The Relic (1997)

Authors Douglas Preston and Lincoln Child found the perfect niche for their collaborative writing in the techno-thriller genre, novels where a vast amount of technical detail is important part of the prose. Amongst their work, the series of novels with Agent Pendergast have proved to be their most popular, with eleven published novels to date. "Relic", the first of the series, became a bestseller very quickly, and naturally, negotiation began for a movie adaptation with director Peter Hyams at the helm. Hyams at the time had gone from making several science fiction movies ("Capricorn One", "Outland" and "2010"), to direct several thrillers in the 80s and 90s, including two action films with Belgian actor Jean-Claude Van Damme in the 90s ("Timecop" and "Sudden Death"). "The Relic", as the film was retitled, was released in 1997 (two years after the book), and while several major changes took place from novel to film (Pendergast is omitted entirely to begin with), the resulting horror film was not really bad.

"The Relic" begins when an strangely abandoned ship arrives on the Illinoins River. Chicago PD homicide detective Vincent D'Agosta (Tom Sizemore) is sent to investigate the ship, which contained cargo for the Museum of Natural History in Chicago. Looking for the missing crew, D'Agosta finds their severed heads in the bilge hatch. At the Museum, Dr. Margo Green (Penelope Ann Miller) examines the cargo sent and only finds a statue of the mythical beast Kothoga. When a security guard is murdered in the same gruesome manner as the ship's crew, Detective D'Agosta suspects that there may be a link to the crime at the ship. The Museum is planning a gala opening for its latest exhibition, "Superstition", so it's on its best interest that D'Agosta's investigation ends soon. The police finds and kills a deranged homeless man hiding in the basement and the case is considered closed. However, D'Agosta is not convinced of this, and takes his men for a final search through the basement, when they are attacked by an enormous monster: Kothoga.

Preston and Child's novel was adapted to the screen by a team of scriptwriters consisting of Amy Holden Jones, John Raffo, Rick Jaffa, and Amanda Silver. Moving away from its techno-thriller roots, "The Relic" film version takes a decidedly more straightforward horror approach: it is a creature feature in the most classic style, with a monster roaming free and hunting a group trapped in a dark and sealed location, in this case, the halls of the Museum of Natural History. "The Relic" is certainly very traditional in its approach to this formula, perhaps too traditional for its own good; however, the little details and ideas that "dress" the plot are what keep things fresh and interesting, and almost make up for the lack of originality in its formula. The Museum by night is a wonderful setting for a monster movie, and the creature mythology and origins are a nice twist as well. Character development is kept at a pretty basic level, though Detective D'Agosta has interesting bits when his extreme superstitiousness faces the Museum's "Supersition"'s exhibit.

However, while the plot may be formulaic, director Peter Hyams plays with it to his favor and builds up in "The Relic" an effectively atmospheric film that takes full advantage of its setting to deliver a simple but entertaining monster movie. As expected, Hyams is also the cinematographer of the film, and while his work in this field is often labeled as poorly lit, his style actually works favorably for the kind of horror he attempts in "The Relic". His low-key lighting enhances the ominous atmosphere of the Museum, and increases the tension and suspense by having the monster Kothoga lurking in the dark for the most part of the film (traces of Ridley Scott's "Alien" can be felt). An effective craftsman, Hyams creates a couple of pretty interesting set pieces in which this terror of what lurks in the shadows is exploited to good effect and elevate the film from the rest. "The Relic" is also a tad gorier than other mainstream horror films of the same period, an element that along the dark cinematography give the film a nice grizzly style.

Leading the cast is Tom Siezemore as Detective Vincent D'Agosta, playing a superstitious yet hard-working detective, basically an extension of the tough guy persona that Sizemore had been built through the 90s. in "The Relic" Sizemore delivers a good, effective performance, believable and natural though to be fair, without showing anything really outstanding. However, Sizemore manages to carry the weight of the film with strength. As his counterpart, Penelope Ann Miller is a bit less successful, as while her performance is not particularly bad, she seems just average, sleepwalking through her role as if she preferred to be somewhere else. Granted, a lot of this may be the result of the sad fact that their roles are pretty much the typical stock characters of the modern monster movie, so there's the tough guy who must face his secret fears and the sexy scientist who must put up a good fight with the monster. The rest of the characters are also of the classic variety of supporting characters that make up good victims for mythical beasts so, nothing truly new here.

Certainly, the apparent lack of originality in "The Relic" basic elements make it sound like a typical B-movie with relatively known actors, and clichéd situations. However, as written above, the little details are what make "The Relic" to rise from the norm and deliver good entertainment. Hyams crafts his movie with a deeply somber seriousness: there is no place for cheesy humor, juvenile roles or witty postmodern references; "The Relic" may be nothing more than a simple creature feature, but it takes its subject seriously, and with as much realism as its fantastic roots allow it to have (perhaps an inherited trait from its techno-thriller origins). This approach works nicely with the grizzly gore and Hyam's dark cinematography, giving the film an atmosphere akin to a descent into a Lovecraftian nightmare. And this is maybe why Hyams' faithfulness to the monster movie formula actually works in "The Relic": the built-up atmosphere is so effective that a move away from the expected may feel like a betrayal to the genre.

American columnist William Safire recommended that one should avoid clichés like the plague, however, and specially when working within a defined genre, sometimes clichés are what work best. The secret being not what happens, but how it happens. In "The Relic", director Peter Hyams takes a clichéd storyline and delivers a well-crafted tale of horror that, while certainly will not change the face of the horror genre, at least delivers its fair share of scares and entertainment. And sometimes that's all that's needed. While perhaps of little resemblance to Child and Preston's techno-thriller, "The Relic" is definitely one of the better monster movies that came out in the 90s. Dark, creepy and ominous, "The Relic" is an underrated minor gem, and a highlight in Peter Hyams' uneven career.

7/10
-------------------------------

Braindead (1992)

In the early 80s, a passionate young man from New Zealand named Peter Jackson struggled to complete his first independent film, a science fiction story that mixed splatter horror and bizarre comedy. Finally released in 1987 as "Bad Taste", the movie quickly became a cult favourite and revealed Jackson as a promising new talent. He'd follow up "Bad Taste" with an offbeat movie even more bizarre than his debut, "Meet the Feebles", a black comedy starring puppets that further cemented Jackson's reputation as a cult filmmaker. For his third film, Jackson had a go at a more traditional horror storyline: a zombie film. However, his outlandish style and energetic filmmaking took the sub-genre beyond and resulted in one of the most amazing and original zombie films ever made, "Braindead". Released in 1992, "Braindead" (or "Dead Alive" as it was known in the U.S) is a deliriously insane mix of splatter horror and romantic comedy that knows no boundaries when it comes to gore. Peter Jackson's first bloody masterpiece.

Set in Wellington, New Zealand, during the summer of 1957, "Braindead" tells the story of Lionel Cosgrove (Timothy Balme), a young man who has spent most of his life under the oppressive control of his domineering mother Vera (Elizabeth Moody). One day, Lionel meets the shopkeeper's beautiful daughter Paquita (Diana Peñalver), whom is convinced that Lionel is her one true love that the Tarot cards prophesied. Feeling attracted to her, Lionel ends up having a date with her at the Zoo. His mother follows them but she is accidentally bitten by the highly aggressive Sumatran Rat Monkey, a strange creature from the legendary Skull Island. The accident disrupts Lionel's date and, to Vera's pleasure, he decides to take care of his mother's wound. However, her recovery is not exactly successful and the poisonous bite of the creature turns Vera into a flesh-eating zombie. Lionel, determined to take care of his mother, locks her in the basement, but all hell's break loose when she begins to devour their neighbors.

