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"That person doesn't exist who is as foolish and misunderstood as myself"
Eight student Cleaners have their stories told in a surreal manner that straddled reality and animation as if in a memory round robin. What is dirty? What is clean? And does it really matter?I. Intro
II. Nutrition Month
Stephanie, who has OCD, comes face to face with her worst dirty nightmare. It will either cure her OCD or traumatize her for life.
III. National Language Month
Angeli, the class president, is stuck with three skateboard slackers (Eman, Arnold, & Lester) for a folk-dance contest. Can the three “dirty” boys find a way to clean up and make the dance work?
IV. Prom
The class “dirty” girl, Britney, is slapped down by the patriarchal view of chastity for girls but not for boys. Francis takes drastic measures for his dirty hooded problem.
V. Youth Council
Junjun’s dad, who is the mayor, has political ambitions for his son that go beyond the student council. The parents are willing to get their hands filthy to help him win. JJ finds that dirty politics can be like a bridge to nowhere.
VI. Last Day
The cleaners cleanse themselves in a primal song of rage.
Cleaners played out like a darker Breakfast Club. The film style looked like staticky memories in a year book come to life and decorated with bright highlighters. Most of the stories had a ring of truth to them even if at least three scenes were gross to observe. Life is messy and these kids found ways to enjoy themselves even if they got dirty doing it.
17 April 2025
Trigger warnings: Long poop sequence, self-mutilation, vomiting, penis scene and penis "art"
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"Be happy"
The Last Ronin was inspired by the story of the 47 Ronin, featuring the 47th ronin, Terasaka Kiechimon and the loyal retainer Seno Magozaemon. The story picked up 16 years after the 47 ronin avenged their lord and subsequently committed seppuku. Both men had carried out orders from the 47’s leader, Oishi, which caused many to think of them as deserters and cowards. This samurai film had almost no fights, but rather delved into the emotional makeup of what it meant to be one of the surviving ronin and their ideals of duty and honor.Terasaka visits an old woman, the last on his list of Asano retainers, to tell her the story of the 47 and to give her monetary assistance. As a messenger, Terasaka had seen most of the battle and had been tasked with sharing the story and rendering any help he could give to the now scattered Asano clan. As the 17th year ceremony commemorating the loyal samurai approaches, Terasaka heads to Kyoto to wait. Along the way he catches a glimpse of his dearest friend, Magoza, who was thought to be a deserter. What Terasaka and the rest of the world don’t know is that Magozaemon changed his name and appearance and has been raising Oishi’s surviving child, Kane. The 16-year-old girl has caught the attention of a wealthy merchant’s son meaning her days as Magoza’s ward may soon be coming to an end.
This film was on the long side for a slice of life samurai film. Thanks to Yakusho Koji’s stellar performance as Magozaemon, it didn’t feel too long. The story was a feel good ending for the survivors and retainers of the doomed house. But keep in mind, a samurai happy ending may not be the same as a viewer’s happy ending.
While the story was solid, if predictable, the primary reward for sitting through this film was watching Yakusho at his best. He put on a master class of how to convey a wealth of human emotions without overacting and without words. There were times his facial expressions broke me. I rarely cry watching movies, but tears welled up halfway through this film and continued for twenty minutes afterwards. Yakusho reached into my heart and expertly persuaded me to care about Magoza. Miyauchi Hitomi’s gentle manner conveyed how attached Kane was to the old servant. “Will I love anything as much again?” The rest of the actors were all top tier as well, though poor Sato Koichi was stuck with a truly awful and distracting wig.
If you are looking for a samurai film filled with sword fights, this isn’t it. Most of the film revolved around Magoza and the girl he’d tenderly raised for 16 years. Letting go is never easy, for the “parent” or the child. His mission had been to see that Kane was happy and well taken care of and in that, he completed the assignment beyond what any parent could have hoped. I can’t say that I agree with or fully understand the unwavering loyalty to a lord, even beyond death, but if there ever was an excellent example of the samurai spirit, Seno Magozaemon was it.
