A Touch Of Fever (product link) Drama / Romance The first movie by Ryonosuke Hashiguchi, it's an interesting film about a teenage love triangle, set in a background story of gay prostitution.
R-Point [Korean LE 2-Disc Box] (product link) Horror / Thriller I really enjoyed this movie! Yes, the story in itself is not that original, but the film is competently directed, and it's genuinely creepy! All the different elements (sound, image, even the location itself) are well put together and create a really chilling atmosphere! Highly recommended!
Pom Poko (product link) Animation / Fantasy Funny little movie about two groups of raccoons who struggle against human development, and consequent environmental destruction. The political and ecological message is pretty clear, but for me, the most interesting thing were the Tanukis themselves: a rowdy and joyful bunch who persist even in adverse conditions.
My Magic (product link) Drama A story about a father coming to terms with is life, as well as with his son. It's a bit conventional overall, but I still enjoyed it.
King Kong [1933] [2-Disc Set] (product link) Action/Adventure / Science Fiction One of the seminal movies of the history of cinema, this is great fun! And it has a giant gorilla kicking the ass out of a tyrannosaurus, so what more could a guy want?
Kichiku Dai Enkai (product link) Horror / Thriller Brutal Banquet of the Beasts indeed! Loads of violence and gore, with the story focusing on the very frail inner relationships between a group of radical left-wing students.
Ivan's Childhood (product link) Drama / War A great movie about memory, war, and its effects on one's life. Some of the scenes are just beautiful, and Tarkovksky's use of some of the images, evoking the happier times of childhood with the present bleakness of wartime, are so poetic.
Hush! (product link) Romance / Comedy Interesting comedy from the director of “All Around Us”, centering on family and, more specifically, on building a family in these modern times.
Fires On The Plain (product link) War / Drama An agonizing portrait of the lives of a group of Japanese soldiers stranded in the Philippines during WWII. Great cinematography and an unflinching story make this undoubtedly one of the finest war films ever made!
Devil's Backbone (product link) Drama / Horror I didn't know anything about this movie, so I was totally surprised as to how good it is!
It's very well made, and it's somewhat surprising, considering the recent focus on Spanish horror films (e.g. "Rec", "The Orphanage"...), that this didn't receive that much attention! Anyhow, this is very highly recommended.
AGREE?
READER COMMENTS
AUTHOR
Y
The super high quality of this film caught me off guard as well. Definitely recommended.
Burial Ground: The Nights Of Terror [Uncut] [Italian Shock] (product link) Horror / Thriller A very slow and uneventful film, whose sole moment of glory (so to speak) is a really literal interpretation of the Oedipus complex...
Doppelganger (product link) Thriller / Drama So far, this is the only movie by Kiyoshi Kurosawa that I don't like. It seems erratic, and the characters are poorly characterized.
Spring In My Hometown (product link) Drama A slow-paced movie about the effects of the war on a small village, told through the eyes of two small children. Very good cinematography, and some beautiful long takes.
Erotic Nights Of The Living Dead (product link) Horror / Erotica Basically a bad porn movie coupled (no pun intended) with a bad zombie movie. Even for the sake of exploitation films, there are better "worse" movies available.
Final Take (product link) Drama / Art I like this movie, and the way it tries to recreate the 30's, during the transition from silent films to talkies. And I had a laugh watching "Yasujiro Ogata" directing "Floating Weeds" (one of the classics of Japanese Cinema is "A Story of Floating Weeds" directed by "Yasujiro Ozu")!
Taegukgi (product link) Action/Adventure / War A high budget, spectacular war movie, but nonetheless I felt that I was watching a Korean remake of "Saving Private Ryan".
Vengeance Is Mine [1979] (product link) Drama / Thriller Very interesting movie about a serial killer. The movie itself is not moralist, but a surprisingly detached and somewhat humorous tale of primitive coexisting with the modern.
Poppoya: Railroad Man (product link) Romance / Drama Very conventional movie about a man's dedication to his work. It turns very sentimental at times, but, nonetheless has some interesting moments (mainly the cinematography). As a sidenote, train buffs should enjoy this very much!
Scrap Heaven (product link) Drama / Crime Great-looking film about rebels without a cause. The first part of the movie is quite funny, but in the second half, the mood becomes more serious as the movie itself becomes scattered and somewhat unfocused. Still, it has lots of style and funny moments and is worth checking out.
Rubber's Lover (product link) Horror / Thriller Another cyberpunk nightmarish fantasy, by the same director of “Pinocchio 964”.
For the full effect, watch this after you've watched “Pinocchio 964”.
Portrait Of The Wind (product link) Crime / Drama Very interesting revenge drama, eschewing all the blood and guts, and concentrating on the feeling of the main character. It's subtle and poised, and I enjoyed it greatly.
Pinocchio 964 (product link) Horror / Thriller A pretty typical cyberpunk fantasy. It's not as accomplished as, say, a film by Shinya Tsukamoto. Still, it's interesting, kinda' like in an intense punk video sorta' of way.
Hiruko The Goblin (product link) Horror / Comedy Tsukamoto's foray into teenage horror films. I actually had a kick watching this movie! Forget mechanic drill penises and existential angst, this a simple and straightforward B-movie (probably Tsukamoto's most conventional film to date), with a thin plot, and even thinner characters!! Oh, and don't believe all that "surreal cross between David Lynch and David Cronenberg" thing, this is a simple, funny, horror-comedy!!
