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5 years ago
Death Goes to School
The body of a teacher is discovered at an all-girls school with another teacher's scarf cinched around her throat. Scotland Yard dispatches Detective Inspector Campbell to lead the investigation. Campbell interviews the teachers and pupils, but encounters one major issue: Everybody hated this teacher. This makes narrowing down the suspects rather difficult. But one of the teachers has a very strong suspicion that the killer is a member of the staff. A well done mystery story that moves along steadily until the poignant ending. It portrays the pettiness and pressure of a closed human environment - in this case a girls school. It's not a fast moving movie but a nice study of a certain place and time. It's well directed on a low budget. The scene of the finding of the body is very well handled. Gordon Jackson is good as D.I Campbell and even better is the gorgeous Barbara Murray as Miss Shepherd, the teacher who starts her own investigation into the murder. The motive for the murder is not a usual one which makes it more interesting. A solid early 50's whodunit.
5 years ago
The Alpha Incident
An unknown, and potentially lethal, microorganism from a Mars probe is accidentally set loose aboard the freight train that's carrying it through rural Wisconsin. As a result, the five people involved are quarantined at the nearest railroad depot. This is a poor low budget version of The Andromeda Strain. Though classified as a sci-fi movie, it really isn't one. Most of it plays out in the railroad depot and features the 5 characters bickering. A skilled director would have built up the tension to an excruciating level, but not here. Ultimately, director Bill Rebane does far too little with an interesting (if unoriginal) premise. It suffers from a weak script, too little sets, uninspired acting, shoddy production values, and characters about whom one simply does not give a shit about. Avoid it.
5 years ago
AKB48Fan added 2 items to their collection
The Alpha Incident

