Asian Film Recommendations

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  • SwayzeSwayze 14,705 Posts
    Korean Movies:

    I highly recomend "Shiri" if you haven't seen it already.

    JSA was maybe a bit overly-sentimental, but it taps into the Korean psyche pretty well, and that was the intended audience. I spent time on the DMZ as well, although I only went to the JSA once, and that was as part of a tour.

    Tae-Guk-Ki was rad. A really great flick about the Korean war. Again, it can get a little too sentimental at times, but Koreans like du-rama in their shows. The opening of the war was especially fantastic to me, since it was a total suprise, and the confusion that everybody went through, as well as rounding up the young men to fight was really effective.

    I can't remember the name, but there is a Korean movie out there and the cover shows 2 bloody sisters on a couch. AVOID. Some people thought this movie was fancy because it was confusing. But no, it was just pointless.

    Musa (The Warrior). This movie was WAY CORNY, and yet I enjoyed watching it. If you look at IMDB people would swear it was the greatest movie ever, but it was only average. But still, its fun enough to watch.

    Japanese:

    Suicide Club was awesome. I LOVED that movie. Its a little confusing at the end, but overall the shit was super entertaining. And it had that Japanese dude that looks like Harvey Keitel in it.

    Battle Royale was also super awesome. In fact, I need to watch that again.

    Samurai Fiction is definitely one of the best Japanese movies I've ever seen. Its like a 'hip' rendition of the classic samurai tale, with surf guitar during a beach scene and a geisha dancing to some weird downtempo. The whole movie is worth it just for the character of the Aging Ninja, who is way to old to be a ninja anymore but won't accept it.

    Thai:

    Ong Bak. Raddest martial arts movie to come out in YEARS. The fight scenes are fucking brutal. This movie is super awesome. No flying chinese in this movie... shit is gritty!

  • twoplytwoply Only Built 4 Manzanita Links 2,914 Posts
    I can't remember the name, but there is a Korean movie out there and the cover shows 2 bloody sisters on a couch. AVOID. Some people thought this movie was fancy because it was confusing. But no, it was just pointless.

    Yes, that movie was awful. Not a bad premise, but the execution was terrible.

    Dizzy, you should see Crying Fist, you'll like it.

    R-Point is good too (think Full Metal Jacket with ghosts).

  • HAZBEENHAZBEEN 564 Posts
    I can't remember the name, but there is a Korean movie out there and the cover shows 2 bloody sisters on a couch. AVOID. Some people thought this movie was fancy because it was confusing. But no, it was just pointless.

    Yes, that movie was awful. Not a bad premise, but the execution was terrible.

    Dizzy, you should see Crying Fist, you'll like it.

    R-Point is good too (think Full Metal Jacket with ghosts).

    Its called "a tale of two sisters". Haven't seen it. I saw the eye recently & kinda dug it.

  • Diamante_DDiamante_D 215 Posts
    Apologies if this has been mentioned before, but I Just watched a pretty good Korean film last night called A Bittersweet Life, plot was pretty standard, but it was stylishly done and a bit more thoughtful than your average Hollywood mob flick:


  • twoplytwoply Only Built 4 Manzanita Links 2,914 Posts
    I finally got around to watching Tom Yum Goong...












    That scene with the capoeira fighter was fucking

  • slotbeggazzslotbeggazz 288 Posts
    i was heavily into weird japanese flicks some years ago, peep (if u dare ):

    All Night Long 1-3



    Uzumaki




    Borei Kaibyo Yashiki (1958)
    [AKA: Black Cat Mansion; The Mansion Of The Ghost Cat]




    ...Suicide Club, Versus,Junk...tons of other good japanese horror & obscure flicks outthere i just cant remember names off...

  • MondeyanoMondeyano Reykjavik 863 Posts
    btw, can anyone spare an invite to Karagarga[/b]?

    ..or just check out if there's a film called Junk Food there. It's japanese, soundtrack by DJ Krush.

  • slotbeggazzslotbeggazz 288 Posts
    I finally got around to watching Tom Yum Goong...












    That scene with the capoeira fighter was fucking


    yea unbelievable moves in there, buddy had some lil vid where he does some wicked jumps & kicks in front of the cinema crowd at the premiere, that guys just

  • snicka_gsnicka_g Hong Kong 276 Posts
    ..or just check out if there's a film called Junk Food there. It's japanese, soundtrack by DJ Krush.

    not sure about the Krush soundtrack? I have the DVD maybe I've never looked though?

  • SwayzeSwayze 14,705 Posts
    everyone's prolly seen this, but for some reason, this shit has me cracking up 5yrs later.

    dun, I loveth this movie.

  • SwayzeSwayze 14,705 Posts

    Japanese:

    Suicide Club was awesome. I LOVED that movie. Its a little confusing at the end, but overall the shit was super entertaining. And it had that Japanese dude that looks like Harvey Keitel in it.

    Hot garbage

    Battle Royale was also super awesome. In fact, I need to watch that again.

    Lukewarm garbage and the sequel? Cold booty garbage.

    Samurai Fiction is definitely one of the best Japanese movies I've ever seen. Its like a 'hip' rendition of the classic samurai tale, with surf guitar during a beach scene and a geisha dancing to some weird downtempo. The whole movie is worth it just for the character of the Aging Ninja, who is way to old to be a ninja anymore but won't accept it.

