DejaVecu

Under discussion:

Christie's Revenge  (2007)

Seriously, this "movie" belongs on Lifetime.  I got a lot done while it was on and I didn't miss anything.

Under discussion:

Solstice  (2007)

    What to say about this Daniel Myrick’s (The Blair Witch Project) little straight to DVD flick? Hmmmm… This is a tame supernatural tale that moves pretty slowly and then stops to show teen stars that I don’t care about drink and banter.  There are some flashbacks too, so we learn that Sophie’s demise is shrouded in secrecy. Since what’s going on in the film won’t hold your interest, you’ll have time to wonder: is this a “vengeful spirit about to attack her gathered friends” film or “uncover the mystery of an untimely death” film?  You want things to be one way, but they’re another…and they aren’t scary. 

Great.  Let’s find out why Sophie died.  Maybe (read more at Bloodtype Online)

Under discussion:

Wool 100%  (2006)

One day, the two sisters discover a wicker chest filled with bright red balls of yarn.  Of course, they bring it home and happily admire it as they sketch and color each ball for their ledger.  But these balls of yarn already have an owner.  They were never discarded; they were just waiting to be found.  Later that night, loud noises wake up the sisters.  An intruder has some how managed to get past the mountains of junk to get into their home.   They find a young, naked girl feverishly knitting the red yarn.  When she finishes her sloppy red sweater, she quickly pulls it on and passes out. When she comes to, she begins to scream—a loud, growling, agonizing scream which echoes throughout the house, shaking pictures from walls and clutter from tables—“Damn! I have to knit it again!”  This will happen again and again.  The sisters’ world of compulsive collecting and isolation will be completely disrupted.  Dubbed “Knit Again” by the pair, this slightly deranged creature will demolish everything they have created. 

In this quietly odd film, there are long stretches of time without much, if any dialogue.  Playful and surreal marching music alleviates some of the silence, but the audience is really just a patient observer, a child watching the tale of this broken secret world unfold.  There is plenty to see.  The actresses are skilled (read more at Bloodtype Online)

Under discussion:

Female Demon Ohyaku  (1968)

Yoshihiro Ishikawa’s female swordplay classic Female Demon Ohyaku (1968) is definitely a film to get excited about.  It opens with a bridge and a sobbing woman--never a good sign in a Japanese film.  Wasting no time, the woman attempts to fling herself and her small daughter into the raging waters below.  The daughter survives, but the audience knows her life will be shrouded in shame.  Mom was a big whore and her daughter Ohyaku, played by the beautiful Junko Miyazono, grows up to be a con-artist geisha, increasingly angered by the way men take advantage of women.  Her lousy attitude (i.e. she won’t put out) quickly gets her into trouble with a wealthy government man.   

Read More at http://www.bloodtypeonline.com/f42.htm

Under discussion:

Quick-Draw Okatsu  (1969)

    Okatsu is a proud, fully trained female samurai, unlike her lazy brother Rintaro who quickly falls victim to a gambling loan scheme.  Having already angered the government by protecting enemies of the state (including a mini skirt clad swordswoman), Okatsu naively thinks she can protect her brother by turning herself in.  Of course, her plan doesn’t work and she winds up watching her father die a gruesome, torturous death before being raped. 

Read More at  http://www.bloodtypeonline.com/q2.htm

Under discussion:

The Night Evelyn Came out of the Grave  (1971)

I had the best time watching this movie.  I could go on and on and on.  It has everything a fan of the genre could hope for...a masterpiece of sleaze and titilation. 

I have the fantastic Killer Queen box set which comes with an action figure from Miraglia's The Red Queen Kills Seven Times (not as good as Evelyn, but still a fine film.)

Lord Alan Cunningham (Alan Steffen), fresh out of the insane asylum and well on his way to recovery, is on the prowl and paying for sex with women who look like his dead redhead wife.  Always one to put women at their ease, he pulls their hair (just to see if their red locks are real or wigs, of course) and asks if they live alone before bringing them to his dark, gloomy secluded castle.  Hookers and strippers aren’t stupid though.  They know they should be concerned about this guy.  His castle is in ruins and he’s been acting strangely the whole way there. Never fear, for Lord Cunningham is as suave as they come and has the one thing that will soothe the most suspicious of whores—a room with shiny white furniture.  Calms them right down.  The tops come off and they giggle all the way to the S&M dungeon room. Ah, but what happens when they get there?   

Read More at http://www.bloodtypeonline.com/n25.htm

Under discussion:

30 Days of Night  (2007)

I'll admit, it's one of the better vampire films to come around lately and it's a very (VERY) welcome move away from the erotic, romance nonsense that I am so damn sick of people doing to vampires--especially with book publishing (die paranormal romance, die!).

The vampires looked great and they were great expressions of something truly evil and this is why I felt so cheated--where were they for much of the film?  We got a quick hint at their mythology and that was all--this was so interesting, why not give us a little more.

Why all the quick cut-away shots when I was expecting some brutality?  They had a scene featuring a totally pimped out tractor of some sort and it became a death machine and I wanted some longer shots--hey, that's just me.

In short, I'll watch it again as I am sure there will be a director's cut on DVD, but I'm not going to buy it.  If you want to explore this exact story, done right, then please check out Steve Niles' wonderful graphic novels.  They will not disappoint you.  This is a great story and it deserved a much better film adaptation.

Under discussion:

Saw IV  (2007)

While not the strongest entry in the series, Saw IV was still a well thought out movie.  Expect some more inventive "games," a fairly interesting (if a bit drawn out "enough already" Jigsaw backstory), and enough gore to satisfy you (if you like that sort of thing).  By film's end, you know they can keep going, although I'd hope they'll slow down because one a year is definitely straining the writing a bit.

Also, (and I don't feel this is a spoiler) be prepared to see prior Saw series events in a new light and expect to be a bit flexible on your chronology for the franchise.  If this is a spoiler, I apologize, but it seems to me that it pays to see these new games as taking place simultaneously with the games in Saw III...you'll see what I mean when you watch. (There may still be a few flaws here, hence my plea to slow down the annual releases.)

Under discussion:

MPD Psycho 1  (2000)

This six episode Japanese TV mini-series is an example of how to use TV as a medium.  The cinematography is amazing.  Miike is known for some fairly intense violence in his films and fans will not be disappointed here--I am very impressed with how they were able to hint at extremely graphic acts without cutting them from the story.  Of course, there is no way a story like this could be done on network American television, but it definitely shows how to push boundaries by exploring the manipulation of film with technology (a lesson I wish the networks would bother to learn).

The tale of a police officer who suffers a severe breakdown (complete with personality splits) after the brutal slaying of his wife evolves into a much larger darker vision of a plot to insert genetically altered creatures into society.

Expect quirky characters and surreal plot points.

This series is based on the manga (now available in english from Dark Horse) by Eiji Otsuka.

Under discussion:

Undead  (2003)

I gotta catch this one again, but overall I just didn't get too into the story...in fact, it had a sci-fi aspect that I really did not care for at all.

That being said...why do I want to see this again?  Ok, it had some really good gore.  I hate giving it 2 stars because some of the scenes were rather good and over the top fun.  (Others have mentioned the airplane scene and I have to agree...it was fabulous.)  Also, I really zoned out towards the end (not because of the film) and I can't stand it missing even a few minutes of anything. 

Under discussion:

Karate for Life  (1977)

...Now I have to kill you. 

A gem of dialogue.  It's clearly a product of the time (1977), but it was fun to watch if you love those stylized kinds of films.  An added plus: there is a fight scene in a hall of mirrors and those are always a good time.

I'm not exactly neutral about it, but I don't feel it deserves more than three stars.  It was fun to watch, the soundtrack has the required "waka-cha-waka" that you want it to have, the fight scenes weren't too shabby etc.  You know what scenes and shots a film like this is supposed to have and this one delivers, but it doesn't bring anything unique or new.  Worth a watch though.

Just remember: Sonny Chiba will kick your ass.