Reviews written by Kevin Kennedy
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Sad Movie (DTS Version) (Hong Kong Version)
Sad Movie (DTS Version) (Hong Kong Version) DVD Region 3
(2)Our Price: US$15.99Usually ships within 7 - 14 daysRelated promotions:September 29, 2009 Manipulative but compelling tearjerker"Sad Movie" delivers what its title implies. The film is comprised of intersecting stories, one about a fireman in love with a woman who signs the news for hearing-impaired TV viewers, a second story about a deaf woman who works as a Raggedy Ann character at a theme park and yearns to express her affection to a young artist who also works at the park, a third story about a young man whose shiftless ways have led his longtime girlfriend to wish to break up with him, and a fourth story about a career-oriented mother who realizes that her son is suffering from a lack of maternal attention.
Two of these stories have sad endings and two of them end tragically. In that distinction lies one of the film's problems. The emotional power of the two tragic endings makes the other two storylines seem relatively trivial. Yet those other two storylines -- the ones that are merely sad, but not tragic -- are more amusing and engaging and much less manipulative, thus creating an uneasy tension among the stories.
The real attraction of "Sad Movie", however, comes from the terrific performances of its fine young cast. For me the real standouts are hunky fireman Jung Woo-Sung who fears commitment due to the hazards of his profession, Cha Tae-Hyeon as a man who seeks to save his relationship by helping others end theirs, and the wide-eyed appeal of Shin Min-Ah as the deaf girl who is afraid to reveal her scars to the man she loves. Well-acted, nicely rounded characters in four heartfelt stories yield a film that is well worth watching.Did you find this review helpful? Yes (Report This)
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Cyborg She (DVD) (English Subtitled) (Hong Kong Version)
Cyborg She (DVD) (English Subtitled) (Hong Kong Version) DVD Region 3
(1)Our Price: US$16.99Usually ships within 7 - 14 daysRelated promotions:September 29, 2009 Love among the ruinsLet's set aside the fact that the film's title is inapposite; the title character is a robot, not a cyborg. Let's also set aside the fact that the movie bends the space-time continuum in ways that break its own rules for time-travel. And that, in one scene, the movie may have forgotten whether Ayase Haruka, who plays two different characters, was in her human mode or her robot mode. And that, while some of the movie's humor is laugh-out-loud funny, other attempts fall flat. The bottom line is that I found "Cyborg She" thoroughly enjoyable; this is film-making with heart.
College student Jiro (Koide Keisuke) meets a strange and lovely young woman and immediately falls head over heels in love with her. Unfortunately, after their one brief evening together (which coincidentally happens to be the birthday of both Jiro and the girl), she tells him that she has travelled to his age from the future and she must now return there. One year later, Jiro returns to the restaurant at which they dined in hopes that the mysterious girl from the future also will return. And she does (or so it seems). Now, however, the mysterious girl reveals that she is a robot. And so begins a delightful, engaging, harrowing, and uplifting tale, a tale that successfully marries an awkward teen romance (just like real teen romances) to a heroic disaster epic.
Ayase Haruka is remarkable in this film; she is, of course, exceptionally beautiful, but she also gives strikingly distinctive performances in both of her roles. Koide Keisuke keeps the film grounded by delivering a believable performance of an average guy thrust into extraordinary circumstances. "Cyborg She" takes the time to create characters about whom the viewer comes to care, then places those characters in a situation that truly tests their metal (pun intended). It left me thrilled, dazzled, and slightly crazy for a certain lovely robot.Did you find this review helpful? Yes (Report This)
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Insadong Scandal (DVD) (2-Disc) (First Press Edition) (Korea Version)
Insadong Scandal (DVD) (2-Disc) (First Press Edition) (Korea Version) DVD Region 3
(1)Our Price: US$28.99List: US$35.99Save: US$7.00 (19%)Usually ships within 1 to 2 daysRelated promotions:September 25, 2009 Entertaining overstuffed thriller"Insadong Scandal" is a stylish and surprisingly action-packed film about the marketing and forgery of ancient artworks. Uhm Jung Hwa, sporting a helmet-like hairdo, stars as Tae Jin, an utterly ruthless art dealer who believes that she has acquired a legendary old Korean painting. She hires Kang Jun (Kim Rae Won) to restore the work to its former glory. Kang Jun had been the enfant terrible of the art-restoring world, but now appears to be just a terrible gambler, wasting his life and losing card games. Kang Jun wishes to seize this opportunity to enrich himself. "Insadong Scandal" paints a picture of an art world in which everyone is out for themselves, no one's motives can be trusted, and anyone who crosses the imperious Tae Jin will pay the consequences.
