What is it about Japan?

[Russell]

Will do.

Here's a quick synopsis based on the eBay purchase I made from the guy at Far East DVD...

"Twenty minutes into Takashi Miike's latest, visceral opus Ichi the Killer, I had to stop the film in fear of going mad from the mayhem I was witnessing. A violent opera of sadism filled with mutilated yakuza, masochistic prostitutes, and innocent victims caught up in a swath of incendiary revenge, Ichi the Killer is nothing short of a masterpiece -- and a challenging one."



Possibly the same way that John Woo used to be able to turn his gun blazed madness into a choreographed operatic dance. You know, before he came to Hollywood and turned to shit.

Sounds interesting! Maybe not my thing tho, who knows.. If you like it I'll look into getting myself a copy

 

[JayKeeley]

Sounds interesting! Maybe not my thing tho, who knows.. If you like it I'll look into getting myself a copy

I'll let you know. The British releases of DVD's are getting so much better. Just ordered THE ultimate edition of Texas Chainsaw with 79 minute documentary. The US version has no extras.

Anyway, if it's good, I think the UK version of Ichi is supposed to be outstanding.

And by the way, if you're going to get anything next, get Dark Water! It's very sombre.

 

[Russell]

I'll let you know. The British releases of DVD's are getting so much better. Just ordered THE ultimate edition of Texas Chainsaw with 79 minute documentary. The US version has no extras.

Anyway, if it's good, I think the UK version of Ichi is supposed to be outstanding.

And by the way, if you're going to get anything next, get Dark Water! It's very sombre.

I know, I'm so pissed aboput that release of TTCM, I bought the original DVD (with all the extras except the documentary so it wasn't tooo bad) a day - literally, a day before the new version was released.. I shit you not, I went into another store the next day and found that special edition for £1 less I'm still seething And the original store had a no returns policy too

I've been trying to get Dark Water but non of the websites I use have it Any suggestions?

 

[JayKeeley]

I know, I'm so pissed aboput that release of TTCM, I bought the original DVD (with all the extras except the documentary so it wasn't tooo bad) a day - literally, a day before the new version was released.. I shit you not, I went into another store the next day and found that special edition for £1 less I'm still seething And the original store had a no returns policy too

I wrote a response to this, and the timeout killed my post!

Anyway, I know what you mean. The DVD industry has become notorious for re-releasing the 'definitive' versions. How many times have they re-released Night of the Living Dead or Dawn of the Dead?! Or what about Army of Darkness!!! "Boomstick Edition"? wtf?

I've been trying to get Dark Water but non of the websites I use have it Any suggestions?

Mmmm...all my places will be US based.

However, look what I found for you Russell: http://www.fabpress.com/system/index.html

It's UK based and it'll cost you 12 quid. A frickin' bargain my friend. I just hope you like it. I think you should. Here's the write up they provide:

UNCUT DVD release of the latest intensely frightening horror film from Hideo Nakata, the maker of the most successful horror film in Japan's history: Ring.
One again based on a novel by Ring author Koji Suzuki, Dark Water centres around young mother Yoshimi, who is fighting to gain legal custody of her five-year old daughter while the two live together in a dark, sullen and musty apartment building.
Already insecure and uncertain about her future with her daughter, Yoshimi is haunted by a nasty damp patch on her ceiling and is plagued by eerie visions of a mysterious young girl, and the almost taunting appearances of a small red bag that once belonged to her...
Hideo Nakata yet again delivers a masterful exercise in creepy chills that will seep into your soul to haunt your dreams!

 

[Russell]

Also just ordered the UNCUT version of Ichi The Killer (128 minute version as opposed to 115 minutes). Anyone heard of this one? Yakuza style mayhem - very much talked...Empire magazine in the UK gave it 5 stars. Empire rules - best film mag in the universe.

I just spent the week at a friends recording a demo and watching films, and this was one of them! It was excellent! Where can I get the uncut version from? Is it the standard UK double DVD version? That one only had a minute cut from it, but it's still cut so..

Anyway, it was very cool he has over 1000 DVD's - I saw a ridiculously large number of films!

 

[Russell]

Anyway, I know what you mean. The DVD industry has become notorious for re-releasing the 'definitive' versions. How many times have they re-released Night of the Living Dead or Dawn of the Dead?! Or what about Army of Darkness!!! "Boomstick Edition"? wtf?

