Oldboy

[Haruki]

On Film4 tonight.

Seem to remember it getting a few recommendations on here.

 

[Nex]

Well worth watching in my opinion.

Not one for the faint of heart though, lots of pretty brutal realistic violence and a nasty "just out of shot" torture scene. A very messed up story told very very well.

Now I just need to wait for people to watch it come back here and blame me cause they thought it was pish.

 

[Haruki]

Well worth watching in my opinion.

Not one for the faint of heart though, lots of pretty brutal realistic violence and a nasty "just out of shot" torture scene. A very messed up story told very very well.

Now I just need to wait for people to watch it come back here and blame me cause they thought it was pish.

You've sold it to me.

 

[Brainwrong]

It's an amazing film. I thought lady vengeance was better though.

 

[Haruki]

It's an amazing film. I thought lady vengeance was better though.

Thought it was you and I'm remembering now that I watched lady vengeance on your advice. It's a sort of trilogy ain't it?

Just starting anyway so we'll see how it goes.

 

[Nex]

Yeah the three films of Park Chan-Wooks "Vengeance Trilogy" are Sympathy for Mr. Vengeance, Oldboy and Lady Vengeance.

Not really a trillogy in the normal sense but three films which deal with the same themes.

You know I don't think I ever actually finished watching Lady Vengeance, I know I started it many years ago and have it kicking about on DVD somewhere. I think I still need to pick up Mr. Vengeance.
:doh

 

[Brainwrong]

As nex says it's a trilogy only in the fact that all three films deal with revenge and the effect that has on people and the decisions and choices they have to make.

The first one (mr vengeance) is just as good as the other two, worth checking out too.

 

[Haruki]

As nex says it's a trilogy only in the fact that all three films deal with revenge and the effect that has on people and the decisions and choices they have to make.

The first one (mr vengeance) is just as good as the other two, worth checking out too.

Thought Oldboy was excellent. Brilliantly imaginative plot and some fine acting. Thought it was better than lady vengeance tbh although that's very watchable too.

Will love film the other one as well as they're head and shoulders above most of the trash that comes out of Hollywood.

 

[Happyhibs62]

Good film but I thought it was a tad overated which tends to happen quite a lot with world cinema. I find that just because it's got subtitles it's is suddenly watchable in certain circles (dont mean deaf ones) or becomes a classic.

 

[Brainwrong]

Good film but I thought it was a tad overated which tends to happen quite a lot with world cinema. I find that just because it's got subtitles it's is suddenly watchable in certain circles (dont mean deaf ones) or becomes a classic.

There are indeed a lot of pretentious kants about. Personally I try to avoid the hype and watch films on mates recommendations. Or, do what I do with music, get more from the same artist or label.

 

[Happyhibs62]

There are indeed a lot of pretentious kants about. Personally I try to avoid the hype and watch films on mates recommendations. Or, do what I do with music, get more from the same artist or label.

Agree, recommendations from mates tend to be the best. Some reviews you get from critics are just ridiculous.

I got into the whole world cinema thing as I couldnt be assed with so many Hollywood films skipping a plot altogether and just blowing their budget on big named stars and special effects.

Also with WC you tend to concetrate a lot more due to having to read the subtitles - nothing worse when Hollywood decides to remake a WC film, REC is a perfect example.

I believe they have snapped up the rights to The Girl With The Dragon Tattoo. Brilliant film, 80% Hollywood will screw it right up :rodpetrie:

 

[LisaO]

There was a braw thread on here years ago listing a ton of good extreme Asian films. Cannae find it now though :sadwalk:

 

[Nex]

Most of the films released over here by Tartan Films under their Asia Extreme collection tend to be pretty good.

The range covers violent action, thriller, psycological and horror from around asia.

A few notable ones, for me at least, being the Vengence Trillogy, Battle Royal, Infernal Affairs, R-Point, Audition and Versus.

