(subtitles not found) ....check out the new episode of 'The Sunshine Happy Kpants Hour'!

The 150th episode of 'The Sunshine Happy Kpants Hour' is uploaded and now available through iTunes, Talkshoe, Stitcher Radio and streaming LIVE right here.

This week, it's all about anime! From the start of my interest.... all the way up to my full on love affair. It's a romance for the ages. ENJOY!

Songs played this week:

1) Out of Control by Nothing's Carved In Stone

2) Abnormalize by Ling Tosite Sigure

3) Namae No Nai Kaibutsu by Egoist

4) Tell Me Why by PENPALS

5) Enigmatic Feeling by Ling Tosite Sigure

6) Fallen by Egoist

my thoughts on.... 'Paranormal Activity 2: Tokyo Night' aka 'Paranômaru akutibiti: Dai-2-shô - Tokyo Night'

We've all heard of or seen the cultural phenomenon of the 'Paranormal Activity' films. To date, there are three that have been made in the states. Two have already made their way to DVD and the third is finishing up production as we speak. However, not everyone realizes that after the success of the original hit our neighbors overseas, the Japanese wanted in on the game. They decided to make an unofficial sequel to the original that basically ties together with the American version and continues the story. Meanwhile, we were continuing the story on our own. What resulted is an interesting twist on something that was already interesting to begin with. It's another take on an already established franchise and it's kind of fun to see how it all plays out in another culture. Sadly, the version I watched had terrible subtitles and even though I don't speak the language, I could tell that what was written on the bottom of the screen, did not match up with what was actually being said. You don't have to be Japanese to understand that. What I did because of that was to read what was written on the bottom of the screen and made my best effort to make sense of it all. I think I got the entire story and I left feeling that I fully got the story and what happened. Is it a worthy addition to the franchise? That kind of remains to be seen. I haven't heard too much feedback on it yet and from what I have heard, it's not the most popular ghost film out there. All I'll say right now is that I'm a fan of the series, even if that's kind of unpopular, and I love seeing anything tied together with it.... no matter how removed.

So, how does it tie together ploy wise? Here's the plot according to Wiki: "The Yamano family lives in a secluded home in a remote Tokyo residential area. Their 27-year-old daughter Haruka (Noriko Aoyama) suffered a compound fracture in a car accident while traveling in America. Haruka returns home in a wheelchair. There to meet her is her younger brother 19-year-old Koichi (Aoi Nakamura), her younger brother. Their father is away from the Yamano resident due to a business trip abroad. Koichi is left to take of his sister for until she can walk again. Not long after, strange occurrences happen in the Yamano home. Haruka's wheelchair, which was left in her room, is found in another room. Their is salt found spread around their house. Koichi becomes uneasy by these events and, because of this, he persuades his sister to set up a video camera in her room. The video camera is connected to a computer screen so Koichi can see what is going on and, if necessary, run to Haruka's room. What Koichi discovers is beyond anything he could have imagined. Noises at midnight, a cup on a table breaks, even a friend, who never gets scared, becomes terrified. The situation worsens with Haruka and Koichi threatened directly. Finally, a terrible fact is revealed." I don't think the secret is anything to amazing. As it turns out, the person who part Haruka in the wheelchair is Katie from the original film. It took place AFTER the end of the original, so I guess the theory is that the entity followed Haruka back to Tokyo? Based on the subtitles I read, that's the jist of it. Yes, that does seem a bit confusing and can almost be tied to the original timeline.... but you might need to take a small leap of faith.Well, how will this be received by me or by the general public? I'm a bit of a biased fan and I've already kind of made it clear, that I enjoyed this installment.... problems and all. But the rest of the world? I don't know. I think with the proper subtitling this might go over fine. The ending is quite a stretch and it felt like the makers weren't quite sure where to go with the storyline. It's sad to me, because there was a lot of strength earlier on in the story. Seeing how things were handled in a totally different culture vs. how the American counterparts handled it was the refreshing part of the film. All in all, the result still kind of ended up the same. The film also has some slow points, but so does the American version. This film and the others are not built around non-stop action, it's more about the slow build up to each scare. You never quite know exactly what's about to happen and that's right on par with the rest of the series. I think that despite it's obvious faults, this film still qualifies as a worthwhile addition to the story.

I may get letters of confusion about my feelings on 'Paranormal Activity 2: Tokyo Night', but I would like to add this to my collection. I think the Japanese did the best they could based on the source material and made sure to put their own spin on the storyline. It felt like a part of the original, but still had it's own identity and voice. The actors were decent and sold the fact that they were supposed to all be living what was happening in the story. I kind of think that the side story with their father was a bit off track with everything else. The two leads were old enough to live on their own, I don't quite understand why they were still living with him. It also felt a little forced when they had guests over and one of them HAPPENED to be able to see spirits and quickly picked up on the haunting in their home. It was all a little too easy. In the end, I felt it deserved at least 3 out of 5 stars. Not the strongest in the series, but it didn't have to be.... it was unofficial. It was merely "based" on the original 'Paranormal Activity'. I'm left wondering how much re-watchability this film has? And exactly where I would watch it if I was watching them all in order? Would it come after number one or number two? That's all kind of moot anyway. Go out and track it down for yourself and let me know what you think. It's not readily available here in the states just yet, but you can track it down if you look.... bad subtitles and all.

