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Reviews
Hotaru no haka (1988)
A Response To The Negative Reviews
No-one looks at good reviews which is why I gave this movie one star, though I rate it 10.
In short, the story focuses on 14-year old Seita and his sister Setsuko, and the movie opens with Seita's death, alone on a train platform, dishevelled and starving. Cut to the beginning. In war-torn Japan, the children lose their mother who is horrifically killed during an air raid. They then go to live with their aunt and there are many happy and beautiful scenes of the children who obviously love each other dearly. After their aunt making it painfully obvious she resents caring for them, the children leave to go and live in an abandoned bomb shelter while trying to live on the money left in their mother's bank account. Eventually, after a few more poignant and touching scenes, it becomes clear the children are running out of food, and the climax of the film sees Seita returning to the shelter with some food and Setsuko, thin and dirty, lying on the floor, hallucinating, where she dies of starvation as Seita tries to feed her. He then cremates her and puts her ashes in the fruit drop tin she so loved and the movie ends, with the obvious recollection of the beginning of the film, Seita dying alone on a train platform clutching the fruit drop tin.
The negative response for this movie stems from people's apparent dislike of the characters. They say that Setsuko and Seita are annoying, and to an extent I can agree. Though Setsuko is just a young girl, that is all the annoyance that comes from her.
What seems to really grate on people is, Seita knows his sister is malnourished and starving, when he takes her to the doctor it is shown how painfully skinny and ill she is, yet he refuses to go back to his aunt. She would have taken them back in in a heartbeat, but despite knowing this, and despite advice from a farmer who tells him to, he declines, ultimately resulting in his and his sister's deaths. He lets his pride get the better of him. All I can say to that is, that is supposed to be a part of the film. It isn't some plot-fall that was overlooked, it is an obvious and meaningful part of the film. They're just children. Seita left his aunt in the first place for no reason other than he did not want to get a job and support the family who had taken him in. But this movie is based on a true story, and it is supposed to be an apology from the real-life brother, who survived, to his sister who died from starvation. He felt he could have done more to help her and, anti-war sentiments aside, this is what the movie is supposed to be about.
So people should look past Seita's arrogance and see the film for what it truly is. A stunningly beautiful and absolutely heart-wrenching picture that will completely and utterly shatter you.
Drop Dead Fred (1991)
I Love This Film
I can't believe this film has such a low rating. It's one of the best films of all time, maybe just because I have a Rik Mayall obsession, maybe just because it is.
I have a few things to say to people who didn't like it.
- Many people criticise this film saying that it is highly unsuitable for children due to the amount of swearing and violence. Well, firstly, it is not intended for children. At least here in the UK, it was given a rating of 15 (not suitable for people under 15) when it was first released. It has since been re-rated 12 in the past few years, though it really remains up to the parents to censor what their kids see. Though honestly, I saw this film when I was about 7 and it had no adverse effect on me, and I still enjoy it now, as an 18 year old.
- People who claim it isn't funny generally do so because they aren't fans of crude and slapstick humour. Well if that isn't what you find funny, don't criticise the film, just don't watch films like this. I can't stand political satire but I don't watch Farenheirt 9/11 and then bitch about it.
In itself, the film is cute and funny with vaguely serious undertones in some parts, and is a cult film beloved by many. I highly recommend it to everyone who loves Rik Mayall as it is a typical "Mayall" role, not to be overlooked by his fans.
Watch it!
The Young Ones (1982)
10/10
Not one person who has commented on this series has left a bad review. Seriously. Go to "hated it" at the top of the page and you'll get one entry who gave it an 8/10, and that's it.
If no-one on IMDb has given this series less than an 8/10, you can guarantee that you should watch it. What else can I say? It's a great series, if you like surrealism, mindless violence, or us wonderful British people.
OK, so it's low budget and generally strange, but that's not a bad thing now is it? Sometimes it can be a bit gross, and Alexei Sayle annoys the HELL out of me, but that's just me, and I can't fault it in any other way. Hilarious.
Satan's Playground (2006)
90 minutes of my life I shall never get back :(
This movie was so goddamn AWFUL that even thinking about it now makes me wince in pain.
- The acting is terrible. So...very terrible...not one of the people in this movie can act...Acting is not one of their talents, they have no acting ability, acting is beyond their limited talents, I know dead fish who had more liberating careers yadda yadda. Trust me.
- The story is really...meh...It's badly written, uninspired and the storyline really is pathetic, disjointed and altogether boring.
- It has the typical stupid plot points, where people do stupid things and you lose all respect for them as characters.
- Can I mention the terrible acting again? - It was painful...seriously...
- I mean...I wish I could find more to complain about but there's so little substance to the film and all the people in it that there's literally nothing left to say about it, apart from, Whatever you do, DO NOT watch this film unless you enjoy the slow and painful melting of your own brain as you sit through the most retarded and pathetic attempt at movie making you will ever witness.
I'm doing this to save people from wasting a good 90 minutes of precious, precious life.