Asian Film Hall of Fame [Archive] - Page 2

Citizen Rules

04-24-21, 10:06 PM

76788
Drunken Angel (Kurosawa, 1948)

Classic Kurosawa with terse & intense characters battling their inner demons in a vivid setting that defines the story. I wanted an image of that sewer water pond that seem to draw the despots like flies. The gangsters rule the roast and have arisen during the U.S. occupation of Japan. There's a subconscious layer to the film which functions as an expose on the breakdown of the Japanese culture which has become fixated on things western.

We don't see any U.S. servicemen up close in the film but I couldn't help but notice how much western influence was apparent. From the signs in English on the buildings to the U.S. style dance clubs and to the clothing the women and the gangsters wore. To me that was fascinating as this was made a scant three years after the war and during the American occupation.

No complaints here! This was a top notch film for me. As Ed would say Fudge ya! or something like that:p

Citizen Rules

04-24-21, 10:43 PM

76790
Black Rain (1989)

*spoilers*

Almost every night before I go to bed I read about the movie that I watched earlier that night. I look up the career & bio stories of the main actors on IMDB...and so often I read that the charming young actress or handsome young actor who I just seen in that night's movie had died young, too young. Often from health issues or some tragic event that came out of nowhere.

Black Rain was like the stories of those actors gone before their time. So full of hope and dreams, then like a light blinking out their gone. Everyone in Black Rain will be gone as they sicken and die from the radiation poisoning. We expect the older uncle and aunt to go. We expect the old sick people who spend their days fishing for carp to pass. But it seemed so unfair that such a young and lovely girl and so full of life would succumb to the black rain. She looked so happy.

We see this young woman relaxing with a hot bath as she enjoys the moment. We see her looking so youthful and serene...then a clump of her hair falls out, and she is left with the realization of her impending future, as she stares at strands of own hair held in her hand.

ueno_station54

04-25-21, 07:09 AM

Drunken Angel (Akira Kurosawa, 1948)
http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-bRcSInZEwNg/U6FQiiowWEI/AAAAAAAAEwA/L7F-KqXcM6s/s1600/Drunken+Angel+7.jpg
"Fine, I guess I do like Kurosawa", I reluctantly utter to myself following my viewing of this. Although through most of the film I was thinking "this is nice but I'm not gonna have much to say about it" and honestly that's still kind of the case but it did continue to grow on me as it went on as the filmmaking got more and more expressive, especially in that dream sequence and Mifune's last scene. There's a lot of real nice music in this and that's what mostly hooked me early on but the film going on to be extremely well paced made it easy to stay in. Yeah, just a simple, well executed film for the most part. Being made when it was of course I'm not surprised the film had an epilogue to wrap up the themes but I really wish it didn't because where final act ended was perfect. That doesn't prevent me from thinking this is still a great film and I guess I should stop dodging Kurosawa now that he's got two films I really love.

ueno_station54

04-25-21, 03:12 PM

Hanagatami (Nobuhiko Obayashi, 2017)
https://medias.quartierdesspectacles.com/import/vitrine/activity/19803/19803.jpg
This is it, the film Obayashi spent 40 years trying to make and you don't need to be told that because it is felt whist watching and even though the man managed to squeak out another masterpiece after this (Labyrinth of Cinema) this is truly his swan song. I don't think anyone has made films as absolutely soul-rattling as Obayashi has in this last leg of his career (I desperately need to track down Casting Blossoms to the Sky). God, I don't know how to quantify how essential this film is. Even after multiple viewings I'm sitting here post-credits and can just feel this film in my chest, in my bones, in the wells of my eyes still threatening to pool over. The free-flowing structure and masterful control of tone gives you so much breathing room that you can just bask in it and have the bitter but painfully hopeful emotions wash over you with time losing all meaning. Having only seen Hausu, a couple random director-for-hire type films, and these final 3 masterworks of his I'm dying to find out exactly when it was that he perfected cinema. RIP to a legend.

Wyldesyde19

04-25-21, 03:21 PM

HashtagBrownies

04-27-21, 09:22 AM

Rashomon: I remember on my first watch of Rashomon I didn't really get it; I asked myself why all the critics cared about the 'multiple perspectives' aspect of it, even though in nearly all the perspectives it is the bandit that is guilty. In further consideration I understand it a bit better: Don't look at it from a murder mystery angle, look at it from a story angle. The point of showing different perspectives isn't to show who's really the killer and who's not, it's to show that people will usually try to make themselves look good or guiltless when giving their side of a story. Now I appreciate the film a bit more. I'm still not a massive fan of the ending though: I understand it's trying to appeal to the theme of the good and bad aspects of humanity, but it still feels too unrelated to the main story.

Apart from that I have nothing else to say, other than it's shot wonderfully and Mifune is great as always.

Very good pick Allaby.

CosmicRunaway

04-27-21, 01:51 PM

We've had a nice string of reviews on this page. I wish I had something worthwhile to add, but I don't, so I'll just say that they're all a pleasure to read. 👍

edarsenal

04-28-21, 01:09 PM

https://imagecurl.com/images/59559148933220999984_thumb.png

Drunken Angel aka Yoidore tenshi (1948)

Sanada: You know Takahama's clinic? Takahama and I were classmates at med school. Looking back, he and I were like night and day even then. He was always buttoned-down. And what was I like? Pawned my clothes to pay for brothels. It was my nature, but if only I hadn't strayed back then. But strays always have their reasons.

With a performance that secured his longtime working relationship with Director Akira Kurosawa (as usual,) I thoroughly enjoyed Toshirô Mifune as the gangster dying of TB. But, it was, for me, along with Kurosawa's intentions, that this was Takashi Shimura's film as the "Drunken Angel," Dr. Sanada. His mixture of gruff cynicism and dedication to helping his patients brought forth some great scenes and dialogue, especially when it came to the banging of heads between him and Mifune's Matsunaga. Always ending their arguments by throwing sh#t at each other as Matsunaga stormed out. It was a great dynamic that I've seen very often but still, fully enjoy and rate this very highly among their ilk.

As far as the growing list of Kurosawa films I have seen I would put this Blind Grab around mid to lower level and only because of the others - so far. Since, in the end, it is STILL Kurosawa, it is d@mn good. My initial respect and admiration of his craft are continually being confirmed as I (finally) start seeing more and more of his work. My desire to see more seems to grow with equal gusto with these recent opportunities provided by these HoFs.

edarsenal

04-28-21, 01:14 PM

Snake in the Eagle’s Shadow

I dig martial arts films. Much like slashers, you know what you’re in for.
Sometimes you can one across a gem though. This hits somewhere in the middle.

It’s your standard stranger shows up and teaches some wayward youngster Kung fu. Throw in some bad guy looking to kill the teacher, and the student learning some self respect along the way and this is why you have.

The saving grace here, is the student is played by some guy named Jackie Chan. Perhaps you have heard of him? 😜
As always, his comic timing helps put some charm in an otherwise standard martial arts flick.

The Kung fu works as well as any other, but it’s better then say 5 Element Ninjas, and almost on par with Mad Monkey Kung Fu. Not bad really.
While looking for a good link of this film the small bits I saw as I searched for a good subtitle with original dialogue the flood of memories of cheesy Kung Fu films from the 70s that played out on local TV back then on Saturday Afternoons came rushing in.
Adding that it'll be a young Jackie Chan in the early years of his career, this is going to be a very FUN film to watch.

edarsenal

04-28-21, 02:37 PM

***A double post for the Asian and the Personal Recommendation Hall of Fame III***

https://media3.giphy.com/media/vxjDJZIvE0qek/giphy.gif
https://i.gifer.com/EwqB.gif

Rashomon (1950)

Somewhat sheltered from the downfall of rain, two men convey to a third the bafflingly emotional experiences of a trial they had just witnessed.

Unlike many judicially oriented mysteries that, at one point or another, muse the fallibilities of Human Nature, Rashomon switches the focus entirely around. To the point that we not only do not see the ones convening over the trial, but we never hear them either. Kurosawa's camera is setting us in their place.
As each person's perspective of events is told and the variance of detail is emphasized, we are given a more metaphorical/philosophical conundrum to ponder. The three men's perspective on Life and Humanity creates a kind of discussion board. They are analyzing the stories given and why people lie. The discovery of the truth of the incident in question becoming secondary.

I have always been hesitant about seeing this film for some cockamamie reason whenever I heard it spoken of. Thinking it may be a hard watch or perhaps a little too much of a dirge to experience.
I was very pleasantly mistaken.
Understanding Kurosawa's intentions beforehand also helped so that my mindset wasn't about who was guilty, who was covering up for who, but, instead, on the greater scheme of things that is a staple of an Akira Kurosawa film: Examining Human Nature via Visceral Scenarios. The examinations are taking a more central stage as opposed to being the filler of good storytelling.
Rashomon, for me, emphasizes this even more than my previous viewings of his Movie List so far.
So much so that it is almost an easy mistake to forget to mention the cinematography that is always exceptional when watching Kurosawa. The composition, Point of View, and so forth, adding so much to the subject matter in the cerebral, emotional and visceral aspects.

Another great Kurosawa film and another excellent experience causing yet another, F@CKIN YAY

ueno_station54

04-28-21, 05:59 PM

Trying to finish the remaining films I have to watch in the next two days so excuse the incoming spam.

Black Rain (Shohei Imamura, 1989)
https://shoheiimamura.files.wordpress.com/2010/11/rain.jpg
Probably says more about me that it does the film but this didn't land for me at all emotionally. For one, "based on true events" type films do typically fall flat in this regard for me, as a dramatization of an awful tragedy usually feels faker than a fictional tragedy, on film at least. The film also seemingly can't decide if it wants to be a character study on Yasuko or the whole community and unfortunately it doesn't give enough time to either. The filmmaking is extremely impressive as far as recreating the vibe of films from the 40's/50's, probably the strongest example of it I've seen in fact and while the film mostly plays if straight there's a few visual flourishes here and there that are really tasty. That being said, as impressive as it is to copy this older style perfectly, I'll always take something that feels a bit more genuine over it, and its a bit shocking coming from Imamura because from what little I've seen from him he's certainly a bolder filmmaker than this would lead one to believe. It's clearly not a bad movie at all, just not for me I suppose.

pahaK

04-28-21, 06:41 PM

I've watched Mother and Snake in the Eagle's Shadow. I'll try to write something about them soonish. Didn't really care that much about either.

Citizen Rules

04-28-21, 11:16 PM

https://www.movieforums.com/community/attachment.php?attachmentid=76958
Tears of the Black Tiger (2000)

I really liked the actress, Stella Malucch, to me she made the movie....but gosh I wish I just hadn't read about her. Geez, I'm a little stunned now so I'm just going to say this was a really neat nom...(I just managed to say gosh, geez and neat in the first paragraph, ha). I liked the romance part and Stella Malucch really poured her heart into it. I get the spaghetti western parody, which was well done, as a parody. Mostly I loved the colors and the Thai countryside.

Sorry about that pic, I couldn't find the image I wanted that wasn't blurry.

ueno_station54

04-29-21, 01:41 AM

Mother (Bong Joon-ho)
https://img.openloading.com/mother-2009-movie-big-4-123movies.jpg
Perhaps the least thrilling thriller I've ever seen. Nothing is ever tense, the plot is never intriguing and none of the mysteries are ever solved in a satisfactory way. And its a shame about the plot having nothing to offer because its the only thing the film is really offering you for pretty much the whole film. There's no real character building, no time for introspection or reflection between plot points, the film is just stuff happening and that's my least favourite type of film unless its in like a dadaist way. Technically the film looks pretty good, but the good shots never evoke anything, never feel like anything and though the film does manage to tie itself together with a decent moral quandary to end on, it doesn't excuse me being mindlessly bored for over an hour and a half beforehand.

jiraffejustin

04-29-21, 03:03 AM

https://i.imgur.com/22rlHjy.png
Drunken Angel

Kurosawa is one of the directors I am most interested in seeing everything he/she has done. I've seen Sanshiro Sugata, his debut, but this is the second earliest of his films I've now seen. He is already supremely talented, but it also seems clear that as an auteur he still had room to grow into himself. The only reason I feel comfortable saying that is because I have the ability to see what he became, I wouldn't have been able to imagine that had I seen this in real time. This film seems to lack the scope of Kurosawa's classics, such as Ikiru or Ran, though I do favor Kagemusha over Ran personally. I don't mean what I am about to say in a disparaging way, but I also think this film is much simpler than a lot of the later Kurosawa films I have seen.

The one thing that is clear, however, is Kurosawa was already a stylish motherf*cker. I am a big fan of the way Kurosawa played with shadows to make everything murkier, darker, grittier, grimier, tighter, tenser, dirtier, and less hopeful. The swamps and puddles littered with trash and discarded bicycles showing up over and over again along with the film being about a bacteria chewing through someone's lungs, really paint a different picture than the ones Kurosawa would later do.

A familiar Kurosawa element started in this film: Mifune. His turn in Yojimbo will always be my favorite, there is too much of a personal attachment to that film that I have for that to ever change. This might be my second favorite. His performance in this film is the carrying force. It's a big performance, it's loud, it's theatrical, but he is like a supernova. He goes from howling like a cartoon wolf, slapping around the doctor to looking like Cesare from The Cabinet of Dr. Caligari, stumbling through angled doors. All leading to a final fight scene that seems subdued and over the top at the same time. There is something very poignant about this fight scene and the way they fought all over the room to the hallway to Mifune opening up the window in such a dramatic way.

Citizen Rules

04-29-21, 10:30 AM

Allaby ueno_station54 CosmicRunaway

I see you're just about done and Cosmic is done...don't send your voting list to me, until I've posted on the 1st post that I'm done and have finalized my own voting list. I should have all the noms watched soon.

Allaby

04-29-21, 11:26 AM

CosmicRunaway

04-29-21, 02:55 PM

I low key forgot I still had to make my list, so thanks for the reminder. :cool:

ueno_station54

04-29-21, 09:19 PM

Paprika (Satoshi Kon, 2006)
https://static.wixstatic.com/media/b4ef85_b06f662d77e74c41b964be112001741c~mv2.jpg/v1/fill/w_1000,h_563,al_c,q_90,usm_0.66_1.00_0.01/b4ef85_b06f662d77e74c41b964be112001741c~mv2.jpg
Paprika is a film I've known and loved since it first came out and I have a bit of nostalgia for it (even though I was 15/16 when I saw it) as its a piece I watched a lot when I was first really exploring film as it were. At the time the visuals and (especially) the music were unlike anything I'd ever experienced. Since then I've seen films with stronger visuals in this vein and have certainly seen better "dream logic" type films but no one can touch Susumu Hirasawa's absolute god-tier music, in film or just on record. Tragically my DVD copy only has 5.1 sound which meant the music got buried coming through my stereo set up but its OK since I know these songs like the back of my hand. All the best tracks in Paprika have better versions on Hirasawa's album Byakkoya (White Tiger Field) and honestly I'd pick listening to that album over watching Paprika any day of the week (not a terribly relevant point, just want to push people to listen to Susumu Hirasawa records they're all incredible). Anyway, nowadays I'd say Paprika is good across the board. Visuals are good, story is good enough for what it needs to be, just solid all around and it has a couple little heartfelt moments that give it a bit of a boost as well. I feel like Kon was a great filmmaker that never quite reached his full potential, with all his films being quite good but just kind of missing something and I think Paprika, while perhaps not his overall strongest film (idk its been awhile since I've seen a lot of his stuff) I think its the one that leans into his strengths the hardest while not feeling too hollow as a result (this is of course excluding his series Paranoia Agent, which rips). Would have been nice if Madhouse honoured the man's dying wish and finished Dreaming Machine. Who knows what could have been.

ueno_station54

04-30-21, 04:12 AM

Dust in the Wind (Hou Hsao-hsien, 1986)
https://d2mdqraew06hxz.cloudfront.net/fni0n7ufklixkcrwp5lp.jpg
It's wild how so many movies look so bad when Hsao-hsien and/or his DP can seemingly just point the camera at the thing and it looks incredible every time. Obviously when you have scenery this gorgeous it helps a lot but I'm still so impressed by the seemingly effortless beauty on display. The visuals paired with the quiet bleakness of the plot is such a mood added to by the almost complete absence of music, though it would have been nice if the music that did show up wasn't incredibly lame. The bittersweet acceptance of a cultural it-is-what-it-is-ness really hit home for me and feels like something that will always be relevant. Thoroughly enjoyed this even though I did have a hard time following it at points, though admittedly the copy I drudged up from Russian internet had some awful subs.

