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TRIBECA FILM FESTIVAL: ‘Fighter’ Packs a Good Punch
Posted on 05.07.08 by Charlie @ 1:20 pm

Tribeca Film Festival

North American Premiere / 100 minutes / Feature Narrative
Country and year: Denmark (2008)
Director: Natasha Arthy
Starring: Semra Turan, Nima Nabipour, Cyron Bjorn Melville

Rating: 3 out of 4 stars (good)
Review by: Charlie Prince

The kung fu film is a tried and true genre, and it’s very rare than anyone reinvents it. But then again, to be a success you don’t need to. Solid fu is a must, a decent story is a nice bonus, and hopefully the film brings something new to the table. Jump through those hoops and most fu fans will give a thumbs up. But with thousands and thousands of fu films under our belts, the last part of our three-prong test becomes harder and harder.

Enter Fighter, a Swedish martial arts film that played at the 2008 Tribeca Film Festival. (Click Here To Read More…)


Filed under: Movie Reviews and Contributors: Charlie and Movie Reviews: Europe and Film Festivals: Tribeca Film Festival 2008 and Movie Reviews: Denmark
Comments: None

TRIBECA FILM FESTIVAL: ‘Finding Amanda’ and ‘Yonkers Joe’
Posted on 05.06.08 by Susannah @ 11:10 pm

Tribeca Film Festival

Festivalgoers hit the jackpot at Tribeca last Wednesday night when they were treated to two compelling Vegas-themed flicks. First up was Finding Amanda, a comedy starring Matthew Broderick as a flailing TV producer with a gambling problem who ventures to Vegas in an attempt to get his young niece (Hairspray’s Brittany Snow) out of sin city and into rehab. “This is a dark comedy, and it’s partially autobiographical,” said the pic’s writer/director Peter Tolan (best known for exec-producing the acclaimed FX series Rescue Me, which starred Denis Leary — who was also spotted at the Finding Amanda premiere). When asked what he liked about the Tribeca fest, Broderick revealed himself to be a true New Yorker: “I have lived here my whole life. I grew up here. I like walking here, I like the variety. I like the energy in New York.”

There was plenty of energy in Chazz Palminteri’s gripping portrayal of a professional dice-rigging con artist (called a “mechanic”) who must mend a broken relationship with his mentally-disabled son (a breathtakingly good Tom Guiry), with some help from his longtime girlfriend (Christine Lahti). Palminteri’s character (the titular ‘Yonkers Joe’—a role that was also considered by James Caan and James Woods) is “a guy, who for the first time in his life, is letting someone in,” said the film’s writer/director Robert Celestino. “He’s finally taking some responsibility in his life.” To achieve the film’s fascinating glimpse into the inner world of casino con-men, Celestino researched the tactics of professional dice “mechanics,” and the surveillance rooms of top casinos. Palminteri added to the film’s sense of realism by becoming truly adept at the crafty slights-of-hand that make a skilled mechanic. “Not only did Chazz learn these movies,” said Celestino, “but he was able to capture their behavior. I didn’t want to see another pool movie where the guy can’t hold a pool stick.”

Yonkers Joe and Finding Amanda were just two more examples of what makes the Tribeca festival so unique. In the words of Rescue Me star Daniel Sunjata, “This is a place where artistry is honored. Tribeca is famous for that,” he added, “and that’s a good thing.”

