SirWanker
04-16-2010, 11:00 AM
13 Tzameti (2005)
This French thriller from 2005 takes the Russian roulette scene from Deer Hunter and ups the ante. A gritty black and white crime drama centering on a poor immigrant who becomes involved in an underground gambling ring where its competitors play a game of mass Russian roulette. The film is very tense and despite being a little predictable will no doubt keep you on the edge of your seat.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=54jn0_ugqco&feature=player_embedded
Battle Royale (2000)
In an alternate reality, a class of unruly high school kids are kidnapped and sent to a remote island where they are forced to kill each other until only one remains. If they refuse to play or try to escape, a remote collar detonates on their necks killing them, and spraying blood all over the place. This movie is very well known in Asian communities and is a franchise in its own right. American companies have been trying for years to get the rights to remake it, much to the chagrin of many fans. But regardless of what becomes of BR, the original will always be one bloody good time.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Y-T7yPJVvXw&feature=player_embedded
The Lives of Others (2006)
The Academy Award’s 2006 Best Foreign Film has so much voyeurism in it that it would make Alfred Hitchcock jealous. Coming out of Germany, The Lives of Others, dives into the invasive and manipulative world of the Soviet era East German secret police. A story of a lonely domestic spy who becomes emotionally attached to the people he is meant to be trying to put in prison. A great romantic thriller that will make you curse, smile, cry, and may make you wonder just what it is people do when they think no one else is watching.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=n3_iLOp6IhM&feature=player_embedded
Old Boy (2003)
Intrigue and Mystery: check. Awesome fight scenes: check. Great story: check. South Korea’s Old Boy is one of the truly great neo-noirs of all time. A man wakes up from a night of heavy drinking to find himself locked in a hotel room. He stays stuck in that room for 15 years! When he finally gets out he is determined to find out who put him there and why. What he doesn’t realize is just how intricate and dark his captor’s plans truly are. Another film that Hollywood has been trying to get their hands on for years, Old Boy is a movie that is sure to stay with you long after the reel runs out.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YLn1y9v6yno&feature=player_embedded
2046 (2004)
This film is a visual feast. This complex romance bounces between a jaded writer living in 1960s Hong Kong and the futuristic, erotic, science fiction he is writing. The lush cinematography, fantastic music, and unorthodox story telling make this movie a truly original experience. The plot can be a little tough to follow, so seeing its predecessor In the Mood For Love for some context is highly recommended.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8-RbpQUqosI&feature=player_embedded
and of course...
Infernal Affairs (2002)
The movie on which The Departed is based, Infernal Affairs (coming out of Hong Kong), is in a lot of ways a much better crime drama than its American doppelganger. It has a much faster pace to it, the ending is way more palatable, The Matt Damon character isn’t a bitch, Jack Nicholson isn’t overacting all over the place, and it is a full 50 minutes shorter. Now, it isn’t better in every way; the characters aren’t quite as developed and there are some loose ends with the romantic story lines at the end but both of these problems make sense because it is actually part of a trilogy instead of a stand alone film. Oh and did I mention the ending is waaaay better? But don’t take my word for it, check it out for yourself.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=S4R3nHkqyfM&feature=player_embedded
This French thriller from 2005 takes the Russian roulette scene from Deer Hunter and ups the ante. A gritty black and white crime drama centering on a poor immigrant who becomes involved in an underground gambling ring where its competitors play a game of mass Russian roulette. The film is very tense and despite being a little predictable will no doubt keep you on the edge of your seat.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=54jn0_ugqco&feature=player_embedded
Battle Royale (2000)
In an alternate reality, a class of unruly high school kids are kidnapped and sent to a remote island where they are forced to kill each other until only one remains. If they refuse to play or try to escape, a remote collar detonates on their necks killing them, and spraying blood all over the place. This movie is very well known in Asian communities and is a franchise in its own right. American companies have been trying for years to get the rights to remake it, much to the chagrin of many fans. But regardless of what becomes of BR, the original will always be one bloody good time.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Y-T7yPJVvXw&feature=player_embedded
The Lives of Others (2006)
The Academy Award’s 2006 Best Foreign Film has so much voyeurism in it that it would make Alfred Hitchcock jealous. Coming out of Germany, The Lives of Others, dives into the invasive and manipulative world of the Soviet era East German secret police. A story of a lonely domestic spy who becomes emotionally attached to the people he is meant to be trying to put in prison. A great romantic thriller that will make you curse, smile, cry, and may make you wonder just what it is people do when they think no one else is watching.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=n3_iLOp6IhM&feature=player_embedded
Old Boy (2003)
Intrigue and Mystery: check. Awesome fight scenes: check. Great story: check. South Korea’s Old Boy is one of the truly great neo-noirs of all time. A man wakes up from a night of heavy drinking to find himself locked in a hotel room. He stays stuck in that room for 15 years! When he finally gets out he is determined to find out who put him there and why. What he doesn’t realize is just how intricate and dark his captor’s plans truly are. Another film that Hollywood has been trying to get their hands on for years, Old Boy is a movie that is sure to stay with you long after the reel runs out.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YLn1y9v6yno&feature=player_embedded
2046 (2004)
This film is a visual feast. This complex romance bounces between a jaded writer living in 1960s Hong Kong and the futuristic, erotic, science fiction he is writing. The lush cinematography, fantastic music, and unorthodox story telling make this movie a truly original experience. The plot can be a little tough to follow, so seeing its predecessor In the Mood For Love for some context is highly recommended.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8-RbpQUqosI&feature=player_embedded
and of course...
Infernal Affairs (2002)
The movie on which The Departed is based, Infernal Affairs (coming out of Hong Kong), is in a lot of ways a much better crime drama than its American doppelganger. It has a much faster pace to it, the ending is way more palatable, The Matt Damon character isn’t a bitch, Jack Nicholson isn’t overacting all over the place, and it is a full 50 minutes shorter. Now, it isn’t better in every way; the characters aren’t quite as developed and there are some loose ends with the romantic story lines at the end but both of these problems make sense because it is actually part of a trilogy instead of a stand alone film. Oh and did I mention the ending is waaaay better? But don’t take my word for it, check it out for yourself.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=S4R3nHkqyfM&feature=player_embedded