raptandy

For once more, the fabulous D & D duet take certain liberties in their adaption of a renowned literary accomplishment, and if you take in account how things ended with Game of Thrones, then you shouldn't be overtly optimistic for the outcome of this one.

I wasn't a big fan of the first two books -my mind changed with the third which I'm currently reading. I'm not sure if it was the translation or the writing style, I struggled to finish the first-the second was slightly better. I'm not a big fan of hard science. I always felt that Arthur Clarke did the same thing in a better manner in Childhood's End.

The Netflix show polishes the rough edges and simplifies the whole thing, adding lots of gory scenes to make the show appeal to a younger and less sophisticated audience. Not necessarily a bad thing if you want to target the average viewer rather than the hardcore science fiction fans of the original trilogy.

The Netflix show feels very rushed, by the time you reach episode six you're already in the third book, but hey, these are the guys who adapted Game of Thrones, so no suprise there.

There is lots of visual excitement, but lots of scenes, such as the destruction of the ship and its passenger, feel like they belong to another film. The characters are also kinda lame. The "Oxford 5" were a bad idea better suited for the Final Destination franchise.

After I finished the Netflix show, I started watching the Chinese version and I couldn't believe my eyes. Science fiction done on a level that has never been done before, with an amazing visual style much better than any Netflix or HBO show. All you intelligent viewers out there do yourselves a favor and watch it. Then you can decide which is the better adaption.

Upgrade to a smarter Gmail Secure, fast and organised email OPEN Someone liked your comment!

It seems that this director has lost the skill to make good films. Compared to other Korean thrillers such as New World and Yellow Sea this is a rather poor effort. By trying to charm simultaneously both Chinese Censorship bureau and European festival board members, the director has made a film which is unable to decide which audience group it wants too target and at the end fails to satisfy either.

The presence of Tang Wei was probably a calculated move to guarantee the film will hit the Chinese screens. Most of the time, Decision to Leave plays like a less edgier version of modern Mainland noir such as Wild Goose Lake and Black Coal Thin Ice. Storyline is ludicrous perpetuates lots of old fashioned cliches from Asian love stories. Tang Wei is good, but there is no chemistry between the two leads, and the male protagonist is too bland in terms of appearance.

Flawless production design is nothing new in Korean cinema. As a matter of fact you will spend more time ogling over those speckless interior spaces rather than the personal dramas unfolding before your eyes.

One a positive note, at least there is the presence of former pop idol Lee Jyun Hun. Not that she does anything special in this film, but she is always good to look at.

A beautifully shot film, with great photography and framing. The director surely knows how to set up a scene and the colors are amazing.

Unfortunately the film suffers from horrible acting, badly written dialogue, as if the actresses were making up the lines the moment the camera started rolling.

There is no story, just two chicks in various states of undress in a villa with a swimming pool. The director must have had great confidence in his actresses because he seems to have forgotten everything else. Unfortunately his bet that the viewers would be so mesmerised by the two females that they would bother about the lack of story didn't pay off. This film is less entertaining than a bad strip show and acting is worse than a school play.

This blend of RKO horror with classic noir is a bit slow and lacks suspense, while some very intriguing secondary characters remain underdeveloped. Yet certain scenes are powerful enough to keep you watching such as the interaction between the male hero and the pet cheetah of his lover. It makes you believe that wild cats are just like ordinary cats and there was no animal trainer on the set.

I must admit that the pace was a bit of a drag.

The last act is quite impressive and the final twist sure packs a punch. At times it will remind you of the Val Lewton,Jacques Tourner RKO classics while at others it behaves like a James Cain or Hitchcock. If you like stuff like Night of the Eagle and Night of the Demon give this one a shot and you wont be dissapointed.