Written by Jackson and regular collaborators Fran Walsh and Stephen Sinclair, "Braindead" is a darkly humorous take on the zombie genre that balances perfectly the slapstick comedy and the splatter horror. Jackson and company have crafted in "Braindead" a highly inventive storyline that keeps getting more and more outlandish as it develops, and yet manages to remain coherent in both its tone and style, without getting ridiculous or tedious (quite a feat given its theme). They certainly never miss a chance to go over-the-top, but the playful, whimsical tone the story allows such excesses. Interestingly, the characters are very well defined, and behind the gallons of blood and the dismembered body parts, there is a well developed complexity in the relationship between Lionel, his mom and Paquita. The core conflict of the film being not just to survive the zombie rampage, but Lionel's fight to be free from his mother. However, the most remarkable thing about "Braindead" is simply how genuinely funny it is.

And a lot of credit for this must go to Jackson's work of direction, which showcases a great comedic timing and a pretty good knowledge of how to develop his plot. While "Braindead" is not the first film to have over-the-top comic-book violence as source of laughs, however, Jackson does it with intelligence, embracing the camp and the absurd outrageousness of the story without taking it too seriously. Bizarre and subversive, yet full of a charming naiveté, "Braindead" is a wild roller-coaster ride of non-stop laughs and gore. Cinematographer Murray Milne showcases a highly dynamic camera-work that truly makes the most of its haunting location: the Cosgroves' old mansion. A lot of credit must go to Richard Taylor (later founder of Weta Workshops) and his special effects team, who create a remarkably outstanding piece of work, specially considering the relatively low budget of the production. The highly imaginative set pieces that Jackson creates would not be the same without the work of both Milne and Taylor.

Regarding the cast, the performances are of great quality, and the actors really make a great job with the screenplay. In his feature film debut, Timothy Balme is great as the shy, and socially awkward Lionel Cosgrove, the unlikely hero of this story. With a everyman look and natural charm, Balme is perfectly believable both as a dedicated son and as zombie killing machine. Balme also displays a terrific talent for slapstick comedy through the film, specially in a scene involving a park and a baby cart. The beautiful Spanish actress Diana Peñalver makes a fitting romantic interest for Lionel, playing the high spirited Paquita with a joy and energy that contrasts nicely with the bumbling character developed by Balme. Elizabeth Moody plays Vera, and she does it with such a great passion and power in her delivery that is difficult not to hate her character. Nevertheless, actors Ian Watkin and Stuart Devenie are definitely the scene stealers of the film; Watkin, as the despicable uncle trying to get Lionel's money, and Devenie, in a small but very memorable scene as the town's priest.

Peter Jackson's "Braindead" has earned a reputation as one of the goriest films of all time. While the movie certainly makes a good argument for the title, what makes the difference between "Braindead" and other gory horror films may be the fact that despite the looks, it's not really gratuitous. It's not gore for gore's sake, but the actual use of guts and blood for slapstick. Like Sam Raimi did in "Evil Dead 2", the gore in excess is taken as another element of absurd in the manner of grand guignol theater. Things that could be labeled as gross, sick or disgusting, become the source of comedy under Jackson's narrative, which seems to be trying to outdo itself in terms of outrageousness each time (and boy it succeeds!). The macabre humor of Peter Jackson may be hard to stomach at first, but in "Braindead" he achieves a balance between mainstream accessibility and his trademark taste for the bizarre. And the most amazing thing is that after all the guts and gore, there's a charming love story that works swiftly hidden beneath the blood.

Years later, Jackson become a well-known name thanks to the strong drama film "Heavenly Creatures" and of course, his magnum opus, the adaptation of J.R.R. Tolkien's fantasy novel "The Lord of the Rings". However, for many horror fans he was already a major talent to follow way before his mainstream breakthrough, being the mastermind behind three splatter cult classics where low budget was in no way a limit for a fertile imagination. Despite being lesser known that "The Lord of the Rings" trilogy, "Bad Taste", "Meet the Feebles" and "Braindead" remain an early trilogy of offbeat horror and comedy that still can deliver its good share of laughs, and showcase the rising talent of Peter Jackson. Of the three, "Braindead" is without a doubt, the crowning achievement. And one hell of a bloody crowning achievement!

9/10 
-------------------------------

The Secret of Roan Inish (1994)

Selkies, mythological creatures found in Faroese, Icelandic, Irish, and Scottish folklore, perfectly represent how important was the sea for such cultures. Having their origin in Pictish or Celtic myths, selkies are marine shapeshifters, they are seals able to shed their skins to show off their human form. Stories of selkies interacting with humans are common in seaside towns, though often the stories concerning them are romantic tragedies. This is because selkies can only return to their seal form by wearing their skin again, and if they lose it, they are unable of returning home. Given these conditions, their romantic liaisons with humans in the stories are particularly complicated. Rosalie K. Fry's novel, "Secret of the Ron Mor Skerry" is a story dealing with this kind of relationships, as it deals with the selkies legends and their relationship with Scottish seaside towns. With a change of setting to Ireland and the new title of "The Secret of Roan Inish", American filmmaker John Sayles offers his particular vision of the selkie legend.

Set in the 1940s, "The Secret of Roan Inish" is the story of Fiona Coneely (Jeni Courtney), a young girl living with her father in a big city in post-War Ireland. Her father Jim (Dave Duffy) is having a hard time after Fiona's mother died, and is often depressed at pubs. Convinced that this is no life for Fiona, she is sent with her grandparents who live in a seaside town. Living with them, she gets closer to her grandfather Hugh (Mick Lally), who tells her stories about her family's past in Roan Inish, a small island near Donegal which has a strong, mythical link to the Coneely family story: legend says they descend from a beautiful selkie woman. Unfortunately, the Coneelys were forced to evacuate Roan Inish during the War's years, and the island became a reminder of a tragic past, as during the evacuation Fiona's baby brother Jamie (Cillian Byrne) was lost at the sea. Intrigued by all this information, Fiona decides to visit Roan Inish with her grandfather, and in one of those trips, she begins to suspect that her little brother Jamie may still be alive.

Adapted to the screen by director John Sayles himself, "The Secret of Roan Inish" is a family film that works as a fairy tale, with Fiona's attempt to find her brother being the motor of the film. However, it is also a story of rediscovering traditions, with Fiona getting in touch with the life the Coneelys left in Roan Inish. The screenplay is filled with a desire to embrace the past and return to it, as in her adventure to discover her brother's fate she also reconnects with her ancestral land. The stories her grandfather Hugh tells are memories from that mythical past in which the connection with the land and the sea was stronger. Sayles uses the figure of the selkie to symbolize this connection, and Fiona's quest to find her brother becomes also a quest to discover her own identity, lost amidst the sea of time and progress. Built up as a fairy tale, or better said, as a legend, "The Secret of Roan Inish" explores this discovery with a children's point of view, open to fantasy and imbued with a great sense of wonder.

At the helm of "The Secret of Roan Inish", John Sayles opts for a slow pace, a strongly visual narrative and most importantly, a mythical atmosphere, achieving pretty much a feeling akin to that of listening to legends or tall stories. With a remarkable work by cinematographer Haskell Wexler, Sayles captures beautiful images from rural landscapes in County Donegal, Ireland, which contribute to the rich atmosphere of magic and legend the movie has. By exploiting the natural beauty of his location, Sayles brings to life a mythical Ireland in which legends are true. However, all this is done with a restrained, subtle approach that treats its subject matter with great seriousness. While a fantasy film, it's not spectacular; and while a children's film, it's not simplistic. It treats its audience with intelligence, and manages to narrate a children's story without a sense of shallowness or artificiality. However, despite building up a powerful atmosphere of legend, at times this mythical tale fails to engage.

