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Belle de Jour Blu Ray Review

Jay C. — Sat, 28 Jan 2012 04:35:35 +0000

Belle de Jour Directed by Luis Buñuel Written by Luis Buñuel, Jean-Claude Carrière Starring Catherine Deneuve, Jean Sorel, Michel Piccoli, Geneviéve Page Luis Buñuel's Belle de Jour is a sexy and disturbing psychological case study that investigates the masochistic desires of its main character as she attempts to fulfill her urges and reconcile her past. The film opens with a red herring of sorts, as we're introduced to a couple on a romantic carriage ride. The woman, an attractive blonde, shuns the advances of her companion, resulting her forceful removal from the carriage by its drivers. She's led into the woods blindfolded, and eventually tied to a tree, hands above her head. After ripping down the back of her dress, the man signals the drivers to whip her. She seems to enjoy it. An abrupt cut reintroduces the same couple, now in their bedroom getting ready for bed. It was all a dream…or a fantasy. Séverine Serizy (Catherine Deneuve) is a seemingly normal, happily married woman who finds herself continually daydreaming about masochistic, sexual scenarios. She's always managed to subdue her fantasies until a friend -- and admirer -- tells her about a local high-class brothel. She decides to investigate and is inexplicably drawn to the place, offering her "services" with one caveat; that she be done by five o'clock. For this, she's given the nickname "Belle de Jour", or "daylight beauty" (thanks Wikipedia!) As she grows accustomed to engaging in sexual acts with a multitude of customers (all of which have varying tastes and fetishes), she keeps her newfound profession a secret from her husband. Eventually Séverine services Marcel, a young gangster who grows obsessed with her. This, along with the discovery by a friend that she's working at the brothel, prompts her to leave. This sends Marcel into a rage, as he's willing to do whatever it takes to have her to himself. From here on, you get a sense of Séverine 's world slowly starting to crumble. You can't help but wonder whether or not she's more concerned about her husband finding out about her taboo day job or the thought of having to stop her escapades and return to her normal life. It almost seems like the whole point of engaging in this activity, aside from indulging her sexual urges, is to be found out. Séverine is desperately trying to sabotage everything around with her passive/aggressive actions. Her motivations are complex and intriguing, and the fact that she only feels sexually aroused when being abused raises questions about her past. We do get occasional glimpses at her childhood as Buñuel utilizes fantasies and daydreams to disrupt the narrative and momentarily puzzle the audience. These surreal flashes are actually quite affective in providing us with insight into Séverine 's desires and more importantly, her past. It's through this that we discover an apparent episode of childhood molestation, which says a lot about her actions. I wish I could hold Belle de Jour up against the rest of Buñuel's filmography, but I'm sad to say this is the only film of his I've see thus far. Having said that, I am aware of the surreal nature of his work and could definitely see that influence shining through. The thing I like about the way in which he handles the daydream sequences is he depends solely on creating unusual visuals within the frame, in no way depending upon any fancy camera moves or special effects. Watching Catharine Deneuve dressed in a white gown, being pelted in the face with mud was truly a provocative and captivating image. There are a few moments where you might find yourself temporarily disoriented by what's real and what's imagined, but Buñuel is generally quick to recalibrate the audiences senses. It's only in the final scene of the film that he lets Séverine 's daydreams take centre stage, leaving the audience with a seemingly ambiguous (although in my opinion, clearly explainable) ending that I actually found to be quite depressing. She spends the entire film living out her fantasies as a result of her past, only to end up regressing even further into her daydreams and further away from reality. Next to the cinema, blu ray is likely the best possible way to experience a film like Belle de Jour for the first time. The print is void of dirt and scratches and the transfer is pretty much flawless. As I've stated previously, these releases do a great job at approximating the look and feel of watching a movie on actual film. The colours are rich and a subtle layer of grain is visible throughout. There's a pretty good selection of special features, including an audio commentary by Michael Wood, author of the BFI Film Classics book on Belle de Jour. The disc also includes a new video featuring sexual politics activist Susie Bright and film scholar Linda Williams. Finally, there's a new interview with screenwriter Jean-Claude Carrière and a segment from Cinema, a French television program featuring interviews with Carrière and Catherine Deneuve. -- Jay C.

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Punished DVD Review

Reed — Mon, 23 Jan 2012 15:00:30 +0000

Punished Directed by: Law Wing Cheong Written by: Chi Keung Fung Starring: Anthony Wong, Richie Jen, Janice Man, Maggie Cheung Ho Yee Punished is another entry in the revenge genre that continues in its ongoing popularity. A kidnapping occurs with the film non-linearly unraveling the mystery of who is involved. Although there are a few depictions of brutal violence, this film concerns itself mainly with the psychological toll on the perpetrator of revenge. An interesting change is that the physical revenge is performed by a hired-hand of the victim's father. Some people expecting an action film will likely find the character scenes rather bland, but I thought they were interesting in the context of the mystery of revealing who was involved in the kidnapping. The violence is not stylized at all. There are rough and tumble fights rather than wire-work martial arts. And the gunfights are straight ahead "keep shooting until you get shot" matches. No slow motion or doves here. A real estate tycoon Wong Ho-Chiu (Anthony Wong) lives with his rebellious daughter Daisy (Janice Man), dutiful son, and compassionate wife (Maggie Cheung), who is the mother-in-law of the children. He has two bodyguards. He browbeats a meek man in charge of a real-estate deal currently in trouble. When his daughter is kidnapped, he enlists one of his bodyguards Chor (Richie Jen), who has a previous criminal background, to find the perpetrators. What is interesting about the introduction of all these characters is that the audience can immediately suspect any one of them to be the mastermind of the kidnapping. Even the benign characters can be suspected of having a motive against the tycoon. There are various natural character pair interactions that keep you guessing which characters are being honest or deceptive. Chor is also dealing with his own disinterested son from a failed marriage. Depending on how you feel about the tycoon by the end of the film, you might have a problem with what happens near the ending. He did not show compassion towards the common people who were affected by his business deals, but was he really ruthless with people? Sympathies for the tycoon will no doubt vary. Did the tycoon deserve having to deal with this kidnapping ordeal? One aspect that is not explored in the tycoon's mental deterioration is paranoia although he does initially suspect his daughter arranged her own kidnapping. Some people will probably have a problem reconciling the brutal killer and tolerant father aspects of Chor. I think it acknowledges the idea that your nice neighbour next door could be a killer. Anthony Wong has a long and much rewarded career in Hong Kong cinema. I really enjoyed his performance in this film. (On a whim, I decided to check out the English dubbing on the DVD. As expected, the choice of voice actor for Anthony Wong was horrible.) It's interesting that his real-life son plays his son in this film. Although having directed seven films (one of them being 2 Become 1, a comedy/drama in 2007 for which he was nominated as Best New Director at the Hong Kong Film Awards), director Law Wing Cheong is probably best known for being an assistant director on popular Johnnie To films like Election and Exiled. I thought he did a nice job keeping the tension with subtle camera framing movements. One thing I like about foreign films is that they often show you cultural details that are different than what you are familiar with. In this film, there is an outdoor racing track for large remote-controlled cars. This was an interesting setting to use for an interaction between Chor and his son. The press release for the DVD of this film from Indomina Releasing contains a factual error with regards to the actress Maggie Cheung Ho Yee in this film. The press release confuses her with Maggie Cheung of Hero and In the Mood for Love fame. Also I don't think the plot synopsis is correct with regards to several details, but to point them out here would be providing spoilers. Don't expect an action-packed revenge film like Taken with Liam Neeson. This is a more contemplative take on the effects of taking revenge, with circumstances affecting decisions and determining outcomes. The title "Punished" can refer to both the external physical violence and internal mental disturbance that come with revenge. -- Reed