And now, I've officially finished my first HoF. Clap plz.

CosmicRunaway

04-30-21, 12:36 PM

And now, I've officially finished my first HoF. Clap plz.
Congrats! It was nice to have you, and I hope to see you in future HoFs as well! I don't think there's a clap emoticon, but you can have a high give instead:

:highfive:

Citizen Rules

04-30-21, 12:49 PM

We now have two people finished, Cosmic and Ueno...Like Cosmic just said it was good having Ueno join us and hope to see him in some future HoFs.

I hope to be finished by next week myself.

edarsenal

04-30-21, 02:26 PM

edarsenal

04-30-21, 02:29 PM

jiraffejustin

04-30-21, 03:30 PM

Loved reading your perspective on, not only Drunken Angel, but of the "stylish motherf*cker", Kurosawa.

:D

Thanks ed!

jiraffejustin

04-30-21, 03:35 PM

Siddon

04-30-21, 07:16 PM

https://www.martialartsentertainment.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/07/chan-yuen-snake2-1978-740.jpg

Snake in the Eagles Shadow (1978)

As the person who nominated a Kaiju film I don't want to be to critical of peoples choices but with this one I don't get it. I guess this is a parody of kung fu films, or an intro to Jackie Chan as his first major break through but for me this was a narrative mess.

It's not a bad film, the humor is solid and really the strongest point of the film. The fight scenes are well shot and choreographed well...though really silly. Chan is sympathetic as a janitor and the dojo has some quality elements to it. I just couldn't keep track of the villains, the purpose of the villains. Also a number of characters seemed to leave the story and I had no idea what happened to them. It was just a whole lot of setting up for the next action sequence and it really didn't work for me.

Allaby

04-30-21, 08:08 PM

I watched Drunken Angel, which I had seen once before. I feel about the same as I originally did. This is a fine film, but not one of Kurosawa's best. I liked the performances of both Takashi Shimura and Toshirô Mifune. I thought the screenplay was pretty good, but not exceptional. The score was effective and I thought the cinematography was good. This film shows some of Kurosawa's potential and is definitely worth seeing. My rating is a 3.5. And with that I have completed the Asian Hall of Fame. It's been swell, friends.

Siddon

04-30-21, 08:15 PM

https://itpworld.files.wordpress.com/2010/08/drunken_angel1.jpg

Drunken Angel (1948)

Drunken Angel tells the story of a hoodlum diagnosed with TB in post war Japan. Kurosawa directs the film and it's stylish but for me I left the film feeling somewhat empty. The problem I have with early Kurosawa is that the budget doesn't exist so the story lacks. A film like this really needs to move out of second gear but it just sort of meanders for most of the second and third acts. The choices of shots are really good and score is solid.

You also have a fairly bad gender imbalance with this one where Okada and Miyo are really just background pieces...prizes for the male leads to win. I also don't know if Kurosawa who the lead of the story is...is this Mifune's story or Shimura's? For me the viewer it just makes me feel disconnected and I didn't really care about any of the characters.

Citizen Rules

04-30-21, 08:27 PM

...And with that I have completed the Asian Hall of Fame. It's been swell, friends.Congrats Allaby, It was good having you join. See ya in the 25th!

CosmicRunaway

05-01-21, 06:21 AM

I also don't know if Kurosawa who the lead of the story is...is this Mifune's story or Shimura's?
Yeah, the story seems to be told from the doctor's perspective, but the plot itself primarily revolves around Matsunaga. I think it would've been more interesting if Matsunaga was the prime focus of both.

ueno_station54

05-01-21, 07:05 AM

The timing on this getting announced couldn't have been better lmao
https://pbs.twimg.com/media/E0Oks0nXMAEN2tn?format=jpg&name=large

pahaK

05-01-21, 06:03 PM

I bundle two short reviews into one post. Had a hard time writing anything, so these are short and fragmented sketches.

Mother (2009)

This is probably my fourth Bong Joon-ho film (though, admittedly, I don't remember anything about Memories of Murder). He's a technically proficient director, but I've failed to connect with any of his works. Mother continues that trend.

The offbeat writing of characters and story feels out of place (like the acting in Lanthimos's films, it sticks out like a sore thumb). It keeps you from feeling anything for these fictional people. Maybe it's a joke I don't get.

The leading lady does a great job. No one else has much of a character to play. There are some stunningly beautiful shots. The twist felt obvious. Technically good stuff that doesn't do anything for me. I don't hate it, I'm just indifferent.

--
Snake in the Eagle's Shadow (1978)

I've never liked Jackie Chan's movies. I respect his stunts and physique, but the films are often awkwardly childish. They're like slapstick comedy without clever writing or charisma dressed up as a kung-fu film.

Fights are plenty but go on for too long. Strikes lack impact, and they feel more like choreographed dancing than actual fighting (which they sort of are, but I'd appreciate an illusion). The story gluing the fights together is dull and stupid even by the genre standards. There are no characters to speak of.

While I often enjoy the 70s movies the most, the martial arts films of that era are usually trash. Snake in the Eagle's Shadow isn't an exception.

jiraffejustin

05-01-21, 11:02 PM

I was going to watch Black Rain tonight, but a 2 hour black and white film about the devastating effect of nuclear weapons is a little heavy for me right now. I am going to watch Jackie Chan instead.

Citizen Rules

05-02-21, 02:31 PM

Rashomon (1950)

...what it was aiming for eludes me. I'm guessing what people like is the enigma of which of the four stories are correct? Perhaps Rashomon is meant to be a mind puzzle where one uses logic and insight to find similarities in the four stories and then decipher the truth from that...

Rashomon (1950)
...As each person's perspective of events is told and the variance of detail is emphasized, we are given a more metaphorical/philosophical conundrum to ponder. The three men's perspective on Life and Humanity creates a kind of discussion board. They are analyzing the stories given and why people lie. The discovery of the truth of the incident in question becoming secondary...Ah, that explains it! I always wondered just what Kurosawa was wanting to show us.

edarsenal

05-02-21, 05:57 PM

Ah, that explains it! I always wondered just what Kurosawa was wanting to show us.
It could be.
It's definitely my attempt at a guess at it. lol

rbrayer

05-03-21, 02:51 PM

Dust in the Wind (1986)

I was not adequately prepared for this film. Usually, when I hear "coming-of-age romance," my mind doesn't go to either "narrative experimentation" or "unexplained time jumps/flashbacks." and I'm not going to lie, I initially found this to be beautiful but slow and very hard to follow. I've since read up a bit on Hou Hsiao-hsien and his style, and it seems clear that this one would benefit from concentrated repeat viewings. Nevertheless, the movie does impliedly teach you to watch it as it goes, and I found the story more comprehensible as I went along.

But from what I could tell/can gather, the story is only a small part of the point of this coming-of-age "romance" (quotes as this is the least romantic romance I can remember seeing, so much is unstated and assumed - the leads barely make physical contact let alone kiss or anything further). The point seems to be setting a particular mood and exploring coming-of-age and city v. country/modernization themes. In this regard, the film succeeded. The contrast between Wan's city life and life with his family in the country is stark. The maturation of Wan and his pseudo-partner Huen is told visually and subtly but is clear enough. Interesting, if a bit boring on 1st watch. I will return to it. For now it's an incomplete. 3.5/5.

edarsenal

05-03-21, 03:05 PM

http://cdn.funnyisms.com/419fbfa8-9e9e-43e6-9699-a79d95e779fa.gif

Snake in the Eagle's Shadow aka Se ying diu sau (1978)

Finally.
FINALLY!
A cinematic endeavor of actual substance! Invigorating the cerebral while challenging one's philosophical speculations with artistry and poetic nuance.

Oh, wait, no, not really.

It's cheesy, B-Movie, Saturday Matinee, popcorn-chomping parody. That, for me, holds a nostalgic allure that was pleasantly appeased. Hitting very many of the Checklist of its ilk: Two warring schools of Kung Fu, an unrealized Master awaiting an elder Master to release that potential, Choreographed Dances resembling Fights, and a ton of silly behavior with over-the-top acting.
Adding to the mix, Jackie Chan, doing what he does best - Kung Fu infused with a comedic, slapstick.
https://45.media.tumblr.com/9f4e53dd7184353a723228defe676de4/tumblr_mp3wl9kqjk1rdsiguo5_250.gif

Also, there were a couple of very cool cameos, including Chi Ling Chiu as the Brick Breaking Teacher, Mr. Liang, who I know as Tailor from my ultimate favorite parody/Tip of the Hat film Kung Fu Hustle (https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0373074/?ref_=nm_knf_t1).
https://en.hkcinema.ru/photo/250-170-d9b87c43.jpghttps://64.media.tumblr.com/535e7c6d35ec15e7e95e86804d12c313/tumblr_pfd3twuUU21rmrpdmo2_400.gifv

So, yeah, while this may not be a film of substance, it still feeds the kid in me who got a kick out of these films back in the seventies.

edarsenal

05-03-21, 03:08 PM

jiraffejustin

05-03-21, 03:53 PM

https://woolongtalks.files.wordpress.com/2015/08/1823.jpg?w=500
Snake in the Eagle's Shadow

Jackie Chan was never the heir to Bruce Lee, he was the heir to Buster Keaton. He just happened to do Kung Fu films. Snake in the Eagle's Shadow is pretty light on plot and pretty much everything other than choreography and charisma. It's unfortunate that the best part of the film from a plot development standpoint is also a bit on the animal cruelty side and depending on which version you watch, a bit on the censored side. The version I watched had the snake vs cat scene unmolested, and I have to say, it was the most intense scene in the film, sort of betraying the tone set by the rest of the film. I don't like that it was censored, because it provides a bit of a continuity issue. That said, I get it if somebody wouldn't want to watch a snake and cat fight each other. Watching the fight scenes reminded me of popping and locking, in a good way. Obviously the fight scenes are not realistic, which I figure I should mention since I had a beef with the fight scenes in the other martial art films, but I guess I am more forgiving to this style since it feels a little more mythological and cartoonish, with the warring schools and trying to be like animals when you fight. A lot of this stuff is pretty boilerplate for martial arts films, but I could watch Jackie Chan all day and not get bored. Now, name ten things that aren't Jackie Chan.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=d8u4CEBVq7s&ab_channel=GesturSveinsson

Citizen Rules

05-04-21, 12:18 PM

https://www.movieforums.com/community/attachment.php?attachmentid=77230
Dust in the Wind (1986)

A reflective look at two young people in love from a small, rural village in Taiwan. Director Hsiao-Hsien Hou takes a 'far away view' of the life and people of a remote mining village. There's not many close-ups, instead the director keeps his camera lens more mid range, this gives us a feeling of being an invisible observer of these people's lives. As such we don't deeply get to know them, instead they're a canvas in which we can hang our own thoughts and feelings onto. We do learn enough about them to understand what kind of lives these people live. They don't have big fancy houses and they do have to travel far away to the big city of Taipei just to earn a decent living. Life sort of just happens and they follow along, which is often true wherever you live in the world.

Dust in the Wind, isn't the type of film that leaves one feeling emotionally stirred or deeply contemplative and yet it does 'feel' like I've seen a slice of life in a far away place both geographical and temporally out of reach.

I enjoyed it.

rbrayer

05-04-21, 01:56 PM

Tears of the Black Tiger (2000).

So this HOF has been treating me well. Since a shaky experience with Chocolate, the films have all been at least outstanding in some respects. Some in many.

Well, the streak is over.

This movie is bad. Like MST3K (or Rifftrax) should riff bad, which at least means somewhat entertainingly bad. If Sirk, Leone, and Peckinpah had a baby, but that baby had severe mental disabilities, it might look something like this movie. Supposedly there is parody here. To me this seems like a post-hoc justification, like when Tommy Wiseau now claims The Room was always meant as a comedy. I did laugh a few times, but at parts I don't think were intended as funny. Maybe it's cultural.

The heart of the film is the star-crossed relationship between Dum Dua and Rumpoey Prasit, who connect as children and form a strong love that never wavers. Dum Dua and his family work on Rumpoey's father's estate. They are banished to rural Thailand when Dum is blamed for an incidentin which he defends Rumpoey's honor. Through a series of events, Dum becomes an outlaw, the "Black Tiger," initially to avenge his father, murdered by gangsters, but becomes quite good at it, drawing the jealousy of his colleague, Mahesuan. Meanwhile, Rumpoey gets engaged to a military captain, Kumjorn, who is hopelessly in love with Rumpoey. This sets up the movie's main conflicts.

A few problems: there is ZERO chemistry between Dum and Rumpoey. Zero. That's partially because the actor, Chartchai Ngamsan, has exactly three facial expressions, only two of which he frequently uses. He seems to perpetually have indigestion. The actress who plays Rumpoey, Stella Malucchi, is one of the film's few bright spots. She can act. Unfortunately, that works to the film's disadvantage, as it highlights Ngamsan's weaknesses. It's very difficult to believe they are even a couple, much less in love. It's just as strange that Dum's rival, Kumjorn, does not realize until the end of the film that Rumpoey is in love with someone else. Rumpoey does not so much as make eye contact with Kumjorn until they are already married. Kumjorn is unbelievably clueless in the literal sense - I don't believe any human could be that oblivious. If this is meant to be funny, the film does not clarify this point.

The fighting and shooting etc are alright, but no patch on Peckinpah. The movie is also way over-impressed with itself, like when it stops to rewind and show you how amazing a shot was early on. The shots are silly and nonsensical. One involves two bullets hitting each other directly. Absurd enough. What's really ridiculous though is that the path of only one bullet (a villain) is diverted while the other bullet (that of the hero) hits its mark.

I have no problem with movies that mash up genres so long as each side is done well. Here, neither side works on either a character or action level. 1.5 stars, and I think I'm being generous.

edarsenal

05-04-21, 10:15 PM

did my revisit of TofBT and will most likely get a review in tomorrow

Citizen Rules

05-05-21, 07:00 PM

LESS THAN ONE MONTH UNTIL THE DEADLINE! June 1st

Some of you I know are already done, and everybody seems to be on track.
@jiraffejustin (https://www.movieforums.com/community/member.php?u=76459) @edarsenal (https://www.movieforums.com/community/member.php?u=50536) @HashtagBrownies (https://www.movieforums.com/community/member.php?u=96250) @Allaby (https://www.movieforums.com/community/member.php?u=110465) @Siddon (https://www.movieforums.com/community/member.php?u=95448) @Wyldesyde19 (https://www.movieforums.com/community/member.php?u=104656) @ueno_station54 (https://www.movieforums.com/community/member.php?u=111569) @rbrayer (https://www.movieforums.com/community/member.php?u=102321) @pahaK (https://www.movieforums.com/community/member.php?u=100614) @CosmicRunaway (https://www.movieforums.com/community/member.php?u=90868)

Happy watching:)

edarsenal

05-06-21, 01:27 PM

edarsenal

05-06-21, 02:06 PM

https://static.rogerebert.com/uploads/review/primary_image/reviews/tears-of-the-black-tiger-2007/EB20070301REVIEWS703010303AR.jpg

Tears of the Black Tiger aka Fah talai jone (2000)

Parodying the old Western serials with Harlequin Romance Novels influence, TofBT brings a very Thai flavored color scheme of bright pastels that, in its self, contrasts the sepia-toned norm of old-time Westerns. Even the mix from wooden performances to over-the-top exaggerations causes one to think back on some of the more nonsensical versions that still, somehow, retain a kind of fondness when viewing them.
For me, Tears of the Black Tiger succeed in that manner. Even after admitting and agreeing to much of the critiques in other reviews for this film. As well as the highlights regarding the truly exquisite color scheme and Stella Malucchi's performance of Rumpoey.
https://images.fandango.com/ImageRenderer/400/0/redesign/static/img/default_poster.png/0/images/masterrepository/fandango/101622/tearsblacktiger_pic3.jpg

Are those highlights enough to lift it above the male counterparts' bad acting? For me, yeah, it does. Especially since they are parodies of past stoic Good Guys and boisterous Bad Guys, befitting the style of the film regarding poetic-infused Romance to the point that the "illusion" created by movie making is in its self, slightly parodied. Many of the effects having a bit of cheesiness to them that still endears without becoming annoying. A tricky slope that will not work for everyone but does for me.

This has been a very pleasant revisit for me.

Citizen Rules

05-06-21, 02:37 PM

Glad you liked Tears of the Black Tiger, Ed. So that was your second watch, did you see it in prep for the western countdown?

