What asian film/series have you just seen.. marks out of 5

[grim_tales]

Cheesy in places (it's fun spotting the cut and pasted footage)/quote] its not fun. its so obvious its untrue.love the movie though

Of course, I meant 'fun' as in "silly"
Hwang Jang Lee is awesome as the villain.

[Markgway]

The Hidden Fortress (1958-Japan) *½
Tongue-in-cheek adventure from Akira Kurosawa; uneventful and terribly overlong.

[luckystars]

The Game of Death films conjure up such mixed feelings. The Glasshouse fight is one of the greatest HK fights of al time tho

[grim_tales]

The Hidden Fortress (1958-Japan) *½
Tongue-in-cheek adventure from Akira Kurosawa; uneventful and terribly overlong.

I remember enjoying it, not his best film but it was good, a big influence on George Lucas for Star Wars (as I'm sure you know). Interesting how THF is more of a fantasy film really, whereas Seven Samurai and Yojimo/Sanjuro seem more grounded in reality.

[grim_tales]

The Game of Death films conjure up such mixed feelings. The Glasshouse fight is one of the greatest HK fights of al time tho

Interesting that scene appears in both sets of 'deleted scenes' on GoD 1 and 2 on the HKL DVDs (I think), wasnt that scene included in the HK prints of GoD and the international prints of GoD II?

[Markgway]

I remember enjoying it, not his best film but it was good, a big influence on George Lucas for Star Wars (as I'm sure you know). Interesting how THF is more of a fantasy film really, whereas Seven Samurai and Yojimo/Sanjuro seem more grounded in reality.

I could see from where Star Wars borrowed (Princess making a journey incognito, aided by a pair of comic sidekicks). Star Wars is a lot more enjoyable, IMO (and I'm far from a geek sci-fi fanboy). I didn't feel THF was a fantasy film; it was comparatively light-hearted to SS et al, but even those Kurosawa films had comic moments.

If you took all Sammo's choreography from GOD and Yuen Wo-Ping's from TOWER and put them into a compilation... THAT would be a great movie.

[grim_tales]

I remember enjoying it, not his best film but it was good, a big influence on George Lucas for Star Wars (as I'm sure you know). Interesting how THF is more of a fantasy film really, whereas Seven Samurai and Yojimo/Sanjuro seem more grounded in reality.

I could see from where Star Wars borrowed (Princess making a journey incognito, aided by a pair of comic sidekicks). Star Wars is a lot more enjoyable, IMO (and I'm far from a geek sci-fi fanboy). I didn't feel THF was a fantasy film; it was comparatively light-hearted to SS et al, but even those Kurosawa films had comic moments.

If you took all Sammo's choreography from GOD and Yuen Wo-Ping's from TOWER and put them into a compilation... THAT would be a great movie.

BIB: True. Yuen Wo-Ping does some excellent work in TOWER, and Sammo's choreography is great, like the locker room fight Though in TOWER (unlike Bruce v Jabbar in GOD), I felt Kim Tae Jung seems to make quite easy work of most opponents (Hwang Jang Lee and Lee Hoi San aside). There's something Jackie Chan like about his use of props too (like when he takes a guy's glasses off in one fight and distracts him).

You're right about comic moments in SS (eg most of Mifune's performance)

[luckystars]

The Game of Death films conjure up such mixed feelings. The Glasshouse fight is one of the greatest HK fights of al time tho

Interesting that scene appears in both sets of 'deleted scenes' on GoD 1 and 2 on the HKL DVDs (I think), wasnt that scene included in the HK prints of GoD and the international prints of GoD II?

Something like that. I used to know all the differences (probably 10 years ago)!!

The scene even got sampled in music
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=N526AklQXkY

[Masterofoneinchpunch]

Love Parade (1963: Ching Doe: Hong Kong)

I might do a proper review/essay of this at some point, but I want to put it aside for a few reasons: to watch more of Linda Lin Dai as well as the director and to watch (or rewatch) the well-known Doris Day and Rock Hudson films which I believe several scenes and possibly plot have some similarities.

