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Asian films
I don't mean the section on red tube and in fact don't even know what red tube is.
But I've been introduced to the world of asian films of late. Notably the vengeance trilogy of Chan-wook. I've just watched them and they are absolutely brilliant, absolutely p'ssing all over 98% of Holywood. Oldboy was on Film4 lately and for me is the pick of the three although most aficienados disagree with me.
They're kinda sick, very violent and that should be enough to sell them. But typically of the orientals they're full of meaning and fantastically well made. Brilliant, brilliant acting too.
I've got about 20 ordered on lovefilm and I can't wait to see them. Ichi the Killer was the one most recommended and is supposed to be very hard to stomach, but I doubt it will affect me. Many others are buddhism/ninja type stuff which really appeals to me. Just like Murakami's books. Can't get enough of the oriental stuff. Kill Bill 2's my favourite ever film for a reason.
Would be interesting to hear Hartigan's views. But, crucially, I don't know if he reads these forums still. The word film might perk his ears up, who knows?
But I've been introduced to the world of asian films of late. Notably the vengeance trilogy of Chan-wook. I've just watched them and they are absolutely brilliant, absolutely p'ssing all over 98% of Holywood. Oldboy was on Film4 lately and for me is the pick of the three although most aficienados disagree with me.
They're kinda sick, very violent and that should be enough to sell them. But typically of the orientals they're full of meaning and fantastically well made. Brilliant, brilliant acting too.
I've got about 20 ordered on lovefilm and I can't wait to see them. Ichi the Killer was the one most recommended and is supposed to be very hard to stomach, but I doubt it will affect me. Many others are buddhism/ninja type stuff which really appeals to me. Just like Murakami's books. Can't get enough of the oriental stuff. Kill Bill 2's my favourite ever film for a reason.
Would be interesting to hear Hartigan's views. But, crucially, I don't know if he reads these forums still. The word film might perk his ears up, who knows?
Comments
I'm with you about old boy - great film.
Avoid the UK version of Ichi The Killer as the BBFC cut it by 3m15s, making it one of the most heavily cut films since the BBFC relaxed their guidelines. Not one of prolific Japanese director Takashi Miike's best (at one point he was making an average of 5-6 films a year but has recentely slowed down to just 2-3), the crazy Miike dabbles in every type of genre churning out gangster, horror, comedy, drama, sci-fi, musicals and even kids movies. I'd recommend the following - Fudoh: The New Generation (1996)*again beware the British release as it's cut by 21s / Audition (1999) / Dead or Alive (1999) / Visitor Q (2001) / The Happiness of the Katakuris (2001) / Zebraman (2004) / Sukiyaki Western Django (2007) / Yatterman (2009) and the forthcoming Thirteen Assassins looks tasty.
Love the Chan-wook Park vengeance trilogy, the very under-rated Lady Vengeance (2005) being my personal fave, and also really enjoyed his latest, the vampire flick Thirst (2009), despite it's lukewarm reception but I think that may be because its now "cool" to knock him.
On to John Woo, purveyor of the finest action movies of the late 80's/early 90's - A Better Tomorrow (1986), A Better Tomorrow II (1987), The Killer (1989), A Bullet in the Head (1990) and Hard Boiled (1992) are simply unmissable. Avoid all his American pictures except Face/Off (1997) which is great fun. His recent epic Red Cliff (2008) is a fine return to form.
Takeshi "Beat" Kitano - Mad as a bag of badgers, the director / actor most famous for his violent gangster movies in which he always plays the same character (hardly says a word, shows no emotions, prone to extreme violence, mental) although they are actually different people. His style as a director usually involves methodically paced dreamlike scenes with an underlying sense of jet black humour which often end in sudden bursts of bloody violence. He is one of my favourie film makers. Check out Violent Cop (1989), Boiling Point (1990), Sonatine (1993), Hanna-Bi (1997), Zatoichi (2003) and Takeshis' (2005). He also appears in Kinji Fukasaku's (director of many top 70's gangster films) last film, the superb Battle Royale (2000), as well as being the host of crazed Japanese game show Takeshi's Castle.
Yimou Zhangs' three big international hits - Hero (2002), House of Flying Daggers (2004) and Cusre of the Golden Flower (2006) are all recommended and amongst the most ravishingly beautiful films you will ever see. He was also responsible for those amazing opening/closing ceremonies at the Beijing Olympics.
Kurosawa is simply one of the giants of cinema and if possible you should check out the U.S. Criterion Blu-Rays.
To be continued...join me next time for the wonderful world of Japanese 70's exploitation movies!!!
I'd better up my love-film limit and throw a couple of sickies :-)
James - Think we've got different tastes mate. I appreciate your knowledge of all things cinematic (and you really should have got Barry Norman's job) but my tastes are just different.
Tootin : You the man. It was only the uk version I caught of Ichi but I thought it was brilliant. But didn't rate Audition that much. Or, as stated above, Castle Royale. But the entire vengeance trilogy is just brilliant.
Only tentative steps taken thus far though. I'll report back once I've seen a few more.
By all means hit me with the 70s Japanese exploitation movies :-)