The film boasts a tremendous cast giving excellent performances. Uhm Jung Hwa is utterly believable as the 'ice queen' art dealer. On the other hand, one needs a score card to keep track of the multiplicity of characters and all the schemes within schemes. The film would have benefitted from being streamlined; fewer characters and fewer subplots could have yielded a much tauter film. Nonetheless, "Insadong Scandal" is a gaudy, glossy, gripping peek into the greedy gremlins of Korea's art scene.Did you find this review helpful? Yes (Report This) -
Written By (DVD) (Hong Kong Version)
Written By (DVD) (Hong Kong Version) DVD Region All
(1)Our Price: US$14.99List: US$16.99Save: US$2.00 (12%)Usually ships within 1 to 2 daysRelated promotions:September 23, 2009 A story within a story within a story...Any kind of fiction, whether in the form of a novel, a stage play, or a movie, requires its audience to enter into a suspension of disbelief. In other words, in order for a movie to be enjoyed, viewers must not regard it merely as actors being filmed while delivering scripted lines; they must accept that these are real people in a real story. For me, the structure of "Written by" made it impossible to suspend disbelief.
"Written by" opens with a family of four being tragically altered by a car accident; the father of the family is killed and his daughter is blinded. Ten years later, the three surviving family members still struggle with their grief. To help deal with that grief, the blinded daughter, with the assistance of her mother and brother, begin to write a story in which the father survived the accident and, instead, the mother, daughter, and son were killed in it but return as ghosts to keep the father company. By this device, the film takes a step 'through the looking glass' and we enter into a cascading series of ever wilder inversions of reality.
While this approach permits extraordinary flights of fancy, the film's characters become mere artifices; none seemed like real people (a problem heightened by both Lau Ching Wan and Mia Yim overacting their characters' blindness). While the film runs for only a brief 82 minutes before the closing credits begin to role, those 82 minutes seemed interminable to me because I never believed the action on the screen; it was always just actors delivering scripted lines.Did you find this review helpful? Yes (Report This) -
The First 7th Night (DVD) (US Version)
The First 7th Night (DVD) (US Version) DVD Region All
(1)Our Price: US$13.99List: US$16.99Save: US$3.00 (18%)Usually ships within 1 to 2 daysRelated promotions:September 21, 2009 Intriguing ghostly mystery"The First 7th Night" is the cinematic equivalent of sitting around a campfire with your friends and swapping ghost stories. It is fun, it is gripping, it serves up lots of plot twists and turns, and it yields a surprising and entirely satisfying ending. Featuring loads of gritty action, a haunting, and Rashomon-like multiple perspectives on the same story, director Herman Yau's latest offering delivers great entertainment and interesting insights. I recommend it highly. Did you find this review helpful? Yes (Report This) -
Everlasting Regret (Hong Kong Version)
Everlasting Regret (Hong Kong Version) DVD Region All
(7)Our Price: US$10.99Usually ships within 1 to 2 daysRelated promotions:September 20, 2009 A noble but inconsistent filmDirector Stanley Kwan's "Everlasting Regret" is a tale told with pregnant pauses, baleful gazes, and words left unsaid. Its glancing, episodic approach to storytelling makes it both intriguing and confounding, involving and frustrating. Sammi Cheng stars as Wang Qiyao, a girl who is snatched from obscurity to become Miss Shanghai, then squanders her life in a series of mismatched love affairs. Tony Leung Ka Fai plays the photographer who placed Qiyao on 'centre stage' (pun intended), then squanders his life in unrequited pining for her.
