What are your favourite japanese movies

[Hot Karl Hotts]

other than kurasawa and takacshi mike

some good j-horror

some poignant dramas

some suspenseful yakuza

anything

[DexGTR]

japanese jewels 15.

[Hot Karl Hotts]

NO PERVERT

[Killing Nevada]

wild zero

[Scorzerci]

Haven't seen it yet, but this looks like one of those movies that's so bad that it's good:
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[Nananine]

Cure (http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0123948/) and Serpent's Path (http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0254378/) by Kiyoshi Kurosawa. K. Kurosawa films can be spotty at times because they can be either flawed works (Kairo/Pulse, Charisma, Bright Future) or plain old. But when he's good, he's brilliant. He manages to have that edge of incredible unease that is so effective in Kubrick and Lynch films. Cure is about a high-strung, middle aged detective who runs across a bizarre case: multiple suicides all of which are linked to a young man who does nothing else other than talk to them. It's not your typical horror film or thriller film and has as much to do with the detective's own reservations and problems. Serpent's Path is about two men whose daughters were victims of a horrific child snuff porn ring, and the lengths they go through to enact vengeance on their daughters' killers.

ANYTHING by Seijun Suzuki. The man is in his mid-90's now, so I don't think he's going to make another film, sadly. His last film was The Raccoon Princess with Zhang Ziyi and it was brilliant. He specializes in crime/gangster/hitmen movies with incredibly avant leanings. Things like Branded to Kill, Tokyo Drifter, Fighting Elegy, Gate of Flesh... all brilliant and all released as Criterion Collection movies.

The Yakuza Papers (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Battles_Without_Honor_and_Humanity) by Kinji Fukasaku[/url]. Although better known in America for the excellent Battle Royale, Fukasaku became famous in Japan for his sprawling 5-part epic The Yakuza Papers. Filled to the brim with characters (introduced through subtitles, even), it's an unflinching look at post-war Hiroshima organized crime and shattered many myths of the supposed honor behind the organization. Regardless, the films are powerful, masterfully shot, and ultra-violent.

Kikujiro (http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0199683/), and almost anything else by "Beat" Takeshi Kitano. He's known as the quintessential yakuza actor in Japan, but his biggest American release was 2005's Zatoichi. Kikujiro was one of his finest works, about a young boy seemingly abandoned by his mother and who is forcibly given to a local yakuza played by Kitano. It turns into a bizarre road movie that's equal parts hilarious, warm and tragic.

Nobody Knows (http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0408664/) by Hirokazu Kore-eda. It's about a family of three young children who are essentially abandoned in an apartment by their selfish mother. The oldest child (who won a Cannes acting award for his performance) tries to maintain a semblance of normality for his younger siblings while struggling with no utilities, money or food. Manages to feel warm and human while never dipping into melodrama despite the tragedy that looms over the children. Based on a really screwed up true story.

Audition (http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0235198/) by Takashi Miike. A slow burner of a horror film, it's about a widowed single father and television producer who decides to fake a TV audition to search for a potential girlfriend/wife. When he decides on a reserved young ballet dancer, everything seems well until bizarre holes in her background begin to gnaw away at him. This isn't for the faint of heart, because it's climax is horrendously effective and graphic. Also, be careful with Miike stuff, because the dude releases like 3-4 films a year and they all wildly vary in quality.

[bdemon]

I'd put my vote in for Oldboy by Park Chan-wook. Dude gets kidnapped, thrown into a prison for 15 years, doesn't know why. Suddenly wakes up free in the city, doesn't know how...but the clues start kicking in. Amazing tension in places. And one doozie of a surprise at the end...wow. At least, I didn't see it coming.

And if you're squeamish, you'll be mighty satisfied. ;)

[Tedddy]

Mishima

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mishima:_A_Life_in_Four_Chapters

[jgyn]

Anything but Mizoguchi.

[xibalba1875]

Oldboy isnt japanese.

Ill def agree with Beat Takeshi Kitano He writes, acts, and directs wonderful movies.

Takashi Miike has a few that i like Audition, Visitor Q, The happiness of the katakuris. All stick out in my mind

Suicide Club eh.. decent

I know there are millions more but im kinda stuck right now.

Ill throw in a couple of non-japanese to fill it in

JSA (Joint Security Area), Friend and Quitting

[emmaporkchop]

I'd put my vote in for Oldboy by Park Chan-wook. Dude gets kidnapped, thrown into a prison for 15 years, doesn't know why. Suddenly wakes up free in the city, doesn't know how...but the clues start kicking in. Amazing tension in places. And one doozie of a surprise at the end...wow. At least, I didn't see it coming.

And if you're squeamish, you'll be mighty satisfied. ;)

My absolute favorite movie! And the best part is that there is no chance that some American movie studio will have the nerve to remake this one and completely ruin it (same with Audition).

[jgyn]

Ugetsu.
Sansho The Bailiff.
Anything by Ozu...

[Barber Surgeon]

Well you eliminate a lot of my favorites if Miike isn't allowed (I guess we all already know how awesome he is :thu:).

Other than his works, I like the ongoing Suicide Club trilogy by Sion Sono so far.

One of my favorite of all time is the mega-cult hit Battle Royale. Anyone who hasn't seen this should.

Haven't watched any Beat Kitano yet, but I've got a few titles queued up.

I'll also second the notion that Park Chan Wook is amazing at about everything. In fact, I may even like Korean cinema better than Japanese.