Citizen Rules

05-06-21, 02:39 PM

I've got two more films to watch before the deadline, I'll make it! But wow, I've never been in so many HoFs at once. I'm in this Asian HoF, 25th HoF, Russian HoF and the Personal Recommendation III....Lots of movies on my plate! Then I have to finish my voting ballot for the upcoming Foreign Language Countdown whose deadline is June 10th

Wyldesyde19

05-06-21, 03:30 PM

I also liked BTotT. I didn’t expect to, but it won me over with its quirkiness.

Citizen Rules

05-06-21, 09:22 PM

https://www.movieforums.com/community/attachment.php?attachmentid=77374
Paprika (Satoshi Kon 2006)

I won't claim that I understood all of the dream trippin' stuff, but I enjoyed the film anyway🙂 In fact, not fully 'getting' every scene would seem to be intentional on the part of the director...or maybe I'm just clueless!

The look of the richly inhabited dream world was visually cool...I love films often just for their creative visuals....and Paprika was very creative visually! So much cool stuff to see that I had a hard time choosing a photo, so I went with a simply image.

Besides the dream stuff I liked that the lead was a female. I often like movies with female leads as to me they have more heart. The alter ego of the carefree Paprika & her real self the cloistered Chiba also made the film a fun and worthwhile watch.

edarsenal

05-07-21, 03:54 PM

Glad you liked Tears of the Black Tiger, Ed. So that was your second watch, did you see it in prep for the western countdown?
Not for the Western, though for Asian films I did initially have The Good, The Bad, and The Weird, it ended up not making the final list.
I saw Tears around ten years ago, give or take. The colors and bright costumes were what I remember from it.

Wyldesyde19

05-07-21, 04:21 PM

Not for the Western, though for Asian films I did initially have The Good, The Bad, and The Weird, it ended up not making the final list.
I saw Tears around ten years ago, give or take. The colors and bright costumes were what I remember from it.
The Good, The Bad and The Weird is another good one!

I’ll have a review up for Chocolate tonight.

Wyldesyde19

05-08-21, 03:00 AM

Chocolate

A pretty standard martial arts flick from Thailand that pits a child against a gang. In dire need of money, to help pay for her mother’s hospital bills, and medicine. Her mother was involved with the gang previously but her role was never quite defined as far as I could tell. Perhaps the boss’s lover?
She falls for a rival Japanese yakuza member and are forbidden to see each other. But ultimately, old grudges never die....

The action was good, although the CGI flies were dumb. It was odd to watch all of these adults go after a young girl with any sharp tool they could get their hands on as if it was an after thought.

I mean, the firm was pretty good. Her portrayal of autism (?) was decent. As were her martial arts skills. But really, that was it.

Ok movie...not bad, but not good either. A near miss. Somewhat entertaining.

Ok, I’m tired and I’m apparently rambling as I type this.
Night.
*zzzzzz*

jiraffejustin

05-08-21, 05:30 PM

https://post.healthline.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/08/paprika-benefits-1200x628-facebook-1200x628.jpg

Not quite as good as I remember, but I was still won back over by the end of it. For some reason I remember the film being beautiful, but that's not exactly what I would call it. There was a lot of interesting imagery and a lot of very Japanese imagery, and a bunch of weird sh*t happened, Inception ripped it off and it's pretty cool. The movie is about dreams, but I was thinking a lot of about people having alternate identities on the internet, like going from Chiba to Paprika. I don't have too much to say about it, I'm sure there are some cool videos on youtube that dive into the philosophy of it or whatever. It's a strong film.

CosmicRunaway

05-08-21, 06:17 PM

Love the pic you used for Paprika, jj. :lol:

edarsenal

05-08-21, 09:41 PM

silly @ss me had to read Cosmic's comment to realize which film jj was reviewing through the first half of it. :rolleyes::D

pahaK

05-09-21, 05:56 AM

I started Dust in the Wind today, but it'll be another two-day endeavor for me.

Citizen Rules

05-09-21, 01:08 PM

I started Dust in the Wind today, but it'll be another two-day endeavor for me.That one went quickly for me, it's slow paced but I was always interested....I have one more nom left and it's nearly 3 hours long, so I might have to break that one up over a couple of days.

CosmicRunaway

05-09-21, 01:39 PM

I have one more nom left and it's nearly 3 hours long, so I might have to break that one up over a couple of days.
Hanagatami is conveniently broken up into acts, so if you're going to watch it over a few days, it has built-in stopping points.

Citizen Rules

05-09-21, 02:27 PM

Hanagatami is conveniently broken up into acts, so if you're going to watch it over a few days, it has built-in stopping points.Good, do you remember how many acts it has? Maybe I can plan out my movie watching week around it.

CosmicRunaway

05-09-21, 02:55 PM

Good, do you remember how many acts it has? Maybe I can plan out my movie watching week around it.
I'm pretty sure it was 3.

Citizen Rules

05-09-21, 02:59 PM

I'm pretty sure it was 3.Ah, perfect, then it'll be three nights watching it for me.

edarsenal

05-09-21, 06:21 PM

if anyone be so kind, would love a link for Paprika; in Japanese, English subbed.

Th-th-th-Thank You
:)

Citizen Rules

05-09-21, 06:55 PM

if anyone be so kind, would love a link for Paprika; in Japanese, English subbed.

Th-th-th-Thank You
:)
I got one, I'll PM you.

edarsenal

05-09-21, 08:03 PM

I got one, I'll PM you.

SWEEEEET

VERY much obliged!! Thank you, good sir!!

As I remarked in private message; SERIOUS peckish to check this out tonight

HashtagBrownies

05-09-21, 08:38 PM

Hanagatami: I'm genuinely curious why Ōbayashi's other films are barely recognized, considering that he made an absolutely beloved film in the 70's. Is it simply due to how difficult it is to find copies of them? Anyway, onto the film. His style has changed since Hausu but it still similar. I liked the usage of the strong colors and purposefully bad effects, it adds a really high level of uniqueness and character to the film. Some of the music was really good, but other times I found it very intrusive and out of place. All of the acting is very good. One thing I didn't like was how half of the dialogue was just characters stating vague philosophical viewpoints (in a somewhat monotone voice) that aren't elaborated on or factored into the film. I also agree With Cosmic's comment, the bit where a certain character tries to romantically kiss their relative was VERY weird.

There is one element of the film that really tainted it for me though:
I hated Kira with a f*cking passion. The film tries to depict him in the same way that American coming-of-age films depict the bully character: a jerk that is still likable and sympathetic. I'm sorry, but you really cross the line of likeability when you kill the dog of a main character for no reason and laugh about the fact that you caused your mother's suicide. This also doesn't seem to bother any other character in the film; they continue to associate themselves with him despite the fact he's done and said these horrible things. How can I be expected to sympathize with these characters when their moral compasses are out of line in regards to Kira? Because of this, it tainted my view of the film a lot and I don't know how likely I am to rewatch it.

I still enjoyed the film though and I'm excited to check out Labyrinth of Cinema. Great pick Ueno.

edarsenal

05-10-21, 12:00 AM

SWEEEEET

VERY much obliged!! Thank you, good sir!!

As I remarked in private message; SERIOUS peckish to check this out tonight
Well, that was pretty freakin AWESOME
Hitting a top-ranking, facing off against Millennium Actress and above Perfect Blue when it comes to Satoshi Kon for me.
Have yet to see Tokyo Godfathers so there's that wild card. But, yeah, f@ckin great anime.
Should be a review in the next couple of days.

CosmicRunaway

05-10-21, 03:47 AM

Well, that was pretty freakin AWESOME
Hitting a top-ranking, facing off against Millennium Actress and above Perfect Blue when it comes to Satoshi Kon for me.
I feel similarly. Millennium Actress and Paprika are very, very close. Perfect Blue is at the bottom, but that doesn't mean it's bad. Kon just made even better films. I'd probably rank what I've seen like this:

1. Tokyo Godfathers
2. Millennium Actress
3. Paprika
4. Magnetic Rose (from Memories)
5. Perfect Blue

Though it's worth noting that I've only seen Tokyo Godfathers once, so it definitely needs to be rewatched. It was, however, the only one of his feature length films that I loved from the start.

I actually hated Paprika when I first saw it, but liked it much more upon rewatch. I've now seen it three times. I found Millennium Actress boring the first time through as well, but again, a second viewing seven years later completely changed my mind. I thought Perfect Blue was okay the first time I saw it, and I rewatched it after my mind first changed on Paprika, and while I did like it a little more, I just prefer his other work.

edarsenal

05-10-21, 02:43 PM

I feel similarly. Millennium Actress and Paprika are very, very close. Perfect Blue is at the bottom, but that doesn't mean it's bad. Kon just made even better films. I'd probably rank what I've seen like this:

1. Tokyo Godfathers
2. Millennium Actress
3. Paprika
4. Magnetic Rose (from Memories)
5. Perfect Blue

Though it's worth noting that I've only seen Tokyo Godfathers once, so it definitely needs to be rewatched. It was, however, the only one of his feature length films that I loved from the start.

I actually hated Paprika when I first saw it, but liked it much more upon rewatch. I've now seen it three times. I found Millennium Actress boring the first time through as well, but again, a second viewing seven years later completely changed my mind. I thought Perfect Blue was okay the first time I saw it, and I rewatched it after my mind first changed on Paprika, and while I did like it a little more, I just prefer his other work.
Haven't seen Magnetic Rose and most likely should. Though Godfathers is the priority for me.
Millennium is slow, but there is an inherent beauty that sorta sneaks up on ya, so by the end, I was pretty endeared to it.
Blue took a couple of watches for me too, to, well, TRY to figure things out, and then the following time or two I just went with the experience instead of deciphering it all. Though, in all honesty, it's more the subject matter at certain points that lower it for me. Like all of Kon's the work is exceptional.

CosmicRunaway

05-10-21, 04:23 PM

Haven't seen Magnetic Rose and most likely should. Though Godfathers is the priority for me.
Tokyo Godfathers isn't a lot like the ones you've seen, so keep that in mind if/when you watch it. There isn't really any blending of fantasy and reality, which is something I enjoyed in his other features. Magnetic Rose definitely does have that, but it's also the only good part of Memories, so it might not actually be worth tracking it down since last I looked, it wasn't as easily available as his other work.

edarsenal

05-10-21, 06:43 PM

Thanks for the heads up

jiraffejustin

05-11-21, 06:37 AM

Spoilers ahead

https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/proxy/2Er6bQFiK4QuP7UY2TcYnSDXt-0po-43lFgO-YVb4YakQRx8faE9Cq90J0gRZUKp3VQnSv4XjaOWu6Hr7A650vWKKE3MAxpP51KzeDRSnJ4-

Black Rain

Spoilers ahead

I don't think I've ever seen a film nail a disaster (natural or man-made) so well. The chaos of the A-bomb being dropped on Hiroshima was fantastic, it almost seemed like something out of Dante's Inferno when people were walking around with their skin melted or a baked corpse lay stiff on the ground and power lines were down and people were getting shocked and black rain was falling from the sky, it was just perfect. For some reason, when a film nails something like that, I never expect the rest of the film to go as well, but in this case it just about does. The characters feel lively and real, almost fun to be around, they have senses of humor, it almost reminds me of the Jason Isbell song "Elephant" in that we know what is going to go bad and it will be heartbreaking but there is the other parts of life that get to go on before that last bit of life where "no one dies with dignity". My heart broke as soon as I saw Yasuko pull that first clump of hair out. I have a problem now too of not being sure if a film (or other art) is really as effective as I think it is or if my experience with losing my mother just makes me extra-sensitive to things like this. I just bring this up because the hair coming out reminded of when the chemo started causing my mother to lose her hair, so that moment was heavier than it might have been otherwise. I forgot multiple times during my viewing that this film was only 30 years old and not 70 years old. I don't know if classic Japanese directors were supposed to be payed homage during the film, but different moments had me thinking of at least Ozu. Maybe it's unfair to think of every black and white Japanese film about a family as being a nod to Ozu, but I guess that speaks to Ozu's legacy. It's not stylistically relatable to Ozu that much, but I did think of him. The only thing keeping this from being a five-star film for me were a couple moments of exposition that were a little too on the nose of being anti-war that took me out of the film. Not because I'm in love with war, but because no sh*t war is bad. But the next thing I say will kinda make me sound like I enjoy wars, but I didn't like the comment about unjust peace being better than a just war. Yeah, nope. I'll take a just war over unjust peace when the unjust peace would lead to things like slavery or Nazi world domination. Minor quibbles, this film is great. I look forward to more Imamura. Stream of consciousness over.

CosmicRunaway

05-11-21, 11:28 AM

I didn't like the comment about unjust peace being better than a just war. Yeah, nope. I'll take a just war over unjust peace when the unjust peace would lead to things like slavery or Nazi world domination.
I thought the quote was more in regards to how Japan was taken out of WW2. There was nothing morally right about targeting civilians with atomic weapons. That was what made the peace unjust. Bombings that should've been war crimes were instead heralded as a great victories. Even after personally suffering through that injustice, Shizuma would prefer never going to war again. No retribution, or repeating the cycle of violence.

Wyldesyde19

05-11-21, 02:00 PM

Went out and rented Rashomon and Paprika. Will watch both in the next few days

rbrayer

05-11-21, 03:36 PM

Rashomon (1950)

I'd seen this once before. I've assumed throughout this HOF that this would be my #1. My second watch made that abundantly clear. This is an absolute masterpiece - probably one of the 25 greatest films ever made and certainly among the most influential. A searing, heart-wrenching exploration of the philosophy of man, justice, and objectivity itself.

First the big picture: Rashomon is rightly famous for its subjective storytelling. The story involves four different perspectives on the same event, a murder in a heavily wooded grove. It is framed by philosophical discussions at the Rashomon city gate between a woodcutter, a monk, and a commoner. The monk and woodcutter relate a disturbing story to the commoner based on their own experience. The woodcutter tells of coming upon a murdered samurai while on a trip into the forest to cut wood. While in the forest, the woodcutter finds a woman's hat, then a samurai cap, then cut rope, then an amulet, and finally the body, at which point, he claims, he then fled to tell authorities about the body. The monk notes that he saw the samurai traveling with a woman in the same wood the day of the murder.

The film shifts to a trial format, at which the first three stories are told. Notorious bandit Tajōmaru (Toshiro Mifune) is accused of the murder. Tajōmaru claims he saw the samurai and his wife walking by and was so enchanted by the woman that he followed them. He claims to have tricked and captured the samurai, tying him to a tree, then seduced the samurai's wife (Machiko Kyō). The wife, shame by her behavior, begs Tajōmaru to release her husband and fight a dual for her heart. Tajōmaru agrees and, he claims, fights a glorious battle with the samurai, ultimately prevailing and slaying him while the wife runs off. The wife next tells her story, which materially differs in the details, followed by the murdered samurai's spirit via possession through a medium. The film concludes with the woodcutter's story, quite different than his original tale. The details should not be spoiled. Suffice it to say that the characters, their actions, and their motivations, differ significantly in each telling, with a spirited debate about whether man is hopelessly savage. It's a profound and mesmerizing look at the human condition, with all its warts.

Besides revolutionizing storytelling, Rashomon inspired decades of exciting, creative cinematography thanks to the groundbreaking work of Kurosawa collaborator Kazuo Miyagawa, who boldly pointed the camera into the sun, something then unheard of, and by constructing an abstract yet unified space for the action in the grove. It is impossible to tell how far into the woods we are at any point, where we are within those woods, or what the way out is. Kurosawa's and Miyagawa's him incredible composition is also present throughout, framing characters a bit like a Renaissance painting, in perspective and facing different angles, creating a dazzling depth of frame.

Then there is the acting. The first time I saw the film I was put off a bit by Toshiro Mifune's aggressive acting style. He spends a lot of the movie yelling, posturing, and being well...big. At the time, I decided this was probably a function of Japanese acting style/philosophy but I still found it jarring. I think I was correct, but I found it less jarring this time. Perhaps because I've seen a lot more Japanese films and a lot more Mifune. It's also partially because I think the style really embodied the character he was playing in such a strong way. Mifune is meant to embody our id and its selfish, frenzied desires. It's difficult to argue he doesn't hit the mark. Even better is Kyō, in a tour de force as the samurai's wife. Given the nature of her part in the narrative, she is required to play vastly different roles and motivations, yet handles each one flawlessly, going from the most gentle, weak flower, to a strong aggressor, to pure evil. It's genius.

