Kiyoshi Kurosawa

twoply

I slept on this guy too long. Charisma and Bright Future get the overworked face melt award.

youngEINSTEIN

who? peace, stein. . .

canonical

I saw Cure based on all the hype and wasn't really into it. Overall the movie was well done, but something was lacking for me. Haven't really checked his other movies, do you think it's worth while for someone not really into Cure that much?

idiotproof

I actually didn't mind Cure, but Doppleganger should be avoided.



I thought Pulse was pretty cool. (Aargh another US remake already). Had some unnerving sequences. Kind of got lost in the mix while everyone was focusing on The Ring.



I agree,

Bright Future is just a weird arse film about mutant jellyfish... whats not to enjoy. Though not the walking monster kind. Ha!



Though I did rate Charisma over it, but my friends just didn't get it... I think I pissed them off when I said it was a crazy Japanese film about a killer tree on the loose... and it wasn't... Ha!



He's not really for everyone... But then niether is Mr 'Hit or Miss' Takashi Miike , but sometimes his absurdity is appreciated for different reasons. 'Gozu' anyone.. Ha ha..

NewLifeTrio

who? peace, stein. . .

This guy. I haven't seen any of his stuff though. Any good first recommendations?

idiotproof

Cure was his breakthrough movie & if you are into great visuals & a very genuine creepiness (turn all lights off type flick) then its' great. I think he mostly did movies for TV before that. But I'd go for Charisma or Bright Future as a start as well. He has a style that needs a focused mind's attention.


One of my fave Japanese directors who doesn't get enough attention is Hiroyuki Tanaka aka Sabu (funny how most of these guys all act as well). Very different in style though. Imagine a funnier Jim Jarmusch, but with a Japanese lightheartedness & occasional brutality. He has a thing with the Yakuza & having an individual getting caught up with their shenanigans. Not exactly face melting, but solid work..

SolidState16

Yeah.....if you can track them down, you need to check out Eyes of The Spider and Serpent's Path ...Thematically linked instant remake insanity. Smae concept as Miike's Dead or Alive films, but more intense.

Kairo is good, too.

canonical

One of my fave Japanese directors who doesn't get enough attention is Hiroyuki Tanaka aka Sabu (funny how most of these guys all act as well). Very different in style though. Imagine a funnier Jim Jarmusch, but with a Japanese lightheartedness & occasional brutality. He has a thing with the Yakuza & having an individual getting caught up with their shenanigans. Not exactly face melting, but solid work..

I'll have to check those other two Kurosawa recommendations. I didn't think Cure was bad or anything, it just lacked something (the atmosphere and visuals were definiately nice.

And now... HI-JACK

My favorite of the Japanese directors has to be Seijun Suzuki (aside from A. Kurosawa of course). Very stylized spy flicks and action movies.

BRANDED TO KILL




TOKYO DRIFTER




Back to Kurosawa...

edpowers

HEEEEEEEEEEEEYYYYYYYYYY!!!! TWOPLY !!!!!!!!

where the hell you been dude?!?!?!

NewLifeTrio

Cure was his breakthrough movie & if you are into great visuals & a very genuine creepiness (turn all lights off type flick) then its' great. I think he mostly did movies for TV before that. But I'd go for Charisma or Bright Future as a start as well. He has a style that needs a focused mind's attention.


One of my fave Japanese directors who doesn't get enough attention is Hiroyuki Tanaka aka Sabu (funny how most of these guys all act as well). Very different in style though. Imagine a funnier Jim Jarmusch, but with a Japanese lightheartedness & occasional brutality. He has a thing with the Yakuza & having an individual getting caught up with their shenanigans. Not exactly face melting, but solid work..

Thanks for this.

Unfortunately my UK DVD rental service (Screenselect) hasn't got any of either directors' films yet. I'll keep my eyes peeled.

twoply

I saw Cure based on all the hype and wasn't really into it. Overall the movie was well done, but something was lacking for me. Haven't really checked his other movies, do you think it's worth while for someone not really into Cure that much?

I agree that Cure was lacking something. I wasn't at all satisfied with the ending. But I think that just comes from Kurosawa's ambigious approach to writing and directing. In every interview he seems to make comments to the effect that he's making many things up as he goes along. Sometimes, as in Cure, that doesn't work. Still, I think Charisma is a brilliant film because of the ambiguity. The ability to process the story on whichever level speaks more loudly to me is far more satisfying than having a moral forced down my throat.

Only watch it if you have patience for slow films, though. It's not Tarkovsky, but it might put you to sleep if you're overly tired.

twoply

HEEEEEEEEEEEEYYYYYYYYYY!!!! TWOPLY !!!!!!!!

where the hell you been dude?!?!?!

Trying to stay off teh internets. As you can see, I'm slipping.

Junior

Late late late thread bump.

They've finally released Kairo/Pulse over here (no doubt in preparation for the hollywood remake) and got to watch it last night. Totally blew away what I expected from the film (i.e. Ring style shenanigans). Although i did find certain set pieces with the ghosts creepy I was more disturbed by the overall themes running through the film. Didn't even understand it all but well up for watching it again - highly recommended.

MoSS

Yeah.....if you can track them down, you need to check out Eyes of The Spider and Serpent's Path ...Thematically linked instant remake insanity. Smae concept as Miike's Dead or Alive films, but more intense.

Kairo is good, too.

Co-Sign...IMO his other films don't stand up to Eyes of the Spider or Serpent's Path. Eyes of the Spider was pretty fuck'n dope

twoply

Late late late thread bump.

They've finally released Kairo/Pulse over here (no doubt in preparation for the hollywood remake) and got to watch it last night. Totally blew away what I expected from the film (i.e. Ring style shenanigans). Although i did find certain set pieces with the ghosts creepy I was more disturbed by the overall themes running through the film. Didn't even understand it all but well up for watching it again - highly recommended.

Yes, Pulse is thematically and visually amazing. That final shot was fucking bonkers, much like the one in Charisma. I think the reason it's hard to completely understand is because Kurosawa rarely seems to know exactly where his films are going until he gets there. In every interview I've seen/read with him he's always ready to admit that he's somtimes moving blindly, completely changing his films as he goes along (which explains why Doppelganger went from a horror film to a lighthearted comedy midway through). I understand why his films aren't for everyone, but I love their honesty and the fluid, albeit unexpected changes they go through.

PEK

Check out 'Eureka' from 2000/1 if/when you get a chance...

Junior

Will do thanks. It's pretty hard to get hold of his films over here but I'm still feeling a little haunted by Pulse 3 days after watching it. I think Twoply's hit it on the head with his description - to me the disjointed nature added to the overall dream like feeling that permeated the film.

I love discovering a new director with a decent back catalogue and am eager to get hold of more of his work sooner rather than later.