“Footsteps that vanish one by one
A dream within a dream, alas”
16 April 2025
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"My hobby is making you upset"
Naruse Mikio wasn’t afraid to have his female leads shun societal norms. He also wasn’t afraid to bring the tears and the pain. With a title like, Yearning, I’ll let you decide which category this film fell into.Reiko has single-handedly saved and restored her late husband’s family story. Even though he died during the war six months after they were married and the original shack was destroyed in an air raid, Reiko felt the responsibility to build the store up. Her mother-in-law and two vipers for sisters-in law were happy to let her do all the work while they benefited from it. Her brother-in-law, Koji, 11 years her junior also benefited from her hard work by going to college and then becoming a slacker who spent his time and the store’s money on booze, women, and gambling. The little shop and others like it are being threatened by a new super market that can sell items cheaper than they can. The Morita sisters-in-law are planning on cutting Reiko out of the family store as the profits dwindle and new plan is hatched to save the business. More threatening to the family is when Koji declares his love for Reiko.
Takamine Hideko gave a beautifully complex performance as Reiko. Her wonderfully expressive face conveyed emotions Reiko would not allow herself to speak. Kayama Yuzo made a stunning Koji, handsome, with a primal maleness. There was no doubt why Reiko would be swayed by his desperate declarations. Koji also fiercely defended Reiko’s place in the family and in the store. The music, longing looks, and awkwardness all conveyed the terrible yearning of Reiko and Koji. While it was perfectly acceptable for ancient old men to wed teenage girls, a relationship between a woman a decade older than a man was unthinkable. Koji might have been willing to face society’s scorn but traditional, reserved, Reiko was not so open to the idea.
Yearning tackled the changing economic landscape, family dynamics, and a forbidden love. Naruse, as always, crafted an aesthetic film and multifaceted female lead. Takamine and Kayama gave heartbreaking performances as two people so close and yet so very far away. Along with, When a Woman Ascends the Stairs, this Naruse film has now become one of my favorites of his.
"I wanted to stay here because you are here."
15 April 2025
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"I'm not sci-fi, I'm non-fiction!"
Who knew the base of Mount Fuji was a Hot Spot for alien and paranormal activity? In a seemingly quiet town, four middle-aged school friends had their boring lives given a tiny shot of excitement when they made the acquaintance of an unassuming alien working at the local hotel.Kiyomi works at the Lake Hotel and one night discovers there’s more to her co-worker than meets the eye. Unable to keep a secret she fills her friends in on Takahashi’s alter ego. Before long the 54-year-old alien is being asked to do trivial and even illegal tasks for the women. Somehow, he always manages to thwart crimes and do good regardless of the random requests. When the hotel and the town itself are in danger, it will take not only Takahashi, but nearly a village of women to right the wrongs being committed.
I enjoyed the laid-back alien tale with some of the other interesting reveals. Takahashi showed that aliens could be heroic and kind, stubborn, grumpy, and prideful---just like humans. While I liked the small town vibes and inane excitement related to specimen cups and volleyballs, there were times the women’s behavior troubled me. Kiyomi catered to an older guest at the hotel hoping to be put into his will. She also promised to keep Takahashi’s secret but took every opportunity to share it. She was unwilling to switch shifts with him so that he could rejuvenate after doing a good deed because it would have mildly inconvenienced her. The women could be terribly self-absorbed when Takahashi shared his hidden pain or when he risked being exposed or arrested for them. On the positive side, the women eased the alien’s loneliness even if he had to call them on their rude behavior at times.
The drama had an episodic feel to it as each episode had a problem to be solved with the overarching theme of the importance of the hotel and friendship regardless of family heredity. The humor was gentle and subtle. As they grew more accustomed to each other, the women became less oblivious and more in tuned to not only Takahashi but the world around them. They also discovered that their small town might be home to more than one unusual resident.