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Branded to Kill Blu Ray Review

Jay C. — Fri, 20 Jan 2012 21:39:54 +0000

Branded to Kill Directed by Seijun Suzuki Written by Hachiro Guru Starring: Joe Shishido, Koji Nanbara, Isao Tamagawa Like 'Tokyo Drifter', Seijun Suzuki's 'Branded to Kill' is a strange, quirky, moody gangster picture that goes out of its way to poke holes in the tropes of this sub-genre while also indulging in some sixties pop cinema. While the film's characters and plot are sometimes tough to penetrate, Suzuki's sense of style and his gleeful mocking of genre conventions is the real draw here. The plot of 'Branded to Kill' is rooted in simple genre beats yet still comes across as characteristically over-complicated. To simplify; hitman Goro Handa and his wife Mami catch a taxi after arriving in Tokyo. The driver, Kasuga, is a former hitman and asks Goro to help him out on a job in order to break back into the business. Their mission is simple; escort a client and make sure he arrives in Nagano safely. Immediately things go wrong when the two find a dead body in the back seat of the designated pick up vehicle. From here, they pick up their target and are ambushed by gunmen, resulting in the death of Kasuga. After his car breaks down, Goro is picked up by Misako, a femme fatale with a death wish. Later, Goro is hired once again to assassinate four men, all of which are played out ridiculously. In one instance, he takes out an ocularist by sticking the barrel of his gun into a disassembled drain pipe and shooting the man in the eye via the drain in a sink. In another instance, he escapes a hit on a giant floating advertising balloon. Suzuki seems to go out of his way to turn these moments of violence into cartoonish, hilariously ridiculous gags that mock the tropes of the gangster genre. Like the French New Wave's avant-garde take on genre cinema, Suzuki's gangster films are the result of a fresh and exciting era of filmmaking. I think it's fair to say that even this many years removed, Branded to Kill still plays as fresh and innovative. Suzuki's unconventional style and indulgence in pop culture iconography has clearly influenced some of our greatest modern genre filmmakers; most obviously, Quentin Tarantino. However, while watching Branded to Kill, I couldn't help but be immediately reminded of Jim Jarmusch's equally odd take on gangster films and his obsession with Japanese culture (apparently he lists it as his favourite hitman film). I also love Goro's obsession with the smell of boiled rice; an absolutely ridiculous character quirk that reminds us that our protagonists vices aren't always as cool as women and martini's. It reminds me of Mark Ruffalo's animal cracker eating Inspector David Toschi from David Fincher's Zodiac. I also really loved the climax of the film which finds the two rival characters facing off inside of a boxing ring within an empty arena. It's a bold and comically literal image that works as a great cathartic moment for both the characters and the audience. After dealing with the complexities and politics of organized crime, there's nothing like five minutes in the ring to sort out your troubles. 'Branded to Kill' looks pretty great on blu ray. Unlike Tokyo Drifter's insane colour palette, this film is shot in black and white and the HD transfer is quite nice. There is one complaint I have that might be minimal and nit picky, but has popped up on DVD transfers I've seen in the past. It seems as though at some point in the film, there's a dropped pixel in the upper-middle area of the screen. I don't know if this has something to do with the digital device they're using to capture the film, but I've seen this before. I'm fairly sure it doesn't remain throughout the entire runtime, but I did notice it about halfway through and it was a little bit annoying. Still, I don't think this is a deal breaker. I just find it funny that I've never seen any mention of these types of flaws in reviews previously. Aside from that, the transfer is great. As for the extras, they pretty much mirror that of the 'Tokyo Drifter' disc, including a new video interview with director Seijun Suzuki and assistant director Masami Kuzuu. You also get an interview with Suzuki from 1997, a new interview with actor Joe Shishido, and a trailer. Most importantly, this release represents an anamorphic upgrade from the original Criterion DVD, which was not formatted to fit widescreen televisions. -- Jay C.

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Tokyo Drifter Blu Ray Review

