Advice on Some Purchases Please

[dwatts]

I'm looking to beef up my asian collection. Since these movies can be had quite cheaply, I don't mind experimenting a bit. Anyone know these films:

R-Point
Cursed
Shutter
Tokyo Psycho

Also, for you smart people who know way more about asian cinema than I - how about some recommendations for good asian thrillers on DVD?

Thanks!

[BloodMan]

if you've seen The Bunker or Deathwatch... you've seen R-Point. Its alright though.
Cursed... I asked about this myself and no one has seen it yet I guess. I want to though. :)
I really want to see Shutter as well. I have a friend from down south who has seen this and enjoyed it very much.
Dunno anything about Tokyo Psycho.

Check out - Tell Me Something... The Hypnotist... Memories of Murder. :)

[onebyone]

I just so happened to have just finished watching Shutter, and I liked it a lot (I am very prone to liking Asian ghost stories though, I admit it). It isn't the most original film in the world and it reminded me of other movies in places, but the leads were so good in this it didn't really matter to me. I cared about them, and hence cared about this movie on its own merits. I am not sure about recommending it to you though. If I remember correctly, you didn't like Ju-On, and, being somewhat like Ju-On, I can't see you getting on board for this one. However, I could be all wrong. You thought the acting was just fine in Saw, so anything is possible.

I will say this is one of the better R3 discs I have purchased, with subtitles on the special features even. *Wipes happy tear*

[logboy]

all of these are pretty generic and not that noteworth at all.

there are plenty of threads which cover recommendations for films
at forums like asiandvdguide / kfccinema.com ... its better to spend
time reading information than aks for recommendations, as chances
are people will have contributed to such threads many times before...
its a shame, but reading is always the best option.

[dwatts]

Thanks people, I appreciate the input. I really like a good asian ghost story too - The Ring was great, Dark Water etc. It's the execution that can sometimes fail for me, hence my dislike of "The Eye" and "Ju-On". So if it's done right, I'm fine with it. The DVD's I mentioned above can be had for less than $10 each on Ebay - so they're quite cheap....

[logboy]

crap movies are too expensive even if theyre free.
seek more info in threads at other forums... kfccinema.com
also has a good reviews section... as does this page

http://www.mandiapple.com/snowblood/index2.htm

[maskull]

Maybe he wants the opinions of people he knows and trusts.

[Paff]

The DVD's I mentioned above can be had for less than $10 each on Ebay - so they're quite cheap....

For the record, you're most likely looking at bootleg copies here

[Deaddevilman]

For the record, you're most likely looking at bootleg copies here
True.

Dwatts, you might want to purchase the following book http://www.amazon.co.uk/exec/obidos/ASIN/1880656892/midnighteye-21/202-1899162-8246248

You might also want to look look at www.midnighteye.com their primary focus in on Japanese film and they tend to have better then average reviews.

[dwatts]

--For the record, you're most likely looking at bootleg copies here--

Alright, stupid question I suppose, but when it comes to these asian copies - how can you tell?

[Paff]

--For the record, you're most likely looking at bootleg copies here--

Alright, stupid question I suppose, but when it comes to these asian copies - how can you tell?

No, not a stupid question at all...what's worse, the bootleggers are getting talented, and it's much harder to tell what's legit and what's not.

A good rule of thumb is that if it's on E-bay, region 0, several copies from the same seller, with a super cheap buy-it-now, it's probably a bootleg. Obviously, there are exceptions to that rule.

Most Asian films will be region 2 or 3.

Also, when you get these discs, notice the cover art is usually fuzzy (although they're getting better with that too). Poor subtitling is another trademark of pirated material

[dwatts]

Thanks, Paff. What a total pain in the ass. I've been sampling Asian films, but few of them have a "local" release (R1). So you end up picking them up whenever you can. Pity.

[logboy]

bottlegs. yes region 0 / ebay / "custom" in the description / sold from HK or china / dvd-9 label on front is often used / poor looking design on artwork... all signifiers of bootlegs. in the end there are greta quality bootlegs out there, professionally translated and subtitled. artwork is now often factory made, and discs have color labels even from small operations. the best way to tell if its a boot is to look into the possibility of an existing legit disc - that way, if one is out its better to buy that. if one isnt out - its a boot and you take the risk / choice.

as for the midnighteye book and site. yes, good reviews and background information, though the choice of directors in the book might be considered often the slow end of japanese cinema which people dont so obviously talk about online (aoyama for example). theres lots of dvd releases for these kind of films which just seem to pass us by. the more obvious directors (miike, sabu, tsukamoto, nakata, suzuki, fukasaku) are best searched for at an online retailer to see what options are there, and can easily be researched online too. it is a great book : worth the money. so is tom mes "agitator" (about takashi miike) and his upcoming 'iron man" (about shinya tsukamoto). there are reviews of any existing dvd releases from any of the films you can find released online...

i still say do your own research, not cos i am lazy telling you whats of note - just that what is of note to you if up to you, so only doing your own reading and information hunting will truly tell if something sparks off your interest. simply saying "film x is great" doesnt for me arouse my interest in anything. everyone has a different taste...

and there are a tonne of R1 asian cinema releases. the advanced search engine at dvdplanet.com is useful :

http://www.dvdplanet.com/search_form.asp

you can browse existing and upcoming country-of-origin or dvd labels.

