Chinese Movies | Alica McKenna Johnson

The Treasure Hunter

Alica McKenna Johnson — Fri, 30 Jan 2015 14:56:01 +0000

This Chinese movie borders on the edge of being a sushi western. It’s a mix of Indiana Jones, awesomely bad Kung Fu movies, and Romancing the Stone.
It was silly and campy, with over the top martial arts and a girl for the sole reason of having someone scream every once in a while. There a map, a lost city, and a legion of demon warriors.
I enjoyed this movie, very fun, fast paced, and it made me laugh. I didn’t care for the every end, especially the last five minutes, but everything else was enjoyable.
Also I learned something. Never—Ever—Eat the homemade biscuits a women gives you and then break your promise to her. Just don’t. If you don’t believe me, then watch the movie, and you’ll see what happens when you do.

Detective Dee and the Mystery of the Phantom Flame.

Alica McKenna Johnson — Fri, 06 Apr 2012 06:11:40 +0000

So if you like odd, cheesy, Chinese movies, you might enjoy this one. It made me laugh at times. Dr. Donkey Wong *snickers* and some parts were interesting with nicely done fight scenes. I won’t watch it again, but I don’t feel like I was wasting my time.

This is one best enjoyed with others who will have fun laughing and heckling the movie.

I would keep this teens and up, there is some nudity and violence: people burning alive and such.

Foreign Film Friday

Alica McKenna Johnson — Fri, 28 Oct 2011 05:23:39 +0000

For my last Halloween horror movie fix I give you three new choices.

High Lane is a French horror movie about a group of young adults who go mountain climbing and there is a psycho killer waiting for them. The views were beautiful- it was filmed in Croatia and if heights and the possibility of falling scare you then this will be a very scary movie. I found it more gross then scary. I didn’t jump at anything, but did look away at some of the blood.

My big issue is the people did something horrendously stupid to get into the situation, and then they kept doing stupid stuff, which means I spent a lot of time yelling at the TV. While there wasn’t out right male bashing I don’t think the writer or director holds testosterone filled males in high regard.

The killer is great- huge, scary, vicious, mentally disturbed, and his movements are very animalistic almost like a gorilla. He’s almost worth watching the movie for.
One woman does go crazy and kick butt at one point, but remember my friends when you are beating up a psycho killer you don’t stop until they’re dead, because they will come after you.

It’s not a horrible movie, but I won’t watch it a second time.

For all of my amazing followers I sacrificed 3 hours of my life- 3 hours I can’t get back so I could review a truly horrible movie. Bandh Darwaza is a Bollywood horror movie from the late 70’s or early 80’s. There is singing and dancing as all Bollywood movies, which wasn’t good. The monster was a vampire who wasn’t scary and the ‘heroes’ in the movie were amazingly stupid and not likable. If you love really bad bad bad horror movies and maybe drinking during them then please go for it. Other wise just say no to Bandh Darwaza.

Finally a really good movie. Re-cycle, a Chinese movie, definitely has scary elements in it. I held my breath. I jumped. I almost made my husband sit next to me on the couch. This movie will be especially scary for writers!

Ting-Yin is a writer who gets sucked into a world of abandoned things including half formed characters. The plot is gripping, the visual effects are striking (except for the falling), the acting is great, and I was emotionally drawn into the movie. Re-cycle isn’t a classic horror movie, but much more of a psychological horror/ suspense movie. I liked it a lot and I highly recommend it. And when you’re done, be careful that your abandoned characters don’t come for you while your sleeping.

Have a wonderful a spooky Halloween.