議論が必要アジア映画 (Asian film needs discussion)

[soitgoes...]

Because the Cult needs a place where it can feel at home.

[Qrazy]

Ahh this reminds me of my old rate/rank thread when I was watching a shitload of old samurai films from Gosha and the like. Maybe time to start doing that again.

[Boner M]

Asian Action vs. Asian Stasis

Discuss!

[soitgoes...]

We sort of have one ish... I'll bump it.Yeah, that one had a very direct idea about it. After everyone rated the directors listed it just sorta stopped.

Edit: I still reference the lists occasionally, and I'm amazed how out of date mine are already.

[soitgoes...]

Asian Action vs. Asian Stasis

Discuss!I tend to like the stasis films more, but I have to admit that not many things in film make me as happy as when Asian (esp. Japanese) films veer into crazy.

[Qrazy]

Asian Action vs. Asian Stasis

Discuss!

Much prefer asian action.

[Sycophant]

No! Keep it in the FDT!

[ledfloyd]

Asian Action vs. Asian Stasis

Discuss!
stasis.

tsai ming-liang ftw.

[Mysterious Dude]

I can't stand stasis anything.

[Derek]

I can't stand stasis anything.

Have you seen any Jia Zhang-ke films? His brand of stasiscore may meet the requisite level of Antoine-demanded realism to work for you.

[Stay Puft]

An asian film discussion thread, just like ye Match Cut of olde, minus Llopin and Li Lili and all those folks. Good people.

[Stay Puft]

Also there are few things I like less than contemporary Japanese action movie trends. Yeesh.

[Watashi]

This thread.

[Dukefrukem]

Anyone here see The Good, The bad and the Weird? It's streaming on Netflix and I'm tempted.

[soitgoes...]

No! Keep it in the FDT!
How come?

[Qrazy]

Also there are few things I like less than contemporary Japanese action movie trends. Yeesh.

Yeah they suck.

[Ezee E]

I Saw the Devil might be my first 2011 movie.

[soitgoes...]

Kôji Wakamatsu never strayed too far from his comfort zone, at least in the 60's. His early films always relied on heavy use of violence and sexual abuse. As the "godfather" of pinku films he was able to elevate his films above the level of schlock as would be expected with someone so enamored with rape, humiliation and the degradation of women. His films have a level of beauty, possessing qualities of his contemporaries Yoshida and Ôshima, but at the same time his films leave things like story and plot in the background. I guess when you make 50 films in seven years some things will be sacrificed. The Embryo Hunts in Secret is no different. A man traps his girlfriend in his apartment and tortures her repeatedly. Through flashbacks we're shown that he had an ex-wife who he also tortured because she got pregnant. He was convinced it wasn't he who did the impregnating. That's about all there is to the story, but using a clever use of still shots, high contrast film, and sound editing Wakamatsu nevertheless entertains for 70 minutes. Not his best work, but certainly watchable. Nice surprising use of Beethoven's 3rd as well.

[Russ]

Finally saw Endhiran, which was as I expected: big, dumb, goofy fun. I even liked a couple of the songs. Reminded me of one of those fast food super-size meals - perfectly enjoyable at the time of consumption, but halfway through, both you (and the film) are a bloated mess. And someone definitely should have told the director, S. Shankar, to hold the cheese. Seriously.

Oh, and Aishwarya Rai sure is pretty.

http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_WeUuCrEG_oE/TUJ4CQMRTSI/AAAAAAAADw8/9P9gd52RdH8/s1600/aishwarya-rai.jpg

[soitgoes...]

Finally saw Endhiran, which was as I expected: big, dumb, goofy fun. I even liked a couple of the songs. Reminded me of one of those fast food super-size meals - perfectly enjoyable at the time of consumption, but halfway through, both you (and the film) are a bloated mess. And someone definitely should have told the director, S. Shankar, to hold the cheese. Seriously.

Oh, and Aishwarya Rai sure is pretty.

I want to see this, but I also have an aversion to Indian films with musical numbers. I'm torn.

And yeah, she's hot.

[Russ]

I want to see this, but I also have an aversion to Indian films with musical numbers. I'm torn.

And yeah, she's hot.
Shooting for the film began with on-location filming at Machu Picchu for one of the songs -- which had absolutely nothing to do with any event in the film. :)

[Sycophant]

How come?

I don't like it when genres of film get separated out. I was more ok with horror more because I don't really care 'bout horror.

[soitgoes...]

I don't like it when genres of film get separated out. I was more ok with horror more because I don't really care 'bout horror.
I figured this would spawn more discussion in an area that I do care about. It's disheartening when something gets posted, and is immediately buried by discussion number 23 on the merits of Christopher Nolan in contemporary film.

[B-side]

I figured this would spawn more discussion in an area that I do care about. It's disheartening when something gets posted, and is immediately buried by discussion number 23 on the merits of Christopher Nolan in contemporary film.

I thought I provided some decent insight into why I and many others don't hold him in incredibly high esteem. But really, how often do discussions about Nolan go beyond "he's amazing" or "he's OK?" I get your point, though. I still haven't gotten a response to my questions about 'R Xmas.

[soitgoes...]

I thought I provided some decent insight into why I and many others don't hold him in incredibly high esteem. But really, how often do discussions about Nolan go beyond "he's amazing" or "he's OK?" I get your point, though. I still haven't gotten a response to my questions about 'R Xmas.
Only two people in Ferrara's thread have seen the film, and one of whom doesn't post here anymore. Throw the Raiders signal up in the sky to get the response you require.

The Nolan bit was an off the cuff remark. There's a number of recurring conversations that pop up from time to time in the FDT. I don't see why a film message board shouldn't have multiple specialized threads covering many different topics. The horror thread is great because I don't have to read about a genre that doesn't appeal to me unless I am bored and check out the thread. Those who love horror films, it's great because all their needs are contained in one thread.

[B-side]

Only two people in Ferrara's thread have seen the film, and one of whom doesn't post here anymore. Throw the Raiders signal up in the sky to get the response you require.

The Nolan bit was an off the cuff remark. There's a number of recurring conversations that pop up from time to time in the FDT. I don't see why a film message board shouldn't have multiple specialized threads covering many different topics. The horror thread is great because I don't have to read about a genre that doesn't appeal to me unless I am bored and check out the thread. Those who love horror films, it's great because all their needs are contained in one thread.

Boner and Raiders have seen 'R Xmas, but neither bothered to respond to my questions. Obviously they hate me.

Yeah, I get what you mean. I didn't mean my post to come off as seriously defensive, I just think it's a topic worthy of real discussion as opposed to short and dismissive retorts.

[Kiusagi]

I just started watching the films of Chan-wook Park, starting with Joint Security Area. Very good, but the English speaking scenes felt really awkward and brought it down slightly for me. Apparently that's a common criticism though. Also watching it with subtitles and being unfamiliar with the actors made it kinda hard for me to follow the details. I'll attribute that to my own stupidity and not fault the movie for it. I understand it pretty well now.

Really looking forward to the next three, especially Oldboy.

[Qrazy]

I thought I provided some decent insight into why I and many others don't hold him in incredibly high esteem. But really, how often do discussions about Nolan go beyond "he's amazing" or "he's OK?" I get your point, though. I still haven't gotten a response to my questions about 'R Xmas.

I found the entire film (first and second half) to be mediocre to bad and instantly forgettable. Does that answer your question?

[Boner M]

Boner and Raiders have seen 'R Xmas, but neither bothered to respond to my questions. Obviously they hate me.
Sorry, but I didn't really have an opinion one way or another on your questions. I only discuss something if I feel passionate about it.

[Qrazy]

Sorry, but I didn't really have an opinion one way or another on your questions. I only discuss something if I feel passionate about it.

What do you think about brown rice?

[Boner M]

What do you think about brown rice?
A tasty and healthy option compared to plain white rice, if a wee bit pricey. When I use a rice cooker I usually need to add 1/2 cup more water than the directions recommended. My first attempt came out like a "trampoline for teeth", as my wisecracking younger son commented. Overall though, I greatly enjoy brown rice, and find it infinitely preferable to Abel Ferrara's 'R Xmas and especially Brightside's brief questions regarding its thematic import.

[D_Davis]

Oh, and Aishwarya Rai sure is pretty.



She's pretty much the most beautiful woman in the world.

:)

Fun flick.

[Dukefrukem]

Anyone here see The Good, The bad and the Weird? It's streaming on Netflix and I'm tempted.

Well I ended up watching this last night anyway...it was fun, but there were plenty of segments that could have been cut out. The chase through the desert towards the end seemed ... like it would never end.

[Scar]

What do you think about brown rice?

1m0fW-SY7eY

[soitgoes...]

I just started watching the films of Chan-wook Park, starting with Joint Security Area. Very good, but the English speaking scenes felt really awkward and brought it down slightly for me. Apparently that's a common criticism though. Also watching it with subtitles and being unfamiliar with the actors made it kinda hard for me to follow the details. I'll attribute that to my own stupidity and not fault the movie for it. I understand it pretty well now.

Really looking forward to the next three, especially Oldboy.Well it's only going to get better for you. JSA is Park's worst film that I've seen. For future reference, Lee Byung-hun, who plays the South Korean sergeant, shows up in quite a few big name Korean films over the past decade. His North Korean counterpart, Song Kang-ho is the lead in Park's Sympathy for Mr. Vengeance. He's one of my favorite Korean actors.

[B-side]

The Elephant Man (Lynch, 2010) 93
Species (Donaldson, 2010) 61

They remade 'em last year?


Capitalism: A Love Story (More, 2009) 81

Couldn't get enough, eh?

:D

[soitgoes...]

I watched Funeral Parade of Roses last night and wow! A number of people here would totally dig this film. It was the first feature film by avant-garde director, Toshio Matsumoto. From the MoC DVD cover:


A feverish collision of avant-garde aesthetics and grind-house shocks (not to mention a direct influence on Stanley Kubrick’s A Clockwork Orange), Funeral Parade of Roses takes us on an electrifying journey into the nether-regions of the late-’60s Tokyo underworld. In Toshio Matsumoto’s controversial debut feature, seemingly nothing is taboo: neither the incorporation of visual flourishes straight from the worlds of contemporary graphic-design, painting, comic-books, and animation; nor the unflinching depiction of nudity, sex, drug-use, and public-toilets. But of all the “transgressions” here on display, perhaps one in particular stands out the most: the film’s groundbreaking and unapologetic portrayal of Japanese gay subculture.

Cross-dressing club-kid Eddie (played by real-life transvestite entertainer extraordinaire Peter, famed for his role as Kyoami the Fool in Akira Kurosawa’s Ran) vies with a rival drag-queen (Osamu Ogasawara) for the favours of drug-dealing cabaret-manager Gonda (Yoshio Tsuchiya, himself a Kurosawa player who appeared in such films as Seven Samurai, Throne of Blood, and High and Low). Passions escalate and blood begins to flow — before all tensions are released in a jolting climax that prefigures by nearly thirty years Tsai Ming-liang’s similarly scandalous The River.

To be fair, the Clockwork Orange connection is tenuous at best. Kubrick apparently was a fan of this film, but I doubt there was too much influence. A sped up sequence is the only similarity I can see, outside of both films looking at fringe characters.

[B-side]

I've had that on my hard drive for ages.

[soitgoes...]

I've had that on my hard drive for ages.You were one of the people I was alluding to. It's very much a Brightside film, which means you must now watch it and hate it.

[B-side]

You were one of the people I was alluding to. It's very much a Brightside film, which means you must now watch it and hate it.

I figured you were alluding to me, which is why I responded.:P

Y'know, I do like some films that aren't batshit insane.:D

[soitgoes...]

I figured you were alluding to me, which is why I responded.:P

Y'know, I do like some films that aren't batshit insane.:DThat's not why I was alluding to you. It's because of the ladyboys. ;)

[B-side]

That's not why I was alluding to you. It's because of the ladyboys. ;)

:pritch:

[Dukefrukem]

They remade 'em last year?



Couldn't get enough, eh?

:D

Copy and Paste always getsme

[ledfloyd]

i watched perfect blue last night. i didn't dislike it, but it was nowhere near as good as the other kon films i've seen.

[Kiusagi]

Well it's only going to get better for you. JSA is Park's worst film that I've seen. For future reference, Lee Byung-hun, who plays the South Korean sergeant, shows up in quite a few big name Korean films over the past decade. His North Korean counterpart, Song Kang-ho is the lead in Park's Sympathy for Mr. Vengeance. He's one of my favorite Korean actors.

Thanks for the tips. Yeah, I knew Lee a little, having seen him in G.I. Joe. Great performances from those two in JSA. The Vengeance Trilogy seems right up my alley and I'm pretty excited to finally watch it.

[Russ]

The Vengeance Trilogy seems right up my alley and I'm pretty excited to finally watch it.
If The Vengeance Trilogy leaves you hungry for more, be sure and try the new Japanese classic, Confessions (Tetsuya Nakashima).

Back on the Korean front, I've been hearing good things about Jee-woon Kim's I Saw the Devil, starring Byung-hun Lee and Min-sik Choi (OldBoy). Have any of our regulars seen this one yet?

[soitgoes...]

Back on the Korean front, I've been hearing good things about Jee-woon Kim's I Saw the Devil, starring Byung-hun Lee and Min-sik Choi (OldBoy). Have any of our regulars seen this one yet?Yes, I've seen it. Much better than The Good the Bad & the Weird. It runs itself into a morality problem, and it takes awhile for the film to figure out which direction it wants to go. An absolutely brutal movie. I know that won't bother you, but it will likely turn off some. Lee is good enough, but really the film is about Choi and Kim. It's a treat to see Choi acting again. I hope he continues to and doesn't disappear again for what seems like 5 years.

