Top Favorites **** :
1. 2001: A Space Odyssey
2. The Shawshank Redemption
3. Jaws
4. Psycho ('60)
5. Amadeus
6. Better Luck Tomorrow
7. Shang-Chi And The Legend Of The Ten Rings
8. Harold & Kumar Go To White Castle
9. Sean Wang's DIDI
10.Everything Everywhere All At Once
11. Searching
12. Randall Park's "Shortcomings"
13. Justin Chon's Blue Bayou
14. Always Be My Maybe (2019 - A.Wong / R.Park dir. N.Khan)
15. Ping Pong Playa
16. Office Space
Other Favorites ***:
Last Breath, Atlas, Don't Make Me Go (w/ John Cho), Barbie (2023), Love Hard (w/ Jimmy O. Yang), Ghost / Grotesque Mansion (K-Movie 2021), Fast 9, Wish Dragon, Tran Quoc Bao's The Paper Tigers, Stowaway, Evan Jackson Leong's "Snakehead", Lee Isaac Chung's "Minari", Tigertail, Over The Moon, WF Productions' Everything Before Us, Bong Joon Ho's "Parasite", Evan Jackson Leong's Linsanity (The Documentary), Mayhem, Lee Chang Dong's "Burning", Justin Chon's 'Gook', 'Ms. Purple', Surrogate Valentine, Daylight Savings, Hang Loose, K-Town Cowboys, Harold & Kumar Escape From Guantanamo Bay, A Very Harold & Kumar Christmas, Finishing The Game, Jet Li's Fearless, The Year Of The Yao, To Be Takei, Katsuhiro Otomo's Akira (The Original Anime), Katsuhiro Otomo's Memories, Katsuhiro Otomo's Metropolis, Hayao Miyazaki's Spirited Away, Hayao Miyazaki's My Neighbor Totoro, Miyazaki's Nausicaa in the Valley Of The Wind, Pixar's Up, Toy Story, Office Space, Beavis & Butt-Head Do America, Idiocracy,
The Ringer, Jackass 3, Bill & Ted's Excellent Adventure, Shine, The Goonies, The Karate Kid ('84) / Part II ('86), Forrest Gump, Dead Poet's Society, Rocky, One Hour Photo, Poltergeist ('82), John Carpenter's The Thing, John Carpenter's Halloween, Saw, 1408, Pet Sematary ('89), The Amityville Horror ('79), Star Trek II: The Wrath Of Khan, Star Trek IV: The Voyage Home, Star Trek VI: The Undiscovered Country, Star Trek, Star Trek Beyond, Back To The Future Trilogy, The Breakfast Club, First Blood, Lord Of The Rings Trilogy, Cool Runnings, Ferris Bueller's Day Off, The School Of Rock, The Hustler, The Color Of Money, Fear & Loathing In Las Vegas, Willy Wonka and The Chocolate Factory,
Rain Man, Fast Five, The Fast and the Furious: Tokyo Drift, Fast & Furious 6, Best of the Best, The Matrix/The Matrix Reloaded/The Matrix Revolutions,
The Terminator, Alien, Aliens, Casino, The Godfather Trilogy, Pee Wee's Big Adventure, The Maze Runner Trilogy, Escape From Alcatraz, Fast Times, Die Hard, Die Hard With A Vengeance, Ghostbusters ('84), Monster House, Spaceballs, Employee Of The Month, The Usual Suspects, Wreck-It Ralph
REVIEWS AND THOUGHTS
03/11/2025: Last Breath ***
Re-creating the eerie, dark atmosphere at the bottom of the sea definitely sent chills down my spine, and the ambiance felt claustrophobic as if you were with them in the submersible and underwater. The film did a great job in that regard. What's even more shocking or stunning, is that this was based on an actual true story. A deep-sea diver is trapped on the ocean floor after an accident when his cord snaps. He runs out of oxygen in the suit, and remains unconscious for 40 mintues before being eventually rescued. And survives!
