Favorite Asian Movie & Performers

[thekfc]

I love the work of Akira Kurasawa. I have seen just about all of his movies & have most of his work on multiple formats.
Some people will choose either Rashomon, Yojimbo, Stray Dog or Seven Samurai as the favorite - for me it would be Ran.
I think that Ran is one of his finest work; lust for power, betrayal & then the destruction of the clan......I don't think that anyone could have done a better job on that movie.

Another favorite Japanese filmmaker/actor of mine is Takeshi Kitano (Beat Takeshi).
I love the man's work - Violent Cop, Poiling Point, Battle Royale, Kikujirō no Natsu, Hana-bi, & Sonatine.

I also like the works of Kenji Misumi (love his Zatōichi series work), Kazuo Mori, Kimiyoshi Yasuda, Toshiro Mifune, Yukari Oshima... to name a few.

For Martial Arts/Action, Chang Cheh is tops in my book followed closely by Sammo Hung, Lau Kar-Leung "pops", and then John Woo.
I have just about all these 4 film makers work on media.

For "New Wave" it would be Wong Kar-wai (Abstract, abrupt and ambiguous endings); Tsui Hark ~ “the Steven Spielberg of Asia”  and Ching Siu-tung ~ Action director of movies like Hero (Jet Li), Shaolin Soccer (Steven Chow) & House Of Flying Dagger (Zhang Ziyi). Also Director/co-director of "A Chinese Ghose Story Trilogy" & "Swordsman" series

For Korean films my top choices would be:
A Bittersweet Life ~ Awesome movie.
My Sassy Girl
A Moment to Remember
Double Agent
Windstruck
Sympathy for Mr. Vengeance
Oldboy ~ one sick movie
Sympathy for Lady Vengeance
Spring, Summer, Fall, Winter.... and Spring
A City of Violence

As for Thia Films, I love Chocolate (JeeJa Yanin), Bangkok Dangerous, The Eye series and the works of Panna Rittikrai.

I also like KINTA 1881 from Malaysia.

For the Philippines, I mostly like the co-productions. But I like the work of the following "Filipino" actors: Mark Dacascos, Dan Inosanto, Ernie Reyes Jr & Sr, Lexa Doig, Tia Carrere and Lou Diamond Philips (who doesn't like “La Bamba.” )

As for performers, male or female regardless of genre/region ~ Brigitte Lin Ching Hsia is tops (she is the one in my avatar). Alexander Fu Sheng & Sammo Hung would follow right behind. And then Maggie Cheng, Anita Mui, Jeon Ji-hyun, Michelle Yeoh, Angela Mao Ying, Chow Yun-fat, Yuen Baio, Leslie Cheung, Ti Lung, Donnie Yen......to name a few.

As for Bruce Lee, I am a fan of the man but I am not a fan of his movies - I think that most of his movies sucks.

What are your favorite Asian movies or performers?

[Capstone]

The first Kurosawa movie that I ever saw was 'Ikiru' which to this day remains my favorite of all his films. Total classic.

As far as actors go - I tend to gravitate toward the older generation of Asian actors the best: Toshiro Mifune, Hiroyuki 'Sanada' Shimosawa and I have always liked the character actor performances of Oda Gouichi AKA 'Takakura Ken'. If I had to name a favorite though, I would probably go with Chow Yun-Fat (disregarding his crappy American movies of course).

I have to disagree with you about Bruce Lee movies though - although many of his films are pretty cheesy, they are usually entertaining none the less.

I have no idea why but I have never cared for any of Jet Li's performances. I like many of the movies that he has been in but for some reason his acting is not to my liking.

[thekfc]

I have to totally agree on "Ikiru" - awesome movie.

Yes, Bruce movies are entertaining but still sucks.  

I do like Henry Sanada work, especially his older stuff.  Waiting for his new movie - "47 Ronin" - to come out next year. That should be a good "remake", it have a decent cast ~ Tadanobu Asano, Rinko Kikuchi, Kou Shibasaki, & Keanu Reeves. And the movie will be in 3D.  