9 April 2025
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Honey, these guys don't use doors!
The Deadly Duo featured the successful trifecta of director Chang Cheh and actors Ti Lung and David Chiang. This time around the deadly duo’s mission was to rescue the hostage Song Prince. The cast of characters was bulging at the seams. The Shaw Brothers tower and bridge even had supporting roles!Song rebels discover a dilapidated bridge leading to the tower where their prince is being held hostage by the Jin conquerors. Vastly outnumbered the rebels are finally able to find a fighter who has the best chance of leading them across it. The duo may be deadly but their opponents are as well. It will take sacrifice and fast swords for them to succeed.
This was around the 8th film that Ti Lung and David Chiang made together. Ti was the loyal rebel who recruited the featherweight fighter David Chiang to join his dwindling band. While I’m not a huge fan of Chiang, Ti spent the last third of the film shirtless, making up for my disappointment. Tang Chia has never been my favorite martial arts director but this time he was joined by Lau Kar Leung, a choreographer whose work I do enjoy. Most of the fights involved swords and the usual bizarre weaponry like a sword with projectile exploding balls or lethal giant golden cymbals. Villains hid underground and in trees. Bolo as the River Dragon, had a crew that could hold their breath for a very long time and leap out of the water. He was nearly always a baddie but I like the big guy. Chen Sing played the invading emperor with no kung fu skills which was a bit of a shock. Ku Feng was a dastardly leader who enjoyed the execution field and sported comically villainous eyebrows. With Chang Cheh at the helm there would be no women in the cast, most certainly buckets of blood, and bodies stacked high.
The plot supposedly based on a real life rescue was as simple as they come yet the movie held my attention. Because it was a Shaw Brothers film there was the money for fake forests and to burn sets. Most of the characters didn’t use doors, instead crashing through them or the walls. Although they still saved money with bit actor Tung Choi Bo who played an assassin who was killed and five minutes later the head of the guard with a whole new wig and wardrobe! There was nearly constant action which meant you didn’t have a chance to become acquainted with many of the characters as the body count was high. Ti and Chiang would go on to make over 20 movies together, so far, they’ve all been watchable but I have a long way to go. As always, I grade on a curve for these niche movies, and could only recommend for fans of the genre.
17 March 2025
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"Power is terrifying"
Tony Jaa directed the production plagued Ong Bak 2 as well as starred in and choreographed the fights. The plot was the standard Hong Kong kung fu plot only with more knees, elbows…and elephants. Ong Bak 2 & 3 were not related to Ong Bak the original except as loose prequels set in the 15th century.Tien’s noble family and retainers are all murdered by the treacherous Lord Rajasena. Though he is saved by a loyal bodyguard, he ends up in the hands of slave dealers. Luck cast a glance his way and he was saved by Chernang, the Outlaw King of Garuda Wing Cliff. Tien learns different styles of fighting and uses of weaponry as he grows up, eventually becoming the second most powerful man in the clan. When he decides he is ready to avenge his family, before he could say “My name is Tien, you killed my father, prepare to die,” Tien hit the road to eliminate Rajasena.
This is one of my favorite Tony Jaa films. The revenge story was a standard which actually served the film well. It was a tried-and-true structure to showcase numerous fights and the requisite training montage. Those fights were insanely well-choreographed with Tony showing off different styles, high flying gymnastics, and a proficiency with weapons. With most strikes going after knees, elbows, and necks, his opponents did not last long. Until he was vastly outnumbered that is.
Tony used Thailand’s stunning scenery as a backdrop for human beings’ ugliness and cruelty. The acting was better than in most of his movies which might be one of the reasons I liked this film more. The biggest complaint I have was the overuse of long flashbacks which tended to halt the pacing.
