Enemy

Enemy IMDb

This movie had a great premise.  What if you watch a movie one day and you spot an actor in the background and that actor looks 100% like you?  That would be trippy, huh?  That is what happens here.  When the two identical people meet, they have the exact same features and scars.   This movie sounded good but it was kind of a downer.  Not downer as in this movie makes you feel like shit but more like this movie gets you bored and you just want something exciting to happen.  Nothing exciting happens.  It's just Jake Gyllenhaal tripping on himself throughout the whole thing.  Oh, and they trick each other's girlfriends.   That's it. Play the same score over and over and you got yourself a movie.  It wasn't for me.

Not recommended.   I am out of words. Time to see another movie. Yes, more movies,  more movies. 

Afflicted

Afflicted IMDb

Fucking Found Footage, man.  These types of movies are hard to get into.  This one though, was actually okay.  Yeah, it was annoying at first, but, the story surprised me.  When you watch these found footage films, you have to put a disclaimer for yourself saying that somehow someone got a hold of all the footage taken from multi cameras and edit them together for your viewing pleasure. Yeah, it makes no sense most times.  A lot of found footage movies just start the movie away without any disclaimer.  We see different angles from different cameras and somehow it's supposed to feel real.  I guess it's the video editor in me just blowing steam.  Anyways,  after looking past this found footage stuff, this movie actually has a cool fucking story.  It turned out to be a vampire movie.  Yes, that's right, I said it.  It is not marketed as a vampire movie but that's what actually made it awesome.   We have two friends traveling Europe and documenting their experiences and one of them turns to a fucking vampire.   A lot of shit happens.  Stay after the credits for sure. So, I had a great time with this one. Not super great but I was entertained (besides the found footage concept).

Had a good time pulling a Fantastic Fest horror double feature this Monday morning.  Fantastic Fest 2014 is under two months away.  Maybe I should do a countdown and pull a double feature or at least one past Fantastic Fest movie(s) a week. We'll see.  This movie here is worth a peek and maybe to buy if you collect vampire movies but not a priority.

Patrick

Patrick IMDb

This Australian remake of an Australian exploitation classic was okay.  It tried with a few scares near the beginning.  I haven't seen the original but I heard about it through two ways:  one time through a Tarantino Kill Bill reference guide (the scene where the Bride spits at Earl McGraw in Kill Bill is a reference to Patrick) and second through the documentary, Not Quite Hollywood.  This remake came out at Fantastic Fest last year.  It's about a guy named, Patrick. Duh.  That's a given.   He's in a coma but somehow he communicates with the new nurse by spitting.  This hospital is a weird hospital hidden in a rural Australian village.  Crazy shit is happening here. The main doctor is an evil son of a bitch.  This movie deals with telekinesis and experimentations.   Like I said, there are a few scares but nothing special.  Kudos for the original story.

I won't recommend this horror, I usually don't since I'm not a big fan of a lot horror nowadays. Last horror that was awesome and scared the hell out of me was The Conjuring.   I'm pulling a double feature and playing another horror from last year's Fantastic Fest.  Next up: Afflicted.

Robot Friday: Robocop (2014)

Robocop (2014)

Holy shit, Robocop!   They really have a thing for you.  When I first heard that director, Jose Padilha (Elite Squad movies), was directing this back in Fantastic Fest 2011, I got excited.   But, as time went on and I started seeing images, my interest dropped.  I saw the original Robocop and part 2 several times during my childhood.   Haven't seen them since.  So I can't really compare this remake.  Now, I had the chance to finally see it.  It wasn't as bad as I thought.  A lot of brutal stuff in the beginning.   It did remind me a little bit of Elite Squad.  Love Michael Keaton.  He does what he does best: going nuts.   Gary Oldman is cool as usual.  The Robocop actor himself was okay.  I don't know why but I didn't like Samuel L. Jackson's character.   He kept ruining the mood for me.  Other than that and the fact that they rushed the first act that I didn't really connect well with Murphy, everything else was fairly entertaining.   Would've wanted a bigger payoff towards the end. 

Not bad for a rental for a one night stand of entertainment.

Lucy (2014)

Lucy IMDb

I didn't like it.  That's it.  Done. Next movie.  What an asshole I am.  Okay, I'm not much of an asshole.  I did like several badass scenes.  I really wanted to like this movie as a whole ever since I saw the first trailer and saw that Min-Sik Choi (Oldboy, I Saw The Devil) was in it.  The first scene that he's in, was awesome.  Blood all over his hands.   Then, there's a certain scene that the smart Lucy character should have been smarter but if she would have been smarter then the movie would have been a lot shorter. Don't want to spoil that.  I got tired of all the national geographic stuff and I got annoyed by the know it all Lucy after a while. The action sequences were the best parts.  The ending, well, without spoiling it, let's just say this is a prequel to the movie, Her.  That would make a decent double feature.  Stay after the credits and see a cameo by Joaquin Phoenix.  Just kidding. This movie went by fast.

