Tetsuo: The Bullet Man

Tetsuo: The Bullet Man IMDb

My Fantastic Fest 2010 Japanese double feature continues with this film.  It's another crazy over the top film but more into sci-fi and it was short and simple.  This is actually part 3 out of three movies.  I've never seen the other two but this is not a direct sequel or a continuation of any story.  Kudos on the Trent Reznor composed theme song.  Crazy story but nothing memorable.  I did like one action sequence towards the middle.  In your face kind of movie.  I didn't like that it was in English.  That's exactly how they made it.  In English but with a Japanese production.  It is also based on a manga.  I've personally enjoyed Helldriver a bit more (the movie I saw before this one). 

8 more movies to see in my Fantastic Fest 2010 marathon and 25 more days until Fantastic Fest 2015.  The excitement is increasing by the minute.

Helldriver

Helldriver IMDb

Did a Japanese double feature of two films that were shown in Fantastic Fest 2010.  The first one is Helldriver.  Fucking Helldriver.  That's what I have to say about it.  A lot of over the top gore stuff from the same people who brought us Tokyo Gore Police.  You seen one of these films, you've kind of seen them all.  People watch this for the ridiculously gore factor.  This is a pretty much a zombie movie.  Lots of guts and blood and body parts exploding everywhere.  I have to admit, I'm not the biggest fan of these movies, but I'll still watch them depending on mood.  And for some reason, I didn't expect this to be a full on over the top film since I went in blind. It was okay though. 

I made me Spicy Miso Ramen today to go with this Japanese double feature.

Disco Godfather

Disco Godfather IMDb

"Put your weight on it. Put your weight on it."  That's literally what they said throughout this film.  This is the second film of the Cinema Terrible club screening.  Enjoyed it with the audience who were mostly making fun of it.  It's a blaxploitation film with Rudy Ray Moore.  I've seen one or two films with him.  This takes place mostly in a disco and it's mostly dancing.  Every once in a while we go to the subplot which is about people getting addicted to PCP/Angel dust.  Big anti drug movie with lots of dancing.  Lots of so bad that it's good moments.  I'll probably never see this again but the experience will stay with me. 

It was freaking awesome attending this Meetup.  I've gotta do it again next month if my schedule permits.

Rats: Night of Terror

Rats: Night of Terror IMDb

Joined the Cinema Terrible club tonight to see two ridiculously bad movies.  We had 5 to choose from and by majority votes, the top two was this one and Disco Godfather.  It was going to be a good night for sure.  Before I got here, I had to make sure that I was prepared mentally.  So I was in a good state of mind while watching this one.  Enjoyed it.  It was the year 2015 and everything on Earth has been destroyed except for the rats.  A group of people arrived from space to see what's out here and little by little, they get killed by these "cute" bastards.  The premise is good enough to tell you what you're getting yourself into.  Bad acting.  Badly made scenes.  Fuck yeah.  What made this movie more awesome was the audience.  They made fun of a lot scenes.  I just couldn't help but laugh my ass off.  I would totally buy this crap for the memories.

Kudos on the formula tonight.  We started with this cheesy horror and we finished with a blaxploitation flick.

Playing Columbine

Playing Columbine IMDb

My Fantastic Fest 2010 marathon continues with this documentary.  Freaking crazy that someone made a game based on the columbine shootings.  But, before people get mad, the creator did not mean to make this go mainstream (so he says in this documentary).  The purpose of the game is to create awareness and to make you feel bad as a person playing a shooter in the game.  The documentary then gets into it when talking about how the media is the one responsible for these types of tragedies.  Wow! So it looks like we have Bowling for Columbine again but on a smaller scale.  It was an interesting watch for sure.   The game is called: Super Columbine Massacre RPG.  Crazy shit.

I rented this for two bucks on Youtube. Good doc to see.  Felt like seeing the movie: The Dirties (which was a favorite at Fantastic Fest 2013).  10 more movies to see from Fantastic Fest 2010.  And 28 more days until Fantastic Fest 2015.

