Hanzo The Razor: The Snare (1973)

The Second film in the Hanzo The Razor series and it's just a solid as the first. It's the same kind of material, with the corruption, sword fights and return of Hanzo's 'special torture'.
But it's still thoroughly enjoyable and fun. Let's hope the third film can keep it up.
***1/2

Blue Ruin (2013)

Here's a really good revenge film that has it's own little unique spin on the genre, including a nice layer of black comedy spread over it. This combined with great cinematography and some truly tense moments make for a thoroughly enjoyable watch. Great stuff.
****

The Man Who Stole The Sun (1979)

The Man Stole The Sun is very solid thriller that is also part satire. I also love the above movie poster for it hence why it's so big for this post. Now the movie itself is two and a half hours and manages to keep you fully engaged for that duration with quite an intriguing main character.
It does go a little overboard towards the end, but I suppose that's down to it's satirical nature,
I also really liked the soundtrack, and there was an interesting use of freeze frames in one scene.
All in all, it's a very enjoyable thriller that has a nice satirical edge.
***1/2

Gushing prayer (1971)

I watched this purely because of it's odd title and it ended up being pretty damn good. It's basically about a teenage girl's existential crisis(?) and there's this weird obssession with trying to beat sex,  Had quite a nouvelle Vague kind of feel with a few avant-garde elements including colour film and filters being used in certain moments. Overall, the film was very intriguing and unique, though nothing that great cinematography-wise, with a lot of the images looking a bit underexposed.
But it was short enough and interesting enough to keep me engaged throughout.
***1/2

King Kong Vs Godzilla (1962)

With the new Godzilla coming up soon, it's put me in the mood to revisit a lot of the films in the series. I myself am a big fan of the films since I grew up watching them as a kid. Now King Kong vs Godzilla is one films where everything is kind of alright and that's about it.
The climatic fight is alright, the story is very standard and borrows alot of elements from the original King Kong. I do really like the Mr Tako character though, he's pretty funny.
It's also a shame that the original 35mm prints got lost as loss in quality during certain parts was sometimes distracting. Overall, the film's kind of fun, nothing spectacular but not too bad.
***

Hanzo The Razor: Sword Of Justice (1972)

Sword of Justice is the first film in a trilogy about  exceedingly well endowed samurai Hanzo The Razor. It's quite a fun movie, with Hanzo's techniques of getting confessions from women being the main highlight. It was also nice seeing a younger Renji Ishibashi playing a small role here.
Some of the cinematography was quite interesting with a lot of peculiar framing going on, smf there's also a nice bit of swordplay and squirting blood here and there.
Overall this was a pretty solid samurai film that was fun to watch.
***1/2

Tracks (2014)

One of those simple, straight foward films that provides a nice watch. A journey of self understanding starring the wonderful Mia Wasikowska, with some beautiful cinematography (I particularly loved the opening shot).
The film has a few small downtrodden moments but mainly feels quite tender and is definitely not for those who like their films with a full on narrative.
But overall, I think it's a solid, well-crafted adaptation of Robyn Davidson's journey.
***1/2

Fear of the Ghost House: Bloodsucking Doll (1970)

Released over here as Legacy Of Dracula (even though it has nothing to do with him), Fear of the Ghost House starts out like a bog standard vampire movie, but the story ends up being a bit more interesting and different, leaving us with a pretty decent horror movie.
Now the DVD transfer I watched was kind of poor, which is a shame cause there did seem to be a few interesting lighting bits.
I still thought the 'vampire' girl was quite creepy though and the music, though a horror standard for its time, was quite effective. The film is only 70 minutes too. A simple, short, decent early 70's horror.