In all, Kurosawa's first masterpiece is justly regarded as such. A giant leap from prior films and one that stands as one of the most influential films in cinema history. Bravo. 10/10.

pahaK

05-11-21, 09:45 PM

Dust in the Wind (1986)

A fragmented series of looks into the lives of people in a small Taiwanese town. I lost my attention halfway to the film and ended up watching the rest on a second monitor while surfing the web. Nothing ever happens, I have no idea why I should care about these people, and I fail to see the point of this movie.

77535

On the positive side, it looks really good. Picture compositions are great and in theory, the slow pacing fits them. I would have preferred to watch a series of still photographs and save like 90 minutes of my time, though.

Dust in the Wind is undoubtfully skillfully made, but it doesn't connect with me at all. The only thing I got out of it was a series of beautiful images. I want stories and characters but failed to find either.

Wyldesyde19

05-12-21, 04:56 PM

Paprika....wow. Probably better then Perfect Blue. I’ll have a proper review up later

Citizen Rules

05-12-21, 05:30 PM

Paprika....wow. Probably better then Perfect Blue. I’ll have a proper review up laterI liked Paprika much better than Perfect Blue.

Wyldesyde19

05-13-21, 03:08 AM

Paprika

Satisfied Kon made four animated movies, 2 of which I have seen now (Perfect Blue and Paprika). Millennium Actress will follow soon since it’s available on Amazon. And then there is Tokyo Godfathers, which follows a similar theme of three strangers caring for a abandoned or orphaned infant. (A plot that had been used previously in Ford’s 3 Godfathers, Three men and a Baby in France and America, and Ice Age)

I mention all of this because his films had been highly influential, and had Kon not passed away so suddenly, who knows where his career could have gone and what other films he could have released. As such, we have only a small glimpse of his talent.

In Paprika, we get a better sense of his talent then even in Perfect Blue. A decent film on its own. But in Paprika, we see a tighter approach to the plot. Even if it still gets a little confusing.

In the future, a psychologist uses a head band like device to enter ones dreams to aid them in their psyche. One day, a thief steals one with the intent to invade others dreams and manipulate them as they please. We get a few suspects in the beginning, but it isn’t hard to figure out who is behind it.
One of the psychologists, Dr Chiba has created an alter ego named Paprika. There are times Paprika seems to have her own identity early on. She said Ed in her search for the thief by a Chief scientist and a detective who she had been aiding as Paprika. The detective seems to have his own demons.

Anyways, without going too much into the plot reality and dreams merge, and I found myself captivated by the story and the animation.

After watching it, even if it did get a little confusing at times, I found myself wondering what Kon could have accomplished. Much like James Dean, Rainer Werner-Fassbinder or Pier Paolo Pasolini, he perished before his time but not before making his Mark with a small filmography.

Citizen Rules

05-13-21, 12:18 PM

Wyldesyde19

05-13-21, 01:43 PM

Nice review of Paprika, Wylde. I liked your insight into the director's career and your personal thoughts on it. I was confused by Paprika but I think that's OK because the characters in the movie were confused too by what was going on around them.
Yeah, it did get a little confusing towards the end. I feel they didn’t explain how the villain was able to become Omnipotent through the use of the device and how the dreams merged into reality. But then again, I guess it’s not necessary to enjoying the film itself.

Wyldesyde19

05-13-21, 07:28 PM

I’ll have my review up for Rashomon later tonight.

I think I appreciated it a bit more this time.

Wyldesyde19

05-14-21, 02:22 AM

Rashomon

A storm rages outside the gates of Rashomon. Inside, seeking shelter, are two men. A monk and a woodcutter. Each harbors a storm within themselves that mirrors the one outside. For both are troubled by the multiple accounts of a murder they have just heard.

So begins Rashomon. Hailed by many as Kurosawa’s best, or among his best.
It’s a film that debates humanity and openly asks how far it has fallen. And can it be redeemed?

Everyone knows the plot, by now. So I won’t go into it. This is my second time watching it in as many years (the first being last year’s personal Recc). As I suspected then, it is a film that grows with each viewing. Again, I found myself impressed by Mifune, as the bandit Tajomoru. Scratching himself, wiping the sweat from his brow, haphazardly sapping at some insect that happened on him. The way he laughs at others. It’s exaggerated at times, but it’s a rather exaggerated character anyways.

A great classic that seems to get better upon repeated viewings.

rbrayer

05-14-21, 03:38 PM

Hanagatami (2017)

Well this was something! I'm so glad this was nominated, as there was virtually no chance I would have seen this otherwise, and it was a fascinating and beautiful film, notwithstanding some serious flaws.

The film is primarily comprised of the hyper-visual, gorgeous, impressionistic, coming-of-age memories of the main character, Toshihiko Sakakiyama, and a brief time in his life prior to the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor. Toshihiko was then at a tender age, going to college, and naively immersed in the world (and Japan's) breathtaking beauty. Toshiko has left his mother in Amsterdam to attend school in Karatsu, a small town on the western coast of Japan. He stays with his aunt Keiko and his beautiful, but very sick cousin Mina. We know she is beautiful, both because she is and because the film tells us she is over and over and over again. I'm sure at least 10 minutes of the film's prodigious 169-minute runtime is the film telling us Mina is beautiful. At least 30 minutes of the film is comprised of the men of the film fighting over her. Less than 5 minutes is dedicated to her inner life, if that. This isn't great, but more on this below.

Toshihiko is fascinated by two fellow students: Kira, a crippled, moody, philosophical, cruel creature who commits an unforgivable act in the film's first 30 minutes that turned me against him for the rest of the film, and Ukai, a carefree, often shirtless manchild, who seems to eat the world whole. Shunsuke Kubozuka, who plays Toshihiko, was an inspired choice. He has huge, open, joyful eyes, that clearly convey his wonder at the cotton candy colored world imagined by director Nobuhiko Obayashi. Two girls, the tall, mischievous, and (by her own reckoning, unlucky in love) Akine, and plain Chitose who is treated horribly throughout the film by just about everyone including her supposed best friend Akine, round out the main cast.

Pros: Glorious visuals. This film is a treat for the eyes - for the most part, more on that in cons. Toshihiko's enthusiasm is contagious and is a great entry into the world. For the most part the film is fun to watch - I didn't even mind the run time. The story is captivating and well told. The surreal, dreamy cuts and abstract, stream-of-consciousness editing style is interesting and generally serves the themes of the film quite well. It's a fascinating look into pre-WWII Japan that includes points-of-view I've never been exposed to but was glad to experience.

Cons: As great as the visuals often are, the persistent imposition of just plain awful green screen really takes you out of the film. I initially thought the bad green screen was a filmic technique, like some of the odd speed/motion shots featured prominently early in the film. I realized this is not the case eventually, when it became clear that the technique was being used to fill in shots that were not adequately captured on location.

As mentioned, an early scene involving Kira was upsetting and, I thought, gratuitous. Here I was, enjoying the film immensely for 25 minutes and then - BOOM. Nothing was shown, thankfully, but it was still a problem for me. I wanted to turn it off for good. I'm glad I didn't, but I still hated the choice made here.

But the real issue with the film was its antiquated, regressive treatment of gender. I recognize that the film is based on a 1937 novel and set in a different culture, but this movie was made in 2017 ffs. Mina was literally just a symbol - I use the word literally properly here as the film expressly tells us this. But it's more than just Mina. This film seems sometimes to exist as proof of why the Bechdel Test is a thing. NONE of the women exist except in relation to the men. It's inexcusable, and really hurts what otherwise might have been a fantastic film.

So, what to do with this one? Let's go with 3.5/5 or 7/10 because it was really enjoyable to watch, if flawed.

Citizen Rules

05-14-21, 10:04 PM

http://worldscinema.org/wp-content/uploads/2019/02/Hanagatami-20177-e1549094427401.png
Hanagatami (Nobuhiko Ôbayashi 2017)

When you are young life can seem like an endless horizon...a horizon with endless possibilities and the world around is still fresh. Time is on your side. Even the specter of looming war can feel like more of an adventure than an immutable doom. Youth is hope and hope is life. Hanagatami is very hopeful and full of the exuberance of youth and the dreams they envision. Yet with the coming of war those dreams evaporate and youth becomes aged.

I can tell you that I had a hard time at first getting into this film. And I can say that it took me three tries to finally allow the film to sink in and understand it, at least in some degree. I can tell you that I respected and even enjoy it for the most part, and that's all true. But what affected me most was a simple short paragraph that I read on IMDB after watching the film:

On August 2016, just before the film start the shooting, director Nobuhiko Obayashi was diagnosed with advanced lung cancer and told he only left 3 months to live. But the strong will of making the film helped him living and finished the film.
Those few words changed the meaning of Hanagatami for me and the film then became an epitaph for a dying man. Now, I can see the director Nobuhiko Ôbayashi in the movies characters and in the choices they make. I can see him in Mina who knew she was dying and wanted to live on, if only in a photograph. I can see his choices as a young man in the exuberant Toshihiko who's so thrilled to learn how to smoke, while his friends caution him smoking does no good. I can feel his presences in the people who are long lost and live on in the setting sun of Manchuria. It's like he's recorded his own life via surrogate characters. Such a strange odyssey life is...Godspeed Nobuhiko Ôbayashi.

Citizen Rules

05-15-21, 12:31 PM

My own voting ballot is done and locked in. So go ahead and send in your voting ballots to me when done.

CosmicRunaway

05-15-21, 01:34 PM

I've sent my list in now too. Luckily I finalized it before starting the 25th, instead of procrastinating haha. Many spots for me were really close. Great set of films overall. :up:

Citizen Rules

05-15-21, 01:41 PM

I've sent my list in now too. Luckily I finalized it before starting the 25th, instead of procrastinating haha. Many spots for me were really close. Great set of films overall. :up:I had a bit of a hard time settling on my list. There was so many films this time that were worthy of winning, IMO. I'd only seen two of these in the past so I discovered some really neat stuff.

pahaK

05-15-21, 03:27 PM

I just finished Paprika. A review will come in a couple of days, but it reminded me of watching Nolan while doing LSD (apparently that would be an improvement).

edarsenal

05-15-21, 11:03 PM

https://thumbs.gfycat.com/HonorableCapitalEastrussiancoursinghounds-size_restricted.gif
https://thumbs.gfycat.com/BossyFailingHarlequinbug-size_restricted.gif

Paprika aka Papurika (2006)

A TRUE contender for fitting an Animation Film into my Foreign Countdown Voting List; let me just start by saying that now. (Unless I am able to fit in a viewing of Tokyo Godfathers beforehand and the two "duke it out".)
In regards to the marrying of the dream world and reality using pseudo technology, this, for me, clearly knocks it out of the park for Director Satoshi Kon.
Unlike his thoroughly, intentionally ambiguous Perfect Blue, and the slow meanderings of Millennium Actress I found this "Goldilocks Recommendation" quite ideal for me. My Old Fart's Brain comprehending the storyline's very enjoyable sojourn amidst the D.C. Mini's ever-expanding pageantry taking complete control of specific individuals. The "Race" to discover who is at the bottom of it all playing out quite expertly for me.
A well-crafted, visually impressive collage of cohesively chaotic imagery.
I was entranced - throughout.

I highly applaud and am completely, utterly delighted to have FINALLY experienced this.

Can I get a F@CKIN YAYYYYYYYYYY?

YAYYYYYYYYYY!!!

edarsenal

05-15-21, 11:04 PM

Next, possibly tonight, Daimajin

edarsenal

05-16-21, 03:05 AM

https://24.media.tumblr.com/6dc1162606d678b6b6053d0dcfd52872/tumblr_n4vg4pPwjf1qedb29o1_400.gif
http://37.media.tumblr.com/2726ba93cce3816df8eefe89d09cfb80/tumblr_n4vgnvNRtT1qedb29o1_400.gif
https://i.gifer.com/LFjw.gif

Daimajin (1966) dubbed

This was actually pretty f@ckin good. Done really f@ckin well for its genre, and I really, really f@ckin enjoyed it!

Going the nostalgic route with dubbing from me wee pup dazes that ended up being very much on the mark on both syncing AND fitting the characters in this fantasy tale of an interruption of a holy ceremony to safeguard the God of the Mountain - remains imprisoned within a giant samurai statue. Its lower extremes within the mountain itself. The interruption brought about by a warring clan's attack on the local samurai clan. The parents dying in the attack and the two children, he's around seven, she's around three are taken to safety by an entrusted, loyal swordsman of the clan. A volatile officer hot on their heels.
Flash forward some ten years plus and the kids are late teen adults and the region's population are now indentured slave labor by the brutal usurpers.
The final disrespect to the God of the Mountain is an attempted demolition of the statue that halts when a spike is hammered into Majin's forehead and watery blood spills out.
Coinciding with the capture of the son, the swordsman, and the tortured loyal man of the court are being crucified as Majin awakens and f@cks up the usurpers. How he takes out the leader was f@ckin awesome. Amid, may I say, a VERY cool foreboding, bassy soundtrack.

As I initially said, this was done surprisingly well. Enjoyed thoroughly with a spiked coffee beverage in hand, and a pleasant pre-viewing puff, this was a pretty awesome, Late Night Saturday Night Film Feature.

Very, VERY, f@ckin COOL.

Oh, wait, I nearly forgot. Anyone else's version had a crazy, frantic intermission collage of random images of numbers and various breaks and other effects upon a real movie film?
Much in the fashion of a Grindhouse Movie intermission.
A definite plus to the version I enjoyed.

edarsenal

05-16-21, 03:12 AM

And now, what I imagine will be, a turn to the more serious selection of films with Black Rain 'Kuroi ame' (1989), Hanagatami (2017), and Dust in the Wind 'Liàn liàn fengchén' (1986) to wrap this up with.

In no planned order as of yet, so we'll see how that goes.

Citizen Rules

05-16-21, 12:57 PM

And now, what I imagine will be, a turn to the more serious selection of films with Black Rain 'Kuroi ame' (1989), Hanagatami (2017), and Dust in the Wind 'Liàn liàn fengchén' (1986) to wrap this up with.
All three are good. Hanagatami is the longest and Black Rain the shortest

jiraffejustin

05-16-21, 01:57 PM

https://i.imgur.com/T3FlxRF.png

Dust in the Wind

When I spoke about Mother I mentioned that I respect films that give you an unmatchable first-time experience, this film seems like the total opposite of that, and I respect that too. This film seems like it's going to be way better the second time around, because I will understand why I should appreciate the first part of the film. It's slow to get where it's going, things seem to be happening because that's how they are pre-ordained. The characters do what they must and they don't fight too hard to change outcomes. Life can do that to you, you don't often have control. Still it hurts when the boy you believe you will marry gets drafted and goes off to war and still it hurts very deeply when the girl you believe you will marry, marries another while you have no way to stop it.

Every one of you mentioned how beautiful the films is. Seconded. Several nominees have cooler visuals (Tears of the Black Tiger, Hanagatami, Black Rain, Drunken Angel, Rashomon), but Dust in the Wind is the runaway champ in shot-for-shot beauty. Everything being gorgeous gives it a high floor and kept me engaged throughout the first part of the film while I was still trying to find whatever it was that hook me.

https://i.imgur.com/QCNr7rZ.png
https://i.imgur.com/c7WDQKC.png
https://i.imgur.com/ExcUD1L.png
https://i.imgur.com/A2lZTWT.png
https://i.imgur.com/SdGceG3.png

Siddon

05-16-21, 07:29 PM

I hope Daimajin shows up on the countdown...it's one of the best Kaiju movies every made and worth people discovering.

edarsenal

05-17-21, 04:25 AM

I hope Daimajin shows up on the countdown...it's one of the best Kaiju movies every made and worth people discovering.
it was a definite pleasant surprise for me

HashtagBrownies

05-17-21, 06:07 PM

Drunken Angel: A film mainly told about two characters, both played by the iconic men Takashi Shimura and Toshirō Mifune. I did enjoy their relationship and how it was written, with the back and forth between the no-nonsense doctor and the impulsive but traditional young man. Usually Mifune steals the show in his films, but I felt it was Shimura who really shined here. I also appreciated the different shot choices and editing that would've been used rarely during that period (The expressionistic elements near the end were quite cool too). Kurosawa's subtle jabs at the American occupation feel quite similar to what Ozu did in Late Spring. I do agree with some user's criticisms that the story seems to meander too much and doesn't do much with the characters, but it didn't hurt my experience TOO much.

That's ll I have of note to say, good pick Edar.

I'd also like to note that whoever wrote the subtitles for the version I watched must've taken some great artistic liberties, because (correct me if I'm wrong) I doubt men called each other 'bro' in the 40's!