-Susannah Gora


Filed under: Movie News and Contributors: Susannah and Film Festivals: Tribeca Film Festival 2008
Comments: None

Queen of Black Magic (Special Preview of Upcoming DVD Release)
Posted on 05.05.08 by Jeff @ 3:54 pm

Country and Year: Indonesia (1979)
Director: Liliek Sudjio
Starring: Suzanna, W.D. Muchtar, Teddy Purba, Sofia W.D.
Language: English
Review By: Jeff
Rating: 3 out of 4 stars (good)

QueenofBlackMagic4

In recent years, the Mondo Macabro DVD label has provided Western viewers with easy access to the colorful world of Indonesian exploitation cinema. Highlights have included the delirious Virgins from Hell (which splits the difference between Russ Meyer’s early work and a Cannon action movie) and Mystics in Bali, one of the most notorious films in the East Asian “black magic” genre. Mondo Macabro has now added another “black magic” film, Queen of Black Magic, to its collection. Just like Mystics in Bali and many other “black magic” films, Queen of Black Magic tells the story of an innocent who falls under the influence of an evil sorcerer and is exposed to the weird world of magical rituals, floating heads, blood, snakes, maggots, and other gross stuff. However, QoBM is a much more polished piece of filmmaking than Mystics in Bali. While Mystics in Bali is basically a series of bizarre special effects sequences connected by only the loosest of narratives, Queen of Black Magic is a flat-out melodrama. Fans of Mystics in Bali should have no fear, however, as QoBM definitely delivers the goods, particularly in the final third of the film, which features all of the exploding people, flying body parts and sorcery duels that fans of the “black magic” genre have come to know and love.

(Click Here To Read More…)


Filed under: General and Movie Reviews and Rating: Good ★★★ and DVD Companies: Mondo Macabro and Movie Reviews: Indonesia and Contributors: Jeff and DVD Reviews: Indonesia
Comments: None

Super Inframan (1975) - Movie Image (4 of 4)
Posted on 05.04.08 by David @ 10:00 pm

The Iron Armor twin monsters. Powers - detachable mace-arms. From the wonderfully trippy Inframan, the Shaw Brother’s only venture into Ultraman-style henshin action.

(Click Here To Read More…)


Filed under: Studios: Shaw Brothers and Movie Image
Comments: None

Red Handkerchief [Akai Hankachi] (1967) - Movie Image (3 of 3)
Posted on 04.30.08 by David @ 9:10 am

Original poster for Toshio Masuda’s Red Handkerchief, which played on January 18, at 7:30 as part of The Japan Society and Outcast Cinema’s “NO BORDERS, NO LIMITS: 1960s Nikkatsu Action Cinema” film series.

Following are notes from the Japan Society and Mark Schilling on the film:

(Click Here To Read More…)


Filed under: Movie Image and Venues: The Japan Society and Studios: Nikkatsu
Comments: None

Trading Places (1983) - Movie Image
Posted on 04.28.08 by David @ 8:58 am

I used to love this film when I was a kid. I’ll have to revisit it again with older eyes someday, but I can’t imagine a drunken Dan Aykroyd stuffing salmon into his dirty Santa suit stopped being funny.

(Click Here To Read More…)


Filed under: Movie Image and People: Eddie Murphy and People: Dan Aykroyd
Comments: None

Fists of the Double K [Chu Ba] (1973) - Movie Image (1 of 2)
Posted on 04.24.08 by David @ 9:30 am

A rare image from an early John Woo film that also goes by the titles Fist to Fist and Hong Kong Face-off. Some stunts were performed by Jackie Chan.

(Click Here To Read More…)


Filed under: People: John Woo and People: Jackie Chan and Movie Image and Genre: Martial Arts
Comments: 1 Comment

The Toxic Avenger (1985) - Movie Image
Posted on 04.21.08 by David @ 2:42 pm

The Toxic Avenger performs his good deed for the day, making New Jersey safe for old ladies.

(Click Here To Read More…)


Filed under: Movie Image and Studios: Troma
Comments: None

Divorce - Italian Style (1961) - Movie Image (1 of 3)
Posted on 04.17.08 by David @ 6:11 pm

Marcello Mastroianni feigns illness in the extremely funny Best Foreign Film winner Divorce - Italian Style.