This has been written about as a musical, but I think that is erroneous. This is first and foremost a romantic comedy. Now there are three segments that some have considered musical interludes, but two of them are actually a fashion presentation to a large audience with music in the background but only once did a couple actually sing.* Those familiar with Busby Berkeley musicals will recognize a few similarities like the insanely large sets that no real audience could have seen and the transitions from a fake decorated scene to a live action one.

The sets are exquisite and the use of color is quite good. Some of the dolly shots are bumpier than they should be. The plot itself is a rather pedestrian romantic comedy where almost every review I have read notes of the similarities between the Doris Day/Rock Hudson films. There is also a too quick reconciliation at the end that just does not work. Lin Dai’s character is rather annoying, though her acting is good, and if they have issues that early in the marriage just imagine what might happen later.

Even though he had acted in a decent amount of films by this point, King Hu had not directed yet. It is interesting to see him act in a basic “third-wheel” role – though his character is strangely overfriendly for losing someone he had proposed to.

* The music appears to be diegetic (a film term meaning that it takes place within the universe of the movie and in this case is heard by the audience in the movie while watching the fashion show.)

Sources:
Unfortunately there is not much book material that I found on the film with a few brief mentions in The Shaw Screen: A Preliminary Study and China Forever: The Shaw Brothers and Diasporic Cinema.
Linda Lin Dai Week: Love Parade (1963): (Dec. 9, 2010)
Brns.com Review: concentrates more on Peter Chen Ho. Images look too bleached on the site compared to what you see in the film and on the above link.

[Markgway]

Throne of Blood (1957-Japan) **

MacBeth transported to feudal Japan; the central plot is good, but blimey is this slow and badly paced. Why have 20 secs of men riding horses in the mist when you can have 5 mins? There's so little dramatic meat here, that most of the 110m run time is padding of some sort. Mifune is intense as usual, but this is for hardened art-house critics only (the kind of person who buys everything Criterion).

[Beat TG]

Metro Manila (2013)

A UK/Philippine co-production, and a good one at that. It doesn't really offer anything new since this type of story has been retold countless of times before. But setting this story in Metro Manila and thereby using a predominant Filipino cast speaking in their native tongue throughout the film was refreshing allowing us to see the kind of struggles and desperate actions by poor people in the Philippines. What made this more interesting was how it mixes up few different genres meshed into this one film with its' flavor: drama, thriller, crime, neo-noir. Direction, cinematography, editing and music truly helped here enhancing the story's intensity and delivering a stylish and engaging package. It's quite an accomplishment for a Filipino film.

Acting performances were engrossingly compelling ranging from serious to humorous (if you understand the ways of socializing in Tagalog). The lead actor, Jake Macapagal, did his part and so did actress Althea Vega playing the wife. But the one stealing the show was actor John Arcilla playing the security company guard haunted by his past and his way of handling his depression on the dirt that plagues the country. In many ways, this particular character reminded me of Denzel Washington's performance in Training Day. But it's more realistic in that it's something that actually relates to pretty much any average citizen living in the Philippines. Speaking from experience, having been there for two months recently and hearing (from my relatives) what people will do for a living, it's striking to see how the director pulled off something that you often see in many films - making people think that it's plausible to experience similar situations themselves - but it automatically becomes a sense of reality in that these situations take place in a country where such things really happen. In other words, the tragic situations in the film IS dedicated to Philippines and its' poor population who go through these things in real-life.

All in all, it's quite conventional but the intensity and emotional aspect of the character development make this another worthy Filipino film to check out. And it's yet another case of Philippine Cinema making good progression of improving their standards and making a mark on the international scene. The future is looking good for Filipino film-making...

Rating: 8/10

[Masterofoneinchpunch]

“Life is suffering.”