Citizen Rules

05-18-21, 11:50 AM

Drunken Angel:

I'd also like to note that whoever wrote the subtitles for the version I watched must've taken some great artistic liberties, because (correct me if I'm wrong) I doubt men called each other 'bro' in the 40's!Ha! I noticed that too. There was several times they used modern words that did sound authentic at all.

Citizen Rules

05-18-21, 11:50 AM

2 more weeks left until the deadline, June 1st

ueno_station54

05-18-21, 03:32 PM

I'd also like to note that whoever wrote the subtitles for the version I watched must've taken some great artistic liberties, because (correct me if I'm wrong) I doubt men called each other 'bro' in the 40's!
Pretty sure the term "aniki" is classic Yakuza slang that literally means "older brother". I think "bro" is the only way I've ever seen it translated.

rbrayer

05-18-21, 04:06 PM

Paprika (2006)

So this was my recommendation, but the truth is I haven't sat down and watched this in about 10 years, since I was fortunate enough to see it for the second or third time at a theater screening. I can honestly say that while I remembered being blown away by this film, I didn't remember what it felt like to be so blown away. What I mean is: wow. This is pure cinematic vision and artistry at a level that was decades ahead of its time in 2010 and remains so today. A colossal achievement in only Satoshi Kon's fourth film, and a constant reminder of all we lost when he passed so terribly young at only 46(!) of cancer.

My journey with Satoshi Kon began when my wife, a fan of anime, showed me Perfect Blue. Previously, she had shown me several films from her favorite anime director, the peerless Hayao Miyazaki. I enjoyed them of course - the visuals, fun, and sheer imagination always impressed me. But these were still kids movies - even my favorite to this day, [B]Spirited Away[B] doesn't age up more than to about 13. So I still had this cultural idea in my head that animation was fundamentally a kid's genre - a very common idea in the West. Boy, was I wrong.

Perfect Blue blew me away. Here was a suspense thriller every bit as exciting and adult as a Hitchcock or DePalma film. Here were reality-twisting visuals that rivaled Lynch. How was this possible?

Well, of course, animation is just a medium like anything else. And, as it turns out, the complete creative control it affords a director and its liquid, shimmery quality, makes animation the perfect artform to depict dreams (see also Waking Life (2003)). Kon takes this point to its logical conclusion here – in a huge way. Nearly every frame of this film is bursting with ideas and vision. From the opening dream – a nightmarish circus phantasmagoria of clowns and angry mobs all with the dreamer’s face – to the iconic “parade of everything under the sun,” as Kon put it, to the identity-merging/splitting/consuming off the clock, to the Paprika/Chiba doppelganger madness, describing this film in words is a fool’s errand.

The basic plot is simple. In the near future, a device called the DC Mini allows the user to view people's dreams. The head of the psychatric team working on this treatment, Doctor Atsuko Chiba, begins using the machine illegally to help patients on by assuming her dream world alter-ego "Paprika". Chiba's closest allies are Doctor Toratarō Shima, the chief of the department, and Doctor Kōsaku Tokita, inventor of the DC Mini. The latter, a massive man, genius, and consumer of all things, becomes Chiba’s love interest. The plot is driven by the theft of the DC Mini and its illicit use to force dreams upon the innocent. Police Detective Konakawa, the subject of Paprika’s dream counseling, becomes involved in the investigation. As others have noted, the plot gets convoluted at times and confusing. This never bothered me as the entire movie is essentially dreams-within-dreams-within-dreams-within Satoshi Kon’s and author of the novel upon which the film is based, Yasutaka Tsutsui’s dreams.

Kon’s talent is so prodigious, it’s staggering to think that we lost such a genius when his career was barely getting started. Indeed, the end of the film features Konakawa going to see a film recommended by Paprika – “Dreaming Kids,” which was intended as Kon’s next film. Kon begged his friend, a produce, to see it ultimately made, but despite some efforts, this never happened and it does not appear likely it ever will. Sad.

At least we have Kon’s four films, culminating in this, his masterpiece.

When you get right down to it, this is a film that must be experienced, which is exactly why I recommended it. 10/10.

CosmicRunaway

05-18-21, 04:29 PM

I'm glad Paprika lived up to your expectations rbrayer! It probably would've been heartbreaking if you watched it again after nominating it, but you weren't impressed anymore.

rbrayer

05-18-21, 04:51 PM

I'm glad Paprika lived up to your expectations rbrayer! It probably would've been heartbreaking if you watched it again after nominating it, but you weren't impressed anymore.

I had no concerns there. I knew it was hugely impressive and a masterpiece, I just didn't remember much of it and the feelings it evoked. I did think there was a chance I might not rate it as highly now as I did then - but if anything, my appreciation has grown on re-watch. That said, you're certainly right! That would not have been good!

Wyldesyde19

05-19-21, 01:14 PM

May I get a link to Dust in the Wind, please?

Citizen Rules

05-19-21, 01:15 PM

May I get a link to Dust in the Wind, please?OK

Wyldesyde19

05-19-21, 01:45 PM

OK
Thanks! 🙂

Thursday Next

05-19-21, 03:57 PM

Hello Hall of Famers, please don't forget to submit your foreign language ballot by June 10th!

click here for the thread (https://www.movieforums.com/community/showthread.php?t=63464)

Wyldesyde19

05-20-21, 07:08 PM

Dust in the Wind tonight, then making a push to finish this by the 1st.

rbrayer

05-20-21, 11:07 PM

Black Rain (1989)

To be honest, I was wary of watching this. It sounded terribly depressing, and it was, but it also was a fantastic film I am glad I saw, albeit not one I am in a hurry to rewatch.

The film begins with a devastating portrayal of Hiroshima the day the A-Bomb was dropped- August 6, 1945. We see normal city*life, unsuspecting and mundane. Then a massive explosion. A mushroom cloud. Chaos. Bodies everywhere. Severe burn victims. Dark skies during day. And black rain - poisonous fallout from the bomb.

Soon, the main characters, Yasuko, a young Japanese woman, and her Aunt Shigeko and Uncle Shizuma, come into focus. The three flee the City and the film cuts to 5 years later, 1950, when the trio are all living together in a small village.

The film flashes back and forth between 1945 and 1950 based on Yasuko’s diary and Shizuma’s journal. Many of the characters we encounter are developed by seeing them in these two times.

The effects of the bomb and the war are ubiquitous. Although Yasuko appears unharmed from the blast, nearly everyone else in the film has gotten severe radiation sickness, and more develop it all the time. Her risk of developing this sickness is a serious barrier to marriage - three proposals fall apart despite a clean bill of health from a doctor.

Another village resident, a poor man named Yuichi, suffers from PTSD from fighting in a tank unit during the war. The very sound of an engine running sends him into violent hysterics. He loves Yasuko and she ultimately develops feelings for her.

We come to care deeply about all of these characters. Imamura gives each one appropriate depth and complexity, all the more*to make it hurt when misfortune befalls them.

Hiroshima is a colossal undertaking to unpack, but this is a strong and imaginative way to do it: focus on a small group of characters and how the fallout literally destroys their lives slowly and unequivocally. At the same time, the flashes back to the day itself give us plenty of larger context, despite being very difficult to watch.

Art should make us uncomfortable. It should explore the human soul and all shades therein. This is a beautiful film, brilliantly told, well acted, and stunningly directed. A true achievement. It will stay with me a long time.

I am going to have a helluva time arranging my ballot! 10/10.

Mr Minio

05-21-21, 02:40 AM

Seeing your unenthusiastic reviews of Hanagatami, guys, and what problems you had with the film, I have to say Ueno is the only person worthy of naked full-moon horseback riding with me. Sorry, but you can only look.

ueno_station54

05-21-21, 07:54 AM

Mr Minio

05-21-21, 12:36 PM

mkay i'm goin' with jiraffejustin instead

edarsenal

05-21-21, 01:00 PM

Hello Hall of Famers, please don't forget to submit your foreign language ballot by June 10th!

click here for the thread (https://www.movieforums.com/community/showthread.php?t=63464)

THANK YOU so much for the reminder!!!

HashtagBrownies

05-21-21, 03:01 PM

Black Rain: A film about the effects of the Hiroshima bombing on a woman and her aunt and uncle. For a film that's mostly a quiet drama, it really goes hard on the bombing scenes: Rubble as far as the eye can see, burned bodies, empty eye sockets, very impressive and shocking. It's so odd to go from a Kurosawa film, where everyone shouts all the time, to another film where all of the performances are more realistic. On that note I think everyone did a good job with their performances. Love all of the scenes of the beautiful, green landscapes with the sound of the cicadas over them.

The last 30 or so minutes are interesting, cause it's just a steady decline as the family's situation keeps on getting worse by the minute, with the abrupt ending of Yasuko's possible death being the apex of it. I guess i would've preferred it to have a bit more story, but that's just a preference.
If I had any point of contention, it's that I wanted to see more of the relationship between Yasuko and Yuichi, though I guess its abrupt end was an intentional narrative choice to show that neither of them can get what they want due to the effects of the bomb.

Good film Citizen, I wouldn't have seen it if it weren't for you.

Wyldesyde19

05-21-21, 03:10 PM

Dust in the Wind

Hou Hsiao-hsien
Is a evocative director. His films are told in pretty straightforward, and allows gestures and dialogue to move the story along, while also weaving seamlessly into beautiful shots involving the landscape.

Dust is just a story of two friends, a girl and a boy, who may or may not be dating. It’s clear they have feelings for each other, but we never see anything romantic. Their life in Taiwan is shown as dispassionate as possible. There’s nothing exciting about it. But Hsiang-shine isn’t interested in being exciting. He tells a simple story here, and shows their interactions with each other and their family.

Or shouldn’t work but it does, and I can’t help feel a sadness for them by the end, as they both have gone their own ways. There is no real break up scene, although again I wonder if they were truly together or not. Just an announcement, a moment of sadness from the boy (Wan) and what’s seems like regret.

But this movie shows so much emotion rippling underneath its surface. And that emotion moved me.

I’m just sorry not everyone enjoyed it, but it is, of course, not for everyone.
Simplicity on its face, but much more then that.

jiraffejustin

05-21-21, 04:31 PM

mkay i'm goin' with jiraffejustin instead

*removes trousers*

Mr Minio

05-21-21, 05:10 PM

*removes trousers* https://i.imgur.com/tWBMyhE.png

Siddon

05-21-21, 05:13 PM

Is the deadline the 10th or the 1st?

Citizen Rules

05-21-21, 05:14 PM

Dust in the Wind

...There is no real break up scene, although again I wonder if they were truly together or not.... They weren't ever together (IMO of course). There was like this connection but we never see it go beyond a glimpse of what might have been. And that 'what might have been' aspect is pretty cool in my book, it's like the words into between the lines.

I’m just sorry not everyone enjoyed it, but it is, of course, not for everyone. Simplicity on its face, but much more then that.I enjoyed it...Simplicity is often what I want out of a movie (depends on the movie of course.) Good nom.

Citizen Rules

05-21-21, 05:16 PM

Is the deadline the 10th or the 1st?Deadline: June 1st

HashtagBrownies

05-22-21, 02:52 PM

10 days for 5 films, okey dokey with me.

edarsenal

05-23-21, 03:00 PM

I'll be checking out Black Rain this evening or, maybe one of the other two. . . But I will be doing one, and perhaps beginning another this evening.

HashtagBrownies

05-23-21, 06:40 PM

Paprika: First off, the soundtrack is fcking fantastic, it sounds kind of muddled but also melodically normal (just like dreams!), probably the best element of the film. I see some people took issue with the film's story, as in that it was too much and it was confusing. I personally didn't find it that confusing because I knew that even if certain parts were ambiguous, the scene would still fit into either 'The group trying to find the villain' or 'Konakawa confronting his trauma'. Use of animation and colour are awesome of course, Kon is very experienced and talented. I liked the story and the way it was written to have tons of interesting and fun visuals.

I didn't really have any issues with the film, but I do have some questions:
-This part may have come up in the film but maybe I didn't catch it. Chiba is able to control her actions in her dreams (like lucid dreaming) because she uses Paprika as a persona, allowing her to defeat the villain. Is she the only one who can do this? If so, why? Couldn't she have used this autonomy to defeat the villain in the dream sequences earlier in the film? (Considering that dreams basically have no laws of physics, she could simply will herself to kill him like she does at the end).
-I'm not sure why the films tries to connect Konakawa's resolution of his trauma with his shooting of Osanai; they both have nothing to do with each other.

Great film Rbrayer

edarsenal

05-23-21, 08:53 PM

edarsenal

05-23-21, 09:47 PM

https://i.vimeocdn.com/video/931162217_960.jpg
http://akirakurosawa.info/wp-content/uploads/2015/01/Black-Rain-600x321.jpg

Black Rain aka Kuroi ame (1989)

A truly, TRULY exquisite visual composition of a heart-rendering time and one of the countless families decimated by the atomic bomb on Hiroshima. Director Shohei Imamura beautifully illustrates my love of the poetic symmetry of Asian film. Balancing Beauty and Horror. Death and how Life continues. It is a gorgeous, gorgeous bit of cinema shifting effortlessly between the immediate time from the explosion and its horrific results that continue claiming lives five years later.
The poetic symmetry playing out in the balance of such loss with the tenacity and beautifully astounding will to live, love, and cherish one another as this family does, and those whose lives intersected theirs.

I would be - should be, devasted by all that I had witnessed in this film if not for the artistic haven of truly captivating composition. Scene after emotional scene. Only in Asian Cinema is that symmetry so masterfully executed that I would revisit, wholeheartedly, into such a film as I would with this.
I am that amazed and inspired by such Directorial and cinematic skill that I've picked out another of his films to experience:
The Insect Woman Nippon konchûki (1963) (https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0057363/?ref_=nm_knf_i2)
https://youtu.be/TK-76sGhomk
To further experience Imamura's skill via a different setting.

BRAVO CR!! This was mesmerizing!! I adored the family's interactions in this Slice of Life during such a cataclysmic time. Healing my heart with moments of lovely comedic moments blended amongst the moments of sadness and continual loss.
Reminding me of a less graphic, but similar story of new life amid devastion, In This Corner of the World (2016) (https://www.imdb.com/title/tt4769824/?ref_=nv_sr_srsg_0) REVIEW (https://www.movieforums.com/community/showthread.php?p=2186542#post2186542).

My first stop in the more serious venue of this diverse HoF has been a wonderfully exceptional one. THANK YOU, CR for that!

Again, BRAVO

Citizen Rules

05-23-21, 09:52 PM

Black Rain aka Kuroi ame (1989)

My first stop in the more serious venue of this diverse HoF has been a wonderfully exceptional one. THANK YOU, CR for that!

Again, BRAVO Glad you appreciated Black Rain, Ed. This HoF sure has had a lot of choice films in it, films I wouldn't have seen otherwise.

edarsenal

05-24-21, 12:55 AM

Glad you appreciated Black Rain, Ed. This HoF sure has had a lot of choice films in it, films I wouldn't have seen otherwise.
Yes it does
yes it does
YES it DOES

Thank you good sir for this contribution to said films :):)

Siddon

05-24-21, 05:50 AM

https://prod-images.tcm.com/Master-Profile-Images/rashomon1950.303984.jpg

Rashomon (1950)

I feel like this was a film of it's time, something that is more important than actually good. Rashomon is about a murder and rape and the stories of four different people. While the film is great in theory it to me fails on a technical level. Kazuo Miyagawa is just a bad cinematographer it's especially notable when compared to the works of Asakazu Nakai and Kazuo Yamasaki. I seriously wondered several times if the camera was even in focus during the forest scenes.

The film also uses a supernatural element to the film that is just so out of place for this type of story. If you are making a film about honesty you should likely leave the ghosts out of it. But that's not to say that I hated the film, I'm just ambivalent to it. Kurosawa has so many great dramatic points in the film that the work is elevated. Some lines of dialogue are truly devastating and I can understand how some view this as a classic.

I enjoyed the climatic fight scene near the end of the film, the idea is right but the execution was in my opinion lacking.

Siddon

05-24-21, 06:01 AM

https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-Sc_YRuuOq38/U2Kr4CFCBUI/AAAAAAAAxQQ/PRmqM_AzIc0/s1600/daimajin12.jpg

Daimajin (1966)

In Friday the 13th their is a theory that Jason is neither good nor evil but rather a force of nature. That Jason is symbolic of retribution, that you will pay for your sins. Daimajin is basically the same idea which is why I really connected to this and nominated it. Kaiju films have a certain stigma to them but Daimajin is not just a Kaiju film but it's also a period piece and morality tale.

