A Salaryman and a world-weary Yakuza travel to a remote part of China in search of Jade, only to discover a life so far untouched and so far removed from their own that it effects them each in unexpected ways.

Takashi Miike has become rather a household name in the cult movie circles these days thanks to the increasing popularity of the Asia Extreme cinema, famed for its raw and frenetic violence and disturbed narrative. I myself have come to know Miike through this very strain of film and so you can just imagine my surprise when I happened upon The Bird People In China. With all its promises of “a haunting and poetic masterpiece” and such like it was certainly an intriguing contradiction in terms of director and subject. With such an interesting premise I couldn’t help but wonder if Miike would pull it off.

What followed was nearly two hours of what must be the gentlest film I’ve ever seen, and certainly one of the loveliest as the story takes its own time meandering along just as the tracks do in the heart-stopping mountain scenery. This film is so serene that by the end you feel as if Miike’s sung you a lullaby that’s crept up on you in such a way as you’d hardly even noticed. But this isn’t a pretentious nothingness and neither is it a sickening slice of whimsical pap. It’s actually a very delicate and well-observed view on some very humane issues like national identity, communication and a sense of belonging and heritage. Miike crafts these issues with a calm hand and a sensitive eye which, for all its patient observation, is not so blind in pursuit of charm as to neglect the realism which made similar films such as Herzog’s Aguirre, Wrath of God so well respected.

Bird People is of course full of analogies and metaphors and messages of worldly importance, the theme of finding riches of a far less tangible nature when on the trail of material wealth is certainly nothing new in cinema. In this instance, however, we have it without the ham-handed Hollywood approach of inexcusable preaching. What we do have is a considerate story handled with humour and genuine affection as we are left free to observe the subtle changes of our three protagonists. Like three wretched stooges, Wada (Masahiro Motoki), Ujiie (Renji Ishibashi) and Shen (Mako) manage to stay the right side of bumbling buffoons thanks to skilled direction and acting. ? in particular, with his almost imperceptible descent into well meaning madness is so accurately portrayed as to be utterly convincing in terms of being both tender and darkly frightening at the same instance. It is at these times that we see a glimpse of Miike’s directorial heritage with some surreal and blunt violence, which makes you wonder if he just couldn’t help himself but in the context only adds to the realism in the otherwise utopian feel.

It’s very hard to fault this film. It’s a pleasure from beginning to end and the only real fault really lies in that it had to end at all, just as you realised you’ve lapsed into the dreamy Miike lullaby state. The extremely slow pace won’t be to everybody’s taste, and it’s certainly a departure from the Takashi Miike beaten track, but just when you thought he’d taken off on a peculiar flight of fancy, he goes and makes a perfect landing.

A subtly endearing fairytale-like adventure which soars with ease to the heady heights of a near perfect.

Deepa Metha's Water is set against the backdrop of civil unrest in India during the 1930's. As Gandhi’s call for passive resistance against British colonial rule grows and the country begins to find itself in turmoil. Set in the city of Varanasi it looks at the life of Hindu widows sent away from their homes after their husband’s deaths. They must live a shadowy existence as "living corpses", because of an interpretation of Hindu text. It is believed by some that when a husband dies a widow who lives on is half dead herself, because her husband made up half of what she was when he was living. The film caused a great deal of controversy when it was filmed with religious hardliners who believed it to be critical of the Hindu faith rioting and sending death threats to the cast and crew. How ever Metha's film is far more a look at social injustice than it is a film designed to be critical of faith.

The film starts out with a seven year old child being told that the husband she has no memory of marrying is dead. The girl’s father takes her from the family home to a place where widows live as social outcasts. There she is left never to return home or see her family again. Once there she soon learns life for widows is a hard one, shunned by the populace they are seen as undesirables much like the Untouchables in the strict cast system. Being only "half living" a widow is only aloud one meal a day must shave her head and own only one outfit so her status is clear to all. The girl meets with a range of widows from different backgrounds in her new home some who lived many years with their husbands before this life was forced upon them, others like her where child brides some of whom never met the man they are meant to be grieving for.

