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			<title>Whitechapel - Southeast/East Asian Cinema to watch out for?</title>
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		<title>Southeast/East Asian Cinema to watch out for?</title>
		<link>http://freakangels.com/whitechapel/comments.php?DiscussionID=5975&amp;Focus=159508#Comment_159508</link>
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		<pubDate>Fri, 29 May 2009 11:27:09 -0700</pubDate>
		<author>Finagle</author>
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			<![CDATA[ A couple of years ago I set out to attempt to educate myself somewhat about Southeast and East Asian non-anime cinema - primarily Japanese and mostly genre (yakuza, horror, sci-fi, Miike), but also some Korean, Hong Kong, Thai and Vietnamese stuff when I come across it.  There's so much good stuff coming out of the area, especially the Korean and Thai flicks I've seen lately, that I've now gone through most of the low-hanging fruit and need some deeper recommendations (aside from /High Kick Girl/, which I am already anxiously awaiting).   Trying to stick to new and current stuff without trolling through the whole history of kung-fu and samurai movies, and also to break out a bit of the Asian horror ghetto (although pointers to good stuff on the Asian Horror Movies website would be especially appreciated).    Although not all genre, the stuff I've liked tends to have a certain combination of black humor, absurdity and surreal weirdness.<br /><br />Recent stuff I've enjoyed in no particular order to give an idea:<br /><br /><strong >Japanese</strong><br />Battle Royale (I & II)<br />Ichi the Killer<br />Rainy Dog (!!!)<br />Gozu<br />Audition<br />Zatoichi (the Kitano 2003 reboot) (!)<br />Bright Future (!!)<br /><br /><strong >South Korean</strong><br />The Host (!!!)<br />Time<br />Bad Guy (!!)<br /><br /><strong >Hong Kong</strong><br />Infernal Affairs (remade as /The Departed/) (!!)<br />Once Upon a Time in China<br /><br /><strong >Thai</strong><br />Ong-Bak<br />Chocolate (!)<br />Last Life in the Universe (!!)<br /><br />Next steps?  What should I be looking out for?  Movies along the lines of /Bad Guy/ and /Bright Future/ are what I'm really looking for in an attempt to reach beyond Hong Kong yakuza flicks and well...Miike, but horror with the wit and imagination of /The Host/ or action with the quirky fun of /Chocolate/ are most welcome too. ]]>
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		<title>Southeast/East Asian Cinema to watch out for?</title>
		<link>http://freakangels.com/whitechapel/comments.php?DiscussionID=5975&amp;Focus=159513#Comment_159513</link>
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		<pubDate>Fri, 29 May 2009 11:37:44 -0700</pubDate>
		<author>looneynerd</author>
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			<![CDATA[ I didn't really like Ong-Bak. It's sequel, "The Protector" had a bad guy who rode a segway the whole film and never dismounted from it. It might be because before the film was released Tony Jaa was being seriously hailed as the next Bruce Lee, a prophecy which proved to be ultimately false.<br /><br />Battle Royale was seriously one of the best movies I've seen!<br /><br /><br />The original Dark Water was pretty solid, and that's coming from someone who generally loathes horror films. I'm not an anime fan, but seeing as it accounts for so much Asian production, I'd make a call for any of the Ghost in the Shell movies. Great direction, plots, etc.<br /><br />Hit up some bollywood stuff. Not all of it is awful, and if you're looking for good drama it has produced some really great stuff in the past decade. ]]>
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		<title>Southeast/East Asian Cinema to watch out for?</title>
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		<pubDate>Fri, 29 May 2009 11:40:59 -0700</pubDate>
		<author>Finagle</author>
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			<![CDATA[ ^ I was trying to avoid dragging Bollywood into it because that really deserves a thread of its own (not like any of these other countries don't of course), and I'm lining up my own project of education there as well as the only significant example I've seen all the way through is /Lagaan/, which I quite liked.  Edited the thread subject appropriately.<br /><br />I haven't caught the original /Dark Water/ yet, but I've seen a good chunk of the /Ringu/ and /Grudge/ serieses, and the original /One Missed Call/ (Miike again, the guy is everywhere).  After also watching the /Hell Girl/ series I think I've had my fill of haunted websites/videotapes/cellphones as a vehicle. ]]>
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		<title>Southeast/East Asian Cinema to watch out for?</title>
		<link>http://freakangels.com/whitechapel/comments.php?DiscussionID=5975&amp;Focus=159519#Comment_159519</link>
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		<pubDate>Fri, 29 May 2009 11:50:51 -0700</pubDate>
		<author>looneynerd</author>
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			<![CDATA[ My only problem with the Japanese cinema are the few cultural things that Westerners would find funny. I laughed at several parts of dark water that might be considered scary in japan, but are hilarious here.<br /><br />I'm trying to track down a film. I saw it when I was in Tokyo recently on tv. It looked to be pretty recent, but, being in Japanese, I couldn't follow the plot. The directing and fight scenes were amazing; it was about Samurai in the mold of the old Seven Samurai flicks.<br /><br /><br />Styg,have you tracked down the classic Samurai films? Really, most of the stuff by Akira Kurosawa is really good!<br /><br />Running on Karma and Kung Fu Hustle are big Hong Kong flicks I reccomend, and I'm a huge sucker for the Wushu Epics like Hero and House of Flying Daggers. ]]>
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		<title>Southeast/East Asian Cinema to watch out for?</title>
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		<pubDate>Fri, 29 May 2009 11:58:02 -0700</pubDate>
		<author>Lee Matthews</author>
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			<![CDATA[ You need to check out John Woo's "A Bullet in the Head" and "Hard Boiled"<br /><br />Bullet has far less "gun fu" than Hard boiled (which has a 300+ body count) but has more story ]]>
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		<title>Southeast/East Asian Cinema to watch out for?</title>
		<link>http://freakangels.com/whitechapel/comments.php?DiscussionID=5975&amp;Focus=159524#Comment_159524</link>
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		<pubDate>Fri, 29 May 2009 11:58:19 -0700</pubDate>
		<author>Finagle</author>
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			<![CDATA[ @Looney - Bits and pieces. The impenetrable weird black humor of stuff like /Gozu/ is what attracted me to Miike in the first place.<br /><br />Samurai - I've seen a good chunk of the original Zatoichi series, a handful of Kurosawa (/Ran/, /Dreams/, /Seven Samurai/) and a few miscellaneous ones.  The original Zatoichi series is really quite wonderful. <br /><br />@Lee & Hong Kong - I haven't seen as much of the  mainstream HK stuff aside from some early Jackie Chan (/Drunken Master/), and I did see both /Hero/ and /House of Flying Daggers/, which I enjoyed as fun eye candy.  I'd definitely like to get into more of the Hong Kong back catalog, but again, more on the quirky side of things than straight gangster action.  /Hard Boiled/ I caught a long time ago, but I'll check out the other.<br /><br />/Bright Future/ is a great example of what I'm after, although I'll be damned if I can sum up at all what it's about or what exactly draws me to it.  Also /Last Life in the Universe/, a tremendous Thai flick that is nominally a Yakuza film, but again takes a sharp turn into black surrealism. ]]>
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		<title>Southeast/East Asian Cinema to watch out for?</title>
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		<pubDate>Fri, 29 May 2009 12:05:13 -0700</pubDate>
		<author>BrianMowrey</author>
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			<![CDATA[ <strong >S.Korea:</strong><br /><br /><em >Oldboy<br />Oldboy<br />Oldboy!<br />Oldboy</em><br /><br />Also seconding <em >The Host</em>, I adore that one. South Korean films have had a good decade. Chow's <em >Kung-Fu Hustle</em> and <em >Shaolin Soccer</em> were both stellar, old-fashioned cinema treats. (I can't seem to enjoy film on a simple, visceral level unless it's 20s/silent or foreign/subtitled. But apart from this, these three films just seem both purer in spirit and more substantive than modern american "fun" movies, which I can't usually even sit through, so...)<br /><br /><strong >Thai</strong><br /><br />Pen-Ek Ratanaruang's <em >Last Life in the Universe</em> and <em >6ixtynin9</em>, both rather rewarding.<br /><br />A lot I'm missing, I'm sure. There are too many good movies in this region to keep up with, and a lot of what I have seen I haven't revisited in years... ]]>
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		<title>Southeast/East Asian Cinema to watch out for?</title>
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		<pubDate>Fri, 29 May 2009 12:07:22 -0700</pubDate>
		<author>BrianMowrey</author>
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			<![CDATA[ whoops Chow is Hong Kong. Points for Hong Kong ]]>
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		<title>Southeast/East Asian Cinema to watch out for?</title>
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		<pubDate>Fri, 29 May 2009 12:08:09 -0700</pubDate>
		<author>Finagle</author>
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			<![CDATA[ @BrianMowrey - Thanks, I'll check out /Old Boy/ and the Chow flicks.  <br /><br />Jinx on /Last Life in the Universe/,  I went back and added it to my list when I remembered I'd seen it.  Totally amazing movie.  I'll look for /6ixtynin9/ then as well.<br /><br />@All - <br />I've been getting a chunk of my pure Asian horror fix from here:  <br />http://www.asian-horror-movies.com/<br />There's a plugin for XBMC that makes the site actually practical to use. ]]>
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		<title>Southeast/East Asian Cinema to watch out for?</title>
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		<pubDate>Fri, 29 May 2009 12:08:22 -0700</pubDate>
		<author>Tanuki</author>
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			<![CDATA[ There was a recent remake of the Seven Samurai, <a href="http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0429078/" >Seven Swords</a> if you have any other details I might be able to identify it for you. My video guy has a pretty good selection of movies and tv series, and contacts over there. <br /><br />@Stygmata <a href="http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0414931/" >Breaking News</a> is a pretty good recent drama, you may enjoy.<br /><br />A few recent Korean movies have been very John Woo influenced, I'll try and find you some names.<br /><br />I'm a big fan of the insane comedies horror/ comedies that come out of the region, <a href="http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0384832/" >Battlefield Baseball</a> and <a href="http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0451954/" >Tokyo Zombie</a> most recently. Zombies are pretty big over there at the moment. ]]>
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		<title>Southeast/East Asian Cinema to watch out for?</title>
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		<pubDate>Fri, 29 May 2009 12:21:05 -0700</pubDate>
		<author>Finagle</author>
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			<![CDATA[ @Tanuki - /Breaking News/ looks perfect, and it also happens to be on Netflix Watch It Now!  I'm off to watch it presently. ]]>
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		<title>Southeast/East Asian Cinema to watch out for?</title>
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		<pubDate>Fri, 29 May 2009 12:21:39 -0700</pubDate>
		<author>manglr</author>
		<description>
			<![CDATA[ A website to check out for would be twitchfilm.net - they report on 'genre' films from around the world and have a soft spot for Asian films obviously.<br /><br />Some suggestions though...<br /><br />Most anything directed by Johnnie To ('Exiled' is my favorite, Election, Triad Election, Mad Dectective, and Sparrow are all pretty good).<br /><br />If you've got a region free DVD, check out 'The Good, The Bad, The Weird' which is a Korean 'kimchi western' and about the best 'summer action' movie I've seen in ages.  This one hasn't been released in the States yet.<br /><br />Oldboy is a staple of Korean pop cinema as previously menioned.  If you like that also check out Lady Vengence which is also quite good.   This director will also be releasing a vampire movie called 'Thirst' later this summer which might get a US theatrical release.<br /><br />Sticking with Korea:<br />'The Chaser' -crime drama<br />'The President's Last Bang' -historical black comedy<br />'The Quiet Family' -black comedy<br />'A Bittersweet Life' - crime drama<br />'Memories of a Murder' - this is directed by the guy who did the Host...police procedural about South Korea first serial killer<br />'Save the Green Planet' - inexplicably weird, mostly comedy<br />'Natural City' - sci fi action film...on the same line as Blade Runner mixed with vintage Arnie.<br /><br />I've pretty much given up on American cinema in favor of Korea, Hong Kong, China, and Japan.  Lots of good stuff to choose from.  Plenty more to choose from...but that's a good starter list. ]]>
