Vampire flicks:

[mickey]

Greetings,

Back in the '70's there was the ABC Movie of the Week. They showed, quality, made for television movies with incredible talent. It was through the ABC Movie of the Week that we saw "Kung Fu," "Brian's Song" and a host of other good quality shows. One movie that really stood out and got notice was an urban vampire movie called "The Night Stalker" this show was pretty much the talk of the town or, to put it nicely, it rocked!! It starred the late Darren McGavin and the show's success spawned a series of the same name that may have been influencial the creation of "The X Files"

Here is a tidbit found on Youtube. At 5:27 you will hear score that may have influenced the motifs used in the 5 Venoms (it does sound like Shaw Brothers lifted this one):

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=U2H3xuhkZuY

Enjoy,

mickey

[mickey]

Oops!

I did write "flicks."

Another great vampire movie that came out during the '70's was called "Grave of the Vampire."
This movie starred William Smith and was about a man who was searching for the vampire who raped his mother, creating him. Definitely shades of Blade, here.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3f1AnYyA0NA


mickey

[Jimbo]

I remember watching The Night Stalker on Friday nights when I was about 11. If I remember correctly, it premiered in the fall of 1974 and only lasted halfway into 1975. And yes, it definitely was a heavy influence on The X-Files. IMO, the best episode of Night Stalker was probably the first; about Jack the Ripper re-appearing in Chicago. I think the show became a victim of its own premise; every week a new monster (a slime monster, a group of vampires, a Greek goddess, a werewolf, an underground giant lizard, a headless motorcyclist, an evil witch, etc.). However, I still think Kolchak was one of the great TV characters.

The show itself was a spinoff of the original TV movies The Night Stalker (about a vampire) and its sequel, The Night Strangler.

Not a vampire flick, but another quality movie I saw on TV in the '70s (can't remember what year; either 1972 or '77) was called Gargoyles. I don't know if it was made-for-TV or not. An odd thing about it was that when I saw it, there was a prologue which claimed it was based on real events(!?). It was about humans encountering gargoyle-like reptilian beings in a desert area of the American Southwest. I think it was a well-made movie, and even a bit scary at the time.

A great made-for-TV vampire flick was the film version of Stephen King's novel Salem's Lot. I saw it again recently, and it still stands up today as a good, atmospheric vampire story, and is one of the best Stephen King adaptations ever.

[mickey]

Hi Jimbo,

I vaguely remember seeing "Gargoyles." Someone posted it up on youtube. I do remember the last part, though. I got the feeling this was not made in the USA. I do remember a similar "Gargoyles" movie that featured an underground civilization that spoke a strangely ancient language that was almost like English. They had to use subtitles when one of those gargoyles spoke. These characters were pale looking and had blondish white hair. Do you remember a movie like that? The ending was almost identical, the difference being that they flew off with two human females.

mickey

[Jimbo]

Mickey,
The ones in the Gargoyles movie I saw were mostly small, child-sized(?) beings with maybe beaked faces, but their leader was a tall, winged being that looked a lot like the typical image of the devil. I seem to remember it ending with the winged guy flying off. I think there was a colony of them breeding somewhere in a cave or underground. I don't remember any blondish hair, but I could be wrong (it's been over 30 years). I remember a scene where a dead woman is found hanging upside-down from her ankles on a pole. But I thought this particular movie was an American film, could be wrong there, too.

There is a passing resemblance between the alpha leader of these gargoyles and the monster in Jeepers Creepers.

I'm not sure if modern made-for-TV horror movies can compare atmospherically to some of those '70s ones. I find most of the Sci-Fi channel's TV horror movies are pretty bad, and overstuffed with ultra-fake-looking CGI. Plus most of the actors they get nowadays look like underwear/lingerie models or extras on CSI: Miami.

[CLFNole]

Actully the Gargolyes moved starred ex-NFL player Bernie Casey (he was also in one of the Revenge of the Nerd movies) as the head gargoyle. I don't remember them being small though.

[Shaolinlueb]

kolchak The Night Stalker was a great series and i used to watch the reruns on sci fi.

[mickey]

Shaolinlueb,

If you have the chance, see the tv movie that gave rise to the series.


mickey

[Shaolinlueb]

Mickey

will do.

the reason i checked them out in the first place was because i loved the x-files. my dad turned me onto them because he used to watch it when it came out.

I will try to find the movies.

SL

[mickey]

Hi Shaolinlueb,

All you really need to see is the first one, "the Nightstalker." When you consider the time it was made, it had some very covert anti-feminist, msygonistic undertones. It still does not take away from the movie. The scene where the vampire confronted the cops had everyone talking because we had not associated physical strength with vampires. Up until then, it was more of a mind control, Svengali, type of energy.


mickey

[doug maverick]

corey yuen+women=the win

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2X6mowgw5YI

corey yuen+ anyone else=epic fail

[Jimbo]

One of my regrets is a few years ago, I saw a DVD double-feature on sale that had both the original Night Stalker and Night Strangler on the same disc. I did not buy it, and now haven't seen it available anywhere for a long time.

Mickey, actually the oldest I've seen of a vampire displaying 'superhuman' or greater than normal strength was probably in the 1958 Hammer Films movie The Horror of Dracula, with Christopher Lee as Dracula and Peter Cushing as Van Helsing.

Hey Doug, I sometimes wonder how good The Heroic Trio would've been if Corey Yuen had directed it instead of Johnny To/Ching Siu-Tung. A Corey Yuen movie about lady vampires would probably be very cool.

[mickey]

Greetings,

doug maverick,

That movie looks lame.

When it came to developing a genre of interest, ROBOTRIX really stands out because it combined genres: sci fi, porn, martial arts, and horror. I think the social backlash kept similar movies from being made.

Have any of you seen it?

mickey

[doug maverick]

Greetings,

doug maverick,

That movie looks lame.

When it came to developing a genre of interest, ROBOTRIX really stands out because it combined genres: sci fi, porn, martial arts, and horror. I think the social backlash kept similar movies from being made.

Have any of you seen it?

mickey

dude its a tiny snippet of a teaser you cant tell **** by it. again i say to you

corey yuen+ women= the win


thats a scientific fact.

[mickey]

Greetings,

We will see, doug maverick.

mickey

[GeneChing]

Ever check out the old Mr. Vampire series? Great stuff. My favorite installment was Crazy Safari (Gods Must Be Crazy III) which contained that special brand of insanity that's signature to HK cinema. I maintain that Crazy Safari had the greatest Bruce Lee impersonation ever.

But onwards to new Vampire flicks, check out the trailer for Thirst. (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oTOeot1rfzQ) It's from Park Chan-wook, director of Old Boy et.al.

I'm saying this beats Doug's Blood: the Last Vampire.
Park Chan-wook > Corey Yuan
What say the rest of you?
;)

[Jimbo]

Gene, I saw Crazy Safari in Taiwan years back. That final Bruce Lee impersonation was great...I even remember them using clips of Bruce from Fist of Fury as his spirit was being channeled. I also think it's the only time that Lam Ching-Ying cut loose and busted out a form onscreen. Oh, and my favorite Gods Must Be Crazy was part 2.

