Lawrence Sonntag

Lawrence Sonntag

Favorite films

  • Speed Racer
  • Kung Fu Hustle
  • The Last Picture Show
  • The Trial

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  • Black Tight Killers

    ★★★½

  • The 36th Chamber of Shaolin

    ★★★½

  • Born Yesterday

    ★★★½

  • Mr. & Mrs. Smith

    ★★★

Recent reviews

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  • Black Tight Killers

    Black Tight Killers

    ★★★½

    Japanese James Bond shot in the hyper chromatic Italian style, depicting the titular female gang up to all kinds of ninja antics including using records as throwing stars.

    It's a campy good time and fun to watch thanks to the freewheeling directing.

  • The 36th Chamber of Shaolin

    The 36th Chamber of Shaolin

    ★★★½

    The story told in this movie is simple but demonstrates the power of visual storytelling. San Te's oddball level-based training explicitly pays off later in a manner that weirdly reminds me of The Karate Kid.

    One of the last major encounters is simply exceptional though - long takes at night with tens of stunt performers and everything looks is in focus, well lit, and easy to follow.

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  • Rebel Moon – Part Two: The Scargiver

    Rebel Moon – Part Two: The Scargiver

    ★★

    Zac Snyder once again tries to tell us all that plot, motivation, character, and setting are irrelevant when you have a REALLY cool two seconds of film in mind and you have to get there somehow.

    It reminds me of the soulless me-too Star Wars clones in the early 80s... like Krull without any of the downtime, or Flash Gordon without Queen (or joy).

    So far, Rebel Moon feels like an adaptation of a rambling serialized comic. If this were…

  • Twister

    Twister

    ★★★

    This movie is sublimely campy. Worth watching for weather jargon like "suck zone," a phrase I'll never get tired of hearing.

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