The Wing Kong Exchange (feat. Inferno)

[Fuji Vice]

Re: The Wing Kong Exchange (feat. Evil Dead)

Thanks for the comments guys, it's much appreciated.

 

[Castiel]

Re: The Wing Kong Exchange (feat. Evil Dead)

Great to hear Evil Dead gets your seal of approval! Great to start off the review with a picture of Autumn Reeser too!

 

[Fuji Vice]

Re: The Wing Kong Exchange (feat. Evil Dead)

Thanks Cas, glad you enjoyed it and since you requested this one, here you go....

Invasion of the Body Snatchers

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Dr Miles Bennell returns to his small town practice to find several of his patients suffering the paranoid delusion that their friends or relatives are impostors. He is initially skeptical, especially when the alleged impostors are able to answer detailed questions about their victim's lives. However, he is eventually persuaded that something odd has happened and determines to find out what is causing this phenomenon.

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1956’s Invasion of the Body Snatchers is the product of a bygone era, one full of paranoia, fear and an increasing xenophobia experienced by a large amount of the US population. Wait a minute; that kind of sounds like the US today, so perhaps it was also a portent of the future. Regardless of its clairvoyance in predicting the future, its real story is still rooted in the past. Released at a time of rampant anti-communism, its scary tale of people being replaced by emotionless clones was a very real one, which is why the film made such an immediate impact. Simple, yet chillingly effective and highly intelligent, it stands as one of the true classics of American cinema and an archetype of the horror genre.

"On the road to nowhere...fast."
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Directed by Don Siegel and written by Daniel Mainwaring, the film is a methodical piece that takes it’s time to develop. One of the earliest examples of the slow-burn style, it’s also one of the absolute best. Siegel shows why he’s regarded as one of the great filmmakers of all time (having inspired Clint Eastwood) by effortlessly handling the action. He’s completely aware of the way he wants the film to feel and forces that onto the audience time and again. His style can be kindly referred to as subtly deliberate, but it works really well considering the story we’re meant to digest. Mainwaring’s screenplay is a real gem, particularly when you start to pay attention to the social commentary being made. In fact, through his dialogue, it’s hard to determine whether he was strictly speaking about communism or was alluding to McCarthyism in the US as well. Obviously such heavy handed topics shouldn’t be fodder for a simple horror film, but Mainwaring’s brilliance is masking them in one; subliminally affecting the audience on many levels.

"The original extreme close-up."
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In many ways, Invasion of the Body Snatchers is a one-man piece, and that one man is the star of the film, Kevin McCarthy. Truly one of the more underrated actors of the 1950’s (who’s turn in Death of a Salesman should have won him the Best Supporting Actor Oscar), McCarthy is simply brilliant here. Like the victims in the film, he too undergoes a drastic transformation, though one that’s totally opposite to theirs. Beginning the film as an upstanding and somewhat skeptical doctor, he ends it as a screaming mass of paranoia; completely foreign to the man he used to be. Without McCarthy’s strong performance, I think the film would have fallen pretty flat, since it’s hard to believe any other actor of this time period could have handled the role. He’s joined by Dana Wynter, an attractive and serviceable actress who develops good chemistry with him throughout. She’s not the perfect choice, but anyone stronger would have been overshadowed by McCarthy anyway, so it makes sense to hire someone a little more malleable. More support comes from Larry Gates and King Donovan, two solid, if somewhat unmemorable actors who each sink their teeth into their respective roles.

"Now that's what I call one hell of a paper cut."
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To be honest, I don’t think Invasion of the Body Snatchers is really going to scare people living in the year 2013. That’s not to say it isn’t frightening, just that the times have changed and people have become a lot more desensitized to violence, needing buckets of blood and elaborate death traps to satisfy their morbidity. If there’s one thing Invasion of the Body Snatchers is, it’s normal. The pod people takeover is as normal as can be, yet it produces "an epidemic of mass hysteria" that turns blood relatives against one another. As the director once said, the terror of the movie is in its absolute reality. "So many people have no feeling about culture; no pain or sorrow." Unfortunately, the film suffered when the studio asked Siegel to add a silly prologue and epilogue. Subtract those tacked-on moments when town doctor Miles (Kevin McCarthy) obtains the help of authorities in a neighboring city, and the movie gets a whole lot darker -- closing with an hysterical Miles staggering through traffic, shrieking "You're next!", and ending that would be expanded on in the 1979 remake. To sum it all up, one can say that the film itself is very much like the evil characters within, constantly trying to catch you off guard so that it can further entrance and, eventually, overtake you completely. You’d be hard pressed to find another from any time period that does this so convincingly.

