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Reviews
Fukkatsu no hi (1980)
Like Mad Max? Andromeda Strain? On the Beach? You'll like this one!
I really liked this movie! I can't believe I just found it and had never heard of it before a few days ago. I have a 50 movie DVD set of "classic chillers," and just pulled this one out at random the other night. Win! I love disaster/post-apocalyptic movies and this one takes the cake. It really has it all. I like to call it a mix of the Andromeda Strain, Mad Max, and On the Beach with some extra oval office drama thrown in. It even reminded me a little of El Topo in some parts. Unfortunately the version I have is the all cut up U.S. version I've been reading about. For whatever reason, several important pieces of plot were cut out, nearly an hour. I was able to watch the full version on Youtube and if you are going to watch it, there's no point in watching any version but the original Japanese directors cut, which runs over 2.5 hrs but is well worth it. I've also heard you can watch this version on archive.org.
So here is a question for people who have seen this and it is spoilery so is only for those who have seen this: In the original ending, how are our hero and the refugees from Antarctica able to survive the nuclear fallout? As far fetched as it is that he made it from DC to the southern tip of South America on foot, at least that is somewhat plausible. I just can't get past how none of the survivors were affected by fallout. The scientist who invented the vaccine even says that the radiation would have likely killed off the virus, so why not the humans too?
Normal (2003)
Beautiful
I thought this was one of the most beautiful love stories of modern time. The last line of the movie sums up in a few words what the entire story is about. It is a story about soul mates, about true love and about the things we do for the people we love. It's also a story about acceptance. While it portrays very well the expected cruelty and misunderstanding of co-workers, family and the community; it also reminds us that there are people out there who are accepting and open-minded, who form their opinions of people based on what's inside. It is a beautiful story and the subject matter was dealt with tastefully and subtly.
Children of the Living Dead (2001)
Oh Tom...
I ONLY watched this movie because I have always liked Tom Savini and wanted to see what he was up to. He was OK in his previous cheesy acting roles, like Dusk till Dawn and some Romero films like DOTD and Martin. Obviously his talent lies in special FX and not in acting, but I give the guy a little credit for acting too, just because he's Tom Savini. But why Tom... why?!?!?! I am shocked that he would have been associated with a movie as bad as this... I can't imagine it was for the money. Anyway, this movie is rubbish and I don't know what Tom was thinking when he signed on. I will never get that hour and a half of my life back.
Casino Royale (2006)
Fabulous but different Bond movie
I loved this movie! The thing is, you almost can't compare Daniel Craig with Connery, Moore or Brosnan (in my humble opinion, those are the three that are worth mentioning) and it's really tough to compare "Casino Royale" to the previous Bond movies, except for maybe the most recent Brosnan films. Technology is different of course, and they can do so much more with these movies these days, which makes them almost a completely different type of film than the films from the 60s-80s. And Daniel Craig was so different than any of the previous Bonds, and I loved him! I think this is great since this is really a prequel to all other Bond movies and James is portrayed as more rugged, less refined and of course, more prone to becoming emotionally attached to women. Then when you think about Connery, Moore and Brosnan playing the part after he has been around the block a few times, you can see why they were so much more refined than Craig's Bond and have anything but an emotional attachment to women. Craig is more of an Indiana Jones type, the kind of guy you expect to be killing and beating the crap out of the bad guys. What's fantastic about the later (really earlier) Bond's (Connery and Brosnan especially) is that they were so refined and didn't look at all like dudes who could kill and kick ass the way they did. Obviously this refinement came from years on the job and Craig shows us what Bond was like when he was first let loose. And of course, every Bond movie has to have the ludicrous opening scene where Bond is chasing the bad guy and kicking his ass in mid air after jumping out of a plane, or on skis, or whatever... but the mandatory, ludicrous beginning chase/ass-kicking scene in Casino Royale blows them all away! Great Bond movie! Probably my favorite, although I do feel a little bit like it's not fair to compare this movie with the earlier Bond movies, they are really not even in the same ball park. Craig is an awesome new Bond! This movie also had a couple unexpected twists and some great action scenes strategically placed in the middle of what non-poker players probably didn't understand (myself included). It was really the first time I felt pity for the Bond character, the first time I really felt emotion well up inside me because of something that happened in a Bond movie. As always, it was a great mix of humor and action, but Casino Royale also added the drama aspect, which is usually absent in Bond movies. Also we did without most of the cheesy one-liners, which I know are an integral part of any Bond movie, but I can't say I really missed them.
Requiem for a Dream (2000)
Ouch
The reviews of this movie on this site are great, and I don't want to belabor the point that this was an astoundingly wonderful and incredibly disturbing and upsetting film. I have to say that this movie upset me and affected me more than any other I've seen. Just to think about the fact that people really do this to themselves really gives me the creeps. The film was beautifully done and I especially loved the split screen scenes. This film is unique in every way. In the most beautiful scene in the movie, our two lovers are in bed together talking, and the camera shows in such a magnificent way their love for each other, by panning over their bodies and showing them tenderly touching each other. This is when you really learn about their relationship and their love for each other, and it just kills you to see the heroin addiction rip them apart in so many ways as individuals and as a couple. Actually, just about every aspect of this movie kills you. It will leave you speechless, breathless, and really make you think about your life in a different way.
Chopper (2000)
Demented, disturbed and delightful
Look at Eric Bana, he is a hot, studly Hollywood actor. I know this because I have oogled over him in his post-Chopper movies. I only discovered Chopper after seeing him in such movies as Troy and The Hulk, and I'm glad I did. What a treat it was to see him in this fabulous indie film before he became a Hollywood sex God. No, he was not the handsome, dashing Aussie fellow that American females have been drooling over since his role as Prince Hector in the cheese-filled film Troy, but instead he showed us that he really can act and take on a very difficult role and do it with real grace. The physical transformation he underwent to play Chopper is insane. Imagine that just a short time later he was playing a fit and sexy Delta boy in Black Hawk Down. That, in and of itself, it quite impressive. I've always been a fan of the demented and dark comedies, and love movies like Pulp Fiction, but Chopper takes the cake. This movie has all the comedic violence of Pulp Fiction, but portrays it in a grittier and more subtle way. This movie makes you think, and it's more than just good fights and death scenes, it's really artful. Eric does such a wonderful job making you love this truly despicable character.
Billy Jack (1971)
A True Classic
Well, Billy Jack was not at all what I had expected. I had heard of the movie and thought it was some kind of kung fu cult movie, but really didn't know what to expect. The movie blew me away! OK, so the acting can be a little cheesy at times, but how many movies from that era are not cheesy in some way? At any rate, Billy Jack is a true American hero. What I love about the movie is that it is focused on very important subject matter, but portrays it in such an unconventional and unique way. Billy Jack is a character of all characters. His mannerisms are hysterical. He shows such intense frustration when he knows he's going to have to kick someone's butt, and that makes his character what it is. He's an ex-green beret and he can surely kick some serious bad guy butt if he has to, but he is also a man with a big heart and his life's mission is to protect the native Americans and hippies who are either too weak or too peaceful to fight for themselves. And he loves Jean, loves her with all his heart and knows that he is the only one who can protect her and protect what is important to her. His character is portrayed in such a way that you can see the internal struggle in his eyes and hear it in his voice when he is faced with a situation where some biggot butts need kickin'. Billy Jack is a true classic and a movie that will stick with me for the rest of my life.