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		<title>Southeast/East Asian Cinema to watch out for?</title>
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		<pubDate>Fri, 29 May 2009 12:28:58 -0700</pubDate>
		<author>Finagle</author>
		<description>
			<![CDATA[ ^ Great list.  I do actually have a region-free DVD player - first-generation Apex - that I've hung onto for occasions such as this.  <br /><br />Seeking out the rest of your list on Netflix, and bookmarked twitchfilm.net.  I have been trying to check out hancinema.net, but something about it locks up Google Chrome hard when loading. ]]>
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		<title>Southeast/East Asian Cinema to watch out for?</title>
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		<pubDate>Fri, 29 May 2009 12:59:38 -0700</pubDate>
		<author>manglr</author>
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			<![CDATA[ If you ever have an itch to import stuff directly, YesAsia.com is a good website. ]]>
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		<title>Southeast/East Asian Cinema to watch out for?</title>
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		<pubDate>Fri, 29 May 2009 14:52:47 -0700</pubDate>
		<author>256</author>
		<description>
			<![CDATA[ Seconding <strong >manglr</strong>'s recommendation of <em >Memories Of Murder</em> - I love that film. <br /><br />Also, from Hong Kong - <em >PTU</em> (dir. Johnnie To, who was mentioned earlier by <strong >manglr</strong>) is an incredible film. I struggle to describe it concisely without making it sound simple and obvious, but I assure you it's amazing. ]]>
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		<title>Southeast/East Asian Cinema to watch out for?</title>
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		<pubDate>Fri, 29 May 2009 15:23:39 -0700</pubDate>
		<author>Robson</author>
		<description>
			<![CDATA[ If you're keen on Thai cinema, I earnestly recommend pretty much everything by Apichatpong Weerasethakul. He's one of the leading lights of world cinema these days, making quiet and unassuming films that are formally experimental and surprisingly moving. His feature Tropical Malady is divided like many of his films into two halves: the first center's on a young man's love for a soldier; the second follows the soldier into a dark jungle where he's confronted by a tiger spirit that assumes the young man's form.<br /><br />Weerasethakul's short film Phantoms of Nabua can be seen here: http://www.animateprojects.org/films/by_date/2009/phantoms<br /><br />As for Miike, I was rocked out, pleasingly bored, and then deeply moved by his sci-fi prison drama BIG BANG LOVE: JUVENILE A. People tend to focus on the berserk violence in his work, but I dig the quietness and the gentle surreality of his work. The interview with him on the DVD for his Masters of Horror episode, IMPRINT (itself a pretty marvelous film), captures the odd serenity that informs the excesses of his work.<br /><br />Hope you find something there to enjoy, and I'd be eager to hear your thoughts about what you see here! ]]>
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		<title>Southeast/East Asian Cinema to watch out for?</title>
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		<pubDate>Fri, 29 May 2009 17:18:50 -0700</pubDate>
		<author>UrbanAngel</author>
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			<![CDATA[ I'd like to recommend 2 South Korean films, the first being "Some" which I caught at Munich's Fantasy Filmfest and the 2nd being "Arahan". <br /><br />"Some" is notoriously difficult to locate in English though. "Arahan" is a different matter. It's a very funny film which looks great and has nice characters and story and fighting scenes:<br />When a thief driving a motorcycle steals a purse of a pedestrian, the clumsy, naive and honest rookie policeman Sang-hwan runs after him, but the skilled specialist in martial arts Wi-jin captures the criminal and Sang-hwan is severely injured. She brings Sang-hwan to her home, where the six Masters of Tao heal him and believe that he has a powerful Qi, the spiritual energy of the universe, and could be a powerful warrior. Sang-hwan begins his training to ascend to a Maruchi, while the evil and ambitious Heuk-woon is accidentally released from his imprisonment. The powerful Heuk-woon attacks the masters, searching a key that they protect, which would permit him to become an Arahan and dominate the world. When the masters are defeated, Sang-hwan and Wi-jin are the only and last hope to mankind ]]>
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		<title>Southeast/East Asian Cinema to watch out for?</title>
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		<pubDate>Fri, 29 May 2009 17:54:01 -0700</pubDate>
		<author>Finagle</author>
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			<![CDATA[ Started watching /Breaking News/, then realized I've in fact seen it before - that first shot is memorable.  I decided to break for /Memories of Murder/ instead, as it was also on Netflix Watch Now, and was duly impressed.   The expressive directing, touches of humor, and excellent camerawork are all the touches that Bong Joon-ho brought to /The Host/ that made it so memorable - aside from the CGI monster of course.    I'm completely sold on this guy.<br /><br />I have a couple Johnnie To queued up next after I return to /Breaking News/ - /Exile/ and /Fulltime Killer/.   Netflix's Watch It Now is actually turning out to be fairly decent in the Asian Movie department.<br /><br />@Robson, @UrbanAngel -thanks, added to my growing list.  I do want to come back to Miike, as the guy has made SO MANY movies that there's always some rewards there, but I was starting to feel like that and /Ringu/ were all I was getting out of Japan.  Then again, his film output alone probably does amount to 25% of their movie industry by himself...<br /><br />One more for me to add:  The short feature /<a href="http://www.netflix.com/WiMovie/August_15th/" >August 15</a>/, by China's Xuan Jiang.  Only 20 minutes with a huge twist at the end so I can't say much about the plot except that it is a chilling little tale of inhumanity and the consequences of inaction in the face of evil.  Unsure where one can find it now. ]]>
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		<title>Southeast/East Asian Cinema to watch out for?</title>
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		<pubDate>Fri, 29 May 2009 17:59:21 -0700</pubDate>
		<author>UrbanAngel</author>
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			<![CDATA[ If you want Japanese, try Shinobi and also Survive Style 5+. The latter is v bizarre but great. Also starring Vinnie Jones of all people.. ]]>
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		<title>Southeast/East Asian Cinema to watch out for?</title>
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		<pubDate>Fri, 29 May 2009 18:00:00 -0700</pubDate>
		<author>UrbanAngel</author>
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			<![CDATA[ I just bought Mushishi (JP) and I'm a Cyborg (KR) from HMV and am looking fwd to seeing them. ]]>
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		<title>Southeast/East Asian Cinema to watch out for?</title>
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		<pubDate>Fri, 29 May 2009 19:34:54 -0700</pubDate>
		<author>doclivingston</author>
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			<![CDATA[ <blockquote >a handful of Kurosawa (/Ran/, /Dreams/, /Seven Samurai/)</blockquote>Definitely make an effort to catch Kurosawa's other stuff too.  Personally, Yojimbo and Sanjuro are big highlights.<br /><br />I second Kung Fu Hustle, despite the effects and overall level of slapstick I found pretty annoying and detrimental, the heart and humor shines through.<br /><br />And anything by Beat Takeshi.  Love that man.  Definitely covers black humor, absurdity and weirdness in his stuff, if not to the gory extremes Miike goes to. ]]>
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		<title>Southeast/East Asian Cinema to watch out for?</title>
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		<pubDate>Fri, 29 May 2009 22:07:46 -0700</pubDate>
		<author>Finagle</author>
		<description>
			<![CDATA[ ^ I just got done reading through <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Beat_Takeshi" >Beat Takeshi's Wikipedia entry</a>, as all I had really known of his work was the 2003 /Zatoichi/ - holy crap.  The guy's a painter, author as well as screenwriter (over 50 books!), talk-show host, actor, director and editor?   God's balls. ]]>
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		<title>Southeast/East Asian Cinema to watch out for?</title>
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		<pubDate>Fri, 29 May 2009 22:08:19 -0700</pubDate>
		<author>oga</author>
		<description>
			<![CDATA[ OLD BOY is awesome, but I prefer SYMPATHY FOR LADY VENEGANCE (Old Boy is the 2nd best part of a triology of films) of Chan Wook Park's films.  His films are all brilliant.  I especially liked 3-IRON.  Not so much THE ISLE.  <br /><br />Check out the LONE WOLF AND CUB samurai films that got butchered to make that awful film SHOGUN ASSASSIN. <br /><br />Surprised that no one has mentioned Wong Kai Wai.  All his films in partnership with Chrisopher Doyle are a must-see.  My personal favourite is ASHES OF TIME, but this film really needs to be seen about three times before it makes sense.  CHUNKING EXPRESS is probably the best intro.  <br /><br />Johnny To! God, I find myself watching more Asian cinema than I do watching English-language films, but my wife hates the sound of Asian languages so I don't get so much opportunity to watch as many films as I'd like. ]]>
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		<title>Southeast/East Asian Cinema to watch out for?</title>
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		<pubDate>Fri, 29 May 2009 22:15:27 -0700</pubDate>
		<author>Finagle</author>
		<description>
			<![CDATA[ @oga - I actually just realized I have a copy of /Ashes of Time/ on my hard drive, but seems like it is the original 1994 version.  And you're right - I never made it through it the first time.  I also note that he seems to have produced<a href="http://www.netflix.com/Movie/Ashes_of_Time_Redux" > a 'Redux' version last year</a> - I'll give that one a shot. ]]>
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		<title>Southeast/East Asian Cinema to watch out for?</title>
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		<pubDate>Fri, 29 May 2009 22:24:51 -0700</pubDate>
		<author>Kosmopolit</author>
		<description>
			<![CDATA[ Korean cinema:<br /><br />Musa the Warrior - lavish historic drama which encapsulates the bloody and fatalistic pattern of Korean history. "Let's wander around northern China with no clear objective in mind, pissing off everyone we meet and fighting each other when we don't have anyone else to fight."<br /><br />It also has one absolutely brilliant line of dialog: "I'm glad you're still alive. A slave does not deserve so glorious a death." <br /><br />Volcano High: A live-action high school paranormal martial arts drama.<br /><br />Japanese cinema<br /><br />Wild Zero - beat Shaun of the Dead to the zom-rom-com concept only with a transvestite heroine, a bad guy who wears hot pink short-shorts and a climatic scene involving a samurai sword which I can't describe without spoiiing it.<br /><br />Versus: Yakuza versus zombies. The director, Ryuhei Kitamura,  went on to direct Midnight Meat Train.<br /><br />Chinese cinema:<br /><br />Pretty much anything with Jet Li,especially the Once Upon a Time in China series. <br /><br />Kung Fu Hustle<br /><br />Shaolin Soccer ]]>
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		<title>Southeast/East Asian Cinema to watch out for?</title>
		<link>http://freakangels.com/whitechapel/comments.php?DiscussionID=5975&amp;Focus=159694#Comment_159694</link>
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		<pubDate>Fri, 29 May 2009 22:34:49 -0700</pubDate>
		<author>oga</author>
		<description>
			<![CDATA[ The Redux is shorter, but has been retouched in color and sound.  I kinda like the longer original version better.  Basically this is a film about memory and the blurring of vision (one character is blind, the other is blinded during a fight) and identity (there's a split personality in Yin/Yang), and the wandering swordsmen who fall in a tragic love triangle is pretty cool.  There are touches of Tsui Hark (ALL his films are must-see if you like intricate camera-ballet-fu - see THE BLADE for what I'm talking about - an one-armed swordsman teaches himself to use a chopper on a chain.  The camera angles are to be seen to be believed. It's not one of Hark's best films, but it's a good intro) in the way Chris Doyle shoots the fight scenes, but really, I can't rave enough about this film, maybe because it doesn't give you all the answers and i've seen it about four or five times and each time I worked out a little bit more of the impressionistic story. ]]>
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		<title>Southeast/East Asian Cinema to watch out for?</title>
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		<pubDate>Fri, 29 May 2009 22:37:47 -0700</pubDate>
		<author>oga</author>
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			<![CDATA[ Also Korean - My Wife is a Gangster.  Marathon.  Aaichi & Ssipek. Protege. 200 Pounds Beauty. Jungcheon. ]]>
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		<title>Southeast/East Asian Cinema to watch out for?</title>
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		<pubDate>Fri, 29 May 2009 22:50:06 -0700</pubDate>
		<author>sacredchao</author>
		<description>