The cast is for the most part good, specially the young ones. As the lead character Fiona, Jeni Courtney is remarkable as the plucky girl full of curiosity and stubborn willpower, set to discover the secrets of her ancestral home. "The Secret of Roan Inish" is completely told from her perspective, and she manages to portray that mix of naiveté and sense of wonder that her character requires. As her grandfather Hugh, Mick Lally amazingly captures the spirit of an oral storyteller, and his narrative of the Roan Inish legends is a great pleasure to listen. Eileen Colgan plays her wife Tess, though her delivery is a tad too hammy and stereotypical for her own good. As Fiona's brother Jamie (seen in flashbacks), Cillian Byrne is quite natural and believable in his delivery, quite a feat for his young age. Perhaps the weakest link would be Fergal McElherron, who plays Jeni's ancestor (also seen in flashbacks) who is saved by a female Selkie (Susan Lynch), whom easily overshadows him with a strongly emotional though silent performance.

In "The Secret of Roan Inish", director John Sayles seems set to capture the sensation of listening to ancient Celtic legends, and for the most part he succeeds, particularly in the several flashbacks that detail the tall tales grandfather Hugh tells to Fiona. The whole atmosphere of myth, the slow pace, the lyric beauty of the images coupled with Mick Lally's pleasant narrative perfectly convey the idealized, romantic view of old Ireland that Sayles (an American of Irish descent) wants the audience to long for. However, this effect is perhaps less successful in Fiona's own adventure, not because of lack of atmosphere, but because of an anti-climatic resolution. Sayle's narrative style is, while slow and restrained, completely appropriate for the kind of children's tale he is telling, treating his young characters with intelligence and developing a mythical tone. The problem is that as the conclusion is reached, the magic and atmosphere are somewhat lost in a quite anti-climatic finale. Its last third, where all loose ends are tied, is surprisingly unengaging.

This doesn't mean it's a bad ending, just a slightly disappointing one. Given its mythical tone, Fiona's adventure could had required a bit more of flavor. However, despite this minor quibble, John Sayles' "The Secret of Roan Inish" succeeds in making a children's film that is neither patronizing nor superficial, and that certainly has appealing for mature audiences as well. A portrait of an Ireland vibrant with magic, "The Secret of Roan Inish" seems to claim for a return to the past, to the purity of origin, and the spiritual connection to the homeland. Since Sayles is of Irish decent, it's not hard to see where he is going, and the visual beauty of his painting of the romantic Irishness he longs for, could pretty much symbolize the romantic homeland we all long for.

7/10 
-------------------------------

Irish Destiny (1926)

In 1916, a group of Irish republicans mounted an insurrection with the goal of ending centuries of British rule over Ireland and the creation of an independent Irish Republic. The Easter Rising, as it came to be known, was quickly suppressed but its influence was enormously significant: it became the seed for the declaration of Independence in 1919 and the subsequent war against the United Kingdome of Great Britain. The Irish War of Independence lasted from 1919 to 1922, and resulted in the separation of Ireland from the United Kingdom and the instauration of the Republic of Ireland. Naturally, the Irish War of Independence became an important theme for the arts of the new republic, and cinema was not the exception. While the war took its toll in the nascent Irish film industry, the year of 1926 saw the release of the first film inspired by the war of independence: George Dewhurst's "Irish Destiny". Considered lost for many years, the film was rediscovered in 1991, offering a glimpse of the Republic of Ireland's early years.

With the Irish War of Independence as background, "Irish Destiny" is the tale of Denis O'Hara (Paddy Dunne Cullinan), a young man leading a normal life in a small Irish town. Denis is in love with the Moira Barry (Frances Macnamarra), who is the town's teacher. However, he is also aware of the situation of his country so, when given the chance, Denis decides to join the Irish Republican Army in the war of independence. As a member of a group of Irish Volunteers, Denis fights under the orders of Captain Kelly (Kit O'Malley) against the British Army branch known as the Black & Tans. The discovery of plans for a raid at the IRA headquarters, prompts Captain Kelly to send Denis to Dublin and warn the heads of the movement. So, Denis rushes to Dublin in order to fulfill his mission, but in the meantime, the villainous Gilbert Beecher (Brian Magowan) begins to court Moira. To complicate things, Denis gets shot by the Black & Tans, and ends up wounded at a Dublin's hospital. Everyone at home now believes him death, much to the dismay of his mother (Daisy Campbell) and Moira.

Written and produced by Isaac J. Eppel, "Irish Destiny" is at its core, a pretty basic melodrama of romance and heroism during wartime, designed to exalt the ideals of the war of Independence and the values of Irish people (in which of course rests the Irish destiny). Denis, an everyman representing the promising Irish youth, decides to put duty to his country as his main priority and risks his life and happiness in order to do the right thing. While this may sound like bordering propaganda, Eppel's story never tries to be anything more than a harmless tale of romance and adventure. In fact, this unwillingness to go further is actually a problem of the screenplay of "Irish Destiny", as it feels too archaic, even for its time. Interestingly, the British army is not really demonized, and it could even be argued that they receive a fair treatment. The true villains in Denis' life are actually fellow Irishmen: Beecher and his gang of poteen-makers, whom indifferent to the cause, just take advantage of the situation for their own benefit.

Directed by British filmmaker George Dewhurst (who would direct the very first version of "Sweeney Todd" that same year), "Irish Destiny" is particularly notable because of one single reason: the use of real footage from the burnings of Cork in 1920, and of the Customs House in 1921. While narratively those events are only referred to set the historical time-frame of the film, the images shown work as a time capsule from Dublin during the war, and are of invaluable for historical reasons. Also of great interest are the vistas of Dublin that Dewhurst and cinematographer Joe Rosenthal capture, specially during Denis' arrival to the city: a series of scenes following Denis riding a motorcycle through Dublin's streets, where Trinity College and St. Stephen's Greens can be spotted. Other than that, Dewhurst's film is pretty traditional in its approach to melodrama, and does little to improve its simplistic screenplay. Though there are some interesting ideas scattered through the film, for the most part the narrative is sloppy and static.

Acting in "Irish Destiny" is a mixed bag: though there are pretty good performances in the film, there are some that are not that lucky, and amongst them is unfortunately the one from the film's protagonist, Paddy Dunne Cullinan. As Denis, Cullinan looks wooden and stiff, and his emotional range is pretty limited. While he looks the part of the hero, his acting leaves a lot to be desired, and this severely compromises the film's success. As her love interest, Frances Macnamarra is slightly better, not much of an improvement though she certainly looks more natural than her stiff counterpart. A better performance is the one given by Brian Magowan, as the vicious Beecher. While his role is certainly one-dimensional, Magowan adds a lot of personality to his character with his facial gestures. It's not difficult to buy him as a sly and treacherous fella. In the supporting roles, Kit O'Malley and Evelyn Henchey are remarkably good. Henchey in particular is a much more natural and attractive presence in the film than Macnamarra.

Probably the main problem of "Irish Destiny" is how simple it is, and this is taking into account its release date. While by 1926 silent cinema had reached the peak of its art, George Dewhurst's war melodrama feels as a movie 10 years older than its true age, from a time where cinema's language was still in development. Static and terribly stage-bound, its narrative is pretty conventional to the point of being dull. Though as written above, a lot of the blame must go to the Eppel's screenplay, which follows the pretty basic pattern of American's early adventure films, complete with the last minute rescue. Character development is minimal, as they remain the classic archetypes of adventure films: good looking hero, damsel in distress, and treacherous villain. Perhaps more care while developing the story would had improved the results, as the film is not entirely without redeeming qualities. Unfortunately, those good ideas are lost in a movie that even for 1926 can't help but feeling dated and a tad archaic.

