The Killer [1989] (product link) Bullet Ballet / Drama Even though the movie is more of a pseudo-remake of Le "Samourai", in my opinion this is Woo's masterpiece. No holds barred explosive action movie--not to mention this film is extremely violent and brutal. That's usually how I prefer my action films.
"The Good, The Bad, The Weird" is hands down one of my favorite films of 2008. From the very time it was announced, this project earned my "most anticipated movie of the year" spot. Oh sure, I've seen other Asian directors take a shot at the western genre, but nothing really satisfied me other than "Tears Of The Black Tiger". "Sukiyaki Western Django" was a complete bore in my opinion. Anyhow, considering I had previously viewed "A Bittersweet Life" and adored it, I had full confidence the director could pull off something wonderful, especially with the cast that signed on (more on that later).
Anyhow, the film has many references to Euro-westerns, specifically, "The Good, The Bad, And The Ugly", but still it manages to keep things fresh during its entire duration--and this film is pretty lengthy. Oh and the surprise ending really, er, surprised me? Ha ha.
The cast? One word: phenomenal. You literally have some of the GREATEST Korean male actors involved, and each star works their character brilliantly. Song Kang-Ho ("Memories Of Murder", "JSA") flat out levels any project he is attached to. I don't know if anyone else agrees, and I don't mean to swing off this dude's nuts, but he is seriously one of the greatest performers alive.
Let The Right One In (product link) Horror / Thriller One of the most praised films of 2008. It's amazing to see an art house director create one of the most original and captivating horror films of the last 50 years. This is one of those rare films that people will be discussing years from now.
Leon (product link) Crime / Drama Luc Besson at the top of his game. This is the film that introduced me to his career and afterward I was hooked.
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Leon is a great film, the action & drama is very vibrant. Mr. Oldman did an amazing job as a corrupt cop- & Jean Reno as the lonely hitman w/ heart- it's a great film all around. U should check out Besson's "The Final Combat" it was his debut flick.
The Bicycle Thief (product link) Drama Hands down one of the greatest cinematic experiences. My father and I watched this film--which is rare because he and I never have those father and son moments--and when the end credits began to roll my dad was literally moved. I've never seen him cry in my entire life, but this film definitely sparked something in him. To those who suffered during their childhoods, who grew up poverty-stricken and understand the concept of family values, this movie really hits home.
I'm actually shocked there are no comments from customers for this masterpiece. I want to note that "Miracle In Milan" is also worth viewing. I haven't seen any of the other neo-realist films of De Sica, but I'm making an effort to see the majority of his work because this guy was way before his time.
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5-star classic story- I agree with your review. Miracle in Milan was a nice too. Vittorio De Sica is a great director his other achievements are "The Children Are Watching Us", Umberto D." & "A Brief Vacation" just to name a few.
Alone In Love [Korean 10-Disc Set] (product link) TV Shows/Movies / Drama
This is the first Korean Drama I have ever watched and I absolutely adored it. Out of the hundreds of Korean serious available, I decided to go with this series as my very first Kdrama. What attracted me to this show is mainly the realistic storyline and all the good reviews I've come across. I'll admit at first I was a bit skeptical if this series could live up to all the online hype, but it did just that!
A lot of people may have a beef with this series due to the fact it's a bit slow paced. Yes, it's a slow but only at first--it quickly picks up after the second episode. The primary episodes are more character introductions, which are very important if you want to sympathize with characters; and I enjoy that a lot in a TV series. Character development is a necessity if you are to feel any emotion toward these fictional people.
Witty humor and dialog, an all star cast (Gam Woo Sung--"The King & The Clown"), along with tons of heartfelt moments makes this one amazing series.
Les Poupees Russes (product link) Romance / Comedy A sequel to "The Spanish Apartment". Personally I prefer this movie over the original, but both are highly ranked as two of my favorite films.
Champion (product link) Drama / Action/Adventure I'm kinda' upset with myself for waiting so long to finally see this movie, because it's fantastic. It's so much more than a boxing movie.
Sympathy For Lady Vengeance (product link) Thriller / Crime I'm slowly starting to appreciate this movie more and more with each viewing. I can't recommend this movie enough.
Ip Man (product link) Martial Arts / Action/Adventure Donnie Yen is marvelous in this film. In the last few years he hasn't been involved with too many projects that really tickled my fancy, but here he explodes and basically owns every scene he appears in. I'm definitely buying this on DVD. Oh and I can't wait for the sequel.
Welcome To Dongmakgol (product link) Drama / Comedy All the other people reviewing this are speaking the truth. This movie is a personal favorite of mine and hands down one of the most original Korean films in years.
