Pan-Asian film festival!

[Caustic Saint]

No, this isn't the Asian version of Sundance or SXSW. It's a topic that'll serve as a repository for disucssing/recommending/dissing Asian movies from countries other than Japan, or that don't have enough significance to Japan to warrant thier own topic.

Past films that could've gone here are Please Teach me English, Hero or Shaolin Soccer.

First up on the chopping block (and to keep Random Nihonjin Pics on topic) is Sex is Zero. Rented it last night and watched it this morning.

Ever seen "Porky's" or "American Pie?" What about "Van Wilder?" If you have, you'ver pretty much seen this movie. It's a total American-style 80's sex comedy, but with a Korean flavor.

It comes complete with gross-out humor, a pregnancy subplot, a sports competition (National Collegiate Aerobics Championship), many masturbation jokes, a cheesy montage and more T&A than most Korean porn flicks. (Also higher quality T&A than Korean porn flicks, so that's a plus right there. )

I won't repeat the reviews that were linked to in the RNP posts, because they're pretty spot on. It's an okay movie, worth renting, but probably not worth buying as it doesn't bring anything new to the genre. If any thing it detracts from it slightly, since some parts of the movie go way over the top into melodrama when pushing minor plot points. (Korean moms get very upset over abortions, if this movie is any indicator.)

Strangest line in the movie: "Mom, you show me yours first."

[Caustic Saint]

and to keep Random Nihonjin Pics on topic

Okay, fine. Next time I'll just try and get topics even further off track. :P

[American Oyaji]

Thanks Caustic!!

[Frost]

The Legend of Evil Lake ...looks promising

http://www.dvdasian.com/cgi-bin/dvdasian/17083.html?id=9xYARRKg&mv_pc=1169

Ice Rain, also looks good

http://www.dvdasian.com/cgi-bin/dvdasian/17137.html?id=9xYARRKg&mv_pc=1167

[Caustic Saint]

OLD BOY
IMDB link
Yesasia shopping link

Directed by Park Chan-wuk, the director of drama hit "Joint Security Area JSA" and "Sympathy for Mr. Vengeance," action suspenser "Old Boy" tells a story from a Japanese comic book of the same title.

Oh Dae-soo (Choi Min-sik) is a business man who is suddenly kidnapped and confined in a cell with only a television set. He makes various efforts to escape and even attempts to commit suicide, but all end up in failure. Dae-soo one day watches a news about his wife being murdered and he being wanted by the police. Feeling shocked and deeply grieved, Dae-soo begins to dig a hole in the room with a spoon to get his way out to revenge the lost of his wife on the real culprit.

That blurb from Yesasia is a decent summation of the start of the film, but doesn't prepare you for what's in store - which is a good thing. This is no happy story, full of light moments - hell, it doesn't really have any light moments. It's grim, violent and not for the squeamish.

That said, it's a very good movie, and not typical of what comes out of Korea. There's no cheesy familial melodrama, just a solid story with lots of twists you won't see coming. The pace is slow but steady, and it never feels like it drags.

I give it and a for some of the imagery and plot twists. Check it out! (Also check out JSA, by the same director.)

[Mulboyne]

Oldboy is the film that won the "runners-up" award in Cannes.

I'll take the chance, though, to recommend Choi Min-sik's appearance in "Failan" which is a superb piece of acting and a good interpretation of a Japanese novel.

[Ptyx]

The best Pan Asian flick of last year imho was PTU. It's as good as The Mission by the same director, Hong Kong veteran Johnny To.
Gritty piece of street crime in HK. The cinematography is just brilliant;
Here's a review

[Mulboyne]

Just caught this on animal cruelty in films

That said, how should we respond to the Korean film "Old Boy," which played at Cannes and had a scene where a live octopus was eaten by one of the characters. In his acceptance speech, the film's director thanked four octopi who died in the making of the film

[Caustic Saint]

Just caught this on animal cruelty in films

That said, how should we respond to the Korean film "Old Boy," which played at Cannes and had a scene where a live octopus was eaten by one of the characters. In his acceptance speech, the film's director thanked four octopi who died in the making of the film

I don't really get why people find this upsetting. You can go to restaurants here in Korea and eat live octopi any day of the week. (Granted, they're usually a lot smaller than the one eaten in the film.) Is it horrible because they filmed it, or just in general?