			<![CDATA[ Korea - watch everything by Kim Ki-Duk you can, though <em >Bad Guy </em>is kind of bad. Definitely watch <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Spring-Summer-Fall-Winter/dp/B0002J4X20/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=dvd&qid=1243661365&sr=1-1" ><em >Spring, Summer, Fall, Winter and...Spring</em></a> and <a href="http://www.amazon.com/3-Iron-Seung-yeon-Lee/dp/B000A1OFZA/ref=pd_bxgy_d_img_b" ><em >3-Iron</em></a>. They are amazing films.<br /><br />Japan - Watch <em ><a href="http://www.amazon.com/Tetsuo-Iron-Man-Renji-Ishibashi/dp/B000FZEQWI/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=dvd&qid=1243661043&sr=8-1" >Tetsuo: The Iron Man</a></em> and <em ><a href="http://www.amazon.com/Gemini-Masahiro-Motoki/dp/B000EOTWCE/ref=sr_1_4?ie=UTF8&s=dvd&qid=1243661069&sr=8-4" >Gemini </a></em>by Shinya Tsukamoto. Gemini is the best Japanese film since Kurosawa died. <em ><a href="http://www.amazon.com/Vital-Tadanobu-Asano/dp/B000C65YMQ/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=dvd&qid=1243661418&sr=1-1" >Vital </a></em>is decent as well, also by the same director.<br /><br /> Tsukamoto makes weird avant-garde sorts of films that can be slightly disturbing. Tetsuo and Gemini are both influenced by <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Butoh" >Ankoko Butoh</a> (dance of utter darkness), which is an avant-garde performance dance. It is considered the "anti-ballet," and was created in response to the influence of Western ballet on Japanese dance. Gemini has several Butoh performers in the cast. <br /><br />(Note about wikipedia article - not quite accurate, but gives an overview - for example Butoh isn't "traditionally" performed in hyper-slow motion while wearing white, that is simply one school of the dance. Most that I've seen involves quick, angular, jerky motions performed low to the ground (whereas ballet is typically an "upward" dance). That's what you'll see in Tsukamoto's films. Also, there was a performance in Seattle once by a troupe who did their show suspended in the air. Unfortunately, one of their cords broke, and a dancer died.)<br /><br />His films are also very much <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Body_horror" >body horror</a> (ala Cronenberg), which, in Japan, has it's roots in the <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hibakusha" >hibakusha </a>(bomb-affected) and their overall relationship to society. The hibakusha have been shunned to a certain extent do to a fear that they will somehow corrupt or make impure Japan as a whole. This obsession with contamination and mutation eventually lead to the rise of blob anime (Akira being a perfect example), as well as Gojira, whose skin was modeled to look like that of an A-Bomb survivor.<br /><br />I watched a movie called <em ><a href="http://www.amazon.com/Realm-Senses-Blu-ray-Criterion-Collection/dp/B001PYD0KW/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=dvd&qid=1243660510&sr=1-1" >In the Realm of the Senses</a></em> recently by Nagisha Oshima, which, to this day, can't be shown or bought uncensored in Japan. It contains lots of un-simulated sex and an extremely horrifying ending. <br /><br />The <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Shogun-Assassin-Film-Collectors-Set/dp/B001EAWMFQ/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&s=music&qid=1243661877&sr=8-2" ><em >Shogun Assassin</em></a> series is a lot of fun - they are poorly dubbed, colorized, versions of the <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lone_wolf_and_cub#Films" ><em >Lone Wolf and Cub</em></a> movies, except they are each 2-3 movies cut in to one. They're about a ronin who wanders around with his kid in a baby carriage. Lots of crazy katana fighting and such.<br /><br />As far as Takashi Miike...meh. <em ><a href="http://www.amazon.com/Audition-Uncut-Special-Ryo-Ishibashi/dp/B0009WFEDC/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=dvd&qid=1243661986&sr=1-1" >Audition </a></em>is great, <em ><a href="http://www.amazon.com/Ichi-Killer-Unrated-Tadanobu-Asano/dp/B0000CABGW/ref=pd_bxgy_d_img_b" >Ichi the Killer</a></em> is pretty cool, <em ><a href="http://www.amazon.com/Visitor-Q-Kenichi-Endo/dp/B00006FDBW/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=dvd&qid=1243662007&sr=1-1" >Visitor Q</a></em> has some eye-gouging moments, but, all-in-all, pretty hit or miss.<br /><br />Don't watch <em >Suicide Club</em>. That movie is fucking stupid. <em >Swallowtail Butterfly</em> is also pretty inane, no matter what Quentin Tarantino wants to tell you. ]]>
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		<title>Southeast/East Asian Cinema to watch out for?</title>
		<link>http://freakangels.com/whitechapel/comments.php?DiscussionID=5975&amp;Focus=159700#Comment_159700</link>
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		<pubDate>Fri, 29 May 2009 22:50:35 -0700</pubDate>
		<author>sacredchao</author>
		<description>
			<![CDATA[ Damn character limit. I've got lots to say. - - - <br /><br /><br />HK - Fucking Wong Kar Wai. Go buy <em ><em ><a href="http://www.amazon.com/Fallen-Angels-Special-Leon-Ming/dp/B001O2UTR2/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=dvd&qid=1243662072&sr=1-1" >Fallen Angels</a></em></em> <strong >right now</strong>. As in, immediately. That movie is sexy in the way some cars are sexy. I don't know how to explain that better, but it is fucking amazing. Follow it up with <em ><a href="http://www.amazon.com/Chungking-Express-Blu-ray-Tony-Leung/dp/B001EOQCKS/ref=sr_1_5?ie=UTF8&s=dvd&qid=1243662120&sr=1-5" >Chungking Express</a></em> (available on Blu-Ray from Criterion), <em ><a href="http://www.amazon.com/Days-Being-Wild-Leslie-Cheung/dp/B0002X7GWU/ref=sr_1_7?ie=UTF8&s=dvd&qid=1243662120&sr=1-7" >Days of Being Wild</a></em>, and <em ><a href="http://www.amazon.com/Ashes-Time-Redux-Brigitte-Lin/dp/B001O7SWHG/ref=pd_bxgy_d_text_c" >Ashes of Time Redux</a></em> for his take on the Wuxia (martial arts) genre.  <br /><br />John Woo - <em ><a href="http://www.amazon.com/Hard-Boiled-Two-Disc-Ultimate-Yun-Fat/dp/B000N4SHNK/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=dvd&qid=1243662173&sr=1-1" >Hard Boiled</a></em> starts with the single best action scene ever recorded. Do watch. <em ><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bullet_in_the_head" >Bullet in the Head</a></em>, <em ><a href="http://www.amazon.com/Killer-John-Woo/dp/B00004W457/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=dvd&qid=1243662256&sr=1-1" >The Killer</a></em>, and <em ><a href="http://www.amazon.com/Better-Tomorrow-II/dp/B0001BKBDO/ref=sr_1_5?ie=UTF8&s=dvd&qid=1243662230&sr=1-5" >A Better Tomorrow Part 1 & 2</a></em> are all good. Chow Yun Fat is a fantastic action hero.<br /><br />Mainland China - Jhang Yimou has done some great stuff, but you'll have to get past the various <em >Crouching Tiger </em>clones. <em ><a href="http://www.amazon.com/Raise-Red-Lantern-World-Films/dp/B000PMFS6O/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=dvd&qid=1243662281&sr=1-1" >Raise the Red Lantern</a></em> and <em ><a href="http://www.amazon.com/Ju-Dou-Gong-Li/dp/B000BBOU54/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=dvd&qid=1243662303&sr=1-1" >Ju-Dou</a></em> are both very good.<br /><br />That's all I can come up with right now, but I'll try and post anything else I think of. ]]>
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		<title>Southeast/East Asian Cinema to watch out for?</title>
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		<pubDate>Fri, 29 May 2009 22:55:45 -0700</pubDate>
		<author>Kosmopolit</author>
		<description>
			<![CDATA[ <em >Tokyo Zombies</em> is dreadful.<br /><br />It shouldn't be - it has some decent ideas in there - but it never gels in the way other ultra-low-budget horror movies like Versus and Wild Zero do. ]]>
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		<title>Southeast/East Asian Cinema to watch out for?</title>
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		<pubDate>Sat, 30 May 2009 00:03:58 -0700</pubDate>
		<author>doclivingston</author>
		<description>
			<![CDATA[ God yes, Fallen Angels.  I stumbled across that at 3 am on IFC or something when I was in high school and it at once destroyed and elevated me.  Thing still casts a spell on me, I just melt watching it. ]]>
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		<title>Southeast/East Asian Cinema to watch out for?</title>
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		<pubDate>Sat, 30 May 2009 00:23:43 -0700</pubDate>
		<author>pi8you</author>
		<description>
			<![CDATA[ Adding to the head nods with Versus, Wild Zero, Oldboy/Vengeance trilogy, Shaolin Soccer(NOT the US cut), Kung Fu Hustle, and Battlefield Baseball.<br /><br />Beat Takeshi is an amazing, amazing man, almost everything he touches is great.<br /><br />On the Kitamuta track, thoroughly enjoyed Alive.<br /><br />Also gonna have to give a nod to 2004's New Police Story, almost entirely Serious Business Jackie Chan, and showcasing a few rather insane stunts make it one of the best things he's done in a while.<br /><br />On the Korean front, Save My Green Planet was quite a bizarre ride that was reasonably entertaining. ]]>
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		<title>Southeast/East Asian Cinema to watch out for?</title>
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		<pubDate>Sat, 30 May 2009 00:49:18 -0700</pubDate>
		<author>Kosmopolit</author>
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			<![CDATA[ Friends have recommended <em >Tokyo Gore Police</em> to me.<br /><br />I have a copy but am yet to watch it. ]]>
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		<title>Southeast/East Asian Cinema to watch out for?</title>
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		<pubDate>Sat, 30 May 2009 03:29:15 -0700</pubDate>
		<author>manglr</author>
		<description>
			<![CDATA[ Tokyo Gore Police is an odd duck, and I only thought was okay.<br /><br />If you want to go with the low budget-high gore-insanity-laced weirdness, I'd suggest 'Machine Girl' instead.  It's like Power Rangers for grown-ups. ]]>
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		<title>Southeast/East Asian Cinema to watch out for?</title>
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		<pubDate>Sat, 30 May 2009 08:45:06 -0700</pubDate>
		<author>roque</author>
		<description>
			<![CDATA[ if you don't mind a homosexual theme, "Gohatto" (Taboo) is pretty good.  visually interesting, samurai, has Takeshi Kitano.  I can't remember the kid's name but it stars the son of the chick from Audition and the villain from Black Rain. ]]>
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		<title>Southeast/East Asian Cinema to watch out for?</title>
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		<pubDate>Sat, 30 May 2009 08:51:45 -0700</pubDate>
		<author>Finagle</author>
		<description>
			<![CDATA[ @roque - I can safely say that's not a problem.  I already had that on my Netflix queue in fact!<br /><br />@many many folks - Thanks for bringing up /Versus/, that's another one I've just realized I already saw.  Kick-ass, mindless entertainment, quite stylish. /The Good, The Bad, The Weird/ or /Exiled/ probably next, then a rewatch of /Breaking News/, and after that I have to start waiting on Netflix and mail order. So far I have to say I've been most impressed by the South Korean and Thai stuff. <br /><br />Chinese film - I just don't know anything about it at all aside from that short feature I mentioned a few posts ago.  If anyone has some stuff to recommend here please do.<br /><br />At some point here I'll edit the first post and add in the new recommendations.  As new stuff comes out to recommend, please speak up and I'll add it to the list. ]]>
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		<title>Southeast/East Asian Cinema to watch out for?</title>
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		<pubDate>Sat, 30 May 2009 09:12:52 -0700</pubDate>
		<author>MagicSword!</author>
		<description>