R100 (2013)

Talk about a descent into the absurd.Hitoshi Matsumoto's latest venture and I think it's great. An S&M Themed comedy that left me with a big smile by the end of it.
It's a film that sets you up on a certain road and then takes an unexpected route.
I've seen all of Matsumoto's films now and it's safe to say, I love him as he never disappoints.
Delivering another unique, dynamic and funny film. I can't wait for the next.
****

Scabbard Samurai (2010)

This is Comedian Hitoshi Matsumoto's third film and it's a great one. It's funny and mostly lighthearted but with a significant amount of emotional weight and depth that makes the film more dynamic than it first appears. The film also has very solid performances all around especially from Takaaki Nomi and Sea Kumada. All in all, It's wonderful, sad and immensely enjoyable, quite possibly Matsumoto's best film so far.
****

As Tears Go By (1988)

Wong Kar-wai's directorial debut and a solid debut at that. Got a few interesting characters, a compelling narrative and though Chris Doyle isn't around yet, the cinematography is handled by Andy Lau, so the camera work is all well and good. We also already see certain trademarks that Wong Kar-Wai would develop and use in later films. Overall, it's little more conventional than his other work but still a very enjoyable film.
***1/2

Totally Fucked Up (1994)

A Gregg Araki movie from the early 90's about a group of gay teenagers that has the usual loud and energetic feel that a lot of his films have. It's an interesting watch but doesn't really do much else for me, and I haven't really much else to say other than, I prefer most of his other films.
***

Locke (2014)

Trying to make a good minimalist film set in one location is hard, but this film manages to do it rather successfully. This is of course down to Tom Hardy's great performance holding the film together along with it's well written script. It's not necessarily a great film but its definitely a solid one and I have heaps of appreciation for it managing to be a success.
Now this is the type of film that most people will go to see just because Tom Hardy is in it but end up hating it, much like Only God Forgives with Ryan Gosling and Under The Skin with Scarlett Johansson (believe me, I've had quite a few people in all these screenings like it). But I suppose if you want something more than just 85 minutes of some guy driving then your probably not gonna enjoy this film much. But for those that like films that try things a bit differently, then it's worth checking out. Simple, effective and super solid.
***1/2

Transcendence (2014)

So this was Cinematographer Wally Pfister's directorial debut and he did an alright job I suppose. It's one of those films that has interesting ideas and intentions but ends up being disappointing as a whole. This of course has lead to it getting a lot of negative reviews, but I still quite liked the movie and appreciated its attempts with its ideas. It didn't exactly wow me, but it was still rather enjoyable and intriguing, though, I do think the opening scene was a big no no.
Also the film still looks good and the acting is fine, it's just the narrative structure that's the main issue, it's not too bad overall though.
***

A Story Of Yonosuke (2013)

Here a wonderful little Japanese film that just got a DVD release by Third Window Films. Directed by Shuichi Okita, the same guy who did the great The Woodsman and The Rain, A Story Of Yonosuke is an uber solid film that just about misses out on being great.
It has good performances from everyone and the main character Yonosuke (played by Kengo Kora) is one of those simple and awkward type guys that you can't help but smile at. I also loved Yuriko Yoshitaka in this, her character was just so cute and adorable.
The film has a hefty run time, but it hardly seems to drag much and has quite a few funny moments spread throughout it. Overall, I wasn't to fussed on the ending, but this film is just simple, solid and very enjoyable.
***1/2

The Amazing Spiderman 2 (2014)

The Amazing Spider-Man 2 AKA The Slightly Above Average Spider-Man 2. So this was a pretty good movie, nothing really stood out to me though. It followed quite a few conventions of superhero movies and some of the scenes dragged a little. However it does get bonus points for certain things in the narrative and I really liked Dane DeHaan as Harry Osborn and enjoyed Jamie Foxx a lot more than I thought I would. The action's not too bad either and overall it's quite decent but nothing stand out.
***1/2

Calvary (2014)

Here's an interesting little Irish film that recently got released. A dark comedy-drama that is simply great. It's full of very interesting characters and solid performances, as well as some very funny moments scattered throughout. It's also well shot with a nice use of wides and is thematically rich. All in all, very impressive.
****

Bliss (1985)

Here's an interesting Australian flick that starts off great but then turns a little messy and ends up just being decent. I appreciate its intentions and there are some funny and mad moments here and there, but overall, I found the structure to be inconsistent, so even though it had the potential to be great, it just turns out to be rather decent. ***

Kikujiro (1999)

Now here's a film that is just a purely joyous watch. Simple, subtle and funny, with  some beautiful wide shots and one of my favorite film soundtracks composed by the always great Joe Hisaishi. It's run time may seem overlong to some and it will disappoint those who expect more from Takeshi Kitano. But for me, it's the kind of film that I can just relax and watch with a smile across my face. Simply wonderful.
****

