HA! love the thread thumbnail. i would also accept a screengrab from Hooper.
Enter the Clones of Bruce (2024 rental)
Ive been looking forward to seeing this Severin Films created documentary since it was first announced. Its focus is the "ploitation" genre of bruceploitation. For those who are not familiar, famous martial arts superstar Bruce Lee died very young (age 32) a few months shy of the release of his masterpiece Enter the Dragon. As his celebrity status only rose after this, several studios around Asia began to make movies with actors whos names were (or were changed to) VERY close to Bruce, who copied his moves/sounds, and bore a 'resemblance' to him. Effectively trying to make Bruce Lee movies without Bruce Lee. Its bananas to think about. This is an OUTSTANDING look at the genre, films, and those involved. Lots of great interviews and stories. My favorite part is that the Brucesploitation films delved into some pretty weird and wacky places and this documentary showed some of them (example: The Dragon Lives Again has actors playing james bond, eastwoods the man with no name and popeye!). As we are now less than a month from Junesploitation (#SQUEEE!) i came away with several titles for next month.
I can't watch these anymore. They always show a bunch of cool movies that i want to watch and i end up buying a few of those and i end up with no money again 🤣
SAME! its dangerous. example: this documentary will be physically released later this year..stand alone..OR included in a box set with a bunch of bruceploitation flix....ugh $$$$.
That Brucesploitation box set looks nice, as do so many releases. Yes, that money thing always gets in the way. My physical media budget is not looking good this year. Maybe that will give me the chance to get to the things I already have, like the All The Haunts Be Ours and Black Emanuelle sets
Everly (2014): movie's awesome. Just go read Patrick's review on the site, he's way better than me to verbalize how awesome it is.
Assassination Nation (2018): i feel like nobody ever seen, or even heard of this movie. Heck even i couldn't remember the title for a while (but always remembered the movie), then it recently popped up and i bought the blu-ray. But i swear it's good, if a bit flawed. It's over the top, but at the same time a bit too real. Let me tell you, it gets bloody. From the creator of Euphoria, if that means anything to you (never saw it myself). Patrick did a great review of this one too, go read it.
Blue Ruin (2013): as you can see, i'm revisiting old(ish) bangers. This one put Jeremy Saulnier and Macon Blair on the map for me (some people became aware of them with Murder Party). Too bad they never did much after Green Room (it's next on my rewatch list). It's the kind of movie you don't get to see often. Dark and violent, but also sweet and reflective. Another great review to read from the even greater Patrick.
Land of the Lost (2009): not a great movie, but it's funny enough to put on in the background. The walnut joke gets me every time. For some reasons, there's somebody grabbing Anna Friel's boobs every 10 minutes, i guess it's supposed to be funny. We did her wrong, and by 'we' i mean Hollywood.
Hope everyone had a great week of movie watching. 1 month until Junesploitation! Best movie month of the year. Some things I’ve seen:
I watched Dirty Harry (1971, dir. Don Siegel) and surprisingly was the first time I’ve seen this. Looking forward to watching the other ones. Clint has a charisma which works, but I can’t describe why.
I watched a couple of Howard Hawks/John Wayne collaborations. El Dorado (1966) is really good and Robert Mitchum puts on a great performance. It’s interesting that his alcoholism is played more as a joke sometimes but other times shows the despair. Next I watched Red River (1948) which might be the best Western ever? While El Dorado feels like it was mostly shot on a studio lot, huge parts of Red River is out in the open, with cowboys driving a huge herd of cattle across the land. It’s amazing, and a must see for any fan of Westerns. Howard Hawks, pretty great director?
I’m not a big musical guy, but Jesus Christ Superstar (1973, Norman Jewison) really sucked me in. As someone raised in a (moderate) religious household, I know the story well. There was one song I got in my head for like 2 weeks. A rock opera put on by a bunch of hippies beautifully shot in the desert? Yes please.
What did you think of Harry Callahan, Paul? I remember finding articles from the time the film was released discussing the vigilante aspect of the character. Is he a hero or a villain? Or little of both? In any case, it was a role that Clint Eastwood was perfect for.
ELECTION (1999) I finally got around to seeing this for the first time. It's been a blind spot for far too long. Great movie! Dark and mean-spirited, yes, but also very, very funny.
