Review Roundup - Exposition of Doom

INDIANA JONES AND THE DIAL OF DESTINY (2023)

It's hard to admit it but in life most things come and go, often never to return. The past will only ever be part of long term memories that should be reminisced about occasionally, but never obsessed over. Remember when Indiana Jones was in a rollicking adventure series during the heyday of Spielberg, Lucas, Williams, and Ford? It's still one of the best trilogies of all time, with perhaps some of the best action and music ever done for the big screen. But you can never go back to that era and re-experience it. Trying to live in the past will only make you miserable and bitter, which is why it's hard to be upset that this sequel exists. It's no good at all but in the end it was never going to be.

Action Bits - Bullet Ballet

HARD BOILED (1992)

'John Woo is...'
'...God.'

These outrageous words appear on a series of title cards shown in a trailer for what is an all time Hong Kong cinema classic. The press quotes they've chosen to splice into the footage almost manage to sum up the madness that is Hard Boiled, a crime thriller created by a master at the zenith of his powers. It's also described as 'gob smacking mayhem' and 'more exciting than a dozen Die Hards'. This hyperbole seems ridiculous but it is in fact appropriate; it's an exaggerated and excessive exercise in explosive action. After A Better Tomorrow and The Killer, John Woo returned to a genre he helped create to give us his magnum opus. It would be the distillation of everything that had come before, showcasing his fascination with meticulously staged gun battles and brotherhood themed tales. Ideas of loyalty and corruption would be explored one more time, while giving the forces of law and order a chance to be the heroes.

Horror Bites - Final Nails

LEGEND OF THE 7 GOLDEN VAMPIRES (1974)

For a series that eventually became rather long in the tooth the Hammer vampire series is strangely adverse to giving a character like Count Dracula something to do. He's a fascinating villain that has remained popular for a reason after all. As Christopher Lee himself said why not use the source material? And I don't mean in bizarre half measures like the Jess Franco version. But for whatever reason the lure of using new gimmicks and storylines unrelated to Bram Stoker was always more appealing to the studio producers. So let's take a look at their further attempts to freshen up the whole thing... through the magic of traditional Kung Fu and contemporary kitsch.

Scorecard

OCTOBER

FILM OF THE MONTH: Horror Express ☆☆☆☆