The Ultimate Bullets Best of Japanese Cinema Thread

HungFist · Post by **HungFist** » 10 Aug 2006, 17:41

You know the rules: Submit your top ten favourite Japanese movies list. Three points will be awarded to each title. Please submit only one list.

2LDK (3)
Akira (3)
All About Lily Chou-Chou (3)
April Story (3)
Audition (3)
Azumi (12)
Battle Royale (18
Battle Royale 2 (3)
Casshern (6)
Cowboy Bebop the Movie (3)
Crying out Love, in the Centre of the World (aka Sekai no Chushin de, ai wo Sakebu) (6)
Devilman (2004) (3)
Dolls (3)
Drunken Angel (3)
Eureka (6)
Ghost in the Shell (6)
Ghost in the Shell 2 (3)
Go (3)
Gojira (6)
Hana-Bi (9)
Hidden Fortress, The (12)
Hinokio (3)
Howl's Moving Castle (3)
Ichi the Killer (6)
Kagemusha (3)
Kikujiro (6)
Laputa Castle in the Sky (3)
Little Norse Prince, The (3)
Lady Snowblood (3)
Lone Wolf and Cup: Sword of Vengeance (6)
Lone Wolf And Cub: Babycart At The River Styx (3)
Lone Wolf & Cub: Babycart in Peril (3)
Lone Wolf and Cub: White Heaven in Hell (3)
Macross Plus (3)
Metropolis (3)
Millenium Actress (3)
Nobody Knows (6)
Onibaba (3)
Perfect Blue (3)
Ping Pong (3)
Princess Mononoke (3)
Ran (Kurosawa) (6)
Rashomon (6)
Red Beard (3)
Returner (2002) (6)
Ringu (6)
Sanjuro (6)
Seven Samurai (15)
Sex & Fury (3)
Shikijitsu (3)
Shinobi - Heart under Blade (2005) (6)
Sonatine (3)
Spirited Away (3)
Stray Cat Rock: Sex Hunter (3)
Street Fighter, The (3)
Survive Style 5+ (3)
Swing Girls (3)
Taifu Club (3)
Tales of Ugetsu (3)
Taste of Tea, The (3)
Three Outlaw Samurai (3)
Throne of Blood (6)
Twilight Samurai (6)
Versus (6)
Voices Of A Distant Star (3)
Yojimbo (12)
Zatoichi Meets The One Armed Swordsman (3)
Zatoichi (Kitano) (6)

Recorded so far: BiscLimpkit, Lourdes, thelostdragon, Tom2681, Yi-Long, gasteropod, ReconFive, Ivan Drago, Ray Rogers, grim_tales, HungFist

BiscLimpkit · Post by **BiscLimpkit** » 10 Aug 2006, 17:58

Hung, first and foremost, I'd like to appologise for not starting this thread (I read your comment on the Chinese one). I would've done it, but this is the first time I've been home (only get to check Bullets after working hours, and I usually do something after work).

I actually think Japan makes the best films in Asia, followed by South Korea. I can't stand the state of current HK cinema (worst in Asia out of all the mainstream industries) - IMO it's become trashy and they produce maybe a handful of remotely watchable films a year (of course it never used to be like this).

Without further ado, in no particular order:

Nobody Knows (aka Daremo Shiranai)
Versus
2LDK
Battle Royale
Zatoichi (Kitano)
Ichi the Killer
Rashomon
Crying out Love, in the Centre of the World (aka Sekai no Chushin de, ai wo Sakebu)
Laputa Castle in the Sky
Akira

It was difficult to pick just 10, off the top of my head. But I'm happy enough with my selection.

Lourdes · Post by **Lourdes** » 10 Aug 2006, 20:04

Oh heck, not anime too. Clearly you love making my life difficult.
HK has Wong Kar-wai, Mainland China and Taiwan have some stellar dramas but Japan has it all.

Let me see...

Voices Of A Distant Star
Ghost in the Shell
Millenium Actress
Eureka
All About Lily Chou-Chou
Hana-bi
Kikujiro
Shikijitsu
Red Beard
Sanjuro

thelostdragon · Post by **thelostdragon** » 10 Aug 2006, 20:17

Seven Samurai
Battle Royale
Sonatine
Drunken Angel
Hana-Bi
Go
Kagemusha
Versus
Twilight Samurai
Azumi

Yi-Long · Post by **Yi-Long** » 10 Aug 2006, 20:24

Shouldnt Grave of the Fireflies be in anyones list?

thelostdragon · Post by **thelostdragon** » 10 Aug 2006, 20:26

I thought about adding some animes, but figured that I wouldn't. Maybe we should have a special list for animes or animated films in general?

Lourdes · Post by **Lourdes** » 10 Aug 2006, 20:27

Yi-Long wrote:Shouldnt Grave of the Fireflies be in anyones list?

Only if I'm in need of some sleep.

BiscLimpkit · Post by **BiscLimpkit** » 10 Aug 2006, 20:30

thelostdragon wrote:I thought about adding some animes, but figured that I wouldn't. Maybe we should have a special list for animes or animated films in general?