No Escape (2015)

No Escape IMDb

Got a free advanced screening to this movie.  Owen Wilson plays a serious role.  Pierce Brosnan is a mysterious bad ass. Lake Bell plays a clueless wife who then shines towards the end.  No Escape was very entertaining.  Hollywood entertainment.  It kept me at the edge of my seat the whole way but the story was predictable.  I can tell that the family was going to survive in this chaotic world where no man is safe.  So, with that, this loses points.  Still, good action ride.  Favorite moments: throwing the kids from one roof to the other moment and the kill shot moment where Hammond (Brosnan) shoots the approaching speeding truck.  There were some other cool moments and the movie was intense.  Again, predictable though.  Pet peeve: when foreigners speak English to other non-English speaking people.  Lazy fucks.  Just put subtitles for those few moments.  Anyways, that's it.  I personally would have waited to see this at the Redbox but it still entertained in the theatre.  Not a disappointment at all.

6 out of 10.

Redline

Redline IMDb

Fantastic!  Now why the hell did I start these comments with that word?  This was shown at Fantastic Fest 2010.  Surprise, surprise.  My countdown continues.  Seriously, this was freaking badass.  I'm not much into anime but this one did it.  It's not your typical looking anime.  Maybe that's why.  Love the over the top dystopian world here.  I don't know why but this reminded me a little of Mad Max Fury Road and of course The Hunger Games.  Love the wackiness here.  Awesome racing story. It was never a dull moment.  So for you anime fans out there and fans of dystopian movies: this is recommended.  I would buy it. 

And with that, I conclude another Fantastic Fest 2010 movie off my list.

11 more movies to see before this year's Fantastic Fest.  32 more days!

Hitchcock Thursday: The Wrong Man

The Wrong Man IMDb 

This movie was simple and to the point.  It was pretty normal for a Hitchcock movie.  Nothing major happens except what the plot is about.  Our main character gets blamed for some robberies he did not commit.  It so happens that he is mistaken for someone else.  This is based on a true story.  Our main character's wife becomes mentally ill because of all these accusations.  Anyways, solid story but I saw this one right after work and for some reason, felt tired and wasn't feeling entertained.  Might have to see this at some point.  Maybe in 30 years.

Next Hitchcock Thursday, I'm revisiting Birds.  I've seen parts of it during my childhood so this would be my official first time watching a famous Hitchcock classic.  Can't wait.

Cop Car (2015)

Cop Car IMDb

Fuck yes!  This fucking movie is the motherfucking shit and I won't mind saying it all the time.  It is hard to describe it. It's a sleeper dark comedic thriller.  Something in the line of the Coen Brothers.  Lots of crazy moments.  Awesome dark comedy.  Intense climax.  I was happy.  But, fair warning, this is a slow paced movie (kind of like Blood Simple, Mud, etc).  Kevin Bacon plays a villain who pretends to be the Sheriff.  He leaves his patrol car behind in order to bury a body but he's not really the main character.  The main characters are two young boys who curse a lot and are up to no good.  They find the cop car and decide to take it for a spin.  The Sheriff goes crazy cause there's something else he's gotta get rid of inside that car.  The plot thickens when the boys make the discovery.  Things get heated.  Blood gets shed.  Kevin fucking Bacon!  This is the kind of movie that usually gets played at Fantastic Fest.  This was shown at the Alamo Drafthouse South Lamar location.  My guess, everyone will have a chance to see it on Blu-ray/DVD before the year is over.  Another favorite so far this year.

8 out of 10.

Hot Pursuit (2015)

Hot Pursuit IMDb

I bet you're trying to figure out why in the hell did I watch this?  Well, you're not alone.  My reasons will remain confidential in order to protect a friend's reputation.  Well, not a big deal.  I'm at least honest and I will still blog it.  Here we go:  it kind of sucked.  It had some okay moments towards the beginning but it lost all its potential right away.  I'm not a Sofia Vergara fan.  I mean, I'm not a fan of her acting.  There we go.  So, this is pretty much all of her with cute little Reese Witherspoon next to her.  Kudos for the main cartel guy here who also plays the main cartel in a movie from Mexico called "El Infierno."  The only part that annoyed me with his character is when all of a sudden he speaks pure English in a conversational scene with Sofia Vergara's character who knows Spanish.  I know, it's an American movie but at least they should have made that scene and a lot of other scenes a lot smarter.  Oh well.  I knew what I was getting myself into.  I will not be recommending this to anyone.   