Invaluable as a historical record of Ireland's history, yet marred by an unsophisticated and crude narrative, George Dewhurst's "Irish Destiny" is a difficult film to judge. On one hand it's filled with some amazing shots of 1920s Dublin (not to mention its use of historical footage), yet on the other its stylistic problems are undeniable. In the end, the best recommendation would be to approach this piece of Irish history with an open mind, and expect, perhaps not a classic masterpiece of cinema, but a window to a turning point in the history of Ireland. While as a war melodrama it may fall flat, as a time-capsule and a memory of the city of Dublin, "Irish Destiny" is a magnificent piece of work. For all the movie's flaws, the image of Denis riding through Grafton street in his motorbike has an undeniably haunting beauty.

7/10
-------------------------------
Watch "Irish Destiny" (1926)

Top 100 Mexican films, according to "Somos"

"Somos" was a Mexican magazine published by Editorial Televisa during the 90s, which began to focus on Mexican cinema, particularly the films of the Golden Age of Mexican Cinema (not surprisingly, as Televisa had the rights for most of the films of that period). Through its pages, special editions dedicated to icons of Mexican cinema saw the light, with interesting information and superb still photographs of the likes of Pedro Armendariz, Dolores del Río, Pedro Infante, and even wrestler Santo. On July of 1994, "Somos" celebrated its 100th edition with a special edition called "The 100 best films of Mexican cinema". The list was compiled by 25 experts, including critics such as Jorge Ayala Blanco, historians like Eduardo de la Vega Alfaro, and members of the Mexican film industry (such as legendary cinematographer Gabriel Figueroa himself). The magazine was canceled in the early 2000s, but their list remains an interesting compilation of great films, and a great way to start to discover the richness of Mexican cinema.

To compile the list, the only rule was that the production had to be either completely Mexicanm, or at least mainly Mexican, which explains the exclusion of certain critically acclaimed co-productions (such as "Viridiana", which was mainly a Spaniard production). Also, the list tends to forget independent films, and it is centered mainly on the bigger films of the Mexican Golden Age. Of course, not everyone will be entirely happy at the sight of the exclusion of a film, but in the end, this is an attempt worthy of recognition, and as written above, a primer guide to get into Mexican cinema. Finally, it must be remembered that the list was compiled in 1994, which poses the question: what would appear in a new list of similar characteristics?

So now, the top 100 best films of Mexican cinema, according to "Somos" magazine (the year next to the film, is the year of production, not of release):

1. "Vámonos con Pancho Villa" (1935, Fernando de Fuentes)
2. "Los olvidados" (1950, Luis Buñuel)
3. "El compadre Mendoza" (1933, Fernando de Fuentes and Juan Bustillo Oro)
4. "Aventurera" (1949, Alberto Gout)
5. "Una familia de tantas" (1948, Alejandro Galindo)
6. "Nazarín" (1958, Luis Buñuel)
7. "Él" (1952, Luis Buñuel)
8. "La mujer del puerto" (1933, Arcady Boytler)
9. "El lugar sin límites" (1977, Arturo Ripstein)
10. "Ahí está el detalle" (1940, Juan Bustillo Oro)
11. "Campeón sin corona" (1945, Alejandro Galindo)
12. "Enamorada" (1946, Emilio Fernández)
13. "Pueblerina" (1948, Emilio Fernández)
14. "Canoa" (1975, Felipe Cazals)
15. "Los hermanos Del Hierro" (1961, Ismael Rodríguez)
16. "El ángel exterminador" (1962, Luis Buñuel)
17. "Cadena perpetua" (1978, Arturo Ripstein)
18. "El rey del barrio" (1949, Gilberto Martínez Solares)
19. "El esqueleto de la señora Morales" (1959, Rogelio A. González)
20. "Víctimas del pecado" (1950, Emilio Fernández)
21. "Tiburoneros" (1962, Luis Alcoriza)
22. "Distinto amanecer" (1943, Julio Bracho)
23. "Río Escondido" (1947, Emilio Fernández)
24. "La oveja negra" (1949, Ismael Rodríguez)
25. "La otra" (1946, Roberto Gavaldón)
26. "Reed, México insurgente" (1970, Paul Leduc)
27. "Nosotros los pobres" (1947, Ismael Rodríguez)
28. "Salón México" (1948, Emilio Fernández)
29. "Doña Perfecta" (1950, Alejandro Galindo)
30. "Flor silvestre" (1943, Emilio Fernández)
31. "La pasión según Berenice" (1975, Jaime Humberto Hermosillo)
32. "La sombra del caudillo" (1960, Julio Bracho)
33. "Calabacitas tiernas (¡Ay qué bonitas piernas!)" (1948, Gilberto Martínez Solares)
34. "Dos tipos de cuidado" (1952, Ismael Rodríguez)
35. "El vampiro" (1957, Fernando Méndez)
36. "La barraca" (1944, Roberto Gavaldón)
37. "María Candelaria (Xochimilco)" (1943, Emilio Fernández)
38. "El suavecito" (1950, Fernando Méndez)
39. "La diosa arrodillada" (1947, Roberto Gavaldón)
40. "Los confines" (1987, Mitl Valdez)
41. "El gallo de oro" (1964, Roberto Gavaldón)
42. "El Topo" (1969, Alexandro Jodorowsky)
43. "Sensualidad" (1950, Alberto Gout)
44. "El grito" (1968, Leobardo López Aretche)
45. "Danzón" (1991, María Novaro)
46. "Susana (Carne y demonio)" (1950, Luis Buñuel)
47. "Ensayo de un crimen" (1955, Luis Buñuel)
48. "Tlayucan" (1961, Luis Alcoriza)
49. "Ladrón de cadáveres" (1956, Fernando Méndez)
50. "Frida, naturaleza viva" (1983, Paul Leduc)
51. "Los tres huastecos" (1948, Ismael Rodríguez)
52. "El bulto" (1991, Gabriel Retes)
53. "María de mi corazón" (1979, Jaime Humberto Hermosillo)
54. "La noche avanza" (1951, Roberto Gavaldón)
55. "A. T. M. A toda máquina!" (1951, Ismael Rodríguez)
56. "Como agua para chocolate" (1992, Alfonso Arau)
57. "México de mis recuerdos" (1943, Juan Bustillo Oro)
58. "Los caifanes" (1966, Juan Ibáñez)
59. "Macario" (1959, Roberto Gavaldón)
60. "El apando" (1975, Felipe Cazals)
61. "Cabeza de Vaca" (1990, Nicolás Echevarría)
62. "Juego de mentiras" (1967, Archibaldo Burns)
63. "Rosauro Castro" (1950, Roberto Gavaldón)
64. "Esquina bajan...!" (1948, Alejandro Galindo)
65. "Doña Herlinda y su hijo" (1984, Jaime Humberto Hermosillo)
66. "Torero" (1956, Carlos Velo)
67. "Santa" (1931, Antonio Moreno)
68. "Gángsters contra charros" (1947, Juan Orol)
69. "La mujer de Benjamín" (1991, Carlos Carrera)
70. "En la palma de tu mano" (1950, Roberto Gavaldón)
71. "Matinée" (1976, Jaime Humberto Hermosillo)
72. "Amor a la vuelta de la esquina" (1985, Alberto Cortés)
73. "Doña Diabla" (1949, Tito Davison)
74. "Mecánica nacional" (1971, Luis Alcoriza)
75. "Doña Bárbara" (1943, Fernando de Fuentes)
76. "Los motivos de Luz" (1985, Felipe Cazals)
77. "Cronos" (1992, Guillermo del Toro)
78. "Ángel de fuego" (1991, Dana Rotberg)
79. "Luponini (El terror de Chicago)" (1935, José Bohr)
80. "La perla" (1945, Emilio Fernández)
81. "Nocaut" (1983, José Luis García Agraz)
82. "Santa" (1943, Norman Foster y Alfredo Gómez de la Vega)
83. "Los tres García" (1946, Ismael Rodríguez)
84. "Águila o sol" (1937, Arcady Boytler)
85. "El baisano Jalil" (1942, Joaquín Pardavé)
86. "Janitzio" (1934, Carlos Navarro)
87. "Sólo con tu pareja" (1991, Alfonso Cuarón)
88. "Viento negro" (1964, Servando González)
89. "Allá en el Rancho Grande" (1936, Fernando de Fuentes)
90. "Historia de un gran amor" (1942, Julio Bracho)
91. "Escuela de vagabundos" (1954, Rogelio A. González)
92. "La malquerida" (1949, Emilio Fernández)
93. "Las abandonadas" (1944, Emilio Fernández)
94. "Dos monjes" (1934, Juan Bustillo Oro)
95. "La ilusión viaja en tranvía" (1953, Luis Buñuel)
96. "La Cucaracha" (1958, Ismael Rodríguez)
97. "Espaldas mojadas" (1953, Alejandro Galindo)
98. "El automóvil gris" (1919, Enrique Rosas, Joaquín Coss and Juan Canals de Homs)
99. "Una carta de amor" (1943, Miguel Zacarías)
100. "Naufragio" (1977, Jaime Humberto Hermosillo)