Jay C. — Wed, 28 Dec 2011 22:35:47 +0000

Tokyo Drifter Directed by Seijun Suzuki Written by Kouhan Kawauchi Starring Tetsuya Watari, Chieko Matsubara, Tamio Kawaji Seijun Suzuki's Tokyo Drifter is a colourful, energetic blast of 1960's Japanese pop culture wrapped in a complicated, satirical take on the Yakuza gangster film. Packed with wild imagery and some amazing art design, Suzuki's unusual brand of crime film is more Warhol than Kurosawa and a definite treat for genre fans. The plot of Tokyo Drifter seems to be intentionally over-complicated, but let me try my best to summarize. Our hero, Tetsu Hondo, and his boss Kurata have given up the gangster life and gone straight. They're ex-Yakuza with an eye on opening a night club and making legit money. When a rival gang boss, Otsuka, fails to recruit Tetsu into his own club, he sends his men to rub him out. Kurata, a father figure to Tetsu, suggests he leaves town and become a drifter. What Tetsu doesn't realize is there are ulterior motives to this request. A hitman called "Viper" Tatsuzo tracks Testu and he and his goons attempt to take him out, but Tetsu fights back. To go reveal any more of the plot may end up spoiling things, so I'll leave it at that. Let's just say that multiple Yakuza gangsters are out for Tetsu and there's a good amount of pulp drama mixed in with the action sequences. As I'd mentioned above, it seems as though Suzuki is playing with the tropes of Yakuza films and having fun with the multiple factions and the idea of loyalty and honour within the groups. Ultimately, money seems to win out over traditional codes, and Tetsu is caught in the middle thanks to his stubborn ideals and his allegiance to Kurata. The film is quite obviously inspired by westerns of the time, right down to some of the Morricone-esque music cues. Tetsu is basically a Japanese gunslinger in a powder blue suit, whistling his own theme song throughout his travels. In fact, there are flat out musical sequences in the film in which he sings a song called Tokyo Drifter, featuring the lyrics "I'm a drifter, the man from Tokyo." The villain, Otsaku, is introduced with an extreme close up of his sunglasses, seemingly referencing Sergio Leone's tendency to focus on shots of his characters eyes. To add further to the western motif, there's an extended brawl sequence that takes place in a colourful bar appropriately named "Western Saloon". Beyond this, there are tons of general pop culture references scattered throughout as we see characters reading comic books, playing arcade games, and dancing in jazz clubs. In fact, the entire aesthetic of the film indulges in pop art, with surreal splashes of colour and some unusual set design that resembles something out of a comic book. The most obvious comparison is a toned down, more realistic version of the 1966 Batman television series. There's even a James Bond moment in which Tetsu is seen against a black backdrop shooting his gun (a wonderful image that was used for the cover art of the blu ray). I absolutely loved the choice of adding a red flash to the gunshots, giving a cartoony sense of levity to the sometimes graphic violence. Yes, it's the wild aesthetics and overall self-awareness that really make Tokyo Drifter stand out as something special. Now here is a movie that really deserved the high def treatment. Tokyo Drifter looks AMAZING on blu ray. Obviously the colours benefit the most from this transfer, giving the sense that you're watching a fresh print as it may have looked in the year of the film's release. As usual, a natural sheen of film grain really captures the analog celluloid aesthetic with no signs of any sort of digital manipulation. It could be one of my favourite Criterion transfers. As for bonus features, the disc is a little light with only two interviews and a trailer. The first interview was filmed in 2011 for this edition and features new interviews with director Seijun Suzuki and assistant director Masami Kuzuu. The second is an interview with Suzuki from 1997. It is worth noting that the previous DVD editions of both Tokyo Drifter and Branded to Kill were NOT anamorphic widescreen, which means they would be letterboxes and pillarboxed on widescreen televisions. This alone is a good reason for those with widescreen TV's to upgrade their old discs. In short, Tokyo Drifter is definitely a buy. -- Jay C.

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Detective Dee and the Mystery of the Phantom Flame Blu-ray Review

Sean — Thu, 15 Dec 2011 19:08:54 +0000

Detective Dee and the Mystery of the Phantom Flame Directed by: Tsui Hark Written by: Kuo-fu Chen, Lin Qianyu (story), Jialu Zhang (screenplay) Starring: Andy Lau, Carina Lau, Li Bingbing, Chao Deng, Tony Leung Ka-Fai, Jean-Michel Casanova If you thought Guy Ritchie was the only one capable of taking a well-known detective and turning him into an over-the-top action hero, well, then you haven't seen Detective Dee and the Mystery of the Phantom Flame. Directed by Hong Kong veteran Tsui Hark, the movie is inspired by a real-life historical figure from the Zhou Dynasty named Di Renjie, who served as chancellor to Wu Zetian, the first and only female Emperor of China. Prior to that he had been a magistrate and judge, which was the basis for the 18th century novel The Celebrated Cases of Judge Dee. This new big budget wuxia film re-imagines him as not only a crime-solving super sleuth, but also a martial arts master with almost superhuman abilities. As the movie begins, Dee has been in prison for eight years, serving out a sentence for treason. The Empress is preparing for her coronation ceremony by building a giant Buddha statue, but her ascension to the throne is threatened when senior officials start getting killed off, one by one. To complicate matters, the victims seem to be dying of spontaneous combustion, bursting into flames and leaving behind no clue as to who their killer might be. Clearly only one man who can solve a mystery like this, and so the Empress retrieves Detective Dee from his cell and puts him to work for her. Dee reluctantly obliges. The initial mystery is an intriguing one, but it soon gives way to a lot of political scheming and conspiracies which I found slightly less compelling. Ultimately it's not a big deal because at its core, this is a fantasy action film in the vein of the Pirates of the Caribbean films. The movie may border on being incoherent at times, but there is always more than enough eye candy to keep you entertained and it never takes itself too seriously. Andy Lau brings his usual stoic charm to the role of Detective Dee, and although his martial arts skills are the main draw here, he also convinces us that Dee is a person who prefers to think his way out of a situation where possible. The character does feel like Sherlock Holmes in a lot of ways, and is able to deduce things about people through the power of observation. Unfortunately, he is lacking a loyal Watson at his side, and instead Dee is assigned two assistants to accompany him, neither of whom he can fully trust. One is Shangguan Jing'er, a martial artist and maid to the Empress, played by Li Bingbing (The Forbidden Kingdom). She is there to keep tabs on Dee, but she also helps out in a pinch by wielding a pretty bad ass whip. The other is Pei Donglai (Deng Chao) a hot-headed albino who is assigned to the case by the Supreme Court. Together, they combine their skills and resources to try and get to the bottom of things. While much of Tsui Hark's recent output has been panned, he certainly knows his way around a big budget blockbuster, pouring money into lavish costumes and intricate sets. The action is choreographed by Jackie Chan's good buddy Sammo Hung, who also did the fights for the recent Ip Man movies. Some of the slow-mo feels a little bit cliched but the elaborate set pieces and choice of weaponry more than make up for it. In particular, there are memorable fights in a water-filled underground cavern and an elevator platform suspended high in the air with pulleys. Yes, there is a lot of wire work, but it kind of fits the tone, adding some fantastical flare to the mix. The biggest problem with this movie is the inconsistent quality in CG effects. Many Asian films have a tendency to be overly reliant on CGI, mainly because of budgetary issues, but it also seems that many Eastern directors don't know their limitations and Eastern audiences don't demand a high level of realism either. Some of the effects in this movie hold up (the Buddha statue is pretty gorgeous both inside and outside), but some of them definitely do not (the fire effects when people burst into flames are not at all convincing). The weakest of all is a surreal showdown between Detective Dee and a bunch of CG deer... not that I really wanted to see Andy Lau punching out a real live deer either. The movie definitely takes some strange turns, from the shape-shifting magical talking deer to a worm-eating herbalist named Donkey Wang, and it's probably not for everyone. At the same time, it is audacious and unique enough to earn a recommendation from me. If "Sherlock Holmes meets Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon" seems like something you'd want to see, you should probably give Detective Dee a try. As for whether or not we can expect a sequel, well, I think that's elementary. -- Sean

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The Four Feathers Blu Ray Review

