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InMovie News

The Kick stunt trailer

September 29, 2011By

The Kick (that Korean/Thai co-production we’ve devoted a few posts about) has a stunt trailer up, and it’s got some butt-kicking action. And Jija Yanin finally shows up in some of the media, which is good, and she’s kicking people, which is good. Some of the stunts are awesome, so I can’t wait for this one!

Click here for the stunt trailer

We’ll embed it when someone uploads it to YouTube. The plot again for those who missed it:

Moon is a Taekwondo master running an old Taekwondo gym in Bangkok. All five members of his family are also the masters of Taekwondo in different styles: his wife Yoon in cooking style, son Taeju in dancing style, daughter Taemi in soccer style, and the youngest Typhoon can break anything with his strong forehead.

Moon wants his children to be Taekwondo coaches to take over his gym in future. However, regardless of their father’s will, Taeju wants to be a famous pop singer and Taemi is only interested in her secret crush at school.

One day, Taekwon family encounters treasure robbers on the street by accident and happens to get caught into fight with them. With surprising martial art skills, TK family knocks down the robbers and takes back the stolen treasures. The head of the robbers Pom, who is notorious for many crimes, escapes alone and trembles with rage.

TK family becomes famous in public. But, They do not know that Pom is planning to get his revenge.

The Kick

The film delivers!

via Twitch

InMovie Reviews, Ugly

Pachinko Queen Explosion (Review)

September 28, 2011By

Pachinko Queen Explosion


2007
Directed by ???

There are lots of shots of pachinko in the film. If you love pachinko, then Pachinko Queen Explosion is the film for you! If you have no idea what the frak pachinko is, you will be fast-forwarding or surfing the web until the sex action happens.

While trying to find more information about this film than just one actress’s name, I discovered that there are a lot of gambling-themed softcore flicks in Japan. It’s like a whole subgenre. And they’re films you will feel better about watching than Train Molester 9 or something similar.

Like me, you’re probably already familiar with pachinko and all the terminology and controversy around it. But for those one or two readers who aren’t down with the kakuhen system, koatari, or even senpuku kakuhen, let’s do a quick pachinko terminology lesson:

Pachinko – Pachinko is a game of chance played at machines similar to a slot/pinball machine, or the Plinko game on The Price is Right. Balls go down a peg board, and if they hit the center a slot machine type mechanism is activated. Players attempt to win more balls, which are exchanged for prizes or tokens. Tokens can then be exchanged for cash at a different location (direct trading for cash is illegal in Japan!) A pachinko establishment is called a parlor. Pachinko is also popular in Taiwan.

Payout mode – If the pachinko machine hits the jackpot on the slot machine portion, payout mode begins, where a slot opens and the player must get as many balls into the slot as possible, because they win tons of balls for each one.

Kakuhen system – After hitting jackpot, many machines use the kakuhen system, which makes the chances of hitting another jackpot much more likely. A string of jackpots is known as fever mode. Another type of kakuhen system is the special time (or ST) kakuhen, where the player automatically gets the next jackpot, but you don’t get a payout unless you hit certain odds.

Jitan mode – If the player fails to get kakuhen, the player enters jitan mode, where the speed of spins increases and the slot size increases.

Koatari – Koatari became popular in 2007, it is where the jackpot slot opens randomly, even when no balls are in play. It is possible to have jackpots that pay nothing. Use primarily to bump up the displayed payout stats.

Battle-type machines – Type of Kaotari that when opening randomly, causes a player to have to “battle” and “defeat” enemies (aka reach specific goals) in order to get the jackpot and reach the next kakuhen. When you fail battle mode, the machine reverts to jitan mode. The excitement from battling has caused this type to be very addictive.

Senpuku Kakuhen – A hidden kakuhen that happens in koatari, the player unaware of the timing, but usually knowing the approximate odds of getting it. Experienced players can score swooping in on machines that have had consecutive loses without a payout, and the senpuku kakuhen encourages players to stay at one machine for a long time to win the payout.

Now that everyone is a pachinko expert…too bad, because you don’t really need to know much of anything about pachinko for the plot! Just know that you win balls. So let’s get started!

Mari (Karen Kisaragi) – Pachinko employee who works at the Pachinko center Seven, as her father that she only saw when she was little was fond of playing pachinko at that location. Karen Kisaragi is an AV star whose films you can find easily online.
Hiroshi (???) – Mari’s boyfriend and an expert pachinko player. He earns enough that they make a living off of it.
Yamazaki (???) – Businessman who buys places and tears them down to build better places. His latest target is the run down pachinko joint Seven, which he wants to replace with a gourmet amusement center. One thing he doesn’t buy is condoms, which is why he has a daughter running around. You may have heard of her, her name is Mari.
Mika (???) – Yamazaki’s Trophy girlfriend, whose life is an utter bore except for when she’s given expensive gifts or winning at Pachinko (thanks to the power of cheating!) Not particularly faithful, as she has no qualms boning Mr. Kitamura.
Mr. Kitamura (???) – Boss of the Pachinko place SEVEN. and looking for a sellout.
Buddy Referee Guy (???) – His small but pivotal role is the most important of the whole film. He’s the scorekeeper-referee of the final match! And he’s sort of friends with Hiroshi and works at SEVEN along with Mari. He’s my favorite character.