After seeing Water my thoughts are mostly positive about it, but there are some things which can't be ignored, firstly Lisa Ray is terrible, I know Indian culture prizes light skin and her mixed race heritage no doubt puts her in high demand, but she is utterly unconvincing. John Abraham is not exactly good either; in fact the male cast is pretty poor. The other main characters how ever are pretty good with a quality performance from the young lead Sarala as Chuyia and a stand out performance from Seema Biswas as the widow Shakuntala. Water is filled with very attractive shots, but I get the feeling that’s not really testament to any film making abilities and more to do with shooting in an area where just taking the lense cap off the camera is going to mean you capture something beautiful. That said it does mean at times the film is simply gorgeous to look at. The pacing of the film is a bit uneven for me and the plot fall into the category of serviceable, really it exists only as a vehicle for Mehta’s all be it admirable, one dimensional theme. I know the vast majority of reviews blinded by the plight Mehta brings to the screen feel this film is deep and meaningful but to be honest in my opinion it never goes much deeper than "Look at this, isn't it bad". I liked the film and was moved by it in places, but thinking about it after I realised I was moved more by the general subject mater than really anything Mehta herself has to say about it.

How ever those things considered it's still a film I highly recommend people watch. The plight of widow's as with other sections in a heavily class ridden society (India cast system being about as rigid as class systems get) is something that should be talked about and bringing it to the screen is a great way to achieve dialogue on the subject. The Hindu religion is far from being the only religion which seems to put far more restrictions on women than men. I am hard pressed to think of a religious system which doesn’t all be it more liberal believers may relax the rules. It's easier to point at other people’s cultures and faiths and say look at the things they do wrong, but I hope a film like this would also see viewers from around the world stop to take a look at their own cultures and faiths. Class, sexism and many other” isms'” are prevalent everywhere even in the most liberal of nations and society’s.

I am a big fan of the kind of world cinema that takes you to places you have not been to and times you cannot visit. Films that offer a window on to cultures and perspectives you might otherwise not see or think about. Those who enjoy films like The Bird People in China, Bombon: El Perro, Kekexili: Mountain Patrol and The Harmonium in My Memory should find plenty to love about Water and some might even shed a tear in places. Water is a flawed, but also rewarding filmic journey that I recommend taking.

When a sniper guns down 14 pedestrians at random on the streets of New York City, cop with a troubled personal life, Peter Nicholas, is up for the job of reasoning with him. Though he doesn’t manage to talk him down from his killing spot atop the water tower, he does elicit a reason from him before he throws himself to his death. As Nicholas investigates further killings across the city it becomes apparent that something connects them all; the killer’s dying confessions reveal that “God told me to.” As the investigation takes shape, the common ground for each killer is having met an elusive long-haired stranger shortly before their crimes, but who is this ubiquitous being and what will Detective Nicholas’s connection to them be? Find out in Larry Cohen’s genre-busting cult classic.

New York City in the 70’s had a tendency to be portrayed in the movies and the seemingly endless cop shows of the same era as the perfect site of public paranoia; a sprawling concrete metropolis breeding suspicion and uncertainty where anything could be possible, and usually was, egged on by the media to fuel the almost palpable air of unrest that floated around the dirty streets. Writer/director Larry Cohen’s God Told Me To is certainly no exception and exploits this feeling well with his bizarre mix of the strange and the serious in this detective/mystery/horror/sci-fi hybrid that is as compelling as it is peculiar.

