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Post by ijon on Jan 5, 2006 3:57:17 GMT -5
A mea culpa first. I really didn't show up trying to be Mr J-guy here, I know how irritating one-track monologists can be. But, hey, it's all around me and can't help but come through. With >1700 members am I the only one who's spent time here? It's not like going to the Moon, or even Istanbul. But anyway I'm just going to dive right in and unashamedly jabber about Japanese movies.
Not necessarily "classic cinema." I see there was already a Kurosawa thread, and to it I'll just say ditto. But I'm thinking of Japanese movies that are fun, or well done foreign movies about Japan.
There was a lot of buzz over Lost in Translation. It was OK, truer to this place than a lot of what you see, but really more a "hotel where no one speaks English" movie. For a movie about what it's like to be a foreigner living here, try Tom Selleck in Mr Baseball. It's really funny, and draws the humor from real life.
I like the Onmyoji movies, sort of court intrigue cum ghost stories set in the Heian era. If nothing else it's interesting to see period pieces that aren't samurai oriented for a change. Worm, when you say weird, was it show stoppingly so? I won't argue the characterization, but I found them weird in a fun way.
Hayao Miyazaki's anime. If you haven't seen Spirited Away, run through traffic to your nearest video rental place.
Don't mention the War!
But if you do, my favorite movie on it is Merry Christmas, Mr Lawrence.
Itami Juzo's movies really catch the feel of a lot of the Japanese people I've met. I guess Tampopo would head my list but The Funeral and the Taxing Woman movies are good too. Some of his best slapstick never seems to have been released in the States though.
On the weirder side, there's The Weather Woman. Worm, if you'd like to live in a Donald Pleasance world you owe it to yourself to check this one out! The so-called sequel is a waste, however. Tsukamoto Shinya's Tetsuo movies aren' for everyone, but they fascinate me. The second especially says a lot about the relationships between Japanese men and women. There's a lot about that subject I don't get, but I don't know if anyone does really.
Anyhow, there's lots more than Kenny and the flaming turtle. Try some today, won't you?
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Post by Chuck on Jan 5, 2006 7:57:58 GMT -5
If you liked Spirited Away, you'll love Howl's Magical Castle, which is being released beginning of March, I believe. (If you have a chance to see it wide screen, DON'T MISS IT!)
I also liked Versus. It's slice and dice, with a deadpan attitude like the Evil Dead movies.
And I was most impressed with the atmosphere in the original The Grudge.
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Post by Da Worm Fizzle on Jan 5, 2006 9:49:41 GMT -5
Not show stoppingly so. I watched two of the Onmyoji movies, are there more? I'll check out the Weather Woman, simply at your request. I trust your judgement here. I prefer Beat Takashi movies myself. His Yakuza flicks are sweet. His American release "Brother" was tight, and I think better and more hardcore than any American gangster movie, (Scarface, I'm talking about you!) And he's daring in his work. I have an affinity for the Japanese culture simply because I have a preference for Asian women, (mostly Japanese and Korean). Now, my question for you Ijon: Have you seen Ichi the Killer? And if so, can you explain it to me? I started a thread about it, but nobody had seen it yet.
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Post by ijon on Jan 5, 2006 17:55:19 GMT -5
Hi Worm!
Sorry, I haven't seen Ichi the Killer either [blushes]. I'll hunt for it here. The newest DVD releases usually have subtitles, w/o which I get lost too easily. It helps to have my wife as a walking set of crib notes though!
Hehehe, I think you'll like Weather Woman. Do a net search on the name "Kei Mizutani."
Did you see Beat Takeshi's Zatoichi remake? I think it got a US release. Offbeat, but I enjoyed it. Have you seen Merry Christmas, Mr L? It was his first movie, and I just love his Sgt Hara character. The contradictions in any people are the most interesting thing about them, and that character displays those you find in a lot of Japanese men beautifully.
Chuck, I ended up being in the US for Howl's Japan release and in Japan for it's US release. But it just came out on DVD, so I's a happy man!
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Post by ijon on Jan 5, 2006 20:02:57 GMT -5
Ran is a beautiful movie, isn't it? I like all of his Shakespeare adaptations. Dodesukaden is another good one, especially in what it says about the Japanese attitude toward oddballs.
Godzilla is a fascinating phenomenon. On the whole they're not as trashy as the Gamera series; some of them really track a lot better in the original language too (though G vs Megalon really drags the average down). Of course, Herman Kahn once wrote that you learn more about a culture from its pulp literature than its fine literature anyway, as the former tries to speak directly to their prejudices. I think my favorite is Gojira vs Ghidora, from ~'91. It has the goofy charm that the 21st century ones have lost (I LOVE the big G's wartime experience in the SouthPac!) but also some intriguing national soul-searching. The face-to-face with the company president on the skyscraper is a nice scene.
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Post by Da Worm Fizzle on Jan 6, 2006 9:48:25 GMT -5
Haven't seen the first Beat Takashi movie yet. I'll check it out next time I'm in America.
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Post by ijon on Jan 6, 2006 23:00:25 GMT -5
Haven't seen the first Beat Takashi movie yet. I'll check it out next time I'm in America. It's a good one, Worm, I think you'll like it. His latest, Takeshis, looks interesting too. The premise is that Beat Takeshi the celebrity and Kitano Takeshi the ordinary guy are split into two people. Doc, that story on Kurosawa wanting to do a Gojira installment is apparently legit. It's a real shame it wasn't made.
