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Post by Batflunkie on Sept 15, 2024 22:27:52 GMT -5
Recently I got the itch to watch Hiroshi Inagaki's Samurai Trilogy, starring Toshiro Mifune as Musashi Miyamoto. The films are far from perfect, but reminded me of the magnetic charisma that Mifune possessed. There was one Saturday morning where TCM was airing the whole trilogy and I was so heartbroken and mad that I had to miss it because I was working that day. Thankfully the trilogy is fairly easy to find on home video and streaming. Love Japanese Period dramas (both tv and film) so much. They always seem, much like medieval period movies, to be almost fairy tail like enough to seem like they're from another reality. IDK, maybe that's just me
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Post by berkley on Sept 16, 2024 2:09:30 GMT -5
I should watch those too sometime soon. I've never seen them but years ago I read the novel they were based on, Musashi, by Eiji Yoshikawa, and it was excellent. I will enthusiastically second this. The novel was originally a newspaper serial, making it essentially the Japanese equivalent of an Alexandre Dumas novel. The English version runs close to 1000 pages, and that's an abridgment! Despite the length, having been originally published in short installments means it keeps moving. It's a very entertaining read. Fun fact: James Clavell's Shogun ends at the historical battle whose aftermath begins Musashi. I'll respond to this in the books thread because it might lead to further questions relating to Clavell and various other books
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Post by commond on Sept 16, 2024 2:44:53 GMT -5
Recently I got the itch to watch Hiroshi Inagaki's Samurai Trilogy, starring Toshiro Mifune as Musashi Miyamoto. The films are far from perfect, but reminded me of the magnetic charisma that Mifune possessed. I should watch those too sometime soon. I've never seen them but years ago I read the novel they were based on, Musashi, by Eiji Yoshikawa, and it was excellent.
Speaking of Japanese film, the other night I saw Battles Without Honour or Humanity for the first time. It was great but I hadn't realised how closely all the sequels run together - more like a tv miniseries or an LotR style movie series than a franchise like Bond or The Fast and the Furious. So I'm probably going to try to see the sequels much sooner than I'd originally intended.
I'm a big fan of Battles Without Honor or Humanity. Love me some Bunta Sugawara.
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Post by Hoosier X on Sept 18, 2024 13:47:04 GMT -5
Sometimes I think about making a “Top 10 Japanese movies” list. But I’ve seen a lot of Japanese movies. And when I try to make a list, I end up with 20 or 30 movies, and I keep thinking of more. Trying to whittle it down to 10, and then to rank them, it’s just too hard to do.
But The Yakuza Papers (also commonly known as the Battles Without Honor or Humanity series (five films in the original series with numerous sequels) is definitely a contender. I would just list the whole series as The Yakuza Papers and I would still have nine slots for my favorite Japanese movies.
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Post by berkley on Sept 19, 2024 2:14:08 GMT -5
Sometimes I think about making a “Top 10 Japanese movies” list. But I’ve seen a lot of Japanese movies. And when I try to make a list, I end up with 20 or 30 movies, and I keep thinking of more. Trying to whittle it down to 10, and then to rank them, it’s just too hard to do. But The Yakuza Papers (also commonly known as the Battles Without Honor or Humanity series (five films in the original series with numerous sequels) is definitely a contender. I would just list the whole series as The Yakuza Papers and I would still have nine slots for my favorite Japanese movies.
Yes, I was amazed when I read they made those first five in such a short span of time - just two or three years, was it? But after seeing the first one and reading a little more about it, I can see that those five films are more one big story than a series of different stories featuring the same character. I didn't know beforehand that it was based on the memoirs of a Yakuza member.
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Post by commond on Sept 19, 2024 5:09:10 GMT -5
Sometimes I think about making a “Top 10 Japanese movies” list. But I’ve seen a lot of Japanese movies. And when I try to make a list, I end up with 20 or 30 movies, and I keep thinking of more. Trying to whittle it down to 10, and then to rank them, it’s just too hard to do. But The Yakuza Papers (also commonly known as the Battles Without Honor or Humanity series (five films in the original series with numerous sequels) is definitely a contender. I would just list the whole series as The Yakuza Papers and I would still have nine slots for my favorite Japanese movies.
Yes, I was amazed when I read they made those first five in such a short span of time - just two or three years, was it? But after seeing the first one and reading a little more about it, I can see that those five films are more one big story than a series of different stories featuring the same character. I didn't know beforehand that it was based on the memoirs of a Yakuza member.