have watched

3/10

The Last Recipe: Memory of Giraffe

8/10


5 years ago
AKB48Fan posted a image

5 years ago
The Last Recipe: Memory of Giraffe
Mitsuru Sasaki is a world-class chef, but he has lost his passion for cooking. He can create any dish by just tasting it once. His restaurant went bankrupt, because of Mitsuru Sasaki's extreme perfectionist ways. To pay off his debts, he offers to personally make a last meal for anyone willing to pay 1 million yen. Mitsuru Sasaki then gets an offer by Yang Qingming in China. The Chinese man offers Mitsuru Sasaki 50 million yen if he can recreate the legendary Japanese Imperial Feast created by Chef Naotaro Yamagata in the 1930's. This is an interesting and moving movie that switches back and forth from the present day to 1930's Japanese occupied Manchuria as the viewer discovers all about Chef Naotaro Yamagata, his cooking skills and his family life and not spoiling things how it connects back to Mitsuru Sasaki's quest to find his famed recipe book. The scenes set in the present are much less absorbing than those in the past as the main character in the present isn't one you can really warm up to. The more compelling characters are all in 1930's Manchuria such as Naotoro's wife, Chizu, and young Japanese assistant, Shotaro as well the young Yang Qingming. This is where you'll get to see the amazing dishes made by Naotoro which are all mouthwatering and will seriously make you want to taste them yourself. By the time of the climax, many secrets are unearthed that shake Sasaki's world apart. The cast are fantastic from Kazunari Ninomiya, Aoi Miyazaki, Hidetoshi Nishijima and the rest of the supporting actors. Overall, this is an excellent movie. Try not to salivate when looking at the meals that are created!!
5 years ago
5 years ago
Make Mine a Million (1959)
Sid Gibson a shady pedlar who is trying to flog Bonko, a brand of washing powder in the shape of a pill, but who can't afford to advertise on TV. He enlists the help of Arthur Ashton, a makeup man working for National TV. They manage to plug an advert for Bonko on National Tv by interrupting a live feed of a programme. The advert proves extremely popular and demand for the product soars. This great comedy was clearly designed as a vehicle for Arthur Askey and his particular approach to comedy with Sid James also getting a large role even though he plays second fiddle to Askey's antics. It's the familiar little man against the system fluff with the movie also taking a pop at stuffiness of the BBC at that time. The influence and power of TV advertising also gets a poke in the ribs. There's plenty of laughs to be had and some quick cameos from Tommy Trinder and Dickie Henderson amongst others. I enjoyed this movie a lot - it's well enough made, busily paced, has a decent supporting cast and best of all it's a lot of fun.
5 years ago
5 years ago
Inuyashiki (2018)
Ichiro Inuyashiki is a loser in life. His family despises him, his boss at work is close to firing him and worse of all he's been diagnosed with cancer and has only 3 months to live. One night at a nearby park, he and a high schooler named Shishigami Hiro are struck by a mysterious explosion that turns their bodies into powerful machines. Both of their lives begin to change when they discover that they have abilities to effortlessly save and take lives. This is a great Japanese movie and despite a few far-fetched concepts, which you shouldn't think too much about, I was blown away by the story, the twists and especially how it was told. The build up of the two main characters is done right. The plot is meaningful and shows the two sides of the coin of having powers. The storytelling was no doubt helped by tremendous acting performances from the leads in Kinashi Noritake and Satล Takeru. You feel sympathy for the kind but disrespected Inuyashiki and you definitely feel the menace that eminates from the evil Shishigami. The action scenes and special effects are fantastic. The movie feels refreshing, heartfelt and exhilirating considering how boring Marvel's superhero movies have become. This was like a breath of fresh air. The ending is left wide open which hints that there might be a sequel in the offing. As someone who hasnโ€™t read the manga or watched the anime series, I find Inuyashiki to be quite a unique and satisfying superhero movie.
5 years ago
5 years ago
Miracle: Devil Claus
Hikari has been best friends with Anna since they were children when she defended the young dreamer against bullies. Now an adult, he is a mild-mannered and gentle soul who works in a bookstore but dreams of writing and drawing manga. He has produced his own work over the years, and sells one or two copies at conventions, though his most successful character is Devil Claus, who appears in anonymous and pithy flyers he puts up around town. Anna has been in love with Hikari for years but hasn't plucked up the courage to confess. However, Hikari falls for newly arrived Korean beauty So-Young who happens to be running the Christmas illumination spectacular that Anna is working on. Christmas is a time for romance in Japan (even more so than Valentine's Day I think) so this slushy movie is targeted for those that want to share warm feelings with their other half. It is all engagingly old-fashioned mainstream stuff, and delivers the right amount of warm-hearted romance. It's predictable every step of the way, it at least never pretends to be anything other than frothy festive fun. The lovely Nana Eikura and Korean actress Han Hyo-Joo shine in this movie.
5 years ago
5 years ago
The Lost Continent
Passengers travelling on a dilapidated steamer find themselves marooned on a misty sea, surrounded by killer seaweed, murderous crustaceans and descendants of the Spanish Inquisition. A very bizarre b-movie by Hammer Studios which has to be seen to be believed. You'd think this is just your routine ship mutiny story until it changes into a weird creature feature where the crew and passengers are trapped in a ship's graveyard. It's a shame that this scenario wasn't incorporated earlier into the movie as I found the first hour to be a bit tedious. Even though the whole thing is ludicrous, it's still entertaining. The monsters are terrible and are guaranteed to make you laugh. There's a good cast with Eric Porter leading the way as the initially unlikable Captain alongside Nigel Stock (of Peter Cushing Sherlock Holmes fame) and the ample charms of Dana Gillespie. The sheer wealth of funny monsters and well-staged action keeps this movie from being boring. Give it a whirl and see what you think of it.
5 years ago
Hana
This tearjerker is based on a true story. It's about a teacher Chie who gets diagnosed with breast cancer and has to have a mastectomy to remove one of her breasts. Her boyfriend Shingo shows his support by asking her to marry him. Despite being told that the cancer treatment will leave her unable to have children, a miracle occurs and the couple have a daughter called Hana. However, the cancer returns with a vengeance and eventually spreads throughout her body. Knowing her life is coming to an end, Chie begins to teach Hana life skills, including how to cook traditional miso soup. Even though the movie has a sad tale to tell, it's quite entertaining and uplifting. The cast who perform in their roles extremely well have a big part in making this movie so good. The husband Shingo was easily the funniest and quirkiest character because he usually had the most bizarre reactions to things. I also loved the special bond within the family members. It's guaranteed to make you shed a tear or two by the time the climax arrives. Those who like this kind of movie will enjoy this one a lot.
5 years ago
AKB48Fan added 2 items to their collection
Hana