God Told Me To, despite being a mixed bag generically, belongs for the most part, particularly tonally, to the detective/mystery genres. With the opening scenes of a nauseatingly claustrophobic New York, our troubled detective has to act fast when a sniper opens fire, causing hysteria in the streets below. Reminiscent of the earlier Dirty Harry, God Told Me To uses the detective figure as an urban hero, combating one of the city’s most feared attackers; the sniper. This kind of crime perfectly utilises the self-perpetuating urban fear; a crime which preys on the city but which the city conversely and simultaneously conceals in safety. And if you are thinking there’s nothing too strange or unusual about this, well then you’d be right, but it is as the investigation gets underway that we gain the bizarre turn that has earned Cohen (Q The Winged Serpent and It’s Alive!) his rightful cult status.

Indeed, it’s only as the story develops that the bizarre horror/sci-fi elements begin to enter the arena. As we learn more about the tangled personal life of our hero, of his devout Catholicism, the parallel mystery similarly unravels. But don’t be fooled by Cohen’s crazy generic mix for it masks some grave undertones. There are some serious and still very relevant ideas about religion at play here, which helps to make this film timeless. Cohen presents some surprisingly open ideas about religion which won’t be to everyone’s taste; “You got all the blessing’s who needs religion?!” points to a false and almost greedy human search in desperation for a higher power which, as Cohen rather aptly presents, won’t necessarily be a good one.

Whilst there is some bloodshed in this film it is more a horror of ideas with some creepy and genuinely unpleasant and difficult scenes made only the more so as it is so plausible. As we discover that religion has a hand in the city hiding something more deadly, invested with the power of destruction more precise than a sniper, it is truly chilling. It is an idea even more relevant now than when Cohen wrote it; that the more modernised society becomes the more we search for some lost meaning and the more we open ourselves up to religion, fanaticism and the need to feel the presence of a deity to restore the human purpose (it is no accident that the sniper opens fire above the icon of modern American consumerism that is Bloomingdales). But fear not, if this all sounds a little heavy you can still relax and enjoy the bizarre story, direction and generic mix that make it peculiarly entertaining as this, after all, is what makes this a Cohen Classic; a strange film with intelligent undertones, and who can say fairer than that?

Part warning for modern society, part bizarre generic mix, but all-round Cult Classic.

The year is 1963 and in the rural Kang Won province of Korea a dashing new teacher sets hearts a-flutter and a love triangle in motion in Lee Young-jae’s gentle love story.

Lee Young-jae’s debut feature is a beautifully simplistic antidote to the Hollywood romance. Telling the sweet and unaffected tale of a first love, The Harmonium in My Memory is a subtly engaging rural drama with a delicately balanced affection at its core. Yun Hong-yeon (Jeon Do-yeon) is 17 and when good looking and kindly young teacher Mr.Kang (Lee Byeong-heon) comes to town he immediately captures her heart. Unfortunately for Hong-yeon, however, Mr.Kang is in turn rather taken with pretty fellow teacher Miss Yang (Lee Mi-yeon) and the attempts by each to woo the object of their affection make up this lovely, touching, and, above all else, completely uncontrived drama.
Where a Hollywood director would gleefully take the subject of a schoolgirl’s first crush and manipulate it, patronise, or unnecessarily sexualise it, Young-jae allows the universally familiar tale of first love speak for itself. The dual love story makes for some wonderful mirroring as Hong-yeon tries in vain to grasp her child-like crush and Mr.Kang and Miss Yang’s almost-love has a child-like innocence as if being regressed through Hong-yeon’s own troubled affections. With the rustic setting as imperative to the understated story as the wonderfully easy characterisation, this film is as beautiful visually as it is emotionally.
The basic existence and remote setting make for a delightfully uncomplicated and nostalgic backdrop as Harmonium proves to be as much about a way of life as it is a love story. The early 60’s makes for a well placed era as a setting, too, as the village has begun to be touched slightly by modern living, helped by Mr.Kang and his record collection, which aids the subtle musical theme (the original Korean title literally translates as The Organ in My Heart.) The fact that Young-jae hasn’t overloaded the film with themes and visual tricks makes the few stand out all the more, including the vignettes which again add a nice sense of nostalgia to it. The subtle charm of the film makes for some natural and gentle humour and the beautifully played performances and direction ensure the delicate emotional changes are as lightly perceptible as they were meant. The calm ease of the pace and the gentle nature of this film mean Harmonium won’t be to everyone’s taste, but for those who enjoy a delicate love story in a wonderfully rustic setting, this is a must-see.

