Book Reviews

Just in case you missed them on Japan Probe, I did a couple book reviews in a video. It has so few comments that I am afraid people have finally realized what I knew all along...
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People's comments last post were interesting. Some thoughts of mine: Why stop at one dream, especially if you feel you can focus sufficiently on the important ones? My underlying dream of dreams seems to be to live in a house in a bamboo covered, mossy mountain in Japan somewhere. With that in mind, I don't have much to stress about; there are many paths. I also still believe that the universe helps me out, and there will be a way of some sort. I got to Japan in the first place, after all. That said, I feel I have some side projects to attend to, and maybe some networking to do too.

腑抜けども悲しみの愛を見せろ

This is one of the movies that popped up on Midnight Eye's best films of the year list. They were right! It was gripping and funny. The climax had me gasping and laughing at the same time. Sato Eriko is much better as a villain than any other role I've seen her in. The Japanese was not too difficult to understand either. I hear there are *cough* ways to see it besides DVD.
Only thing is, the English title is a mess.

Welcome to Dongmakgol

This was a great movie. Alex, I imagine you have already seen it, yeah? Course, I had to read Japanese subtitles the whole time what with being a Korean movie. I gotta say, Americans' acting is slightly better in Korean films than in Japanese ones. The directors probably actually know English.
Sorry, Japan, you know it's true.

I miss the 80s version of Japan and I wasn't even there

UPDATE: I interviewed one of the stars from the movie! See it here!

Japanese barbecue

Okay, first I must rave about the new series of Dr. Who. I love it. Example scene:
The last human, "And now, as we watch the earth die, let us listen to an Earth classic befitting of this momentous occasion." A jukebox starts to play Toxic by Britney Spears.

And the daleks! They are actually intimidating. I'm tickled that they are in the series. "Ha! The mighty alien is stopped by a staircase." The dalak starts to fly. "Oh, crap! What's it doing?!"

Also, as far as shows go, I am enjoying Full Metal Alchemist and Dragonball Z in the original Japanese each day. Back when I drew this, some people complained that it looked like a mix of the two.
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Today I joined a family that knew almost no English for a barbeque. It was a trial for sure. At one point I was eating chicken neck wrapped in nori and dipped in mayonase. But I enjoyed it and most of the food was really good. The best way to anything grilled in Japan seems to be with mayo. Redeemed the squid. Dang, those Japanese eat a lot. I find it hard to keep up.
After dark, we lit fireworks. I impressed them all by holding a bottle rocket in my hand as it went off.
Oh and finally, I was challenged to arm wrestling. I lost to the son of the guy I work with, but beat the father. I wasn't sure if I should have lost on purpose to help him save face. I hope not. I hope they enjoyed my presence and that my manners didn't seem barbaric. Really fun.

Primer

Okay, so either I'm not smart anymore, or I was to sleepy, or something, but the movie Primer confused the heck out of me. I have to watch it again. To get an idea of how complicated the plot is, check out this (I would warn you that there are spoilers, but it's so complex you probably won't glean the plot from this).
The most interesting part about the movie is the fact that I realized timetravel is scary, as a concept, to me.
I told Ben of this old timetravel post, and bell's theorum, while I visited. He almost convinced me to do a live reading.
And that type of flattery, folks, is what makes a best friend.

Life at the video store...

Today some friends of the boss came. One of them thought I was cute. Then she didn't leave. I find things to do when I work, and I'm quiet, so having a girl sit around staring at me and talking to all my coworkers about what she would like to do to me, while I was the only person getting anything done, was annoying to say the least. As usual, a relationship would just be inconvenient, so I ignored her as best as a flattered-against-his-will-boy could.
Also of interest at work was Mara, who said that sometimes she thought I was the weirdest guy on earth, and sometimes the funniest. I, not liking the fact that other people never understand me, got even more annoyed. Then she pushed her key into my hip and proclaimed, "I'm turning you on!" making me smile despite myself.
I spent a good chunk of the end of the night hiding from those pesky humans in the family section and watching the Nightmare Before Christmas.
I still know all the lines, and I sang along.
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The rest of this post is long, and has tangental relevance (better than my usual blog-train-of-thought, though) so feel free to comment on the first part before you read on, then you won't forget what you thought, if anything. Please tell me you think! Oh dear, we've lost you with our ramblings...
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So you wanna know what's going on in Asian cinema? Naturally you do. Here are some reviews for you.

There is only one Chinese movie today...
Shaolin Soccer

Let me tell you a story. Years ago, there was rumor on the net of a fantastic movie. Somehow Kit got a hold of a copy and we all huddled in Ben's little dorm room to watch it. Now its on DVD. This movie changed my perception of what movies could be, much like Amilie had done only a month or so before.
Highly recommended!

