Shurayuki-hime wrote:

Same here. Great movies. I haven't seen so many Shaw films yet. I have about 11 or 12 Celestial dvds, plus I've seen a couple of other movies, too. Mostly films by Lau Kar-Leung and Chang Cheh. Now I just ordered Clan of the White Lotus.

Yeah, I've got about the same amount, mostly from yesasia.com... Classic Shaw Bros. from the 60'sand 70's...

bmwracer wrote:

Yeah, I've got about the same amount, mostly from yesasia.com... Classic Shaw Bros. from the 60'sand 70's...

I usually get my Shaw films from layoyo. It's much cheaper. But if I buy many films at once yesasia might be better because orders over 39$ are delivered free (to Europe). When it comes expensive to japanese dvds, I usually use yesasia.

Shurayuki-hime wrote:

I usually get my Shaw films from layoyo. It's much cheaper. But if I buy many films at once yesasia might be better because orders over 39$ are delivered free (to Europe). When it comes expensive to japanese dvds, I usually use yesasia.

Hmm, I'll have to check out Layoyo...

Oh yeah, we have the same deal here for YesAsia: free shipping for totals over $39... Pretty easy to do when you're buying DVDs.

Has anyone seen Adrenaline Drive? It's kind of like a Japanese action version of Seinfeld. Except for the money in it, it could be an action movie about nothing. And it was still pretty good.
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kitakaze wrote:

Has anyone seen Adrenaline Drive? It's kind of like a Japanese action version of Seinfeld. Except for the money in it, it could be an action movie about nothing. And it was still pretty good.

Japanese Seinfeld, you say?

I'm there.

It might be a little different...all the humor it is dead-pan...except for this kid that tries to make some tea with a faulty stove and blows up a yakuza headquarters.
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kitakaze wrote:

except for this kid that tries to make some tea with a faulty stove and blows up a yakuza headquarters.

That's Three Stooges stuff... I love it!

I think it made fun of action movie clichés too. It's been a while since I've seen it though.
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kitakaze wrote:

I think it made fun of action movie clichés too. It's been a while since I've seen it though.

Sounds like that movie that's out now: Kung Fu Hustle... It looks funny, but I can't see myself walking into a theater to see it...

bmwracer wrote:

Sounds like that movie that's out now: Kung Fu Hustle... It looks funny, but I can't see myself walking into a theater to see it...

Well, it's a bit more subdued than kung-fu hustle, it's hard to explain anyway. One of the stereotypes is actually from anime/manga...the mousey girl with glasses. Classic.
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-=kitakaze=-

I just saw "Bullet Ballet" and I have to say... I was really surprised.

I've seen some of Shinya Tsukamoto's other films. Ironman, and Snake of June, and Ichi the Killer... and mostly they left me cold.

But Bullet Ballet showed a growth, a maturity that I just didn't expect from Tsukamoto.

The movie came out in '98, and while it's still gritty, and violent, and filled with questions about the nature of modern man... there was less of the "comic book" about this movie.

It's the story of a middle aged salary man who comes home one day to find that his long time girl friend has committed suicide in his apartment.

Rather than question why she shot herself, the man becomes obsessed with finding out where she got the gun. How hard is it to actually get the model gun that she used.

In his quest to find the gun, he becomes involved with a gang of street thugs, and his life starts to spiral out of control.

Lots to think about with this one.

And some very good performances.

Black and white, dark and gritty, in sections the film has the look of a documentary... but it's a tightly scripted, and well developed story.

I thought this one was definately worth watching.
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well... IMO.... Quill is still the best ...!! so sad when it died ....

tata...(",)

Has anyone seen Into the Picture Scroll: The Tale of Yamanaka Tokiwa? If so, how was it?

I watched so many jmovies lately that I've ignored jdramas.

Hidden Blade
A samurai drama about a noble samurai and his female servant, a man's and woman's relationship and value in the Tokugawa period. If you into action movies, don't expect any of it from this movie. Somewhat the samurai movies don't appeal me.

Unlucky Monkey
Another silly Sabu movie! Just gotta love the absurd and the black humour theme in the movie! And not to mention the infamous-a-chain-of-misfortunate-evenst-occur-one-after-another!
We see Tsutsumi Shinichi (a regular actor in the Sabu movies), Ren Ohsugi (bad -ass yakuza) and of course my favourite support actor, Susumu Terajima.

