What the heck is wrong with asian people????

[MoonShadow]

Just got "The untold story" and "Story of Ricky" on DVD, and I must confess that asian film makers seem to exist on a different planet than the rest of us. "Ricky" was just campy and funny (definately a five-slime movie!) but "Story..." was really twisted (although in it's way, also a good movie). I recall a post I made a while back commenting that "Assault on Precinct 13" was the only movie I ever saw where they kill off a kid, but "Story..." sets a new precedent, the killer knocks off about four of them with a meat-cleaver...
  So, I would like suggestions for further pieces of live action asian cinema that are watchable (I already own "Ringu" and "Battle Royale", but that's about it). Is "Audition" any good?

[jmc]

AUDITION takes a long while to get going, but the payoff is truly disturbing.

[C Reynolds]

Look out for ICHI THE KILLER, a very disturbing film by Takashi Miike who directed AUDITION, and features some a mix of extremely sadistic scenes (nipple slicing, a man sawing off his own tongue), and OTT gore scenes which look like something out of STORY OF RICKY (man gets sliced in half, people have jugulars cut and gallons of blood spurts out).

[Dunners]

so..you liked the movies and yet you insinuating something is wrong with the filmakers? Someone is an ingrate

[Evan3]

MoonShadow wrote:

 I
> recall a post I made a while back commenting that "Assault on
> Precinct 13" was the only movie I ever saw where they kill off
> a kid,

You know, Stephen King is not at all afraid to kill off kids, but the directors who make his books into movies are.

[Jim Hepler]

""Assault on Precinct 13" was the only movie I ever saw where they kill off a kid"

I suggest seeing Mimic.  They kill off kids in quite a few movies, if you look around.  They seem to do it more in Asian cinema though, if you see enough of their movies.  BTW, while there are quite a few good Japanese action movies (I suggest Versus, Andrew should review that one, zombie/yakuza/gunfights/samurai epic), the real masters are Chinese.  

One movie in particular with a kid being killed I never forgot was Flaming Brothers.  Well, I guess I do own it...  That one has some great gunfights, especially the climax.  But one kid is executed in such an unflinching manner, and it was so unneccasary that I remembered it.

That also has one of my favorite moments where Chinese cultural values clashed with American.  One character kills another and says, I quote, "No one would believe anyone would kill their brother-in-law!  HAHAHHAA!"

Just remember though, what do they think of us - we're the ones who make movies like From Justin To Kelly or the Real Cancun.  Yeesh, who is the person who's REALLY f***ed up?

[Brother Ragnarok]

Audition rocks.  And if you want something REALLY over the top, try Biozombie on for size.  Make sure you get it dubbed, the dub is what makes the movie.  What are YOOOOOU DOOING!?!?

Brother R

[BoyScoutKevin]

Jim Hepler is right. They do kill off kids in quite a few movies. Indeed, one can see kids killed in film clips at this web site for "Cemetery Man," "Fright Show," and "Halloween III." There also use to be a film clip showing the killing of the boy scout in "Lair of the White Worm," but, that film clip has been deleted from the review. Some other films reviewed at this web site, which feature the killing of kids, are "The Beastmaster," "Jack Frost," and "Wizards," among others.
What makes the killing of the girl in "Assault on Precinct 13," so memorable, is the buildup, then the surprise.

[Ash]

It's been awhile since I've seen it but isn't the girl who gets killed played by Kim Richards of Escape from Witch Mountain and Return to Witch Mountain?

[jmc]

BTW, I saw Miike's THE HAPPINESS OF THE KATAKURIS in the theater last year and it was one of the craziest things I've ever seen....not crazy violent, but just off the wall.

[The Burgomaster]

AUDITION is excellent. It's a very well done character study with some disturbing moments. Definitely a slower pace than BATTLE ROYALE, but, overall, a better movie than BATTLE ROYALE. (Don't get me wrong, BATTLE ROYALE is excellent. I just think that AUDITION is a little better).

[Grumpy Guy]

Try Kyua (English title:  The Cure).  1997, directed by Kiyoshi Kurosawa, who also wrote.  I loved it - it had a nice, Hitchcockian feel to it, and the ending was very cool.  It actually wasn't that grusome (as I recall, it's been a while since I last saw it), and no kids were harmed in the making of this picture, but it WAS a very intelligent film, with good pacing throughout.

For more fun, try A Chinese Ghost Story.  It's not really scary, but it is funny, and the Rapping Monk scene is not to be missed.

Make sure, on both, that you watch the Subtitled versions - the dubs don't do either movie justice.

Just my opinoin, I could be wrong...

[Great Sage]

Well, I don't know what this thread has to do with Asian people in general â€" the topic seems very ignorant.

That said, a lot of hard-core movies come from oversea because there's less censorship.  And that's going to provoke a lot of disturbing ideas.  

Many of these directors are simply trying to cash in other their gore.  As you may or may not know, movies in China and Japan are made like fast food... You have to be quick, yet sastisfying to some degree.  Therefore, you can't develop a good story line, but if you add some gore, it sells...  But yeah, those movies are pretty off the wall.

[Grumpy Guy]

> Well, I don't know what this thread has to do with Asian people
> in general â€" the topic seems very ignorant.

Good point...

> Many of these directors are simply trying to cash in other
> their gore.  As you may or may not know, movies in China and
> Japan are made like fast food... You have to be quick, yet
> sastisfying to some degree.  Therefore, you can't develop a
> good story line, but if you add some gore, it sells...  But
> yeah, those movies are pretty off the wall.

WTF are you talking about?  Most Japanese films are often long and obtuse, with (to western eyes) painfully slow pacing and overcharacterization (I site A Very Taxing Woman 1 and 2 as examples).  Chinese films are often the same way.  They might be cashing in on the gore, but comparing asian cinema to fast food is enormously unfair, and (from where I'm sitting) completely inaccurate.

[jmc]

Saw ANOTHER HEAVEN not long ago and I recommend that one too.  I have THE CURE on tape somewhere around here but can't find it.  THE ISLE was on Sundance last night and I will probably watch it later today.   A lot of these movies have played on the Sundance Channel within the last year.  

Then, of course, there's the ALL NIGHT LONG series which is basically an excuse to show people abusing and degrading each other.  It's basically like the infamous GUINEA PIG series, but with slightly more plot and character.