What Asian Films Have You Been Watching Recently?

[tetrapak Senior Member Find all posts View Profile Close tetrapak]

Regarding Red Silk Gambler.. although i feel lazy for not having seen it yet (have to ask as I assume you have).

Seeing as it came 1972 also from Toei AND starring Reiko Ike, and! in the breeding period for PV, as you mention this PV/gambler/yakuza - I assume this is not pinky violence or (?)

More than anything else "Red Silk Gambler" was a more direct attempt to restart a cycle similar to the Red Peony Gambler after Junko Fuji retired in 1972... unfortunately it wasn't very successful and even if the production had any plan to make a second installment, star Eiko Nakamura killed herself some months after the release of the first one...

as for the film itself it's like a wilder Ninkyo film interspersed with Pinky Violence and Zatoichi elements...

recommended if you are a fan of the genre...

[Takuma Senior Member Find all posts View Profile Close Takuma]

tetrapak summarized it perfectly. I have my old mini-review somewhere... ah, here:

The Red Silk Gambler (Japan, 1972) [DVD] - 3/5
Teruo Ishii's female gambler film has several good moments, but suffers from a messy script. Eiko Nakamura is a yakuza searching for a man (Bunta Sugawara) who once saved her life. Unfortunately he is now affiliated with her enemy, including the daughter (Reiko Ike) of a man she killed. This was intended as the first in a new series, but no sequels followed. It's easy to see why. Not only was the ninkyo yakuza genre past its prime, this one doesn't use the genre elements very effectively. There are also too many characters and Nakamura lacked the charisma of Junko Fuji. Ishii does, however, manage many visually stylish scenes and some nicely staged action. He also throws in some nudity and ero guro elements similar to his 60s shock cinema, although in a toned down form. Based on a storyline by Oniroku Dan, btw.



Like tetrapak said, it was one of the many attempts to find a successor to Fuji and Red Peony Gambler. Showa Woman Gambler (1972) with Kyoko Enami and the Wandering Ginza Butterfly films were some of the other attempts. None of them were too successful at the box office.

In an interview Ishii stated Red Silk Gambler was not supposed to be a series, however, the teaser trailer says something like "part 1 in a new series" if I recall correctly. It wouldn't be the first time Ishii hasn't been informed (or hasn't informed himself) of Toei's plans. I think it was in the same interview that he said he didn't even know Toei had made a sequel (1974) to his Bohachi Bushido (1973)

[ropo1 Senior Member Find all posts View Profile Close ropo1]

Appreciated!

looks like I have to dig up this one sooner then later, quite possibly the most enjoyable period of cinema to me 70s Toei, Nikkatsu, Shochiku and anything beyond, pretty much always quality from one viewpoint or another

[47lab Guest Find all posts View Profile Close 47lab]

I saw the Korean crime thriller, MISSING YOU by director, Mo Hong-jin. I enjoyed his debut flick, OUR TOWN but this one was shoddy from the get go. It had the makings of an interesting film -- a game of cat and mouse between the daughter of a slain detective seeking vengeance on the vicious serial killer who was responsible but the script is strictly amateur hour. Koreans know how to do these revenge flicks as well as anyone and this script could've written itself but for some inexplicable reason, it goes off in all sorts of directions and instead of having me on the edge of my seat, it put me sleep. First off, the protagonist (shim eun-kyung) is supposed to her in 20s but the wardrobe and makeup department made her look all of 12?! :think: Secondly, what the fuck is with the pretentious Nietzsche references & quotes? It appeared the director threw them in there to elevate his film but came off as annoying and a joke. Finally, the ending was preposterous and reminded me of GRAN TORINO and not in a good way.