For further comments on the list (in Spanish) by people from the ITESM college, go here.

Tang Shan Da Xiong (1971)

Without a doubt, one of the most (perhaps THE most) influential actors and directors of action films was Chinese American martial artist Bruce Lee. Native of San Francisco, the young Lee began to train martial arts after his family returned to Hong Kong. In Hong Kong, Lee appeared in several films as a child (mainly because his father was a famous Cantonese opera star), but he abandoned his acting career in favor of studying martial arts. However, when Lee returned to United States, cinema found him again when he was invited to play a role in the TV series "The Green Hornet". As the hero's sidekick Kato, Lee began a career in America as supporting actor and fight choreographer; however, he was unhappy with his lack of lead roles, so once again he returned to Hong Kong. There, he discovered that his popularity as Kato was extremely high, and producer Raymond Chow offered him the chance to star a film about martial arts. "Tang Shan Da Xiong" was the final result and the movie that started Lee's path to become a legend of celluloid.

"Tang Shan Da Xiong" literally means ""Big Brother from the Tang Mountains", but it is better known as "The Big Boss" (and "Fists of Fury in the U.S.). The film tells the story of a young Chinese man named Cheng Chao-an (Bruce Lee) who travels to Thailand to meet his distant cousins, and with the goal of finding a job. After a life of constant street fights, Cheng has promised his mother to not get involved in fights again, and is decided to start a new life at Thailand. Cheng joins his cousins at the ice factory where they work, and soon he finds in them a new family, developing a close friendship with Hsiu Chien (James Tien) and a big affection for the beautiful Chow Mei (Maria Yi). However, things get complicated when one day, two of Cheng's cousins discover that the factory is actually the front for drug traffic. After they refuse to cooperate, they get killed. When Hsiu Chien disappears while trying to find his brothers, Cheng will have to break his Oath in order to unveil the mystery behind the disappearance of his new family.

Written and directed by Wei Lo (who would also discover Jackie Chan), "The Big Boss" meant a breath of fresh air to Chinese martial arts films as it moved away from the historical fantasy themes and instead showed a young hero in a modern, gritty setting. The story has a pretty interesting premise, and showcases a good handling of suspense; also of interest is the fact that it makes the bold move (for an action film) of having the main character out of any fighting during basically the first half of the film, as Cheng must avoid violence at all costs due to his oath. Unlike the majority of martial arts films, there are relatively few scenes of action in "The Big Boss", as the screenplay is more concerned with trying to develop its story (as simple as it is), though it makes a great job at building up the anticipation for the climatic battle. This allows for better character development, specially for Cheng, whom we see not as the perfect hero of classic martial arts films, but as a more human, flawed one.

In many ways, "Tang Shan Da Xiong" can be seen as a film of transition, as not only it meant the introduction of Bruce Lee as a rising action star, it was the transition to a new way of making action films in Hong Kong as it was one of the first films by Raymond Chow's new independent company, Golden Harvest. Even when director Wei Lo was already a seasoned filmmaker, "The Big Boss" shows a shift to a less restrained, increasingly dynamic visual style for action (no doubt influenced by its highly energetic young actor). While as written above, the scenes of action are relatively sparse, when they actually take place the style is explosive, fast-packed, and with greater attention to the details of the fight. "The Big Boss" has a very raw look that is probably the result of its low budget, however, this adds a certain dose of gritty realism to the images captured by Ching-Chu Chen's work of cinematography, specially since it also contains a high amount of graphic violence (it is probably the goriest film in Lee's career).

Acting through the film is a mixed bag, with some effective performances and some other being not really good. Nevertheless, one thing is certain: Bruce Lee's screen persona oozes a natural charm and vibrant energy that truly fills the screen with his presence. While this is something that had already been hinted by his American work (His Kato in "The Gree Hornet" is unforgettable), it is in "The Big Boss" where that magnetism can be truly be felt at its best, in a lead role. In "the Big Boss", Lee looks pretty natural in his restrained role, still not the fighting machine of posterior films, but more of a common man who just wants to live peacefully, and his talent is showcased in many scenes of Cheng simply enjoying his new found family and struggling with his own vices. The rest of the cast ranges from average to just fine, with James Tien being amongst the best as Cheng's older cousin Hsiu. However, it's fair to notice that the poor dubbing, typical of movies of the era makes a bit difficult to judge the cast's performances fairly.

Amongst the unfortunately brief filmography of Bruce Lee, "Tang Shan Da Xiong" or "The Big Boss" tends to be considered as the weakest of all, and not without some reason. Certainly, it lacks the fast-packed action of posterior movies, and it may even feel slow due to the film's pacing and the way the story is built. As written above, this was one of Golden Harvet's first films, so the low budget is often noticeable. The acting, with the exception of Lee and Tien, is not exactly amazing; and finally, director Wei Lo's odd inclusion of some silly comedic effects feels terribly out of pace in what otherwise is a remarkably violent, dark and gritty action film. Nevertheless, "Tang Shan Da Xiong" should be seen as the first of the revolutionary films that Lee would craft during his career. It is tacky in its craftsmanship, however, it could be seen as the seed of that style of action films that Wei Lo, Bruce Lee and Golden Harvest would keep on polishing, a style that would be further completed in the following Lee's film ("Jing Wu Men", or "Fist of Fury").

To summarize, "Tang Shan Da Xiong", or "The Big Boss", is a terrific film by its own right, filled with suspense and action, and showcasing a pretty good first glimpse of the talents of young Bruce Lee as a martial artist. Its handling of Cheng's oath and the way tension is raised by his decisions are fine examples of pretty good filmmaking, and its explosive climatic battle is a true joy to watch. Together with "Jing Wu Men" ("Fist of Fury") and "Enter the Dragon", a basic film to understand Lee's career and the development of martial arts films during the 70s. It may not be a true classic of the genre as the films mentioned, but "Tang Shan Da Xiong" was just the beginning of the legendary Bruce Lee.