This was a letdown for me but that's just my opinion.  If you don't mind my opinion,  I would say this is a rental at best just for those few entertaining scenes.  On a positive note: the caffeine rush from my double expresso shot drink and sugar from my Nutrageous made this movie on speed even more on speed.  Laughed a bit.  Here I am writing this at 3 in the morning. Go to sleep, fucker.  Goodnight! 

The Family

The Family IMDb

This was alright.  Lots of cheesy moments that brought down the movie's potential.   Going to be watching Lucy this week which is directed by Luc Besson (Leon the Professional and The 5th Element).  So, I decided to watch the movie he did before, which is this one.  I was enjoying this at first as a gangster comedy but I became less interested in it towards the second half when the gangsters back in New York found out where "the family" has been hiding.  I love the references to other De Niro gangster movies.  There's a scene where they are watching Goodfellas. There's another scene where De Niro's character mentions Al Capone and picks up a bat ready to hurt someone (just in case some of you don't know: De Niro plays Capone in The Untouchables and there's an awesome baseball bat scene there).   The rest of the family are pretty cool in their own way, bunch of gangsters. 

There you have it, a little disappointing but a little fun.  

Lone Survivor

Lone Survivor IMDb

Well done. Well done. Well done.  This movie was intense and kept me on my toes.  That could also be the coffee and cokes I had today as well.  I loved it.  Good war action with drama.  There was a moment where I got up from the couch and circled around the room with excitement.  Based on a true story, duh, these types of movies usually are.  A group of soldiers hit up a village in Afghanistan.   They're hiding in the mountains ready for their orders until a few locals show up.  From their on, every decision they make, is vital.  Like most American war movies, this is all about honor and being heroic.  But, what this one brings to the table is a lot of suspense and adrenaline.   Good pacing as well.  Kudos to director,  Peter Berg.  He also directed another favorite war movie of mine, The Kingdom.

Definitely recommend this movie.  Good times!

Hard Boiled

Hard Boiled IMDb

I went on a movie date tonight with a girl I recently met.  We both agreed on this John Woo classic.   The Alamo Drafthouse brought a 35mm print of this.  Now,  I've seen most of this before a long time ago, but I don't remember it that much.  So, it's only fair to see it as a whole and comment on it.  Badass!  I can't believe how many bullets are on this movie.   This is why I love Asian cinema.  They go all out in their shooting sequences.  Probably too violent for most people, but, I love my violent cinema.  Chow Yun-Fat plays a badass cop who is trying to catch this big mob ring.  He gets help by an inside man who is working undercover.  All hell breaks loose since the opening scene.  Gotta love the famous falling off the stairs while shooting crazy motherfuckers scene.  

Now, I gotta add this to my Hong Kong/Chinese Section.   Seeing it on the big screen made a big difference.  My favorite John Woo film is still A Better Tomorrow. I remember my bro, Ramon,  introducing me to it while mentioning the reference in True Romance back in the day.

Ordered a pitcher of 512 IPA.  Nothing better than watching an Asian bullet fest with beer that will expand your mind faster than one of the bullets itself. Haha! That's good I didn't order coffee, I would have been all over the place jumping up and down.

Under The Skin

Under The Skin IMDb

I love me some Scarlett Johansson, who doesn't?  And I love the movie, Sexy Beast (badass gangster movie).  So when I heard Scarlett comes out in the new movie by the director of Sexy Beast, I knew I had to see it.  Well, I'm here to inform you, the reader,  that I was disappointed.   This bored me to death.  It's a slow artsy movie with a sci-fi touch to it.  I just wanted this to be over.  Scarlett plays some kind of alien who uses a human female body to lure men into a dimension for some kind of alien purpose. That's about it.  Almost two hours of just that.  So don't bother.

I'm planning to see LUCY when it comes out in the theater next week. Hopefully that Scarlett Johansson Sci-fi flick will make up for this one.  

French Cinema Night: Diva

Diva IMDb

Man, oh man.  Another great French thriller we got here.  I love every moment in this. I love every character for who they are. Love the two thugs who always wear their shades even at night.  There's an awesome chase scene here that involves a man in a motorcycle and a cop.  This movie is about this guy who has a crush on this famous Opera singer (the diva).  This man accidentally gets a recording from this one girl who is being hunted because of the tape.  The recording reveals a conspiracy and corruption involving the Chief of Police.   Now this guy is being chased by the police and mob all while he connects with the diva and makes friends with a weird artsy couple.  So awesome how all these characters come together towards the end.  Had a great time watching this.

Worth watching and hell, worth buying.  Another one for my Foreign Movie Section. 