Conversely, TripZone hated it, but I'm not sure of his reasonings.

[Russ]

Hate to say it, but I can't really recommend I Saw the Devil (although it does feature a couple of terrific performances from the leads). It was too obvious in its message and too protracted in its execution. Fans of stylish*, ultra-violent fare will likely eat this up, however.

* speaking of style, hats off for the inventive camerwork during the taxi scene.

SPOILER alert: here's the above mentioned taxi scene (don't view if you don't want the film spoiled a bit)

AGzA5gylY7c

[soitgoes...]

Hate to say it, but I can't really recommend I Saw the Devil (although it does feature a couple of terrific performances from the leads). It was too obvious in its message and too protracted in its execution. Fans of stylish*, ultra-violent fare will likely eat this up, however.

* speaking of style, hats off for the inventive camerwork during the taxi scene.
Basically, but I enjoyed it enough all the same. It's as if Kim didn't know how to end the film so he kept adding torture scenes until he figured it out. I guess when I look at this film and The Good the Bad & the Weird it's apparent that Kim has swayed more to excess is better, when really it's not. Choi is charismatic enough to keep me entertained though.

A better recent Korean revenge film is The Man from Nowhere.

[baby doll]

Quite by accident, I happened by a building in Hong Kong called Chungking Mansions, which was the principle location/inspiration for the first half of Chungking Express. Turns out the movie's pretty spot on (the only thing it's missing is a woman wearing a raincoat and sunglasses), although these days there are more people from the Middle-East and Africa than South Asians (there's a mosque just down the street). According to Wikipedia, the Midnight Express (which was two stops over on the subway) was turned into a 7-11 a few years back, so I guess I won't be making a pilgrimage there.

[Mysterious Dude]

I saw Ip Man last night, and it has several problems that I have with a lot of Hong Kong action films. One is a lack of focus. You have this bullying gang leader who wants to start his own Kung Fu school in town. After he departs, Japan invades China and he is forgotten about until he returns to extort the pillow factory. I thought maybe he and the good guys would join forces to fight the Japanese, which would be silly, but at least it would link the two stories better.

I also don't like that every historical event is reduced to a series of kung fu battles in so many Hong Kong films. I have no doubt that many people practiced martian arts throughout the history of China, but I very much doubt that martial arts was any kind of important factory in any given historical event. It is especially hard to buy it in a World War II story, and I think putting so much focus on kung fu makes a mockery of the devastation that was inflicted upon China during that time. The final battle reminded me of Sanshiro Sugata II ("my country's fighting style is superior to yours").

Hong Kong films remind me of Indian films, except that instead of the film being constantly interrupted by singing, it is constantly interrupted by fighting. It's like it doesn't even matter who's doing the fighting, either, as long as someone is fighting every ten minutes or so.

The hero is also a terrible protagonist. He's so damn good. I've read that the historical Ip Man was an opium-addict. If they had bothered to include that, it would have made his character a lot more interesting.

[D_Davis]

Yeah, I can't defend Ip Man, because it's just not a very good movie. I was hoping it would have been more serious, like Jet Li's Fearless. Rather it is simply another modern martial arts film using a historical figure as a super hero.

But if a focused and tight narrative is something you look for, I would definitely stay away from the vast majority of all HK genre films. :) Most HK genre flicks fall under the everything-and-the-kitchen-sink-plus-any-old-damned-thing-else banner of filmmaking.
:)

[StanleyK]

Oasis just kicked my ass. This is the most emotionally invested I've been in a first viewing for quite some time. I really love that it doesn't shy away from the ugliest facets of its main characters, while still creating empathetic, fully dimensional people. And the acting! The cinematography! The staging! I'm already in love with this Lee character. Secret Sunshine is a top priority now.

[dreamdead]

I especially love how Lee frames pretty much every fantasy sequence in single-take, complicating the sense of fantasy precisely because each moment comes off as quotidian. And this film is probably as naked in its social critique as any of the recent glut of Korean film, though Poetry's men give it a run for its money.

And yes, Lee is magisterial. His films have a sense of realism to them that elides the initial recognition of how cinematic his vision is, but Peppermint Candy, Oasis, Secret Sunshine, and I]Poetry [/I] are as solid a streak as pretty much any filmmaker.

I should see Green Fish at some point to complete his filmography, but I know not to expect much from that one.

[ledfloyd]

i watched poetry and secret sunshine in january and was completely stunned by his filmmaking. i'm eager to see peppermint candy and oasis.

[Idioteque Stalker]

The fantasy sequences in Oasis are beautiful and cathartic, yes, but the fact that they are centered around the girl being "normal" betrays what is most touching to me about the romance. Glad Lee kept them, but it always bugged me just a little bit. Wonderful movie.

[StanleyK]

Secret Sunshine was possibly an even more complicated and rewarding character study. It makes as convincing a case for religious devotion as for faithlessness, on the same breath as it points out the smugness of both holier-than-thou bible thumping and militant atheism. The attention to staging and milking the actors for the tiniest body movement they're worth continue from Oasis, showing that Lee can carry a unique style in a film that feels noticeably different. This guy is good. Poetry on Wednesday, baby.

[soitgoes...]

Secret Sunshine was possibly an even more complicated and rewarding character study. It makes as convincing a case for religious devotion as for faithlessness, on the same breath as it points out the smugness of both holier-than-thou bible thumping and militant atheism. The attention to staging and milking the actors for the tiniest body movement they're worth continue from Oasis, showing that Lee can carry a unique style in a film that feels noticeably different. This guy is good. Poetry on Wednesday, baby.Yeah, Lee got probably the best two female performances of the decade out of Moon and Jeon.

[StanleyK]

I liked Poetry quite a bit, but it was a letdown as it felt more laborious than Lee's previous efforts. His craftsmanship is still impeccable, the performances and drama he extracts still tops, but a few too many touches struck me as self-importantly 'serious' (the main character weeping in the shower, or getting soaked in the rain yet unphased by it, or having stone-faced pity sex, or the epilogue with her poetry read in voice over that eventually transitions to the dead girl's voice) and sometimes frankly cliché (the horny old man subplot, the one-dimensional disrespectful teenager) for me to fully embrace it.

[lovejuice]

http://english.cri.cn/mmsource/images/2009/05/21/4581jiangwen2.jpg
This is a movie to see for any Asian aficionado. I watch a badly dubbed Thai version, so parts of the story fly over my head. (Since it was nominated for best screenplay in Asian Film Awards, I guess, the movie should make more sense.) The style is great. A mixture of many genres: western, dark comedy, gangster, action, political parable.

[lovejuice]

Yeah, I can't defend Ip Man, because it's just not a very good movie. I was hoping it would have been more serious, like Jet Li's Fearless. :)
Did you watch the sequel? I like that more than Fearless, and Donnie Yen, I think, plays that sort of role better than Jet Li.

[D_Davis]

Did you watch the sequel? I like that more than Fearless, and Donnie Yen, I think, plays that sort of role better than Jet Li.

I did not, but I will. Better than Fearless, eh? I think Fearless is a masterpiece, so we'll have to see...

[lovejuice]

I did not, but I will. Better than Fearless, eh? I think Fearless is a masterpiece, so we'll have to see...
My problem with Fearless is tonal inconsistency. The first act, the intermission, and the second act seem like they all belong to different movies. The story is supposed to be about the spiritual growth of an individual, but while Li can portray different types of personalities convincingly, when he has to do that all in one single movie, it doesn't come out very well.

[EyesWideOpen]

Well I ended up watching this last night anyway...it was fun, but there were plenty of segments that could have been cut out. The chase through the desert towards the end seemed ... like it would never end.

I just watched it and felt the same way. Most of the action scenes felt like they would never end. I guess by the title I expected more "weird" and instead got more "boring".

[D_Davis]

Well I ended up watching this last night anyway...it was fun, but there were plenty of segments that could have been cut out. The chase through the desert towards the end seemed ... like it would never end.


Yeah - the film meanders something fierce. Not good.

[EyesWideOpen]

I've been sorely lacking on watching any recent Asian films over the last couple years. Anyone have any recommendations? Preferably ones that are available on netflix.

[number8]

Merantau is probably the best martial arts film in the past few years for me. And no, I'm not just saying that because I'm Indonesian.

EDIT: It's on Instant Watch.

[EyesWideOpen]

Merantau is probably the best martial arts film in the past few years for me. And no, I'm not just saying that because I'm Indonesian.

EDIT: It's on Instant Watch.

Added to my queue, thanks.

I went through this thread to add most of the movies mentioned and almost none of them are available on netflix. I've seen Oasis but did Secret Sunshine and Poetry never get US dvd releases? It looks like they don't carry Oasis anymore either.

[number8]

Yeah, they never did. Or at least haven't.

[D_Davis]

Merantau is probably the best martial arts film in the past few years for me. And no, I'm not just saying that because I'm Indonesian.

EDIT: It's on Instant Watch.

It is good.

[number8]

It is good.

The best part is that the director doesn't show every stunt three times from different angles.

[D_Davis]

The best part is that the director doesn't show every stunt three times from different angles.

It has an early mid-school HK vibe to it.

[Raiders]

I'm sad I haven't posted in this thread. Tell me, are these the kind of awsum movies I see playing at the mall kiosk? One wicked cool fight sequence after another with like, 100 dudes all getting their ass kicked? That's what foreign asian movies are, right?

[D_Davis]

I'm sad I haven't posted in this thread. Tell me, are these the kind of awsum movies I see playing at the mall kiosk? One wicked cool fight sequence after another with like, 100 dudes all getting their ass kicked? That's what foreign asian movies are, right?

Not all of them, but most of them. Some of them also have giant monsters, tentacle rape, and robots.

[origami_mustache]

I like Asians.

[Qrazy]

Watching Platform today or tomorrow, my first Jia.

[Derek]

Watching Platform today or tomorrow, my first Jia.

Nice, though you won't like it.

[dreamdead]

Nice, though you won't like it.

Yeah, it doesn't seem like a Qrazy kinda film, a little too minimalistic. I still think Still Life is Jia's best (between that, The World, Platform) in merging his tendency to confront political and personal interests in modern China; though I've missed his last few and still need to catch up on Unknown Pleasures.

[origami_mustache]

I Wish I Knew is one of the best films I saw in 2010. I find the format of most documentaries to be rather dull and formulaic and I’m turned off by them more often than not, but Jia uniquely blends documentary and fiction, like he did in 24 City, as various people from Shanghai recall personal memories from the Cultural Revolution complimented with beautiful photography and segments from significant Chinese films like Spring In A Small Town and Hou Hsiao-Hsien’s Flowers of Shanghai. I think this film succeeds where 24 City had less success, in that it carries a more pathos infused poetic tone and rhythm as the people discuss personal accounts of the revolution as well as more universal accounts of death and love.

[Russ]

Carmen Comes Homes (Keisuke Kinoshita, 1951) proved to be a delight, and further cements Kinoshita's reputation for mimicing Golden Age Hollywood fare. The comedic elements of the two big city cultural "artists" (they're really strippers) returning to the hometown roots of one of the dancers, combined the feel-good Hollywood aesthetic of a lightweight comedy with Japanese tradition and culture. The visiting dancers (Hideko Takamine and Toshiko Kobayashi) are hilarious throughout as is the villagers' frequent bewilderment at their behavior. As befits Japan's first color film, the cinematography is grand and magnificent, showcasing the vast expanse of the village's landscape at the foot of the massive Mount Asama. A sweet but never overly-sentimental film that focuses on how the villagers' lives are turned upside-down (and changed for the better) as a result of Carmen's brief visit home. ***½/****

The brevity of this one -- at a mere 86 minutes -- is in startling contrast to Kinoshita's epic weepy drama, Twenty Four Eyes, yet it now has me wanting to revisit the latter film. Oh, and I need to see more Takamine doing comedy -- she looked like she was having the time of her life. Guess I need to check out the sequel, Carmen Falls in Love (which was shot in b&w, oddly enough).


http://25.media.tumblr.com/tumblr_ks1ysty6QU1qzj7nfo1_500 .jpg

[soitgoes...]

The River Fuefuki is an interesting Kinoshita film (and it has Takamine too!). It's B&W, but with hand painted splashes of color here and there. An interesting idea that ultimately failed because of a weak story, but still definitely worth checking out if only for the idea behind it.

[Russ]

Carmen Falls in Love (Keisuke Kinoshita, 1952) **½/****

And she does so with mixed results in Kinoshita's followup to the hugely successful Carmen Comes Home. It's a scathing social satire dressed up as a zany farce and shot almost entirely in an exaggerated tilt-angled style, and frequently changing angles back and forth constantly...be sure to bring the dramamine!

The satire is the most interesting aspect, but instead of lampooning Western culture, Kinoshita turns his critiques inward to explore a new post-war Japan. In the first film, Takamine and Kobayashi represented the new Western values (read: American), with their vulgar career, garish dress, and their carefree sensibilties. They were self-centered and superficial, and completely oblivious to reactions of those they encountered. In the followup film, the satire is more pointed (pro-war election candidates, selfish, entitled youth, and, in a funny running gag, an older woman who is unable to put aside her obsession with the A-bomb).

Sounds like a recipe for another hit, but this one delivers mixed results: in contrast to the first film, which scored with warmth and charm because of the contrast between the tranquil life of the village and the arrival of big-city values, the second film instead makes Takamine and Kobayashi the relatively normal figures and juxtaposes everything else against them by making virtually every other character as zany and over-the-top as possible. It's not a complete failure however. Although Kobayshi is basically wasted in a glorified cameo, and Takamine seems a bit labored in some of her physical bits (or maybe perhaps just bored?), the comic heavy in this film is Eiko Miyoshi in a standout performance as a pro-military parliamentary candidate. Every second she's on screen is excrutiatingly funny -- not even the great Takamine stands a chance opposite her. Ms. Myoshi doesn't just steal the film -- she kidnaps it and holds it at gunpoint!


http://i536.photobucket.com/albums/ff324/astrojester/carmeneiko.jpg

[EyesWideOpen]

Merantau is probably the best martial arts film in the past few years for me. And no, I'm not just saying that because I'm Indonesian.