The story spans three decades in Chinese history and manages to bring each succeeding era to life. Watching Qiyao age from girlish youth to fading beauty is remarkable; Sammi Cheng and the make-up artists succeed admirably in depicting these transitions. Sammi's performance as Qiyao has many vivid, memorable moments, yet in the end Qiyao remains an enigma. One wonders whether the blame lies with the cryptic script or to a failure of Miss Cheng to grasp her character. Leung Ka Fai, on the other hand, succeeds beautifully in portraying his tragic character infected with an infatuation that can never come to fruition.
"Everlasting Regret" is an ambitious and admirable yet deeply flawed film. I'm very glad I watched it; I think it tells an important and sometimes moving story and expands one's cinematic vocabulary. I am eager to see it again and am happy to recommend it for lovers of arthouse films.Did you find this review helpful? Yes (Report This) -
Green Tea
Green Tea DVD Region All
(2)Our Price: US$12.99Usually ships within 1 to 2 daysRelated promotions:September 20, 2009 A Chinese 'Tales of 1001 Nights'?"Green Tea" is an oblique love story in which conversation becomes a kind of foreplay. Zhao Wei plays bespectacled graduate student Wu Fang, who is on a mission to find a husband via a seemingly unending series of blind dates. Jiang Wen is Chen Mingliang, an artist trying to pick up the pieces after his fiancee has dumped him for another man. Mingliang's blind date with Wu Fang goes badly; he is too brash and pushy for the conservative Wu Fang's tastes. Mingliang, however, is smitten and he persists in his pursuit of Wu Fang. They develop an odd relationship in which Mingliang pursues, Wu Fang appeases him by telling him odd stories (echoes of "The Arabian Nights"?), then she once again slips away.
Things take a strange turn when one of Mingliang's friends takes him to a nightclub to see the hot young pianist over whom all the men have been drooling. It turns out that the sexy piano player looks (and sounds) just like Wu Fang! Are these two separate women or is Wu Fang leading a double life, one as a repressed grad student and one as a vivacious nightclub performer?
I found this subplot involving the pianist to be a distraction, but it does give Zhao Wei an opportunity to show off her impressive acting chops. Indeed, both Vicki and Jiang Wen do a superb job of bringing their characters to life. "Green Tea" is not for everyone; many may find it simply tedious. On the other hand, those who enjoy arthouse cinema likely will love the teasing talkiness of it all. I certainly did!Did you find this review helpful? Yes (Report This) -
Red River (DVD-9) (DTS Version) (English Subtitled) (China Version)
Red River (DVD-9) (DTS Version) (English Subtitled) (China Version) DVD Region All
(1)Our Price: US$10.99Usually ships within 7 - 14 daysRelated promotions:September 12, 2009 Big rewards from a small budget movie"Red River" tells of Tao (Zhang Jingchu) a mentally retarded Vietnamese orphan who comes to a Chinese border town to live with her aunt (Loletta Lee, looking as gorgeous as she ever did). A local hustler (Nick Cheung), who makes a meager living on the street with his karaoke equipment, hears Tao sing and realizes that her pure, sweet voice can help promote his karaoke business. So, he hires Tao from the aunt and draws crowds by having her sing on the street. Everything goes smoothly until a cruel crime boss (Danny Lee) decides that he wants Tao for himself.
