hrkepler Reviews

Fist of Fury (1972)

After all these years, the film has maintained it's powerful punch

[8/10 · 3 July 2018]

'Fist of Fury' (also known as Chinese Connection) is second major movie of Bruce Lee. More serious in tone and more depth in story than his previous hit 'The Big Boss'. Besides his amzing martial arts skills Bruce Lee now has the chance to show more of his acting skills as his character is more layered. This time his character is still the man who opposes unnecessary violence (he usually gives the people not involved chance to walk away, but they never take the chance), but his anger and need for revenge for his teacher is blinded him somewhat, so his actions seem irrational. Might not be as fun as 'The BIg Boss', but it is defenitely better movie altogether as there is no camp and the film is better paced.

Meditation, Creativity, Peace (2012)

Meditation meh.

[6/10 · 24 June 2018]

This documentary is not very exhilerating or exciting, and it also doesn't offer much insight behind the creative force of David Lynch. Also the film doesn't offer much explanation on Transcendental Meditation. We already know that David Lynch practises it, and he talks what TM does to his mind and creativeness, but we are not informed how to start. Quite shallow documentary, but to me David Lynch is just kind of person who I could listen hours to.

The X-Files: Field Trip (1999) Season 6, Episode 21

I spins around and around

[8/10 · 24 June 2018]

'Field Trip' is the trippidest episode of 'The X-Files' and it is cleverly titled. After the skeletons of two missing hikers are discovered in the area of known UFO activity, Mulder and Scully arrive to investigate. 'Filed Trip' is stand alone episoode, but it playes little bit with the arch of the show's story. It is well written and tight episode that keeps the viewer guessing what is going on without turning into confusing mess. Also it has one of the most unnerving endings, as we have seen the characters waking up and up again into new realities, we quite can't be sure that when the 'trip' begun and when it ended.

Nice one, reccomended to even non fans.

The X-Files: Three of a Kind (1999) Season 6, Episode 20

The Lone Gunmen Taking Las Vegas

[8/10 · 24 June 2018]

The Lone Gunmen - Byers, Frohike and Langley - are kind of a gang, who is good with small doses. I mean the amount of episodes and screen time they usually get is enough, but every once in a while it is great to see the episode concentrating on the trio's adventures on their own. 'Three of a Kind' is fantastic and enjoyable comedic conspiracy theory episode. The Three Musceteers are attending defense contractor conference in Las Vegas to snoop out some highly classified information. When Byers sees the woman who is exact look a like to his long lost love presumed to be dead Susanne Modeski, the three friends soon discover that something highly suspicious is going on.

'Three of a Kind' is direct sequel to 'Unusual Suspects' (third episode of season five) which also concentrated on The Lone Gunmen and introduced us the character of Susanne Modeski. This episode also is connected with the double episode 'Dreamland' as Morris Fletcher (the guy who changed bodies with Mulder) appears as an attendee in the conference. This time there is no Mulder, but Scully makes humorous appearence.

Not to forget, what a wonderfully shot first scene about Byers' dream.

The X-Files: The Unnatural (1999) Season 6, Episode 19

All great ball players are aliens

[9/10 · 23 June 2018]

'The Unnatural' is cute humorous episoode that was written and directed by David Duchovny himself. He based the character Josh Exley on real life pro-baseball playes Joe Bauman who held the home run record, but still never got to play in the major league. Unfortunately Darren McGavin couldn't reprise his role as Arthur Dales because of illness, but the replacement player M. Emmet Walsh did equally charming job as Dales' brother Arthur Dales. It also gave nice quirky joke about Dales' parents.

Also the episode playes on the idea that many incomparable artists and sportsmen are every once in a while speculated to be aliens.

This episode also includes one of my favorite quotes from the show - I have seen the life on this planet, Scully and that is exactly why I am looking elsewhere.