Emma Stone acts silly while trying to discover the vast world around her. It doesn't come as a surprise that the director is doing exactly the same. No surprise, this is what happens when you take someone who worked for Greek TV and usher him into the world of Oscars. The infantile traits of the characters and the silly behaviors that are characteristic of this director's entire filmography, provide a insulation layer for the director who does not have the ability to adjust to the rules of the dominant English language film culture. I guess his inability to understand English culture leaves no other option but to resort to infantile stunts which unfortunately can pass off nowadays as high art. I must say that the director has found a way to turn into an advantage his shortcomings regarding conventional storytelling and filmmaking techniques. He has somehow convinced the audience that its okay if the endings to his films are extremely silly and unresolved.

His directing skills are not much either. For some reason the generic art-film shots and over-reliance on fish eye lense have been confused with great filmmaking. Recently there has been some effort to try to access more straight storytelling techniques by hiring an English screenwriter. This way some of the odd characteristics remain but with a broader appeal.

What is the Greek Weird Wave? It's cinema that looks like it was created by autistic people. The reason this style has developed in Greece is because Greek society is out of synch with the rest of Europe, the conflict between traditional and modern still remains unresolved. I think its a big problem when you make a film with a contemporary setting and you still have to draw elements from tradition and mythology. There are countless examples. Someone need to tell these filmmakers to get real!

Personally, I believe that Yagros Lanthimos can't make a proper film with straight storytelling techniques that is why he resorts to all the silliness and nonsense. Who knows? Maybe one day he will grow up and deliver us a serious film.

Lynch tried it once with A Straight Story and Haruki Murakami wrote Norwegian Wood to prove that he could work in a one hundred percent realistic setting.

Sooner or later you got to grow up.

Despite the good intentions, this one falls flat thanks to a poor script, cheap digital gore, and bland visuals. Some of the shock scenes may have come as a surprise to unprepared viewers but if you get into this after reading the glowing reviews you may wonder why all the fuss.

The thematic combination of Cronenberg type viral horror with elements of demonic possession doesn't help the film at all. Despite all the silly ideas and ridiculous dialogue, everything is handled in a serious manner, which makes this film hard to qualify as a guilty pleasure. I feel that a more tongue -in -cheek approach would have worked better.

The film features several scenes of gory violence that involve kids and animals. Unfortunately these very brief moments lack punch thanks to the unconvincing digital gore.

The generic look and cheap digital photography-a characteristic most independent low-budget films are nowadays unable to escape from-looks so familiar, it's as if you seen the film many times before. With a larger budget and a better screenplay this film may have been something better. We will just have to wait and see what the director will come up next. It could be something good. If nothing else, this film shows there is some potential.

The above term apart from werewolves can also apply to the subpar reviews for which there is a rather obvious explanation. That the viewers responsible for negative reviews did not see the film at the right time and the right place.

For those who happened to have seen the film when it came out in a dark theatre, it was an unforgettable experience. I still can't forget how paralyzed I was with fear. I was expecting to turn around and see everyone in the theatre having turned into a werewolf similar to the ones in the film. The scene where they're trapped in the car and surrounded by the monsters is unparalleled in terms of sheer terror and tension.

The way the film starts with those scenes in the sex shop and the rape scene that plays in the loop shows us this isn't your ordinary horror film. It's the first step into a descent into hell and post -traumatic syndrome for our blue -eyed angel. In the same way she wasn't prepared for what happens later on at the Colony, the viewers too are entirely unprepared for the bizarre sexual encounters and shocking scenes of werewolf transformation. The mind numbing effect this film had upon its viewers simply cannot be described by words.

The reason the film works so well is that the viewer can identify one hundred percent with both female victims (Balaski and Wallace) during the scenes they get stalked by the monsters. A lot of people complain that the Eddie transformation scene is too long but that is what gives it it's power. It's like being trapped in a nightmare that doesn't end.

These panic attack inducing moments are stretched to maximum effect to screw up the viewers mind. Much alike a MK Ultra type experiment.