A gently crafted, beautiful and sweet film, Harmonium in My Memory is completely devoid of the contrived whimsy of the Hollywood love story and as such is a refreshing joy to watch.

Also Known As:
Organ of My Heart (literal English title)
Nae maeumui punggeum (Original title in Korea)

Following their success working with Tony Jaa, director Prachya Pinkaew and stuntman / fight choreorapher Panna Rittikrai decided to search for a female martial arts star. A young woman named JeeJa Yanin auditioned for a part in a project they were working on and Panna saw the possibilties. Already proficient in the Korean martial art Tae Kwondo, she then spent nearly two years of grueling training adding new skills including, of course, Thailands own native art Muay Thai.

The oddly named Chocolate is JeeJa's debut starring role and while she's not a match for Jaa in terms of being a stunt person, she certainly is impressive and arguably Chocolate is better than both Ong Bak and Tom Yum Goong. JeeJa is fast and flexible with impressive tae kwondo kicking skills (which always look impressive on screen) and an arsonal of mixed martial arts skills. In JeeJa Yanin, Thailands martial arts svengalis have discoverd female martial arts gold.

As to the film itself, it follows the simple 'you have something of mine give it back or I will hit you really hard' theme that has served them well in Jaa's two starring roles. Still it's a good a reason to hit people as any other except maybe the all time classic; revenge. JeeJa Yanin plays a young autistic woman who has the abilty to mimic any martial arts form she watches. Thus a diet of kung fu films growing up makes her a self taught master of the fighting arts. These skills come in handy when her mother falls ill with cancer and she sets out with her fat cousin to collect monies owed to her former loanshark parent. For some reason every simple business owner she visits employs double as deadly henchmen, so there's plenty of beatings to be handed out. Of course there's also a "big boss" in this case complete with uber bad hair. Villain No. 8 is her mother's former business partner / employer and former lover. He's not happy that his girl went off with the Yakuza that became her father and has made it clear they are to stay well away from his gang's territory. Inevitably, there's a big showdown in which beatings are handed out at a furious rate and JeeJa gets to showcase her skills against some top rate fighting talent including both male and female world champion level kick boxers. My personal favourite fight is against Kittitat Kowahagul's "Epileptic boxer", though it would seem his onscreen condition is more akin to tourettes with his ticks.

So what am I saying? Well the plot is serviceable, the acting is OK, the cinematography etc is good and the onscreen combat is really top notch. As 2008 draws to a close I think it's pretty safe to say this is the best martial arts film you will see this year, though Ong Bak 2 will more than likely surpass it if the trailers and promo footage are anything to go by. Essentially after that it's going to be a case of waiting for the Thai super teamup move between Yanin and Jaa which has surely got to be high on martial arts cinema fans wish list after this impressive debut.

Chocolate - Trailer

www.chocolate-movie.com

Political intrigue, double-crossing and dodgy sexual shenanigans are afoot at the Midlothian Hotel in the sadly ill-fated, not to mention ridiculously long-awaited, offering from the creators of that rough diamond, Revenge of Billy the Kid.

Any fans of 1991’s filthy Brit gem, Revenge of Billy the Kid, will have been eagerly awaiting the follow-up from the same team…and waiting, and waiting, and waiting, as this production has proved to be a real labour of love, beset as it has been by an unbelievable amount of setbacks. However, perseverance won out and 2002 saw the eventual release of their second and unrelated film, Room 36, and, although unrelated, there are a lot of touches from Billy that we know and love (and vaguely remember) still thankfully intact.