Nymphomaniac Vol. 1

Nymphomaniac Vol. 1 IMDb

Whoa!  What the hell am I watching?  Oh yeah, I'm watching a Lars Von Trier film.  You know, the controversial director who brought us good films like Dancer in the Dark and Dogville.  He also brought us artsy disturbed and annoying films like Antichrist and Melancholia.  Well, this one falls under the latter for sure.  The messed up part is that this is split into parts.  The ending to this first part left me incomplete.  The good juicy parts is probably in the second part.  This one is all about this one girl who is found beaten and injured on the streets.  Her name is Joe.  She is rescued by Seligman.  At his place, Joe tells Seligman all her dirty secrets and sexual experiences.   Basically,  this first part talks about her beginnings as a nymphomaniac.  It doesn't go into details about her current situation. I guess that's the second movie.  Lots of stories and lots of characters.  It was interesting to say the least.  Overall, I thought it was okay. I can't really judge it until I finish the whole story. 

I'll try to check out part 2 sometime in the near future.

Female Prisoner #701: Scorpion

Female Prisoner #701: Scorpion IMDb

Finally, after years of wanting to see it, the day is here.  Thanks to Vulcan Video for finally getting a copy of this.   That's why I love Austin, TX.  A cinephile's paradise.  I first heard about this movie a few years after Tarantino's Kill Bill came out.  The main song here is featured in the movie.  This is a women in prison/revenge flick.  Straightforward.   It's considered a pink movie ((Japanese sexploitation), but, it didn't feel like it. There were a lot of nudity scenes but not as much as other sexploitation films I've seen.  This is more about the women in prison and the drama about them.  Our main character,  Matsu, is in prison because she was framed.  Her goal is to get out and get those responsible.   That's about it.  The main guy responsible is a cop who dated her.  He hires a prisoner acquaintance of his to kill Matsu.  I like some of the stuff on here.   A few good shiny fake red blood scenes were also okay.  My favorite part doesn't happen until the last 20 mintues when Matsu finally starts her revenge spree.

Overall,  it was okay.  Good to check out.  Especially Tarantino fans. This is on his top 20 favorite grindhouse films according to the Grindhouse Database. There are actuallly 4 more sequels to this but I don't think I'll be watching those anytime soon.

Made Japanese Chicken Meatballs (Tsukune) for this movie. 

Dawn of the Planet of the Apes (2014)

Dawn of the Planet of the Apes IMDb

Awesomeness!  This sequel delivers and stands even better than first one.  Good special effects and good score.  A lot of moments reminded me of Battle for the Planet of the Apes.  "Apes don't kill apes."  Man, a lot of great scenes.  Caesar is back and he leads thousands of apes in the backwoods of San Francisco.   It's been years since the first one.  Humans are hard to find.  Then they show up and conflict arises.  Caesar tries to keep the peace but there's an evil ape named Koba that fucks everything up.  Good message about how apes are no different than humans.  Love some of the crazy moments during the second half.  The ending left me incomplete but it's because this story is just the beginning.  A lot more is going to happen.

Good ape action entertainment.  Must see.  In my top 5 of favorite films this year so far.

My ATX Sci fi Movie Clan: Casey and Allan. I was being distracted by a wonderful light and I couldn't resist.  

The lobby of the Alamo Lakeline Theatre has a Planet of the Apes theme since they built it.  What a better way to watch the new Apes movie than watching it here.  Badass!

Battle for the Planet of the Apes

Battle for the Planet of the Apes IMDb 

The last movie in the series wasn't as good as the other ones.  Saw this right after Conquest.  Long night full of apes.  Good marathon with my friend Casey.  This takes us 10 years after the previous movie.  Earth is ruled by apes.  Now, our leader, Caesar, is trying to keep the peace with the remainder humans.  Some apes don't want peace.  All this takes place in a field in the middle of nowhere.  Humanity and civilization is destroyed.   The apes discover that there are some humans hiding underground.   Those humans might be the ancestors of those radioactive mind speaking humans from the second movie. Anyways, there's a big battle between the apes and them.  I didn't like it, overall.  I did like some scenes, though, like the scenes where the apes turn on each other.

It was cool watching these classic ones.  Going to see Rise of the Planet of the Apes next (but I won't blog it cause I saw it already).  Can't wait to see Dawn of the Planet of the Apes at the Alamo.

Conquest of the Planet of the Apes

Conquest of the Planet of the Apes IMDb

Wow! Son of a bitch, man!  This movie was awesome.   This one is up there with the original. Lots of favorite scenes.  Love the beginning.   All of a sudden, there are a bunch of apes all treated like slaves.  This is 20 years after the 3rd movie.  The Ape Management are conditioning the apes to make them serve humans. They don't talk.  Well, until our main ape gets there.  Our main ape is Ceasar.  The baby ape from the last movie.  He's the superior ape.  He doesn't like the way the humans are treating the apes. So he starts a revolution.   Chaos everywhere.   Felt like a zombie movie towards the end.  Loved it.  Good score too. This is also kind of similar to Rise of the Planet of the Apes.

