War of the Arrows

2011

122 minutes

Korean, excellent English subtitles

5 Stars

This is an epic story. It is violent, dark, and a story of the hunt. The Manchurians/Mongols invade the Korean town on Ja-In's wedding day. Her brother and guardian, Nam-Yi is out hunting, and the town is decimated, with many killed, and many taken as slaves. Ja-In is taken, and the hunt is on as Nam-Yi and a few cohorts he finds go to the rescue. What makes this movie different from many is the actual humanness of the characters. Their fear and panic shows. Personally, I think I would have knocked Ja-In out to shut her up, but in her culture she was probably quite normal. The beginning is a bit long and I nearly stopped watching at 30 minutes, but came back later and finished the movie. I'm glad I did.

Trailer 

Snow White all Growed Up!

Snow White and the Huntsman

English

2012, 127 Minutes

4 Stars

Yes, this is Snow White and the Seven Dwarves – for adults! No, Rainy Day doesn't mean sex scenes, it's just a great fun as an adult good v. evil action film. Charlize Theron is absolutely marvelous as Evil, while Kristen Stewart is pretty Good. For those who enjoyed Thor (Chris Hemsworth) – and what red blooded female didn't love Thor?! – you will truly enjoy him in this movie as the Huntsman, sent to kill Snow White, and well, you'll have to watch the movie to see what happens. Rainy Day does not suggest this for the smaller folks you may still have occupying your home, it is dark, and nothing even vaguely resembling the Disney movie. This movie belonged to Theron and Hemsworth, and they made the movie. Could have been a tad more character development. Still, worth the watch.

Trailer

Last of the Lone Wolf and Cub Movies

Lone Wolf and Cub: White Heaven in Hell #6

Japanese, English Subtitles

1974, 83 minutes

3 Stars

Rainy Day rather enjoyed this movie, thinking that by the end all of the loose ends would be gathered and neatly tied with one final battle, and redemption of Ogami Itto with the Shogun. Alas, this is the last movie in the series, but it has an open ending, implying there will be a #7, but none exists. Had it not been the last of the series, it would have been rated 5 Stars. Single handedly, he wipes out the entire Yagyu clan, except for its leader; there are many fights, lots of 'blood fountains' for with the Japanese are so famous, but no satisfactory ending. Rainy Day would happily go back to Zatoichi, but she's seen all of those movies, too. Perhaps some bored script writer will write #7, LWC, Redemption!

Watch movie here.

Game of Thrones, Season 1

Game of Thrones, Season 1

English

2011-2012, 60-minute episodes

5 Stars

Rainy Day is good at starting, and reviewing, series, but doesn't always finish them. This time, she watched all 5 discs before reviewing. This is a series from HBO, based on the George RR Martin "A Song of Ice and Fire" novels, now available as Game of Thrones. If you like fantasy, this is for you. If you like a good story, this is for you. If you like great acting, wonderful costuming, and dragons, this is for you! If you like to watch with your children, consider a private preview first. There is nudity, including full frontal, and sex.  There is also violence. Rainy Day thinks it's a great series for adults. Because this will be an ongoing series (at least 6 years), there is time to develop both the characters and the story.

Trailer

Immortals are such boors!

Immortals

English, Subtitles for Hearing Impaired

2011, 110 minutes

0 Stars

Rainy Day must confess – she has never been a fan of Greek mythology; however, every so often, she tries to read a book, see a movie, something to possibly ignite the flame of passion so many others have for the old myths. This movie didn't do it. Hard to follow, hard to watch – very dark (both visually and thematically), all those half naked men were, well, boring after the first few minutes. So much gore – impaling, roasting, gutting. Rainy Day thinks the Ancient Greeks should have sent some of their folks to China and learned how to put on an interesting combat scene. Not worth the investment in time or money.

Who Killed Rosie Larsen?

The Killing (Who Killed Rosie Larsen?)

English, Subtitles for Hearing Impaired

2111 TV Series

5 Stars

This is a dark and moody police procedural that takes place in Seattle. (Mostly filmed in Vancouver BC). Based on a TV series from Denmark – Forbrydelsen or "The Crime" –one day per episode, centers on the lead detective, Sarah Linden, who's trying to leave Seattle to get married and start a new life but is unable to walk away from one. Intertwined in the investigation are the stories of the Mayoral candidate, and Rosie's mother, Mitch. As the Vancouver Sun said, "The Killing is a reminder that quality television may be hard to find at times, but it's worth the effort." The end of the series will air this coming Sunday – it will be difficult not to cheat and watch it.

Rainy Day assures you, it does NOT rain in Seattle as shown.

Barnabas Collins Lives!

Dark Shadows, Disc 1 of 6 seasons

English

5 Stars

OK, Rainy Day admits it, she is a sucker for the classic TV series, Dark Shadows. When it ran back in 1966 on, she seldom got to see it, and only recently have the discs been available on Netflix, so guess what she is enjoying? The first disc, episodes 1 – 9, takes place before Barnabas Collins arrives at Collinswood! A rather dark and moody soap opera, it broke several traditions, Rainy Day thinks – the first being the introduction of the tormented vampire, Barnabas. The second being the format. Unlike many of the 'traditional' soap operas which spend over have the show telling what happened the day before, Dark Shadows does no such recap. Rainy Day can hardly wait for all of them, before the Johnny Depp movie comes out!