[47lab Guest Find all posts View Profile Close 47lab]

I caught the Toei jitsuroku, THE LAST TRUE YAKUZA (1985) helmed by Kosaku Yamashita and starring all the big names of the era, Hiroto Matsukata, Sonny Chiba, Koji Tsuruta & all the usual character actors of the period. Typical jitsuroku replete with voice over narration, on screen titles explaining the various yakuza ranks & so forth -- nothing special here. Not sure if takuma already reviewed this one under his Sonny Chiba mega review thread but Sonny is definitely the highpoint of this rather mundane flick, unfortunately Chiba's character (playing a loose canon Yakuza killer named Ryuzo Kano who burns with charisma) disappears around a third of the way in & reappears at the end but doesn't do anything else. Also, the anachronisms are off putting for example it tells the story of Matsukata's character from the beginning of WW2 to his demise in the late 70s but Matsukata still looks the same(?) in what is supposed to be a span of 30 years chronologically. The fashions & sets are way off too with bell bottoms and punch perms in the 1950s! You see newer makes of cars on the roads too. His on screen wife is the ever so cute Nana Okada (former pop singer turned actress) but she looks old enough to be his daughter! He was definitely robbing the cradle or she was entirely miscast in the role. I realize this was based on the real life account of whatever yakuza gangster Matsukata was portraying but I wish the director took more artistic liberties to make this a more exciting movie. Not recommended unless you're a die hard yakuza film fan.

[Takuma Senior Member Find all posts View Profile Close Takuma]

Not sure if takuma already reviewed this one under his Sonny Chiba mega review thread

Yeah, I did, and completely agree.

[47lab Guest Find all posts View Profile Close 47lab]

Yeah, I did, and completely agree.

Funny thing is that I was actually enjoying this flick when they had the child actors in the roles of Matsukata & Okada as youngsters. Also, this would've been a 100x better if instead of focusing on Hiroki, the director would've focused on Chiba's character once he went to prison as the fall guy for Mikio Narita's yakuza boss character.

Anyway, I also checked out one of the flicks in the RP reboot anthology -- unfortunately, I chose the wrong one! :( Hideo Nakata's WHITE LILY was a POS from start to finish. For the most part, it came off as one of those cheap straight to video softcore AV flicks with semi-artistic pretensions. What a monumental waste of time plus that one actress (Asuka Rin?) had this annoying resting bitch face that I wish someone would've slapped the taste out of her mouth. I thought the finale might turn into something interesting or at least a monumental bloodbath to make things entertaining but nope! Couldn't pay me enough to sit through this drivel again.

[Takuma Senior Member Find all posts View Profile Close Takuma]

Anyway, I also checked out one of the flicks in the RP reboot anthology -- unfortunately, I chose the wrong one! :( Hideo Nakata's WHITE LILY

Why'd you choose that one???

It's the only one that sucks!

The only part I liked about it was the last 10-15 min, kinda like Roman Porno goes Family Game. The rest of the film was embarrassingly bad.

Do you know of you viewed the R15 version (which Nikkatsu is distributing online in JP) or the R18 version (which played in theaters in JP). I still don't know what's the difference between them? Any mosaic anywhere? None of the 5 films had mosaic in theaters, but then again, Anti-Porno was the only one with full frontal.

[47lab Guest Find all posts View Profile Close 47lab]

Why'd you choose that one???

It's the only one that sucks!

The only part I liked about it was the last 10-15 min, kinda like Roman Porno goes Family Game. The rest of the film was embarrassingly bad.

Do you know of you viewed the R15 version (which Nikkatsu is distributing online in JP) or the R18 version (which played in theaters in JP). I still don't know what's the difference between them? Any mosaic anywhere? None of the 5 films had mosaic in theaters, but then again, Anti-Porno was the only one with full frontal.

Yeah, I thought I had previously seen a thread for this topic. I really need to use the search function next time. :think: It was the R15 version since it had the ratings disclaimer in the beginning. I don't recall seeing any mosaic though but I don't want to watch it again to find out for sure either. I'll have to check out the other ones -- they sure can't be any worse than this crock of shit.

[47lab Guest Find all posts View Profile Close 47lab]

I went to check out Herman Yau's latest SHOCKWAVE starring Andy Lau. I had to go to the matinee since it was the only showing that was in Cantonese as the rest were in Mandarin. I have to say this was thoroughly enjoyable and one of Yau's best in a long time. Yes, it could've been trimmed by at least 30 minutes, the depth of the characters was lacking and the superficial social commentary about 'greed' was laughable but the action choreography & cinematography were top notch. I don't think I've enjoyed such a visceral HK action film since FIRESTORM. There were some really poignant scenes as well including the finale but the one that got the audience choked up was the one involving the young off duty officer played by Babyjohn Choi (what's with the trend of using these idiotic stage names like Angelababy?!) being strapped with explosives. The high production value is quite evident as they built an actual 1:1 scale of the Cross-Harbour Tunnel for the action sequences as it would've been nigh impossible to close down the actual tunnel for shooting. I'll definitely be picking up the blu ray later.

