Obscure Japanese classic cinema...

Andrez · Post by **Andrez** » Fri Nov 17, 2006 5:31 pm

Not sure if anyone here's into more obscure and bizarre Japanese cinema, but there's a ton of it out there!!!

Anyway, I just wrote a 4-page article on the beasts for UK film magazine Impact, and it's in the December issue, which may be available in Melbs on import sometime soon - check out their website here:

http://www.impactmoviemagazine.co.uk/is ... sue_id=180

It's a bit of a laugh, methinks...

Anyone have their own "classic unknowns" of Asian cinema to add here...?

Grey Son · Post by **Grey Son** » Fri Nov 17, 2006 5:32 pm

Love it mate!!
I dont have much but what i do have people dont seem to wanna watch he he!!
Im a big fan of THE AUDITION while not as obscure it certainly has that darkness to it!!
And i just lent it to my dad, hope he likes it!!

Andrez · Post by **Andrez** » Fri Nov 17, 2006 5:36 pm

Grey Son wrote:Love it mate!!
I dont have much but what i do have people dont seem to wanna watch he he!!
Im a big fan of THE AUDITION while not as obscure it certainly has that darkness to it!!
And i just lent it to my dad, hope he likes it!!

...Audition...!!!! ...eeek!!! Classic... Takashi Miike at his best!!!

I'm sure your dad will love it... until the piano wires come out...

Grey Son · Post by **Grey Son** » Fri Nov 17, 2006 5:45 pm

Yeah its good, still makes me sqiunt my eyes when i see it. I like when i show it to people because it hs such a build up to what happens, then its

Any others you think i would like like that mate??

Andrez · Post by **Andrez** » Fri Nov 17, 2006 6:20 pm

...you've seen Ichi The Killer and Battle Royale, I take it?

Zatoichi?

Azumi is ace - very twee J-Pop video style that descends into a splice-and-dice mayhem that's hilarious!!

Also old one but classic: Tetsuo the Iron Man.

Post by **breaksRbest** » Fri Nov 17, 2006 6:30 pm

Battle Royale is farken RAD!

I was told not to bother with the sequel though

Grey Son · Post by **Grey Son** » Fri Nov 17, 2006 6:34 pm

breaksRbest wrote:Battle Royale is farken RAD!

I was told not to bother with the sequel though

Yeah dont mate, the first is great, such a radical experiment...
But the first i would recomend fully man!!

fonk · Post by **fonk** » Fri Nov 17, 2006 6:40 pm

Anybody seen Electric Dragon 80000V ??

Possibly my favourite movie ever.

Cool music too!

Hatsudai · Post by **Hatsudai** » Fri Nov 17, 2006 6:43 pm

Yeah I saw Audition and was blown away by the absoloute skill in the terror that was conveyed in that film, the piano wire was the icing on the cake but the mood up until then was intense.

After that I tracked down a bunch if Miikes films but, to be honest none of them got anywhere near Audition, I saw:

Fudoh: The New Generation ( BI-ZARRE story about a bunch of kid that over throw the KOBE yakuza, the kids overthrow the mafia in vengeance of one of thier fathers)

Deadly Outlaw: Rekka (Not a bad story about a crazy Yakuza dude who is out for vengance for his father)

Ichi the Killer ( shlock gore piece about a pshycho Yakuza out for vengeance for the death of his mob boss/father figure)

Blues Harp (1998) Yakuza story about a kid who gets involved with a father figure type mob boss.

There is a sort of theme running through these movies

Grey Son · Post by **Grey Son** » Fri Nov 17, 2006 6:45 pm

Hatsudai wrote:Yeah I saw Audition and was blown away by the absoloute skill in the terror that was conveyed in that film, the piano wire was the icing on the cake but the mood up until then was intense.

After that I tracked down a bunch if Miikes films but, to be honest none of them got anywhere near Audition, I saw:

Fudoh: The New Generation ( BI-ZARRE story about a bunch of kid that over throw the KOBE yakuza, the kids overthrow the mafia in vengeance of one of thier fathers)

Deadly Outlaw: Rekka (Not a bad story about a crazy Yakuza dude who is out for vengance for his father)

Ichi the Killer ( shlock gore piece about a pshycho Yakuza out for vengeance for the death of his mob boss/father figure)

Blues Harp (1998) Yakuza story about a kid who gets involved with a father figure type mob boss.