This is one is my favorite sequel.   It's worth buying.   One more movie to see in this series.

Western Wednesday: High Plains Drifter

High Plains Drifter IMDb

Awesome western with Clint Eastwood.  Hell, he directed this too.   He plays the man with no name.  He comes into town like a badass.  It's a typical setup.  The town gets bullied by crooks and well, you know the drill, our main cowboy has to take care of business.   Besides that, Eastwood's character was a bit different from his other cowboy roles. He is still cool and all but there's some scenes where they show his animal side (an almost rape scene with a lovely lady).  All this movie needed was some Ennio Morricone music. 

Good old solid typical western.  A few good shootouts.   Love the ending.  

Zatoichi Night: Fight, Zatoichi, Fight

Fight, Zatoichi, Fight IMDb

Zatoichi tale continues with a different kind of story.  This time, Zatoichi shows his fatherly side.  Everyone is after Zatoichi as usual. They want him dead.  He gets inside this wooden carriage and gets transported by two men. They see a woman and a baby in trouble.  Zatoichi comes out and gives the woman and baby his spot in the carriage.  They carry on leaving Zatoichi behind.  Moments later, they get attacked.   A group of thugs stab their swords inside the carriage thinking Zatoichi is inside. They accidentally kill the woman. Now, Zatoichi makes it his mission to take the baby to his father.   Of course,  problems come up.  I liked this movie.  It's got some humor but also has some good dramatic moments.  The sword fights were okay.   It was cool to see Zatoichi as a father figure.  Maybe it's time for him to settle down. 

Good old Zatoichi movie!

Couldn't find a trailer.

FDR: American Badass

FDR American Badass IMDb

Went with this cheesy stupid movie for this 4th of July weekend.

I knew what I was getting myself into but I didn't care.  It starts out with governor FDR getting attacked by warewolves.  Now, I don't believe in fucking warewolves but I believe in my eyes and what my eyes saw was some motherfucking warewolves.  FDR gets bit and gets polio. Big surprise.   The people want him for president.  He gets a special wheelchair with ammo to fight against, wait for it....nazi warewolves.  I tried having fun with this movie.  But overall, I didn't enjoy it.  I still didn't mind watching it. I'm not a film snob and watch only sophisticated movies. I watch all genres including this cheesefest.  Too bad it sucked.

The nazi warewolves were pretty cool but not worth your time.

Go see Dead Snow instead. Nazi zombies rule!

Deliver Us From Evil (2014)

Deliver Us From Evil IMDb

Saw this late tonight with my brother Phillip who came to visit.  He wanted to go to the Alamo Drafthouse. It was between this or that Transformers movie. We went with this, obviously.   Deliver Us From Evil felt like a cross between the movies, Seven and The Exorcist. Pretty evil stuff. Some scenes are overtly dramatic but other scenes were pretty interesting.   There were a few scenes that were creepy but nothing that made me jump out of my seat. In other words, to me, this wasn't scary. Good for an exorcist thriller.  Love that they used a bunch of music by The Doors.  The songs are actually referenced in the story.  Eric Bana plays a detective chasing these evil looking guys who are all connected as a group of soldiers that went to war together.  Edgar Ramirez plays a priest who tries to get the evil out of these creeps. Like some movies about exorcism,  this one gets preachy towards the end.  Pretty entertaining for a late night movie. It isn't The Conjuring though.  The Conjuring scared the living crap out of me last year, and to this day, I still have nightmares. Okay, maybe not that extreme, but still a good horror movie. 

Okay to check out especially as a rental. If you have an exorcism section,  this might be worth buying just for that section.  I need to check out Sinister by the same director.

Escape from the Planet of the Apes

Escape from the Planet of the Apes IMDb

The countdown continues with this third movie in the series. Saw the second one last week and the original back in 2011.  This one is a whole different level.  We go back in time. Our main apes from the previous movies somehow managed to get the spaceship fixed and travel back to the 70's.  There's no other apes in this movie. Just a bunch of humans.  Right here they cover different themes such as prejudice and hatred.   The government cannot believe the existence of these advanced smart apes from the future. So, instead of understanding and helping, they turn to fear and destruction.   These apes are on the loose. The female ape, Zira, is pregnant.  Damn, not good for mankind.  Zira and her partner,  Cornelius are on the run.  Just like the previous movie, I enjoyed the first half a lot more than the secon half.  The ending was tragic, though. A good foreshadow for things to come.  This movie was also okay.  

I'm hoping to see the next movie soon but it's a busy week this week with family.   We shall see.