The Mindscape of Alan Moore 2005 UK

Maybe the best comic book writer ever. He talks about growing up in a poor environment, the comics and his view of the world. 

Very much a man of ideas. Watch this video if you like comics or just to hear a very interesting and inspiring world view.

The cynical me kept thinking: 'Yeah right, that's never going to work' or 'The way people are at their core really seems to escape him'. While my romantic, hopeful side cheered at what he said and took it as an inspiration to work harder at producing more meaningful art and through this maybe a better world. Schizo? Me? Nah.

Recommended books by Alan Moore:

Promethea (which is very much about the ideas Moore talks about towards the end of the film.

From Hell (Don't watch the movie!)

Watchmen

The League of Extraordinary Gentlemen (Just don't watch the movie!)

Lost Girls

Alan Moore storyteller

9

vanity superstar 2005 USA

Queen of the She-males, Vanity. Also known as Vaniity. Gorgeous, sexy and a bit crazy. Which are all good qualities. 

The film is shot by Joey Silvera who keeps things relaxed by talking in friendly way with Vaniity. He shot an entire series of Transsexual videos but doesn't seem to sexually go for them himself. He just gets along with the models very well. This combined with esthetically nice shots creates very pleasant porn.

At the end of one clip she makes the director very nervous by running naked and in full glory into the street. 

The perfect Wonder Woman:

8

Cronos 1993 Mexico

First movie by Guillermo del Toro. An alternative vampire story. Very good and original. Wonderful design and imaginative idea for the device. It's based on the fact that Del Toro had heard stories of decadent ladies wearing living insects as broaches. He combined this disturbing thing with his love for clockworks.

Ron Perlman stars as a comical as well as dangerous character.

The cover of the version I own is slightly misleading. The person who uses the device is an old man, not a young woman.

The DVD doesn't work in my VCD-player so I couldn't make snapshots. Got one from another site.

 8

Pepi, Luci, Bom and other girls like mom 1980 Spain

Early Pedro Almodovar. Post-Franco Spain discovering punk, drugs & porn. Add a masochistic 40-something housewife, transvestites, absurd commercials and knitting to the mix and you've got a strange but entertaining little movie.

And to top it off, there's Wonder Woman on the wall.

6.5

Attack of the 50'ft. Tranny 1998

Ok. This was crap. Fast-forwarded through most of it. It could have been campy, sexy and fun but wasn't. 

On the other hand it has a nice scene with Allenina who I think is sexy in as well as out of drag. Whereas some of the people working on this video didn't wind up that well Allenina is still around, has a blog, acquired breasts and seems like a pretty cool person.

Allenina then:

  

Allenina now:

Small factoid: Karen Dior, the director played in an episode of Xena as a beauty pageant contestant.

50ft Tranny smashing through a billboard showing her director:

4

Peking Opera Blues 1986

One of my top 10 movies. Brigitte Lin, gender bending, Tsui Hark directing, music by James Wong. It's almost perfect.

The first time I saw this movie was on German tv. Everybody speaking German. Not exactly great. When I got a DVD-player this was the first disc I bought. Followed some years later by a restored version with accurate sub-titles.

I'm sure the translators had a lot of fun sub-titling at the time. I don't believe for a moment that these were mistakes.

9.5

Brigitte Lin Ching Hsia

Signed photograph of Brigitte Lin.

I hope it actually is her autograph....

Love by Post 1976

Romantic comedy of mistaken identities. Rather silly but pleasant enough. I watch these old Brigitte Lin films mainly for her beautiful, expressive face. A good story is just a bonus.

By the way, these are the dimensions of the movie on VCD. I could have shopped them into a less vertical shape but this shows what you get when buying this VCD.

6.5

Brigitte Lin

Photograph bought out of the inventory of a defunct Mexican magazine.

Widow Warriors 1989

One of a stack of Michiko Nishiwaki DVDs I ordered in China a couple of years back. Her movies are very difficult to find. These were all copies from VCD and VHS. 

Man, this is a ferocious movie. It takes a while to get going but than it's wild!

Here is a review. An old site I used to visit when looking for cool Asian movies.

8

A Clockwork Orange 1971

That's quite a collection of caricatures! The story of a young man who isn't bothered by any inhibitions or empathy. There is a part of me that would like to live like this for a while. But of course I'd feel guilt and compassion for the victims. It's a shame.

The story is a strong satire on violence, medicine and politics. Malcolm McDowell is very good. The directing is sometimes irritating. Most of the characters are completely over the top.

8.5

Eat the Schoolgirl 1997

  1 hour of extreme Japanese mayhem. Murder, rape, psychosis. All shown in bloody detail. There also seems to be a story about lost innocence in the mix but I could be wrong. Only recommended to people with a strong stomach and a curiosity to see into darker fantasies. I was fascinated by it all. And yes, I'm happy that stuff like this is being produced. 

Of course, this being a Japanese movie, you won't see any genitals or actual sex. We all have our taboos. 

Here is a review of the DVD
And here is another one. 

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