March of the robots

Under discussion:

Double Dare  (2003)

What could be better than Grindhouse this year? Seeing a documentary about the star of Deathproof is what could be better. This is a really incredible story. The documentary starts off as two stories. One about Jeannie Epper, the stunt double from Wonder Woman and member of a legendary family of stunt-people. The second is about Zoe Bell, the stunt woman who began her career as the double for Lucy Lawless on Xena.

Their paths cross when Zoe is looking for work and Jeanie has her stay with her in California. The movie culminates in Zoe being discovered by a certain director and cast to double in a very popular 2-part epic. 

This movie is just so good. I hate to say heart warming, but it really is. To see an out of work young woman, and a 60 year old experienced stunt woman come together like this is just really amazing. You feel like you are there at the beginning of something really important. After it all I just want to meet Zoe Bell. I want to shake her hand, give her a hug, she is such a positive and impressive person. 

Under discussion:

Bloody Reunion  (2006)

I think Korean directors have an incredible eye. Almost all Korean flicks I watch just look so damn good. Bloody Reunion is no exception. Aside from the unfortunate American title that is just too easy and obvious, this movie is a really entertaining ride. Well worth the watch.

Students get together, students argue, teacher demonized, really disturbing things happen (or do they). This has some good twists, and as is very common in asian cinema, a very BIG twist at the end. 

Under discussion:

Perth  (2004)

This movie is gold. It features the conversational tone of Tarrantino. The plot of Taxi Driver (sort of). Crazy cast of mismatched characters, but not how you would expect.

The main character in this movie twists and turns from being likable to loveable to completely awful and back again. Along the way he encounters many strange characters. My favorite being his best friend Selva. Selva is an Indian man working in Singapore. You would never expect a character like this since Asian movies are often so culturally specific. In Perth, you get all types of people from the asian peninsula uncomfortably colliding in the seedy lower class. And in the end, many of them are really likable characters.

The description basically tells you the plot. All I want to tell you is that this is one of the finest movies that I have seen recently, and one of the finest examples I can think of when I want to tell people about a really damn fine asian flick.