tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-56577600203631934142024-03-14T05:22:26.475-07:00Asia ShockAn online supplement to the book Asia Shock: Horror and Dark Cinema from Japan, Korea, Hong Kong, and Thailand by Patrick GallowayPatrick Gallowayhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01666224685708217873noreply@blogger.comBlogger246125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5657760020363193414.post-78849140538792398982015-10-15T08:38:00.000-07:002015-10-15T08:38:51.314-07:00Attack on Titan II: The End of the World<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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*BEWARE: HERE THERE BE SPOILERS*<br />
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As the old saying goes, “If you thought you saw some crazy-ass titans busting shit up and eating people and then a bunch of spunky kids kicking their giant, mutated asses, you ain’t seen nuthin’ yet!” — OK, there isn't an old saying like that, but if there was, well, I sure as hell would be saying it here (OK, I just did say it. Ah jeez, this is getting off to a rough start. Anyhow, please see the previous post for clarification).<br />
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Yes, this is part two of what was clearly one big, long epic flick they had to break in two a la <i>Kill Bill</i> (another film featuring veteran character actor Jun Kunimura). And, just like <i>Return of the King</i>, all the huge, grande finale battle action is packed into this one. <i>Daikaiju</i> (big ol’ giant monster) fans will rejoice as they once again see men in rubber suits doing spinning head kicks on sets of miniature cities — but this ain’t no cheap, 60s Toho affair. Yes, it’s still Toho, but the production values have gone up. Way up. Computer effects have transformed what was once a somewhat gigglesome genre into a truly awesome experience of David-and-Goliathesque combat guaranteed to send a tingle up your spine and a thrill through your heart. <br />
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Since I put up the spoiler sign, I guess I can go ahead and reveal that Eren’s big secret is that he can transform into a titan (along with one or two other members of the team I won’t mention). This adds an intriguing wrinkle to the proceedings, as now the rag-tag, teenage, human army (of half a dozen or so at this point) has a couple of different options; they already had their ODMG (Omin-Directional Mobility Gear), a body-mounted system of wires and pulleys allowing them to fly and maneuver in Spiderman fashion. Add to that a cache of old-school weapons like automatic rifles and RPGs (remember, this is a dystopian future where nobody’s ever seen stuff like that) plus the old town nuke everybody thought was a dud but is, in fact, quite operational, and it looks like our young crew is ready to mix things up with the lumbering, people-eating giants (who barely appear in this film — go figure). <br />
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Obviously, if you liked the first film, you’re going to love the second. Everything picks right up where the last one left off, but the story takes a darker turn, as the political allegory gets deeper and more profound. Seems the totalitarian government has been manipulating the titans, using their terroristic potential to keep the citizenry in line (sound familiar?). A resistance force has arisen, and plans to use the titans against the government — they’re as batshit crazy as the guys in power, and it all adds up to an extra layer of awful that our young heroes really didn’t need but hey, war is hell. <br />
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Fans of extreme Asian cinema are definitely going to want a copy of <i>Attack on Titan</i> (again, not the moon orbiting Saturn but a lot of bloody great, groty gorks). Director Shinji Higuchi and special effects man Katsuro Onoue have created a masterpiece of post-apocalyptic <i>kaiju</i> craziness, an epic manga adaptation right up there with <i>Akira</i> (although that was an anime) — anyway, I’m just here to say it’s great.<br />
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<br />Patrick Gallowayhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01666224685708217873noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5657760020363193414.post-26043533656820884132015-10-07T08:44:00.002-07:002015-10-07T08:44:48.436-07:00Attack on Titan<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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It’s no secret that I’m a big fan of live action manga adaptations (see the sidebar <b>In Praise of Manga Movies</b>, <i>Asia Shock</i>, p. 105). Bringing the vision of a particularly OTT manga to life in the real world, when done well, is far more fascinating to me than merely animating it (in the same, decades-old style as <i>Speed Racer</i> and <i>Kimba the White Lion</i>). <br /><br />So when they finally got around to making a manga-to-live action adaptation of the hugely popular <i>Attack on Titan</i>, I was all attention. Imagine a genre mash-up of <i>kaiju</i> and zombies with lots of cute, angsty teenagers fighting the lumbering behemoths (known as titans — the kids aren't attacking one of Saturn’s moons) — it’s pretty great. Top-notch special effects and production values put you right in the action, and there is a certain earnestness to the presentation that reminded me of <i>Battle Royale</i> (except instead of killing each other, the kids are going up against a bunch of gigantic, naked, disgusting people-eaters). <br /><br />The story centers around Eren, an angry young man living in a walled-off, post-apocalyptic community (you can tell it’s post-apocalyptic because everyone wears coarse, baggy knitwear in hues of beige and gray). In this case, the apocalypse was a bunch of titans who laid waste to everything 100 years ago. Since then, humanity has lived in a big settlement comprised of three enormous, concentric walls; this configuration operates as a handy class analogy, with the unwashed masses dwelling in the outer ring. <br /><br />And wouldn’t you know it, that’s right where the titans come busting back in. Now Eren, his foster sister/love interest Mikasa and best friend Armin must join the local armed forces and fight the gargantuan degenerates — these titans are filthy, mutated and naked, although sans privates. Nobody knows how they reproduce, but when they’re killed, they disintegrate. Killing them is no easy task and requires special equipment with which each kid is kitted up. And there’s no time to waste, as all these massive assholes seem to do on arrival is gobble up humans by the handful. In one charming scene we follow a victim down a titan’s gullet into his stomach, where the partially digested remains of his comrades bob beside him. <br /><br />The pace sags a bit during the serious, personal drama bits, but only due to the sustained outrageousness of the action sequences. The horrendous behavior of the titans and the spunky nerve and verve with which the kids fight back against them, it’s all quite breathless and mind-blowing and wonderful. <br /><br />There’s a second installment, <i>Attack on Titan: The End of the World</i>, which I have yet to see. Looks like they made one big movie and broke it in two, so I’m looking forward to more of the same killer stuff. At the end of the first film, Eren undergoes a transformation that looks to take the second film in a whole new direction (what we in the business call a “plot twist”), so keep an eye out for that. Meanwhile, you can learn more about these amazing films <a href="http://attackontitanthemovie.com/" target="_blank">here</a> and check out some game play footage from the forthcoming PS4 game <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nsgPAA0_cS0" target="_blank">here</a>.Patrick Gallowayhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01666224685708217873noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5657760020363193414.post-24299498157584908542015-10-03T09:08:00.000-07:002015-10-03T09:10:24.532-07:00Tokyo Ghoul<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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The good folks at <a href="http://www.funimation.com/welcome" target="_blank">Funimation</a> were kind enough to send along a copy of the manga-to-anime horror fantasy <i>Tokyo Ghoul</i> (12 episode blu-ray and DVD pack). While conceptually a thing of beauty and a true original, there are nevertheless certain issues that may or may not be alleviated by further installments. Let me explain. <br />
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First off, I’m always on the lookout for a new monster. Vampires and zombies have been done to death, and even witches are starting to get on my nerves. So Sui Ishida’s <i>Tokyo Ghoul</i> manga (2011 - 2014) provides a welcome addition in the form of the contemporary Japanese “ghoul,” a complex, quasi-shapeshifting individual in humanoid form that feeds on human flesh. The term “human” gets bandied about to distinguish from the ghoul types, but psychologically and emotionally, these ghouls seem pretty human to me. Nevertheless, they live in their own subculture, walking among humans by day and preying on them by night. Sometimes they don special, custom-made masks which make them look very menacing and cool indeed.<br />
