Any Recommendations?
 

First of all, I'd like to apologize if this is the wrong place for this - I read through the Sticky posts and didnt find any mentioning to avoid these, as well as a few pages back and didnt see an official recommendations topic.

I'm looking for a few new asian-cinema movies, other than the ones listed in the "Newbie Guide" to pick up tomorrow.

Currently, I own:

2LDK

Anna in Kung Fu Land
Arahan: Limited Edition
Attack the Gas Station
Avenging Fist
Azumi

Battle Royale
Battle Royale 2
Bird people of China
Boogiepop
Breaking News

Casshern
Crouching Tiger

Dead or Alive
Dead or Alive Final

Enter the Dragon
Eye
Eye 2

Fudoh: The New generation
Fulltime Killer
Future Blues

GTO: The Movie
Godzilla Against Mechagodzilla
Godzilla x Megaguirus
Godzilla: GMK
Godzilla: Tokyo SOS
Gozu

Hero
Hero: Ultimate Edition
Hit Team
House of Flying Daggers

Ichi The Killer
Infernal Affairs
Infernal Affairs 2
Infernal Affairs 3

Juon: The Grudge
Juon: The Grudge 2

Love Undercover 2

Martial Angels
Masked Rider 555
My little bride
My sassy girl
My wife is a gangster
My wife is 18

New Police Story

Oldboy: Special Edition
Oldboy: Ultimate Edition
One missed call
One nite in mongkok

Ong Bak

Protege de la rose noire

Red Shadow
Resurrection of the little match girl
Riki Oh
Ryung

Saving my hubby
Sex is Zero
Shaolin Soccer
Silmido: Limited Edition
Sky High
So Close
Stacy
Suicide Club
Super Sentai: The Movie

Tale of 2 sisters
Three
Three... extremes
Tube
Twins Effect

Ultimate Versus

Versus
Visible Secret 2
Visitor Q
Volcano High

Windstruck

Zatoichi

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Region isnt a problem, but I just want to make sure it has english subtitles. Ones like Future Blues and Ongbak didnt, and while it wasnt a BIG problem, I just want something with them.
I'd also prefer a cheaper movie (For instance, one with a Korean DVD opposed to a japanese DVD).

And something fairly recent. I'm not a big fan of martial arts or kung fu movies I'm also not a fan of the "Hundreds of years ago in ancient china" type movies.

I'm more into the newer ones from the past few years, and my favorite genres would be "Dark Comedy", "Comedy", "Romance-Comedy" (Although after so many of those, It would need to be something new and not the same old korean-love-comedy-mold that most of them follow), "Sci-Fi", "Horror", Pretty much a fun movie like Arahan or Volcano high sounds good to me..

I have:
Dead or Alive 2
Audition
Bunshinsaba
Sisili 2KM

on order, but pretty much anything else I'm open to :)

And again, sorry if this is the wrong place for these posts, and feel free to delete it if thats the case.

Sympathy for Mr. Vengeance the first film in Chan-wook Park vengeance trilogy...Oldboy is the second piece, which you already have. I have the R2 version see link...

Sympathy for Mr. Vengeance

Also get his Joint Security Area (2000), this is also a pretty good film.

I also liked St. Johns Wort, an interesting horror film with some cool cinematography.

Cheers,

DVD Smurf :)

Great, I've heard a lot about Sympathy and absolutely loved Oldboy. I've been meaning to pick that and Joint SA for a while now. I do remember seeing a trailer for I believe it was a trailer for Sympathy. a while back and it not being very interesting.. Would you happen to know (For instance, if the DVD had the trailer on it) how good of a representation the trailer is of the movie?

If its another Oldboy, I'll definately pick it up ASAP :)

In the romance-comedy genre, check out Spy-Girl. I haven't seen enough Korean films to know if it it is stereotypical or not, but I busted a gut a couple of times watching it and the female lead is gorgeous.