Bright Future (product link) Drama Uau!! Really great film!!! Melancholic and perplexing, it's not a psychological thriller, like some of the director's most famous films, but a rather compelling drama, with good performance. And, though at first I wasn't aware of it, it's quite a resounding experience, which sinks in more deeply than you’d expect.
2046 [Chinese Limited Edition] (product link) Drama / Art Probably the best movie from Wong Kar Wai, so far. Everything is top notch: the story, the music, the actors, the images (some are simply stunning!).
The Boys From Fengkuei
One of Hou's first films. Despite the roughness around the edges, we see his style emerging in the history of four childhood friends, and their passage to adulthood.
A Summer's at Grandpa's
One of my favourite of Hou's films, it's a simple and bittersweet story about two kids (brother and sister) and their summer in their grandpa's house, in the country, far from the city.
A Time to Live and a Time to Die
The first "acclaimed" masterpiece of Hou Hsiao-Hsien, this is a strongly autobiographical account of the lives of Chinese migrants in Taipei in the 40's. Episodic and detached, it focuses on the generation gap on a family of said migrants.
Dust in the Wind
Also one of my favorites by Hou, it's again a story about migration, and culture shock. Wan and his girlfriend move from the tiny village where they live to Taipei, to find better jobs, but soon feel the strains of the new world they discover.
The Puppetmaster
This is a film about the childhood and early adulthood of Taiwanese Puppet Master Li Tien-Lu. Strongly reflexive, and interspersed with footage from his puppet and stage presentations, this is a very layered movie, reflecting such themes as immigration, art, and life.
Good Men Good Woman
A serious reflection on life and its turmoils, this is also a very interesting film, and one where Hou's style is at its most distinctive.
Goodbye South, Goodbye
A film centered around the underclass of Taiwan, it tells the story of a group of friends, who are more or less gangsters, and more or less shady businessman, and their troubles and tribulations.
Flowers of Shangai
Set in the nineteenth century Shanghai Brothels (the Flower Houses), this is a very beautiful film about love, servitude, and the correlations of power between those who live and serve and those who "attend" the houses.
The Suspended Step Of The Stork (product link) Drama / Romance Symbolic and higly reflexive, this is a movie about a group of people (mainly migrants, but also political refugees) forgotten by the government. Reminiscent of the cinematic style of Andreii Tarkovsky (Theo Angelopoulos has been said to carry the flame that Tarkovsky lighted), this is a slow-paced and meditative reflection on the lives of those who don't belong to any place.
Seance (product link) Horror / Thriller Another good film by Kiyoshi Kurosawa. Definitely he's great at creating the right environment. Mysterious and subtle, this is a movie that won't leave you indifferent!
The Power Of Kangwon Province (product link) Drama / Art Interesting film from Hong Sang-Soo. The style was somewhat reminiscent of Tsai Ming-Liang (although not as accomplished). It's a very simple movie, about relationships, and breaking up, set in the natural landscapes of Kangwon Province.
Hanging Garden (product link) Drama Great film about family life! Loved the cinematography, and the story! An interesting look at family life, and at its troubles and tribulations (especially tribulations).
Tokyo Trash Baby (product link) Drama / Romance A movie about the search for love (or at least some semblance of it) through the waste of consumerism society. I thought that the whole idea of a girl rifling through the garbage of the guy she loves (or thinks she loves) to get to know him better was funny and original. Unfortunely, as she finds out, it's not enough to eat the same cereals or use the same shampoos to love (or be loved by) someone…
Dead End Run (product link) Action/Adventure / Thriller Another great movie by Teruo Ishii. It's similar to “Electric Dragon 80.000 V”, although this time we have three different stories, with the common point of all of them starting with the character running from someone, and ending up in a dead end (literal and metaphorical). Another similarity is the fact that the stories are told mainly through editing and music, with sparse dialog. The music is great, and I highly recommend this to anyone who enjoyed "Electric Dragon".
Electric Dragon 80,000 V (product link) Action/Adventure / Science Fiction I enjoyed this movie a lot! Is one hell of a cinematic ride, with intense visuals and a potent soundtrack! The story is pretty straightforward but is told with an amazing style!
Samaria (product link) Drama / Erotica Interesting film about teenage prostitution, and about a father/daughter relationship. It's not the best I've seen from Kim Ki-Duk (“The Isle” or “Spring, Summer, Fall, Winter…Spring” are his best), but we still feel his strong visual style, despite the weak characterization of some of the characters.
Night And Fog In Japan (product link) Drama An important film in Japanese film history, not so much because of the film itself, but because this film got Nagisa Oshima fired from Sochiku (the studio were he worked then), thus giving him more creative freedom. Some of his best films were made immediately after this. This movie is also considered to be the first "nuberu bagu" ("Japanese New Wave") film. It's a reflection of the political and social turmoils of the 60's in Japan, and, though flawed, is historically interesting.
A Heartful Of Love (product link) Romance / Drama A somewhat similar plot, and style, to "Yomigaeri", it has some interesting moments, but delves too longly in easy sentimentality and tearjerking mannerisms.
I've enjoyed some other films of Akihiko Shiota (and I'm anxious to see "Canary"), but I think this is the weakest I've seen from him so far.
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