			<![CDATA[ I live in Japan, and I've seen a bunch of Japanese movies in the last couple of years, but I'm not sure they're really what you're after. Unsurprisingly the movies that are exported and gain some following in the West are often the cult / horror ones which are more marketable over there. Japan's home grown film industry took more at the box office here than Hollywood movies last year for the first time... I think <em >ever</em>. Just like Hollywood though, most of the smash hits aren't very good, but there are a lot of movies that I really want to check out but... they don't have English subtitles at the theatre y'know.<br /><br />Has the last Miyazaki film, Ponyo on the Cliff by the Sea been released in the west yet? I'm curious to see what they do with it, because it was a super, super smash here, but from what I hear it has very little to appeal to adults. Its a very simple, cute, story for kids about a kind of fish-child-thing's friendship with a real boy. Haven't seen it, but my friend described it as similar in tone to Tonari no Totoro but nowhere near as good. His words not mine! The theme tune was one of the biggest singles of last year here.<br /><br />Hilariously I think Miike's last three big screen releases here were smash hit blockbusters. Crows: Zero, and the just released Crows: Zero II are prequels to the manga series Crows about a lawless school ruled by the best fighter. I found a download of Crows: Zero with subtitles and it's pretty fun, but really a very straight high school brawl flick with really cute Japanese boys, a nice sense of humour and a flair for pg cartoon violence. The actors are big stars here and Crows: Zero II had all sorts of cross promotion with convenience stores and clothes stores. It spawned it's own parody movie Elite Yankee Saburo, which I kinda want to check out. I had no idea until I checked out IMDB just now that Miike also directed Yatterman, it was like a family friendly, special effects heavy, live action adaptation of a classic Japanese kids cartoon. Starring a boyband star. I'd recommend his Sukiyaki Western Django, a patchy but really entertaining re-interpretation of the classic Django that rolls in tributes to the original movie, Japanese history, tributes to the Italian movie industry that spawned the original Django. It's too long, but then most of his films are, I still love him.<br /><br />You have no idea how famous Beat Takeshi is here. You just need to say "Takeshi" and everyone knows who you're talking about. He's on TV a lot, pretty much always as a comedian or a host of some prime time variety show.<br /><br />I watched the first part 20th Century Boys, adapted from the cult, beloved manga series. The story is great, but the film didn't hang togther as well as I hoped (which is what you get for compressing 12 or 20 volumes of manga down to three movies I guess.)<br /><br />The Korean movie A Tale of Two Sisters from a few years ago is really good. It's a horror, but as it develops it really shrugs off the ringu and ju-on comparisons.<br /><br />Awesome, I looked up Shinya Tsukamoto, and despite never having seen the Tetsuo movies he's famous for I've actually seen him acting in like 3 movies. Including "Welcome to the Quiet Room" which I do not recommend. Like a Japanese Girl, Interrupted but much worse.<br /><br />Electric Dragon 80,000 V. It's batshit insane. BATSHIT. INSANE. A zero budget black and white punk rock super-hero tragedy. It stars <strong >Tadanobu Asano</strong>, who was in Ichi the Killer, one of the leads in Survive Style 5+, and appeared in Takeshi Kitano's Zatoichi. Also he's married to the pop singer Chara who stars in Swallowtail Butterfly that was mentioned above in less than glowing terms. I haven't seen it, but it's a cute song.<br /><br />My favourite Kurosawa movie is High and Low, it's fantastic.<br /><br /><em >edit to add: sorry for the long post, and hi roque!</em> ]]>
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		<title>Southeast/East Asian Cinema to watch out for?</title>
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		<pubDate>Sat, 30 May 2009 09:13:44 -0700</pubDate>
		<author>RobSpalding</author>
		<description>
			<![CDATA[ I'd recommend Red Cliff parts 1 and 2.  Especially as they make up a nearly 5 hour film and in the Uk and USA we are going to get one 2 1/2 hour version.<br />John Woo's latest based on an historical battle.<br /><br />Other craziness:<br />Dead or Alive by Takashi Miike, a seemingly straight-forward gangster flick until the last 10 minutes, which you could probably find on YouTube.<br />Battlefield Baseball - part zombie film, part musical, involving a character that keeps getting killed and coming back played by a different actor each time.<br />Happiness of the Katakuris - another Miike film.  A musical, with horror and zombies.  Very odd, but very good.<br />Save the Green Planet - a great little Korean film which is absolutely mad.<br />Sukiyaki Western Django - I think this is another Miike film, saw it recently.  A Spaghetti western, set in Japan, with all the Japanese actors trying to do American accents.  But easily the most watchable of Miike's films.<br /><br />If you liked Versus, check out Azumi by the same director.  A female samurai/assasain Vs Ninjas.  (Azumi 2 bored me)<br />The director of Azumi and Versus  - Ryuhei Kitamura - has also done a Godzilla film which I've not seen but heard very good things about.<br /><br />And if you like your martial arts films looking like people really got hurt, then Chocolate is one to check out. ]]>
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		<title>Southeast/East Asian Cinema to watch out for?</title>
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		<pubDate>Sat, 30 May 2009 09:20:49 -0700</pubDate>
		<author>Exploder</author>
		<description>
			<![CDATA[ Worth noting that Chris Doyle is the same cinematographer who worked on Last Life in the Universe and that the movies he did with Wong Kar-Wai are equally beautifully shot and, in the case of Chungking and Angels, equally sort of dreamy and grandly lethargic.  I'm pretty sure that Wong Kar-Wai is my favorite director of all time, including Ashes and Blueberry Nights, the movies where his problems are most on display.<br /><br />Heroic Trio is a must see and, if you can find it, Yes Madam, the movie where Maggie Cheung and Cynthia Rothrock team up to beat up gangsters.  I recall Peking Opera Blues as having been awesome, but I'm not sure if it's because I was rather young when I saw it or because it actually was.<br /><br />Tokyo Gore Police is a crazy non-stop weirding as is its sister film Machine Girl, which, in my opinion, is the better made of the two but the less insane.  The Glamorous Life of Sachiko Hanai is a pretty good movie about a prostitute who gets shot in the head and finds her destiny requires a lot of softcore sex and a cloned George Bush finger (for missiles, not sex).<br /><br />Perfect Blue is a great bit of anime - probably the closest thing to an Argento film I've seen another director do - and you can pretty consistently rely on the work of Satoshi Kon to entertain.<br /><br />Eh, I'm sure there's more but it's early and brain no work good before noon. ]]>
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		<pubDate>Sat, 30 May 2009 09:33:29 -0700</pubDate>
		<author>Winther</author>
		<description>
			<![CDATA[ I'm no great connoisseur of Asian cinema, but I'll add my voice to those who praise Old Boy. Just a great film by any standards. Actually, I've been meaning to check out the other films in the Vengeance Trilogy. In fact, I think I'll get right on that. ]]>
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		<title>Southeast/East Asian Cinema to watch out for?</title>
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		<pubDate>Sat, 30 May 2009 09:36:07 -0700</pubDate>
		<author>Cassandra</author>
		<description>
			<![CDATA[ None of these are new really, but if you like Takashi Miike and enjoy singing zombies I would definately recomend <a href="http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0304262/" >The Happiness of The Katakuris</a>. Also <a href="http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0061882/" >Branded to Kill</a> is a bit of a winner - a 60s gangster film with a definate psychadelic feeling.<br /><br />Hong Kong: I second anything by Wong kar-wai - even 2046 is gorgeous. <a href="http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0093435/" >City on Fire</a> is good, if you can get hold of it. It's also the name of one of the most entertaining <a href="http://www.amazon.co.uk/City-Fire-Hong-Kong-Cinema/dp/1859842038/ref=sr_1_8?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1243701242&sr=1-8" >text books</a> on film I've ever read - really worth looking at.<br /><br />Taiwanese films are worth a look and there's a big exchange of actors, directors and crews between Taiwan, China and Hong Kong at the moment which makes things a bit interesting. <a href="http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0808357/" >Lust, Caution'</a>s a good example of this. ]]>
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		<pubDate>Sat, 30 May 2009 09:42:48 -0700</pubDate>
		<author>Cassandra</author>
		<description>
			<![CDATA[ @Exploder Chris Doyle is a bit of a genius, I think I'd watch a three hour film of paint drying if he was the cinematographer. He has synesthesia - colours have to have exactly the right sound - he sees film as a score. He's also worked on films for Fruit Chan and Zhang Yimou. ]]>
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		<pubDate>Sat, 30 May 2009 09:44:18 -0700</pubDate>
		<author>BrianMowrey</author>
		<description>
			<![CDATA[ I'm weak in Chinese films, but <em >Shower</em> is modern and very, very good. Straight-forward comedy-drama (a change from everything else on this page), but entrancing for being so deeply-steeped in cultural commentary and homage.<br /><br />Ang Lee's <em >Lust, Caution</em> is a fine film in the overly well-manicured Ang Lee vein. It is like Crouching Tiger but with explicit sex in place of bungee fight scenes (also, the story, from a semi-autobiographical novel, is vastly more interesting in of itself). This is on Netflix Instant Watch. ]]>
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		<pubDate>Sat, 30 May 2009 10:16:17 -0700</pubDate>
		<author>sacredchao</author>
		<description>
			<![CDATA[ @Exploder - Chris Doyle does indeed rock. He's also worked on several Gus Van Sant films, including <em >Paranoid Park</em> and the <em >Psycho </em>remake. I love his use of fluorescent lights - most DP's won't use them because of the flicker, but I guess he figured out some way around that. <br /><br />As for Oldboy, which everyone keeps bringing up, I really just thought it was OK. The first half was amazing, but the second...not so much. It got a bit silly, in my opinion. ]]>
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		<pubDate>Sat, 30 May 2009 12:30:39 -0700</pubDate>
		<author>manglr</author>
		<description>
			<![CDATA[ @Cassandra - <br /><br />Regarding The Happiness of The Katakuris...it's a remake of the Korean movie, 'The Quiet Family'...I've not seen Miike's take on it yet, as the Korean version is actually a rather charming little comedy of errors farce with lots of murders thrown in...but nothing TRUELY off the deep end. ]]>
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		<title>Southeast/East Asian Cinema to watch out for?</title>
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		<pubDate>Sat, 30 May 2009 13:09:01 -0700</pubDate>
		<author>Exploder</author>
		<description>
			<![CDATA[ Did not know this existed until an hour ago and have not seen it but I'm guessing it should be on this list:<br /><br />Behold!<br /><br /><a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vfBMTEICMgg" ></a> ]]>
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		<title>Southeast/East Asian Cinema to watch out for?</title>
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		<pubDate>Sat, 30 May 2009 13:34:49 -0700</pubDate>
		<author>UrbanAngel</author>
		<description>
			<![CDATA[ Magic Sword - I think you mean "Tales from Earthsea" which is the latest Hayao Miyazaki film, based on Ursula Le Guin's books. It is indeed a children's book which is very famous in the UK. Not seen it but enjoyed the books. ]]>
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		<title>Southeast/East Asian Cinema to watch out for?</title>
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		<pubDate>Sat, 30 May 2009 14:06:31 -0700</pubDate>
		<author>Tanuki</author>
		<description>
			<![CDATA[ Here's some more, starting at the saner end of the spectrum:<br /><br /><a href="http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0338564/" >Infernal Affairs</a> the first of which was adapted for the US as the Departed and has 2 sequels<br /><br /><a href="http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0475517/" >Murder Take One</a> is a satire/ cop drama involving a camera crew following detectives.<br /><br /><a href="http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0969269/" >The Mad detective</a> is what it ses on the tin, but interestingly so.<br /><br /><a href="http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0169222/" >Sharkskin Suit Man and Peach Hip Girl</a> is kind of a Japanese take on the Tarintino's Pulp Fiction, quirky gangsters and a damsel in distress. I really like this one.<br /><br /><a href="http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0267817/" >Party 7 </a>is similar and a lot more surreal.<br /><br /><a href="http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1155705/" >20th Century Boys</a> is  a manga adaption, I think there's a part 2.<br /><br />If you like Kung Fu Hustle then you should really check out Steven Chow's other movies; <a href="http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0116426/" >God of Cookery</a> (think Iron Chef neets martial arts) and <a href="http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0116014/" >Forbidden City Cop</a> ( Wuxia meets Pulp Fiction) are both hilarious and the humour's pretty accessible.<br /><br />One of my guilty pleasures is the Twins movies. They're a canton pop girl duo who make a lot of movies, most so-so.<br /><a href="http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0469050/" >A Chinese Tall Story</a> is like they thought Journey to the West wasn't epic enough so stuffed Phantom Menace into the middle. <br /><a href="http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0401439/" >Protege De La Rose Noir</a> about the Twins becoming sidekicks to a man hating ex-superheroine is worth watching for their complete disregard of Batman's copyright (and answers the question 'would Robin's costume protect him from a castration robot'?). Silly but fun. <br /><br /><a href="http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0104246/" >The Sword of Many Loves</a> is one of those martial arts fantasies that doesn't make a whole lot of sense to us, but has lots of mad energy. Tunneling spiked midgets, Poison witches and Shaolin Monkesses. I love it.<br /><br />And Electric Dragon 80,000 Volt is as insane as was mentioned above. It's like pcp being dripped into your ear by lizard people. That's a good thing. Honest.<br /><br />Lastly, here's a clip from one coming out that I really want to see, even though I know it'll be half crap. I have high hopes for the other half:<br /><br /><a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PfyHzr03oaM" ></a> ]]>