The first Mr. Vampire movie is a classic. Though it spawned a bunch of sequels and knockoffs, you simply can't top the original. And even then, it has lots of things similar to Sammo Hung's Encounter of the Spooky Kind (Spooky Encounters).

[doug maverick]

Ever check out the old Mr. Vampire series? Great stuff. My favorite installment was Crazy Safari (Gods Must Be Crazy III) which contained that special brand of insanity that's signature to HK cinema. I maintain that Crazy Safari had the greatest Bruce Lee impersonation ever.

But onwards to new Vampire flicks, check out the trailer for Thirst. (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oTOeot1rfzQ) It's from Park Chan-wook, director of Old Boy et.al.

I'm saying this beats Doug's Blood: the Last Vampire.
Park Chan-wook > Corey Yuan
What say the rest of you?
;)

you when gene, i didnt have to watch the trailer to know this was going to be some good ****. park chan woo= the win. as for corey yuen, lie i've said many times before he is on my top 2 of worst fight directors, next to ching siu tung. but unlike ching corey actually is capable of puting together some awesome stuff. he is hit or miss, ching is just miss. when corey gets together with women hecan give a spectacular show.

[Shaolinlueb]

oh **** the guy from my sassy girl is in this! will see.

[Ben Gash]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nBqWOOTQFNg

[GeneChing]

Park wins the Jury Prize at Cannes (http://ezine.kungfumagazine.com/forum/showthread.php?t=53853).

05-25-2009 16:33
'Thirst' Wins Jury Prize (http://www.koreatimes.co.kr/www/news/art/2009/05/135_45614.html)
By Cathy Rose A. Garcia
Staff Reporter

The dark vampire thriller ``Thirst," directed by Park Chan-wook, won the Jury Prize at the prestigious Cannes International Film Festival in France, Sunday.

Park shared the festival's third place award with British director Andrea Arnold's teen drama ``Fish Tank." The festival's top prize Palme d'Or was given to ``The White Ribbon," a film about brutality in a 20th-century German town by Austrian director Michael Haneke.

``I think I still have a long way to go before I become a true artist. I must admit I have yet to experience the pangs of creation. All I have experienced is the joy of creation. When my first two films bombed at the box office, it was a long time before I could make this third feature. So this is an immense pleasure for me, from the conception of the film to its release ― except for the interviews. It's the last step for a film to be screened at the Cannes Festival," Park said after receiving his award.

The win was his second in Cannes after his film ``Old Boy'' received the Grand Jury Prize, the festival's second place honor, in 2004.

In his speech, Park gave special mention to actor Song Kang-ho, describing him as a ``great friend and longtime partner in filmmaking."

In ``Thirst," Song played the lead role of the priest who, after receiving a mysterious blood transfusion, turns into a ravenous vampire. He starts to lust after human blood and has an affair with his friend's wife (played by Kim Ok-vin).

The Cannes jury, led by French actress Isabelle Huppert, praised ``Thirst" as a ``unique noir film." Other members of the jury included Korean director Lee Chang-dong, Chinese actress Shu Qi and American actress Robin Wright Penn.

Korean President Lee Myung-bak also congratulated Park for receiving the prestigious international award.

``Winning an award at Cannes, which is one of the most renowned film festivals in the world, means the efforts of our film producers and the quality of their products were once again recognized by the world. I sincerely hope Korean films will take another great stride toward the international market, and on behalf of our citizens, I once again congratulate director Park, who has not only left a great mark in the history of our film industry, but also helped make all our movie-makers proud," Lee said in a personal message to Park, as quoted by Yonhap News.

``Thirst" competed against high-profile films by renowned directors such as Quentin Tarantino, Pedro Almodovar, Ang Lee and Jane Campion. It was the first Korean film to be co-produced and distributed by top Hollywood studio Universal Pictures, and has been sold to foreign buyers in 10 countries including France and Greece.

In Korea, the film is a box-office success having attracted 2.1 million viewers since it hit the local screens April 30.

``Thirst" marks the eighth time a Korean film has received a major award at Cannes. Director Im Kwon-taek received the Cannes director's award for ``Stroke of Fire" in 2002, while actress Jeon Do-yeon was named best actress in 2007 for ``Secret Sunshine."


So logically...

Posted: Tue., May 19, 2009, 8:00pm PT
Vampire tale generates buzz over remake rights (http://www.variety.com/article/VR1118003950.html?categoryid=1238&cs=1)
By MICHAEL FLEMING, ALI JAAFAR

There's an increased interest in 'Thirst,' the latest offering from Park Chan-Wook, due to the success of vampire film 'Twilight.'

Even before Park Chan-Wook's "Thirst" made its Cannes bow, there was buzz about the availability of remake rights. The nightmarish tale centers on a priest who is infected by a virus and becomes a vampire.

Bloodsuckers are a popular theme in Hollywood right now thanks to the success of "Twilight." That only increased interest in the latest offering from Park, who is fast becoming a magnet for English-language remakes.

Park's "Old Boy" is being developed at DreamWorks as a potential pairing of director Steven Spielberg and Will Smith; Vertigo's Roy Lee and Doug Davison will be producers.

His "Sympathy for Lady Vengeance" is being developed by Charlize Theron as a vehicle for the actress to star and produce through her Denver and Delilah Prods.

And his "Sympathy for Mr. Vengeance" is being developed by "Transformers" producer Lorenzo di Bonaventura.

While Park's Korean producers on those three pics were able to deal directly with the interested U.S. parties, "Thirst" is a co-production between CJ Entertainment and Universal-based Focus Features Intl., so Focus gets first look on any potential English-language remake.

While CJ Entertainment's head of international film financing Mike Suh said it is still early days in terms of discussing a remake of "Thirst," it is another CJ project generating heat.

Bong Joon-ho's "Mother," about a feisty widow fighting to prove her emotionally fragile son is innocent of murder, is being circled by a number of U.S. producers.

"There is a high interest in the film, but we're still in the early stages of talks," said Suh. "As for Park's films, they are unique dramas with strong storylines, which is why they could work in other countries."

In November, Gore Verbinski acquired remake rights to Bong's monster movie "The Host." Verbinski will produce with the Vertigo partners and Paul Brooks.

As for Park, the helmer is weighing options for his next project. Aside from producing Bong's forthcoming adaptation of French comicbook "Le Transperceneige," he has no specific directing projects to which he's attached. But the free schedule doesn't mean he has any desire to get involved in the English-language remakes of his own pics.

"I want them to treat my films as if they were books and I was an 18th century writer who has long been dead," Park told Variety.

[GeneChing]

The Sony trailer (http://www.sonypictures.com/movies/bloodthelastvampire/) is up and it's in English.

[Shaolinlueb]

my korean friend said thirst wasnt that good. :dunno: we will have to see. i still am going to see it.

[BoulderDawg]

"The Night Stalker" and "Salem's Lot" were both excellent.

In fact, both have been remade in recent years and were pale imitations of the original.

I remember the new "Night Staker". It was like "let's get together a bunch of early 30s yuppies have then dress like fashion models and see what happens"......it was a mess! Especially if one remembers the original Carl Kolchak!

[mickey]

Hi BoulderDawg,

I am glad you liked "The Night Stalker."

