On this episode Stephen and Elwood look at the killer hair extensions movie “Exte” aswell the weird yet fantastic cinema of Sion Sono a director who many see as picking up were Takashi Miike’s outlaw period ended.
We look at Sono’s career, Takashi Miike’s 100th film aswell as discussing the death of physical media rentals plus much more
House
Survive Style 5+
For a full list of films covered on the show check out our Letterboxd list
With the Netflix remake of “Death Note” on the horizon, Elwood and Stephen check out the original which along with it’s anime / manga has spawned an incredible cult following since its release.
They also share their favourite live action adaptions, the influence of anime on western animation aswell as looking at the films of Hitoshi Matsumoto
Suicide Club
Killer Toon
Elwood and Stephen check out Tsui Hark’s “Peking Opera Blues”an amazing piñata of a movie that combines more genres and Hong Kong-specific themes than one could possibly imagine. A historical and political intrigue, acrobatic action, screwball comedy, and heroic gunplay elements are thrown together in an intoxicating mix.
They also look at the key leading ladies of Asian cinema, Viceland’s new Anime block and Takashi Miike’s “Dead of Alive” trilogy plus much more!!
Painted Faces
Detective Dee and the Mystery of the Phantom Flame
Elwood and Stephen take a look at Wong Kai-War’s Chungking Express, a film comprised of two rather untraditional love stories as Takeshi Kaneshiro plays a cop who finds himself caught up Brigitte Lin’s mysterious drug smuggler. At the same time Tony Leung (also playing a cop) who in attempting to get over the loss of his girlfriend (Valerie Chow) attracts the interest of the quirky snack bar worker Faye (Faye Wong) who has become determined to improve his situation
They also share thier Asian cinema shames as they reveal the films they perhaps should have seen but for whatever reason have yet to, while also taking a look at the films of Kim Ki-duk
Fallen Angels
3 – Iron
Samaritan Girl
Check out our show sponsor Yes Please Vintage for a great selection of hand picked and highly curated vintage, second-hand and upcycled housewares & clothing.
An Eastern Western which combines elements of romantic melodrama with John Woo style heroic gunplay and a Sam Peckinpah western to create something truly original
Branded To Kill
The Unseeable
Elwood and Stephen set sail for Mondo island in this second attempt by Toho studios at a King Kong movie as they team up with Rankin / Bass for this follow up to “King Kong Vs. Godzilla”. So get prepared for giant ape madness as Kong battles his robot clone “Mechani-Kong” in a battle for ape supremacy!!
We also look at the the legacy of Gundam Wing, Stephen also shares his thoughts on the live action “Ghost In The Shell”, the use of blackface in cinema and why Attack on Titan is so essential plus much more!!
Godzilla
Destroy All Monsters
Elwood Jones and Stephen Palmer (Eastern Kicks / Gweilo Ramblings) set out to provide an introduction to Asian cinema by on each episode highlighting a title worth seeking out.
On this first episode we kick things off with “Ghost In The Shell” as with the live action remake fast approaching what better time to go back an revisit the 1995 original anime, widely considered to be one of the best anime of all time after “Akira”.
Directed by Mamoru Oshii The film’s follows the hunt by Section 9 for a mysterious hacker known as the Puppet Master. With the assistance of her team, Cyborg team leader Motoko Kusanagi finds herself drawn into a complex sequence of political intrigue and a cover-up as to the identity and goals of the Puppet Master.
Asian Cinema Film Club 