Detroit Metal City

Outrageously Funny! Half the time I wasn't really laughing 'cos I followed the comic closely and most of the jokes were generated from there..

What I liked -

Gene Simmons - Raised from the depths of retirement to as Jack Il Dark! A true KISS rocker!

Kenichi Matsuyama - Brilliant acting, as usual!




What I didn't like -

Followed comic a little too closely - otherwise its fine!

Suspect X (Japan)

Caught another movie over the weekend.

Suspect X or Yogisha X no Kenshin, is a mystery/thriller piece from Hiroshi Nishitani.

A woman and her child has committed a murder - an abusive man who calls himself the husband and father. Ishigami, a math teacher who lives next door, overhears the commotion and investigates. Helping the mother and daughter cover up while leading the police and a genius physicist (Yukawa) on a wild goose chase.

What I liked -

Shin'ichi Tsutsumi, below (math teacher Ishigami) - thought he was absolutely convincing as a tarnished genius. Pity the crappiness of the story swallowed his otherwise brilliant performance.

What I didn't like -

Inconclusive - this film was messy with many unnecessary scenes. Climbing a himalayan like mountain has nothing to do with the plot!

Draggy - takes a little too long to illustrate certain points.

Literally lost in translation - Characters lack colour and personality (except for Ishigami), a communication breakdown perhaps? Characters were either too evil or too good.

Very Manga like - Certain facial expressions/body language tend to mimic mangas, not much originality. Characters too good looking it is almost not real.

----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Conclusion - movie is abrupt and inconclusive, quite a disappointment for a japanese film actually..
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Valkryie (2008)

Valkyrie - Stars Tom Cruise as COL. Stauffenberg, one of the main perpetrators of the July 20 Plot. The plot encompasses a brave few who dared defy Hitler and his fascist sentiments.

I'm not one to consistently dissect a movie and be critical - I watch purely for entertainment. Hence I will rate it by its entertainment value!

Entertaining? Yes.

Things I liked -

Historically accurate - Little or no alteration to historical events ( some Hollywood movies tend to made MAJOR changes to history in their movies) I kinda doubt the eyepatch tho.

Romance given applaudably little airtime - Finally something that doesn't involve and epic orchestral over the hills and far away setting sun smooching followed by credits. Thumbs up!

Cast is kept realistic - People whom are casted look realistically German.

Great Acting - nothing stellar, but engaging enough to create suspense and entertainment. Tom Cruise a great fit to the bill as Stauffenberg although I don't really like him.




Didn't like -

English dialogue - would have been even better if the whole dialogue was in German then it would be more convincing as a plot against Hitler, not a plot against Churchill.

Overly Sympathetic Storyline - Tom Cruise's character was too perfect. Just a personal preference hahaha

----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

A quick Wiki showed how much Cruise resembles Stauffenberg in real life - eerie, but still adds to the overall effect.

Owl chao!

----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Daywatch (Russian)

Owl's Pick of the Month

Thanks to Michael + Shaun, it was nice to break away from the nauseous flurry of Hollywood movies in the cinemas. We rented this at a grand total of $7 - chips and drinks included.

Daywatch is a Russian fantasy thriller with a refreshing storyline. Set in a modern day context with a loose concept of feuding individuals, a bunch of (vampiric? Ancient?) creatures are divided into two factions, Daywatchers and Nightwatchers.

Basically the two factions are always at each other's throats - but even more so now that a legendary Chalk of Life has appeared - that could materialise any wish.

What I liked -

Foreign Language - very refreshing to hear - a learning point about Russian culture as well.

Impressive acting - characters were very impressionable. Actors did a great job especially in the gender exchange scenes.

Great CGI and concept of fantasy - fantasy that's not overboard and very cool! you have to see it to believe it, trust me, my words are not enough!

Refreshing shooting style - It is a very unorthodox filming style - abrupt scene changes might confuse many (me included) but I thought it was refreshing!

What I didn't like -

Nothing much actually - perhaps it can be confusing at times?

---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Overall Excellent movie for those who are into LOTR and stuff!

---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------