VERTIGO (1958) Now, that’s how you do plot twists.
THE TIME MACHINE (2002) My memory is that this movie was really cheesy. But after watching it this week, I think it might be… good.
AMERICAN PSYCHO (2000) It’s hip to be square.
CITY HUNTER (2024) The 1993 film is not the best, so I’m good with a remake. The tone is all over the place, where the action scenes all slick and super-violent, while the comedy is cartoony and goofball. I’m not sure it works, but it certainly isn’t boring.
MEET THE FEEBLES (1989) From the Oscar winning director of Lord of the Rings!
ARGYLLE (2024) The title is short for “Arg, I’ll likely regret watching this.”
THE BALLAD OF NARAYAMA (1983, dir. Shohei Imamura) on MUBI – An adaptation of a Japanese novel, NARAYAMA is tale of an isolated mountain village over the span of a year sometime in the 19th century. From planting and harvesting crops to survive and new life being born while the elderly pass on, there are a lot of primal themes present in the film that can weigh the narrative down. The conclusion may especially be too solemn for the good of the film. Considering the cinematography, set design and skillful editing, however, there is no doubt that this is a quality production. I enjoy the early work of the director, so I knew that I would get around this when it showed up on MUBI. I was not in the best mood for the film, but It was coming off the website this week.
BLACK RAIN (1989, dir. Shohei Imamura) – My thoughts about this are similar to The Ballad of Narayama. I found this much more of slog than NARAYAMA, though. The atomic attack on Hiroshima in August 1945 overshadows everything that happens. The scenes depicting the aftermath of the bombing are very horrific: rubble, scattered bodies, burnt survivors roaming around in a vain search for help or relief. As the years go by, a small band of attack survivors settle in a rural town where they struggle with health complications and the stigma from wider Japanese society. The film is very depressing but well-made.
It was a good movie week at the local Salvation Army store. A large batch of Bollywood DVDs came in, and I picked up a stack of them. Sadly, two of the discs cannot be played past the half-way point of the films. Of course, they are among the ones that I have the most interest in. One of those discs was still sealed up and shows no apparent damage. That is the risk of getting any older physical media from a charity shop. For one dollar, however, it is worth the risk. I also picked up some DVDs of Disney titles (Snow White, Cinderella), Hero (2002), Better Off Dead, and A History of Violence. I mentioned last week that I found a couple of Criterion releases there recently. Not all visits to the store are fruitful, but when I do find something that interests me, it is always nice.
It's hard to do a good dvd/blu-ray hunt. You can't go every week because you most likely got the good stuff the first time. But you have to go often enough so you don't miss anything they might add after you went
There is no rhyme or reason to when discs are added to the movie section at the store. Now that I have more free time, I try to go more frequently. I can tell just by looking if any new discs have come. Unsurprisingly, most of what is available are the movies that came out during the height of the DVD era. Most of what I have picked up are horror, 1980s comedy, and action titles.
Movie night with the boys. See if you can spot the theme 🤣
Ghost in the Shell (1995): a Masterpiece! If you even remotely like anime and never saw it, you need to fix this now.
Ghost in the Shell 2 - Innocence (2004): my friend prefer this one. I like it a lot, but to me it's just a great story, well told. Any fan of Cyberpunk Noir will like it.
Ghost in the Shell (2017): Ruper Sanders is trying really hard to be Blade Runner, but it doesn't always work. To be fair, this type of movie is mostly made of studio notes, so we can never be sure whose fault it is exactly. That being said, as a fan of cyberpunk, noir and Blade Runner, i like it a lot. One thing i particularly appreciated is that it's not a remake of the original anime. I'm not even sure it's the same story as the manga (never read it). It does remake a few of the classic shots and scenes from the original movie, but telling a different story. To me it works, but i get why it wasn't well received (one of my friends was particularly pissed at it back when we saw it in theaters 😁).
HA! love the thread thumbnail. i would also accept a screengrab from Hooper.