Jay C. — Mon, 12 Dec 2011 19:24:23 +0000

The Four Feathers Directed by: Zoltán Korda Written by: R. C. Sherriff Starring: John Clements, Ralph Richardson, C. Aubrey Smith, June Duprez Billed as a sort of adventure film, I wasn't entirely sure what to expect from The Four Feathers. Even though the tale has been told on film multiple times, I went in to it knowing nothing about the story and was pleasantly surprised. The film is set in the 1890's during the Mahdist War. I won't claim to have heard of this particular war previous to this film, nor will I act as any sort of expert on the background of this conflict (something to do with the British colonization of Africa). The lead character, Harry Faversham (played by John Clements) was brought up in a family rooted in military history. He's a member of the British Army but resigns on the eve of a massive deployment to Khartoum. His decision is considered an act of cowardice, even in the eyes of his fiancee Ethne (June Duprez). Once the soldiers depart on their mission, Harry receives an envelope -- sent by three of his friends -- containing three white feathers; a symbol of cowardice. He then admits the accusations are true and decides to attempt to redeem himself in the eyes of his fiancee and his fellow soldiers. Harry heads to Egypt and disguises himself as a Sangali native, with plans to infiltrate enemy forces. When his friends run into trouble, he intervenes in an attempt to rescue them and to atone for the abandonment of his duties and the betrayal of his fellow soldiers. While it might take some time to get going, The Four Feathers is a great adventure film with some beautiful action set pieces featuring hundreds of soldiers clashing on-screen in some pretty epic battle sequences. It also boasts some stunning technicolor photography, which garnered the film an Oscar nomination for best cinematography. Director Zoltan Korda's take on The Four Feathers is based off of a 1902 novel of the same title written by A.E.W. Mason. His film was the fourth on-screen version of the story (the others released in 1915, 1921, and 1929), and has since been followed by three more updates, including the 2002 film adaptation starring Heath Ledger and Wes Bentley. The story is one of those classic tales that like many traditional western or samurai tales, has a quality that could be easily transferable to other genres. Still, I found the themes in the film to be fairly complex regardless of the simple adventure story. I really loved the exploration of self-preservation in the face of war and how Harry (who's career in the army is purely a thing of tradition within his family) is considered a coward for abandoning his duties in exchange for a long and happy life with his fiancee. The fact that even she questions his decision as being cowardly is an interesting twist and for me was pretty unexpected. It works as the perfect catalyst for his journey to Egypt and his attempt to redeem himself. In ways The Four Feathers seems to be an anti-war film, but Harry's journey seems at odds with the concept of any sort of resistance against war. The only way for him to gain the respect of his peers (and the audience) is to engage in combat and prove his worth. Maybe if his intentions on resigning were driven by some sort of political or moral stance rather than fear, his actions would've been treated as heroic. Either way, it's a complex struggle that brought to mind Stanley Kubrick's Paths of Glory. The high def transfer of The Four Feathers is seemingly as good as it possibly be. That's to say that while the picture isn't perfect (noticeable scratches here and there, some pulsating colours, occasional imperfections along the outside frame), it's certainly a wonderful representation of an early technicolor film that's now 72 years old. The grain can be quite heavy at times, but always feels natural and never shows any signs of heavy digital manipulation. The colours are quite heavily saturated due to the colouring process, but it's more of a charming artifact of the time and shouldn't really be an issue for anyone who appreciates cinema history. As for special features, the disc features an audio commentary by film historian Charles Drazin, a new video interview with David Korda (son of the director, Zoltán Korda), a shore film featuring footage from the set of The Four Feathers, and the theatrical trailer. It's a pretty good collection of materials, but I would've liked to have seen more on the different versions of the story. I guess that might have turned into a licensing nightmare. Either way, the films was great and definitely worthy of the Criterion treatment. -- Jay C.

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Chillerama Blu-ray Review

Sean — Fri, 02 Dec 2011 15:11:58 +0000

Chillerama Written and Directed by: Adam Green, Joe Lynch, Adam Rifkin and Tim Sullivan Starring: Adam Rifkin, Kane Hodder, Richard Riehle, Eric Roberts, Joel David Moore, Sean Paul Lockhart, Corey Jones, Kaili Thorne Over the past few years we've seen a major resurgence in anthology films (ie. movies that consist of multiple segments, usually each one by a different filmmaker). The format has always lent itself well to the horror genre in particular, perhaps thanks to its roots in short form radio serials, pulp magazines and comics. For many, the horror anthology trend peaked in the '80s with such classics as Creepshow, Twilight Zone: The Movie, and the Tales from the Crypt TV series, but now a handful of established horror directors have combined their forces to pay tribute to these films (along with the drive-in culture of the '50s, '60s and the '70s) with a new collection called Chillerama. While it's probably true that Adam Green, Joe Lynch, Adam Rifkin and Tim Sullivan are not quite household names, they are at least well-known among genre fans. Rifkin has come the closest to mainstream success with his 1999 KISS-themed comedy Detroit Rock City, while Green directed some decent indie hits with the Hatchet movies and also the ski lift thriller Frozen. Sullivan and Lynch both have a few less films under their belts; they are best known for 2001 Maniacs and Wrong Turn 2 respectively. In theory, these directors have the perfect level of notoriety and experience to create some modern b-movies that are appropriately edgy, fun and irreverent. Unfortunately, as with many anthology films, the actual results are somewhat hit or miss. Chillerama opens with a framing narrative that revolves around a few different groups of horror movie fans attending a quadruple feature at the closing night of America's last drive-in. The first three films in the anthology are the actual movies that they are paying to see, with the various characters briefly comment on each one as they start and end. Before we even get to the drive-in, however, we meet a drive-in employee who is looking to get some, uh, "lip service" from a corpse, only to have a zombie chow down on his manhood instead. Yep, that pretty much sets the tone for the kind of depravity that is about to ensue. The first film, "Wadzilla", is written, directed by, and stars Adam Rifkin. It continues the theme of being raunchy and perverse but somehow ends up being the most entertaining one of the bunch. As the title implies, the story is about a man whose sperm begins to increase in size due to an experimental medication. It is a send-up of '60s monster movies and it is quite well-shot with a bright technicolor look and some Grindhouse-style film scratches for added effect. The humour is definitely more than a bit juvenile at times (Eric Roberts has a brief cameo as General Bukkake), but it still manages to be relatively clever and charming as well. Unfortunately, the next short is a bit of a dud. "I Was a Teenage Werebear" is Tim Sullivan's contribution to Chillerama, and it's essentially The Lost Boys and Teen Wolf by way of Grease and Rebel Without a Cause... only a lot more gay. Sullivan himself is openly gay and the movie is very clearly about a young man who is a closeted homosexual struggling with his inner urges and being bullied for it. It stars gay porn star Sean Paul Lockhart and features a number of musical interludes that are both awkward and painful to watch. While it's impressive that they wrote a handful of original songs just for this short film, the segment lacks any sort of subtlety and really just isn't funny. Next up, Adam Green plumbs the depths of poor taste with a chapter entitled "The Diary of Anne Frankenstein." Like most of these shorts, it feels like the funny title was chosen first and everything else was mostly made up on the fly. The basic idea is that Adolf Hitler is a mad scientist trying to build the perfect killing machine out of body parts from dead Jews. Jason Voorhees himself, Kane Hodder, plays the monster Meshugannah, but the novelty of parodying old black-and-white German films with fake German dialogue wears off pretty quickly. This one also ends up overstaying its welcome. For the film's conclusion, there's a slight red herring as the fourth film is introduced as a disgusting little piece called "Deathication," but thankfully that is interrupted as the framing story suddenly takes center stage. In Joe Lynch's "Zom B Movie," all hell breaks loose as a zombie outbreak suddenly hits the drive-in. It's hard not to be won over by the idea of a horror flick that takes place at a drive-in, and the acting in this segment is definitely the best of the bunch. Character actor Richard Riehle plays the owner of the drive-in and it is a lot of fun to see him kick ass and take names while spitting out classic one-liners. While I can definitely appreciate the spirit behind Chillerama, the films themselves are a mixed bag. At times they seem to be trying too hard to shock and offend, and other times they are not particularly well-made. This anthology might have benefited from a few more segments with shorter running times to help balance everything out. That being said, there is definitely an audience out there that will appreciate the gratuitous gore, gags and general mayhem found within this film. In fact, you probably already know if you're interested or not, just be warned: there aren't a lot of genuine chills to be had. -- Sean