Haha, yup, been there, done that, get several definitive editions of many films

Mmmm...all my places will be US based.

However, look what I found for you Russell: http://www.fabpress.com/system/index.html

It's UK based and it'll cost you 12 quid. A frickin' bargain my friend. I just hope you like it. I think you should. Here's the write up they provide

Cool thanks! I'll get it as soon as I've had my DVD player hacked and got a TV that plays NTSC Dark Water was one of the few films I didn't have the time to see last wekk.. grr!

 

[JayKeeley]

I just spent the week at a friends recording a demo and watching films, and this was one of them! It was excellent! Where can I get the uncut version from? Is it the standard UK double DVD version? That one only had a minute cut from it, but it's still cut so..

I thought Ichi the Killer was fucked up! Phew, it left me speechless. I wonder if the mainstream Japanese folk even know that their fellow countrymen are exporting films like this?!

I remember having a Japanese friend go hunt down Junk a couple of years back when he was visiting family in Tokyo, and the store keepers were looking at him as if he were mad.

Far East video (found on eBay) will sell it to you - code free too. Make sure it's the 128 minute version, cos there's plenty of 'em.

 

[Russell]

I thought Ichi the Killer was fucked up! Phew, it left me speechless. I wonder if the mainstream Japanese folk even know that their fellow countrymen are exporting films like this?!.

Very We actually split it up, by the time we started watching it was very late, and Ichi isn't great late night veiwing so we finished it in the morning!

I remember having a Japanese friend go hunt down Junk a couple of years back when he was visiting family in Tokyo, and the store keepers were looking at him as if he were mad.

Far East video (found on eBay) will sell it to you - code free too. Make sure it's the 128 minute version, cos there's plenty of 'em.

Yus, I did some research, the version I just ordered is the official UK verison which is only cut by three minutes (all cuts are due to "violence towards women"), and I got it for £12. The dutch/european uncut version didn't have all the extras and cost more than double the UK edition, so I thought for only three minutes of cuts (especially seeing I don't really appreciate all of the violence) it wasn't worth getting the uncut..

I also ordered city of lost souls and the cure live in Berlin at the same time

 

[JayKeeley]

Very We actually split it up, by the time we started watching it was very late, and Ichi isn't great late night veiwing so we finished it in the morning!

Yeah, because it makes much better viewing over breakfast.

Yus, I did some research, the version I just ordered is the official UK verison which is only cut by three minutes (all cuts are due to "violence towards women"), and I got it for £12. The dutch/european uncut version didn't have all the extras and cost more than double the UK edition, so I thought for only three minutes of cuts (especially seeing I don't really appreciate all of the violence) it wasn't worth getting the uncut..

I can live without the scenes of the girl getting beaten (twice). I think you made the right choice.

By the way, not to rub it in or anything, but my Texas Chainsaw turned up and it is beautiful. I haven't seen the documentary yet though. I probably won't get round to it for a while. Put it this way, I've had The Thing (directors cut) since I've had a DVD player, and I only just got round to watching the documentary for that!! It was brilliant too.

 

[bloodfiredeath]

Unless I missed something reading through this, what's the running time for Junk? The one all region one Far East DVD is selling on ebay is 83 minutes.

 

[JayKeeley]

Unless I missed something reading through this, what's the running time for Junk? The one all region one Far East DVD is selling on ebay is 83 minutes.

*goes to check*

I have the German version at 91 minutes. I ordered mine from www.crimsoncultvideo.biz absolutely ages ago, but the URL on the DVD case suggests www.asianfilmnetwork.com. I'm sure you can try either.

There's a big "UNCUT" logo plastered on the front of my DVD too.

Quick side note: I've seen 28 Days Later now (ordered it from amazon.co.uk along with Texas Chainsaw Massacre) and I think it's overhyped. It is NOT the best 'zombie' flick in 15 years. JUNK blows 28 Days Later into smithereens. I hope JUNK gets some decent DVD treatment one day with more than just a trailer and picture gallery.

 

[Russell]

Yeah, because it makes much better viewing over breakfast. .

Oh yeah I'm just glad I didn't have a hangover otherwise I really would have lost my stomach contents (just as the guys face started sliding down the wall I was eating breakfast..)

I can live without the scenes of the girl getting beaten (twice). I think you made the right choice..

Same here

By the way, not to rub it in or anything, but my Texas Chainsaw turned up and it is beautiful. I haven't seen the documentary yet though. I probably won't get round to it for a while. Put it this way, I've had The Thing (directors cut) since I've had a DVD player, and I only just got round to watching the documentary for that!! It was brilliant too.