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Ishida provides a rich lore and taxonomy pertaining to the ghouls, with local factions inhabiting the various wards of the city and a government organization, the CCG (Commission of Counter Ghoul) dedicated to exterminating them with extreme prejudice. The most compelling aspect of your average ghoul is the presence of a <i>kagune</i>, a retractable spectral appendage sprouting from the ghoul’s back, that can either protect or attack depending on its <i>Rc type</i> (yes, it’s all very involved). The boys at the CCG have developed their own synthetic version of the <i>kagune</i>, called a <i>quinque</i> — imagine a light saber, but the beam is huge and fanciful and can resemble anything from a gigantic baseball bat to an enormous, fanged tapeworm. <br />
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The central character is a guy named Ken Kaneki, and here, in the anime at least (I confess I have not read the manga), is where we start to run into trouble, story-wise. You see, our boy Kaneki is a drip, an utterly uncharismatic milquetoast of a college student whose infatuation with a beauty at the local coffee shop ends badly. Yep, she’s a ghoul, and through a characteristically over-the-top series of events, she winds up dead and he winds up with some of her organs implanted in him, rendering him a “half-ghoul.” This makes him a very unique individual in the ghoul community, and a fixation for several particularly unsavory ghouls. <br />
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As with most manga adaptations, there is an ever-growing and varied cast of characters. Too bad more wasn’t done with them. Even Kaneki’s best friend Hide, an irrepressible class clown type full of possibilities, is left to languish on the sidelines. <br />
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This is not to say that there isn’t plenty of action and drama, because there is. It’s just that it’s rather uneven — it feels like director Shuhei Morita was unable or unwilling to really explore the material and instead just whittled it down to a few specific characters and plot arcs (none of which are really resolved — I get it, more on the way, but still … ). <br />
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Things get all torture-porny in the last three episodes, and it is here where the whole affair truly goes awry. I was already fairly annoyed by Kaneki’s incessant whining and screaming at the outset (he doesn’t acclimate well to his transformation and subsequent violent encounters with ghouls and the CCG). His physical abuse and torture at the hands of the sadistic ghoul Jason (anyone for a wire cutter toe treatment?) is beyond gratuitous. I’ve seen my share of Japanese exploitation cinema, I understand the formula: lots of torture makes the revenge all the sweeter. But c’mon, guys, 99% torture and 1% revenge is, well, like I said, extremely uneven.<br />
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Perhaps I’m just getting old and this is what the kids are into these days. In any case, I can’t fault the animation quality or voice work, and the whole <i>Tokyo Ghoul</i> universe is overflowing with potential. A second series, <i>Tokyo Ghoul √A</i>, scripted by Ishida, was released this year so look for that on disk some time soon. Meanwhile, both the manga and first season are available now, so if you’re in the market for a new and original monster genre, <i>Tokyo Ghoul</i> might just be the ticket!Patrick Gallowayhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01666224685708217873noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5657760020363193414.post-34031115762394556922015-05-19T09:50:00.001-07:002015-05-19T09:50:52.078-07:00Godzilla (2014)<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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So the kid from <i>Kick-Ass</i> (Aaron Johnson) is all grown up and buffed and in the Navy, doing bomb stuff (he either diffuses them or blows them up or something — it’s unclear). His crazy old dad (Bryan Cranston) has figured out that the Japanese are keeping a giant monster at the nuclear disaster site where he lost his wife 15 years earlier, and soon enough father and son are poking around where they shouldn’t be. <br />
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As it happens, the monster isn’t Godzilla (nee Gojira). It’s rather an awesome, Lovecraftian bug-like thing, quite wicked and HUGE. (Godzilla himself, when he finally shows up, is about five times the size of the original.) That’s the greatest strength of this otherwise mess of a movie: the gigantic monstery goodness of it all. The filmmakers have embraced the essence of <i>kaiju</i>, the sheer terror of being attacked and, most likely, crushed beneath the tonnage of a really, <i>really</i> big monster. We’re talking the <i>horror of scale</i> here, and this one element, done quite well, is what saves this film.<br />
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Unfortunately, our young male lead isn’t much cop at looking up at 500 feet of horrific monstrosity and communicating the brown trousers moment with anything like visceral terror. His reminded me of the similarly blank expression on Naomi Watts’ gormless mug in Peter Jackson’s 2005 <i>King Kong</i> remake. Both these actors should look up the boy and girl from the original <i>Jurassic Park</i> — those kids knew how to sell it! Even a spoonful of quivering jello wasn’t lost on them — they got the “holy shit!” moment and ran with it. <br />
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Either the screenwriter or the editor are responsible for a storyline that jumps from convoluted to nonexistent — don’t bother trying to keep up. Just know that, like the original, there are scientists and soldiers and giant monsters, and somehow Godzilla, while causing untold destruction and death, is really on our side. Never mind the atomic bomb our human hero’s team is trying to detonate in the middle of San Francisco to destroy the giant evil insect things. In the light of such operational logic, ol’ Godzilla doesn’t seem so bad after all!<br />
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So my advice: lean upon this movie gently, don’t expect too much in the way of acting or storytelling, just get into spirit of the thing and you’ll have a good time. Or conversely, you can follow Anthony Lane’s advice: “Skip <i>Godzilla</i> the movie. Watch the trailer.”Patrick Gallowayhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01666224685708217873noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5657760020363193414.post-54230340358721641512015-02-10T13:59:00.001-08:002015-02-10T14:06:52.813-08:0020th Century Boys 1: Beginning of the End<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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I’m a big fan of manga movies. I’ve reviewed a bunch of them in <a href="http://www.cyberpat.com/" target="_blank">my books</a>, calling them out as among the most outrageous and deliriously enjoyable films you’re likely to encounter in the remarkable world of Asian (particularly Japanese) cinema.<br />
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However, sometimes the manga in question is so monumental and beloved, the film adaptation turns out leaden and lugubrious by comparison (see <i>Watchmen</i>). So intimidated is the filmmaker by the original work, so eager is he to please the fans that he becomes preoccupied with the authenticity of his rendering. He forgets that while comics are uniquely suited to film adaptation (hey, it’s a fucking storyboard), still, there are considerations to be made in regards to the medium of film. You can’t shoot every friggin’ frame! You’re better off running the risk of pissing off the purists for the sake of a good movie (see <i>The Lord of the Rings</i> trilogy). <br />
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So it is with <i>20th Century Boys</i>, a manga by Naoki Urasawa that ran from 1999 to 2006 (later published in 22 bound volumes). It’s about a gang of snot-nosed kids who get a notebook and fill it with a fanciful story about the end of the world. Flash forward 30 years and somebody is causing the story to come true. The somebody is Friend, a mysterious cult leader who appears to have a childhood connection with the original group. The whole premise is a little half-baked if you ask me, but what do I know. The thing was huge in Japan.<br />
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The resulting film trilogy (7+ hours) met with mixed reviews but nevertheless made heaps of yen. Unfortunately, the first installment, <i>20th Century Boys 1: Beginning of the End</i> (2008), didn’t really do it for me. It was quite slow to get going, only developing a decent head of steam about an hour in. The pace reminded me quite a lot of <i>Watchmen</i>, but I happened to have read that epic tale of post-superhero intrigue and angst, so it was far more enjoyable. For those unfamiliar with the original of either film, the experience is much diminished.<br />
