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AKB48Fan added 1 item to A New Decade! A New Year! Movies Watched In 2020 list

Rex and Saskia are enjoying a bicycling holiday in France when, stopping at a gas station, Saskia disappears. Confounded, Rex searches everywhere, but to no avail. Three years later, he’s still obsessed with finding her, pleading his case on television, putting up posters and ruining his new relationship in the process. Eventually an unassuming chemistry teacher, Raymond, approaches Rex, intimating that he knows what happened. This is a fascinating movie with an ingenious plot structure and a black heart that seems to revel in breaking the viewer's own. The story is about a devastating loss, a study of grief and obsession, and an ending that is simply cruel. The pacing and structure work together to keep the plot barreling ahead and the use of alternating perspectives revitalises the final third, specifically when the antagonist describes his side of the story of the gas station encounter. Both leads are fantastic, with Gene Bervoets channeling a primal, tormented grief that personifies Rex's haunted obsession with his lover's fate, and Bernard-Pierre Donnadieu is cool, calm, and terrifying as sociopath Lemorne. This movie does an excellent job of being exciting even if there's not much action to it but most of all this is a movie that delights in kicking the viewer when it's down, and doesn't let up until the credits roll, saving the harshest jab for last. Definitely recommended.

4 years, 5 months ago

AKB48Fan rated Original Dirty Pair: Project Eden

 Original Dirty Pair: Project Eden 7/10

4 years, 5 months ago

AKB48Fan added 1 item to A New Decade! A New Year! Movies Watched In 2020 list

Sent to the planet Agerna to investigate a feud between two opposing factions, Kei and Yuri must find out why strange creatures are attacking vezorium test plants. Dirty Pair was a popular sci-fi action/comedy anime in the mid 80's about a pair of girls that unexpectedly destroyed things through their actions. Kei and Yuri are its two titular heroines: one a smarter blue haired girl, the other a boy-crazy redhead. They hop around the universe in their ship Lovely Angel, accompanied by a gigantic narcoleptic supercomputer/housecat named Mughi and work for the 3WA organisation. I love 80's anime and Dirty Pair is a firm favourite of mine because of it's humour and all out action. There's plenty of that in this movie and the heroines play off of each other beautifully. If you enjoy comedies and action flicks and fancy a blast from the past from the 80's, then this anime movie is for you.

4 years, 5 months ago

AKB48Fan added 1 item to A New Decade! A New Year! Movies Watched In 2020 list

Bruce Lee has just died, but the BSI is swinging into action to salvage the situation. Aided by the brilliant Professor Lucas, cells from the martial arts master’s body are removed and grown into three adult Bruce Lee clones. After undergoing training to bring their skills up to the level of their ‘father’, the three are sent out to battle crime. One of the more ridiculous Brucesploitation movies you'll ever see! Where else can you see a mad scientist turn normal males into bronze men who are only defeated by digesting poisonous grass!! It's full on batshit crazy this movie. None of the Bruce Lee clones (named Bruce 1, 2 and 3) look like him and one of them is perhaps the laziest fighter I've ever seen. He looks disinterested in being in the whole production and doesn't seem to be making any kind of effort. Bolo Yeung with his mighty muscles twitching turns up in a bit part role to train the 3 clones in the first third and then to fight one of them to the death in the climax. The martial arts fights are decent enough to watch. If you want a truly unreal experience you will never forget then give this bad movie a go.

4 years, 5 months ago

AKB48Fan added 2 items to their collection

4 years, 5 months ago

AKB48Fan added 1 item to A New Decade! A New Year! Movies Watched In 2020 list

Duke Togo aka Golgo 13 is assigned to kill Queen Bee, the leader of a South American liberation army, whom he must kill before she can assassinate a popular presidential candidate. While the animation and action in Golgo 13: Queen Bee is decent, the overall movie feels subdued compared to the original. It's not quite as groundbreaking, it's not quite as globetrotting, and the stakes aren't nearly as high or personal for Duke this time, making his already enigmatic nature feel more distant than ever. There is some action sequences but I wouldn't say they're that brilliant. The animation is good but I wasn't happy with the manga-style freeze frames that regularly stopped the action cold. While I found this movie fairly entertaining, it's failure to achieve the classic status of the original is understandable.

4 years, 5 months ago

AKB48Fan rated Hot Moves

 Hot Moves 5/10

4 years, 6 months ago

AKB48Fan added 1 item to A New Decade! A New Year! Movies Watched In 2020 list

Four friends, annoyed at how almost everyone else they know is having sex but them, agree to do what they can to help each other lose their virginity before the end of the summer. Most of their opportunities are foiled by their inexperience and bad planning. Michael, the most sensible boy of the foursome, really just wants to stay with his long-time girlfriend and take their relationship to an intimate level, but after putting him off for six months he grows impatient and splits up with her to seek his fortune elsewhere. This movie is one of the many "teen sex comedies" from the 80's. Compared to other movies in the genre such as Porky's or American Pie, I felt it was a bit of a let down. It gets off to a bit of a clunky start, but once it gets rolling it's kinda OK. The plot is actually very similar to American Pie but you don't get half the laughs as you did from that movie. It doesn't mean it's all bad though, there are a couple of funny moments to be had. Save for the copious nudity, and there's a bunch (at one point there's a scene on a nude beach where a large group of women recreate the iconic scene from 'Chariots of Fire') it's all harmless fun. Not the best in the genre but there's just about enough to make it entertaining.