Tony Jaa in action is a pleasure to watch. What his body can do is astonishing. I always feel like I gush too much over his martial arts and stunts abilities, but they were amazing. And in this film the story didn’t get in the way of his high flying. The ending was abrupt and a cliffhanger, here’s hoping Ong Bak 3 capitalizes on this film.
13 March 2025
Spoiler: 3 failed miserably unfortunately
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"Being warriors...what a misfortune"
Vendetta of a Samurai was written by Kurosawa Akira and directed by Mori Kazuo. It starred many of Kurosawa’s usuals-Mifune Toshiro, Shimura Takashi, and Kato Daisuke. Kurosawa wrote his take on the Igagoe vendetta of 1634. Far from glamorizing violence and the samurai code, it called into question the necessity of the vendetta.The film opens with the usual legend of the vendetta with Araki Mataemon cutting down 36 samurai at the famous clash. The narrator then informs the audience that the number of killed was certainly inflated and gives a tour of the then present day in Ueno. The story restarts a few hours before the battle with numerous flashbacks from the characters waiting for their target to arrive. Young Watanabe Kazuma is duty bound to kill the samurai who murdered his brother. Matagoro has fled and is being protected by a powerful vassal. Kazuma’s brother-in-law, a famous swordsman joins the vendetta to help him out. Araki Mataemon understands the ways of the samurai and knows all too well he will have to fight his best friend who is charged with protecting the murderer. Kazuma, Araki, and two retainers wait in a teahouse having to confront their own fears and mortality before facing their sworn enemy.
“They haven’t killed you, but you look dead already.”
Kurosawa was no stranger to criticizing the samurai system. In Vendetta, I could almost hear the characters saying, “Is all this really necessary?” Mifune and Shimura were brilliant as the two friends who due to loyalties and tradition realized they would have to draw swords against each other. A scene as they politely talked and shared a cup of sake was heartbreaking. “This may be the last time we enjoy sake together.” As Araki and his crew waited in the tea house to ambush Jinza and Matagoro, panic nearly drove three of the men to their knees. When the opposing side rode into town and were confronted by them, terror filled their eyes, too. Most of these men had never drawn swords in battle before and being faced by people they had no real argument with for the most part nearly paralyzed them. The final battle was not fiercely and eloquently fought, it was purposefully awkward as the combatants processed the high stakes involved.
“Waiting is hard, isn’t it?”
The first half of the film was slow. During flashbacks, characters rattled off names and places not necessary for the crux of the story. An elderly man’s song in a flashback seemed interminable. Much of the story was told as characters reminisced while waiting. What the movie got right were the scenes between Mifune and Shimura. Also, once the opposing sides closed in on each other, the tension was excruciating. Araki’s men fought their own fear, shaking and sweating. Araki dealt with his feelings for his friend that he would have to kill in order to fulfill his duty. Mifune and Shimura were excellent, the story and side characters were good, but not great. As long as you don’t expect an action-packed samurai flick, and are willing to be patient with the back-and-forth nature of the storytelling, Vendetta of a Samurai had moments to be enjoyed.
5 March 2025
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"I am damn satisfied to be killed this way!"
Holy Weapon boasted an amazing cast-Michelle Yeoh, Maggie Cheung, Ng Man Tat, Simon Yam, and Sangra Ng to name just a few. If you love Hong Kong martial arts comedy you will most likely enjoy this film more than I did. Very little made sense and often bordered on the bizarre-walking flowers, a green-haired vampire, and a woman who could turn into a spider were just the tip of the proverbial iceberg. I don’t mind martial arts madness, but the rape, poop, and penis jokes wore thin quickly for me.The Japanese Super Sword has come to China to take over the martial world. After cutting down thousands of men, Mo Kake aka Heaven Sword, juiced up on the “greatest drugs,” is able to temporarily defeat Super Sword. SS vows to return in three years. The drugs cause Mo’s personality to change and he goes on a killing spree seeing Super Sword everywhere. Not everyone was disappointed to be killed, "I am damn satisfied to be killed this way!" By the time the Ghost Doctor (“late again!”) arrives, Mo collapses after having driven his fiancée away. Ching Sze changes her appearance and name and becomes the Heartless Man Killer. In order to kill Super Sword when he returns, the good guys will need a secret book and seven female virgins in order to become their own super weapon. Fortunately, there are plenty of oddball and horny maidens to fill just that order.