Trailers and excerpts of the original series can be found here.

Pitfall

Pitfall

Japanese, English subtitles

1962, 97 minutes

Black & White

4 stars

This movie contains a bit of everything except comedy. It is a socio-political documentary of post-war Japan's coal mining industry, a ghost story, a murder mystery. This is Hiroshi Teshigahara's debut at a full length film, and well worth the watch – as long as you don't mind an ending that isn't 'all happy ever after.' Rainy Day watched the video essay, about 15 minutes, after seeing the movie. Although the narrator brought up some points she had not seen, she didn't agree with him completely. It's a psychological movie, and the viewer may draw her own conclusions. If you need answers, don't watch. If you want to use your imagination, and derive your own answers watch. Teshigahara later did Woman in the Dunes which Rainy Day loved.

This trailer is in Japanese 

The Matrix: Revolution

The Matrix Revolutions

English

2003, 129 Minutes

4 Stars

Rainy Day gives this one a step down in the ratings. She almost gave it a 3, but the other two brought it up. The final battle of Zion v. Machines is almost an hour too long. Neo learns a Truth from the Oracle – that Agent Smith is his dark double. His Ying to Neo's Yang. They are conjoined twins. So, the final fight, between the two is a known outcome. Still, it's fun (much more fun than the Armageddon in Zion). The Wachowski Brother (Writers/Directors) did an amazing job with this series. The FX, the music, the costumes - especially Neo's Soutane, the story, everything is wonderful, and worth the watch, probably more than once.

For a trailer, click here.  

The Lion in Winter - 1968

The Lion in Winter – 1968

1968, 135 minutes

English

5 Stars

This multiple award-winning movie is available on Netflix, as is the remake. Rainy Day has not seen the remake. The story revolves around the dysfunctional family of Henry II and his wife, Eleanor of Aquitaine, and their three remaining sons. Some of the best lines ever written are spoken, the costumes are wonderful, and there are enough laughs to keep it from being a nightmare! Who will get the throne when Henry dies? Richard (the Lionhearted), Geoff (middle son), or John (the Spoiled one, and possibly a tad imbecilic)? How can one lose with Katharine Hepburn, Peter O'Toole, Anthony Hopkins, Timothy Dalton, and a host of other? Tight, incisive writing, superb acting. The only nit  Rainy Day can pick is the music, it was loud and intrusive—but, after all it was only 1183.

For a trailer, click here.

For the movie, click here. 

Woman in the Dunes

Woman in the Dunes

Japanese, English Subtitles

1964, 127 minutes

5 Stars, B&W

Rainy Day admits she has NO idea why she picked this movie, but she is soooo glad she did! This movie, based on Kobo Abe's novel, is erotic, allegorical and earned the Cannes Special Jury Prize and two Oscar nominations. It tells the story of an entomologist captured by locals who trap him in a sand pit with a woman where he must come to terms with what is and isn't important in life. Does he escape the pit? If so, will he return, or fetch the feds down upon the town? The photography is some of the most beautiful Rainy Day has seen, especially the cascading sand; and the music is hauntingly beautiful-metallic and percussion-think Taiko drums. Two actors and a great story. Think Alfred Hitchcock type of movie. Riveting.

Click here for a sample of taiko drumming.

Click here for the original Japanese trailer (no subtitles)

Click here for the movie (subtitles)

Snow Flower and the Secret Fan

Snow Flower and the Secret Fan

English

2011, 120 minutes

3 Stars

Rainy Day read the book years ago and loved it. She read it twice, and avoided the movie for a long time. If you haven't read the book, you will probably like this, but it introduces a whole second story line, and skips between the modern storyline and the old story line. Why didn't 'They' do two movies? Yes, Rainy Day cried at the end—she's a sucker for sad and happy, but she remains totally perplexed as to why someone would take such a beautiful book and screw it up by cutting more than half the story, and then jumping forth and back to modern Shanghai. A bit like going from Puccini to Metalica at somewhat random intervals. Both stories are, well, tender, and in Rainy Day's opinion, both stories deserve their own movie!

For the official trailer, click here. There are more trailers online, merely Google the title.

Chusingura (47 Samurai)

Chusingura (47 Samurai)

Japanese, English subtitles

1962, 207 minutes

5 Stars

This widescreen movie, made in 1962, looks like something made in 2002. The colors were brilliant, and unlike the earlier version of 47 Samurai that Rainy Day watched, this movie could actually be seen. It is the fictionalized account of Lord Asano who refuses to bribe a crooked official, is provoked until he draws his sword in the Shogun's palace, and therefore must commit seppuku. This time, we get to see what led up to the provocation and why 47 of the now masterless Asana Samurai seek revenge, and what happens to them. This movie is not for the impatient, it takes us through many subplots before leading us to the climax. The settings are realistic, the costuming superb, the swordsmanship appears to be of the classical style, what happens when a clan is abolished. A must see movie!