The second film is a side story and doesn't focus on Bunta Sugawara's character. That's because the articles that the series was based on were still being published. Once the articles were finished, Toei pushed the screenwriter, Kazuo Kasahara, to focus on the Hiroshima conflicts, which was split into two films. The final film was written by a different screenwriter. There wasn't enough material left for a fifth film, so the new screenwriter had to create his own script. Apparently, the yakuza who provided the memoirs that the articles were based on didn't like the first four films and provided input for the finale. The Battles series was so popular that in '74 Toei released New Battles Without Honor and Humanity with the same actors and a completely different story.
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Post by Batflunkie on Sept 19, 2024 19:32:46 GMT -5
Recently re-watched an old favorite, Mystery Men (1999) This was something that I watched fairly often when I stayed over at my cousin's house. He had movies that he'd watch before bed (which is a ritual that I often partake in now) and Mystery Men was among them. What I liked about it is how utterly different it felt for the time (and it still kind of feels that way honestly), kind of laid back feeling almost. There's an imminent danger, sure, but the film seems to take it's time letting you get to know the surreal group of characters who band together to defeat an evil doer If I had to pick an absolute favorite, it'd have to be Blue Raja. Just the idea of a suburban guy larping as a British colonial to India who flings silverware at people just absolutely tickles me to no end. The Spleen is great too, played wonderfully by the late, great Paul Reubens (Really though, all the characters are great in their own way) What strikes me as odd though is how far this fell under the radar with people when it has everything going for it. But I think that's the key to it's success, an underdog movie for underdogs
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Post by tartanphantom on Sept 19, 2024 20:10:40 GMT -5
Recently re-watched an old favorite, Mystery Men (1999) This was something that I watched fairly often when I stayed over at my cousin's house. He had movies that he'd watch before bed (which is a ritual that I often partake in now) and Mystery Men was among them. What I liked about it is how utterly different it felt for the time (and it still kind of feels that way honestly), kind of laid back feeling almost. There's an imminent danger, sure, but the film seems to take it's time letting you get to know the surreal group of characters who band together to defeat an evil doer If I had to pick an absolute favorite, it'd have to be Blue Raja. Just the idea of a suburban guy larping as a British colonial to India who flings silverware at people just absolutely tickles me to no end. The Spleen is great too, played wonderfully by the late, great Paul Reubens (Really though, all the characters are great in their own way) What strikes me as odd though is how far this fell under the radar with people when it has everything going for it. But I think that's the key to it's success, an underdog movie for underdogs The great Geoffrey Rush had so much fun playing the villain part to the hilt. Casanova Frankenstein is probably my favorite character portrayal in the entire movie.
Except for maybe The PMS Avenger and The Waffler, neither of which made "the cut" for the team tryouts.
Most members here know that I'm not a real big fan of Superhero movies in general. I think a lot of them are contrived and pretentious.
This one is a rare exception.
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Post by codystarbuck on Sept 19, 2024 20:39:06 GMT -5
I saw Mystery Men in a theater, while visiting my sister, with my folks, in North Carolina, and I laughed my head off, while others scratched their heads. I think it was too hip for the room, in a lot of places and too far ahead of the wave of superhero films for the audience to get a lot of what they were doing. Still, what's not funny about the Disco Boys, cool gadgets, like a blame-thrower, and Blue Rajah's mom giving him the best silver, for the big fight?
Great casting in that, too.
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Post by Batflunkie on Sept 20, 2024 8:43:09 GMT -5
Recently re-watched an old favorite, Mystery Men (1999) This was something that I watched fairly often when I stayed over at my cousin's house. He had movies that he'd watch before bed (which is a ritual that I often partake in now) and Mystery Men was among them. What I liked about it is how utterly different it felt for the time (and it still kind of feels that way honestly), kind of laid back feeling almost. There's an imminent danger, sure, but the film seems to take it's time letting you get to know the surreal group of characters who band together to defeat an evil doer If I had to pick an absolute favorite, it'd have to be Blue Raja. Just the idea of a suburban guy larping as a British colonial to India who flings silverware at people just absolutely tickles me to no end. The Spleen is great too, played wonderfully by the late, great Paul Reubens (Really though, all the characters are great in their own way) What strikes me as odd though is how far this fell under the radar with people when it has everything going for it. But I think that's the key to it's success, an underdog movie for underdogs The great Geoffrey Rush had so much fun playing the villain part to the hilt. Casanova Frankenstein is probably my favorite character portrayal in the entire movie.
Except for maybe The PMS Avenger and The Waffler, neither of which made "the cut" for the team tryouts.
Most members here know that I'm not a real big fan of Superhero movies in general. I think a lot of them are contrived and pretentious.
This one is a rare exception.