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		<pubDate>Sat, 30 May 2009 16:04:55 -0700</pubDate>
		<author>RobSpalding</author>
		<description>
			<![CDATA[ @UrbanAngel<br />No, he means Ponyo on a Cliff.  It's not out over here yet.  And Tales from Earthsea was directed by Goro Miyazaki, Hayao's son and it wasn't all that great.  Especially for a Ghibli film. ]]>
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		<pubDate>Sat, 30 May 2009 17:27:10 -0700</pubDate>
		<author>radian</author>
		<description>
			<![CDATA[ Yes!! Electric Dragon 80,000 Volt is the best thing I watched last month.<br /><br />Wild Zero is brilliant if you like zombies & over the top Rock'n'Roll. (and who doesn't?) ]]>
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		<title>Southeast/East Asian Cinema to watch out for?</title>
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		<pubDate>Sat, 30 May 2009 17:36:16 -0700</pubDate>
		<author>Adam</author>
		<description>
			<![CDATA[ I'm a Studio Ghibli fanatic, and I gotta agree Tales From Earthsea was a weak effort. I turned it off pretty early on, in fact - think of every classic swords/dragons anime RPG you ever played on the 8-bit consoles. This is that storyline.<br /><br />As far as Ponyo on a Cliff being a children's film (I've not seen it), a big part of the beauty and magic of Ghibli films is the detail and artistry of the backgrounds. Honestly some of them I couldn't care less what is actually going on in the plot, I'm just sitting there enthralled by the sumptuous colours and textures of the scenery. I want to walk down the street that Gutiokopan Bakery from Kiki is situated on. I want to sit on the grassy hill overlooking the Cat Kingdom. I want to ride the train across the flooded fields of Spirited Away. That's the appeal of those films, to me. ]]>
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		<pubDate>Sat, 30 May 2009 19:17:11 -0700</pubDate>
		<author>doclivingston</author>
		<description>
			<![CDATA[ Ditto on Tales: very ho hum for a Ghibli flick.<br /><br />Ponyo is entirely hand-drawn, so as for the detail and artistry of backgrounds, it might come off a bit different (potentially even more amazing than usual).  Haven't seen it either, but I do know Miyazaki was really interested in getting back to the roots of his cartooning method. ]]>
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		<pubDate>Sat, 30 May 2009 20:54:57 -0700</pubDate>
		<author>roque</author>
		<description>
			<![CDATA[ @Magicsword-- Ponyo is pretty much as your friend described it.  it's a version of The Little Mermaid, closer in spirit to the original legend than the Disney version (Ponyo drinks blood!) and retold in a Japanese style.  children like it because they can latch on to the cute characters, while adults generally end up scratching their heads.  part of the problem is that in the Western fairy tale, a mermaid woman falls in love with a human man. the romantic aspect feels kinda weird and ooky when it's transposed onto 5-year-old kids. ]]>
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		<pubDate>Sat, 30 May 2009 21:18:19 -0700</pubDate>
		<author>stsparky</author>
		<description>
			<![CDATA[ There's a bunch of low budget teen films I like - <br /><br /><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Waterboys_(film)" >Waterboys</a> and<a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Swing_Girls" > Swing Girls</a> ... and a love for <a href="http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0780503/" >films</a> that reference weird stuff from my youth like <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dororo" >Dororo</a> ...<br /><br />People mentioned Red Cliff part 1 which should be obtainable at any local Japanese Video rental shop ... the story is from the '<a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chronicle_of_the_Three_Kingdoms" >Romance of the Three Kingdoms</a>'  that have been a staple among Japanese video games ... ]]>
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		<pubDate>Sun, 31 May 2009 08:30:31 -0700</pubDate>
		<author>Annie</author>
		<description>
			<![CDATA[ I must chime in to praise <em >Survive Style 5+</em> too. It's one of my favorite films of any language, any genre. Just a real treat for the eyes and a lot of silly fun. ]]>
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		<pubDate>Sun, 31 May 2009 12:32:58 -0700</pubDate>
		<author>Reymar</author>
		<description>
			<![CDATA[ Oldboy rocked me, excellent film.<br /><br />Some others I didn't see mentioned worth watching are Cashern (slow moving future sci-fi with some incredibly beautiful scenes), The Returner (sort of like Terminator but better IMHO), Born to Fight (Tony Jaa martial arts flick, worth it just for the little girl kicking butt scenes), So Close (action/martial arts featuring three of hong kongs hottest women), Myth (Jackie Chan almost no humor, future meets olden days without time travel!! VERY good flick) Princess Blade (low budget action flick).<br /><br />Some others I have but can't recall the names of... ]]>
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		<pubDate>Sun, 31 May 2009 14:33:18 -0700</pubDate>
		<author>Flabyo</author>
		<description>
			<![CDATA[ Red Cliff has it's UK theatrical release soon. I don't think it's just part one as it was in Hong Kong, cause it seems to have a longer running time here. Which means they most likely did what the rumours said they were going to do and cut the two parts together into a single film for the western market.<br /><br />So, if they have done that, then there'll be about two hours of footage missing.<br /><br />The two part Hong Kong edition can be got on region free Blu-Ray if you want to see the longer version. It does meander a bit, so the western edit is probably pretty decent, but if you're familiar with the Three Kingdoms then you might prefer the longer one. ]]>
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		<pubDate>Sun, 31 May 2009 14:58:04 -0700</pubDate>
		<author>UrbanAngel</author>
		<description>
			<![CDATA[ Sorry for the mis-info about Tales from Earthsea! <br /><br />I just bought a secondhand DVD called Isola (JP film) which looks intruiging. Has anyone seen it?<br /><br />"When a woman, able to read the thoughts of others, comes to help survivors of the 1995 Kobe earthquake, she encounters a girl with Multiple Personality Disorder whose dangerous 13th personality, Isola, must be stopped." ]]>
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		<pubDate>Sun, 31 May 2009 16:26:44 -0700</pubDate>
		<author>oga</author>
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			<![CDATA[ Isola is pretty good, but I wouldn't really want to watch it more than once. ]]>
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		<pubDate>Mon, 01 Jun 2009 00:55:33 -0700</pubDate>
		<author>Tanuki</author>
		<description>
			<![CDATA[ Just watched <a href="http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0995739/" >Invisible Target</a>, pretty decent action flick.<br /><br />Also picked up <a href="http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0883995/" >13 Challenges</a>, haven't watched it yet but it looks sort of Old Boy territory; protagonist is offered money to take on 13 tests that get get progressively darker and morally dubious as they go on. Looks interesting at least. ]]>
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		<pubDate>Mon, 01 Jun 2009 06:18:16 -0700</pubDate>
		<author>nick3pointone4</author>
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			<![CDATA[ can't talk about samurai movies without mentioning sword of doom, freaking amazing.  also i'd recommend stray dog. ]]>
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		<title>Southeast/East Asian Cinema to watch out for?</title>
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		<pubDate>Mon, 01 Jun 2009 20:55:35 -0700</pubDate>
		<author>stsparky</author>
		<description>
			<![CDATA[ <a href="http://us.imdb.com/title/tt1156447/" ><strong ><em >Happy Flight</em></strong></a> maybe more poignant with the current Air France tragedy.<br /><a href="http://www.fliqz.com/aspx/permalink.aspx?vid=0fd86e50863f41e498cbaa9160485989" ></a><br /><br />http://www.nipponcinema.com/trailer_files/happy_flight_teaser.flv<br />http://www.nipponcinema.com/trailer_files/happy_flight_trailer.flv ]]>
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		<title>Southeast/East Asian Cinema to watch out for?</title>
		<link>http://freakangels.com/whitechapel/comments.php?DiscussionID=5975&amp;Focus=160607#Comment_160607</link>
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		<pubDate>Tue, 02 Jun 2009 03:26:35 -0700</pubDate>
		<author>Admiral Neck</author>
		<description>
			<![CDATA[ As this thread has been going for a couple of days now, everything I would have recommended has already been recommended, such as <em >Spring, Summer, Fall, Winter... and Spring</em> (which is one of the most breathtaking and beautiful movies I've ever seen), everything by Tsui Hark (<em >The Blade</em> fucking rocks faces), and the <em >Vengeance</em> trilogy. <em >Oldboy</em> was my favourite, but <em >Lady Vengeance</em> is hugely underrated. The last act of that is unforgettable.<br /><br />Has anyone here already recommended <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Twilight_Samurai" ><em >Twilight Samurai</em></a>? It's a really delicate and touching movie.<br /><br />@UrbanAngel, what did you think of <em >Mushishi</em>? It's not the movie I thought it would be, which is good, as it really caught me out. Such a quiet, atmospheric movie, really beautiful. It really captures the tone of the original animation.<br /><br /><em >Red Cliff</em> is indeed being released in the West as one movie constructed from the parts of two movies. I've seen the first and adored it, and am planning on watching the second either today or tomorrow. After that, I plan on seeing the truncated version just so I can blog about the choices made. The first movie had slow patches, but they were really lovely (Zhou Yu and Zhuge Liang's musical moment was great) and filled with plot, so I can't see how losing those scenes will improve it. I get the feeling they will keep the big battle scenes (which I can't wait to see on the big screen) and lose the little character moments. I get why, but will it work in the movie's favour? ]]>
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		<title>Southeast/East Asian Cinema to watch out for?</title>
		<link>http://freakangels.com/whitechapel/comments.php?DiscussionID=5975&amp;Focus=160614#Comment_160614</link>
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		<pubDate>Tue, 02 Jun 2009 03:54:08 -0700</pubDate>
		<author>UrbanAngel</author>
		<description>
			<![CDATA[ I really liked Twilight Samurai too.<br /><br />Mushishi - I didn't know what to expect as I don't know the original anime. I have to admit that I immediately thought of Musashi when I saw the DVD and I think that the samurai theme stuck in my head for whatever reason, even after reading the synopsis on the back. I thought that the film had a good plot and I liked the ideas and characters, however the pacing was off. They could have well represented the peaceful and beautiful tone of the anime even after having shortened it by 20-30 minutes. We all nodded off at at least one point (not so great when we were about to go clubbing! Hooray for Red Bull). I also liked the graphics of the bugs - the light/dark and when it looked like they were spreading their roots/feelers - very organic. ]]>
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		<title>Southeast/East Asian Cinema to watch out for?</title>
		<link>http://freakangels.com/whitechapel/comments.php?DiscussionID=5975&amp;Focus=160618#Comment_160618</link>
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		<pubDate>Tue, 02 Jun 2009 04:12:57 -0700</pubDate>
		<author>Admiral Neck</author>
		<description>
			<![CDATA[ @UrbanAngel, yes, I'd agree the one flaw with the movie was that it was too long, but it really sucked me in. I caught some of the anime after seeing the live action version, and was pleased to see the similarity. Katsuhiro Otomo really captured the floaty nature aesthetic. I've not read the manga, but I would like to.<br /><br />I've got Mamoru Oshii's <em >Sky Crawlers</em> around here somewhere, and I hope to watch that soon as well. He's just an astonishing filmmaker. <em >Avalon</em> and the two <em >Ghost in the Shell</em> movies were three of the best films I've seen this decade (okay, the first <em >GitS</em> wasn't this decade, but they were his three previous films and I wanted to lump them together). ]]>
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		<title>Southeast/East Asian Cinema to watch out for?</title>
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		<pubDate>Tue, 02 Jun 2009 07:39:31 -0700</pubDate>
		<author>UrbanAngel</author>
		<description>
			<![CDATA[ Have you seen Gig 1 + 2 of the <em >Stand Alone Complex Ghost in the Shell </em>TV Series? I think that it's a great story line and miss the Laughing Man plot. The 3rd Ghost in the Shell movie follows on from them, I think, also entitled <em >Stand Alone Complex</em>. ]]>
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		<title>Southeast/East Asian Cinema to watch out for?</title>
		<link>http://freakangels.com/whitechapel/comments.php?DiscussionID=5975&amp;Focus=160668#Comment_160668</link>
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		<pubDate>Tue, 02 Jun 2009 07:50:47 -0700</pubDate>
		<author>Admiral Neck</author>