I am still waiting for the guys who said they were going to try to see it to come back with their take on it. I guess I will have to wait until October.


mickey

[Jimbo]

I want to buy Let the Right One In, a Swedish vampire movie that's supposedly one of the all-time best vampire films. But unfortunately, the release that's out now doesn't have the theatrical subtitles, but newly substituted ones that apparently change the whole meaning of much of the story. I've read online that once the current stock is bought up, Magnolia(?) will release a new version that also includes the original subtitles as well. Many are upset that Magnolia isn't offering a trade-in for the upgraded release when that comes out.

[Lucas]

Just watched 'Let the Right One In'

Its very different. But it is good. I was strangely captivated by it. A very unique vampire tale, one that has NOT been done to death.

I give it two thumbs up. It wont fit everyones tastes though.

[doug maverick]

yes you read right and no its not a porn, ill keep it simple its shaun of the dead but with lesbian vampires.

[Raipizo]

WHAT ABOUT TWILIGHT?! XD sorry felt like being a little bit of a troll :]

[Shaolinlueb]

twilight? GTFO of here.

[Lucas]

This isnt a vampire movie, but its a great, if not one of the best, werewolf movies ever made. Its a UK film. Havnt seen it in a few years, but I just rememberd it. If your into monster movie flicks and such, its a must see. Theres this one scene where a soldier gets dis-embowled during a werewolf attack, totally awesome.

[Jimbo]

I assume the werewolf movie you're talking about is Dog Soldiers. It IS a great movie, and one of the best werewolf movies of all time.

I recently bought The Night Stalker/The Night Strangler 2-film DVD. These are the TV movies from the early '70s that gave birth to the Kolchak: The Night Stalker series. I saw them back then, and seeing them again, they still hold up today. I actually liked the concept of The Night Strangler a little better, but like the pacing of Night Stalker better. Night Stalker is about a modern-day Romanian vampire in Las Vegas. Night Strangler is about a serial killer in Seattle who appears every 21 years, kills 6 women and disappers for another 21 years. I think Night Strangler was the basic inspiration for the two early (and I believe non-consecutive) X-Files episodes about the character Eugene Tooms, a killer who appeared every 30(?) years, took several people's livers, then went back into hibernation.

I'm planning on seeing the new Blood: The Last Vampire movie in the coming week. At least it should be worth a watch, with Corey Yuen directing a female star. He tries much harder and generally is way more creative when directing women in his films.

[Lucas]

I assume the werewolf movie you're talking about is Dog Soldiers. It IS a great movie, and one of the best werewolf movies of all time.



wow thanks, i cant believe i forgot to put the freaking title in the post. LOL

Dog Soldiers is the title i forgot to add.

[GeneChing]

B:tLV ain't impressin' no critics...


Review: 'Last Vampire' a bloody mess (http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2009/07/10/MVBO18KDHI.DTL)
Peter Hartlaub, Chronicle Pop Culture Critic
Friday, July 10, 2009

SNOOZING VIEWER Action horror. Starring Gianna Jun, Allison Miller, Koyuki and Larry Lamb. Directed by Chris Nahon. (R. 91 minutes. At the AMC Van Ness in San Francisco and Landmark's Shattuck Cinemas in Berkeley.)

"Blood: The Last Vampire" begins with great promise.

First of all, it's a film called "Blood: The Last Vampire." Assuming you're not one of those wine-sipping Sundance Cinema discriminating movie buffs, how bad can it be? Director Chris Nahon fulfills the titular promise almost immediately, treating audiences to a dude getting cut in half lengthwise with a samurai sword and stuffed in the back of a subway car all before the opening credits.

If only the projectionist could be persuaded to play the first 10 minutes over and over for two hours, this might be a satisfying movie. Unfortunately, the middle and the end feature a weak lead character, choppy fight choreography, humorless dialogue and computer-generated effects that look as if they came from the "Ghostbusters II" era.

"Blood: The Last Vampire" is a remake of an animated 2000 movie by the same name. They both feature a young-looking vampire named Saya (Gianna Jun), who hunts demons at an Air Force Base in Tokyo during the Vietnam War, getting sent undercover at a high school. Before you can sing the theme to "21 Jump Street," violence breaks out, and Saya must protect Allison, a general's daughter.

If that sounds kind of hot, don't get your hopes up. Allison Miller plays her character as if she's a guest on "Charmed." The dialogue sounds as if it is being spoken in Middle-earth, not the 1970s. ("Now that Onigen is here, blood will be shed!") When the demon Onigen does arrive, and blood is indeed shed, the editing is too fast, while the artsy cinematography with slow-motion falling leaves seems derivative and second-rate.

The best part of the film involves the CIA cleaning up Saya's messes while keeping the military out of the way. You can always count on the spooks from Langley for a few minutes of entertainment.

-- Advisory: This film contains blood, and a vampire.

[Raipizo]

sorreh shaolin i had too XD.

[Shaolinlueb]

its ok, i forgive you.

[Shaolinlueb]

did anyone mention daybreakers?

http://www.apple.com/trailers/lions_gate/daybreakers/

vampires control the future and farm the remaining humans left for blood.

[Jimbo]

I went to see Blood: The Last Vampire today. The movie lacks the suspense of the anime. I was expecting it to at least be a better action movie than it is, since Corey Yuen is involved. Unfortunately, Corey is only the action choreographer; the director is Chris Nahon. I'm guessing that if Corey had been the director it might have been better. Or better yet, if it had a good Japanese director.

Blood has some of the worst CGI of any recent movie. The fully shape-shifted creatures look extremely cheap, about the same quality as that talking green mucus man in those sinus infection commercials. The vampire in the anime looked more convincing. The girl, Saya, (Gianna Jun) seems okay in the role. Some reviewers criticized her lack of personality, but in the original anime, the character Saya wasn't supposed to have loads of personality anyway.

The fights should have been the redeeming feature. Luckily, the film has veteran MA actor Yasuaki Kurata, who, at around 65 years old, has the best fight scene. Unfortunately, the fights suffer from *very* choppy editing, often poor angles, and Saya's fights all begin to look the same. And the overdone blood spatter looks like each sword slash is accompanied by dozens of little round, red globes. Of course they're supposedly blood droplets, but the visual effect is bad. The poor editing and repetitive choreo is a letdown, as Corey Yuen usually works exceptionally well with female performers (DOA was an exception). But I think Chris Nahon's directing nullified Corey's choreo, which is just as, if not more, choppy here than in Transporter 3.

Blood isn't the worst movie out there, but it is far less than it could have been.

[doug maverick]

I went to see Blood: The Last Vampire today. The movie lacks the suspense of the anime. I was expecting it to at least be a better action movie than it is, since Corey Yuen is involved. Unfortunately, Corey is only the action choreographer; the director is Chris Nahon. I'm guessing that if Corey had been the director it might have been better. Or better yet, if it had a good Japanese director.

Blood has some of the worst CGI of any recent movie. The fully shape-shifted creatures look extremely cheap, about the same quality as that talking green mucus man in those sinus infection commercials. The vampire in the anime looked more convincing. The girl, Saya, (Gianna Jun) seems okay in the role. Some reviewers criticized her lack of personality, but in the original anime, the character Saya wasn't supposed to have loads of personality anyway.