If you like this, watch: 'Paranormal Activity', 'Paranormal Activity 2' and 'Paranormal Entity'

my thoughts on.... 'Rammbock: Berlin Undead' aka 'Siege of the Dead'

I have to admit, when I saw this pop up as a film I might enjoy I ran out and watched the trailer, I was intrigued. When I finally got a chance to watch the actual film last night.... I was impressed. This film is barely over 1 hour and is better than most full length zombie films. As a matter fact, this is probably my favorite zombie film I've seen recently. I feel that it's the kind of zombie film I would write and produce, if I was able to. I mean, the end of the film, is almost identical to something I wrote back in 2000 and it was nice to see how it played out on the "big" screen. This film is German and I haven't seen to many German zombie films. However, if this is any indication of what they're capable of, I can't wait to see more. They cast a very unlikely lead in this film. He's balding, older and a bit on the heavier side. He's akward and unassuming and at first, you kind of feel sorry for him and want to help him. Soon you realize that he can handle himself and by the end, you're totally sold on his character. I just can't say enough good things about this film. Sadly, it only had a limited release and hasn't gotten much press. It deserves so much more for it's actors, director, producers, writers and cinematographer.... they are all geniuses. (no, I'm not being sarcastic)

The plot (according to www.netflix.com reads): "Hoping to reunite with his girlfriend, Gabi, ordinary guy Michael (Michael Fuith) goes to her Berlin apartment, but instead of Gabi, he finds young plumber Harper (Theo Trebs) hard at work. Michael's day gets considerably worse when zombies suddenly begin to terrorize the city. Trapped in the apartment, Michael and Harper strike up an uneasy partnership while they attempt to help other fearful survivors in the building and find the missing Gabi." Seems simple enough, yes? The reality is that it is a very simple storyline and overall flim. That really doesn't change the fact that it's an amazing zombie film. They stuck with the modern 'fast' zombies and most of the rules of zombie films are in tact. They do tweak things in one way that actually allows the ending that happens in the film. It's a nice twist and not unbelievable.

Obviously, you already know that I loved this film. It's right up there with the French 'La Horde' aka 'The Horde' and the Spanish '[REC]'. I always thought that George A. Romero had cornered the market on this horror subgenre, but that just doesn't seem to be the case anymore. There have just been so many amazing zombie/plague films coming out from other countries that they cannot be ignored anymore. I only hope that the rest of the world can adjust it's gaze a bit from the USA and branch out to films with subtitles or people with foreign accents. There is a whole world out there of amazing cinema that is just waiting to be discovered. I remember when I was initially building up my film knowledge, it took a bit of a leap of faith to go out and rent my first foreign films. I still did it and it opened up a huge door for me. There are so many amazing films out there in every genre, that it's well worth an filmgoer's time to start branching out.

All that being said, I'm happy to give 'Rammbock: Berlin Undead' 4 out of 5 stars and I'm hoping that someday I can find it to add to my DVD collection. I'm a little nervous that it may not be as easy to track down as other films. If you see one out there, let me know! In the meantime, I'm probably going to watch it again tonight and enjoy the little nuances that I missed the first go around. There is just so much going on with this film. I mean, any film that only takes about 5 miuntes to get into the action and then really doesn't let up for the remaining 60 mins, must be doing something right.... right? Sure, you sometimes need a lot exposition to get a story going and to build up a strong storyline, but other times it's the best thing to just kick things into high gear right off the bat. This film is maybe not a new take on an old theme, but it's so amazing and amazingly well done that everything old feels new again. God bless the Germans.

If you enjoy this, check out: '[REC]', 'La Horde' aka 'The Horde' and 'Dead Snow'

my thoughts on.... 'The Baby's Room aka La habitación del niño'

Here's another installment in my recent Spanish horror film-athon. This particular one was another part of the 'Six Films To Keep You Awake' series. I actually had started this one previously, but turned it off because I wasn't in a good place at the time to watch it. The first, like, 45 minutes are pretty intense.... the rest of it, not so much. I don't know what happened with this that they made the decision to go down the tired and boring route, but they did. This movie had a lot of potential and it's not that the rest of it wasn't original, it just didn't feel like anything new at all. This movie felt like a bad re-run of 'The Twilight Zone', but in Spanish. If it was in black and white, I honestly would have thought it was something from another time. I kept hoping that it would get better and a movie that's just shortly over an hour long, it didn't give it much time to be screwed up. Somehow, the director managed it. Now I just feel like I'm harping on it and to be fair, it had its good points. But before I get to that:

Our story opens on some children playing by an old building. It appears that they're playing hide and seek and one of the kids ends up inside the building. Something terrible happens and when he comes out, he's not the same. Fast forward to the present day and a young family is moving into the aforementioned house. They have a little baby and are still in the early stages of parenthood. The sister of baby's father drops off some gently used baby items, which includes a monitor. During the night, the father hears some breathing besides the baby and after going into the room he becomes paranoid that someone else has been in their home. His solution is to head down to the local baby store and pick up a video monitor. What happens over the next several nights freaked me the 'F' out. A man with glowing eyes keeps appearing on the monitor. The police can't figure out what's going on and so the couple install a security system. Nothing seems to keep the man out of the house and the father slowly begins to descend into maddness. His wife leaves with the baby and the father learns the terrible secret behind the man in the house and what's been happening. The rest is, well.... the rest.

So what's good about this movie? The ambiance, the ghostly appearance of the man in the baby's room and the early part of the story itself. It's very well done and accomplishes exactly what it sets out to do. It creates a sense of fear and dread and it honestly scared me. The idea of your baby being watched at night by a creepy man with glowing eyes is frightening. And add to the fact that no one can figure out how he's getting in the home and how no one is seeing him come or go is even scarier yet. That is the good aspects. What happens in the second and third act of the movie involves time and space, alternate realities and some bullcrap that just doesn't belong in a ghost story. I can't recommend that you watch this movie, there is so many other ghost stories out there that are more effective and better made. Ah well....

This movie, in my book, built up a really strong case in the beginning for a good movie, that I ended up giving it 3 out of 5 stars. Maybe if you just turn it off after the first part of the second act? That way you get all of the good stuff and none of the bad. That's kind of the way it is with a lot of movies being made out there today. It's like the folks in the film industry come up with an idea and then build a movie around it, but leave the script writing to some third grader in order to save costs. So what starts off really strong with that initial idea that got the movie greenlighted in the first place, ends up being ruined by whoever gets their hands on it after the fact. At some point, the audience will rise up and retake control of the industry. It's already started with the rise of cheap, good quality cameras and the internet. So either the movie making machine in Hollywood will listen to the demands of the public or the public will continue to grow it's own Hollywood system and everything will go the way that music is already headed. Either way, the audience will eventually be the winners and I'll have a lot tougher time deciding which movies are the good ones, as they'll all be high quality. That's all I have to say about that.