EDIT: It's on Instant Watch.

Good recommendation! The plot was merely serviceable but the action scenes especially in the latter half of the film were top notch. The lead actor Iko Uwais was great. Looks like him and the director are filming another film right now to come out in 2012.

[number8]

Yep. Plot was whatever but I think what keeps it serviceable is how weird the villain guy is, with his undefinable European accent and an ambiguously gay relationship with his brother who has a distinctly different and also undefinable European accent to whom he speaks English in private with. I like villains like that.

[EyesWideOpen]

I picked up the Vengeance Trilogy blu-ray boxset from amazon. I've seen Sympathy for Mr. Vengeance and Oldboy at least five times each but Lady Vengeance only once and I've been wanting to watch the fade to white version. I rewatched Mr. Vengeance and I love it. It's one of my favorite films ever. Chan-wook Park has yet to make anything that wasn't fantastic.

JSA
Vengeance Trilogy
Cut
I'm a Cyborg, But That's OK
Thirst

All brilliant.

I also ordered Takeshi's, Glory to the Filmmaker, and Endhiran.

[ledfloyd]

i thought JSA was mediocre, cut was awful and i owe thirst another look.

i've watched ploy and last life in the universe over the last couple weeks. i think i like ratanaruang a bit more than weerasethakul. if we're arbitrarily comparing thai filmmakers.

[transmogrifier]

Cyborg is awful, JSA is just kind of meh, and Lady Vengeance is just merely good. But Oldboy is close to the best film of the 2000s, Mr. Vengeance is excellent, and Thirst is a spazzy, glorious clusterfuck delight.

[B-side]

Cyborg is awful.

Nah.

[transmogrifier]

Nah.

That's weird, someone not agreeing with someone else about a movie.

:)

PS: I'm right.

[B-side]

That's weird, someone not agreeing with someone else about a movie.

:)

PS: I'm right.

While I respect your right to be wrong, I'm gonna have to go ahead and make this information public for the sake of the forum.

[soitgoes...]

I really like the quirky fun of I'm a Cyborg, But That's OK, so I'm going to have to agree with Brightside here (weird), but trans, you're pretty spot on with the rest of your Park statement. Five out of six isn't bad.

[Stay Puft]

i've watched ploy and last life in the universe over the last couple weeks. i think i like ratanaruang a bit more than weerasethakul. if we're arbitrarily comparing thai filmmakers.

Nymph is real good, my fav so far though I haven't seen many admittedly. Gorgeously shot, tightly controlled mood, wonderful sound design. But as far as these arbitrary comparisons go, Joe's films still have better sound design on the whole so he wins out.

[ledfloyd]

Nymph is real good, my fav so far though I haven't seen many admittedly. Gorgeously shot, tightly controlled mood, wonderful sound design. But as far as these arbitrary comparisons go, Joe's films still have better sound design on the whole so he wins out.
nymph is actually my least favorite of the three i've seen. thematically it didn't work as well for me. it seemed to kind of lose it's way in the third act.

[origami_mustache]

Nymph was alright, I prefer it to 6ixtynin9 but Last Life In the Universe was more enjoyable than both. I see little comparison between the three Ratanaruang films I've seen and Joe's movies as Ratanaruang are much more conventional and straight forward. I want to check out Ploy and Invisible Waves next. Anyone seen either of those?

[Boner M]

Invisible Waves was pretty bad, but redeemed by the Doyle-porn.

[EyesWideOpen]

I really wish more Stephen Chow films were available in the US. I love Kung Fu Hustle and Shaolin Soccer. I have the Royal Tramp Collection coming from netflix.

Anyone have any other recommendations of the films that are available on netflix?

[Qrazy]

I really wish more Stephen Chow films were available in the US. I love Kung Fu Hustle and Shaolin Soccer. I have the Royal Tramp Collection coming from netflix.

Anyone have any other recommendations of the films that are available on netflix?

Post what's available and I will recommend.

[Sycophant]

CJ7 (2008) - Fun, kind of Spielbergian, and a little different from what Chow usually does. Enjoyable though, and still decidedly a Hong Kong Stephen Chow film.
Kung Fu Hustle (2004) - you've seen this.
Shaolin Soccer (2001) - you've seen this.
The Tricky Master (2000) - Have not seen. Nor have I heard very good things about it.
Lawyer Lawyer (1997) - Have not seen.
Forbidden City Cop (1996) - Absolutely fantastic. Some of my favorite comic moments.
Royal Tramp (1992) & Royal Tramp / Royal Tramp 2 (1992) - Can barely remember these, but I have memories that tell me they're really funny (and really crass)
God of Gamblers III: Back to Shanghai (1991) - Have not seen.
God of Gamblers II (1991) - Pretty funny. Watch after All for the Winner.
Curry & Pepper (1990) - Awful. Don't bother.
Lung Fung Restaurant (1990) - Have not seen.
All for the Winner (1990) - Chow's breakout film. Definitely worth watching, even if it's rougher than most. Best seen after seeing God of Gamblers, the film it's a parody of.

As for films you can "save" for later (if they ever come):

If at all possible, see A Chinese Odyssey (both parts) and King of Comedy, a surreal comedy drama that's quite unlike anything I've ever seen. The first two Fight Back to School films are fun, but perhaps not essential. The third is a straight up Basic Instinct parody that isn't without value. King of Beggars is an old Johnnie To film and it's pretty tonally all over the place (more than most) and a little sloppy, but I love it. From Beijing With Love is lower priority, but yeah, it's fun, and a lot of people like it more than I do. Flirting Scholar is hilarious and goofy and I love it.

It's not even listed on Netflix at all, but keep an eye out for God of Cookery. It's in my top ten films, and perhaps is closest in tone to Shaolin Soccer.

I'm a bit of a superfan, so keep that in mind.

[EyesWideOpen]

Thanks for the rec's Sycophant!

I forgot to mention that I've seen CJ7. I just didn't like it as much as the other two I've seen. Something about the way the kid was abusing the "creature" rubbed me the wrong way but I'm due for a rewatch.

Looks like after the two Royal Tramp films I'll watch Forbidden City Cop and then I'll try to get ahold of God of Cookery, God of Gamblers, A Chinese Odyssey, and King of Comedy.

[EyesWideOpen]

Post what's available and I will recommend.

Syco listed the one's available at the top of his post.

[baby doll]

If at all possible, see A Chinese Odyssey (both parts)I picked this up a few weeks ago, but haven't gotten around to watching it yet.

[Raiders]

If you don't want high quality, God of Cookery is available on YouTube in parts. Here is Part 1:

www.youtube.com/watch?v=RzdlxOVTV2Y (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RzdlxOVTV2Y)

Of course, there are other online methods as well.

[Dukefrukem]

Kung Fu Hustle was on Comedy Centrial the other day so I popped in the DVD. Where has Stephen Chow been?

[EyesWideOpen]

If you don't want high quality, God of Cookery is available on YouTube in parts. Here is Part 1:

www.youtube.com/watch?v=RzdlxOVTV2Y (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RzdlxOVTV2Y)

Of course, there are other online methods as well.

I don't mind the quality as much I just hate watching movies on my computer.

[baby doll]

Kung Fu Hustle was on Comedy Centrial the other day so I popped in the DVD. Where has Stephen Chow been?Hong Kong? Wait, is that a trick question?

[KK2.0]

"The Good the Bad The Weird" was on Cinemax just now, i couldn't pay attention to it but it got stuck in my head, very cool loking western.

[EyesWideOpen]

Just need to see Happy Together and Blueberry Nights and I'll have completed the Wong Kar-Wai filmography.

[number8]

New York Asian Film Festival this summer will be screening The Blade with Tsui Hark in attendance.

OH FUCK YES.

[D_Davis]

New York Asian Film Festival this summer will be screening The Blade with Tsui Hark in attendance.

OH FUCK YES.

Nice. Maybe it'll finally be officially released.

Sven and I recently watched it, and damn is it ever great.

[Qrazy]

Nice. Maybe it'll finally be officially released.

Sven and I recently watched it, and damn is it ever great.

It is either the best or worst movie ever made. I don't know which as I have not seen it yet, but I plan on doing so, maybe.

[D_Davis]

Yeah. And Tsui Hark is either the greatest filmmaker, or a complete hack.

[Qrazy]

Yeah. And Tsui Hark is either the greatest filmmaker, or a complete hack.

I would think that hacks would be able to hack it with the best of 'em. It doesn't really make sense that a hack can't hack it.

[EyesWideOpen]

I watched Endhiran today and it was pretty disappointing. You could just watch ten minutes of clips from it online and save yourself the other 2 and a half hours of boredom. There's also about thirty minutes of musical scenes that usually have nothing to do with what's going on in the story and are about the level of quality musically and visually as you'd see on the Disney channel.

[D_Davis]

I liked it well enough.

[ledfloyd]

the terrorizers is a fucking film.

[soitgoes...]

the terrorizers is a fucking film.
I much prefer A Brighter Summer Day and Yi yi.

[ledfloyd]

I much prefer A Brighter Summer Day and Yi yi.
i haven't seen the former yet but i found this much more engaging than yi yi. which is still a fantastic film, terroriziers just bowled me over.

[soitgoes...]

i haven't seen the former yet but i found this much more engaging than yi yi. which is still a fantastic film, terroriziers just bowled me over.
I should probably rewatch it now that there is a much better print of it about. A poor print did't hurt my opinion of A Brighter Summer Day though.

[Stay Puft]

I have copies of all of these films but have never watched them. Yi Yi is probably the popular pick, yeah? Should I start there or jump in anywhere?

[soitgoes...]

I have copies of all of these films but have never watched them. Yi Yi is probably the popular pick, yeah? Should I start there or jump in anywhere?I would say Yi yi because of the quality of the print and I prefer it to The Terrorizers. It was also my first of his.

[soitgoes...]

I had not seen Ozu's Late Spring since I rented it from a now defunct multi-region DVD-by-mail site back before it was released by Criterion. It was a poorly produced Panorama DVD out of Hong Kong, but I still loved the film, even with its shitty subtitles. I have since seen many other Ozu films, and on most days I will tell you he's my favorite director (Bergman claims the other days). I have really only seen two of his films more than once before watching Late Spring again last night, so I got all excited when I decided to start backtracking by way through the films of his I'd seen, and watching those I hadn't for the first time.

Late Spring is something of a career defining film for Ozu. It came at a somewhat low point of his career, his previous two films didn't fare all that well both critically and commercially. It would usher in what later critics would call late-period Ozu which would last until his death 13 years later. It also marked his rejoining with Kogo Noda with whom he would write all the rest of his films.

The film is very much a Japanese film, tradition is found throughout, a tea ceremony, a Noh play, Japanese rock gardens, etc., but when the viewer looks closer he sees that Ozu is struggling against tradition. This is very much a progressive film. A new Japan is present, one in which centuries long beliefs are no longer things that one needs to adhere. A time where a father no longer can tell his daughter what to do, but rather advises her what to do. Remarrying after a wife's death is no longer considered to be an impure action. There's a shift in the norm, a 27 year old woman still needs to be married because she's in her late spring years, but the choice of who she'll marry and when she'll marry is now hers to make. Twenty or thirty years later that shift will be even more extreme, where a 27 year old girl doesn't even have to marry. Still this is liberal thinking from a man who many considered to be very conservative, very traditional, very Japanese.

Ozu is, to lift a term thrown around today, an auteur. He rarely strays from his comfort zone, he almost always uses static, low angled view of his subjects who look almost directly at the camera. He shows that even life's simplest dramas can illicit huge emotion. Cross-generational crises are his forte. Pretty much every film of his career follows these rules. He lived within the boundaries he created. I can't wait to rewatch my next Ozu film.

[dreamdead]

Great write-up. My wife and I watched Denis' 35 Shots a few months back and she's been interested in watching Late Spring to see where Denis gathered her influences. This reminds me that I need to nudge that interest in Sarah a bit. :P

I'm looking forward to examining again how Ozu treats the postwar culture, and how critical he is of Americanization and America's occupation (beyond the obvious Coke sign).

[origami_mustache]

Within the small subgenre of over-the-top Korean revenge films (if that's your cup of tea), I Saw The Devil (Kim Jee-woon, 2010) could be hailed as some sort of masterpiece, although I will choose not to do so. For a plot with not a lot of substance, and a runtime of almost 150 minutes, the director does a remarkable job of keeping things interesting by balancing shock, awe, horror, sympathy, thrills, and some dark humor, not to mention some aesthetically pleasing cinematography. The film didn't really leave me with much afterwards and it's not something I'll want to revisit, but it was fun and entertaining while it lasted and works perfectly within the constraints of the genre for what it's worth.

[soitgoes...]

Within the small subgenre of over-the-top Korean revenge films (if that's your cup of tea), I Saw The Devil (Kim Jee-woon, 2010) could be hailed as some sort of masterpiece, although I will choose not to do so. For a plot with not a lot of substance, and a runtime of almost 150 minutes, the director does a remarkable job of keeping things interesting by balancing shock, awe, horror, sympathy, thrills, and some dark humor, not to mention some aesthetically pleasing cinematography. The film didn't really leave me with much afterwards and it's not something I'll want to revisit, but it was fun and entertaining while it lasted and works perfectly within the constraints of the genre for what it's worth.Yeah I enjoyed it too, but will completely understand when someone says they don't care for it, which has already happened. I just wish Kim tightened the film up a bit more. He had the same problem with The Good, the Bad & the Weird (among other things).

