Agreement:100% of 2 voters agree with Mimi's reviews Location: San Leandro, CA Web Site:http://www.hkflix.com
Bio: Hearts: Teenage Fanclub, animals, coffee, sushi
Does Not Heart: Toilets, particularly of the filthy variety; oversized, pervy mustaches; people who are mean to animals.
Do you know what a turd bagel is? If not, I am pretty sure you can just imagine what it is. Now imagine how delightful a turd bagel would be as a movie…. Ah yes, my friend, Revolver is what you get.
I really can’t describe what made me keep watching this film to the end (it hurts to admit that). Between Ritchie’s “Look at what I can do!” directing, and Statham’s monotonous, annoying, scratching drone that is supposed to be cool but made me want to take a drill to his crotch, and the shocking disbelief that Andre Benjamin was given yet another chance to “act,” it is a lifetime triumph that I completed watching this turd festival. Even after the movie was over it to doled out yet another turd: My viewing partner was so incensed by this turd bird that upon removal from the DVD player he flung it insouciantly across the room… only to have it smack me right in the face. Despite this I remember thinking to myself, Wow, being hit in the face was the best part of the last almost-two hours.
But truly the absolute worst thing about this turd auction is that you cannot use it to shoot yourself after watching, despite it being called “Revolver.”
It’s hard to admit that I actually watched this film. I’m afraid that I’ll be losing friends once this is posted, but I really feel like one good thing should come out of this, and that is I must warn others to stay away from this as you would a hardcore Oakland Raiders fan.
There isn’t anything interesting or inventive about this romantic comedy, although it is always a nice surprise when Charlene Choi isn’t screaming in the “Aren’t-I-cute-when-scream-really-annoyingly?” kind of way. (That’s why this got the one star.) Hmm, haven't I already seen all of these actors in these same roles before? Oh, wait - yes, about 20 times. I mean, it’s not as if I expected some grand film, but it was exceptionally lackluster and boring and bland. Fortunately, though, watching this reminded me why I don’t watch romantic comedies with the same roster of actors from HK anymore (that’s the half star).
Pterodactyl (product link) Action/Adventure / Thriller Kind of like Ralph Wiggum, "Pterodactyl" gets my pity vote. I have to give it up for trying so hard. It has everything you expect it to have: bad acting, horrible plot, REALLY bad visual effects, an assortment of cliché characters (most of which you want to smack around), and some brief almost-nudity. But I actually had a fun ptime (get it?) because it was so surreal--you just can’t believe a movie like this exists. It’s kind of admirable that with all these things against it, they kept right on and finished it. Makes me want to pet it on the head and give it a snack.
Happy Times (product link) Drama / Comedy This is an interesting film that’s pretty enjoyable; but even months after watching it and pondering it on and off, I can’t quite put my finger on what it is about it that takes a bit away from my rating. It is a bit flat emotionally, although there are some moments that really make it heart-wrenching to watch, particularly when they involve the young blind girl, played by Dong Jie, who does a superb job. This is worth watching for the things that take place (Zhang Yimou does a good job with pacing and keeping it interesting), but not so much for the emotional depth (or lack of, actually). Cinematography is beautiful and plays an integral part in moving the story along.
Invisible Target (product link) Action/Adventure / Martial Arts Fun and plentiful action, so-so story, and far too many random explosions. But still highly enjoyable. The storyline isn’t the best, but that’s really not the main reason for watching this; check it out for the fighting and action. A great homage to the days of film when more energy was put into the action sequences.
A great thriller loaded with tension and suspense pretty much the whole way through. Vincent Mandel (Yvan Attal) is a photographer and plays the part of a happy couple when for his kids’ sake when, in fact, he and his venomous wife (har-har) are barely cordial alone, and they are going through a nasty divorce and custody battle. Already distrustful of one another as the wife is fighting to take the children with her to live in another country, things take a turn for the worst when someone with a bitter grudge against Vincent, Joseph Plender (Clovis Cornillac), shows up and starts screwing with his life, framing him for rape and then murder. Then we slowly begin to find out why Joseph is doing this, how Vincent fits in to this revenge plot, and what he needs to do to get out of this alive and safe. Very reminiscent of David Fincher’s “The Game,” another great thriller, where our protagonist has to basically figure out on his own the whys and what to do next, but before he gets there he is submerged with trips to the police station declaring his innocence, and no one believes him, of course. Overall, this is a fun time if you’re in the mood for a suspenseful thriller but be warned that stomach acid aplenty abounds.