[47lab Guest Find all posts View Profile Close 47lab]

Caught a double bill earlier with the first flick being Norifumi Suzuki's erotic ninja movie, THE SECRET OF THE FYFLOT (1968) aka SHINOBI NO MANJI and it certainly foreshadows much of his pinky violence stuff later. Not a great movie but I enjoyed all the seemingly outrageous secret ninja techniques employed through out (the body desire and body swap were my faves). It started to run out of steam towards the final third but it piqued my interest again when two female ninjas were assigned the task of retrieving the daimyo's semen while he slept. Isao Natsuyagi puts in a decent performance but it was Hiroko Sakuramachi who was the real star as the lovelorn whip wielding ninja, Kageroi. She really lit up the screen with her presence in every scene.

The second movie was Alex Cheung's 1988 comedy/mystery thriller, CHATTER STREET KILLER. A HK comedic variation of Hitchcock's REAR WINDOW and it's mostly 'hit or miss' and unfortunately mostly "miss". It would've worked better if the characters weren't so annoying to begin with and it certainly didn't help that the lead character, Lo Yau dai is a complete git. Meg Lam was the only character I felt any sympathy for because we've all been in her situation at one time or another. ^_^

[Takuma Senior Member Find all posts View Profile Close Takuma]

Blind Beast (Japan, 1969) [DVD] - 4/5
Yasuzo Masumura remains one the most under-appreciated Japanese filmmakers. He has always been difficult to categorize because he made both melodramas and genre films. I actually dislike half of his movies, but the rest, they are amazing. This Rampo Edogawa adaptation is probably his most notorious film, a psycho sexual story about a blind sculptor who abducts a nude photo model (Mako Midori). He locks her in a warehouse full of human body parts that he has created, including two giant, 20 metre full body models. What begins as a simple abduction tale grows into a twisted relationship study with a devastatingly powerful and disturbing ending. Midori, a fearless (former) Toei actress, always deserved to be directed by someone of Masumura's calibre. Masumura uses her well, especially her face. The film also features one of the most memorable movie sets ever created.



Zatoichi at Large (Japan, 1972) [BD] - 2/5
Part 23. Zatoichi picks up a baby from a dying mother on a road. Her other kid witnesses the tragedy and thinks Zatoichi killed her. As a result he keeps throwing stones at him (fun at first) and giving him trouble (not fun for long) for the rest of the film. Frustratingly, he's not the only one as there's a seemingly endless cavalcade of characters whose misunderstandings are used as cheap plot device. Later Zatoichi arrives a town terrorized by your usual nasty yakuza gang. There's also a super irritating street performer troupe providing mostly unfunny comedy. Thankfully the action is entertaining, there are some nice touches on the soundtrack, and a couple of the supporting characters are interesting. Katsu himself is great.

Zatoichi in Desperation (Japan, 1972) [BD] - 3/5
Part 24. This was Katsu's second directorial effort following the yakuza film The Boss (1971). In Katsu's hands the film came out quite dark and realistic compared to most Zatoichi films. Zatoichi saves a woman from a brothel, however, she's not all that grateful as she didn't really mind her job. Interesting twist! There's also quite a surprise at the end, which is better not spoiled. A lot of the film is spend witnessing evil yakuza boss Asao Uchida being mean, even bullying children and retarded people. Unfortunately a lot that plays just like these scenarios usually do these kinds of films (Toei's ninkyo output offers tons of similar examples). Action scenes are unfortunately filmed and edited in a way that it makes it a bit difficult to see what is going on.

Rica (Japan, 1972) [DVD] - 3.5/5
The term Pinky Violence, as originally coined by J. Taro Sugisaku, excludes films made by studios other than Toei. There are, however, movies by other studios that fit the bill even better than some of Toei's own efforts. Here's a case in point, an energetic and mean spirited delinquent girl exploitationer scripted by arthouse name Kaneto Shindo for Toho. Rika Aoki makes a terrific lead as half breed girl who leaves home after being raped by US soldiers and then by her step father (on the same day) and finds new life on the streets and on a gangster owned club where she sings. Loaded with outrageous scenarios, groovy music and a strong lead, the film's got almost everything you'd wish from a Pinky Violence film. The stumbling point is, ironically, Shindo's extremely episodic script that fails to establish any kind of plot until last 15 minutes. The lack of a plot makes the film feel longer than it is. Thankfully, much is forgiven for the ultra-cool ending credits sequence alone.

