The Bootlegged Chinese Vocabulary/Rating System
Bang ji le - Excellent
Hen hao - Very Good *
Yi ban - Meh (so-so)
Bu hao - Bad
Cha ji le - Shit
* (Chinese lessons have revealed the actual meaning here... we'll just go with it...)
Love Actually
For a movie I had absolutely no desire to see, I have to be honest and say that Love Actually was umm... Actually a pleasant surprise. It's a genuine, heartfelt romantic comedy that at no point feels like a chick flick. And that's saying a lot.
One of my primary reasons for dreading this film is Hugh Grant as one of the ensemble stars. I hate Hugh Grant. A lot. But he was actually fun to watch in this movie, and at no moment did I want him dead. And that's saying a lot.
Love Actually is a lot of fun and actually makes you feel for characters that never seem to be boring cardboard cutouts. Three storylines worth keeping an eye out for are a couple that meet while assisting in the pre-production of a porn film, an English Lad who had the epiphany that English girls are too stuck up for him, and he must go on an epic quest to America, and lastly the newly elected Prime Minister (Grant) who is looking for love in the... whatever passes for the British version of the White House. God, I'm such an American. And for an American to thoroughly enjoy a British romantic comedy well... that's saying a lot.
CHINESE BOOTLEG DVD BOX FUN: Seems to be just as much a Chinese bootleg, as it is a Japanese bootleg. Not that that's particularly interesting. Oh well.
Shawn's Rating: Hen hao
Corey's Two Cents: Bang ji le
Lost: Season 1
I've been using the internet to bootleg a bunch of shows that scream to be watched like 24, Heroes, The Office, and South Park. But up until now, we haven't really experienced the full on madness that is bootlegged Chinese television shows. (Although I did buy a strange 24 one that you can gander at back in our first bootleg review).
Regardless, Bianca, one of our fellow Foreign Teachers, is something of a Lost addict. She lent us the bootleg box set of Lost: Season 1, and I have to say... I'm pretty impressed. I know people get pretty crazy about it, but I could never rank it as high as something like 24 (or even the cheesy joy that is Heroes). Still, there's something about Lost that keeps drawing you back. Maybe it's the mystery of the island the characters have crashed on, but more likely it's the powerful characters themselves - all of whom have a fascinating back story told in flashbacks that are just as much the show's draws as the convoluted conundrum of the island.
If you haven't gotten caught up in Lost yet, clear up some time on your schedule and hit up the Season 1 DVDs. You won't be disappointed.
Shawn's Rating: Hen Hao
Corey's Two Cents: Bang ji le
CHINESE BOOTLEG DVD BOX FUN: Man oh man, the Chinese out did themselves on this one. This is a nice package, complete with a solid box, and hastily glued on covers. A sight to behold indeed:
Hot Fuzz
Two of my all time favorite comedies are Super Troopers, and Shaun of the Dead. So when I heard that the makers of Shaun were making a cop comedy, you can imagine how stoked I was.
It's a good thing the movie delivers, because after self hyping Spider-Man 3 for myself, I needed something like this. The movie isn't a lame parody of the cop genre, but rather a cop movie itself. Just one that's slightly ridiculous and altogether tongue in cheek. A lot like Shaun of the Dead actually.
The movie isn't consistently funny, but it IS consistently good. While there are a lot of strong, and very funny jokes, the filmmakers are clearly more interested in crafting a great movie than a side splitter. And I'm just fine with that.
CHINESE BOOTLEG DVD BOX FUN: The movie was graciously lent to us by Aaron, so alas, I never got a gander at the box.
Shawn's Rating: Bang ji le
Corey's Two Cents: Bang ji le
Jackass: Number Two
This was actually among the first bootlegs I bought when I got to Dalian. It's been sitting in the "to watch" pile for quite some time, because well, I've seen it already. I bought it because I knew there would come a time when the stars would be aligned, and I would NEED to see this film again.
You see, Jackass: Number Two is pretty much our generations equivalent of Citizen Kane. Only... it's better. The character drama, the innovative plot structure, the acting and of course...
Ok, ok... this movie was brought out of the "to watch" pile because it is the PERFECT movie to end a night of low key drinking with some friends. It's not a movie anyone will pass out while watching. Unless it's from disgust. Say what you will about Jackass, but it will keep you glued to the screen. Whether that's due to disgust or sheer elation is up to the person watching.
And of course, being a little bit drunk while viewing it doesn't hurt at all.
CHINESE BOOTLEG DVD BOX FUN: It may look like Edward Norton, but it's all an Illusion. The movie apparently actually stars Martin Lawrence. Good trick.
Shawn's Rating: Bang ji le
Corey's Two Cents: Yi Ban
Go forth and check out these DVDs. Your life will be better off for it! Except of course Jackass : Number Two. People are only worse off for that one.
- Shawn
1 comment:
be careful with Lost man. Lost Season 1 is arguably some of the most amazing television of the past few years. But you will be sorely disappointed in season 2, and just extremely mad at season 3. Enjoy!
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