ReplyDeleteEnter the Clones of Bruce (2024 rental)
Ive been looking forward to seeing this Severin Films created documentary since it was first announced. Its focus is the "ploitation" genre of bruceploitation. For those who are not familiar, famous martial arts superstar Bruce Lee died very young (age 32) a few months shy of the release of his masterpiece Enter the Dragon. As his celebrity status only rose after this, several studios around Asia began to make movies with actors whos names were (or were changed to) VERY close to Bruce, who copied his moves/sounds, and bore a 'resemblance' to him. Effectively trying to make Bruce Lee movies without Bruce Lee. Its bananas to think about. This is an OUTSTANDING look at the genre, films, and those involved. Lots of great interviews and stories. My favorite part is that the Brucesploitation films delved into some pretty weird and wacky places and this documentary showed some of them (example: The Dragon Lives Again has actors playing james bond, eastwoods the man with no name and popeye!). As we are now less than a month from Junesploitation (#SQUEEE!) i came away with several titles for next month.
I can't watch these anymore. They always show a bunch of cool movies that i want to watch and i end up buying a few of those and i end up with no money again 🤣
DeleteSAME! its dangerous. example: this documentary will be physically released later this year..stand alone..OR included in a box set with a bunch of bruceploitation flix....ugh $$$$.
DeleteI might have to get the box
DeleteThat Brucesploitation box set looks nice, as do so many releases. Yes, that money thing always gets in the way. My physical media budget is not looking good this year. Maybe that will give me the chance to get to the things I already have, like the All The Haunts Be Ours and Black Emanuelle sets
DeleteEverly (2014): movie's awesome. Just go read Patrick's review on the site, he's way better than me to verbalize how awesome it is.
ReplyDeleteAssassination Nation (2018): i feel like nobody ever seen, or even heard of this movie. Heck even i couldn't remember the title for a while (but always remembered the movie), then it recently popped up and i bought the blu-ray. But i swear it's good, if a bit flawed. It's over the top, but at the same time a bit too real. Let me tell you, it gets bloody. From the creator of Euphoria, if that means anything to you (never saw it myself). Patrick did a great review of this one too, go read it.
Blue Ruin (2013): as you can see, i'm revisiting old(ish) bangers. This one put Jeremy Saulnier and Macon Blair on the map for me (some people became aware of them with Murder Party). Too bad they never did much after Green Room (it's next on my rewatch list). It's the kind of movie you don't get to see often. Dark and violent, but also sweet and reflective. Another great review to read from the even greater Patrick.
Land of the Lost (2009): not a great movie, but it's funny enough to put on in the background. The walnut joke gets me every time. For some reasons, there's somebody grabbing Anna Friel's boobs every 10 minutes, i guess it's supposed to be funny. We did her wrong, and by 'we' i mean Hollywood.
Hope everyone had a great week of movie watching. 1 month until Junesploitation! Best movie month of the year. Some things I’ve seen:
ReplyDeleteI watched Dirty Harry (1971, dir. Don Siegel) and surprisingly was the first time I’ve seen this. Looking forward to watching the other ones. Clint has a charisma which works, but I can’t describe why.
I watched a couple of Howard Hawks/John Wayne collaborations. El Dorado (1966) is really good and Robert Mitchum puts on a great performance. It’s interesting that his alcoholism is played more as a joke sometimes but other times shows the despair. Next I watched Red River (1948) which might be the best Western ever? While El Dorado feels like it was mostly shot on a studio lot, huge parts of Red River is out in the open, with cowboys driving a huge herd of cattle across the land. It’s amazing, and a must see for any fan of Westerns. Howard Hawks, pretty great director?
I’m not a big musical guy, but Jesus Christ Superstar (1973, Norman Jewison) really sucked me in. As someone raised in a (moderate) religious household, I know the story well. There was one song I got in my head for like 2 weeks. A rock opera put on by a bunch of hippies beautifully shot in the desert? Yes please.
OOOOO...i have very very little experience with Hawks and Wayne but i will absolutely seek out Red River..thanks for the click to pick.
DeleteWhat did you think of Harry Callahan, Paul? I remember finding articles from the time the film was released discussing the vigilante aspect of the character. Is he a hero or a villain? Or little of both? In any case, it was a role that Clint Eastwood was perfect for.
Deletealmost forgot.....HAPPY STAR WARS DAY TO THOSE WHO CELEBRATE! LIVE LONG AND PROSPER!
ReplyDeleteThat's a quote from Gandalf, right? From The Half Blood Prince?
DeleteSorry 😁
DeleteHappy Star Wars Day
lol!
