Topic: Never Ending Movie Marathon (short reviews)

[samuelrichardscott]

Little Man (2006) R2 United Kingdom

Overview:
Hired to steal the fabulous Queen Diamond, pint-sized jewel thief Calvin Simms (Marion Wayans) and his dimwitted partner, Percy, stash the stone in Vanessa Edwards' (Kerry Washington, Ray) handbag when their getaway plans go uproariously awry. Discovering Vanessa's husband, Darryl (Shawn Wayans), who's hopelessly obsessed with becoming a father, Calvin trades in his duds for diapers and poses as an abandoned baby. Suffering through a host of hysterical humiliations and outrageous family outings, Calvin desperately tries to retrieve the gem before his cover is blown, and Darryl and Vanessa really cut him down to size. Directed by Keenen Ivory Wayans (White Chicks).

My Thoughts:
I wasn't expecting much from this movie at all, and had only bought it for Kerry Washington/Brittany Daniels. Even that turned out to be a mistake here as both put in poor performances and in fact, this goes for the entire cast. Everyone has been in something better, even Shawn Wayans, and it doesn't help that the dialogue they have to muddle through is also beyond disastrous. There were a couple of mildly funny moments (twice in one night? and the american football bit) but when a cameo by Rob Schneider counts as one of the highlights, you know this was a waste of your time. 1.5/5

[samuelrichardscott]

Tokyo Decadence (1992) R0 United Kingdom

Overview:
Catering to Yakuza captains, salarymen and ostensibly "respectable" heads of industry, Ai witnesses and experiences sexual degradation, confusion and despair through her encounters with various clients who include a tycoon and his girlfriend who insist on humiliating her, a crazed drug fiend with a strangulation fixation, a submissive businessman known only as "Turtlehead" and a wine connoisseur with a disturbing taste for necrophilia. Sexually graphic without being gratuitous, brilliant and honest, Tokyo Decadence is an unforgettable film that never shies away from exposing the realities of a world that is devoid of humanity and feeling. Boasting a music score by Academy Award winning composer Ryuichi Sakamoto (The Last Emperor) and a brave, subtly sympathetic, soul-baring central performance by Miho Nikaido, it presents a searing, disturbing and extremely graphic indictment of the hypocrisies of excessive materialism and sexual puritanism.

My Thoughts:
The first thirty minutes takes place during an S&M session between our main character, S&M girl Ai, and a salaryman. Quite explicit, both in nature and in dialogue, the scene involves use of a vibrator tied to Ai as the dominant salaryman brings his girlfriend round, purposely not having actual sex with Ai. In scenes taking place where Ai is on her own in the shower, you see just how good of an actress Miho Nikaido is managing to portray various emotions throughout the film, despite not even talking too much. As we learn throughout, she wants to go back to the married art gallery man she has been seeing and we see her efforts as they unfold.

The story, whilst basic in its outline, is surprisingly forthcoming and at times, very difficult to watch which shows the strengths of the director Ryû Murakami as he puts a dark world into a dark place. Although sometimes the shots seem amateurish, it is forgiven by the way the story unfolds slowly, with good execution. Unfortunately, whilst the story unfolds slowly on purpose, some of the sex scenes can drag a little and lose their overall influence in the way we see Ai's life and because they are purposely not easy viewing, it can hurt the experience to a point.

The film is overall an interesting viewing, mainly down to how Ai's character is developed without much dialogue, but it's hard going. If you enjoy this type of cinema, you'll probably find this film as a recommended viewing, if not, you'll want to rent it. 3.5/5


Full review - http://www.dvdcompare.net/review.php?rid=2587

[samuelrichardscott]

The Man (2005) R2 United Kingdom

Overview:
A Federal Agent turns up dead on the mean streets of Detroit.  When it's learned that the Agent was "on the take" in a multi-million dollar arms heist, all eyes turn towards his partner, Derrick Vann (Samuel L. Jackson), a hardcore undercover Federal Agent known for his untrusting, street-wise style. Vann's given 24 hours to recover the stolen arms and find the cop killers, but he's about to stumble upon an unlikely ally... Enter Andy Fiddler (Eugene Levy), an affable, optimistic dental supply salesman in town for a two-day convention. When the bad guys mistake Andy to be the buyer in a stolen arms deal, Vann is forced to utilize the talkative salesman as "the face" of his sting operation. With the clock ticking, this unlikely duo speed through the streets of Detroit in an intense and hilarious adventure that uncovers much more than they could have ever anticipated.

