Sleepaway Camp (1983)

Got another review for ya today. From 1983, here's Sleepaway Camp.

There's really not a whole lot I can say about this movie. By and large it's just your typical 1980s slasher flick; just another ripoff in the sea of ripoffs that emerged in the wake of the original Friday the 13th. What separates this flick from its ilk, however, is its truly odd shock ending. I won't go into details here so as to avoid spoiling it, suffice it to say that it had even me, the stereotypical jaded horror geek, a little bit creeped out. It's worth sitting through the whole movie at least once to see it. The payoff really is worth it.

Trivia:
The film's famous ending was parodied on an episode of Cartoon Network's Robot Chicken.

Link(s) of interest:
1) Visit the film's official website
2) Buy the DVD from Amazon.com

The Tell-Tale Heart (1953)

Not a review, just something cool: a short animated film based on Edgar Allan Poe's The Tell-Tale Heart.

Considered to be one of the 50 greatest cartoons of all time (it ranks #24 on the actual list), it was nominated for an Academy Award in 1954 and was selected by the Library of Congress for preservation in the National Film Registry in 2001.

The art style personally reminds me of those weird paintings that Rod Serling used to show before each Night Gallery segment.

Kwaidan (1965)

Horror cinema is not a genre one generally associates with high art. It’s not often that one comes across a horror movie that is both frightening and beautiful at the same time, but there are exceptions to this rule. One such film is 1965’s Kwaidan, a hauntingly beautiful piece of Japanese horror cinema.

Kwaidan is an anthology film based on the works of Lafcadio Hearn, a Greek-born writer who lived and worked in Japan. It consists of four unrelated stories, each of which has its roots in traditional Japanese folklore. In the first, “The Black Hair,” a repentant samurai returns to the wife he abandoned years before and finds she’s not quite the woman she used to be. The second segment, “The Woman of the Snow,” tells of a lonely woodcutter’s fateful encounter with a snow spirit during a blizzard. The third, “Hoichi the Earless,” concerns a blind musician whose songs have the power to enchant even the dead. The final tale, “In a Cup of Tea,” details the difficulties faced by a samurai after he glimpses a mysterious face in his teacup.

Kwaidan is something of an anomaly; it has the unique distinction of being both a traditional piece of Japanese cinema as well as an effective horror film. Masaki Kobayashi’s direction carries with it the deliberate sense of pacing so commonly associated with Japanese cinema of the day, while at the same time subtly cultivating an increasing sense of tension and unease that continues to build until each segment’s climax. Kobayashi previously used this technique to great effect in 1963’s Harakiri, but he perfects it here.

The effect is enhanced even more so by the production’s unique approach to set design, wherein nearly every scene- even those that are supposed to take place out of doors- was shot on elaborate sets specially constructed on soundstages. The liberal application of vivid colors to these already highly stylized sets lends the production an ethereal quality that is reminiscent of what Italian horror auteur Dario Argento would go on to do in his masterpiece Suspiria, and one can’t help but wonder if he wasn’t inspired by Kwaidan. These factors, in conjunction with Toru Takemitsu’s minimalistic score, foster a haunting, dreamlike atmosphere that pervades the entire film.

The end result is a fascinating movie that offers something for both lovers of Japanese cinema and horror aficionados alike. It’s one of those rare films about the supernatural that actually succeeds in creating a convincing sense of the otherworldly. One needs look no further than Kwaidan for proof that horror movies can also be art films.

Trivia:
1) The word 'kwaidan' means 'ghost story' in Japanese.
2) The film was nominated for an Academy Award in 1966. It lost, unfortunately.

Link(s) of interest:
1) Download Lafcadio Hearn's original short stories in ebook form at Project Gutenberg
2) Buy Kwaidan on DVD

Police Story (1985)

Planning on reviewing 2 Jackie Chan movies this week. Here's the first one, 1985's Police Story.

Plot summary:
Chan Ka Kui (Jakie Chan) is a Hong Kong police officer who is assigned to protect a key witness in a huge drug bust case. Naturally, things don't go as smoothly as they should and Ka Kui ends up getting framed for the murder of a fellow cop. From there it becomes a race against time to both clear his name and nail the drug lord responsible who is truly responsible.

This is definitely one of the best (if not the best) films Jackie Chan has ever done. Chan's trademark physical comedy and insane stunt work are present in abundance and, since this was made when Chan was in his prime, all of them are pulled off with much more vigor and panache than what's been on display in his more recent movies (and that's saying something). The only gripe I have with the picture is that that aren't that many fight scenes, but this is a minor complaint overall since the ones that are there are superb. Chan's fight choreography is just as polished here as it has been in his more recent efforts, if not more so.

The DVD is a pretty sweet package as well. Dragon Dynasty has hit another home run with this disc, which includes deleted scenes, a commentary track, a documentary on the film's stunts, an interview with Chan, and several different audio tracks, all for under $20. The DVD's only flaw has to do with the fact that the video is somewhat more grainy than is typical for Dragon Dynasty's releases, but I feel like the grain sort of adds to the gritty look of the movie, so it wasn't really a problem. All in all, Police Story is a great movie presented on an excellent DVD.
This really is Chan at his finest.