(Click Here To Read More…)


Filed under: Movie Image and People: Marcello Mastroianni
Comments: 1 Comment

CAPSULE REVIEWS – “Casus Kiran” and “F for Fake”
Posted on 04.15.08 by David @ 12:34 pm

Casus Kiran
AKA: Spy Smasher
Dir. Yilmaz Atadeniz (Turkey 1968)
Rating: 3 out of 4 stars (good)
Capsule Review by: David Austin

Casus KiranCasus Kiran, or Spy Smasher as its source comic was known, is one of Onar Films’ wonderful releases of Turkish superhero films from the ‘60s and ‘70s. Casus Kiran is in the two-fisted tradition of films like 3 Dev Adam, Iron Fist: The Giants Are Coming and the Kilink films, filled with masked heroes, mustachioed baddies, and non-stop action.

In fact, to a large extent, Casus Kiran is nothing but action. There is a plot, pitting the heroic Spy Smasher and his sidekick/girlfriend Sevda against a gang of evil spies. Spy Smasher and Sevda spend their time cruising around on his motorcycle to groovy surf guitar tunes and beating up any spies they come across (and they come across a lot of spies). While both wear masks to hide their civilian names, only Sevda is given an independent identity – as the daughter of Police Detective Cahit, the Commissioner Gordon to Spy Smasher’s Batman. Frankly, while Sevda is the sidekick, she is the more interesting character, as she at least is fleshed out a bit. Sevda seems to take an inordinate joy in her heroic role – no moping wallflower her. Of course, Spy Smasher is also given a second sidekick who fills the role of perfunctory comic relief, often with his hijinks scored to the tune of “Baby Elephant Walk.”

(Click Here To Read More…)


Filed under: Movie Reviews and DVD Companies: Criterion Collection and Movie Reviews: Turkey and DVD Companies: Onar Films
Comments: None

The Heartbreak Kid (1972) - Movie Image
Posted on 04.12.08 by David @ 8:34 am

Shiksa Cybill Shepherd tempts mensch Charles Grodin in the original Heartbreak Kid.

(Click Here To Read More…)


Filed under: Movie Image and Genre: Comedy
Comments: None

Japan Cuts Festival Also Announced
Posted on 04.09.08 by David @ 4:38 pm

As with last year, the Japan Society will be running its “Japan Cuts” festival partially overlapping with and presented by the NYAFF. The dates have been confirmed - “Japan Cuts” will run from Wednesday, July 2 through Sunday, July 13, 2008 and overlap with the NYAFF on July 3-6.

Confirmed films so far include:

(Click Here To Read More…)


Filed under: General and Movie News and Movie News: Japan and Venues: The Japan Society
Comments: None

Initial Line-up For 2008 New York Asian Film Festival Announced
Posted on 04.09.08 by Jeff @ 5:26 am

Every film buff in New York City knows that the New York Asian Film Festival is one of the highlights of the year. Over at the Kaiju Shakedown blog, festival co-programmer Grady Hendrix has released some details about the films that will be shown. Highlights include L (the follow-up to the Death Note films), Takashi Miike’s Sukiyaki Western Django, Johnnie To’s Mad Detective, and — most exciting of all — an evening with Angela Mao!

Full details can be found here.

MadDetective


Filed under: Movie News and Film Festivals: New York Asian Film Festival 2008
Comments: None

Miller’s Crossing (1990) - Movie Image (3 of 3)
Posted on 04.08.08 by David @ 11:34 pm

Gabriel Byrne and Marcia Gay Harden in the Coen Brothers‘ twisted crime thriller Miller’s Crossing. I am not usually partial to Marcia Gay Harden, but she performs well here - she is like gambling for Byrne’s character, a bad addiction he can’t break. A classic noir femme fatale.

(Click Here To Read More…)


Filed under: People: Coen Brothers and Movie Image
Comments: None

Charlton Heston, RIP
Posted on 04.06.08 by David @ 11:26 am
Planet of the Apes


“Take your stinking paws off me, you damned dirty ape!”


Filed under: General
Comments: None

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