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The Rules of the Game Blu Ray Review

Jay C. — Tue, 29 Nov 2011 01:08:05 +0000

The Rules of the Game Directed by: Jean Renoir Written by: Jean Renoir Starring: Marcel Dalio, Nora Gregor, Roland Toutain, Jean Renoir This week I finally caught up with a movie that many consider to be one of the greatest films in the history of cinema; Jean Renoir's The Rules of the Game. While I'm not sure it would top my own personal list of all-time favourites, it's certainly a fantastic piece of cinema that's full of humour, drama, and some wonderful characters. The film begins with a radio broadcaster interviewing aviator André Jurieux, who'd just landed after accomplishing a record setting flight around the world. His friend Octave (played by Jean Renoir) informs André that the woman for which he dedicated his flight didn't show up to greet him. We eventually learn that Christine, the woman over which André is obsessing, is actually the wife of an aristocrat named Robert de la Cheyniest. Robert hasn't been exactly faithful himself, having been involved in a three year relationship with a woman named Geneviève. On the verge of hosting a large hunting party, Robert attempts to break off his affair with Geneviève claiming he's ready to settle down with Christine. Meanwhile, André's friend Octave, who has known Christine for many years, manages to secure the famous aviator an invitation to the hunting party in hopes to convince Christine that she and his good friend were meant to be together. On top of all of this, the hired help are dealing with their own love triangle which plays out simultaneously throughout the film. It took some time for me to warm up to this film as I'd gone in to it expecting something immediately comedic right from the get go. It does take the film some time to set up all of the various characters and plot points. However, once Renoir brings everyone together for the hunting party, he really has fun with the volatility of the situation. The film turns into a comedy of manners, reminiscent of much of Woody Allen's filmography and even a bit of Curb Your Enthusiasm. Renoir indulges in the emotional instability and reckless infatuations of these self-centred characters, who seem completely oblivious to whatever marital commitments they (or others) are engaged in. While the servants resort to threats of violence as a result of their own love triangles, the French bourgeoisie delicately navigate their precious social rules in an attempt to remain civilized in dealing with their issues. This of course starts to fall apart in the final act of the film as everyone loses their cool and the entire engagement turns into a chaotic, uncivilized farce. The film is a sharply comic yet critical (and controversial) satire of the French upper class. For those with sensitivities towards animals, there's an extended hunting sequence in the film that features some real-life on-screen rabbit and pheasant kills. It's a finely staged and expertly directed sequence that seems to take shots at the affluent lifestyle of the characters. With the formation of groups like the American Humane Association (as a result of the death of a horse during the 1939 film Jesse James), this is definitely a sequence that wouldn't fly in Hollywood (or France) nowadays. No, the controversy surrounding the film had nothing to do with the death of the animals, but rather the representation of the rich. The Criterion release of The Rules of the Game contains the restored 106 minute cut of the film. Initially, Renoir premiered a 94 minute version in Paris and was met with an overall negative response from the audience and critics. Disappointed and feeling pressure from the studio, he cut the film down to 81 minutes. It wasn't until the original negative was destroyed during a WWII bombing that the film was restored to the length it's at now (with one scene which remained unrecovered). In 1959, the new cut was screened at the Venice Film Festival to rave reviews and has gone on to be considered one of the greatest films of all time. It's a distinction that's throw around all too often and in this case, seems slightly hyperbolic. That said, The Rules of the Game is certainly an influential and stylistically unique piece of filmmaking. The blu ray of The Rules of the Game is quite good, although the film definitely shows its age. There's minimal print dirt and scratches throughout, but for the most part the image is fairly clean. There are moments where the image seems soft, but I'm fairly certain this is inherent to the photography and nothing to do with the transfer. In short, The Rules of the Game looks great considering its age and its history. The special features give us a look at the differences between the various cuts of the film, including a comparison of the two endings. Peter Bogdonavich gives an unusual commentary in which he reads the writings of film scholar Alexander Sesonske, making me wish for something a little less formal. The rest of the features focus on Renoir himself and the production of the film. These include the first part of a two-part 1993 BBC documentary on Renoir by film critic David Thompson, and excerpts from a 1966 French television program called Jean Renoir, le patron: La Règle et l’exception. Overall it's a solid package that gives a fair amount of history on the troubled life of this classic film. -- Jay C.

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Fanny and Alexander Blu Ray Review