Trivia:
1) Chan not only starred in this movie, he also directed it and sang the theme song.
2) The movie's crew took to calling the film "Glass Story" due to the insane amount of sugar glass that was broken during the fight scenes.

Link(s) of interest:
1) Police Story theatrical trailer
2) A Police Story fansite

One Armed Boxer (1971)

Today we've got a review of One Armed Boxer.

Plot summary:
The students of the Hang Tui school have a strong sense of justice. This pisses off their rivals at the Chao school, who hire martial artists from across Asia to put them in their place. What follows is a massacre, the only survivor being a guy named Tien Lung (Jimmy Wang Yu) who loses an arm in the fight. He's taken in by a kindly old doctor who just happens to know the secret of a one armed fighting technique that could allow Tien Lung to exact revenge on his enemies...

If the above plot synopsis makes the movie sound a bit cookie cutter, that's because it is. What a disappointment this movie was. I went into it thinking it would be as good or better than its sequel, Master of the Flying Guillotine, but its not even close. It just takes way too long to get to the point. The movie is called One Armed Boxer but he doesn't even lose his arm until the final third of the film, and the earlier segments of the film just drag.

I can't really comment on the film's DVD release since I don't think it's been released stateside, but it doesn't really matter since it's only really worth watching if you've seen the sequel and want to know the character's backstory. If not, then it's totally skippable.

Trivia:
This was the second one armed character played by Jimmy Wang Yu. The other was a one armed swordsman.

Link(s) if interest:
One Armed Boxer theatrical trailer

The Beyond (1981)

For today's review we have The Beyond, the masterpiece of Italian horror maestro Lucio Fulci.

Plot summary:
An old New Orleans hotel just happens to have been constructed over a gateway to hell. A new owner moves in and begins renovating the property, inadvertently unleashing the dark forces contained there.

The film is admittedly something of an acquired taste. One aspect of the film that can be off-putting for unsuspecting viewers is the insane amount of gore that Fulci tosses up on screen. This was more-or-less a trademark of Fulci's (and Italian horror in general), and could be disturbing to viewers with weak stomachs. The movie's second stumbling block has to do with the frequent lapses in logic inherent in the story. I read somewhere once that Fulci was more concerned with creating atmospheric visuals in his films than he was in cultivating a cohesive narrative, and The Beyond does seem to adhere to that framework. If I had to describe it, I'd say that it has the logic of a nightmare; one of those where you can't get away from whatever's chasing you no matter how far or fast you run. It doesn't always make since, but it's definitely very atmospheric.

As for the DVD, it's a pretty decent package. The best features are two interviews included on the disc, one with Fulci (conducted shortly before his death) and another with the principle actors that was done at a horror convention around the time of the film's theatrical re-release in the late 1990's. They're not all that informative, but they're interesting nonetheless. Unfortunately, the disc seems to have gone out of print recently, so it may be hard to track down a copy. Even so, it's worth the effort if you enjoy gory, atmospheric zombie flicks. If you do, they don't get any better than this one.

Link(s) of interest:
The Beyond theatrical trailer

The 36th Chamber of Shaolin (1978)

My first review is of a film that not only happens to be my favorite kung fu flick of all time, but is also the namesake of this blog: The 36th Chamber of Shaolin.

Plot summary:
San Te (Gordon Liu), an anti-Manchu patriot, seeks refuge in the Shaolin Temple after his comrades and family are killed. In order to get revenge for their murders, he begins training in Shaolin martial arts, honing his skills in the titular chambers, each one designed to teach a different skill.

The film has been hailed by many as the greatest kung fu movie of all time, and that's no understatement. Produced by Shaw Brothers Studio during the company's heyday, the film boasts rather high production values (for its time) and decent performances all around. The fight choreography is also well done, though it may seem a little slow to viewers weaned on more contemporary martial arts fare. The real draws here, however, are the endlessly inventive training sequences wherein San Te struggles to master new skills in unique and often painful ways, building himself up to the point where he can finally exact his revenge on his enemies. It's fascinating stuff, and a refreshing change of pace from the typical beat-'em-up style storylines typically associated with this genre.

The American DVD release of the film is quite well put together. Produced by Dragon Dynasty, the disc is a nearly identical to the remastered Region 3 release, right down to the bonus features. The American release goes one better, however, boasting both an exclusive commentary track as well as an English audio track not present on the Region 3 release. The end result is a really nice disc, far superior to the bare bones treatment these types of films usually receive when they're released on DVD here in the US. This fact, along with the sheer greatness of the film itself make it a must own for every self-respecting kung fu fan.

Trivia:
1) Star Gordon Liu appeared in both Kill Bill films, playing a different character in each one.
2) The film spawned two sequels; Return to the 36th Chamber (1980) and Disciples of the 36th Chamber (1985).

Link(s) of interest:
The 36th Chamber of Shaolin theatrical trailer

A journey of 1000 miles begins with a single post...

Hello and welcome to the inaugural post of Heroes of the 36th Chamber.

This blog is basically going to be my soapbox for extolling the virtues of cult cinema in all its forms. Posts will most often take the form of movie reviews, beginning with a summary and critique of the film in question and ending with a word or two regarding the quality of the title's DVD release.

My first review should be up by the end of the week, so please look forward to it.