7/10
-------------------------------

Xizao (1999)

When American producer Peter Loehr arrived to China in 1996, he discovered two things in the local industry: a great amount of talent and a lot of difficulties for film distribution. The rising generation of independent cinema was moving away from the lavish historical productions of filmmakers of the so-called "Fifth Generation" (like for example, Yimou Zhang), being more interested in urban realism. Backed by a Taiwanese media company and with the goal of discovering new talent and making independent cinema, Peter Loehr produced the first film of director Yang Zhang, the low-budget "Aiqing mala tang" ("Spicy Love Soup"). After experiencing difficult times finding ways to distribute the film, "Spicy Love Soup" finally was released and became an enormous box office success, launching the careers of several members of its cast and crew. Two years later, Yang and Loher collaborated again in another independent low-budget film, "Xizao" (known in English as "Shower"), a family drama about the clash of modern life and China's ancient tradition.

Centered on a traditional bathhouse for men in Beijing, "Xizao" is the tale of the bathhouse owner Liu (Xu Zhu) and his two sons: Da Ming (Quanxiu Pu) and Er Ming (Wu Jiang). Da Ming, Liu's elder son, is a successful businessman in the southern city of Shenzhen after abandoning his father many years ago, while Er Ming, whom is mentally challenged, helps his father run the bathhouse. One day, Da Ming unexpectedly returns home believing his father has died. However, what happened was merely a confusion caused by a drawing Er Ming had sent to his brother in a postcard. Feeling uncomfortable around his father and brother, Da Ming prepares to return to Shenzhen three days later; but when Da Ming loses Er Ming at the airport, he decides to stay in Beijing until he finds him. Fortunately, Er Ming returns home the following day, though this event opens Da Ming's eyes to the way his father feels about him. So, when old Liu catches a cold and falls sick, Da Ming decides to stay at home and help his family. And he'll discover that the old bathhouse is still alive.

Working again with the team of writers that penned his previous film "Spice Love Soup" (Shangjun Cai, Yi'nan Diao and Fendou Liu, plus Xin Huo), director Zhang Yang conceived in "Xizao" what is basically the story of a man rediscovering his past, rekindling with the life he wanted to abandon in his youth. The urban, modern businessman that Da Ming represents, detests the environment represented by his father's traditional job, and utterly abhors abhorring the idea of continuing with the business. The return to the bathhouse will take him to learn the true importance of his father's job, something he had considered obsolete. It could be said that the relationship between father and son is "Xizao"'s main theme, however, it would be better to state that "Xizao" is about the estranged relationship between Da Ming and his past as a whole. His inability to understand his brother Er Ming is another reflection of this, as is, to a lesser (though no less important) extent, his inability to relate to the problems of the bathhouse's small community.

While this sounds like a deep serious film, director Zhang Yang actually takes a light-hearted approach to his story, making it more of a comedy with Da Ming being a fish out of the water in his father's bathhouse. However, Yang's comedy is always respectful with its subject matter, and he crafts his film with great subtlety, handling marvelously the themes of family and progress. In "Xizao", Zhang Yang opts for a realist style, and uses Jian Zhang's great work of cinematography to truly capture the homely and warm environment of the traditional bathhouse to great effect. Yang's narrative is simple, restrained, as he lets his story flow without much visual flare. And yet, this simple way of telling his story suits nicely the atmosphere of the friendly micro-verse that is contained within the walls of the bathhouse. The way Yang develops each one of the subplots that take place inside the bathhouse is remarkable, as not only it truly builds up the sense of witnessing a community vibrant with life.

Nevertheless, this aura of reality would not be possible without the remarkable work of acting that the main cast delivers in the film. The naturalistic approach Yang takes for his film extents to the performances of his cast, with Wu Jiang shining in his performance as the cheerful younger brother Er Ming. Portraying Er Ming's disability with a sheer honesty and great respect, Jiang creates a well-rounded character that truly transmits the spirit of the film. Certainly, Jiang steals the film with his impressive performance. As his older brother Da Ming, Cunxin Pu is quite effective and natural, and despite having a somewhat unlikeable character, it's not difficult to feel identified with his rediscovery of family life. In his final role before retiring from film, actor Ding Li delivers a moving performance as old master Lin. His scenes with Jiang's Er Ming are filled with a highly emotional charge, yet never verging to the excessively melodramatic. The rest of the cast is pretty effective and natural, looking almost like real people being filmed.

One of the greater strengths in Zhang Yang's "Xizao" is the great balance it has in its elements. There is a perfect equilibrium between the comedy and the drama, between the old and the new. Almost echoing the very same equilibrium that the character of Da Ming so desperately needs. Interestingly, there is a balance even in the handling of its themes, as even when "Xizao" could had easily stick to a patronizing, conservative view of "old days were much better", instead it opts for a stance that conciliates the old with the new, as if saying "progress is good, but without forgetting the roots". Also of note, is the treatment of the bathhouse as a gathering place for people, for building and fostering relationships between people and purification. In "Xizao", the bathhouse is a place that purifies not only the body, but also the soul. Given its familiar storyline, the film is a tad predictable to a certain extent; but Zhang Yang manages to make the film a ride so pleasant, that it's lack of originality can be forgiven.

Through its light-hearted humor and warm charm, "Xizao" delivers a powerful and moving story that avoids the trap of cheap melodrama or dull pretentiousness. And yet, it is a piece that is as thought-provoking as it is fun. And it is also another proof that without visual flare or great production values (the film was done with an extremely low budget), an amazing movie can be made. It is not even a complex plot or an exceedingly original concept. All that is needed is the proper visual narrative for the story, and for "Xizao", the slow, subtle style that director Zhang Yang employs is all that this story requires. In all its simplicity, "Xizao" delivers its message with a profound beauty and astounding charm.

8/10 
-------------------------------

Blood: The Last Vampire (2009)

 In the year 2000, famed anime producers Mitsuhisa Ishikawa and Mamoru Oshii released a short anime film that showcased revolutionary animation and a stylish visual design: "Blood: The Last Vampire". A tale of action and horror directed by Hiroyuki Kitakubo, "Blood: The Last Vampire" became one of the most popular and successful anime films of all time, earning worldwide praise because of its innovative animation and haunting atmosphere. Its popularity was big enough that soon talks began about adapting the short film to a live action feature length movie with William Kong ("Wo hu cang long") as producer and Ronny Yu ("Huo Yuan Jia") as director. Several changes took place and in the end, "Blood: The Last Vampire" ended up becoming a Chinese-French co-production with filmmaker Chris Nahon ("Kiss of the Dragon") at the director's seat. Unfortunately, the new incarnation of "Blood: The Last Vampire" resulted having nothing of what made the original good, and having instead a lot more of what prevented the original from being a true classic.

"Blood: The Last Vampire" is the story of Saya (Korean actress Jun Ji-hyun, using the English screen name Gianna Jun), a four hundred years old demon hunter. A half human-half-vampire, Saya was trained as a samurai and uses her supernatural abilities working for a secret organization named "The Council", which has been hunting demon vampires for centuries. Saya's relationship with The Council is a difficult one, and she only helps them out of a personal desire for revenge, as the ancient vampire Onigen (Koyuki) murdered her father. In the early 1970s, The Council takes Saya to U.S.-occupied Japan, sending her undercover as a student in Kanto High School near the Yokota Air Base. At school she saves Alice (Allison Miller), the general's base's daughter, from being killed by two classmates (Masiela Lusha and Ailish O'Connor), whom are actually vampires in disguise. Alice is shocked by the sight of Saya butchering her classmates and asks her father, General McKee (Larry Lamb) for help. Alice will soon discover that Saya is actually the only one who can help her.