The villain of the film is Samanosuke who decides to stage a coup against his lord. The lord dies but the family escapes into the woods, 10 years pass and the surviving family comes back into conflict with Samanosuke. This film has incredible production values...partly because the studios smartly shot it as a trilogy and released all three films in the year.

It should be said that almost every shot in this film is well thought out. It's quite remarkable the use of imagery, it's one thing to have a budget it's another thing to take the time to make every shot look good. It's very important to also note that Damaijin doesn't really show up till the final act..so the first hour of the film is filled with these gorgeous set pieces.

pahaK

05-24-21, 08:15 PM

I've watched all the films now. Still have two reviews to write and ordering the ballot is going to be a pain, too.

jiraffejustin

05-25-21, 12:25 AM

Rewatched Rashomon. I'm all done with my watching. I'll say more later.

Wyldesyde19

05-25-21, 02:52 PM

Need links for Black Rain, Daimajin and Drunken Angel please.

edarsenal

05-25-21, 03:08 PM

Need links for Black Rain, Daimajin and Drunken Angel please.

sent all three. Daimajin is a dub though, which actually worked quite well, so. . .

pahaK

05-25-21, 03:39 PM

Paprika (2006)

Unlike I initially thought, I've probably seen this before. At least many things, like the dream parade, felt awfully familiar. I didn't remember much about the story, though, just the visuals and some individual scenes.

https://image.myanimelist.net/ui/OK6W_koKDTOqqqLDbIoPAk9XpdIxJwow0ZyE25Yjx2k

So, basically, Paprika reminds me a lot of Nolan's films, especially Inception and Tenet, but done in an over-the-top Japanese cartoon style (and possibly under the influence of some narcotics). I'd be surprised if Nolan hasn't seen this. I suppose it's easier to do this with fewer constraints, so Paprika works a little better, though.

I don't watch much animation. I can't help the feeling of watching a children's film in many cases. On the other hand, I do respect the total disregard towards genres shown by the Japanese. I really feel that Paprika would have needed more mature content (violence, sex, etc.) to go with the childish parade and toddler imagery. And definitely fully embrace the cosmic horror innuendo towards the end.

Pretty much like Perfect Blue, I think Paprika is okay. They both have the ingredients to be great, but to me, they lack something. Also, they both suffer from being animations, but that's more on me. Despite what rating I end up giving this, I don't know which Kon I prefer.

Siddon

05-25-21, 04:08 PM

https://cdn.dribbble.com/users/1081195/screenshots/14404925/hanagatami2.png

Hanagatami (2017)

I almost don't want to rush through this review but I have to watch way too many of these films. This is another one of those..why was it nominated type of films. I suppose the point is to expose people to films they would never see before but then again why would one want to watch something like this.

So the story takes place pre-WWII and the film shot in a heavily stylized form. It's offputing and weird but it does kind of work. The film really is experimental at times I felt like I was watching the jokes come out on screen. Characters ages, relationships seem to be suggested less so realistic. I think the old man in the film is like five years older than the "teenager".

Everything is just so all over the place and to me the weirdness works. But man who knew my giant monster movie would be one of the more grounded noms of this hall.

pahaK

05-25-21, 04:10 PM

Tears of the Black Tiger (2000)

Less is more is a phrase that the people responsible for Tears of the Black Tiger either haven't heard of or just rebel against. It crams a spaghetti western, syrupy love story, gangster film, coming of age, and bloody revenge in less than 90 minutes. It obviously doesn't always work, but it's not for the lack of ingredients.

https://64.media.tumblr.com/46c2367c80e79ac9f48c4d19a032f315/tumblr_opl0pctp0B1qimi3zo1_400.gifv

The film is technically clumsy, but there are some good-looking shots every now and then. The story is extremely rushed, and the love story isn't exactly one for the ages. The acting is quite awful, too (especially the wooden lead and his horribly over-acting mustached rival). Thumbs up for the bloody violence, though.

As previously mentioned, I tend to like genre-benders, but they don't always work. Tears of the Black Tiger is just trying to do too much and ends up being more like an outline than a finished product. It also doesn't help that it doesn't take itself seriously enough (kinda like for the lulz attitude). Not horrible but a little weakish.

jiraffejustin

05-26-21, 02:20 AM

It was slightly over a year ago that I had seen Rashomon for the first time. My initial thoughts were that it is great but not at the tippity-top of the Kurosawa oeuvre. Well, I've underrated this classic film. It still doesn't top Ikiru and (for mostly personal reasons) Yojimbo on my favorite Kurosawa films rankings. I wish I could remember exactly what it was that kept me from falling entirely in love last year, because now I'm fawning over how gorgeous this film is, how well acted, and how well the gimmick worked. The lighting tricks makes the forest look amazing and ominous. Mifune acts like a rabid hyena which isn't as cool as the howling wolf he was in Drunken Angel, but iconic nonetheless. I think the whole seance thingy didn't work for me the first time around, but this time I think the actress playing the role of the medium kills it in her short turn, which holds that whole part together for me. It's theatrical, sure, but she throws herself around with conviction and vigor. It's about time I just burn through every Kurosawa film I haven't seen.

Siddon

05-26-21, 09:55 AM

https://i.ytimg.com/vi/Q_vUmm8Z0fM/maxresdefault.jpg
Paprika (2006)

Paprika is a film that checks so many different boxes. At times it feels like something from years in the future and at other times it seems like it was inspired from works from the past. It's kinda sad that 10+ years later these intellectually challenging animated films don't really exist anymore.

Paprika is sort of based on the paranoid 70's thriller. You have this piece of technology that's grounded in a murder mystery. Watching it again I'm still not sure if I got everything and the nuances of the story, but unlike many other films in this countdown I'm going to revisit this one repeatedly.

Each animated piece is treated like it's a 60's setpiece in the sense that the artist isn't just drawing whatever they feel like but rather creating specific shots. It's a subtle but powerful art-form that elevates an animated genre. In older animated films the backgrounds where often under-served and took the viewer out while in today's animated films tend to have way too much in the background.

https://media.giphy.com/media/3h2jMqFBCTGm1SdKCc/giphy.gif

The characters body language, the changing of the set, the way the scene is set up is perfect.

https://thumbs.gfycat.com/BarrenIdioticCur-size_restricted.gif

But great visuals and well-constructed scenes are nothing without characters. Paprika manages to give us a dozen well developed characters throughout the story. Everyone has a different height, style and personality that is so important in foreign films because you can't use the same narrative crutch most western films use.

In the end Paprika is likely my favorite film of this Hall of Fame. Great nomination.

Wyldesyde19

05-27-21, 02:22 PM

I’ll have a review of Drunken Angel up later tonight. Then Black Rain tomorrow sometime.

edarsenal

05-27-21, 02:59 PM

edarsenal

05-27-21, 03:02 PM

GREAT write-up on Paprika, Siddon!!

edarsenal

05-27-21, 03:33 PM

https://seattlescreendraft.files.wordpress.com/2015/03/dust-in-the-wind-1.jpg

Dust in the Wind aka Liàn liàn fengchén (1986)

Like many here, I found this film was shot incredibly beautiful. It's like seeing a movie preview of an Advanced Photography/Composition Course. Director Hsiao-Hsien Hou and the Cinematographer Ping Bin Lee capture every single moment as if capturing a gorgeous photo shoot.
As I've read in other reviews, leaving me to ponder what, exactly, caused me NOT to be involved in the family and the two star-crossed lovers whose emotions for one another were kept to themselves. Was it the voyeur style of camerawork that felt more like one looking out a window to watch the neighbors? Was it the even more subdued, repressed vocalizations of those on-screen that reverberated onto us, the viewers? Causing us to be as lackluster as those upon the screen? As a result, the emotional scenes never quite impact as they could have. Such as when the father talked about when he was in the army and the sicknesses that would kill so many and how, since they were not allowed to bring back the dead, they would carry their bones on their backs. Told in a depleted, offhanded way that, as a listener, I found myself shrugging much like the father who told the story.

I do not feel betrayed by the film I watched, being unable to engage with a family that, at the core, is, or rather, could be, rather enjoyable to discover and learn about. Instead, I feel like I have betrayed the film for not being able to slip into the slow, subdued pacing Hou as set before me that counterbalances the exquisite beauty of its composition.

Perhaps another viewing somewhere in the future would make amends.

Still, a very worthwhile watch all the same.

edarsenal

05-27-21, 03:36 PM

This leaves me Hanagatami to watch this weekend and finish up with.
Quite a wonderful and very diverse HoF. SO VERY glad to have joined in!!

Citizen Rules

05-27-21, 03:59 PM

This leaves me Hanagatami to watch this weekend and finish up with.
Quite a wonderful and very diverse HoF. SO VERY glad to have joined in!!Ed, you might get more out of Hanagatami if you know this:

On August 2016, just before the film start the shooting, director Nobuhiko Obayashi was diagnosed with advanced lung cancer and told he only left 3 months to live. But the strong will of making the film helped him living and finished the film.I think a lot of the film's characters and their actions are influenced by that above fact.

HashtagBrownies

05-27-21, 04:03 PM

Dust in the Wind: I thought it was ok. You can tell how beautiful a film looks when its just got an all around nice look and doesn't depend on heavily saturated shots or shots that are done just to show off. I did not like the acting in the film: The performers did show facial expressions that you'd except for certain events, but the dialogue is delivered in an unbelievably flat and disinterested manner. I do like films where not much happens, as they're relatable to real life, but when the actors talk like robots it's hard to apply the experiences of the characters to your own, making the film a bit hard for me to sit through. Hou Hsiao-hsien seems to have a fascination with technology; Despite being set in a somewhat rural village, he always focuses on trains and films whenever the script mentions them. I personally would've liked to have seen more scenes of the two leads interacting, I think the film didn't focus nearly enough on each of their reactions to the circumstances that befall then at the end of the film.

Interesting film Wylde, I'll have to see another one of the director's films.

edarsenal

05-27-21, 05:17 PM

Ed, you might get more out of Hanagatami if you know this:

I think a lot of the film's characters and their actions are influenced by that above fact.

wow! Thank you!
While I didn't know that, I did know it was a 40 yr endeavor for him.

Wyldesyde19

05-28-21, 03:03 AM

Drunken Angel

Kurosawa and Mifune would begin their first picture together here, a yakuza film about a alcoholic doctor attempting to save a yakuza member, who is ailed by TB. It would be a partnership that would last through 16 films, own that is analogous to Ford and Wayne.
Mifune visits the Doc to remove a bullet from his hand. The doctor makes it clear that he has nothing but contempt for his kind, and that he has TB. It becomes evident that it will only get worse if he continues to be reckless in his lifestyle. The doctor believes he can save him, and the TB in his lungs is almost like a metaphor for his ailing soul. The Doctor even refers to himself as an Angel of sorts, even if he is a flawed one.
It’s almost as if he needs to save Matsunaga. They form a unlikely friendship, as Matsunaga actually takes his advice to heart and starts to reform.
That is complicated by the release of Okada, and old boss who served over 3 years in prison for slashing someone’s face and apparently is the ex of the doctors assistant. What follows is predictable, but it’s how it unfolds that’s so fascinating.
Kurosawa uses black and white to his advantage here, alternating his two main characters between black and white outfits throughout the film.
Mifune is great, as usual, but Takashi Shimura as the doctor is the anchor who holds it together.
It’s a good film with decent performances, but it doesn’t quite rank up there with, say High and Low.

Mr Minio

05-28-21, 03:36 AM

Kazuo Miyagawa is just a bad cinematographer Congrats, this is hands down the worst thing I read today, and considering I also read "why would one want to watch Hanagatami", this is quite an achievement.

You people are the worst.

Siddon

05-28-21, 05:56 AM

Congrats, this is hands down the worst thing I read today, and considering I also read "why would one want to watch Hanagatami", this is quite an achievement.

You people are the worst.

You are completely off base...take this shot for example

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=craOsfXanac

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=umLtGRl_WE4

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qvwm2JiIihI

I mean it's like a student shot that scene compared to later Cinematographers.

ueno_station54

05-28-21, 06:25 AM

Don't know what you're trying to prove with that Kagemusha clip lmao.

Mr Minio

05-28-21, 07:34 AM

You are completely off base...take this shot for example

Great shots that blow modern cinematography out of the f*****g water! I don't even know what you are referring to.

Re 1st video: Obviously, cinematographers are not bound to use deep-focus shots everywhere, especially when they are not required to in a given scene. Varying depth of field is an artistic choice just like any other.

Re 2nd & 3rd video: Dunno what's wrong with that and what you're trying to prove.

Obviously, the quality of all these clips is less than good and YouTube is partially to blame, but even with bad quality, you can tell these shots are above average, especially the Rashomon sequence. Just compare it to any random digital-shot modern film.

I mean it's like a student shot that scene compared to later Cinematographers. If only all cinematography students shot like this... I mean it's one thing to like Miyagawa the least out of all Kurosawa cinematographers. It's a completely different thing to claim he's a bad cinematographer. As a matter of fact, Kazuo Miyagawa is seen as one of the best and most influential cinematographers in Japanese film history. He shot Sansho the Bailiff and Floating Weeds, for Pete's sake!

Well, at least you somewhat enjoyed Rashomon, which isn't a surprise. Kurosawa is very accessible. Hanagatami, on the other hand, even though seemingly easy, is in fact much more demanding than any Kurosawa films.

Siddon

05-28-21, 07:51 AM

Don't know what you're trying to prove with that Kagemusha clip lmao.

Well the action is actually in frame and you have edits...it's not three people playing around in the sand....moving on.

Siddon

05-28-21, 08:04 AM

https://www.legendarytrips.com/wp-content/uploads/Opening-scene_Joella_South-Korea_Mother_2009.jpg

Mother (2009)

Hey look a film that's actually in focus, tells a clear story and gives us a great performance in Kim Hye-Ja. Mother is one of these stories where it's a long winding road so I don't want to get into too many spoilers. The film centers around an elderly woman who takes care of her disabled son. The son gets in trouble with the law and the mother has to go on a long journey to find the truth.

It's very similar structurally to Joon-ho's other works. I admire how crime isn't really sensationalized in the films but more so important plot points. The film really touches on the responsibility that parents have for their children and often times I myself felt conflicted with the choices of the characters.

The film is shot incredibly well, this might be the best looking of all of Joon-ho's work. I could also tell the characters apart and everyone felt real. One of the things I really like about films like this is the casting is perfect, you don't feel like you are watching "stars" playing the roles. I think the excellent casting really grounds Kim Hye-Ja's performance.

great nomination.

Siddon

05-28-21, 07:09 PM

could use a link to Black Rain

Citizen Rules

05-28-21, 07:19 PM

could use a link to Black RainSent.

Wyldesyde19

05-28-21, 11:10 PM

Ok, watching Black Rain shortly, then Daimajin afterward

edarsenal

05-28-21, 11:13 PM

watched the first third of Hanagatami before going into work today. WILD visuals in this, but I'm enjoying what I've seen so far

Wyldesyde19

05-29-21, 04:34 AM

Black Rain

Wow.......I was not prepared. Not for this.
The dropping of the atomic bomb on Hiroshima and Nagasaki are dark moments in the history of the US. It ended the war, sure. But at what cost? Imumara pulls no punches in showing what that cost was. The loss of human life is one thing. But the resulting tragedy was much worse as the toll had a greater impact many years later.

It starts with what was an ordinary day in Japan. Mere moments later, that peaceful, idyllic day would be shattered. We see burnt bodies, charred to an ash, strewn along the ruins. We see melted bodies, flesh barely hanging on those unlucky enough to have survived. There’s even a scene of a woman holding the charred body of her baby, and it’s here that I’m reminded of Schindler’s List. The devastation is also viewed in black and white.

The greatest tragedy would be those who were unlucky enough to survive unscathed, but were bathed in the “black rain”, nuclear fall out that fell upon many unfortunate survivors. It is these effects, of which it took years to fully understand the ramifications, and the result was to be ostracized.

It made marriage prospects grim, as well. And Black Rain shows how a uncle tries to convince others that his niece is healthy, in an attempt to marry her off. Rumors about her whereabouts during the bombing don’t help. The uncle refuses to accept her possible fate, but the niece accepts her fate and is content to stay by her guardians side.

Along the way, we see other effects of the war. A former soldier suffering from PTSD, who attempts to put an imaginary bomb under any approaching vehicle under the illusion that they’re enemy tanks. His story is a grim reminder that not all victims were from the bomb.
It loses a bit of focus in the third act, and there’s this awful scene that involves a psychic that does nothing for this film, but those are minor quibbles.