The fights should have been the redeeming feature. Luckily, the film has veteran MA actor Yasuaki Kurata, who, at around 65 years old, has the best fight scene. Unfortunately, the fights suffer from *very* choppy editing, often poor angles, and Saya's fights all begin to look the same. And the overdone blood spatter looks like each sword slash is accompanied by dozens of little round, red globes. Of course they're supposedly blood droplets, but the visual effect is bad. The poor editing and repetitive choreo is a letdown, as Corey Yuen usually works exceptionally well with female performers (DOA was an exception). But I think Chris Nahon's directing nullified Corey's choreo, which is just as, if not more, choppy here than in Transporter 3.

Blood isn't the worst movie out there, but it is far less than it could have been.

gonna have to disagree with alot of what you said. first and formost i highly doubt yuen would have done a better job then nohan. nohan is a good director i love what he did with kiss of the dragon still one of jets better western films. also im under the distinct impression that yuen had say over the way the fights were edited as the fights looks similar to how Trans. 3 were edited. as for nohan you gotta understand he was handed this project after ronnie yu dropped out for health reasons or for whatever reason. so he was thrown into the deep end without much prep time if any. had this film been given the right amount of time it needed im sure the script would have been better. cause thats what really screwed it up the script. and is anybody but me not shocked that a crappy movie was made out of a mediocre anime? i mean aside from the train scene in the anime the rest of it was ehh.

[Jimbo]

Hmm, I was unaware it was Nahon who directed Kiss of the Dragon (it's been a long time). That probably is Jet Li's best film in the west. Jet's Euro-filmed movies are superior in every way to the ones filmed in the U.S. So yeah, in that case he's a really good director. If a director has to drop out of a film, then IMO the producers ought to wait a while instead of doing a half-@ssed rush job. Do it right and have a good to moderately successful film, or rush it and have a straight-to-video hack job. But then, I'm not in the biz, so take that with a grain of salt.

I think almost anyone will agree that the opening train scene is the best part of both the live-action and the anime. I thought the anime, though not the greatest, had something, though. It had a good, dark 'atmosphere' that's totally absent in the live-action. Also had some surreal dream-like effects (like the scene in the dance hall) that was a bit unique in an animated film.

Before the film, they played the trailer for Thirst, which I saw for the first time. I don't know how good it will be, but I will be seeing it when it comes out.

[GeneChing]

I thought it might stand alone or be part of the True Legend (http://ezine.kungfumagazine.com/forum/showthread.php?t=52398) thread, but then decided it should go here because of Blood.

There's such a glut of fangbanger flicks right now. I think it's a odd barometer of our culture today.


The rise and fall -- and rise? -- of Hong Kong cinema (http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?file=/g/a/2009/07/22/apop072209.DTL)
By Jeff Yang, Special to SF Gate
Thursday, July 22, 2009

The system I use to organize my movie collection is simple. On one handy tier of my media wall, I have what I call the Short Shelf; it's where I keep about two dozen films -- not necessarily the best or even favorite films in my collection, but those that, for whatever reason, I want to watch again and again, in whole or in part.

When the Shelf was inaugurated shortly after I graduated from college -- it was an Ikea shelf back then, and the films were on VHS, but the principle remained the same -- the collection of films were almost entirely from Hong Kong, reflecting that region's creative flush in the late '80s and early '90s. Some still remain, weathered and beaten copies of standbys like "A Better Tomorrow" and "The Mission," "Shaolin Soccer" and "Comrades: Almost a Love Story," "Project A" and "Police Story 3: Supercop."

By the end of the 1990s, however, the number of new Hong Kong films vying for Shelf status started to dwindle. And 10 years later, though a few Hong Kong movies each year are always worth watching, none since "Infernal Affairs" have made the cut.

The reason why is hardly a secret. You can blame 1997's Reunification with the Mainland, rampant piracy, pandemic bird flu and the passing or departure of many of the region's biggest stars and boldest creators, but the real culprit behind the catastrophic decline of Asia's most potent film market was simply an overabundance of crappy movies. The falloff in quality led to a collapse in demand, and then a wholesale commercial bloodletting; the industry has not recovered since.

"Look at Hong Kong in the late '90s -- you had a city of nine million people cranking out 150 movies a year," says Grady Hendrix, whose crew of volunteer film buffs organizes the nation's premier annual showcase for Asian cinema, the New York Asian Film Festival. "You had too many movies being made too fast, too poorly. The bubble was bound to burst at some point, and it did, and it was ugly."

How ugly? In 2007, the territory produced just 50 films, a third of the output at its height and the lowest recorded since World War II. And those 50 films earned just 23 percent of the Hong Kong box office, down from an already-low 31 percent the year before.

That's led some to predict the imminent demise of Hong Kong cinema, even as the industry this year celebrates its 100th year of existence, marked by the production of Liang Shaobo's antic 1909 short film, "Stealing a Roast Duck." But even if its prognosis isn't terminal -- as those of us who grew up loving it hope -- what, if anything, can be done to shock it out of coma?

In answering that question, Hong Kong's remaining true believers fall into two camps. Recently I had the opportunity to speak to the most prominent voices in each of those factions: Edko Films' Bill Kong, the producer behind a string of epic blockbusters, from "Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon" to his current Samuel Goldwyn release, "Blood: The Last Vampire"; and Milkyway Image's en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wai_Ka-Fai"Wai-Ka Fai, whose impressive success as a screenwriter, producer and director includes commercial and critical hits like "Needing You," "Mad Detective" and his latest, the metafictional melodrama "Written By," which had its world premiere last month at NYAFF.

Fusion!

Kong has always been a believer in judicious cross-pollination. His father, Kong Cho Yee, founded Edko Films in 1959 as Hong Kong's largest movie-theater operator; 40 years later, recognizing the deteriorating quality of the region's films as a threat to Edko's core exhibition business, the younger Kong moved the company into film production to ensure a steady pipeline of movies worth watching.

He wasn't the only one to make that move. In the late '90s, hundreds of opportunists, from restaurant owners to small-time gangsters, leapt into the Hong Kong film fray. While many of these self-styled "movie producers" were looking for neighborhood notoriety and a fast buck, Kong's goal was more ambitious: He wanted to make movies that would appeal to audiences beyond Hong Kong, enticing viewers throughout Greater China, across Asia and, eventually, around the world.

Kong's first major feature offered ample evidence of his boundary-blurring ambitions. It was a film by a Taiwanese director working in America that promised to combine the narrative texture of the art-house with the flamboyant action of the drive-in. Most industry-watchers panned the project; as a result, Kong had trouble finding investors and had to pay out of his own pocket to complete the $17 million film.

When "Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon" (2000) went on to make more than $213 million worldwide, Kong was vindicated. His followups, "Hero"(2002) and "House of Flying Daggers" (2004), did similarly soaring business, and his reputation as one of the few producers in Asia able to consistently achieve global box office success was sealed.

The surprisingly humble Kong is quick to explain his achievements as the result of an adherence to formula. "It's very challenging to do films that can reach a global audience," he says. "So far, the only common language we've been able to find that crosses over from East to West is action. So I make action movies. It's the only tool we can use to speak to both sides of the world."