4 years, 6 months ago

AKB48Fan rated Delusion

 Delusion 2/10

4 years, 6 months ago

AKB48Fan added 1 item to A New Decade! A New Year! Movies Watched In 2020 list

AKA The House Where Death Lives. A nurse goes to a house to care for a crippled old man. Then people in the house start being murdered. This is a whodunit slasher movie that spends a little too much time building up the list of red herrings than what it should be doing, which is obviously killing people off. This is also one of those movies that is a little too heavy on telling us everything that's going on instead of showing us. It's one of the most boring movies I've seen. A couple of effective creepy bits aside, the first half is very hard to get through. The second half isn’t much better and it struggles to generate any kind of tension. Don't waste your time on this borefest.

4 years, 6 months ago

AKB48Fan rated The Girl Who Knew Too Much (aka The Evil Eye)

 The Girl Who Knew Too Much (aka The Evil Eye) 6/10

4 years, 6 months ago

AKB48Fan added 1 item to A New Decade! A New Year! Movies Watched In 2020 list

Nora Davis is a tourist visiting scenic Rome on vacation, and while staying at a friend's house she witnesses a murder which slowly becomes linked to a string of serial killings. This Italian murder mystery directed by Mario Bava has been touted in some quarters as the first giallo ever made. The movie is atmospheric and it's cool to see the images of Rome in the 60's. Even in black and white it looks wonderful. The story goes at a pretty relaxing pace along where the viewer gets to know every bit of these ABC murders. A few times the viewer is tricked into having a false murderer. In the end the true murderer is found and I must admit I didn't see that coming. The movie is good with interesting ideas but its problem is there is no memorable scenes at all. Leticia Roman makes for a good lead and it's great to see a young John Saxon. Well acted and well shot, this is a good movie to watch.

4 years, 6 months ago

AKB48Fan rated The Legend of the 7 Golden Vampires

 The Legend of the 7 Golden Vampires 6/10

4 years, 6 months ago

AKB48Fan added 1 item to A New Decade! A New Year! Movies Watched In 2020 list

Professor Van Helsing has been asked to help against the tyranny of skeletal creatures that are responsible for terror and death amongst the peasants in rural China. He is the only person qualified to deal with the cause of these phenomena, for the undead are controlled by the most diabolical force of all... Count Dracula. But he is not alone - to aid him comes a mystical brotherhood of seven martial arts warriors. This is a weird blending of Hammer camp and Shaw Brothers wackiness. It actually works quite well for the most part; though it's not an overly great outing by either studios standards. It's all quite predictable but is kept entertaining through the numerous fight scenes that seem to kick in every ten minutes or so. There's a few decent horror sequences too, although the movie does seem to be slanted more towards Shaw Brothers style fighting than horror. Peter Cushing reprises his role as Van Helsing, though apparently this was a step too far for Christopher Lee who does not appear. Hammer Studios were never afraid to do something a bit different and they deserve some respect for that, even if the result is not a masterpiece. Worth a watch though.

4 years, 6 months ago

AKB48Fan rated Duel to the Death

 Duel to the Death 7/10

4 years, 6 months ago

AKB48Fan added 1 item to A New Decade! A New Year! Movies Watched In 2020 list

The best swordsmen of China and Japan have made it a historical ritual to meet every 10 years for a showdown of fighting skills and powers. The leading fighter of the Japanese ninjas, Hashimoto, and the Chinese chief, Ching Wan, have come to respect each other after years of competition but tradition demands that they lock swords again. Stunt master Ching Siu-Tung makes his directorial debut with this movie that yet again approaches the Japanese/Chinese tensions seen in numerous other movies, but in this case puts a refreshingly human spin to the tale that casts both sides in shades of grey. Norman Chu and Damian Lau are fantastic as the leads, journeying towards the final duel with one another, and wrestling with their personal takes on honour, and what they owe to their countries. You'll see all kinds of ninjas here such as exploding ones, flying ones and even a naked female one! The ninja techniques themselves are brilliant, fantastically choreographed and captured. They use just about every trick in the book to delightful effect, and much of it is downright clever. The outdoor locations selected are stunning, and the use of the environment in fights throughout the movie is great. This movie is a compelling piece of drama, wrapped in jaw dropping action, with a few hearty laughs sprinkled throughout. I was really impressed with it.

