Posted in: No Huddle Reviews by Michael Durr on October 30th, 2023
Death is unfortunately something that comes to us all. It's not something we can prevent, even if we do all that is necessary to prolong it. In the same breath, we can control to some degree what we can pass on to our family and loved ones, whether it be our spouse, children, both, or perhaps none at all. Whether it be wealth, property, movie collection (son, you have no idea), or perhaps some sentimental trinkets, a simple will and responsible caretaker should be all you need in order to pass it on. However, responsibility can sometimes be fleeting. Today, we look at a movie called Cracked, where pieces of art are passed down from a father to a daughter with frightening results. Let's take a look.
New York: a monorail train speeds by in the big city. Ruja (played by Chayanit Chansangavej) is in her apartment with her daughter, Rachel (played by Nutthatcha Padovan). Rachel is asleep, and Ruja is on the phone with an unknown party. The mother is asking for money that she desperately needs. At one point, the person on the phone obviously refuses, and we are also now aware that Rachel needs eye surgery, or else she will go blind. The conversation ends with a click, and the phone goes dead. Nearby, it appears that the daughter is awake and listening. She asks her mother if she really is going to go blind. Through the blurry child's eyes, the two embrace as the mother comforts her and tells her everything is going to be OK.
Posted in: No Huddle Reviews by Michael Durr on October 23rd, 2023
Full disclaimer: I tend to watch probably too much true crime television. I've watched about every episode of Homicide Hunter (Joe Kenda), Forensic Files, and plenty of other detective shows based on real cases. I find them fascinating, and my wife would seriously like to know what else is on our television. As a result, I tend to also gravitate towards real cases depicted in movies and documentaries as well. Today's film, The Night of the 12th, deals with a real case based in France. However, this one has a hook. Whereas almost every case that we tend to see on television is solved and the murderer goes away to jail, this one has a very different ending. Let's take a look and see if we can still enjoy this experience.
Yohan Vives (played by Bastien Bouillon) is cycling around a track alone lap after lap. Since he is doing this at night, he can zone in on his thoughts as his body continues to wrap around the circle of movement.
Posted in: Disc Reviews by Michael Durr on October 16th, 2023
It's a genuinely rewarding experience when you find a new director that you find intriguing. Mostly because as the consumer, it's then a research project to find everything that person has ever done and then dissect which films you can go find to watch immediately. When I watched Wheel of Fortune and Fantasy, I had that experience instantly. I wanted to see more of Rysuke Hamaguchi's films. So I bought a Criterion Blu-ray copy of Drive My Car back in July. Shortly after that, I saw that his student film, Passion, was going to be released by Film Movement on Blu-ray, and I was eager to get a copy. Luckily, I didn't have to wait too long, because the opportunity to review presented itself even before the release date. Let's dive into this film and see the early workings of a true master of the conversation.
Note: I apologize in advance that I'm unable to identify several of the actresses (the roles of Sanae, Marie, and Hana) in this film. Usually I'm spot-on about these things (but there is no information on the internet as to who these women are real-name-wise). If someone knows, please contact me or leave a comment.
Posted in: No Huddle Reviews by Michael Durr on September 11th, 2023
Korean horror has picked up in the last twenty years tenfold. From films like Bedevilled and Thirst, they took on the revenge and vampire themes that a lot of classic horror films are built upon. But honestly, I've been most impressed with films like The Wailing and Train to Busan. The latter bred new life into the very tired zombie genre and made a darn watchable film, while The Wailing knew exactly what buttons to push when it comes to religion but then used that to make an interesting and thought-provoking film. That's why when I saw that we had a copy of Seire, I knew I had to review it, even though I probably would be too scared to write about it for a few days. I'm so glad I did.
According to the legend of samchil-il, 21 days after childbirth, the baby is vulnerable to bad luck, curses, and evil spirits. One of the most popular of the methods to keep out those spirits is to wrap the home with rope to keep outsiders out. No taboo is to be broken no matter how difficult it may be. For if you do, then you will suffer a horrible fate.
Posted in: No Huddle Reviews by Michael Durr on May 24th, 2023
I think all of us want to be on stage, at least in theory. For me, it started with some plays in high school. But from there, those aspirations were cut short due to my father telling me that I needed a real job (which was his favorite thing to tell me in high school and college). I don't think the decade I spent in karaoke bars (and actually singing) really counts for anything either. So I've always been fascinated with theater, particularly when it comes to comedy. When I saw King of Laughter as a possible review title, I took a peek at the trailer and decided to give it a shot. After all, what's not to like about a story featuring the famous actor/playwright Eduardo Scarpetta in a battle with the courts over the concept of parody? Let's take a look.
We are at a showing of the play Poverty and Nobility. At the backstage area, we see actors eating pizza. Then we move across to the box office area where everyone seems to be trying to get a ticket, only to be told that it is sold out. Eduardo Scarpetta (played by Toni Servillo) puts on his makeup while members of his family watch. Nearby, a table has two men seated. The proceeds from tonight's play are counted over and over again while they try to figure out the payout for each crew member. Finally, we reach the point in the play where Eduardo Scarpetta makes his appearance to a sea of thunderous applause.
