traipsing around shinjuku with some old friends today, we decided in all our festive inclinations to take in a movie. all of us had limited time frames and the only movie that was going to start within the next 30 minutes was troy. so in we went and how disappointing it was. (yeah, ok, ok, i already *knew* that before i went in, i guess i was just hoping to be proved wrong)
the only highlight was the trailers, and two films in particular caught my eye. interesting that they are both asian films. considering the complete tripe the west has been producing lately (although the latest harry potter offering was quite a delight thanks to the talents of alfonso cuar�n) i think that hollywood better start keeping a close eye on the wonders of asian cinema because it is completely rockin' the free world these days .
ok, film number one is from the magical team who brought us hero last year directed by director zhang yimou. the chinese call it shi mian mai fu, the japanese call it lovers and the english speaking world will know it as the house of flying daggers. starring the gorgeous zi-yi zhang (you may know her from such magical moments as hero and crouching tiger, hidden dragon) and equally gorgeous japanese/tiawanese cutey takeshi kanshiro, it is a sumptuous looking visual feast (can zhang yimou do no wrong?) which i cannot wait to see. it's opening here in japan on august 28, complete with english subtitles at some selected theatres (i saw hero with english subtitles at roppongi hills virgin cinemas last year).
film number 2 my buddy justin will probably pee his pants over and may have already seen it seeing he is the god of all things film and especially martial arts action doozy's. it's called mach (this link is to a japanese site - if you poke around a bit you will find some trailers). i couldn't find much about it on the net - at least not in english, but damn, the central character was one frikken phenomenal gymnast and martial arts master. he pulled off some jaw-dropping no-wire tricks in the trailer. another must see. opens july 24.
frangipani wrote this on July 11, 2004 10:43 PM
Comments
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Regan P said:
Man ASIAN CINEMA ALL THE WAY!!!
Im a big foreign film viewer myself so lets list the classics.
1. Versus
2. Battle Royale
3. Dead Or Alive 2
4. Electric Dragon 80000v (not in theatres but definitly way cool experimental film that'll make you pick up the camera and go. This is FILM. Director : Shogo Ishi)
5. Heat After Dark
6. Sharkskin man And Peach-hip girl
7. Zatoichi (new Beat takeshi directed)
8. Last Life in the Universe
9. Full-Time Killer (andy lou bein a bad-ass as usual)
Any sound familer? some of them are definitly independant but still hold freshness in ideas and style.
chow.
On July 12, 2004 4:36 AM,
Matt said:
Seeing a Chinese film with English subtitles in Japan is CHEATING.
regan, yes, i LOVED electric dragon 80 000 volts, it was just incredible. the rest may have different titles here in japan so maybe i have seen them, maybe no.... it's kinda hard to see asian films here coz they are mostly subtitled in japanese, not english. that's why the roppongi hills cinema complex is such a bonus for starved cinemophiles....
On July 12, 2004 11:47 AM,
j-ster said:
Nononononono! Seeing a Chinese film with English subtitles in Japan is NOT cheating!!!!!!!!!! Damnit, Ive been here 7 years and until Roppongi Hills came along there was really no opportunity to see foreign films and understand them (one of the few points in Roppongi Hills favour!). As a result, I have been on a meager diet of crappy American blockbusters and little-understood Japanese films. Trust me, its not cheating, its just a very recent and fortunate development.
And God I love Kaneshiro! Martine, one day I will ahve to show you my most prized train station poster, its hiding under the big spiral in the ,iving room! If you can find Misty in the video shop i recommend it, you dont need much by way of Japanese skills to understand that one, and its visual-feast city!
On July 12, 2004 12:32 PM,
Matt said:
Uh.. if you've been here 7 years, wouldn't another opportunity to see foreign films and understand them have presented itself if you learned some (written) Japanese?
Anyway, I think we can all agree that House of Flying Daggers is going to rock so hard that the entire universe disintegrates. ZHANG ZIYI'S CHARACTER IS BLIND OMG
j-ster, i am looking forward to the kaneshiro poster viewing. he is such a honey. and thanks for the misty tip, will check it out next visit to tsutaya.
I speak and read Japanese, but I still prefer to watch foreign movies with English subtitles. I don't consider it cheating since English is my native language and I don't feel the need to prove my Japanese skills.
On July 13, 2004 2:35 PM,
Juggs said:
I see Regan P and I have VERY similar taste in Asian cinema....and yes Marty,...I said 10 years ago that the western film world could learn (and has) a few things from the Asian cinematic genius directors.
