minnix

If this movie is anything, it's sincere. The direction and writing show a true love for not only the horror genre, but gratuitous titties as well. They do their best with what limited funds they have and yeah, so it's not scary, and it can be annoying, and the acting is bad, and plot points pop up that either make zero sense or are never resolved or explained, and the camera work is amateur hour, but it does have a cool green monster that shoots lasers out of its eyes and vomits green slime that dissolves a guy's skin. Maybe that's all you need.

⭐ ⭐ 1/2 out of ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐

Interesting and genuinely touching film with a cast of non-actors that adds a sense of realism to this story of a clash between rural China and the rapidly advancing urban landscape. A young girl is placed in an impossible situation of teaching and wrangling 28 unruly kids as a substitute in the mountain region when one student runs away to the city to find work and she has promised not to let anyone leave the school during her watch. Her tenacity in finding the kid thrusts her into the nation's spotlight. The photography is very well done and getting great performances out of regular people is no easy task. Recommended for those looking for a somewhat artsy and uplifting experience.

⭐ ⭐ ⭐ out of ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐

This is a pretty average spaghetti western until the last 10 min, but that last 10 min is what made this a genre defining moment in western film history. Kinski is great as usual as the villain, all the way to the end. The mute played by Trintignant does manage to convey quite a bit of emotion without saying a word. I really enjoyed the snowscapes and Italian mountain scenery, and the acting was decent enough, but without the ending, I can't say I would have given it a second thought.

⭐ ⭐ ⭐ 1/2 out of ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐

This is kind of a strange one. A gang of bandits attack a village and all the adults are killed but the kids get away and are helped by a pair of monks. The monks teach the kids kung fu to get revenge on their attackers. Normally I don't like kid fights in movies, mainly because they're just not very good. But this is a group of Chinese acrobat kids that were cast and they are pretty awesome. Lots of cool stunts and their striking is clean and crisp as well as great acrobatics. What makes it strange is the tone of the film. There will be children singing in the background and the kids laughing as they brutally beat the bandits to death and blood sprays everywhere. The atmosphere is childish and grim and gory at the same time. I can honestly say I've never seen a kung fu film quite like it.

⭐ ⭐ 1/2 out of ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