Lest we forget Ballerina Man, which still gets a huge laugh out of me
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Post by DubipR on Sept 20, 2024 10:59:01 GMT -5
While I enjoy Mystery Men as a whole, I have a major disliking of Ben Stiller as an actor. In a majority of his films, he tries way too hard to be 'funny' and makes his performances grating on my nerves. Here he's not as forceful any the right amount of a**hole-ness as Mr. Furious. I do agree that Hank Azaria steals the movie as the Blue Rajah; played it with a great affectation and flair. I also like William H Macy's Shoveler; just a blue collar guy that's passionate about his jobs. Geoffrey Rush hamming it up as Casanova Frankenstein.
Its fun all around. Only wished a more competent director would've helmed this. Tried a bit too much to push the Batman dark when this direly needed to a lighter in look.
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Post by driver1980 on Sept 20, 2024 11:16:13 GMT -5
I watched horror comedy Carry on Screaming! last night, part of the Carry On film series (I had seen it previously). It’s a parody of the Hammer horror films.
In Edwardian Britain, Detective Sergeant Bung (Harry H. Corbett) investigates the disappearance of several women in the woods, leading him to the evil Dr. Watt (Kenneth Williams), who is using a monster - Oddbod - to capture the women for his own evil ends.
It’s really funny, and it makes me laugh every time.
In one scene, Bung visits the mansion owned by Dr. Watt, and a Lurch-like butler called Sockett answers the door. This is the dialogue:
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Post by codystarbuck on Sept 20, 2024 20:24:09 GMT -5
I watched horror comedy Carry on Screaming! last night, part of the Carry On film series (I had seen it previously). It’s a parody of the Hammer horror films. In Edwardian Britain, Detective Sergeant Bung (Harry H. Corbett) investigates the disappearance of several women in the woods, leading him to the evil Dr. Watt (Kenneth Williams), who is using a monster - Oddbod - to capture the women for his own evil ends. It’s really funny, and it makes me laugh every time. In one scene, Bung visits the mansion owned by Dr. Watt, and a Lurch-like butler called Sockett answers the door. This is the dialogue: I just acquired all of the Carry On series, as well as The Doctor series and a few related films of that era. Haven't watched them yet. Mostly know of them through Whose Line Is It Anyway? (the original UK series, not the Drew Carrey version), as that was a regular suggestion for performing scenes in a certain style. Loved Joan Simms, in her later years, as Madge, on As Time Goes By.
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Post by berkley on Sept 20, 2024 20:28:34 GMT -5
I watched horror comedy Carry on Screaming! last night, part of the Carry On film series (I had seen it previously). It’s a parody of the Hammer horror films. In Edwardian Britain, Detective Sergeant Bung (Harry H. Corbett) investigates the disappearance of several women in the woods, leading him to the evil Dr. Watt (Kenneth Williams), who is using a monster - Oddbod - to capture the women for his own evil ends. It’s really funny, and it makes me laugh every time. In one scene, Bung visits the mansion owned by Dr. Watt, and a Lurch-like butler called Sockett answers the door. This is the dialogue:
I might make this one of my Hallowe'en movies this year.
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Post by codystarbuck on Sept 20, 2024 20:32:10 GMT -5
While I enjoy Mystery Men as a whole, I have a major disliking of Ben Stiller as an actor. In a majority of his films, he tries way too hard to be 'funny' and makes his performances grating on my nerves. Here he's not as forceful any the right amount of a**hole-ness as Mr. Furious. I do agree that Hank Azaria steals the movie as the Blue Rajah; played it with a great affectation and flair. I also like William H Macy's Shoveler; just a blue collar guy that's passionate about his jobs. Geoffrey Rush hamming it up as Casanova Frankenstein. Its fun all around. Only wished a more competent director would've helmed this. Tried a bit too much to push the Batman dark when this direly needed to a lighter in look. I agree with the Ben Stiller assessment. Tried The Ben Stiller Show when it debuted and found it to be weak sketch comedy, with Stiller the weakest cast member. Never been wowed by his films. Thought Meet The Parents was mildly amusing, at best and that was mostly Deniro. Dustin Hoffman was the only part I enjoyed in the sequel. Barb loved the films, but I thought one viewing was plenty. When I saw he was doing a remake of The Secret Life of Walter Mitty, I had two thoughts: This isn't going to be Thurber and you ain't Danny Kaye! Heck, the original film wasn't much Thurber, other then the dream bits; but, Danny Kaye, Virginia Mayo and Boris Karloff make it great. The remake is Ben Stiller being Ben Stiller. Pretty much a three strikes and you're out situation, for me. I thought you could have dropped Stiller from Mystery Men and hardly notice. Probably would have better by shifting the romantic angle to Azaria. I also have to say, I prefer their DIY costumes to the revamped ones they have at the climax.
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