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jh_reaper
Future movie releases I'm interested in -
Phantasm V
Onimusha
Sin City 2 & 3
Machete
The Hobbit
World War Z
Halo
Barbarella
The Poughkeepsie Tapes
Rob Zombie's T-Rex
Out now that I want to see -
Some upcoming DVD releases I'm interested in -
Top 10 Movies list -
1)Seven Samurai (1954, Akira Kurosawa)
2)Dawn of the Dead (1978, George A. Romero)
3)Night of the Living Dead (1968, George A. Romero)
4)Halloween (1978, John Carpenter)
5)The Crow (1994, Alex Proyas)
6)House of Flying Daggers (2004, Zhang Yimou)
7)Police Story (1985, Jackie Chan)
8)Red Beard (1965, Akira Kurosawa)
9)A Man Escaped (1956, Robert Bresson)
10)Samaritan Girl (2004, Kim Ki-Duk)
Favorite TV -
Buffy The Vampire Slayer
Angel
Dexter
Being Human
The Twilight Zone
The Outer Limits
Heroes
Alfred Hitchcock Presents
Veronica Mars
Lexx
Firefly
The Simpsons
King of the Hill
Family Guy
Friends
10 black & white masterpieces for you to see -
Dr. Strangelove
Seven Samurai
Night of the Living Dead
Sansho The Bailiff
Wild Strawberries
Double Suicide
A Man Escaped
M (Fritz Lang's M)
Psycho
Eyes Without A Face
Best movies for pure all out action - [fight7] [fight9]
Hard Boiled
The Killer
Born to Fight (1986, Panna Rittikrai)
Ong-Bak
Tom Yum Goong (aka The Protector)
SPL (aka Kill Zone)
Fist of Legend
Not pure action but Bangkok Dangerous and Fulltime Killer are great.
Reaper recommends some samurai films -
Seven Samurai
Throne of Blood
Yojimbo
Sanjuro
Hidden Fortress
Ran
Kagemusha
Lone Wolf & Cub 1-6
Zatoichi series (most of the series is great)
Zatoichi (the new one)
Hanzo the Razor trilogy
Harakiri
The Sword of Doom
Sword of the Beast
Three Outlaw Samurai
Kill!
Destiny's Son
The Betrayal (maybe the best ending sword battle of all time)
Tenchu
Tange Sazen: Secret of the Urn
The Hidden Blade
When the Last Sword Is Drawn
Goyokin
Duel to the Death
Ninja Wars
Twilight Samurai
Samurai 1-3 (Samurai Trilogy)
The Shogun's Samurai
Ronin Gai
Incident at Blood Pass
Chushingura
Samurai Banners
Lady Snowblood
Samurai Spy
Samurai Rebellion
Samurai Wolf
Heaven & Earth
Kill Bill Vol. 1 & 2
Azumi
Aragami
Dora-heita
Red Sun (a Samurai-Western with Charles Bronson & Toshiro Mifune)
Baiden - The series
Shogun the mini-series is also highly recommended.
Reaper recommends some Shaw Bro's flicks -
Come Drink With Me
Golden Swallow
The Heroic Ones
The One Armed Swordsman
Vengeance
The Legendary Weapons of China
The Magic Blade
Black Magic
Super Inframan
The 36th Chamber of Shaolin
Avenging Eagle
Death Duel
Vengeance Is a Golden Blade
The Legend of the 7 Golden Vampires
Five Venoms
Shadow Boxer
Chinese Boxer
Bells of Death
Five Fingers of Death
Cave of the Silken Web
Shaolin Intruders
The Killer Snakes
Reaper recommends some other Martial Arts films - [sword]
Warriors of Heaven & Earth
Musa the Warrior
Crouching Tiger Hidden Dragon
Hero
House of Flying Daggers
Enter the Dragon
The Chinese Connection
Fist of Legend
Fearless
One Armed Boxer
Master of Flying Guillotine (aka One Armed Boxer II)
Police Story 1 & 2, Supercop (aka part 3), New Police Story
Drunken Master 1 & 2
Wing Chun
Kill Zone
Royal Warriors
Gorgeous
Shaolin Wooden Men
Prodigal Son
Last Hurrah For Chivalry
Fatal Contact
Seven Swords
Iron Monkey
The Bride with White Hair
Tai Chi 2 (don't worry, you don't need to see a previous film)
Tai Chi Master (aka Twin Warriors)
Hitman (Jet Li)
Drunken Monkey
Reaper recommends some zombie & zombie-like films - [dead]
