I rarely ever rent videos now, but for 55p for 4 VCDs, its not a bad deal at all, considering the fact that I can also make backups (for personal use!) 🙂
Jon Red‘s Boso
I’ve seen a handful of Red’s films, and appreciate the indie-ness of his productions. In Boso, he employs the preppy Epy Quizon, an apartment caretaker slash peeping tom, who habitually preys on the tenants’ lives through a hole in the ceiling. His life gets a little perk when Katya Santos and husband rents a unit, but everything else after becomes Epy’s downward spiral.
A definite boob-fest (there’re FOUR bosomy disrobers), but a downright stereotype-storyline: every apartment tenant boasts of a secret life directly opposite to what they project. The only notable, indie-flavored moment I did like was a no-cut, several-weeks-past, voice-over scene, where Epy and Katya did a clothes-change, and stared at the camera, and started to get in-character again on cue.
Stephen Chow‘s Kung Fu Hustle
I’m a fan of Shaolin Soccer, so I expected much here.
Kung Fu Hustle is obviously less funny, and less mocking than Stephen Chow’s breakthrough movie, but this is evidence that proves that Chow as an impressive action director, and that he can evolve from outright slapstick to an overly familiar genre, and merge effective CG effects to it. Chow is barely the apparent protagonist, gangster wannabe in the first half of the movie, which I believe is apt, since his character does not need too much exposure for character development: it doesn’t stretch, a film-sin all too familiar.
Kung Fu Hustle, I confess, is a weak follow up, but definitely not a mistake.
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The other two videos I rented: Kill Bill Vol. 2 VCD was badly scratched, so there’s only Shadow of the Vampire to watch next. No big expectations on that, should treat it as a made-for-TV movie, that should merit some curiosity from a film-fan.