There is a sort of theme running through these movies

I sampled that bit where she is saying in japanese" deeper deeper deeper" with those nasty things in the eyes.....
Death meatl style, ouch!!

Andrez · Post by **Andrez** » Fri Nov 17, 2006 7:55 pm

breaksRbest wrote:Battle Royale is farken RAD!

I was told not to bother with the sequel though

...yup - worthy advice. Stick to V.1

Andrez · Post by **Andrez** » Fri Nov 17, 2006 7:57 pm

fonk wrote:Anybody seen Electric Dragon 80000V ??

Possibly my favourite movie ever.

Cool music too!

Excellent movie. Tadanobu Asano is brilliant!!

Brain · Post by **Brain** » Fri Nov 17, 2006 10:03 pm

I'm a big fan of Kurosawa especially his movies with Toshiro Mifune.

And manga...

Brain · Post by **Brain** » Fri Nov 17, 2006 10:14 pm

Andrez wrote:Anyway, I just wrote a 4-page article on the beasts for UK film magazine Impact, and it's in the December issue, which may be available in Melbs on import sometime soon

Love to buy a copy man. Do you know which shops will stock it?

Andrez · Post by **Andrez** » Fri Nov 17, 2006 10:43 pm

...good question!!! Not sure; I'm over in Tokyo!! But probably bigger newsagencies that import o/seas mags, or (maybe) comic stores like Minotaur...? Good luck!!

Andrez · Post by **Andrez** » Fri Nov 17, 2006 10:44 pm

Brain wrote:I'm a big fan of Kurosawa especially his movies with Toshiro Mifune.

...zounds - ME TOO!!!

fonk · Post by **fonk** » Sat Nov 18, 2006 1:30 am

Andrez wrote: Excellent movie. Tadanobu Asano is brilliant!!

Yeah, totally!

I love everything about it.... the story (for those who haven't seen it - kid gets electrocuted, awakens "the dragon" within, only way to tame the dragon is to play his electric guitar....and then the resulting Hero Vs Villian battle....awesome!) and in particular the way it's shot....cinematography is just amazing.... wicked soundtrack..... so unique and cool.

Andrez · Post by **Andrez** » Sat Nov 18, 2006 12:38 pm

...nice wrap-up. Exactly.

Another classic: Legend Of The Eight Samurai. No, not seven - you read right. Eight. Sonny Chiba. Made in the '80s. Hilarious, especially the English dub version, where the samurai are changed to ninja...

mizuhodai · Post by **mizuhodai** » Sat Nov 18, 2006 5:04 pm

if anyone can track down a b grade japanese horry called STACY id hightly recommend giving it a wtach....its about an infected bunch of school girl zombies that are named stacy, killing and terrorizing a town, bloody gory, very funny!

Andrez · Post by **Andrez** » Sat Nov 18, 2006 6:34 pm

...cool! Have to hunt it down!!!

numz · Post by **numz** » Sun Nov 19, 2006 11:08 pm

I haven't watched too much out there. Seen Battle Royal 1 & 2, the latter definitely dissapointing. My dad has Zatoichi, which is nuts. Swords are cool. And Versus was some funny shit too.

must source some more out there...

mecka · Post by **mecka** » Sun Nov 19, 2006 11:13 pm

Lady Snowblood ftw.

Hatsudai · Post by **Hatsudai** » Sun Nov 19, 2006 11:21 pm

Anyone seen "Suicide club"?

completely shlocky/gory/wierd film which revolves around it becoming cool in society to kill yourself. So over the top but also, rather funny.

On a different tip (and moreso a recommendation)
"Always SANCHOME NO YU HI" (roughly translated to Always third intersections dusk sunset!!)
is a beautiful little movie about post war tokyo and the people who struggled with no money but alot of love and community spirit.

ghetto kitty · Post by **ghetto kitty** » Mon Nov 20, 2006 1:13 pm

Andrez wrote: Also old one but classic: Tetsuo the Iron Man.

word.

love it....oh no, i am turning into a giant metal phallus...

save me!!

hehehehehe

Andrez · Post by **Andrez** » Mon Nov 20, 2006 2:08 pm

Ghetto Kitty... you rock!!

That revolving phallus thingy... eeekk...