There are quite a lot of sites around focused on asian films, particularly the horror/psycological ones, as a pretty large cult following for them has sprung up in the US and Europe, mostly no doubt due to hollywoods lack of creativity, and the numerous "gore porn" movies being pumped out. Who needs a plot when you've got 10 gallons of fake blood and a couple of actresses willing to get their tits out.
:

Some pretty good films coming out of the rest of the world too. The original [REC] (spain), Pontypool (canada), and Lake Mungo (australia) have been some I've liked from recent years. There is even hope for america as I thought The Midnight Meat Train was really good too.

I wouldn't call myself a horror buff or fanatic but...I have watched quite a few weird ones from round the world.

 

[LisaO]

Cheers for that Nex. Have seen most o the Asian ones mentioned apart from R-Point and Versus. I've lovefilm'd those along with Rec. Will check out the others soon.

 

[Sunshine on Leith]

I remember going to see a very good film a few years ago called Ong-bak...

Booting lives in a small and peaceful village. One day a sacred Buddha statuette called Ong Bak is stolen from the village by a immoral businessman who sells it for exorbitant profits. It soon becomes the task of a young man, Boonting (Phanom Yeeram), to track the thief down to Bangkok voluntarily and reclaim the religious treasure. Along the way, Boonting uses his astonishing athleticism and traditional Muay Thai skills to combat his adversaries.

I also watched Oldman lastnight, although I enjoyed the film it wasn't IMO as good as Lady Vengance.

 

[Nex]

Ong-bak is very good. Tatchakorn Yeerum, known as Tony Jaa over here (I never get why some actors use an alternate name for a different market), is pretty amazing.

There is an Ong-bak 2 and 3 but I've not seen either of them, apparantly 2 is a prequel set in the 15th Century then 3 is a direct sequel to 2. So sadly probably very little like the first aside from Yeerum battering people, most likely still entertaining though.

On the action/cool story front, Zatoichi (the 2003 one directed by and starring Takeshi Kitano) is a very good Samurai movie, and Azumi, which had a similar period setting, wasn't too bad either.

Skyhigh (2003 Japanese movie NOT the 2005 Disney movie) is a good supernatural action/thriller movie.

 

[Haruki]

Well that's me love-filmed up for the next few months. Wouldn't have found any of that lot if it wasn't for this thread. Particularly looking forward to all the oriental stuff.

Good work chaps and chapesses.

 

[LisaO]

Well that's me love-filmed up for the next few months. Wouldn't have found any of that lot if it wasn't for this thread. Particularly looking forward to all the oriental stuff.

Good work chaps and chapesses.

Add Ichi the Killer to your list too. Cracking film (if you can stomach it).

 

[jarkko wiss]

Old Boy is the most harrowing film I've ever seen. The scene where your man goes radge with a claw hammer is particularly brutal.
Ace film.

 

[jarkko wiss]

Agree, recommendations from mates tend to be the best. Some reviews you get from critics are just ridiculous.

I got into the whole world cinema thing as I couldnt be assed with so many Hollywood films skipping a plot altogether and just blowing their budget on big named stars and special effects.

Also with WC you tend to concetrate a lot more due to having to read the subtitles - nothing worse when Hollywood decides to remake a WC film, REC is a perfect example.

I believe they have snapped up the rights to The Girl With The Dragon Tattoo. Brilliant film, 80% Hollywood will screw it right up :rodpetrie:

I see that Hollywood has decided to re-make one of my favourite French films "Le Diner de Cons" with that twat Steve Carell. I'm expecting it to be a complete botch.

 

[Nex]

Add Ichi the Killer to your list too. Cracking film (if you can stomach it).

:doh
I can't believe I forgot about Ichi.

On the subject of crazy over the top (often to comical levels) japanese body horror/gore film front I've been meaning to watch Vampire Girl vs. Frankenstein Girl and also Samurai Princess, both of which had some of the same people working on them that made Tokyo Gore Police and The Machine Girl.