Jay C. — Thu, 17 Nov 2011 20:56:43 +0000

Fanny and Alexander Directed by: Ingmar Bergman Written by: Ingmar Bergman Starring: Börje Ahlstedt, Pernilla Allwin, Allan Edwall, Ewa Fröling, Bertil Guve I was faced with a dilemma when I finally sat down to watch Ingmar Bergman's epic 1982 family drama, Fanny and Alexander. Not unlike his "Scenes From a Marriage", Criterion's wonderful blu ray set contains two versions of the film: the 3 hour theatrical cut and the original five and a half hour TV miniseries. Which version do I watch? I've always hated being forced to make such choices and now that DVD and blu ray have afforded filmmakers the option to release various director's cuts and unrated versions, it seem to happen all too often. Luckily, this situation seemed a little more clear cut. Obviously if Bergman shot and released a five hour version, THAT was the complete version. So that's where I started. The first hour of the film focuses on Christmas with the Ekdahl family. It's a prolonged sequence that introduces the numerous characters as we spend time watching as they engage in various traditions and celebratory acts that underline the bonds throughout the family. Within this first act, it's tough to foresee which character the film will end up focusing on as they're all equally interesting, but it's quite obvious that the titular brother and sister, Fanny and Alexander, will hold some importance. This is especially true in the second hour of the film, once their father dies and their Mother, Emilie, ends up remarrying a bishop shortly thereafter. It's here that the otherwise light tone of the film turns dark as the bishop reveals himself as controlling, jealous and megalomaniacal. Oddly, this whole segment reminded me of seeing The Flowers in the Attic when I was a kid. As the rest of the Ekdahl family worries about the kids, Emilie finds herself growing to hate her new husband and the rigid environment in which he has forced them to live. The bishop denies her request for a divorce and threatens to have her children taken away if she abandons him. From here the family attempts to intervene and free Emilie and the kids from the his rule. While the majority of the film is grounded in reality, Bergman hints at supernatural elements throughout the picture as Alexander is occasionally visited by ghosts, including his own dead Father. This plays heavily into the climax of the film as Alexander seemingly wills his dark fantasies into reality. While the middle of Fanny and Alexander is weighted down with some heavier, tragic content, the film is bookended with some fairly light and comical sequences that are a lot of fun to watch. I was reminded of Jonathan Demme's 2008 film Rachel Getting Married, and more recently, Lars Von Trier's Melancholia. Both films indulge in the particulars of traditional celebrations and the resulting familial drama (or comedy) that ensues. It's very easy to get vicariously wrapped up in the celebrations, which makes the darker turns much more effective. By the time the family is in crisis mode, we've gotten to know them well enough to care about the resolution. This is one of the major arguments for the five hour runtime. It's literally a matter of using that real estate to build a relationship with the people on screen in order to enhance the impact of the drama. It certainly helps that Fanny and Alexander is a beautifully shot and directed film, making wonderful use of some fantastic art direction and wintery exteriors. My favourite moment of the film sees everybody waking up early Christmas morning to head to church. The townspeople all cary torches and Alexander rides in the back of a horse drawn carriage, his face lit by the yellow flame agains the blue tinted backdrop of the morning sky. It's an amazing use of natural light and really captures the Christmas morning atmosphere. Considering the film is semi-autobiographical, Bergman is concerned with capturing life through the eyes of a child and he manages to do so with great success. Not unlike Terrence Malick's Tree of Life, Fanny and Alexander's sense of nostalgia manages to transcend place and time. There's no questioning the beauty of this remastered transfer of Fanny and Alexander. Sven Nykvist's cinematography is wonderfully represented and the colours within are richer and warmer than previous DVD editions of the film. I will say though, surprisingly there were a couple glitches within the five hour runtime. In the opening, backstage at the Christmas play, there was a single frame horizontal digital tear in the picture. The same thing happened somewhere in the final act of the movie. I'm not sure if this is something that was specific to my disc or not, so I can't really say if it's an issue with the transfer. I've emailed Criterion to see if this is a problem they're aware of, but I have yet to hear back. Luckily, it's only 2 frames within the 5 hour runtime. As for special features, the set includes various interviews, documentaries and a commentary track on the theatrical version of the film. The stand out extra is the feature length documentary The Making of Fanny and Alexander, directed by Bergman himself. It's a fly on the wall view of the shooting of the movie that might play dry for those not interested in the technical side of filmmaking. -- Jay C.

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Salò, or the 120 Days of Sodom Blu Ray Review

Jay C. — Thu, 03 Nov 2011 20:06:57 +0000

Salò, or the 120 Days of Sodom Directed by: Pier Paolo Pasolini Written by: Pier Paolo Pasolini Starring: Paolo Bonacelli, Giorgio Cataldi, Umberto P. Quintavalle This Christmas season, tell that special someone you love them with the gift that keeps on giving: Pier Paolo Pasolini's Salo, or the 120 Days of Sodom on blu ray! If you're concerned the intense scenes of sexual sadism, torture, and murder are too much of a downer for the holidays, just remember that it's nothing more than a parable, intended to comment on fascism and mindless complacency under the rule of overzealous figures of authority. The film is based on The 120 Days of Sodom by the Marquis de Sade with a loose Dante's Inferno structure applied overall, breaking the story down into four chapters: Anteinferno, The Circle of Manias, The Circle of Shit and The Circle of Blood. While the original book takes place in the 1700's, Pasolini set his version of the story in 1944; post-Mussolini Italy. Salo comes from the name of a fascist-occupied section of Italy, in which four powerful men -- known as the duke, the bishop, the magistrate, and the president -- corral eighteen young men and women and force them to take part in disturbing acts of sexual sadism and torture over a period of 120 days. They also enlist four prostitutes to share stories of debauchery and sexual deviancy, intended to arouse the men as they exploit their prisoners. It's a nasty cycle reflected in the narrative structure of the film, which essentially cuts back and forth between 'story time' and scenes of torture. We get to know a few of the captives but Pasolini is more concerned with revealing the dark fantasies and uncontrollable urges of those in power rather than empathizing with the victims. It was a brilliant move updating the story to post-WWII, making the film almost believable when set alongside the real life atrocities that occurred under the reign of the Nazi party. This is exactly what gives Salo its power and sets it apart from those films that provoke simply for the sake of forcing a response from its audience. It's also worth noting that while the acts on display in the film are extremely grotesque, the filmmaking itself is accomplished and quit often beautiful. Applying a rating to a film like Salo is tough because I can't totally say I enjoyed it and I'm really not sure if I'll ever watch it again. Still, the film has quite obviously influenced similarly aggressive, provocative filmmakers and likely even played a role in inspiring some of the current trends in horror. Tom Six, director of the Human Centipede films, has cited Pasolini's Salo as a major influence on his work. I'm guessing the same could be said for Eli Roth and his series of Hostel films. Beyond the genre influences, filmmakers such as Michael Haneke and Lars Von Trier are equally indebted to this work as an influence on their brand of audience antagonization. The film is also destined to work as a figurehead for creative freedom and anti-censorship as it's an obvious target and has been banned previously throughout many countries. This sort of attack on artistic expression is certain to draw critics, making Salo an important work for what it represents outside of the filmmaking as well as the artistry contained within. Still, artfully handled or not, there are some pretty crazy scenes in this film that push the boundaries of taste. One scene finds the guests of a mock wedding reception forced to eat plates of their own shit. Moments like this are sure to draw deep analysis from the 'art house' crowd while attracting 'thrill seeking' cinephiles wearing their viewing of Salo as a badge of honour: "I made it through the infamously horrific Salo!" To be honest, I think both of these responses are valid considering the film's urge to provoke and assault its audience on such a visceral level. It's up to the individual's willingness to make the effort in translating the graphic imagery into something profound. Out of all of Criterion's releases, Salo is probably the most explicit in nature (with In the Real of the Senses and Anti-Christ not too far behind) and likely a film in which people might question the worth of a blu ray transfer. Content aside, the movie looks great and like all of Criterion's high def releases, Salo benefits from a natural, film-like presentation. Of course a film such as this calls for some great extra features giving the viewer a bit of insight into the insanity presented on screen, and thankfully this disc delivers. Included are three documentaries on the making of the film: Salo: Yesterday and Today, Fade to Black, and The End of Salo. They range from thirty to forty minutes each and cover various aspects of the production and the legacy of the film. On top of that there's a video interview with set designer Dante Ferretti and director Jean-Pierre Gorin. It's a pretty great package that manages to shed some light on this notorious film, proving once again that without companies like Criterion, a film like Salo would likely never get the treatment it deserves. -- Jay C.