[soitgoes...]

Great write-up. My wife and I watched Denis' 35 Shots a few months back and she's been interested in watching Late Spring to see where Denis gathered her influences. This reminds me that I need to nudge that interest in Sarah a bit. :P

I'm looking forward to examining again how Ozu treats the postwar culture, and how critical he is of Americanization and America's occupation (beyond the obvious Coke sign).I don't think Ozu is critical of the American occupation at all, at least not that he shows in Late Spring. I place Ozu in the role of Ryu's character, that of the apologetic father. He's sorry for what the older generation gave to the younger generation. The film is more about changing because of their new world that they created for themselves through mistakes, not changing because of American influence. The father apologizes to Noriko for her situation during the war where she had to fend for herself, and because of this the all-powerful, all-protecting patriarch figure in Japanese society is now gone. Other Japanese directors had a much harsher view on this post-war period than Ozu, especially those whose careers started after the Americans left (Oshima, Suzuki etc.). Though hailed as the most Japanese of directors it must be remembered that Ozu idealized America, especially American film, in his younger years.

As for Denis, I wasn't aware that 35 Shots of Rum had an Ozu influence. I'll have to prioritize it. Thanks.

[soitgoes...]

Interesting going from Late Spring, the beginning of his late period where he began solidifying what an Ozu film was, to Days of Youth, his earliest surviving film. I noted above that Ozu rarely strayed from his norm, but he obviously hadn't established anything approaching his "norm" when filming [i]Days of Youth," well except for shots of trains and teapots.

It is said that Ozu was a lover of American films, and this is quite apparent in this early work. He uses the Hollywood standards to eyeline matching, as well as shot/reverse shot. His camera is ever moving, or at least it feels ever moving when compared to his later works. Instead of letting a scene play out in front of his camera, his camera becomes much more intrusive, and in no way does it sit still a couple feet off the floor. The two most American things apparent in Days of Youth though are the Harold Lloyd lookalike as a co-lead actor, and the decorating the college students room with pennants from US schools and a 7th Heaven poster. Obviously since Japanese film had yet to be established as a national cinema, compared with the likes of the US, Germany or France, Ozu copied what he knew worked.

The film itself only serves as a curiosity to those interested in the early work of a master. A simple comedy of two college-age roommates in pursuit of the same girl. Ozu would continue to make comedies for a couple more years before establishing himself as a dramatic director.

[Russ]

Older Brother, Younger Sister (Mikio Naruse, 1953) ***/****
Daughters, Wives and a Mother (Mikio Naruse, 1960) **½/****

Two more kindred-centric Naruse offerings on tap this time. I slightly preferred the lean intensity of the 1953 film, Ani imôto over the later film (Musume tsuma haha), tho I'd probably classify both as "must-see's" from the Naruse canon. Both films deal with the filmmaker's usual themes (how the behavior of "flawed" family members impact the family dynamic). One strength of Older... is the effective use of exteriors to emphasize change and symbolize established relationships. The film's rural look is terrific and the many asides to family members working and residing in Tokyo are kept referential in nature.

If I had one criticism of Daughters.., it's just that I found it a bit too ambitious. While there were indeed several striking individual scenes (such as the climactic scenes of the mother helping attend to a crying child, or Setsuko Hara's farewell dance -- and indeed pretty much all her scenes with Tatsuya Nakadai) I felt that, overall, this film was more guilty of what I usually see Flowing criticized for: sprawling, awkwardly paced, and, with the backlog of side-stories, maybe a tad unfocused. For whatever reason, it just didn't really come together for me the way Flowing did. Well, that, and the fact that poor, second-billed Hideko Takamine was given so little to do! :)

[soitgoes...]

Older Brother, Younger Sister (Mikio Naruse, 1953) ***/****
Daughters, Wives and a Mother (Mikio Naruse, 1960) **½/****

Two more kindred-centric Naruse offerings on tap this time. I slightly preferred the lean intensity of the 1953 film, Ani imôto over the later film (Musume tsuma haha), tho I'd probably classify both as "must-see's" from the Naruse canon. Both films deal with the filmmaker's usual themes (how the behavior of "flawed" family members impact the family dynamic). One strength of Older... is the effective use of exteriors to emphasize change and symbolize established relationships. The film's rural look is terrific and the many asides to family members working and residing in Tokyo are kept referential in nature.

If I had one criticism of Daughters.., it's just that I found it a bit too ambitious. While there were indeed several striking individual scenes (such as the climactic scenes of the mother helping attend to a crying child, or Setsuko Hara's farewell dance -- and indeed pretty much all her scenes with Tatsuya Nakadai) I felt that, overall, this film was more guilty of what I usually see Flowing criticized for: sprawling, awkwardly paced, and, with the backlog of side-stories, maybe a tad unfocused. For whatever reason, it just didn't really come together for me the way Flowing did. Well, that, and the fact that poor, second-billed Hideko Takamine was given so little to do! :)
I've seen Daughters, Wives and a Mother and feel close to what you've said here. If anything it came off as a big disappointment given the cast (Hara, Takamine, Nakadai, Uehara, Mori, Ryu, Kato, Dan --- yeesh). It should've been the best movie of all-time, all-time.

[StanleyK]

The Host was great, unsurprisingly. Bong is the best at juggling comedy, horror, drama, action and whatnot; his understanding of the incisive power of a cut and the dramatically appropriate time to bust out close-ups or some slow-motion is possibly even sharper than in Memories of Murder. I think I still prefer that one for the fun with cinematic conventions, but The Host's updating of the Godzilla origin story is also great; in some ways, the whole movie feels like it's about the way the world perceives American intervention. But on a more immediate level, as a story about parental obligations and guilt complexes, it's very affecting. Beautiful, funny, scary, and with some of the best-directed mayhem this side of Spielberg.

[Russ]

I watched Confessions / Kokuhaku (2010) for the second time and I gotta say, I LOVE THIS MOVIE. Now, granted,it's not without its faults; however, those faults almost always spring from the plot-heavy narrative. The fact that director Tetsuya Nakashima can take such a narrative and create as intoxicating an experience as he does is nothing short of miraculous. And you do feel intoxicated throughout every breathless moment of this film. The non-linear flashback structure of the confessions that make up the bulk of the film can come off a bit convoluted and confusing on first viewing, and that's why a second viewing was invaluable in cementing in my mind the staggering accomplishment that Nakashima pulls off.

The confessions themselves are a marvel to watch unfold -- richly textured events that peel back to reveal multi-layered tales of treachery and a deviously construced revenge plot that boggles the mind in its complexity. (Truth be told, it's that complexity that took something away from my initial rave) For instance, I had a little problem with...

How everything that unfolds was contingent on the initial "setup" and the fact that Yoriguchi's ultimate revenge couldn't have occurred without everything playing out in a precise manner that Yoriguchi couldn't have predicted. However, on second viewing, she reveals how the setup was only intended to propel events to a point where she could observe and discover weaknesses that she could later exploit. And boy, does she ever!
And it does take a couple of viewings to absorb all the information (this is a fast paced, talky thriller that you really have to stay on top of). If ever a movie was made for the bulk of the Match-Cut crowd, tho, this is it. It's a crying shame it hasn't been made available yet to Region 1 folks. Therefore, I advocate you doing whatever it takes to grab a torrent or find it online (it's pretty easy to find and readily available). Do you remember that rush you got the very first time you saw Oldboy? If you treasure that type of experience, don't let anything stop you from seeing Confessions, and sooner rather than later.

I posted all that and didn't even mention the best parts:

Mainly, (1) the amazing half-hour long opening monologue that sets up the entire narrative: 10/10, (2)The utterly brilliant cinematography (hope you like slo-mo -- don't worry, it is effectively utilized): 10/10, (3) The incredible soundtrack, of which I am still in awe: 10/10, and (4) the insane climax that, while maybe not quite as shocking as Oldboy's twist, is at least as, if not more, devastating: 10/10
So, in a nutshell: What are you waiting for? (Um...Daniel, you really need to get on this asap)

[soitgoes...]

I watched Confessions / Kokuhaku (2010) for the second time and I gotta say, I LOVE THIS MOVIE. Now, granted,it's not without its faults; however, those faults almost always spring from the plot-heavy narrative. The fact that director Tetsuya Nakashima can take such a narrative and create as intoxicating an experience as he does is nothing short of miraculous. And you do feel intoxicated throughout every breathless moment of this film. The non-linear flashback structure of the confessions that make up the bulk of the film can come off a bit convoluted and confusing on first viewing, and that's why a second viewing was invaluable in cementing in my mind the staggering accomplishment that Nakashima pulls off.

The confessions themselves are a marvel to watch unfold -- richly textured events that peel back to reveal multi-layered tales of treachery and a deviously construced revenge plot that boggles the mind in its complexity. (Truth be told, it's that complexity that took something away from my initial rave) For instance, I had a little problem with...

How everything that unfolds was contingent on the initial "setup" and the fact that Yoriguchi's ultimate revenge couldn't have occurred without everything playing out in a precise manner that Yoriguchi couldn't have predicted. However, on second viewing, she reveals how the setup was only intended to propel events to a point where she could observe and discover weaknesses that she could later exploit. And boy, does she ever!
And it does take a couple of viewings to absorb all the information (this is a fast paced, talky thriller that you really have to stay on top of). If ever a movie was made for the bulk of the Match-Cut crowd, tho, this is it. It's a crying shame it hasn't been made available yet to Region 1 folks. Therefore, I advocate you doing whatever it takes to grab a torrent or find it online (it's pretty easy to find and readily available). Do you remember that rush you got the very first time you saw Oldboy? If you treasure that type of experience, don't let anything stop you from seeing Confessions, and sooner rather than later.

I posted all that and didn't even mention the best parts:

Mainly, (1) the amazing half-hour long opening monologue that sets up the entire narrative: 10/10, (2)The utterly brilliant cinematography (hope you like slo-mo -- don't worry, it is effectively utilized): 10/10, (3) The incredible soundtrack, of which I am still in awe: 10/10, and (4) the insane climax that, while maybe not quite as shocking as Oldboy's twist, is at least as, if not more, devastating: 10/10
So, in a nutshell: What are you waiting for? (Um...Daniel, you really need to get on this asap)

Yeah, what Russ said. I haven't seen it twice, but that doesn't stop me from loving it. My girlfriend loves it too, and she usually loathes Asian film (yeah, wtf am I doing in this relationship).

[Ezee E]

I'm going to nay I Saw the Devil despite some fantastic technical work by Ji-Woon Kim. He simply wears out his welcome in this revenge movie. Some good acting, particularly by Min-Sik Choi as the psycho. But seriously, it basically repeats itself over and over after a very good 70-90 minutes for another hour.

[ledfloyd]

i just typed out a long post and bumped the back button somehow and lost it. anyway the gist was trans was right about i'm a cyborg, but that's ok, it's kind of awful. i found the mission a bit disappointing given it's reputation, but that could've owed to the vhs quality watermarked dvd netflix sent me. it seemed like a rather average hong kong gangster film to me. exiled on the other hand was a movie. the shot composition and tension building is exquisitely tuned. the subtle spaghetti western cues were much more effective than the blatant homage in the good the bad and the weird or sukiyaki western django. i was particularly fond of the shots featuring wo's wife and the curtains billowing in the wind. there's a lot going on with the story, and the coenesque streak of black humor that runs through it was appreciated. i need to watch it again but i'm tempted to throw out the M word.

[Russ]

If ever a movie was made for the bulk of the Match-Cut crowd, tho, this is it. It's a crying shame it hasn't been made available yet to Region 1 folks. Therefore, I advocate you doing whatever it takes to grab a torrent or find it online (it's pretty easy to find and readily available).


Forgive me for belaboring the point, just a friendly bump...




"My biggest disappointment of the year was programming ‘Confessions’ knowing full well that people would rave about it, critics would acknowledge its power, and not a single U.S. distributor would have the guts to buy it.”

Heck, just pm me if you're interested. I'll fix you up.

[transmogrifier]

trans was right

The most beautiful phrase in the English language

[Kurosawa Fan]

Forgive me for belaboring the point, just a friendly bump...

Heck, just pm me if you're interested. I'll fix you up.

Acquired. No idea when I'll get to it, but the odds are better now that it's in my possession.

[Russ]

Acquired. No idea when I'll get to it, but the odds are better now that it's in my possession.

Outstanding! Be sure and check back in with your thoughts once you've watched it.

Tetsuya Nakashima is, I guess, pretty much still an unknown quantity with Western audiences, but I predict that won't be the case for much longer. He really is the real thing, Japan's cause celebre, the hot new auteur on the block. To me, his films are as close to Kubrick as anything I've ever seen. Confessions swept the major awards in Japan for 2010 (beating 13 Assassins, among others), and Nakashima is now pretty much revered as a genius in Japanese film circles. Btw, interested parties should check out his earlier, critically acclaimed films, Kamikazi Girls and (especially) Memories of Matsuko.

It's filmmakers like Nakashima that remind me why I fell in love with the movies at such an early age. I can't recommend his work enough.*



* although I'm obviously trying to. :)

[Ezee E]

Mind Game. Huh. The voice acting just irritated me after the hour mark. I couldn't stand it.

[soitgoes...]

Mind Game. Huh. The voice acting just irritated me after the hour mark. I couldn't stand it.
I can't stand you.

[number8]

I remember there were a few discussions of I Saw the Devil in this thread and most of you were underwhelmed by it. For what it's worth, I dug it, and here (http://www.justpressplay.net/reviews/7955-i-saw-the-devil.html)'s my sorta defense of it.