If you like this, check out: '[REC]', 'To Let aka Para entrar a vivir' and '[REC]2'

(This is the trailer for the '6 Films To Keep You Awake' series, of which.... 'The Baby's Room aka La habitación del niño' is a part of.)

my thoughts on.... 'To Let aka Para entrar a vivir'

For those of you who read my blog on a regular basis, you'll know that I've been on again, off again with Spanish horror films. Primarily those of Jaume Balagueró. 'To Let aka Para entrar a vivir' is a shorter than average length film from Jaume and is a part of the '6 Films To Keep You Awaker' series. Just because it isn't a full feature length film, doesn't make it any less worthwhile than any of his other films. I came into this with an open mind and was very pleasantly surprised when it was over. Granted, it's not going to be on anyone's top 10 list of all time great horror films, but it has a whole hell of a lot going for it. The story itself is not 100% original, the direction is good, but not fantastic.... what really sells this film is the cinematography of Pablo Rosso. He films his scenes like he was painting on a canvas. It was a beautiful thing to watch each individual frame. I can honestly say that I've never had any film capture the feeling I get watching a rainstorm, but he did it. The sequences that are filmed outside are amazingly well done. You feel like you could get wet if you got too close to the screen. I could've just watched the scenes involving the rain and been perfectly happy, but when you throw in all of the insanity of the storyline behind the rain.... you've got a film worth watching. It's fairly simple, it ends without question of what happened and you become attached to the characters. All good earmarks.

Our story begins with a young couple who are expecting their first child, but want to find a new place to live before the baby is born. They receive an ad in the paper for an apartment that sounds too good to be true. Despite some hesitations, they drive out in the middle of a rainstorm to check it out. As they get closer and closer to the apartment complex, the cityscape begins to become more and more rough. They are obviously headed into the wrong side of town. Even with all of the factors pointing them away from the apartment, they ignore the signs and enter the building. The landlady seems kind enough and the apartment is not too shabby, but they eventually make up their mind to walk away.... the landlady has other ideas. She beats the man in the head and the woman begins to try and make her escape. It's revealed to us at this time that she's got two other apartments filled with other people that were not allowed to leave. From this point on, it's a fight for their lives to try and escape this potential prison. Can they survive?

After several earlier failed attempts at earlier films, Jaume Balagueró seemed to finally hit his stride. After making this, he went on to make '[REC]' and [REC]2', both of which are amazing horror films. Perhaps 'To Let' was a small enough production that it gave him the freedom he needed to find his voice. For example, he comtinues his use of the 'shaky cam' technique that other people have used since.... like Rob Zombie. What the 'shaky cam' technique involves is the camera to be shaken during scenes of extremely intense situations. For example, if our heroes are trying to break into a room to save someone, you'll find that the camera begins to shake furiously. It sounds jarring, and it is, but it is a spot on way to get a physical reaction out of somthing that may not have otherwise caused any reaction at all. Jaume Balagueró uses it quite well here and really well in both '[REC]' films. Rob Zombie used it primarily in his re-imaging of 'Halloween' during the final stand off between Laurie Strode and Michael Myers.

As I stated at the beginning of this review, this film is not groundbreaking. The story comes off feeling like something we've all seen before at one point or another in our lives. That's my only complaint. I think that's why I ended up only giving it a 3 out of 5 star rating. However, I don't know what else they could have done to make it anymore original. I've heard some people complain that this film was too short.... I tend to disagree. If it would have been too much longer, it would have lost its simplistic charms. Not too mantion that I'm not entirely sure that they could have carried out an entire feature with just this premise. If you're still interested in seeing it after all of that, pop it in your Netfilx OnDemand queue and get back to me when you're done. I'll wait.

Other great Spanish horror: '[REC], '[REC]2' and this.

(This is the trailer for the '6 Films To Keep You Awake' series, of which.... 'To Let aka Para entrar a vivir' is a part of.)

my brief thoughts on.... 'Doghouse'

Zombies, zombies, zombies.... I love zombies. It's so nice to find a new twist on an old theme, especially one involving the undead. I've been lucky enough to have several zombie movies that have found their way to my TiVo or DVD player in the past few weeks that are new and different. It has re-ignited my love affair with the flesh eating corpses. (not that it ever went away really.) I remember seeing the trailer for 'Doghouse' quite a while ago and thinking that I wanted to add it to my Netlfix queue, but it wasn't available at the time. This little gem came out in 2009 and hit Netflix just recently. Most of you will probably recognize the star, Stephen Graham. He was Jason Statham's partner in 'Snatch'.... the one looking for the caravan. He's spot on in this movie and is equal parts funnyman and the hesitant hero. His friends are all likeable characters and you can find at least one that you'll relate too. They're a nice cross section of the male gender. The special effects are well done and each zombie is unique and a character all by themself. It seems in the zombie films of the past, zombies were all kind of interchangeable and a lot of them just blended together. Nowdays, zombies are as much of a main character as the main characters. They're all done as though they'll be the main focus of the movie. You can quickly identify each one. Granted, they may not have a specific name.... but like the 'Baseball Girl' in 'Land of the Dead', you remember who they are.

The plot here involves six guys who all leave their significant others to go to a little town called Moodley for the weekend. They take a little bus and leave one guy behind, who just couldn't get away. When they arrive in the quaint little town, the guys are let down that it looks like a little mountain town from the old days. Afraid that they will die of boredom, they begin to rethink coming. One of the blokes notices a woman walking down the street, when he approaches her.... she turns on him and he discovers she's a zombie. But she's not the only one, every woman in town has been affected by a government made virus that only turns females into the walking dead. There is not a single man in sight. The boys make a run for the bus, but their female bus driver has turned now and they make a 180 turn back towards the town. While seeking shelter, they have to dodge hordes of zombies. Soon they get seperated and it's almost every man for himself. Things get cranked up at this point and build to the finale. See what I mean about a new twist on an old theme? It's not quite re-inventing the wheel, but if it ain't broke.... don't fix it, right? Regardless, it's still nice to see something different. The zombies are, as always, disgusting looking. Each one has an obvious look to them that leads you to draw a conclusion about who they were before they turned. Like the butcher that one guy runs into. Even if she hadn't still been in the butcher shop chopping up a victim, you'd still be able to tell who she was. That's kind of a nice little touch that they've added here. There are a few fun little 'inventions' that they create to fight the undead. Like a remote control car with model plane fuel or the old fuel in a water gun trick. Some of these things are more effective than others, thus lending itself to some funny moments. All in all, a solid story with solid characters and solid zombies.

