It’s been a while, so there are more reviews than usual this time around. I also rewatched High Noon and Akira (Blu-ray), but I didn’t write reviews for those. Anyway…
The Invincible Armour (imdb)
One of the better overlooked kung-fu films of the late 70′s, Invincible Armour stands out for several reasons, not the least of which is its inclusion of not one, but two of the stock evil white-haired baddies. The fights are frequent, over-the-top, and imaginative as fight scenes in a movie like this need to be. The movie’s main fault lies in a story that’s a bit more complex than it needs to be, which means that a time or two you’ll get some of the secondary characters confused, particularly the aforementioned white-haired guys. All things considered, if you dig kung-fu movies you’ll have a good time with this one.
The One-Armed Swordsman (imdb)
Like the 36th Chamber of Shaolin, The One-Armed Swordsman stands tall as one of the undisputable classics of the kung-fu genre. Avoiding the sort of camp that later films like Crippled Masters would exploit, OAS takes itself seriously and never plays up its protagonists’ handicap for laughs. After his swordsman father is killed defending his master, the master takes in the newly orphaned Fang Gang and teaches him the ways of kung-fu and swordsmanship. When a set-up by some of Fang’s jealous peers goes awry, Fang finds himself with only one arm, he flees and must relearn how to defend himself. Essentially a story of loyalty and overcoming adversity, the film unfolds at a slower pace than many of its peers, but isn’t any worse for doing so. Beautiful sets, a good story, and plenty of elaborate fight sequences help solidify the film’s place in the kung-fu canon.
Opium & the Kung-Fu Master (imdb)
Who spilled their D.A.R.E. film in my kung-fu flick? While it may not be the best film in the Shaw Bros. canon, Opium is decent enough to carry what might otherwise be a burden in the form of a melodramatic anti-drug message. A drug-addicted kung-fu master must battle his addiction to opium before he can stand a chance of avenging his fallen student and friend’s daughter, who coincidentally were killed by an up-and-coming thug who has just taken over the local opium den. Decided non-fans of kung-fu films probably won’t dig it, but it’s a fairly safe bet for even casual fans.
Deep Red (imdb)
Dario Argento is one of the most beloved horror directors of all-time, but like fellow Italian horror director Lucio Fulci, his works vary in quality from camp to classic and any shade between. Thankfully, Deep Red is more akin to Suspiria (classic) than Inferno (camp…at best). After an American pianist witnesses a murder and becomes a suspect, he searches for clues to unearth the identity of the killer. Like the rest of what I’ve seen from Argento, this one isn’t afraid to dawdle and take its time, but that’s not to say that it gets overly boring like some Euro horror is inclined to do. The ending is pretty cool, even if it does take a page from the Lucio Fulci book, particularly the chapter dealing with over-the-top violence where it’s unnecessary.
Religulous (imdb)
Even as an ordained professor of bad puns, Religulous is a pretty shitty title. With that out of the way, the movie has its parts, but like Jesus Camp before it, it just seems like it could have accomplished so much more. Where Jesus Camp refused to condone the ignorance and child brainwashing it chronicled, Religulous has Bill Maher lining up to shoot fish in a barrel for the most part. As an Agnostic, I’m no fan of religion and like Maher feel that it largely has a detrimental impact on modern society. In the interviews and segments that Religulous is at its most effective, it’s pointing out the essential logical disconnects that have to be in place for faith to exist, even among otherwise very intelligent and rational people. A good bit of the runtime, however, is spent on exploitative and scummy evangelists, attention-seekers, and other no-goodniks, and while they have become key figures in religion, they’re not the best targets to go after if you’re looking to cripple or cast doubt on the common man’s faith. Ultimately, Religulous rests firmly in purgatory, as it’s neither the scathing attack on populist faith it could have been nor a noble failure. One other thing: is it just me or did the guy being interviewed in the gift store with the extremely low criteria for miracles remind anyone else of sidekick Mike from American Movie?
Visitor Q (imdb)
Well, the race for the worst movie I’ve seen all year has attracted another contender. I’ve long suspected Takashi Miike to be one of the most overrated directors to attract a cult following, and this does nothing to dismantle that prejudice. Supposedly Visitor Q is a satire on reality television, but in reality it seems like Japanese John Waters (minus the charm) three decades after the fact. There’s incest, necrophilia, scat, abuse, and lactation galore, but what isn’t present is a reason to watch this movie. The boards at IMDB are full of idiots (no surprise there!) claiming this is a metaphor for that and so forth, all in some desperate and pretentious scramble to attach meaning to a shock show. I’m not buying it, Miike sucks.