The Life of Oharu (1952: Kenji Mizoguchi)

Mizoguchi is one of the best directors with the crane shot. The majority of his shots are taken from it even if it appears to be standing still. It always has the potential to be whisked away within the same unbroken take. He specializes in long takes (not Bela Tarr length) which was especially hard to do with this production. He had to set up the sets in a warehouse near a railroad and since he preferred direct sound to post-sync sound he did take after take to get the scenes to his liking which was often interrupted by the nearby trains. But with his auteuristic fervor and perspicacious direction he helmed a consummate jidai geki that is comparable to his other masterpieces Ugetsu and Sansho the Bailiff.

There is not much respite from the calamity and heartbreaks that betakes Oharu. But she goes on with an austere dignity that is beaten but not broken even when Fate seems to be against her at literary every turn. Sometimes the pathos seems to be almost overbearing and it starts all from one single event. She falls in love with a lower caste retainer Katsunosuke (Toshiro Mifune who is really only in a few minutes of the film) which causes his death and her and her family to be exiled (kind of selfish for him to push so hard since he knew what might happen because of this.) We know from the beginning that she ends up as a lowly prostitute, but we are going to witness her gradual decline that is a combination of circumstance and the unfortunateness of being a woman in the Edo period (with the analogy to modern times as well.)

While this is taken from Saikaku Ibara’s novel Koshuku Ichidai Onna the tone according to scholar Dudley Andrew is completely different as Mizoguchi incorporates a melodramatic approach compared to the satirical and more lurid book. In some ways the titular character reminds me of the heartbroken heroine in Federico Fellini’s Nights of Cabiria. This is in many cinema canons like Kinema Junpo Top 100 Japanese Movies, Roger Ebert’s Great Movie List and the aggregate list TSPDT 1000.

The Criterion release is quite good. There is an illustrated essay by Dudley Andrew Mizoguchi's Art and the Demimonde which interesting enough goes over Utamaro and His Five Women quite a bit making me wonder if Criterion will release this eventually. Andrew also does a commentary on the film for the first 28 minutes only repeating some of the material he had in the illustrated essay.

[grim_tales]

The Young Master: 4.25/5

Havent seen this in years, the end fight with Whang In-sik is great though

[Killer Meteor]

Yeah, it's a great movie.

It's astonishing how Bruce Lee held Whang In-Sik back so much in Way of the Dragon.

[Markgway]

Bruce Lee never allowed anyone to look as good as he did on camera.

The fights were usually very one-sided.

[Killer Meteor]

Mind you, Jackie seems to have held Yuen Biao back a lot in The Young Master.

[grim_tales]

I thought that too.
Just a silly thing, but when is Young Master supposed to be set - what is it with some HK films of that era and the characters having ridiculous haircuts (eg Lee Hoi San's mohawk cut in this movie?)

[HungFist]

Fuck Me to the Moon (Japan, 2013) [Yubari Fanta] – 4/5
Japanese slacker cinema is alive and kicking with the best film in the genre since Nobuhiro Yamashita’s early 2000’s masterpieces. Directors Takahata and Takino brand their film as a new type of roman porno, promising to make the audience laugh, cry, and get an erection. In reality it’s a very romantic film. The storyline follows two miserable part time musicians and roommates trying to charm a sexy lady with music. Solid cast and excellent soundtrack make it a very enjoyable slacker comedy with some original twists, despite the conventional storyline. The film premiered in the Moosic Lab Cinema x Music line-up originally started by director Yu Irie (Saitama Rapper).

The Tale of Iya (Japan, 2013) [35mm] 4.5/5
Here’s something completely unexpected in the middle of all the plastic mainstream productions and micro-budget indie films: a young director’s 169 minute epic gorgeously filmed on 35mm. The story is set in the breathtaking mountain landscapes on Iya, where an old man raises an orphan girl (Rina Takeda) with no modern comforts such as electricity. The film echoes old masters like Shohei Imamura, but finds its own fascinating mixture of “magical realism” and valuable environmental message. Mesmerizing piece of filmmaking!

[HungFist]

How lucky, just when I was in Tokyo for one night Kineka Omori was playing an idol double feature on 35mm.

