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Seven Samurai (DVD) (3-Disc Remastered Edition) (The Criterion Collection) (US Version)
Yamada Isuzu (Actor)
| Kurosawa Akira (Actor)
| Chiaki Minoru (Actor)
| Miyaguchi Seiji (Actor)
Classic tale about seven noble warriorsKurosawa Akira's epic movie from the 50s presents a multi-faceted story about survival in times of despair. With a duration of well over three hours, Kurosawa Akira's Seven Samurai might turn some viewers away. However, those who have time to spare, are likely to marvel at this striking tale and discover that time seemingly passes by in the blink of an eye. At the outset of the movie, the viewer is introduced to a poor farming village whose inhabitants discover to their shock that bandits are on their way to loot their homes. After a discussion with the village elder, they decide to hire samurai to protect their lives and belongings. The only problem is that the village is so poor that the... [read more]
March 31, 2008 Picked By A-Xiang Joe See all this editor's picks
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The Purple Rose Of Cairo
Daniels Jeff
| Danny Aiello
| Mia Farrow
Reality or illusion? Woody Allen's love letter to the world of cinema still works like a charm. In The Purple Rose of Cairo, Mia Farrow plays Cecilia, a shy girl whose only consolation during the Great Depression is the movie theater around the corner. As her marriage to the insincere Monk (Danny Aiello) is very unfulfilling, she constantly escapes to the movies were she can marvel at the stars on the big screen who live a life of glitter and fame. Things seem to be going from bad to worse when she catches her husband drunk with one of his female friends, and she is later fired from her job as waitress. Trying to get over her sadness, she watches the new movie The Purple Rose of Cairo again... [read more]
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Coal Miner's Daughter (25th Anniversay Edition) (US Version)
Tommy Lee Jones (Actor)
| Scott Rosenberg (Actor)
| Sissy Spacek (Actor)
| Tony Curtis (Actor)
Memories of a Coal Miner's DaughterCoal Miner's Daughter takes the viewers on the long and winding success story of Loretta Lynn. Michael Apted's autobiographic film retells Loretta Lynn's gradual rise from the status of a coal miner's daughter to her career as award-winning singer-songwriter. Sissy Spacek slips into her role as the second and dearest-loved member of the Webb family. Doolittle Lynn (Tommy Lee Jones) who tries to flee the bleak future of becoming a coal miner marries Loretta at the age of thirteen and later presents her with a guitar that changes her whole life. The film is elevated by the standout acting performances, especially by leads Jones and Spacek, who also sings all of her songs. They successfully... [read more]
March 17, 2008 Picked By A-Xiang Joe See all this editor's picks
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Harvey (US Version)
Cecil Kellaway (Actor)
| Jesse White (Actor)
| Charles Drake (Actor)
| Jeanette Nolan (Actor)
The late James Stewart slips into one of the most memorable roles of his film career in the classic Harvey. Even though my first viewing of this film dates back a few decades, I still have very fond memories of it. In Henry Koster's film version of Harvey, Stewart plays gregarious small town chap Elwood P. Dowd who seems to be a case for the mental hospital. The reason for that are his constant remarks about his best pal Harvey, who to be exact is a 6 feet 3½ inch tall pooka in the form of a white rabbit. This sort of turns into a problem as nobody else can see Harvey and Elwood, always busy to take care of his fellow citizens, doesn't know. Stewart's celebrated performance is backed up by a... [read more]
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The Chinese Connection/Fists of Fury (US Version)
Bruce Lee (Actor)
| Wei Lo (Director)
| Chang Cheh (Director)
One of the earliest movies I had the pleasure to watch with my parents was The Chinese Connection, a.k.a. Fist of Fury. Many consider it to be a milestone work in the world of martial arts movies. Starring the legendary Bruce Lee, this film by late director Lo Wei surrounds the mysterious death of one of Asia's biggest martial arts heroes, Huo Yuan Jia, who founded the respected Jing Wu martial arts school. Lee plays Chen Zhen, a loyal student of the school who is shocked after receiving the news of his teacher's death. When he discovers that his master became the victim of an intentional food poisoning organized by an opposition Japanese martial arts dojo, Chen swears revenge. Viewers are... [read more]