Out of this simple formula, director Zhang Jiarui manages to spin a riveting, heartbreaking tale. It is a treat to see veteran actors like Danny Lee, Nick Cheung, and Loletta Lee perform and Zhang Jingchu succeeds in submerging herself within her childlike character. "Red River" proves once again that you don't need a big budget or fancy special effects to keep the audience on the edge of their seats. Its success is built upon its strong characters, its gritty, realistic feel, and a gripping story. Very highly recommended.Did you find this review helpful? Yes (Report This) -
Otoko wa Tsurai yo - Tora-San Meets His Lordship (19th Story) (DVD) (HD Remastered) (English Subtitled) (Japan Version)
Otoko wa Tsurai yo - Tora-San Meets His Lordship (19th Story) (DVD) (HD Remastered) (English Subtitled) (Japan Version) DVD Region 2
(1)Our Price: US$44.99Usually ships within 7 - 14 daysRelated promotions:September 12, 2009 One of the best Tora-san filmsIn "Tora-San Meets His Lordship", Tora is staying at an inn in the town of Ozu when he notices that the pretty young woman (Mano Kyoko) in the next room looks weary; Tora arranges for the inn to serve her special local dishes. When she comes to thank him, Tora learns that she is from Tokyo; he invites her to visit Toraya. The next day Tora worries over his hotel bill (he really couldn't afford those special dishes!) when his only 500 yen note blows away. An oddly formal old man (Arashi Kanjuro) has found it; Tora rewards him by buying him a soda and sweet buns. Delighted by the sweet beverage, the old man invites Tora to his home for supper. Tora agrees, then is stunned to learn that this gentleman is the local lord. The lord has a request for Tora; he wants Tora to find a young woman in Tokyo named Mariko, the widow of his youngest son. The lord had forbidden the marriage, thus he has never met Mariko. Tora offhandedly agrees to find her.
Ten days later the lord shows up at Toraya. Tora is alarmed when the lord presses him about whether he has found Mariko. Tora fears that, if he fails in this task, this old-school daimyo may chop off its head! Tora then sets out to find this needle in a haystack, knowing nothing more about Mariko than her given name; he exhausts himself in failure before he even leaves Shibamata. Soon, however, the lovely young woman that Tora met in Ozu arrives at Toraya to thank him for his generosity. She turns out to be the missing Mariko. Mariko is reluctant to meet the lord, who had shunned the young couple, but, when they actually meet, both the lord and Mariko are deeply moved.
Weeks later a letter from the lord arrives. In it, he asks Tora to persuade Mariko to move into his mansion in Ozu ... and to bring Tora along as her husband! Tora reels at this prospect. Will he end up living in the lap of luxury with the woman of his dreams? Watch this exceptionally well-written, humorous, and warm-hearted film to find out. I recommend "Tora-San Meets His Lordship" very, very highly for a general audience. The image quality of this Shochiku remastered version of the film is superb, a huge improvement over the muddy-looking Panorama DVD. While, suprisingly, the Panorama DVD's English subtitles actually are stronger and more thorough, the much sharper picture of this Shochiku version make it the essential choice for Tora-san fans.Did you find this review helpful? Yes (Report This) -
Deadly Delicious (DVD) (Taiwan Version)
Deadly Delicious (DVD) (Taiwan Version) DVD Region 3
(1)Our Price: US$13.99Usually ships within 7 - 14 daysRelated promotions:September 12, 2009 A thriller for foodiesFor me, "Deadly Delicious" left a sour taste. Francis Ng stars as Jiaqiao, a successful businessman with a girl in every port, never mind that he has a lovely wife waiting for him at home. His latest conquest is a gorgeous flight attendant, Coco (Jiang Yiyan), who has no idea that Jiaqiao is married and wonders why he is such an unreliable boyfriend. Into Coco's life wanders the mysterious 'Gu Xiaofan' (Yu Nan), who inexplicably begins to take a great interest in helping Coco win Jiaqiao's heart by means of cooking him delicious meals. Soon, however, Jiaqiao begins to become seriously ill ... and it doesn't take a genius to guess what must be causing his health to fail.
