jmroc Reviews

Yume no kichi (2002)

Impressive work from a promising new director

[7/10 · 4 February 2004]

I watched this when it was released as one of the entries in the 6th Indie's Movie Festival in Tokyo and I was completely blown away. I will be sorely disappointed if Masayuki Tatsumi's work doesn't win some kind of award, and even more disappointed if this is the last film he directs.

Normally, I can't stand films that make street punks and gang members their protagonists. It's almost impossible for me to empathize with them unless the script pits them against even more unlikable characters. Yume no Kichi started off the same way, but by the last scene, I really cared about them. Both lead actors deserve special mention, as do the supporting cast members.

The script is very well written, with believable character development and a plot that is plausible, interesting and well thought out.

In all respects, this film stands head and shoulders above the standard fare of the Festival, and I look forward to seeing the future efforts of everyone involved.

Shinobu gokoro (2003)

Surprisingly good.

[6/10 · 1 February 2004]

This film (entered in the 6th Indie's Movie Festival in Tokyo) is about a bookish high-school girl who loses herself so completely in her historical novels that she no longer discerns between reality and fantasy. Tahira's use of 8mm film adds to this by creating a feeling of haziness to the picture that blurs the distinctions for the viewer as well. The script is tight and smooth, and the actors, either high school students or very young-looking college students, all turn in solid performances. This one rates high among this year's entries in the Festival.

Chonan (2002)

Not sure what to make of this one

[2/10 · 1 February 2004]

This film (an entry in the 6th Indie's Movie Festival in Tokyo) was made by a novice director (Kazumasa Hamaguchi), and it shows. The members of the cast seem earnest, but their delivery often feels very forced. The script also has weak points, with plot twists coming completely out of left field. I encourage Hamaguchi to not give up, but also to spend more time planning out his next picture.

Chigasaki Y-ka: Yoshiji no natsu (2003)

Amateur film-making. Very amateur.

[2/10 · 1 February 2004]

This film (one of the entries in the 6th Indie's Movie Festival in Tokyo, and yes, that's "Indie's" with an apostrophe) gets off to a promising start, but then becomes progressively less coherent as it goes on. Director Yoshiteru Aikawa falls into the film student's trap of mistaking nonsense for creativity, resulting in a mish-mash of weirdness simply for the sake of weirdness. There is little plot-driven development in any of the characters, whose only motivation seems to be to mug for the camera. I'm sorry I can't be more positive, but after watching the quality of entries in the Festival steadily improve over the years, this one is an unwelcome blast from the past.

Phone (2002)

Nothing very new, but not bad.

[7/10 · 25 January 2004]

The biggest problem this film has is that everyone's first impression of it is "Ringu (1998) with a cell phone". While understandable, it's not really a fair assessment. While both deal with spirits using modern technology to exact their revenge, Phone is more a story about personal betrayal and revenge that uses the supernatural as a means of exposing the actions of the living characters. It's not really groundbreaking, but overall I found it to be a very enjoyable film.

Special recognition, in my opinion, should go to Seo-woo Eun, who played Yeong-ju. The kid has a definite talent for looking creepy.

Starship Troopers (1997)

Absolutely awful. I loved it.

[2/10 · 6 July 1999]

I watched this on video knowing full well what I was getting into, and by the end of the closing credits I was still laughing so hard it hurt. Casper "Tarzan" Van Dien and Denise "Not Enough Face for All That Stupid" Richards are a perfect match: wide-eyed and air-headed, grinning inanely at each other even during their best friend's funeral. It was also nice to see that Jake Busey is following in his father's footsteps as a bug-eyed intensity freak. Bad writing, acting and directing, mis-matched with a hyper-active SFX team, propel this film beyond countless other mediocre SF flicks, into an outrageously awful class of its own.

If you want a well-written, thought-provoking story, with good character development, read the book. If you want to laugh yourself silly, rent the movie.

