What is the last non martial arts Asian movie you've watched?

[Yihetuan]

Phantom War - Dir. Fung Chow & Chao-Kuang Yang [1991] (Hong Kong)

The plot is lame about a Vietnam War vet played by Ben Ng of Red to Kill fame, who transplants to London to escape his PTSD but gets caught up in the middle of gangland feud. But what elevates this film above the usual pablum is the gungfu, action scenes and brutal carnage on display.

 

[DrNgor]

King of Comedy (Hong Kong, 1999: dir. Stephen Chow) - As opposed to the other film bearing this title, which is about stand-up comedy, this is less about Comedy as a genre and more about Acting on the whole. Stephen Chow plays a down-on-his-luck actor who has gotten a gig as a stuntman/extra in a film headlined by action movie queen Karen Mok. Things keep going wrong for him on account of his insisting on taking the extra role too seriously (and some good ol' fashioned bad luck). He also does community theater (which nobody attends) and starts giving acting lessons for free. One of his students is a bar hostess (Cecelia Cheung) who is too coarse in her manners to be effective in that particular job. However, his dedication to the craft of being an extra ultimately catches Karen Mok's attention...

I personally found this one to be funnier than God of Cookery and laughed out loud several times, including the extended The Killer parody sequences--hehe...the face-off stance with bazookas. I could have done without the random bit about the naked boy getting his wee-wee flicked by Chow and the finale is a bit odd--although it certainly does give Chow's character a chance to act. The last scene didn't make a whole lot of sense to me, either.

[Yggdrasil]

The most exciting game

The killing game

The Executioner game

The cat

Ghosts of Yotsuya- 1959

First they killed my father [American made but shot in Cambodia

Duch - Master of the Forges of Hell. - Documentary of Duch, giving a horrifying and in depth interview about his role in the Khmer Rouge.

Edited July 31, 2023 by Yggdrasil

[DrNgor]

On 6/9/2023 at 1:23 PM, masterofoneinchpunch said:

Initial D (2005: Andrew Lau, Alan Mak: Hong Kong): just and OK action/drama that has some influence from The Fast and the Furious (2001) based on a manga and then anime series.

The love relationship between Fujiwara and Natsuki Mogi (Anne Suzuki) is almost perfunctory with a twist that was well not good.  You have to earn moments like that, but her character was too much in the background.

I guess the resolution of the Natsuki subplot is the same as it is in the manga, but it's handled in a way that made me think, "Really?" 

But man, Anne Suzuki is hot and she really grew up in the three years between this and Returner. If I was a single man, I would walk into the TV screen, put my arms around her, and say, "No need to cry, my sweet."

[ChillyChong]

His masterpiece(with Last hurrah being only equal to Bullet)

[PandaPawPaw]

23 hours ago, ChillyChong said:

His masterpiece(with Last hurrah being only equal to Bullet)

That's such a great and sad film!

Spoiler

Seeing Jacky Cheung a completely different person by the end is sooooooooooooooooooooo sad.

[DrNgor]

Collected some of my previous capsule reviews into a new post at my site: https://abeautifulfilm.blogspot.com/2023/08/capsule-reviews-of-2001-in-film.html

[Yggdrasil]

2 hours ago, DrNgor said:

Collected some of my previous capsule reviews into a new post at my site: https://abeautifulfilm.blogspot.com/2023/08/capsule-reviews-of-2001-in-film.html

Would love to see a shiny blu of Sino Dutch war. Still have the Chinese DVD.

Asians films I've recently watched are:

Warning from space - Japanese

Haplos - Filipino

Kisapmata - Filipino. (Based on real events from the 60s - The house on Zapote Street.)

https://makeupexhibit.wordpress.com/2020/11/23/the-cabading-family-murders-the-house-on-zapote-street/

Edited August 17, 2023 by Yggdrasil

[Takuma]

 Centipede Horror (Hong Kong, 1982) [BD] - 3.5/5
A long sought after Hong Kong cult horror isn't quite as original as one might expect, but the last 20 minutes delivers the notoriety is spades. This is yet another tale of urban Hong Kongers venturing to South East Asia were they get a wicked curse laid upon them (the Shaw Brothers made several similar films with higher production values). The film proceeds as an entertaining, but slightly mediocre horror picture until the jaw dropping gross-out last 20 minutes that alone earn the film a minor classic status. Animal splatter is thankfully kept near zero, limited to some mistreatment of centipedes and a chicken losing some of her feathers. The new BD release by Error 4444 offers an optional animal cruelty free version, which however only eliminates about 30 seconds of not particularly shocking footage, alongside the full uncut version.



