Favorite Japanese Movies
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Andrew on: October 24, 2007, 12:54:36 PM
So what are everyonefs favorite Japanese movies?
One of my early favorites was the Seven Samurai. What a perfect film. I still try to watch it every few years.
I more recently discovered all the Miyazaki films. So far I would rate My Neighbor Totoro and Whisper of the Heart as my favorites.
On the lighter side Ifve always been a big Godzilla fan.
Jeff on: October 24, 2007, 01:34:05 PM
I'm a huge Miyazaki fan also. I have all of his US-released DVD's. (Er, I think I do, anyway.) Both my and my wife's favorite is probably "Spirited Away". It helps if you don't watch the dub, which lost a lot in the translation.
My favorite recent Japanese movie is "Shimotsuma Monogitari" aka "Shimotsuma Story" aka "Kamikaze Girls". My wife was the one who wanted to rent it, but I totally loved it. It was also filmed right near where she's from, in Ibaraki.
I am trying to remember what else I've seen that I liked... I have seen other Japanese movies that are supposed to be good but that I haven't liked (I know this will be controversial, but I thought "Nobody Knows" was pretty terrible, and "Battle Royale" way overrated). I like a lot of Japanese horror movies, especially Takashi Miike's films. "Audition" is one of my favorites.
Anthony on: October 24, 2007, 03:23:34 PM
I've liked most Kurosawa films I've seen, though I don't own any. Seven Samurai, Ran, Throne of Blood, Rashomon...they were all good.
I'm also a big fan of Shimotsuma Monogatari - I even bought the soundtrack. Ooh.
I've seen quite a bit of stuff, but I'm having trouble remembering exactly what I've seen at the moment. Like Jeff, I'm big into Japanese horror (well, Asian horror - I've seen plenty of non-Japanese Asian horror that was really good); I like some of Miike's films, but his stuff varies wildly. For every great film like Audition there's the utter trash like Visitor Q. I'm not a fan of shock for shock's sake, which he seems to fall back on every so often.
Wild Zero - the rock 'n' roll zombie movie starring Guitar Wolf - is a blast. It was so insane that I couldn't help but love it.
I'll possibly add more thoughts as I think of the movies I've seen and liked.
DoAsPuffy on: October 25, 2007, 12:25:26 PM
"Whisper of the Heart" isn't actually a Miyazaki movie per-say.. he did the screenplay, storyboards, and production, but the director was a man named Yoshifumi Kondou. It's a common misconception. But regardless, I think the movie is just as amazing as the stuff Miyazaki directs.
Here are some of my favorites:
- NANA The Movie
- Taiyou no Uta (aka 'Song to the Sun', 'Midnight Sun')
- Mimi wo Sumaseba (aka 'Whisper of the Heart')
- Tada, Kimi wo Aishiteru (aka 'Heavenly Forest')
- Sen to Chihiro no Kamikakushi (aka 'Spirited Away')
- HAURU no Ugoku Shiro (aka 'Howl's Moving Castle')
- Ren'ai Shashin: A Collage of Our Lives
There's a website called crunchyroll.com that has pretty much every Japanese movie you can imagine.. plus it has J, K, and C-Drama, anime, J, K, and C-Pop music vids etc; You have to register to join, but it FREE and it only takes like a minute to register. That website is where I saw "NANA The Movie", "Tada, Kimi wo Aishiteru", and "Ren'ai Shashin".
Cerahbes on: October 27, 2007, 04:43:34 AM
hahah Audition was creepy as hell Jeff .... hot chick giggling while she's cutting limbs off with piano wire = fun
Jeff on: October 27, 2007, 08:37:55 PM
Quote from: Cerahbes on October 27, 2007, 04:43:34 AM
hahah Audition was creepy as hell Jeff .... hot chick giggling while she's cutting limbs off with piano wire = fun
what's that sound she makes? something like "kitty kitty kitty kitty kitty kitty" in a really high pitched voice... sometimes my wife just does that out of nowhere as a joke and it always freaks me out.