The X-Files: Milagro (1999) Season 6, Episode 18

A Writer Who Writes The X-Files

[9/10 · 23 June 2018]

'Milagro' is one fascinating episode, and again one of the great ones that are different from usual X-Files. There is serial killer on the loose who is removing the hearts of his victims without any surgical tools. Police and FBI are left with no clues. Also there is a lonely writer (fantastic performance by John Hawkes) with very vivid imagination. Is the author mad and living double life as a murderer and a writer? Or is his imagination so powerful that it has entered into the real, material world? How much are author responsible for their writings and how closely are writings connected with author's personality and mind?

Well written philosophical and tense episode with magnetic supporting character, and Gillian Anderson again excels.

The Big Boss (1971)

The Legend Begins

[7/10 · 17 June 2018]

'The Big Boss' (also known as 'Fists of Fury') is Bruce Lee's debute film after his return to Hong Kong from United States. The movie was groundbreaking and instant success breaking box office records not only in domestic Hong Kong, but all over Asia and turned Bruce Lee into international superstar.

Bruce Lee stars as Cheng Chao-an, a man who has vowed to never fight again, who moves from Mainland China to Thailand to work in an ice factory. After his coworkers dissapear wihtout the trace, Cheng starts to investigate. After he is accidenitally drawn into fight (which he rules) all hell breaks loose, and all the bad guys get aquainted with his fists.

Condsidering that the screenplay was practically nonexistent, containing only some notes when the shooting started, 'The Big Boss' is very well structured. Supergroovy soundtrack adds nice coolness to the movie. When the song starts over the opening titles you know you're about witness some kickass action.

Kicking someone while eating snacks have never been cooler.

Jam (2000)

Comedic Art

[9/10 · 17 June 2018]

Obscene, offensive, disturbing, nihilistic, crude - rarely can be these words said together while describing a comedy series. 'Jam' is one beautiful gem among the whole ocean of fart jokes and mildly humorous and warm sitcoms. I don't say that there aren't any 'fart jokes' is 'Jam', there are some, but they are presente in such a disturbing way in very inappropriate situations. Mentioning inappropriate situations, then the whole show is built up on very nasty and surreal situations. All the skits are sent by very moody and ambient electronic music that adds more to the unnerving feel, and even some horror film like atmoshpere.

Herewriter simply doesn't have much ability to describe 'Jam', but perhaps the easiest way would be - if Monty Python woul have been directed by David Lynch. Chris Morris is genius!

5 Days of War (2011)

Did They Even Tried?

[3/10 · 13 June 2018]

Renny Harlin used to be the sort of director who managed to turn sub-bar screenplays into entertaining and quite thrilling films. '5 Days of War' is not one of them. I don't care much about how much propaganda one movie contains (Sergei Eisenstein? Anyone?) as the real truth usally lies beneath somewhere. My biggest probleem with that movie was that it lacked any sort of direction. The scenes were badly bound together, the story was all over the place. THe characters lacked any depth, and the actors mostly just walked through the scenes (especially Val Kilmer who is usually very capable actor). Saw that film first time when it was released, second time was couple of weeks ago, and I couldn't even finish it. So, my question is - did they even try? I mean this conflict surely deserves much better depiction on the screen than it got from '5 Days of War'.

Under Capricorn (1949)

Hitchcockian Soap Opera

[6/10 · 13 June 2018]

Strangely unexciting yet charming movie. Definitely not Hitchcock's best, one can even say that 'Under Capricorn' might belong in great master's few lesser films. Maybe that is the problem - most people probably went into the film expecting typical Hitchcock suspense, but there was very little of that. Even with saying that, 'Under Capricorn' still manages to be entertaining enough and almost two hour run time didn't feel like suffering (by that I mean, at least I didn't force to sit myself through - the film was entertaining). Costume dramas and Victorian soap operas are not Hitch's trademark, and that particular film is only recommended to those who feel the need to see every Hitchcock film, or fans of particular type of melodramatic period pieces.

The casting, although all wonderful actors, is off. It needs to have suspense of disbelief to buy the characters as Irish - Wilding sounded like genuine Englishman, Cotten sounded like American, and magnificent Ingrid Bergman sounded like Swede. To put that aside the performances were little above 'just hamming it out' category thus making the film more tolerable.