Posted in: No Huddle Reviews by Michael Durr on May 10th, 2023
One of my favorite movies of all time is Se7en. Morgan Freeman, Brad Pitt, and Kevin Spacey star in this amazing film about a senior and rookie pair of cops on the hunt for a serial killer who is murdering victims depicting the seven deadly sins. It's so breathtaking, and so long overdue for a 4K release, it's ridiculous. It has also led me when I receive packages to blurt out, "What's in the box?" in the deadpan tone that Brad Pitt uses in the movie. So naturally, whenever I hear of a film that draws comparisons to this fine film, my head certainly does a double take. Enter Hinterland. In this film, Peter Perg who just came home after World War I, is searching for a serial killer who is taking out former soldiers in a very ritualistic pattern. Let's check it out.
The film opens with some background. World War (I) is lost. Austria, once a proud major power, is turning into a small and insignificant state. The emperor has stepped down, and now Austria is regarded as a republic. The soldiers who have come home realize that nothing is as it was before. What's worse is that some of those soldiers did not return until years later (prisoners of war).
Posted in: No Huddle Reviews by Michael Durr on May 8th, 2023
Films about World War II and Nazism are hard for me to watch. No matter how well-intentioned they may be, I can barely make it through Schindler's List or Dunkirk or even something like Inglorious Bastards (I do, however, find The Producers to be hilarious). Most of the time, it hits a little too close to home. For you see, my Polish grandfather (may he rest in peace), his parents were taken away to a concentration camp. So anytime I watch a film set in that time period, I think, well, what if he had been taken away. It's not like those horrible people showed any sort of restraint on children, and then where would my grandfather be? Or my mother? Or myself? Anyway, I got lured into Chess Story by the promise of a thriller with the game of chess as the backdrop. Unfortunately, by the end I was reminded of the horror, but also that there is still great modern moviemaking even with Nazis. Let's take a look.
We hear whispers all around from every direction, and there is a light crackling overheard. It continues until it fades to black.
Posted in: No Huddle Reviews by Michael Durr on December 6th, 2022
Hopefully, most of you have enjoyed my review of Unidentified, the first in a series of three films directed by Bogdan George Apetri set in a small town in Northern Romania. It is a nontraditional trilogy, as all three stories share the same universe but do not require the viewer to watch them together or in a certain order. Well, today I have received the second film in this series, entitled Miracle. Since they were filmed at the same time, one would hope that it is just as good and just as brilliant as the first film. Let's take a look and see what it has to offer.
We see a girl crying over some holy water. Her name is Cristina Tofan (played by Ioana Bugarin). She is dressed in clothes that resemble those of a nun and is staying at the covenant. Sister Mina (played by Nora Covali) enters and hands her a bag with a cell phone and tells Cristina to call. She does so, but there is no answer, and she tries again. Again, no response. The car is waiting by the side gate, and Cristina prays for safety.
Posted in: No Huddle Reviews by Michael Durr on November 10th, 2022
I certainly do not want to get political here, but cops as a rule have a certain extent of power that we as common folk typically do not enjoy. It is often a plot point in many thriller movies that we sit and watch the officer harasses suspects or perhaps uses some shady tactics in order to get their man (or woman). It's common, heck it's probably in film school 101 and some might even see it as a bit cliché. Today's film is Unidentified, a Romanian film where a detective enters a very grey area in order to catch the perpetrator. It's also the first film in a trilogy. Yes, you read that right but more on that later. Let's take a look.
We see the sprawling countryside of Romania. It shifts to trees and then to lots of houses and businesses. We arrive at the city, time is 2:45 PM and Florin Iespas (played by Bogdan Farcas) is looking at some grisly photographs of burn victims along with a picture of a suspect. At the bosses office, he talks to Comisar Sef (played by Vasile Muraru) about the case which actually doesn't belong to him. The case belongs to another cop named Radu who happens to be away on a vacation.
Posted in: Disc Reviews by Michael Durr on September 13th, 2022
The people of Taiwan have been searching for an identity for a long time. When martial law was lifted over the People's Republic of China in the 1980's and shifted to a more democratic form, the people have increasingly wanted their own identity and no longer to be known as a part of China. Sure, they might maintain the status quo and appear to work with China (which hasn't been exactly the case lately), but they strive to be known as Taiwanese, separate from the mainland influence. Our film today, Vive L'Amour, takes place in the 1990's Taiwan, where life was extremely hard for the average young adult. So hard that many of them didn't even have a permanent residence.
We open to see a key is left in the door of a dwelling. Nearby a salesman named Hsiao-kang (played by Lee Kang-sheng) finishes up a door-to-door sales call and after a few moments decides to take the key. He goes to the convenience store, grabs a water, and sees a camera where he adjusts his hair. The next scene, he is driving on his motorcycle and arrives at the location where he grabbed the key from. He starts to unlock the door, hears sounds from inside, and quickly leaves.