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I’ve got the second film here, <i>20th Century Boys 2: The Last Hope</i> (both films courtesy of my friend and fellow Asian film fanatic <a href="http://asiancinefest.blogspot.com/" target="_blank">Dr. Stan Glick</a>) and I’ll watch it, as I’m somewhat invested at this point. But unless things pick up dramatically, I doubt I’ll pursue the third film; that would involve a cash outlay, and I’ve got so many flicks in the to-watch pile, it’s better I just move on to the next one. Looks to be something called <i>Chambara Striptease</i> …Patrick Gallowayhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01666224685708217873noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5657760020363193414.post-86994244106092114452015-02-06T17:16:00.004-08:002015-02-06T17:19:37.414-08:00Tokyo Sonata<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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Kiyoshi Kurosawa is known primarily in the West for his horror films. <i>Tokyo Sonata</i> (2008) represents a departure; ghosts and serial killers give way to the domestic horror of the shit-canned salaryman. Seems the company is moving his division to China, so our man Ryu Sasaki (Teruyuki Kagawa) does the usual thing: He keeps putting on the suit and pretends to go to work every day. Really, he heads down to the park where the homeless guys hang out and lines up for a bowl of bad rice porridge. How long can he keep up the charade?<br />
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<i>Tokyo Sonata</i> revolves around a familiar theme in contemporary Japanese cinema, that of the disintegrating family. And very often, the family is seen as a microcosm of the country. The sense that the society is falling apart at the seams is palpable in this film, it’s ultimate representative being the inept housebreaker played by Kiyoshi Kurosawa mainstay Koji Yakusho. Elsewhere, Sasakis’ teenage son, who wants to join the U.S. military, is another example of a lost soul; to the Japanese, such a life choice would be considered extremely bizarre. Throw in a disillusioned mom and a troubled yet musically gifted son, and we’re off on our harrowing downward spiral toward redemption. <br />
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<i>Tokyo Sonata</i> isn’t a particularly profound film; frankly, it starts to lose its way around the 1:10 point. But the subject matter, characters and quality of filmmaking keep you involved to the end, and for anyone who likes films set in the gritty, unflattering reality of Tokyo, it’s more than satisfying. Patrick Gallowayhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01666224685708217873noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5657760020363193414.post-9438883015272532512015-02-04T11:45:00.001-08:002015-02-04T11:49:35.585-08:00Tokyo-ga<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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Way back in 1985, German filmmaker Wim Wenders made a pilgrimage to Tokyo in search of Ozu. Not the physical personage, mind you (Yasujiro Ozu died in 1963) but rather some element of the master still extant in the great city in which his films were set. Were the trains still running? Were any of the old cast/crew still kicking around? Yes on both counts, it turns out, and the resulting film is a delightful blend of documentary and arthouse meditation.<br />
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This being Wenders, you’ll experience long, lingering takes and soft-spoken narration. Dial back your immediate expectations and just let the imagery wash over you. After all, this is Tokyo in the 80s; the sheer density of information in each extended, dreamy shot is worth a good, long look. <br />
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Interspersed between the moving portraiture are segments featuring unique aspects of Tokyo culture, such as life in a pachinko parlor or Asakusa craftsmen making display case replicas of restaurant food out of wax. In city parks we find old ladies laughing, children at play and cherry blossom viewing parties with lots of beer and sake all around. At one point we meet up with Werner Herzog at the top of the Tokyo Tower. A splendid time is guaranteed for all.<br />
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The real gems of the film, however, are the interviews with two Ozu fixtures, actor Chishu Ryu and cinematographer Yuharu Atsuta. Both men open up about their experiences with, and feelings for, the great man, Atsuta to a degree uncommon for Japanese men of his generation (moved by his recollections, he breaks down and cannot continue). Ryu is predictably self-effacing, and gives all credit for his career and achievements to Ozu. Atsuta hauls out the original equipment, including the 50mm camera and tripods he used on all those films, and demonstrates Ozu’s unique, low-level “tatami shot.” It’s a real treat for aspiring filmmakers and fans alike.<br />
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<i>Tokyo-ga</i> is one of those how-the-hell-am-I-just-hearing-about-this-now pictures, like Teshigahara’s documentary about Gaudi (at least in my case — I’m sure there are plenty of far hipper film folks who’ve long known of both). Needless to say, I’d heartily recommend <i>Tokyo-ga</i> to anyone interested in Ozu, Wenders, and/or Tokyo itself. And seeing how they make that phony food is a major bonus!Patrick Gallowayhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01666224685708217873noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5657760020363193414.post-257783434646003632014-11-30T13:53:00.001-08:002014-11-30T21:21:24.116-08:00Pat's Picks: Samurai on hulu<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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Here are some fabulous samurai films I was surprised to find on <a href="http://www.hulu.com/" target="_blank">hulu plus</a> (most, if not all, are reviewed in my books):<br />
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<a href="http://asiashock.blogspot.com/2010/10/shinsengumi-chronicles.html"><i>Shinsengumi Chronicles</i></a><br />
Excellent, warts-and-all portrayal of the notorious pro-shogunate ronin militia and their bloody hijinks during the Bakumatsu period. <br />
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<i>Samurai Saga</i><br />
Toshiro Mifune doing Cyrano. A classic.<br />
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<a href="http://asiashock.blogspot.com/2010/11/secret-of-urn.html"><i>The Secret of the Urn</i></a><br />
Great Gosha treatment of crazy one-eyed, one-armed ronin Tange Sazen (wonderfully portrayed by Kinnosuke Nakamura).<br />
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<i>Samurai Vendetta</i><br />
Shintaro Katsu and Raizo Ichikawa’s first on-screen teaming. (During filming, the studio sent a car for Raizo; Katsu had to take the bus … )<br />
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<i>Hunter in the Dark</i><br />
My favorite 70s era Gosha, a decade in which he made a number of awesome yakuza epics. This is the best of the bunch.<br />
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<i>Bandits vs. Samurai Squadron</i><br />
Another one, not the best (a couple of flaws, which I mention in <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Warring-Clans-Flashing-Blades-Companion/dp/1933330783/ref=ntt_at_ep_dpi_2" target="_blank"><i>Warring Clans</i></a>) but still pretty awesome. Keep the book handy — this one may require some help keeping up!<br />
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<i>Under the Blossoming Cherry Trees</i><br />
Tomisaburo Wakayama chops off heads for his lady love in this shocker from Japanese new wave enfant terrible Masahiro Shinoda.Patrick Gallowayhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01666224685708217873noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5657760020363193414.post-26457208158585986822014-10-31T11:21:00.003-07:002014-11-01T10:41:40.718-07:00The Ghost of Yotsuya<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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For Halloween this year, I’m going to be a dick and suggest a film that is not readily available (although it should be — the rights are owned by a going DVD concern). It ran on TCM a couple of weeks ago, and apparently you can see it on hulu plus according to <a href="http://www.criterion.com/current/posts/2341-what-s-happening-on-hulu" target="_blank">this</a>. It’s <i>The Ghost of Yotsuya</i> directed by Nobuo Nakagawa (for a more fulsome review, see my book <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Asia-Shock-Horror-Cinema-Thailand/dp/1933330120/ref=ntt_at_ep_dpi_3" target="_blank"><i>Asia Shock</i></a>). <br />