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yousonuva
Moderator Emeritus
I'm not insane but I am King of the Universe
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Post by yousonuva on Jan 6, 2006 23:56:21 GMT -5
My girl gave me a DVD called Battle Royale. It rocks so.
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Post by ijon on Jan 7, 2006 8:13:10 GMT -5
Chuck, I just saw an NHK special with scenes from Howl's Moving Castle. Damnit, all twelve copies were taken from my rental outlet!
Have you seen Totoro? Whatever else Miyazaki will ever do, that's what they love him for here. It is the most specifically "kids'" movie of his I've seen, but one of the unusual ones an adult can really enjoy too. I just love the tree dream sequence.
Doc, have you seen any of the '90s Godzillas? Toho had promised he wouldn't be "tamed" in this series, but there's still a metaphorical shift away from his being nuclear destruction to more of an untameable force of nature. While still destructive, there's sometimes an element of his castigating Japan Inc for losing touch with its roots. But whatever way Kurosawa would have taken it couldn't help to be fascinating I think.
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Post by ijon on Jan 8, 2006 2:39:53 GMT -5
With sludge-o-matic action! That was a fun one. I love Godzilla's using the breath to fly. I'm trying to place megaguirus; I know I saw it but can't pull up an image. I haven't seen Final Wars and probably won't bother. I hate to say it, but I think Toho's been to the well too many times with the Big G.
Have you seen Kwaidan? I forget the director, but it's a ghost story anthology from a few decades back. Definitely leisurely, but I really like the Hoichi the Earless segment.
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Torgo
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Post by Torgo on Jan 8, 2006 3:18:12 GMT -5
Oh no! There goes Tokyo! Go Go Godzilla!
Seen every single Godzilla movie, myself, and am damn proud of it. It's a series that I simply cannot get tired of. Ever. I can honestly say my fave is Godzilla 1985. I find it very gripping, especially for a Godzilla movie.
I have seen Final Wars, and I must say it just might be the strangest one of the lot. It honestly reminded me a lot of Fugitive Alien. Plus you got to love those american actors who weren't even trying...
"Listen kid. There are two things you don't know about the Earth. One is me, and the other is...Godzilla."
Ah, I could listen to that poorly read line for hours.
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Post by Shep on Jan 8, 2006 9:40:47 GMT -5
Don't mention the War! But if you do, my favorite movie on it is Merry Christmas, Mr Lawrence. Great film! Especially loved the scenes with Bowie's little brother. "Ride, ride through the day/Ride through the moonlight." That broke my heart.
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Post by ijon on Jan 8, 2006 19:36:37 GMT -5
You are right on, Shep. That whole sequence is haunting. I've always thought, though, that Bowie's just on the edge of believability in the school flashback. Do you think they should have used the younger actor for that scene as well? yousonuva, I'd never heard of Battle Royale, but then I found this review: www.stomptokyo.com/movies/b/battle-royale.htmlWhat did you think? So, Torgo, are you saying Final Wars is fun in a goofy way? My reaction to the Millenium series has been that it made some interesting attempts to find a new direction, but that none of them quite panned out. At the same time it didn't really have the fun factor of old ones like Hedorah or Son of. Other than that, the only one I haven't seen is the second, the one that introduces Angulus (or however you want to spell it, he had more names than Tom Sirbo). My local outlet has it, but no subtitles of course.
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Torgo
Moderator Emeritus
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Post by Torgo on Jan 8, 2006 20:10:45 GMT -5
So, Torgo, are you saying Final Wars is fun in a goofy way? My reaction to the Millenium series has been that it made some interesting attempts to find a new direction, but that none of them quite panned out. At the same time it didn't really have the fun factor of old ones like Hedorah or Son of. Other than that, the only one I haven't seen is the second, the one that introduces Angulus (or however you want to spell it, he had more names than Tom Sirbo). My local outlet has it, but no subtitles of course. It all depends on how much you love your Godzilla movies. Godzilla has been in my life since I was a kid, and I don't think I'll ever grow tired of him. But what Godzilla: Final Wars is is quite difficult to describe. It seems what they were trying to do was take every single Godzilla film ever made, put them into a blender, and try to make something coherant out of the mess that resulted. I've seemed to enjoy the Millennium series far more than many of my fellow G-Fans, but Final Wars is the most different of them all. There are scenes in the movie that are lifted directly from the Matrix (I'm not kidding, the main character goes into Neo mode and stops lasers with his hand at one point), and it also feels like it has taken inspiration from silly television shows such as Fugitive Alien and Power Rangers. At times, it feels like it shouldn't be a Godzilla movie at all, but somehow it feels like it should as well. As odd as everything in this movie is, you're not surprised to see a giant lizard stomping around. Godzilla was never meant to be high art, but Final Wars is about as trashy and strange as the series ever got. It's about on par with (maybe even beyond) Godzilla vs. Hedora in terms of sheer "What the hell?" A movie like it really should be seen to be believed. Only problem is, if you do watch it and you're just not into it, you'll probably be angry afterwards. I posted a much longer review on the film right after having seen it.
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Post by ijon on Jan 8, 2006 22:18:17 GMT -5
Well Torgo, given that I have to see it then.
Just came back with Battle Royale and am about to pop it in. yousonuva, did you know there's a sequel out?
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