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Thursday, March 13, 2008

My take on Five Deadly Venoms movie

Directed By :Cheh Chang
---Spoilers included-------
Another interesting B grade Kung fu movie from Shaw Brother's studio. Movie start with an old teacher explaining his young student that the members of the infamous "poison gang" were once pupils of his. The five members dont know to each other, which are known only by the style of kung fu they practice (lizard, snake, toad, scorpion and centipede). Later we come to know that two of the five know each other and are friends. Teacher clearly instructs his young student about their skill set & asks him to hunt down all the members so they can no longer harm innocent people & also advices his always pair another member in order to defect the other. Rest of the plot revolves around young student efforts in finding & hunting down the poison gang. Plot wise it is no brainier & script is predictable & dubbing is horrible & DVD quality is poor. Straight VCD conversion to DVD. Despite with its limitations, movie is pure fun to watch & must for a kung fu fans. The fight scenes are very cool and well choreographed & you will see lots of young & energetic performances. This is what I expect in a kung fu movie.

Monday, March 10, 2008

RAISE THE RED LANTERN movie review


Directed by: Zhang Yimou
---Spoilers included-------
RAISE THE RED LANTERN is another interesting drama from china. Set in 1920's China, the story is about Songlian, a 19 year old university student who decides to marry a rich old man after the death of her father & step mom’s repeated requests & she becomes fourth wife of a rich man. The first wife and eldest is more like a mom to the others, the second wife is quiet and reserved & third wife is a singler { cunning, spoiled and openly displays her dislike for the others.} Being fourth wife she must learn the customs and rules of the master. The wives which all live in separate houses must compete for the affections and privileges of the master in accordance with his customs. Each night a lantern is lit in favor of whom the master will be with. Shortly afterwards all the lanterns of that wife's home and courtyard are also lit and the privileges begin. Although they are wives, we feels like they are prisoners. Plot centers around this new forth wife & her life & finally film ends with surprising climax. A beautiful film with stunning cinematography. The film is subtitled in English & run more than two hours. Casual moviegoers should skip this one & Strictly for art movies buffs.

Last weekend movies

Twilight Samurai:(9/10) Masterful work of art. Simply Fantastic!
Raise the Red Lantern: (9/10) Very beautiful drama. Casual moviegoers should skip this one. Strictly for for art house fans.