Island Closest to Heaven (Japan, 1984) [35mm] –3/5
Nobuhiko Obayashi’s second collaboration with 80’s idol Tomoyo Harada was perhaps more of a leisure trip to New Caledonia and an idol video than a film with traditional cinematic merits. The storyline of a Japanese girl who travels to search for the paradise on earth and meets nothing but nice people is incredibly naïve, but somewhat amusing. Plenty of beautiful landscapes, but the real attraction is of course the 16 year old Harada, whose isn’t at her best as an actress here, but possesses the kind of natural innocence that the AKBs of today couldn’t even dream of. For Harada fans, others need not bother.

Tragedy of W (Japan, 1984) [35mm] -4/5
The greatest 80’s idol Hiroko Yakushimaru stars in yet another excellent film after Sailor Suit and Machine Gun, Legend of the Eight Samurai, and a few others. The unusually gritty (for an idol) role sees Hiroko as a young actress who sells her soul and body for stardom. The film features an almost genius structure where the film’s storyline begins to increasingly resemble a theatre play within the movie, while the theatre play is at the same time increasingly influenced by the reality within the film, making them eventually inseparable. Hiroko is good throughout, and in a few scenes, downright excellent. “Don’t hit me in the face, I’m an actress!”

[Killer Meteor]

I thought that too.
Just a silly thing, but when is Young Master supposed to be set - what is it with some HK films of that era and the characters having ridiculous haircuts (eg Lee Hoi San's mohawk cut in this movie?)

I honestly couldn't say...possibly Republic era (early 20th Century) but with 70's haircuts.

[Masterofoneinchpunch]

Love Parade (1963: Ching Doe: Hong Kong)
... The plot itself is a rather pedestrian romantic comedy where almost every review I have read notes of the similarities between the Doris Day/Rock Hudson films. There is also a too quick reconciliation at the end that just does not work. Lin Dai’s character is rather annoying, though her acting is good, and if they have issues that early in the marriage just imagine what might happen later.
...

After watching Pillow Talk over the weekend I can further comment on some of the similarities (though I do want to watch a few more of the Day/Hudson pairings): the obstetrician scene from Love Parade is taken from Pillow Talk, though Pillow Talk uses it as a running gag. The use of the horrible outfit design is analogous to the horrible apartment design in Pillow Talk. The King Hu third wheel character has some similarities to the Tony Randall character. So Pillow Talk is definitely an influence, though this film you might not consider a remake of because of the use of mistaken identity in PT and the whole marriage plot in LP which give both films a completely spin.

[Killer Meteor]

9 Venoms (1984, Chang Cheh, Taiwan)

For quite a few years this was the only Chang Cheh film on DVD in the UK. Ouch...

To be fair, a lot of what makes this film such a pain is the awful dubbing, which has characters called Joey, Gary. By the time a certain Master Johnson showed up, I wasn't sure whether to laugh or scream.

The actual film is vaguely interesting, as Ricky Cheng becomes possessed and controls 9 demons. Not surprisingly for Chang Cheh, the head demon is a woman, but the other eight are little boys in purple hula skirts. Yes, terrifying.

The UK title is a cheat. The original English title is The 9 Demons. Only 2 bona-fide Venoms, Lu Feng and Chiang Sheng, pop up, and both look fairly embarassed that they followed their mentor Chang back to Taiwan and playing second fiddle here, instead of sticking it out at Shaws and paying second fiddle there.

The fighting is largely uninteresting, with the final water skating finale suggesting lame off-Broadaway.

That said, I would like to see this in Mandarin, where I'm sure there won't be a Master Johnson...

3/10

[RetroRobot]

I've always avoided that film like the plague. Which, judging from your review, was the right choice.

Joey, Gary and Master Johnson..... oh, for fucks sake.

[Killer Meteor]

As I said, it might be worth seeing in Mandarin, but I don't know how easy it'd be to get that version. The only other non-Shaw Chang Cheh film I've seen is Death Ring, which is a very bland re-visit of Duel of Fists.

[RetroRobot]

Haven't seen much Non-Shaw Chang Cheh stuff, but what i've seen was pretty bad.