My Thoughts:
Average buddy comedy starring Samuel L. Jackson and Eugene Levy. Jackson and Levy play off each other quite well and bring a few laughs, unique to each of the character's traits. Luke Goss puts in a good performance as the bad guy and Miguel Ferrer is also quite good as the internal affairs officer. The structure of the plot is nothing new, and the way things pan out is quite obvious, but there is still enough here to enjoy. A couple of good stunt sequences, like Levy driving the car when he is handcuffed, and some good, if unspectacular and sporadic, special effects are also included. 3/5

[samuelrichardscott]

Million Dollar Legs (1932) R2 United Kingdom

Overview:
A small country on the verge of bankruptcy is persuaded to enter the 1932 Los Angeles Olympics as a means of raising money. Either a masterpiece of absurdity or a triumph of satire, depending on your mood, but it's quite possibly the funniest movie ever made, and becomes even funnier with subsequent viewings.

My Thoughts:
W.C. Fields has a smaller role in this movie compared to others in the set, this time getting second billing under Jack Oakie. Unfortunately it is also the least funny so far from this 17 movie collection, and although fitting old newsreels into the movie works for the most part, sometimes it lands too far off the mark and makes the feature drag, despite it's one hour runtime. Still, it does have a few laughs and the satirical and slapstick usage of the Olympics is done well enough without making a mockery of itself, or the event. 3/5

[samuelrichardscott]

Moving McAllister (2007) R2 United Kingdom

Overview:
Rick Robinson (Ben Gourley) is a ladder-climbing law intern from Miami with four days until the Bar Exam. Desperate to score points with his boss McAllister (Rutger Hauer), he commits to a favour he can't afford. He finds himself in charge of a rundown removals truck headed to L.A. with his boss' Hollywood-bound niece (Mila Kunis) and her pet pig. Amidst hitch-hikers (an outstanding performance from Jon 'Napoleon Dynamite' Heder), breakdowns, and assorted local yokels, Rick finds love, life and maybe himself in this trans-American road trip from hell.

My Thoughts:
Mila Kunis and Ben Gourley are quite good in the lead roles in this but the film has three major problems. 1) It's a little boring and not the funniest of comedies considering the situations the characters find themselves in. 2) Jon Heder - Really? One good role in Napoleon Dynamite but after that he has been poor. 3) Rutger Hauer is criminally underused and put to the sidelines. Thankfully, there is enough to keep you watching. Kunis/Gourley play off each other reasonably well and Billy Drago's cameo is quite funny. I just feel this needed to be more polished... the script could've done with a rewrite for the essential comedy moments and it sometimes has an amateur feel in its overall production/editing. Low end of rent it. 2.5/5

[samuelrichardscott]

National Treasure (2004) R2 United Kingdom

Overview:
From the producer of Pirates Of The Caribbean comes NATIONAL TREASURE, the thrilling, edge-of-your-seat adventure starring Academy Award® winner Nicolas Cage, and featuring amazing special effects and an outstanding supporting cast. As an obsessed treasure hunter (Cage) tries to find and decipher ancient riddles that will lead him to the greatest treasure known to man, he's dogged by a ruthless enemy who wants it for himself. Heart-pounding chases and close calls turn his quest into a high-stakes crime caper and the most exciting treasure hunt you've ever experienced.

My Thoughts:
Extremely far fetched but a lot of fun, Nicolas Cage surprised in this as treasure hunter Benjamin Franklin Gates. Justin Bartha, Jon Voight and Diane Kruger also put in good performances but the show is completely stolen by the fantastically mean Sean Bean (a British villain? what a surprise...) and FBI Agent Sadusky played by the ever dependable Harvey Keitel. The plot has a couple of holes and obviously a lot of creative license has been taken with regards to actual historic events/occurances but the action flows at a nice pace without being too OTT and the set design is fantastic. Recommended. 4/5

[samuelrichardscott]

National Treasure 2: Book of Secrets (2007) R2 United Kingdom

Overview:
Join Nicolas Cage on a heart-pounding adventure that will have you on the edge of your seat in a race to find the Lost City of Gold. Grounded in history, imbued with myth and mystery. Disney's National Treasure: Book of Secrets takes you on a globe-trotting quest full of adrenaline-pumping twists and turns - all leading to the final clue in a mysterious and highly guarded book containing centuries of secrets. But there's only one way to find it - Ben Gates must kidnap the President. Packed with fast-paced action and cracking humour, National Treasure: Book of Secrets is a movie your entire family will want to rediscover again and again.

My Thoughts:
Nicolas Cage, Justin Bartha, Diane Kruger, Jon Voight and Harvey Keitel return in what ended up being another above average adventure movie. One of the strongest points of the previous film was Sean Bean as the bad guy and they have replaced him here with an equally good actor in Ed Harris, although he turns out not to be that bad after all. Added to the cast is Helen Mirren as Cage's mother and the often overlooked Bruce Greenwood as the President. The story is again, extremely far-fetched but it's enjoyable no-brainer stuff and the effects and set design are again excellent. Recommended. 3.5/5

[samuelrichardscott]

The House on the Edge of the Park (1980) R0 United Kingdom

Overview:
When Ruggero Deodato, the director of über-controversial “Cannibal Holocaust”, teamed up with David Hess, the notorious “Krug” in “The Last House On The Left”, their maverick talents exploded in the feat of unrelenting sleaze that is The House On The Edge Of The Park.
Alex (Hess) is a psychopath and his friend Ricky (Giovanni L. Radice) an easily led simpleton. When the unlikely pair is invited to an upscale house party where they are ridiculed by their debauched young hosts, Alex decides that he and his straight edged razor deserve some fun. Together the two streetwise punks take the unprepared partygoers on a journey of violence, debasement and forced sex. And that’s before events turn really nasty...

My Thoughts:
The question most people ask about this film, having been disappointed by previous 'video nasties' is whether or not this film is as difficult to watch as previous BBFC comments suggest and I would say this... "The House on the Edge of the Park" is not supposed to be an 'enjoyable' film. You're supposed to gather hatred for David Hess' Alex and both hatred and sympathy for his retarded friend, Giovanni Radice's Ricky. You're supposed to be scared by them and by using extremities that could actually happen (no OTT masked killers here chasing teens), and with the underappreciated skills of Hess (RIP) and Radice, this film brings terror in spades and is one of the few films to make me squirm, not through it's violence and rape, but through the visual terror in the eyes of the characters and built-up tension through the storyline.

The acting throughout is certainly above average for the genre. David Hess is fantastic as Alex, and Radice does well in bringing a character who knows right from wrong but is under the dominance of Alex and hasn't got the capacity to not praise the guy who 'looks' after him into the mix. The 'victims', especially Cindy who appears later on in the movie all put in great performances, acting through a range of emotions, from hatred, to terror throughout and they make it truly believeable. The dialogue perhaps isn't the strongest, but for the story it needs to tell, it works quite well. The music throughout is tense at all the right moments and I found the overall scoring to be strong, although many see it as the weak point.

If you want to be terrified, and have become weary of the latest Hollywood remakes, I implore you to check this truly horrific experience out. It's a classic. 4.5/5

Full review - http://www.dvdcompare.net/review.php?rid=2592

[samuelrichardscott]

And Jimmy, if it interests you, check the full review link as I give a bit of insight into the film's history with UK censorship. The extras are absolutely brilliant also.

[Jimmy]

I'm surprise that you can't have this one completly uncut in 2011... I thought that the days of non-sense censorship were over in your country. OK the scene cut is a rough one to watch, but it's rated 18 for crying out loud.

Nice to see that you got the italian track (correct me if I'm wrong, but it's a dub track too as the english one).

[samuelrichardscott]

I'm surprise that you can't have this one completly uncut in 2011... I thought that the days of non-sense censorship were over in your country. OK the scene cut is a rough one to watch, but it's rated 18 for crying out loud.

Nice to see that you got the italian track (correct me if I'm wrong, but it's a dub track too as the english one).

It is very rare now, and the only things that equal an automatic cut is animal cruelty (Red Cliff has been cut recently for a horse trip) and if it looks like someone is enjoying being raped. The BBFC are certainly far more forgiving than they used to be and it seems every time a cut film is submitted more and more cuts are reduced are they are completely waived. We had a tough time in the 80s but most video nasties are uncut here now, some even rated just a 12. As times change, so will general outlook of what can go through. We get explicit sex scenes where you actually see penetration getting an 18 now rather than R18 (which is sex shops only). Often, films here will be cut to get a low age rating at the cinema. Example The Heartbreak Kid they had to black out the erect donkey penis scene to get a 12 but a 15 was available uncut. They chose the 12.

Oh and both are dubs essentially. Haldf the cast are English, half Italian and they speak their respective languages and dub as appropriate. Quite normal for these movies.

[Najemikon]

I'm surprise that you can't have this one completly uncut in 2011... I thought that the days of non-sense censorship were over in your country. OK the scene cut is a rough one to watch, but it's rated 18 for crying out loud.

Was it resubmitted? I know the BBFC have expressed their frustration before that they are still blamed for cuts when in fact, no-one bothers to resubmit the work when it comes around for a new format or reissue.

[samuelrichardscott]

I'm surprise that you can't have this one completly uncut in 2011... I thought that the days of non-sense censorship were over in your country. OK the scene cut is a rough one to watch, but it's rated 18 for crying out loud.

Was it resubmitted? I know the BBFC have expressed their frustration before that they are still blamed for cuts when in fact, no-one bothers to resubmit the work when it comes around for a new format or reissue.

Yep. Resubmitted and knocked down to 1:20 of cuts. Shameless were still unhappy and appealed and got it knocked down to 0:48. The first paragraph of my full review:
"The House on the Edge of the Park" has had an interesting history in the United Kingdom starting in 1981 when the British Board of Film Censorship (oops, I mean Classification) decided that whether or not we wanted to view the movie was to much of a decision for us humble Brits to make for ourselves, banning it outright. It was then released uncut on VHS by Skyline in October 1982, but quickly hit the video nasties list in July 1983. In 2002, Vipco released the movie on DVD and it passed through the BBFC with an 18 certificate and 11 minutes, 43 seconds of cuts/edits to rape, assault, the opening murder, the razor scene and when Alex bashes Tony's head against the table. This year, Shameless submitted the film to the BBFC and everyone was surprised that the cuts were massively reduced to one minute twenty seconds. Still, Shameless were not happy and appealed the decision to cuts to the rape scene stating the questionability of whether Lisa is enjoying her ordeal or not. They won, and "The House on the Edge of the Park" is now with us cut by just 48 seconds to the razor assault scene.

[Jimmy]

I talk in general not necessary about this film

Some label think it's too costly to resubmit the movie again for what it's worth. You can always import them as we do when something isn't available here? or it's always risky and your package had a good chance to be confiscated...

[samuelrichardscott]

I talk in general not necessary about this film

Some label think it's too costly to resubmit the movie again for what it's worth. You can always import them as we do when something isn't available here? or it's always risky and your package had a good chance to be confiscated...

By law, if a new company gets the rights, they MUST submit to the BBFC any video footage, including extras, they intend to sell. If a company who has already sold the release wants to re-release and have made a single frame of edits compared to their last release, they must submit the entire work again. Some companies just assume they will get cuts so only submit the pre-cut versions which is what I think Jon is getting at. I believe the cost is £8 per minute of footage and it's a legal must or you can't sell. Used companies cannot sell R1 discs here legally have they have not been submitted to the BBFC though the authorities don't care as long as it's not certain movies.

I've had uncut versions from Exploited and Diabolik, never had a problem getting them through customs. It's not the worse of their problems.

btw, my overall says to buy this release for the extras to complement an uncut release.