[transmogrifier]

I remember there were a few discussions of I Saw the Devil in this thread and most of you were underwhelmed by it. For what it's worth, I dug it, and here (http://www.justpressplay.net/reviews/7955-i-saw-the-devil.html)'s my sorta defense of it.

It's just too simple - its theme is obvious right from the start, and it doesn't go anywhere with it. I mean, you say it tests the audience to see how far we are willing to follow the "hero" in his plot, but he is made pretty unsympathetic right from the start by having him totally uninterested in any of the other victims, and the supporting characters are artificially shoe-horned in to the story in order to allow the escalation at the end. It's a pretty lazy take on a very interesting general premise - the idea of getting revenge on someone by denying them their compulsion.

[soitgoes...]

I enjoyed it, but I can sympathize with those who say that it is overlong. The film runs into trouble because it is 2½ hours. The simplicity would be fine if it was 90 minutes, as it is the repetition becomes tiresome. Still there's enough here for me stay positive, mostly Choi and the wonderfully shot scenes, like the one 8 mentioned in the taxi, but there is some worry with Kim's future when this film comes on the heals of the supremely bloated The Good, the Bad & the Weird.

[Ezee E]

I can't stand you.
I know that it's very loved around here.

Beyond the voice acting, I quite loved the first forty minutes or so. Thought it got silly after that too. Not my thing I guess.

[Russ]

I know that it's very loved around here. Beyond the voice acting, I quite loved the first forty minutes or so.
You know, the first couple of times I watched it, the one big drawback in my mind was the voicework also. That's a legitimate complaint. However, because my love of all the other components of the film was so strong, I became acclimated to the voice talent and never looked back.


Thought it got silly after that too.Intentionally so, in a couple of places, I'd argue. But the ending merely refinforces themes introduced during the intro. Ah, well. Glad you got to see it, anyway.

[D_Davis]

Mind Game. Huh. The voice acting just irritated me after the hour mark. I couldn't stand it.

Were you watching some weird dub or something? The acting is incredible. Some of the best acting I've seen in an animated film.

[D_Davis]

You know, the first couple of times I watched it, the one big drawback in my mind was the voicework also. That's a legitimate complaint.

I completely disagree. The actors totally sell their characters. It is, at times, over the top, but only when the narrative and the situations dictate that it should be. The acting, especially during the quieter parts - like in the whale - is incredibly moving.

[Qrazy]

Anime films will by and large contain a great deal of silliness. That pretty much comes with the territory.

[Ezee E]

Anime films will by and large contain a great deal of silliness. That pretty much comes with the territory.
I've never really had a problem with the Ghibili movies.

[Qrazy]

I've never really had a problem with the Ghibili movies.

They are outliers. Although a fair number of them have silliness as well. I guess it depends how you're defining silliness.

[number8]

Super excited for this!

http://www.justpressplay.net/articles/8044-eclectic-asian-cinema-on-the-2011-nyaff-and-japan-cuts.html

I have a bunch of screeners to pick up today and I already secured a ticket to the Battle Royale screening.

I'm also arranging an interview with Tsui Hark. Fingers crossed! If this happens, I've officially interviewed Hong Kong's three greatest filmmakers (I've done WKW and John Woo, if you remember).

[Qrazy]

Super excited for this!

http://www.justpressplay.net/articles/8044-eclectic-asian-cinema-on-the-2011-nyaff-and-japan-cuts.html

I have a bunch of screeners to pick up today and I already secured a ticket to the Battle Royale screening.

I'm also arranging an interview with Tsui Hark. Fingers crossed! If this happens, I've officially interviewed Hong Kong's three greatest filmmakers (I've done WKW and John Woo, if you remember).

Johnny To > John Woo

[number8]

Says the person who spelled his name wrong.

[D_Davis]

I'm also arranging an interview with Tsui Hark. Fingers crossed! If this happens, I've officially interviewed Hong Kong's three greatest filmmakers (I've done WKW and John Woo, if you remember).

Cool. Let me know if you want some question suggestions.

I've actually begun working on a book about Tsui. Going to be sending the first three chapters to a small publisher by the end of the year.

[Qrazy]

Says the person who spelled his name wrong.

Not sure what that has to do with anything.

[number8]

Bangkok Knockout is fucking nuuuuuuts.

[dreamdead]

Tale of Cinema (Hong, 2005) ***½

Hey Boner, thoughts? Where's this one place in his filmography for you? I think it's my favorite of his, actually.

I love the integration of a Vertigo-like plot (surveillance, recreating the female) with the usual Hongisms. And the way in which it suggests Seoul's loss of its older culture to make way for an excess of global commerce in the background...

[Boner M]

Hey Boner, thoughts? Where's this one place in his filmography for you? I think it's my favorite of his, actually.

I love the integration of a Vertigo-like plot (surveillance, recreating the female) with the usual Hongisms. And the way in which it suggests Seoul's loss of its older culture to make way for an excess of global commerce in the background...
Yeah, might be my favorite as well (with stiff comp from Woman on the Beach & Turning Gate). I actually didn't realise the first 40 minutes were a film-within-a-film until way after the film had 'split'; I thought it'd be a Turning Gate scenario where we use the benefit of hindsight to get a better hold on the second relationship and its contours (plus knowing Hong's usual narrative strategy I assumed the film'd play out as a metaphor for cinema and its capacity for 'rebirth'... although thank god it didn't). Really, there's so much going on in ToC that I feel a 2nd viewing is absolutely required to get a hold on its central thesis (or find out if there is one), but as its stands it's just a perfectly oblique-yet-rich playground for themes of performance, identity, biography as well as the customary romantic fumblings.

[number8]

I'm also arranging an interview with Tsui Hark. Fingers crossed! If this happens, I've officially interviewed Hong Kong's three greatest filmmakers (I've done WKW and John Woo, if you remember).

Confirmed! Seeing a double feature of The Blade and Detective Dee on Monday night, then interview on Tuesday.

Woah....

[megladon8]

Confirmed! Seeing a double feature of The Blade and Detective Dee on Monday night, then interview on Tuesday.

Woah....


That should be a pretty awesome double feature.

Have you already seen both films?

I'm dying to see Detective Dee.

[soitgoes...]

Fuck me if Memories of Matsuko doesn't trump Confessions. What a brutal final 30 minutes. This film had me hitting all emotions. What a beautiful imaginative film once again held together by Nakashima's perfect direction.

[Russ]

Memories of Matsuko
Stunning film, isn't it? I've never seen anything else quite like it. Another reason why Nakashima has become one of my favorite directors. Dude's amazing.

Here's a good Slate article (http://www.slate.com/id/2282200/pagenum/all/#p2) on Nakashima.


http://img34.imageshack.us/img34/6299/68062103.jpg

[number8]

So this isn't an Asian movie, but since we were discussing I Saw the Devil here...

Hee hee hee hee. (http://www.justpressplay.net/articles/8178-kim-jee-woon-and-schwarzenegger-yes-please.html)

[dreamdead]

So Hong's Hahaha plays with the temporality of time a little less than I thought it would, but I love the conceit of the still photos and voiceover when Jo Moon-kyeong and Bang Joong-sik discuss their adventures. And the ridiculousness of how Jo preys on Seong-ok (Moon So-ri) is simultaneously infuriating and laughable.

Not quite the wonder of Tale of Cinema, and I would like to see Hong center a film more fully on women's perspectives (as in Virgin Stripped Bare... or parts of Woman on the Beach), but thoroughly enjoyable all the same.

[Russ]

Paco and the Magical Picture Book (Tetsuya Nakashima, 2008) ** ½/****

Tetsuya Nakashima is guilty of the same transgression as many of the typical music fanatics in high school that we were friends with. You know the ones, who would take a great song and blast it at such an ear-splitting volume level as to distort the essence of the sound, thus making the entire experience obnoxious in the process. In Paco and the Magical Picture Book, Nakashima likewise sheds all self-restraint and attempts to overwhelm the viewer with an abundance of sensory overload -- hyper-saturated colors and micro-stylistic art details are the norm -- along with a cast made up of outrageously exaggerated performances, and it's just too much of the proverbial good thing, which is a shame as, much like the great song to which I compare this to, there is a really great story hidden underneath the layers of hyper-kinetic, candy-colored gloss of Paco's narrative.

That's not to say that the film isn't filled with absolutely mind-blowing, awesome visuals -- it most certainly is -- but by presenting all the characters and events in this fairy tale in such an over-the-top-manner, Nakashima removes the necessary roots of reality that are required to identify with the various characters to any degree of emotional depth and instead creates a rather severe disconnect. And this is true for the most part. However, something a bit strange happens after the obligatory half-hour prelude whereupon we are introduced to this 'Alice's Wonderland' world of supporting characters. Nakashima expertly reels us back in to experience just enough tragic reality (think of this as Matsuko on steroids) as to evoke genuine, heartfelt emotion. Indeed, the quieter, tender moments are what ultimately drive and define this film, sometimes with the help of, and sometimes in spite of the larger-than-life cinematic pyrotechnics on display. I shed more than a few well-earned tears during the course of this film.

Ultimately, it's a mixed bag of what might have been termed at the time as Nakashima's greatest hits. He unquestionably took his talents to the next level with this film, but without recognizing the value of self-discipline. If you are a fan of the filmmaker, this is an easy must-see. There's just too much incredible stuff on display here -- the CGI animated finale is truly wondrous. But the real blessing to come out of this flawed, but extremely ambitious, undertaking was the critical backlash that prompted Nakashima to take a step back, and to re-evaluate his career path (this was his third consecutive color-saturated tragi-comic bonanza), most likely leading to his branching out to attempt new takes on similar material. His next film, Confessions was a monochromatic effort that dropped the comedy altogether, and was rewarded with his nation's bid for an Oscar nomination. Even though this film is not without it's problems, it does nothing to sway my opinion of Tetsuya Nakashima as one of the most talented directors alive.


2iUDG9s_OaY&feature=related

[dreamdead]

Looking through the past two pages of this thread, I find there's not much new to add to Kim Jee-woon's I Saw the Devil. It is stylish in its framing, gorgeous in many of its production designs (but was that the same tunnel that Choi wakes up in that was used in Memories of Murder?), but the thematic treatment is just so flat. As others identified, it doesn't take its content anywhere interesting enough - since it delays the ending so much, it effectively negates its own ironic power, though I like the way it doesn't linger on the humor and reverts back to tragedy. But the way the film introduces and discards women is troubling. Sigh.

[transmogrifier]

Looking through the past two pages of this thread, I find there's not much new to add to Kim Jee-woon's I Saw the Devil. It is stylish in its framing, gorgeous in many of its production designs (but was that the same tunnel that Choi wakes up in that was used in Memories of Murder?), but the thematic treatment is just so flat. As others identified, it doesn't take its content anywhere interesting enough - since it delays the ending so much, it effectively negates its own ironic power, though I like the way it doesn't linger on the humor and reverts back to tragedy. But the way the film introduces and discards women is troubling. Sigh.

I recommend The Yellow Sea as a violent Korean film with a little bit more on its mind.

[number8]

I recommend The Yellow Sea as a violent Korean film with a little bit more on its mind.

Dude, I really wanted to see that.

Some of you will frown on this: I was on the guest list to the US premiere of that, but I chose to skip it to go wait in line for 3 hours for the midnight showing of Harry Potter.

[transmogrifier]

Dude, I really wanted to see that.

Some of you will frown on this: I was on the guest list to the US premiere of that, but I chose to skip it to go wait in line for 3 hours for the midnight showing of Harry Potter.


I won't pretend that it's the greatest film ever but it is atmospheric and very well-directed (up until the violence takes over). Not having seen Harry Potter 7b, I still wager you made the wrong choice.

[dreamdead]

Man, the Korean hype around The Chaser feels so unjustified. Much like I Saw the Devil, its characters never feel developed, so the gradual shift from pimp to detective never fully works. Unfortunate since the actual cinematography and stylization of the film kinda works, but it's too one-note to achieve much grandeur or operatic quality.

[Li Lili]

I also saw I Saw the Devil by Kim Jee-woon (a director that I like more than Park Chan-wook actually), a few months ago. To me, it's an extreme violent black comedy with a morbid visual aesthetic, about revenge, the process and the consequence of the revenge and dehumanization. I didn't see it as a character study, didn't feel a lack of character development, because to me, it wasn't really the purpose of it. The choice of Choi min-sik who I don't really get into (he plays too often the same kind of characters) in this complete excessive and outrageous role, here, does suit very well, and actually the same goes for Lee Byung-hun.

In order of preference :
The Good, the Bad, the Weird (I just love Song Kang-ho)
The Foul King (again Song Kang-ho is too excellent)
I Saw the Devil
A Bittersweet Life
The Quiet Family
Three (Segment: Memories)
A Tale of Two Sisters


Also quite recently saw The Man from Nowhere, again a kind of extreme violent thriller (so many of them from Korea), but didn't feel much for it, probably one that I would forget in some time...
Maybe someone has seen it ?

[Ezee E]

Ha. Someone else loved The Good, the Bad, and the Weird. It wasn't very well liked around here at all last year.

[Winston*]

Also quite recently saw The Man from Nowhere, again a kind of extreme violent thriller (so many of them from Korea), but didn't feel much for it, probably one that I would forget in some time...
Maybe someone has seen it ?

I saw it. I thought it was ridiculous.

[Li Lili]

I saw it. I thought it was ridiculous.
Yeah. I've already forgotten this film...

And another deception that I've just watched, produced by Johnnie To though (a Milky Way Production), called Punished with Anthony Wong and Ritchie Jen ! Just another flat and common kidnapping film, with no suspense and no flavor...