Andrew on: October 27, 2007, 09:06:01 PM
Hey I was watching some show on the gall time scariest moviesh and someone was talking about this movie. Not a big fan of slasher/psycho movies (love monster movies) but I may have to check this one out so if I ever find myself in line behind Jeff at a Puffy concert I can do the gkitty kitty kitty kitty kitty kittyh voice properly lol. Wink
TofuUnion on: October 28, 2007, 06:25:56 AM
Shimotsuma Monogatari is a very entertaining movie. (Both starring Kyoko Fukada and Anna Tsuchiya are Actress / Singer.) Those girls like " Momoko " or " Ichigo " do exist in reality. In Tokyo Harajuku you can see young girls in sweet lolita fashion. And, one of my friend's daughter was a member of Ladies(girls group riding motorbikes).
Some movies of director Kitano are full of brutal violence expressions. I've disliked Takeshi Kitano since his early movie. I don't understand why his works are rated so high. Embarrassed
I found those famous " Last Samurai " or " Memoir of Geisha " rather strange. They are Hollywood Japanese movies made in the USA. On the other hand " Shall We Dance ? ", " Twilight Samurai " and " Memories of tomorrow " were nice. Smiley
As for Miyazaki movies, I might not like them anymore as I liked " Nausicaa of the Valley of the Wind " 20 years ago. Probably just because I grew up. Spirited Away in 2001 is the highest grossing film of all time in Japan. (Not only in Anime Genre.) I can't judge whether it's a great thing for Japanese film industry or not.
Andrew on: October 28, 2007, 07:06:07 AM
TofuUnion,
I wasnft a fan of either gThe Last Samuraih or gMemoirs of a Geisha.h Ifd read the book gGeisha, A Lifeh by Mineko Iwasaki, which was very good. She was apparently very upset with how that moviefs writer westernized the story.
ichigo on: October 28, 2007, 11:17:32 AM
Quote from: Andrew on October 24, 2007, 12:54:36 PM
I more recently discovered all the Miyazaki films. So far I would rate My Neighbor Totoro and Whisper of the Heart as my favorites.
I loved My Neighbor Totoro. My husband thought I was deranged cuz I wanted to watch it every day for the next few days after we watched it. I kept my cool (what little I have!), though, and didn't. I also loved "Kiki's Delivery Service".
I liked the "Memoirs of a Geisha" book a lot, so I was excited to hear there was going to be a movie. And then was super disappointed when I watched it. Undecided And I thought "Last Samurai" was lame, but maybe that's cuz I despise Tom Cruise.
"Audition" was super creepy! I don't think I could watch it again, it made me so uncomfortable! We are supposed to watch "Battle Royale" tonight after putting it off for a couple of weeks....I've heard mixed reviews, so I'm not very anxious to watch it!
Jeff on: October 28, 2007, 02:39:09 PM
Quote from: Andrew on October 28, 2007, 07:06:07 AM
TofuUnion
I wasnft a fan of either gThe Last Samuraih or gMemoirs of a Geisha.h Ifd read the book gGeisha, A Lifeh by Mineko Iwasaki, which was very good. She was apparently very upset with how that moviefs writer westernized the story.
The movie was based on the book of the same name, which was written by Arthur Golden. "Geisha, A Life" came several years *after* "Memoirs of a Geisha".
Arthur Golden apparently interviewed Iwasaki for background info and agreed not to name her in the book, but then he did anyway. He wasn't telling her story, he was writing a fictional account. She was upset because the fact that he named her as a reference made it look like it was her story.
So it's not that he changed or westernized her story; "Memoirs" wasn't based on her story. The problem as far as she was concerned was that an outsider would think that it was. That's why she wrote her own book.
I actually haven't read Golden's book (I did see the movie), but if the movie and book are at all similar, I can't see how some of her complaints were valid anyway. They seemed to be misunderstandings. The movie, at least, never says geishas were/are prostitutes, which was one of her complaints. In fact it says just the opposite; it says *real* geishas are *not* prostitutes, but with the coming of American servicemen and the dilution of the profession, a lot of prostitutes would dress up and call themselves geisha to attract customers. (That's still going on today; you can see it if you go to Kyoto, the real geishas and the "piano bar geishas" all co-mingling in the same areas.)
Andrew on: October 28, 2007, 09:05:21 PM
Jeff,
Come to think of it I think thatfs right Jeff. I remember reading some article online about her discussing it awhile back.
timwamoonface on: October 29, 2007, 11:31:46 PM
Grave of the Fireflies (Hotaru no Haka) is one of my favorites. Very depressing anime about the affects of war and children.