Original theatrical prints were much darker therefore scarier. Today, for the sake of clarity, this has been permanently lost. DVD and blue ray editions are much brighter and show the imperfections in the effects. This is a general problem which is obvious even in the best horror films such as Evil Dead, Dawn of the Dead, etc. Unfortunately the viewing experience has changed and lots of qualities that where there in the original viewing experience are not there any longer.

As to which transformation scene is better, my vote goes to The Howling.

In American Werewolf in London, the lighting is too bright, and the setting too bland. Also the guy is lying on the floor most of the time, and there is no real sense of threat, while in the Howling the transformation occurs during a more threatening situation and we know how dangerous this fella Eddie is. Inevitably, we experience the terror of the female protagonist with her. In The Howling we experience the transformation of Eddie though the eyes of Dee Wallace. This is what makes it a better, scarier scene and Eddie is a class A pervert unlike the silly dork in American Werewolf in London.

Yul Brunner is obviously too old for this kind of thing. The role should have gone to someone like Gordon Liu or Bruce Lee. If you take into account that this film was directed by Robert Clouse, Bruce Lee would most likely have starred in this film if he still was alive when it was made. This film belongs to the early seventies post-apocalypse subgenre that includes titles such as The Omega Man and No Blade of Grass. It's the type of film that you would have probably enjoyed if you watched it in the late 70's-early 80's on late night TV. Nowadays it seems quite dated, with ridiculous action scenes and silly violence. There is scene where Yul Brunner gets attacked by four men and having no other way for the hero to win this fight, the writer makes the three of them run away for no reason. The main reason to watch The Ultimate Warrior is to see to which extent The Walking Dead show has ripped off this film. If you get a sense of deja-vu while watching this film it's because the production designers of Walking Dead have been strongly influenced by this one. Also several of the main character of Walking Dead seem to have been lifted verbatim. The final duel between Rick and Negan-(Carson and Carrot)-was also the main influence for the duel between The Bride and Gogo in Kill Bill. The flying ball used by Gogo is nothing but an updated version of the weapon used by Carrot. Despite the grim theme, the onscreen violence is strictly PG-13. If there was more of the red stuff on the screen, The Ultimate Warrior would probably have been better remembered.

This film which reminded me of Black Coal Thin Ice has several problems one of which is it failure to connect with the audience in every possible way. Given the film's problematic history-withdrawn the last moment from Cannes-this is no surprise. It is quite obvious that lots of thing were cut out by the government censorship bureau before this film was released in Chinese cinemas. What remains does not make much sense. Several subplots do not seem to head anywhere and many key sequences-such as a double suicide attempt-come out as very confusing, while others such as the search for a cement block with a severed head inside, are downright stupid. The lack of tension and the disoriented performances only add to the confusion. Summer in Changsha fails to deliver as a crime thriller and as a psychological study. If you want to watch a good Mainland thriller go for Touch of Sin, A Wild Goose Lake, or Black Coal Thin Ice. Instead of watching Summer of Changsha, you're better off sunbathing.

American Factory is amazing. Watch the Chinese treating American citizens like colonial natives! Yes! Watch the Americans get a taste of their own medicine! See them become victims of predatorial capitalism! Laugh at the pathetic fat wimps running around the factory trying to meet the demands of their Chinese bosses! What they fought for decades trying to keep away has now permuted the core of their society! See the American worker's pathetic notion of entitlement getting crushed by foreign interests!!! Watch their moronic expressions in the face of a superior and much more advanced culture!!!! Watch the American workforce being indoctrinated-CHINESE STYLE ! Laugh at their futile attempts to resistance !!!! Witness with your own eyes CHINESE brainstorming sessions on how to deal with these obese inferior creatures! Useless American factory workers who only know how to complain! They're so fat no wonder the factory lost 40 million during the first year. Watch the cunning Chinese CEO in his attempts to make the factory profitable and yes, he succeeds!!!!

