Blogcritics Category: Video: Foreign Language

Passport Cinema: The Last House in the Woods

A.J. Hakari — Fri, 9 Jan 2009 19:54:32 EST

Hey, guys! Italy makes mediocre slasher movies, too!
Is there any genre more derivative than the slasher film? Sure, all types of movies borrow liberally from one another, but none are as simple or as often ripped off as your garden variety slice-and-dice scenario. Most end up looking completely identical, with The Last House in the Woods going so far as to prove that this rule applies even to...

DVD Review: Supercop - Dragon Dynasty 2-Disc Set

Matt Paprocki — Fri, 9 Jan 2009 17:56:39 EST

One of the better film's of Jackie Chan's long career.
Supercop is a high energy, action-filled stunt fest from the prime of Jackie Chan’s career. It’s how he made a name for himself, and while it may not be on a par with his best work, it’s certainly a wild ride. Chan and co-star Michelle Yeoh are undercover cops infiltrating a drug kingpin's operation. The story proves enjoyable...

Movie Review: Slumdog Millionaire

Ross Miller — Tue, 6 Jan 2009 16:48:51 EST

A vibrant, swiftly paced, full of life tale that's an utter joy to watch.
Slumdog Millionaire comes to us courtesy of Danny Boyle, who as a director seems to be able to go from genre to genre with ease. The majority of his films are really quite different from each other: Shallow Grave was a tense thriller, Trainspotting, probably his most well known film, was a gritty drama/dark comedy, 28 Days Later was a tremendously...

2008: The Year in DVDs

Chris Beaumont — Sun, 4 Jan 2009 14:15:06 EST

A bunch of DVDs that grabbed my attention in 2008.
Coming up with lists like these is always a difficult task. Well, at least it is for me. Every year, around this time, all manner of year end and recap lists appear. Some are good, some are bad, and some just don't make sense. Now, I would love to offer up a top ten DVD list for 2008, but I am, frankly, unable to do so. There are a couple of...

Movie Review: Slumdog Millionaire

Chris Beaumont — Tue, 30 Dec 2008 09:25:54 EST

A wonderful tale of fate, helping bring some magic back to the movies.
Slumdog Millionaire is the latest effort by director Danny Boyle, a man who never seems content to stick to one genre. His recent work spans science fiction (Sunshine), fantasy/drama (Millions), and horror (28 Days Later). Well, I guess Slumdog Millionaire could exist in the same genre as Millions, but they both approach the material from vastly...

Passport Cinema: Heroic Duo

A.J. Hakari — Sat, 27 Dec 2008 18:14:29 EST

A wronged cop and a hypnotist team up for this mediocre action-thriller.
Heroic Duo manages to bring together both extremes of the action genre. To start, its overall style is pretty mundane and never really gets your blood pumping. On the other hand, its very premise is so utterly goofy, you're left kissing your disbelief goodbye. You'd think that the two styles might work in tandem with one another, creating a...

Passport Cinema: A Story of Floating Weeds/Floating Weeds

A.J. Hakari — Sun, 21 Dec 2008 00:47:25 EST

The Criterion Collection provides two lovely versions of the same touching tale.
Rare is the occasion on which a director gets to remake one of his or her own films. Be it to put a different spin on the same premise (Alfred Hitchcock and The Man Who Knew Too Much) or out of Hollywood's typical moneymaking zeal (George Sluizer and The Vanishing), it's always interesting to see these filmmakers tackle their work a second...

DVD Review: Naruto the Movie: Guardians of the Crescent Moon Kingdom

Gerry Weaver — Wed, 17 Dec 2008 15:49:38 EST

Naruto, Sakura, Rock Lee and Sensei Kakashi protect some spoiled royals with solid ninja action but unexciting storytelling.
Viz Media has a treat for the manga-loving youngster on your Christmas list: Naruto the Movie: Guardians of the Crescent Moon Kingdom was released on DVD for the North American market on November 11, 2008. This entry is the third movie based on the Naruto television series by Masashi Kishimoto. The target audience is children and for that age...

My Top 100 Films of All Time: Part 6, 50-41

Ross Miller — Tue, 16 Dec 2008 14:16:40 EST

At last the list continues, from 50 on downwards...
50. Annie Hall (Woody Allen, 1977)Woody Allen is one of those directors that you only really can appreciate if you're really into movies and not just a casual viewer. He's made many great films but some, myself included, would say Annie Hall is his greatest achievement. It's, like most of his work, a movie about real life, about...

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Tue, 16 Dec 2008 14:16:40 EST

Passport Cinema: Mandabi

A.J. Hakari — Fri, 12 Dec 2008 14:22:08 EST

Greed definitely isn't good in this cautionary fable from Senegal.
The old saying goes that money is the root of all evil. Senegalese filmmaker Ousmane Sembene's Mandabi goes one step further and shows how even the promise of money can send one's world into disarray. Like his later film Xala, Sembene begins the film with a simple situation that proceeds to spin wildly out of control, becoming more complex...