have watched

7/10

Boxer Rebellion

7/10


5 years ago
Boxer Rebellion
3 young martial arts brothers go in search of fellow patriots dissatisfied with Imperialist foreigners and wind up joining a rising sect of the Boxers, led by an opportunistic conman. A rather long but still a great martial arts movie by Shaw Brothers Studios. The story is rather drawn out at times leaving you fiddling with your fingers waiting for the next action scenes to appear. The action when it arrives though is absolutely fantastic and that alone makes the movie a worthwhile watch. Shaw regulars Alexander Fu Sheng, Beardy, and Chi Kuan-Chun are fantastic in their roles as the brothers who want to help drive the foreigners army out of China. The rest of the movie is a hit and miss affair. Scenes involving the Empress Dowager are routine and unnecessary in my opinion. This movie is not quite a masterpiece, but the action is complimented by the involving politics of the story and it keeps you engaged from beginning to end.
5 years ago
Rats: Night of Terror
In a post-apocalyptic Earth, a group of punk friends looking for food and water in an abandoned city find themselves against millions of bloodthirsty and intelligent rats. This movie has the sort of plot line that could go either way - but if you've seen any of director Bruno Mattei's other efforts, you probably already know which way this one went. The movie is something of a cross between John Carpenter's influential Escape From New York, and James Herbert's book Domain. The rats themselves are hardly fear inducing as they're not giant or even menacing, and basically they're just your usual bog standard rats. The script is ridiculous and there is pretty much no attempt to capitalise on the horror of this situation as Mattei prefers to keep the focus on his ragtag bunch of characters, the most ridiculous of which is a bald idiot with a triangle on his head. Apart from a couple of gory moments of rats burrowing their way out of human corpses, there isn't that much to recommend it.
5 years ago
AKB48Fan added 2 items to their collection
Rats: Night of Terror

have watched

4/10

Mirai (2018)

7/10


5 years ago
Mirai (2018)
A young boy named Kun feels forgotten by his family when his little sister Mirai arrives. Running away from home, Kun stumbles upon a magical garden that serves as a time-travelling gateway where he encounters his mother as a little girl and has a series of adventures with his baby sister, who is all grown up, opening a new perspective on his world. I liked the idea of a young boy turning to make-belief and fantasy in order to grow as a human being and as a big brother. Unfortunately the focus of the movie is on his temper tantrums and his difficulties in accepting that he is not the sole focus of his parents' love. The problem with that being that almost the entirety of the movie is him acting like a total brat. And it's hard to get behind a character like that. I would also have liked for the movie to confirm that he was in fact imagining all these things that happened to him. Director Mamoru Hosoda's style is so pleasing on the eye. The almost too simplistic character designs set against elaborate backgrounds are a joy to watch and there's a really great sense of movement in everything he does but it's not his best movie. It's still a very well animated movie with some truly inspired pieces though.
5 years ago
Triple Threat
A crime syndicate places a hit on a billionaire's daughter, making her the target of an elite assassin squad. A small band of down-and-out mercenaries protects her, fighting tooth and nail to stop the assassins from reaching their target. This is a pretty simple but also entertaining action movie that is a poor man's Expendables pitting various mercenaries with and against each other. There's not much more to the story, but the movie is not as bad as some suggest even though the dialogue is poor at times. Director Jesse V Johnson brings together a dream team of Asian martial artists together with Tony Jaa, Iko Uwais, Tiger Chen, Jeeja Yanin and Scott Adkins. Some are better used than others for example Jeeja Yanin is wasted in the movie and is killed off in the first third. If you don't really care about the generic plot and just want some action then you have it in droves here. This movie could have been a whole lot better though.
5 years, 1 month ago
AKB48Fan added 2 items to their collection
Triple Threat