It’s a really good film, and I have had it “watchlisted” for quite some time, as Imumara ha along been a director I’ve wanted to watch for some time now. Hopefully I’ll be able to see more of his stuff soon enough.

pahaK

05-29-21, 05:13 AM

The dropping of the atomic bomb on Hiroshima and Nagasaki are dark moments in the history of the US. It ended the war, sure. But at what cost?

I believe it's a quite common opinion that those bombs saved lives. Not everyone agrees, of course, but many believe that the traditional war against Japan would have caused way more casualties.

HashtagBrownies

05-29-21, 06:50 PM

Anyone have a link to Tears of the Black Tiger and Mother?

Wyldesyde19

05-30-21, 03:41 PM

Can I get a link for Hanagatami?

ueno_station54

05-30-21, 03:48 PM

Yeah I got you Wyldesyde

Citizen Rules

05-30-21, 03:48 PM

Can I get a link for Hanagatami?Sure thing, I'll PM you.

Citizen Rules

05-30-21, 03:49 PM

Too late:)

Citizen Rules

05-30-21, 03:51 PM

Anyone have a link to Tears of the Black Tiger and Mother?I had a link for Mother but Hashtag might still need a link for Tears of the Black Tiger...Can anyone send him one?

HashtagBrownies

05-30-21, 03:53 PM

I had a link for Mother but Hashtag might still need a link for Tears of the Black Tiger...Can anyone send him one?

If I don't get one then I can just get a VPN so that I can use Tubi, but I'll be grateful for any help I get.

Siddon

05-30-21, 07:51 PM

https://www.yellowbarrel.org/uploads/6/4/7/0/64705273/blackrainbombingshizuma_orig.jpg

Black Rain (1989)

Black Rain tells the story of a family that survives the bombing of Hiroshima and deals with the post war ramifications. It's a powerful well done story, I enjoy how the director shoots the film like a 50s/60's Japanese New Wave style. The characters are well defined and the story is compelling. It's a good film...though not a great one.

Some of the performances during the post war blast are almost comical. A woman breastfeeding an blackened child (how would that even work), a little boy walking up to a man covered in burns and apparently not in any pain, a guy blind falling one story that wouldn't kill anyone. It was pretty silly, focusing on melodrama instead of what practically would have happened during an explosion. But even though it had a certain degree of silliness 90% of the film is about postwar life and that was very well done.

I like how we got the slow burn of people dying, the mental breakdowns of several characters who have to live this life, and the director did a fair job aging the actors.

HashtagBrownies

05-30-21, 08:49 PM

I'm going to finish everything tomorrow cause I have nothing else on my schedule.

Citizen Rules

05-30-21, 09:09 PM

I'm going to finish everything tomorrow cause I have nothing else on my schedule.
:up: Happy watching!

Citizen Rules

05-30-21, 09:34 PM

Black Rain (1989)

Black Rain tells the story of a family that survives the bombing of Hiroshima and deals with the post war ramifications. It's a powerful well done story, I enjoy how the director shoots the film like a 50s/60's Japanese New Wave style. The characters are well defined and the story is compelling. It's a good film...though not a great one.

Some of the performances during the post war blast are almost comical. A woman breastfeeding an blackened child (how would that even work), a little boy walking up to a man covered in burns and apparently not in any pain, a guy blind falling one story that wouldn't kill anyone. It was pretty silly, focusing on melodrama instead of what practically would have happened during an explosion. But even though it had a certain degree of silliness 90% of the film is about postwar life and that was very well done.

I like how we got the slow burn of people dying, the mental breakdowns of several characters who have to live this life, and the director did a fair job aging the actors.I'm glad you mostly liked it. Are you using Firefox on a PC by any chance? If so I'll tell you why I asked (not a big deal, I'm just curious).

edarsenal

05-30-21, 09:34 PM

https://flim-1-0-2.s3.eu-central-1.amazonaws.com/thumbs/thumbnail/61a24c2c6aef11eb91db10ddb1aba44f.jpeg

Hanagatami (2017)

That was very, very, VERY, very long.
A surreal journey that continually relapsed upon itself and spun about like a waking dream: halfway between what may be real and the emotional sum of a dreamscape that drifts like circles of waves on a continually shifting beach that may be in itself, water, and it is the sand that laps like the sexual tension that everyone has in regards to everyone else and the repression of expressing what needs to be spoken and the symbology of what is visually expressed in broken poetry.

I honestly do not know.
And I'm unsure if I need to.
Like the final meanderings of life, at its end, Hanagatami is equally poignant as it is nonsensical. Pivoting at such a quick speed, it becomes difficult to differentiate what is spoken, what is thought, and in what realm do they cohabitate.

Again, I honestly do not know.
And ponder, should I attempt to.

edarsenal

05-30-21, 09:36 PM

That's it for me.
I'll have a vote tallied out later this evening.
THANK YOU EVERYONE for each and every film that I would not have seen if I did not join in.

Wyldesyde19

05-31-21, 04:10 AM

Daimajin review tomorrow, probably after I watch Hanagatami.

HashtagBrownies

05-31-21, 11:31 AM

Chocolate: Man, that was fun! All the fighting in this film is very fast paced and greatly entertaining to watch. For a film with such a short runtime, I'm surprised at how many fight scenes they managed to fit in without any of them feeling tired or overwhelming. I think I agree with a lot of people on this film in terms of one thing: Every scene that's about the yakuza instead of Zen just feels like a really bad soap opera. It's really odd to see something so amateurish and bad in a film where the fight choreography makes it clear that there was talent behind this (I know nothing about Thai cinema, so this could be a regular style they have and I wouldn't know). The villains are very one dimensional, but I had no issue with the main characters.

In terms of representation of autism, it's pretty good I'd say: Being upset by the flies, having a special interest, communicating with hand signals etc. I feel like the whole shtick where Zen can sense tiny balls moving at a distance could be an example of the tired savant troupe, but it didn't bother me. Was quite weird to have the guy with Tourettes be a blatant stereotype though, kinda reminds me of those films that preach diversity by making minorities the main characters, but still act offensive to different minority groups.

Good film Pahak.

CosmicRunaway

05-31-21, 11:44 AM

A woman breastfeeding an blackened child (how would that even work)
The child was clearly dead. It's probably safe to assume the mother was just in shock, or is refusing to come to terms with what had just happened.

Are you using Firefox on a PC by any chance? If so I'll tell you why I asked (not a big deal, I'm just curious).
Can you tell me why you brought it up? I do use Firefox on a PC and am wondering if that somehow affects my posts. And if so, why you haven't asked me the same question (unless you have and I forgot haha).

Siddon

05-31-21, 12:26 PM

The child was clearly dead. It's probably safe to assume the mother was just in shock, or is refusing to come to terms with what had just happened.

The point is that the mother and child being in different conditions makes no sense for the situation. If they were in different parts of the city than yeah okay maybe I can buy that but then how would she know that was her baby...if it was just burnt like that.

Citizen Rules

05-31-21, 01:03 PM

Originally Posted by Citizen Rules (https://www.movieforums.com/community/showthread.php?p=2208608#post2208608)
Are you using Firefox on a PC by any chance? If so I'll tell you why I asked (not a big deal, I'm just curious).
Can you tell me why you brought it up? I do use Firefox on a PC and am wondering if that somehow affects my posts. And if so, why you haven't asked me the same question (unless you have and I forgot haha). The reason I asked was: I was trying to be helpful. I noticed on Siddon's reviews that he had larger spaces between his paragraphs. I once had that happen to me and I couldn't stop Firefox from doing the large spaces. We even talked about it here at MoFo on one of the bug report threads. If you start reading at Jab's post and read down to where I post about the fix, you'll see what I mean.
https://www.movieforums.com/community/showthread.php?anchor=1&p=1966442#post1966442

CosmicRunaway

05-31-21, 01:16 PM

I've never had that happen to me, but I also always use shift and enter together for a new line (and twice if I want a full line of space in between) instead of just enter.

Citizen Rules

05-31-21, 01:20 PM

I've never had that happen to me, but I also always use shift and enter together for a new line (twice if I want a full line of space in between) instead of just enter.It might have been changed in a newer version of Firefox so no longer does the super-sized paragraph spaces. I was glad to have found a fix awhile back as it drove me crazy. But not as crazy as the new bookmark changes, that made me bonkers:eek: (I fixed that too, I'm always 'fixing' Firefox:p)

CosmicRunaway

05-31-21, 01:39 PM

(I fixed that too, I'm always 'fixing' Firefox:p)
Don't get me started! Some time ago they did a lot of changes that made the layout more like Chrome, and I hated it. Particularly having tabs on top instead of on bottom, where they belong. If I wanted a Chrome-like browser I'd, you know, use Chrome. Every few updates since then they break whatever my current fix for putting tabs on bottom is, and it's very frustrating.

Citizen Rules

05-31-21, 01:44 PM

Don't get me started! Some time ago they did a lot of changes that made the layout more like Chrome, and I hated it. Particularly having tabs on top instead of on bottom, where they belong. If I wanted a Chrome-like browser I'd, you know, use Chrome. Every few updates since then they break whatever my current fix for putting tabs on bottom is, and it's very frustrating.I can't remember not having the tabs on top, but that's probably my faulty memory:p What I struggled most with was the animated url/search bar, that took a LOT of effort to put back the way I like it.

HashtagBrownies

05-31-21, 06:57 PM

Tears of the Black Tiger: "It doesn't take itself too seriously", that's a phrase I always hear spoken verbatim whenever an action/horror film with exaggerated elements is brought to discussion. I like to see Black Tiger as an exception to this: It DOES take itself quite seriously! Sure, the action scenes are obviously trying to be funny, but the melodrama elements feel very honest and not satirical or hollow. I think this makes the film alot more interesting than other films that try to be over-the-top or satirical; those films often have one dimensional characters because the writers almost believe a film that 'you shouldn't take seriously' shouldn't have good characters and story. Let's hope more comedic and satirical films have the same level of character writing as Black Tiger in the future.

One issue I had with it was that I don't think it had enough over-the-top elements. Apart from the ending, nothing in the film shows the same level of silliness as the football game-esque "lets see that again!" replay scene at the start of the film. I also noticed there were quite a few flashback within a flashback moments in the film, I don't know whether this was intentional for the sake of comedy or whether that's just what the writers wanted.

Very good film JJ, even if I could only find the shorter version.

HashtagBrownies

05-31-21, 10:11 PM

Mother: You know a film is well written when you've been heavily engaged in it and you don't realise the protagonist doesn't have a name until you look at the films Wikipedia page! Certainly one of those films where the main performer steals the show in comparison to everyone else. I see some criticisms of the film saying that it's not really the 'finding the killer' film that the marketing makes it out to be. I agree, that only made up about the middle portion of the film: the rest of the film was more about the mother's reactions to certain events involving the murder. Didn't hinder my experience though.

In typical Bong fashion, things go haywire in the third act. I was sort of expecting the reveal that the son was the killer, but it's how that is presented and the reactions to it are what make an obvious twist interesting. I was personally way more shocked by the reveal that the mother tried to kill the son. It felt like such a significant piece of information that I'm surprised it didn't seem to be relevant to the rest of the film, which was a bit annoying.

Great film Cosmic. List sent

Citizen Rules

05-31-21, 10:43 PM

We're just about done, yahoo! Thanks everyone🙂

And tomorrow is the Deadline: June 1st at midnight PST.

Siddon

06-01-21, 02:03 AM

https://thecinemaarchives.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/08/dust-in-the-wind-ladjkl433334-1.jpg

Dust in the Wind (1986)

Well this was a beautifully shot dull affair. Dust in the Wind tells the story of two young people who have come to a new city to find their way in the world. Every shot in this film is gorgeous the director clearly loved making each shot feel like something worth being framed..but I wish the story had something more to it...like a plot.

I don't want to be to mean about it but this put me to sleep four times and I kept having to go back to rewatch it. And even though I've tried to digest it I still never connected with any of the characters. It was like I was watching these beautiful shots and yet the people where just different shades of beige.

Also you know I hate watching films like where you are left almost nothing to talk about. You don't really want to trash it because it's very competently made but you can't really praise it because it's so cold and removed from what a film like this should be.

Wyldesyde19

06-01-21, 02:51 AM

Daimajin

When anyone mentions a film nomination for a future HOF being a “joke”, always retort that it could have been worse. After all, we have now seen Daimajin.

This was a boring film, with not much going for it other then some decent productions values. Especially for its time.

But when all one has to say about it is it’s effects, well, there isn’t much else to say.

The story is pretty standard, and lacks any kind of suspense that should go with a plot like this. It just meanders along from one scene to another with everyone talking about the veangence of the god, but for some reason he never seems to care until they drive a metal stake into his head. Then he gets angry.

But by then, I hardly cared.

Wyldesyde19

06-01-21, 03:15 AM

Earlier link to Hanagatami isn’t working, may I have another please?
🙂

Mr Minio

06-01-21, 03:21 AM

tWell the action is actually in frame and you have edits...it's not three people playing around in the sand....moving on. That's a very narrow-minded approach to editing and cinematography.
but I wish the story had something more to it...like a plot Yet another argument, which simply says somebody finds the movie boring. It usually means it lacks action sequences and a gripping plot full of twists. The viewer is not fond of the fact the film made him enter the state of weariness or tiredness caused by the fact they didn't feel like pulling through that damn boring movie yet they tried anyway. Sometimes used when no other reasonable argument on why one didn't like a film is found. Caused by the fact the viewer can't see the substance, because the story is e.g. told non-verbally through visuals or in a way that isn't accessible for Sunday movie watchers.
this put me to sleep four times and I kept having to go back to rewatch it At least you're persistent. You sound like a hood kid during a Bach concert. Kudos for persistency.
Also you know I hate watching films like where you are left almost nothing to talk about I mean, the fact I can't say anything about the music of indigenous tribes of Africa does not mean there is nothing to say about it. But even then, upon listening to it, you can draw some conclusions, describe your feelings. I guess that's just what you did saying it's boring and plotless...
it's so cold and removed from what a film like this should be Meaning? You seem to define certain ways films should be made and hate every film that does not fit your criteria. I mean, you're not Bresson or Tarkovsky to make up for your narrow-minded view on art with a stream of masterpieces.
This was a boring film "This 7-hour-long Sátántangó of that bore Béla Tarr is hands down the dullest, most tedious, dragging and boring swamp of boredom I have ever seen."

Do you guys even rate this HoF as a positive experience? Because you sound as if you were suffering.

Wyldesyde19

06-01-21, 03:29 AM

"This 7-hour-long Sátántangó of that bore Béla Tarr is hands down the dullest, most tedious, dragging and boring swamp of boredom I have ever seen."

Do you guys even rate this HoF as a positive experience? Because you sound as if you were suffering.

I’m not sure why I was quoted considering Daimajin is hardly worth defending.

To answer your question, yes, it was. Even if I didn’t enjoy a film, I never consider it a waste.
For the most part, I enjoyed the bulk of the nominations.
I’m pleased to see you defending Dust in the Wind, however, as it was my nomination and a film I hold in high esteem, much like I do it’s director.
I agree with your responses towards Siddon regarding it as well, and for similar films.

Does....does this means there’s hope for me?

Mr Minio

06-01-21, 03:32 AM

Does....does this means there’s hope for me? Abandon hope all ye who enter here. :cool:

Wyldesyde19

06-01-21, 03:35 AM

Abandon hope all ye who enter here. :cool:

Awww. 🙁

For a second there...just for one second....I thought I had the Mr Minio seal of approval.
Just for a second there.....

Mr Minio

06-01-21, 03:41 AM

I thought I had the Mr Minio seal of approval. You're not too bad. ;)

Wyldesyde19

06-01-21, 03:48 AM

When someone can, please send a link to Hanagatami please. Earlier link sent won’t work.

🙁

Siddon

06-01-21, 03:56 AM

https://4.bp.blogspot.com/_uiWlOtEjWhI/RlT-og3n_QI/AAAAAAAAAgU/v010SdC_too/s400/BlackTiger1.JPG

Tears of the Black Tiger (2000)

This was a trippy experience...I suppose if you were to put it in a genre it's an acid western. Everything is very over the top, the visuals, the action set pieces and colors. Still I think the most important part of a film like this is to engage the audience and I was engaged.

Their is something to be said about a film that throws everything at you at once that you can get distracted from it and miss the performances. But I was actually drawn in by Stella Mallucchi's performance. Apparently some critics compared this film to Sirk...which I can get with the use of color though at points it felt almost like a Jordowsky film.

