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Reviews
Poe: In His Own Words, An Evening with Edgar Allan Poe (2016)
An Experience
This production is an amazing experience and shouldn't be missed by any Poe fan. It's a simple production, just one man reciting poetry while low lighting and a smoke machine provide great ambience. All of the Poe classics are recited here in full or part, and the actor portraying Poe does a great job bringing the poet's words to life. When he recited "The Conqueror Worm" I enjoyed it so much I re-watched that part about ten times.
There's not much else to say other than that it's a hearkening back to earlier times when entertainment was simpler but no less enjoyable. I watched it on Tubi, if you have the opportunity to watch this production somewhere I highly recommend you do the same.
Hei de jiào yù (2022)
Hard Hitting
This movie is a hard hitting story about the the dangers of conformity and peer pressure. On another level it's about loyalty and friendship, and how unexpected, extreme events can test the limits of brotherhood and oaths easily made when things are good but difficult to uphold when our necks are on the line.
The premise is simple enough but develops nicely and doesn't waste time. As it plays out, we see the limits of friendship and how each character reacts when pushed to the limit. Although this kind of story has been done before it is nonetheless done well in this movie, and by the end you'll feel like you were put through a harrowing ordeal yourself. The violence is visceral at times, and effective, because it's not overdone. The movie's overall message seems to be that principles matter, and when they're broken there can be extreme consequences. This was a solid film that really got under my skin. Give it a shot.
Wo de ma ji 4 ge gui (2023)
Unexpectedly Touching
This turned out to be a great movie. The premise is simple and done in a fun way, but in a way that also manages to tug at the heart strings. At the bottom of this comedy is a surprisingly sophisticated story about loss, grief, redemption, loneliness, family, and finding meaning in life after a traumatic situation.
The performances were great and the chemistry between the male and female leads was great too. The supporting actors were also awesome. The comedic situations were hilarious and I found myself laughing out loud several times. I went into this movie thinking the plot sounded silly; I just figured it was a good way to pass some time during the day. In the end it turned out to be one of my favourite movies of the last year. I laughed a lot but also was touched by the way it turned out to be a thoughtful meditation on many of the difficult parts of being human and mortal. Don't be fooled by the silly title and description, this is actually a really good movie with lots of laughs but also lots of drama and beauty at its core.
Feng bao (2021)
Wasted Opportunity
This movie started off great and had some nice, intense scenes, but by the end I was literally laughing at some of the stuff the director was expecting the audience to believe. Near the end, they have the main character and his senior citizen father free climbing a sheer rock wall in the pouring rain with just shoes. Then, a little while later, they have the main character run and jump off a cliff towards a helicopter and grab onto the landing gear in mid air, again in the pouring rain. Then there are also the usual tropes like characters falling off a cliff and holding on by just their fingers; the whole medley of action movie tropes is on display.
This movie was a wasted opportunity because part of the backdrop of the story is the railway soldiers who played a very important role in China's history. They could've had this movie be more realistic and less like a Mission: Impossible film, and it still would've been good, but instead they fell into some cheap and silly action movie type of scenes that turned it from a serious film into a comedy. In the end it feels less like a tribute to the railway soldiers' history and just an attempt to use that history for a cheap disaster film. The actors all did a good job with what they had, but the filmmakers obviously wanted it to be more of a blockbuster action film and that took away from the seriousness of it all. The title should be Mission: Impossible, Flooded Tunnel in China.
I like Chinese cinema so was very disappointed with how this turned out.
Cha wu ci xin (2022)
A good story marred by horrible character decisions
I agree wholeheartedly with other reviewers who have commented on this film's shortcomings.
The script is good and the actors do their best, but the story is marred, especially towards the end, by the most ridiculous character actions (and inactions). The last thirty minutes in particular ruin what is otherwise a serious and professional film. In those thirty minutes the protagonist becomes one of the most ridiculous and inept police officers ever portrayed on screen, including my personal favourite hilarious plot line: handcuffing the killer and going, by herself with him, to his lair and asking him to lead her to his next victim. I actually laughed several times throughout the last few scenes, it was that ridiculous. It's unfortunate when good films get lazy towards the end and ask the viewer to accept a shift from good scriptwriting to complete laziness.