They show actual footage of the characters, to verify the authenticity. Working on the ocean floor is no joke - it's like outer space. It isn't flashy or glamorous as you see in cheezy films. They're both dark and silent. Workers have to sit through decompression for a long time (due to the intense pressure on the sea floor), which can drive anyone with claustrophobia crazy. While this kind of survival might sound as if an angel worked miracles for the diver, it is certainly more plausible than if the person had water in his lungs or was down there for an extended period without a suit or if the suit cracked.
Next films to watch: "The Accidental Getaway Driver" and "Love Hurts" (due to rental rates, I probably could only afford one at this point). I'm happy for Simu - he is busy with a lot of projects. Shang-Chi 2 might never happen, but at least Simu Liu's career has taken off. That's more important for me, than being in a cartoonish movie that nobody might remember 10+ years from now (Only Shang-Chi is memorable). Being in dramas, thrillers and other shows / films is most important.
3/05/2025: A Must-See - The Accidental Getaway Driver
The film industry in general is just bland. If I never watch another film ever, I would gladly watch this one in a heartbeat or as the final film. But fortunately, there are films worth watching (at least ones that always go under-the-radar or are hidden gems). "The Accidental Getaway Driver" is such a hidden gem. From what I've seen, it is a gritty drama / thriller as well as character studies. I haven't heard from Dustin Nguyen in awhile, but was pleasantly surprised that his film was getting a theatrical release.
1/20/2025: Mikey and Data Re-united
We might never get a Goonies sequel, but a mini-Goonies reunion in a new movie. Ke Huy Quan stars in "Love Hurts", and we have a cameo by Sean Astin. There's a new behind-the-scenes of this film, which shows them together. Watch in next month!
There's a scene with Ke touting a villainous moustache - I might have thought he played a villain as a second character in the film. It probably was just a disguise.
1/15/2025:
This trailer for "Back Home" has that scary creepy vibe. From Far East Films (since there is nothing else going on, other than the ones I mentioned in my previous blogs):
11/24/2024: Didi ****
What a film, one of the best yet. A down-to-earth, coming-of-age adolescent story a lot of us can relate to. Especially if you're Asian growing up with a lot of pent-up uncertainties and resentment. We all know too well of making stuff up just to "fit in", pretending you're a different ethnicity and whatnot. Izaac Wang did an excellent job of keeping it real, and not over-doing it or over-acting (which is typical in the industry). Underneath Chris "Didi" Wang's supposedly calm or quiet demeanor, there was a pent-up angst, nervousness and uncertainty all-in-one.
Sean Wang did an outstanding job of directing with authenticity as well as taking his time in being meticulous and real, transporting us back as if we were back in 2008. I was 32 back then, and I vaguely remember the flip phones, myspace and AOL haha. Aside from having a flip phone just to "look cool", I never used any of the social media back then.
The mother-son relationship is the underlying theme in this one, as Sean Wang mentioned to the effect of writing this film in thinking about his mother. I don't know the actress who played the mother, but it was a heart-felt performance that might get her nominated. I think Sean Wang and the film itself should be recognized. But in this damned industry, if they already filled their bullshit diversity quota, then most likely it'll get overlooked. But we already know how much fetish they have for the women.
I grew up watching Pee-Wee's Playhouse as a child. Pee Wee's Big Adventure was a cult classic - every scene quotable, repeatable and hilarious.
You can't think of Paul Reubens without thinking of Pee-Wee Herman. Of course - he's been in countless other films as cameos or support actor. But the iconic character of Pee Wee Herman is etched or ingrained forever.
By now - the news is out that Paul kept his cancer hidden for many years. Did he even hide it from doctors, or even refused to get treatment. That's what makes it tragic. In this day and age, 70 is not that old anymore. Hell - some are living way past 90 now.
Like or hate the actor (never mind his sketchy past - besides, even Bobby Lee did it haha). I don't think anyone discount the influence of Pee Wee Herman - the child-like magic is in all of us whether we want to admit it or not.
"Things You Can't Understand." "Things You'll Never Understand." *long pause* "Things You Shouldn't Understand" - Mike's Bike-O-Rama