That was my main problem with this film. I figured out way too early what was happening. Once that became clear, the only reason to continue watching was to see how long it would take the clueless Coco to figure it out, too. Yes, the film throws in a few additional surprises, but they don't change the central story, they just flesh it out. The film is slick in its appearance, but awfully chilly. "Deadly Delicious" is, in essence, a stylish slasher film in which the slashing is done by an inventive means. Perhaps I would have liked it more if the story had taken the time to develop its characters; perhaps then I might have cared more about what becomes of them.Did you find this review helpful? Yes (Report This) -
IS (Infinity of Sound) Mini Album - In Dreams Volume. 1
IS (Infinity of Sound) Mini Album - In Dreams Volume. 1
(2)Our Price: US$10.99List: US$14.99Save: US$4.00 (27%)Usually ships within 7 daysRelated promotions:September 10, 2009 Sweet vocals and potent beatsTriplets Min-Ah, Sun-Ah, and Jin-Ah, now 25 years old, have played traditional Korean instruments together since they were only six. As testament to their skill, each of them has obtained a Masters of Fine Arts degree. Now playing as IS (Infinity of Sound), the three sisters deliver a potent brew of electronic dance tracks colored with their traditional instrumentation and feathery vocals.
The closest comparison I can make to IS's sound is that of China's 12 Girls Band, but IS is way cooler, way more dance oriented, way more cutting edge. I have been playing this mini-album over and over again; I can't get enough of it! IS surely will appeal to a wide variety of different music fans.Did you find this review helpful? Yes (Report This) -
Happy Flight (DVD) (English Subtitled) (Hong Kong Version)
Happy Flight (DVD) (English Subtitled) (Hong Kong Version) DVD Region 3
(1)Our Price: US$16.99Usually ships within 1 to 2 daysRelated promotions:September 10, 2009 All aboard this "Happy Flight"I believe "Happy Flight" is being mismarketed as a comedy. While it yields plenty of laughs in its first half, "Happy Flight" might more aptly be described as a slice-of-life film, a behind the scenes look at one airline flight from Tokyo to Hawa'ii, examining the roles of pilots, flight attendants, passengers, flight control personnel, ticket agents, and ground crew, and telling us something fresh about each of these groups. It even gives us a "bird man", an airport employee charged with scaring off birds from the flight paths of the giant airplanes.
At the center of the movie are two characters, co-pilot Kazuhiro (Tanabe Seiichi), who is given the driver's seat on this flight as a final test for promotion to full pilot status, and fledgling flight attendant Etsuko (Ayase Haruka), who is working her first big international flight. Both of them get much more than they bargained for, as damage to the plane prevents them from reaching their destination, but a typhoon blocks their return to Tokyo. The film's last half-hour becomes a white-knuckle thrill ride as Kazuhiro fights to bring the plane safely down. Along the way, "Happy Flight" serves up lessons in teamwork, perseverance, respect for authority, creativity, and boldness, and does so in a way that brings its stories to life.
Ayase Haruka shines as the young cabin attendant, but this really is an ensemble piece and the whole cast does engaging and believable work. Kudos also must be given to the filmmakers, particularly the editor. With such a huge cast, so many different storylines, and the challenge of filming in very confined surroundings, it is a marvel that this film flows so smoothly. "Happy Flight" is a happy treat for the entire family.Did you find this review helpful? Yes (Report This) -
Christmas In August (Hong Kong Version)
Christmas In August (Hong Kong Version) DVD Region 3
(10)Our Price: US$10.99Usually ships within 1 to 2 daysRelated promotions:September 8, 2009 A fleeting romanceSomeone needs to explain to me why so many Korean movies and TV series focus on the fatal illness/doomed romance theme. "Christmas in August" definitely falls within this category and, fortunately, succeeds admirably. Early in the film we learn that photography shop proprietor Jung Won (Kim Suk Kyu) suffers from a fatal and incurable disease (a disease which never is identified in the film and which seems to have no visible symptoms). Nice guy Jung Won is in his thirties, but has never married (because he knew of his illness, perhaps?). Nice girl Darim (Shim Eun Ha), who dispenses parking tickets for a living, begins to frequent his shop, at first to get photos developed. However, something other than the photos begins to develop -- Jung Won and Darim begin to fall in love with each other.