The only movies I can recall seeing of Takakura Ken are "The Bullet Train" & "The Yakuza".

My favorite Jet Li movies are "The Shaolin Temple Trilogy" & "The Master".

Most of my favorite performers are also in the "older" generation. The top younger ones for me are Jeon Ji-hyun (Gianna Jun) & Wu Jing (Jacky Wu).
Jacky Wu is a guy with great martial arts skills, charisma & on-screen presence but he is "stuck" getting crappy roles or second fiddle to a bigger star. He needs a breakthrough role.
Gianna Jun last movie "Blood: The Last Vampire was so so. Actually the movie sucks, she was the only bright spot in the movie. Chris Nahon messed-up another movie (he is the one who did Jet Li's Kiss of the Dragon).

[Jedironin]

It took me a long time, but I finally found a copy of "Seven Samurai" by Kurosawa on DVD. Love it! Own it! Watched it 6-7 times now.    I "think" I've seen "Ran" and "Ikiru", but don't recall for sure... :p
(I also own a copy of "The Magnificient Seven", based on "The Seven Samurai" and also very good, imo.)

I like most of the movies with Jackie Chan and Jet Li, and of course Bruce Lee. Then there were a few martial-arts movies with Bruce Li that were enjoyable.

Aside from those, sorry to say I really don't know much at all about Asian movies, unless you want to include "Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon" and "Kung Fu Panda"! 

[Researcher]

     I liked Kung Fu  Hustle. Not only was it hilarious it also depicted what asian women look like after a few years of marriage!!! hehehe......Just kidding guys!

    Researcher




                           

[Capstone]

Almost forgot - my favorite Asian film which was released in the past few years has to be Chi Bi (Red Cliff) which was directed by John Woo. I was lucky enough to have been in China when both parts 1 & 2 were released and got to see both movies on the big screen which was great. The version of the film that was released in the US was not so good though because it was a watered down version in which both parts were combined into one movie and in the process about 100 minutes of footage was cut out - very disappointing.

[Jeff S]

As far as Kurosawa films, Yojimbo is one of my favorites - later remade by Clint Eastwood as "A Fist Full of Dollars." My wife's used to live just down the street from Kurosawa's studio and my daughter went to private school right across the street.

You just gotta give homage to the master of all martial arts movies though:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IFZ07fb2j1A

[jm21-2]

One of the least known, but probably my favorite, HK director is Ho-Cheung Pang. His movies are harder to find but absolutely awesome. The first movie of his I saw was "You Shoot, I shoot." Amazing blend of comedy with HK grit. Probably my favorite movie of all time. "Men Suddenly in Black" 1 and 2 were sweet as well...both were comedies with strong elements of HK gang films. Isabella was good as well but quite a bit different. Looks like he came out with two movies last year I haven't watched.

Takashi Miike from Japan must be mentioned as well...one of the most prolific film directors of all times...and a lot were pretty good...though more shock usually. Beat Takeshi is of course awesome but his movies are kind of similar...can't remember the movie where he plays a disabled cop who takes up painting (all the paintings in the movie were actually drawn by beat takeshi when he was injured, from what I remember)...that was probably my favorite though all are good.

From Korea; spring, summer, fall, winter, and spring was very nice and pretty popular. Il Mare is a good movie for those of is in long distance relationships (the american movie "the lake house" was based on this but I heard it sucked). Should probably watch "Shiri" too, which is what propelled the Korean film industry into the blockbuster arena.

There are [snip]loads of good movies from all over Asia...way too many to list here.,..and Chinese movies will be exploding in the future.

[thekfc]

Almost forgot - my favorite Asian film which was released in the past few years has to be Chi Bi (Red Cliff) which was directed by John Woo. I was lucky enough to have been in China when both parts 1 & 2 were released and got to see both movies on the big screen which was great. The version of the film that was released in the US was not so good though because it was a watered down version in which both parts were combined into one movie and in the process about 100 minutes of footage was cut out - very disappointing.