4 years, 6 months ago

AKB48Fan added 1 item to The 2020 TV Show List list

4 years, 6 months ago

AKB48Fan posted a image

4 years, 6 months ago

AKB48Fan added 2 items to their collection

4 years, 6 months ago

AKB48Fan added 1 item to A New Decade! A New Year! Movies Watched In 2020 list

During the Vietnam War, an American soldier is dropped behind enemy lines with a mission to find a transmitter the enemy is using. An incredibly violent but great 'Namsploitation movie by director Antonio Margheriti which is full of Italian b-list actors. The movie won't disappoint action fans as it has loads of big action scenes that don't look cheap, lots of gore and a really quick pace. At times it's almost mean-spirited but Margheriti balances this out nicely with more of an adventure feel, even though he does rip some shots directly out of Apocalypse Now. David Warbeck is a bit bland in the lead but he gets good support from Tony King and Bobby Rhodes. I really enjoyed this fun war romp and those that like Rambo or the Missing In Action movies will love this one.

4 years, 6 months ago

AKB48Fan rated Zeder (1983)

 Zeder (1983) 6/10

4 years, 6 months ago

AKB48Fan added 1 item to A New Decade! A New Year! Movies Watched In 2020 list

A young journalist buys a used typewriter and notices some text still legible on the ribbon; he reconstructs the story of a scientist who discovered that some types of terrain have the power to revive the dead. This Italian horror has a story similar to Pet Semetary but instead of pets being resurrected, it's humans that come back to life. The movie has a gloomy atmosphere and deliberate pacing and surprisingly bypasses the gore aspect that you might expect to tell a well crafted and effective conspiracy mystery. Slow moving but always interesting as it thrives on atmospheric eeriness via numerous settings: abandoned warehouses, gas stations, run down hotels and a resurrected dead priest. It's not a classic by any stretch but those who enjoy slow burners will get a kick out of this movie.

4 years, 6 months ago

AKB48Fan added 1 item to The 2020 TV Show List list

4 years, 6 months ago

AKB48Fan posted a image

4 years, 6 months ago

AKB48Fan added 2 items to their collection

4 years, 6 months ago

AKB48Fan added 1 item to A New Decade! A New Year! Movies Watched In 2020 list

Bison, the ruthless leader of the international terrorist organization Shadowlaw, has been desperately searching for the greatest fighter on the planet for years. He finds it in Ryu, a young wanderer who never stays in one place long enough for Bison to find him. Meanwhile, Major Guile of the United States Army is forced to team up with Chun Li from China in hopes of apprehending Bison and putting a stop to his international ring of crime. This anime movie based on the popular video game is predictable as hell but still a lot of fun. It’s actually one of the better examples of how to adapt a fighting game, giving you ample time to get to know its cast of characters. Nobody does anything you wouldn’t expect from them and the story of Bison and his cronies studying the world’s strongest fighters in order to enslave them and use them for terrorist attacks basically allows the movie to cram as many of its characters into a story that services the movie and fans of the game. Definitely check it out if you love playing the game.

4 years, 6 months ago

AKB48Fan rated A Quiet Place in the Country

 A Quiet Place in the Country 6/10

4 years, 6 months ago

AKB48Fan added 1 item to A New Decade! A New Year! Movies Watched In 2020 list

A painter facing a creative block arranges to spend the weekend in the country at his mistress’s villa. While staying there, his sanity begins to disintegrate as he becomes obsessed with a beautiful young girl that died in the villa during the war. This is one weird Italian movie. The first part of the movie is somewhat dull but picks up after the painter has moved into the villa and is plagued by dreams about a young girl who lived in the village and was promiscuous with some of the males who still reside there. The movie becomes more interesting as the painter tries to unravel the mystery of how the young woman died, who she was involved with and it begins to drive him into total madness. The ending is a little bizarre. Franco Nero gives a good performance as a man spiralling into madness with Vanessa Redgrave playing his girlfriend. This is definitely not a movie for everyone, but I found it interesting, despite how odd it is.

4 years, 6 months ago

AKB48Fan added 2 items to their collection

4 years, 6 months ago

AKB48Fan added 1 item to A New Decade! A New Year! Movies Watched In 2020 list

Without a family, penniless and separated from her sister, a beautiful chaste woman will have to cope with an endless parade of villains, perverts and degenerates who will claim not only her treasured virtue but also her life. A really terrible movie adaptation of the Marquis De Sade by director Jess Franco who was not allowed to make it the way he wanted. The large budget was wasted and Franco detested his main actress who although she looks beautiful gives a wooden performance. The movie does have one or two moments and some nice sets but that's about it. It features a hammy, embarrassing performance by Jack Palance who was allegedly drunk every day on set. Klaus Kinski is wasted in a mute role as the Marquis who is stuck in a cell looking all tortured as he writes a novel. I'm sure there are other better adaptations of the Marquis De Sade's life but this movie is not one of them.

4 years, 6 months ago