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  • Review count
    107
  • Helpfulness votes
    76
  • First review
    October 9, 2007
  • Last review
    May 2, 2008
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    4.8
 
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Signification's Reviews
<< 1 2 3 4 5 ... 11 >>
 
Takashi Miike takes a dime-a-dozen yakuza script and turns it inside out in this high-octane surrealist crime action thriller. The film's first ten minutes is a breathless montage depicting a naked woman clutching a bag of cocaine being thrown off a high-rise, a porcine Chinese gangster devouring bowl after bowl of noodles before getting whacked, a tinsel-wigged stripper in mid-grind, another Chinese gangster having sex with a guy in a pubic bathroom, clowns throwing knives, and the world's longest cocaine line. Welcome to planet Miike -- one that seems unnervingly like reality but just tweaked enough that the viewer believes almost anything can (and does) happen. What follows is a tale pitting narcotics cop Jojima (Sho Aikawa), who has an ailing daughter and a neglected wife, against Ryuichi (Riki Takeuchi), a Chinese-born gangster sporting a hairstyle that would make Wayne Newton jealous. As Ryuichi tries to muscle in on a big drug haul from Taiwan, those closest to him get killed -- particularly his whey-faced younger brother and girlfriend (the latter meets a particularly grizzly end at the hands of a sadistic scat-enthusiast yakuza). Likewise, Jojima, who is on Ryuichi's tail, looses his partner, his wife, and his daughter. Soon the two are on the road to a literally cataclysmic confrontation.
 
Customer Rating
5 out of 5
5
Outstanding action film.
on February 14, 2008
Posted by: Signification
from Indiana, United States
Like a good speech, Takashi Miike's "Dead or Alive" opens with an attention-getter and ends by driving its point home.
The film is about a cop and a criminal whose paths cross. It's not plot-driven, but the loose story allows for an abundance of memorable scenes that would never make it into a mainstream American film.
The slow-paced middle section plays out incredibly well. I particularly enjoyed the continual use of long takes, including the early breakfast scene with the cop's family.
There is a scene where a man deep fries his own hand. In most other films, this would be a stand-out scene that most people would remember and use to introduce the movie to others. In this film, the scene is practically forgettable and eclipsed by half a dozen other moments.
The unrated version is completely necessary because the R-rated cut removes seven minutes of footage. This film is fun because of the over-the-top violence and perversions, and most of them are shortened or cut completely in the R-rated version -- according to the film's alternate versions section on IMDb.
The DVD is presented in widescreen. The transfer is only acceptable, but it's understandable because the film was a low-budget direct-to-video release. The subtitles flow well and are naturally worded. The interview with Takashi Miike is short, but he explains the process of direct-to-video filmmaking in Japan and the creative freedom it entails. Highly recommended.
What's great about it: great film, unrated director's cut, Takashi Miike interview
What's not so great: could have had a few more special features
I would recommend this to a friend!
0points
0of 0voted this as helpful.
 
An audacious and original take on the dysfunctional family of the new millennium, maverick director Takashi Miike's taboo-bursting effort arrives on stateside DVD courtesy of Media Blasters. Presented in it's original aspect ratio of 1.33:1 (shot on video), the transfer is clean and the audio, presented in Japanese Dolby Digital Stereo, is crisp and free of distortion or hiss. Despite the commendable presentation of the film, this release is sorely lacking in the extra features department.
 
Customer Rating
5 out of 5
5
Perversions have never been so funny.
on February 13, 2008
Posted by: Signification
from Indiana, United States
Takashi Miike's "Visitor Q" is a direct-to-video Japanese film about a dysfunctional family and a man who attempts to bring them back together. It's filled with shocking scenes that get funnier as the movie goes along and the initial shock wears off. The fireworks attack scene and the last 15 minutes are my favorites.
The DVD is presented in its original 4:3 aspect ratio, and the transfer is acceptable. The biggest problem is the lack of special features -- I would like to see how the cast and crew got along during the production and how they felt about certain scenes.
This is a tough film to recommend because many people would potentially turn it off before the first scene ends. This is a bad Miike film to start off with, so I'd recommend it to anyone who has seen and enjoyed "Audition," "Ichi the Killer, "Dead or Alive" and "Gozu."
What's great about it: excellent film
What's not so great: lack of special features
I would recommend this to a friend!
0points
1of 2voted this as helpful.
 
Customer Rating
5 out of 5
5
Excellent documentary
on October 20, 2007
Posted by: Signification
from Indiana, United States
This movie is very funny and is one of the best documentaries ever made (so is "Hearts of Darkness: A Filmmaker's Apocalypse"). The DVD includes extended versions of comedians telling the joke, including Bob Saget. Highly recommended.
What's great about it: great movie, great special features
What's not so great: none
I would recommend this to a friend!
0points
0of 0voted this as helpful.
 
F. Gary Gray's 2003 crime caper remake The Italian Job comes to DVD with this Collector's Edition from Paramount Pictures with a widescreen transfer enhanced for 16 x 9 televisions. Dolby Digital Surround soundtracks are available in English and French with optional English subtitles. Includes the featurettes "Pedal to the Metal: The Making of The Italian Job" and "Putting the Words on the Page for The Italian Job." Three sections focus on specific production details: "The Italian Job Driving School," "The Mighty Minis of The Italian Job," and "High Octane: Stunts from The Italian Job." Other special features include deleted scenes and theatrical trailers. This is a worthwhile disc for those who really care about how action scenes are constructed. Paramount has also released this film in a separate full-screen version.
 