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The Captains DVD Review

Reed — Mon, 24 Oct 2011 19:36:59 +0000

The Captains Written and Directed by: William Shatner Starring: William Shatner, Patrick Stewart, Avery Brooks, Kate Mulgrew, Scott Bakula, Chris Pine The Captains is a documentary made for fans of Star Trek. It features interviews with the actors who starred as starship captains in the Star Trek franchise. What makes this Star Trek documentary unique is that it was written and directed by William Shatner, the second actor to play a starship captain. (Shatner replaced the first actor as captain, Jeffrey Hunter, who starred in only the pilot episode of Star Trek. Hunter has gone on to the final frontier, and so was not contacted for an interview.) Also the interviews were conducted by Shatner, who appears on-screen with his interviewees. On viewing this documentary, it soon becomes apparent that its focus is not on Star Trek, but rather on Shatner himself. I confess. I am a lapsed Trekkie. I suppose my faith waivered because I was disappointed in Star Trek (2009). Perhaps I couldn't let go of the fact that William Shatner was no longer Captain Kirk. I grew up with the original series, and William Shatner will always be my favourite captain. For many males including myself, Shatner's Captain Kirk was the embodiment of masculinity: he commanded the respect of those being led by him; he fearlessly encountered the unknown; and he attracted females wherever he travelled. None of the later captains for whatever reasons were able to highlight these characteristics in the way Shatner did in my mind. Even when there was a conscious attempt to emulate these original characteristics in the last Star Trek series to date with Scott Bakula's Captain Archer, the general public did not seem to take notice. Every Star Trek fan has his own favourite captain, though, so interviewing all of them seems like the best way to appeal to as many people as possible. The documentary opens with Shatner being greeted on a runway tarmac by Steve Ridolfi who is the President of Bombardier Business Aircraft, Bombardier Aerospace Inc. (Note that in the "making of" documentary on the DVD, he is misidentified as Pierre Beaudoin who is President and Chief Executive Officer of Bombardier Inc. and also the Director of Bombardier Aerospace Inc.) Bombardier, not Priceline, provided a business Global aircraft for Shatner and the Canadian film crew to fly to the various cities in which the actors were situated at the time of filming. Coincidentally, Bombardier is based in Shatner's hometown of Montreal, Quebec, Canada. (Shatner is the guest speaker at Bombardier Aerospace's 15th Safety Standdown this year.) Ridolfi is filmed telling Shatner how Captain Kirk and Star Trek inspired him to get into aeronautical engineering. I'm sure Shatner hears this all the time, especially when he interviewed scientists for his book, "I'm Working on That," and in the documentary, "How William Shatner Changed the World." But conveniently, this incident will be referenced by Shatner at the end of the documentary when he discusses an epiphany with Patrick Stewart. There is an effort made to vary the settings in which the actors are interviewed, taking advantage of the various locales. An effort is also made to visually introduce each of the actors in a unique way depending on the location. The most inventive is probably the introduction of Kate Mulgrew in New York which is done by surprising her on the street with Shatner hidden inside a large cardboard box. Multiple HD cameras were used, and sometimes rapid editing is used. The background piano music lends an air of classiness to the interviews. People who have watched Shatner's Raw Nerve television interview series will be familiar with Shatner's interviewing style. It can be intimate at times, and occasionally, Shatner inadvertently interrupts someone's train of thought in an answer. Since this documentary edits the actors' answers together, the flow is rather smooth. Still, Shatner's interview with Avery Brooks is the most bizarre through no fault of Shatner's, I presume. To be fair, perhaps Brooks thought the questions were annoying. I think Shatner makes the interview work because he goes along with Brooks' antic of answering questions by playing jazz piano. I think this is the first time that I've ever seen Shatner actually try to sing. The improvised vocal duets that he does with Brooks are hypnotic. In Shatner's encounter with Chris Pine, Shatner mentions that he enjoyed Pine's performance in Unstoppable. I still don't know if Shatner has watched Chris Pine in Star Trek (2009). It's like Shatner is wearing a badge of honour in not having bothered to watch it. Shatner's interview with Kate Mulgrew is the most emotional with Shatner getting Mulgrew to admit that it's impossible for a woman to be successful at both motherhood in real-life and being a starship captain on television. Shatner has a friendly camaraderie with Scott Bakula, and is shown teaching him how to ride a horse. It is no surprise that Shatner seems most at ease with Patrick Stewart with whom he worked on a Star Trek movie. One thing I find annoying in all Star Trek documentaries is the use of clips from the Star Trek television series and movies. I suppose these might be helpful for people who haven't seen everything like I have, but to me, it's just filler. This documentary occasionally shows a clip here and there, and they're not overly intrusive. (There is a strange use of a clip run backwards of Voyager going into warp.) For Star Trek fans hoping to see other Star Trek actors, there are short interview segments with Jonathan Frakes, Robert Picardo, Nana Visitor, Rene Auberjonois, Connor Trinneer, and Jeri Ryan. It's funny to see Shatner greet each woman who has been in Star Trek as "the most beautiful woman in Star Trek." So that's how Captain Kirk was able to land so many human and alien babes. In the past, Shatner has gone undercover at Star Trek conventions wearing a gorilla mask. In this documentary, he is filmed casually strolling through a Star Trek convention while the camera catches the surprised reactions of Trekkies. It's fun to see Shatner quietly sneak into a group of Trekkies in costume being photographed. I suppose that at his age, Shatner commands such respect that he doesn't need an entourage protecting him, but his bodyguards are undoubtedly off-screen and nearby. Although it's fun to see this convention footage including the requisite Trekkie interviews, one has to wonder if Shatner didn't think there was enough interest in the actor interviews to support the entire documentary. Or maybe he knows what Trekkies want to see. There is also a section where he interviews a fellow Canadian actor, Christopher Plummer, who did not portray a starship captain, but rather a Klingon general. Plummer's inclusion in this documentary has more to do with his time with Shatner at the Stratford Festival where they performed in Shakespeare's plays. The actor interviews are edited so all the actors are introduced within the first half an hour. Their responses are grouped around specific lines of questioning that reflect Shatner's life and concerns. For example, each actor in turn discusses how they got into acting and this leads to Shatner telling about his early experience of how he made audience members cry as a kid acting in a play about the Holocaust. So does interviewing the actors who have portrayed starship captains provide any enlightenment as to what it takes to be a starship captain in Star Trek? Stage experience is common to all the actors, but this isn't much of a revelation. There is also a discussion of how being the star of a television series affects family life due to the long hours. I don't think Shatner knows much about the other Star Trek series, and I don't think he spent much time reading about the actors he interviewed. He is shown reading a research folder on one of the jet trips, but I imagine he was hoping to find insight during the actual interviews. You might think to portray an effective leader that having experience as a leader in real life might help. But this is not addressed. Unfortunately, I don't think Shatner was successful at uncovering new ground. There is nary a mention of one French-Canadian actress, Genevieve Bujold, who was hired as the Star Trek captain on Star Trek Voyager, but who lasted only a week before she quit due to the long hours. It is doubtful she would have consented to be interviewed, but it would have been interesting to hear her speak as I don't believe she has ever talked publicly about her time with Star Trek. At this point in his life, Shatner confesses that he has been in denial about Star Trek and Captain Kirk's popularity and influence. He has been insecure all his life. Knowing that he had an authorized biography written in 1979 seems to confirm this. He probably thought that at age 48, he wouldn't accomplish much more in life. (On the contrary, Shatner detractors might see this as an act of hubris in thinking that he would have much to say at that point in his life.) I have read much about Shatner and the other actors, and there is not much revealed that I was not already aware of through other sources. But it is fun seeing the actors on screen and seemingly enjoying Shatner's company. There are a few short video clips of early Shatner that I've never seen before. As I mentioned earlier, Shatner does have an epiphany at the end of the documentary, and whether genuine or not (it's hard to tell when Shatner is being sincere), it is kind of heartwarming to hear, especially if Shatner as Captain Kirk is a "hero" of yours. Promotional materials have listed this documentary at 120 minutes, but my DVD version is 96 minutes. There is undoubtedly much unused footage, but the only extras on the DVD are the trailer and an 11 minute "making of" documentary. I doubt that someone not familiar with Star Trek would enjoy this documentary, although there is the interesting element of discovering what preoccupies the mind of someone famous in the twilight years of his life. If you're only a casual fan of Shatner, then you might be disappointed. It probably goes without saying, but if you're a fan of William Shatner, then you'll enjoy watching this documentary. And if you ever get a chance to audition for the role of a starship captain in a Star Trek television series, then I highly recommend you watch this documentary first. -- Reed