		<description>
			<![CDATA[ I've had the boxsets for those on my Amazon wishlist for ages, but no one ever bites. One day I'll see them all, I hope. I caught one on the Anime Channel a while back, and loved it. That said, the tone was different from Oshii's movies. He's a very still director. I saw <em >Avalon</em> with a colleague, and we thought it was the right kind of boring. It was very slow and nothing happened for the most part, but it was also hypnotic. Though it seemed to be filled with <em >longeurs</em>, we still had a high opinion of it. ]]>
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		<title>Southeast/East Asian Cinema to watch out for?</title>
		<link>http://freakangels.com/whitechapel/comments.php?DiscussionID=5975&amp;Focus=160671#Comment_160671</link>
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		<pubDate>Tue, 02 Jun 2009 08:02:46 -0700</pubDate>
		<author>Flabyo</author>
		<description>
			<![CDATA[ With GitS Oshii chose to play up the 'what does it mean to be human if your entire body is cybernetic' angle of Masamune's original manga. The Stand Alone Complex stuff has a bit of that, but tends to focus more on 'what happens to soceity if everyone has computers in their heads' angle. Funnily enough, none of the adaptations are quite as plain perverted as the manga was...<br /><br />I thought Red Cliff part 2 wasn't quite as good as the first part, it has a really odd pacing to it. I suspect it works fine if you watch both parts back to back though. I think part of the stated reason for cutting it down for the west was the rather lame 'all the names sound too similar and we don't want to confuse the audience'. Assuming it's still subtitled rather than dubbed then they're not going to get the kind of audience coming to see it that would have trouble following the plot.<br /><br />When I saw Crouching Tiger at the cinema people walked out when they realised it was subtitled. ]]>
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		<title>Southeast/East Asian Cinema to watch out for?</title>
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		<pubDate>Tue, 02 Jun 2009 08:10:49 -0700</pubDate>
		<author>Admiral Neck</author>
		<description>
			<![CDATA[ <blockquote >When I saw Crouching Tiger at the cinema people walked out when they realised it was subtitled. </blockquote><br />I saw that at the Curzon Soho, right by Chinatown. When the audience started laughing at Zhang Ziyi and Michelle Yeoh running across rooftops I cringed. That's what happens when London douchebags go to see a movie just because of the hype surrounding it, without having any clue about the cultural context behind the movie, or the conventions of the genre.<br /><br /><blockquote >I thought Red Cliff part 2 wasn't quite as good as the first part, it has a really odd pacing to it. I suspect it works fine if you watch both parts back to back though.</blockquote><br />Sad to hear it, though I hope you're right about the back-to-back thing. It's <em >Lord of the Rings</em> syndrome. People were down on the long ending of <em >Return of the King</em>, but they're wrapping up three movies, not one. Watch them back to back and it feels right. ]]>
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		<title>Southeast/East Asian Cinema to watch out for?</title>
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		<pubDate>Tue, 02 Jun 2009 11:59:20 -0700</pubDate>
		<author>UrbanAngel</author>
		<description>
			<![CDATA[ I was glad, though, that my companion explained to me that it was based on the Beijing Opera style as I was a little confused at those rooftop scenes too!<br /><br />I cried so much when I saw it, but it's because my cat had just died that day :( ]]>
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		<title>Southeast/East Asian Cinema to watch out for?</title>
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		<pubDate>Tue, 02 Jun 2009 12:22:47 -0700</pubDate>
		<author>Admiral Neck</author>
		<description>
			<![CDATA[ <blockquote >I was glad, though, that my companion explained to me that it was based on the Beijing Opera style as I was a little confused at those rooftop scenes too!</blockquote><br />Oh sure, if you've not seen something like that before it's startling, but mocking laughter? That's a bit much. I've heard people complaining about unrealistic wirework in wuxia, and acting all superior because <em >our</em> culture doesn't have such nonsensical stuff in it, and it's as annoying as people laughing about Bollywood because of all the singing and dancing. Those foreigners and their silly movies! Fuck man, it's an aspect of someone else's culture, just as much as American movies have to have a romance subplot in almost every film, and British movies have to look really cheap and feature either Vinnie Jones and Danny Dyer. [/glibness]<br /><br />Sorry about your cat, btw. ]]>
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		<title>Southeast/East Asian Cinema to watch out for?</title>
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		<pubDate>Tue, 02 Jun 2009 14:43:26 -0700</pubDate>
		<author>Flabyo</author>
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			<![CDATA[ If they want a wirework film to laugh at, show them Iron Monkey. At least that one isn't playing it entirely straight... ]]>
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		<title>Southeast/East Asian Cinema to watch out for?</title>
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		<pubDate>Tue, 02 Jun 2009 14:54:17 -0700</pubDate>
		<author>Finagle</author>
		<description>
			<![CDATA[ Hey, anyone here from that Whitechapel Movie Club thread that I think spun off into a website?<br /><br />I started compiling all these recommendations to edit the first post, but it'll be too long.   Would someone care to put it up over at the Movie Club? ]]>
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		<title>Southeast/East Asian Cinema to watch out for?</title>
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		<pubDate>Tue, 02 Jun 2009 15:38:59 -0700</pubDate>
		<author>radian</author>
		<description>
			<![CDATA[ <blockquote >The 3rd Ghost in the Shell movie follows on from them, I think, also entitled Stand Alone Complex.</blockquote>I thought the title was "Solid State Society". ]]>
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		<title>Southeast/East Asian Cinema to watch out for?</title>
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		<pubDate>Tue, 02 Jun 2009 16:25:28 -0700</pubDate>
		<author>pi8you</author>
		<description>
			<![CDATA[ Yes, the third GitS movie is titled Solid State Society, but takes place in the same universe as the TV series, as opposed to Oshii's movie universe.  Spiritually, the show is quite close to the manga, but tones down the fan-service a fair bit, and the second season is probably my favorite portion of the series as a whole. ]]>
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		<title>Southeast/East Asian Cinema to watch out for?</title>
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		<pubDate>Wed, 03 Jun 2009 03:42:04 -0700</pubDate>
		<author>UrbanAngel</author>
		<description>
			<![CDATA[ Oops yes, thanks for the correction. Am currently suffering from tonsilitis and for some reason it's also affecting my brain >:o)<br /><br />PS - I like the Gits acronym :D ]]>
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		<title>Southeast/East Asian Cinema to watch out for?</title>
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		<pubDate>Thu, 04 Jun 2009 23:49:01 -0700</pubDate>
		<author>AndySpield</author>
		<description>
			<![CDATA[ Another odd Thai martial arts fun film - Chocolate.<br /><br />There's been a slew of good Korean martial arts fun - like Empress and the Warrior, and Restless Sword.<br /><br />The Shogun Assassin films are fun, if only for the child.<br /><br />And a Vietnamese film that pleasantly surprised was Rebel.<br /><br />I liked Dragon Tiger Gate and Flashpoint, even though my boyfriend thought they were corny. ]]>
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		<title>Southeast/East Asian Cinema to watch out for?</title>
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		<pubDate>Sat, 11 Jul 2009 02:50:35 -0700</pubDate>
		<author>sacredchao</author>
		<description>
			<![CDATA[ I saw a Thai movie called, I think, Nang-Mai (Nymph) the other day. It was quite good. Not sure when it will show up outside of Thailand, though it did play at Cannes. ]]>
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		<title>Southeast/East Asian Cinema to watch out for?</title>
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		<pubDate>Sat, 11 Jul 2009 05:23:50 -0700</pubDate>
		<author>Darthshatner</author>
		<description>
			<![CDATA[ Japanese favorites, here we go. <strong >Battle Royale</strong> is pretty damn good. There's a special edition out there with about 10 minutes or so extra footage that backstories a bunch of the characters and clears up some motivation questions. Worth the hunt.<br /><br /><strong >Ponyo on the Cliffside by the Sea</strong>. Oy-vey. Beautifully animated hand drawn animation cells are its biggest selling point. Worth watching for this alone, as it is possibly a dying artform thanks to cg movies. Weak script this time out, but bearable. Not up to Spirited Away or Totoro by any stretch, but as I said a treat for the eyes, if you can keep them open.<br /><br /><strong >Noroi</strong>. Now <em >this </em>one I really dug. Its documentary horror, and a bit over the top cheesy towards the very end, but it has some really cool suspense sequences. I dug it because I'm researching Japanese folklore and the "crew" of the documentary interviews people and references materials that I've read about, so it really hooked me and pulled me in.<br /><br /><strong >Chiisaki Yushatachi Gamera</strong>. Released in English as Gamera the Brave. If you have an 8 year old daughter or son, this movie will rock their world. Modern Kaiju stomping with some pretty darn good model buildings and rubber suits. The suits have come a looong way since I was a kid, but the goofy charm of carefree monsters stomping the world is still there. Fun for grown ups too, and great for Japanese learners as the language is very clear and easy on the ear.<br /><br /><strong >Hitoshi Tadano</strong>. A tv series about a tough guy who goes undercover as a nerdy salaryman to root out corruption. In the series I saw there were several jokes about his enormous pecker ie: bouncing a soccer ball off of it like a hacky sack. Heh, I go for the classy stuff.<br /><br /><strong >Mito Komon</strong>, the long running samurai drama (something like 40 years of show, dang!). The Komon, something like a military minister, of Mito province wanders the country incognito rooting out corruption. At the end of every episode there's a big samurai/ninja fight which ends when one of his assistants flashes his seal of office. The bad guys then drop their weapons and cower in shame, begging his forgiveness. The show is pure formula, practically the same thing every single time. But they love it over here and it doesn't look like they'll be stopping the show anytime soon. That and the big joke is that Komon, if you stretch out one of the vowels, is the word for butthole. Huh huh. Butt.<br /><br /><strong >Yokai DaiSensou</strong>, the Great Yokai War. Live Action, directed by Takeshi Miike, a bit confusing if you don't know some of the folk creatures, but thats why they invented google. Nifty costumes, a fun two hours spent.<br /><br /><strong >Lorelei</strong> One of the first flicks I watched after moving to Japan. WW2 drama, the Americans have a third Atomic bomb which they intend on dropping on Tokyo. The Japanese have a submarine with a secret weapons system and a mission to stop the Americans. The FX lean towards the Sky Captain side of computer animation to good effect as I recall. One particularly gruesome death near the end made me itchy for a week. Worth a look for sure. ]]>
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		<title>Southeast/East Asian Cinema to watch out for?</title>
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		<pubDate>Wed, 05 Aug 2009 18:31:37 -0700</pubDate>
		<author>Finagle</author>
		<description>
			<![CDATA[ I just watched /The Chaser/ after hearing the news it has been picked up by a remake by the team who remade /Infernal Affairs/ into /The Departed/.  Not quite in the same league as /Oldboy/ or /Memories of Murder/, but still pretty damn good, if also pretty damn bleak.<br /><br />Without giving too much away, the movie definitely reinforces the trend I've noticed to highlight the way that the "heroes" of the films tend to make critical mistakes of judgement and just...fail.  The way that plays out in this movie as well as /Memories of Murder/, /Oldboy/, /Infernal Affairs/ and /The Host/ is too consistent to be just coincidence.  There's something about the way innocent people are shown to be helpless victims at the hands of an indifferent fate and ineffectual human efforts is just fundamentally different from the typical Western film narrative. ]]>
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		<title>Southeast/East Asian Cinema to watch out for?</title>
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		<pubDate>Fri, 07 Aug 2009 15:41:35 -0700</pubDate>
		<author>Finagle</author>
		<description>
