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Reviews
Daihao meizhoubao (1989)
A metaphoric political propaganda film of the Chinese Communist Party
Honestly the film it self was not as bad as 1/10, if not for the brain-washing CCP propaganda, I'd probably given it a 2/10 -- 1 point more for the fair performances of Gong Li, Yu Rongguang, Wang Xueqi and Liu Xiaoning.
Ge You's character and performance were both awfully inconvincible, he was a joke in this film (even more hilarious than the product placement marketing of Yun Yan brand Chinese cigarettes). Ge You was born to be a comedian, thus any attempt in other genres would ultimately lost in vain.
It took me a while to believe that this was yet another Zhang Yimou/Gu Changwei film. The direction and cinematography were both disasters. It was funny how it even took the director Zhang Yimou himself a long time to take credit for this possibly one-of-his-worst film.
So the question is why? Why would they make such a piece of crap and publish it? The answer is simple yet sophisticated in its own way - politics.
First of all, The relation between mainland China and Taiwan is never friendly. And second, notice the time when this film was released - 1989, however strangely I couldn't find out the exact date when it's released; hence I guess it was right after or even during the infamous Tian'anmen massacre. The massacre was covered and defined by CCP as "a violent riot of a small group of people manipulated and oriented by foreign anti-China forces".
The CCP have always controlled the media and I guess it's probably why the exact release date is censored, only not to let me or any other people who are interested in this political swindle relates this film to the massacre. The terrorists factor in this film was obviously a metaphor of the so-called "anti-China forces".
CCP released this film only to show her people (as well as the Taiwanese) that the party is powerful enough to reign her regime, and that's disgusting to me since it's nothing but mental masturbation -- no different than a Nazi propaganda film -- or even worse, for Nazi propaganda films were never ridiculously affected with metaphors; the III Reich film makers under Goebbels' lead were at least masturbating with honesty and decency.
Home (2009)
A great modern documentary for the masses.
I never knew that the major half of grain we grew were to produce energy or to feed the animals to make produce meet, while the major half of people in this world suffer from hunger. What an irony fact.
The footages used in this great documentary are of very high quality, beautifully edited to illustrate a simple idea: save the earth.
The elegant music tenderly melt with the pictures, somehow reminds me of Kubrick's 2001.
I watched the film with English VO, Glenn Close's voice is very warm and convincing.
A great modern documentary for the masses.
Kurobara shôten (1975)
Weirdly funny and hopelessly sad.
Weirdly funny and hopelessly sad.
A gem in the history of Japanese Pinku Eiga and one of Tatsumi Kumashiro's best.
A tragedy of an unsuccessful director who never would stop chasing his dream of porno films, however unfortunately let down time and time again by people around him -- something I believe is exactly the reflection of Tatsumi Kumashiro himself.
The editing of sound and montages are very intriguing and imaginative, all nicely and smoothly blended into the black humorous feel of sadness of this wonderful film.
All of the actors and actresses in this film are talented; all of them did very good to diliver a general feeling mixed of helpless boredom and ignorant discommunication by their decent and responsible performances.
There is a very interesting scene in the beginning where the director(the character) walks the actress (the character) in the zoo and tries to enlighten or kinda persuade her into another porno. They are walking vertically backwards towards a group of elementary school pupils when suddenly an oldman flashed across the camera intentionally, finally the director managed to talk the actress into what the actress clearly lacked interests in front of the cages of giraffes when they'd walked past the group of pupils. Try get a vision of the image: oldman - grownup - children - giraffes (the grownup were misled backwardly to degenerate into animals). Tatsumi Kumashiro obviously use this peculiar setting to mock porno films in a unique sarcastic way, even though a PORNO is exactly what he was making, which is very cool to me.
Maguma no gotoku (2004)
One fine piece of Retro Pinku Eiga
The story is very interesting however it didn't turn out to be a good script; the lines and plot are just fine and the performances, especially that of the actress in the leading role (Ai Kurosawa) is not convincing enough, but what do you expect from an AV actress; It's fine enough to me.
Music is nice but a little bit artificial and superficial.
Cinematography is fine but a little bit too green; the idea of grading the picture green is good but i'm afraid it's done too deliberately.
The title MAGUMA NO GOTOKU could be translated as SOME LIKE IT HOT, in a way; literally it means Like Magma, for the main male character find having sex in bathing water is like having sex in magma -- it's too hot for him to bear.
Maybe life is like magma too.
Anyway, magma, lava, furnace, bathing water, libido ... whatever hot is actually the best description and summary of the main female character -- she's hot and she's really HOT.
Ai dao di (2009)
Four fairly fine stories ruined by amateur directors.
Four fairly interesting stories directed by four amateur directors, none of whom was talented or at least capable to handle a film or even a segment.
"San sheng you xing" could've been better edited.
"Hua shan 24'" could've contained less bisexual narcissism.
"Xing yun" could've showed less affectation.
"Di liu hao liu hai nan sheng" could've been less commercial.
The actors and actresses were all fine and professional or at least tried their best, especially the nervous girl in the last segment. The rest of the crews were not bad, however not good either -- merely met the bottom line of a Taiwanese film to be published.
Should all four segment to be compressed into 5 - 10 minutes each, better results might actually come out. Especially the second and third segments, both would be better if they were to be directed into music videos but not short movies.
Tôkyô X erotika: Shibireru kairaku (2001)
Good example of low-budget Pinku Eiga
Bare but not repulsive.
Sexy but not seductive.
Erotic but not sinful.
Reality deconstructed to form a surrealistic matrix, filled with eroticas anatomized in the point of view of death, eternity and samsara.
Intriguing short stories of various people interweaved with very nice and smooth hyperlink plots, edited in a one-of-a-kind style.
Music is simple but touching and properly arranged to fit the theme, the general feel, and the title -- Tokyo X Erotica.
Joheunnom nabbeunnom isanghannom (2008)
New Order: the Bad, the Weird, the Good
(Major premise of the movie: everyone is dirty and guilty in this chaotic and crazy world.)
The good turns out to be the bad, since he makes a living on other people's deaths; he lacks moral fiber.
The bad turns out to be the weird, since he is so carried away by his own illusions and obsessions; he is actually a psycho.
The weird turns out to be the good, for he tries his best to stay out of other people's business, however so naive that even his best friend takes advantages of him; all he wants and pursues is an ideal peaceful life - he is the dreamer and the only good.
San qiang pai an jing qi (2009)
Expensive crap
It's considered by the main stream media that this movie is a break-through of Zhang, as well as a master piece (yet another) of his too.
However considered by most of the Chinese audience with common senses, to be nothing but crap.
So do not believe what the media tells you, trust me, it's crap. If it's not for Zhang, the movie would be probably categorized as another low-budget amateur parody practice, only except the budget is not low at all.
I watched this piece of crap only to see how lame it could get. I'm pretty satisfied to experience a fantastic one-and-a-half hour watching what I'd expected: Expensive crap - that's my final rating.