick had in abundance: a sense of loving dedication behind Special Effects Work.
- HK-DVD
@Dice
Thanks. I finally decided to devote my avatar to the greatest movie ever made.
Female Demon Ohyaku (Japan, 1968) – 3/5
Junko Miyazono stars in this stylish and surprisingly story driven revenge film. Labeled as â€
The blue Light (Japan, 2003)
Although a quiet drama throughout, this movie shook me up with the tremendous power of an earthquake. There was a rare sense of perfection about every single part of filmmaking: structure, acting, cinematography, music; they’re all perfect. Taking into account, that “The blue Light” solely caught my attention because Aya Matsuura had a supporting role in it, I consider myself lucky to have stumbled upon something that’s so much more. The plot, revolving around a boy trying to get rid of his violent step-father, was ultimately more concerned with consequences and psychological insight, than the crime itself. Things to look out for are, of course, the acting (which was as believable as it gets), and a song from Pink Floyd’s Album “The final Cut”. And the very last scene was of such utter haunting beauty and perfection it blew my mind. “The blue Light” may start and unfold like a typical TV-Dorama, but in the end there’s nothing left but pure Cinema.
- Finnish DVD
(Big Thanks, Hung Fist)
From Beijing with Love (Hong-Kong, 1994)
Stephen Chow’s “Hot Shots”-like take on various cliches of James Bond Flicks is a hilarious thing throughout. Production values are high, there’s actually a continuous storyline, and ultimately more crackers than duds; a few of them more childish than others, though, then again some are falling into the gross-out category of pure unfiltered Hong-Kong Madness, meaning, you’re bound to choke on your popcorn. Also prepare for a few surprisingly violent action-scenes, with lots of high-velocity bullets polluting the athmosphere and innocent bystanders getting caught up in the ruckus. Too bad this is the kind of comedy that only works once. But in this case, with a Vengeance.
- German DVD
Angel Force (Hong-Kong, 1991)
Let’s get done with the Bad: the English voice-cast fell victim to one of the most hideous and embarassing dubbing-jobs I’ve ever heard. Now the Good: if the Action-Overkill in “Rambo 4” left you thirsty for more, and the notion of a petite pretty girl handling a huge calibre Assault-Rifle doesn’t turn you off, either, you gotta check out “Angel Force”. Moon Lee has only a supporting role, but the action is still a show-stopping example for the Heyday of Hong-Kong Cinema. The movie’s best part delivers a lengthy sequence of Jungle Warfare and Mercenary Action set around the Thai/Burmese border (minus the sneaking), brimming with awesome explosions, gratuitous display of Ultra-Violence and lots of Baddies being gunned down just for the heck of it. The story could’ve been written by a twelve-year old, though, with a vivid eye for adventure, but no sense for realism or contextual knowledge whatsoever. Sadly the epilogue is a bit of a drag, with the showdown only resorting to standard fare.
- US-DVD
Foxy Nudes (Japan, 2006)
If Oliver Stone would ever team up with a porn director, the result would probably look like “Foxy Nudes” (with the title obviously playing a pun on “Fox News”). Newscaster Etsuko Yamanobe is a female reporter willing to do anything just to be high in the ratings; “Anything”, that’ll be Everything and then Some (including indispensable Wet Work). I was seriously surprised how well crucial aspects of Media Satire worked out, but please keep in mind that there’s still enough offensive material left to disgust/traumatize the average viewer, some if it even putting the nastiest bits of “Bible Black” to shame. So if you’d call yourself a jaded Hentai-Afficionado, chances are still high, that you’re going be out-grossed by kinkier sexual situations depicted in this movie; a high pain barrier concerning Rape Scenarios should help, too. Actually I found “Foxy Nudes” to be one of the more satisfying experiences in a controversial genre: outrageous, but in an edgy, entertaining way (imagine rowdyish cough backside entry, followed by a jolly Musical Performance, and you’ll get the picture).
- US-DVD
Eko Eko Azarak: Wizard of Darkness (Japan, 1995)
Schoolgirls, Witchcraft, perverted Teachers spying on Schoolgirls, Satanic Rituals. Did I mention Schoolgirls? Trying to introduce some kind of Euro Gothic-Horror into the surroundings of a Japanese Highschool, “Eko Eko Azarak” actually feels closer to a live-action version of “Bible Black”, than an Asian equivalent to “Buffy” or “Charmed”. They still might have had a teen target-audience in mind, nevertheless I found them erotic elements surprisingly edgy, with daring nudity to boot (lesbian teachers seducing female students, now that should have grabbed your attention). Maybe not enough of a fetish cash-in to make you feel like a pervert (hmmm, did I really …), but enough to provide the average male with a hard time, repeatedly trying get down from Seifuku-Heaven in order to concentrate on the story. In the second half the movie turns into a supernatural Slasher-Flick, something I didn’t found very suspenseful since I barely got to know characters beyond their uniforms, but wasn’t bored either, because what the movie lacked in production values, it made up with athmosphere. And while the killing-spree among students didn’t exactly sparkle with originality, death-scenes were certainly gory enough to satisfy the more jaded Horror-Fan. Some trashy, yet surprisingly well-done SFX saved the otherwise cliched showdown. Aaah, I’ve probably written enough already to get me in trouble; mediocre, hugely flawed Teen-Flick, but Guilty Pleasure, anyone?
