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- Godzilla Minus One (2023)
- Midnight (2021)
- Magnificent Warriors (1987)
- Odd Couple (1979)
- Three (2016)
- Dreadnaught (1981)
- Decision to Leave (2022)
- Once Upon a Time in China & America (1997)
- Bad Guy
- Dali & Cocky Prince
- A Korean Odyssey
- Special Delivery (2022)
- Hwarang
- My Girlfriend Is A Gumiho
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Elsewhere on the Web
Ex (2010)
No matter what anyone says or does and no matter how hard Emperor (the film’s production company) tries, the biggest draw to Heiward Mak’s middling twentysomething romantic drama is lead Gillian Chung. Ex is the kind of star vehicle released at Just The Right Time that Emperor excels in forcing into the cultural discourse; let’s not forget this is the organisation that decided to makes stars of Twins — and unfortunately did so. This time around, the goal is rehabilitating … (read more)
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Bleach: The Diamond Dust Rebellion (2007)
It’s both a blessing and a curse that Bleach is the kind of show it is. With its non-stop action and a vast array of characters it’s little wonder it’s so popular; after all, when you practically have every possible character type covered – from the rebellious hero with the heart of gold to the comical and lucky bumbler (and so on and so forth) – you basically have something that will appeal to everyone. But the very things that … (read more)
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Amphetamine (On Fei Tar Ming) (2010)
Okay. So all you have to know about being gay in Asia is that 1) your life will end miserably and you will die too young and 2) you will become smitten with a straight guy, but that’s not really an obstacle to your imminent demise. Horror, sci-fi, rom-com and kitchen sink dramas have tropes and conventions that define them as such, and in that light, Asia’s queer cinema scene is making a case for itself as a genre. That … (read more)
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Caterpillar (Kyatapira) (2010)
There is no way anyone could consider Wakamatsu Koji’s anti-war, anti-military, anti-nationalist tirade subtle. The man cut his teeth and made his name in pink eiga, so chances are he doesn’t know the meaning of the word. But that would belittle Wakamatsu’s cumulative knowledge — he has over four decades’ experience — and the fact that he left straight up soft-core porn behind long ago to use his considerable clout making ‘real’ films. Wakamatsu has never been into titillation … (read more)
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Romeo x Juliet (2009)
One could argue the wisdom of tackling a remake of one of the best known romantic stories of English Renaissance literature. After all, there’s only two ways to really go about it without digging your own grave, so to speak – you do it the way it’s always been done, or you had damn well better understand it inside and out if you’re going to change it. Studio Gonzo has taken the latter, loftier road, with mixed results.
It’s not … (read more)
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A Dirty Carnival (2006)
One of the best Korean gangster movies of the 2000s. Noted for the gritty, spontaneous look of its fight scenes, to me it’s also the interplay of conventional and reflexive elements that makes A Dirty Carnival stand above the excessively histrionic Friend, cute but daft jopok comedies like Marrying the Mafia and My Wife is a Gangster, the aesthetically appealing but shallow A Bittersweet Life and the largely unadventurous output of Ryu Seung-wan, among others.
Jo In-seoung, unbearably … (read more)
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The Handsome Suit (2008)
I recently attended the screening of the opening film for the 13th Japanese Film Festival in Sydney, The Handsome Suit. The atmosphere was absolutely fantastic, with the cinema packed with movie lovers and filled with constant laughter as the film was shown. I found out later that over 90% of the night’s audience thought the film was ‘excellent’ or ‘very good’, and am pleased to say that I was one of the crowd who enjoyed this film tremendously.
The … (read more)
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