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West Side Story (Single Disc Edition)
Natalie Wood
| Richard Beymer
| Rita Moreno
| Russ Tamblyn
The Sharks and the Jets light up the silver screenOnce upon a fine after-school day, I came across West Side Story. This musical was co-directed by Robert Wise and Jerome Robbins and points out some important racial and social class issues. West Side Story opens with the cool whistle of the Jets, one of the film's central gangs, slowly zooming in on the district and some of the film's other major characters. Caught in the middle of the tale is the romance of Maria (Natalie Wood) and Tony (Richard Beymer). Maria is the younger sister of Bernardo (George Chakiris), the head of the Hispanic Sharks, while Tony used to be a member of the local Jets still led by his bosom friend Riff (Russ Tamblyn). As a result, a confrontation between the two... [read more]
February 22, 2008 Picked By A-Xiang Joe See all this editor's picks
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Pinocchio (Limited Edition) (Japan Version)
Rusk Hamilton (Director)
| Cliff Edwards
| Jones Dick
Walt Disney's animated version of Carlo Collodi's Pinocchio presents a classic in its own right. It's not difficult to like this 40s masterpiece that comes with unique narration by a cricket, namely Jiminy Cricket. The animation retells the familiar story of industrious toy inventor Geppetto who longs for a son of his own. As he is a kind and loving man, the Blue Fairy grants him his wish and bestows the gift of life to his latest invention, the wooden puppet Pinocchio. Arguably presenting the best animated adaptation of the story to date, Walt Disney's take on Pinocchio sparkles through its renditions of such memorable characters as Figaro the cat and the cute goldfish Cleo. As far as... [read more]
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Swing Girls Standard Edition (Japan Version - English Subtitles)
Takenaka Naoto
| Shiraishi Miho
| Tani Kei
| Kohinata Fumiyo
Yaguchi Shinobu's Swing Girls ignites the love of teenage schoolgirls for vintage jazz. Have you ever wanted to play an instrument, and then dropped the thought without second consideration? Swing Girls promises to supply anybody even remotely interested in music with another boost of encouragement that is sure to last for a while. That is, of course, if you like big band-style jazz a la Glenn Miller's Moonlight Serenade and In The Mood. However, if you are just planning to spend a relaxed time immersed in a positive-minded teenage tale, chances are likely that you may still be drawn to this passionate production. It revolves around a group of girls who are bored of their summer make-up... [read more]
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Dances with Wolves (Holiday O-Ring Packaging) (US Version)
Graham Greene (Actor)
| Mary McDonnell (Actor)
| Dean Semler (Actor)
| Jacqueline West (Actor)
Dances With Wolves reflects upon a decorated U.S. Lieutenant's encounter and lifelong friendship with Native Americans. Kevin Costner's larger-than-life western left a strong impression on me when I first saw it in the early 90s. Today, almost two decades later, the sensational feeling has somewhat diminished but it still remains a favorite of mine. Costner portrays U.S. Lieutenant John Dunbar whose suicide attempt leads to a victory for his cavalry and his promotion. Eager to get a taste of the real wilderness, he asks to be transferred to a post at the farthest frontier. After a few encounters with his new neighbors from the Sioux tribe, he befriends and later establishes an inseparable... [read more]
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City Lights (2-Disc Set) (US Version)
Hank Mann (Actor)
| Harry Myers (Actor)
| Virginia Cherrill (Actor)
| Charlie Chaplin (Director, Actor)
City Lights offers the perfect one-man-show vehicle for Charles Chaplin. In this silent movie Charlie stars in his usual poor man's role. Throughout the film he is ignored and made fun of by people of all ages and genders because of his poor background. Nonetheless he succeeds in rescuing from misery a wealthy man (Harry Myers) abandoned by his wife, and also makes an all-out effort to save a blind girl (Virginia Cherrill) he falls in love with. Based on these storylines, Charlie rushes from one street life adventure to the next displaying his fine comedic talents. Among the memorable scenes to watch out for is the one in which Charlie's character consumes spaghetti non-stop without... [read more]