Rainy Day could find no trailer for this particular movie online. There are several articles, and trailers for similar movies, all you have to do is Google Chusingura.

Snow Flower, review by Dame Judith

Snow Flower and the Secret Fan

2011, 120 minutes

3 Stars

Unlike the novel, the movie expanded the basic story line to juxtapose the original story line of two women growing up separately in China circa 1880 against the movie's newly introduced two women growing up in present-day Hong Kong.

Thereby presenting the viewer with flashbacks among four different women's histories, and switchbacks between two sets of women's stories.  Hello? Do we now suspect why the movie reviewers were lukewarm about the movie version? 

Beautifully filmed as only what we Hollywood-fed movie goers term "foreign films" always seem to do.

The film is a blend of English and translated-Chinese captioning.

If feminine friends are key in your life, watch the movie.

I think I'm going to re-read the book. Click here for trailer.

I was intrigued by the historical binding of girls' feet and pacts between "sisters of the heart forever."

 How easily the story now "translated" to me. Have you seen the movie? Read the book? Did you find the translation as easy as I?

The Red Violin

The Red Violin

English

2000 Academy Awards: Best Music Score

1998, 130 Minutes

5 Stars

Rainy Day loves, Loves, LOVES this movie! Rainy Day had to take violin lessons when she was young. Rainy Day has no musical talent, but she does have a great appreciation for music of all kinds, and this movie is chockablock full of some of the most gorgeous violin music she's ever heard. The star of the movie is the Red Violin, with strong supporting role by Samuel L. Jackson. In a series of flashbacks, we follow the history of this most amazing instrument as it reveals love, romance, and some of the most gorgeous violin music ever. There are a couple of sex scenes, enough to warrant an R rating, so it may not be a 'family time' movie if your kidlets are young.  Each story the violin 'tells' is beautiful and believable.

Click here for a two minute trailer. 

As A Poet, Rainy Day Just Had to Watch

Poetry

Korean, English Subtitles

2010, 139 minutes

5 Stars

This is one of the most touching movies Rainy Day has seen. Grandmother Mija is raising her grandson, Wook as his mother lives and works in another city. Wook is a pain, and his story is always in the background. Mija works part-time to make ends meet, and is alone when diagnosed with the beginnings of Alzheimer's Disease. She enrolls in a class to learn to write poetry, a passion with her. This touching drama follows her through her job, her diagnosis, and the writing of her poem. It's a quiet drama, no fights, but understated tension. Spoiler Alert! The ending is open. If you must have everything tied into a neat package, this is not for you. A beautiful and well-told poignant story of the meaning of Love and Life, and how some face their mortal end. A haunting movie.

For the trailer, click here. There are no subtitles on this trailer.

It's time for Witch Hunts, again!

Season of the Witch

2011, 113 Minutes

English

4 Stars

Rainy Day doesn't much care for 'witch hunt' movies—too many in her family background—but she has to admit, this was great fun. Rainy Day is not a huge fan of Nicholas Cage, but she loves Ron Perlman, and in her mind, he carried the day, with Cage a superb help. If you want accurate history of the Plague Days or Crusades don't watch. If you want a fun movie with lots of great one-liners by Cage and Perlman, enjoy. This movie is fun, exciting, funny, dark, not too scary. It is the story of two courageous knights who give up warring and agree to transport a young girl/suspected witch for trial. She is suspected of spreading the Black Plague and must stand trial and be executed to save the world from its spread. Lots of laughs.

Click here for a trailer.

The Sword of Doom

The Sword of Doom

Japanese, English subtitles

1966, 121 minutes

Tatsua Nakadai, Mifune Toshiro

5 Stars

This is not a happy movie, and unless you have a very warped sense of humor, Rainy Day suggests you pass on it. However, if you like superb acting, and are an aficionado of action photography, and don't mind a movie that explores the depths of evilness, then this is the movie for you. The mood is dark, the film severe and serious. Tatsuya Nakadai's performance as a man who is evil to the core, not because he wants he wants money or power, just because he can be, is spellbinding. Some of the absolute best swordfights Rainy Day has seen, with amazing action. Mifune Toshiro is also in the movie, and his solemn phrase, "The sword is the soul" is the key to unlocking this treasure, dark as it is.

Trailer linked to title, above

Harakiri

Harakiri

Japanese, English Subtitles

133 minutes, 1962

Won: Cannes Special Jury Prize

5 Stars

Filmed in black and white, which adds to it's intensity and drama, Harakiri is a study in human emotion and is one of the classic samurai, or rather, antisamurai movies. An older ronin goes to a feudal lord's home and requests permission to commit harakiri in the courtyard. Before he does, he tells his story. Rainy Day wasn't sure she would like it but found it fascinating. Harakiri shows the 'true' code of honor of the samurai v. the appearance of honor maintained by the elites. If you want lots of sword fights and action, this is not the movie for you. If you want a superb script, great acting, and the possibility of actually thinking, then this is the movie for you.

Rainy Day says this is not a 'feel good' movie, but is definitely worth the investment of time to watch. Also, there is an interesting introduction, which explains the movie. For a trailer, please click on the title, above.