2 out of 10.

The Gift (2015)

The Gift IMDb

Ladies and Gents, this was one fucking good thriller.  It has the revenge plot so you know I'm going to be bias with this.  I loved it.  Love the performances, love the set-up.  I love the way things get turned around here.  Gone Girl style.  I don't want to spoil anything with the twists and some of things that deal with the story.  It's better if you know less.  I did and I had a great time.  Now, it loses points for originality, but not the actual main story, I'm talking about the revenge part towards the end.  Years ago, I saw this Austrian movie called Revanche.  This one has a similar outcome to Revanche.  Other than that, they're both entirely different movies.  Kudos to Joel Edgerton for directing and acting in this thriller. Must see!  One of my top 5 for the year so far (either #4 or #5).

8 out of 10.

Joy Sticks

Joysticks IMDb

Saw this cheesy 80's comedy as my closing film to my personal Fantastic Fest 2010 marathon.  And it delivered in the campy department.  Oh yeah!  Enjoyed it.  Lots of nudity, lots of stupid moments.  Good saving the arcade kind of story.  Now, imagine a world where girls on bikinis are into arcades.  That's far from real life.  But, imagine that world and this is the world you get.  Silly story but I knew not to take seriously so it was one hell of a good time.

 

And that concludes my marathon. 40 days until Fantastic Fest, motherfucka!

Made Cheese Sticks specifically for this movie.  Good stuff for my first time!

High Lane

High Lane IMDb

The FF2010 marathon continues with this French thriller/horror except fucking Netflix only had the English dub audio.  What the fuck?  I can't stand it.  There's people that can't stand subtitles, well, I can't stand English dubbed movies unless it's an old grindhouse movie or spaghetti western.  But, technology nowadays, there shouldn't be any excuse.  If I would have known, I would've rented this from Vulcan.  Anyways, besides that issue, this movie was alright.  Good fucking payoff, that's for sure.  It starts out as a man vs. nature kind of story then boom!  It turns to a psychotic killer on the loose story.  And thank goodness for that because these characters were pissing me off.  They deserved to die.  A thing bothered me in the end but you can't win them all when it comes to horror.  Spoiler alert:  if you leave your knive next to the killer who is slowly dying, you are one fucking idiot.  That's it.  Kudos for the "Alright" song the characters were singing in the beginning of the movie and in the middle after a big conflict.  The movie would have been a lot better if that song would have appeared at the closing credits.  I would have clapped. 

One more movie in this FF2010 marathon.  A cheesy 80's comedy called Joy Sticks.

Man on a Mission: Richard Garriott's Road to the Stars

Man on a Mission IMDb

I know some things about this guy only because when I was working for Fox TV, they had a crew interview him about gaming.  He's an Austinite.  A very rich one.  This is the story about making his wish come true in going to space.  He's a man on a mission.  The first 30 minutes were very interesting but after a while, I honestly found it boring.  Good astronaut preparation knowledge.  I wasn't feeling it.  So this was another disappointment in my Fantastic Fest 2010 marathon.

Next up, a French horror called: High Lane

Ong Bak 3

Ong Bak 3 IMDb

Had my caffeine mix and was ready for some fucking martial arts from Thailand.  The fighting here was okay.  I had a hard time following the story though.  To start with, I never became a fan of the first two movies so they were not memorable. Here, it's a continuation of the series.  There was a lot of supernatural stuff going on here.  A little too much for a martial arts movie.  So, this was disappointing.  I'm glad it was the final battle.

Next up in my Fantastic Fest 2010 marathon is a cosmos documentary: Man On A Mission: Richard Garriott's Road to the Stars.

Toys in the Attic

Toys in the Attic IMDb

So I did my own Fantastic Fest marathon today.  I've screened 5 movies that played in 2010.  Started it off with this clever Animation.  It's originally from Czech however the only version available was an English Dub voiced by well known actors.  I didn't have a choice but it turns out this was pretty freaking awesome.  Imagine Toy Story being made by Tim Burton and this is what you get.  Good adventure saving the girl kind of story.  Love the animation and love that this was my starter to my fantastic day.  