Room 36 is quite an ambitious departure from the aforementioned Revenge of Billy the Kid, with Director, Jim Groom and Producer, Tim Dennison at the helm once more, this time for a far more complex Noir pastiche. In a rather bizarre mix, a comedy of errors leads the way for a murderously dark thriller where a mistaken room number sets in motion a disastrous chain of events. Set in London, the action takes place almost entirely in the Midlothian Hotel, a downmarket and mildly sleazy hovel which brings together workers, lovers, and, in the case of Room 36, enemies with a shared business interest. Not-all-that-good hitman, Connor (Paul Herzberg,) has a rendezvous with stern MP, Woods (Portia Booroff,) the deal; her potentially government destroying film in return for a case of lovely cash. In a much more amusing and ingenious plot device than the old ‘upside-down number’ chestnut, Connor’s visitor and the visitor of another guest (the wonderfully repulsive Dick Armstrong, played to perfection by Frank Scantori) become muddled and so begins this dark comedy/thriller with all its terrible repercussions.

What a strange film Room 36 is; with its happily peculiar mix of Carry On humour, tinges of horror, and brooding noir it’s nothing if not different. Possibly the strangest thing, however, is that it actually works, sometimes better than others, admittedly, but still, it works. Not only that but it serves as a good reminder that the UK can produce something more original than the recent rut of footie films, period dramas, East End gangster flicks and other assorted depressing grimness that we seem to have become stuck in. It is a real shame that the production was hit so badly with problems as it cannot help but have hindered the final product. That said, this film still holds up remarkably well. David Read is on hand once more as cinematographer making a grand job with their specially sourced, grainy black and white stock, heightening the violence with stark red of the (much splattered) blood and the seediness with the enhanced brown of the wandering cockroaches.

Apart from the odd touch, stylization is thankfully low, allowing much of the noir feel to seep in from the brooding atmosphere of the dark deeds afoot. Similarly, rather than relying on parody to fuel the humour, Groom has opted once more for the style of comedy unique to this team. The humour is silly, child-like and grubby, just like its predecessor, but don’t saddle up your High Horse just yet as it is genuinely distinctive and amusing. Unfortunately, the comic elements work better than the serious ones as these guys have a real knack for the humour, with the thriller aspects coming over less well. As the main characters, Connor and Woods, though embedded in something far more deadly and complex, never seem as interesting or as enjoyable to watch as those who have less screen time. With the occasional touches of unpleasantly delicious Lynchian surrealism mixed with some Carry On humour, it’s the moments with the supporting characters that make this film. Dick Armstrong is a particularly wonderful creation who certainly has more than a little of the grotesque about him, and it is his repulsive character along with the surrealism of the hum-drum life of the working-class Londoners that give this film it’s edge in content to complement it’s striking visual style.

Well worth the wait, this dark comedy/noir is a British film to be proud of.

Fi Wilson

Trailers

room36.net

On an island “somewhere” off the English coast (but obviously Cornwall), farmer Gyles MacDonald opts for a spot of drunken bestiality with his goat, the end result being Billy- half man, half beast. Shunned as a freak by his own father, the goat-child turns feral, only to return much later to wreak his revenge on the family that turned against him.

Doing nothing for the image of Westcountry folk as dim-witted inbred’s, Revenge of Billy the Kid similarly upholds the British cinematic tradition of bawdy humour and self-deprecating mockery. With the British heritage of the gothic and anthology horror genres made famous by such institutions as Hammer and Amicus long gone, the 80’s and early 90’s dipped into the international move toward gross-out, in this instance heavily tinged with our own special brand of saucy mirth.