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I need to research this film in depth, because there are some very appealing performers. No part of the plot seemed contrived.
i agree with you i got this film not really knowing what to expect but watching the film i was blown away i thought the acting and story was great.well worth you're time.
Dog Bite Dog (product link) Crime / Drama I love this--enjoy it more and more with each viewing. Brutal film, and Sam Lee's role is unlike anything he's been attached to.
Ponyo On The Cliff By The Sea (product link) Animation / Fantasy If you're a fan of "Castle In The Sky", "My Neighbor Totoro", or "Valley Of The Wind", you're in for a treat. This is classic Miyazaki.
Note: this review refers to the Singapore Limited Edition DVD by Musictronic.
If there is one film that undoubtedly deserved a more comprehensive treatment on DVD, it's "Dobermann". After years of shitty, severely cut bootlegs, we finally see a release worth owning.
"Dobermann" is a low budget French gem that most definitely deserves its cult following and outshines numerous Hollywood blockbusters. The movie obviously is heavily influenced by Hong Kong action cinema, but the French aspects are there also. The majority of the cast is tolerable, while there are a few stand-out performances worth mentioning. Monica is looking insanely attractive. Vincent is (as always) brilliant. However, Tcheky Karyo steals the show playing the obnoxious inspector.
Also, I was surprised to see Romain Duris in such a wacky role. I loved him in "The Spanish Apartment" and "Russian Dolls", so it was definitely a treat seeing him in earlier work.
For fans of: "Crying Freeman", "Natural Born Killers", "Hard Boiled", "La Femme Nikita", "Brother" (Kitano), "Pulp Fiction", etc.
Cooley High (product link) Drama / Comedy Great film. I've been on a somewhat big Blaxploitation kick here lately, and this one of the more memorable titles.
Infernal Affairs 2: The Legend (product link) Drama / Crime The triology is well praised among many, and the first film gains the most attention; but personally I found part 2 the more enjoyable. Don't get me started on part 3, it's trash.
JCVD (product link) Drama / Action/Adventure I'm not going as far as saying "Van Damme is back", but this movie surprised me and his performance was wonderful--unlike anything he has ever done in his career. One can only hope whatever follow-up feature he does will also be worth viewing--though I have doubts.
I rank this #2 of my all time fave JCVD movies, number #1 obviously being his colab with John Woo on "Hard Target". Geez, I miss the early 90's.
Tokyo Gore Police (product link) Action/Adventure / Horror Wow, this is quite possibly the goriest, zaniest, most eye-blowing, chunk-spewing, urine-spraying!!, vagina-chomping, head-exploding sci-fi/action flick ever.
Recommended for fans of: "Machine Girl", "Meatball Machine", and other Japanese splatter flix.
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Your review is spot on. This film was far more over the top than, say, Evil Dead 2. The film included some highly disturbing images, and I'm not referring to the cutesy blood-letting.
The Pinky Violence Collection [LE 5-Disc Set] (product link) Crime / Action/Adventure Yeah the package is fantastic and the set itself really is spectacular. Exploitation fans rejoice.
This is one of my favorite war-time dramas. The movie also has a gentle side about friendship, plus it's also a supenseful mystery. I enjoyed this film a lot, the story is amazing.
Companeros (product link) Western / Comedy While "The Great Silence" is superb, this film is definitely worth owning. It's among my top 5 westerns. Corbucci is so underrated.
Blood Brothers [2007] (product link) Triad / Drama Features an overall visionary style similar to the classic hardboiled film noir flicks of the 50's. Gangsters, romance, nightclubs, excessive gunplay. It's a wonderful period film. Recommended.
Born To Fight [2004] (product link) Action/Adventure / Martial Arts I see a lot of people comparing this film to other Thai films such as "Tom Yum Goong" and "Ong-Bak", but I honestly feel like this movie surpasses both in every deparment: acting, action, choreography, and especially storyline.
Warriors Of Heaven And Earth (product link) Drama / War Breathtaking scenery, solid storyline, brilliant swordplay and action sequences, great cast including Vicki Zhao ("Shaolin Soccer"). An epic in every aspect.
Well worth owning, and definitely worth the price!
A Millionaire's First Love (product link) Comedy / Romance Who would have thought the director of such a boring film like "Volcano High" could create such a heartfelt romantic comedy like "A Millionaire's First Love"? This is an amazing film. One of Korea's best films of 2006 in my own opinion. Lee Yeon-hee ("Emperor Of The Sea") is absolutely stunning and her performance is grand and moving - I was teary eyed.
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