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Reviews
Masters of Horror: Pick Me Up (2006)
Weak entry
Larry Cohen has accomplished some wonderful things, including "Q: The Winged Serpent" and "It's Alive." His horror films go beyond Indy B-movie to touch something innately human, somewhat like an early Stephen King novel. Unfortunately, all of this is missing from "Pick Me Up," the weakest Masters of Horror entry so far: a meandering mess of Moriarty and nonsense. Although there are a few short moments of satisfying splatter, the rest just serves as an attempt to give Michael Moriarty one last chance to resurrect his career.
Sad to say, if this is the best the Master can come up with now, perhaps Cohen should stick to writing scripts like "Cellular," and letting someone else direct.
Swiri (1999)
Korean terror and drama
It's not surprising that American viewers would find Shiri to be effective in terms of action and mayhem, but less compelling as a drama. No matter how well they are composed, scenes of ultraviolent shootouts and car crashes are not particularly unique or original, and the relationships don't seem relevant to the story until near the end.
To dismiss Shiri as an action film, however, is to ignore the main theme of the story. Shiri speaks much deeper, to the contrary states of contemporary life in Korea. Like the main character, Hee, the Korea we see in the film struggles between its love of beauty and its rage, between its dreams of peace and annihilation. Hee, like the shiri fish swimming back and forth freely across the divide, embodies this duality. Intimacy falls victim to questions of self-identity. The themes come crashing through, holding up a mirror to North and South alike. Shiri bravely shows personal sacrifice and heroism in terrorists, humor in intelligence agents--all without straining believability of the characters. Thumbs up to the brave filmmakers who took the financial, artistic, and political risks to make this film. For those open to this inside view into Korean culture, Shiri will be sure to satisfy.
Shurayukihime (2001)
Look again
People sell this film short if they see it as just drama or just action.
It has consistent themes: the contrast between those who kill for a just reason (Takashi) vs. those who kill for profit (Yuki). Also, there is the issue of relationships making life worth the struggle. Yuki's development along these lines is the best part of the story, and missing them means missing the point, IMHO.
Furthermore, the cinematography is very artistic and thoughtful; the film was obviously carefully shot, packed with beautiful images. If you enjoy Asian sword fantasy films, you'll like The Princess Blade. If you prefer standard Hollywood fare, you may not.
The Dead Hate the Living! (2000)
For horror fans only
The makeup, gore effects, and inside jokes more than make up for any weaknesses in characterization and dialogue. The Dead Hate the Living is a very fun movie made by horror fans for horror fans...especially those who have tried making their own. Relax and enjoy it.