Night of the Living Dead (1968)
Dawn of the Dead (1978) [fight4]
Day of the Dead (1985)
Land of the Dead
Night of the Living Dead (1990)
Dawn of the Dead (2004)
Diary of the Dead (2007)
28 Days Later (2002) (not zombies to everyone)
28 Weeks Later (2007) (not zombies to everyone)
Warning Signs (not zombies to everyone)
The Crazies (not zombies but a zombie-like film)
Return of the Living Dead 1-3
The Living Dead at Manchester Morgue (aka) Let Sleeping Corpses Lie
Living Dead Girl
Grapes of Death
Plague of the Zombies
Shaun of the Dead
Night of the Comet (only a few zombies but a good sci-fi/horror)
Down to Hell
Versus
Wild Zero
Stacy
Sars Wars: The Bangkok Zombie Crisis
Zombi 2 (aka Zombie)
City of the Living Dead
Cemetery Man
Hide & Creep
Night of the Creeps
Dead & Breakfast
Planet Terror
Fido
Zombie Honeymoon
Best films I discovered for the first time in 2007 -
M (10/10)
Mouchette (10/10)
The Bicycle Thief (10/10)
Wild Strawberries (10/10)
The Seventh Seal (10/10)
Dr. Strangelove (10/10)
The Company of Wolves (9/10)
300 (9/10)
The Simpsons Movie (9/10)
Blood Simple (10/10)
The Departed (10/10)
The Bourne Ultimatum (10/10)
Jaws (8.5/10)
Sansho The Bailiff (10/10)
Double Suicide (10/10)
Eyes Without A Face (10/10)
Sisters (8.5/10)
The Way Home (8/10)
The Bride With White Hair (8/10)
Kontroll (8.5/10)
The Pursuit of Happyness (9/10)
Zodiac (10/10)
Dust Devil (8.5/10)
Tenchu (9/10)
Grindhouse (mostly Planet Terror) (9/10)
The Betrayal (9/10)
28 Weeks Later (9/10)
Clerks (9/10)
Clerks 2 (9/10)
3:10 To Yuma (2007, 9.5/10)
Theater viewings for 2007 - [popcorn]
Smokin' Aces (6/10)
The Number 23 (6/10)
Zodiac (10/10)
Grindhouse (9/10)
Dead Silence (7/10)
Spider-Man 3 (7/10)
300 (9/10)
War (6/10)
The Simpsons Movie (9.5/10)
Rush Hour 3 (7/10)
The Bourne Ultimatum (9.5/10)
Halloween (7/10)
3:10 To Yuma (9.5/10)
Superbad (7.5/10)
Friday The 13th 3 in 3-D (8/10) (special screening)
Beowulf (8/10)
I Am Legend (7.5/10)
Aliens vs. Predator: Requiem (7/10)
Theater viewings for 2008 - [popcorn]
Cloverfield (8.5/10)
Juno (7/10)
Night of the Living Dead (40th Anniversary screening, 10/10)
Doomsday (8/10)
Forbidden Kingdom (6.5/10)
Harold & Kumar Escape from Guantanamo Bay (6.5/10)
Iron Man (8.5/10)
The Strangers (8.5/10)
Recent first time movie viewings -
City of Violence (7/10)
Born to Fight (1986, 8/10)
Race With the Devil (8.5/10)
Wicked Little Things (4.5/10)
We Are Marshall (8/10)
The Host (7/10)
Do You Like Hitchcock? (8/10)
Clerks 2 (9/10)
Idiocracy (5.5/10)
I Am Legend (7.5/10)
Waitress (6/10)
Super Infra-Man (7/10)
Hatchet (6.5/10)
Boys on the Side (6/10)
Big Bad Wolf (4/10)
Aliens vs. Predator: Requiem (7/10)
Ab-Normal Beauty (7.5/10)
Joe Kidd (6/10)
The Burning (7/10)
Madman (5/10)
Shoot 'Em Up (4/10)
Clash of the Titans (8/10)
Evil Remains (3/10)
Satan's Little Helper (6.5/10)
DAWN (6/10)
Angel of Vengeance (1993, 4/10)
Fido (7/10)
Cloverfield (8.5/10)
Cave of the Silken Web (6.5/10)
Black Sheep (4/10)
Latter Days (8/10)
Werewolf of London (7/10)
Henry: Portrait of a Serial Killer (6/10)
Phenomena (4/10)
Deep Red (9.5/10)
Wrong Turn 2: Dead End (6.5/10)
Caligula (2/10)
Juno (7/10)
The Invisible Man (10/10)
Bells of Death (7/10)
Crime Story (8.5/10)
Red Victoria (8.5/10)
Soul's Midnight (7.5/10)
Wrestlemaniac (7/10)
Risen (4/10)
Fingerprints (4/10)
Shaolin Intruders (8.5/10)
Beautiful Thing (6/10)
Drunken Monkey (7/10)
The Killer Snakes (7/10)
Doomsday (8/10)
The New Big Boss (aka Legend of the Wolf) (5/10)
Gonin (8/10)