			<![CDATA[ Next on my list:  /Thirst/, another South Korean production from Park Chan-wook:<br /><br /><blockquote >Director Park, best known to DVD connoisseurs for his Vengeance trilogy, is a past master of emotional violence, and Thirst is his richest, craziest, most mature work yet. He gets valiant work from Song, a top Korean star whose trademark stolidity is a suitable vessel for Father Hyun's stoic battle against the impulses that have invaded his system. But it's the lovely Kim, just 22, who is the revelation here. She can play — no, she can be — a creature of mute docility, then searching ardor, then explosive eroticism, then murderous intent. She is Lady Chatterley and Lady Macbeth in one smoldering package.<br /><br />Blending plot elements of Double Indemnity and Natural Born Killers with the ripe sensuality of Francis Coppola's take on Dracula, the film should make audiences sit up in startled pleasure, as if they'd just received the most luscious neck-bite. So take a break from the summer's zombified blockbusters and surrender to the crimson ecstasy of Thirst</blockquote><br />-<a href="http://www.time.com/time/arts/article/0,8599,1914182,00.html" > Review in Time Magazine</a> ]]>
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		<title>Southeast/East Asian Cinema to watch out for?</title>
		<link>http://freakangels.com/whitechapel/comments.php?DiscussionID=5975&amp;Focus=181216#Comment_181216</link>
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		<pubDate>Fri, 07 Aug 2009 15:56:09 -0700</pubDate>
		<author>oga</author>
		<description>
			<![CDATA[ I saw Thirst at the film festival last week.  AWESOME! ]]>
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		<title>Southeast/East Asian Cinema to watch out for?</title>
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		<pubDate>Fri, 07 Aug 2009 15:58:13 -0700</pubDate>
		<author>oga</author>
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			<![CDATA[ Mind you.  I just read the Time review.  If there was a zombie movie that could beat Thirst, Dead Snow would be it. ]]>
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		<title>Southeast/East Asian Cinema to watch out for?</title>
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		<pubDate>Fri, 04 Sep 2009 04:17:46 -0700</pubDate>
		<author>UrbanAngel</author>
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			<![CDATA[ My friends saw Dead Snow (which I believe is Scandanavian, not Asian) and loved it but it looked crap frm the trailer. Good zombie make up but that's about it. ]]>
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		<title>Southeast/East Asian Cinema to watch out for?</title>
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		<pubDate>Tue, 10 Nov 2009 04:29:23 -0800</pubDate>
		<author>UrbanAngel</author>
		<description>
			<![CDATA[ Just to say that I can't wait for Bunraku to be released. It was meant to be in 2009 but now there is a release date for June 2010 for Turkey. Check it out on www.imdb.com. A whole host of starts, including Gackt (extremely famous Japanese musician). Demi Moore, Woody Harrelson.. partially animated, part real life. Looks great. ]]>
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		<title>Southeast/East Asian Cinema to watch out for?</title>
		<link>http://freakangels.com/whitechapel/comments.php?DiscussionID=5975&amp;Focus=201197#Comment_201197</link>
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		<pubDate>Tue, 10 Nov 2009 05:50:11 -0800</pubDate>
		<author>jonni</author>
		<description>
			<![CDATA[ Oh dear, I want to see <em >Bunraku</em> now just because it has Gackt in, though in my defense <em >Moon Child</em> was pretty good, not amazing and it benefited from pretty boys, but the final sequence was haunting and utterly beautiful. Also, not a very typical vampire movie at all. ]]>
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		<title>Southeast/East Asian Cinema to watch out for?</title>
		<link>http://freakangels.com/whitechapel/comments.php?DiscussionID=5975&amp;Focus=201230#Comment_201230</link>
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		<pubDate>Tue, 10 Nov 2009 08:25:07 -0800</pubDate>
		<author>Varuker</author>
		<description>
			<![CDATA[ For a great S. Korean action flick, "Shiri" was fantastic.  For campy/ fun horror flicks:<br /><br />"Machine Girl"- Girls brother is killed by a gang.  Girl seeks revenge, but gets arm chopped of instead.  Sympathetic mechanic attaches machine gun to girls stump.  Awesomeness ensues.<br /><br />"Tokyo Gore Police"-  Female cop with sword battles mutants that can grow chainsaws and other fun devices from the stumps of severed body parts.<br /><br />And seconding "Wild Zero"-  It's got a drinking game in the special features that involves drinking whenever a head explodes, something blows up, someone says "rock 'n roll" ect... ]]>
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		<title>Southeast/East Asian Cinema to watch out for?</title>
		<link>http://freakangels.com/whitechapel/comments.php?DiscussionID=5975&amp;Focus=201994#Comment_201994</link>
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		<pubDate>Thu, 12 Nov 2009 09:56:53 -0800</pubDate>
		<author>elliotmears</author>
		<description>
			<![CDATA[ Stay away from Kitano's KANTOKU BANZAI! (ALL HAIL THE DIRECTOR! maybe?) if it ever gets released outside of Japan; it's two hours of flat, meandering episodic comedy sketches about how he can't think of a decent subject for a movie. TAKESHIS' was okay, though - a semi-David-Lynch-style meditation on the unbearable lightness of being Beat Takeshi. I enjoyed it well enough, but your mileage may vary. I still like his first film, VIOLENT COP, the best, I think. I love the Japanese title, which translates as something like THAT MAN IS A VIOLENCE-MAGNET. I want that on my tombstone.<br /><br />DORORO, GOEMON and TSUBAKI SANJURO weren't bad out of recent-ish samurai-type movies. I also quite liked GATCHI BOY, a comedy-drama about an ace legal student with no short term memory who trains to become a luchador, but I don't think it's available in English. If you've not seen them yet, it's really worth your time getting Sonny Chiba's THE STREETFIGHTER movies. I could watch the first one of those every day of my life and not get sick of it. The Japanese name comes out as SUDDEN ATTACK! MURDEROUS FIST! and I think that tells you everything you need to know.  The best version available is probably Optimum's UK boxset, which I believe is the only non-dubbed English version available. ]]>
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		<title>Southeast/East Asian Cinema to watch out for?</title>
		<link>http://freakangels.com/whitechapel/comments.php?DiscussionID=5975&amp;Focus=202257#Comment_202257</link>
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		<pubDate>Fri, 13 Nov 2009 04:23:37 -0800</pubDate>
		<author>Marty Nozz</author>
		<description>
			<![CDATA[ I came up in martial arts, so I also came up with a love of martial arts movies and spent many Saturday afternoons watching "Kung-Fu Threater" on the local TV station.<br /><br />Quite a few of my favorites have been mentioned like <em >Hard-Boiled</em>, <em >Once Upon a Time in China</em>  and <em >Oldboy</em>.  There a bunch of others I really love.<br /><br />For fun fight scenes: <em >Fist of Legend</em> and <em >Fearless</em> starring Jet Li, <em >Dragon Tiger Gate</em> starring Donnie Yen, and the Thai movies <em >Ong Bak</em>, <em >Ong Bak 2</em> (Warning, the story is a bit hard to follow), <em >Tom Yum Goong</em> (Released as "The Protector") and <em >Chocolate</em>.<br /><br />More movies with fight scenes but also a good story: <em >Throwdown</em> (A Hong Kong flick centered around Judo, and is pretty quirky, but interesting), <em >Fighter in the Wind</em> (Based very loosely on the life of Mas Oyama, founder of Kyokushinkai Karate) and <em >SPL</em>.  I'm putting out a warning on <em >SPL</em>, that movie is brutal.  It's the only time you'll see Sammo Hung play a villain.  It also features an INSANE fight with Jing Wu and Donnie Yen that had my jaw on the floor. ]]>
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		<title>Southeast/East Asian Cinema to watch out for?</title>
		<link>http://freakangels.com/whitechapel/comments.php?DiscussionID=5975&amp;Focus=202286#Comment_202286</link>
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		<pubDate>Fri, 13 Nov 2009 06:37:55 -0800</pubDate>
		<author>nigredo</author>
		<description>
			<![CDATA[ <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Wo-gGes6qig" >No love for Yoshihiro Nishimura? Pure exploitation madness.<br /></a> ]]>
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		<title>Southeast/East Asian Cinema to watch out for?</title>
		<link>http://freakangels.com/whitechapel/comments.php?DiscussionID=5975&amp;Focus=202339#Comment_202339</link>
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		<pubDate>Fri, 13 Nov 2009 09:26:42 -0800</pubDate>
		<author>elliotmears</author>
		<description>
			<![CDATA[ Ha, yeah I was reading something about that the other day. Looks fun - I'm reminded of Miike's FULL METAL YAKUZA, which I am pretty sure I enjoyed. ]]>
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		<title>Southeast/East Asian Cinema to watch out for?</title>
		<link>http://freakangels.com/whitechapel/comments.php?DiscussionID=5975&amp;Focus=202566#Comment_202566</link>
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		<pubDate>Sat, 14 Nov 2009 04:13:07 -0800</pubDate>
		<author>Finagle</author>
		<description>
			<![CDATA[ I just watched /Ong Bak 2/, and while I don't quite know what I saw or what the ending was all about, it was completely mental, and the best martial arts fighting I've seen...possibly ever.   I liked /Ong Bak/, but this completely took it to the next level.<br /><br />Thai ninjas, crocodile wrestling, a well-integrated dance number, and a running wall-flip off an elephant's head.<br />The action was raw and explosive, a welcome change from Hong Kong-flavored wuxia wire-work. <br />Highly recommended.  <br /><br /><del >What else has Tony Jaa done that's available and recommended?</del>  He's simply brilliant. - OK, I just looked on Wikipedia, and am completely floored to learn this is only his 3rd major film release.   And even more so to read about the degree to which he performs his own actual athletic moved with little wire-work or special effects.   That takes my amazement to yet another degree. ]]>
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		<title>Southeast/East Asian Cinema to watch out for?</title>
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		<pubDate>Sat, 14 Nov 2009 04:21:01 -0800</pubDate>
		<author>Marty Nozz</author>
		<description>
			<![CDATA[ @Stydmata: <em >Ong Bak</em>, <em >Tom Yum Goong</em> (You'll probably find it as <em >The Protector</em>) and he had kinda a bit role in another movie that I'm told isn't really worth tracking down. ]]>
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		<title>Southeast/East Asian Cinema to watch out for?</title>
		<link>http://freakangels.com/whitechapel/comments.php?DiscussionID=5975&amp;Focus=202572#Comment_202572</link>
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		<pubDate>Sat, 14 Nov 2009 04:31:03 -0800</pubDate>
		<author>Finagle</author>
		<description>
			<![CDATA[ Oh, I did see /The Protector/, but I confused it with /Ong Bak/.  Well, just have to watch them both again I suppose.<br /><br />I'm pleased to note /Ong Bak 3/ is in preproduction for a 2010 release.<br /><br />I think I mentioned this before as well, but I have been rather pleased with Netflix's Watch It Now availability for quite a surprising amount of the films discussed here - the whole Vengeance trilogy, for instance. ]]>
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		<title>Southeast/East Asian Cinema to watch out for?</title>
		<link>http://freakangels.com/whitechapel/comments.php?DiscussionID=5975&amp;Focus=202676#Comment_202676</link>
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		<pubDate>Sat, 14 Nov 2009 18:12:53 -0800</pubDate>
		<author>Marty Nozz</author>
		<description>
			<![CDATA[ I figured they'd be working hard to get <em >Ong Bak 3</em> out.  After the ending of 2 my wife and I were both thinking "That's it?" and I suspected it would be set up for a sequel.  Jaa really is quite talented at adapting to multiple different styles of martial arts.  I'm very impressed with him. ]]>
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		<title>Southeast/East Asian Cinema to watch out for?</title>
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		<pubDate>Sun, 15 Nov 2009 04:36:23 -0800</pubDate>
		<author>Davies0010</author>
		<description>
			<![CDATA[ Saw a trailer for a Korean film, title of Secret i think. Looks to be a fair ways south of sanity.<br /><br />Also, Ninja Assassin - name says it all really. ]]>
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		<title>Southeast/East Asian Cinema to watch out for?</title>
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		<pubDate>Sun, 15 Nov 2009 19:54:39 -0800</pubDate>
		<author>Marty Nozz</author>
		<description>
			<![CDATA[ I'm skipping Ninja Assassin.  Partly due to hating typical Hollywood portrayal of ninjas.  Partly due to the wachowski Brothers only making one movie that I've actually liked. ]]>
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		<title>Southeast/East Asian Cinema to watch out for?</title>
		<link>http://freakangels.com/whitechapel/comments.php?DiscussionID=5975&amp;Focus=204277#Comment_204277</link>
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		<pubDate>Fri, 20 Nov 2009 19:21:12 -0800</pubDate>
		<author>Davies0010</author>
		<description>
			<![CDATA[ Turns out Secret is a police/gangster suspense drama, along the lines of L.A. Confidential in plot terms. The mental looking film is titled Jeon Woo Chi: The Taoist Wizard, and well... judge for yourself.<br /><br /><a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qrH0fH4iX1Y" ></a> ]]>
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		<title>Southeast/East Asian Cinema to watch out for?</title>
