Jump to content

Oriental films

Happy Face

By Happy Face,
in General Chat

 Share

Recommended Posts

Happy Face

Happy Face 29

Posted
Posted

Got a PM over on N-O asking me to recommend some and ended up writing a bit much, others might be interested...

 

My knowledge of the areas is far from extensive, but I'll tell you which Asian films I've enjoyed. They're generally films that have gained popularity in the UK, but there's the odd one that's less well known. I'll go by director...

 

Kar Wai Wong - In The mood for love(

) is a gorgeous drama about 2 lonely tenants in a building whose marriages have turned sour and take solace in each others company it's a slow burner that I love to bits, I made the mistake of watching 2046 (the follow up) (
) first and didn't enjoy it so much, but it might be better if you watch them in the right order. It's not exactly a sequel, but references are made to the first film. His new film is My Blueberry Nights (Trailer) but it's not out on DVD yet. Chungking Express
is also popular.

 

Kim Ki-duk - Korean director whose films are even slower. I've only seen The Isle (Trailer) very slow but with one of the most horrific uses I've seen of a fish hook) and 3 Iron (A man breaks into peoples homes to partake in their lives) (Trailer). The Isle was the better of the two, but people say his best film is Spring, Summer, Fall, Winter... and Spring (Trailer) which I haven't seen yet.

 

Shaw Brothers - Brought to eminence by Tarantino's Kill Bill films there's a back catalogue of hundreds of films. Generally Kung Fu films some of the classics are 36th Chamber of Shaolin (Trailer), Eight Diagram Pole Fighter(Trailer), Anonymous Heroes(Trailer), Boxer From Shantung(Trailer), Come Drink with Me(Trailer)

 

Katsuhiro Ôtomo - Anime director did the classic Akira (which I'm sure you've heard of - futuristic view of an apocalyptic Tokyo with stunning night scenes) (Trailer) and more recently Steamboy (Trailer)which is the most expensive Japanese animated film ever made and was 8 years in the making. It's not a classic of Akira standards, but I enjoyed it.

 

Takashi Miike - So prolific it's scary, he does at least a film a year and more often than not two or three. Most of them are highly original and generally bizarre. Audition (Trailer)is about a lonely widower who holds a casting session to find a new wife. The woman he selects turns out to be his worst nightmare. The Great Yokai War (Trailer)is a kids film (here's what I thought). Gozu (Trailer)was one I didn't enjoy so much, but it's still an experience you won't forget, the cow headed man and the birth of a full grown man stay with you forever. Happiness of the Katakuris

is The Sound of Music with a seriel killing family. Ichi the Killer
is my favourite film of his, extremely violent but visually arresting. Bird People in China (Trailer)is lush (see my avatar :coolsmiley: ). These are my favourites, with the amount he makes there's some that weren't as memorable and loads I haven't seen, but I always try to get hold of his stuff.

 

Akira Kurosawa - Hailed by film buffs that take themselves too seriously as the greatest film maker of all time. The Seven Samurai

, Rashomon(Trailer), Ikiru
, Yojimbo(Trailer) and Sanjuro(Trailer) are probably his most popular. Rashomon deserves all the praise it gets and is (in my opinion) better than Seven Samurai (Which gets most praise). He's done loads more that are very good too. Throne of Blood (Trailer)is class, The Hidden Fortress (Trailer)was an inspiration for Star Wars, Kagemusha (Trailer)and Ran
are more recent ones for people that frown on black and white films.

 

Takeshi Kitano - If you watch Takeshi's Castle you'll know this bloke. He drives around in one of the glittery cars at the end tring to perforate peoples rings with his pistol. His films are a mile away from the trashy good fun on there though. Arty farty some might say. Sonatine (Trailer)and Hana Bi

are inseperable in my mind and I can't remember the differences between them, I do remember Hana Bi had one of the most gorgeous scenes I've seen where the gangsters in hiding play fight on the beach at night with fireworks. Brother
is another gangster film. Zatoichi
is my favourite of his, it's about a blind samurai that takes up residence in a small villige. There's a whole history of Zatoichi films and TV shows that I've not seen, but the film is great fun. Dolls
is his least accesible, most arty farty film.