Wow, this is the kind of movie you expect your mind to make up while you’re sleeping after a Shaw movies marathon explosion. This is pretty much what I imagine a Shaw Bros. exhibition show to be - various stars in various staged scenarios and colorful costumes demonstrating how they can kick butt… except at this point there is nothing they need to prove.
A martial arts school, with Kara Hui as the very “Americanized” boss, has only 5 rag-tag students and attempts all sorts of homemade PR events all over Hong Kong to get more students interested in attending. Eventually, they have to settle for the kind of students no one really wants - whores. But, alas, the whores also have their night jobs, and their pimp is none too pleased that they are spending so much time learning martial arts and how to protect their breasts from their johns’ very busy hands. So the pimps beat up the whores (surprise) and keep them locked up in the whorehouse - er, I mean, nightclub - to prevent them from going to class. The martial arts school is so enraged at this injustice that they set up a fashionable trap in a disco and, later on, attack the bad guys with kung fu while riding BMX bikes. When Lady Boss is kidnapped by the bad guys, the school visits one of the bad guy’s nightclubs, armed with cameras as their weapons (the flash is blinding, you see). It turns out that the bad guys are holding her hostage at a gym and there, stylishly dressed and striking studly poses, they wait for the school to show up. Now, this is the creamy center of the film - this is the exhibition OF the exhibition, where Gordon Liu reprises his well-known role as a monk and Ching Siu-Tung shows off his monkey fist, and there are numerous duels between the good and bad guys.
There are some great fight scenes peppered throughout the film, but you really have to sit through some WTF moments to get to them. You get to see some of the more famous and favorite Shaw stars get decked out and let their hair down (except Gordon Liu), kind of like prom night when you see your friends all dressed up and you’re all, “I’ve never seen you looking so lovely as you do tonight… never seen you shine so bright. Mmm-hmm, mmm-hmm.”
Righting Wrongs (product link) Girls With Guns / Martial Arts A fantastic, hard-hitting action that epitomizes the height of HK action cinema in the 80s. Only a little bit of goofy stuff in this one - the director, Corey Yuen, also stars and provides the comic relief. Otherwise, this is all serious drama, great fights, and amazing stunts in abundance. In an interview, Cynthia Rothrock says Yuen Biao is the best person she ever fought with, and their chemistry really shows in the fights. Great action from beginning to end and not to be missed!
A surprisingly beautiful and charming gem of a movie about why and how the women in this film uplift themselves doing something unexpected: belly dancing. The main characters are presented with very unglamorous lives: one collects trash pushing around a wicker basket on a flat bed cart, one is a butcher in a harried, outdoor market who discovers her husband’s infidelity, one is a bored, unappreciated homemaker to her ungrateful husband and son, and one is a seemingly superficial, flighty, and irresponsible single mom.
These women aren’t perfect people in unfortunate situations—some are jealous, suspicious, insecure, and they act upon those feelings—but they know they are not happy. They can feel their personalities slowly being squashed deep down inside, layered over by the hounding reality that everyone else matters first.
As this reality builds in intensity, it becomes more and more appealing to do something different, sexy, unexpected, all the polar opposites of their lives. A belly dancing class presents itself and the women, although reluctant at first, become overwhelmed by their own needs and participate in something that brings them attention and tells people they still have their personalities, damn it.
I know, I know… it all sounds so cliché, even to me as I write this. The bumps along the way and the ending aren’t total surprises. But despite these things, the depth of the emotional ride the characters go on project a certain realness I very, very rarely find in HK dramas, and definitely stands out as one of the best dramas I have seen in recent memory.
Big Boobs Buster (product link) Comedy / Erotica A fun, kooky, light-hearted film if you know what you're getting into. The English audio lends a lot to the campy-ness and is the recommended way to view this film. Yes, there's a bit of nudity and the typical salivating perverts; but if you don't allow yourself to be easily shocked, "Big Boobs Buster" is hugely entertaining. Despite it being about something that probably a lot of women worry about (being passed over for having small boobs), our heroine just keeps it real by embarrassing all heck out of well-endowed women. And what better way to overcome your insecurities than by laughing at those more fortunate?
But I don't have those stupid insecurities 'cause my boobs are HUGE...
My Lovely Sam-Soon (product link) TV Shows/Movies / Drama They should rename this "My Lovely Skittles," as it is SO sweet and addictive! This was the first Korean mini-series I watched, and I got hooked immediately. A lot of it is syrupy sweet, some of it head-tiltingly "Huh?!", and there's a heart-wrenching subplot. But Kim Seon-Ah (as Sam-Soon) is adorable, spunky, and admirably hard-headed. She remains who she is despite others' expectations. Highly recommended.
