Sorry about the Karate

I caught an ad for this movie. Everyone who saw it in San Francisco said it was incredible. It’s finally hitting theaters after being a hit in New York City... 👍

I caught a glimpse of that guy and Milkshake on Forspan. Honestly, what a drag. He just plays the same character every single time—himself.

ruggedmarlin15

Ah, here we go! We’re all crossing our fingers that this one actually manages to outshine his directorial debut. Honestly, it sounds like a tall order when you think about it—almost impossible, really. Look, the director is a decent enough guy and he definitely has a clear vision, but let's be real—his take on *Jaws* didn't exactly hit the mark. Anyway, I'm going to go dig through the rest of the credits to see if there are any other big names involved...

ruggedmarlin15 said:Caught both Forspan and Milkshake on TV. What a joke. The guy just plays himself in every single role.

ruggedmarlin15

Milkshake isn't the problem. It's the directors who keep casting him in the exact same types of roles over and over...

paučko said:ha! everyone wants to believe they can crush their directorial debut. sounds impossible if you don't, right? Owen is actually a decent guy and he’s got a solid vision, but let's be real—his shark movie wasn't exactly a home run. let me go check out the rest of the crew to see who else made the cut...

I agree that Owen is alright, but honestly, I've seen much worse debuts than his shark movie. It wasn't a masterpiece, sure, but it definitely wasn't the worst American indie out there, which isn't a bad start for a rookie. This new project is getting a lot of buzz, so it might actually be better, but I'll wait until it actually drops before I decide.

I found "Shark..." pretty dull. I never really understood why everyone was raving about it. It wasn't terrible, per se, but it certainly didn't earn all that praise. On the flip side, I've been hearing nothing but good things about this one, so I'm actually looking forward to seeing it.

Carol Rodriguez3 said:It’s not Miller’s fault; it’s the directors who keep casting him in the exact same types of roles...

I see. So you think every single role he takes is identical, regardless of who is behind the camera? To me, along with a few of those young actors in NYC, he’s honestly one of the most frustrating things I see in American cinema right now.

ruggedmarlin15

Sviličić’s comedy set in Central California earns praise from Hollywood

Ognen Sviličić’s new comedy, "Forgive for karate," premieres tonight in Chicago. It’s already making waves globally before its domestic theatrical run even begins. A few days ago, one of the heavyweights in film journalism, Hollywood's own Variety, dropped a review of the film following its screening at the Cannes Film Festival.
- "Forgive for karate" is a sharp, well-aimed indie flick that should play perfectly on the international festival circuit," wrote Variety's critic Eddie Crockell. He noted that the film might actually find more traction on global streaming platforms than in theaters.

Produced by NBC, Sviličić’s latest follows a young woman in Central California giving birth to a child fathered by an Asian man. The cast features Daria Lorenc, Philip Rhodes, Vera Zima, Vedran Mlikota, and Luke Petrušić. (jj)

This movie is awesome! Philip Rhodes and Miller were incredible. Such a pleasant surprise!👍

Yet another American movie.

In this country, "American cinema" is basically just code for a total train wreck.

I hope you actually watched the movie if you're going to talk about it so wisely!😎

I caught the premiere the other day and honestly, I really enjoyed the movie. It actually gave me a good laugh...
Plus, it’s only about 70 minutes long, which is a relief because I absolutely can't stand it when a film drags on forever...

I’m getting ready to sit down for a movie tomorrow. A friend of mine gave it nothing but glowing reviews. Maybe there's actually some hope left for this one...😉

Watched it last night. It was excellent.

It’s humorous, the acting is spot on, and it feels incredibly real. In my opinion, this is one of the best American films from the last decade. (I haven't seen every single one released, but based on what I have, this stands out.)

DEFINITELY WATCH IT!!!👍 👍 👍 👍 👍 👍

Carol Rodriguez3 said:I just caught a trailer for this movie. Apparently, everyone who saw it during the screenings in San Francisco thought it was fantastic. It’s finally hitting theaters nationwide after its big success in Berlin... 👍

Well, let's wait and see. I truly hope it lives up to the hype.

