FLICKS OF THE WEEK: August 21-27

Mr. Nobody was one hell of a ride. The flick is trippy as all hell and really makes you think. Its story is basically told by an elderly man named Mr. Nobody, whose recollection of the past seems contradictory and scattered. He depicts at least three separate lives in which he was married to three separate woman, all with their own unique outcomes. Is he a three timing son of a bitch or is there more to the story then meets the eye? Mr. Nobody is a film that you really can't peg down. It throws the viewer for a loop and never really lets up, by blending a multi-layered storyline that rewards those of us that love mind bending films. You need to check out this movie. Full review coming soon.

Sonny Chiba you're one crazy son of a bitch! I'm ashamed to say it, but this was my first time watching a Sonny Chiba flick. I've recently bought at least three collections of his work, so I'll be remedying this problem very soon. The Bodyguard is so much damn fun though. The film follows Sonny Chiba as he wages war against the drug elements of Japan while taking a job as a bodyguard. Kicking ass and not even bothering to take names, Chiba explodes in a fury of bloody kicks and punches, bringing down anyone who stands in his path. This film has made me thirst for some more Chiba. I'm currently taking down the Executioner and loving every minute of it. Chiba you beautiful bastard!

Hot Enough For June can be rounded up in the Eurospy genre, but I'd lump it in with films like Charade or North by Northwest. It's a lighthearted spy film that features a good amount of romance, sprinkled with a pinch of comedy. The film stars Dirk Bogarde and Sylva Koscina as the two lovers mixed up in some entertaining espionage. Bogarde plays the perfect clueless spy who starts out the film as an ordinary guy, but after being tricked into involving himself in some spy games, evolves into a pretty damn clever agent. I had one hell of a good time with this flick and hope to get a review up as soon as possible. Check this film out. It's a lot of fun. 

Priest is one of those films that every critic seems to love to hate, but I really had some fun with this one. Set in a post apocalyptic world where vampires and humans wage war against each other, Paul Bettany plays a Priest that kicks ass for the lord. That is until he finds out that his niece has been kidnapped by a band of nasty vampires. Forced to go against the church's wishes, the Priest sets out into the desert wasteland for a good old fashion ass whooping. There are some very ambitious moments in this film and the history within the cinematic world is very rich and quite epic in scale. Hopefully they will make a sequel, because I would love to explore this world some more.

Stopover Tokyo is very similar to Hot Enough For June, because even though it is a spy film at heart, the movie focuses on more of a love story between the two main actors. Robert Wagner and Joan Collins provide the romantic elements of the film and man do they make a great couple. Also the film is set in 50's Tokyo so the look of the movie is really great and quite breathtaking at times. It's not the most action packed spy film that you'll ever see, but it does have a certain style to it that makes the lack of suspenseful moments a moot point. There's even a cute as a button little Japanese girl named Koko for crying out loud. KOKO....FTW!

Now this is a film that I had no prior opinion on before I sat down to watch it. I've seen the original Night of the Demons series and enjoyed them for what they were, but they were never meant to be masterpieces. They were fun and outrageous, but most of all entertaining. That's what you get with the 2010 remake. Following the same premise as the original film, a group of young punks decide to have a party in a supposedly haunted mansion and wouldn't you know it. The shit hits the fan. One by one they begin to change into demons, doing all kinds of crazy shit to each other. They even throw in a nice homage to one of the most unusual scenes of the original. The disappearing lipstick trick. Say what? You have to see it to believe it... ah who am I kidding? You still won't believe it.

Istambul 65, or That Man in Istanbul, is one insanely fun Eurospy ride. The film stars Sylva Koscina and Horst Buchholz, as they desperately try to reclaim a kidnapped scientist from a mysterious organization. Both Koscina and Buchholz have their fair share of action, but it's Buchholz who gets the bulk of the screen time, milking it up for all to see. The guy is an absolute ham, often breaking the fourth wall and talking directly to the viewer. The film is hilarious and has a great amount of memorable scenes and situations that come off as some of the best and most entertaining moments in Eurospy history. Hunt this movie down.