Jean De Florette (product link) Drama Not to be missed as it is one of best dramas out there, and to think it’s over 20 years old. Why don’t they make movies like this anymore? Both “Jean De Florette” and its sequel, “Manon De Sources”, are highly recommended, and prepare yourself for one of the most “whammy” conclusions ever. In a good way, that is. Wait… actually, no, it’s not.
Dead Heat (product link) Horror / Action/Adventure Boy, does this movie treat. And with an actor whose name actually IS Treat… well, I say you can’t go wrong. As a longtime fan of our man Treat Williams (but only the silly stuff and not past the late 90’s), I was pretty biased towards “Dead Heat” to begin with, especially since it’s from the 80’s and he plays a zombie cop. Hello?! Treat is fantastic at really hitting those dry, sarcastic, irreverent notes, which are aplenty in this film. And although Joe Piscopo is more of a ham than Christmas itself he’s actually quite good in his supporting role, and he and Treat have great chemistry as partners. Highly recommended for a fun, silly time and for Treat being his cheeky self. Oh, and one of the best ambulance crashes ever! (Don’t get all up in my face about that; its occupant is already dead. He’s a zombie, you see.)
Quill [2004] (product link) Drama To begin with, I didn’t even need to see this movie to love it; but now that I actually have seen it...well, I still love it. I love puppies you see, so this was a sure-win for me. The best part was the beginning where there was a bunch of puppies running around. That was good. And then another good part was when they had the main puppy, Quill, going around being all cute and stuff. And then there was another great part where this nice family was very nice to Quill, and then Quill helped someone learn how to love... Yeah, this was a great film.
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Aww, yeeah!! I haven't actually seen this one yet, your review hit all my goodness puppy buttons!! Hell's yes, I'm a-gonna Quill it up as soon as I can! There needs to be more films about happy things that aren't necessarily just totally silly. YAY!!
A surprisingly good romantic movie in which Jennifer (Cherie Chung), idealistically and adoringly, immigrates from HK to New York to study acting and be closer to her boyfriend, Vincent (Danny Wong). Prior to her departure, Jennifer’s family makes arrangements with a very distant relative of the family, Boat Head (Chow Yun-Fat, before being all John Woo'ed out), to help her settle in New York. Hearing that he “owns a house and a car, lives like a king,“ and is a “community leader in Chinatown,” she is clearly disappointed when it turns out he’s a crass, sloppily dressed, ready-to-rumble man driving a dilapidated car and living in the slums (and has arranged for her to live in the apartment above his!).
Determined to make the best of her situation, Jennifer moves forward and, soon after arriving, decides to surprise Vincent at the train station, only to find him traveling with another woman. At first, it’s hard to tell if Jennifer is just immature and unable to deal with the fact that her boyfriend can have a female friend (which he insists is the case when Jennifer confronts him), or if he really is cheating on her. Regardless of that, however, the focus of the story is on Jennifer trying to find herself and her way in New York while facing adversity, after expecting everything to work out perfectly. And after awhile, it doesn’t seem so important to know exactly what Vincent has been up to, really, because knowing wouldn’t have changed how Jennifer dealt with her feelings.
Although very typical of the numerous odd couple movies out there—she learns to live undefined simply by her relationship with Vincent! He learns how to behave and dress properly!—this is one of the more believable ones as, despite their personality and lifestyle differences, they get along simply because they like one another and neither asks the other to change who he/she is. And in being able to just be, each of them wants to please the other by changing for the better (“better” being subjective, of course), but never because he/she is asked to change. Which is all super romantic, if you ask me, which you didn’t, but it doesn’t matter because I am HKFlix staff and you're already at the end of my review. Booyakasha!
Le Magnifique (product link) Comedy / Action/Adventure Brilliant! A terrific example of what a well-done spoof should be. Belmondo is believable as a struggling, socially-awkward novelist (reality) and charismatic as a suave, top spy (his imagination/writing). This is wonderful at interspersing reality with imagination as his writing gets more and more wild and his adventures get more and more outlandish! One of my favorite comedies of all time (despite it being from the early 70s, bleah).
Heavy Metal Parking Lot (product link) Documentary Filled with the most hilarious and rocking people in existence, HMPL will refresh your view of the world and, after watching, will have you greeting everyone with “rock hand” (that would be your thumb, middle and ring fingers folded down) and “rock nod” (that would be your head bobbing to the sound of rock). This is “Spinal Tap” but for real. This is life. Documentaries really don't get better than this (take that, Ken Burns!).