		<link>http://freakangels.com/whitechapel/comments.php?DiscussionID=5975&amp;Focus=204280#Comment_204280</link>
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		<pubDate>Fri, 20 Nov 2009 19:26:09 -0800</pubDate>
		<author>Marty Nozz</author>
		<description>
			<![CDATA[ I'm intrigued.  <br /><br />However, with November here and the holidays looming, I'm now banned from the import shop.<br /><br />No buying myself DVDs until after Christmas. ]]>
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		<title>Southeast/East Asian Cinema to watch out for?</title>
		<link>http://freakangels.com/whitechapel/comments.php?DiscussionID=5975&amp;Focus=205426#Comment_205426</link>
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		<pubDate>Thu, 26 Nov 2009 03:28:31 -0800</pubDate>
		<author>UrbanAngel</author>
		<description>
			<![CDATA[ <em >Fist of Legend </em>(Jet Li) is great, isn't it? Based on <em >Fist of Fury </em>with Bruce Lee I was told (which I'm yet to see). Must buy the former on DVD. Or ask for it for Christmas! ]]>
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		<title>Southeast/East Asian Cinema to watch out for?</title>
		<link>http://freakangels.com/whitechapel/comments.php?DiscussionID=5975&amp;Focus=205428#Comment_205428</link>
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		<pubDate>Thu, 26 Nov 2009 03:39:44 -0800</pubDate>
		<author>Marty Nozz</author>
		<description>
			<![CDATA[ @UrbanAngel<br /><br />Great movie.  You'll mostly find the movie you're looking for listed as <em >The Chinese Connection</em>.  It was originally released as <em >Fist of Fury</em> and the movie most of us know as <em >Fist of Fury</em> was released as <em >The Big Boss</em>.  The names got changed when the movies went worldwide.<br /><br /><em >Fists of Legend</em> and <em >Chinese Connection</em> (The former <em >Fist of Fury</em>) are based on real events and the to make things even more interesting is that the master that was being avenged was played by Jet Li in <em >Fearless</em>.  Makes it sort of a prequel. ]]>
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		<title>Southeast/East Asian Cinema to watch out for?</title>
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		<pubDate>Thu, 26 Nov 2009 04:33:44 -0800</pubDate>
		<author>UrbanAngel</author>
		<description>
			<![CDATA[ I found Fearless kinda 'nyah'. Wasn't so impressed with it. Saw it too long ago to remember why though. Just not his best film. ]]>
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		<title>Southeast/East Asian Cinema to watch out for?</title>
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		<pubDate>Fri, 27 Nov 2009 03:59:11 -0800</pubDate>
		<author>Marty Nozz</author>
		<description>
			<![CDATA[ He has done better, but I liked it.  It did drag a little in the middle parts. ]]>
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		<title>Southeast/East Asian Cinema to watch out for?</title>
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		<pubDate>Thu, 20 Jan 2011 09:30:14 -0800</pubDate>
		<author>Stoto</author>
		<description>
			<![CDATA[ Just watched Spring, Summer, Fall, Winter... and Spring. Pretty disappointed. Kim Ki-duk is a dick for actually abusing animals in his films. ]]>
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		<title>Southeast/East Asian Cinema to watch out for?</title>
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		<pubDate>Thu, 20 Jan 2011 16:41:21 -0800</pubDate>
		<author>Finagle</author>
		<description>
			<![CDATA[ What else good has come out recently?  /Thirst/ and /Mother/ have both come and gone since the last few posts. ]]>
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		<title>Southeast/East Asian Cinema to watch out for?</title>
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		<pubDate>Fri, 21 Jan 2011 02:50:49 -0800</pubDate>
		<author>manglr</author>
		<description>
			<![CDATA[ 'Gallants' is a wicked fun movie.  It features a bunch of old Shaw Brothers actors kicking ass and taking names as old men.  This never got a US release, but can be tracked down fairly easily.<br /><br /><a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wxUSH55JVVE" ></a><br /><br />'The Man from Nowhere' hits US DVD in early March.  Not seen it yet, but the trailer looks like an amiable enough Korean actioner.<br /><br /><a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_o3X4GqfZZ0" ></a><br /><br />'I Saw the Devil' is supposedly getting a US theatrical run in March-ish as well.  Given the directing and acting pedigree on this one, its a no brainer for me to watch as well.<br /><br /><a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AFp6BVHiVPo" ></a> ]]>
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		<title>Southeast/East Asian Cinema to watch out for?</title>
		<link>http://freakangels.com/whitechapel/comments.php?DiscussionID=5975&amp;Focus=279685#Comment_279685</link>
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		<pubDate>Fri, 21 Jan 2011 09:30:42 -0800</pubDate>
		<author>Miranda's Eyes</author>
		<description>
			<![CDATA[ Just saw Dante Lam's "The Sniper" the other day, which can be described as the world's first sniper-fu film.  Essentially, it mixes cop action with wushu conventions:<br /><br /><a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XGd2rtx66XI&feature=related" >The Sniper</a><br /><br />Also worth checking out is "Bodyguards And Assassins":<br /><br /><a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Kf1l4KapO6I" >Bodyguards And Assassins</a><br /><br />Both films generally take a while to get to the action sequences, but "Bodyguards and Assassins" does a better job of making you care about its characters' fates.  Still, both are worth checking out. ]]>
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		<title>Southeast/East Asian Cinema to watch out for?</title>
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		<pubDate>Fri, 21 Jan 2011 09:40:50 -0800</pubDate>
		<author>Miranda's Eyes</author>
		<description>
			<![CDATA[ Here are a couple more films.<br /><br />"Coming Soon" is a Thai film that mixes film piracy with horror: <br /><br /><a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JAR3WAyIJ0o" >Coming Soon</a><br /><br />"Fire Of Conscience" is an intricate cop action drama from Dante Lam.  It's one of those films that I felt like watching again just to see how the plot pieces were sneaked in:<br /><br /><a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HNvHTl-tl1k" >Fire Of Conscience</a> ]]>
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		<title>Southeast/East Asian Cinema to watch out for?</title>
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		<pubDate>Sat, 22 Jan 2011 22:51:51 -0800</pubDate>
		<author>sacredchao</author>
		<description>
			<![CDATA[ It should be mentioned that last year's Palme d'or at Cannes was the Thai film<em > Uncle Boonmee Who Can Recall His Past Lives</em> by Apichatpong Weerasethakul. I've seen <em >Tropical Malady</em>, which he made several years back, and thought it was pretty good, but haven't seen this one yet. ]]>
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		<title>Southeast/East Asian Cinema to watch out for?</title>
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		<pubDate>Fri, 28 Jan 2011 14:29:31 -0800</pubDate>
		<author>Stoto</author>
		<description>
			<![CDATA[ I just watched Castaway on the Moon and highly recommend it. Funny and unassuming. And not as terrible as the title suggests. <br /><br />Edit for trailer:<br /><a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BnF7cZcwPHM" ></a> ]]>
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		<title>Southeast/East Asian Cinema to watch out for?</title>
		<link>http://freakangels.com/whitechapel/comments.php?DiscussionID=5975&amp;Focus=280884#Comment_280884</link>
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		<pubDate>Sat, 29 Jan 2011 15:59:22 -0800</pubDate>
		<author>Stoto</author>
		<description>
			<![CDATA[ Just watched 'The Chaser' on @Finagle's recommendation and was very impressed. I thought I was a bit desensitised to thrillers, but perhaps not, as I clenched my teeth through most of this film. ]]>
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		<title>Southeast/East Asian Cinema to watch out for?</title>
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		<pubDate>Sat, 29 Jan 2011 21:01:47 -0800</pubDate>
		<author>-3-</author>
		<description>
			<![CDATA[ If you're not a fan of Di Renjie...<br /><br />Tsui Hark's recent movie, Detective Dee And The Mystery Of The Phantom Flame has a lot in common with the new Green Hornet. Not that it's a comedy, but fans of the source material might not recognize their hero. If you're a fan of Di Renjie, either historically or the historically based fictional version most often known as Judge Dee, dump everything you know out of your head. Dee never did that prison time, and the small troubles he had with the Empress were after her ascension to the throne. Gone are his supporting cast and usual settings. Detective Dee is Dee in name and a few shared attributes only.<br />But really - how many of you are actually fans of Di Renjie? I'm guessing i'm one of the very few here. And once you get past it being bad Dee, it's a pretty good movie. A possibly supernatural series of murders interfering with construction of the giant Buddha causes the Empress to have Dee released from prison to solve the mystery for her. <em >(Dee was a legendary magistrate of the Tang dynasty who was regarded as something of a real life Sherlock Holmes. He was a popular subject of Chinese mystery novels in the Ming dynasty, and is still popular today. Internationally due in no small part to the translations and writings of Robert Van Gulik.)</em><br />Andy Lau stars as Detective Dee, with action direction by Sammo Hung.<br /><br /><a href="http://http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=B1LN656YUuU" ></a> ]]>
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		<title>Southeast/East Asian Cinema to watch out for?</title>
		<link>http://freakangels.com/whitechapel/comments.php?DiscussionID=5975&amp;Focus=283043#Comment_283043</link>
		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://freakangels.com/whitechapel/comments.php?DiscussionID=5975&amp;Focus=283043#Comment_283043</guid>
		<pubDate>Sun, 13 Feb 2011 11:23:20 -0800</pubDate>
		<author>Finagle</author>
		<description>
			<![CDATA[ Just found <a href="http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0269217/" >/Tears of the Black Tiger/</a> on Netflix.  Really impressive, and makes me want to take a closer look at Thai cinema beyond /Ong Bak/.  <br /><br />Think /The Good, the Bad and the Weird/ done in a faux-Technicolor style and with more fifth-wall breaking. ]]>
		</description>
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		<title>Southeast/East Asian Cinema to watch out for?</title>
		<link>http://freakangels.com/whitechapel/comments.php?DiscussionID=5975&amp;Focus=284245#Comment_284245</link>
		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://freakangels.com/whitechapel/comments.php?DiscussionID=5975&amp;Focus=284245#Comment_284245</guid>
		<pubDate>Sun, 20 Feb 2011 03:04:07 -0800</pubDate>
		<author>manglr</author>
		<description>
			<![CDATA[ To my knowledge this one isn't available in the US yet; I imported a copy from Hong Kong...and DANG it was worth it.  Stylish direction, wicked plot filled with palpable dread.  Best revenge flick I've seen in ages.<br /><br /><a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Vnws8ZymxME" ></a> ]]>
		</description>
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		<title>Southeast/East Asian Cinema to watch out for?</title>
		<link>http://freakangels.com/whitechapel/comments.php?DiscussionID=5975&amp;Focus=316061#Comment_316061</link>
		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://freakangels.com/whitechapel/comments.php?DiscussionID=5975&amp;Focus=316061#Comment_316061</guid>
		<pubDate>Sat, 19 Nov 2011 04:07:32 -0800</pubDate>
		<author>Stoto</author>
		<description>
			<![CDATA[ This looks really promising!<br /><br /><a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BRp6NlkiHeE" ></a> ]]>
		</description>
	</item>
	<item>
		<title>Southeast/East Asian Cinema to watch out for?</title>
		<link>http://freakangels.com/whitechapel/comments.php?DiscussionID=5975&amp;Focus=316081#Comment_316081</link>
		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://freakangels.com/whitechapel/comments.php?DiscussionID=5975&amp;Focus=316081#Comment_316081</guid>
		<pubDate>Sat, 19 Nov 2011 10:17:04 -0800</pubDate>
		<author>phill_sea</author>
		<description>
			<![CDATA[ Are we taking it for granted that people are watching all Miike's movies? <br /><br />If not, <a href="http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1436045/" >13 Assassins</a> is really good. They establish the main baddie as a sociopath right off, then there's a wonderful, bloody take on the joyous end of Swiss Family Robinson, then a lot of sword fighting. ]]>
		</description>
	</item>
	<item>
		<title>Southeast/East Asian Cinema to watch out for?</title>
		<link>http://freakangels.com/whitechapel/comments.php?DiscussionID=5975&amp;Focus=316110#Comment_316110</link>
		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://freakangels.com/whitechapel/comments.php?DiscussionID=5975&amp;Focus=316110#Comment_316110</guid>
		<pubDate>Sat, 19 Nov 2011 16:00:50 -0800</pubDate>
		<author>manglr</author>
		<description>
			<![CDATA[ Second on 13 Assassins, it's in the running for my favorite release this year in any language. ]]>
		</description>
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