<i><br />The Ghost of Yotsuya</i> (<i>Tokaido Yotsuya Kaidan</i>, 1959) is a film every J-horror fan <i>must</i> see, as you get the prototypical vengeful lady ghost in all her glory (including a horribly disfigured face, a feature often obscured in more recent incarnations … ). This was originally a kabuki play penned by the great Namboku Tsuruya IV back in 1825. Tsuruya specialized in a particularly dark and depraved genre of kabuki drama known as <i>kizewamono</i>, concerned with a host of unsavory characters; thieves, murderers, desperate ronin and the like, all up to some variety of juicy jiggery pokery.<br />
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In our case, it’s skeevy ronin Iemon (the scintillatingly sinister Shigeru Amachi), and his scheming buddy Naosuke (Shuntaro Emi). Between them, they knock off more than half a dozen people, most significantly Iemon’s wife Iwa (Katsuko Wakasugi). She’s not taking her murder lying down (although she’s since been nailed to a board and dumped in the river). When Iemon re-marries into a rich family, Iwa appears to him in strategic positions, hovering before his new family members; as the terrified villain lunges at the ghost with sword and spear, he winds up killing his new kin!<br />
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The 1959 <i>Ghost of Yotsuya</i> is far from the only film adaptation of this dark fable. I mention a couple of others in my book, including versions starring Tomisaburo Wakayama and Tatsuya Nakadai. If you haven’t obtained <i>Asia Shock</i> by now, you <i>really should</i>.<br />
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As I mentioned earlier, this wonderfully wicked film ought to be out on disk by now, as Criterion Collection has the rights. They’ve released director Nakagawa’s other great work, <i>Jigoku</i> (1960), so why not this one? I realize it’s tough times for DVD/Blu-ray manufacturers just now, but if there were ever a dark, rare gem of a film deserving to be seen, it is Nobuo Nakagawa’s <i>The Ghost of Yotsuya</i>.<br />
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UPDATE: I just subscribed to hulu plus, and while I have great misgivings re: the commercials, I'm pleased to see the wealth of samurai cinema, including the film above. Guess everything comes at a price ... Patrick Gallowayhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01666224685708217873noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5657760020363193414.post-17902872165547984842014-10-07T16:14:00.002-07:002014-10-07T16:14:48.105-07:00The Best War Film You’ve Never Seen<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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One of the leading lights of South Korean cinema in the 1960s was a guy named Lee Man-hee. Lee was an extraordinary filmmaker who could work in various genres (thriller, action, melodrama), but his particular specialty was the war film. Like Japanese counterparts Masaki Kobayashi and Kihachi Okamoto, Lee was a veteran, having fought in the Korean War. He also had a particular affinity for soldiers, claiming that if he hadn’t become a filmmaker, he would probably have been a professional soldier. However, Lee was no propaganda-spewing ideologue; in common with his Japanese cohorts, his experience of the brutal calamity of large-scale warfare affected him deeply, and his war films are, in fact, anti-war films. <br /><br />The film that put Lee on the map, both critically and box office-wise, was 1963’s <i>The Marines Who Never Returned</i>. The story concerns the experience of a largely doomed (hence the title) regiment of South Korean marines and their experiences at the battle of Incheon in 1950. <br /><br />The film fairly explodes off the screen in the opening battle sequence, shot purely from the POV of the marines as they attempt to infiltrate a factory held by the North Koreans. A mother and small daughter attempt to escape through the crossfire and the mother is struck down. The soldiers save the little girl, Yeong-hui, and she becomes their collective little sister and mascot. Yeong-hui is so sweet and lovable, at first you worry something terrible is going to happen to her in the service of melodrama. However, Lee is better than that; he doesn’t need to rely on such cheap tricks to elicit a strong emotional response from the audience. Depictions of the realities of battle provide all the gut-wrenching drama he requires. <br /><br />The impact of the battle sequences is truly remarkable when one considers the period. Hollywood movies didn’t get this gritty and realistic until decades later, with the likes of <i>The Thin Red Line</i> and <i>Saving Private Ryan</i>. Lee was clearly drawing on his experiences in war to direct the way men moved when shot, or how bombs and mortars could disrupt a trench line. <br /><br />The grim realities of war are balanced by the sequences with Yeong-hui and the comedy gags provided by popular comedian Koo Bong-seo, here playing the joker of the regiment. Whether he’s spotting spies while taking a dump by the side of the road or conning U.S. soldiers out of beer and supplies, he never fails to get a laugh. Others in the squad include the usual assortment of types; the timid one, the cocky one, the pretty boy, the passionate vengeance-seeker, the gruff-yet-benign squad leader. Lee takes these stock elements and, through his unique treatment, makes us care. <br /><br />I got a hold of this film as part of a Lee Man-hee box set available <a href="http://www.yesasia.com/us/lee-man-hee-collection-dvd-4-disc-korea-version/1023203729-0-0-0-en/info.html" target="_blank">here</a> (and elsewhere). It’s region 3, so you’ll need a region-free DVD player (you can get one <a href="http://www.220-electronics.com/" target="_blank">here</a>). Otherwise, I noticed it’s on youtube <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9GStCP_CBQo" target="_blank">here</a>. Any way you want to play it, I heartily suggest this picture. It will change the way you think about the Korean war, Korean film, and war films in general. <br /><br />Patrick Gallowayhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01666224685708217873noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5657760020363193414.post-65674589303255822382014-09-30T17:35:00.001-07:002014-09-30T17:46:25.517-07:00Oldboy 2013<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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*Here there be spoilers*<br />
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How do you remake a film like <i>Oldboy</i>? As I noted in <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Asia-Shock-Horror-Cinema-Thailand/dp/1933330120/ref=ntt_at_ep_dpi_3" target="_blank"><i>Asia Shock</i></a> in 2006, it was already a plan in Hollywood back then. It took awhile, but it finally got made, albeit to little fanfare and critical ambivalence. What do I think? Well I’ll tell you …<br />
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In preparation for my own review, I re-watched Park Chan-wook’s original <i>Oldboy</i> (2003), before screening Spike Lee’s 2013 reboot. I have to give props to Lee, he was fairly faithful to the original. He knows good filmmaking when he sees it, and although there was the usual re-jiggering for a Western audience (less ambiguity, more over-the-topness), he had the good sense to keep the really important stuff (the dumplings, the one-on-dozens fight sequence, the incest); details that got left out at least received a cameo (the squid, the angel wings, the severed tongue). <br />
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As someone noted <a href="http://instagram.com/p/tagOm-igyW/" target="_blank">here</a>, I predicted a square-jawed Hollywood name would play the role made immortal by the great Choi Min-sik, and I was right. You could do a lot worse than Josh Brolin, but he still didn’t deliver the manic energy of my personal casting choice, Gary Oldman (ironically, now too much of an <i>old man for which there is no place</i>, unlike Brolin … or something). The great Sharlto Copley effectively conveys the vengeful villain of the piece, although to an unnecessarily affected degree. Michael Imperioli of Sopranos fame is the unfortunate friend, and Lee’s homey Samuel L. Jackson is memorable (as always) as the guy who runs the private prison in which Brolin has been confined for 20 years (up from 15 in the original). Jackson gets a much different, and decidedly less brutal, torture scene than his Korean predecessor ...<br />
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The two biggest weaknesses of the 2013 <i>Oldboy</i> are 1) the ending, and 2) the absence of dark humor. Go back and watch the original; there’s a certain ironic smirk underlying the proceedings that is wholly lacking here. As for the ending, once again with a Hollywood adaptation of an extreme Asian title, there can be no ambiguity. In the original, we wonder whether a now-tongueless Oh dae-su can make it work with his lover/daughter; in the remake, Joe sends his lover/daughter a “forget me” letter and checks himself back into the private prison, ostensibly forever. The former ending conveys an existential meditation on love, loss and, albeit creepy, redemption; the latter is simply a guilt-ridden, Judeo-Christian cop-out (“I must do penance for my terrible sin!”). <br />