InMovie Reviews, Ugly

New Manager of the Sumo Club (Review)

September 27, 2011By

New Manager of the Sumo Club

aka Sumobeya Shinjin Manager

2004
Directed by Katsumi Nojiri
New Manager of the Sumo Club
There is a new manager at the Sumo Club. A girl! Time to freak out! GAAAAAAAAH! Okay, all better now. So let’s have an adventure in the erotic world of Sumo Club management, a subject that demands hundreds of cinema entries a month. People just can’t get enough. They’re weird like that. So let’s give people what they want: stories about female coaches of sumo squads.
New Manager of the Sumo Club

Mai Umino (Azumi Suzuki) – Mai Umino is a senior at Johoku University who is doing extra credit with one of her professors. This gets them into trouble, so she has to coach the sumo club to save the day. She learns to laugh, to love, and to sumo, becoming the best sumo coach ever by the end of the film.
Hiromi Shiro (???) – Mai’s roommate, lifelong friend, and virgin. She decides to take care of that last one thus giving us more sex scenes.
Professor Tazawa (???) – Professor at Johoku University who enjoys his students in an ethically dishonorable way. He gets sent back to the farm.
Kazu (???) – Kazu is a guy Hiromi likes, but Mai also likes him. DRAMA!! Mai gets him to join the Sumo Club.
Captain Mototaka Tokita (???) – A scrawny sumo dude doesn’t want to compete because he lacks confidence. He also lacks any body fat or muscle.
Nishi Hanada (???) – The only member of the sumo club who is the correct weight for sumo. Too bad he’s awful at it!

New Manager of the Sumo Club

InMovie News

2 Headed Shark Attack poster and stills!

September 26, 2011By

2 Headed Shark Attack has moved closer to completion with a poster and some official stills. The gemi-shark is ready to chomp it’s way through dozens of teenage tasty treats. And hopefully Brooke Hogan, Charlie O’Connell, and Carmen Electra as well. Christopher Douglas-Olen Ray directs.

The plot:

When a Semester at Sea ship is sunk by a mutated two-headed shark, the survivors escape to a deserted atoll. But when it starts flooding, the coeds are no longer safe from the double jaws of the monster.

The official page.

2 Headed Shark Attack

Here’s some images from the official Flickr page, plenty more there:

Two Headed Shark Attack

Two Headed Shark Attack

InMisc News

Stark's War – Books I Done Been Reading!

September 24, 2011By

Stark’s War
by John G. Henry

John G. Henry is better known as Jack Campbell, author of the Lost Fleet series. As a big fan of the series (one of the few military scifi series that I can read), I sought out Stark’s War once it showed up on my radar (sort of late, as I was too busy looking for Jack Campbell, not John G. Henry!) But I was not disappointed. Stark’s War is a different type of war. Instead of giant fleet battles in hostile enemy territory, we have small front line conflicts on the moon told from the perspective of Sgt. Ethan Stark. Henry takes the lessons from the past few decades and moves the timeline up a century, to where the USA dominates the world still as the lone superpower (ran by corporate interests), but the rest of the world has turned to the moon to get resources outside of US influences. Then, the US invades the moon on behave of its corporate masters, and thus Stark is on the front lines. A sort of stalemate happens after the first battle, causing things to spiral off mission an into the inevitable result.

In this Brave New World, tax rates are low low low, but the public demands the government provide for many things. To raise revenue, the army has turned to broadcasting real time video of battles. The officers for the squads are entirely political, and care little about the welfare of their unit and only about punching whatever tickets they need to get the next promotion. Stark must deal with all these problems, as well as faulty equipment and battle training on the moon’s lower gravity and Stark’s own demons from the past.

Despite the fact this is a totally different series, and written way before the Lost Fleet series, I kept thinking this was John Geary on the moon. There is even his own Tanya Desjan/Victoria Rione combo in the form of Vic Reynolds. But the tone was different, and the front line perspective gave Stark’s War a different flavor than the Lost Fleet books. As things reach to a head in the last 3rd, and the latest brilliant plan of Synergy Warfare happens, I sort of saw what Henry may be doing. In the interests of not spoiling things, I won’t say, but let’s just say there is another famous scifi book that takes place on the moon, and they might not be to happy with what goes down here. But too bad.

Stark’s War is a good piece of military scifi that is as realistic as you can get in future predicting. Some of the predictions have moved to being more accurate in the intervening ten years since it was originally published. It will probably appeal only to those who like military scifi, but as it is a quick read it could be a good jumping on point for those curious about the genre, though I’d still suggest starting with the Lost Fleet books.