Don't let the theme turn you off , this film needs to be re-evaluated and remastered. I reckon the best way to introduce this epic to a Western audience is in a double bill with Triumph Of The Will. Although quite different in style there are plenty of thematic similarities , though I do prefer the eye popping Technicolor of Red Detachment to the grim paganism of Triumph. I would recommend Red Detachment to those who like 60's eurocinema. The starting scenes of the movie reminded me of a Mario Bava film. Definitely the film is ripe for rediscovery.

This catalogue of assorted atrocities is just one step below Pink Flamingoes for sheer audacity, yet it displays none of its sophistication. Despite dodgy production values and non-existent gore effects, this has been a much sought out item, thanks to 90s publications like Dark Side and Flesh and Blood. If ever a film needed to be remade, its this one. Just think about it. They keep on remaking great movies when actually its movies like this that need to be remade. A slasher movie on a Greek island is definitely what viewers of this planet need, much more than My Big Fat Greek Wedding or Mamma Mia.

This is a great film if you're a fan of weird European cinema. it's about a chick who goes for a walk to a park where she undergoes some kind of mystical transformation and turns into a mythical being. All sorts of weird stuff happen. First, she encounters a group of pagan hippies playing flutes, then this guy whose supposed to be the god Pan shows up and bangs her and after that the chick goes completely bonkers. All the kids that happen to be at that park fall under a mysterious spell and join her. If you're into Robert Grave's White Goddess and Frazer's Golden Bough, there's a lot here to appreciate. The main heroine along with her kiddie followers set free all the animals and kill a guard. Later on she kills a kid. Highly atmospheric, this is a treat if you're a fan of films like Picnic At Hanging Rock and Antichrist. Not much in the gore department though. If you want to see this film, it can be found on Youtube.

This is an amazing film for lovers of Hong Kong category 3 films featuring the amazing Pauline Chan in probably her best screen appearance. The film is a soft porn variation of a classical Chinese ghost story where a young fella enters a mural depicting three sisters. Once he is in there, he gets to have sex with the amazing Pauline and later gets in a lot of trouble since she is a prisoner ghost under the control of an evil lady demon. Lots of wacky things happen, like a monk shrinking himself to enter a female vagina where he starts a fire. Then there's a cannibalistic blood drinking orgy and some spectacular wire-fu. There is also a tragic finale that will bring tears to your eyes and some steamy bedroom action that will make you reach out for the Kleenex. And if all that wasn't enough, this film comes with an amazing soundtrack, which is definitely one of the best I have ever heard in an Asian film. For those who are fans of Goblin and Argento you may want to check it out.

While watching this film I could not believe that it was made by the same director responsible for the excellent Young and Dangerous and Infernal Affairs sagas. What went wrong here? I suppose its the director's inability to understand American culture which I find rather surprising since this is not the first time he makes a film outside Hong Kong. It is obvious he doesn't know very well the society he wants to talk about therefore the film fails both as a crime film and a study of the life of Chinese living abroad. It's more Tokyo Drift than Once Upon A Time in America, the casting and accents are terrible, there is no third act, and a couple of decent actors get entirely wasted in this cliché ridden mishmash. It's not even worth watching for the violence. Even though there is a certain amount of bloodshed there is nothing memorable or too shocking. I'm sure that the director will continue to make good films in the future but this effort falls flat on its face.

Killing off all the main characters in such a slapdash manner is not the best way to end the show. In the final seasons of Breaking Bad and Sopranos they gave more episodes to the viewers, but the masterminds behind this show have opted here for the exact opposite. No wonder the narrative is very fragmented, a problem which had already started with season four. The truth is that this show has suffered since the end of Season 2 but there were some great moments in 3, 4 was tolerable, but they screwed up big time with 5. It's like someone removed half the pages of the script before they started filming. I know that there are very important money issues but what about all the people who were following the show for the last five years? You can't treat them like idiots. BTW, Hasn't Jimmy's son grown up a bit too fast? If you take in account the years between seasons four and five he would be about 12 years old and not an adult as he is depicted in the show.