As a general rule of thumb you can pretty much rely on Medusa Pictures to bring you something gloriously terrible, and they certainly haven’t bucked their own trend here. “The dirtiest film in the history of British cinema” says Fear, and I don’t doubt that as this film proves itself to be utterly filthy in every respect. With a tone very reminiscent of Peter Jackson’s early work, Revenge of Billy the Kid is minimal budget ridiculousness. With its vile tale of one freaks revenge against its maker, this highly original comedy-horror bears witness to one of the most repulsive families to ever grace the screen. Playing like a more revoltingly incestuous version of The Texas Chainsaw Massacre family, they are proof that the family that lays together stays together. Nauseating, abhorrent and absolutely loathsome in every single way possible, the MacDonald’s are shunned by the mainlanders, and they’re not quite right either. The link to the mainland is mostly seen through the love story between MacDonald daughter Ronnie (Samantha Perkins) and shop keeper's son Lance Allot (Dean Williamson), a love forbidden on both sides and in a horribly comic Jackson-esque fashion, is repulsive in its own way. Though Lance must prove to be Ronnie’s knight in shining armour in the style of a hero in a heavy nod to another horror great.

Yes, this is horror for the fans by the fans territory and that is always heart-warming to me. There’s nothing that gives you that Readybrek glow like knowing that all the bloody unpleasantness is by someone who’s as passionate about it as you are. Though Billy is more comedy than horror. Despite the majority of the comedy being derived from the unbelievably foul MacDonald clan, it manages to maintain a constant level rather than burn itself out with over the top caricatures and childish humour, helped in part by Michael Balfour’s spot-on performance as questionable parent Gyles MacDonald. Most of the horror comes towards the end of the film as Billy, a silly and grotesque creation, wreaks his revenge. This is mostly done to some comic amounts of fog and dramatic lighting and, whilst it is enjoyably silly, would have been better suited to a more Braindead level of outrageous bloodshed. That said you can’t really deconstruct this film into negative’s and positives. It’s wholly disgusting and offensive on every level and you’ll either love it or hate it, and I absolutely loved it. A brave and unusual film that does a certain justice to the British contribution of contemporary horror, albeit in our own questionable way.

A tasteless but oh so enjoyable slice of British comedy-horror. Evil Dead it certainly isn’t, but more the rare thing of a super low budget delight.

Michael Rapaport (Zebrahead, True Romance, Higher Learning, The Naked Man) stars as Les an underconfident and lonley "Metermaid". Les decides to take part in a medical trail for a drug named "special" which is meant to increase confidence, much in the way that modern antidepressants like Seroxat or Prozac are said to. Les how ever has a serious psychotic reaction to the drug, which is in its final stages of human testing before it goes public. Not long after ingesting the first dose Les an avid comic book fan begins to believe he is developing super powers. The first power that manifests itself is flight or more to the point the ability to hover. Les returns to the offices of the doctor running the trails and while discussing his new found hovering skills he notices the development of telekinesis. Though the Dr tells him to immediately cease taking the medication, Les believes he is telling him via this new power unheard to the rest of the world to continue and develop his powers further. With these two powers seemingly fully developed Les decides the only course of action is to hit the streets for a spot of crime fighting.

Written and directed by Hal Haberman and Jeremy Passmore Special is a great piece of quirky offbeat American cinema. It works both as a drama with social commentary and as a comedy (all be it very dark). I genuinely found myself laughing at points in this film and wincing at others. It's also great in that it leaves you thinking about it for some time after. All the cast give really good performances managing both the comic and dramatic with natural ease. Michael Rapaport is excellent in the lead as the increasingly disturbed Les playing it very straight and yet being at times very funny. Josh Peck and Robert Baker as comic store owning brothers Joey and Everett who form Les' only friends have a great onscreen dynamic. Paul Blackthorne (From TV's "The Dresden Files") has a great turn as Jonas Exiler one of two brothers who have spent the last five years developing "Special" and who is eager for nothing to get in the way. Les running round in a silver costume tacking "criminals" while wearing the drugs logo on his back is of course going to get in the way sooner or later. Michael Rapaport is no stranger to edgier slightly more independent American cinema with films like Coen brothers collaborator J. Todd Anderson's "Naked Man" under his belt, but Special is a really perfect role for his "everyman" looks and his performance in the role is pretty much spot on.