Cloak and Dagger (1946)

I'm Not Bond, I'm Not James Bond

[7/10 · 13 June 2018]

Oftenly overlooked and seemingly forgotten Fritz Lang's WWII espionage thriller. Although passable by Lang's standards, but entertaining enough for die hard noir and spy genre enthusiasts. This film is most notable because of being one of the first mainstream movies with anti-nuclear attitude. Lot of that was cut out from final film of course.

'Cloak and Dagger' is war time melodrama in dark espionage sauce - there is romance, there action, there are thrills. Still the film feels little uneven at places. Gary Cooper's performance as professor Jesper was cool and charming, but at places he seemed too skilled and experienced as an secret agent opposed that he supposed to be just scientist inexperienced at secret agent field. That kind of gives the film James Bond like fairy tale super agent feel. Not that is a bad thing itself.

Fritz Lang is one of those directors whom every film I want to see, and 'Cloak and Dagger' didn't disappoint me at all. Entertaining flick with enough juice to nail the viewer to the screen from beginning to end.

Othello (1951)

Wellesian Shakespeare

[8/10 · 13 June 2018]

Orson Welles might be most ambitious and pretentious actor/director in the whole Hollywood history - and I don't put his pretentiousness against him at all, just look how many magnificent films and performances he has given us. His version of 'Othello' is nothing different than magnificent film, and one of the best Shakespeare adaptations on big screen to this day. It was Welles' pet project (sort of), and it took more than three years to complete and was mostly financed by Welles himself. Having to stop shooting to take parts in other films to raise money. Another director, Henry Hathaway (in whose film Welles had a role), complained even decades later how Welles borrowed costumes and cameras from his set to use in 'Othello' - pure jealousy in work as Hathaway himself was never able to create equally amazing films. The story of making the 'Othello' itself is much more interesting than many fictional films (or novels).

Some have complained about performances (especially Welles') were hammy, but actually they were fantastic - theatrically unnatural and powerful. Perfectly fitting for such film.

Secret Beyond the Door... (1947)

Campy-Noir

[7/10 · 12 June 2018]

'Secret Beyond the Door' is far from Fritz Lang's greatest (American)films, but that should be enough for real film-noir fans. The film supposed to be Lang's version of (much much better) 'Rebecca' - a psychological film-noir. There are some similarities between the two film, but 'Secret Beyond the Door' might seem too melodramatic and camp to capture the exact eerie feel like Hitchcock does with 'Rebecca'. These two films have been compared so much, I think I don't need to fall into deeper with my analyses between them two.

'Secret Beyond the Door' still manages to be captivating and entertaining enough. Joan Bennett's trance like narration about closed door in herself, gives the film kind off dream like vibe. As one of the main character is running a magazine about architecture, then it is even more enjoyable to look how Lang have used architecture and how important role it plays in the film.

Melodramatic, but murky psycho thriller.

Shame (1968)

Bergman's only "sci-fi"

[9/10 · 12 June 2018]

'Shame' as it is best known world wide, is probably most underrated Bergman movie at the moment. Or perhaps little seen is more correct term, as most people who have seen it consider 'Shame' to be among the Bergman's bests. And the film is too great for such unnoticed film.

Liv Ullmann and Max von Sydow star as wife and husband getting caught in the horrors of war. Although the war is shown mostly without epic battle scenes, rather shown just by soldiers marching by and fighter jets flying over, the sound of imminent doom is in every frame. 'Shame' is wonderful character study and what war does to a peoples' psychology. Max von Sydow's Jan is intelligent, but somewhat cowardly man. Some can even call him weak, while Liv Ullmann's Eva is strong and independent woman, who really cares about her husband. The character descriptions seem simple at first - strong wife, weak husband - but there's much more hidden in these people. Although Jan is not your typical macho guy, his intelligence compensate lot of his cowardice. And Eva, although strong woman, is still in need of some support from her husband. While the war comes closer and closer we see their relationship starting to fall apart, and then getting stronger again, until they get right into the middle of war horrors, with both sides riding over their farm. They both grow cold and stay together just for habit. Jan becomes cruel and violent, while Eva becomes not exactly submissive, but rather distant.