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Harakiri Blu Ray Review

Jay C. — Tue, 18 Oct 2011 21:47:42 +0000

Harakiri Directed by: Masaki Kobayashi Written by: Shinobu Hashimoto Starring: Tatsuya Nakadai, Rentaro Mikuni, Akira Ishihama, Shima Iwashita Masaki Kobayashi's Harakiri is a sort of anti-samurai film that explores honour and moral decency within the strict adherence to a centuries old code. Kobayahsi's criticisms hurled towards this authoritative body is just as relevant now as it was in Edo period Japan. The result is a film that plays with the audience as it peels back the layers, strategically revealing plot revelations that tantalize the audience, creating a truly engrossing cinematic experience. Hanshiro Tsugumo, a Ronin Samurai, enters the estate of the Lyi Clan in search of a courtyard to perform Harakiri; an act of ritual suicide through disembowelment. Within the Bushido code, it's used both as punishment or voluntarily by a samurai looking to die with honour. In this case, Hanshiro is out of work due to the current time of peace and rather than live in endless poverty, decides to take his life honourably. When he presents his proposal to the counsellor of the clan, he's told a story about a young Ronin named Motome Chijiiwa who had made the same request shortly before him. Chijiiwa's proposal was met with skepticism due to a high number of desperate Ronin making a habit of approaching the clan requesting harakiri in hopes to either be offered a position as a retainer or given food and money to go away. In this case, they called Chijiiwa's bluff and slowly discovered his intentions weren't honest. His blades were made of bamboo and his sudden request to postpone the ceremony was met with aggression from the clan, resulting in a forced harakiri using his own bamboo blade; an extremely long and painful way to die. Even after hearing this cautionary tale, Hanshiro insists he would like to go through with the ceremony. As the story progresses, Hanshiro's connection to Chijiiwa is slowly revealed. I don't want to get into the details here, but we discover that Hanshiro is on a sort of revenge mission, challenging the actions of the Lyi Clan and forcing them to question their stubborn allegiance to their traditions. Director Masaki Kobayashi slowly and deliberately unravels the plot, revealing all of the connections and major revelations with great care. The use of the framing device (Hanshiro learning of the fate of Chijiiwa and then revealing his connection to him) is extremely effective and seems inspired by the films of Kobayashi's colleague, Akira Kurosawa. At times, the story is so desperate and melancholy that it reminded me of a Lars Von Trier film (oddly enough, Dancer in the Dark comes to mind). There's a clear sense of cynicism aimed towards the authority held by the samurai, which is easily applicable to any number of modern day bodies of power, throwing it's weight around in an overzealous and irresponsible fashion. While most of the film is dialogue based, there are some great flashes of action. In on scene, Hanshiro recalls a fight in which he claimed the topknot of a rival samurai; a battle which takes place in a windy field of tall grass. The climax of the film features an awesome sword fight in which Hanshiro attempts to fend off multiple retainers, leading to a final bloody outcome. His most effective form of revenge however, is not in the bodies he leaves in the Lyi courtyard, but rather the clever undermining of the honour of the Lyi Clan, devastating their leader and exposing the samurai code as fraudulent. It's certainly the most powerful scene in the film. Harakiri looks great on blu ray. Framed within a 2.35:1 aspect ratio and filmed in beautiful black and white, the film retains a great sense of detail, right down to the fabric of the samurai's robes and the revealing fake hairlines on the wig wearing actors, which I think even on DVD is probably obvious. There's a natural grain present throughout and the photography features just the right amount of contrast. The audio presented with an uncompressed monaural soundtrack that sounds great. As for special features, the disc contains multiple video interviews featuring Japanese film historian Donald Richie, director Masaki Kobayashi, star Tatsuya Nakadai, and screenwriter Shinobu Hashimoto. All of these features were originally created for the 2005 DVD release of the film and are presented in 1080i. It all adds up to another worthwhile release from the Criterion Collection. -- Jay C.

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