Asian Cinema Thread

Lucky_Deity said:
First time posting in this thread but I've been meaning to get into Asian Cinema but well, I'm not sure where to start.

Mostly interested in Japanese cinema for the time being to start with but if there are any great films which are non-Japanese which any of you would highly recommend, I'm open.

All I've really seen is The Grudge, The Ring and a number of anime / manga / video games adaptations such as Battle Royale so I'm a real newbie when it comes to this.
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A great list from @BrokenPhoenix - my thanks as I have a few off of there added to my watchlist too. Very much second the Kore-eda recommendations, those are my favourites of his as well and I'd add in After the Storm. One Cut Dead is brilliant (thanks again to @Just Passing Through who I recall recommended the film4 showing on the forum a little while back).

Some I can think off the top of my head:

Zatoichi (the 2004 version and my favourite movie of Takeshi Kitano) with great characters, samurai action, story and comedy all thrown in.

Kurosawa's Ran was an excellent take on King Lear in the setting of feudal Japan (as I recall - been a very long time!)

You'd probably have heard of the drama Drive My Car - that also gets my recommendation moreso than the far more intriguing-sounding Evil Does Not Exist (watched the latter in the cinema recently and overall enjoyed it but the ending left me feeling that is was done by a French director rather than Japanese 😂).

I just watched Harikiri yesterday, which was a really good critique of the honour system of samurai and the facade that can be in knightly traditions.



From Korean cinema:

Park Chan Wook's Thirst - a vampire thriller romance that I really enjoyed

A Bittersweet Life - on paper a standard bodyguard love story kind of affair but I felt it was very well executed and with probably my favourite end credits scene of any movie


Others:

Infernal Affairs Trilogy - a must watch, especially the first movie, for fans of undercover thrillers

In the Mood for Love and 2046 for classic drama

Kung Fu Hustle for some silly action comedy

The Raid 1&2 - fantastic action

A Brighter Summer Day - this is a 4-hour one that I watched in 2 sittings heh, but really enjoyed, about Chinese immigrants growing up in Taiwan after the revolution with gang culture etc.
 
Geriatric hedgehog said:
Those two take me back to my days of freedom at uni! I later showed a school buddy Zatoichi and got cussed big time for the "big" showdown he has with another samurai that after the build up was over in a second!😂 - that was just brilliant heheh
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I remember renting IA films from Love Film at uni 🤣

I need to rewatch big Z as all I can remember is the intro where the farmers make the song by work on the fields.
 
Lucky_Deity said:
First time posting in this thread but I've been meaning to get into Asian Cinema but well, I'm not sure where to start.

Mostly interested in Japanese cinema for the time being to start with but if there are any great films which are non-Japanese which any of you would highly recommend, I'm open.

All I've really seen is The Grudge, The Ring and a number of anime / manga / video games adaptations such as Battle Royale so I'm a real newbie when it comes to this.
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To Add to what others have already said on here I would use Arrow Video, 88Films, Eureka, and Third Window Films’ Asian cinema output as a solid starting point and see what piques your interest. Most releases from these labels are not only often the best versions available but also have the added VAM and booklets too.
 
Vincentdante said:
I love Asian horror films myself and have seen quite a few short films in the genre. I need to pick up Dark Water but I've got to find out what else is out there.
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Tartan Asia released Three Extremes 1&2, in the noughties I think it was, each being a collection of 3 short horror stories from different directors. Those may be good to whet your horror appetite with different flavours.
 
zappi said:
have there been any hints of what kind of films will be in this set?
I'd like a 60s wuxia set (like the Shout Vol 1 box) but I doubt they would do that.
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From what I’ve heard there will be a bigger focus on horror titles. I’ve been holding off on all the Shout releases but may snap those up at the right price.
 
HWR said:
From what I’ve heard there will be a bigger focus on horror titles. I’ve been holding off on all the Shout releases but may snap those up at the right price.
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If it is horror then maybe the 'leaks' from last year will hold some weight.
Vol.3 - Green / Horror
Vol.4 - Yellow / Romance & Comedy
 
www.arrowfilms.com

Shawscope Vol. 3 Limited Edition Blu-ray

Buy Shawscope Vol. 3 Limited Edition Blu-ray from Arrow Films.
www.arrowfilms.com www.arrowfilms.com

List of films included:
  • One-Armed Swordsman Trilogy
  • Lady Hermit
  • Intimate Confessions of a Chinese Courtesan
  • The 14 Amazons
  • The Magic Blade
  • Clans of Intrigue
  • Jade Tiger
  • The Sentimental Swordsman
  • Killer Constable
  • The Avenging Eagle
  • Buddha’s Palm
  • Bastard Swordsman
 
Not sure how long they've been up on Arrow's website, but I've noticed some new Third Window Film releases coming in August:

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Casting Blossoms to the Sky and Seven Weeks were only available in Nobuhiko Obayashi's Anti-War trilogy, which was limited to only 2000 copies - so it's nice these two are getting their own standalone releases to go alongside Hanagatami that was released more than several years ago now.
 
For anyone interested: I have had a stock alert on this for some time now and it seems that Rarewaves have had a very small restock of "House" (1977) on blu-ray, in Eureka's Masters of Cinema line.

I wonder if they found some stock lying around somewhere because as far as I can see, this one appears to be OOP - new copies have been selling for around £50 on eBay and second hand copies for around £30-£40 in the past few months.

Edit: Sold out now.
 
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