Sukiyaki Western Django

2007

98 minutes

5 Stars

Adult-R for violence

This is one of the strangest westerns I've ever seen. In fact, it is the strangest. A whole new genre of the spaghetti western. Soba western? Noodle western? It is violent (including rape). And it is funny. It takes place in the southwestern town of Nevada Utah, which is a cross between an old west town and a Japanese village. The Red Clan and the White Clan are fighting over the gold the villagers dug (and hid) when into the town comes the stranger. A Japanese film, in English (suggest subtitles—pronunciation is great, syntax is "off." Quentin Tarantino has a couple of cameos, and as always, he's wonderful! Takashi Miike is the director, and if you're familiar with his work, you won't be disappointed. Parody? Homage? I dunno, but I enjoyed it to the end.

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Saving General Yang

2013

107 minutes

5 Stars

I didn't realize until the end that it was inspired by a true story. The setting is the Song dynasty, 986AD, Northeastern China. Two sons of rival families fight for the hand of the woman they love. The Yang boy fights, against his father's orders, and the Pan boy falls and breaks his neck due to his own treachery and dies. The enemy is soon at the gates, and the Emperor rewards General Pan as commander-in-chief, and General Yang to lead the front line troops. A north wind blows no good and General Yang is soon deserted by General Pan. Yang's seven sons ride to his rescue. Number One son holds a paper given to his mother that states, "Seven will ride, Six will return." A epic war movie, not for children or the faint of heart.

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The Grand Budapest Hotel

2014

100 minutes

4 Stars

Wonderful, quirky, but just a tad disjointed here and there. Well acted, predictable, and for the most part, fun. If deadpan is your desire, this is your movie. The main setting is a lavish and expensive hotel spa in the alps to which the very rich flock. The concierge dotes on the old women, and when one dies, he goes to pay his last respects, only to find himself arrested for her murder. A priceless painting is stolen, there is a jailbreak, and justice and love win out. Mostly. Not sure, exactly, why an R rating, other than the F-word was used now and then.  It's good to know someone still knows how to make movies like this. For a good time, watch this movie.

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Into the Woods

2014

125 minutes

5 Stars

I don't know when I've totally enjoyed a move more than this! A Broadway musical brought to the screen, with wonderful music and lyrics, tells the stories of a childless couple who get entangled with the Witch, Cinderella, Rapunzel, Little Red Riding Hood, and Jack of Beanstalk fame. Meryl Streep steels every scene she is in without trying, and Johnny Depp is, well, marvelous. I only wish he lived longer ;-). The childless couple goes into the woods to find the ingredients demanded by the Witch in order to lift the curse. Dancing, singing, giants, and mishaps galore. It's an adult fairy tale, but children can watch it. I suggest putting subtitles on just to make understanding some of the singing a little easier. Be careful for what you wish.

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Dr. Strangelove or How I Learned to Stop Worrying and Love the Bomb

1964

95 minutes

4 stars

If you like very dark satire, you'll probably love this classic. To be honest, I loved the acting, the directing, and the filming. I just hated the story. It could be all the news today, with the Chickenhawks wanting to get us into another war, the sooner, the better. Or just my attitude when I watched it. Who knows? It's the first time I've seen George C. Scott where I absolutely loved him. I've always liked him, but he was great in this one. Peter Sellers was at his best. Slim Pickens was marvelous. Everything about this movie was top drawer, except the story. But, mayhaps, I have a bias against black humor and war?

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Atlas Shrugged (Parts 1, 2, 3)

3 movies

3 Stars

I decided to rate these movies as one, rather than three. An ambitious project, that didn't quite make it. The biggest mistake, in my humble opinion, was not making all three at once, keeping the same cast and momentum. Some actors changed, some didn't, and the new actors jarred until I figured it out. If you read, and enjoyed the book, you'll probably like the movie. Not as much lecture until the third movie, then it became, well, Ayn Rand lecturing through the mouth of John Galt. Characters were introduced in one film, and dropped in the next. The plane crash scene was not believable, and Dagny running around in high heels with a walking stick and a badly sprained ankle?  Uh, I don't think so. If you haven't read the book, don't try to use the movie as a short cut.

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