Bergman has stated his dissatisfaction with the film in several occasions, and never considered it his best work, but 'Shame' is must see film.

Strays (1997)

If Woody Allen Would Be Macho

[5/10 · 12 June 2018]

'Strays' is breakout film for Vin Diesel - after years struggling as an actor going from audition to audition and still not getting any parts, Vin Diesel wrote, directed and starred in his own movie that finally gave him a role in Steven Spielberg's 'Saving Private Ryan' and from there the star was in the making. Although Vin Diesel is best known for portraying one dimensional meat heads and action heroes he has later shown that he got some more acting chops in such films like 'Find My Guilty' or 'Boiler Room', but 'Strays' was were it all started. Don't expect anything on Woody Allen level, but here Vin showing off his acting skills, and his directing skills is not very off. Although 'Strays' starts bit slow, it manages to build up interest in first half an hour (too long, some might say), but we are still left with an hour and ten minutes worth well paced story with characters we start to care about enough to stick to the end.

Vin Diesel followed one other muscular Hollywood legend's path and wrote his own starring role. Vin's effort never reached far in popularity and it never become classic, but with that little film he managed to create another example how one can build his own success.

This film also left me guessing what kind of Vin Diesel the world would know if he would kept directing (he obviously had some talent for that) and writing, rather than going on to play in all those silly triple X and Fast and Furious movies.

Coherence (2013)

Coherent sci-fi ride

[7/10 · 12 June 2018]

'Coherence' is master example of what you can achieve with close to no budget, but enough inventiveness. Shot over five days with almost unknown cast (except maybe Nicholas Brendon from 'Buffy the Vampire Slayer') and mostly improvised scenes and dialogue. The writers (director James Ward Byrkit and Alex Manugian who also played the role of Amir) had only written just story and established rules while most of the witty dialogue were improvised by actors themselves, thus proving that the film doesn't need some superstars, but rather talented ensemble cast. Although the hand-held camera-work might seem to take viewer out of the story, it was just another way to give more room to the improvisation. Despite all of that the film manages to keep an eerie atmosphere, and the story movies on one continuous flow without getting sidetracked. The story also doesn't crumble into pieces under it's own ambitions. The twists hold together and actually makes sense. Although the final twist might seem to be rushed and thrown into there just for the sake of it, but it kinda fits and doesn't change the film's overall tone.

'Coherence' is slow burning psychological science-fiction for a thinking person, and it holds up much better than most big budgeted pretentious science-fiction extravaganzas. Recommended especially for those who like independent sci-fi and/or films that take place in one room.

Yojimbo (1961)

Samurai in the Middle

[9/10 · 12 June 2018]

Very few men are cooler than Clint Eastwood, Toshiro Mifune is one of them. And very few directors can build up scene like Akira Kurosawa, Sergio Leone is not one of them (pretty close though). 'Yojimbo' is a film that is imitated (or remade) many times, but never as cleverly. It is not simple samurai action piece, but it actually explores much philosophical themes. Toshiro Mifune is a samurai who travels around the country until he reaches into town that is ruled by two rival families. The samurai sees the situation as an easy way to make some money, as he pours more fuel into the fire with doing small deeds to both families. Although we learn that the samurai is not only greedy swordsman, but his real motivations can be interpreted many ways by the end of the film. 'Yojimbo' might not be Kurosawa's best (I guess it can be debated) or deepest, but it's definitely his most entertaining ones.

Six-String Samurai (1998)

Buddy Mifune

[7/10 · 12 June 2018]

'Six-String Samurai' is nice quirky action adventure where main hero with guitar skills like Buddy Holly and martial arts skills like Bruce Lee, tries to reach into Lost Vegas (Las Vegas) to become the new King. Low budget action romp with lots of heart. The film never takes itself seriously, but it doesn't fall into (self)parody. Also, this films shouldn't be taken as parody of martial arts genre, rather than a humble homage. Another strong side of 'Six-String Samurai' is that it establishes it's own rules at the very beginning at stays true to them till the very end, thus making lot of absurdity believable in the frames of it's own universe.

