1. Gankutsuo: An exotic passion-play with a sci-fi twist; Albert is the perfect sacrificial victim and the Count is the perfect flawed monster. The classics never looked so good!

2. Election 2: And I thought Election was good! Louis Koo made me change my mind about him (good). And minced meat (bad).

3. Starfish Hotel: Dark and dreamlike, all its elements part of a deeper whole. Gorgeous and fascinating.

4. Hold up Down/Dead Run: I know it's cheating, and that Dead Run is nothing like Hold Up Down, but you expect me to choose my favourite Sabu film? Impossible!

5. Big Bang Love: Juvenille A: Miike's most un-Miike-like film; a little surreal, very affecting and incredibly sensual without being in any way explicit. And Ando Masanobu. There is no more to say.

Honourable mentions: The Heavenly Kings, Imprint, Isabella.

by Deni Stoner
posted Mon, 25 Dec 2006

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