have watched

6/10

The Contract

8/10


5 years, 1 month ago
The Contract
A hopeless man Chi Man under contract to MTV Studios (not that MTV!) is given a chance to become a TV host for a rival company but his current boss refuses to cancel his 8 year contract. The only way therefore to leave MTV is to find the contract and destroy it; but with the contract gathering dust in the guarded MTV safe, Chi Manโ€™s bid is made all the more difficult. Now is the time to call on his inventor brother and a TV magician to get past the boss' ogre-like thugs and get back his artistic freedom. This is a very funny Hong Kong slapstick comedy starring the brilliant Michael Hui and his 2 brothers. This movie shows the Hui brothers near the top of their game and follows the familiar characterisations that audiences expect to see in a Hui brothers comedy. If youโ€™ve yet to enter the inspired world of Michael Hui and his brothers, this movie is an excellent introduction and ranks among their very best. It's filled with witty humour, slapstick fun and wild misadventures that is guaranteed to make you laugh. The plot is fast moving and has unforgettable characters such as a man who has a metal hand just like Tee Hee from the 007 movie Live and Let Die. I would say this a must-see HK comedy and comes highly recommended.
5 years, 1 month ago
Vexille
 Vexille 7/10
5 years, 1 month ago
Vexille
A special warfare unit "SWORD" embark on an unapproved scheme to infiltrate Japan amidst reports that they are developing robotics technology after it has been banned by the U.N. This is a stylish and energetic dystopian fantasy, marked by imaginative storytelling, exciting action sequences and fabulous CGI 3D animation. The animation is crisp and believable, the settings are beautifully realised and it has an interesting story. It does borrow ideas from other movies such as the Jags which are more or less the Sandworms from Dune. The dialogue was a little weak at times, and there wasn't much for serious character development but on the whole I really enjoyed this movie. It's worth seeing for it's great story and rich animation.
5 years, 1 month ago
Brainscan
 Brainscan 6/10
5 years, 1 month ago
Brainscan
Horror movies and computer games fascinate teenager Michael and a CD-ROM that portrays murder from the killer's point of view combines these interests. The first time Michael plays it, he kills a stranger and cuts off a foot, thinking the events take place in virtual reality. But the next day Michael finds a foot in his refrigerator, and cyber-ghoul Trickster emerges from the program and forces him to keep playing and to continue committing violent crimes. The plot of this movie in which fantasy and reality are always mixed up is fairly familiar and it doesn't hold any surprises although it does have some entertaining visuals and effective gore. Veteran filmmaker John Flynn keeps it moving along well, and gets a reasonably sympathetic performance out of Eddie Furlong. The movie goofy and patently far fetched, but is also intense and creepy at times as well, entertaining its viewers in decent enough fashion. I wasn't too keen on the ending though.
5 years, 1 month ago
Soul of Chiba
 Soul of Chiba 5/10
5 years, 1 month ago
Soul of Chiba
After his master is brutally murdered, his student goes after his killer but barely escapes with his life. After recovering and training his skills, he once again goes after the murderer. This is one of those martial arts movies that is unintentionally funny due to the poor dubbing. Sonny Chiba headed over to Thailand with his martial arts crew to make this movie. Don't waste your time trying to make sense of the plot and just enjoy the unadulterated, delirious entertainment on show as Chiba's character goes in search of Samuan (the dubbing makes it sound like he's going after a person called "someone"!!!). There are many bizarre events in this movie such as Sonny training by strapping on a body device to give himself high voltage electricity to make his movements faster, taking on 4 men that have been possessed by monkey spirits and a man creating a bow and arrow out of some string and twigs and using his biceps to fire the arrows. You don't find too many movies such as this one. It feels like the wild exploitative nature of Japanese karate flicks collided head on with the energy of the Hong Kong kung-fu movie, crash landing in Thailand. You just have to see it to believe it!
5 years, 1 month ago
Wu Song
 Wu Song 6/10
5 years, 1 month ago

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