Project X (2012)

3 high school seniors throw a birthday party to make a name for themselves. As the night progresses, things spiral out of control as word of the party spreads.

After his parents take off for the weekend, 18 year old Thomas Cub, (winner of the 2012 Shia Lebouf look alike contest) throws a party at the behest of his bff Costa. Seeing the night as an opportunity to gain popularity and get laid, Costa invites a lot more people than Thomas intended. As the party rages, they have to deal with police, neighbors and an unhinged drug dealer they ran afoul of earlier.

 The guy on the left came with a cheaper salary...

At some point we've all dreamed of being at or throwing a wild party. Project X is the tale of one such party that spirals out of control within the first 20 minutes. The plot sums this movie up fairly well and there isn't much more to add.  Somewhere during this party There was also a love story, a midget and a flamethrower. Oh and titty. It's never a party without titty.

 Supple...I mean, subtle.

Project X is a decent film but I don't think a lot of it was planned. There was only about 15 minutes if actual film. That equates to about an hour of partying on camera, just cuz. And you know what? The film was better for It. The soundtrack was dope and in the party scenes, everyone seemed to be genuinely enjoying themselves.

In retrospect, maybe this was all an excuse to throw a giant fucking party?

Out of Ten? 7

Violence? Mild
Explosions? Yes
Nudity? Yes

Read More

Outrage (2010)

Writer, director and actor Takeshi "Beat" Kitano returns to his roots in this gripping gangster drama that details the intense rivalry between two powerful yakuza syndicates and the efforts of a small crew to prevent all-out war from erupting.

Two Yakuza gangs have made a pact of nonviolence, yet long standing tensions bubble to the surface and they soon find themselves on the brink of all out war.

This film does not glorify gang violence at all. If anything it is a "behind the curtain" view of the life of a Yakuza. Politics, Power grabs, in fighting, blackmail, extortion, executions, you know, the good stuff. Outrage is long and deliberate but when the gang war is finally on, no one survives. The idea behind that is to wipe out the whole crew so that there's no one who can come back for revenge later and in doing so, I have to give credit where it's due. The ruthless gangs always come up with new ways to kill and in this film, they created a vehicular lynching.

From the front seat of a car, they tied a rope around a guys neck and tied the other end to a pole on the highway. Then they put the car in full speed wich instantly snapped his neck and pulled him backward.

Crazy.

Out of Ten? 6

Not to quote the cover, but Outrage is definitely not for the squeamish

Violence? Yes
Explosions? One
Nudity? Two Titties

Read More

Samourais (2002)

Half a century ago, a Japanese family summoned a demon known as Kodeni to dispose of its adversaries. Once the killing was done, the family was cursed. Now, Tokyo Police Inspector Fujiwara is investigating the murder of a video game designer. The investigation leads him to a frightening discovery - the same lethal demon is about to be reborn. Fujiwara must travel to Paris and kill this unborn child who is the reincarnation of Kodeni and who threatens to destroy the world.

A woman is chased through a forest by a samurai. Right before he delivers the killing blow, she is saved by five men wielding swords. After a short battle, she gives birth to a baby who quickly ages into a full grown adult in a matter of seconds. He then grabs a sword sand kills both the mother and the samurai that was hunting her. 5 centuries later, the demon baby has worn out his current body and is in need of another. While being questioned about the latest killing, he manages to take out the police in the interrogation room before allowing himself to be killed by the chief warning him that he will resurrect in his daughter's womb.

Soon after the chief pulls the trigger and kills him, a shogun appears in the room, announces that he is an ancestor of the chief and tells him the story of the demon. He says that he must slay his daughter, as she carries the demon child and if she gives birth, there will be nothing thar can stop him. But eventually, he joins up with his daughter's boyfriend Marcos to both stop the demon and defeat a secret sect bent on allowing him to be reborn and continue his work.

Aah Japan...I never know what's happening in your films, yet I always come back for more.
Samourais was okay, worthy of a five at the least. Despite the dope.fight scenes, and the forced comedy, this movie is getting a 4 off the stregnth of Marcos' annoying friend, Nadir.

Out of Ten? 4

Violence? Yes
Explosions? one
Nudity? No

Read More

Yakuza Weapon (2011)

Minus two limbs after his first showdown with a Yakuza chief, Shozo is remade into a machine-gun-armed, rocket-launcher-legged vengeance machine. Now the kingpin and his men are the targets of a psychotic who's made of more firepower than they carry.

 Guns, swords, chivalry and loyalty are the ways of the Yazuka. Feeling that those are outdated, one man, Kurawaki, disposes of the old chief and assumes command. He believes that business and drug distribution is the new way to go and it is his goal to unite the families under his control. Upon hearing that his father has been slain, Shozo, a young and fearless man, returns to Japan intent on revenge and proving that he is the toughest of all the Yakuza. After their first battle, Shozo is left missing both his right arm and his left leg. After being patched up and given cybernetic weapon enhancements, he sets out to take down Kurawaki once and for all. What he doesn't know is that Kurawaki has also been enhanced and he now commands an army of drug fueled supporters.

She can shoot rockets from her vadge. That's right folks, Vagina Cannon!

Yakuza Weapon is a Japanese grindhouse movie. That means gore, comedy, and cyber/human weapons. There's machine gun arms, Cock Rockets and a freaking Vagina Cannon! This film basks in its ridiculousness while still telling a decent story. It isn't the type of film that you'd watch if you were looking for serious action, but it is still entertaining.

Out of Ten? 6.5

Violence? Yes

Explosions? Yes

Nudity? Vagina Cannon

Read More

Punished (2011)

Thirsting for vengeance after baddies kidnap and kill his daughter, über-rich real estate developer Wong Ho-chiu sends his ex-con bodyguard Chor after the killers with instructions to slay them mercilessly -- and to videotape each brutal murder.

After a fight with his drug addicted daughter, he learns that she's been kidnapped. Thinking she's behind it, he initially shrugs it off but he reluctantly agrees to pay the $50 million ransom. He finds her dead a day later and basically swears vengeance on those involved and pays his bodyguard another 50 to get it done.

Punished is not a horrible flick. It's just not terribly entertaining. It its more of a revenge drama as opposed to revenge action. Decent performances supported the film and the vengeance scenes themselves were good. (Especially because there's a sledgehammer.)

I understand that vengeance is methodical, so a slow burn is to be expected yet I felt that it moved a bit too slow.

Out of Ten? 5.5

Violence? Yes
Explosions? No
Nudity? No

Read More

Saving Private Perez (2011)

Despite his ruthless reputation, the most notorious drug lord in Mexico has one soft spot -- his mother -- and when she orders him to invade Iraq to rescue his little brother, he assembles a squad of oddball hombres to fulfill his suicidal mission.

Julian Perez is the most dangerous, most feared and most powerful drug lord in Mexico. When he goes to visit his mom in the hospital, she tells him that his brother has joined the US Army, and is now missing in action since his plane was shot down over Iraq. She also tells him that if he wants to make amends to her, he would go to there and bring his brother home alive. Perez then assembles a team of four capable men to travel and help him with this task. His first question, "Where the hell is Iraq?"

Upon first hearing the title, Saving Private Perez sounds like it should be a comedy, but instead it takes itself seriously as an action adventure film with a little comedy sprinkled in. There's clear movement from A to B with no filler and yet It seemed like they weren't quite sure which direction to go, so they added a bit of everything, it didn't help, but it didn't hurt either.

I went in with no expectations, but it turned out to be a bit better than I would have given it credit for.

Out of Ten? 6.5

Violence? Yes
Explosions? Yes
Nudity? No

Read More