Books I Done Been Reading! name shamelessly stolen from Vault of Buncheness

Starks War

InBad, Movie Reviews

Footloose

September 22, 2011By

Footloose


2011
Directed by Craig Brewer
Written by Dean Pitchford and Craig Brewer

Why, yes, TarsTarkas.NET did get into another free screening, thanks for asking. Footloose is the first screening where we were given instructions that we were required to mention we went for free. As that’s part of the running joke about how TarsTarkas.NET sold out, that isn’t a problem. So are we still sold out? Read on, dear readers…

Standing in line waiting to get into the theater to see Footloose, something happened. My foot began to be loose! Was that budding excitement for going to see the movie? Nope, just a shoelace that came undone. In addition, the official Paramount film crew was there to tape people for commercials, causing us to feign excitement that we’re waiting to see Footloose. We were convincing enough the operator only had to redo filming several times!

Finally, we were let into the theater. Did you know that giving away free stuff is the most effective way to sway opinion to your side? And that food is the most effectively used free stuff? In totally unrelated news, there was a bunch of free swag on our chairs! We got a cup, a bag of candy, and an issue of Footloose Magazine! Finally, something to put next to my issues of Highlights and Tiger Beat! As for the candy, my wife got Smarties and a Butterfinger, and I got some weird colored circle disks. Lame. Strike 1, Footloose! I just stole another candy bag from one of the many empty seats, and got my Butterfinger. There was also a dance contest where they filmed a few people dancing to put up on the official Footloose website so you could vote for a winner to go to the premier in LA. The movie stars were supposed to be there as a surprise, but they were stuck in Phoenix due to plane delays. Strike 2, Footloose! Below I’ve put a photo of all the swag:

None of this could possibly influence me. Mostly because it wasn’t enough of a bribe! If I’m selling out, I’m going to demand top dollar! TWO Butterfingers!

“This movie is about being a little punk rock and bucking the system” says a designer in the free Footloose Magazine handed out right next to their $149.99 designer shoes from the Footloose movie.

The Footloose remake follows the original film closely. Very closely. So closely it eliminates one of the reasons to remake a film: to give a different take on the story. The names are the same, the plot is the same, the events that happen are the same, many of the clothes are the same (yes, ladies, they kept the red boots!) The opening sequence with the feet is the same, at least three of the songs are the same (probably more, I forgot to take count!) Director Craig Brewer (Hustle & Flow) even filmed a speech before the film saying how he wanted to respect the original, they got original scribe Dean Pitchford to help write this new version, and the Footloose magazine is filled with people talking about the original film along with the new. I think the fear of being too different may have stifled their creativity, while remaining true to the original probably helped more than it hurt. It is a weird dichotomy that we’ll try to break down more below.

There are a few differences. Ren is more angsty, his mom is dead now (from cancer), the setting is now the deep south and you know it. The tractor race is dumped in place of a school bus roller derby race. Yes. That’s where the buses explode.

But forget all that, what people want to know is, is Footloose 2011 any good? And my answer is: sort of. There are a lot of problems, but it isn’t horrific. It’s perfectly adequate. I can see young kids today liking it just as much as we did as kids. But in a world of High School Musicals and Glee, I’m not seeing this resonate with the same music vibe.

Let’s meet the cast, then jump into the story

Ren McCormack (Kenny Wormald) – The new kid from the East Coast who is now stuck in the smalltown south after his mother’s death. Almost instantly runs afoul of the antifun laws, and leads a revolt against them. The authority figures don’t like him much, but as authority figures are jerks, who cares!
Ariel Moore (Julianne Hough) – Good girl gone bad in rebellion against her father after the death of her brother and the institution of new regressive laws. Ariel Julianne Hough was on dancing with the stars for several years and grew up near where the original Footloose was filmed in Utah.
Reverend Shaw Moore (Dennis Quaid) – Father of a boy who died in an alcohol and dance fueled accident and acting patriarch for the entire town. Reverend Moore has a lot of worries, including his rebellious daughter. And then this new kid comes into town. Freakin’ new kids! Rev. Moore is presented more calm and Dennis Quaidy in this version of Footloose, which helps give his character a different light. You can see his pain and struggles, it is a good performance and the best acting in the show. His wife Vi is played by Andie MacDowell.
Rusty Rodriguez (Ziah Colon) – Ariel’s best friend since childhood, who is saddened that her friend has spiraled out of control after her brother died. Ziah Colon is a delight, and would be the best part of the film if it wasn’t for…
Willard (Miles Teller) – Willard is the character you will be bring up as you and your friends leave the theater and you awkwardly press to see if they liked the film or not, as Willard is easily the best part and is a safe jumping off point. He befriends Ren as soon as he comes to town and needs to be taught to dance like the original Willard (Chris Penn). Ziah Colon is like they took Shia LaBeouf and turned everything that makes Shia annoying into awesomeness.

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