I couldn't say this was nearly as good as 'Shaun of the Dead', but it has a similar feel to it. Maybe it's because it was made across the pond? It's not nearly as clever or as strong as that movie was the whole way through. I wouldn't be surprise, however, if it was a strong influence on the writers of 'Doghouse' and I wouldn't say that's a bad thing. I narrowed it down to a 3 out of 5 star attempt. One that probably won't make it into my DVD collection, but one that I might watch again in the future. It's available to rent from Netflix, but not OnDemand sadly. It's worth the rental and worth your time to watch it. I don't know how readily available it is from any other source, but I'm sure you can find it if you dig around. So before you head out for a boy's weekend out, think about 'Doghouse' and make sure you're prepared to defend yourself if they female gender takes a turn for the worse.

If you like this, you'll dig: 'Shaun of the Dead', 'Dead Alive aka Braindead' and 'Cemetary Man'

my brief thoughts on.... 'Vertige aka High Lane'

I praise the French on a regular basis for their expertise in horror filmmaking. I have yet to see one of their films that I didn't like. I recently watched the French survival horror film called 'Vertige aka High Lane'. One part 'The Descent' (in regards to going 'off the beaten path' for adventure storyline) and one part 'Wrong Turn'. However, the comparison to these two other films only goes so far, as 'High Lane' never really got off the ground. It started out strong enough and showed some promise, but the further into into the story I went the less and less I cared what happened. It really pains me to say that because I love the French horror cinema so much. However, I am not going to lie to you about what I saw.... it was only mediocre at best. I mean, any film that starts out heading in one direction and then makes a bit of a left turn suddenly, it better have a good reason for it. I just never saw it here.

The plot from http://www.Netflix.com: "In this French thriller, a mountain climbing trail closed to the rest of civilization becomes a path to adventure and horror for a group of friends who dare to go beyond its barriers. It's not just because they trespassed into forbidden territory or because they're testing the laws of gravity. It's because they're not the only ones willing to push the envelope out there, and their visitor isn't very welcoming at all." That basically sums it up, however the "visitor" is more of an inbred mutant type thing. (see the photo below.)
I really wish this would have been better. The biggest problem is that this territory has been rehashed a lot in the past decade and finding a new story to tell is nearly impossible. And this film only had one inbred mutant guy and he was uninteresting and uninspired. I could've cared less if he was even in the film. As far as I'm concerned, this would have been just as interesting if it was strictly about the friends trying to get back to civilization. Not too mention that the Netflix OnDemand version of the film was dubbed, not subtitled. That always makes foreign films really hard to watch because you focus more on the dubbing than the acting. 'High Lane' did however leave a little bit of a positive impression. I actually gave it a 3 out of 5 rating, even with all the flaws it was still better than a lot of garbage that's out there. I just wish the filmmakers had realized the changes they needed to make before they made this. It could've been a whole lot better.

If you're bored this upcoming Friday and you've seen every other French horror that's out there, give this one a chance. Maybe I'm just jaded about this genre. Perhaps this film is a whole lot better than I'm giving it credit for. It could've been that I was just expecting too much, the French can't always make a winner. Everyone deserves a less than stellar outing every once in a while. Hell, we're all guilty of it once in a while. This review may be my 'less than stellar outing'.... who knows?

if you want something similar, but maybe better: 'Wrong Turn 2', 'The Hills Have Eyes' (2006) and 'The Hills Have Eyes 2' (2007)

my brief thoughts on.... 'Cashback' (2006)

this film was just a happy accident.... it kept popping up as a recommended viewing, but i didn't decide to watch it until i finally read the summary.... it's a quaint little romantic/comedy/drama from the UK that crosses some normal boundries into the surreal.... but it all works so damn well that it's now in my list of top films from 2006.... it caught my attention from the opening credits and didn't let me go until after the closing credits finished rolling.... it's not a nail-biter of a film.... it moves at a slow and steady pace like a train rolling out of the station.... it follows your standard rules of cinema, but the little twist of the story creates a whole other side to the plot.... one that asks a lot of 'what if?' questions and has the guts to answer them too.... it presents you with a reality that all of us have thought about at one point in our lives: the ability to freeze time.

while our hero, Ben, is working the nightshift at a supermarket he realizes that he has the ability to freeze time.... meanwhile, he's slowing falling for the checkout clerk Sharon.... and inbetween working and fawning over her, he takes time to freeze the customers and sketch them, in various states of undress.... this probably sounds a bit creepy.... but the way it's pulled off in the film is fairly tasteful and shows the long term effects of these actions.... (and no, he doesn't undress Sharon.... even though he could.)

this film is beautiful to watch.... there's a scene near the end that encapsulates what love is in a visual sense.... it's not something i can explain, but the way the scene is drawn out creates a tangible feeling of love.... the credit for this belongs to the cinematographer, the special effects people and the screenwriter.... the screenwriter also created complete characters that lived and breathed on their own, even outside of the world he created.... they stick with you even after you turn it off.... these are presented as real people, with real lives, and real problems.... people you might know in real life.... and for all you know, maybe one of them is harboring a secret and they can freeze time....? i doubt it, but stranger things have happened....

after this film ended, i didn't hesitate to give this 4 out of 5 stars and might have gone as far as a full 5 out of 5 if it wasn't for the slight 'icky' factor.... that being the fact that Ben violates the rights of the women he sketches, by undressing them without their knowledge.... that being said, i would recommend this to anyone with a slight slant towards the bizarre.... and to those who like a good love story.... it's a new twist on an old theme.... something that i hadn't seen before, and something you haven't seen either.... it's available right now OnDemand on Netflix and i recommend that you add it to your queue when you get a chance.... it's a great film.