Couple of other worthwhiles to hunt down:

- CASSHERN

- TAMPOPO

- WOLVES OF THE CITY: ATTACK! NUMBER ONE

quick · Post by **quick** » Mon Nov 20, 2006 2:15 pm

Suicide Club is fucked up... Audition is well cool, and Itchi the Killer is shocking!!!

Hatsudai · Post by **Hatsudai** » Mon Nov 20, 2006 2:17 pm

quick wrote: Audition is well cool, and Itchi the Killer is shocking!!!

To me Audition was way more shocking/fucked up than Ichi, Ichi was basically a goofy comedy with a lot of gratuitous gore.

Hatsudai · Post by **Hatsudai** » Mon Nov 20, 2006 2:22 pm

Andrez wrote:
- CASSHERN

without a doubt one of the most visually amazing movies ever created- absolutely jaw dropping

trailer here:
http://www.apple.com/jp/quicktime/trail ... large.html

too bad about the story

ghetto kitty · Post by **ghetto kitty** » Mon Nov 20, 2006 2:41 pm

Andrez wrote:Ghetto Kitty... you rock!!

That revolving phallus thingy... eeekk...

- TAMPOPO

yes, another classic!

hehehe i love wierd wrongtown movies > tetsuo was one of the first i ever discovered...

Brain · Post by **Brain** » Mon Nov 20, 2006 2:58 pm

And then there's the sequel Tetsuo 2: Body Hammer

And Weather Girl (Otenki-oneesan)

And Wild Zero, the zombie movie starring Guitar Wolf

quick · Post by **quick** » Mon Nov 20, 2006 5:39 pm

Hatsudai wrote:
quick wrote: Audition is well cool, and Itchi the Killer is shocking!!!
To me Audition was way more shocking/fucked up than Ichi, Ichi was basically a goofy comedy with a lot of gratuitous gore.

I meant shocking as in really bad... Audition is better all round.

Hatsudai · Post by **Hatsudai** » Mon Nov 20, 2006 10:16 pm

quick wrote:
Hatsudai wrote:
quick wrote: Audition is well cool, and Itchi the Killer is shocking!!!
To me Audition was way more shocking/fucked up than Ichi, Ichi was basically a goofy comedy with a lot of gratuitous gore.
I meant shocking as in really bad... Audition is better all round.

Ah that kind of shocking! In that case agreed

Andrez · Post by **Andrez** » Tue Nov 21, 2006 12:38 am

Agree to all of the above (I'm that kind'a amenable fella!!)...

Also, how could I forget: THE WEATHER WOMAN RETURNS. I sampled the evil villain woman in one of my tracks a few years back.

Heh-heh.

And A SNAKE IN JUNE, by Shinya Tsukamoto, who did TETSUO...

Luka · Post by **Luka** » Tue Nov 21, 2006 2:13 am

for sure

recent ones that have blown me away

3 extremes
Suvival Style 5+
The Revenge Trillogy (Old Boy, Sympathy for lady and mr vengence
Audition was pretty cool

Andrez · Post by **Andrez** » Tue Nov 21, 2006 11:09 am

Luka wrote: The Revenge Trillogy (Old Boy, Sympathy for lady and mr vengence

They're South Korean, right? I saw Old Boy. The Koreans are also making some gloriously whacked-out cinema these days!!

The North Koreans make some hilarious propaganda news shows!!!

Brain · Post by **Brain** » Tue Nov 21, 2006 11:24 am

Andrez wrote:
Luka wrote: The Revenge Trillogy (Old Boy, Sympathy for lady and mr vengence
They're South Korean, right? I saw Old Boy. The Koreans are also making some gloriously whacked-out cinema these days!!

Old Boy is based on a Japanese manga :chinstrokingemoticon:

Which explains why it is so perverse and sick (in a fun perverse and sick way).

dust · Post by **dust** » Tue Nov 21, 2006 11:35 am

Brain wrote:
Andrez wrote:
Luka wrote: The Revenge Trillogy (Old Boy, Sympathy for lady and mr vengence
They're South Korean, right? I saw Old Boy. The Koreans are also making some gloriously whacked-out cinema these days!!
Old Boy is based on a Japanese manga :chinstrokingemoticon:

Which explains why it is so perverse and sick (in a fun perverse and sick way).

Old Boy was one of the best films i saw this year!

I want to see Three Extremes, but i reakon it'll be grueling and i have to prepare myself. I know these are both South Korean, but someone else brought them up so i'm joining in.

Has anyone seen any Ozu? I studied his films at Uni. Equinox Flower is wicked. Not as violent and exciting as the other films mentioned here, but i love them.

Brain · Post by **Brain** » Tue Nov 21, 2006 11:52 am

Ozu

One of my faves is his silent 1932 film Otona no miru ehon - Umarete wa mita keredo (I was Born, but...) about two kids who become leaders of a gang.

Not forgetting Tokyo Story.

Luka · Post by **Luka** » Tue Nov 21, 2006 12:30 pm

are they korean?? my bad

ozu is great. thats another miike film. love em

3 extremes is really good, definately worth seeing!!

survival style 5+ is the most tripped out movie i have seen to date. its fuckin genius

itchi the killer is cool, when he cuts off his tounge its so fuckin intense

cant forget some kurasowa - 7 samouri

also the lone wolf and cub series. love the blood squity action on those

deejaypcp · Post by **deejaypcp** » Tue Nov 21, 2006 12:47 pm

bloody hell luka, go deep man, shizz
I think i may need to get my arse on your couch a bit more often... if that's ok.

battle royale i love
the ring films are great as are the grinch movies
manga is sometimes great a la wicked city, akira, ninja scroll, but not always.
there's a great yakuza movie too where just about everyone ends up dead but i can't remember it's name - help?

Brain · Post by **Brain** » Tue Nov 21, 2006 1:27 pm

Luka wrote: also the lone wolf and cub series. love the blood squity action on those

Mmmmmm, blood squirty action - love the six film series.

there's a great yakuza movie too where just about everyone ends up dead but i can't remember it's name - help?

I think that sums up about every yakuza film ever made. More info?

Andrez · Post by **Andrez** » Tue Nov 21, 2006 3:34 pm

Brain wrote: Not forgetting Tokyo Story.

...indeed - though itself a superb classic, so not soooo obscure in terms of Japanese cinema.

I haven't seen that earlier Ozu movie you mentioned; will definitely try to hunt it down. His Munekata Sisters (1950) is brilliant.

And Kurosawa... an old fave. Kagemusha still does it for me.

Andrez · Post by **Andrez** » Tue Nov 21, 2006 3:37 pm

deejaypcp wrote:manga is sometimes great a la wicked city, akira, ninja scroll, but not always.

Sorry to be pedantic, but manga is the comic-book form; anime is the cartoon/animation version.

I used to make the same mistake, too, till I moved to Tokyo!!

And speaking of anime, check out both Paprika and Tekkon Kinkreet when they hit Melbourne some time in 2007...

Andrez · Post by **Andrez** » Sat Dec 23, 2006 1:13 pm

Hey, have I waxed lyrical about this one yet?

TEKKON KINKREET

Brilliant new Japanese anime movie, with PLAID doing soundtrack?

OK, anyway, I just had my interview with the director of Tekkon Kinkreet, Michael Arias (yep, he's an expat American - not Japanese!) published today in the Daily Yomiuri newspaper here in Japan - so anyone at all interested can go here:

http://www.yomiuri.co.jp/dy/features/ar ... Y15001.htm

Awesome movie; nice guy.

shabana · Post by **shabana** » Sun Dec 24, 2006 6:14 pm

some more not listed above-

-Gemini
-Inugami
-Kwaidan
-Tale of two sisters (Korean)
-GuitarWolf 2000
-Hanzo (some funny soft porn samurai bizness)
-Woman of the dunes
-The Eye series

and loads more whose names i can't remember due to watching them
while i was munted

anyone remember the name of one (poss Miike) with a creepy bloodsucking
hottie from a trippy Lovecraft type underworld whom this guy takes home
and keeps as a pet? Twisted

Andrez · Post by **Andrez** » Sun Dec 24, 2006 7:07 pm

shabana wrote:anyone remember the name of one (poss Miike) with a creepy bloodsucking
hottie from a trippy Lovecraft type underworld whom this guy takes home
and keeps as a pet? Twisted

...zounds...

Don't think I know that one!!

Melbourne Beats

Obscure Japanese classic cinema...

Obscure Japanese classic cinema...

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TEKKON KINKREET anime interview

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