Last seen ASIAN movie

[psycho d]

Fulltime Killer (2001). Where the story proper is lacking, style and execution step up to fill the void, as in many exceptional Hong Kong bullet fests. And where less intrepid directors would exhibit prudence, Johnnie To dispenses the cool and the corny with such confidence that it is all taken in bloody stride, creating fresh cinematic geography to be exploited and enjoyed. The acting was awesome, with Andy Lau and Takashi Sorimachi portraying diametric opposites of character whose fates must collide by order of the cosmos. Kelly Lin fits in as shy, gorgeous, and bored, inevitably attracting the cross hairs of the competition in their amorous designs. Simon Yam, playing a satellite in uniform, a crime drama must, suddenly turns up center stage towards the end of the flick, a hallmark trait of foreign flicks that are not constrained by cinematic dogma. The main focus is on the style of action, and To delivers scene after scene of bullet ballets where stylistic innovation triumphs over the plausible, all to the delight of the audience. For those seeking cinema verite steer clear, but for those seeking the inimitable style of Hong Kong action then having a peek at Fulltime Killer will surely compensate one's investment. Merci beaucoup.
Genruk

[ChronoGrl]

Originally Posted by Elvis_Christ

I really should get round to seeing Meatball Machine sounds great.

Shame to hear Vampire Girl vs. Frankenstein Girl isn't up to much.

Yes, yes you should see Meatball Machine. ;)

Re: Vampire Girl... - Honestly, you might enjoy it a lot more than I did... They made some choices in the movie that I just found offensive and couldn't get over (like they had a "Black" club - all of the students in Black Face)... I think that probably most people would get the joke as just being outrageous - But I couldn't get by it.

[roshiq]

Originally Posted by ChronoGrl

Meatball Machine

Really enjoyed this one - Fantastic Japanese Troma splatter - It's weird, bizarre, bloody fantastic body horror. Almost felt like a modern retelling of Tetsuo in some ways.

It's up there with Tokyo Gore Police and Ricky-Oh in terms of great JA splatter. Definitely recommended if you're looking for something bizarre, absurd and fantastic.

4/5.

Haven't seen any of them. So thanks for the rec, Chrono.

Btw, totally agree with you about VG vs FG. I didn't like it too...pretty average & disappointing effort.

[psycho d]

Tokyo Gore Police (2008). It took me more than a year to fabricate an appreciation for movies such as this or Vampire Girl vs. Frankenstein Girl, but now I cannot seem to get enough of them. Too much of a good thing is now never enough. Detractors of Tokyo Gore Police cannot restrain themselves from mentioning its shortcomings, but they seem to have missed the point, and likely more than that. The crazy editing may be wild but is far from incompetent. It speaks volumes without having to literally tell the viewer what the movie is up to. Various comparisons to Miike and Cronenberg are fair but seem to intimate a sort of cheap imitation, but I say these that Tokyo Gore Police stands on its own two feet. The story, while seemingly simple, might just have its roots deeper than that of a Starship Troopers mentality; I would go so far as to surmise that this was an extreme parody of samurai culture disturbingly blended with Nazism. The gore here speaks for itself . Honestly, I would love to learn just how many gallons of the red juice was actually spilled in the creation of this movie. The acting toed the line perfectly, wooden expressions and extreme histrionics fitting in well with the genre. The effects were a makeup artist's dream, full of amplified bizarre and fun outrages. The overall effect is that I simply cannot wait to check out the next speed-infused gore-fest that Japan has to offer.
Genruk

[roshiq]

Moju / Blind Beast (1969)

A fascinating psycho-sexual tale of art, pain & pleasure. Liked that splendid set of Michio's studio.

>>: A-

[psycho d]

Sorum (2001). Sorum is a movie that dances around genres with a fear of commitment that only adds to the grim details of our character's lives. Unlike other movies, it does not fall prey to the contrived necessity to reveal the complete back plot by way of ostensible flashbacks. Instead it relies on the intelligence of the audience to figure it out, or not. The characters here are a shifty lot, creating a splendid layer of suspicion as to who is going to be the bad guy, if such a creature is to make an appearance. Likable the characters are not. Set in about as dreary a housing complex that has ever existed, this home ground symbolizes the lives of our players, a corrupt morality where life's baggage keeps piling up unattended, with stagnation sure to seek rot as its faithful companion. This is the setting for a typical South Korean cinematic affair, a convoluted tale of shady characters whose shenanigans are sure to catch up with them. The only question is what form will their dirty deeds manifest in order to play havoc on the remainder of their lives. The acting was strong; they all captivated my whole attention in that I wanted to know just what sort of past could have created such misery. Director Jong-chan Yun's debut is a solid one. He crafts a creepy tale that relies on filming basics, eschewing any need for tricky tactics to mask any shortcomings. Not a film for everyone, but for those that enjoy a slow burner with lots of character meat to chew on, Sorum is sure to satisfy us in one way while challenging us in another.
Genruk

[ChronoGrl]

Originally Posted by psycho d

Tokyo Gore Police (2008). It took me more than a year to fabricate an appreciation for movies such as this or Vampire Girl vs. Frankenstein Girl, but now I cannot seem to get enough of them. Too much of a good thing is now never enough. Detractors of Tokyo Gore Police cannot restrain themselves from mentioning its shortcomings, but they seem to have missed the point, and likely more than that. The crazy editing may be wild but is far from incompetent. It speaks volumes without having to literally tell the viewer what the movie is up to. Various comparisons to Miike and Cronenberg are fair but seem to intimate a sort of cheap imitation, but I say these that Tokyo Gore Police stands on its own two feet. The story, while seemingly simple, might just have its roots deeper than that of a Starship Troopers mentality; I would go so far as to surmise that this was an extreme parody of samurai culture disturbingly blended with Nazism. The gore here speaks for itself . Honestly, I would love to learn just how many gallons of the red juice was actually spilled in the creation of this movie. The acting toed the line perfectly, wooden expressions and extreme histrionics fitting in well with the genre. The effects were a makeup artist's dream, full of amplified bizarre and fun outrages. The overall effect is that I simply cannot wait to check out the next speed-infused gore-fest that Japan has to offer.
Genruk

LOVE that movie.

Have you watched Riki-Oh: The Story of Ricky? If you're looking for quality splatter, it's not to be missed!

Also, you might found a few recommendations in this thread, here:

http://horror.com/forum/showthread.php?t=36131

[zwoti]

deadly outlaw: rekka
chanbara beauty
geisha assassin (geisha vs ninja)
hero

[roshiq]

Aftershock (2010)

A heart pounding epic human drama, with its title being interpreted quite literally and referring to the emotional and psychological scars of the earthquake that continue to affect its victims even generations after the event.
The film opens in 1976 with the Tangshan earthquake, which lasted just 23 seconds, but which leveled the city and resulted in a death toll of more than 240,000. The plot follows a family caught up in the horror, with father Fang Daqiang being killed while trying to rescue his children, leaving his wife Li Yuanni in the unthinkable position of having to choose between saving either her young son Fang Da or daughter Fang Deng.
By spanning several decades, it does a pretty good job of developing its characters in convincing fashion, and the story is engaging, moving & boosted by a decent script and some very solid acting.

The film has been submitted to the 83rd Academy Awards for the Best Foreign Language Film. I really hope at least it gets the nomination.

Highly recommended to all here. Specially NE, CG, PD and V, don't miss it.

>>: A+

[neverending]

Voices


Really good