if you like this, watch: well, there aren't any other films about guys who can freeze time in love with girls.... at least not that i can remember

my very brief thoughts on.... 'Kuchisake-onna aka Carved: The Slit Mouthed Woman'

this movie had so much promise.... an evil looking spirit.... an interesting concept based on an urban legend.... it was a 'ghost' movie not made in America.... but what i saw was something so much less than i was promised.... granted, it had its moments where it seemed like things would be scary, but that's just it...they were moments.... in another context, the slit mouthed woman could have been a great horror icon.... they created something very iconic.... but in the end this was just another foreign ghost story with no big payoff at the end.... if i knew then what i knew now, i would re-watch it with only the good parts left in and instead of an hour and a half it would be like 15 minutes.... but a good 15 minutes....
according to Netflix, i gave this 2 out of 5 stars.... and the reason i know this....? because i'm the one who rated it.... if you have the choice, watch some of the other better known foreign ghost stories instead of this one.... i gave it a chance because of all the images and the trailer i saw, sometimes picking a random movie based on only a little bit of info is a dangerous thing....

instead of seeing this, watch.... hmmmm.... i can't think of any recent ghost stories that were very good

my brief thoughts on.... 'Kynodontas aka Dogtooth'

in all my years as a film lover and film student, i can't say that i remember ever seeing a Greek film before.... but thanks to a tip from a friend, this film was recommended to me.... and as of last night, i am can no longer say i've never seen a Greek film before.... if this film is any indication of what the Greek cinema is like, i think i'd like to learn more about what's out there.... granted, this film was strange and sometimes hard to follow, but it was still impossible to stop watching.... the director, Yorgos Lanthimos, has such a solid vision.... it just screams at you from the screen.... and if you ever wanted originallity from a screenplay, this has it in spades.... i'm still processing what i saw and i think it might take a repeated viewing to really absorb it all, thank goodness it's available OnDemand right now.... now before you run out and throw this in your queue, understand that this film is the 'deep end of the pool'.... it takes an open mind to view it.... i can't say that you'll like it, even if you're a well schooled film major.... it's something different that takes a willingness to think outside the box....

as far as the story goes.... i don't know that i can encapsulate exactly what happened.... as i see it, the story revolves around a family that lives behind a huge fence in their own little world.... the only ones who ever leave are the parents.... the three, possibly adult, children have lived there their whole lives and know about the world only from what their parents have tought them.... and the two parents control the information in such a way that the kids see things exactly how the parents want them to see it.... they even created their own language that replaces well known words with other well known words, like a zombie is a tiny yellow flower.... (you just have to see it to understand).... there is only one outsider ever brought into the home and she's basically brought in as a sex partner for the eldest son.... things begin to fall apart after the outsider starts bringing in things from the outside world.... the rest has to be seen to be believed.... (actually, the whole film is like that)
i can only hope that people who watch this can see beyond the absurdity of it all and find the art.... i can honestly say that i don't know what the message of this film is exactly, but i really enjoyed trying to figure it out.... i also am looking forward to see what else the Greek have to offer.... this film is 100% original.... i've seen dysfunctional family films, but none quite like this one.... and in a sea of copycat films, re-imaging an re-boots, it's refreshing to see something new.... even if it's hard to understand and challenging to watch.... i think one of the strongest aspects of this film is the actors.... they commit themselves to this film with all their hearts and sell it as reality.... you loose yourself in their world for the duration of the film.... i am so thankful that i took a risk on an unknown quantity, as it paid off in a big way....

i gave it 4 out of 5 stars and suggest you seriously consider watching it, but keep an open mind and watch it all the way through.... i can't promise that it'll make anymore sense by the end, in fact you'll probably be even more confused.... but the journey is the most important thing.... it's one you can only take once, so pack a lunch.

if you like this.... well.... i can't recommend anything else quite like it.... perhaps a stage play by Eugene Ionesco....?

my brief thoughts on.... 'Ils aka Them'

the French continually impress me with their horror films.... this one may classify as more of a thriller or something like that, but it's extremely terrifying regardless.... this plays on one of my fears, home invasion.... it's not the first time a film has been made about this subject.... the most recent one that comes to mind is 'The Strangers'.... i think this film might be a bit more frightening then 'The Strangers'.... and one of the reasons for that is something that i don't want to give away, you'll just have to see it to find out what it is.... if you've seen 'Eden Lake' then you'll have an idea what the secret is.... anyway.... the budget seems fairly low for this film.... or perhaps it's just that they use so few sets.... the majority of the time is set in the home of the couple that's being terrorized.... regardless of this, the film is very effective on so many levels.... they also keep the villans hidden and early on all you see is a flash of light or a knock on the door.... you don't actually see them until the last like 15 minutes of the film....

the story is about a couple who have a home that's seculded from other people.... they come home after a normal day only to begin being terrorized by unseen attackers.... it starts out innocently enough, but gradually becomes more and more agressive.... soon the attackers are in the house and the couple is split up.... and it's a fight for their lives from a group of relentless unseen enemies....
this is a film that you should watch late at night with the lights off and all alone.... it plays on our most basic animal fears, those of being out of control and fighting to survive.... this film, although fairly simple in storyline, succeeds in so many ways.... and takes you on an exhausting journey that will stick with you for a few days after the fact.... if you don't mind subtitles and have just a little bit of time to kill, i highly recommend that you see this film.... currently it's avaiable only to rent from Netflix, but it's well worth the time.... it's a solid 4 out of 5 stars and a film that doesn't need anything changed about it.... it's the right length of time, a simple enough storyline, well done cimematography, great direction, good acting and a pretty satisfying ending.... all in all, something that is hard to find in films these days....