Michelle Yeoh played the grownup in the room, Ching Sze aka To Col. She was, of course, wonderful as always, even with this material. Maggie Cheung played a dippy Princess protected by Sandra Ng as her bodyguard. Carol Cheng and Damian Lau were betrothed as children but he wanted out badly enough to kill her. He fell in love with the princess and her guard fell in love with him and then the guard later fell for his fiancé, Doll. Along the way, the characters met Sharla Cheung’s Spider, who ended up falling in love with To Col. Ng Man Tat played the Ghost Doctor with Einstein hair. Simon Yam was the deadly enemy who could turn into a sword who also needed to sleep with virgins to maintain his youthful skin care routine. Everyone was looking for love and not terribly hung up on gender (which I liked) or often consent (which I didn’t).
There were numerous rape jokes and attempts which I found horribly offensive. Poop jokes and penis jokes dropped every few minutes. The film was badly faded which made reading the white subtitles difficult at times. There were also frames where the subtitles were cut off at the bottom of the screen.
At first, I was thrilled to see so many accomplished actresses in this film, however, the material did not do them justice and wasted their talents for the most part. Holy Weapon had a few entertaining scenes, but I only finished it for Michelle Yeoh. Comedy is in the eye of the beholder so I wouldn’t want to discourage anyone who is a fan of the actors or genre from watching this film, it just wasn’t my jam.
2 March 2025
Trigger warnings: Snakes, horse parts flying, penis/poop/rape jokes, and several attempted rapes and an accomplished rape
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"Please don't poo at home"
One glance at the title, poster, and synopsis of My Perfect Roommate and you know what’s coming. While the film may have been short on surprises, it delivered on what it set out to do---cause you to smile, cry and feel your heart warm.A new program that matches seniors with young tenants is meant to help out both generations. The older person is given company and financial help and the younger person is given an economical place to live along with the benefit of learning from a senior citizen. Cranky, socially isolated Geum Bun reluctantly takes in university student and part-time worker Han Ji Woong. The parentless student goes out of his way to help people, having only himself to rely on. Woong arrives to see a floor that bears a striking resemblance to a Frank Lloyd Wright painting with red, yellow, and blue tape delineating his, hers, and common areas. Woong discovers even the toilet is off limits to him. Not exactly a match made in heaven, but one that would teach both elder and youngster a few life lessons.
My Perfect Roommate highlighted the isolation some seniors face. Geum Bun never married and had no children, living her days alone. One of Woong’s jobs was cleaning apartments after a person died, the loss often unnoticed for days. Woong grew up in an orphanage and faced discrimination because he had no parents. He tried extra hard to be seen as a model student and obedient child in order to earn love and trust, which was never guaranteed. Both characters suffered from not fitting in, one eschewed friendships and the other never let any one in too close lest they discover his secret.
Na Moon Hee can always be counted on to shine in any halmeoni role whether handing out lollipops or verbal butt whippings and Geum Bun was no different. MPR may have been predictable yet still managed to tug at my heartstrings with this unconventional made family. If you are in need of a feel-good film, this roommate might not be perfect but it knows to put the toilet seat down and not eat your last yogurt in the frig.
21 February 2025
Trigger Warning! One scene has a gruesome display of insects if those bother you.
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"Just because you see it with your eyes...Do you believe it?"