Not exactly "great movies" but in terms of batshite insane very few come close to the level of this area of japanese cinema.

 

[Haruki]

Add Ichi the Killer to your list too. Cracking film (if you can stomach it).

Will do, Mrs O, cheers. Probably not one to watch with a brutal hangover though?

 

[Haruki]

Good film but I thought it was a tad overated which tends to happen quite a lot with world cinema. I find that just because it's got subtitles it's is suddenly watchable in certain circles (dont mean deaf ones) or becomes a classic.

Know what you mean. Sometimes something that's supposed to be cool just has to be? The emperor's new clothes. But I can assure you that's not where I'm coming from. There were a couple of Spanish ones that came out recently that were supposedly uber-cool. I thought they were sh't. One with a wee angel flying about the place? Rubbish imho.

I couldn't be farther from thinking something's good because it's supposed to be cool. Hell, just read any thread I've started on here regarding music (just about to post one about Rod Stewart). I'm not cool and have no desire to be. But I just think all that Oriental stuff is proper cool. Hell, just look at my user name. I love Murakami's books. Kill Bill 2's my favourite film ever and I'm pretty sure Tarantino's too mainstream to be considered cool these days. The Easterns just strike me as having far more smarts than we'll ever have. Compare Buddhism to Christianity for proof. Even their religions are cooler.

F#ck cool. I'm too cool for that.

What happened to The Cooler King anyway?

Cool.

I bet cool's not even a cool word anymore.

Am I on the right thread or have I gone of on a tangent again.

Cool.

 

[Brainwrong]

Know what you mean. Sometimes something that's supposed to be cool just has to be? The emperor's new clothes. But I can assure you that's not where I'm coming from. There were a couple of Spanish ones that came out recently that were supposedly uber-cool. I thought they were sh't. One with a wee angel flying about the place? Rubbish imho.

I couldn't be farther from thinking something's good because it's supposed to be cool. Hell, just read any thread I've started on here regarding music (just about to post one about Rod Stewart). I'm not cool and have no desire to be. But I just think all that Oriental stuff is proper cool. Hell, just look at my user name. I love Murakami's books. Kill Bill 2's my favourite film ever and I'm pretty sure Tarantino's too mainstream to be considered cool these days. The Easterns just strike me as having far more smarts than we'll ever have. Compare Buddhism to Christianity for proof. Even their religions are cooler.

F#ck cool. I'm too cool for that.

What happened to The Cooler King anyway?

Cool.

I bet cool's not even a cool word anymore.

Am I on the right thread or have I gone of on a tangent again.

Cool.

Off thread topic and on to your cool rant; you seem to confuse pretentiousness with cool. You sound like you're embarrassed by your choices and overcompensate by saying that you don't care about being cool. I may be wrong.

Being cool in the sense that you mean only really matters in kid's peer groups and if ever evidenced in adult groups then you can guarantee the folk are kants and not worth knowing anyway. Which is perhaps your point.

I suppose what I'm trying to say is you don't need to tell everyone that you don't care that Paulo nuntini is not cool and that you love him anyway and that any rejection of paulo is just folk wanting to appear cool.

My rejection of most of the stuff you've said you've liked musically is because I think it's either shit or not to my taste. I even admitted I heard a jai zed track briefly in a club in London which I liked, granted I downloaded it and realised it had one good hook and then went on to repeat that over and over and unlike in the club I could actually hear how shit his rapping is. But fuck it, I gave it a go and I think that's all anyone can ask.

Anyway, this isnae meant as an all out attack.

Are we cool?

 

[Haruki]

Off thread topic and on to your cool rant; you seem to confuse pretentiousness with cool. You sound like you're embarrassed by your choices and overcompensate by saying that you don't care about being cool. I may be wrong.

Being cool in the sense that you mean only really matters in kid's peer groups and if ever evidenced in adult groups then you can guarantee the folk are kants and not worth knowing anyway. Which is perhaps your point.