if you like this, watch: 'The Strangers', 'Eden Lake', and 'August Underground: Penance'

trailer is in English, but the film is in French:

my brief thoughts on.... 'La horde aka The Horde'

in this day and age, zombie movie are a dime a dozen.... every director's first movie seems to be in the zombie genre.... there's an oversaturated market right now.... there's new zombie movies come out almost every week.... and very few make a lasting impression.... recently 'The Walking Dead' took the genre and made it into a series.... and it was the first time zombies were on TV on a weekly basis.... now there's another series starting soon and the movies keep coming.... i watch a lot of the movies that come out with the hopes that something fresh or original or at least fun will come out.... i love 'The Walking Dead' and have seen a few good zombie films in the past year or so.... but a couple of weeks ago i finally had the chance to see the French take on the undead....! and let me say that i was NOT dissappointed.... this movie was such a good time to watch.... it is what i would call a 'satisfying' movie.... something where at the end of it, you feel like you didn't waste your time.... and i certainly felt like it was time well spent.

the basic story is that some cops go rogue to avenge the death of a fellow officer.... they infiltrate a run down old apartment complex where the bad guys are hanging out.... things seem to be going fine, but then things suddenly go straight to hell and the cops get caught by the bad guys and are held hostage.... meanwhile, the rest of the world has been taken over by the living dead.... once they realize what's going on, they lockdown the building and make a shaky truce so that they might get out alive.... the rest of the film revolves around them making their way through the building in an attempt to escape....
if you don't mind subtitles, lots of gunfire and some pretty nifty gore, then this film is for you.... i am continually impressed with the quality of the horror films that the French have been producing.... they are a big time contender in the horror genre and this movie proves yet again that they're on the top of their game.... the action is well done.... the zombies are scary.... the characters are well drawn out and you get attached to each and every one of them.... i can't recommend this film enough.... it's a wonderful addition to the zombie lexicon and one that will eventually be a part of the Joel DVD library.... zombie films are my bread and butter of the horror genre.... and this one stands out above all the other garbage that keeps getting pumped out.... i gave it 4 out of 5 stars.... a great film.

if you like this, watch: 'Diary of the Dead', 'Zombieland' or 'Dawn of the Dead' (2004)

my brief thoughts on.... 'Dead in 3 Days'

think of the Austrian version of 'I Know What You Did Last Summer', but with more artistic merit.... and it's in German.... that's pretty much all i can say about this.... it was 3 out of 5 stars for the filmaking.... however it was way too close to the afformentioned movie for comfort.... i suppose you could add a dash of the original 'Friday the 13th' from 1980.... but not that good.

i wasn't all that impressed.... the cinematography.... that was about the only worthwhile part....

if you watch this, you might also want to watch: 'I Know What You Did Last Summer', Friday the 13th' (1980) and 'I Still Know What You Did Last Summer'

my brief thoughts on.... 'Black Sheep' (2006)

what is it about New Zealand and great filmaking....? not only the countryside, but the movies themselves.... they're are just so many good ones.... and now i can add this one to the list.... this also tied in with my other movie i reviewed here 'Isolation'.... in my "Farmland Massacre' double feature.... first off, this movie has Peter Jackson written all over it.... and i'm suprised he didn't produce it or something.... i mean, it feels like some of his original works long before the 'Lord of the Rings' movies.... not to mention, WETA Workshop did the special effects.... and they're Peter Jackson's go to guys.... i can't say that i saw any CGI here.... it seems that everything was done the old school way.... which i prefer.... i think the other way is cheating in horror films.... just because it's so noticable.... however, this just feels homemade with a bigger budget.... which is another great thing about New Zealand.... they fund filmakers.... the government.... why can't we support the arts more here....?!?! it's messed up.... anyway.... this is a comedy that got a lot of press and deserves all of the good press it received.... it's a great movie.... alone or in a group....

similar to 'Isolation', this movie directly links to the idea that genetics are to blame for the massacre that follows.... as the head of the sheep farm it's trying to create the perfect sheep.... but the side effects of the research creates something horrific.... killer sheep that attack humans and kill them.... and if they don't kill them, then they turn them into Were-Sheep.... giant half human half sheep monsters.... you have our hero who has a fear of sheep due to a traumatic childhood experience.... a heroine who is an animal rights activist and their fight for their lives from the killer sheep....
it's a totally unique story.... or maybe more of a unique twist on an old theme.... one that by itself is funny in theory.... but is even funnier carried out.... to see such docile creatures turn violent is crazy.... it just has to be seen to be believed.... i not only found myself laughing out loud, but i cringed at the gore at times and even felt the tension as our heros are being chased and running for their lives.... i easily gave this 4 out of 5 stars.... and it deserves every one of them.... it's totally different than 'Isolation', but it's still a fantastic way to spend an evening.... and i recommend watching them together.... they don't make 100% sense together, but where else are you going to find two movies about farmland killing sprees....? i can't think of any other ones off the top of my head....

if you like this, try: 'Isolation', 'Bad Taste' and 'Dead Alive aka Brain Damage'

my brief thoughts on.... 'The Girl With The Dragon Tattoo'

here's another example, kids, of when Netflix knows best.... and by now you'd think i'd listen when it points out a film to me.... that i'd just put it in my damn queue and get it over with instead of fighting it.... however, for 'The Girl With The Dragon Tattoo'.... it took finding out that Hollywood was remaking it for me to finally watch this.... i guess i assumed that it must be pretty darn good if they're bringing it to American audiences.... i mean, look at 'Let The Right One In' and it's soon to be released American counterpart 'Let Me In'.... i rest my case.... anyway, the plot held little interest.... the poster was eye catching.... i just couldn't bring myself to add it.... my point is that i'm glad i finally saw this film.... despite my earlier thoughts about it....

the plot revolves around a decades old murder that was never solved.... or perhaps it's just a missing person.... nothing was ever found out either way.... so Mr. Vanger hires a man who's 6 months from serving a jail sentence, to find out the truth.... Mr. Vanger thinks it might be someone in his family.... but has no clues to go on.... somewhere else in the city a woman is starting her own investigation into the man who's working on the case and gets wrapped up in the mystery by accident.... they soon meet and begin to work together to find the truth.... i don't want to give away too much more as once again, it's better to just watch it unfold on your own....the movie is thankfully subtitled not dubbed.... it's beautifully filmed.... the actors are well chosen and enthralling to watch.... as a matter of fact, they sold the film they were so good.... it took what could have just been another mediocre murder mystery and raised it to another level.... i couldn't take my eyes off of them.... and by the end of the movie i was so wrapped up that i didn't even see what was coming next....

