Last seen ASIAN movie

[roshiq]

2LDK (2003)

A brutal & darkly funny little film about 2 actresses competing for the same role in a movie as their rivalry turns into a deadly cat fight with sad & harrowing consequences.

>>: B+

[psycho d]

A Snake of June (2002). From the director of Tetsuo, The Iron Man comes A snake of June, a powerhouse of cinema that recklessly throws its audience into an uncomfortable intimacy of a woman's repressed sexuality. The avant-garde feel will probably put off most of the Hollywood set, but for the rest of us this entry by director Shinya Tsukamoto will leave a remarkably indelible mark.

The story starts out innocent enough, but is soon drawn to the hyper-kinetic and surreal realms where torrents of socially oppressed emotion begins to burst through its mightily walled-up dam. This threat remains throughout and is highlighted with the blue-infused black and white photography coupled with the perpetually rainy weather and busy drain plugs. At some point the story takes a hard turn, leaving many viewers in the dust, but this turn is not without the logic found in irrational behavior.

The acting is primarily dominated by the three main characters. Most impressive is Asuka Kurosawa. Her thinly veiled facade is a treat to watch as it finally comes crashing down. Her husband is played by the unprofessional actor Yugi Kohtari. Up against the monumental Asuka, there is no questioning his self-consciousness, but he nonetheless captures the essence of the creepy husband. Actor/director Shinya Tsukomoto wins the creepy award though. Apparently he had wanted to play the part of a stalker for the previous decade or two, and his time spent training for this discomfiting role shines through.

Shinya's directorial style and prowess glares through the cloud-strewn backdrop effortlessly. The hand-held camera is busily searching for the hidden crevices of humanity best left unearthed, at least in the mind of the owner. Shinya's camera is not to be denied, with uncomfortable close-ups and frenetic shots revealing the discombobulated reality hidden behind Japanese courtesy and composure. And just when the perturbations of the camera are settling in, Shinya throws in some rather disturbing imagery for good measure. The result is fantastic, at least for those that could keep up.

The end seemed rather anticlimactic, but maybe it was for the best, allowing the symbolism to once again say that which is impolite to intimate, at least in this confounding land in the east.
d

[ChronoGrl]

Bloody Reunion (2006)

Solid gruesome hack-n-slash from Korea, Bloody Reunion tells the tale of a group of students reuniting at their aging teacher's home. I think that what honestly stands out here is the story and how it's slowly unveiled, like peeling back the skins of an onion - I'm always impressed with a movie who can reveal a back story without painful exposition. Quite frankly, this movie had me on the edge of my seat, wanting to learn more about the histories each student had in their past.

Some people have complained about the ending and, at first, I was amongst them, until I took a moment and thought about it, finally deciding that I liked where we ended up...

[SPOILERS]
Since story-telling is what makes this movie strong, I appreciate that, in the end, it's revealed that the unraveling story was told by an unreliable narrator... Not your average whodunit twist when you realize that the whole first two thirds of the film is a fabrication... I appreciate the direction that they wound up taking with it.[/SPOILERS]


I give it a 3.75/5.

[DP McCoy]

Confessions - A depressing exploration of moral decline in youth culture,Confessions is the story of a single mother whose small Daughter is found dead in the swimming pool of the school where she teaches.The death of the child is thought to be an accident,however the mother uncovers evidence that it was in fact murder and the culprits are two of her students.
The mother's vengeance is to force the students to confront their own mortality and teach them that actions lead to consequences,this sets into motion a chain reaction of events that has a devastating effect on all those involved.The focus of the storyline shifts as each main character tells their tale(Or confesses),with each confession we learn a little more about what really happened to the teachers little girl and what part each of the characters played in the tragedy.These confessions also unravel the motivations of those involved and provide an unsettling insight into the minds of several damaged individuals.
The themes of the film are presented in a non judgemental way,indeed it was difficult to find any of the characters likeable,each were flawed in their own way,even the bereaved teacher.It is interesting that while the lack of morality in the young people of today is the main theme of the film,it is not only the young people whose morality and conscience is called into question.The film also asks serious questions of the parts played in modern society by parents,teachers and other adults in the development of young people.
Confessions is extremely bleak throughout and is quite relentlessly depressing,however the questions raised are absolutely socially relevent and I found it to be quite compelling. 8/10

[roshiq]

Assault! Jack the Ripper (1976)

>>: B-

Princess Aurora (2005)

Another pretty decent Korean revenge flick about a mother who turns into a 'Serial killer' named Princess Aurora after losing her only child who had been abducted, raped & killed by a child molester.

>>: B+

[ChronoGrl]

Originally Posted by Dream

I just watched Creepy Hide and Seek.

Scared me quite abit, very enjoyable.

Can you share the IMDB link? I just tried to look it up and there are a few films with the name "Hide and Seek" - I'm interested in looking it up.

...


The Good, The Bad, The Weird (2008)

In a word: Epic. Byung-hun Lee is an absolutely fantastic villain and Kang-ho Song is the perfect foil. Incredibly directed - Funny, exciting... definitely go and check it out if you haven't seen it already.

4.5/5

[psycho d]

Beyond Hypothermia (1996). This Hong Kong action flick can most tersely be categorized as a stylish crime drama with occasionally cheesy romance punctuated in between. And even the the horrible dubbing (no subs), once I realized the trick of laughing in between bouts of violence, could not keep me from enjoying the wondrous Beyond Hypothermia.

Don't even bother with the story, but instead luxuriate in the action sequences when they come. The traffic scene, for example, has such a gut churning sense of nihilistic reality that uncomfortable laughs become a must. The camera and choreography merge into some ethereal realm that only seems available in Hong Kong, where movies that should be awful instead contain that mystical quality that keeps us coming back for more. So just sit back and prepare your eyes to feast in the wonderfully choreographed bouts of violence. One last warning, for those that cannot deal with cinematic No You Didn't moments beware, Beyond Hypothermia is not saddled with Western conventions.
d

[DP McCoy]

Alien vs Ninja - Didn't expect much from this,didn't get much from this.Homicidal rubbery dinosaur looking aliens do splattery battle with leather clad ninja,not as much fun as you would think. 4/10

[newb]

Actually made it until the 1 hour mark....then I had to turn it off

too disjointed and apparently an acid trip might have helped.

House

http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0076162/

[neverending]

Originally Posted by newb

Actually made it until the 1 hour mark....then I had to turn it off

too disjointed and apparently an acid trip might have helped.

House

http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0076162/

Oh man- that film is AMAZING!