Japanese flicks...

Ichi the Killer
I was scared to rent this one for a long time, cause of the face of the guy on the cover (I can't stand self-mutilation). But its really interesting, and suprizingly funny. Funny fact: the main character (who is not Ichi) was played by Japan's version of a pop idol, Tadanobu Asano.
Recommended.

Gozu
By the same guy that directed Ichi (Takashi Miike, who is a really famous name right now), this is a film that is more David Lynch than David Lynch ever was, and more enjoyable. My only complaint is the slow pace (something that plagues both David Lynch and Japanese movies frequently). Knowing shinto/Buddhist mythology helps you understand this movie a little.
Recommended.

Andromedia
Also by Takashi Miike, so I was expecting a good movie. Wrong. Turns out that Miike sold out to do a Japanese Pop Idol film, much as if the Backstreet Boys made a movie. I was very angry when they started singing halfway through the movie. The plot is crap too, about a girl (a jpop star) dying and being brought back as a computer program by her father. I didn't know the human psyche could fit on a laptop.
Avoid at all costs, and slap Miike if you see him.

Battlefield Baseball
For the first half hour, I was gagging on the cheesiness, but this one had me laughing hard as it went on. The plot: When our main characters play baseball against an opposing school of zombies, the rules basically change to last man standing wins. The weird part of the movie is they convince a thug that they need him because of his "Tornado Pitch," but he never actually uses it in the fight. Was that supposed to be a joke of omission? I don't know. The extras on this DVD were really good, but the previews that are included should be x-rated. I hate when video companies pull that crap. The main feature itself is quite tame.
Recommended if you like Ernest movies

Samurai Fiction
This is a pretty cool, stylish, and funny movie. Apparently MTV Japan doesn't suck like their US counterpart, because the director usually works for them.
Recommended desu yo!

The Tomie Series
Tomie is a cute Japanese girl that just wont die. She regenerates. She attracts men, then causes them to kill her in a jealous rage (usually by beheading). Poor Tomie. I've watched the 2nd, 3rd, and 4th movies in the series. Each one is made by a completely different group and cast. I like them a lot. Tomie is intriguing in a different way each movie. These movie are pretty minimal in gore, thankfully, relying on psychological horror as per the Japanese standard. In fact, Tomie rivals the creepiness of Sakura (Samara from the ring).
Recommended.

Ju-on (the grudge)
Like the Ring, the Grudge was once a Japanese movie. But this isn't scary at all. When are people gonna learn to walk out of the room when creepy girls come in?
Not recommended when driving, 'cause it will put you to sleep... and you can't watch a movie and drive at the same time anyways. But you probably knew that... *cough*

Tokyo Godfathers
Other movies on this list will make you wonder if Japan isn't a land filled with crazy people (actually, I've heard most of their movies are tame due to housewives being the main consumers of that market), but Tokyo Godfathers gives you hope for all humanity, let alone the Japanese. It had me crying at the end. By the director that gave us spirited away, and princess mononoke.
My highest recommendations.

Suicide Club
I really like this movie. It makes hard hitting commentary about the Japanese society's commercialism and obsession with trends. The creepy thing is, this movie is fairly plausible. People in Japan really are getting together to kill themselves all the time. Additionally, the movie is scary and funny at the same time.
Highly Recommended.

Korean movies I've seen recently

A tale of two sisters
The Ringu phenomenon has spread to Korea, and this is a movie in that tradition, but by no means a rip off. As per usual in Asian cinema these days, it is more psychological than gory.
recommended

Save the Green Planet I really wanted to like this one especially after seeing the apple.com preview, but the middle of the movie is a completely different beast from the beginning and end. It starts as a dark comedy, gets darker, and then gets kind of funny again. I'd like to see it remade in America, just to see what would happen.
I recommend it though, for the Korean-punk-remake of Somewhere Over the Rainbow (see the aformentioned preview for some of that).

2009 no pic needed for the bad movie!
Ugh, this one sucked. It seemed to be interesting at first, but it is just a cheesy action movie in the tradition of the rock (WE WILL SHOVE DRAMA DOWN YOUR THROAT WITH SLOW MOTION AND BAD MUSIC!!!), not to mention anti-Japanese propaganda. Boo.
Not recommended unless you live in North Korea.

Top Five best and worst zombie movies

Anyone that knows me knows I am a zombie aficionado. Dunno why, but I think it has something to do with the first time I played silent hill (I may tell the story that got Abra to hyperventilate/laugh about that later, but I digress...). With my holy powers of video store clerk, I watch many a movie good and bad. Here's the ones to watch out for.