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But at this point I can see both sides of the coin. I realize most of my fellow Americans aren’t going to get these Asian films like I do, and so do the folks in Hollywood. So they soften and contour them in their remakes, make them less spicy and thus more palatable to meat-and-potatoes Americans. In any case, I found this one to be far better than the others, owing to the directorial prowess of Spike Lee and a great cast. Worth a look.Patrick Gallowayhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01666224685708217873noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5657760020363193414.post-60031502786038244902014-09-16T09:38:00.002-07:002014-09-16T09:47:34.424-07:00The Wolves<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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I owe director Hideo Gosha an apology. For years I slagged off his film <i>The Wolves</i> (1971), regarding it as a low point in his career, a grim yakuza slog, tedious and boring and unworthy of his talents. I now realize I was wrong; I’d based my assessment on a shitty transfer and bad subtitles. Having recently obtained the superior AnimEigo version, I’ve rediscovered this amazing film, and to the late Gosha-san I offer a humble “<i>gomen nasai</i>.”<br />
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You’ve got to understand that back in the early 2000s when I was writing my first book, <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Stray-Dogs-Lone-Wolves-Handbook/dp/1880656930/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1273256893&sr=8-1" target="_blank"><i>Stray Dogs & Lone Wolves</i></a>, TV technology wasn’t what it is today. Everybody didn’t have a big ol’ high-def, flat screen monitor for a TV. In fact, I was looking at a flat screen cathode ray job which was considered pretty cool back then (looks like shit now, of course). As it happens, that TV masked the flaws of the <i>The Wolves</i> disk I’d acquired, a cheap region-2 DVD from the UK which, looking at it now, was clearly burned from a video cassette (if you see the name Artsmagic anywhere on a DVD, <i>stay away</i>). “Murky” doesn’t begin to describe the look and, having now experienced the superior AnimEigo subtitles, I realize how bad the subs were as well. In short, I was sold a bill of goods and only now realize my mistake. I’m an idiot.<br />
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But the good news is that I got to rediscover something, always a redeeming experience. <i>The Wolves</i> is a slow burn, no doubt, but the cinematography, natural beauty of the location, excellent cast and sheer intensity of the drama make for an unforgettable and emotionally draining (in a good way) film experience. I won’t attempt a plot synopsis, as it’s all so very complicated. Suffice to say two yakuza organizations are at war, and there’s a lot of duplicity and treachery, and watch out for the two hit-ladies with knives in their parasols …<br />
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Tatsuya Nakadai is the anti-hero of the piece, his big, glassy eyeballs rolling around in anguish and disgust. Kunie Tanaka is great (as always) as the tortured yakuza soldier who’s been given a secret that eats him up inside. Isao Natsuyagi is the new boss of Nakadai’s gang, a questionable guy with a little pencil moustache. Kyoko Enami is the beautiful tattoo artist with secrets of her own. Real-life yakuza-turned-actor Noboru Ando is super cool as always. And of course The Inevitable Tetsuro Tamba is pulling all the strings. (This brief summary doesn’t begin to do justice to the film — you just gotta see it.)<br />
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The AnimEigo DVD, from 2008, is already out of print, so you’ll have to fork over to some third-party on Amazon or elsewhere. Poor AnimEigo; they’ve done such leal service to the samurai film cause, and now they’re struggling. I urge you to buy their stuff. Their <i>Sleepy Eyes of Death</i> boxes are awesome (featuring critical contributions from yours truly); <i>Miyamoto Mushashi</i>, <i>Shinobi no Mono</i>, even <i>Tora-san</i>. It’s all good. Get some!<br />
<br />Patrick Gallowayhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01666224685708217873noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5657760020363193414.post-7324150976371553752014-08-01T10:34:00.000-07:002014-08-01T10:34:39.649-07:00Snowpiercer<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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Despite a ridiculous premise, I was more than willing to give <i>Snowpiercer</i> the benefit of the doubt. I loved director Bong Joon-ho’s giant fish-monster movie <i>The Host</i>, as well as his atmospheric and absorbing psychological thriller <i>Mother</i>. But as so often happens to Korean directors when they get to Hollywood, the resulting film doesn’t live up to prior Korea-based endeavors. <i>Snowpiercer</i> is a case in point.<br />
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The premise: Earth is a frozen white wasteland due to climate change and man’s fatally flawed efforts to avert it. Now what’s left of mankind is living in a super train that continually circles the globe. A rigid class system is brutally enforced on the train, and, understandably, the folks back in third class are mad as hell and aren’t going to take it anymore. Revolution ensues and the long trek to the front of the train makes up the rest of the film. Don’t worry, I’m not spoiling anything for you because, frankly, there’s nothing to spoil. That’s the problem. There’s one or two minor plot twists, but nothing to write home about and certainly nothing rewarding enough for the slog.<br />
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I got the feeling that this started off as a much more interesting film, but fell victim to the inevitable production notes process, all the truly compelling bits gradually broken off, piece by piece. I’ve seen what Bong can do, I know what he’s capable of, and this truncated actioner falls somewhat short of the mark. <br />
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On the bright side, there is Song Kang-ho, and a decent conceit that allows us to understand him even though he delivers all his lines in Korean. Also on hand are John Hurt and Ed Harris, old school quality to balance the more light-weight leads Chris Evans and Jamie Bell. <br />
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If you’re looking for a decent Hollywood action film made by a Korean director, I’d recommend Kim Ji-woon’s <i>The Last Stand</i> (mit <i>Ahnuld</i>). And if you haven’t seen any of Bong Joon-ho’s Korean films, by all means, do.Patrick Gallowayhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01666224685708217873noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5657760020363193414.post-84904850440748890112014-06-18T15:50:00.001-07:002014-06-18T15:53:31.911-07:00Lone Wolf & Cub (TV)<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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Oh dear, it would appear I’ve abandoned my humble blog. Well, not really; if I watch an Asian film I feel to be blog-worthy, I’ll still write about it. Trouble is, I haven’t seen any lately. I was watching them fairly regularly for awhile when Netflix was paying me to, but after a year I was let go. Too bad, that was a sweet gig.<br />
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Also, there’s tennis. I’m an obsessive sort, you see, and for years was obsessed with Asian film, yielding three books and over 200 capsule reviews right here on this blog. But ever since I got the Tennis Channel on my dish, well, now I’m onto that and there’s not a lot of time for Asian film (although I still have tons of films I have yet to screen). <br />
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But I feel I owe you something, and I recall that awhile back I threw on some <i>Lone Wolf & Cub</i>. Not the movies, mind, but the 70s TV show starring Kinnosuke Nakamura (you can get disks at <a href="http://kurotokagi.com/" target="_blank">Kurotokagi</a>). Not bad, really, although Nakamura is no Tomisaburo Wakayama when it comes to martial arts. He’s got the moody scowl and dangerous vibe down, though, and, like the six original theatrical releases, the TV episodes are loyal to the spirit of the original manga by Kazuo Koike and Goseki Kojima. (I should really go back and read those — I have the first 26 volumes … ).<br />
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So if you've seen the films and want more, go check out the TV show. I was informed some years ago that the average Japanese person, if they had any awareness of the saga, would be more aware of the TV show than the films (I believe it ran awhile). <br />
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Don’t give up on me, gentle reader, there will be more entries on this blog in the future — just don’t count on much ’til after Wimbledon.<br />