Rage (1966)

So much film, so little story

[1/10 · 10 June 1999]

Low budget, and it shows. Glenn Ford's desperate race against time and rabies just doesn't provide enough dialogue or plot to fill the 80-odd minutes of this film. The result is long scenes of characters looking tense and concerned (Montezuma's Revenge?) as they slowly trudge across the desert. Film students would do well to watch this movie, if only to warn of the dangers of producing a film on only one plot element.

The Sunchaser (1996)

Made me physically ill.

[1/10 · 7 June 1999]

Within the first 15 minutes, Cimino firmly establishes that Dr. Reynolds (Harrelson) is a Bad Person(tm). How do we know this? He's successful in his work. He interrupts conversations to take calls from his wife. He worries about house payments. He drives a (*gasp*) Porsche. Baaad Dr. Reynolds. Dr. Reynolds needs 16-year-old murderer Monroe (Seda) to help him get in touch with his spiritual side. Monroe's half Navajo, so he's just naturally in tune with that sort of thing. Ugh. Having enjoyed Harrelson's other films, I was caught unawares by this self-righteous load of trash. Avoid at all costs. Or rent it with Heaven's Gate and get together with a few friends for a do-it-yourself MST3k double feature.

Rage (1966)

So much film, so little plot.

[1/10 · 7 June 1999]

Low budget, and it shows. Glenn Ford's desperate search for a doctor after being bitten by a rabid dog just doesn't provide enough story or dialogue to fill the 90-odd minutes of this film. The result is far too many scenes of characters looking tense and concerned (Montezuma's Revenge?) as their vehicles slowly trudge across the desert. Not recommended.

Cube (1997)

Not vague enough?

[6/10 · 9 May 1999]

Some have complained that this movie left too much unexplained, providing too little background into why, where and how the characters came to be where they are. My complaint with this film is that it didn't leave enough unexplained. The anguished confession of one character's involvement in the cube's construction, combined with the conspiracy theories of the others, unpleasantly reminded me of "The Andromeda Strain", another film in which what could have been an excellent science/philosophy thriller was spoiled by political ranting. I would have enjoyed it more if the characters had been in more of a vacuum, with less connection to the outside and more time spent exploring the nature of the cube and their place in it.

Homebodies (1974)

Unusual

[3/10 · 20 February 1999]

I saw this about 15 years ago when my mother rented it. Why Blockbusters had this in the comedy section, I'll never know. Seniors defending their block of flats against developers at *any* cost. Really creepy, or just bad acting? If you're looking for some _Exorcist_-era horror, it might be worth a look, but only if you've already seen everything else on the shelf.

The Road to Wellville (1994)

A good book poorly filmed

[4/10 · 28 January 1999]

The skilled cast of this film is given little to work with as most of the plot development of Boyle's wonderful novel is tossed out in favor of enema references. While it is still a good satire of health crazes (which are hardly a new phenomenon), the book simply had too much story to put into one movie.

I was also disappointed that some of the facts were changed (Dr. Kellogg, for example, stayed fit and healthy well into his 90's) to please the anti-fitness people. The truth was crazy enough.

The Shawshank Redemption (1994)

A wonderful piece of work

[8/10 · 21 January 1999]

Proof, along with _Delores Claiborne_ and _Stand by Me_ that Stephen King can spin a fine tale when he sets his mind to it. Even having read the book (this is one case where the movie is better), Robbins and Freeman's performances were so captivating that the ending still took me by surprise. Definitely one of the best.

Duel (1971 TV Movie)

unintentionally hilarious

[2/10 · 20 January 1999]

Freud would have had a ball with this film. From getting berated by his wife for not standing up for himself at a party, to being hounded by a giant truck that's "just got so much more power than me!", Dennis Weaver's performance in this tale of a man's struggle against impotence is side-splitting from beginning to end. My friends and I were rolling on the floor in laughter at Weaver futilely floundering against diesel trains, rattlesnakes, and an engine that just can't go the distance until, finally, he gets up the courage to face his problem head-on. So bad it's wonderful.