The 7th Voyage of Sinbad (7/10)
The Mist (8/10)
The Birdcage (6/10)
Children of Men (7/10)
No Country For Old Men (9/10)
Forbidden Kingdom (6.5/10)
I'll Always Know What You Did Last Summer (1/10)
Harold & Kumar Escape from Guantanamo Bay (6.5/10)
Iron Man (8.5/10)
Troll (2/10)
Eastern Promises (8.5/10)
Marebito (5/10)
Diary of the Dead (8/10)
Them (Ils) (8.5/10)
From Beyond (5/10)
The Strangers (8.5/10)
Season of the Witch (5/10)
Sunshine (5/10)
Pan's Labyrinth (9/10)
Frontiere(s) (7.5/10)
Teeth (5.5/10)
Diabolique (8/10)
Inside (8/10)
Funny Games U.S (7/10)
Dora-heita (8/10)
Shinobi no mono (7.5/10)
The Stendhal Syndrome (3/10)
Favorite directors -
Akira Kurosawa
Alfred Hitchcock
George A. Romero
John Carpenter
Chang Cheh
Zhang Yimou
Favorite actors/actresses -
Kurt Russell
Christian Bale
Clint Eastwood
Matt Damon
Mark Wahlberg
Bruce Lee
Jackie Chan
Jet Li
Tony Jaa
Johnny Depp
Toshiro Mifune
Tadanobu Asano
Zhang Ziyi
Andy Lau
Tony Leung
Who doesn't like some movie head explosions? [explode]
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LcsOMygedjM
Check out the preview for my pal Streebo's upcoming film "C For Chaos" -
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=A2ZKmfGwpWI
Watch as Streebo and I take part in film geek discussion outside of a local theater after watching Friday The 13th part 3 in 3-D on it's 25th anniversary! -
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Nhn74EDc4Fk
I just found this great little song by a band called The Sprites, the song title is George Romero.
here is the youtube video someone made for it -
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YaWj7DaPPYw
and here's the actual song for official free download.
http://www.sprites.org.uk/sounds.html
Great horror tribute song...very catchy tune.
Thought I'd share. Enjoy! :)
Reviews
Shichinin no samurai (1954)
The greatest epic of all time by none other than the Kurosawa.
This film is not complicated by any means but is done with true brilliance. The story is simple > a band of samurai are hired by a poor farming community to fight off bandits which have been stealing their crops and starving them.
Akira Kurosawa has shown me time and time again that he's easily one of the best directors to have ever walked this Earth. I dare one to show me any film much better than Seven Samurai, Rashomon, Throne Of Blood, Ran, Dreams or Red Beard just to name a small number of his dozen or so true masterpieces of cinema.
Back on topic to my review of Seven Samurai.
Seven Samurai is something that everyone can relate to and deals with general topics like trying to help your fellow man when he's down.
The film may be 3 and a 1/2 hours in length but it flows with such a pace that you are never left bored even for a moment and when it's all done with you don't think of how long you just sit for, but of how great of a film you just sit through.
This is helped by how it blends in some of the most true emotional moments you'll ever see along with some very intense (especially for it's time) battle scenes as the Samurai and the Bandits are battling it out in the climax.
You feel each moment and there are quite a few that bring you to the screen like a magnet as well as many that almost bring one to tears thanks to some of the best actors that Japan can offer and the best possible performances that anyone could possibly expect from each, which most notably includes the legendary Toshiro Mifune (whom Kurosawa often worked with) as Kikuchiyo.