- German DVD
Delinquent Girl Boss: Blossoming Night Dreams (Japan, 1970) – 4/5
Kazuhiko Yamaguchi is slowly but unsurely becoming one of my favourite directors. I’ve enjoyed every film I’ve seen from him, and Blossoming Night Dreams is no exception. While not as good as Worthless to Confess, this opening part in the series is an enormously entertaining girl gang pop film. The cast is excellent with Toei’s crown jewel dynamo Reiko Oshida playing the lead role, and reliable genre actors such as Yukie Kagawa and Nobuo Kaneko giving support. The most impressive supporting performances are given by Tatsuya Umemiya and Junko Miyazono, who plays her role as the leader of the gang with charisma that reminded me of Junko Fuji.
- dvd / Exploitation Digital
Sukiyaki Western Django (Japan, 2007) – 4/5
Damn, I never expected my opinion to change this much on a repeated viewing (which was not even planned, I just meant to rewatch the opening with the â€
Eko Eko Azarak 2: Birth of the Wizard (Japan, 1996)
In many ways an improvement over the shallowness of the first movie, “Birth of the Wizard” (which is actually a prequel) abandons fancy aspects of Schoolgirl-Erotic in favour of consistent suspense, more emotion and an almost continuous staccato of exhilerating Fantasy-Action, Mystery, and extremely bloody Splatter-SFX; too bad most of it took place in bluish darkness. The movie also sheds some light on the origins of Misa Kuroi, the charismatic Teen-Witch and her morbid aura. Sometimes playing just like a R-Rated, full-length “Buffy”-Episode (minus the humour), you don’t even have to be much of a fanboy to enjoy this; harbouring regular Otaku-DNA is enough. After the second installment, though, they found another actress to play Misa - don’t know why’s that, but talk about making me sad. I’m sure gonna miss her: Kimika Yoshino, and her huge, dark, pretty, Anime-like eyes.
- German DVD
Skinny Tiger and fatty Dragon (Hong-Kong, 1990)
I honestly didn’t knew what to expect, all the more my surprise that I’ve been indeed stumbling upon one of the funniest HK Action-Comedies of all times. Gags were spot on, timing incredibly fast-paced, although some of the slapstick went way over the top, thus resulting into a rather messy cluster of convoluted chaos and leaving me with headache over headaches. Still, I’ve found myself repeatedly into stomach-hurting laughing-fits; Karl Maka is such a funny guy, I think this was the first movie where I consciously came to appreciate his presence. Also Sammo Hung’s agility rarely fails to amaze me; he even did a few of his famous Bruce Lee impersonations. A bit long maybe, but never drags.
- German DVD
Kite (Japan, 1998)
Hard-boiled, melodramatic, disturbing and sexy, that’s “Kite”, the most controversial Anime ever produced, perhaps the most violent and gory, too, and certainly more than your average Hentai Kink-o-Rama. Well, after being blown away by Yasuomi Umetsu’s “Mezzo Forte”, I didn’t really expect anything less than another masterpiece from the guy. “Mezzo Forte” was superficial action-entertainment with a fast-paced plot, while “Kite” actually worked as uncompromising Revenge-Thriller with believable character-design and dramatic foundation. Shootouts were explosive, always bloody and rich on inventive detail, while one larger-than-life destruction-sequence involving public traffic left me quite breathless, even. A true animated Classic, in every sense of the word. If you’re gonna buy it, though, get the “Uncut” release, because a similar version called “Director’s Cut” has actually been censored by a few seconds. Those inevitable Porno interludes were short, spicy and flashy, not enough to “spoil” the overall sense of urgency and suspense, but still edgy enough to wholly piss of people with more conventional viewing habits. But, after all, who’d blame them for it?
- US-DVD
Fighting Elegy (Dir. Seijun Suzuki, Japan 1966) 4/5
For all its weirdness and experimental technique, Fighting Elegy is probably one of the most restrained films that Suzuki ever made. Granted, because of budget restraints, the film had to be shot in black and white so it lacks the colourful style of most of his films. Unlike a lot of his other films, it’s actually quite coherent the entire way through. Most of the time with Suzuki films (on the first viewing), the plots and situations are confusing for the first twenty minutes or so and then things start to make sense. But, that being said, this definitely does feel like a Seijun Suzuki film. It’s filled with many great scenes (including one where the main character appears to masturbate with a piano) and interesting characters (including Hiroshi Midorigawa playing historical political extremist figure Ikki Kita). When it all comes down to it, this film is about violence. Crazed adolescent violence. And there’s plenty of it.