Git I'm waiting till I'm feeling rich to buy it, and instead buying new stuff at the moment. I hope to get round to buying it tho, just for the documentary I still have to get The Thing too So many DVD's, so little money!

 

[bloodfiredeath]

*goes to check*

I have the German version at 91 minutes. I ordered mine from

www.crimsoncultvideo.biz absolutely ages ago, but the URL on the DVD case suggests www.asianfilmnetwork.com. I'm sure you can try either.

There's a big "UNCUT" logo plastered on the front of my DVD too.

The first link doesn't have it listed. The second is selling it, calling it uncut, and giving the running time of 83 minutes.

I keep seeing it for sale labeled as uncut (it's on the lower corner of the dvd case) yet the running time is always listed as 83. So now I'm confused. I certainly can't remember the running time on the version I saw, which was borrowed on video (and marginally poo quality at that).

Quick side note: I've seen 28 Days Later now (ordered it from amazon.co.uk along with Texas Chainsaw Massacre) and I think it's overhyped. It is NOT the best 'zombie' flick in 15 years. JUNK blows 28 Days Later into smithereens. I hope JUNK gets some decent DVD treatment one day with more than just a trailer and picture gallery.

I ordered it from amazon uk too and watched it about a week ago. Is it overhyped? Yes. But that doesn't mean that I didn't like it. In fact, I thought it was quite good. It definitely wasn't a typical zombie movie, and in fact it could be argued that it's not a zombie movie at all. Still though, I thought the characters were good and it was visually awesome. I will definitely go see it at the theatre when it comes out here.

Honestly I don't think it's fair to compare it with Junk. Junk is just a balls out zombie gorefest, which is great don't get me wrong. Where 28 Days suceeds is that it is more about the people and less about the 'zombies.' That's what makes the Romero movies so great (not that I'm saying 28 Days is close to being as good as a Romero zombie movie, becuase it isn't).

Fuck, we need a zombie thread. I wanna start talking about the Dawn of the Dead remake, and the most recent rumors about Romero finally doing a 4th dead film.

 

[JayKeeley]

The first link doesn't have it listed. The second is selling it, calling it uncut, and giving the running time of 83 minutes.

Well, it actually says 91 minutes on the back of the DVD cover...? I dunno where the 83 minutes is coming from to be honest.

Still though, I thought the characters were good and it was visually awesome. I will definitely go see it at the theatre when it comes out here.

Sure - it wasn't steaming turd like Resident Evil (movie), but I just didn't like the ending. It wasn't nihilistic enough for me a la Fulci. I'll watch it again though - it took me a few times to realize the genius of Dawn.

Honestly I don't think it's fair to compare it with Junk. Junk is just a balls out zombie gorefest, which is great don't get me wrong.

It does rule doesn't it?!

Fuck, we need a zombie thread. I wanna start talking about the Dawn of the Dead remake, and the most recent rumors about Romero finally doing a 4th dead film.

Go on then - start a thread!!! Go for it.

 

[JayKeeley]

Got my dvds in the mail, now it's just a matter of me getting a chance to watch them. I'll let you know what I think once I do, probably in the next week or so...

And the verdict is...?

 

[bloodfiredeath]

And the verdict is...?

I've only watched Versus so far. This last week, I've been using my spare time to pack, and man do I have alot of stuff. So not as much time for movies as usual. But, I did like Versus. The Japanese do seem to have the splatter down to a science it seems. I'd like for some better plots, or even existent ones, but I can't complain about a movie like Versus. It's good old zombie gore with bullets everywhere.

 

[JayKeeley]

I'd like for some better plots, or even existent ones,

I gave up on cohesive plots in the Italian 80's!

but I can't complain about a movie like Versus. It's good old zombie gore with bullets everywhere.

Not just zombies...but samurai zombies!! Glad you liked.

 

[JayKeeley]

I've only watched Versus so far.

You seen Dark Water yet?

 

[bloodfiredeath]

You seen Dark Water yet?

Hey, lay off man!!! I'll watch it when I'm good and ready...


It's in the pile of things to watch...

 

[JayKeeley]

Hey, lay off man!!! I'll watch it when I'm good and ready...


It's in the pile of things to watch...

I am so dying to talk about it with you! I hope Russell gets it soon too.