It was intended to be a trilogy and it is actually sorry that we never could see the sequels. Or Jeffrey Falcon (who was also screenwriter for 'Samurai') to act any other films after that.

P.S. Title of my review refers to Buddy Holly and Toshiro Mifune.

Music in Darkness (1948)

Light and Dark

[6/10 · 12 June 2018]

'Music in Darkness' is early Bergman, his fourth as a director. Early Bergman is actually same expression like Early Kurosawa or Early Hitchcock - usually well made (far from being amateurish), but shallow in plot and void of depth in characters and dialogue. 'Music in Darkness' is exactly like that. Beautiful cinematography, but no other Bergman traits. If one wouldn't know it's a Bergman movie then they would think it's just OK melodrama about blind musician and his struggles with life and love. Pretty predictable and by the numbers drama that actually follows more classical Hollywood formulas than carries Bergman's voice (I guess that's the reason this is called Early Bergman). The subject of depression and human's inner fights are only touched on the surface. By far from being a bad movie, but nothing too memorable also. Competently directed little film.

The Man Who Knew Too Much (1956)

You Can Never Know Too Much

[8/10 · 11 June 2018]

The only remake by 'Master of Suspense' Alfred Hitcock. Although superior in almost every way (except the lack of Peter Lorre) Hitchcock himself preferred his original 1934 film. Compared to Hitchcock's other works 'The Man Who Knew Too Much' (both of the actually) are rather overlooked or even forgotten.

James Stewart and Doris Day star as a wedded couple who are on vacation in Morocco with their son. After witnessing a murder of their acquaintance and kidnapping of their son, the lovely middle class family will be drawn into dangerous world of espionage. Pretty basic Hitchcock formula, but not disappointing by one bit. James Stewart give another brilliant performance and his chemistry with Doris Day really carries the film along. The film starts slowly and good part of the first quarter we see just nice family vacationing, but that gives us enough time to really get to know the main characters, and this adds even more thrills to the action sequences. The pace and tension winds up faster and faster until it finishes with (probably one of Hitch's finest scenes) amazing scene in Albert Hall - 12 minutes of pure tension without single word of dialogue.

'The Man Who Knew Too Much' is kind off film that by the end is much better than you expected it to be when you were half way through it.

Ghost Mountaineer (2015)

Ghost Mountaineer Not In the Movie

[4/10 · 11 June 2018]

Although pleasantly energetic and captivating at first, 'Ghost Mountaineer', first feature film by director Urmas Eero Liiv, falls apart by the end. Diverse group of students who most barely know each other travel into Siberia to find nephrite. Conflicts and wrong decisions are easy to come.

The film tries to be blend of adventure, drama, mysticism and horror. Oh, and this all is based on true events. The first, adventure part, is quite good to watch, but halfway through the movie, director starts to throw is some glimpse of horror through sloppy editing and eerie sounds. The trouble is - the horror moments are never quite horrifying. And there is no reason to throw in some supernatural moments just for the sake of it and leaving them unexplained. Especially when they don't add any real mystery to the big mystery itself. 'Ghost Mountaineer' was marketed as mystical horror film, but I wouldn't consider couple of dream sequences and telling an old urban legend as a horror film. It was poorly developed mess that couldn't understand it's own reason to exist beside the pure vanity and pretentiousness of the director.

P.S. Based on this movie - geologists are quite the jerks.

Enemy (2013)

You Are Your Own Worst Enemy

[7/10 · 11 June 2018]

'Enemy' is tense psychological thriller. Jake Gyllenhaal gives powerful performance as a neurotic school teacher who, after getting a recommendation from a colleague, watches a movie and notices that one of the bit players looks exactly like him. He decides to look for the actor to meet the guy. Then Gyllenhaal gives another powerful performance as a narcissistic film actor. Yes - doppelganger - how original. But wait, 'Enemy' is kind of film that needs to be watched twice (at least), and many scenes or elements that seem random at first time, are very cleverly all tied together and by the end it all makes sense. Smart writing by Javier Gullon and stylish directing by Denis Villeneuve makes 'Enemy' a film watching experience.