[Li Lili]

Ha. Someone else loved The Good, the Bad, and the Weird. It wasn't very well liked around here at all last year.
Ahaaaa! :D This film is too funny and crazy, very well played, good characters, good pace right until the end! I saw it a few times!

[Russ]

Funky Hat no kaidanji: Nisenman-en no ude / Vigilante in the Funky Hat: 200,000 Yen Arm (Kenji Fukasaku (1961) * / ****

Color me crushingly disappointed by this juvenile action/comedy film that marked the feature debuts of both director Kinji Fukasaku (Battle Royale) and a 21 year-old Sonny Chiba. I mean, it had the pedigree, right? Apart from some fairly interesting stylistic choices, along with the too infrequent interludes of Sonny going all feets-a-flyin' and guns-a-blazin', it's downright embarrasing; constant exaggerated mugging is the humor of choice and is, by definition, immediately disposable. The plot is...well, who the fuck cares? Sad, but it may hold some value for completists.

[Russ]

Want some value in your Japanese films? Try a couple of these short films from Mikio Naruse:

A Fond Face from the Past (1941) **
Even Parting is Enjoyable (1947) ***
Women's Ways (1955) ***½

Mikio Naruse's 1950 omnibus film, Conduct Report on Professor Ishinaka, showed that he had a talent for directing shorter, self-contained stories (usually 30 minutes or so), which benefited from a tighter focus, devoid of extraneous characters and their side stories. Of the three new ones I recently watched, only A Fond Face from the Past is a stand-alone short, while the others were segments from the omnibus films, Yottsu no koi no monogatari / Four Love Stories (1947) and Kuchizuke / The Kiss (1955).

The first short, Face from the Past is a touching propaganda piece apparently made in support of the war effort. In it, a mother learns of her son's brief appearance in a newsreel film, and makes a journey to a neighboring village to attend a showing. She shares her experience with her youngest son (who loves toy planes) and her daughter-in-law, who is next in line to go see the brief footage of her husband. However, she instead buys a pricey toy plane for her young brother-in-law at the expense of no longer being able to afford a ticket to the film. When she arrives home, she presents the gift and pretends to have seen the newsreel. However, she is found out, and the boy decides he no longer wants his toy plane (because it was paid for with her deceit). Anyway, they learn the newsreel is coming to play in their village next, so all is well that ends well. A well-meaning, but untimately inconsequential piece of wartime patriotism that has little else going for it.

The other two shorts, however, were both pretty terrific. These were vehicles for frequent Naruse muse Hideko Takamine, and very different from one another. Even Parting is Enjoyable features Takamine as a carefree divorcee who learns that her current boyfriend may be seeing someone else. Meanwhile, her neighbors who own the bar across the street are trying to fix her up with a wealthy (and less handsome) businessman. The highlight of this short is the extended meeting between Takamine and her boyfriend in her tight, cramped apartment as they awkwardly discuss a courteous way to break-up. Takamine is effervescent to say the least, and Naruse's camerawork is sublime as if follows the couple as they weave around the tiny apartment, engaging in one final dance. He also indulges us with several marvelous close-up shots of Ms. Takamine, the last with a quick zoom, and makes this tender and bittersweet short a memorable one.

The final one, Women's Ways is the best, with Takamine a bit more reserved as the wife of a doctor, who discovers that his young nurse has feelings for him. Although this effort is fairly lighthearted and somewhat humorous in places, it is very polished and more reminiscent of his work from this period. Takamine is sympathetic to the girl's plight, and goes about looking for a husband for her. Ultimately, she wants to ensure that her husband doesn't stray, so when she is successful at marrying off his assistant, she is happy...until she sees the next nurse who applies for the position, who happens to be even younger and prettier than the last!

Fans of Ms. Takamine's work should add these shorts to their wish list. I'd like to track down the films from which they were taken, so I can view them in their proper context.

[soitgoes...]

Funky Hat no kaidanji: Nisenman-en no ude / Vigilante in the Funky Hat: 200,000 Yen Arm (Kenji Fukasaku (1961) * / ****

Color me crushingly disappointed by this juvenile action/comedy film that marked the feature debuts of both director Kinji Fukasaku (Battle Royale) and a 21 year-old Sonny Chiba. I mean, it had the pedigree, right? Apart from some fairly interesting stylistic choices, along with the too infrequent interludes of Sonny going all feets-a-flyin' and guns-a-blazin', it's downright embarrasing; constant exaggerated mugging is the humor of choice and is, by definition, immediately disposable. The plot is...well, who the fuck cares? Sad, but it may hold some value for completists.
I liked this okay. I can't remember much about it now to tell you why though, but I do remember being amused by it. I do know that with the exception of two films, Fukusaku tends to disappoint me greatly.

[Russ]

Fukusaku tends to disappoint me greatly.
I know..I mean, I haven't seen Battle Royale yet (and all the reviews I've read indicate that it's my kind of film), but everything else by I've seen by Fukasaku really...sucks.

[Sycophant]

The only Fukasaku I've seen outside of Battle Royale is Graveyard of Honor, which I can barely remember, but do barely remember liking.

[soitgoes...]

I know..I mean, I haven't seen Battle Royale yet (and all the reviews I've read indicate that it's my kind of film), but everything else by I've seen by Fukasaku really...sucks.


The only Fukasaku I've seen outside of Battle Royale is Graveyard of Honor, which I can barely remember, but do barely remember liking.

Sympathy for the Underdog and Under the Flag of the Rising Sun. Based on those two films I've slogged through four others, but those two, especially the former, are something special.

[Li Lili]

Apart Battle Royale, I saw Black Lizard by Fukasaku years ago, I can't remember much apart that it was very kitsch and rather campy kind, didn't like much.

[Li Lili]

Just saw a new Jet Li's film : The Sorcerer and the White Snake with also Charlene Choi, Eva Huang (the actress in Kung Fu Hustle by Stephen Chow) and others...
The story is based on a very well known ancient tale of a female demon (white snake) who falls in love with a mortal. There were other film adaptations, such as The Green Snake by Tsui Hark with Maggie Cheung.
Here, I must admit that I was rather disappointed, firstly the film has too much visual effects (especially the CGI effects) that quite ruins the ambiance of the film, the love and emotinal parts are mushy (music, acting, well almost everything) and it's more like a family film. Far from the level of Green Snake!

That makes me think that a couple of weeks ago, I also saw another fantasy film, a remake or a newer version of Chinese Ghost Story, called A Chinese Fairy Tale by Wilson Yip with Louis Koo, the film was dedicated on the memory of Leslie Cheung.
Compared to The Sorcerer and the White Snake, Chinese Fairy Tale is better, I would say less "naive" but still not on the level of its original.

[Boner M]

I can't think of the last time an otherwise great film was as hampered by its music score than Hou's A Time to Live and a Time to Die. Surely it's gone on record that those crude spurts of audio syrup weren't his idea?

Barring that; graceful, poetic memoir filmmaking. Even with the pace and ASL being brisker than his later films, Hou still remains cannily attuned to making the passage of time so ineffably palpable.

[Li Lili]

I can't think of the last time an otherwise great film was as hampered by its music score than Hou's A Time to Live and a Time to Die. Surely it's gone on record that those crude spurts of audio syrup weren't his idea?

Barring that; graceful, poetic memoir filmmaking. Even with the pace and ASL being brisker than his later films, Hou still remains cannily attuned to making the passage of time so ineffably palpable.
This is one of the films that I have to rewatch as it's been so long that I have seen it, too many years that my memory can't recall it very well.
However, Hou Hsiao Hsien recently often works with the sound designer Tu Duu-chih who also works with Wong Kar-Wai and Tsai Ming Liang, each one of them for complete different type of works.
Café Lumiere is I guess one good example of the collaboration between Hou Hsiao Hsien and Tu Duu-chih (but also Three Times, Millenium Mambo).

[Russ]

Anyone here seen Dimension Bomb from Genius Party Beyond? Such a stunning piece of animation.

http://img820.imageshack.us/img820/2553/genius2t.jpg

Very reminiscent of the Beyond sequence from The Animatrix...both are courtesy of famed animator, Kōji Morimoto.

Check it out on YouTube:

QMk2NmkFa4g


EDIT: some fan made a trailer for Dimension Bomb. It rocks. Wats, you'd probably like it.

j1WWWNRGOCs&feature=related

[lovejuice]

Bangkok Knockout is fucking nuuuuuuts.
http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_KeMzCUsxtYo/TNRTz8fLvCI/AAAAAAAAFeA/TlatPNQwJn8/bangkok_knockout.jpg

Ooooh love it! (The Thai name is kinda hilarious though. It means "Fucking Fierce, Fucking Disgusting."

[EyesWideOpen]

Bangkok Knockout has 20 minutes or so of pretty awesome fight scenes, unfortunately it's a 100 minute long movie. So be prepared for 80 minutes of sub-Syfy channel level dialogue and acting.

[elixir]

So, Edward Yang is pretty much one of the best.

Taipei Story is a fascinating portrait of a woman struggling with desire to start over in some manner, with this idea being evoked by the characters time and time again. Her boyfriend is actually played by Hou Hsiao-Hsien, who co-wrote the film as well. He himself is stuck in the past, something which is furthered when he runs into a former Little League teammate of his. Eventually, the film shows him submitting to traditional loyalty, which then problematizes the relationship between the two. While the film as a whole can be seen as a critique of the (seemingly) upwardly mobile young adults, it is nonetheless concerned with the emotional difficulty the times have placed on these people. It's only Yang's second feature film and shows that he already has supreme command of the medium, despite the shitty rip I watched.

The Terrorizers is even better, and a film I'm sure I'll enjoy watching again and again. It's very much a puzzle, in which interweaving storylines and seemingly disparate characters come together in an urban dystopia of somberness (and some possible dreams and hallucinations). The connection to Antonionio's Blow-Up are oft-mentioned due to one of the main character's being a photographer exploring the city around him. The film tackles middle-clase complacency and unethical practices in those who seek to advance their careers, the crumbling of relationships, murder mysteries, and does it all with an intense use of striking colors (those reds!) and framing (the interplay between the sides of the screen is often jarring). Um, I'm doing an awful job at describing this, so basically: it's amazing.

Mahjong is my least favorite Yang so far, but it's still good. Featuring an international cast, as much as it is a comedy, I also see it as a lamentation of sorts. Focusing on four youths occupying an apartment together (and sharing the girls they bring home), the film critiques the greed and immorality of the group (though critique of avaricious business ethics is a theme that runs throughout Yang's work) though still shows sympathy for them all the same. I guess part of what draws me to Yang (hehe) is this mix of critique and sympathy, among many other things of course. I know this has been criticized for the English-speaking cast not really fitting it, but I find the somewhat messy quality of the film somewhat jarring and it after being wary of the film for the first hour or so, it all culminates quite wonderfully.

Eventually, I would like to have more in-depth and critical thoughts of Yang's work that I don't just write down hastily, as I really do wish to look deeper into his cinema.

Anyhow, everyone should watch his films!

[ledfloyd]

the terrorizers is probably the best film i've seen so far this year. i need to watch it again, and again.

[Li Lili]

The Road Less Travelled (2010) by Derek Chiu produced by Derek Yee
with Louis Koo, Huang Yi, Karen Mok

I must admit that it was "nice" to see HK film away from just crime, fantasy, comedy or action, even if it's not a big film, The Road Less Travelled is easily watchable and quite likeable even though the topic is more dramatic, but the film doesn't stress too much melodramatic or sentimentalist scenes.
Louis Koo plays a HK truck driver who often goes to the Mainland to deliver some products, until one day he ran over a young man who's going to be a father. The film shows the sentiment of guilt, fatality of course, but also the relationships between Mainlanders and HKers, their different mentality and custums (especially in cooking!!! :D).
It's also always enjoyable to see Karen Mok, excellent actress with natural presence on screen.

The film reminds me of a short novel (just for the beginning of the story with the accident by a truck driver) that I highly recommand for its very crude, harsh and sarcastic Narrative of death by Yu Hua (famous for To Live !)

[Li Lili]

I'm sure that some of you have seen some Pang Ho-cheung films ? If not, you definetly should check them out !
At the moment, I'm revisiting or discovering his films, and he's becoming one the HK directors I like.
I love the way his films are shot, each one very different genre, different tone and ambience.
Just for information here is his filmgraphy with some quick appreciations (sorry too lazy to write and think in English)


Love In A Puff (2010)
A light, refreshing and pleasant comedy, and urban romance with Shawn Yue and Miriam Yeung who make a good pair and have great chemistry together. They met during their break thanks to a new bill forbidden people smoking in public areas in HK. There is a sequel.

Dream Home (2010) with Josie Ho
A film I watched yesterday, very surprising for its high level of crude, graphic, brutal even grotesque violence, for those who love gore, I highly recommend it! There are several flashbacks who kind of explain the context and perhaps the motivation of this female killer (Josie Ho, very great here) who could be basicly anyone, your neighbour, work collegue....

Exodus (2007) with Simon Tam, my favourite with Isabella.
Rhe story is quite intriguing : a police officer starts to inquiry about a group of women who plan to exterminate men. The opening of the film is great and very memorable (I prefer not describe as it's quite surprising), here there is hardly any dialogue, the set is rather cold, lots of linear lines, cold, tidy and empty rooms.

Trivial Matters (2007) I haven't seen it yet.

Isabella (2006) with Chapman To
This is one that I should rewatch as I saw it in 2006, however I remember the warm colours, its very aesthetic shots and great performance by Chapman To. It is set in Macao.

AV (2005) will watch tonight.

Beyond Our Ken (2004) haven't seen yet

Men Suddenly In Black (2003).
A funny comedy about 4 men who wants to organize a party while their wifes planned to go for a trip... until they found out what their husbands wanted to, so they plan a revenge.

