Japanese Cinema - Know any good flix?

smiaras

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Karl Hungus

If you liked Ichi, go see Audition NOW!

There was also This Thread a page back.

I personally think Battle Royale is well worth seeing, but a few people here aren't of the same frame of mind about it.

smiaras

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daveg

Audition is about a Jap business man who's wife dies. He decides to "audition" women to become his partner. He picks one girl who "seems" normal. They go out ect ect and then she turns... em... a bit wierd. It gets very sick towards the end.

*** I didn't think it was much cop but thats just my opinion.

Duo

Hm. Well, I'd recommend you go see 'Dead or Alive' it's not a great movie - it's passable - until the end, which is so strange, it makes it all worth while. Also, there's Ichi (but you've already seen that..) Audition (which I haven't seen, but I've heard is very good indeed) Battle Royale (Must see! I really enjoyed it, anyways Takeshi 'Beat' Kitano is great! And schoolgirls! ) Hana-Bi (maybe, it's a but boring) Brother, and anything else with Kitano... Oh! And of course, there's the new Takashi Miike movie, the Happiness of the Katakuri's (sp?) which is a Japanese zombie musical. So it CAN'T be bad.

All the Kurosawa films are excellant. Especially Seven Samurai and Yojimbo. Versus is also very good. The two hours of copious amounts of bloodshed fly bye.

Karl Hungus

Originally posted by Duo
And of course, there's the new Takashi Miike movie, the Happiness of the Katakuri's

It's on my to-do list.

weemcd

does anyone else here think jap films fall apart at the end and make no sense?? (i thought BR was rubbish)

Karl Hungus

does anyone else here think jap films fall apart at the end and make no sense??

No, you just dont get them.

No offence intended, but there's generally something quite deeper about the endings, that aren't exactly the most straight-farward either. Personally, I didn't really like Ichi The Killer untill it 'Clicked' with me what it was actually about a while later, and what made it click was thinking about wtf happened in the end.

They generally DO make sense, but they take a bit of thought, as there's a lot of metaphor, and things that aren't always obvious.

Capt'n Midnight

how about the older stuff..
Akira Kurosawa
Still can't believe I still haven't seen RAN

Then there was the one about the Japanese guy in Iceland - but it's more arty.

And yes the early Godzilla films were great (Black & White)
I especially liked the one with King Kong (in typical Japanese twist KK gains power by chewing on High Voltage cables !)

ObeyGiant

Originally posted by AngelWhore
No, you just dont get them.

No offence intended, but there's generally something quite deeper about the endings

Personally speaking, I also find that a lot of Japanese movies (Ringu, The Eye, Uzumaki spring to mind) do tend to fall down towards the end. Oh, they make sense alright, it's just that it feels like the films run out of steam, leaving the final third feeling a little insipid, almost cliched.

Films like Ringu and The Eye fell into the same trap as Sixth Sense - "Argh! You're a scary ghost! But all you want is someone to hug" - although thankfully they didn't do it in nearly as saccarine a way as Sixth Sense.

Having said that, there are also a lot of Japanese movies that do manage to keep focus until the end.

I just think it's a little harsh to dismiss someone like that, just because your opinion is different. Even if it is weemcd

smiaras

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Karl Hungus

Originally posted by ObeyGiant
Personally speaking, I also find that a lot of Japanese movies (Ringu, The Eye, Uzumaki spring to mind) do tend to fall down towards the end. Oh, they make sense alright, it's just that it feels like the films run out of steam, leaving the final third feeling a little insipid, almost cliched.

Films like Ringu and The Eye fell into the same trap as Sixth Sense - "Argh! You're a scary ghost! But all you want is someone to hug" - although thankfully they didn't do it in nearly as saccarine a way as Sixth Sense.

Having said that, there are also a lot of Japanese movies that do manage to keep focus until the end.

I just think it's a little harsh to dismiss someone like that, just because your opinion is different. Even if it is weemcd

First of all, The Eye was Korean.

And you are being a bit generalizing there, as if the 3 films you'd mention are anything to go by, even though you do say "Having said that..."

Seriously, Audition and films of its ilk certainly didn't bottle out towards the end!

Although yes, I am being a little harsh, and equally generalizing, not all Japanese films are ultra-intelectual peices of cinema or keep a constant flow up untill the end.

I apologise. :horned:

ObeyGiant

Originally posted by AngelWhore
First of all, The Eye was Korean.

If we're going to pick nits - it was actually from Hong Kong. My point is: they all look the same to me.

Other films the original cat should check out:
Versus.
Uzumaki. (goddammit, when will people start listening to me about this film?)
Mr Vampire (1 & 2 - goes pretty downhill after that).
Bio-Zombie.

Shaolin Soccer if you're looking for a giggle.
There's also a film along the same lines as Shaolin Soccer called Ping Pong, based around... oh, you guessed already. I haven't seen it yet, but I've heard nothing but good things about it.

Wild Zero is a blast, too.

Karl Hungus

Originally posted by ObeyGiant
they all look the same to me.

Racist bigot.

But seriously...
On checking the DVD, the film is actually from Thailand.
This is just going back and forth now...

Although I'd seriously disagree about The Eye falling into the same trap as The Sixth Sense.

That ending! I did NOT see that coming! It really knocked me off my seat, totally unexpected.

Other than that, Uzumaki should be arriving in my letterbox by next week. But I dont really count, do I? As I've been meaning to see that for absolutely ages. So maybe I'll be joining you in your quest, and start moaning about people not listening to me about certain films!?

Also, have you seen The Devil's Backbone? Not Japanese, nor even Asian, but a damn good brooding mystery/ghost story. Might be of interest to you.

smiaras

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Dont be at yourself

There's a place on George's Street, near Dunnes Stores, that rent asian movies I think. Also one on the south Quays, close to Forbidden Planet, I think. I haven't used them, so I'm not sure of the selection.

ObeyGiant

Originally posted by NekkidBibleMan
There's a place on George's Street, near Dunnes Stores, that rent asian movies I think.

I think he means Laser. They do some of the Asian movies mentioned in this thread, but not all of them. Buying them off the net is usually the best idea though - they're usually super-cheap, and if you buy in bulk, they work out about as cheap to buy off the net as to rent.

Originally posted by NekkidBibleMan
Also one on the south Quays, close to Forbidden Planet, I think. I haven't used them, so I'm not sure of the selection.

Templecom? Isn't that place just a front for the IRA?

lodgepole

Originally posted by ObeyGiant
Templecom? Isn't that place just a front for the IRA?

Never heard that one before...


It's a great shop for Asian and Horror cinema. Though you can only buy there. It is cheap though.

smiaras

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ObeyGiant

Originally posted by smiaras
Where abouts is Templecom and where can you buy in bulk off the net that it works out as cheap as a rental.

Places like dddhouse are fantastic for this. They're selling Ichi the Killer for EUR3 (That's three euro). Even their most expensive DVDs are only around EUR7 (That's seven euro).

They changed their shipping rates recently, so you don't need to buy in bulk to make the most of the shipping charges. So this means you could get Ichi the Killer for a grant total of.. EUR6 (That's six euro).

Watch out though - when you buy Asian films _from_ Asia, you tend to get stuck with dodgy Engrish subtitles.

smiaras

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Places like dddhouse are fantastic for this

Do you have a link for this?

smiaras

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