Next up:  a Thai Martial Arts flick.  Ong Bak 3

Home (2015)

Home IMDb 

Took Nates the Shakes to the discount theatre this morning to see this cute alien invasion animation.  I actually thought it was pretty good.  Better than expected.  Yeah, they made things very easy with the plot.  You can say it was lazy writing, especially the set up and the beginning.  This is a kid's movie though.  Not really aimed for adults too much.  There was a part that was almost emotional.  Fun alien movie.  Jim Parsons (from Big Bang Theory) did an awesome job voicing the main character.  Kudos!  Would like to see him do more work.  The threat wasn't too severe towards the end.  I know that this movie was a flop at the box office so I don't think they'll be stupid enough to make a sequel (or would they).  Anyways, go in with low expectations and see it with the kids or with the kid in you and everything will be alright.  That's it.  Oh, drink a lime slushee with this one.  Bust a Lime!

6 out of 10.

Agnosia

Agnosia IMDb 

This Spanish film was shown at Fantastic Fest 2010.  I remember at the time I really wanted to see it because the writer is the same guy who helped write Devil's Backbone (my favorite Guillermo Del Toro film).  This was never shown again and not even released.  Luckily, I found a crappy copy of it on Youtube.  So, here are my comments on that crappy copy.  It was beautiful to see but at the same time it was boring.  Not enough suspense or movement to keep me going.  This was a bit of a downer.  The director of this also did another Fantastic Fest movie called Grand Piano with Elijah Wood.  I didn't like that one either.  Anyways, it was a slow developing story, which is rare at Fantastic Fest (but it does happen).

43 more days until Fantastic Fest 2015.  This Saturday I'll be laying low at the apartment and I'll actually have time to pull a movie marathon. It will be a Fantastic Fest 2010 marathon.  I already have the five movies picked out for that.  

The Second Best Exotic Marigold Hotel (2015)

The Second Best Exotic Marigold Hotel IMDb 

Man, this movie pissed me off.  Not a good feeling.  I went in feeling positive because I was okay with the first film.  The second time around was too much.  I didn't like any of the characters.  Didn't like the story.  My life could have been better without seeing this.  With that said, I still love the cinematography and the art of India.  That's the only thing that saved this from being a total disaster.  I mean, I know some people would like this more than me.  I just... nope.  Can't I will not invest my time in a third movie.  Half of these people should have died.  Not worth the redbox rental but don't listen to me. I'm just an asshole.  Man, another Dev Patel stinker this year.  I have to say, I liked Chappie just a tad more than this.

3 out of 10.

Song of the Sea

Song of the Sea IMDb 

Took my son to see this free screening at the Texas Spirit Theatre inside the Bob Bullock Museum.  This was nominated for Best Animation at the Oscar's earlier this year.  It was the last Animation left to see from that category (Lego Movie still got snubbed).  I loved this animation.  It was sweet, sad, and cute.  I think I felt the emotions more in this one than I did with Pixar's Inside Out.  I don't know why.  I mean, it wasn't all sad or anything but it was sweet.  Song of the Sea is about a fantasy tale that becomes true.  A tale of fairies.  A tale of the chosen one that must save the fairies.  That chosen one is a little girl whose mother "dies" from birth. Her big brother is the main character though.  He has a grudge towards his sister just because his mother died but later he has a change of heart when he realizes that his mother's fairy tale story is actually true.  He helps his sister achieve her destiny.

Recommended!  Good family film.

Spy (2015)

Spy IMDb
I have to admit, I was very hesitant to see this film.  The only two movies I like with Melissa McCarthy are Bridesmaids and St. Vincent. Other than that, I don't really like her stuff.  Ever since they premiered this at SXSW, I've been hearing nothing but good things. So I gave it a shot at the discount theatre.  It was actually freaking funny.  I laughed quite a bit.  I think I had the same amount of laughs as I did with Trainwreck.   Now, the last part kind of made it from being perfect.  And throwing 50 Cent in there also ruined it.  I mean, I know he's a big deal but too much of his cameo just didn't do it for me.  The rest of the movie was awesome, though.  Good funny ass intro.  Good writing and good characters.  Loved it but it wasn't perfect.  It delivered the comedy and action goods.