[Paff]

Nowadays, being region free is not a big deal at all. In fact, if you have even a remote interest in Asian films, you HAVE to be region free. Many people don't even know that their players can handle all discs. I lent my copy of Josee, The Tiger, and The Fish to a girl I know but told her it probably won't work (it's a Korean region 3 disc), and she said it played fine in her player.

[logboy]

ive never had anything but a region free player. been buying discs since 1999, from all over the globe...

[dwatts]

Thanks for the continued help on this guys, much appreciated!

I couldn't be happy with a crippled player....

[DefJeff]

Dwatts, I just wanted to chime in and recommend Seance. It's from the director who did Kairo, Cure, Doppleganger, etc. Here (http://www.deepdiscountdvd.com/dvd.cfm?itemID=HVD001807) is the link for it on DDD. I'm pretty sure the R1 release is new, I have an older R3 release.

I saw it awhile back, and while it wasn't amazing or groundbreaking, it wasn't bad at all and I'm comfortable recommending it. Also worth seeing is Gozu (http://www.deepdiscountdvd.com/dvd.cfm?itemID=VMG091149) (from Miike). It's filled with crazy/abnormal characters doing all kinds of strange things and some cool imagery. It really reminds me of a David Lynch film.

[logboy]

seance / charisma : both actually officially released 17th may 2005. this coming week. theres reviews with pics at dvdbeaver.com. seance was made for tv so hasnt the best picture quality ever, but cracking film. karisma is a stunner. both discs have kurosawa interviews on them... still waiting for mine to arrive.

gozu is a good recommendation too. another odd yakuza drama. it seems to remind lots of people of david lynch, like you say...!

[BloodMan]

Might as well post this here... Shutter is being remade in America. So I guess y'all should see it (original) before she gets bastardized or whatever you wanna say. :)

[X-human]

I didn't want to start a new topic on this, but there's an asian film I've been looking for.

It's about a guy who loses his dick so he gets a robotic and/or magically one that can detach itself and fly. Whenever they show the flying detachable penis they'll cut to a guy in a penis suit acting out the motions. When he pops it, they show him jumping up and down with liquid squirting from the top. The plot involves a princess somehow, and the guy is a servant or something in the palace.

I have not see it, this is what I remember being described to me from a freind of a friend who use to own it. I met up with him the other day and he says he can't find his copy anymore and that he's no looking to buy it again. So now that he's no longer a source, I'm turning to all of you.

Any ideas?

[Sinister Ash]

Most Asian films will be region 2 or 3.

Also, when you get these discs, notice the cover art is usually fuzzy (although they're getting better with that too). Poor subtitling is another trademark of pirated material


I would say most asian films are not region 2 or 3, unless they are on the verge of being sold as international hits, such as Infernal Affairs, or the more recent release-Kung Fu Hustle. Those are region coded 3.

My experinece is yes they are likely bootleges if the cover is some what fuzzy, poor subtitling, main cover has (DVD-9), fake looking DVD Video logo, etc. It's hard to tell at first, but after purchasing enough of the legit versions, you can easily tell the fake ones.

I usually purchase my dvds from reliable places like dddhouse.com, they're located in HK, but they are the best deal for legitimate DVDs. Next best place I'd check out is yesasia.com, they are located in the US.

Quick "horror" recommendations for starters:

The Eye (there are 2 sequels, you might want to check those out too) (HK)
Dark Water (Jpn)
The Ring (Jpn)
The Phone (Krn)
Biozombie (HK) - Dawn of the Dead spoof :)
Tale of Two Sisters (Krn)
Koma (HK)
Untold Story (HK)
Ebola Syndrome (HK)
Dr. Lamb (HK)
Audition (Jpn)
One Missed Call (Jpn)
Ichi The Killer (Jpn) - Although not really horror, it's still horrific.
Story of Ricky Oh (HK) - Ultra violent action, and I mean VIOLENT.

Enjoy!

[dwatts]

I love the "Midnight Eye" site given above. I don't agree with the reviews, but hey, nothing wrong with that. It didn't have the first film from my list I decided to buy, but it's very good indeed. I'll start a thread dedicated to my first purchase.

Thanks all again! How about HorrorDVD's start posting more asian reviews? Up-to-date reviews is the only reason that keeps me going back to DVDmaniacs....