Unidentified was anything but straightforward. File it under absurd arthouse, low budget, independent, allegorical tale, and musical sci-fi endeavor. The movie combined seemingly random vignettes and documentary style scenes. Weirdly, it worked on different levels, but will likely not appeal to most.In 1993, giant spheres settled over major cities around the world. No first contact, just silence…for 29 years. As people became accustomed to the new sky décor, an international theory developed: Alien Mind Control Syndrome. Whether aliens were controlling people’s minds or masquerading as people was up for debate. Those under 29-years-old began to question if they were aliens. Three people in black could have been aliens, from somewhere else, or just mentally stressed from the ever present spheres. Were oddity and social alienation a sign of being an extraterrestrial or just being odd and lonely?
The acting was not great, but better than most low budget films. Romantic love, heartbreak, an alien cult, dream interpretation, burned-out workers, even Korean reunification all made appearances. It was not unusual for characters to break out in dance and/or song. Luckily, the music was actually quite pleasing.
I have no idea what director Jude Chun wanted me to take away from this strange film. What I got from it was how we all deal with the “aliens” in our midst, those who are “different” or foreign. Do the “aliens” in a foreign place still dream of home? Are we welcoming, seeking to learn from each other and peacefully co-existing or do we shut down and listen to our lizard brains and determine we must protect ourselves from the “aliens” and their different ways of thinking, looking, and doing things whether in society or in our personal lives? Chun didn’t spoon feed his vision. The film dragged in places and was obviously not well funded yet it provided interesting existential perspectives and what alien film couldn’t be improved by song and dance?
17 February 2025
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"How did you end up here?"
Wen Shi Pei’s directorial debut, Are You Lonesome Tonight?, was an impressive first film. The sets and color scheme were heavily reminiscent of Wong Kar Wai. Shadows, rain, green, orange, and red lighting set the mood as much as the rundown sets. Eddie Peng and Sylvia Chang gave strong performances as the disparate main characters brought together by a husband’s death.Wang Xue Ming is forced to take a detour late one night when a bull gets loose and refuses to move out of the road. One unassuming turn leads to cause and effect with Wang becoming entwined with the widow Liang and a group of unsavory businessmen.
The film began in the future with Wang in prison, lamenting his lack of memory of previous events. The story bounced back and forth repeatedly and you have to stay sharp to keep up with when the events were happening. Significant details unwound, revealing themselves in retelling the story from different angles. Even with those clues laid out, other secrets stayed buried.
Eddie Peng, in an unglamorous role with beaten face and unkempt hair, had the strongest performance I’ve seen him give until now. Enigmatic, and feeling guilty over the incident on a dark road, Wang kept his emotions tightly hidden. Sylvia Chang also shone as the widow who wasn’t particularly sad to lose her husband, yet also had no idea what to do with her life in an empty apartment. Wang Yan Hui as scruffy Detective Chen, had less to do, as he attempted to discover how Mr. Liang ended up dead. The stars were Peng and Chang in an unusual friendship.
AYLT dizzyingly overused the flashforward, flashback, and flashsideways for me, yet I still found the film’s style fascinating. The criminal mystery was largely left untouched, yet I wasn’t overly concerned so caught up was I in Wang and Liang’s strange give and take. At times slow, at times perplexing, and at times gorey, Are You Lonesome Tonight was an excellent first film for Wen Shi Pei.
“Do the chairs in your parlor seem empty and bare?
Do you gaze at your doorstep and picture me there?
Is your heart filled with pain, shall I come back again?
Tell me dear, are you lonesome tonight?”
4 February 2025
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"We're rich bums"
Lolo and the Kid might be a polarizing film due to its subject matter. An older man uses the orphan he raised to con childless couples. They live day to day, spending their ill-gotten gains at the amusement park and karaoke bars.Whenever Lolo runs short of cash, he leaves Kid near an ice cream cart with some money and goes to Childless Couple Lane to scout out people who will empathize with the small waif and want to take him in. The two scam what they can out of the caring clueless couples before moving on. After they blow through their money, they find another sympathetic couple to rob. Lolo’s conscience begins to get the best of him, knowing that Kid wants to go to school.