"I don't know what this is, but I'll bet it smells awful."
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Shot on a budget of about $417,000 over less than a month, Invasion of the Body Snatchers has gone one to become an all-time classic and a testament to the power of social commentary in film. While it may seem a little tame by today’s standards, its underlying message still rings with an air of truth and the cautionary tale told within is still valid. Anyone who considers themselves a true fan of cinema should certainly have seen it or have it on their watch list, while fans of horror in general will enjoy a lot of old school tension and drama. Highly recommended. 8/10.

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“Tomorrow, a logical and colorful remake.â€￾
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[Wangman Page]

Re: The Wing Kong Exchange (feat. Invasion of the Body Snatchers)

I loved this movie the one time I watched it. I also find it funny how many films pay homage to it later on. One that springs to my mind right away is The Faculty, they even mention it at least twice in the film.

Great review.

 

[Fuji Vice]

Re: The Wing Kong Exchange (feat. Invasion of the Body Snatchers)

Yeah, it's a very popular movie to spoof, which I think shows the respect people have for it. Definitely from a different time, but I think this story could be told fairly well today and still feel fresh.

Thanks for the comments.

 

[Castiel]

Re: The Wing Kong Exchange (feat. Invasion of the Body Snatchers)

Loved the review! Watched the movie a few weeks ago and absolutely loved it. After learning about McCarthyism a lot last year that was on my mind as well. I found those references and simply these type of movies very interesting. As some know I love The Faculty as well so I've wanted to watch this since I heard it mentioned in that. I have to disagree with you on one thing, this is much more terrifying to me than most horror films these days. There may not be buckets of blood of cringeworthy acts but the thought that an invasion such as this could happen is scary, nobody to trust or at least you have no clue who you can trust... again, brilliant review!

 

[Fuji Vice]

Thanks Cas, glad you liked the movie and speaking of McCarthyism, it can't be a coincidence that the actor playing the lead role's last name was McCarthy right?

In reference to the scare factor, I was more alluding to the fact that people are so desensitized these days that something like this film wouldn't be deemed scary. I think the idea of a replacement invasion is truly creepy stuff, but in a world full of blood, guts and gore galore, a lot of people probably wouldn't...until it was too late.

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[Fuji Vice]

Re: The Wing Kong Exchange (feat. Invasion of the Body Snatchers)

The Evil Dead


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Five friends go up to a cabin in the woods, where they find unspeakable evil lurking in the forest. They find a tome called the "Necronomicon", Book of the Dead, and the taped translation of the text. Once the tape is played, the evil is released. One by one, the teens are possessed. With only one remaining, it is up to him to survive the night and battle the evil dead.

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In retrospect, 1981 was an incredible year for horror films. It saw the release of instant classics like An American Werewolf in London, slasher gems like The Burning, My Bloody Valentine and Happy Birthday to Me and truly unique films like Dead and Buried and Scanners. Along with all of those, a small little film from the US called The Evil Dead came out, and quickly changed many of the rules of the genre. Choosing to function as something of a hybrid of many different horror styles and placing the emphasis on a final boy instead of a girl, it certainly broke some of the standard “rules†of the day. At the same time, it proved that no shortage of budget was capable of stopping genius from cultivating and the end result stands as a classic right up there with its contemporaries. Funnily enough, I didn’t really like it the first time I saw it, feeling that it was too overly reliant on gore and lacking a proper story. It wasn’t until a few years ago that I came to realize that its simplicity is its ultimate strength and why it has retained the cult following it has over the years. It’s definitely not everyone’s cup of tea, but for those that can stomach the buckets of blood it sure ends up being a tasty one.

"Disheartened upon hearing the news that she didn't qualify to be in Playboy."
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Evil Dead is the first feature written and directed by Sam Raimi, a guy who many have now become familiar with thanks to his Spider Man films. Regardless of how prolific he is these days, his earlier works are still my favourites. It just seems as though he showed a lot more creativity and imagination than he has in recent years. His reliance on non-traditional camera angles is a particular strong point and in this film they're on display throughout. He also works well with cinematographer Ted Philo in developing these angles and using them to maximum effect. Despite the low budget, Raimi manages to craft a strangely surreal film that attacks the senses of its viewers time and again, never failing to deliver on what it's attempting. The screenplay here can be called basic at best, but it does the job in giving the characters some standard dialogue and setting up each successive scenario. Helping Raimi along in enhancing the mood of the film is Joe Loduca, who creates an impressive score that really succeeds in creeping out the viewer. This is one movie that really must be watched in the dark with the sound turned all the way up!

