When Netflix finally made Onmyoji 2 available I grabbed it, and rented the first again so that I could watch them both.
What a couple of terrific movies.
These are fantasies, set in the dark days of the long forgotten past when demons wandered the earth, and when official court magicians actually could do magic.
It's the story of the greatest of the Onmyoji, Abe no Seimei, played by Nomura Mansai, and his faithful pal Hiromaki, played my Ito Hideaki.
They are sort of a magical Sherlock Holmes and Dr. Watson.
And as in all great stories, they are pitted against some great vilians.
In the first, Sanada Hiroyuki, is the Chief Onmyoji, and the number one bad guy. (Not a spoiler. We know he's evil from the get go.)
And for the second movie, they brought in Nakai Kiichi to be the bad guy.
Great casting. Both those guys had a ball hamming it up.
Good movies, good effects, lots of fun for anyone who enjoys fantasy, with a little classical Japanese theater thrown in.
Jeez, even having Fukada Kyoko in the second didn't ruin the movie for me. (Then again, the director didn't give her much opportunity to ruin anything.)
I want to buy VCD of g@me :banghead:
where u buy it on the internet?
ohhh... where did u live actually...??? i bought it in Singapore at TS Laser branch.... perhaps u can try your luck at www.yesasia.com & see how.... than u can tell me about it....
Ohh Thanks for the luck dabbies... ehehehe :hehe: :hehe:
I must buy it... :hehe:
But the most i like of japanese movies that i watch is ring-0 birthday i like these movie it is kind a horror but.. a little bit of romance.. :hehe: that's why i like it... specially the girl BEHIND SADAKO... its YUKIE!! wahahahah :rofl:
chrisyukiefan wrote:Ohh Thanks for the luck dabbies... ehehehe :hehe: :hehe:
I must buy it... :hehe:
But the most i like of japanese movies that i watch is ring-0 birthday i like these movie it is kind a horror but.. a little bit of romance.. :hehe: that's why i like it... specially the girl BEHIND SADAKO... its YUKIE!! wahahahah :rofl:
haha.... u are most welcome :mrgreen: .... perhaps if u have friends in S'pore u can ask them for help too...!! hope i help :mrgreen: ....
i just watched <i>Rockers</i> for the third time. the film was quite funny. Nakamura Shunsuke acted out the role as vocalist really well. And Tamaki Hiroshi is very kakkoii as a lead guitarist.
Dang wrote:i just watched <i>Rockers</i> for the third time. the film was quite funny. Nakamura Shunsuke acted out the role as vocalist really well. And Tamaki Hiroshi is very kakkoii as a lead guitarist.
The film's ending wasn't very happy though.
Um, you might wanna say something about spoilers before making your post.... :sweat:
It seemed silly for me to be going around saying Beat's version of "Zatoichi" was crap... without seeing it. So I rented it over the weekend, and took a look.
Put it this way... I think this movie has put me off watching new Japanese movies from now on.
Hey, if you've never seen a Zatoichi movie (a real one), and you think a Samuri movie filled with TV Variety Show production numbers would be cool, this might be the movie for you.
Heck, that 60 member dance troop that did the Tap dance at the end of the movie was pretty good. Gregory Hines would be impressed.
And the Japanese version of a Stomp Performance was impressive.
And the Four guys in the muddy field doing the Buck and Wing was interesting.
And the rhythmic house builders laying down the percussion track to the background music..okay.
All interesting, entertaining stuff.
But it wasn't a Zatoichi movie, and Beat's idea of creating a character was bleaching his hair and carrying a newer looking cane sword.
No story, no internal logic, no real drama, no characters to root for. Just a bunch of "bits" strung together.
But great looking CGI effects as far as blood spatter, and severed limbs were concerned.
There seems to be a whole movement with the new Japanese directors where they either ignore the script, or fail to write one out in the first place. Stupid.
People say that the Japanese movie industry is moribund, and that's why they focus on TV Dramas, and Anime.
A look at the new Zatoichi should tell you why people say that.
Thanks for the reivew, Geez... I did have my reservations about this movie, now I feel relieved that I didn't buy it...
I wouldn't discount new Japanese movies... You've seen Twilight Samurai (Tasogare Seibei), neh? It's an excellent example of a new Japanese movie.... Highly recommended.
I've seen Twilight, and I liked it. I loved "Last Sword is Drawn". "Onmioji" was pretty good. And if I can go back 5 years or so... I was wild about "Dr. Akagi".
But man... that's 4 movies worth watching over the last 5 years. And I watch a lot of Japanese movies.
The fashion right now in Japanese movies seems to be to focus only on setting a mood, creating some images. Putting up something that looks cool, or looks shocking.
Story be damned. Sense be damned. Structure be damned. Scenes are included that have nothing to do with the movie. Characters do things that make no sense based on what they've done earlier in the movie, and it's never explained.
I've seen Twilight, and I liked it. I loved "Last Sword is Drawn". "Onmioji" was pretty good. And if I can go back 5 years or so... I was wild about "Dr. Akagi".
But man... that's 4 movies worth watching over the last 5 years. And I watch a lot of Japanese movies.
The fashion right now in Japanese movies seems to be to focus only on setting a mood, creating some images. Putting up something that looks cool, or looks shocking.
Story be damned. Sense be damned. Structure be damned. Scenes are included that have nothing to do with the movie. Characters do things that make no sense based on what they've done earlier in the movie, and it's never explained.
Man, it's all become so freaking boring.
You can always fall back on the old stuff: Had a Mifune Toshiro-fest this past weekend: Miyamoto Musashi, Duel at Ichijoji Temple, Duel at Ganryu Island, and Sanjuro... Great stuff.
lately, i've been watching many of the kurosawa films.
nora inu - pretty decent
rashomon - great movie
iriku - another good one
shichinin no samurai - a good one, but i thought rashomon was more creative.
throne of blood, hidden fortress, yojimbo and sanjuro. well made movies.
i still have a few that i haven't collected yet (or watched).
on the OTHER hand, i just watched 'casshern'. i hope i don't hurt anyone's feelings, but i really thought it was pretty awful. didn't care for it at all. it seemed like it was trying to combine matrix, final fantasy, and a few other movies, and it didn't seem well made. the 'chromatic effect' was also annoying. they really went overboard w/ the special effects. maybe it was just me.