You Shoot, I Shoot (2001), another one I should rewatch as I harly remember it, but I recall I was a little disappointed.

[Sycophant]

Pang Ho-Cheung is one of my favorite contemporary Hong Kong directors! And pretty handily one of the best people to start making HK films in the last 15 years or so. I've been a fan of his for years (though I haven't seen his last two), and have managed to get a few of my real-life friends into it.

My favorites are Beyond Our Ken, a very savvy take on romantic comedy tropes, and Men Suddenly In Black, which is essentially a heroic bloodshed/triad movie without guns, and with marital infedility. AV's fun. Exodus is one weird, long, dark joke. You Shoot, I Shoot is a pretty great comedy throughout, but has an ending that drags out and I think tends to have a negative impact on people's memory of it.

[Rowland]

I didn't like Dream Home at all, but I can see the potential there for the guy making some good stuff.

[Li Lili]

Pang Ho-Cheung is one of my favorite contemporary Hong Kong directors! And pretty handily one of the best people to start making HK films in the last 15 years or so. I've been a fan of his for years (though I haven't seen his last two), and have managed to get a few of my real-life friends into it.

My favorites are Beyond Our Ken, a very savvy take on romantic comedy tropes, and Men Suddenly In Black, which is essentially a heroic bloodshed/triad movie without guns, and with marital infedility. AV's fun. Exodus is one weird, long, dark joke. You Shoot, I Shoot is a pretty great comedy throughout, but has an ending that drags out and I think tends to have a negative impact on people's memory of it.
ah cool!
What I found interesting is the fact he doesn't just stick to just one genre, but they are all very well shot, very well acted and directed.
Love in a Puff for example is very basic as a story, just like a funny love story, but the way he makes his characters very "alive" and the way he shot the city with a social context make the film interesting.
Didn't you find the opening scene in Exodus very good ? When I first saw it, I was quite surprised, and the story is rather intriguing and original, I like the idea though, I mean the way he develops the idea. Plus, Simon Yam is as always, excellent!
Didn't have time to see AV, but will at some point next week.

[Li Lili]

I didn't like Dream Home at all, but I can see the potential there for the guy making some good stuff.
Yes, I can understand.
I can't say I dislike or I like, but I didn't expect the graphic violence (I read nothing about it, didnt even know what the story was about).
Perhaps, I found the flashbacks a bit too recurrent.
However property business, real estate in general is a very important matter in China, especially for HK people.

[Li Lili]

I'm going to a film festival, unfortunately I won't be able to see too many of them, but I should see some of the Nikkatsu's films (60s and 70s) and others, will post some brief comments afterwards

Assault! Jack the Ripper by Yasuharu Hasebe
Rusty Knife by Toshio Masuda
A Colt is my Passport by Takashi Nomura
The Wrapped Ones by Koreyoshi Kurahara

I first wanted to see some pinku but the ones in this festival are the ones I've already seen...

And some recent Asian films
Fable of the Fish (Philippines)
P-047 (Thailand)
The Sword Identity (China)

Perhaps some more, it depends, it depends.....

[Li Lili]

So... I've just watched Assault! Jack the Ripper by Yasuharu Hasebe (1976), a very violent pinku genre of the Nikkatsu.

http://i1189.photobucket.com/albums/z434/Lilili_pics/F3C11/assault_jack_the_ripper_sml.jp g

The story is simple : A young woman who works as a waitress in a restaurant invites a collegue (who makes cakes) to her place on a rainy night. On the road they come across a crazy woman (who seems to have escaped from a mental institution!). In the car, this woman takes her clothes off and starts playing with a knife and actually cuts herself. The couple freaks out which creates an accident, and the girl dies. They dump her somewhere and go quickly back home where they suddently discover some very deep pleasure that they never had before. So what to do next ? The woman suggests that they have to kill again to obtain this high level of pleasure... and then starts a serie of death and pleasure, bit by bit more death than pleasure. It's hard to me to describe what kind of death there is, but at the first "hard" killing, a sudden wave of people left the theatre! :eek:
So I won't go into details, however, you can't just resist laughing at some scenes especially because of the absurdity of this mad passion, the contrast between the dialogue, the music and the action you see... Lots of connotations on phallic and erotic are of course added, and the 2 main characters change as the film (and the killing) goes along. Their relationship evoluates, the woman who at first is more reactive or like a leader and the man more timid, passive at the beginning, it turns out to be the other way around as the film goes on.
This film is one of the pinku film directed by Yasuharu Hasebe, the last one, Rape the 13th hour was censored and made the Nikkatsu stop making this kind of violent pink films.

[dreamdead]

I'm pleased that Im differentiated as much as he did with the remake of the Housemaid, as there was no way to replicate Kim Ki-young's '60 masterpiece. By transforming the entire family that the housemaid works for into a bourgeois culture, Im recalibrates issues of sympathy and predatory ways. After Secret Sunshine, it's depressing to see Yoon Yeo-jeong outperform Jeon Do-yeon, but I love how Im offers an intertextual casting link with Yoon echoing roles that she did in the '70s (even if I wait forever for the 70s films to be released here). Im's film never rises to the overall clarity and critique of Kim's sensibilities, but it always an engaging study to watch new decisions be made about the characters and narrative.

[Li Lili]

I'm pleased that Im differentiated as much as he did with the remake of the Housemaid, as there was no way to replicate Kim Ki-young's '60 masterpiece. By transforming the entire family that the housemaid works for into a bourgeois culture, Im recalibrates issues of sympathy and predatory ways. After Secret Sunshine, it's depressing to see Yoon Yeo-jeong outperform Jeon Do-yeon, but I love how Im offers an intertextual casting link with Yoon echoing roles that she did in the '70s (even if I wait forever for the 70s films to be released here). Im's film never rises to the overall clarity and critique of Kim's sensibilities, but it always an engaging study to watch new decisions be made about the characters and narrative.
I haven't watched this one, as I wasn't very convinced by his previous films. But perhaps I should give it a try...

[Li Lili]

I saw the three crime Nikkatsu films as planned and I'm glad I did.
I haven't got much time to write about them, so it's going to be brief...

First, Rusty Knife by Toshio Masuda (1958).

http://i1189.photobucket.com/albums/z434/Lilili_pics/F3C11/rustyknife_sml.jpg

Out of the three, it's the one I liked less, it's very talkative, I didn't find that the characters had enough charisma (especially after comparing to the characters of the other films), and it's less audiacious with the camera shots and the directing in general, but it focuses mainly on the story and the dialogue; it's the first film by Toshio Masuda.

http://i1189.photobucket.com/albums/z434/Lilili_pics/F3C11/rustyknife_pic_sml.jpg

the story : after being out of prison, an ex-convict tries to live a new life but can't forget his wife's rape and death, and wants to seek revenge against the local crime syndicate that, at the same time, the district attorney tries to nail.

A Colt is my Passport by Takashi Nomura (1967)

http://i1189.photobucket.com/albums/z434/Lilili_pics/F3C11/AColtIsMyPassportCoversml.jpg

This is a great film, very well shot, the characters show a lot of charisma (it's with Joe Shishido), some great action scenes, with an excellent use of the music score (like spaghetti western type of music) and a nice black and white photography, highly contrasted, very close to a Film noir style. Highly recommended.

http://i1189.photobucket.com/albums/z434/Lilili_pics/F3C11/AColtIsMyPassport01sml.jpg

the story : simple, Joe Shishido is a very professional hitman. After killing the chief of the rival yakusa gang, he hides with his loyal friend and sidekick in a hotel, waiting for the boss' plan to escape. Unfortunately, it's going to be a trap...

The Warped Ones by Koreyoshi Kurahara (1960)

http://i1189.photobucket.com/albums/z434/Lilili_pics/F3C11/warped_coversml.jpg

Very audacious, unconventional and surprising film with the way it's shot and directed, using a constant moving camera, it's a very bright lighted film (importance of the sun, the heat, the light is very emphazised, representing the new generation, the youth - a reference to the Sun Tribe film and literature). The film is frantic, wild and shows lots of energy thanks to the main character who can't stay still, and keeps making mimics and faces, exaggerating every movement, behaviour, laugh he does; the jazz music contributes also to this frenetic movement. Great photography and portaits.
Highly recommended.

http://i1189.photobucket.com/albums/z434/Lilili_pics/F3C11/warpedones01sml.jpg

the story : two young delinquents get out of a junevile institution after getting caught by a couple. They still continue their crimes, wandering, loitering in the streets, stealing a car and driving along with no care to the beach until they bump into the couple who made them arrested at the beginning....



will continue later with the recent Asian films...

[ledfloyd]

I'm pleased that Im differentiated as much as he did with the remake of the Housemaid, as there was no way to replicate Kim Ki-young's '60 masterpiece. By transforming the entire family that the housemaid works for into a bourgeois culture, Im recalibrates issues of sympathy and predatory ways. After Secret Sunshine, it's depressing to see Yoon Yeo-jeong outperform Jeon Do-yeon, but I love how Im offers an intertextual casting link with Yoon echoing roles that she did in the '70s (even if I wait forever for the 70s films to be released here). Im's film never rises to the overall clarity and critique of Kim's sensibilities, but it always an engaging study to watch new decisions be made about the characters and narrative.
i've yet to see the 60s version but i loved im's remake. the cinematography alone was breathtaking. and i thought jeon held her own remarkably well, she's becoming one of my favorite actresses.

[Russ]

I still can't believe that more people haven't checked out Confessions yet. I keep saying how great this film is, but I can't seem to get any takers.

Hey, KF, did you ever make time to watch it?


xlcRg-1a1f8

(and yes, the Radiohead song is prominently used in the film)

[Kurosawa Fan]

Nope. Still have it on my HD, but with school, I haven't found the time to check it out. Hopefully over the break. Send me a PM some time in late December to remind me, and I'll make it a priority. I tend to forget about the stuff on my computer, opting for movies on my DVR when I find time.

[ledfloyd]

i've been meaning to watch confessions, but like so much else i just haven't gotten around to it yet.

[Russ]

Seeing a second film by Shûji Terayama (Pastoral Hide and Seek) confirms my belief that he is seriously underrated as a Japanese filmmaker (ie, no appearance on those Kinema Junpo polls (http://wildgrounds.com/2010/02/26/kinema-junpos-top-japanese-films-2009-version/). Particularly sad since Terayama died at such a young age and, one would assume, is an unlikely candidate for critical re-evaluation.

On the basis of the films I've seen, he falls into that short list of classic surrealists, comparing favorably with contemporaries like Jodorowsky and Arrabal. His films seem to be a tad more introspective (and Pastoral is an autobiographical interpretation of a collection of his haikus); however, comparing this film to earlier works such as Emperor Tomato Ketchup outline a positive trajectory of his maturation as a filmmaker, making his relatively early departure all the more tragic.

Pastoral is probably not a complete success (what is?), but for originality alone, this guy needs to be more recognized that he is.

[Li Lili]

Seeing a second film by Shûji Terayama (Pastoral Hide and Seek) confirms my belief that he is seriously underrated as a Japanese filmmaker (ie, no appearance on those Kinema Junpo polls (http://wildgrounds.com/2010/02/26/kinema-junpos-top-japanese-films-2009-version/). Particularly sad since Terayama died at such a young age and, one would assume, is an unlikely candidate for critical re-evaluation.

On the basis of the films I've seen, he falls into that short list of classic surrealists, comparing favorably with contemporaries like Jodorowsky and Arrabal. His films seem to be a tad more introspective (and Pastoral is an autobiographical interpretation of a collection of his haikus); however, comparing this film to earlier works such as Emperor Tomato Ketchup outline a positive trajectory of his maturation as a filmmaker, making his relatively early departure all the more tragic.

Pastoral is probably not a complete success (what is?), but for originality alone, this guy needs to be more recognized that he is.

Yes, I saw those 2 films years ago, I think I've still got them somewhere. I remember liking Pastoral, as you said a kind of "surrealist", surely experimental, I'd add poetic, actually I think in Japan he's more known as a poet than a filmmaker.

[Li Lili]

4 other Asian films seen at the festival are recent ones, and a bit disappointed.


Fable of the Fish by Adolfo Borinaga Alix Jr (The Philippines, 2011)

http://i1189.photobucket.com/albums/z434/Lilili_pics/F3C11/ISDA-Fable-of-The-Fish-Poster_sml.jpg

The film is really minimilist in its story, only one small event holds the film all along. Based on a story that came out on the news in the 80s, the film seems to just put into images this extraordinary piece of news : a woman who just moves with her husband in a dumpsite got pregnant and actually gives birth.... to a fish.
And that's it.
Shot on video, the film lasts 85 minutes and to me a short film of 5 minutes would of been better....


P-047 by Kongdej Jaturanrasmee (Thailand, 2011)

http://i1189.photobucket.com/albums/z434/Lilili_pics/F3C11/p-047sml.jpghttp://i1189.photobucket.com/albums/z434/Lilili_pics/F3C11/p-047-coversml.jpg

When I heard roughly what the film was about I immediatly thought of Kim Ki Duk's 3-Iron. But in fact it's different. Two men, a writer and a locksmith who are neighbours in a shopping mall, get into houses, or flats when nobody's in and they basicly borrow for a moment the feeling of the flat, listening to the records while remembering their own memories, watching tv or films, checking their computer... The film is quite nostalgic, relaxing and is in 2 parts. The director prefers to see it as a jigsaw, as the editing mixed up the time (past, present future), maybe it's a little bit too flat, the second part is a little bit too long, but the film is pleasant to watch


The Sword Identity by Xu Haofeng (China, 2011)

http://i1189.photobucket.com/albums/z434/Lilili_pics/F3C11/swordidentitysml.jpg

Presented as a new kind of martial arts film, without using any visual effects, the result of the film is in the end not so great, plus it's badly played (especially the annoying dancing girls)!
Xu Haofeng is a novelist (on martial arts) and also the writer of the next Wong Kar-wai's film.