"Amazingly enough he still looks pretty much the same some 30 years later."
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Performance wise, this movie pretty much begins and ends with Bruce Campbell, though the others all do serviceable work. Campbell has developed into a pretty great actor over the years and although he’s not incredible here the flashes of brilliance are definitely there. His ability to do physical comedy coupled with a strong sense of emotion make him the true star and the focal point of the entire film. If not for Campbell’s work here, I’m pretty sure the film would have totally flopped so it’s a good thing he was chosen to play the lead role of Ash. I also enjoyed both Ellen Sandweiss as Cheryl and Betsy Baker as Linda and felt that their work once possessed was pretty awesome. Sure they’re demons that want to kill you, but at the same time they’ve got an irreverent sense of humour that really enhances their characters. If I had to complain about one of the actors, it would be Hal Delrich as Scotty, who generally just comes across as annoying and a bit of a whiner. Of course if you had to hack your girlfriend to pieces with an axe you just might feel the same way, so maybe I shouldn’t be blaming him. The bottom line here is that while these actors were all very inexperienced, they worked together to develop some good chemistry and their performances push the film past “good†to “greatâ€.

"What's the matter, knife got your tongue?"
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I found the initial setup of the film to be pretty boring but realize that it was done that way to lull you into a false sense of security. Obviously this goes out the window after Cheryl is raped by a tree (yes, you read that correctly). Once she goes full on demon, things really get going and the initial scene featuring the pencil stabbing is pretty damn grotesque. It also helps that everyone seems to be taking themselves seriously even though it's a completely implausible scenario. As with the previously reviewed Basket Case, this film gets in some serious gore even though it's made on the cheap. In fact, I'd put Evil Dead's gore up against almost any film from the same time frame; it is quite simply that disgusting. In watching the movie again, I realized that it’s pretty much Sam Raimi’s attempt to prove his relevance as a filmmaker. It’s always interesting to go back and see how a young and hungry talent makes the most of their opportunities and I feel few better examples of this exist than The Evil Dead. There’s a ton of style with absolutely no substance at all, and that’s a great thing in this case because that’s all it was ever meant to be. Sure people can deride its lack of story or its corny special effects, but they cannot deny its lasting impact on the horror industry and its ability to scare more than 30 years after its release. More than anything though, The Evil Dead is a perfect example of how to have fun while being freaked out; something that most horror films today just don’t understand.

"A much better digging scene than the one in Megan is Missing."
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Shot on a budget of about $400,000 when all was said and done, The Evil Dead managed to gross over $2.5 million in limited theatrical release. Acclaimed horror author Stephen King quickly embraced the film as well, giving it a rave review which most likely helped it out immensely in the distribution department. Once it hit the home video market, it continued to pick up steam and has really never looked back since. Obviously the financial success would lead to a sequel (which we’ll be looking at tomorrow) and helped to put both Raimi and Campbell on the map. That’s not too shabby for a film that, on paper anyways, shouldn’t have worked. Clearly a testament to Raimi’s abilities as a filmmaker and Campbell’s as an actor, The Evil Dead is can’t miss horror fare and should be considered absolute must-see for fans of the genre. 8/10.

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"Tomorrow...who's laughing now?"​

 

[Gentleman Jake]

Re: The Wing Kong Exchange (feat. The Evil Dead - Original)

excellent review fuji really it shouldn't have worked but it def did and I think Bruce is a big reason why...the guy just oozes charisma

 

[Wangman Page]

Fuji showing why he is the man for movie reviews. I remember seeing this as a kid wondering what the hell was this and then watching the others going this fucking rules. Good job. Can't wait to read the other reviews

 

[Fuji Vice]

Re: The Wing Kong Exchange (feat. The Evil Dead - Original)

Thanks guys, glad you liked that one and I'll have the second part up in a little bit as well. Yay.

 

[Fuji Vice]

Re: The Wing Kong Exchange (feat. The Evil Dead - Original)

Evil Dead II


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Ash and his girlfriend Linda are in a remote cabin in the woods. There he discovers a tape recorder that a professor had used to record incantations from the Necronomicon. When he turns it on, the recording releases a dark, sinister force from the woods. It turns Linda into a zombie; her soul possessed by as demon, and then tries to do the same to Ash. Other people come to help Ash, but one by one they are taken over by the evil that wants to make sure they’re all dead…by dawn.

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After the success of the first Evil Dead film in 1981, Sam Raimi tried his hand at the comedy genre, releasing Crimewave in 1984. Unfortunately he was not able to replicate the magic he had found with Evil Dead and the film flopped. Luckily for us, Raimi was undeterred and sought to make a sequel to his original hit; although this time he'd make room for the comedy as well. Enlisting the help of his longtime friend (and star of the first film) Bruce Campbell, he returned to that nasty cabin in the woods armed with a bigger budget and a dose of cynicism. Realizing that he couldn't simply remake his first film, Raimi instead decided to pay homage to the b-movies of the 60's that inspired him and the resulting film is one that works on every level imaginable. Perhaps the first great example of the horror-comedy, Evil Dead II outdoes its predecessor at nearly every turn. It also provides yet another showcase for its star and proved beyond a doubt that Sam Raimi was a force to be reckoned with in the film industry.