Adapted by Chris Chow (writer of Yu's "Huo Yuan Jia"), this new version of "Blood: The Last Vampire" retains the basic core storyline of the anime film and adds diverse subplots and backstory to the film's characters. Certainly, the lack of any depth or backstory was one of the biggest flaws in the original "Blood: The Last Vampire", and Chow makes a commendable attempt at expanding the storyline in order to give some reasons and motives to the characters' actions. However, Chow's take at filling the holes in the unfinished story of the original "Blood: The Last Vampire" is not entirely a successful one. Chow abuses of tired clichés of the genre, and does it in a rather simplistic and cheapening manner. There are positive ideas, like the addition of Alice, which allows a greater development of Saya's personality; however, the convoluted plot is still plagued by holes and the bad habit of making Saya a flawless, practically invincible protagonist. Along with the lack of a strong villain, this results in a really unengaging story.

French director Chris Nahon shows off a vibrant, highly energetic visual style that is quite attractive visually, however, his narrative style is sloppy and fails to fully develop the film's concept. Granted, Chow's screenplay is not without its problems, but it is ultimately Nahon's directing what gives the final blow to "Blood: The Last Vampire". To be fair, Nahon does capture the stylish look and dark atmosphere of the anime, and recreates quite faithfully the original's action sequences. Hang-Sang Poon's work of cinematography actually gives the movie a distinctive personality of its own, and Clint Mansell's score is a highlight of the film. However, Nahon fails to translate Chow's screenplay to visual storytelling, and when it expands beyond the anime's plot, Nahon's tacky narrative seems to prefer flashy action scenes over advancing the plot and, while the action scenes do feature great work of choreography, it all gets messy thanks to some of the worst CG visual effects in a film of this caliber.

The performances by the cast range from very good to dreadful, and unfortunately this can be witnessed first-hand in the work of lead actresses. Gianna Jun is a joy to watch, and actually puts up a good effort as the demon hunter Saya. Without saying much, the young actress can express a wide variety of emotions, and also showcases talent for action sequences. On the other hand, Allison Miller delivers a pretty poor performance as Alice, and transforms what could had been an interesting role into a quite stereotypical token character that only serves as simplistic foil for Gianna's character. The difference between them is abysmal, and their lack of chemistry can be felt. Japanese actress Koyuki, who plays Onigen, is pretty much in the middle, delivering a pretty average performance, though to be fair, hers is the worst developed character, a mere caricature of what a villain should be. Irish actor Liam Cunningham gets wasted in a similarly underwritten role. The rest of the cast is pretty average as well.

If the original "Blood: The Last Vampire" lacked a proper story, Nahon's version lacks proper storytelling. More interested in crafting acting sequences, Nahon fails to give space to his characters, and leaves Chow's already convoluted screenplay an even more confusing mess. Despite his visual flare, Nahon is unable of letting the story flow visually, resorting to expositive dialogs and lengthy flashbacks to advance the plot. Still, Chow's screenplay is not without its fair share of flaws, the main one being the lack of a remotely interesting villain. The vampire demon Onegin sounds like an interesting character, but it is flatly developed and ends up being a quite lifeless entity no better than the other ninjas and vampires that are killed. Alice, a character that could had given great depth to Saya, becomes an underused element that seems to serve only to act like a damsel in distress, waiting for Saya to save her. The convoluted plot involving the CIA, the Council and the army is too carelessly developed and seems to be there to fill space.

Unfortunately, Chirs Nahon's "Blood: The Last Vampire" has more flaws than virtues, as it wastes an original concept in a quite typical action film with horror elements that adds nothing new to the genre (neither the original anime did, but at least it had an innovative work of animation). Certainly, the film has some good assets, particularly Gianna Jun's performance and the remarkable work of stunt choreography in the fight scenes. Sadly, it's not enough to save the lousy narrative and messy storytelling that plagues Nahon's "Blood: The Last Vampire". The myth of the vampire has inspired a vast amount of stories and interpretations, and probably will keep inspiring many more. Sadly, Nahon's "Blood: The Last Vampire" is not the one to look for a good action-packed vampire story.

4/10
-------------------------------
 

Blood: The Last Vampire (2000)

Since the 1970s, Japanese animation experience a tremendous growth in popularity thanks to the worldwide success of artists like Osamu Tezuka, Go Nagai and Yoshiyuki Tomino. Anime, the Japanese word for"animation", became the de facto term for the Japanese style of animation, and a synonymous for its very particular visual characteristics and wide array of thematics. Manga, the extremely popular Japanese comics, have been the source for countless anime films and TV series, thanks to the fact that adaptations of popular manga often guarantee an already captive audience. However, near the end of the 20th century, producer Mitsuhisa Ishikawa decided that instead of following that route, he wanted an original concept. To do it, he recruited famous anime producer Mamoru Oshii (of "Kôkaku kidôtai" fame), and settled on a concept by Kenji Kamiyama. With director Hiroyuki Kitakubo on board, the project became "Blood: The Last Vampire", a horror short film intended to break new ground in its genre. And, more or less, it did.

"Blood: The Last Vampire" is set in 1966, a couple of months before the Vietnam War, in the American Yokota Air Base located in Japan during the American occupation. A mysterious young girl, Saya (Youki Kudoh), enters the Yokota Air Base posing as a high school student but in reality, she is actually the secret weapon of an organization code named Red Shield. Armed with a katana, Saya's mission is simple: to destroy the vampire monsters known as Chiropterans. Saya's abilities as a vampire hunter come from the fact that she is the only remaining original vampire, and her relationship with Red Shield is more a partnership against a common enemy than a true collaboration. Agent David (Joe Romersa) is Saya's contact with Red Shield, and only human she respects. At school, Saya discovers that two of her classmates are vampires, and are plotting to take over the Air Base. Naturally a massive battle between the monsters and the vampire hunter begins, with Red Shield agents and the U.S. Air Force getting in the middle.

With a screenplay written by Kenji Kamiyama and characters designed by Katsuya Kerada, "Blood: The Last Vampire" brings a quite different take on the vampire myth, with the Chiropterans being monsters of unknown original able to transform into demonic bat-like creatures of great strength. The real vampire of the film is Saya, the sword wielding vampire hunter whose origins remain a mystery. In fact, this is actually one of the film's problems: basically everything is clouded by mystery, and not much is explained in the film's 48 minutes. Kamiyama's concept is certainly interesting, a young girl wielding a katana happens to be the last known real vampire, and is hired (used?) by the government to destroy the Chiropterans. Unfortunately, that is basically all that is known about the subject. What is known, is that Saya is unbelievably good at her job, and the battles she has with the Chiropterans are certainly the film's highlight. "Blood: The Last Vampire" is a highly dynamic action-packed film, but the mystery, while intriguing, is also a tad unsatisfying.

Where "Blood: The Last Vampire" succeeds is in the stylish visual aspect it has. Director Hiroyuki Kitakubo creates a haunting work of art with a very attractive visual design. Combining traditional and digital animation, the artwork in "Blood: The Last Vampire" is impressive, specially during the action sequences, which showcase a dark, gritty violence that still retain a certain beauty in their conception. The visual composition and overall mise-en-scène is particularly good. The music, by Yoshihiro Ike, adds a lot of atmosphere to the movie, fitting nicely the dark tone and atmosphere that Kitakubo was aiming for. However, the top-notch work of animation and Kitakubo's visual imagery are not enough to make for the lack of development the story has. It is true that often good stories are the ones that are kept simple, but "Blood: The Last Vampire" takes this simplicity to the extreme, and what results is a superbly animated piece that lacks the substance that would give a better constructed story.