Horror-wise, check out the Japanese Dark Water and I see that Ringu is not on your list, definitely watch the Japanese over the American, the story has more depth of background and the ending is a lot more grim.

Don't forget Shiri.

Thanks :)

Spy Girl looks real interesting.

I've seen Ringu (As well as Ring Virus, Ring 2 and Ring 0) - are all 4 worth getting?

Shiri also looks good.. I'll keep an eye out for that as well.

I also saw a movie called "Wishing Stairs" or something like that - Is that any good?

Same question about "R-Point".

Welcome to the forum sofdec. :wave:

I'd give my strongest recommendation that you put the Korean film Save the Green Planet! at the top of your buy list.

Assuming you enjoyed "Breaking News" and "One Nite in Mongkok", then I'd say pick HK's Love Battlefield. Based solely on the lack of Internet reviews and little buzz on movie forums, it definitely falls into the overlooked category (though I think it did get some critical praise). I enjoyed Love Battlefield even more than both "Breaking News" and "One Nite in Mongkok".

If you liked "2LDK", then - even though you don't prefer "old-time" stuff - maybe consider Aragami. It is the other half of the "Duel Project" film challenge between the directors; each director was assigned the task of making a film based on the same general guidelines.

As far as comedy recommendations - though I haven't watched them yet - I've heard good things about the Japanese films Ping Pong and Waterboys.

Thanks :)

Absolutely loved Breaking News (And havent had a chance to watch Mongkok yet - But I heard it was real similar) so I'll definately throw Love Battlefield onto the list.

2LDK Was another favorite of mine, but I heard Aragami wasnt so great :(

Besides that, I've been looking for Green Planet and PingPing recently, just waiting for the store to get them in. Both looked real interesting :)

Here's another vote for <b>Save The Green Planet</b>! Great movie!

Wishing Stairs is the 3rd film in a loosely related trio of films that share an all-girl's school setting. It is also the weakest of the 3. The first was Whispering Corridor (not bad), and the 2nd and best was Memento Mori which I'd recommend.

Other Asian horror films I liked: (In order of preference by country)

Japan
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Cure, Kairo, Dark Water, Uzumaki, Inugami, St-John's Wort

- Cure is a fantastic film. Kairo is great too and by the same director Kiyoshi Kurosawa. I think Dark Water is better than Ringu. Uzumaki is... weird (in a good sense). Inugami is slow moving but I liked the atmosphere and cinematography. St-John's Wort has interesting visuals but the ending sucked.

- If you like gore and zombies, you can also check out Wild Zero and Junk.

Korea
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Tell me Something, Sorum, The Phone, The Uninvited, The Doll Master, R-Point.

- Tell me Something is a great thriller. I liked Sorum a lot but some people find it too artsy and slow. If you liked Ringu you'll like The phone. The Uninvited is alright + Shu Qi is in it. :) The Doll Master has an interesting but predictable plot and a few good scares. R-Point has the wimpiest soldiers I've ever seen but it has it's moments.

Hong-Kong
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The Untold Story, not for the faint of heart. Extremely gory and disturbing. Anthony Wong is fantastic in this film.
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Not a big fan of asian comedy but I thought that Men Suddenly in Black was funny.

If you likes Breaking News, try Throw Down, also by Jonnie To. What the heck, throw in The Mission while you're at it.

And yes, do check out Sympathy for Mr. Vengeance and Save The Green Planet. I'd add Memories of Murder as well.

any comments on tale of two sisters? any good?

Yup, cream of the crop. Best horror film of the past couple of years IMHO.

No luck on finding any of the mentioned ones (Although Spy Girl and Green Planet should be there in a week or so).

I did pick up Dead or alive 2 (To complete the trilogy), The Phone, Graveyard of Honor, Sisili 2km and Bunshinsaba. How's Uzumaki?

I saw it at Tokyo International Film Fest and met the star Chapman To and the director.The film was hilarious with a lot of way to cheat on your spouse in Hong Kong.
I would recommend it also.