Seeding of a Ghost (Hong Kong, 1983) [BD] – 3.5/5
A slightly out of ordinary premise in this Shaw Bros. horror as it has the protagonist using black magic against adulterers and criminals rather than the other way around. This is a solid entry though it doesn’t reach heights of Bewitched or The Boxer’s Omen, or the prominent smaller studio output like Red Spell Spells Red, partly because the Hong Kong setting lacks their exotism. It is also a bit mediocre in terms of directing and editing, though it doesn’t matter too much in the end. Where this delivers is the special effects, gore, concept, and abundant bare skin. The climatic black magic ceremony, which among other things includes a rotten corpse having sex with a fresh corpse, may have the biggest gross-out factor of any of the films mentioned above. It’s another lovely relic of a bygone era to be cherished as these type of films are surely never to return again.

Calamity of Snakes (Taiwan, 1983) [BD] – 2.5/5
Notorious, but underwhelming Taiwanese shocker released around the same time as the similarly themed Hong Kong productions Centipede Horror and Red Spell Spells Red. This one however lacks their cinematic style and merely relies on excess. The storyline is simple: a greedy construction boss has thousands of snakes massacred to make way for an apartment complex. 10 months later the snakes take revenge against the construction workers and new inhabitants. That does result in a couple of standout scenes, such as an old kung fu master taking on a giant snake, and the film’s last 15 minutes which likely features more snakes than any other movie has ever has. Unfortunately the film makes for needlessly heavy viewing due to its colossal amount of animal cruelty. The more civilized version offered as alternative on the Unearthed BD cuts a whopping 10 minutes from the film, and might actually be a partial improvement not only for toning down the genuine cruelty displayed on screen, but also for shortening the severely overlong snake sequences, even if it may become a bit incoherent in the process. As it stands, the film is more of an interesting curiosity than a genuinely well made exploitation film.

Red Spell Spells Red (Hong Kong, 1983) [BD] – 4/5
The 2nd and superior Nikko International production, following the previous year’s Centipede Horror. This one goes all the way, even to the unfortunate authentic animal kills. The plot is the usual one, with a Hong Kong documentary film crew having a slight mishap in South East Asia where they unleash a vicious spirit who wants to kill them all. The spirit gives them just enough time to relocate to a primitive village (whose people sacrifice animals and humans alike, and invite visitors to deflower their daughters) before they start dropping dead. There’s some obvious resemblance to Centipede Horror in how the film plays out, but with an added Cannibal Holocaust influence to the plot and violence. It’s also tighter paced film and somewhat expanded in scale compared to Centipede Horror, with a hugely spirited black magic battle climax in which lead lady Poon Lai Yin is rotated in a huge water wheel while a chorus chants about Jesus Christ. Curiously enough, both this and Centipede were scripted by a woman, Amy Chan, who was also in charge of handling scorpions (frequently placed on people’s bodies and faces) on the set! Speaking of which, reviewed here is the animal cruelty free version which runs approx. three minutes short compared to the uncut version which is also included on the Error 4444 BD. The edits are noticeable, but not particularly jarring, and save you from some animal slaughter that appears worse than anything in Centipede Horror (which I viewed uncut).

[Drunken Monk]

Fulltime Killer (2001) - Proof that if they ever made a Chinese Batman movie, Andy Lau would make an excellent Joker. He delivers an incredible performance here as the slick as hell, but ultimately psychopathic hitman going up against Takashi Soimachi's equally cool assassin.
In fact, everything about this movie oozes cool. From the wardrove to the camera work. It's sleek, smooth and just a joy to watch. The action set pieces are awesome too. Violent, stylish and frequent.

My only real gripe with the film is that Simon Yam's given very little to do. It feels like he's just there to up the film's star quality. He's not seen for most of the film and when he is, he's usually popping up for thirty seconds here and there.