That said, Kong's action movies look and feel like no other works in the genre. Their lushly stylized visuals, international casts and cosmopolitan sensibilities are expressly intended to appeal to both local and foreign audiences: Edko films are typically helmed by a non-Hong Kong director with a global reputation, like Taiwanese American Ang Lee and Mainlander Zhang Yimou; they feature top-tier talent and shooting locations drawn from across East Asia; and they're made with generous amounts of international money.

And that brings up something of a conundrum. Given their pancultural roots, can Kong's movies really be called "Hong Kong movies"? The authorities don't think so -- the most recent Edko production, Ang Lee's hypnotic potboiler "Lust, Caution," was formally classified as a "foreign" film despite being shot largely in Hong Kong, with film authorities noting its status as a co-production with companies based in the U.S., China and Taiwan.

But to Kong, of course, that's exactly where Hong Kong's opportunity lies -- outside of Hong Kong. "Yes, there are places where Hollywood dominates, but there are others -- India, China, Japan and Korea -- where Asian films have a tremendous and growing opportunity," he says. "The future of Asian cinema lies in Asia, [not Hollywood]. And Hong Kong can lead the way into that future."

"Blood," Kong's latest, takes his notion of pan-Asian global cinema to a new level. A live-action adaptation of a sleekly ultraviolent feature from Japanese animation auteur Mamoru Oshii, it showcases the brilliant action choreography of Hong Kong mainstay Corey Yuen Kwai, and stars Korean superstar Ji-Hyun Jun -- now going by the mononym "Gianna" -- as Saya, a half-human, half-vampire samurai tasked with hunting down her bloodsucker relatives. Co-produced with Pathe France (and directed by French action stylist Chris Nahon), it's also Kong's first film to feature almost exclusively English-language dialogue.

"We thought we had a chance to really break through to the American market," says Kong. "This is a very commercial movie -- the setting, the visuals, it's all perfect for appealing to the West. But even though audiences all over the world are accustomed to reading subtitles, Americans are not. Ten years ago, when we made 'Crouching Tiger,' we were successful theatrically, but once the film hit video, our research found that 95 percent of renters chose to watch the English-dubbed version. So we wanted to remove that obstacle."

But crossover creations face their own challenges. Critics have been mixed about Gianna's English-language performance, while box office has so far been moderate both in the U.S. and Asia. "It wasn't easy, bringing it all together, working with people from all over the globe," Kong admits. "I learned a lot, you could say, doing this film."

[GeneChing]

...continued from last post.

Focus!

While Bill Kong has placed his Hong Kong bet on epic, pan-cultural cross-pollination, Wai Ka-Fai may be the leading cheerleader for Hong Kong to reaffirm its independence and idiosyncrasy.

Wai has a credible platform from which to speak: He's partners with Hong Kong's most consistently interesting filmmaker, Johnnie To, in the region's most successful indie production company, Milkyway Image. And as a screenwriter, producer and director in his own right, he's personally been behind many of Hong Kong's recent film successes.

It's not surprising, then, that he's chosen to take up the revival of Hong Kong cinema as something of a personal crusade.

"Johnnie and I, we see the survival of Hong Kong film as our responsibility," he says. "If we don't, who will? We have stories to tell, that are uniquely Hong Kong stories, and we feel have the duty of telling them in a uniquely Hong Kong way."

Wai recognizes that the "old definition" of Hong Kong cinema has changed.

"The Mainland market has grown a lot -- that is clearly changing the character of Hong Kong cinema," he says. "But it's more than that: The whole culture of movies has changed."

He adds that the way people watch films today is completely different. "You may not go to a theater, you may watch movies only on DVD, or even online," Wai says. "And when you watch films that way, you can stop stories, rewind, watch scenes over and over again; all of our storytelling standards no longer apply."

But if these shifts have led others, like Kong, to adapt to new frames of reference, they've only reinforced Wai's belief in the need to hold fast to what makes Hong Kong film unique. "If you try to adapt to the future, how do you know you're going to be right?" he says. "As a filmmaker, I think of myself as a nurse, trying to deliver a baby. My job is to protect the movie, not to let it be shaped by outside influence. I can't say what the future will hold; I can only think about the integrity of the story I'm trying to tell."

Where Wai and To have chosen to compromise is in the nature and accessibility of those stories; while in the past, the duo made films that were so personal and eccentric that viewers (and investors) were taken aback, they now make an effort to alternate their artistic statements with mass-friendly confections they refer to as "audience movies."

Occasionally, their artsy movies strike gold as well: Last year's peculiar police psychodrama "Mad Detective" was a critical darling and commercial success, and Wai's latest, "Written By," seems similarly fated.

"Written By" tells the story of a woman who, mourning her father's death, writes a novel in which he has survived and she has died. Upon realizing what she's done, the character of her father chooses to write his own novel, in which he has died and she has survived -- and so on, in a set of recursive loops that blur the lines between fiction and reality.

It's a strange film, but its strangeness is distinctively Hong Kong in character.

"I believe that staying true to your story opens doors," says Wai. " And I believe life is also a story we're writing. If we as Hong Kong filmmakers stick to the story, I don't think we're anywhere close to the final chapter."

The Future?

Will Kong's vision for Hong Kong cinema prevail, or Wai's? Though they differ in their opinions on the future of their industry, they're united in the goal of ensuring that that future exists. And so, ironically, the two have recently found themselves walking the others' chosen roads. Wai and To's latest film, "Vengeance," which premiered this year at Cannes, is an international coproduction with largely English-language dialogue, and starring French icon Johnny Hallyday.

Meanwhile, Kong describes his next film, "True Legend," as a quintessentially Hong Kong kung fu epic, directed by legendary fight choreographer Yuen Woo-Ping.

"This will be the greatest martial arts movie ever," he says, in an uncharacteristically boastful moment. "'True Legend' will blow Bruce Lee away. I sincerely believe that!"

Read more: http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?file=/g/a/2009/07/22/apop072209.DTL#ixzz0M0qXD45W

[GeneChing]

...but this one looks kind of good to me. :o
Cirque Du Freak: The Vampire's Assistant Trailer (http://movies.yahoo.com/movie/1809995368/video/14950552)

[Jimbo]

Sorry if I get further from vampire flicks...
Shaw Brothers is getting back into the movie-making business again for the first time since 1985. There are several movies planned, but from what I had read, so far none were martial arts-related, yet. Also, there was info that Shaw Bros had built what was described as a new movie-making facility that is supposedly the largest in Asia. At the time I read that (last year?) they had no movies to make. Apparently that's now changed. Obviously, any new films (even any possible MA-related films) wouldn't have that "Shaw Brothers feel" of the films they made from the '60s to the '80s. But it's great news indeed if they can succeed.

MA-wise, IMO the Thai movies are the most exciting ones coming out of Asia at this time. Even the better horror films out of HK directed by the Pang Brothers, seem to be at least half-Thai productions.

