Favorite films

Recent reviews

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  Full River Red 2023

  Watched 13 May 2023

  [W/O]

  (0:42)

  I take the Masters and their Late(ish) Work seriously, but as the "who killed the Jin ambassador and why?" mystery chugged along, I realized this film was a waste of time, nothing Tsui Hark hadn't done better in the Detective Dee films. Zhang's contribution seems to be assuring an overall competence, and that just isn't enough.

  Film historians are going to be hard-pressed to find much of lasting value in the official cinema of the Xi years.

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  It Is in Us All 2022

  Watched 16 Apr 2023

  [W/O]

  (0:35)

  Promising debut, with a steely, highly physical performance by Cosmo Jarvis. But it seemed fairly obvious where it was going. Your mileage may vary.

Popular reviews

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  Creepy 2016

  ★★★ Watched 14 Jan 2017 32

  [6]

  I miss the old Kiyoshi. The can't-be-sold Kiyoshi. Back in the fold Kiyoshi. That was the bold Kiyoshi. Remember Cure Kiyoshi? That wasn't your Kiyoshi? 'Cause that was my Kiyoshi. Damn, that was fly, Kiyoshi! You came with Kairo, Kiyoshi. That shit was fire, Kiyoshi! Even Bright Future Kiyoshi, that ill repute Kiyoshi. I dug it all, Kiyoshi. So why'd you stall, Kiyoshi? And then that Journey to the Shore? You got some gall, Kiyoshi!

  I miss the real…

• 

  The Imitation Game 2014

  ★★ Watched 16 Jan 2015 22

  [4]

  If you happen to follow my Twitter feed, you'll know that I've already gotten a bit hot and bothered about this film. In retrospect, it was probably a good deal of energy wasted, or at least misdirected. I tend to forget that useless dreck like The Imitation Game is pimped on every streetcorner around Oscar season by an industry that considers movies as product, not art. Most of the time, that product is slathered in Adam Sandler, and it…