Oh and I saw this movie in my Japanese class, Tampopo (Dandelion?), it was about ramen! and the live action Death Note movies are good too!
Cerahbes on: October 31, 2007, 10:18:40 AM
yes it did sound like her saying "kitty kitty kitty" in a really high pitched voice as she stalked the house *^_^* I honestly do not like horror movies either, and I would never watch it again - I was originally forced to watch it by a female friend that happens to be a film student.
Jeff on: November 01, 2007, 01:14:45 PM
I liked Grave of the Fireflies also but I can never, ever watch it again. It was too depressing. Definitely something everybody should see, but jesus. Talk about the opposite of entertainment.
Favorite Japanese Movies - Page Two
Cerahbes on: November 04, 2007, 10:18:30 PM
ya I totally agree with ya on Grave of the Fireflies, it is my favorite Miyazaki movie
side note, when I was over in Japan I noticed stuido Ghibli merchandise everywhere
DoAsPuffy on: November 05, 2007, 05:56:13 AM
Quote from: Cerahbes on November 04, 2007, 10:18:30 PM
side note, when I was over in Japan I noticed stuido Ghibli merchandise everywhere
lol, me too.. I even gave in and bought a bunch of stuff. I bought a Kiki's Delivery Service purse (that has pics of Jiji all over it), a little Totoro (that's hanging from my rear-view mirror in my car), and a set of keychains that have different movie characters on them. I definitely would have bought more if I had more money.. Cheesy
Jeff on: November 05, 2007, 08:54:02 AM
Quote from: Cerahbes on November 04, 2007, 10:18:30 PM
ya I totally agree with ya on Grave of the Fireflies, it is my favorite Miyazaki movie
It's not actually a Miyazaki movie. Studio Ghibli is run by two guys, Miyazaki and Isao Takahata. Fireflies is a Takahata film.
Cerahbes on: November 05, 2007, 07:10:11 PM
lol don't even start that stuff =P he's the reason there is a studio Ghibli
Jeff on: November 06, 2007, 07:30:04 AM
Quote from: Cerahbes on November 05, 2007, 07:10:11 PM
lol don't even start that stuff =P he's the reason there is a studio Ghibli
Huh? Fireflies was directed by Takahata. You're saying it wasn't?
Takahata and Miyazaki were partners before they formed Studio Ghibli.
Andrew on: November 06, 2007, 07:52:28 AM
Here is a good website for anyone looking for more info on Miyazaki and Takahata: Nausicaa.net
Asuka on: November 26, 2007, 01:55:39 PM
The japanese movie Premonition was awesome! The acting (no offense) was alot better in the japanese version. Oh and I love Miyazaki films. ^^ "Castle in the Sky" and "Howl's Moving Castle" are simply awesome!
Anthony on: November 26, 2007, 01:59:32 PM
Quote from: Asuka on November 26, 2007, 01:55:39 PM
The japanese movie Premonition was awesome!
I love that movie, too (though I'm pretty sure it has nothing to do with "Premonition" starring Sandra Bullock, if that's what you were referring to re: the acting being better in the Japanese version). Another good one (if you like horror) is "Infection."
Asuka on: November 26, 2007, 02:11:46 PM
Really? Hmmm, I just assumed that the 2 movies were connected..Ah well. I've never heard of infection, what's it about?
Anthony on: November 26, 2007, 02:16:56 PM
"Infection" is about a group of hospital workers (working in a run-down, under-funded, about-to-be-closed hospital) who find a diseased patient left in their Emergency Room. The patient is infected with a disease that completely melts (for lack of a better term) the victim, and the movie is about the staff's efforts to track down the cause of the infection before it spreads and they all die.
There's a little more to it than that (sub-plots, etc.), but that's the basic gist. I like it a lot. Then again, I like horror stories set in creepy hospitals and the like, so that movie was right up my alley.
Asuka on: November 26, 2007, 02:19:59 PM
Hmmm, Infection sounds pretty good, I think I'll try to rent it this weekend. ^^
PUFFYROCKS on: Yesterday at 12:26:39 AM
Yes, I love all the Miyazaki films as well! I also love the movies done by Satoshi Kon such as Millenium Actress, Tokyo Godfathers, and Paprika.
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