I suppose what I'm trying to say is you don't need to tell everyone that you don't care that Paulo nuntini is not cool and that you love him anyway and that any rejection of paulo is just folk wanting to appear cool.

My rejection of most of the stuff you've said you've liked musically is because I think it's either shit or not to my taste. I even admitted I heard a jai zed track briefly in a club in London which I liked, granted I downloaded it and realised it had one good hook and then went on to repeat that over and over and unlike in the club I could actually hear how shit his rapping is. But f**k it, I gave it a go and I think that's all anyone can ask.

Anyway, this isnae meant as an all out attack.

Are we cool?

We cool bitch, we cool.

Can't argue with a single word you say man. This morning's 5am post was, you might have guessed, fairly alcohol inspired (still too scared to read the walking through fire one). I'm in no way embarassed by my choices, it's all subjective and I'm very much a live and let live type chap. So we cool baby, we cool.

Anyway time's money and Friday night is the ultimate take money of fish at poker night so I'm outta here.

Back to thread topic : Mr Vengeance winging it's way from lovefilm's hq. It better be cool

 

[LisaO]

Will do, Mrs O, cheers. Probably not one to watch with a brutal hangover though?

Miss O, thank you very much :smug: Actually hungover might do the trick. Very very dark humour and probably most appreciated when still half cut :yas:

 

[Haruki]

MissO, thank you very much :smug: Actually hangover might do the trick. Very very dark humour and might be most appreciated when half cut :yas:

Miss O, eh :rascal: Don't be flirting with me at 2.30 in the morning. Seriously Lisa, don't

I quite like being scared when I'm hanging over actually. Mr Vengeance hopefully here tomorrow so that will do for Sunday.

 

[Brainwrong]

We cool bitch, we cool.

Can't argue with a single word you say man. This morning's 5am post was, you might have guessed, fairly alcohol inspired (still too scared to read the walking through fire one). I'm in no way embarassed by my choices, it's all subjective and I'm very much a live and let live type chap. So we cool baby, we cool.

Anyway time's money and Friday night is the ultimate take money of fish at poker night so I'm outta here.

Back to thread topic : Mr Vengeance winging it's way from lovefilm's hq. It better be cool

Sorry man, just in rant mode.

Just thought of an amazing couple of films you and Lisa and nex and anyone else that likes the Asian shit with a dark sense of humour

Save the green planet
and
Vistitor Q

The host is excellent too.

 

[Haruki]

Sorry man, just in rant mode.

Just thought of an amazing couple of films you and Lisa and nex and anyone else that likes the Asian shit with a dark sense of humour

Save the green planet
and
Vistitor Q

The host is excellent too.

No need to apolgise dude, none whatsoever. Constructive criticism I can more than handle. In fact I welcome it. Bams that make out Dostoevsky and drugs are the only thing I post about do my nut in, but hey-ho. I brush them of with alacrity.

Will get those love-filmed too. Mr Vengeance here so will watch that tomorrow.

Keep them coming.

 

[Nex]

I've been meaning to watch The Host (Gwoemul) for a while now after seeing a couple of wee animated gifs of the little lass and the beastie.

Reminded me of the old 90s monster B movies I loved so much, like The Relic, only with higher production values and probably a better story.

 

[Brainwrong]

Just thought of another, it's a gangster movie not horror but decent none the less; bittersweet life

 

[Haruki]

Started a thread on a different forum about Asian films and a few of you might be interested what this guy replied;

Avoid the UK version of Ichi The Killer as the BBFC cut it by 3m15s, making it one of the most heavily cut films since the BBFC relaxed their guidelines. Not one of prolific Japanese director Takashi Miike's best (at one point he was making an average of 5-6 films a year but has recentely slowed down to just 2-3), the crazy Miike dabbles in every type of genre churning out gangster, horror, comedy, drama, sci-fi, musicals and even kids movies. I'd recommend the following - Fudoh: The New Generation (1996)*again beware the British release as it's cut by 21s / Audition (1999) / Dead or Alive (1999) / Visitor Q (2001) / The Happiness of the Katakuris (2001) / Zebraman (2004) / Sukiyaki Western Django (2007) / Yatterman (2009) and the forthcoming Thirteen Assassins looks tasty.

