Month: January 2005

No, I am not talking about myself this time. I am talking about a film – “Big Fat Liar“. We watched this one with Martin this time. It is a really hiliarious comedy which not only makes you laugh your belly off, but massages a few serious issues. Issues like: parents should watch over the children, lying is bad, and, most importantly: Don’t mess with kids. Ever. Period.. Seriously.

On the film wave, I’d like to point out excellent acting by everyone, particularly by Frankie Muniz and Paul Giamatti. Frankie Muniz mixed together with events in the movie was making me wonder all the time – where is Ashton Kutcher? Really, everything was so “Punk’d“!

Also, this film touches upon an amazing number of other movies. It parodies some, and references the other. But it’s not like in a regular parody where you see parody becaue it is so obvious. No. Here you have just hints and bits of other movies. If you haven’t seem them, it is still funny and makes sense for you. But if you have, it’s like a total new level of fun.

What more? I rarely mention the make-up. This film used a whole bunch of it and it was really impressive. Blue skinned Paul Giamatti with red hair was totally amazing. I guess he had to do like 6 hour make-up sessions or something like that.

On the downsides, I wish there were more character development. Basically, only the two main characters are well done. Everyone else is just a mess and a few ideas. Also, some untemplated twist to the story would be nice. They say that there are only 14 scripts in Hollywood. I think I am starting to forget the 4. Get something new! Put some risk in it!

Anyway, the film got me with a lot of fun. Thus 7 out of 10.

One of the good things that come out of having a DVD club as a neighboor is that a good relationship can be established between the club owner and its customers. It can be very educational both ways. People talk and thus learn more, open up their minds and broaden their horizons. The key here is both ways.

Today I asked Martin to give me something Chinese with lots of action and martial arts. He responded with “Azumi“. The name rang some bells in my mind but nothing to specific. Anyway, I’ve got a bit suspecios, because “Azumi” doesn’t sound like Chinese. It sounds like Japanese. But I didn’t say anything, because I wasn’t that sure anyway and Martin already saw the film.

Than I watched it. It is a nicely done traditional Japanese action. Unfortunately, I don’t like Japanese movies very much, but I enjoyed it non-the-less. Lots of blood, sword fights, and excellent photography. Light needs some work (with three or four shadows from the same person under a sun – its too much). Music sucked. It was too Western. American even. The story was pretty simple and straightforward, but don’t take my word on it, because I watched it in Japanese with Greek subtitles and these are two languages which I have yet to learn.

I’ll rate it as a 7 out of 10. If you like Japanese films, I am sure you’ll give it more.

Now that I am through with the movie, I will add a few points on HOWTO diffirentiate regular Chinese action from regular Japanese action.

• IMDB. The easiest of all is of course to look the film up at IMDB. Both the country and languages can give you the idea.
• Sound of the language. In order to hear the difference, I bet, it is enough to watch two Japanese and two Chinese movies in a short period of time. Chinese sounds like “wing” and “tounge”. Japanese sounds like “kimono” and “banzai”. There is a difference.
• Production. Regular Chinese action movies look and feel cheap. Japanese look and feel expensive, stylish, and thought through.
• Martial arts. Chinese fights are mostly fiest fights. They use body and rarely any weapons. If they do, weapons usually occupy small part of a fight and might be changed several times (stick, sword, gauntlet, knife, stick, sward, etc). Japanese are most exclusively use swords. Sometimes you can see ancient rifles and canons. Chinese fights are always longer. Plenty of hits and styles, lots of moving around the scene. Japanese fights are usually short, samurai-type – kill with as little movement as possible.
• Blood. Jananese movies are all bloody as hell. Every time there is a fight, there is a kill, and blood is fontaining out of the dead body in all directions. Chinese films rarely have any more damage than a bloody running nose. Sometimes you can hear the sound of breaking bones, but almost never you can see one.
• Photography. Japanese films are filled with excellent photography. You can make posters out of almost every screen capture. Mountains, lonely house, man and woman inside the house, expensive aesthetically perfect samurai swords, etc. Chinese movies have very poor photography. If they show any scenery that is for the only reason to introduce it to the audience so that the following fight on that ground would be easier understood.
• Pace. Japanese movies are slow and dramatic. There are lots of pauses between events in the film. There are many moments when there are no people at all in the frame. Or even if there are few they don’t move. Chinese films are fast. There is always someone moving, someone coming, or someone fighting. If only a single person is shown he or she is most probably practicing kung fu.
• Drama. Japanese movies are way more dramatic. Orphans are pretty usual. Building up character and strength for revenge are usual. All friends and relatives of the main character are usually dead by the end of the film. Closing scene can make you cry – evil is conquered, but there are no good people left except for one tired and exhausted character who doesn’t care about good anymore. And has hands covered in blood. Chinese movies on the other hand are much lighter. People rarely die. In the end, evil is conquered and made fun of by the main character and one or more friends and relatives of his/hers.

Why did I write all of that? Because it is important to know that not all martial art movies are the same (I didn’t even touch the Americans now). People who like martial art movies usually like either Chinese or Japanese. I have yet to see someone who loves both equally. And although I can appreciate a good Japanese movie, I still prefer Chinese for the lightness and fun that they bring.

Watched “The Hot Chick” on DVD. I didn’t go to the movies when it was there because of a really misleading theatrical trailer. It really didn’t do the film any justice. I am glad I finally rented it.

At first, the story. There are two movies which came out some time after “The Hot Chick” (2002), but each of which has taken half of the story from it. “Freaky Friday” (2003) used the part with body exchanging according to some magic spell. Also there are bits about relations in the family. “Mean Girls” (2004) on the other hand, used all the stuff about a bunch of hot chicks in the school or college or whatever. I mean of course none of this are new ideas anyway, but I could feel the strong connection this time. By the way, out of all three movies “The Hot Chick” is by far the best.

Secondly, acting. Many cheap and simple movies can be really boosted by good acting. I mean the should be at least something a movie should offer. Well, it does in this case. Rob Schneider did an amazing job here. His part itself wasn’t that great. It is obvious that he is “overqualified” for this job. Oh, and he is moving up the rating table of my favourite comics pretty fast. I think I’ll be watching more of his movies in the near future.

Thirdly, humor. Men and women live together from day to day. Many things are getting blurred and forgotten by the routine. But it is good to stop sometimes and see that we are actually different. Many things that women do and that men don’t even notice will look really strange and weird coming from a man. The opposite is true also. Basing a film on such differences is basically a guaranteed success. I like this type of humor, but it is not that fresh. Probably that’s just me. Maybe that is because Olga and I do similar comparisons pretty often. Those who don’t will love the film.

Anyway, the film is good. It provides entertainment and might even suggest a thing or two to a growing teenager. 6 out of 10.