Asian Cinema Film Club

The game is finally afoot as our chapter by chapter breakdown of Battle Royale now sees the students entering into the game for real but who is going to be first to fall?

Elwood and Stephen pay tribute to Benny Chan as they check out the first film in the "A Moment of Romance" trilogy in which a chance encounter between a getaway driver and a rich heiress leads to an unlikely romance.  We also check out Crunchyroll's first podcast "Anime In America" and how anime managed to sneak into our lives without us even realising. We also look at Disney's problematic "M...

Nick Rehak (French Toast Sunday) joins us as we continue our breakdown of Battle Royale one DVD chapter at a time. On this episode it's time for the bags to be handed out, while we question the purpose of the games aswell as how the game could be played outside of the island.

On this episode we look at the feature film debut of Bruce Lee "The Big Boss" which also might also be one of his unique films especially when he spends a good portion of the film refusing to fight. We look at the making of the film aswell as Bruce's meteoric rise to fame, the hunt for the missing footage aswell as highlighting the many random delights of the film.

Our Chapter by Chapter breakdown of cult favourite "Battle Royale" continues with a look at the must have fashion acessory for any Battle Royale participent as on this episode we are joined by Kim (Tranquil Dreams / Movies and Tea) to breakdown the chapter as the class find out the rules and we bid farewell to two of the class.  Apoligies for the audio issues in part of the this episode due t...

On this episode we look at one of our more random film sections with Kim Ki Duck's "Mobieus in which a wife's desire for a revenge on her husband soon has him on a much darker journey of self satisfaction. 

Our Chapter by Chapter breakdown of Battle Royale this time sees our ill fated class waking up on the island as they are reunited with Kitano and introduced to two new members of thier class Shogo Kawada and Kazuo Kiriyama. On this episode we explore the backstory of these two students aswell as how they differ from how they were potrayed in the novel and manga. We also look alittle deeper at Kita...

On this episode we check out one of Meiko Kaji's most memorable characters in the first of the female prisoner scorpion movies as she plays a former police spy on a mission of revenge against her ex-boyfriend while trying to survive the gangs and corrupt guards inside the prison in a film possibly best described as art-house sleaze. 

Continuing our chapter by chapter analysis of Battle Royale as on this episode we look at the ill fated school trip which will soon land the class on the island. We discuss the characters of Noriko and how she might actually be the only innocent in the game aswell as Shuya's best friend and human grenade nobu let alone a batch of all important cookies and further comparisions to the manga and nove...

Welcome to a brand new bonus show as Elwood and Stephen start thier chapter by chapter analysis of the cult classic "Battle  Royale" not only looking at the film and the impact it had on Asian  cinema ushering in alongside Audition and The Ring a revived intrest in Asian Cinema, but also comparing the film to the original novel and  manga adaptation as they set out on the mother of...

It's a change of pace on this episode as we look at Bong Joon-Ho's english language  debut "Snowpiercer" as we look at it's problematic distribution to the  UK, the clashes with Harvey Weinstein and the deeper themes when we deep  dive into the film with Em from Verbal Diorama Also make sure you check out our show sponsor Yes Please Vintage for a great selection of vintage homewares...

25 episodes ago Elwood and Stephen shared thier top 50 Asian Cinema and now having just celebrated episode #50 they reveal what thier next 50 would be on the list as they make it a full 100 in this weighty chunk of podcast goodness.

On this episode we are joined by Jeanette Ward (The Mundane Adventures of a Fangirl) to discuss the martial arts classic "Once Upon A Time In China 2" as Jet Li returns as Wong Fei-hung who this time joins forces with a nationalistic militia to overthrow the colonialist powers intent on taking over China. Best remembered for the showdown between Jet Li and Donnie Yen here making his first leading...

On this episode we check out Jia Zhangke's 2013 A Touch of Sin as he draws from the headlines to craft four tales about the division between the rich and poor against the backdrop of a rapidly changing China often with bloody results. 

On this episode we check out a double feature from one of our most requested directors Shinya Tsukamoto as we look at look at the cult favourites Tetsuo The Iron Man in which after running over a metal fetishist a saleryman finds himself cursed with a disease which is slowly turning his skin metal. We also look at it's big budget sequel Tetsuo 2: Body Hammer which this time sees a saleryman trying...

On this episode we look at the cinema of cool with Seijun Suzuki's "Tokyo Drifter" which along with "Branded to Kill" saw him blacklisted by the Nikkatsu as he set out to create somthing alot more diffrent than the typical Yakuza fare he'd previously been associated with as here enforcer Tetsuya "Phoenix Tetsu" Hondo is forced to become a drifter when his boss disolves the gang and a real estate s...

Elwood and Stephen check out Sion Sono's Netflix exclusive "The Forest of Love" in which a trio of film makers set out to make a film about a suspected serial killer only to soon find themselves drawn into his elabourate schemes.  We also have an advance screening of the uniquly animated "Violence Voyager", question the current state of asian horror, listener mail and the countdown to Hallowe...

On this episode Stephen introduces Elwood to New Taiwan Cinema with Edward Yang's "The Terrorizers" following three groups of people living in Taipei echoing  Michelangelo Antonioni's Blowup .

It's an episode packed with legends from a legendary animator to a legendary manga artist and his equally legendary creation Lupin The 3rd whose second feature length adventure "The Castle of Cagliostro" see's the master thief attempting to rescue a princess from an evil count who plans to use her to unlock the legendary treasure of Cagliostro. We also look into the legacy of Lupin, Hong Kong Cens...

Elwood and Stephen check out Sion Sono's contribution to Nikkatsu's reboot of thier Roman Porno series in a film while not only bends reality but also the audiences perception of what they are watching. On this episode we also take a look at the history of Roman Porno and the Pink film, Censorship in Japan, the Criterion Godzilla collection and Elwood reveals his contender for worst movie of the y...

Elwood and Stephen look at "Eastern Condors" as Sammo Hung and Yuen Biao team up with the an all-star cast as a squad of convicts are sent to Vietnam to destroy a secret ammo dump, while Sammo gets to tap into his inner Rambo! Also on this episode Batman Ninja, The story behind the Korean Godzilla and Yuen Biao's boy band hair and more!!

Elwood and Stephen are joined by  Author / Podcaster (The Bonus Material Podcast) aswell as three-time International Horror Guild Award Nominee Thom Carnell to discuss the first film in the long running Lone Wolf and Cub series as  Ogami Ittō, a disgraced executioner turned wandering assassin for hire and his young son, Daigoro journey through the land they call hell.  A key inspira...

Elwood and Stephen revisit Takashi Miike's outlaw period aswell as the uttlerly bonkers "Dead or Alive" which not only feature one of the most shocking openings ever but an equally bonkers finale as  Riki Takeuchi's crime boss and Show Aikawa's dirty cop face off in the first film of the trilogy which many have refered to a the asian version of "Heat". We also look at Miike's outlaw period an...

 Elwood and Stephen countdown thier top 50 Asian Cinema in this bonus  episode they reveal the films which have had the biggest impact on them. Stephen wraps up the list revealing his top picks for the list. 

 Elwood and Stephen countdown thier top 50 Asian Cinema in this bonus  episode they reveal the films which have had the biggest impact on them. In part 1 Elwood reveals his 25 picks for the list