Top Five best zombie movies

1. Shawn of the dead.
Each detail of this movie was well planned and executed. From the opening few seconds you know its a winner.

our intrepid cast

2. Dawn of the Dead, 2004 Remake
This movie's got it all. Zombie babies, Jay Leno Zombie, and Jonny Cash's "When the Man Comes Around" playing over the opening credits.

Isn't it cute when he tries to fit into normal people clothes?

3. Dead Alive
Before he directed lord of the rings, Peter Jackson was a gore goob. And this is the goriest movie I've ever seen. The highlight of the movie is when the hero straps a lawnmower to his chest and enters the fray.

4. Night of the living dead and its remake
How could the world's first zombie movie not make it onto this list? I actually like the remake even better. And guess what? George A. Romero is coming back to create the fourth movie in his infamous series, Land of the Dead.

The world's first cute little dead girl?

5. 28 Days later
Okay, they break the rules from the start, by telling us what caused the zombies, but still, a really good zombie flick. Brits don't have guns, so they have to be a little more creative when dealing with zombies. Come to think of it, liberals cause most of the zombie problem in this movie, starting with releasing infected animals from the research lab. Contrast that with the crazed military men though, and you can see the movie as a political debate. The best part of this movie was its softer, more philosophical side that explored the nature of mankind. A thinking man's zombie movie.


Honorable mentions.
Evil Dead 2 (the best one of the series), and Close Encounters of the spooky kind. Two good movies, with not-quite-zombie monsters in them.

Top Five Worst Zombie Flicks

1. Resident Evil One.
I don't really want to think about this much. It doesn't even have a resolution, just a lead into the sequel...

2. Resident Evil Two.
Besides having every zombie cliche done in a boring way, it also has every action cliche you can think of. Imagine Team America, sans satire. Yes, of coarse, driving a motorcycle through the stained glass window at that exact moment makes perfect sense. No my intelligence doesn't feel insulted in the least, please keep the witty use of the F-word coming my dear. Also sans-resolution.

"Oh, that's valentine. She's a loose cannon, but we like to keep her around cause she's hot."

3. Junk.
The only Japanese zombie movie I know of, and it makes me not want to see another one. From the very beginning we are pumped full of pure cheese until our brain is replaced by gorgonzola. Also, the Japanese don't seem to know the rules... be it of physics, good acting, or what zombies do. The only good part was seeing a Yakuza zombie eat his own guts to prove his machismo.

remember, when going into super saijin zombie mode, your hair turns blond (I wish this was a joke, but its not).

4. Zombies Vs. Vampires.
I haven't even watched this one and I'm putting it on the list. Trust me, I'm clairvoyant about when movies will be bad, as the VanHelsing incident proved.

5. Weekend at Bernies Two
Yeah, they made a sequel to the movie with the most improbable plot ever. Yeah, this time they brought voodoo magic into the story to make Bernie a zombie. But he doesn't move unless he hears those Jamaican beats, mon.

"Respect for the dead? Nah, we'd rather have fun!"

Honorable mention:
House of the Dead, the movie. If the list went to six, this matrix-zombie-busting-moves fest would be on it.


This post is Rated PG-13

'Cause my opinion is soooo important

As you may know, one of my summer jobs is working at Hollywood video. We get three free rentals a night and I have been taking advantage of it. I thought I'd review some media I've ran across (not just movies).

Osamu Tezuka’s Buddha
Budda's life, as seen through the eyes of the god of manga himself. It is quite educational (though I worry that history is treated in it much in the way it was in Cartoon Network's "time squad") and entertaining. I just finish volume two of this massive series. Sidhartha has gotten married, had a kid, and gone off to live as a monk despite his caste. Makes me want to see the manga depiction of the life of Christ.

Zatoichi
Written by, produced by, and starring japanese comedian Takeshi Kitano (the gruff guy from kikujiro) as a blind swords man. It has the world's only Japanese tap-dancing scene set in ancient times as far as I know. Weird, funny, and violent, I highly recommend it. The sword fighting is like nothing anyone has ever done. Also included on the DVD is Takeshi's famous and revolutionary yakuza film Sonatine.

Volcano High
Bad movie. MTV brought this Korean movie to the U.S. and dubbed the voices with those of famous rap stars. This was only thing more unnatural than normal dubbing, which is pretty bad. The only redeeming factor of the movie was the pretty girls.

Silent Hill 4
Being "trapped" in a room the whole game was an interesting twist. I really hate the enemies in this one. I'm all nostalgic for the enemies of SH1.

I've got that feeling that I'm being watched again...


Close Encounters of the Spooky Kind
My first Sammo Hung experience. It is the Evil Dead of the martial arts genre. That means it may be my favorite martial arts flick to date. Highly recommended.


Kung Fu Hustle
I loved it, not as much as Shaolin Soccer perhaps, but still. And I found out Sammo Hung had a hand in this one.

More reviews to come as summer drags on.