Recent Viewings - Last Horror Movie & Brotherhood Of War

[Mr_Vindictive]

Finally got around to watching some flicks that I picked up a few weeks ago.  Two big surprises.

The Last Horror Movie (2003) - I've had this one sitting on the shelf for a while now.  Last night my wife was at a batchelorette party and our daughter was with her grandparents, so I made a pitcher of margaritas and sat down to watch this flick.  

The film starts off with the credits ('natch) and then jumps into a lone woman sweeping a diner after closing.  She finds a door open, closes it then her cell phone rings.  There's a strange sound on the phone so she hangs up then hears a crash in the diner.  She walks to the main lobby of the resturant only to get attacked by a man with a knife.  Then the movie turns to static and an Englishman appears on his home video camea.

He tells us that he has recorded over the film we had rented, and wants us to watch his actions for the next hour or so.  The film then goes on, documentary style as we follow Max, a wedding photographer as he lives a normal life but murders people on a regular basis.

This is absolutely AMAZING.  At one point, Max stabs a young woman in her home.  After the deed is done and he is driving home, he asks if we would sell our TV to feed a child in Africa.  Then he asks if we could sell it to save the woman we just saw murdered.  If we say yes to selling the TV to save the woman, then he asks why not the African child.  And if we say no to both, he asks - Why not?  Is life not important enough?

This film raised a plethora of questions about the viewer and I was completely surprised.  This is by far one of the best "experimental" flicks I have ever seen.  The ending is superb as well...sort of like The Ring but without the 7 days of waiting.  I would say to definently check it out.  If you are able to, check it out on VHS and you'll understand why after seeing it.  I had to see it on DVD so it lost some of it's power.

9/10




TaeGukGi (Brotherhood Of War) (2004) - I picked up this flick a while back as well on DVD after reading that it was quite possibly the best film of last year.  I have just now got around to watching it and I'm kicking myself for not doing so earlier.  This is quite possibly the most powerful/moving flick I've seen in a long time.

The film follows Jin-Tae and his little brother Jin-Seok.  Jin-Tae is a shoeshiner in a small town in S. Korea, and his brother is a student.  Their life is torn apart when the Korean war begins and Jin-Seok is recuited without warning.  Jin-Tae is then recruited in an attempt to set his little brother free.

This film is brutal.  I would have to say that if Hell were to exist, it would be having to live the events of this film.  I've never seen such a look at how war can destroy a person, and how maddening it's events can be.

As I said, the film is brutal, so be ready for quite a bit of gore.  If you thought that Saving Private Ryan was realistic and violent, then you haven't seen a damned thing.  Limbs blown off, brains blown out, disembowelment, gun shots, burnings, etc.  I can't honestly believe how violent the film was...but that's not what makes it so good.  I can honestly say that all of the violence could be cut along with the battles and it'd still be a damned fine film.

All of this is owed to the strong relationship between the brothers.  There is a chemistry there, and it works 100%.  You can tell these two guys love each other and would do absolutely anything to save the other.  

I can't believe that a film like Hero (although good) got major releasing, yet this film got snuffed.  This is a film that eveyone should see, especially fans of war films.

Overall, this is the best war film I've ever seen, and I can't wait to watch it again.  I'm so damned happy I bought it on DVD, it's amazing.  If you do see it, be ready for the end.  You will without a doubt need a box of tissues, not matter how jaded to films you are.  Superb filmmaking.  I hope the guys in South Korea keep up these amazing films.

10/10 - I HIGHLY RECOMMEND THIS FLICK!

[daveblackeye15]

REally you liked "Last Horror Movie"? For some reason I thought it was crap when I looked at the box. I guess the title was depressing and turned me off away from it.

[Mr_Vindictive]

Dave,

Yeah, I really liked it.  It's not really a horror movie as much as a fake (yet highly disturbing) documentary.  It's definently something that should be seen.

[Yaddo 42]

I rented TGG:TBOW a little while back and was impressed as well, maybe a little less than you - some of the dialogue seemed odd to me but I figured it was just the subtitle translation - , but overall I liked it. And I wished that more people I knew who weren't genre or foreign film fans would see it or give it a chance. The film went a long way to showing that a serious dramatic film about warfare and politics could come from overseas that would appeal to American audiences.

I've seen "The Last Horror Movie" on the shelf at the rental place, but since most of the horror flicks I've rented lately have been duds. Except maybe "Seed of Chucky" (had some moments and little bit of wit to it) and "The Hazing" (which was by the numbers formula but the people making it seemed to have affection for the style of horror films they were copying). The premise sounds like it might be worth a look.

[Mr_Vindictive]

Yaddo,

Do check out The Last Horror Movie.  It's not quite a horror movie in the traditional sense, and will be quite disappointing if you go into it expecting something along the lines of Seed Of Chucky (which wasn't too bad).

It's a smart horror film and not exactly scary.  It's more disturbing than anything.

[Neville]

I rented Brotherhood of War las weekend and I have to say I'm impresed. This has to be, together with "Oldboy", the best Korean film I've seen so far. I hated the first minutes, which sort of got me the idea that I was watching a poor copy of "saving Private Ryan", but once the two brothers start developing a love/hate relationship the film started to have another look to me. Some of the battle scenes are fantastic (I particularly liked the part where the older brother tries to capture some enemy high brass or the final battle), and the look it dedicates to Korea's recent history is nothing but brave. A must see for all war movies aficionados.