    YES!!!

    Tomoyasu Hotei who plays the tall/evil samurai is one of the best surf guitarists in the world and scored much of the movie. Dude's like 7 feet tall or some shit like that.

  • bassiebassie 11,710 Posts
    Cinematheque has an amazing Spring/Summer programme coming up:

    Teshigahara:
    Antonio Gaudi
    Pitfall
    The Face of Another
    Woman in the Dunes

    Mizoguchi:
    A Geisha
    A Woman of Rumour
    Crucified Lovers
    Miss Oyu
    New Tales of the Taira Clan
    Osaka Elegy
    Princess Yang Kwei Fei
    Sansho the Bailiff
    Sisters of Gion
    Story of the Last ...
    Street of Shame
    The 47 Ronin, Parts I & II
    The Life of Oharu
    Ugetsu
    Women of the Night

    Films featuring Aamir Khan:
    Earth
    Lagaan: Once Upon a Time in India
    Rang De Basanti
    The Rising: Ballad of Mangal Pandey

    AND

    Clans of Intrigue
    Dirty Ho
    King Boxer
    My Young Auntie
    Once Upon a Time in China
    The Boxer From Shantung
    The Five Venoms
    The Jade Tiger
    The New One-Armed Swordsman
    The Valiant Ones

    Bandits vs. Samurai Squadron
    Goyokin
    Harakiri
    Kill!
    New Tale of Zatoichi
    Rashomon
    Samurai Rebellion
    Samurai Saga
    Sanjuro
    Sword of Doom
    The 47 Ronin, Parts I & II
    The Hidden Fortress
    The Seven Samurai
    Three Outlaw Samurai
    Throne of Blood
    Yojimbo
    Zatoichi on the Road
    Zatoichi the Fugitive

    I may not see the light of day for a few months!


  • SwayzeSwayze 14,705 Posts


    Well I'm pretty biased since I love his films but yeah they are superb. Think it would put Zatoichi more in context as well - I think you'd probably appreciate it more if you can see how his style has developed. Would recommend checking out Sonatine, my personal fave, as a great starting point, also Hana Bi, Violent Cop and Boiling Point.

    Then finish off with Takeshi's Castle.

    What? No mention of Kikujiro?!!! That's one of his funniest.




  • JuniorJunior 4,853 Posts


    Well I'm pretty biased since I love his films but yeah they are superb. Think it would put Zatoichi more in context as well - I think you'd probably appreciate it more if you can see how his style has developed. Would recommend checking out Sonatine, my personal fave, as a great starting point, also Hana Bi, Violent Cop and Boiling Point.

    Then finish off with Takeshi's Castle.

    What? No mention of Kikujiro?!!! That's one of his funniest.




    Yeah I probably should have included that on the list, was just thinking about movies that gave you an idea of Takeshi's style. Having said that it is a quality movie so bung that on the list as well.


  • CahootsCahoots 378 Posts
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  • bassiebassie 11,710 Posts
    their summer programmes are the best - i can't wait to see Anotonioni's Red Desert.

    Did you go see Herzog speak?

  • MondeyanoMondeyano Reykjavik 863 Posts
    That trailer is amazing.. something very off-putting about the overly Americanizing voice-over. Especially love the part where he says:

    "from acclaimed director Coray-aide-a Hur-o-KAZOO.."

  • MondeyanoMondeyano Reykjavik 863 Posts
    Cinematheque has an amazing Spring/Summer programme coming up:

    Mizoguchi:

    Ugetsu[/b]
    This one's the truth. Amazing movie.

  • CahootsCahoots 378 Posts
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  • bassiebassie 11,710 Posts
    He was very entertaining. Good stories and he said some poignant things about Grizzly Man, story-telling and filmmaking.

    I gotta say though, I believe about half of what dude has to say. He comes across as interesting and funny and intelligent and charming, but listening to him, it really feels like an act a lot of the time.

    It kind of bugs me the way he clowned Kinski. I think Herzog is as crazy as Kinski was, just in a different way. He talked about how Kinski's autobiography is so removed from reality and it is interesting how Kinski saw his life vs how it really was. I would guess that the same could be applied to Herzog.

    Grizzly Man was edited in nine days!!!

  • SwayzeSwayze 14,705 Posts
    That trailer is amazing.. something very off-putting about the overly Americanizing voice-over. Especially love the part where he says:


    "from acclaimed director Coray-aide-a Hur-o-KAZOO.."

    Movie > Trailer.

  • Just watched Onibaba.


    Creepy, beatiful and very atmospheric japanese horror from the 60's.

  • MoSSMoSS 458 Posts
    I just watched "Election 2"... unfortunatly I didn't have subtitles, so it was being translated on the fly by a friend. I'm pretty sure I missed something. If anyone else has seen it, hit me on the PM because I have some questions about it...

  • DORDOR Two Ron Toe 9,903 Posts
    sno on here has seen it. What was the quality of that rls like MoSS?

  • twoplytwoply Only Built 4 Manzanita Links 2,914 Posts



    I just watched Save the Green Planet last night. I don't think I've ever seen a more misleading movie poster. I was expecting some sort of sci/fi comedy, but what I got was much, much darker. I recommend it, though.

  • snosno 332 Posts
    Hey MoSS,
    Please check PM.
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