The script is superb and manages to not be complicated but yet avoid the disaster of becoming too plain or mundane. The acting is some of the finest that one will ever witness. The film is beautifully shot. The action is done as it should be and the emotion feels real and is truly there. Last but not least Akira Kurosawa's direction brings everything together like a true perfectionist.
I am not the best at reviewing but to sum up my feelings toward this movie I must say I've currently seen it four times and it has never let me down. Each time I've experienced this film I've truly been enthralled with each moment and I've really cared for each character and Toshiro Mifune's performance has both put a smile on my face and a tear to my eye.
I honestly believe this is the finest film that has ever been made regardless of country, length, age or genre. I will continue re-watching this film till the day I die. I have very much respect to Kurosawa for creating some of the most amazing films I've ever seen, Same goes to Mifune for his acting.
For those new to Akira Kurosawa's film work I would highly recommend going and immediately getting copies of Red Beard, Rashomon and Ran or pretty much any film he directed for that matter.
Seven Samurai very deservingly receives a 10/10 in my opinion and is one of the greatest films ever made.
Xian si jue (1983)
Exploding ninjas and decapitations, a monkey man, giant ninjas, AWESOME!
Yes if you read my above sentence summary you read right. Exploding ninjas, giant ninjas, TONS of blood and loads of fun. This is one of the more fun experiences I've ever had watching a film and this is pretty easy to get on DVD (Amazon, Netflix, etc) for rent or buy. If you like old Kung Fu/Swordplay/Samurai type films then you should like this one. There are a lot of beautiful and bloody sword fights. The film knows exactly what it's trying to do and does that well. I am also impressed at the amount of Ninjas in this film because there's rarely Ninja in film, or at least good ones I should say and I for one happen to love them so it's a shame. Martial artist gather for a tournament held every 10 years and the end result is brutal, bloody, amazingly choreographed sword fights between the Japanese/Chinese characters. Ninja's explode, people talk with their heads having been separated from the rest of their body, and blood flies everywhere - so if that's your thing then check this one. A rare gem that more Martial Arts/Swordplay/Kung Fu/Samurai film fans should see. I love it!
Cinema Hong Kong: Wu Xia (2003)
Insightful and entertaining.
If you've seen "Chop Socky: Hong Kong Cinema" then you've seen SOME of this already as some of this and other "Cinema Hong Kong:...." specials are chopped up and put into Chop Socky. This special just about Wu Xia (Sword fighting) is as long as the entire Chop Socky special and it's pretty insightful. First let me just say that I have discovered numerous new Sword-play, Kung Fu and other Hong Kong classic martial arts films by viewing these various documentaries that I may not have otherwise. Seeing clips and hearing discussion and comment on these various films that I hadn't seen made me go out and find them and most are definitely worth the trouble. Seeing clips and hearing discussion of the some I had heard of, seen, and or own is pretty nice also. There's some insight into various Sword play films and interviews by actors and crew that have played in them and there's insight into how the wire work of actors jumping and certain camera angles and cuts came about. There's also footage and discussion of VERY early martial arts films from way back before the 70s or even 60's which I knew little of the existence of to be honest. I learned about about some great films, some great actors/directors and learned even a bit about some weaponry. With a bit to learn and some great clips to relive fav films and discover new ones I find that this is definitely worth your viewing. It's too bad these don't appear to be on DVD yet but if you catch them on TV then take the time and give them a view, you'll not regret it. Wu Xia (Sword Fighting) is far from perfect but its good enough and there aren't enough Martial Arts documentaries so I recommend it.
Fei yan jin dao (1969)
Under-appreciated old school swordplay classic.
This film is perfect for fans of martial arts swordplay type movies like Death Duel and One Armed Swordsman. The plot isn't too deep as you might expect, but the film is beautiful, well choreographed in the action area, and nicely acted. I must give credit to the director, the film looks and feels nicely and I was very into it - I can't believe I never heard of this film and just happened to come across it looking for another gem by searching for Vengeance. If you are a fan of martial art's cinema and haven't seen this one - don't feel bad, apparently many people haven't, but go out right now and order it, you won't be disappointed at all. I don't usually write reviews, but when a movie is a hidden gem, I feel the need to help spread the word and bring it to a wider audience. This ones worth checking out, and looking at it from a martial arts cinema stand point I rate it a 9/10.