Asian Cinema Film Club

Continuing his month long challange to watch 30 Takashi Miike Movies in  30 days Elwood runs down with Stephen the latest batch of films he's  crossed off his list as he enters week #4 of his challange.  This time they look at The Happiness of the Katakuris, Fudoh: The New Generation, Shinjuku Triad Society, Crows Zero 1 + 2, Graveyard of Honor and Yatterman! Throughout september we...

Continuing  his month long challange to watch 30 Takashi Miike Movies in 30 days  Elwood runs down with Stephen the latest batch of films he's crossed off  his list including Blade of the Immortal, Imprint, Three Extremes, 13 Assassins, First Love and The City of Lost Souls Throughout september we are raising money for Marvels and Meltdowns   Family Support Centre. If you'...

Continuing his month long challange to watch 30 Takashi Miike Movies in 30 days Elwood runs down with Stephen the latest batch of films he's crossed off his list including Miike's takes on the Musical, western and superhero genres! Throughout september we are raising money for Marvels and Meltdowns  Family Support Centre. If you'd like to toss a buck in the donation you  can via our just...

Elwood and Stephen check out "Shaolin Soccer" the film which launched Stephen Chow into the concious of western audiences only for him to disappear as quick as he's appeared! Here Chow plays a Shaolin monk who teaming up with his friends as they attempt to blend thier Shaolin skills with football in this madcap comedy. Check out our sponsor Yes Please Vintage

With the numbers quickly dwindling down to just seven remaining students, the time has finally come for our resident hacker to finally unveil his masterplan. 

Elwood and Stephen check out the anime classic "Ninja Scroll" as the masterless samurai Jubei is despatched to investage a mysterious virus only to soon find himself faced with battling an enemy from his past.  We also question if it's still the key title it was when it was released aswell as the part it played in helping anime break through for audiences in the 90's We also look at the weird...

Certainly to unpack in this latest episode of our Chapter by Chapter breakdown of "Battle Royale" as Shuya is finally reunited with Noriko while we bid farewell to Hiroki and Mitsuko but not before we get a chance to explore her "Broken Doll" persona. All this plus more intresting acting choices from Beat Takashi Kitano, questionable fan wiki's and the heroes journey of Shuya plus more!

Elwood and Stephen check out Tsai Ming-liang's "Goodbye,  Dragon Inn" a film which is as much a tribute to King Hu’s 1967 wuxia epic "Dragon Inn" as it is a slice of life drama set on the cinema's final night before its closure.

Our Chapter by Chapter breakdown of "Battle Royale" comes to one of it's more surreal sequences....literarly! Taking a break from the ongoing deathmatch Noriko has a dream about going for an ice lolly with Takashi. But what does this all mean?? We also look at the extensive career of "Beat" Takashi Kitano and the legacy of Takashi's Castle, more British TV nostalgia and more!!

Emily ( Why This Film ) joins us to breakdown another chapter of Battle Royale as a plot to poison Shuya is hatched while we also take a closer look at one of the more unique groups to form during the game.

Continuing our chapter by chapter breakdown of the cult classic "Battle Royale" we pick up the story with Shuya having escaped from Kiriyama at the end of the last episode he now finds himself at the Lighthouse were several of the girls have found thier own sanctuary, but will his arrival disrupt their harmony? We also rundown the latest list of the fallen and explore their backstories not shown i...

Picking up from the cliffhanger ending of our previous chapter our trio find thier clinic hideaway under attack from the ever resourceful Kiriyama, we bid farewell to Froggy while we look at the background of Shinji a.k.a. The Third Man.

On this episode we check out the hyper kenetic "Versus" in which Gangsters battle Zombies in the Forest of Resurrection which headed up a revived intrest in asian cinema when it was unleashed in 2000. We also look at the suprisingly career of it's director Ryuhei Kitamura, the rise and fall of Tartan's "Asia Extreme" Label,  Elwood challanges Stephen to the Letterboxd game and more!! Check ou...

Continuing our chapter by chapter breakdown of Battle Royale on this episode we discover the history of Kawada (but bizarely not what causes his scar), reveal the scene that Stephen wishes was included in the film aswell as profile two of the supporting cast with suprising back stories.

Emily Slade (Why This film) joins us to discuss one the of the films more iconic character as we look at Takako Chigusa aswell as one of the films most memorable showdowns. FPu6z5bHgrx93xzanjDb

On this episode we have one for anyone who's a fan of Michael Mann's "Manhunter" as we check out Kiyoshi Kurosawa's "Cure" in which a string of strange murders see the victims being found with an X carved into them with the murderer near by and no memories of the crime they have commited. 

The Battle Royale breakdown continues as we meet another key group in star basketball player, revolutionist and hacker Shinki Mimura aka The Third Man, question the many professions of Kawada's father while also taking a look at the collars as we question if anyone is actually listening to the microphones in the collars? 

Can punk rock save the world? We find out as we check out Yoshihiro Nakamura's "Fish Story" a series of tales all connected by the final song of a punk rock group before they broke up but which ultimatly prove the key to humanities survival in modern day as a meteor heads on a collision course with the earth!

As we near the half way point of our chapter by chapter breakdown it's time for another of Kitano's reports, while we also look at the dining options available to our players, Mitsuko's showdown with the last member of her gang, questionable fan wiki's and more!!

The chapter by chapter breakdown of Battle Royale continues as a new alliance is formed, a questionable plan is put into action and we question what really is the most useless weapon to have on the island plus much more!!

Our chapter by chapter breakdown of Battle Royale comes to one of it's shortest chapters aswell as a chance to catch up with who we have lost so far in the game. It's also a chance for us to look at the backstory of Mitsuko not only an alpha predator in the game, but one of the two gang leaders in the class amassing an impressive wrap sheet before she entered the game which we explore aswell as tr...

Elwood and Stephen check out the Jackie Chan classic set in the late 19th Century Hong Kong as Chan plays the coast guard SGT. Dragon Ma, who is determined to stop the pirates terrorising the city aswell as the corrupt goverment officals funding them. Best remembered for the now legendry clock tower hang aswell as the film which introduced the now famous end credits blooper reel, we look at the ma...

Our chapter by chapter breakdown of "Battle Royale" arrives at one of its most eventful chapters as alpha predators are revealed and loyalties are tested. We also find out what the use of the fan is while also trying to decide what is actually a good weapon to get in the game plus more!!

It's once more the happiest time of the year as Kaiju Christmas is here once more!! This year we have somthing especially special as we look at North Korea's entry into the Kaiju genre with "Pulgasari" whose behind the scenes making of is as equally facinating as the film itself.  Joining us to breakdown the film we have a fantastic pair of guests as Emily ( Why This Film Podcast ) and Nick (...

On this episode we look at one of the lost classics of anime "A Penguins Memories" which plays like "Happy Feet" meets "The Deer Hunter" as Mike a young penguin returns home from the war shell shocked and unable to deal with the experience while his friends and family want to celebrate him as a war hero, sending him on the road as he tries to find peace in his life.  We also look at Japan's love f...