At the same time that this romance is blossoming, Jung Won is making preparations for his impending demise. He writes directions for his father to use the VCR, a new technology that baffles him. He visits with his old school chums one last time. He writes out directions for how the photo development equipment functions. He takes his own memorial portrait. There is one preparation, however, that Jung Won is unable to make; he is unable to tell Darim of his condition. Then one day he fails to show up at the shop and Darim is baffled by his disappearance...
"Christmas in August" succeeds by rejecting the conventions of its genre. Director Hur Jin Ho shuns histrionics and melodrama. Instead, he creates a quiet evocation of two human paths intersecting ever so briefly. Both lead actors give exceptionally good performances. Shim Eun Ha was born to play roles like this; her ability to convey subtle changes in mood and emotion is superb. And it is such subtleties that form the sum and substance of this winning film. If you demand stories told with bold strokes, then "Christmas in August" may not be for you. If you prefer a quieter, more naturalistic approach to movie-making, then, like me, you likely will enjoy this film very much.Did you find this review helpful? Yes (Report This) -
Zatoichi's Revenge (US Version)
Zatoichi's Revenge (US Version) DVD Region 1
(1)Our Price: US$17.99List: US$19.95Save: US$1.96 (10%)Usually ships within 7 - 14 daysRelated promotions:September 8, 2009 Well-executed, action-packed Zatoichi taleZatoichi (Katsu Shintaro) decides to pay a visit to the blind masseur who taught him how to give massages. However, when he arrives in his mentor's town, he finds that everything has changed. His mentor has been murdered, the mentor's lovely daughter Sayo (Tsubouchi Mikiko) has been thrown into a brothel, and the town is now run by a ruthless crime boss. Ichi is determined to set Sayo free and gain revenge for his mentor's death.
Denroku the Weasel (Norihei Miki) throws the dice in the crime boss's gambling den. Denroku, however, generally is a good-hearted man and he strikes a bond with Ichi. But when Denroku fails in his efforts to cheat Ichi at dice, the crime boss threatens to throw Denroku out of town and to put his sweet 11 year old daughter Tsuru into the brothel. Denroku's only hope is to win back the crime boss's favor by stealing Ichi's cane sword, thereby leaving Ichi defenseless against the boss's thugs. Unbeknownst to Denroku, sweet Tsuru takes it upon herself to steal Ichi's cane ... and succeeds!
Will this be the end of the line for Zatoichi or will he recover his cane and bring justice to his old mentor's town? For fans of the Zatoichi series, this all is quite familiar territory; we've seen similar stories earlier in the series and will encounter similar stories later in the series. But, as with jokes, it's all in how you tell 'em. And this is a very well-told tale, loaded with color and action. Highly recommended.Did you find this review helpful? Yes (Report This) -
2009 Love Songs Collection (2CD)
2009 Love Songs Collection (2CD)
(1)Our Price: US$17.99Usually ships within 1 to 2 daysRelated promotions:1 people found the following helpful
September 7, 2009 Lots more to "LOVE"For me, each new release in the "Love Songs Collection" has become a "can't miss" event. The quality of each new album in the series is uniformly very high. This newest release is no exception. Indeed, disk one in this set is darn near flawless; I can't think of a better way to introduce someone to the pleasures of Cantopop than to have them listen to this first disk. The second disk has a few less stellar moments, but it too has a host of Cantopop delights.