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A Room with a View (2-Disc Special Edition) (US Version)
Daniel Day-Lewis (Actor)
| Helena Bonham Carter (Actor)
| Tom Stoppard (Actor)
| Judi Dench (Actor)
This film from the mid-80s transfers poetry into movie form. E.M. Forster's classic novel A Room with a View shines with perceptive comments on old-fashioned social norms and much more. James Ivory adapted the author's idyllic tale set in Italy and England to the big screen. Helena Bonham Carter gives a memorable performance as female protagonist Lucy Honeychurch who runs into the love of her life, George Emerson (Julian Sands), while going on a trip with her chaperone Charlotte Bartlett (Maggie Smith) in Florence. How Lucy denies her love for the romantic Emerson and later withdraws the promise to marry her fiance Cecil Vyse (Daniel Day Lewis) is just as charming in the movie as it is in... [read more]
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Hero (US Version)
Tony Leung Chiu Wai (Actor)
| Maggie Cheung Man Yuk (Actor)
| Jet Li (Actor)
| Christopher Doyle
Zhang Yimou has many tales to tell in Hero. Most of my relatives were not really impressed by Zhang Yimou's interpretation of Chinese history in this larger-than-life epic. As for me, I can forgive him for staying vague as far as the historical details are concerned in return for the cinematic tour de force he offers in his grand portrayal of a group of would-be assassins. Everything has been elevated to a point of sublime visual beauty, starting from the martial arts duels and the romantic conflicts all the way to the imagined confrontation with China's legendary first emperor. Viewed from an artistic angle, the fantastic performances by Maggie Cheung and Tony Leung Chiu Wai as star-crossed... [read more]
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Nowhere In Africa (Korean Version)
Ninidze Merab
| Habich Matthias
| Caroline Link
A family's desperate attempt to survive...Caroline Link's film depicts a Jewish family's dramatic struggle for survival far away from home. Based on true happenings, this movie adaptation of Stefanie Zweig's same-titled novel Nowhere in Africa revolves around the flight of the Redlich family to Kenya as Nazi activities in Germany start to escalate. In the middle of it all is daughter Regina (Lea Kurka/Karoline Eckertz) who retells their hostile encounters in Germany and her parents' difficulties adapting to the African environment and way of life. Whereas her parents only conform to their new surroundings out of necessity, Regina's immediate affinity to her new home becomes apparent through her friendship with their cook Owuor... [read more]
December 28, 2007 Picked By A-Xiang Joe See all this editor's picks
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2001: A Space Odyssey (DVD) (2-Disc Special Edition) (US Version)
Keir Dullea (Actor)
| Stanley Kubrick (Actor)
| Tony Masters (Actor)
| Gary Lockwood (Actor)
There are a lot of things that may appeal to viewers in Stanley Kubrick's sci-fi classic. Shot around four decades ago, 2001: A Space Odyssey is perhaps the grandest space epic ever captured on the silver screen and somehow it seems to get better with each additional viewing. The movie takes the audience on a fantastic journey across the boundaries of time, starting from an early pre-historic tribe to man's conquering of outer space and beyond. Dating back to the end of the 60s, Kubrick's film imagines earth's first encounter with another intelligent being and the consequences this brings about. Among the memorable scenes is the one that reinvents how man managed to distinguish himself from... [read more]
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The Warriors (Hong Kong Version)
Remar James
| Michael Beck
Walter Hill's The Warriors from the late 70s is one of those movies that is worthy of its cult following. The Warriors revolves around an underdog gang framed for murder, and the members have to fight their way back to Coney Island against all odds. In this typical Hill movie, a pack of individuals are caught in a life-deciding situation that they have to overcome at all costs through physical strength, clever tactics, or both. This unavoidably leads to chasing scenes that, in the case of the protagonists of this movie, never seem to end as they are shown running from and fighting against the likes of the Lizzies, Baseball Furies, Turnbulls, and other gangs that would like to see them dead... [read more]
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Kiki's Delivery Service (Hong Kong Version)