This is my first Wai Ka Fai film but I can't help but feel Johnnie To had a lot of control. The film definitely has his cinematic vision throughout. But for all I know, Wai Ka Fai could be a very stylish director too. The gun fight between two gushing fire hoses is cool as fuck.
It's funny actually, at times this film feels closer to a Wong Kar Wai film than anything else. It has shades of Chungking Express and Fallen Angels. It just doesn't have his arthouse lens. 

[DrNgor]

1 hour ago, Drunken Monk said:

Fulltime Killer (2001) - Proof that if they ever made a Chinese Batman movie, Andy Lau would make an excellent Joker. He delivers an incredible performance here as the slick as hell, but ultimately psychopathic hitman going up against Takashi Soimachi's equally cool assassin.

I watched this last Friday and liked it about as much as you did. Did you check it out because of the Best Action Choreography Poll?

 

1 hour ago, Drunken Monk said:

is my first Wai Ka Fai film but I can't help but feel Johnnie To had a lot of control. The film definitely has his cinematic vision throughout. But for all I know, Wai Ka Fai could be a very stylish director too.

Wai Ka Fai did Peace Hotel and that was pretty stylized, though sometimes a bit too much so during the fight sequences. Still a good movie, though.

[Drunken Monk]

24 minutes ago, DrNgor said:

I watched this last Friday and liked it about as much as you did. Did you check it out because of the Best Action Choreography Poll?

I actually watched it because I'm trying to watch as many Johnnie To films as possible.

[PandaPawPaw]

Tokyo Pop (1988) - I was so disappointed and I actually found it pretty boring and cringey. Acting was average and the story is pretty meh. The two leads were OK though.

[PandaPawPaw]

On 8/22/2023 at 6:18 PM, Drunken Monk said:

Fulltime Killer (2001) - Proof that if they ever made a Chinese Batman movie, Andy Lau would make an excellent Joker. He delivers an incredible performance here as the slick as hell, but ultimately psychopathic hitman going up against Takashi Soimachi's equally cool assassin.
In fact, everything about this movie oozes cool. From the wardrove to the camera work. It's sleek, smooth and just a joy to watch. The action set pieces are awesome too. Violent, stylish and frequent.

My only real gripe with the film is that Simon Yam's given very little to do. It feels like he's just there to up the film's star quality. He's not seen for most of the film and when he is, he's usually popping up for thirty seconds here and there.

This is my first Wai Ka Fai film but I can't help but feel Johnnie To had a lot of control. The film definitely has his cinematic vision throughout. But for all I know, Wai Ka Fai could be a very stylish director too. The gun fight between two gushing fire hoses is cool as fuck.
It's funny actually, at times this film feels closer to a Wong Kar Wai film than anything else. It has shades of Chungking Express and Fallen Angels. It just doesn't have his arthouse lens. 

I love the shoot out scene.

[Yggdrasil]

Female Yakuza Tale - 1973

A Haunted Turkish Bathhouse - 1975

The Devil - 1981

Irezumi - 1966

Shogun's Joy of Torture - 1976

Orgies of Edo - 1969

Kkc - 2012

Blind Beast - 1969

Inferno of Torture - 1969

Warning from Space - 1956

Hanzo the Razor 1972, 1973, 1974

Edited September 4, 2023 by Yggdrasil

[One Armed Boxer]

Summer Time (2001)

I recently got around to watching this one, which remains the only time Korea has remade a Filipino movie, with director Park Jae-ho adapting Peque Gallaga's 1985 classic erotic thriller 'Scorpio Nights'. I gave it the full review treatment over at COF - 

https://cityonfire.com/summer-time-2001-review-scorpio-nights-remake-korean-filipino-summertime/

 

[PandaPawPaw]

6 minutes ago, One Armed Boxer said:

Summer Time (2001)

I recently got around to watching this one, which remains the only time Korea has remade a Filipino movie, with director Park Jae-ho adapting Peque Gallaga's 1985 classic erotic thriller 'Scorpio Nights'. I gave it the full review treatment over at COF - 

https://cityonfire.com/summer-time-2001-review-scorpio-nights-remake-korean-filipino-summertime/

 

That film looks intriguing.