 

Hideo Nakata - Bloke the Hollywood studios love, started the Ring series (Trailer) and Dark Water(Trailer). They're canny enough films I enjoyed at the time, I just depise the cynical Hollywood rebranding. Dumb ass Americans.

 

Sammo Hung - He's done millions, most of which I haven't seen, but he's basically a fat Bruce Lee doing Kung Fu films for laughs. Those of his I've loved are Encounter of the Spooky Kind(Trailer), The Prodigal Son(Trailer), The Magnificent Butcher (Trailer)and Eastern Condors(Trailer).

 

Stephen Chow - Started carrying the torch for Sammo Hung in the 90's, he does Kung Fu films as comedy too. But his are far more popular in the west. Shaolin Soccer (Trailer)and Kung Fu Hustle(Trailer) (soon to get a sequel) got cinematic releases over here and are superb. Almost as good are his earlier films The King of Comedy

and God of Cookery(First 10 minutes)

 

John WooFamous in Hollywoodland as the director of Mission Impossible 2, Face Off etc. He started out as a director for the Shaw brothers (see above) Last Hurrah for Chivalry was particularly good. He then moved on to corner the market in guns and gangsters Kung Fu films. A Better Tomorrow(Trailer), The Killer(Trailer), Once a Thief (Trailer)and Hard Boiled(Trailer) are all deemed classics (though personally I never enjoyed any of them as much as the Shaw brothers stuff). Then he went to ply his trade in Hollywood with dirge like Hard Target and Broken Arrow.

 

Yimou Zhang - The first film of his you see, you'll love, whichever one it is. They all look exactly the same and the plots are secondary to the colours. It is fantastic what he does, shame he keeps doing it the same. Anyway, I'd recommend them in this order (the same I saw them suprisingly) Hero(Trailer), House of Flying Daggers(Trailer), Curse of the Golden Flower

.

 

Woo-ping Yuen - an absoloute legend in the film world. If a US film needs Kung Fu, they ring him. Danny the Dog, Kung Fu Hustle, The Kill Bill', The Matrix's (Matrices?), Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon etc. etc. Some of his own films are among the best to come out of Hong Kong. Iron Monkey(Trailer) is a work of genius unparalleled and The Magnificent Butcher (starring Sammo Hung - see above) is highly recommended.

 

Chan-wook Park - Oldboy

rose to prominence recently after that heed the ball shot up his university, He'd taken photos of himself in poses made famous by the lead character. Whatever carnage it might have inspired, it was worth it because Oldboy is an astounding film, if you're struggling to choose from this plethora of recommendations and you don't own Oldboy, go and buy it NOW! . It's the second film in a trilogy that started with Sympathy For Mr Vengeance (Trailer) and ended with Sympathy for Lady Vengeance(Trailer). The stories aren't related, just the theme of revenge, all three films are very good, just Oldboy is brilliant though. Before all of these he also did JSA
, which is canny.

 

Hayao Miyazaki - Another animation director, Princess Mononoke

brought him acclaim in the west and then Spirited Away(Trailer) redoubled it. He's done lots of great stuff, and it's fun for kids and grown ups.

 

Other

 

Attack the Gas Station!

- 5 outlaws take over a gas station for a night. Canny good.

Battle Royale

- A group of school kids are put on an island with weapons to kill each other. Awesome film

Beast Cops(Trailer) - A good cop is sent to a crooked station. great fun.

Casshern(Trailer) - Adored by many, I thought it looked lush, turned out to be shit.

Drunken Master

- Jackie Chan classic

Fist of Fury(Trailer) - Bruce Lee Classic

The King of Masks(Trailer) - An old man adopts an orphan, Tearjerker.

Once Upon A Time In China(Trailer) - Classic Kung Fu series with Jet Li.

Ong-bak(Trailer) - Tony Jaa does impressive stunts.

Ping Pong

- Hilarious stuff.

My Sassy Girl(Trailer) - Not so hilarious, but fun.

Shogun Assassin(Trailer) - Chopped together from a couple of Lone Wolf and Cub films, it's canny, but the best thing about it is the American dub used by Wu Tang Clan on Liquid Swords.

Story Of Ricky(Trailer) - Gory as hell prison break film. Outstanding.

Tae Guk Gi(Trailer) - Or 'Brotherhood' over here, It's like Saving Private Ryan but it's not shit after the first half an hour.