Mother (2016)

Oh, mother!

[7/10 · 11 June 2018]

'Mother', at first seems to be bleak drama about mother who takes care of her comatose son, while her husband stays little distant. Soon, a quirky humor starts to flow in to give the film nice warmth. And soon the mystery starts to unfold. 'Mother' is more of a dark comedy than straight drama, but it doesn't go over the top - the comedy/drama is well balanced and the film never falls into (self) parody.

We are first introduced with the Mother character (Tiina Mälberg) while she's doing everyday chores - cleaning, washing, cooking and taking care of her son, who after strange shooting lies in coma. We learn about the son and the shooting through different people (colleagues, girlfriend, lover, students, investigating police officer, friends, etc.) who go to visit him to confess. But not only - we learn about the life of a small town, where everyone knows everything, but nobody know anything. The local police inspector (magnificently charming Jaan Pehk) who at first seems to be there just for comic relief as a silly small town cop. Although he keeps his comical value, but there are much more depth in the character. The film concentrates more on the characters and tries to show that the mystery surrounding the shooting is not the most important. Little by little we are revealed to different things in such a clever ways that we are starting to wonder - who is the criminal.

'Mother' manages to stay subtle, sweet and compassionate till to the shocking ending.

Klassikokkutulek (2016)

Worn out jokes about men in midlife crisis

[3/10 · 11 June 2018]

The film was huge hit in the Estonian cinemas - of course, Estonians love comedies and when you have great dramatic actor Mait Malmsten, natural comedian Ago Anderson, and popular rap artist Genka (compared to others, his acting is little wooden, but he has great on screen charisma) in the mix then that is basically winning formula. It's based on a Danish film, which I have not seen, also I haven't seen the Finnish version. Considering how formulaic the film was, I don't think I need to see the originals either. The chemistry between three main protagonists were fantastic (again, another sub-bar Estonian film where acting is only department I don't have any complaints with). But the jokes were all old - nothing new, everything have been seen done better (or usually worse) many many times before (and before the Danes made their 'original' film). By the numbers plot about middle aged men trying to prove they are still wild and energetic doesn't offer much surprises. The whole film is carried by the chemistry between three main characters, and I wouldn't be surprised if most of the funniest parts of dialogue were ad-libbed or improvised by them.

The big plus is that there weren't any literal fart jokes in it like usually films like this tend to rely on them mostly, but on the other hand - the vomit and testicles were still in play.

Dead Mountaineer's Hotel (1979)

This is the portrait of the Dead Mountaineer

[8/10 · 11 June 2018]

'Dead Mountaineer's Hotel' still remains basically only Estonian science fiction film in the truest sense. Police inspector arrives into remote mountain hotel to investigate anonymous tip where he discovers that it was false alarm. After the avalanche cuts the hotel, and all it's inhabitants from the outer world, the strange things start to occur. Doppelgangers, terrorists, aliens, androids, and flirtatious sultry women.

Wonderful cinematography of snowy mountains under bright sun against dark interior of the hotel that leaves feeling that it's as cold inside the hotel as it is outside, and intensifies the claustrophobic atmosphere of the hotel. Inspector Glebsky grows more and more desperate and paranoid when he tries to solve the crimes only relying on his common sense, logic and skepticism that lead to unfortunate tragic events leaving audience falter who was the real villain. The name of the hotel 'Dead Mountaineer' is explained briefly (and quite satisfactory), but it also leaves nice eerie mystery floating around - who was that enigmatic 'dead mountaineer' whose dog still sleeps under his bleak portrait hanging on the wall. Sven Grünberg's fantastic synthesizer score adds another layer of mystery and anticipation. The song 'Ball' has a lyrics, but they don't make sense because it's only gibberish - and when we see aliens dance to this song hypnotically it's almost like they understand it (although real reason why the song didn't had any proper words was the Soviet regulation of the time demanding the lyrics of the song to be translated into Russian when released in Russia - Grünberg didn't like the idea of translating his lyrics so he invented the gibberish for the song.).