facepalm

So yesterday I'm listening to a discussion on N.P.R about holiday movie sales when some expert declares that DVD is dead, blu-ray is floundering and direct download could be the "wave of the future". Funny enough prices were blamed for the slow sales. . . really . . . No blame was put on Hollywood for cranking out gems like Paul Blart Mall Cop, The Knowing, Old Dogs and another shit street fighter movie. I really find this hilarious as a movie fan. I pay for movies, lots of movies but only something I feel is worth my hard earned cash and I don't think I'm alone in that sentiment. So go ahead and keep cranking out remakes and sequels banking on nerd culture to bail you out Hollywood, its only a matter of time until the internet eats you.

Patriotism

Patriotism is a brutal short film about a Japanese officer choosing to take his own life rather than betray his emperor and his friends. The silent black and white film quickly turns from sad but beautiful to horrifying and bloody. Clocking in at only 29 minutes, Patriotism is a captivating look at the Japanese perspective of death and duty and definitely not for the squeamish. In the time it takes to watch a sitcom you can witness a kind of film making that as not been seen in decades. Very very powerful stuff.

10/10

Korean western?

I hate action movies and even more than that I hate westerns but holy crap I loved this movie. Sitting at the polar opposite of flicks like 3-iron and In Between Days The Good, The Bad, and The Weird is a beast of Korean cinema. Do you like guns? This movie has them in spades. Do you like a good chase scene? This movie is one long chase scene. Do you hate Michael Bay? Hey me too and this is the kind of movie that puts him to shame. I was really surprised at how beautiful and fun to watch T.G.T.B.T.W was. Every location was brimming with colors and sound not to mention some of the coolest long shots I have ever seen. The action felt a lot like Ong-Bak but with guns while the music was perfect and really kept the energy following during some of the more tedious action sequences. The only problem I had with this movie was the exhausting amount of fighting but that's more about my personal taste than a criticism. Get it, watch it with friends and prepare for the new standard of action movies.

9/10 For sheer awesomeness

Planet Roll Call!!!

I just stumbled across Susumu Hirasawa's new album Planet Roll Call... No words are adequate I'm just in love. I would like to think everyone has a band, song or musician that moves them in such a way that's positive and life affirming.


Enjoy

Quiet Family

I love my library. Their foreign film selection rivals that of the Internet and tops it in terms of quality. That being said 9 times out of 10 I have no idea what I am getting myself into because their movie list is usually in a different language.

Little did I know that I had ordered this great little horror comedy debut from the director of A Tale of Two Sisters, one of my favorite movies ever. The beginning feels a lot like The Happiness of the Katakuris (it predates Katakuris by 3 years), a dysfunctional family buys a lodge in the mountains and hilarity ensues as the guests keep dying and the family struggles to hide the bodies in the surrounding area. The film successfully transitions from silly to intense and has a pretty awesome soundtrack. Quiet Family borderlines on greatness, its well made and the acting is great it just lacks the kind of punch I need in a horror or comedy.
7.983/10
Sorry for the poor quality of this review my girlfriend is trying to feed me her left over breakfast and I don't want it... I mean I'm just not in the mood for peanut butter toast you know?

Another musical side note this time with VIDEO!!!!!!

I just picked up Astor Piazzolla's Tango - Zero Hour

possibly my favorite cd next to my copy of Vivaldi's The Four Seasons, seriously its that good.

In between days

Similar to the works of Kim ki-duk, So Young Kim's In Between Days is another classic example of quiet Korean cinema. With no soundtrack and limited dialogue this movie is an amazing work of loneliness and isolation. The film follows the awkward but very lovable Aimie, a Korean immigrant who speaks very little English and has only one friend, a boy who she is completely infatuated with. The chemistry between the two is wonderful, there were times I actually forgot they were actors not high school kids. That being said the main theme of the movie is loneliness so don't expect any gags or action. The film's stark realism leaves it feeling a bit dry towards the end but I felt that it served the purpose of the film well. I really felt a connection with Aimie and her troubles and towards the end I just wanted to be her friend. I know that sounds kind of silly but any movie that makes me feel this level of empathy towards its characters deserves a solid recommendation.

Killing time

It will be another day until I get some better movies so until then . . .

Week end

So, week end eh? How is it that something this bat shit insane has never come up on my radar? This film can not be categorized nor can it be compared to anything. Seriously this film is nuts each scene is a self contained nightmare of sex, violence and whimsical nonsense. A true work of art albeit a pretentious one but that's not necessarily a bad thing. The spontaneous chaos is sometimes startling and at all times confusing. That's right its one of those movies, the kind that leaves you lost in the best possible way. The director never had a narrative more like a palette of ideas. Its hard to watch, its chaos is orchestrated with such theatrical zeal that its impossible to look away. Even the agonizing traffic scene which felt like an endurance test held my attention every second. They really don't make movies like this anymore, none that are this much fun and equally appalling. There are so many little things to describe like Godard's use of text and music that talking or reading about it does no justice. Viewer beware though it will offend everyone and anyone you watch it with. Its just the kind of movie people hate and fans of the movie can totally understand why. Its also the kind of movie I can see myself forcing upon people because not having anyone to talk to about this is going to drive me insane.

God tier