Tale of Two Sisters

- If you like the Hideo Nakata stuff, it's a horror in the same vein.

Twilight Samurai(Trailer) - Not much Samurai action, more of a slow burn drama.

 

Lot's missing, I'd love to take a look at any recommendations that anyone else has.

Link to comment
Share on other sites
Happy Face

Happy Face 29

Posted
  • Author
Posted

 

The Departed was better. :icon_lol:

 

I'll take a look at the rest though, ta.

Link to comment
Share on other sites
Lazarus

Lazarus 0

Posted
Posted
"My Sassy Girl" and "A Moment To Remember" from your recommendations Laz were excellent by the way :icon_lol:

 

Christ on a motorcycle!

 

That must of been at least a year ago! :icon_lol:

Link to comment
Share on other sites
MattM4

MattM4 0

Posted
Posted

Indeed it was... still have your PM saved. Bought Infernal Affairs and it was very good... but The Departed is one of my all time favourites now.

 

Also still have Ping Pong, Windstruck, Il Mare and OldBoy on Dvd or the computer that I'll have to watch one day!

Link to comment
Share on other sites
Happy Face

Happy Face 29

Posted
  • Author
Posted
If anyone is interested in getting these films, play.com have several of them in a 3 for £18 offer

 

http://www.play.com/DVD/DVD/3-/4458/2-/Pro...ing&cpage=1

 

 

Canny, I forgot to include the links I put on N-O...

 

And if you want any of this stuff cheap use this to check the best UK price

 

http://www.find-dvd.co.uk/

 

and this to see if it's cheaper to import from HK

 

http://www.dddhouse.com/v3/index.php

 

It's a cracking site, most stuff available before it is in the UK and they mark everything as a gift so you don't pay through the nose for delivery.

 

Finally, I get most of my recommendations from here, particularly the recommendations sectioon here

Link to comment
Share on other sites
Happy Face

Happy Face 29

Posted
  • Author
Posted

Forgot to mention Onibaba which is an excellent horror.

 

Onibaba – 1964 Japanese horror about a woman and her daughter in law who kill deserting soldiers in order to sell their armour to buy food for survival.. When a friend of the womens son/husband returns alone claiming their loved one is dead, the wife takes it better than the mother. Highly sexual but ridden with repressive guilt, it’s very interesting. http://www.criterionco.com/asp/release.asp...p;section=essay
Link to comment
Share on other sites
Guest Patrokles

Guest Patrokles

Posted
Posted
Forgot to mention Onibaba which is an excellent horror.

 

Onibaba – 1964 Japanese horror about a woman and her daughter in law who kill deserting soldiers in order to sell their armour to buy food for survival.. When a friend of the womens son/husband returns alone claiming their loved one is dead, the wife takes it better than the mother. Highly sexual but ridden with repressive guilt, it’s very interesting. http://www.criterionco.com/asp/release.asp...p;section=essay

 

Kuroneko FTW.

Link to comment
Share on other sites
Guest alex

Guest alex

Posted
Posted
The stuff they did as The Black Dog is better than the stuff they did / do as Plaid imo.

 

First I heard was Book of Dogma.

 

It's mint like.

That's remastered/remixed old stuff I think. I haven't actually got it though. 'Bytes' by them is one of the best electronic albums going imo. Give it a blast.

Link to comment
Share on other sites
Guest Patrokles

Guest Patrokles

Posted
Posted
R-point is an excellent film, really enjoyed it when film 4 played a load of far eastern films recently

 

Is very good. You feel a little as though it could have been incredible, though. Slightly wasted potential. But still very good.

Link to comment
Share on other sites
  • 2 weeks later...
zico martin

zico martin 87

Posted
Posted

just watched battle royale on film four last night. Thoroughly enjoyed and am keen to get more into this genre tbh. The pace and feel to this film was nothing like the majority of films and I dont think western film studios would dare to make a film like this ( although I notice a remake is now in production. good grief!)

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Create an account or sign in to comment

You need to be a member in order to leave a comment

Create an account

Sign up for a new account in our community. It's easy!

Register a new account

Sign in

Already have an account? Sign in here.

Sign In Now
 Share
Go to topic listing
×
×
  • Create New...

Important Information

We have placed cookies on your device to help make this website better. You can adjust your cookie settings, otherwise we'll assume you're okay to continue.

  I accept