One of the things I loved about this film is that each action piece just got more and more absurd. This is a film that you really shouldn't take seriously but you can enjoy it. One of things that I particularly enjoyed in this was the backgrounds, I'm kinda surprised this was made 20 years ago when another film seemed to have a similar idea yet looked far worse. But this was a good nom I liked it.

Siddon

06-01-21, 12:03 PM

t That's a very narrow-minded approach to editing and cinematography.

Kay...that's your opinion you didn't submit a film, for me a man who has watched every Kurosawa film his early work is too ugly and amateurish for me.

Yet another argument, which simply says somebody finds the movie boring. It usually means it lacks action sequences and a gripping plot full of twists.
I'm not often bored by films, Dust in the Wind was boring though. A film doesn't need to have action sequences and plot twists but it does need to have what I would consider tempo. When the characters aren't given personalities or interesting things to do and it takes forever to get to the point than your film is boring.

Do you guys even rate this HoF as a positive experience? Because you sound as if you were suffering.
I would only give positive recommendations to four films from this hall...does it make it the worst I've ever been in...I don't know.

Mr Minio

06-01-21, 03:33 PM

for me a man who has watched every Kurosawa film his early work is too ugly and amateurish for me. I've seen every Kurosawa, too. I mean, some of his films are among the best-blocked films ever made, but his early films are aesthetically pleasing, too. Just not in a wow-inducing way. Much more subtle and realistic filmmaking. Rough. But with moments of beauty. Rashomon looks better than 99% films made today.
I'm not often bored by films, Dust in the Wind was boring though. A film doesn't need to have action sequences and plot twists but it does need to have what I would consider tempo. When the characters aren't given personalities or interesting things to do and it takes forever to get to the point than your film is boring. Yet another reminder this forum is for movie buffs and not for cinephiles. What slow cinema films do you consider well-paced?
I would only give positive recommendations to four films from this hall Which ones?

Siddon

06-01-21, 04:47 PM

Yet another reminder this forum is for movie buffs and not for cinephiles. What slow cinema films do you consider well-paced?

Repulsion
The White Ribbon
Melancholia
Barry Lyndon
Stalker
Elephant
Broken Flowers
Post Tenebras Lux
Killing of a Sacred Deer
All is Lost

Mr Minio

06-01-21, 04:58 PM

Half of them aren't slow cinema but it still makes no sense.

Siddon

06-01-21, 05:08 PM

Half of them aren't slow cinema but it still makes no sense.

Well...that's your opinion every title I listed can be sourced online as "slow cinema".

Wyldesyde19

06-01-21, 09:12 PM

Just to back up Siddon here, he isn’t a newbie who just started watching films. While I may disagree with him some times, his opinion isn’t without merit. He’s just as much a cinephile as you.

And making a reference to this site being for “film buffs” and not for “cinephiles” doesn’t dispute anything he is argued, so I’m unsure of its point here.

Ciniphiles can disagree about a film, afterall.

Wyldesyde19

06-02-21, 04:18 AM

Update: Finishing Hanagatami. Will have review up within the hour and then will send my ballot.
Sorry for the inconvenience.

Wyldesyde19

06-02-21, 05:00 AM

Hanagatami

Every scene is like a dream, a surreal quality, tranquil and idyllic, that seems at odds with the roiling thunder that is war, serving as a backdrop to this tale. It’s ostensibly a coming of age tale, but it hypnotizes you with its images, so much so that you realize there is more to it then a simple coming of age story. This film won’t allow itself to be pegged down so easily.

Water colors flowing through the frames as if drawn from the well directly, every scene almost seems to cry out in a desperate howl of loneliness.

Each of these characters seem lonely, of course for a reason. Only Toshihiko seems truly happy. Some are sick, such as Mina, who suffers from TB.

Full of anti war imagery, death permeates the boundaries, inescapable for some.....embraced by others. A feeling of hopelessness.

I can’t say I understood everything, and it’s easy to be distracted by the images, but this won’t be a film I’m liable to forget any time soon.

HashtagBrownies

06-02-21, 01:25 PM

I'm excited for the countdown, when do you plan to have it?

Citizen Rules

06-02-21, 02:47 PM

I'm excited for the countdown, when do you plan to have it?Today, I just gotta tally up the results. I'll get going on that shortly.

Citizen Rules

06-02-21, 02:54 PM

OK I'm starting to add up the results...at this point I have NO idea which movie is going to win. Any guesses on 1st place? on last place? or on the overall results of the 11 movies?

Allaby

06-02-21, 02:57 PM

OK I'm starting to add up the results...at this point I have NO idea which movie is going to win. Any guesses on 1st place? on last place? or on the overall results of the 11 movies?

I'm going to go out on a limb and predict it will be an 11 way tie and everyone is a winner!

CosmicRunaway

06-02-21, 03:12 PM

My only guess is that Paprika will do really well, since I think everyone seemed to like that one. At the very least, no one hated it.

Siddon

06-02-21, 03:18 PM

My only guess is that Paprika will do really well, since I think everyone seemed to like that one. At the very least, no one hated it.

I think four of the top five are going to be Rashomon, Paprika, Black Rain, and Mother

CosmicRunaway

06-02-21, 03:26 PM

I think four of the top five are going to be Rashomon, Paprika, Black Rain, and Mother
Is the missing film from your expected top 5 Daimajin? I'd have to go back through the reviews again, but that seemed to have a good overall reception as well.

I'm really interested to see how the more divisive films like Hanagatami and Tears of the Black Tiger do.

Citizen Rules

06-02-21, 03:58 PM

OK, I got the points done. I just gotta put some finishing touches on this and I'll post it all. Nothing fancy though.

Siddon

06-02-21, 04:11 PM

Is the missing film from your expected top 5 Daimajin? I'd have to go back through the reviews again, but that seemed to have a good overall reception as well.

I'm really interested to see how the more divisive films like Hanagatami and Tears of the Black Tiger do.

I could see it coming in the top five or last place everything is so divisive in this hall Hanagatami could have 2 or 3 high scores and that would be enough to put in the top five.

Citizen Rules

06-02-21, 04:31 PM

The reveal starts in a minute or two. Allaby CosmicRunaway edarsenal HashtagBrownies jiraffejustin pahaK rbrayer Siddon Wyldesyde19 ueno_station54

Citizen Rules

06-02-21, 04:35 PM

Thanks everyone for joining and completing and on time! Every single nomination was a unique watching experience for me and thanks to you guys I've expanded my knowledge of Asian films and seen a wide style of films.

So here we go and remember every HoF has to have a movie in last place, but that don't mean it's not worthy, just that other films were more liked.

Citizen Rules

06-02-21, 04:39 PM

https://www.movieforums.com/community/attachment.php?attachmentid=75451
9th Place

Snake in the Eagle's Shadow (1978)
47 points
Hashtagbrownies

"My pick for the Hall of Fame. It's not entirely unknown or anything like that, but I wanted to pick something that maybe not many had seen before but something that was also highly entertaining." Hashtag

Citizen Rules

06-02-21, 04:40 PM

We got a couple of ties that's why I didn't start at #11

Citizen Rules

06-02-21, 04:42 PM

https://64.media.tumblr.com/efd6b07d83896c6c39afedf377cba101/tumblr_p6gtti0Vg41rmrpdmo4_400.gifv
Tied 8th Place

Chocolate (2008)
49 points
PahaK

"JeeJa Yanin's portrayal of an autistic girl trying to get money for her mother's hospital bill is sympathetic for sure. Acting, in general, is above average for an action film like this, but JeeJa is easily the star." PahaK

CosmicRunaway

06-02-21, 04:42 PM

Snake in the Eagle's Shadow was #7 on my list. It had been awhile since I'd watched a kung-fu comedy film, so I was able to appreciate the tropes and it sparked a lot of nostalgia.

CosmicRunaway

06-02-21, 04:42 PM

We got a couple of ties that's why I didn't start at #11
For a split second I thought Allaby might've been right about the 11-way tie lol.

Citizen Rules

06-02-21, 04:43 PM

Snake in the Eagle's Shadow was #7 on my list. It had been awhile since I'd watched a kung-fu comedy film, so I was able to appreciate the tropes and it sparked a lot of nostalgia.I could see that film doing well in a Martial Arts HoF. It didn't work for me just because I'm not a fan of martial arts movies.

HashtagBrownies

06-02-21, 04:43 PM

Second Hall of Fame in a row that I've come last place, lol. I don't remember anyone here completely disliking it so that's good at least

Citizen Rules

06-02-21, 04:45 PM

https://www.movieforums.com/community/attachment.php?attachmentid=77230
Tied 8th Place

Dust in the Wind (1986)
49 points
Wyldesyde

"Hou Hsiao-hsien is a evocative director. His films are told in pretty straightforward, and allows gestures and dialogue to move the story along, while also weaving seamlessly into beautiful shots involving the landscape." Wyldesyde

CosmicRunaway

06-02-21, 04:45 PM

Didn't notice Chocolate had also come up. I had it one ahead of Snake in the Eagle's Shadow at #6. The middle of my list was a tough call placement wise. I was completely confident in my top 4 and bottom 2, but the others could definitely wiggle around.

Citizen Rules

06-02-21, 04:46 PM

Second Hall of Fame in a row that I've come last place, lol. I don't remember anyone here completely disliking it so that's good at leastI've came in last a couple of times myself. Oh well:)

CosmicRunaway

06-02-21, 04:46 PM

Dust in the Wind was last on my ballot. I didn't hate it or anything, but it's just not the kind of film that I find engaging.

Citizen Rules

06-02-21, 04:48 PM

https://medias.quartierdesspectacles.com/import/vitrine/activity/19803/19803.jpg
7th Place

Hanagatami (2017)
58 points
Ueno_station54

"This is it, the film Obayashi spent 40 years trying to make and you don't need to be told that because it is felt whist watching and even though the man managed to squeak out another masterpiece after this (Labyrinth of Cinema) this is truly his swan song." Ueno_Station

HashtagBrownies

06-02-21, 04:49 PM

Was almost expecting Hanagatami to come last, considering how mixed a lot of the reviews were.

CosmicRunaway

06-02-21, 04:49 PM

I had Hanagatami at #8. I grew to appreciate it over time, and even more still when I reflected on it after. But I liked a lot of the films in this HoF, so it ultimatly ended up a little lower. At the very least, it's a very unique experience.

Citizen Rules

06-02-21, 04:51 PM

https://i.imgur.com/lUEYHcZ.png
6th Place

Tears of the Black Tiger (2000)
60 points
Jiraffejustin

"I'm partial to films that are just plain weird and don't stick convention. While this film doesn't go completely off the rails avoiding the rules of cinema, it's pretty clear that it's not trying to be a regular film of its day." Jiraffejustin

Citizen Rules

06-02-21, 04:53 PM

Was almost expecting Hanagatami to come last, considering how mixed a lot of the reviews were.People were either hot or cold on it. I liked it much more after I read the story of the director. Somehow knowing it was a film that he had poured his own hopes and fears into, made the film a deeper experience for me.

CosmicRunaway

06-02-21, 04:53 PM

Other than Dust in the Wind, Tears of the Black Tiger was the only other film in this HoF that I didn't really connect with. It was my #10. I might need to revisit it sometime, because I feel I might like its quirkiness more in the future.

Citizen Rules

06-02-21, 04:55 PM

https://imagecurl.com/images/59559148933220999984_thumb.png
5th Place

Drunken Angel (1948)
61 points
Edarsenal

"With a performance that secured his longtime working relationship with Director Akira Kurosawa (as usual,) I thoroughly enjoyed Toshirô Mifune as the gangster dying of TB. But, it was, for me, along with Kurosawa's intentions, that this was Takashi Shimura's film as the "Drunken Angel," Dr. Sanada." Edarsenal

HashtagBrownies

06-02-21, 04:56 PM

What my ballot looks like so far:

1)
2)
3)Snake in the Eagle’s Shadow
4)
5)Tears of the Black Tiger
6)Chocolate
7)
8)Drunekn Angel
9)Hanagatami
10)
11)Dust in the Wind

Citizen Rules

06-02-21, 04:57 PM

I'm always glad to watch more Kurosawa noms, so glad Drunken Angel was nominated.

CosmicRunaway

06-02-21, 04:57 PM

Drunken Angel was pretty low on my list as well at #9. There were aspects of it I really liked, but it left a lot to be desired. I could see a better film in there that I'm sure I would've loved. I still enjoyed it overall though.

Citizen Rules

06-02-21, 04:59 PM

https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-Sc_YRuuOq38/U2Kr4CFCBUI/AAAAAAAAxQQ/PRmqM_AzIc0/s1600/daimajin12.jpg
4th Place

Daimajin (1966)
67 points
Siddon

"It should be said that almost every shot in this film is well thought out. It's quite remarkable the use of imagery, it's one thing to have a budget it's another thing to take the time to make every shot look good." Siddon

CosmicRunaway

06-02-21, 05:00 PM

Daimajin was my #4, so I've now placed one entirely correctly. :cool:

CosmicRunaway

06-02-21, 05:01 PM

Is there another tie, or am I bad at counting? There are four films left and three places, unless I missed something.

Citizen Rules

06-02-21, 05:01 PM

I bet Daimajin would do good in a Stop Motion Animated HoF.

Citizen Rules

06-02-21, 05:03 PM

Is there another tie, or am I bad at counting? There are four films left and three places, unless I missed something.I think I'll keep you in suspense:p

CosmicRunaway

06-02-21, 05:04 PM

https://media1.tenor.com/images/e62d194a5eea05277b7f3fce136fe600/tenor.gif?itemid=4674658

Citizen Rules

06-02-21, 05:05 PM

https://www.movieforums.com/community/attachment.php?attachmentid=75448
3rd Place

Mother (2009)
76 points
CosmicRunaway

"Mother is a slow moving film that is as much about it's titular character's growing desperation as it is about the murder mystery at its centre. It can be tense and unnerving at times, but as with many of Joon-ho's other films, it still contains the occasional dose of dark humour that is a little more obvious in the first act than later on." CosmicRunaway

Citizen Rules

06-02-21, 05:06 PM

Before I tallied the points I thought Mother might be the winner. It was well liked overall.

CosmicRunaway

06-02-21, 05:06 PM

Mother was also my #3. I'd start to think I called the top 4, but I'm still missing a film somewhere haha.

Citizen Rules

06-02-21, 05:08 PM

https://www.movieforums.com/community/attachment.php?attachmentid=76790
2nd Place

Black Rain (1989)
83 points
Citizen Rules

"We see this young woman relaxing with a hot bath as she enjoys the moment. We see her looking so youthful and serene...then a clump of her hair falls out, and she is left with the realization of her impending future as she stares at strands of own hair held in her hand." Citizen Rules

CosmicRunaway

06-02-21, 05:09 PM

Black Rain was my #2 as well, though I went back and forth with what I have as #1 for awhile.

CosmicRunaway

06-02-21, 05:10 PM

So did Rashomon and Paprika tie for first, or did I miss a reveal in the thread?

Citizen Rules

06-02-21, 05:14 PM

Tied for 1st place
https://www.movieforums.com/community/attachment.php?attachmentid=77374
1st Place

Paprika (2006)
88 points
Rbrayer

"Kon’s talent is so prodigious, it’s staggering to think that we lost such a genius when his career was barely getting started." Rbrayer

Tied for 1st place
https://www.movieforums.com/community/attachment.php?attachmentid=754601st Place

Rashomon (1950)
88 points
Allaby

"The film touches upon truth and lies and the nature of humanity. The performances are memorable and effective from the uniformly excellent cast." Allaby

Allaby

06-02-21, 05:16 PM

So do first place ties happen often in Hall of Fames or is that unusual?

CosmicRunaway

06-02-21, 05:18 PM

I think it was the numbers that confused me because typically when there's a tie, the next place is one spot lower. So if two films tied for spot #2, the next film would be #4 instead of #3, and so on. Maybe that's just a cultural thing though.

As for the reveal, Paprika was #1 on my list. It's a very unique film that got better each time I revisited it. Rashomon was #5 for me. I really liked it, but as I've already said, I liked a lot of films in this HoF. Here was my final ballot:

01. Paprika (2006)
02. Black Rain (1989)
03. Mother (2009)
04. Daimajin (1966)
05. Rashomon (1950)
06. Chocolate (2008)
07. Snake in the Eagle’s Shadow (1978)
08. Hanagatami (2017)
09. Drunken Angel (1948)
10. Tears of the Black Tiger (2000)
11. Dust in the Wind (1986)

Thanks for hosting, CR! And congrats to Rbrayer and Allaby! Great picks! :up: