Videotape Swapshop Reviews: The Wicker Man (1973)

From http://voiceofcinema.files.wordpress.com/2010/05/wicker_man_poster_01.jpg

Dir. Robin Hardy

UK

This will be the last of the Videotape Swapshop review links in a while until next month. By then the three months of summer will include links to numerous reviews I am doing for that site. The film here today, back to now, is the original version and one of the best British films ever made. The Nicolas Cage version requires an entirely different set of criteria to write about it, so I will stay with this one at this time.

Review Link - http://www.videotapeswapshop.co.uk/14591/the-wicker-man-%E2%80%93-1973-director-robin-hardy/

From http://24.media.tumblr.com/tumblr_m0s46vvN1q1qaun7do1_1280.jpg

Videotape Swapshop Review: Chillerama (2011)

From http://bloody-disgusting.com/photosizer/upload/1chilleramam091611.jpg

Dirs. Adam Green, Joe Lynch, Adam Rifkin and Tim Sullivan

USA

The following is the Videotape Swapshop review of the anthology film Chillerama. I’m not quite sure what I think about the film...

Review Link - http://www.videotapeswapshop.co.uk/14311/chillerama-%E2%80%93-2011-directors-joe-lynch-adam-rifkin-tim-sullivan-adam-green/

April 2013 in Film

From http://www.cinelogue.com/images/992.jpg

A hectic few months or so ahead means that the content on this website will not be appearing as rapidly as it has been. Hopefully one post or so will still be posted on the site a week while I concentrate on a series of projects for Videotape Swapshop. I've also modified the awards for this week, significantly deciding that I could no longer use Steven Seagal's name for an award because of the copy write expiring within the month of April. Hopefully this less detailed list will live up to the ones of before when Seagal was still named over one of the most significant awards.

Best Film of the Month
1. Shadows of Forgotten Ancestors (Sergei Parajanov, 1964/Soviet Union) – 10/10 [Rewatch]
2. The Wicker Man (Robin Hardy, 1973/UK) – 10/10 [Rewatch]
3. Gozu (Takashi Miike, 2003/Japan) – 10/10 [Rewatch]
4. Pitfall (Hiroshi Teshigahara, 1962/Japan) – 10/10 [Rewatch]
5. Yoshiwara: The Pleasure Quarter aka. Hero of the Red Light District (Tomu Uchida, 1960/Japan) – 10/10
6. Pigsty aka. Porcile (Pier Paolo Pasolini, 1969/France-Italy) – 10/10 [Rewatch]
7. Dead Man (Jim Jarmusch, 1995/Germany-Japan-USA) – 10/10 [Rewatch]
8. Holy Motors (Leos Carax, 2012/France-Germany) – 10/10 [Rewatch]
9. The Witch Who Came from the Sea (Matt Cimber, 1976/USA) – 10/10 [Rewatch]
10. A Man Vanishes (Shohei Imamura, 1967/Japan) – 9/10

Honourable Mentions
This Transient Life aka. Mujo (Akio Jissoji, 1970/Japan) – 9/10
Sunset Blvd. (Billy Wilder, 1950/USA) – 10/10
Deep Red (Dario Argento, 1975/Italy) – 9/10 [Rewatch]
Que la bête meure / Juste Avant La Nuit aka. Just Before Nightfall (Claude Chabrol, 1969 & 1971/France-Italy) – 9/10 [Score for both]

Biggest Surprise of the Month 
1. Yoshiwara: The Pleasure Quarter aka. Hero of the Red Light District (Tomu Uchida, 1960/Japan) – 10/10
2. This Transient Life aka. Mujo (Akio Jissoji, 1970/Japan) – 9/10
3. Que la bête meure / Juste Avant La Nuit aka. Just Before Nightfall (Claude Chabrol, 1969 & 1971/France-Italy) – 9/10 [Score for both]
4. Dead Man (Jim Jarmusch, 1995/Germany-Japan-USA) – 10/10 [Rewatch]
5. Body Double (Brian De Palma, 1984/USA) – 8/10 [Rewatch]
6. Sakura Wars (Takaaki Ishiyama 1997/Japan) – 8/10
7. Park Row (Samuel Fuller, 1952/USA) – 8/10
8. The Crime of Monsieur Lange (Jean Renoir, 1936/France) – 8/10

Discovery of the Month
1. Yoshiwara: The Pleasure Quarter aka. Hero of the Red Light District (Tomu Uchida, 1960/Japan) – 10/10
2. This Transient Life aka. Mujo (Akio Jissoji, 1970/Japan) – 9/10
3. A Man Vanishes (Shohei Imamura, 1967/Japan) – 9/10
4. Sakura Wars (Takaaki Ishiyama 1997/Japan) – 8/10
5. The Crime of Monsieur Lange (Jean Renoir, 1936/France) – 8/10
6. Walker (Ming-liang Tsai, 2012/Hong Kong) – 8/10
7. Nazarene Cruz and The Wolf aka. Nazareno Cruz y el lobo (Leonardo Favio, 1975/Argentina) – 7/10
8. Naukri (Bimal Roy, 1954/India) – 7/10

Biggest Change of Opinion
1. Dead Man (Jim Jarmusch, 1995/Germany-Japan-USA) – 10/10 [Rewatch]
2. Deep Red (Dario Argento, 1975/Italy) – 9/10 [Rewatch]
3. Snake Eyes (Brian De Palma, 1998/Canada-USA) – 8/10 [Rewatch]
4. Tenebrae (Dario Argento, 1982/Italy) – 8/10 [Rewatch]
5. Pitfall (Hiroshi Teshigahara, 1962/Japan) – 10/10 [Rewatch]
6. Body Double (Brian De Palma, 1984/USA) – 8/10 [Rewatch]
7. The Beyond (Lucio Fulci, 1981/Italy) – 8/10 [Rewatch]
8. Ninja Scroll (Yoshiaki Kawajiri, 1993/Japan) – 8/10 [Rewatch]
9. Z (Costa-Gavras, 1969/Algeria-France) – 8/10 [Rewatch]

Honourable Mentions
Holy Motors (Leos Carax, 2012/France-Germany) – 10/10 [Rewatch]
Gozu (Takashi Miike, 2003/Japan) – 10/10 [Rewatch]

Most Divisive Film of the Month
1. Duelle (une quarantaine) aka. Twilight (A Quarantine) (Jacques Rivette, 1976/France) – 6/10
2. Smokin’ Aces (Joe Carnahan, 2007/France-UK-USA) – 7/10 [Rewatch]
3. Bloody Parrot (Shan Hua, 1981/Hong Kong) – 6/10
4. Eden of the East Movie I: The King of Eden (Kenji Kamiyama, 2009/Japan) – 6/10

The Most Underrated Film
1. Bram Stoker’s Dracula (Francis Ford Coppola, 1992/USA) – 8/10
2. Snake Eyes (Brian De Palma, 1998/Canada-USA) – 8/10 [Rewatch]
3. Body Double (Brian De Palma, 1984/USA) – 8/10 [Rewatch]
4. Smokin’ Aces (Joe Carnahan, 2007/France-UK-USA) – 7/10 [Rewatch]
5. They Eat Scum (Nick Zedd, 1979/USA) – 7/10
6. Venus in Furs (Jesus Franco, 1969/Italy-UK-West Germany) – 8/10
7. Hudson Hawk (Michael Lehmann, 1991/USA) – 7/10 [Rewatch]
8. Contamination (Luigi Cozzi, 1980/Italy-West Germany) – 8/10

The Most Overrated Film
1. Do The Right Thing (Spike Lee, 1989/USA) – 7/10 [Rewatch]
2. Bloody Parrot (Shan Hua, 1981/Hong Kong) – 6/10
3. Highlander (Russell Mulcahy, 1986/UK) – 5/10 [Rewatch]

Biggest Disappointment of the Month
1. The King of The Kickboxers (Lucas Lowe, 1990/Hong Kong-USA) – 4/10
2. Waxwork (Anthony Hickox, 1988/UK-USA-West Germany) – 4/10
3. The Bloody Judge (Jesus Franco, 1970/Italy-Liechtenstein-Spain-West Germany) – 4/10
4. The Edukators (Hans Weingartner, 2004/Austria-Germany) – 5/10

The Long Awaited (Re)Viewing That Lived Up To Expectations
1. Death Laid an Egg (Giulio Questi, 1968/France-Italy) – 8/10
2. Zu: Warriors of the Magic Mountain (Tsui Hawk, 1983/Hong Kong) – 8/10
3. A Man Vanishes (Shohei Imamura, 1967/Japan) – 9/10
4. Body Double (Brian De Palma, 1984/USA) – 8/10 [Rewatch]
5. Eden of the East Movie 2: Paradise Lost (Kenji Kamiyama, 2010/Japan) – 8/10
6. Venus in Furs (Jesus Franco, 1969/Italy-UK-West Germany) – 8/10
7. Park Row (Samuel Fuller, 1952/USA) – 8/10

The Pleasure of the Month I'll [Sadly] Have To Defend
1. Contamination (Luigi Cozzi, 1980/Italy-West Germany) – 8/10
2. Don’t Go Near the Park (Lawrence D. Foldes, 1981/USA) – 6/10
3. Hudson Hawk (Michael Lehmann, 1991/USA) – 7/10 [Rewatch]

The Abstract Film of the Month
1. Gozu (Takashi Miike, 2003/Japan) – 10/10 [Rewatch]
2. Shadows of Forgotten Ancestors (Sergei Parajanov, 1964/Soviet Union) – 10/10 [Rewatch]
3. Pigsty aka. Porcile (Pier Paolo Pasolini, 1969/France-Italy) – 10/10 [Rewatch]
4. Pitfall (Hiroshi Teshigahara, 1962/Japan) – 10/10 [Rewatch]
5. Death Laid an Egg (Giulio Questi, 1968/France-Italy) – 8/10
6. A Man Vanishes (Shohei Imamura, 1967/Japan) – 9/10
7. This Transient Life aka. Mujo (Akio Jissoji, 1970/Japan) – 9/10
8. Holy Motors (Leos Carax, 2012/France-Germany) – 10/10 [Rewatch]
9. Zu: Warriors of the Magic Mountain (Tsui Hawk, 1983/Hong Kong) – 8/10
10. Berberian Sound Studio (Peter Strickland, 2012/UK) – 8/10

Honourable Mentions
They Eat Scum (Nick Zedd, 1979/USA) – 7/10
The Beyond (Lucio Fulci, 1981/Italy) – 8/10 [Rewatch]
Duelle (une quarantaine) aka. Twilight (A Quarantine) (Jacques Rivette, 1976/France) – 6/10
Bram Stoker’s Dracula (Francis Ford Coppola, 1992/USA) – 8/10
Venus in Furs (Jesus Franco, 1969/Italy-UK-West Germany) – 8/10
Sunset Blvd. (Billy Wilder, 1950/USA) – 10/10
Don’t Go Near the Park (Lawrence D. Foldes, 1981/USA) – 6/10
A Scanner Darkly (Richard Linklater, 2006/USA) – 8/10 [Rewatch]
The Work of Michel Gondry
Bloody Parrot (Shan Hua, 1981/Hong Kong) – 6/10

Worst Film of the Month
Chillerama (Adam Rifkin, Tim Sullivan, Adam Green and Joe Lynch, 2011/USA) – 2/10

The Non Sequiter of the Month Award
Don’t Go Near the Park (Lawrence D. Foldes, 1981/USA) – 6/10

The Person(s) of The Month
The Participants of the MUBI Directors Cup 2013

Dishonorable Person (Or Concept) of the Month
Adam Rifkin, Tim Sullivan, Adam Green and Joe Lynch for Chillerama (2011)


89 Works Watched In March
47 Rewatched Works
42 New Works Seen

From http://25.media.tumblr.com/tumblr_lgt2esDMln1qchzcgo1_500.png

Videotape Swapshop Review: Gozu (2003)

From http://homepage.ntlworld.com/iain.ireland1/Gozu.jpg

Dir. Takashi Miike

Japan

After the disappointment of Family (2001) I can finally link to a review of mine of a great Miike film that shows him at his best, the sort that horrifies yet is brilliantly hilarious and is intelligent. I.e. a Takashi Miike film through and through.

Review Link - http://www.videotapeswapshop.co.uk/14369/gozu-%E2%80%93-2004-director-takashi-miike/

From http://www.videotapeswapshop.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2013/04/gozu6.jpg

Mini-Review: The King of the Kickboxers (1990)

From http://images.moviepostershop.com/king-of-the-kickboxers-movie-poster-1990-1020204106.jpg

Dir. Lucas Lowe

Hong Kong-USA

Ten years before, just after he has won the kick boxing championship in Thailand, the older brother of Jake Donahue (Loren Avedon) is killed by the uber-tough and vicious Khan (Billy Blanks, possibly influencing a couple of Street Fighter II characters just through his hair and fashion sense). Jake becomes a cop who plays on the edge, breaking protocols, who goes back to Thailand after Khan when he discovers his involvement in a series of martial art snuff films. In terms of look and ideas, The King of the Kickboxers does at least have something to bring to the table. A gruesome (and ridiculous) premise, some saltier and eyebrow raising dialogue, and an early nineties aesthetic of bright, primary colours and really dated fashion. The Street Fighter comparison is not that far off, and the final climatic battle in a bamboo cage of death is an admirable attempt at an interesting “boss battle”.

Unfortunately it’s a pretty bland early nineties martial film outside of this. Including a large segment of the hero training with comedic humour and a stereotypical blonde love interest, it never really tries anything interesting or peculiar. For a Hong Kong co-production, it also feels far too much like the (usually) blander Western counterparts. Godfrey Ho’s Undefeatable (1993) shows how these early nineties, American style martial art films can be memorable, and that film has solid martial arts fighting. The participants in The King of the Kickboxers, particularly Blanks and Avedon, are good fighters, but the fight style is limited and undermined by how the scenes, like many Western combat films, break fight sequences into pieces with the editing and camera shots. Ong-bak (2003) this is not despite the kickboxing and Thai setting. Also, blameable on the script, Jake is a completely unlikable arsehole, the snark for a hero like this pushed too far and making him an irritating individual, undermining the engagement with the protagonist absolutely needed in films like this no matter how ridiculous they are. The King of the Kickboxers is pretty forgettable.

From http://www.cityonfire.com/wp-content/uploads/2002/02/KingoftheKickboxers-KeithCooke_LorenAvedon_8bb989b4f05a522d92502e9304708243.jpg

Videotape Swapshop Review: Hausu aka. House (1977)

From http://positivelybleak.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/12/Hausu-796343.jpg

Dir. Nobuhiko Ôbayashi

Japan

New to the Swapshop site, a review of the recent darling of cult cinema. Is it really one of the strangest films ever made though, or just a very good one?

Review Link - http://www.videotapeswapshop.co.uk/13675/house-%E2%80%93-1977-director-nobuhiko-obayashi/

From http://www.videotapeswapshop.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2012/06/house-1.jpg

Videotape Swapshop Review: The Man with the Iron Fists (2012)

From http://www.filmofilia.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/10/The-Man-With-The-Iron-Fists1.jpg

Dir. RZA

Hong Kong-USA

Follow the link below, but be careful of the frustrations expressed within it.

Review Link - http://www.videotapeswapshop.co.uk/14138/the-man-with-the-iron-fists-or-effectively-how-i%E2%80%99ve-giving-up-on-manufactured-cult-films-2012-director-rza/