an easy 4 out of 5 stars.... the thing that doesn't elevate it to something mor is the story itself is not entirely original.... not that i've seen this done before, but it didn't feel fresh in a lot of places.... it felt like something i'd seen before.... however, don't let that keep you from watching it.... 'The Girl With The Dragon Tattoo' is pretty darn excellent.

if you like this, watch: more foreign films damn it! there's a lot of good stuff out there.

my brief thoughts on.... 'Tokyo Zombie'

take 'Shaun of the Dead' and mix in Jujitsu and you've got something like 'Tokyo Zombie'.... a Japanese zombie comedy.... the first thing i should mention is that for Netflix OnDemand users, this is dubbed.... so if that annoys you, don't watch and just rent instead.... but i watched it regardless.... and the dubbing was pretty good for once.... the guy playing the Fujio's voice was hilarious.... it fit perfectly.... not too mention, how many Japanese guys do you see with an afro....?!?! there's a lot of your typical Japanese themes in this.... and they all work really well in this movie.... it does borrow a bit from George A. Romero's 'Land of the Dead', but it's all in good fun, right....? i laughed at this and loved every minute of it....

Fujio and Mitsuo are two best friends who work in a fire extenguisher warehouse spending most of their days practicing the art of Jujitsu.... until the zombies begin to attack and they have to use their skills to fight of the oncoming hordes.... this movie takes place over a 5 year stretch and covers a lot of ground.... so the rest of the plot will just have to wait until you see it to find out the rest....the ending was silly and a true Japanese over the top ending.... the characters are very likable and you can't help but root for this underdogs.... the zombies start out a little questionable, but get better later in the movie.... although they do take some liberties with how much ass kicking the zombies can do.... but it's all just one big horror fantasy, so who cares....? it's not as funny as 'Shaun of the Dead', but it's just as fun to watch.... i gave it 3 out of 5 stars.... but a high 3 stars.... it sets out to tell a story in a certain way and it gives you everything that the opening promises.... so if you like zombies and Japanese comedies, this one may just tickle your funny bone.... or at least spank it and fondle it.... (see the movie.)

other movies like this: 'Shaun of the Dead', 'Dance of the Dead' (2008) and 'Stacey'

my brief thoughts on.... 'Tidal Wave'

disaster movies are hit and miss..... if you have the disaster too soon, it ruins the possability of a build up.... if you wait too long, you lose the audience.... but if you build it up to where you care about the characters and place the disaster at just the right place and have follow up in the aftermath, they can work.... 'Tidal Wave' was the later kind of movie.... granted, it wasn't Shakespeare.... but it set it to do something and it accomplished it.... i found myself caring about the abundance of chracters that were introduced throughout the movie.... and there were a lot of them to give back story on and the director was able to make each ones story interesting and not overwhelming.... it was an movie with a lot going on and at a mere two hours it accomplished a lot....

not to get too deep into the story as it's extremely complex with all of the people involved.... it deals with a scientist who is trying to prevent what he calls a 'Mega Tsunami' from destroying Korea.... after the wake of a major one in 2004, that's been his lifes work ever since.... however, most people won't listen and just take him as being a bit over the top and over cautious.... meanwhile, everyone elses lives are intersecting and setting the stage for what happens in the last 45 minutes of the movie.... which is pretty intense....i felt this deserved 4 out of 5 stars.... i was a little suprised at the ending being a bit too 'neat'.... but i wasn't expecting the perfect movie.... but they did an amazing job with the special effects during the Tsunami.... and everyone was so well cast in their roles that i really got involved in the story.... i found myself on the edge of my seat during the entire 3rd act.... if you enjoy a good disaster movie.... and don't mind subtitles.... this Korean movie is one that might have slipped under your radar and you should consider blocking out some time to enjoy a summer blockbuster that isn't from Hollywood.... yes, i thought it was that good.

if you like foreign films like this or movies with lots of stuff blowing up, consider: 'The Host', 'Cloverfield' and 'The Day After Tomorrow'

my thoughts on.... 'Hard Revenge Milly' and 'Hard Revenge Milly: Bloody Battle'

i stumbled across this set of movies while searching out recent Asian action movies.... they're very much in the vein of the 'Gun Crazy' movie series, where they target a VERY specific audience.... in the case of 'Gun Crazy': good looking women with two guns blowing away all of the bad guys.... in extreme ways.... and 'Gun Crazy' spawned 3 sequels after the first one and each one only runs about an hour or so.... and so it goes with 'Hard Revenge Milly'.... the first one clocks in at only 43 minutes.... not much longer than your average sitcome episode, but with a lot more blood, guts and gore.... along with some kick ass sword fights, gun battles and kung fu action.... they jam a lot into the short period of time they're given.... granted the story is simple and the plot of the movie is just as simple.... that's not why they made these movies.... they seem to be part of almost a b-grade action sub-genre.... where they slap together a fairly good action movie and target specific audiences and then throw it out there and see what sticks.... it's not that different than porn.... and not something that you see much of in America.... a fascinating trend to say the least....

the basic plot is that a gang called the Jack Brothers murder Milly's husband and baby in horrific ways and stab her to the point where she should have died.... i mean she was nothing but a big hunk of meat by the time they were through with her.... she takes two years to train in weapons, martial arts and a little suprise you don't see until the end.... then she sets out to exact her revenge.... and as you can guess.... since there is a sequel, she doesn't die and the end of the movie show that someone has survived and wants her dead now.... thus part 2....

i wouldn't go any higher than 3 out of 5 stars on this one.... it's a fun little time waster but no real substance to it.... and i don't think they ever planned on it having any.... i think it was just to spawn sequels and break even.... and they did just that.... so if you have a little time and Netflix OnDemand and don't mind a tad silly ending.... check this out.... see what i mean.... now onto part 2.....