It's hard to say if HK will ever regain the top spot in Asian cinema; I strongly doubt it. The whole demographic has changed, along with the pool of talent that once dominated HK movies (cinematographers, actors/performers, directors, etc.) as well as audience's tastes. Bollywood is the #1 Asian cinema now, and Japanese and Korean cinema has surpassed HK in many genres. Japanese cinema in particular has recovered in the '90s, after its sharp decline in the late '70s and '80s.

[mickey]

Greetings,

Yes, jimbo. You did take this thread elsewhere.

I forgive you.


mickey

[Jimbo]

Hey, I'll bring it back, then. :)
A low-budget but chilling psychological/vampire movie is Let's Scare Jessica To Death. No, there are no CGI (it was filmed in 1971) and not even any fangs. It's the mood that makes it creepy. Even the 'vampirism' or anything supernatural is a bit in question. It's fairly realistic, though, with the main characters, hippie-types, moving into an old farm house in a rural, closed comminuty in Connecticut. They meet a young drifter hiding in the house and invite her to stay with them. If the pace is slow, that's offset if you watch it late at night, alone, with the lights out.

[mickey]

Greetings,

There is a fantastic vampire flick that came out in 2008. It is called "Let the Right One In".
It is a fantastic Swedish movie that is incredibly dark and has moments of even darker humour. All I can say is that it is WAY better than a lot of the other current neck bite movies out there and it is destined for cult status. It is a film worthy of study for any horror film buff or movie maker of said genre.

mickey

[Jimbo]

mickey:
I have heard of Let the Right One In, but I have been waiting for the upgraded release of it. Apparently, the current release does not have the original, theatrical English subtitles, and there have been a number of fans who have complained to the company that released the DVD (is it Magnolia?). So when the current stock is sold out, they are supposed to re-release the DVD with the original theatrical English subs also included. It might not make that big a difference to the casual viewer, but according to some of the complaints, the new subs on the current disc do not match, or are noticeably different from, the theatrical subs. Enough for some people to claim that some meanings are altered.
IDK, but I'll wait just in case.

[mickey]

Hi Jimbo,

I have the Magnolia release. They have two types of English subtitles. One is regular and the other is narrative. I kept it simple for myself and watched the dubbed version.

mickey

[Jimbo]

Got the newly-released version of Let the Right One in (LTROI) with the corrected theatrical subtitles. This release in indistinguishable from the previous DVD release, except that on the back cover, under subtitle options it says, "English (theatrical), Spanish". I waited for this version due to comments from fans of the movie who complained about the original DVD release not using the original subtitles. And on foreign movies I prefer the subtitle option, as hearing the original language dialogue gives a far better feel for the characters than an English dub.

First off, anyone expecting an action-packed spectacle like the movies Underworld, 30 Days of Night, or John Carpenter's Vampires may well be disappointed. LTROI is a quiet, thoughtful film that is about as far from current mainstream Hollywood vampire fare as one can get. It deals with a lonely 12 year old boy who meets the new "young" next-door neighbor, who also happens to be a vampire. LTROI is easily one of the two most believable vampire movies I can recall; the other being 1971's much spookier Let's Scare Jessica to Death. The strength of LTROI is not really any scariness, but rather because it's a superb character study.

4.5 or 5 out of 5.

[mickey]

Hi Jimbo,

I am glad you liked it. The movie has a magical quality to it because if you view it a second time you will see other social dynamics that are not that easy to see at first viewing. Especially the true nature of the vampire. She could have inspired Lao Tzu's Tao Te Ching.

mickey

[GeneChing]

Apparently this is a Philippine TV "fantaserye" which may be a misspelling like Imortal, but then again, may be the way they spell things in the Philippines - I don't know... :confused:

It's got wushu. What more do you want from a post on this thread?


Wushu expert behind Imortal (http://www.philstar.com/funfare/Article.aspx?articleId=673480&publicationSubCategoryId=70)
FUNFARE By Ricardo F. Lo The Philippine Star Updated April 06, 2011 12:00 AM 0 comment to this post
John Lloyd Cruz and Angel Locsin, stars of the ABS-CBN fantaserye Imortal

Because Imortal, the ABS-CBN fantaserye starring John Lloyd Cruz and Angel Locsin, revolves around the lives of vampires, the first thing I asked Lester Pimentel, the wushu expert who choreographs the action/fight scenes (some of which done mid-air), is if he’s a big fan of the Twilight series.

“I watched the Twilight series but I’m not really a big fan,” corrected Lester who is, despite his Filipino surname, pure Chinese. “More than the love story, what I like is the way the fight scenes are executed.”

Co-directed by Jerry Sineneng and Richard Somes, Imortal is drawing to a close end of this month, that’s why the suspense is mounting and the action scenes are getting more breathtaking.

“Are John Lloyd and Angel hard to teach action routines?” Lester repeated the question. “Not really. They are fast learners.”

Coaching actors is not new to Lester who has worked on other ABS-CBN shows including Panday (with Jericho Rosales), Palos (with Jake Cuenca) and Lastikman (with Vhong Navarro).

To Imortal followers, it must be a source of wonder how John Lloyd and Angel, and their co-stars Maricar Reyes, Jake Roxas, et al), cross swords several feet above ground and leap toward one another, eyes burning with rage and blood-dripping fangs showing. But to Lester, it’s, well, pie of cake, part of the day’s hard grind. Martial arts has become a way of life with him.

Lester trained in wushu for six years in Beijing, in the same school where the likes of Jet Li were also taught the intricacies of the art. It was also there where Lester began working professionally, and every now and then he goes there for new projects. No language barrier there, because Lester speaks fluent Fookien and Mandarin. His mom is from Naga City. It was his father, a martial arts enthusiast, who got Lester interested in wushu starting during his childhood in Binondo, Manila.

“It was the Philippine Sport Commission (PSC) that sent me to train in China, together with the rest of the National Wushu Team, all 12 of us,” volunteered Lester who holds a degree in Philosophy from La Salle. “Some of those who trained with us went on to become actors, stuntmen and action directors.”

But before that, Lester, 36, was an athlete in the ‘90s and has competed in local and international competitions (the SEA Games among them), harvesting gold along the way. He has retired from competitive sport in 2000 and ventured into showbiz, with the Victor Neri first-starrer movie Ex-Con as his kick-off project. A gap of five years was closed by the advent of action-adventure TV series (Panday, etc.).

And then came Imortal, Lester’s biggest project so far.

“Before the shoot,” said Lester, “I did a workshop with the actors. I have to be on the set to choreograph their moves and direct them in the action sequences.”

Away from the set, Lester keeps himself busy by helping schools create training programs for kids, and train the trainers.

“Action directing is also my way of contributing Chinese culture to the mainstream Philippine showbiz,” added Lester.

[Lucas]

Recently watched The Revenant. Pretty cool, unique vampire movie. I'd recommend it if you get the chance.

[GeneChing]

But onwards to new Vampire flicks, check out the trailer for Thirst. (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oTOeot1rfzQ) It's from Park Chan-wook, director of Old Boy et.al.