Though the idea that part of the problems we face as individuals in society stem from the fact we are constantly told work hard and you will make it. Yet billions of us can't all "make it" what ever we do has been covered in other films such as "Fight Club". Special for me really captures this better than almost anything else I have seen. It's a hard thing to admit especially in this Famous for nothing myspace/ipod/twitter generation that life is going to for the vast majority consist of work/eat/sleep/shit repeat with some sex, movies and video gaming in between. While there are many people who genuinely need the likes of Seroxat and Prozac for heavy chemical imbalance related depression, eating disorders, Obsessive compulsive disorder and panic attacks there is always that creeping feeling that there's a large amount of people who are taking these pills for things which are just part of life. People describe themselves as "depressed" when really they are "sad", being sad unfortunately is just one of those things you have to deal with in life and not the same as being medically depressed and you have to wonder should people really be popping pills for shyness and confidence issues.

There are some minor issues with the film, it feels a bit short and I felt the filmmakers where, like often happens in "independent" American cinema trying just that bit too hard to make the whole thing have an "indie" vibe. There's no real reason the camera should be shaking when you film the side of a stationary building with nothing else in shot. The music is a bit along the lines of "that-music-you-get-in-indie-films" and I'm not convinced that it needed the look they gave the film which feels lower quality than needed (though not bad). How ever these things should not really interfere with what is essentially a very enjoyable film. If you passed over this not convinced by the synopsis on the back of the DVD go back and rent or buy it, this is a better bit of independent American cinema than the likes of "garden State" or "Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind" in my personal opinion. I get the feeling that much like a film like "Milwaukee, Minnesota" it's not going to be talked about in the same breath as those two (overrated) movies because it lack the big stars "Dressing down".

Special is an engaging, darkly comic piece of American cinema that leaves you thinking about life.

Special - Trailer

www.specialthemovie.co.uk | www.myspace.com/specialthemoviegb | www.specialthemovie.com

In neon lit town settled amogst snowy tundra the lives of four lost souls collide. As each tries to escape who and where they are, events take an unexpected and ultimately mysterious turn.

No Right Turn revolves for the most part around 4 main characters. At the heart of the tale is Johnny the cokehead, whose noses can't take anymore and his Wife struggling actress Nina. Both of them have dealing with the oddball train obsessed Teddy (who reminds me of a young Michael Palin), Johnny deals him coke and Nina has something else for him. The fourth character is the morbid Monella who saves Nina from a sexual assault and is then befriended by her. However is the streetwise Nina to strong a personality and is Monella as naive as she seems. Can Johnny finally strike it big and how exactly does Teddy fit into the scheme of things?

No Right Turn is the second film from Danish filmmaker David Noel Bourke. After a fairly successful indie debut, especially when you consider his first film Last Exit was shot for just 1,500 dollars. No Right Turn obviously cost more than that even accounting for inflation, but it’s still low budget indie stuff. However don't start thinking about morons waving handheld digital cameras around (fun to make I'm sure, no fun to watch). Bourke's film is one of those that stays within the realms of the budget possibilities and delivers quality that makes it feel like a more expensive production. The script penned by Bourke is strong and manages to surprise. Twisting what seems at first like a run of the mill story about some losers into a dark and witty neo fairytale. The film is shot in English and the cast do an excellent job considering it’s a second language, putting many native speakers to shame. In fact if you didn’t stop to think about you would could easily assume they where native speakers who just picked up a hint of an accent somewhere.

As character driven piece a film will live or die on the backs of the performances and the strength of the characters. All the cast give strong performances and the characters and well fleshed out with both back stories and personality quirks. You can't help but warm to uber loser Johnny. One of those guys that is never going to win the game of life, but always thinks there on top of things, a self proclaimed sexy motherfucker, whose endless consumption of coke and booze blinds him to the wreck he really is. Bourke switches the characters dialogue between the somewhat sad and the really quite funny with ease, sometimes both at once. Bourke and cinema photographer Eric Witzgall have created a great looking film well shot and directed.