The album includes excellent songs from such stalwart veterans as Hacken Lee, Andy Hui, William So, and Eason Chan, coupled with unforgettable tunes from younger singers who have become regulars in this series such as Kary Ng, Hins Cheung, and Ivana Wong. It is hard to pick favorites, but if I had to name a few, I'd mention Kay Tse's sweet "Song of the Year", newcomer G.E.M.'s soulful "Where Did U Go", the wonderfully goofy "Chinese Cold Noodle" by Stephy Tang, and both of Alex Fong's numbers.
Based on the evidence of this album, I'd say the Cantopop scene is going strong!Did you find this review helpful? Yes (Report This) -
The President's Barber (Taiwan Version)
The President's Barber (Taiwan Version) DVD Region All
(1)Our Price: US$14.99Usually ships within 7 - 14 daysRelated promotions:September 7, 2009 A human story about a country's coming of age"The President's Barber" is one of the finest political allegories ever committed to film. What makes it such a splendid achievement is that its allegory is buried within a warmly human tale, a story about a humble and somewhat slow-witted barber who is plucked from obscurity to become the President's barber. What might have been a fortunate turn of events turns disastrous when the barber's only child, a sweet little boy, becomes swept up in a witch hunt for North Korean collaborators. This powerful tale is by turns sweetly comic, heartbreaking, heroic, and, ultimately, uplifting. Song Kang Ho, as the barber, gives a toweringly good performance. Don't miss this wonderful film! (Please note that I watched a Korean DVD of this movie that had English subtitles.) Did you find this review helpful? Yes (Report This) -
Out Of The Dark (Digitally Remastered) (Hong Kong Version)
Out Of The Dark (Digitally Remastered) (Hong Kong Version) DVD Region 3
(3)Our Price: US$14.49Usually ships within 1 to 2 daysRelated promotions:September 7, 2009 A Jeff Lau classicThose who come to "Out of the Dark" looking for a typical Stephen Chow film may be surprised. In most of his films, Chow has carved out a cheeky comic persona that is as immediately recognizable as is Charlie Chaplin's or Woody Allen's. Here, however, the usual Chow persona is submerged within a creepily insane ghosthunter character. Indeed, I believe that viewers shouldn't think of this as a Stephen Chow movie; they should view it as a Jeff Lau movie, a very worthy successor to director Lau's hilarious "The Haunted Cop Shop".
Stephen Chow plays Leon, a resident of an insane asylum who devotes himself to finding and dispatching ghosts. He either is completely insane or is a mad genius. At an apartment tower, an elderly woman has died and now it appears that the apartment building is haunted by her ghost. The building's Keystone Kops-style security force is driven to distraction by the ghostly appearances and the family of the dead grannie believes that she wants to do them in. Leon is determined to rid the building of the grannie's ghostly presence and employs an array of absurd techniques to get this job done. Observing all this madness, then participating in it with great relish is quirky building resident Kwan (Karen Mok).
Chow's Leon character is unforgettable. Always clad in a black baseball cap, dark sunglasses, a dark trenchcoat, and a very grim expression, the essence of Leon's weirdness is captured by his tight relationship ... with a lily, a big potted lily plant that he carries with him everywhere and in which he confides all his plans. Long-legged Karen Mok's off-kilter charms shine as the gal who is game for any craziness that Leon may conceive. The cast is filled out with a host of Hong Kong's best comic character actors. "Out of the Dark" is an overlooked delight. I recommend it very, very highly.Did you find this review helpful? Yes (Report This) -
Tragic Commitment (Hong Kong Version)
Tragic Commitment (Hong Kong Version) DVD Region 3
(1)Our Price: US$15.99Usually ships within 7 - 14 daysRelated promotions:September 6, 2009 Watch it for AnitaIn "Tragic Commitment", Anita Yuen plays Dr. Lan Xiao Tong, an obstetrician whose husband Alex (Julian Cheung) blows himself up by lighting a cigarette while standing near tanks of propane gas. Just before he breathes his last breath, Alex reveals to Xiao Tong and his mother Ying (Deannie Ip) that he has a pregnant mistress named Blackie (Josie Ho) and asks that they take care of Blackie and Alex's future baby. Shocked to learn of her now-deceased husband's infedelity, Xiao Tong nonetheless goes in search Blackie and finds her in a run-down tenement inhabited by hookers, bums, and her abusive father, a former movie stunt man. To put it mildly, things don't go well between Xiao Tong and Blackie. Ying, however, makes a deal with Blackie -- Ying will pay her a million dollars if she will agree to live with Ying and Xiao Tong until after the baby is born. This mix of personalities under one roof proves to be as explosive as the propane that killed Alex.