The problem is that basically, Kamiyama and Kitakubo introduce a wide array of concepts that, while interesting, are never fully developed. From the mysterious Chiropterans to Saya's origins, not to mention Red Shield's real motives and the nature of its relationship with Saya, everything remains shrouded in mystery; and while this works nicely at keeping the intrigue high during the film's runtime, the lack of a proper conclusion leaves everything as a very unsatisfying mess. No answers, no solutions, just stylish and impressively animated action. Even the possibility of political commentary (given that the film is set in U.S.-occupied Japan) gets forgotten as are the several subplots that are hinted by the film. On a more positive note, the voice acting is particularly good, with Youki Kudoh delivering a very good performance as Saya. Interestingly, "Blood: The Last Vampire" was not dubbed, but actually produced almost entirely in English (as more than half the characters are American).

Unfortunately, "Blood: The Last Vampire" ends up being a mixed bag. The animation is flawless, and the visual design is quite attractive and interesting. But a the same time, in terms of story is a bit lacking and ultimately unsatisfying. The fact that it is a short film has nothing to do with this, as more care should had been taken to condense and develop the concept even in the shorter runtime. Because as it is, it can't help but feeling like an unfinished concept. Granted, a quite cool, original and interesting one, but still an unfinished concept in spite of that. Certainly, "Blood: The Last Vampire" has more positive elements than negative, but it still is a proof that amazing animation is not the only thing necessary for a great anime. The story is still essential.

7/10
-------------------------------

Dead-End Drive In (1986)

The release of George Miller's "Mad Max" in 1979, and its sequel in 1981, inspired a whole new geneation of science fiction films set in dystopian post-apocalyptic worlds where vast desolated landscapes and brutal violence was the norm. While some of the most famous of these films were Italian ("2019 - Dopo la caduta di New York" being a prime example), the trend extended to other latitudes. Australia itself, the origin of "Mad Max", produced "Dead-End Drive In" by British filmmaker Brian Trenchard-Smith. While Trenchard-Smith is probably not a big house-hold name (not even for B-movie fans), he has build up a filmography that, while probably not exactly of high quality in technical terms, it's certainly offbeat and never lacking originality ("The Man from Hong Kong", the Nicole Kidman vehicle "BMX Bandits" and his entries in the "Leprechaun" film series are testament of this). In "Dead-End Drive In", probably his best film, Trenchard-Smith along writer Peter Smalley construct one of the best Australian b-movies. A cult classic of science fiction.

As stated above, "Dead-End Drive In" is set in a post-apocalyptic future, after the world's economy collapsed, and chaos runs rampant through the land. Australia is turned into a violent wasteland where the unemployed youth uses the street as a battlefield and the law is forgotten. As a measure to fight the chaos, the restructured government has devised a plan to regain control of the situation: problematic youngsters, violent gangsters, the unemployed, the undesirable and other social rejects are to be sent to Drive-Ins transformed into concentration camps. At the drive-in, the inmates are kept controlled using unlimited fast food, modern music and a constant string of movies. Basically, giving them everything a youngster may want. Crabs (Ned Manning), a young man in this world, is trapped inside the drive-in along his girlfriend Carmen (Natalie McCurry), but instead of becoming a conformist member of the nihilistic youth, Crabs has decided that he'll fight the establsihment and escape the teenage wasteland no matter the cost.

Hidden under the guise of another "Mad Max" clone that mixes post-apocalyptic sci-fi with horror, "Dead-End Drive In" actually contains a very well conceived plot with a stunningly sharp social commentary included. Based on a story by Peter Carey (better known as the author of 1988 best-seller "Oscar and Lucinda"), "Dead-End Drive In" is basically, the tale of a fight against conformism. In the film, Crabs is trapped in an apparent paradise where he could basically do nothing but eat and watching films, but instead he chooses to fight back and try to escape from the Drive-In and to return to his family. At the same time, Crabs begins to see how everyone else, including his girlfriend Carmen, begin to conform and accept this "paradise". But as in Aldous Huxley's novel "Brave New World", the apparent "paradise" that is the drive-in is false, and for Crabs, the only thing worth fighting for is real freedom. Certainly, the screenplay lacks character development, as it tends to become more a statement of ideals than a true story.

Stretching the budget to the max, director Brian Trenchard-Smith manages to create very well done scenes with the very few resources he has. With the eye of cinematographer Paul Murphy's camera, Trenchard-Smith makes great use of his locations and constructs a very atmospheric world of desertic heat by day, and neon madness by night. A true post-punk atmosphere if there ever was one (the New Wave soundtrack simply confirms this). However, while its intended message is not exactly subtle, "Dead-End Drive In" is far from being a serious film, as it is packed with an overtly irreverent tone, high-octane action and a healthy dose of humor. Still, the film remains focused on its message and commetary on present-day society, as racist, conformist and violent as the cynic youth depicted in the film. "Dead-End Drive In" is not a horror movie in the strict sense of being a scary movie, but it is haunting in the sense that even when it is a fictitious scenery, it is not hard to believe that humanity will behave the way the conformist teenager do in the film.

The cast, made-up of faces of Australian television is nothing too amazing, but for the most part get the job done. As Crabs, Ned Manning is actually very good, as he makes a spot-on portrait of a common young man trapped unfairly in a living tomb. Manning makes his character very likable thanks to his natural charm and everyman attitude. Certainly, if a different aproach had been taken, probably the film woulnd't work that much, as it is Manning's unlikely hero (he is definitely no Mad Max) what makes the film. Natalie McCurry, playing Crab's beautiful girlfriend Carmen is also an important character, as hers is basically the other half of the coin, being the one who begins to lose hope in Crabs' idea and starts to behave just as the rest of the cattle. McCurry adds her beauty and charm to the character, though her performance is not as good as Manning's, and at times feels a tad forced. The rest of the cast is as a whole good, nothing really bad, but unfortunatelly, nothing truly memorable as well.

As written above, one of the biggest flaws in "Dead-End Drive In" is that often it seems to leave character development in favor of stating the film's social commetary. At times, more than a real character, Crabs becomes simply the embodiment of an ideal, an archetype without a realistic personality. "Dead-End Drive In" is, while witty, not exactly subtle in its commentary, and its characters suffer a tad because of this. However, Trenchard-Smith's work of directing and Manning's natural talent are what often manage to avoid the worst of this this and make Crabs a likeable character with more personality. Another problem is the sad fact that the film looks terribly dated after all these years. With its New Wave soundtrack and post-punk fashion, the film has that decidedly 80s look that can't come up as "futurist" anymore. It is stuck in its pop fashion as a product of its time, and can't avoid to look old. Anyways, the movie still manages to be quite entertaining and some effects (like the use of explosives) still look great after 20 years.

As a product of its time and one of the most intelligent sci-fi films of its time, "Dead-End Drive In" is a very interesting curiosity that proves to be more than a cheap "Mad Max" rip-off. Unfairly forgotten after all these years, "Dead-End Drive In" is a cult classic that deserves a bit more of recognition. It is far from being perfect (and as said above, has not aged well), but it offers an interesting take on the subgenre that surprisingly, gives good food for thought without any attempt at being pretentious. With its 80s atmosphere, high-speed action and sharp social commentary, Brian Trenchard-Smith's tale of post-apocalyptic madness and fashionable conformism still delivers the goods. Wild, irreverent and darkly humorous, this tale of a fight against the establishmen is a terrific (though hopefully not prophetical) vision of the future.

7/10
-------------------------------