7 out of 10.

The Housemaid

The Housemaid IMDb 

My Fantastic Fest 2010 marathon continues with this Korean classic.  That year, Fantastic Fest showed this classic and the remake back to back.  I made it to the remake that year.  Awesome!  I heard this classic was different and better. Thanks to Youtube, I was able to see the classic for the first time (my local video stores didn't have it).  The one I saw on Youtube was poor quality and it had Spanish subtitles.  Lucky for me, I know Spanish.  This was way different than the remake.  Actually, it pissed me off a little.  But, I think that's what it was supposed to do.  You see, in the remake, you feel sorry for the housemaid.  You kind of pick her side even though it's a shitty situation.  Not in this classic.  The housemaid is very unlikeable.  What a bitch!  Then again, these movies were made during different times in society.  I didn't like the ending to this movie but I did love the awesome shots and performances.  The ending here breaks the fourth wall.  Anyways, it was a nice treat watching this with some hot Korean treat.

I appreciate this classic but not a priority to buy for my Korean section.  Kudos to Martin Scorsese for his support for this classic film restoration as well as a lot of other undiscovered classics.  I do feel like seeing the remake again.  I remember the remake having awesome cinematography and a lot of wine.  Anyways, 49 days until Fantastic Fest 2015 and 18 more Fantastic Fest 2010 movies left to see.

Summer Wars

Summer Wars IMDb 

50 more days until Fantastic Fest 2015.  I've decided just a day ago to check out as many Fantastic Fest movies from the past as I can before the fest.  More specifically, I've decided to watch all of the movies from Fantastic Fest 2010 that I haven't seen and that are available to see.  Why Fantastic Fest 2010?  Every year has been awesome as far as movies go but 2010 was my favorite year at the fest.  It is the year I saw "I Saw The Devil" among other favorites.  Out of all the movies that year, I haven't seen 24 of them still.  20 of them are available to see somehow either via Youtube/Netflix/Amazon and Vulcan Video.  Now, we come to this film.  This played that year.  It is a crazy but family friendly animation from Japan.  I enjoyed it.  It is different but not too different.  The story is original.  It is the story about togetherness.  Our main character decides to accompany a girl from school over the summer at her family's house.  He is her "pretend" boyfriend.  He tries to fit in and he starts loving the family because they're all about togetherness and doing things together.  Oh, but we haven't got to the crazy part.  This is a dystopian world.  A cyber world called OZ controls the way of life.  Our main character accidentally hacks into the system and all of a sudden there's a big crisis in the world.  Now, he and the family must get together and stop the end of the word, so to speak.  It's kind of hard describing it.  Good stuff, though.  I'm not an Anime fan.  I imagine fans of Anime will love this a lot more.  I thought it was enjoyable.

One movie down, 19 more to go for my Fantastic Fest countdown.

Time Travel Tuesday: Time After Time

Time After Time IMDb 

Classic!  I had a great time watching this time travel movie.  Last year, I saw The Time Machine for the first time (the 1960 version).  This movie pays tribute to that one.  H.G Wells is a character in both movies.  This isn't a sequel but another take using H.G Well's Time Machine.  The first 15 minutes reminded me of "The Time Machine."  Here, we also have the famous Jack the Ripper.  He is somehow friends with H.G Wells and when he's about to get caught by police, he uses the time machine to escape.  Now, H.G Wells uses the time machine to travel to the future to try to capture Jack the Ripper.  Good trivia: the time machine is set to November 5 at 10:15am.  The  famous "Back to the Future" movie uses that same time as well.  Awesome nod to this movie.  Another Back to the Future reference:  the main actress here is also the main actress in Back to the Future Part 3.  How about them apples?  Good classic drama/thriller set in 1979 San Francisco.  Love the concept here.

Recommend this movie to fans of Sci-fi who are looking for a basic time travel movie.  If I ever start a Time Travel section, this would be awesome to have.  Kudos to my friend Mike for recommending this movie over the years.  Next month is Les Visiteurs for Time Travel Tuesday.  See you in the future! Signing off!