Customer Rating
4 out of 5
4
Good action.
on October 20, 2007
Posted by: Signification
from Indiana, United States
I was surprised at how much I enjoyed this film. It's funny, and the characters are believable. The action is pretty cool too. Easily one of the best PG-13-rated movies of the past decade. The DVD special features are pretty good too. Highly recommended.
What's great about it: good movie, good special features, great transfer
What's not so great: none
I would recommend this to a friend!
+1point
1of 1voted this as helpful.
 
Customer Rating
4 out of 5
4
Good season
on October 20, 2007
Posted by: Signification
from Indiana, United States
The biggest problem I have with this season is that there are very few great episodes. Most are just good. My favorites are "Let the Punishment Fit the Crime" and "You, Murderer." The episode "The Pit" is my least favorite episode of the show (excluding season 7, which I haven't seen yet); it's really bad, and you can see the twist coming halfway through the episode (and it's a really lame twist). The rest of the episodes are good, but this season doesn't quite compare to the first five. Highly recommended.
What's great about it: good episodes
What's not so great: the episode "The Pit"
I would recommend this to a friend!
+3points
3of 3voted this as helpful.
 
Customer Rating
5 out of 5
5
Excellent
on October 20, 2007
Posted by: Signification
from Indiana, United States
This was another great season for the "Crypt." "People Who Live in Brass Hearses," "Halfway Horrible" and "Death of Some Salesmen" are my favorite episodes in this season. The remaining episodes are great as well. Highly recommended.
What's great about it: great episodes
What's not so great: lack of special features
I would recommend this to a friend!
+3points
3of 3voted this as helpful.
 
Customer Rating
5 out of 5
5
Great season.
on October 20, 2007
Posted by: Signification
from Indiana, United States
My favorite episode of this season is "Split Personality," starring Joe Pesci. Other great episodes include "What's Cookin'," "Beauty Rest" and "None But the Lonely Heart," directed by Tom Hanks. Highly recommended.
What's great about it: great episodes
What's not so great: not too many special features
I would recommend this to a friend!
+1point
1of 1voted this as helpful.
 
Customer Rating
5 out of 5
5
Excellent season
on October 20, 2007
Posted by: Signification
from Indiana, United States
The "Crypt" was great in season three. My favorite episode is probably Tobe Hooper's "Dead Wait," especially because of Whoopi Goldberg's performance. The season is filled with great episodes. Highly recommended.
What's great about it: great episodes
What's not so great: lack of special features
I would recommend this to a friend!
+1point
1of 1voted this as helpful.
 
The screams are twice as big, and so are the laughs in season two of the deliciously twisted horror anthology series Tales from the Crypt. With 18 gruesome episodes and special guest stars including Demi Moore, Harry Anderson, Don Rickles and Bobcat Goldthwaite, you won't want to miss a minute of the mayhem.
 
Customer Rating
5 out of 5
5
Now, this is a great season
on October 20, 2007
Posted by: Signification
from Indiana, United States
The show really picked up in season two. They had a bigger budget, so they could do a lot more with the Cryptkeeper. There's also a lot more in terms of graphic on-screen violence. My favorite episode of this season is "The Ventriloquist's Dummy." Highly recommended.
What's great about it: excellent episodes
What's not so great: not too many special features
I would recommend this to a friend!
+3points
3of 3voted this as helpful.
 
Let the "ghoul" times roll as one of television's most beloved horror hits arrives on DVD courtesy of Warner Brothers Home Entertainment. Each episode of the macabre anthology series is presented in 1.33:1 as originally aired and features closed-captioned English Dolby Digital Surround audio with optional English, French, and Spanish subtitles. For those curious to find out a little more about the origins of this long-running fright-fest, Warner Bros. has seen fit to include a "Tales from the Crypt: From Comic Books to Television" featurette that traces the evolution of the creepy franchise by offering interviews with comic-book historian Mark Evanier, Tales from the Crypt: The Official Archives author Digby Diehl, horror director John Carpenter, EC Comics writer/artist Al Feldstein, and others in the know, with the Crypt Keeper himself chiming in to offer his own perspective on the six-episode season in "The Crypt Keeper's History of Season One." Finally, for those who thought they had heard the last of the cackling host, the Crypt Keeper returns to haunt your nightmares with an all-new introduction produced especially for this DVD release.
 
Customer Rating
5 out of 5
5
Great first season.
on October 20, 2007
Posted by: Signification
from Indiana, United States
This is easily one of my favorite television shows. My favorite episodes of the first season are "The Man Who Was Death," "And All Through the House" and "Collection Completed." The DVD's second disc includes a lengthy documentary chronicling "Tales from the Crypt" from its inception as an EC comic to the 1990s when it became a popular show on HBO. Highly recommended.
What's great about it: excellent episodes, great documentary
What's not so great: none
I would recommend this to a friend!
+1point
1of 1voted this as helpful.
 
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