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Guide to japanese cinema
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DVD Profiler Unlimited RegistrantPeter von Frosta
Registered: March 14, 2007
Germany Posts: 452
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I do have my fair selection of chinese (incl. hong kong) and korean flicks, and I do have a few sites which post info about upcoming releases (kfccinema for example), but I never found any access to japanese cinema besides a few Kurosawas and a few Kitanos.
Has anyone some suggestions for me?
I usually like good dramas, gangster (yakuza) movies or even martial arts (although I don't like those chinese 80s fast forward kung fu movies), I don't like romance flicks (there are a few exeptions though).

Who can give me some advise or has a few internet sources for upcoming movies?
DVD Profiler Unlimited Registrantxradman
Registered: June 17, 2002
Registered: March 14, 2007
United States Posts: 1,328
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Japanese cinema has been tough, because the R2 Japanese discs are usually too damn expensive and they hardly ever put any foreign subtitles on any of their releases. I usually wait for R3 Korean, R3/R0 HK or R1 USA release of Japanese movies before I buy them for these reasons. R3 Korean DVDs are usually identical picture wise to the R2 Japanese and even if they don't include English subs, I am okay as I understand Korean. HK DVDs are usually poor compared to R2 Japanese, but include English subs. They have been getting better with many now anamorphic (imagine that, 10 years after DVDs were introduced). R1 USA is sort of hit and miss PQ wise, but hey, you're guaranteed English subs.

Getting back to the question at hand, I usually cruise through the AsianDVDGuide.com forums or flip through the online catalog at YesAsia. I think the reasons I outlined earlier are probably the reason why there are not too many enthusiast forums for these movies.
My Home Theater
 Last edited: by xradman
DVD Profiler Unlimited RegistrantPeter von Frosta
Registered: March 14, 2007
Germany Posts: 452
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Missing subs usually don't bother me, most of the time you can find srts on the internet, and my DVI-out works great
DVD Profiler Unlimited Registrantxradman
Registered: June 17, 2002
Registered: March 14, 2007
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Ahh, another HTPC user... Mine's been feeling lonely since I got into HD DVD and Blu-ray discs. I think it's been couple of months since I've seen a SD DVD. One downside to high def discs has been relative lack of Asian content. But this is slowly getting better. Warriors of Heaven and Earth is coming out next month and Curse of the Golden Flower in May. But one movie that I have been dying to see in high def is A Bittersweet Life. It was one of the initially announced launch titles for HD DVD, but since been MIA.
My Home Theater
DVD Profiler Unlimited RegistrantPeter von Frosta
Registered: March 14, 2007
Germany Posts: 452
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Actually I'm not a HTPC user, but my Mac has DVI-out. I only use it if I don't have any subs, and I currently have 3 standalone DVD players
Do you know if the CotGF disc is cut like HofD? It's rated r, but you never know with sony...
 Last edited: by Peter von Frosta
DVD Profiler Desktop and Mobile RegistrantEvo2Me
Registered: March 15, 2007
Posts: 128
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Criterion has a good number of well done Kurosawa DVDs - all Japanese with English subs. Actually they do have quite a good collection of classic Japanese cinema, i.e. Hiroshi Inagaki's Samurai trilogy.
DVD Profiler Unlimited Registrantkatharsis
Registered: March 13, 2007
United States Posts: 93
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I do love my asian cinema!
Some japanese movies I can recommend are:

by Takashi Miike:
- Audition
- Ichi The Killer
- Dead or Alive Trilogy
- Gozu
- One Missed Call

by Ryuhei Kitamura:
- Aragami
- Azumi
- Alive
- Versus
- Sky High

or misc movies like:
- Gojoe
- Onmyoji
- Princess Blade
- Returner
- Suicide Club
- Juvenile

Hope that helps a bit.. when looking for Miike's movies make sure they're uncut, there are usually a lot of different versions and I can imagine especially in Germany that the FSK will rather release some "ab 16" 90 Minute version instead of the uncut 120 Minute one... pm me if you need more info (emigrated from Germany btw, because of the indexing) 