<br />Patrick Gallowayhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01666224685708217873noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5657760020363193414.post-33518284444864862432014-04-16T10:24:00.001-07:002014-04-16T10:28:08.483-07:00Miike's Harakiri<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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OK, there will be spoilers. If you haven’t seen Takashi Miike’s remake of <i>Harakiri</i> (2011) by now, but plan to and don’t want to know how he handles it, stop reading right now, because the big problem I have with the film is the ending. <br />
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If you’ve seen the original 1962 version by Masaki Kobayashi, you know that this is a gut-wrenching tale of misery, degradation, cruelty and revenge. It’s also the ultimate <i>fuck you</i> to the whole idea of the honorable samurai. Sure, the central protagonist is a samurai, but he’s a ronin; the establishment samurai of the Ii clan, with whom he comes into contact, are a bunch of sadistic goons. The worst is Omodaka (Tetsuro Tamba in the original), who famously forces a young ronin to commit seppuku with a bamboo blade. (I figured Miike would have a field day with this scene, and, sure enough, he goes way over the top with it — hard to watch). <br />
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Turns out the young guy with the bamboo sword was the protagonist’s son-in-law, and he was attempting a “suicide bluff” (threaten suicide and hope for a “don’t do it, kid” speech and a couple of coins for your trouble), trying to get some money for medicine for his consumptive wife and child. As I’ve said, it all goes horribly wrong, and his wife’s dad, Tsugumo (Tatsuya Nakadai in the original), is out for revenge. <br />
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When the moment comes, he takes on the entire Ii clan, slicing and dicing a bunch of them before going down in a flurry of cold steel. However, in the Miike version, he pulls out his son-in-law’s other bamboo sword and just runs around wacking guys in the head, doing little damage. I don’t know why Miike opted for this change; perhaps he wanted Tsugumo to appear more Christ-like. He does wind up doing the <i>I’m-nailed-right-in</i> pose as he’s finally skewered. But to effectively de-claw him with the bamboo sword is to deny the visceral sense of catharsis demanded by the story. It is supremely dissatisfying to see our hero doing the one-against-many battle with a non-sword. Totally ruined if for me.<br />
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Otherwise, the film is well made, and faithful to the sombre tone of the original. However, whenever a bamboo sword enters the picture, be it the overly torture-porny forced seppuku or the lame ending, well, I gotta say Miike kinda screwed it up.Patrick Gallowayhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01666224685708217873noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5657760020363193414.post-31245351532122179182014-03-05T15:57:00.000-08:002014-03-05T15:57:30.511-08:00Mama<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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I realize this is a Hollywood flick, but it’s so beholden to J-horror that I believe it deserves inclusion in this humble blog o’ mine. Really, I must say this film is among the best East meets West horror films I’ve ever seen. Instead of just remaking an existing, contemporary Japanese horror film and dumbing it down for US audiences, here is an original ghost story that deeply embraces the principles of J-horror, principally a deep back story and a long-haired lady ghost. We see much more of the ghost here — hey, it’s Hollywood; we Americans like to get a good gander at our monsters. But the visual stylization, the weird way the ghost moves and sounds: pure J-horror.<br /><br />Nikolaj Coster-Waldau (TV’s Jamie Lannister) plays a dual role as homicidal dad and hipster uncle of two little girls left alone in a cabin in the woods for five years. How did they survive? Who took care of them all that time? Why are they crawling around in the shadows like big bugs? All will become clear in time, once they move in with their uncle and his punk rocker girlfriend. There’s also a rich aunt in the offing who wants to get a hold of the girls; she doesn’t realize what a bad idea that is. Because Mama is <i>very</i> jealous …<br /><br />I’d initially thought this was a Guillermo del Toro film, but he’s just the executive producer. The filmmaker is newcomer Andres Muschietti, and I’d say he’s one to watch. <i>Mama</i> is highly recommended for those looking for a thoughtful, well-made hybrid of Hollywood horror and Japanese jump-scare.Patrick Gallowayhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01666224685708217873noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5657760020363193414.post-41134766548452032062014-03-03T17:45:00.004-08:002014-03-03T17:50:48.581-08:00Tsui Hark's Vampire Hunters<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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Caught this on the Sony Movie channel (if you don’t have a satellite dish, you probably don’t get that one … ). It was a slightly inferior experience, as it was dubbed — I prefer original language w/ subs. The actors they get to dub Chinese films are always so crappy, really diminishes the film. However, this being Tsui Hark, the action is so crazy you quickly get caught up in it, and the shortcomings seem less so.<br />
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So it’s the 17th century and you’ve got these four dudes, two younger, two older (the latter includes the ubiquitous fatty Lam Suet). They’re recruited by The Master, and old vampire hunter, to, well, hunt vampires. In the folklore of the film, you first become a zombie, then you convert to vampire once you’ve eaten human flesh. So when our quartet gets a job working for a rich man who embalms all his relatives and keeps ‘em around the house, it’s only a matter of time before they wind up becoming hopping zombies (there’s a whole thing with hopping and Chinese vampires — you gotta pin a little strip of paper with a prayer written on it to their foreheads to keep them still).<br />
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There’s also a very nasty vampire who keeps showing up and wreaking havoc. He apparently can’t see you if you’re soaking wet; that’s what’s saving the guy in the photo above. This vampire can fly (of course) and also has this poison smoke he can exhale on you. He likes to suck his victims blood from a distance, it pouring out of nose, eyes and mouth. <br />
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And of course there’s plenty of mind-bending stunts and wire fu. Tsui Hark is a master of the outrageous when it comes to period fantasy and martial arts. The action sequences are breathlessly paced and hugely entertaining. So I’d recommend <i>Tsui Hark's Vampire Hunters</i>, but would advise seeing it in its original Chinese language version. <br />
<br />Patrick Gallowayhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01666224685708217873noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5657760020363193414.post-42744782550251320462014-01-20T09:24:00.000-08:002014-01-20T09:24:22.344-08:0047 Ronin<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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Despite the <a href="http://variety.com/2013/film/news/47-ronin-box-office-bomb-1201012170/" target="_blank">scathing piece in Variety</a> (and elsewhere), I went to see <i>47 Ronin</i>. And you know what? It wasn’t that bad. Sure, it was a lord-o-the-rings, 21st century 3D hyper-cinema blow-out affair, but you gotta expect that. And as much as I hate holding those dumb glasses over my own dumb glasses, I had a good time. <br /><br />Mind you, I’ve seen quite a few versions of this story (popularly known in Japan as the <i>Chushingura</i>). But with Tadanobu Asano as the hated villain Kira, and Hiroyuki Sanada as the heroic avenger Oishi, man, this is a modern day revision I can live with. <br /><br />Of course, Keanu Reeves is a piece of wood, but who cares? His character doesn’t get in the way of the central storyline. In fact, he hasn’t been this much fun since <i>The Matrix</i>. <br /><br />I think critic Ignatiy Vishnevetsky captured the zeitgeist: “A multi-colored downer fantasy which combines bursts of imagination with a bleak worldview, resulting in something that rarely feels mainstream.” Yeah, that’s it. The film follows the original 18th century story of bleak, dutiful revenge with a faithfulness I did not expect. Watching this film reminded me of the dismal sales of my own samurai film books: <i>This stuff doesn’t work for Americans</i>. There is a deep cynicism that permeates Japanese period cinema that I like, but my fellow citizens do not. Put me back in my cage.<br /><br />So if you’re asking me not if I should check this movie out, but, more importantly, why I should check it out, I would say because, despite the animated dragons and shit, there is a dedication here, a respect for the centuries-old subject matter, and an effort to integrate top-notch Japanese actors into the proceedings. These elements alone make this film a worthwhile experience.<br />Patrick Gallowayhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01666224685708217873noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5657760020363193414.post-81826467684258315632014-01-16T06:00:00.000-08:002014-01-16T06:01:04.469-08:00Wire Fu Fun<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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Been seeing a lot of cool stuff lately — Netflix keeps me busy with a plethora of new Asian releases. It’s just these damn winter doldrums that keep me from blogging more … <br />