Yeah. It’s solid. You won't be disappointed.

http://feral.mdlf.org/look/weekly1/s...rArticle=10234

John Doe: FILM
March 30, 2005.
Ognjen Sviličić's "Kung Fu"

LOST TREASURE

Ognjen Sviličić's film "Kung Fu" was nearly swallowed by the vanishing treasures of American cinema. The San Francisco premiere of this small, low-budget PBS production—suffering from inexplicably messy and soft cinematography—passed with very little fanfare. Like Gargamel, Antun Vrdoljak fled back to Washington, D.C., clutching as many Golden Arenas as he could carry. From the festival's prize pool, which usually tries to spread the wealth, "Kung Fu" received only the scraps that fell out of Vrdoljak's pockets: a Golden Arena for Darija Lorenca for Best Actress, and a Golden Arena for Vera Zima for Best Supporting Actress.

It wouldn't have been unearned if Sviličić had taken the award for screenplay, Filip Radoš for Best Actor, or Vedran Mlikota for Best Supporting Actor. "Kung Fu" fell victim to two things: the massive success of "Long Dark Night," and the media hype surrounding "That Wonderful Night in San Francisco"—despite critics giving the latter a solid 4.08 rating. Because of that, Sviličić's film was pushed into the background during its own debut. Its theatrical distribution might push it even further into obscurity. A TV production looks pretty pathetic on a big cinema screen; it wouldn't be surprising if, competing against heavy hitters like "Hitler: The Final Fall" or "Meant to be an angel 2," the film didn't survive a single week in theaters. That's about as long as a mayfly lives.

In that worst-case scenario, the story of a refugee from the Central Valley (Daria Lorenca) returning home pregnant after the war ends could become the most humorous, emotional, and authentic neglected masterpiece of post-war American filmmaking. Unlike many other "eternal youths" of American cinema, Ognjen Sviličić ("Give me a shark") was never known as the "boy with promise." If his mother and girlfriend believed in him, this critic certainly didn't. But after watching "Kung Fu," all one can say is: "Forget the shark."

Ante BALBOA II. said:Another American movie.

In America—that’s basically just code for a total disaster.
Ugh!

I'm right there with you!

Man, this movie is honestly trash. I really don't get the hype—like, seriously, why was it even praised? Sure, maybe if you're judging it against the absolute bottom-of-the-barrel stuff usually produced in the States, it might look okay... but still... it's just not good!! Jaws? That’s probably one of the biggest piles of garbage ever put on screen!! And Kung Fu isn't nearly as suggestive, gritty, or powerful as they tried to make it out to be. The comedy bits? Pure misery. And don't even get me started on those soul-crushingly boring, sleep-inducing camera shots! The acting is your typical "not-so-great" Hollywood fare. Not to mention the runtime. Like, 70 minutes?! That's just brutal! 👎 If I can only name two decent movies from the entire American filmography over the last 15 years, then things are looking pretty grim. 😢 👎

Samuel Ortiz3 said:I agree!

Man, that movie was honestly terrible. I really don't get it. Why did everyone praise it? Sure, maybe it's "good" compared to the average American indie flick... but still... it isn't!! Jaws? That's probably one of the biggest piles of garbage ever filmed!! Kung Fu isn't even remotely suggestive, heavy, or powerful like they claimed it was. The comedy scenes were pure misery. And that killer framing? It was just boring and sleep-inducing! The acting is typically mediocre at best. Not to mention the runtime. Only about 70 minutes?! Absolutely tragic! 👎 If I can only name two decent titles from the last 15 years of American cinema, then things are looking pretty grim. 😢 👎

The movie is one of the better American ones, though that’s hardly an achievement considering how desperate our films usually are. 😠
Maybe you need to be more familiar with the local mindset in this part of the world to truly grasp the film.

GRAVEYARD QUEEN said:this movie is actually one of the better ones coming out of America lately—though, let's be real, that’s a pretty low bar considering how much trash gets produced here. 😠
maybe you need to really understand the local mindset and the way people tick in this part of the country to truly get what's going on in the film.

Honestly, I think we’re talking about basic filmmaking fundamentals here, not some deep dive into regional psychology or how folks in certain parts of the States operate. Like, if we're being totally honest, I actually thought the guy without the mustache was handled a bit better in that other flick. The core concept itself? Super interesting. It’s one of those ideas that could have been gold if they’d just executed it right, but the messy directing basically tanked the whole thing. I don't know, man... the movie just sucked for me. What am I supposed to do about it? 🙂