Lolo’s words and actions were highly contradictory. He divided the world into those who cheat and those who get cheated. Portrayed as a kindly grandfather character, he taught Kid to be respectful of others and to not curse. All of which seemed preposterous when he had Kid literally steal from the couples they scammed. What troubled me the most were the couples the duo targeted. Emotionally vulnerable couples who could not conceive or have children of their own, were dangled a desired child to care for and then woke up the next day having been robbed. Lolo’s love for the abandoned boy could not make up for the harm they caused. And ultimately, that’s what the film focused on. Lolo was uneducated and poor and the childless couples, or in the one case, a single woman who had overcome a traumatic past, were rich and therefore their feelings did not matter. If they had been evil child dealers or abusive tyrants instead of people who sought to keep a child from sleeping on the streets, Lolo’s actions wouldn’t have been as reprehensible. Also, the repetitive scams began to make this 90 minute film feel much longer.
The two main actors actually did a fine job, especially little Euwenn Mikaell as Kid. While the con artist's sense of moral and parental responsibility finally ran him down like a Mack truck, I struggled to feel moved. And the director worked hard to emotionally manipulate me in nearly every scene. Lolo and the Kid had a few compelling moments, but for the most part, in trying to make everyone involved kind and caring, the film lost its edge and unintentionally made Lolo’s schemes sadistic.
3 February 2025
Trigger warning: Kenny Roger's "Through the Years" was sung badly and often throughout the film.
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"Listening to your story isn't part of my job"
The Assassin aka Night of the Assassin appeared to have a small budget. The story relied heavily on Shin Hyun Joon as the titular character to carry this flick. The production values were low but there was still enjoyment to be had while watching it.Yi Nan is a fierce and feared assassin who works for the highest bidder during a turbulent and chaotic time. He doesn’t make moral judgements on the targets, he just quickly and effectively takes them out. After visiting a doctor, he discovers he has a serious heart condition. It’s not long before everyone knows and “the weakened tiger is attacked by wolves.” Yi Nan disappears into the mountains to look for a specific herb that can heal his condition. He ends up working at a local tavern for a widow and her young son. In a corrupt world, he is drawn back into dealing out death. His only fear is that Death may finally catch up with him before he can accomplish his last mission.
Shin Hyun Joon made for an imposing assassin. I had trouble buying his overnight transformation but it was still fun to watch him avenge a critical death. Kim Min Kyung gave a nicely rounded performance as the widow who helps a stranger out and falls into danger with her son. The supporting cast gave wildly over-the-top performances. If not for the high body count this film almost amounted to a comedic parody of the genre. The villains, of which there were many, lacked any sense of menace, especially a female assassin and her strange voodoo abilities. The film veered wildly from comedy to deathly serious. The fight choreography ranged from quite good to blurry, shaky, what the heck is happening.
Night of the Assassin’s production values were quite low, most Kdramas have better camera work. There was a moral to the story, assassins were not to be glorified for they killed the innocent and the guilty. Yet Yi Nan’s skill with a sword and cooking knife were indeed glorified. If you don’t mind a low budget film and are in the mood for a strange rampage fueled assassin flick, The Assassin might fill that small niche.
20 January 2025
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"Nothing changes. Nothing."
Sword in the Moon was a 2003 Korean attempt at a wuxia complete with running on rooftops. Because even in a wig and sword drama there has to be a childhood connection, the two main characters were blood brothers who trained at the same school but ended up on different sides of a coup.Yun Gyu Yeop has the nickname “The Butcher” and serves at the pleasure of the king. This king stole the throne during a bloody rebellion. Ministers involved with the coup begin being brutally murdered. It doesn’t take long before Yun realizes that the two people involved were his friends from another life. Choi Ji Hwan and Shi Yeong have nothing left to live for except their revenge after the king’s men and Yun killed everyone they cared about.