Miyazaki Hayao (Producer)
A teen witch's coming-of-age taleAnother work of passion, Miyazaki Hayao's fifth directorial film turned into a major success for Studio Ghibli. There is a certain charm about Kiki's Delivery Service that won me over as soon as this movie was in my DVD player. It all starts with the relaxing music by Miyazaki's first choice film score composer Hisaishi Joe whose acoustic sounds complement this original story about a thirteen-year-old witch like a glove fits the hand. As for the stunning artwork from the now established Japanese animation studio the world has come to know and love, many viewers including myself may get the idea to look for original paintings from the movie to put up at home. As background motifs for his... [read more]
December 6, 2007 Picked By A-Xiang Joe See all this editor's picks
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Notorious (Japan Version)
Alfred Hitchcock (Director)
Star pairing caught behind enemy linesSuspense is looming in the air as Ingrid Bergman teams up with Cary Grant in this taut espionage thriller by master director Alfred Hitchcock. Bergman plays the involuntary heroine in this black and white classic from the mid-40s. Appearing as Alicia Huberman, she delivers one of her best performances and a perfect example for Hitchcock's preferred cool blonde female protagonist. As Alicia, she tempts Nazi leader Alex Sebastian (Claude Rains), an accomplice of her father, and enters the lion's den by faking a marriage with the enemy. All of this is organized by the FBI whose agent T.R. Devlin (Cary Grant) has been assigned to monitor Alicia because of her infamous background. Infatuated with... [read more]
December 4, 2007 Picked By A-Xiang Joe See all this editor's picks
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The Gods Must Be Crazy (US Version)
Marius Weyers (Actor)
| Sandra Prinsloo (Actor)
| Jamie Uys (Director)
| Lena N!Xau
Coke bottle becomes Bushmen's worst fearWhat's a bottle of coke to you? In a far away village somewhere in Africa, it could mean everything according to this over-the-top comedy. The Gods Must Be Crazy revolves around a peaceful tribe of Bushmen who make their shocking premier encounter with the world at large. After a careless pilot drops an empty bottle of Coca-Cola out of his window, the life of this special race that communicates by means of clicking sounds is suddenly turned upside down. Shot in the beginning of the 80s, this movie is probably at its best during the passages presented in a semi-documentary style, following the journey of Bushman Xixo (N!xau) who sets out to reach the end of the world to return the gods'... [read more]
November 22, 2007 Picked By A-Xiang Joe See all this editor's picks
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The Graduate Digitally Remastered Edition (Japan Version)
Dustin Hoffman
| Anne Bancroft
| Mike Nichols (Director)
Ever since I watched The Graduate around a decade after its release, it has become a film that I like to revisit from time to time. The movie's essential plot is quite simple: the story's protagonist, Benjamin Braddock (Dustin Hoffman), is seduced by Mrs. Robinson (Anne Bancroft), the wife of his father's friend, only to later on fall in love with her daughter Elaine (Katherine Ross). Of course this kind of frame has ensuing unforeseeable results written all over it. Hoffman is ideally cast in the leading role, offering a tour de force performance. Bancroft may never have been more convincing than as middle-aged temptress Mrs.Robinson, while Ross charms as always in the role of her adorable... [read more]
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The Getaway (US Version)
Quincy Jones (Actor)
| Gordon Willis (Actor)
| Slim Pickens (Actor)
| Sally Struthers (Actor)
Ali MacGraw and the late Steve McQueen go on the run in this reckless western-style actioner. Sam Peckinpah's classic The Getaway was shot in the early seventies, and unveils a male, weapon-dictated society in which the undermining of moral values walks hand in hand with illegality. Caught in the middle of it all are MacGraw and McQueen as an outlaw couple trying to outwit a corrupt state official with both their marriage and a half-million dollars of loot at stake. Though not to be mistaken for role models, the two leads will no doubt draw viewers to their side, as they represent Peckinpah's iconic headstrong individuals. The late director found an ideal collaborator in scriptwriter Walter... [read more]
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