Rica 2: Lonely Wanderer (Japan, 1973) [DVD] - 2.5/5
Considering how good the first film was, this sequel is a bit disappointing. It doesn't have the energy of the first film, and it tones down the violence and sex in favour of a more comedic approach. Thankfully, it still comes with some great scenes like Rica singing at a club and yet another fantastic closing credits sequence. There's also plenty of entertaining (but unexceptional) action. If you're able to put aside comparisons to the first movie, and approach it modest expectations, you should be able to find it quite enjoyable however. In fact, feel like I'm being a little harsh here. A three star rating wouldn't be out of question.



Rica 3: Juvenile's Lullaby (Japan, 1973) [DVD] - 1.5/5
It's strange how the Rica series went from the mean spirited original to the manga esque girl gang comedy complete with cartoonish sound effects that is this third film. This is closer to the following year's (horrible) Lupin III live action film than almost anything else in the girl gang genre. If it wasn't for the occasional raping, you could label it as a family flick. The only saving graces are occasional glimpses of skin by star Rika Aoki and the usual racial themes. Not only is the protagonist (and many supporting characters) half breed, but many of the villains are also foreigners or Japanese people who became villains after being traumatized by gaijin bastards! How's that for political incorrectness?

Bankaku Rock (Japan, 1973) [TV] - 3/5
One of the lesser known Toei girl gang films. This one has a fantastic opening with school girls walking to the train station where they strip down to their panties and change to casual wear in front of everyone as they just don't give a damn. From here on, despite the usual gang rivalry plot, the film takes a bit more serious and character driven path. There is relatively little action and the film offers a more credible portrayal of the lower class (gang) life than most films of its kind. It feels perhaps closer to Nikkatsu Action than Toei's Pinky Violence, no doubt partly due to screenwriter Atsushi Yamatoya. Further enhancing the Nikkatsu feel is rock band Carol that not only contributes the soundtrack but is also seen playing in the club sequences. Unfortunately the film's climax is exceptionally low key, realistic it might be. One can't help but to feel that the ending should've been a bit wilder, after all.

[ropo1 Senior Member Find all posts View Profile Close ropo1]

I'm with you on the Rica movies. Watched them all in 1 night not to long ago (all first time watches, have pretty much only read negatives about them so had low expectations and pushed watching them back forever),
thought the first one was fantastic (have to admit i'm weak for the 'west meets east', and felt this was a good example of this) - but indeed it's a downhill ride from there.

[Takuma Senior Member Find all posts View Profile Close Takuma]

That's surprising. I've seen almost nothing but praise for all of the films (forums, reviews, Chris D... and myself when I first saw them 10 years ago... but back then I'd eat anything pinky violence).

I still decided to keep Rica 2 in addition to the first film, but I got rid of Rica 3...

Amazon JP is streaming them on HD, I think. Just btw.

[Maito Guy Senior Member Find all posts View Profile Close Maito Guy]

Blind Beast (Japan, 1969) [DVD] - 4/5
Yasuzo Masumura remains one the most under-appreciated Japanese filmmakers. He has always been difficult to categorize because he made both melodramas and genre films. I actually dislike half of his movies, but the rest, they are amazing. This Rampo Edogawa adaptation is probably his most notorious film, a psycho sexual story about a blind sculptor who abducts a nude photo model (Mako Midori). He locks her in a warehouse full of human body parts that he has created, including two giant, 20 metre full body models. What begins as a simple abduction tale grows into a twisted relationship study with a devastatingly powerful and disturbing ending. Midori, a fearless (former) Toei actress, always deserved to be directed by someone of Masumura's calibre. Masumura uses her well, especially her face. The film also features one of the most memorable movie sets ever created.

I really need to see this again. Have watched it maybe five or six years ago and remember it being great. The Daiei movies from the mid 50ies up until the early 70ies are the next big block of movies I have sincere interest in exploring, but as of now Roman Porno still occupies most of my movie watching free time. Maybe any recommendations on which to start?