Love the Chan-wook Park vengeance trilogy, the very under-rated Lady Vengeance (2005) being my personal fave, and also really enjoyed his latest, the vampire flick Thirst (2009), despite it's lukewarm reception but I think that may be because its now "cool" to knock him.

On to John Woo, purveyor of the finest action movies of the late 80's/early 90's - A Better Tomorrow (1986), A Better Tomorrow II (1987), The Killer (1989), A Bullet in the Head (1990) and Hard Boiled (1992) are simply unmissable. Avoid all his American pictures except Face/Off (1997) which is great fun. His recent epic Red Cliff (2008) is a fine return to form.

Takeshi "Beat" Kitano - Mad as a bag of badgers, the director / actor most famous for his violent gangster movies in which he always plays the same character (hardly says a word, shows no emotions, prone to extreme violence, mental) although they are actually different people. His style as a director usually involves methodically paced dreamlike scenes with an underlying sense of jet black humour which often end in sudden bursts of bloody violence. He is one of my favourie film makers. Check out Violent Cop (1989), Boiling Point (1990), Sonatine (1993), Hanna-Bi (1997), Zatoichi (2003) and Takeshis' (2005). He also appears in Kinji Fukasaku's (director of many top 70's gangster films) last film, the superb Battle Royale (2000), as well as being the host of crazed Japanese game show Takeshi's Castle.

Yimou Zhangs' three big international hits - Hero (2002), House of Flying Daggers (2004) and Cusre of the Golden Flower (2006) are all recommended and amongst the most ravishingly beautiful films you will ever see. He was also responsible for those amazing opening/closing ceremonies at the Beijing Olympics.

Kurosawa is simply one of the giants of cinema and if possible you should check out the U.S. Criterion Blu-Rays.

 

[buckie]

great movie, you have just realised you are having sex with your long lost daughter (she doesnt know) , what do you do, do you break it off immedietly and never see her again?, no you get your self hypnotized so you will never know or remember its your daughter your shagging. That sure is twisted man,

 

[Brainwrong]

great movie, you have just realised you are having sex with your long lost daughter (she doesnt know) , what do you do, do you break it off immedietly and never see her again?, no you get your self hypnotized so you will never know or remember its your daughter your shagging. That sure is twisted man,

Hopefully you've not just totally spoiled that film for anyone!

 

[buckie]

Hopefully you've not just totally spoiled that film for anyone!

well anyone who reads a thread about any film on any messgage board presumably has seen it already. I mean why discuss a movie on a forum if you havent seen it,

 

[Brainwrong]

well anyone who reads a thread about any film on any messgage board presumably has seen it already. I mean why discuss a movie on a forum if you havent seen it,

I reckon there's plenty folk that check a thread like this that huvnae seen the films detailed. Nae biggy, just something I'm conscious of not doing when discussing films or books that folk may not have seen read.

 

[Nex]

Considering the first post was simply about the film being on the tele it's safe to say the thread could attract people who haven't seen it before.

Infact the whole thread is pretty much "if you haven't seen film x, but you liked film y then maybe you should" we are kinda expecting people to have not seen some of these.

Nae biggy, just something I'm conscious of not doing when discussing films or books that folk may not have seen read.

Yeah I'm the same, talking about books, films, etc. on various forums kinda makes it an instant habit not to say more than the basic themes or a simple introduction unless a thread is specifically an indepth discussion/review of a piece and clearly labeled as such.

Of course this is why every board should have spoiler tags avaliable, you never know when they could come in handy.

Highlight to read:
Though making the text white works okay as a stand in for actual spoiler tags.