I'm crap at written stuff so when I read your reviews, I'm always amazed at how good everything is written, detailed and just flows.

Keep up the awesome reviews.

[One Armed Boxer]

22 hours ago, PandaPawPaw said:

Keep up the awesome reviews.

Thank you sir, I'll try my best!

22 hours ago, PandaPawPaw said:

I'm crap at written stuff so when I read your reviews, I'm always amazed at how good everything is written, detailed and just flows.

Disagree, we all have our own style, and I've been enjoying reading your marathon of Takeshi Kitano flicks! Keep up the awesome work and I'll keep reading, as I'm sure many of us will!

[Yggdrasil]

37 minutes ago, One Armed Boxer said:

Thank you sir, I'll try my best!

Disagree, we all have our own style, and I've been enjoying reading your marathon of Takeshi Kitano flicks! Keep up the awesome work and I'll keep reading, as I'm sure many of us will!

I disagree. Some people are good at writing and explaining and others are not. So I agree with @PandaPawPaw. I tend  to just stick to the basics and say if it's good or crap without explaining the plot as I always spoil it for everyone else.

Probably why I'm a scaff and not working in an office.

Edited September 12, 2023 by Yggdrasil

[One Armed Boxer]

1 hour ago, Yggdrasil said:

So I agree with @PandaPawPaw.

Just to be clear, I was disagreeing with @PandaPawPaw’s comment at his own written musings being “crap”, as I thoroughly enjoy reading his posts, and have even had some movies put on my radar that I wasn’t aware of before.

I’m sure we’re just crossing wires, and you’re not implying that you agree that his writing is crap.

[Yggdrasil]

3 hours ago, One Armed Boxer said:

Just to be clear, I was disagreeing with @PandaPawPaw’s comment at his own written musings being “crap”, as I thoroughly enjoy reading his posts, and have even had some movies put on my radar that I wasn’t aware of before.

I’m sure we’re just crossing wires, and you’re not implying that you agree that his writing is crap.

I'm saying if I was given a task to write a review I'd say 'Yes, good film or crap film'

I can't write reviews to save my life. I just know if something is good or not but everyone has their own tastes in films.

Personally I don't read reviews, especially gaming reviews.

[Yggdrasil]

So finished watching the Female Scorpion films. Great films, set in some disturbing future I presume but as I thought the 2nd one was set in a post apocalyptic world, I realised that the escaped convicts were actually running down the side of an dormant volcano which had buried the village at the base of the mountain. I do like my post apocalyptic settings, so I was eagerly excited but then saw cars, traffic and everything else normal. Gutted.

Watched the Street Fighter collection with Sonny Chiba, and I do find it curious that all the rooms the actors were in inside of the main doorway, their footwear remained on their feet and not taken off in the foyer area. Also Sonny Chiba was wearing shoes, or at least plimsolls on the Dojo floor in both films where the karate students didn't.

It was nice to see Chiba breaking character in the sauna in Return of the Street Fighter, with a great big Cheshire grin on his face.

Listened to @KUNG FU BOB audio commentary for 88's New Fist of Fury. Having bought the film last year, I didn't know who Kung Fu Bob was. Now I do.  Great commentary.

Watched She Shoots Straight, Yes Madam, and the 3 three sequels. Girls with guns do kick arse!

And finally Watched Fatal Termination. I certainly wasn't expecting that scene, or the one after that!

All in all, a good week through my backlog.

Edited October 1, 2023 by Yggdrasil

[ShawAngela]

These last days, I watched my whole God of gamblers boxset from Spectrum.

I LOVED all of them.

I laughed a lot at Stephen Chow's episodes, the fake nunchakus scene made me almost fall from my chair as I laughed so much !

I loved the Early Age movie, and it was a pleasant thing to see Charles Heung as the cold face bodyguard.

 

[DrNgor]

The Eye (2002) - 7/10
The Eye 2 (2004) - 8/10
The Eye 10 (2005) - 4/10

Full reviews here: https://abeautifulfilm.blogspot.com/2023/10/the-eye-trilogy.html

[MaskedAvenger]

Last night I watched The Night Owl (2022)

Anybody else watched this? I thought it was very good.