Job Discussion Forums

[Cool Teacher]

On the other thread everyone says Japanese TV is lame but what about the movies? Cornishmuppet says he likes watching movies to help his listening and thats a great reason but I hope we can watch some movies because they're really good as well. So what are the best Japnese movies?

Just to get started here are a few,

This movie is called Audition and I started wathcing it but never finished it. I think I want to watch is again the trailer makes it look dead scary!

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

This movie is called Suicide Club (or Suicide Cirlce). Very gorey and weird and it has the same actor as in Audition - Ishibashi Ryo:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hrIjW-EXLyQ

And an old classic one. Merry Christmas Mr Lawrence which has David Bowie and Beat Takeshi in it and is well weird:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iAk3a4bRXOI&feature=PlayList&p=F934E1E76D10BC6E&playnext=1&playnext_from=PL&index=4

[ripslyme]

Audition and Suicide Club as "best" Japanese movies? You really need to see some better movies!

Look up (in no particular order) the directors Akira Kurosawa, Juzo Itami, Yukihiko Tsutsumi, Katsuhito Ishii, Shunji Iwai, Hayao Miyazaki and Mamoru Oshii for starters.

[monkeyhero]

The odd thing about Audition is that for the first 100 minutes or so it's a fairly slow paced romantic drama, followed by 15 minutes of relentless horror.

Also, I'd like to add Yasujirō Ozu and Hirokazu Koreeda to the director list.

[Cool Teacher]

[robertokun]

Like J-TV, I'm not a big fan of J-movies, but there are some that I like.

My top 3:

"Tampopo" 1985, by Juzo Itami. This is possibly my favorite Japanese movie. A young Koji Yakusho plays a supporting role. It's actually an adaption of a famous western (I won't spoil which one) and what I consider to be a ramen cult classic.

"Who's Camus Anyways" 2005, (kamyu nante shiranai) by Mitsuo Yanamigachi. Tells the story of a group of young filmmakers at a college campus (I think it might have been shot at Waseda?) Interesting look at Japanese youth.

"The Eel" (Unagi) 1997, by Shohei Imamura. Staring Koji Yakusho in a great role. This movie to me is the purest representation of contemporary Japanese society on film. You could probably write a master's thesis on all of the psychological things it represents and secret meanings behind everything that's happening.

Of course, this year's Oscar for foreign language feature went to the Japanese movie "Okuribito." I've been wanting to check it out.

. . . and if none of those do it for you, you could always watch Black Rain . . .

[taffer]

I like crunchyroll . com

[Rezz]

umm, the Merry Christmas Mr Lawrence link just leads to some dude playing guitar. Good song though

Battle Royale has to be one of my favourite Japanese films (not seen that many). #2 was awful!

[Cool Teacher]

Thanks robertokun for the suggestions. I'll look them up.

Thanks for the website taffy! It looks interesting

Rezz, your right about the link. I'll try and find a better one.

Thanks for the replies everyone!

[bluetortilla]

PAPRIKA! Sen to Chihiro!! Those unforgettably fantastic Kurosawa movies like Rashomon, Stray Dog, Ikiru, Seven Samurai, etc., etc.! Itami Junzo. Okuribito and Takita Yojiro. Ozu- hmmm...at first I felt Tokyo Monogatari to be annoying and disturbing- after a week of having it in my head, I grew to love that film!
I think Japan has shown an incredible amount of first class cinematic and literary brilliance. Heck, I'm even beginning to like manga. Banzai!

[Apsara]

Definitely see Okuribito (Departures is the English title)- with subtitles if possible, as the Shonai dialect is a bit thick in some places. Very good movie.

[gaijinalways]

I saw 'Out' which was pretty good, though I thought the book was better. Creepy horror-drama set near where I'm living now.

[desu]

If you want something scary for Hallowe'en, try Ringu or Black Water.

If you want something totally unique, check out Dreams by Akira Kurosawa (a collection of his own dreams). His movie "Ran" is also amazing (an adaptation of Shakespeare's King Lear, maybe the best Shakespearean adaptation of all time?)

[OneJoelFifty]

I just bought Survive Style 5+ and Fine, Totally Fine. I'll let you know what I think of them.

[moneyoriented]

If you want a great Japanese bittersweet tear-jerker, try Hula Girl (Fura Garu), 2007. I think it's a beautiful movie.

Other great funny/tear-jerker sentimental type Japanese movies: Shall We Dance? and Ping Pong.

Also enjoyed Merii Kurisumasu Raurensu-san. Starring David Bowie and Sakamoto Ryuichi as British and Japanese officers at a POW camp in WWII.

Then there's Taxing Woman and Tampopo. The director of these movies really had guts - he openly criticized the yakuza in his movies, and paid for it with his life. (really).

Rashomon will get you thinking - very interesting and intellectual.

Akira - I remember liking it even though I don't normally watch sci-fi or manga/anime.

Unfortunately, some of my favorite movies of all time are ones I saw at a Japanese theater in the US which no longer exists, or at Asian film festivals in the US, and I've never seen them in video stores, and don't even remember the names.

For instance, there was one about a very cool, handsome young playboy/dentist who moonlighted as a saxophone player in a small jazz club. Sexy women would see him playing and learn he was a dentist and make an appointment. God I wish I could see that movie again, or just remember the name. Anyone know the name? (romantic comedy)

Then there was another comedy called "Yen Family" in English - about a family where everyone was involved in all kinds of crazy ways to make money. Anyone know the Japanese title?