Sword in the Moon had the basis for an entertaining wuxia. The filming and editing let me down greatly. The director overused the shaky and nausea inducing camera style as well as too many blurry slow-mo fights. The film jumped back and forth in time, introducing characters briefly and rapidly and killing many of them off just as quickly. New players entered the game and then disappeared. This film might have benefited from telling its story more linearly. The main characters were not well developed and relied on the old friends/brothers to enemies trope. At one point it seemed Shi and Yun might have had romantic feelings for each other, yet it was with Choi that Yun road horseback in the moonlight through the tall grasses as grand romantic music played in the background. It honestly felt like Director Kim was told to cut 30 minutes off of the film and he stitched together an odd patchwork with a chisel hoping no one would notice the characters that came and went without reason.
If you are squeamish, it’s important to note that there were numerous beheadings and dismemberments. There were a few fights that weren’t ruined by the shaky, slow-mo camera. As the characters were given little emotional depth, except for Yun, it was hard to care what happened to any of them. Even the traitorous ministers and king lacked any menace or interesting details personally or historically. Sword in the Moon wasn’t terrible, but I would have better enjoyed watching an old Hwang Jang Lee kung fu movie instead.
16 January 2025
Trigger warnings: beheadings and dismemberments
A scene with NUMEROUS snakes
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"Samurai aren't as great as you think"
“Kill!” was a 1968 film adapted from the same book Kurosawa Akira used for Sanjuro (1962). Just as with Sanjuro, “Kill!” had a hero who didn’t want to kill yet ended up having to take lives to save lives. The honor of the samurai was called into question as Genta, the itinerant ronin, found himself working to rescue a handful of loyal samurai from a corrupt system. With his wild eyes and hair, Nakadai Tatsuya perfectly played the humorous yet lethal swordsman.Tabata is a farmer who sold his land to buy samurai swords and is in town seeking a yakuza family that is hiring swordsmen. More than anything he wants to be a samurai. Well, almost anything. He hasn’t eaten in five days when he arrives in a town nearly destroyed by a recent revolt. Tabata meets another hungry ronin named Genta, as they both eye a scrawny chicken that would have made Moana’s Heihei* proud. In town are seven dedicated samurai who kill a corrupt official that has stepped out of line with their lord. The local chamberlain, Ayuzawa Tamiya, gave his tacit agreement for the assassination. Tabata goes to work for Ayuzawa while Genta sees a plot that may cost the seven loyal samurai their lives and begins to covertly work on a way to extricate them from the trap they have fallen into.
The first 30 minutes of the film felt needlessly complicated, though I suppose when introducing two dozen characters it was inevitable for there to be confusion. Nakadai Tatsuya played Genta, the wandering ronin who gave up being a samurai two years prior. Quick witted and quick with a sword, it was hard not to like Genta, especially as played by Nakadai. I have come to truly appreciate his wild eyes and cocksure smile. He looked like he was having great fun playing the skilled samurai masquerading as a vagrant. Takahashi Etsushi’s Tabata had a heart and physical strength greater than his brain power. Though not the sharpest katana in a battle, he made up for his lack in enthusiasm. The two unkempt swordsmen would find themselves on opposite sides but never truly enemies.
“Kill!” had numerous humorous moments yet never more than dipped its toe into slapstick. Other samurai films were alluded to without diving into parody. The samurai fell into “the good guys,”“the bad guys,” and “the average guys,” who were just trying to make a living. Swords, arrows, and bullets didn’t care which category the men belonged to and there was one death that particularly hurt. “Kill!” had several narrative issues, but I enjoyed it based mostly on Nakadai’s performance. The unlikely duo of farmer and reluctant samurai was entertaining as they attempted to save the “good guys" and “the average guys” all while trying to stay alive themselves. Once the film found its footing this chambara was entertaining. If you liked Yojimbo or Sanjuro, “Kill!” is one to try.
14 January 2025
*Spoiler---The chicken lives!
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