okay.... so they took a slightly different angle on this one.... they slowed the pace down a bit and took more time with building up the storyline.... this one clocked in at an hour and 14 mins.... so you can tell they wanted to step up their game a bit.... i think that between the two movies, this was a step in the right direction and i would watch a 3rd in the series, if they make it.... (which they set it up for another one.).... the action was just as good.... the weapons were new.... they took out a tad bit of the silliness at the end of the first one.... they introduced a lot more bad guys to kill.... and overall just increased the stakes for this movie.... you learn a lot more about the future that Milly is living in.... the Japan of the future.... and it expands the world into a much more interesting place, a place you want to know more about.... a dark future....

cohorts of Jack are after Milly, who has built herself a bunker to hide out from all those who want to kill her.... a woman wanders into the warehouse where it's located looking for her help.... it seems that the womans lover was killed and now she wants revenge and was pointed in Milly's direction.... soon the bad guys come a calling and all hell breaks loose.... it just builds the tension from there as Milly and the woman become entangled in the final battle with those who want to kill Milly for her rampage on Jack and his gang....

3 out of 5 stars again.... it does what it sets out to do.... to entertain and get you pumped up with all of the action.... it also introduces cool new gadgets to get excited about.... all around it's evolution in the series and helps to create the possability of a franchise.... i don't know how far this series is going to go.... 'Gun Crazy' only seemed to make it through 4 movies total, but none of them got a rating as high as Milly did.... so i think she has a better chance at a longer possible run.... but what happens after everyone tied to Jack and his gang are dead....? Milly's only pupose for living is to get her revenge.... after that, there's nothing left.... will that leave anything left for us the viewer....? only time will tell.

if you like this movie, check out: 'Gun Crazy', 'Tokyo Gore Police' and 'Machine Girl'

my thoughts on.... 'Chocolate'

"The feel good Thai-fu movie of the year!" - Joel.... or that's how it would read if i had to sum it up in one sentence.... granted it's not 100% true.... but it has a good heart at the center of all of the action.... and the action is something to write home about.... it's some of the best i've seen in a long time.... and from what i hear about 'Ong-Bak', it seems the Thai have cornered the martial arts movies.... i wasn't even aware....?!?! anyway.... the movie had endless action, a unique storyline and decent acting.... all in all, i left feeling good and was impressed by the martial arts.... and from what i hear there were no stunt doubles.... supposedly the actress was trained specifically for the role as it was written just for her.... that's dedication....

a man and a woman fall in love.... but there in the middle of a Yakuza turf war.... and they're told by the boss to stay away from each other or there would be severe consequences.... but in true Romeo and Juliet fashion, love conquers all.... for a while.... soon the woman finds out she's pregnant and tells the man to go back to Japan where he's from, not telling him about her baby.... she ends up having and raising the baby on her own, but the baby has one thing different than most babies.... she's autistic.... and it would seem she has the uncanny knack to copy anything she sees perfectly.... and her favorite thing to do is watch kung fu movies.... obviously you see where that's going.... soon her mother becomes ill with cancer and her and friend start to try anything to raise money to help with her medication and hospital bills.... after a while they discover a ledger showing a large group of people who owe money to her mom.... so they try to start collecting.... and that leads to the girl resorting to her martial arts to get it back.... and the rest goes on from there....
there's a lot of wonderful things about this movie.... granted it feels the same as a lot of other movies.... but it doesn't matter.... it's so enjoyable, you can't help but love it.... the fight scenes are well chorographed.... the acting is the usual over the top kung fu movie style.... there's a great bit in the first fight scene where our heroine pays tribute to one Mr. Bruce Lee.... it's awesome.... this movie is rated R, but i'm unsure why.... there's no real blood or gore.... the fighting is almost in the style of Jackie Chan.... i guess the rating system is held to a different standard in Thailand....

anyway.... i gave it 4 out of 5 stars.... and i wouldn't mind watching it again.... it was a fun little hour and a half romp.... i don't know if it would be included in my collection, but i don't own too many chop sockey movies.... unless Jackie Chan, Jet Li or Chow Yun Fat is involved.... i like em' though.... and i plan to see a few more of the recent classics i've missed.... and my queue is at the ready with at least 4 more.... i'm starting to feel like this review is just getting redundant.... so i'll end it here.... but i recommend if you like good martial arts flicks and want something a little off the beaten path, then this one is for you....

my thoughts on.... 'Infection'

i like my J-Horror just as much as the next guy.... but they're always hit or miss.... when they hit, they REALLY hit.... but when they miss.... they miss.... i came into this movie with no expectations and no real knowledge of the storyline.... it just seemed to intrigue me.... and sometimes those are the best experiences at the movies.... when you just come into it blank.

the storyline is that a man who's bleeding out from the inside is being rushed to the nearest hospital that will take him.... but no one seems to want to take him in.... the only hospital that is even remotely close to where the ambulance is, happens to be a hospital on the brink of shutting down.... they're running out of supplies, the nursing staff is minimal at best and the doctors are all disgruntled.... but they decide to leave him there whether they want them to or not.... soon he bleeds out and they find out that the infection is spreading to all of them.... and that's where things get messy, literally.
overall, as a horror movie, it's got a lot of strong points.... it's very well done visually and the tension is built at a nice even pace.... you never know exactly what's going on and there always seems to be something strange lurking around every corner.... it's extremely well thought out by the director.... the story is somewhat interesting.... the characters are fairly well developed, but as with a lot of J-Horror.... it gets complicated and surreal.... and not always in a good way.... i have to admit that i really wanted to like this movie.... but in the end i was left feeling really flat....

just for the good stuff up until the end, i'll give it 3 out of 5 stars.... would i recommend it....? no. it's available on Netflix OnDemand.... so you could do worse than this movie.... a lot worse.... it just seems like a good idea was wasted on a lame ending.... and it's a damn shame because this could have been one of the greats.... a classic.... oh well, they can't all be winners.... and you have to have the bad to appreciate the good....

if you like this or things like this, see: 'Audition', 'Machine Girl' and 'Tokyo Gore Police'