Don't bother with this one unless you're really hurting for something to watch. This film takes great atmosphere and a good premise and ruins it.
Mei li ren sheng (2011)
Unexpectedly Great
I went into this thinking it was going to be a standard love story / drama. Wow, it blew me away with how different from the standard it was! The story really goes in some unexpected and interesting directions, there are some genuinely heartbreaking and touching scenes, the performances are great, and the plot isn't easy to predict.
I'll leave the details to other reviewers but suffice it to say I'm not someone who normally watches this kind of film, I watched it because I'm learning Mandarin and devour any Chinese films I haven't seen yet. I was very pleasantly surprised at how real the characters felt, and how their development goes throughout the film. The runtime is also good, long enough to make a great story and develop the characters, but not too long, which many movies are now.
Give this movie a watch if you're looking for a good story with characters that feel real, and if you're looking to be moved. It definitely far surpassed my expectations!
Kun Lun shen gong (2022)
Good series marred by terrible CGI and filler episodes
This series was fun and had some interesting Indiana Jones vibes at times. What made it decent instead of good IMO were the awful CG monsters and filler episodes.
There were several episodes which built some nice tension, but then as soon as the CG monsters came out it turned laughable. Seriously, one of the monsters looked like computer generated effects from the 90s. It really ruined some otherwise good scenes in numerous episodes. Like come on, you can't do even a CG wolf and make it look decent?
My other complaint is the filler episodes that seemed to serve no purpose at all other than adding to the list of episodes. There were something like 3-4 episodes spent with the characters sitting out in a mountainous snow field for no reason, and then the writer's way to forward the story was to have a hole appear in the middle of the field. How about just have them trek on and find a cave or something?
The characters are good and reasonably well acted but pretty stock and trade. You've got the wise cracking "fatty" (their term not mine), the duplicitous rich guy, the lapdog assistant who is loyal no matter how vile his employer is, the rich city lady who doesn't want to get her shoes dirty, etc. Nonetheless it's a fun show and some episodes are very entertaining.
Overall though, the show suffers from some of the usual issues that affect Chinese tv shows right now. It's an industry on the rise and I really enjoy the sheer number of shows and movies coming out of China. I expect one day their cinema and tv will be some of the best in the world. Right now, if you can suffer through some some of the growing pains this show is a decent watch, but don't expect to be thrilled all the time, and definitely get ready for some straight up cheesey effects that make you laugh more than gasp.
The Hopewell Haunting (2023)
Great, especially for a low budget film
This movie really deserves a better score than what people are giving it.
It's a slow burn for sure, and there are many plot lines that never get explained, but it's got atmosphere in spades and some genuinely terrifying scenes. It also breaks some of the usual horror tropes, and doesn't rely on cheap, overused jump scares. The setting in the early 20th south lends a southern Gothic feel and helps build the atmosphere and tension. It does take a bit to get really going but it's got some unsettling and scary scenes to reward those who stick with it.
The acting is definitely solid for a low budget film, and I really enjoyed the ending, it goes in an unexpected direction that made me feel happy that not every single horror film director has to end their film with the cliché final shot that has the "Dun dun dunnnn" music followed by a ghost face or something silly; like horror films ALWAYS have to end with the evil being undefeated.
This movie was great, my wife and I were really pleasantly surprised at how scary and atmospheric it was, and how well it told a ghost story in both familiar and unfamiliar ways. Give it a go when you're in the mood for a slow burn that relies on old school filmmaking techniques instead of cheap, gaping CGI ghost faces. If you're patient and enjoy the slow burn ghost stories like The Innocents or I am the Pretty Little Thing That Lives in the House, you'll find this a rewarding watch that sticks with you after.
Phoenix Forgotten (2017)
Blair Witch part whatever
This movie basically was Blair Witch with alien skin on, but with far less excitement and tension, and you never get to see any aliens.
Let me sum this movie up for you so you don't waste your time: Some kids disappear in the past, other kids in the present go looking for them (sound familiar ?), but far into the movie after a lot of pointless, half-baked character development and a similarly half-baked love triangle between the present day teens. Then you get a few scenes of shaky cam and overdone Inception/Pacific Rim style sound effects (BRAAAM!), then everyone disappears, or dies, it's never revealed because the writer needed to think they were really clever and mysterious, and, you know "It's open to interpretation" endings aren't overdone at all these days (*sarcasm*). Who knows and who cares anyway by the end of this bore fest.