Irreversible (2002)

Gaspar Noe's Masterwork, A Chaotic, provocative and purely brilliant film, containing one of the most uncomfortable scenes I've ever watched.
It's reverse narrative is greatly constructed, and the way the camera just floats around, combined with the editing to create the illusion of the film being one seamless take is wonderful. Though it's not exactly the type of film you'd give multiple views, it is still most certainly a great film.
Side note: This film works great as a double bill with Kikujiro, just make sure you watch Irreversible first.
*****

Jacobs Ladder (1990)

So here's a great film I haven't seen in a while. and though it didn't astound me as much as the first time, this film still has a lot going for it. The one thing I love is how the whole thing is done in a much subtler way than you may expect. It would of been very easy for a story like this to be much more outrageous, but they manage to successfully subdue it, while at the same time keep it intricate and constantly intriguing. You also get a good performance from Tim Robbins, some great cinematography and a touching ending. Great stuff all around.
****1/2

Filth (2013)

This was my favourite film of 2013, A mad comedy-drama that features a fantastic performance from James McAvoy. It's just thoroughly engaging from start to finish and has a significant amount of depth, allowing the film to bring out quite a few emotional moments within it's chaos.
Unique, funny and just simply brilliant.
*****

Noah (2014)

I'll admit that even as an Aronofsky fan I was skeptical on how well his take on Noah would turn out. But after watching it, I think it's safe to say that this is probably the best Noah film that you could get.
It's filled with a lot of strong performances that really help with the dramatic moments that provide the most engaging scenes in this movie.
I also felt that they made great use of the Icelandic locations they filmed in, which really fit well with it.
And although it does suffer from the odd dodgy shakycam moment, there are quite a few nice shots here, including one where a watcher walks with Noah's family in silhouette against the horizon, which was oddly surreal.
I do find it'll be a film that may be quite laughable for a lot of people, but if you embrace it for what it is, then that's when you'll get the most enjoyment from it.
Overall, I found the second half alot stronger than the first and think it's a very well executed version of the story that's exceedingly enjoyable.

The Double (2014)

Now I was a big lover of Richard Ayaode's debut film Submarine and I think his follow up is also great. Based on the novella by Fyodor Dostoyevsky, The Double exists in its own unique reality (something I always like in films) and is funny, engaging and all around really good.
It has a superb use of lighting, leading to some really nice cinematography, and some intriguing use of sound. It also has a well fitted cast, including the lovely Mia Wasikowska (who I've been really into ever since Stoker) and even some of the cast of Submarine play a few small parts in this movie.
Overall, while I did find the last 10 minutes to be a little messy, I really enjoyed this movie and think it's another great success for Richard Ayaode.
****

The Immigrant (2013)

So this is a solid period drama, with Marion Cotillard, Jeremy Renner and Joaquin Phoenix all putting on good performances, especially Marion Cotillard who is fantastic in this movie.
Now the version I watched was the french Blu-ray because a UK/US release hasn't happened yet and there are certain scenes where the dialogue is Polish and only french subs available. So while I kind of got the jist of what was being said, I didn't know specifics, which is a shame, especially during an emotional scene that happens towards the end. The film also has some really nice looking cinematography, particularly, the end shot which was wonderful.
Overall, a solid movie.
***1/2

Chaos (2000)

Hideo Nakata presents an average thriller filled with small twists and turns, that's quite interesting for the first hour or so but then begins to lose steam, so that by the end I wasn't all that bothered with it.
It does star the lovely Miki Nakatani who's as a good as always and the story's not too bad,
but the whole thing just didn't excite that much.
***

The Raid 2: Berandal (2014)

The sequel to the great Indonesian action film and it is brilliant.
Instead of doing it as another all out tense action thriller, Gareth Evans presents an epic gangster type story that may not be hugely unique, but is executed fantastically. The sets look great, the cinematography is superb, performances are good and even Kenichi Endo is in the film.
The actions sequence of course, are also handled excellently with so many tense and great moments, and the final fight having some of the best fight choreography that I have seen.
Simply one of the best films of 2014 so far.
****1/2