best Japanese FILM
 

hey i was wondering what you guys think is the best Japanese film of all time (not encluding anime). No doubt Kurosawa's films will get a few mentions. :)

Well, since the anime Samurai-7 is just coming out in Japan I really do have to recommend "The Seven Samurai" by Akira Kurosawa. While the anime is good by itself, I think it shines best if you see the original movie first. It's clear that the creators of the show expect their audience to have seen it.

Aside from that, I'd have to recommend Battle Royale and VS.

Another Japanese movie I really liked was a collection of three ghost stories, but I can't remember its name. Perhaps someone know what I mean?

Another Japanese movie I really liked was a collection of three ghost stories, but I can't remember its name. Perhaps someone know what I mean?[/QUOTE]

Was it maybe kwaidan? :thinker:

Yes!!! (I just looked it up at Amazon.com to confirm and it had 4 stories... I forgot one.)

Thank you! That was it. It was amazing and I recommend it to anyone who loves a spooky tragic stories.

Casshern, Killer.

Well, i probably won't be able to have much input into this as the only japanese films i have seen are ichi the killer and battle royale. However, if they're all as good as battle royale or better, then they must be pretty awesome (or maybe its just that i found that battle royale was very original and is totally different and controversial compared to western films). Ichi the Killer though, didn't like to too much, a bit to messed up and seemed onto to be graphic with not much of a storyline IMO.

Battle Royale.......

So of my favorite houga movies:

(1953) - "Tokyo Monogatari" by Ozu Yasujiro
(1943) - "Sugata Sanshiro" by Kurosawa Akira
(1950) - "Rashomon" by Kurosawa Akira
(1954) - "Shichinin no Samurai" by Kurosawa Akira
(1985) - "Ran" by Kurosawa Akira
(1987) - "Tampopo" by Itami Juzo
(1994) - "Minbo no Onna" by Itami Juzo
(1983) - "Merry Christmas Mr. Lawrence" by Oshima Nagisa
(1996) - "Shall We Dance?" by Suo Masayuki
(1993) - "Sonatine" by Kitano "Beat" Takeshi
(1996) - "Kid's Return" by Kitano "Beat" Takeshi
(1997) - "Hana-Bi" (Fireworks) by Kitano "Beat" Takeshi
(1999) - "Kikujiro" by Kitano "Beat" Takeshi
(2000) - "Brother" by Kitano "Beat" Takeshi
(1999) - "Poppoya" by Furuhata Yasuo
(1998) - "Odoru Dai Sousasen" by Motohiro Katsuyuki

some of my fav films from japan .. hmm .. so many good films to chose from

Versus is definately a cool one..
If you're into films about building friendships and you also like table tennis, Ping Pong is for you. this is the very first film i watched that starred the up and coming Yosuke Kubozuka..which makes it kinda special for me ^^
another great film starring Yosuke Kubozuka, Go, about two students who try to form a relationship... even though their culture's clash.
and to top it off, a bit of creepiness courtesy of Suicide Club.. a semi-satirical poke at japanese rock media, and how it influences the youth.

this is not counting the scores of amazing Kurusawa directed films.. or any film starring the versatile Takeshi Kitano

Of the very few I've seen, most have been horror movies, suggested/shown to me by a friend. "Honogurai mizu no soko kara" (aka Dark Water), was particularly good. He bought it on DVD after seeing it in London a little while ago now.

It took a while for the film to sink in... while watching and straight after it wasn't as "tense" as I hoped it would be. However it did leave a lasting impression (Ringu was the same). Quite different to most western "horror" films I've seen, which go for the short term graphic violence that becomes dull and repetitive after a while.

I wouldn't say it's the best Japanese Film, mainly because I've not seen anywhere near enough... Still a good watch if you like creepy horror movies (a genera a number of Japanese directors seem to understand very well).

I like loads of the samurai ones.
Faves are:

Ran - awesome plot, acting, direction, soundtrack etc.etc.
Yojimbo - great characters n story
Sanjuro - again great characters, n probably the best showdown i have ever seen.
seven samurai - amazing plot, characters n direction
Sword of Doom - awesome photography, direction, amazing bad guy, slick fights, n probably the best end to a samura film i have seen.
The remake of zatoichi - original, n some of the best fights ever.
All the babycart series - specially liked babycart to hades.
Versus is just an action flick done right :) - if u liked that id check out princess blade

Ping pong sounds interesting :heh: if its anything like fudoh then im sold.
Speaking of, im also loving all of Takashi miikes films at the moe - probably the coolest director in the world at the moe. :)

So much love for Battle Royale and I have to agree :D. Its not just my favorite Japanese movie, its my favorite movie. Usually when I declare a movie my favorite I get bored with it right after but BR has been my fav for awhile and it hasn't gotten boring for me.

Isn't Casshern a Korean movie? Anyways the best movies from Japan are probably all movies made by Akira Kurosawa and I haven't seen any of them :o .

Some of my favorites are

Audition
Happyness of the Katakurus
Versus

Well most Japanese movies I watch are all horror/action flicks, Mostly Takahashi Miike flicks. Anybody have any suggestions for comedys? As for Battle Royal or Royale whatever it is, I think its good but a bit overrated :) .

I'm afriad that the closest I know to a good Japanese comedic movie is Wild Zero. Actually that is a Rock 'n Roll Zombie movie, but it really is funny at times. It's pretty awesome if you want something totally off the wall. It is full of bloody action, comedy and a very strange love story. Warning: It is extremely strange. Cool though.

Ran, Rashomon, Yojimbo and Seven Samurai are the best Japanese films I have seen (and some of the best I have seen, period), closely followed by other Kurosawa works and other movies starring Toshiro Mifune. I also like the Lone Wolf and Cub-movies.

If I had to make just one pick, it would be Yojimbo. A very good and enjoyable film, just as good as "Fistful of Dollars" starring Clint Eastwood, the western that was based on Yojimbo. Great films :)

neg, casshern is a japanese movie
it just came out i believe

i like many of the movies that were listed, so im not gonna repeat, but The Returner was good
in a rehashed redone kind of way
:heh:

Princess Blade
Brother
Hana-bi
Battle Royale
Suicide Club
Odoru Dai Sousasen (loved this movie)

Personal favorite

The Returner........don't know why, it was pretty cheesy.

You guys should check out some Korean films as well

2009: Lost Memories
Shiri
Chingoo

I hated Versus, I'm sorry but everything looked......fake and horrible, the action wasn't exciting to me. Hated Battle Royale 2 as well

i liked battle royale but i recon one of my fav's is ran i have seen versus in the shops and was thinking of geting it is it worth it ? the extortionate ammount we have to pay in HMV :heh:

I loved Hana-bi, Versus (for the cool low budget horror feel, those movies get me.) Brother, Go, Tampopo (classic), Mibu Gishiden, and Twilight Tasogare Seibei, and many others I can't think of at the moment.

Recently I watched two Korean films my friend recommended me and they were exellent "karma" type movies. Those were No Sympathy for Mr. Vengeance and Oldboy, both had seriously fucked up endings, but good overall stories.

Ju on is fun ... hehehe
cashern looks cool