Also check if you can find a BBC mini-series with Jonathan Ross called Japanorama. This does not only touch a bunch of movies but also pretty much anything interesting about Japan.
- Life is just a form of animated death.
DVD Profiler Desktop and Mobile RegistrantStar Contributorschultzy
Xbox Live: squeekyfoot
Registered: March 13, 2007
United States Posts: 550
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I have to also recommend Zebraman (if it comes to DVD in the US), Devilman, and Death Note
Schultzy - http://www.michaelschultz.net
grenactics - The art of skillfully fraggin one’s opponent with the use of grenades or other compact explosive devices that are thrown by hand or projected.
DVD Profiler Unlimited Registrantkatharsis
Registered: March 13, 2007
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No official US release on either one of those.  Zebraman was pretty good and I am actually looking forward to Death Note... never heard of Devilman.
- Life is just a form of animated death.
DVD Profiler Unlimited RegistrantBattling Butler
Registered: March 13, 2007
Posts: 811
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a few suggestions for you Peter (sorry if these have already been mentioned). All of these are available in through US or Euro online:


- Classics:

Stray Dog
Ugetsu
Kill!
Zatoichi - The Blind Swordsman (series w/ Katsu Shintaro) + the 1998 film w/ Takeshi "Beat" Kintano


- more recent and excellent:

The Twilight Samurai
The Hidden Blade

for anyone with even a passing interest in samurai films, I also highly recommend Patrick Galloway's excellent book: Stray Dogs & Lone Wolves: The Samurai Film Handbook
DVD Profiler Desktop and Mobile RegistrantStar Contributorschultzy
Xbox Live: squeekyfoot
Registered: March 13, 2007
United States Posts: 550
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Quoting katharsis:
Quote:
No official US release on either one of those.  Zebraman was pretty good and I am actually looking forward to Death Note... never heard of Devilman.


Yeah,  that's why I love my region free DVD player   and sites like DVDAsian and CD-Wow

And the Beat Takeshi Zatoichi was awesome
Schultzy - http://www.michaelschultz.net
grenactics - The art of skillfully fraggin one’s opponent with the use of grenades or other compact explosive devices that are thrown by hand or projected.
 Last edited: by schultzy
DVD Profiler Unlimited RegistrantPeter von Frosta
Registered: March 14, 2007
Germany Posts: 452
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Quoting katharsis:
Quote:
never heard of Devilman.

SciFi trash
DVD Profiler Desktop and Mobile RegistrantStar Contributorschultzy
Xbox Live: squeekyfoot
Registered: March 13, 2007
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trash.... ouch.  I liked that movie
Schultzy - http://www.michaelschultz.net
grenactics - The art of skillfully fraggin one’s opponent with the use of grenades or other compact explosive devices that are thrown by hand or projected.
DVD Profiler Unlimited Registrantkovacs01
Registered: March 13, 2007
Posts: 181
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Mibu Gishi Den (When the Last Sword is Drawn) - Very good samurai drama
Wild Zero -- sci-fi/zombie flick
Goyokin -- Overlooked 60's samurai film
Kairo -- not my cup of tea, but it was well received

more to come as I remember them
DVD Profiler Desktop and Mobile RegistrantStar Contributorschultzy
Xbox Live: squeekyfoot
Registered: March 13, 2007
United States Posts: 550
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I had to look up Wild Zero and I think now I must buy it.  From an Amazon review

"The DVD even has a built in drinking game. A small mug icon appears on-screen when one of the following things happen:
-a zombie head pops
-someone combs their hair
-fire shoots out of anything
-someone yells ROCK AND ROLL!
-someone drinks
-something explodes
I assure you, if you even play this game with near-beer, you'll be wasted before the movie finishes."

also...

"Do not play the drinking game, you'll die.  Do not make up your own drinking game, you'll come very close to dying."

Does that not scream "BUY ME"
Schultzy - http://www.michaelschultz.net
grenactics - The art of skillfully fraggin one’s opponent with the use of grenades or other compact explosive devices that are thrown by hand or projected.
DVD Profiler Desktop and Mobile RegistrantStar Contributorschultzy
Xbox Live: squeekyfoot
Registered: March 13, 2007
United States Posts: 550
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Some others I enjoyed.... (but I like sci-fi, zombie, and stupid movies)

Battlefiled Baseball
Full Metal Yakuza
Junk
Mechanical Violator Hakaider
Stacy
Odoru daisousasen (Bayside Shakedown) 1 and 2 (but not sure if available internationally, but Japanese release does have subs)
Dragonhead
Schultzy - http://www.michaelschultz.net
grenactics - The art of skillfully fraggin one’s opponent with the use of grenades or other compact explosive devices that are thrown by hand or projected.
 Last edited: by schultzy
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