Non-english movies.

[WingOver]

I recently watched 2 Japanese films that surprised me:

Samurai Fiction - apparently samurai movies are like cowboy movies in the US. This one incorporates a contemporary soundtrack (it sounds great) and the story has a lot of cool elements. One word of warning: don't expect awesome martial arts sequences (I guess I was spoiled by Kill Bill recently.)

Happiness of the Katakuris - this has several musical scenes in it. I don't like musicals but decided to give it a shot. I'm glad I did. It's campy and weird, but the movie wraps up on an emotional note and has a great message.

 

[Jaws]

Another one to add:

The Vanishing - the original Dutch version. Please avoid the Amercan re-make at all costs, even though it had the same director.

I agree. Luckily saw it at the Oriental theatre.


Peace and smiles

j.

 

[Kesh]

Even if you don't like anime, you owe it to yourself to see this one. Especially if you love Hitchcock-style mysteries.

Perfect Blue

Mima is a singer who leaves her teeny-bop trio to become an actress in a violent television series, a career move that angers her fans, who prefer to see her as the pert, squeaky-clean pop idol. Plagued by self-doubt and tormented by humiliating compromises, she begins to be stalked, in her waking and sleeping moments, by an accusing alter ego who claims to be "the real Mima," until she collapses into madness as her coworkers are brutally slain around her.

The blurb on Amazon doesn't do it justice. This is a masterpiece of one young woman's trip into madness, that could not have been done as effectively in live-action.