"Pretty much the first ever Playboy, minus the hot chicks."
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Raimi once again wrote (along with Scott Spiegel) and directed and like the first film, there's way more style than substance. In fact, I'd almost go as far as saying there's even less of a plot this time around and the character's motivations are non-existent. However, just like its predecessor, there's absolutely no need for a story because it's balls to the wall insanity from about three minutes in until the final shot. Raimi makes use of more inventive camera angles here, particularly earlier in the film when he's still establishing the "mood". He also makes use of a faster editing style which gives the film an almost Chaplin-like effect at times, albeit with sound. Credit for that must also be given to Editor Kaye Davis, who really should have gotten more work given the skills she displayed here. Peter Deming (who shot Scarecrows, a certified Fuji Favourite) takes over the cinematography chores here and does a good job even though he has a tendency to overuse close-up shots from time to time. Meanwhile, Joe LoDuca is back to do the score and once again does a great job enhancing the mood with his minimal yet awesome work.

"How does this keep happening to me?"
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As with the original film, Evil Dead II is simply the Bruce Campbell Show and he's twice as brilliant here. Taking the opportunity to really flex his comedic muscles, Campbell turns Ash into a cross between Jack Tripper and Van Helsing. I realize that sounds like an awful pairing on paper, but in Campbell's hands it works brilliantly. In a slapstick performance for the ages, he effortlessly captivates our attention at all times while being as goofy as humanly possible. There's a great deal of time at the start where he's forced to act by himself (and even attack himself no less) and he really hits the mark, making each second count. Even though it’s clear that the film is Campbell’s, the other actors involved are all good in their own way. Sarah Berry (who only ever starred in this and C.H.U.D. II – Bud the Chud) holds her own as the female protagonist even though she’s only really there to help get other characters to the cabin. Meanwhile, Raimi favourite Dan Hicks shows up as a crazed redneck and would probably have been the best character in the movie if not for Ash. He makes good use of his limited time though, going just over the top enough to portray his stereotypical character properly.

"Everyone's having a jolly good time."
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There's so much going on in Evil Dead II that one might think both Raimi and Campbell suffered from severe ADD. It would be impossible to list all the hilariously great moments within, but tops on my list would be the forced insertion of a shot of the string attached to an eyeball that's shot into a woman's mouth. If ever there was an intentional shot in a film, that's it! Meanwhile, Campbell's above-mentioned solo work in the cabin is simply must-see material, particularly his all-out war with his own hand! I'd also like to quickly point out how awesome the deer on the wall that laughs at him is; that thing would be enough to drive anyone insane. As with the first film, the special effects here are fantastic and really stretch out every last dollar of the low budget. The make-up and physical effects are especially good in this regard and the stop-motion animation is very similar to the work Ray Harryhausen did on films like Clash of the Titans. Simply put, this is not your average, b-grade horror film even though it’s intentionally shot that way. Rather, Evil Dead II is an exercise in how to convince an audience that you’re showing them a piece of coal when in reality it’s more akin to a diamond. When examining the horror-comedy genre, I believe it pretty much begins and ends with Evil Dead II, the prime example of how to do a film like this properly.

"The bird is the word."
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Evil Dead II was shot on a budget of $3.5 million (ten times that of the original) and ended up grossing over $10 million at the box office and way more on home video. It also developed the cult following that the original did and is widely regarded as one of the all-time great horror films. Do I think Evil Dead 2 is for everyone? Not a chance in hell. If you don't like broad, slapstick-style physical comedy, blood vomiting everywhere, people sawing their own limbs off while laughing about it or more demons than you can shake a boomstick at, I’d give it a miss. However, if you’re like me (and I know many are even if they don’t care to admit it) you’re going to have a gory good time and a barrel of laughs. 8.5/10.

"Tomorrow...it all ends with a boom!"
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[Gentleman Jake]

I would of given it a 9 but can't argue with your high points the movie really does rule

 

[Wangman Page]

Re: The Wing Kong Exchange (feat. Evil Dead II)

Another fantastic Review. Honestly this is the film Campbell became the Campbell we all know and love. The first one he was getting started this one he became Ash and ruled forever.

 

[Fuji Vice]

Thanks again guys, comments keep me going. I'll do my best to have AoD up tomorrow but if not then on Friday for sure.

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