As this is a very early screener and the film has yet to do its festival run, I don’t want to give too much away. Ultimately all pretensions aside a film should live or die on whether it can entertain you for its running length. No Right Turn manages to do that and more. No Right Turn is comedic, (though not a comedy) thriller, which is full of surprises. Puritans might want to avoid it because Scandinavians in general don’t seem to have anytime for the prudishness which is seeping back into so much of western society (good for them).

While it’s a world anyway from Hans Christian Andersen, the spirit of the classic fairytales is there and ultimately those with darkness in the hearts will meet their comeuppance.

No Right Turn - posters | No Right Turn - trailer

Three Chinese martial arts students spend five years in Korea training in the martial art of Hapkido. Korea is under Japanese occupation and after a fight with some Japanese the students are told to leave by their Korean master. Before they go he gives them a final demonstration in the art and some advice which he hopes will help them in the future. Armed with this knowledge they return to China and set up their own martial arts school. Back in China most of the already established martial arts schools in the area welcome the new hapkido school to the community. How ever the local Japanese martial arts school is not so happy to see them, especially when one of the three kicks the crap out of a couple of their students.

The three students turned masters of their own school, are played by kung fu legends Carter Wong, Sammo Hung and Angela Mao. Carter Wong's character is honourable and steadfast. Sammo Hung plays Fan Wei who is hot-headed and cannot stand by while injustice is done. Angela Mao plays the more balanced of the three and a pacifist at heart, although when pushed too far she can kick some serious ass. The three set up their Hapkido School and teach martial arts and practice tradition medicine and at first things go well. It's not long though before the hot-headed Fan Wei crosses paths with two students from the Japanese run Black Bear school. While out drinking with Tiger a student a local martial arts school. After defeating the students it's inevitable they will return and the next time Sammo battles them he leaves several dead after that things escalate drawing his two friends into the conflict.

Hapkido AKA Lady Kung Fu falls into the "rival schools" sub genre of kung fu movies, much like the Bruce Lee classic Fist of Fury which was made in the same year. All the three leads are great with both Sammo and Carter on good form, but this is really Angela Mao's show and she displays some serious skills here, including some top notch spinning kicks. The supporting cast includes Hapkido legend Wong In-Sik and his real life master Ji Han-jae who gives a fantastic demonstration of Hapkido's effectiveness at the beginning of the film. You can also spot Billy Chan, Jackie Chan, Yeun Biao and Corey Yuen in a range of lesser roles. Although my personal preference is for martial arts films set a bit further back in history there have been some great films set in this period and Hapkido is one of them. The DVD from Hong Kong Legends features a lovely print and the original language so if you have a dubbed version you can now see the movie as was intended. The incidental music score is wickedly funky and the films titles at the beginning drip retro cool.  If you’re a fan of said retro cool, like myself. The bit at the start where the Japanese guy picks up the pendant and reads the inscription "Hap Ki Do" and then the funky music and titles kicks in will have you grinning from ear to ear.

Hapkido is an overlooked early seventies classic from Golden Harvest. The extras on the disc (UK disk the Weinstein Company will be putting this out in North America in October) are a little light with no commentary, but then I am not really sure who they could get to replace Bey Logan. It does feature a short featurette with hapkido instructor Tammy Parlour who is also interviewed about the martial art of hapkido itself which is interesting as in the UK at least it's not as well known as other martial arts. How ever the really important thing which is the quality of the feature presentation and not extra's as some people seem to believe, is very good. I recommend that fans of martial arts cinema pick up this release, especially if you enjoy the likes of Fist of fury. Also this is a rare chance to see Ji Han-jae on film who is a true master of his art.