Need recommendations, (extreme) foreign cinema
 

I’ve found myself lately to be fascinated about foreign films (horror, thriller etc.)…

Here is a list of some of the films that I’ve seen lately and enjoyed (loose term) immensly. I would like to know what films might be good to continue with.
It’s hard to find good foreign films since not much stuff is written about them in mainstream film magazines etc and the names may sound odd. Well anyway, here’s the list. Also there are a few titles that I’ve been thinking about and would like to know some thoughts about them… DVD region doesn’t matter, but english subtitles are naturally needed.

SEEN:
The 4th Man (Paul Verhoeven)
Audition (Miike Takashi)
Battle Royale (Fukasaku Kinji)
Brother (Takeshi Kitano)
Los Sin Nombre (Jaume Bellagro)
Opera (Dario Argento)
Suspiria (Dario Argento)

ON ORDER:
Delicatessen (Jean-Pierre Jeunet)
In The Mood For Love (Wong Kar Wai)
Soldier Of Orange (Paul Verhoeven)
Turkish Delight (Paul Verhoeven)

THINKING:
Bangkok Dangerous
Bird With Crystal Plummage (Dario Argento)
Bride With White Hair (Ronny Yu)
Cat O’ Nine Tails (Dario Argento)
Cronos (Guillermo Del Toro)
Devil’s Backbone (Guillermo Del Toro)
Gonin (Takeshi Kitano)
Hana-Bi (Takeshi Kitano)
Ichi The Killer (a dvd release migh be way off in the future)
Inferno (Dario Argento)
Insomnia
Nowhere To Hide (is the Tartan UK disc cut?)
Open Your Eyes (Alejandro Amenabar)
Phenomena (Dario Argento)
Ring, The
Ring 2
Ring 0
Sleepless (Dario Argento)
Sonatine (Takeshi Kitano)
Tesis (Alejandro Amenabar)
Violent Cop (Takeshi Kitano)
Visitor Q (if a decent version is ever released)

I don't recommend Open Your Eyes, it's a small quirky film but since you'll be seeing it post-eXistenZ and post-Matrix it won't seem as innovative as it did when it originally came out in '98.

There are a very other Takashi Miike films you might find interesting, Shinjuku Tokyo Triad and Dead or Alive are just as interesting/repellant as Audition, yet no less fun. In fact, they are more in the rough and tumble action vein that one expects from Asian cinema.

Jan Kounen's Doberman is also very good, he does some pretty outrageous stuff with an infant in that film; available through Blackstar.co.uk.

If youy like "extreme films", I have several recommendations for you:

Kiyoshi Kurosawa films (Cure, Charisma, Barren Illusions, Pulse)
Michael Haneke films (Funny Games, Benny's Video, The Piano Teacher)
Takashi Miike films (Ichi the Killer, Visitor Q, Dead or Alive)
Jan Svankmajer films (Alice, Faust, Little Otik)
Nagisa Oshima films (In the Realm of the Sense, In the Realm of Passions)

"Come and See" by Elem Klimov
"The Idiots" by Lars von Trier
"The Untold Story" by Danny Lee"Trouble Every Day" by Claire Denis

Hey Mikko,
You may want to check out out these past threads where some of us have discussed/posted our thoughts on some of the films on your list.
Also, I didn't see Beast Cops on your list, you may want to take a look at it... :) Here's one review on Beast Cops

Comments on Violent Cop, Beast Cops and others...

Trigger's review of Brother, along with comments from others, and a comparison against Violent Cop near the bottom...

My review of Nowhere to Hide
KFCcinema review of Nowhere to Hide

Cheers,
Gabe

I have to chime in here. I absolutely hated both eXistenZ and The Matrix... but I just saw Open Your Eyes a few weeks ago, and it blew me away! Don't pass this up. I gave it a 9/10, the highest rating I've ever given to a Spanish Film. It's not brilliant art per say, but it may knock you on your a$$ a time or two.

I loved Open Your Eyes (Abre los Ojos) and the Matrix. Yet I didn't like eXistenZ that much at all. Funny how movies can leave different impressions on people.

I also recommend a Spanish DVD called "Arte de Morir" (Art of Dying) it has English subtitles.

"Gonin" was actually directed by Takashi Ishii, not Takeshi Kitano, who had a major acting role. I liked it OK, but visually it was much stronger than the subject matter warranted. I find this to be generally true of his work, and I keep hoping for a story worthy of his visual pyrotechnics. But if you like visually strong action films, definately check out his films "Black Angel 1" and "Black Angel 2."