I could put up with all of the above if a movie at least has a few scares, but this movie has none of that. It's one of those movies where you keep thinking they're finally building to something and then eventually during a bathroom break you check the remaining runtime and realize there are ten minutes left and there's no way the movie is going anywhere.
Suffice it to say this movie is a highly derivative but highly boring version of Blair Witch with a poor script and none of the tension and scares that BW provided. Don't bother with this one unless you're really hankering for an alien movie with no aliens or you literally can't find anything else to watch.
The Room (2019)
Fails on most levels due to a poor script
This movie had a lot of potential and squandered it all on a poor script that expects you not just to suspend some disbelief, which is part of all movie watching, but to believe in characters whose thinking and lack of reasoning skills seem to change with every scene. In some scenes the husband and wife seem like the most suspicious and terribly dysfunctional couple ever, and yet in other scenes they seem to be portrayed as deeply in love. They believe each other about certain things but not about others. The list goes on.
What was most frustrating was their reactions to the events of the film. Miscarriages or not, we're expected to believe the wife would immediately begin siding with a child that was literally wished for and obviously is not a real person against her husband, and then we're expected to believe they'd let their relationship and lives fall apart over it instead of just selling the house and moving. Or better yet, we're expected to believe the husband doesn't want anyone to find the key to the wishing room, so he really smartly hides the key...in the drawer of the desk, the first place people would look, rather than, I don't know, maybe a huge safe he could easily wish for from said room.
What a mess this was from top to bottom. Other than a cool setting and good soundtrack this was a waste of time. Don't bother watching it unless you're prepared to literally turn your brain off and believe some of the most ludicrous character actions that wouldn't even seem plausible in the lowest grade B-movie. I feel bad for the actors, who did a good job in what was otherwise a completely preposterous film, and this review is coming from someone who has watched (and enjoyed a lot more) films like Frankenhooker and Blood Diner.
Sheng Huo Ru Fei (2019)
Great show, just wish the episodes were longer
If you're interested in Chinese culture and eating, this show is definitely going to be up your alley. I first was introduced to hot pot when I had Chinese roommates during a year of university and they treated me to a hot pot during Chinese New Year. I've been interested in Chinese culture ever since.
This show really dives into not just the food and different hot pot traditions (which are many and different depending on the region), but also how the act of eating together which the hot pot encourages shapes Chinese familial ties and friendships. The episodes take you all over China and you get to learn about some interesting people and what got them into making and/or eating hot pot.
This leads to my only complaint (more like a wish): I wish the episodes were longer because the people and their stories/family history are so interesting but since multiple people are interviewed/featured in each episode you only get to learn a little bit and then it switches to another person's story, just as you feel like you're getting to know them. They're often such interesting people that you wish the show was a bit longer so that you could learn more about them.
Overall this is a great show that will teach you a bit about Chinese hot pot, Chinese culture, and how important food is to families and communities. I really enjoyed it and would highly recommend it to anyone interested in learning about China or Chinese culture and food. In a day and age that glorifies superficiality, this show will give you that warm feeling you get from watching something that is both family friendly but also has an optimistic view of life, its good times and even its challenges.
Fear No Evil (1981)
Doesn't know what it wants to be
This film is a tonal mess, shifting back and forth between horror and comedy seemingly unintentionally, and the few interesting things like the religious allusions and themes never really get fully explored. It ends up coming across as part high school dramedy, part horror that isn't at all scary, and part...who knows what.
The acting is decent enough for a B-movie though it's never really quite clear when the actors are going over the top whether that was intentional or just the only way they know how to act the part.
The soundtrack is by far the best part of the film. The rest just feels like a half-baked script that never knows exactly what it is and, when it finally does arrive at the climactic scene, changes tones yet again and ends up feeling like a different film than the entire first three quarters of its run time.
