Lady Snowblood: Blizzard From The Netherworld (product link) Swordplay/Sword(s) / Drama A classic! It's a good thing that Tarantino so freely admits his influence from these type of female vengeance flix on his "Kill Bill" duo, because after watching "Lady Snowblood" and "Sex & Fury", one might think there could almost be a case for plagiarism!
"Lady Snowblood" does not have the erotic elements of some of the Japanese female vendetta movies, but the lack of skin does not slow the pace and the photography and action are top rate. Highly recommended!
The "Hotaru Swindler" series is obviously a vehicle for the ascendant AV actress Sola Aoi to showcase her "talents". I became enamored of Miss Aoi largely thru her excellent showing in the film "Man, Woman, and the Wall", where she plays a simple ordinary girl next door role to perfection.
Having sampled a couple more of her films, it is now looking like her "acting" abilities may have peaked with the "Wall" film. Sola IS very attractive, but it's beginning to appear that her "talent" lies largely in her abundant chest. Ironically, her persona comes off rather "flat" and the screen doesn't exactly sizzle with her personality, until she sheds her clothes (which fortunately she does quite often!). But even then there's not a lot of excitement as she works her way through the obligatory shower scene and a lot of simulated sex.
All is not lost though. This series also stars (as Hotaru's sidekick, Aoyie) the much more animated actress Minami Aoyama, billed in the trailers as the "attractive Lolita woman". She may be the physical antithesis of Sola's pulchritude, but she's HOT! This flick also suffers a bit from its direct-to-video film technique, but it is worth watching, largely for some decent skin action.
I was hovering between giving this film a 4 or 5 star rating so ended up with a 4 1/2.
This movie seems the quintessential Pink flick, where the director is given free license to explore strange new territories as long as there is a sex scene thrown in periodically--certainly the plot line of this film could not get much stranger (well okay, maybe it could!), but it does offer a unique mix of sensitivity and sexuality that is unusual in the genre.
In the director's notes that are included in the extras [on the US DVD by Pink Eiga], the director states that he was basically looking for a vehicle for the film's (excellent) main male actor who plays the (sometimes) senile father-in-law who mistakes his (deceased) son's wife for his beloved (also deceased) cow Bessie. The plot has some pretty loose threads, but the concept holds up and culminates in a satisfying manner and it is hard to deny the strange eroticism of the imagery of the beautiful naked young woman kneeling along with the cows in the barn, contentedly mooing away while she is milked--gotta love the Japanese mind!
Renaissance (product link) Animation / Action/Adventure I purchased this movie primarily because of its unique visual style--live action has been abstracted through various computer/rotoscoped techniques to create high contrast B&W images that look like an animated graphic novel (similar to "Sin City"). After viewing the whole thing I found that this graphic quality had both a positive and negative aspect. While some very interesting images and effects were presented in the futuristic setting of the plot, ultimately I found the film tedious to watch and not very engaging emotionally. The extreme abstraction made it difficult to distinguish characters or build a sense of empathy for them. As an "art piece" "Renaissance" scores high for creativity, but it fails at being "entertaining".
AGREE?
READER COMMENTS
AUTHOR
Y
Not the most original story ever told to be sure, but visually impressive the whole way.
The Warrior [1981] (product link) Action/Adventure / Martial Arts A typically wild blend of action and mysticism from the Indonesian cinema. The plot follows the incredible exploits of a mythical hero of the Indonesian people in their fight to throw off the oppression of the Dutch exploiters, who are aided by fire breathing strongmen and resurrected zombies in their attempts to quell the rebellion. The "legendary" Barry Prima, in the title role, is equal to it all and this grand drama remains enjoyable even with the passage of time.
This movie has a very different tone than the original '90's "Tokyo Decadence" film. The lead female character in the original version seemed much more a pawn in the events that led her into the professional S&M sex scene, whereas the star of the new version professes a distinct personal preference for her masochistic tendencies.
Purportedly based on autobiographical elements, the plot follows the experiences of the lead actress from her introduction to bondage at the hands of one of her high school teachers through several relationships of both the S&M and straight variety as she comes to grips with the realities of her sexual persona, which, fortunately for us, turns out to be solidly based in kink. This personal slant gives the movie a rather refreshing tone as the (usual) aspect of female "abuse" is diffused by the genuine enjoyment the actress experiences in the S&M lifestyle--this is aided by her exceptional beauty and solid acting abilities.
Totally enjoyable and recommended, if you're into this sort of thing!
Come Drink With Me (product link) Martial Arts / Action/Adventure This movie is a little dated and may seem a bit slow and quaint compared to the hyper-kinetic action and editing of today's martial arts epics. BUT, taken in context, it IS a classic of the genre with excellent (period) production values and performances. Definitely "one for the library"!
Never Cry Werewolf (product link) Horror / Thriller This is sort of a "Fright Night" plot with werewolves substituted for vampires moving in next door to the attractive heroine--not fabulous, but fun to watch.
AGREE?
READER COMMENTS
AUTHOR
Y
I agree, it was amusing. It also made me think of Fright Night and, comparing the two, I think Fright Night was a better film.
Zero Woman R (product link) Girls With Guns / Thriller Generally very enjoyable movie with really cute girls and good action and sex scenes... A keeper!
SECURE CREDIT CARD PROCESSING BY VERISIGN.
940 users online right now / 326981 visitors since 11/29/2009 5:34:49 AM All content copyright 2000+ HKFlix.com, not to be used without written permission.