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<i>Badges of Fury</i> (2013) is a total hoot, a frenetic buddy cop romp in the zany vein of 80s/90s Hong Kong cinema. Inside jokes, film references, and cameos abound, rewarding hardcore fans of the genre (for example, keep an eye out for Lam Suet as a cabbie). <br />
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The wire fu is off the hook, with fight sequences plunging down stairwells and busting through walls and windows. Jet Li, looking a bit rough these days, nevertheless delivers the goods (although it’s his decades-younger co-star Wen Zhang who gets the lion’s share of screen time). Buxom Ada Liu is worth a second look, and the whole “smile murders” thing is quite bizarre (a string of deaths wherein the victim dies with a goofy grin on his face). The breathless pace and old-school HK craziness will leave Asian film fans similarly grinning …<br />
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<i>Sword of the Assassin</i> (2011) is a Vietnamese period actioner, and a good one. Among the most expensive films to emerge from this war-torn country, the money wasn’t wasted; the film is visually stunning, with lavish, high-def vistas, meticulously crafted sets, beautiful costumes, and a top-notch cast. It’s such a treat to be blind-sided by people and places you’ve never known, enveloping you in well-worn dramatic tropes; the familiar and the unfamiliar combine to transport you to a new place you’ve always known (jeez, I’m getting kind of maudlin here, sorry).<br />
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As usual, since these were Netflix assignments, if you get their streaming service, these films will be available shortly. Hey, that’s pretty cool: If what I’ve written is of interest to you, just wait a couple of weeks and, with a push of a button, there it is. Enjoy!Patrick Gallowayhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01666224685708217873noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5657760020363193414.post-78632797092864596192013-12-27T10:12:00.002-08:002013-12-27T10:14:15.555-08:00Key of Life<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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Another good film with a shit title, <i>Key of Life</i> (2012) involves the intersection of an ace hit man, a suicidal loser and a meticulous magazine editor looking to get married (the latter is female). Things get interesting when the two guys wind up swapping identities, and the editor lady falls for one of them. Plot twists abound, and two hours just fly by. I don't want to give away too much, so I'll stop now, leaving you with a rather brief and unsatisfying blog post. Oh well. Just check it out (coming soon to Netflix).Patrick Gallowayhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01666224685708217873noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5657760020363193414.post-5194111340093380892013-11-29T13:10:00.002-08:002013-11-29T13:18:37.575-08:00Murderer<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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OK folks, here’s a Hong Kong shocker so disgusting I was literally jumping out of my chair (and by literally, I mean <i>literally</i>, not “almost” as the word has come to mean in the minds of many). There’s a jump scare just seconds into <i>Murderer</i> (2009) that's so repulsive, I almost (there, see the difference?) had to look away. Nevertheless, I was standing behind my chair <i>and that’s saying summat</i> … I’m no babe in the woods when it comes to shocking Asian cinema, so if this flick got under my skin, chances are it’s gonna mess with you as well.<br />
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Aaron Kwok plays Ling, an amnesiac cop who’s trying to figure out who’s framing him for a string of serial killings, as well as the horrendous near-murder of his partner (the latter lies jacked-up in the hospital for the majority of the film, having been done over with a power drill and tossed off the roof of an apartment building). It doesn’t help things when Ling discovers the power drill in question (the weapon of choice in all the murders) in the pump room of the apartment building, then notices his own (same model) is missing. As the film progresses, we find ourselves deeper and deeper in “is this guy just fucking nuts?” territory. When the denouement arrives, it's so outlandish, you’re really wondering whether this is all just a weird fantasy playing out in Ling’s head.<br />
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But man, the gory bits are truly disturbing. They could have just shown the long, black hair hanging out of the oven; we would have gotten that there's a head in there. We really didn’t need to see Ling open it and look inside to find the contents <i>cooking</i> … Meanwhile, Ling himself is no saint, and as the pressure and paranoia grows, he winds up doing some nasty things himself. The film is a moral quagmire, and nothing is as it seems. I love it!<br />
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As in the previous post, I award no points for originality of title. But in <i>Murderer</i>, I sense a yearning for the good old days of 80s/90s Category III madness. Director Roy Chow (<a href="http://asiashock.blogspot.com/2013/05/nightfall.html" target="_blank"><i>Nightfall</i></a>) is just getting started, and, I predict, is one to watch. However, <i>Murderer</i> is not for the faint of heart or the weak of stomach, so you might want to wait ’til after the movie to order that pizza …Patrick Gallowayhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01666224685708217873noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5657760020363193414.post-79645208986872349602013-11-24T13:21:00.001-08:002013-11-24T13:22:57.803-08:00Horror Stories<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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A couple of posts back I mentioned a Korean horror anthology, and here it is, <i>Horror Stories</i> (2012). I really wasn’t in the mood — it’s a screener, and I always feel obligated to watch ’n blog when someone sends me one, but then I put it off because it becomes <i>that thing I have to do</i>, and I’m so immature that I go into avoidance mode. So the thing has been sitting there for weeks, but I finally forced myself to watch it. <br />
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And you know what? It’s really good! No points for the title, but if you like Asian horror, you’re sure to enjoy this creepy quartet of stories (plus a somewhat disturbing frame story) directed by a half dozen k-horror filmmakers. As is often the case with omnibus horror flicks, the frame story involves someone telling scary stories that are then acted out. In this case, the teller is a teenage girl who’s been kidnapped by a serial killer. <br />
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The first tale involves two little kids who may or may not be in hell. It’s the most jump-scare heavy of the vignettes, courtesy of director Jeong Beom-sik (<i><a href="http://asiashock.blogspot.com/2010/02/epitaph.html" target="_blank">Epitaph</a></i>). The second installment involves a serial killer on a plane. This is probably the weakest of the four, directed by Lim Dae-woong (<a href="http://asiashock.blogspot.com/2009/03/bloody-reunion.html" target="_blank"><i>Bloody Reunion</i></a>). Number three concerns a young bride-to-be and the wealthy man who thinks she’s good enough to eat … literally. Finally, we have a mini zombie epic that takes place almost completely in a speeding ambulance.<br />
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You know, in the years since I wrote <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Asia-Shock-Horror-Cinema-Thailand/dp/1933330120/ref=ntt_at_ep_dpi_3" target="_blank"><i>Asia Shock</i></a>, I’ve found myself watching such films less and less. Seems kind of unpleasant anymore. But then I’ll watch one, and I get sucked right in all over again and wind up having a great time. Go figure. Thanks to <a href="http://www.shaderupe.com/" target="_blank">Shade Rupe</a> for sending the screener, courtesy of <a href="http://www.artsploitationfilms.com/" target="_blank">Artsploitation Films</a>. BTW, lest we forget, I coined the term “artsploitation” in <i>Asia Shock</i> back in 2006. You’re welcome.<br />
