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FOREIGN MOVIES. “Sukiyaki Western Django.” / “Colors of Evil: Red” and “Colors of Evil: Black.” / “A Yard of Jackals.” / “White Trash.” / “Moka.” / “Partisan.”

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“Sukiyaki Western Django” (2007, Filmrise) English-language Japanese Western film . In a desolate Nevada town, two warring clans—the white-clad Genji and the red-dressed Heike—fight over a hidden gold stash. A nameless gunslinger arrives, playing both sides while secretly helping a widowed prostitute exact revenge on the clans.         The title refers to the Japanese dish “ sukiyaki ” as well as Sergio Corbucci 's film “ Django .” The genre is mainly Spaghetti Western, as inspired by Akira Kurosawa 's jidaigeki film “ Yojimbo .”        Talk about horror royale, think “Audition” (1999) and “Ichi the Killer” (2001). Action? “13 Assassins” (2010) and “Blade of the Immortal” (2017). The director: Takashi Miike. I am not saying he is outstanding but definitely, his treatment of his projects is different, meant to stay with you.        “Sukiyaki” appears like a costume fest comedy....
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MOVIES THAT SUCK! “Murder at Hollow Creek.” / “Custom.” / “Stockade.” / "No Escape.” / “A Serbian Film.” / “The Last Seven.”

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“Murder at Hollow Creek” (2024, Fawesome) action-comedy thriller. A disbarred lawyer and his eccentric brother attempt a massive robbery to pay off medical bills for their dying sister. The plan goes wrong, trapping them in a dangerous game with a Serbian mobster.         In most cases, these veterans are fine performers: Mickey Rourke, Jason Patric, and Penelope Ann Miller. Mr Rourke as the crime boss Terry Petrovic also wears eyeliner, I think. Day job? And Mickey needed rent money. And these supposedly two leads, Keli Price and Jack Kesy, as brothers Gavin and Nick, where did they come from? 🎥💻📽 “Custom” (2024, Amazon Prime) psychological horror. A couple producing custom erotic films get caught up in a mysterious, ritualistic conspiracy.         The grim, morbid visuals should appeal to some, plus the unsettling vibe and provocative weirdness have followers for sure. The mood is set. But the supposed ...
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DRAMA MYSTERY-THRILLER. “Send Help.” / “The Hand That Rocks the Cradle.” / “To Kill a Wolf.” / “Buckskin.” / “A Perfect Enemy.” / “Thoroughbreds.”

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“Send Help” (2026, Hulu) survival horror thriller , directed by Sam Raimi . An employee and her boss become stranded on a desert island after a plane crash and attempt to survive while tension rises between them.         Rotten Tomatoes gave this movie a 92 percent (of 295 reviews) positive rating. “A viciously clever script.” Hmmm. And adds: "Putting director Sam Raimi's penchant for diabolical mayhem to great use.” Sure, Mr Raimi has proven his effectiveness through the years but not with this one.         Aside from Rachel McAdams’ all-out zeal and unapologetic focus, I am not really moved by this movie. And I never liked Dylan O'Brien, anyway. 🎥💻📽 “The Hand That Rocks the Cradle” (2025, Hulu) psychological thriller. Reinterpretation of the 1992 original with a dark twist. A stressed attorney and mother hires a seemingly perfect nanny, only to discover they share a twisted, tragic history.   ...
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POLITICAL THRILLER. “Anniversary.” / “Inheritance.” / “The Hunt.” / “Anthropoid.”

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“Anniversary” (2025, Hulu) dystopian political thriller . Tensions rise and loyalties are tested when a couple meet their son's new girlfriend, a radical young woman who's part of a controversial movement known as the Change. Stars Diane Lane and Kyle Chandler.         Critics are all-praises for this talky, lecture-heavy, politically-argumentative yarn. I second-the-motion the ensemble performance although I don’t concur with the crowded room; so many characters. And the jousts? I find them corny, contrived, self-appeasements. 🎥💻📽 “Inheritance” (2025, Hulu) espionage thriller. A young woman discovers her estranged father was formerly a spy, which throws her into the middle of a global international conspiracy and makes her a target.         The plot is a political cliche but the globetrotting thrill somehow managed to provoke some excitement. And leads Phoebe Dynevor as Maya, and Rhys Ifans as the dad, ...
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HISTORICAL. “The Choral.” / “In the Hand of Dante.” / “Munich – The Edge of War.” / “The Physician.”

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“The Choral” (2025, Netflix) British historical drama. Set in 1916, during World War I , in the fictional town of Ramsden, Yorkshire , the film follows the members of the local choral society which recruits a disparate group of townspeople for a performance of Edward Elgar 's “ The Dream of Gerontius ,” a work chosen because it was not written by a German.         Nicholas Hytner, who was an accomplished theater director, before he gained A-1 stature as a filmmaker, is enough reason to watch this movie. And who'd turn down a Ralph Fiennes-led movie? I won't.        “The Choral” glows with smart lines and sterling ensemble performance. The problem is the too-many characters with their respective side-stories. What ensued is a drama that splintered all over the place. Still, the show managed to entertain. 🎥💻📽 “In the Hand of Dante” (2025, Netflix) drama , directed by Julian Schnabel . The story follows a handwr...
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WATCHED THEM AGAIN. “The Hanoi Hilton.” / “Scarface.” / “The Deer Hunter.” / “Class of 1984.” / “Where the Red Fern Grows.”

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“The Hanoi Hilton” (1987, Pluto TV) war film which focuses on the experiences of U.S. prisoners of war who were held in the infamous Hoa Lo Prison in Hanoi during the 1960s and 1970s.          I remember watching this movie in the big-screen moviehouse in Manila many years ago. I didn't know if I liked it then. Those were the years of kickass Vietnam War movies. Right off Francis Ford Coppola's “Apocalypse Now,” came Oliver Stone's “Platoon,” Stanley Kubrick's “Full Metal Jacket,” Barry Levinson's “Good Morning, Vietnam,” etcetera.        “The Hanoi Hilton” tried the dramatic path sans action sequences yet it came out as a melodramatic yarn. That's all. This movie was swallowed by the best of the genre in those years. 🎥💻📽 “Scarface” (1983, Amazon Prime) epic crime drama , directed by Brian De Palma and written by Oliver Stone . Al Pacino stars as Cuban refugee Tony Montana , who arrives in Miami durin...
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