DeleteELECTION (1999) I finally got around to seeing this for the first time. It's been a blind spot for far too long. Great movie! Dark and mean-spirited, yes, but also very, very funny.
ReplyDeleteVERTIGO (1958) Now, that’s how you do plot twists.
THE TIME MACHINE (2002) My memory is that this movie was really cheesy. But after watching it this week, I think it might be… good.
AMERICAN PSYCHO (2000) It’s hip to be square.
CITY HUNTER (2024) The 1993 film is not the best, so I’m good with a remake. The tone is all over the place, where the action scenes all slick and super-violent, while the comedy is cartoony and goofball. I’m not sure it works, but it certainly isn’t boring.
MEET THE FEEBLES (1989) From the Oscar winning director of Lord of the Rings!
ARGYLLE (2024) The title is short for “Arg, I’ll likely regret watching this.”
It would be interesting to see Peter Jackson go back to the horror genre after all that he has done over the past three decades.
DeleteJust a couple of watches for the week.
ReplyDeleteTHE BALLAD OF NARAYAMA (1983, dir. Shohei Imamura) on MUBI – An adaptation of a Japanese novel, NARAYAMA is tale of an isolated mountain village over the span of a year sometime in the 19th century. From planting and harvesting crops to survive and new life being born while the elderly pass on, there are a lot of primal themes present in the film that can weigh the narrative down. The conclusion may especially be too solemn for the good of the film. Considering the cinematography, set design and skillful editing, however, there is no doubt that this is a quality production. I enjoy the early work of the director, so I knew that I would get around this when it showed up on MUBI. I was not in the best mood for the film, but It was coming off the website this week.
BLACK RAIN (1989, dir. Shohei Imamura) – My thoughts about this are similar to The Ballad of Narayama. I found this much more of slog than NARAYAMA, though. The atomic attack on Hiroshima in August 1945 overshadows everything that happens. The scenes depicting the aftermath of the bombing are very horrific: rubble, scattered bodies, burnt survivors roaming around in a vain search for help or relief. As the years go by, a small band of attack survivors settle in a rural town where they struggle with health complications and the stigma from wider Japanese society. The film is very depressing but well-made.
It was a good movie week at the local Salvation Army store. A large batch of Bollywood DVDs came in, and I picked up a stack of them. Sadly, two of the discs cannot be played past the half-way point of the films. Of course, they are among the ones that I have the most interest in. One of those discs was still sealed up and shows no apparent damage. That is the risk of getting any older physical media from a charity shop. For one dollar, however, it is worth the risk. I also picked up some DVDs of Disney titles (Snow White, Cinderella), Hero (2002), Better Off Dead, and A History of Violence. I mentioned last week that I found a couple of Criterion releases there recently. Not all visits to the store are fruitful, but when I do find something that interests me, it is always nice.
ReplyDeleteIt's hard to do a good dvd/blu-ray hunt. You can't go every week because you most likely got the good stuff the first time. But you have to go often enough so you don't miss anything they might add after you went
DeleteThere is no rhyme or reason to when discs are added to the movie section at the store. Now that I have more free time, I try to go more frequently. I can tell just by looking if any new discs have come. Unsurprisingly, most of what is available are the movies that came out during the height of the DVD era. Most of what I have picked up are horror, 1980s comedy, and action titles.
DeleteI love HERO (2002). At least I did when I had it on rotation when it came out. Underrated, IMO.
DeleteMovie night with the boys. See if you can spot the theme 🤣
ReplyDeleteGhost in the Shell (1995): a Masterpiece! If you even remotely like anime and never saw it, you need to fix this now.
Ghost in the Shell 2 - Innocence (2004): my friend prefer this one. I like it a lot, but to me it's just a great story, well told. Any fan of Cyberpunk Noir will like it.
Ghost in the Shell (2017): Ruper Sanders is trying really hard to be Blade Runner, but it doesn't always work. To be fair, this type of movie is mostly made of studio notes, so we can never be sure whose fault it is exactly. That being said, as a fan of cyberpunk, noir and Blade Runner, i like it a lot. One thing i particularly appreciated is that it's not a remake of the original anime. I'm not even sure it's the same story as the manga (never read it). It does remake a few of the classic shots and scenes from the original movie, but telling a different story. To me it works, but i get why it wasn't well received (one of my friends was particularly pissed at it back when we saw it in theaters 😁).