WALKING IN THE SNOW
- BLU-RAY -
Terrific, feels like a culmination of Chor Yuen’s skills and strengths, but with added depth. The snow-bound locations and sets add to the melancholy, and Ti Lung’s lead performance is suitably moving and subdued. I’ve previously pointed at Gordon Liu as Shaw’s best leading man, but I think Lung is overtaking him for me. The rest of the film has some of the convolution of other Yuen films of the period, but it…
THE GRUDGE
- BLU-RAY -
A truly wild, fevered, anything goes fantasy mystery wuxia from Shaw. The plot is almost comically convoluted, with mountains of exposition coming out in virtually every other scene, but the imagination in the sets and costumes, the energetic fight choreography, and Ti Lung at his swooningly charming best mean it’s a fun ride, and better than I was expecting. Compared to the equally ideas filled but dark and nightmare inducing The Magic Blade, this is like that film’s candy coloured, Day-Glo cousin.
ARROW ACADEMY BLU-RAY
Very clearly one of the undisputed, top tier masterpieces of American cinema. Intoxicatingly rotten, taking place in a mid-century New York that practically reeks through the screen, but looks sensational.
I had remembered this as suffocatingly dank, but the innocent, almost naive characterisation of the two young lovers does bring fascinating balance to the film’s portraits.
AND THE CROWD GOES WILD
- STREAM -
Tom Holland has long been one of Marvel’s secret weapons, and he can sell emotional beats for all they’re worth. Molina and Dafoe have fun and are worth every penny as actors. But really this is expensive fan fiction; an extravagant very special crossover episode. It’s mostly a self satisfied fantasy project with unsurprisingly not a single memorable set piece or exciting visual, and little to no idea what to do with…