Steamboy
A total letdown movie in this year! Technically absolutely gorgeous but story wise weak! I fell asleep a few times near the end, can't recall clearly how the movie ended, hehe. It was plain boring and the dialogues, zzz. The results of a decade work, hmm...
Save your time for Miyazaki's Howl's Moving Castle.

Pistol Opera
Another "art" movie but failed to me appeal me. Another dreadful movie! I felt like as if I watching live threatre play.

Moonlight Jellyfish
Another plain stupid movie. Tatsuya Fujiwara plays a yakuza's errand boy, he had to choose yakuza's work so can he support his kid brother who's been suffering from a disease from the birth. The brother suffers from a skin disease, the skin just can't withstand the sunlight, ends up burning himself. He has to wear this silver space man suit and a "tinfoil hat", hehe.
He also a mentally disabled. Raising a mentally disabled person isn't easy for him and has put up with it. Fujiwara falls for a nurse and the stupid things starting to happen. This movie is so dreadful and Fujiwara makes it even worse. I have never liked his characters he played, always being a whiny bastard. No wonder I ended up hating him. Bad movie, bad story telling. A waste of time.

Dog Star
A guide dog's master dies and the dog wishes to be a man so he can see his previous master when he was just a puppy. The story telling is rather weak but the bittersweet melodies made the viewin experience enjoyable. Just had to see the movie because of Etsushi Toyokawa.

Weather Woman
Hahahaa! definitely funny and bizarre movie! the flow of the movie gets even weirder. It just hard to describe the movie. First we flashing panties (oh yeah!) and as the story progresses we silly S/M scenes! unny/weird -> absurd/crazy!!!

Looks like I've seen some dreadful titles lately, more bad less good.
I have some "old" jmovies archived which I have not watched. Maybe I'll give a try on the weekend. After seeing Swing Girls I have no anticipated movies currently, maybe another hilarious title from the same director
Year One in the North looks promising.

Pemu wrote:

Steamboy A total letdown movie in this year! Technically absolutely gorgeous but story wise weak! ... Save your time for Miyazaki's Howl's Moving Castle. Pistol Opera Another "art" movie but failed to me appeal me. Another dreadful movie!

Heh, I'd have said the same about those two.

Steamboy really lacked a sense of wonder (as you say, go see a Miyazaki flick to compare on that issue). and I felt it also lacked relationships that would involve the viewer in the movie. The main relationships were between the boy, the father and the grandfather, and I didn't find them that interesting. In contrast, I thought the friendship relationships in the movie Akira were very compelling.

As for Pistol Opera. WTF. A lot of scenes are very stage-like, so maybe I just missed the boat not knowing about Japanese theater, but damn what a stinker of a movie. I wanted to scrub my eyeballs with steel wool after that one.

Yow, there seems to be a consensus on how average Steamboy is... Is it because it's being compared against Otomo's famous/classic Akira or Miyazaki's stuff?

Updated DVD Beaver comparison of Ran: http://www.compare.dvdbeaver.com/film/DVDCompare11/ran.htm

gomen minna, for the disturbance. anyone here watched Tokyo Eyes by Shinji Takeda? the movie shld be in 1998. juz wanna say tt it s a great movie. and im amazed by shinji's acting in it. the whole movie juz stays in my memories soooo long. hope to find ppl here who has watch it.

Pemu wrote:

I watched so many jmovies lately that I've ignored jdramas. Hidden Blade A samurai drama about a noble samurai and his female servant, a man's and woman's relationship and value in the Tokugawa period. If you into action movies, don't expect any of it from this movie. Somewhat the samurai movies don't appeal me.

I've been wanting to watch this movie....do you know how to obtain a copy of it with English subtitles? I've been wanting to watch this because I really enjoyed Yoji Yamada's previous samurai movie "Tasogare Seibei."

Any and all help is appreciated.

Tu_triky wrote:

I've been wanting to watch this movie....do you know how to obtain a copy of it with English subtitles? I've been wanting to watch this because I really enjoyed Yoji Yamada's previous samurai movie "Tasogare Seibei."

Yeah, Tasogare Seibei (Twilight Samurai) is an excellent film.

And why not with two great stars like Sanada Hiroyuki and Miyazawa Rie...