Awesome movie!!!!!
It great that you saw it on the big screen...I would have love to see that.

The US version is butchered down to 148 minutes. I have the International/Special Edition version on Blu-ray which is 286 minutes - that is a difference of over 2 hours.

My Favorite John Woo movie have to be "Bullet in the Head", A Better Tomorrow, The Killer & Last Hurray for Chivalry.

The Fortune Star/Joysales version of "Bullet In The Head" have the alternate ending and deleted scenes - I pick it up when I was in HK.

The only move I have seen of Ho-Cheung Pang is "Isabella"  ~ I am a fan of Anthony Wong. I have "Men Suddenly in Black" on dvd (part of my Sammo Hung collection) but have never watch it. I will give "You Shoot, I shoot." a viewing one of these days.

[Jhengsman]

I will sit and watch those telenovellas with her when Maja Salvador  is in the cast

[Jedironin]

I will sit and watch those telenovellas with her when Maja Salvador  is in the cast

Maja- who? ... *google+images* ...      Oh!  I would have to agree!   

[thekfc]

The Filipino shows that I sit and watch with my wife are "Eat Bulaga" & "Magic Palayok". She also watch other shows on GMA PinoyTV.

The "western" TV shows that she watch are "Bizarre Foods with Andrew Zimmern" - her favorite show, "Anthony Bourdain: No Reservations", other cooking shows, the nature shows (she watch Planet Earth everyday) & some other stuff on CreateTV, Animal Planet, Discovery Channel & the Sci-Fi Channel. She have also been watching movies from my collection. 

[Ray]

Well, for movies with an Asian theme or location, I like the old classic “The World of Suzie Wong” with Nancy Kwan. Brings back fond memories of the old Wan Chai District of Hong Kong.

Also, “the Sleeping Dictionary” with Jessica Alba was good.

Yes, Bruce Lee movies are corny, but “Enter the Dragon” was pretty good though.

Ray

[michaelb]

I'm pretty sure I haven't seen hardly any of these movies and shows, never even heard of most of them. But since Ray brought up The World of Suzie Wong, I'll stick my nose in......It's a very good movie, not only for the old Wan Chai District the he mentioned, but because the main character was an excellent study in "This is what circumstances have forced me to do for a living" vs. "This is what I really (think I) am". Does that make sense? I mean she worked as a prostitute, but in her fantasies she was the spoiled daughter of a rich man.....and in reality she was a strong woman with real feelings, real aspirations....kind of like "Yes, I realize that I have an unpleasant and ugly job, but I'm 'off the clock' right now and I also have a regular life, with all the hopes, desires and even love that 'regular' women have."  Did that all come out right, or did I muddle it up?  Or to put it another way, life kicked her in the teeth but could not knock her down.

P.S. I thought her skinny friend was very nice and was pulling for her nerdy (but nice) sailor boy friend to also offer her something permanent, maybe even marriage, but as she said "He go back to ship" (presumably never to be heard from again).   

[no comment]

Great topic.  Japan has too many great films to mention.  Woman in the Dunes isn't an action film but a metaphor of marriage.  You won't find a more cold blooded killer than Tatsuya Nakadai in Sword of Doom.  The new health care plan could get an idea from The Ballad of Narayama about what a 19th century Japanese village did with old people. Hayao Miyazaki did some animation as classic as Walt Disney, like Princess Mononoke.

Thailand did some good action films like Bang Rajan.  Lots of Kurosawa influence there.  Haven't seen Nang Nak but the entire film is available on youtube in 3 parts.  For those who can read Spanish subtitles, La Balada de Narayama is also on youtube.

Ray mentioned Jessica Alba.  Indian actress Hri[snip]aa Bhatt looks like a version of Alba:


Oh well, seems the software won't permit that actress because her name is Hrish**aa Bhatt.  Do a Google image search and see for yourself.

[Jeff S]

It's hard to bring up Indian Actresses, without mentioning Aishwarya Rai.

[Bob_S]

Two words:  Studio Ghibli!