"Tragic Commitment" is a rather heavy-handed, sometimes crudely made melodrama, saddled with cheesy incidental music that leaves the viewer expecting Snidely Whiplash to pop out of the shadows and threaten some damsel in distress. Anita Yuen gives one of her customary fine performances. Unfortunately, Josie Ho spends most of the movie overacting terribly; this was only her second screen role and she was nowhere near as good an actress as she now is. Fans of Anita Yuen definitely should check this one out, but this one could have been much improved with better writing and a more experienced actress in the Blackie role.Did you find this review helpful? Yes (Report This) -
Love On Delivery (Digitally Remastered) (Hong Kong Version)
Love On Delivery (Digitally Remastered) (Hong Kong Version) DVD Region 3
(2)Our Price: US$15.99Usually ships within 1 to 2 daysRelated promotions:September 5, 2009 Truly a laugh-out-loud comedyWhen I watched "Love On Delivery", my neighbors may have wondered about all the noise coming from my home; it was me, laughing. Stephen Chow stars as a nerdy delivery guy for a crummy restaurant who falls in love with lovely Lily (Christy Chung), who is suffering the unwanted attentions of her bullying judo teacher (Cheng Cho). Wishing to defend Lily's honor but knowing he has no chance against the brutish judo master, Chow seeks asssitance from a crippled fraud (Ng Man Tat), who claims to be a master of ancient Chinese boxing techniques. Chow takes the fraud's foolish teaching to heart and, shockingly, manages to defeat the judo teacher. But just as the way seems clear for Chow's relationship with Lily, another even more dangerous appears on the horizon...
Stephen Chow is hilarious. One of the keys to Chow's comic genius is that he understands that great comedy comes not from mugging and overplaying, but instead from underplaying and acting in a perfectly natural manner while chaos swirls all around. He employs this technique wonderfully here, and couples it with terrific physical comedy. Ng Man Tat also generates lots of laughs through his inspired silliness. When skies are grey and you are feeling low, spend some time watching "Love On Delivery" and things will brighten for you quickly.Did you find this review helpful? Yes (Report This) -
Prince Charming (Hong Kong Version)
Prince Charming (Hong Kong Version) DVD Region 3
(1)Our Price: US$15.99Usually ships within 7 - 14 daysRelated promotions:September 5, 2009 To call it uneven is doing it a favorThere is very little that is charming about "Prince Charming". There also is very little that if funny about this comedy. Instead, we get lots of forced silliness, bad overacting, ugly '80s fashions, and a story that feels like they made it up as they went along. Director Wong Jing manages to squander a dream cast that includes Kenny Bee, Cherie Chung, Maggie Cheung, Rosamund Kwan, and Nat Chan. The cinematography is never more than pedestrian, the editing is clumsy, and, as usual, Wong Jing's direction is slapdash.
Okay, enough complaining. Now for the good stuff. Kenny Bee as the bashful scion of a wealthy business owner and Cherie Chung as a shy employee of that business manage to be appealing amid all of the dross. They have a wonderful chemistry, Cherie looks gorgeous, and their halting romance makes "Prince Charming" watchable.Did you find this review helpful? Yes (Report This)
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