You make an interesting point.... anime is a category of its own.

tom2681 · Post by **tom2681** » 10 Aug 2006, 20:53

Japanese + Japanese Anime:

10. Returner (2002)
9. Swing Girls
8. Survive Style 5+
7. Shinobi - Heart under Blade (2005)
6. Ghost in the Shell 2
5. The Hidden Fortress
4. Ran (Kurosawa)
3. Battle Royale 2
2. Devilman (2004)
1. Casshern

Nyar-Nyar-Nyar !

bradavon · Post by **bradavon** » 10 Aug 2006, 21:28

Do I have to pick 10?

Yi-Long · Post by **Yi-Long** » 10 Aug 2006, 21:52

If Anime isnt included, I would barely make it to 10 movies I've SEEN, let alone that I'd judge them in any top 10...

I'll just list a couple that IMHO are worth to be in the top 10... and I'm including Anime.

- Princess Mononoke
- Battle Royale
- Yojimbo
- Seven Samurai
- Ping Pong
- Azumi
- Lone Wolf and Cup (pt. 1)
- Howl's Moving Castle

I really should watch more japanese cinema... but the Kurosawa's that I'm interested are mostly in pretty bad shape on DVD... so I'm holding out on those... and as far as the rest goes I just dont know enough of them...

Maybe a year ago I would have put in Akira, but since I've read the whole story in it's manga form, and then having watched the film again, I came to the conclusion that the movie is shit compared to the manga. Doesnt even come close, and completely changes aspects of the story...
I really wish they would have made a 6-8 hour long movie, while just following the manga as a screenplay.

gasteropod · Post by **gasteropod** » 10 Aug 2006, 22:51

Ringu
Battle Royale
Ichi the Killer
Metropolis
Ghost in the Shell
Spirited Away
Audition
Cowboy Bebop the Movie
Macross Plus

Markgway · Post by **Markgway** » 10 Aug 2006, 23:47

I haven't seen ten Japanese films.

ReconFive · Post by **ReconFive** » 11 Aug 2006, 00:41

In no order..

Battle Royale
Shinobi
Nobody Knows
The Taste of Tea
Returner
Casshern
Azumi
Twilight Samurai
Crying out Love, in the Centre of the World
The Hidden Fortress

EvaUnit02 · Post by **EvaUnit02** » 11 Aug 2006, 01:38

HungFist wrote: Voices Of A Distant Star (3)

Have you seen A Place Promised in Our Early Days? My friend says that it's very good. (I haven't seen either film)

That R1 Makoto Shinkai set is looking very nice indeed.

This set contains two DVDs each in their own keepcase and enclosed in a thin slipcase. In addition to the two movies, which appear to be identical to their earlier releases, there are two 20 page booklets, one each film, with notes and production sketches.

The CD soundtrack to Voices of a Distant Star is also included in the same case as the DVD.

Lourdes · Post by **Lourdes** » 11 Aug 2006, 05:54

Eva, I saw it once. It's beautiful and touching but so dreadfully convoluted and unnecssarily long. His style doesn't suit full features films at all. That's why I haven't watched it again, I know it'll like it less. Voices of a Distant Star and the short She and Her Cat (on the DVD) are as close to perfection as you can get IMO. I can't even listen to the Vocies of a Star OST without a huge rush of emotion after a couple of notes.

EvaUnit02 · Post by **EvaUnit02** » 11 Aug 2006, 07:02

Thanks. That R1 boxset with both films and the Distant Star OST sounds like the one to get then. It's cheap too.

HungFist · Post by **HungFist** » 11 Aug 2006, 13:21

ReconFive wrote: Shinobi

2005?

ReconFive · Post by **ReconFive** » 11 Aug 2006, 13:25

Yep, Heart Under Blade

Killer Meteor · Post by **Killer Meteor** » 13 Aug 2006, 15:14

Gojira (1954)
Yojimbo (1961)
Onibaba (1964)
The Little Norse Prince (1968)
Zatoichi Meets The One Armed Swordsman (1971)
Lone Wolf And Cub: Babycart At The River Styx (1972)
Lady Snowblood (1973)
The Street Fighter (1974)
Ringu (1998)
Perfect Blue (1998)

Ray_Rogers · Post by **Ray_Rogers** » 14 Aug 2006, 16:10

In absolutely no order.

Three Outlaw Samurai
Throne of Blood
RAN (1985)
The Hidden Fortress
Tales of Ugetsu
Yojimbo
Sanjuro
Seven Samurai
Rashomon
Kikujiro

tom2681 · Post by **tom2681** » 14 Aug 2006, 16:26

There's a very strong Kurosawa smell in here.

grim_tales · Post by **grim_tales** » 18 Aug 2006, 14:31

I cant think of 10 Japanese films I've seen

All right maybe I can -

No order:

Seven Samurai
Hidden Fortress
Throne of Blood
Godzilla (1954)
Lone Wolf and Cub: Sword of Vengeance
Lone Wolf and Cub: White Heaven and Hell
Zatoichi (Kitano)
Yojimbo
Battle Royale
Hinokio

HungFist · Post by **HungFist** » 11 Sep 2006, 15:46

Almost forgot my own list

Dolls
Hana-Bi
Taifu Club
April Story
Eureka
Sex & Fury
Azumi
Seven Samurai
Stray Cat Rock: Sex Hunter
Lone Wolf & Cub: Babycart in Peril

BiscLimpkit · Post by **BiscLimpkit** » 11 Sep 2006, 17:14

lmao better late than never imo

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The Ultimate Bullets Best of Japanese Cinema Thread

The Ultimate Bullets Best of Japanese Cinema Thread

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