I finally saw Thirst (http://ezine.kungfumagazine.com/forum/showthread.php?p=936978#post936978)and I really enjoyed it, which is saying a lot because I'm so over vampire flicks and there are no sword fights or Bollywood numbers. It's gloriously Park Chan-Wook. He has such an eye for dysfunctional relationships and jarring architecture. The way that the vampire contracts vampirism was a little odd as he takes on all the classic traits, but once that gets established, Thirst goes to all sorts of wickedly devilish places. It's not as brain searing as the Vengeance Tril (http://ezine.kungfumagazine.com/forum/showthread.php?t=64921)-o (http://ezine.kungfumagazine.com/forum/showthread.php?t=41961)-gy (http://ezine.kungfumagazine.com/forum/showthread.php?t=42664), but definitely worth the view if you like Park.

[@PLUGO]

Is anyone planning to catch DRACULA UNTOLD (http://www.draculauntold.com/)?

We watched it and pretty much told you all about it here: Dracula Untold: Told by Patrick Lugo (http://www.kungfumagazine.com/ezine/article.php?article=1182)


http://youtu.be/_2aWqecTTuE

[mickey]

Greetings Design Sifu,

The special effects are really not above that which can be offered on a cable TV show. So what is the incentive to spend a chunk of change to see something like that when it will eventually end up on cable in short order? Hollywood is so hungry to get a return in their investment that they fail to realize they can make more dollars by not rushing their product to cable and dvd. People who would rather wait a couple of months for cable dvd release would probably go to the movies if they knew they had to wait a year to see it at home, instead.


mickey

[mickey]

Greetings,

The "Night Stalker" movie from the ABC Movie of the Week:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Dcd-U70SYgI

Enjoy,

mickey

[Jimbo]

Hi, mickey.

The Night Stalker (and its sequel, The Night Strangler) were among my favorite horror movies back in the day. IMO, they still hold up today. I also liked the short-lived TV series, but felt after awhile it 'jumped the shark'.

As far as Dracula goes, IMO, the best portrayal of the character onscreen was Gary Oldman in Bram Stoker's Dracula. Followed by Christopher Lee in the Hammer films.

[mickey]

Hi Jimbo,

I do like your choices.

I especially enjoyed the part where Gary Oldman quickly slobbered over the knife. It still makes me laugh.

Christopher Lee brought strong elements of theatre to the film, making his portrayal wonderfully unique and charismatic.

Another vampire portrayal worth mentioning is work of the late Jonathan Frid as Barnabas Collins in the "horror soap opera", Dark Shadows. As with Christopher Lee, Frid also brought forth strong elements of theatre. Heck, soap opera IS theatre.


mickey

[Jimbo]

Yes, I agree that Christopher Lee and Jonathan Frid brought strong theatrical elements to their roles. Lee's frequent co-star and onscreen antagonist, the late Peter Cushing (one of my favorite actors) also brought that to the screen.

In fact, most of the good to really great film and TV actors have a theatre background to some degree or other, despite some people claiming that stage acting and screen acting are incompatible. Theatrical acting allows them to really project themselves; then it's only a matter of toning it down for the camera. But the energy is still there. It's much better to have to 'tone it down' than to have to 'bring your energy up'.

Oops, went a bit OT. :)

[mickey]

I completely agree with you, Jimbo.

Not off topic, at all. What we agree to is too often a missing element in the current wave of vampire flicks. Oftentimes, Hollywood tries to bring the majestic look theatre and completely overlook the real acting skills necessary to pull it off.

mickey

[Jimbo]

I completely agree with you, Jimbo.

Not off topic, at all. What we agree to is too often a missing element in the current wave of vampire flicks. Oftentimes, Hollywood tries to bring the majestic look theatre and completely overlook the real acting skills necessary to pull it off.

mickey

Yeah, IMO, these new vampire films (and most newer horror movies and TV shows in general) completely sacrifice mood, atmospherics, etc., for a bigger, louder spectacle. Overused CGI, action, etc., to create more of a superhero sub-genre. Not everyone has the 'it factor' to pull off playing a character like Dracula, or any arch-vampire, for that matter. It's clear the studios are trying instead for the 'hunk factor' to draw in the teen/tween girl audience, as in Twilight.

I'm wondering how director James Wan (Insidious, The Conjuring) would handle a vampire movie. I never liked Saw, but he brings mood and atmosphere back in his supernatural horror films.

[mickey]

Hi Jimbo,

I dod not see either movie. I watched the trailer to insidious. The director does have something. Additionally, the vampire movies need a fresh angle. There are too many variations on the same theme.

mickey

[mickey]

Greetings,

The movie is "Blood and Donuts", a diferent vampire movie that still holds up. It is completely atypical to the vampire genre and that is why I like it.

Here is the full movie in 9 sections:


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NTG790BsdcM&list=PLECECBBB296DF6F7A


Enjoy!

mickey

[Jimbo]

Additionally, the vampire movies need a fresh angle. There are too many variations on the same theme.

mickey

Unfortunately, the Blood and Donuts vid won't play on my 'mobile device' (ipad).

I liked the attempt made in John Carpenter's Vampires. To me, vampires should be 'monsters', not teen idols. An arch-vampire can display charm and personal magnetism, but at his core he's a living corpse and a parasite. There are only so many different angles to approach the subject. For me, it's all about execution.

The popular horror themes nowadays have either 'jumped the shark' or are about to...vampires, zombie apocalypses, demonic hauntings, etc.

[mickey]

Greetings Jimbo,

I see that you took an axe to your last post.

The attraction that werewolf movies have is that the werewolves are often portrayed as tragic victims, beginning with Lon Chaney's "The Wolfman". The Howling stepped away from that until the part where the reporter transformed on tv. "An American Werewolf in London" and "Van Helsing" also followed the tragic formula.

Those that did not follow that formula were quite memorable. "Full Eclipse" was one (starred Mario Van Peebles and Bruce Payne). Another would be the character brought forth by the late Chuck Connors in the series "Werewolf". Chuck was a real beast in that. No one has yet to top him.


mickey

[Jimbo]

Yeah, I didn't want to take your thread off on a werewolf tangent. :)

I thought the series Werewolf was excellent, and I agree about Chuck Connors being great in his role in that. I probably put his performance above Robert Picardo's as 'Eddie the werewolf' in The Howling, though Eddie's transformation is still the best.

One werewolf movie I thought would be good was the Scottish film Wild Country, but I was disappointed.

[@PLUGO]

Has anyone seen the recent Wolfman (2010) remake starring Benicio Del Toro, Anthony Hopkins & Emily Blunt? They split the difference between the tragic figure and the unrepentant man/beast.

[mickey]

Greetings Design Sifu,

I saw the remake. The feel of the movie reminded me of "Interview With a Vampire," With Benecio Del Toro playing the Brad Pitt part. It was alright. And I agree that they did split the difference.

mickey

[BigChris]

Unfortunately, the Blood and Donuts vid won't play on my 'mobile device' (ipad).

I liked the attempt made in John Carpenter's Vampires. To me, vampires should be 'monsters', not teen idols. An arch-vampire can display charm and personal magnetism, but at his core he's a living corpse and a parasite. There are only so many different angles to approach the subject. For me, it's all about execution.


John Carpenter's Vampires has always been a guilty pleasure for me because James Woods is so badass in this movie. I'm surprised Tarantino hasn't used him the way Rodriguez used Danny Trejo yet.