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Ken Burns? FTG! I actually saw Judas Priest on this tour. These fools were everywhere. I'm going to start a movement to bring back feathered hair and strategically ripped sleeveless zebra print shirts.
This is a remarkable, beautiful film about the unfolding of a man’s self-discovery and maturity. There is an innocent softness about our main character, Colin, who embarks on a moped journey to bring his wife home after her affair with Colin’s darts team captain, Geoff, is discovered. Once he sets off on his journey, we see things the way he sees them: for the first time. He comes across all sorts of people and places that simply show him there is so much more to life than what he knew before, and it’s all interesting and stimulating and beautiful and fun. Life isn’t all about his darts team games each night and running a newsagents during the day! And soon we see Colin’s evolution and mind opening up to all the possibilities of life and the world, and we see his personality begin to take shape, all of it culminating into a surprising and appropriate ending. Granted, this film doesn’t show what would more likely happen, i.e. people taking advantage of a naïve softie like Colin, but we’re here to be introduced to his gentle, tentative first steps out into the world, and we want the world to be kind to him.
Add in gorgeous scenery and cinematography, plus breathtaking music by Kate Rusby with her haunting, ethereal voice, and this is a film that will leave you awestruck, uplifted, and moved. A complete gem.
Futurama: Season Two [4-Disc Set] (product link) Animation / TV Shows/Movies As a tribute to the Simpsons movie just recently opened Futurama is one of my picks this week. (Only season two - one of my four favorite seasons - is available here, but I recommend the whole show.) If you haven’t at least tried this show, stop sleeping already! To me, this show pretty much hit the ground running and kept a steady, funny, appealing pace up until its demise after the fourth season. To be honest, I wasn’t all that sad that it was cancelled - sure, I would have loved more great episodes, but sometimes that fantastic track record embedded in time is worth so much more; the opportunity for the show to turn south and soil itself was taken away. I can always happily re-watch these.
A Taste Of Tea is unlike any movie I have ever seen…. Rarely do I start a movie this bizarre and keep watching, especially with over 2 hours to go, but this completely won me over. These are some of the most endearingly quirky characters I have ever seen on film. Unlike so many other movies I have seen where characters are pretentiously assigned some clichéd weirdness that somehow doesn’t quite work within the context of their environment and they have to change (and the film is about the unfolding of their achieving this goal), this movie just shows you the lives of some oddballs. And you come to care about them and want them to be happy. That’s it.
This film isn’t traditional in the sense that you’re not waiting for characters to develop—you just want to see what happens to them and it’s not important at all to know why and how these characters got this way, and it’s definitely not important (nor necessary) for them to change, because they are intensely interesting just to observe. These characters are weird but not damaged; they’re good folks who are just odd and do odd and hilarious things. (Well, there is one exception to the good folks cast, but he gets his comeuppance. But he IS hilarious, though.) You also get a nice assortment of peripheral characters not in the family that also do weird and funny things, and they do tie in to the family at some point in the film.
There was a somewhat obscure scene toward the end that I felt had a deeper meaning that I was missing, but it didn’t affect my perception of the movie as a whole. However, there was also a thoroughly moving scene (toward the end as well) that more than makes up for it.
Overall, this exceptional film was obviously made very passionately and it shines with an innocent brilliance. Fantastic performances all around, with gorgeous scenery and cinematography. Highly, highly recommended.
Les Diaboliques [1955] (product link) Mystery / Thriller Easily one of the best thrillers I have ever seen, and each time I watch it I thoroughly enjoy being scared by it. I definitely think this is one film to watch “cold,” without knowing too much about it beforehand. It’s tense, dark, and creepy, and you have to be willing to take it in and let it unfold in its own time. If you’re in the mood for a bone-chilling suspense thriller you can’t be disappointed.
Mr. Vampire (product link) Horror / Comedy I think this is my favorite of the Lam-Ching-Ying-as-a-Taoist-priest movies. He. Is. Mr. Vampire! This has the perfect combination of goofiness, spookiness, and mystical rituals. The action is also impressive, especially on Chin Siu-Ho's part. This definitely ranks in the top-5 of the most watched movies in my life. Even my parents know I've seen this movie a zillion times because they saw me watching it so much when I was little. Thanks, Channel 26, my Window To The World!
I've seen a variety of Chinese vampire flicks and this is by far the best.
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