And to be blunt, who gives a crap about octopi anyways?

[Taro Toporific]

And to be blunt, who gives a crap about octopi anyways?

Would you eat a live kitten?

Some research indicates that octopi may equal cats or dogs in IQ.

See Should I Engage The Octopus In Conversation?
Also Octopi behavior

[bejiita]

Would you eat a live kitten?

Why stop there, how about human babies?

[mercutio]

Would you eat a live kitten?

>snicker< but of course... who wouldn't like to eat a cute little...

[Taro Toporific]

Would you eat a live kitten?

Why stop there, how about human babies?

Nah, they're in short supply in Japan and I need them to pay my J-pension. :P

[Taro Toporific]

Would you eat a live kitten?

>snicker< but of course... who wouldn't like to eat a cute little...

[Caustic Saint]

Here's another good one to add to the list.

Silmido, based on the true story of South Korea's secret plan to assassinate Kim Jong Il using a team of 31 convicts who were trained as a special forces team, Unit 684. This was done in response to a North Korean commando team that attempted to assassinate the South Korean president.

Very good movie and well put together - and for less than $10 million. How is it that Hollywood spends 10 times that amount (and more) and continues to churn out crap? The director went out of his way to not use CGI, instead going to Malta and New Zealand for location shots. (The story all takes place in Korea, but certain environments, underwater and snow, were easier to film elsewhere.)

I strongly reccommend this one.

Japanese site here

[Ptyx]

I saw Oldboy last week. I don't what to think about it except it's really on the extreme side, perhaps even more disturbing than the director's last flick, Sympathy for Mr. Vengeance.
That guy is becoming the new cult movie diva.

[Noiseman433]

Would you eat a live kitten?

Why stop there, how about human babies?

was wondering when someone would bring up Zhu Yu...heh

[Noiseman433]

Here's another good one to add to the list.

Silmido, based on the true story of South Korea's secret plan to assassinate Kim Jong Il using a team of 31 convicts who were trained as a special forces team, Unit 684. This was done in response to a North Korean commando team that attempted to assassinate the South Korean president.

Very good movie and well put together - and for less than $10 million. How is it that Hollywood spends 10 times that amount (and more) and continues to churn out crap? The director went out of his way to not use CGI, instead going to Malta and New Zealand for location shots. (The story all takes place in Korea, but certain environments, underwater and snow, were easier to film elsewhere.)

I strongly reccommend this one.

Japanese site here

sounds interesting!

[Faded]

Would you eat a live kitten?

Why stop there, how about human babies?

You mean like Christopher Reeves??

[Caustic Saint]

Got another entrant for the PAFF, this time a Hong Kong crime drama - Internal Affairs.

Summary from IMDB:

The setting is the never-ending war between the police and the traids of Hong Kong. Chan is a cop who's been assigned to undercover work inside the traids for so long that he's been able to rise through the ranks to a position of some authority. Lau, meanwhile, is a secret member of the triads who has infiltrated the police force with an equal level of success. As they feed their bosses information on the plans and counter-plans of the organizations they pretend to serve, they both begin to feel the stresses of their double lives as they become torn between the oppressive obligations they owe to their superiors and the growing camaraderie they share with the foot soldiers around them. As the two organizations become increasingly aware of the moles in their midsts, the race is on for Chan and Lau to try and get out of the game alive.

Damned good movie. Well-shot and acted. Nothing really over the top here, just a very solid crime drama. There are two sequels to it as well, along with an English remake on the way, supposedly directed by Scorcese and starring Brad Pitt and/or Tom Cruise.

Check out the original though, since I can't imagine the ending being the same in the remake. (Either ending, actually, since the DVD I rented had two very different endings on it.)