[mickey]

Greetings Jimbo and BigChris (Welcome to the forum, by the way),

I had a hard time remembering whether I saw Vampires on not. And I did not think to use u tube to see if there was a trailer. The mention of James "Didja get wood?" Woods' name brought it back. Thomas Ian Griffith was a good vampire; I would rather see him in a resurrection of the Blade franchise. He has that kind of darkness that Quentin Tarantino imbued the protagonist with in "Desperado". If memory is correct, Thomas Ian Griffith was the first to bring Asian martial arts to the soap operas.

mickey

[mickey]

More vampire flicks...


"Blacula": This starred the late William Marshall and the late Vonetta McGee. This vampire flick was probably the first to have a tragic aspect. I think it was the first time a vampire killed himself. And it may have been the first Hollywood vampire flick to introduce a love dynamic (I don't know if Hammer films did this).

"The Breed": A very different vampire movie that starred Adrian Paul, Bokeem Woodbine and Bai Ling.

I think that a vampire in any future movie should have some sort of bravado, a la:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bKFhS0cQLE8

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Qiu3rvYveSg

They also could do with a different kind of energy, look, and camera work:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JTXY_CRLwZs


mickey

[mickey]

Greetings

The following movie, "The Addiction", does not seek to fulfill vampire fan expectations. It is a very different vampire movie that stands on its own and after nearly 20 years, it stands strongly snd continues to crash against the gates of the genre:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Js1a1AR41FY

mickey

[Jimbo]

Design Sifu:

I did see the new Wolfman film; in fact, I think I reviewed it when it came out. It's a great werewolf film. The only thing I would have changed would be to have the wolfman actually have a wolf's head. I realize they were paying homage to the Lon Chaney Jr. original with a "hairy, fanged man" type, but still, I think I gave the movie a 10/10.

BigChris:

Come to think of it, it IS surprising that Tarentino hasn't used James Woods in anything yet (or was he in Jackie Brown?? I can't recall). He's a great actor and seems exactly the type that QT would cast in his films.

mickey:

Thomas Ian Griffith was also the villain in Karate Kid 3. In Vampires, he was a great alpha vampire.

[mickey]

Greetings,

The following movie is "Nadja", a movie that I have longed to see. It is another one of those different vampire movies. It drags a little. Heck, I'm lyin'. It drags a lot. Yet, there are moments of humor within the lines. Peter Fonda was strangely good in his role as a vampire hunter.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7lzIdEhWvT4

mickey

[Jimbo]

It Follows (2014)

IMO, this is one of the better American horror films I've seen in a long time. Is it perfect? No. But for the most part, it gets away from the usual American horror movie cliches of cheap 'jump' scares, growling/roaring entities, overdone graphic bloodshed, etc., and instead relies on a feeling of atmospheric menace. And for that, I rate it very highly.

In all honesty, it's not a vampire film in the traditional bloodsucking sense. Simply put, it's about an entity who is passed on from one person to another through sexual intercourse. Then the entity, a type of shapeshifting succubus/incubus, will stalk the latest person to 'inherit' it. As long as this last person isn't caught and killed, the entity will no longer stalk the one(s) who passed it on.

The movie is shot in Detroit. It's hard for me to pinpoint the exact time period it takes place in. Some things seem like current times, but in more ways, it looks like sometime in the 1990s. Involving mainly teens, there is very little evidence of parents. The pacing is probably a bit slow for many current audiences. However, I consider this a more thought-provoking film than most current horror movies.

[GeneChing]

Hong Kong Flashback: Sammo Hung Strikes Box Office Gold With a 'Spooky' Comedy-Horror Mash Up (https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/news/sammo-hung-strikes-box-office-gold-a-spooky-comedy-horror-mash-up-1194609)
5:30 PM PDT 3/17/2019 by Elizabeth Kerr

https://cdn1.thr.com/sites/default/files/imagecache/landscape_928x523/2019/03/hong_kong-_spooky_encounter-publicity_still-h_2019.jpg
Fortune Star Media Limited
'Encounter of the Spooky Kind'

Nearly 40 years ago the martial arts giant pioneered the industry’s signature sub-genre — the 'hopping' vampire thriller — and helped kick off the New Wave of the 1980s.
Anyone with even a passing interest in peak-era Hong Kong kung fu movies will recognize Sammo Hung for the titan he is. As a start, he’s the oldest of the so-called the Seven Little Fortunes, students of the China Drama Academy, who went on to shape not just Hong Kong’s film industry but to some degree, Hollywood’s, both directly and indirectly; other Fortunes include (duh) Jackie Chan and fight choreographer-director Corey Yuen, who applied his distinct kung fu touch to X-Men, The Transporter and choreographed all of Jet Li’s American action titles. Since beginning his career as a child actor, bit player, stuntman and action director in the early 1960s, Hung has racked up literally hundreds of credits. Just a few of his many highlights are King Hu’s 1966 classic Come Drink With Me, 1973’s touchstone Enter the Dragon, Jackie Chan’s Project A, Long Arm of the Law, Pedicab Driver, Wong Kar-wai’s wuxia art film Ashes of Time and Carlton Cuse’s inimitable, short-lived CBS series Martial Law, which really needs to be seen to be fully appreciated.

Along the way, the rotund Hung became an unlikely movie star and one of the key figures in the Hong Kong New Wave movement of the ’80s. With a physique that belied nimble precision and a round, jolly face, Hung was the cinematic opposite of the sexier, cooler Bruce Lee, but he was accessible in a way that Lee was not. Some crack comic timing helped. So it’s no surprise that 1980’s Encounter of the Spooky Kind, which Hung also directed and wrote, was a popular hit and Hong Kong cinema landmark for a host of reasons. In addition to making Hung a (bigger) household name, Encounter was one of the earliest in the (then) surging Hong Kong industry’s budding kung fu-horror-comedy mash-up sub-genre, and the inspiration for the geung-sih, hopping corpses or vampires from Chinese mythology — a trope that would dominate the decade.

Hung, sporting one of his finest bowl cuts, stars as Bold Cheung, a bit of a dim bulb and a cursed, ghost-plagued cuckold. When his wife and her lover Tam are nearly caught red-handed by Bold, Tam hires the crooked Taoist priest Chin to bump him off via spooky pranks (because just stabbing him would be too easy). Fortunately Bold has an ally in Tsui, another priest who’s offended by Chin’s abuse of magic power, and he helps him out. What it lacks in narrative cohesion (a lot), Encounter more than makes up for in creative set pieces, goofball comedy and ultra-physical fights, which Hung makes look effortless. The highlights: Chin possesses Bold’s right arm at one point, which Bold has to fight off at the same time as he fends off some undead attackers, and an acrobatic monkey-fu finale that plays out on bamboo scaffolding. Only Bruce Campbell in The Evil Dead II has battled his own body parts more gleefully than Hung does here.

Admittedly, Bold’s decision to punch his cheating wife in the face — several times (!) — probably wouldn’t make the cut today and the scratchy ’80s production values look every one of their 39 years, but Encounter of the Spooky Kind still has its genuinely inspired charms, and as a harbinger of the hopping vampire genre to follow it’s just about perfect. They just don’t make them like this anymore.

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