Flying Fish by Sanjeewa Pushpakumara (Sri Lanka, 2011)

http://i1189.photobucket.com/albums/z434/Lilili_pics/F3C11/flyingfishcoversml.jpg

It's I think my "favourite" out of the 4, it's more powerful, visually interesting, especially for a debut feature. With a very serious and strong context, the fighting between the Sri Lankan Army and the Tamil insurgents, the film follows different characters who are or going to be intertwined.

Actually there is a website dedicated to this film :
http://flyingfishmovie.com/
I invite you to check it out...

[dreamdead]

For those interested, Park Chan-ok's Paju is streaming on Netflix's Instant View. Given the scarcity of female directors from South Korea, and the fact that it's featured on several of the overall 00-09 best of decade lists at Koreanfilm.org (http://koreanfilm.org/topten2000s.html), I'm highly excited by its recent popping up, given that it seems to have no R1 DVD release date...

[transmogrifier]

My top 10 Korean films of the Decade (2000-2009)

1. Oldboy (2003)
2. Oasis (2002)
3. No Comment (2002)
4. Die Bad (2000)
5. Road Movie (2002)
6. A Family (2004)
7. The Scarlet Letter (2004)
8. This Charming Girl (2004)
9. Spring, Summer, Fall, Winter...and Spring (2003)
10. Public Enemy (2002)

Nothing since 2004? Interesting.

[Russ]

Movies just don't get much more awesome than Survive Style 5+. I don't know why I put off watching it for so long. It's as cool as Pulp Fiction, as weird as Funky Forest, as colorful as Memories of Matsuko, and funnier than (and thematically as rich as) Symbol. It also contains one of the best endings to a film I've ever seen, probably top 10 all-time (don't let anyone spoil it for you).

Highly, highly recommended.

[ledfloyd]

My top 10 Korean films of the Decade (2000-2009)
needs more hong sang-soo.

li lilli, what is your avatar from?

[transmogrifier]

needs more hong sang-soo.

li lilli, what is your avatar from?

Me and Hong don't get on. Doesn't stop me watching all his films though. Only two I haven't seen are The Power of Kangwon Province and Night and Day.

[dreamdead]

li lilli, what is your avatar from?

I'm not the intended recepient, but the film is Help Me Eros, from Tsai Ming-Liang's main collaborater. It's an incredibly gorgeous film, but not especially enthralling.

[Li Lili]

Movies just don't get much more awesome than Survive Style 5+. I don't know why I put off watching it for so long. It's as cool as Pulp Fiction, as weird as Funky Forest, as colorful as Memories of Matsuko, and funnier than (and thematically as rich as) Symbol. It also contains one of the best endings to a film I've ever seen, probably top 10 all-time (don't let anyone spoil it for you).

Highly, highly recommended.

Yeah, Survive Style 5+ is very good and funny, and Tadanobu Asano is great !

I don't recall well Funky Forest, but Party 7 and A Taste of Tea (a bit "sober") by Katsuhito Ishii are great, there is also Tadanobu Asano in the last one.

I liked less Memories of Matsuko, wasn't that much into of Kamikaze Girls...
I haven't seen Symbol.

[Li Lili]

I'm not the intended recepient, but the film is Help Me Eros, from Tsai Ming-Liang's main collaborater. It's an incredibly gorgeous film, but not especially enthralling.
Correct!
It's by Lee Kang sheng.
It's because at the time, I invited some Chinese directors and actors who attented to a festival to have dinner one night, and one of the main actresses of Help me Eros came along with them.
And there were some funny situations and coincidences, so I guess I keep it as a memory.
The film itself is good. But you can feel Tsai's touch in it (a bit too much).

[Li Lili]

Me and Hong don't get on. Doesn't stop me watching all his films though. Only two I haven't seen are The Power of Kangwon Province and Night and Day.
I like his first few films, up until Virgin Stripped Bare by Her Bachelors (my favourite), but after awhile it seems that there are too alike. I haven't seen his films after Night and Day which I haven't seen actually, but I've got it somewhere....

[Li Lili]

As for best Korean movies of the decade....
I don't what I would add but surely Oasis, Peppermint Candy, JSA, The Good, the Bad, the Weird, Memories of Murder, 3-Iron and surely Virgin Stripped Bare by Her Bachelors....
I liked some comedies too : The King and the Clown, The Foul King, Secret Reunion, Going by the Book, Highway star ... surely others...

And I like very much Song Kang-ho, great actor!!!

[ledfloyd]

ah, i've wanted to see help me eros for awhile, as i'm a pretty huge tsai fan.

[D_Davis]

Put all of my Asian DVDs in binders today. Here is a picture of the inserts.

https://fbcdn-sphotos-a.akamaihd.net/hphotos-ak-ash4/405403_296979307019387_1000012 19601760_882442_23552345_n.jpg

[Dukefrukem]

Put all of my Asian DVDs in binders today. Here is a picture of the inserts.

https://fbcdn-sphotos-a.akamaihd.net/hphotos-ak-ash4/405403_296979307019387_1000012 19601760_882442_23552345_n.jpg

THats cool. Are you keeping the inserts in the binders? Or throwing them out?
I've been thinking of a way to keep my DVDs lately. I'm still torn.

also;

49PKeZ88dWc

[number8]

Rewatched Lady Vengeance last night. This movie just does not get old. Still my favorite of the three.

[number8]

I can't decide which version of Battle Royale Bluray I want to buy. The Deluxe edition is a really good deal because you get the theatrical cut, director's cut and the sequel all in Blu, but on the other hand, I already own the director's cut on DVD, I didn't like the sequel, and apparently the special features disc in the DE is identical to the special features disc from the Tartan Special Edition DVD I own. So maybe I should just get the single disc theatrical cut Bluray for $20 cheaper?

Gah.

[D_Davis]

http://www.quickmeme.com/meme/36iq92/

[number8]

Your link is broken, but I'm going to assume it's a picture of the first world problem woman.

[D_Davis]

Your link is broken, but I'm going to assume it's a picture of the first world problem woman.

Weird. I see it.

And you are correct! :)

[D_Davis]

I actually purchased a DVD last week. I think it's the first one I've purchased in ~2 years.

I got Detective Dee and the Mystery of the Phantom Flame. What a brilliant film that is. My Tsui Hark collection are the only DVDs I kept in their cases. Still trying to get everything he's done as a producer and director.

[D_Davis]

And I just purchased The Flying Swords of Dragon Gate.

[EyesWideOpen]

I can't decide which version of Battle Royale Bluray I want to buy. The Deluxe edition is a really good deal because you get the theatrical cut, director's cut and the sequel all in Blu, but on the other hand, I already own the director's cut on DVD, I didn't like the sequel, and apparently the special features disc in the DE is identical to the special features disc from the Tartan Special Edition DVD I own. So maybe I should just get the single disc theatrical cut Bluray for $20 cheaper?

Gah.

Or you could have preordered it from amazon back when I posted they were selling the deluxe edition for the same price as the single edition.

[number8]

Or you could have preordered it from amazon back when I posted they were selling the deluxe edition for the same price as the single edition.

Or you could just not rub it in by reminding me of that.

[EyesWideOpen]

Or you could just not rub it in by reminding me of that.

But I live for rubbing things in. :)

[D_Davis]

Detective Dee and the Mystery of the Phantom Flame is really, really good. It seems like everyone involved had a blast making it, and the film is full of energy. Also, I had forgotten about that talking deer. So wild!

[Rowland]

Also, I had forgotten about that talking deer. Every review of the film has an obligatory talking deer mention. :lol:

I'll take Knock Off any day.

[Li Lili]

I saw Detective Dee... a year ago, my memory starts to fade away, as I don't remember enough of it, but, still, I remember liking it.

[D_Davis]

I'll take Knock Off any day.

I'll take both.

However, Detective Dee is probably the best HK martial arts film to come out in at least 5 years, maybe 10. I think Tsui is back in a major way

So I won't be watching Flying Swords of Dragon Gate tonight. The DVD I got is terrible. About 1/4 of the picture is cut off from the top and the bottom - everything is zoomed in and cropped to make it appear anamorphic. I got some cheap Taiwanese disc, so I guess I'll just have to wait until an official HK DVD comes out. Bummer. However, you just can't watch a Tsui Hark film improperly framed. Tsui is a master at framing his shots.

I watched the first 20 minutes, and the film is going to be awesome. It has a classic look and feel to it - Tsui is using many of the same camera angles and techniques employed by King Hu and many of the early Shaw Brothers directors. Of course this is coupled with CGI and stuff.

I actually wish I could see this in 3D. From a few of the reviews I've read, it sounds like this is actually some of the best use of the tech to date. The review at Twitch says that Tsui understands 3D filmming more than any other director. This makes perfect sense given the fact that he is a master of spacial direction.

[Stay Puft]

Yeah, my fingers are crossed that Flying Swords will get distribution of some kind over here and pop up in Toronto because I really want to watch a Tsui Hark film in a theatrical 3D presentation (I won't hold out hope for an IMAX 3D screening but that would be sublime).

The trailers for the film look good but the CGI stuff looked bad, which tempers my enthusiasm. Tsui Hark brought a lot of wit to the visual effects in Time and Tide, as one example, but I thought Detective Dee was rather poor and Flying Swords looks more of the same in that regard.

[D_Davis]

I think Detective Dee is the best thing to come out of HK in many, many years. It made me start to pay attention to the region's cinema again. It's a modern film with the same kind of reckless abandon, energy, and sense of fun found in the best new-school films of '90s. Easily Tsui's best since Time and Tide (which I think is one of his very best).

I don't mind bad CGI - lord knows I put up with the terrible f/x of the HK cinema in the '90s, so some dodgy CGI doesn't bother me a bit. If the film is good, I'll just get lost in the story and action, and the f/x take a back seat to the fantasy of the moment.

[number8]

I can't decide which version of Battle Royale Bluray I want to buy. The Deluxe edition is a really good deal because you get the theatrical cut, director's cut and the sequel all in Blu, but on the other hand, I already own the director's cut on DVD, I didn't like the sequel, and apparently the special features disc in the DE is identical to the special features disc from the Tartan Special Edition DVD I own. So maybe I should just get the single disc theatrical cut Bluray for $20 cheaper?

Gah.

Hahaha, nevermind. Anchor Bay sent me the 4-disc Blu-ray. My indecision saved me money.

Watching BR2 for the first time in years. It really is as nonsensical as I remember it.

[number8]

All right, wrote a review of BRII here (http://www.justpressplay.net/reviews/9239-battle-royale-the-complete-collection.html).

[Thirdmango]

we're watching a woman a gun and a noodle shop in my chinese film class today.

[ledfloyd]

my new avatar points to the last great asian film experience i had.

[dreamdead]

my new avatar points to the last great asian film experience i had.

Bought this and The Day He Arrives together. I'm looking forward to seeing it, and even Sarah is looking forward to this, and she has a low tolerance for Hong's oeuvre. I'm interested in seeing Hong work with art more explicitly...

[ledfloyd]

Bought this and The Day He Arrives together. I'm looking forward to seeing it, and even Sarah is looking forward to this, and she has a low tolerance for Hong's oeuvre. I'm interested in seeing Hong work with art more explicitly...
i'd hesitate to call it my favorite hong because i'm really fond of Hahaha, but it just might be.

[Derek]

Huh. Night & Day is definitely my least favorite Hong, but it still has it's moments. I know Dan Sallitt, one of Hong's biggest fans, considers it one of his best, so it may just be one of his more divisive films.

[D_Davis]

Space Battlecruiser Yamato...wow, what a turd.

[Thirdmango]

Decided for my final in my Chinese Film Class I would do it on the HK Film Awards. So to help with that I decided to watch three of the films which won best picture that I hadn't seen before. So in the past couple days I've watched Election, Ip Man and just now finished watching The Warlords. My favorite was The Warlords, I looked back to see if anyone had said anything about it and it seems only Davis has talked about it and he didn't really like the second half. I loved the hell out of the entire movie. Of course I liked all three of the movies, Election comes in second and Ip Man third.

[number8]

This is absolutely amazing. The Korean Film Archive just uploaded SEVENTY classic Korean films from 1940-2000 on YouTube. Yes, with English subtitles!

http://www.youtube.com/user/KoreanFilm

[dreamdead]

This is absolutely amazing. The Korean Film Archive just uploaded SEVENTY classic Korean films from 1940-2000 on YouTube. Yes, with English subtitles!

http://www.youtube.com/user/KoreanFilm

Woah. Hong Sang-soo's The Day a Pig Fell into a Well without the indecipherable English translations that are on my import copy? This has been nominated as tomorrow night's viewing.

Massive thanks for posting this. Anyone seen any of the Kim Ki-young films posted? After the magnificence of The Housemaid, I'd like to see something else...

[D_Davis]

This is absolutely amazing. The Korean Film Archive just uploaded SEVENTY classic Korean films from 1940-2000 on YouTube. Yes, with English subtitles!

http://www.youtube.com/user/KoreanFilm

Dang, that's cool!

[number8]

You're welcome! I just about fell out of my chair myself when I found it, too.

[number8]

Anyone seen any of the Kim Ki-young films posted? After the magnificence of The Housemaid, I'd like to see something else...

If you like that, the channel has the other two in his Housemaid trilogy.

I decided to write a brief write-up. (http://www.justpressplay.net/articles/9408-watch-70-classic-korean-films-for-free-on-youtube.html)