This is one of those movies that I'd only recommend when, like me, you've seemingly watched every horror film out there and are scraping the bottom of the barrel for those few you haven't seen yet, hoping there's a hidden gem left you haven't found. You won't find a gem here. This movie is perhaps worth one viewing, but it's only memorable for a few scenes that seem so bizarre you can't quite figure out how a group of filmmakers saw the finished product and said "Yeah, this is great, let's go with that."
The Bridge Curse (2020)
Could've been much better
This movie had so much potential that was squandered. It has a good set-up and the sets add to the gloomy atmosphere. The characters are also reasonably developed for a short film.
The biggest problems for me were: (1) They telegraph the big twist(s) very early on for any discerning viewer who has seen found footage and/or "college kids'-film-project-gone-wrong types of movies. I knew less than 15mins in what the twist was and the rest of the film watching experience was just getting to it; (2) This movie suffers from overdoing the ghost/scare scenes. Once the pace picks up there are too many ghost scenes and too much frenetic activity in each scene that eventually desensitizes you. A good horror director knows when to come at you with a scare and when to slow things down again, lulling you into a relaxed state again so they can hit you with another scare later on. This movie just pours them on in every scene so eventually you're not even phased by it anymore. Even the end scenes and credits pile on more. By the credits you're thinking "Ok, just finally be over for real now, I stopped caring two twists ago!"
Overall, this film could've done some new and interesting things, but instead it just trod all the familiar territories and failed to be truly scary or original. It's worth one viewing if you're looking for something you haven't seen to while away a sick day or lazy Sunday, but I doubt many people will ever go back for a second viewing; I know I won't.
Bor Mi Vanh Chark (2019)
Bold and Haunting
This movie is a slow burn but well worth your time if you're in the mood for a contemplative and haunting experience.
There's a lot going on here and I won't give anything away, but suffice it to say there's a lot about guilt, duty, regret, family, and other universal human concerns here.
Don't expect gaping-faced ghosts and jump scares, this isn't that kind of film. This film is about the haunting that comes from what we do in life, how it reverberates, and whether, in the religion/spirituality of the film, those reverberations affect us and others in other lives.
You won't necessarily be scared, but if you give it a chance you might just be haunted by what the film reveals as it unfolds. The acting is great, and the lead actor is superb in the way he has a face that seems to elicit sympathy but also has a mystery to it, leaving the viewer wondering who he is deep inside. As the film progresses that question gets more and more difficult to answer.
My favourite part of the film was the recurring motif of walking a road. Will we ever find peace, or are we doomed to walk the same road for all of eternity?
One line will stay with me, when one character asks another about a ghost and where he seems to disappear to. - "I don't know where he goes." - Do any of us know where we go?
Gu dong ju zhong ju (2021)
Convoluted but good
This movie was a lot of fun, it was like a mix of an Indiana Jones movie and a mystery film with a bit of film noir (It's never clear which characters can be trusted.)
The main characters are reasonably well developed and you won't be bored. The problem, and the reason I can't give it above a seven star rating, is that the plot is very convoluted. It seems that in almost every scene a new character is introduced, or multiple characters, making it very hard at times to figure out what is going on and who is talking about whom. Many characters are introduced, given names, and seem to be set to play a large role in the rest of the film, and then promptly disappear in one or two scenes. The other issue is that, while for movies like this, one expects to suspend their disbelief and enjoy things, at times the director expects you to believe some utterly unbelievable coincidences and plot twists.
All this being said, I still enjoyed the film and found it to be a fun way to while away a few hours in an afternoon. The interspersing of Chinese history made it enjoyable and it made me want to read more about the Tanq and Qing dynasties. The characters who do stick around for the whole film are interesting and relatable in their human flaws (greed, sloth, capriciousness, etc.) but, in some cases, their ultimately good heart.
Overall, I'd say if you're not feeling picky and are looking for a fun film that has a good pace, this is well worth a Sunday afternoon viewing. Don't expect to be blown away, but you won't feel like you wasted your time either.
Army of the Dead (2021)
Would've been better if...
It has some dumb elements, plot holes, and silly character motivations like all zombie movies; that I could forgive. Otherwise it was a pretty well paced movie and better than most of the garbage out there. The rationale for my rating is simple: letting the most annoying character with the silliest motivations and most contrived plotlines, whose dialogue and actions heavily tarnished an otherwise solid movie, make it in the end.