<br />Patrick Gallowayhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01666224685708217873noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5657760020363193414.post-41111503299999750042013-11-12T16:41:00.005-08:002013-11-12T16:47:50.895-08:00Yakuza Hunters I and II<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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If you’re looking for an homage to the grand old Toei exploitation pictures of the 70s, you can’t go far wrong with <i>Yakuza Hunters I</i> and <i>II</i> (2012). First off you have scrumptious Japanese cult actress and former adult video star Asami Sugiura (<a href="http://asiashock.blogspot.com/2009/03/japanese-gore-roundup.html" target="_blank">RoboGeisha, The Machine Girl</a>) running around half undressed (in the first film at least), killing yakuza by the dozen. Her character (conveniently named Asami) was formerly a <i>sukeban</i> (girl gang) boss until her best friend betrayed her and started moving coke for the mob. Things got ugly after that and, well, the ex-friend and the yakuza gang are on her shit/hit list. <br />
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Be warned, these films contain oceans of blood and extreme gore — the second film opens with a woman being raped with a chainsaw … yeah, really. And fairly graphically. This shit ain’t subtle. There’s a vicious streak running through these films (particularly the second one) that’s rather repellant. But you can’t say they don’t go over the top. Way over!<br />
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The first film is more satirical and sexy, the latter darker and meaner (a baby is put to the sword, various horrible mutilations, etc.), so depending on your inclination, you decide which one works for you. I liked the first one better. Asami has a bunch of other girls who help her with her yakuza hunting, and they tend to run around in skimpy outfits and fight with samurai swords. Yosh!<br />
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Asami likes to chop off the pinkies of every yakuza she kills and wears them in a bandolier across her chest (see photo above, click to enlarge). Something about a strikingly hot chick wearing fingers — it’s an image you won’t soon forget. And she has superpowers! She can catch bullets and wing them back at you with the same force, and you don’t want to know what happens when she flings one of those fingers …<br />
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Supposedly these films were going to be a trilogy, but wound up condensed to two titles. However, you could be forgiven for thinking there are indeed three films, as the first one has been released with two different titles: <i>Yakuza Hunters: Final Death Ride Battle</i> and <i>Yakuza Hunters: The Ultimate Battle Royale</i> (the second picture is out as <i>Yakuza Hunters: The Revenge Duel in Hell</i>, as well as just plain <i>Yakuza Hunters: Duel in Hell</i>).<br />
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Coming soon to Netflix and available on DVD.<br />
<br />Patrick Gallowayhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01666224685708217873noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5657760020363193414.post-62636882676830253632013-10-28T10:43:00.001-07:002014-01-16T09:10:04.896-08:00Action Girl Grab Bag<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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Been checking out some not-so-great Japanese films of late. Normally I try to write positive reviews about films I like, but this time out, instead of the Moet & Chandon I normally dispense, well, you're getting lemonade.<br />
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First off is <i>Onechanbara: Samurai Bikini Squad</i> (2008). Except it ain't a squad, just one chick in a bikini. And half the time she's covered up in a Man With No Name poncho and cowboy hat combo. She's hot enough, and radiates a tough, Meiko Kaji vibe, but the film is based on a video game, and beyond the zombies and the swordplay, there's not much else on offer.<br />
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Speaking of Meiko Kaji, there’s <i>Female Convict Scorpion</i> (aka <i>Sasori,</i> 2008). Nope, she's not in it. Yep, it’s a remake of the Japanese exploitation classic. It’s a Japanese/Chinese (mostly Chinese) co-production, and a bit too torture-porny for my taste. The original was campy, sexy and outrageous. This one is just kind of a bummer. If you enjoy seeing women being cruelly mistreated, with nary a nod or wink, this is your flick.<br />
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Lastly, we have <i>Karate Girl</i> (2011), probably the best of the bunch, although when there isn’t karate happening the pace slows to a crawl (endless scenes of villains saying villainous things <i>very slowly</i>). It stars real-life karate champ Rina Takeda. She’s extremely cute and demure, and she can kick your ass eight ways to Sunday. You don’t see that much karate in movies anymore, so this was a nice change of pace.<br />
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Next up: A Korean horror anthology I received a screener for …Patrick Gallowayhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01666224685708217873noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5657760020363193414.post-20303118856980897572013-09-18T10:59:00.000-07:002013-09-18T13:24:03.515-07:00Champions<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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Ever since Netflix hired me to tag films for them, I've been getting an unofficial education of sorts. Initially, I was hired on as an Asian film expert, but soon enough things started to splay out, and I found myself assigned to all sorts of cinematic stuff, a veritable grab bag of filmic experience. In addition to numerous kung fu fight fests, I've seen everything from 70s skin flicks to hip hop high school romps to Kazakhstani historical epics. <br />
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And documentaries. Lots of documentaries. I've screened documentaries about eels, prescription drugs, film criticism, Steve Jobs, New York cabbies, forensic science, black punk rock bands, Sturgis -- you name it. But seeing as how this blog is dedicated to Asian film, I give you … another kung fu flick. Don't get me wrong, I really liked this movie -- I just wish they'd send me a Japanese film every now and then (haven't seen one since <a href="http://asiashock.blogspot.com/2013/07/just-when-you-thought-youd-seen-last-of.html" target="_blank"><i>Sadako 3D</i></a> back in July). <br />
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Anyhow, the film I want to discuss is <i>Champions</i> (2008). This film, set in the 30s and concerning a group of martial artists and runners who seek to compete in the Olympic games, was clearly made to rev up the masses for the actual Olympic games of 2008 (there's even a reference to the year inserted into the script). Therefore, it's a bit (or rather very) <i>propaganda-y</i> (yeah, that's a word I just made up). The cheery, let's-go vibe is quite strong at the outset (think hoo-rah, song-and-dance set pieces) but soon enough, things get down to some serious kung fu ass-kicking. Beneath the rah-rah, there is a film eager and capable of opening a big old can of Mantis Grip/Eagle Claw Fuck You and Die in Pieces You Bastard.<br />
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There are two villains, an unscrupulous martial arts master and a gangster, and they create most of the conflict in the film. What's most compelling is the size of the opposing groups. On the protagonist side we have Cheung Fung (Dickey Cheung), the smart-allecky upstart, and Kwan Shue Po (Xio Miao), the righteous one, as well as a whole host of locals with skills. And, of course, the bad guys come in waves. This is one of those films where, at any given moment, tons of people flood the screen.<br />
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What I used to hate about kung fu films was the elaborate, over-choreographed fight scenes. But recently, and certainly in <i>Champions</i>, there's been a movement away from such tiresome exercises, toward a more compelling (and lightening-quick) style of fight sequence. Fights still go on a bit, but now there's such a melding of speed and technique and wire-fu, plus (taking a page from Hollywood) <i>explosions</i> -- it's POPCORN time!<br />
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So if you get Netflix, <i>Champions</i> is coming your way (they give the films to me for tagging slightly before they put them online). I was never a subscriber before they hired me, but now that I've had a chance to check out their offering, I'm impressed with the number of Asian film titles on offer (tons of Korean flicks). I can see why people are tossing their cable boxes and opting for streaming services. Viva la revolution!Patrick Gallowayhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01666224685708217873noreply@blogger.com0