Though be warned, even though it is all animation, it is not all kid-friendly, so be careful who you have in the room with you when watching it.  In Japan, animation is considered a legitimate art form for telling stories of any genre, even stuff not meant for young eyes.  So if you have little ones around the house, you may want to make sure they are out of the room if you watch Nausicaä of the Valley of the Wind, Castle in the Sky, Grave of the Fireflies, Princess Mononoke, and Howl's Moving Castle, and maybe even Porco Rosso since they deal with issues of life and death and have death imagery you may not want to have to explain to kids.

Some other notable Japanese animations that are highly recommended but not safe for very young eyes include:
Akira that set the standard for dystopian cyberpunk,
Barefoot Gen, about a boy surviving in wartime and post war Hiroshima,
Ghost in the Shell, another cyberpunk crime drama,
Paprika, think Dreamscape on acid,
Galaxy Express 999,
Metropolis which is a kind of blend of I, Robot and Fritz Lang's original Metropolis.

Okay, you're not into cartoons and want something serious but no monsters or mechs?  For something uplifting and inspirational, you can try:
Shall we Dance, Waterboys, and Hula Girls (the last 2 based roughly on true stories).  My wife heard good things about Seishun Dendeke-deke-deke about a surf rock garage tribute band, but I haven't found it for download with English subs yet.  If you want something a little more spooky, you can try the classic Kwaidan, an anthology based on a collection of Japanese ghost stories.

For a good disaster flick, there is the rather prescient Japan Sinks (and its parody, The World Sinks Except Japan).  I'm waiting for an opportunity when the kid goes to bed early enough that I can watch Dragonhead based on a manga of the same name.

[thekfc]

I have and love the following from the late Satoshi Kon: Millenium Actress, Perfect Blue, Paranoia Agent, Tokyo Godfathers & Paprika.
Ghost In The Shell, Princess Mononoke & Castle in the Sky I have seen & own. Grave of the Fireflies I have but haven't watch yet. The other animes that you listed I haven't seen them nor own them.

I think that everyone who have watch an anime have seen or know about Akira
They are making a live action version of Akira. Albert Hughes is directing & Leonardo DiCaprio is one of the producers.

I enjoyed Shall We Dance.  Folks, we are talking about the Koji Yakusho movie & NOT the JLO flick.

[jm21-2]

Waterboys was pretty funny but never thought I'd hear the name again. Someone really knows their Japanese cinema...

I've watched pretty much everything mentioned in this thread...feel like a total geek, haha.

All that mention of classic anime and no mention of Hokuto no Ken? I tend to prefer anime series to anime movies...some of the old ones like silent mobius, brother dear brother, and virus buster serge are surprisingly interesting even today...and much more available than they used to be. Haven't watched anything decent in a while. I downloaded a couple new series and they were hard to watch...

[flipflop]

We get our movies from the library so I end up with alot of international stuff mostly from Europe. But last time around we took a movie that I think is Japanese called Departures. It had subtitles but I thought a good movie if you like a heart warming coming of age, life changes type stuff

[thekfc]

I watches some movies with the wife over the weekend.
We watched "Resident Evil Trilogy", "Dawn of the Dead" & then "Land of the Dead".  After that we watched "Musa", "Ashes Of Time", "All's Well, Ends Well, Too" & John Woo's "Reign Of Assassins" - she enjoyed them all.

I showed her how to use the Blu-ray player, HD Player and all the equipments & she have been watching movies in her spare time. Yesterday she watched Jija Yanin's "Chocolate" & "Chungking Express" among others. She also gave "Happy Feet" another viewing. 

This coming weekend I have the following movies ready to watch with her:
John Woo's "Red Cliff" (complete version).
"The Bride With White Hair" 1 & 2.

She also want to see the following - so we will also give them a viewing during the wee.
"The Swordsman 2 & 3". She saw a preview of "The East is Red" and want to see "Invincible Asia". 
Akira Kurosawa's Rhapsody in August - She read a synopsis and want to see it.