Part 1
80: Dead Sushi (Deddo Sushi)
Japan
Of all the craziest ideas for a story, this film has one of the silliest and most outlandish. It’s all about mutant sushi that comes to life and eats people. That’s right, the sushi bites back! Things get really bloody and crazy as it goes on, but the film never once becomes a bore. It’s a silly romp, so full of comedy and zany style, that it’s a blast all the way through. A sublime and hilarious combination of culinary and martial arts.
Entertainment: Very Good | Story: Pretty Good | Film: Pretty Good | Resonance: High
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79: Ichi
Japan
A bit similar to the story of Zatoichi, the blind swordsman, who actually does appear as a character in this film.
Ichi is its own story and character, with its own merits; as expected, the swordfighting choreography is splendid. I enjoyed the story, so much as I found the drama and flashbacks invoking and deep. The film has a solid cinematic style and decent-looking production, making it as much of a quality piece of work as it is thrilling.
Entertainment: Good | Story: Good | Film: Good | Resonance: Pretty High
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78: Meatball Machine
Japan
A rather cheap and fake-looking low-budget piece of schlock cinema, but even with all the rubber monsters and cheap special effects, it is one gnarly and extreme flick. The film has just bucket-loads of blood and gore; easily one of the bloodiest films I’ve seen, and it’ll take a strong stomach to withstand it. That being said, the film does have a fun and novel concept, and the characters and their grotesque romance is endearing.
Experience: Very Good | Story: Pretty Good | Film: Average | Resonance: Very High
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77: Tokyo Gore Police (Tôkyô Zankoku Keisatsu)
Japan
This is it: this currently ranks as THE bloodiest film I have ever seen. Yes, it’s even bloodier than
Dead Alive. Just read the film’s title, and you’ll know that this film is straight-up nonstop blood spray on a ridiculous level. There must have been enough blood in this film to fill a swimming pool. What makes it most memorable and worthwhile is that it’s a film so extreme and exaggerated that it’s awesomely hilarious at times. Between the craziest monsters and abominations you’ll ever see (such as a chair made from flayed skin, or a guy with a gun that shoots severed hands) and the occasional bit of satire (including plenty of funny
RoboCop-style commercials), the film is just too crazy and silly to take seriously, even when the blood is spraying into the cameras. As far as plot and story goes, it’s not the best, but serviceable, especially with the revenge theme worked in. If you can stomach it, this film does offer one heck of a crazy and insane experience.
Experience: Very Good | Story: Average | Film: Average | Resonance: Highest
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76: Legend of the Black Scorpion (The Banquet) (Ye Yan)
China
Roughly adapted from Shakespeare’s
Hamlet, this film a wuxia spin on things to present a very lavish and gorgeous film experience. Fight scenes are really cool and well-choreographed, with plenty of graceful-looking moves. It has some of the most gorgeous sets and costumes. With quality performances, it comes together as a very polished and pretty film.
Entertainment: Good | Story: Pretty Good | Film: Good | Resonance: High
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75: Grave of the Fireflies (Hotaru no Haka)
Japan
Of all the films on this list, this one might be the one with the most emotional punch. It’s not a particularly pretty film, but it focuses on two very endearing children who spend the movie struggling to survive in a war-torn village on their own. Parts of the movie are really cute and sweet, and it makes the tragedy all the more bitter. Regardless of your disposition on anime films, this one should be a must-see.
Entertainment: Pretty Good | Story: Very Good | Film: Pretty Good | Resonance: Very High
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74: Godzilla (Gojira)
Japan
With more than twenty
Godzilla movies on the market, including the 1998 US blockbuster, and a possible remake further down the line, you’d have to be living under a rock to have never heard of this classic monster. This original 1954 film moves at a fairly slow pace, but still has some incredible mass destruction when the titular monster starts stepping all over Tokyo and breathing nuclear fire all over the place. At its core, the film serves as a harrowing cautionary tale concerning the atomic age and the threat of nuclear devastation. It’s an insightful sci-fi flick that can easily stand shoulder-to-shoulder with every other genre flick of the decade.
This film was recut in the U.S. as
Godzilla: King of the Monsters. This version of the film cut out a ton of content from the original, and swapped in Raymond Burr as the main character using reshot scenes. I personally don’t care for this version, but it did help port the film over to western audiences.
Entertainment: Pretty Good | Story: Good | Film: Good | Resonance: High
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73: Fearless (Huo Yuan Jia)
China and the US
Focusing more on the director’s cut of this film, which has something like forty minutes of added footage and is widely considered the best version of the movie, this feature has as strong of a story as it has strong fight scenes. Jet Li continues to pull off some impressive moves with skilled choreography. I was more impressed by his character and the thoughtful moments interspaced throughout his journey. In its fullest form, this movie does have a strong and heartfelt story worth seeing, and a spectacle that will entice genre fans.
There are at least three versions of this film available: as mentioned above, the director’s cut comes most recommended, with forty minutes of scenes that help contribute to the overall storytelling experience. A shorter unrated cut, and a short PG-13 theatrical cut, were also produced.
Entertainment: Good | Story: Good | Film: Good | Resonance: Pretty High
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72: Let the Bullets Fly (Rang Zi Dan Fei)
China
As of 2011, this was the highest-grossing film in China. That’s not to say that it’s a blockbuster; it’s actually a pretty weird film, light on the action, heavier on the unusual comedy. What really makes it stand out will be its characters and their interactions; the whole thing plays out like a complex chess match, with the two sides plotting and counter-plotting and playing mind games with each other. It’s pretty brilliant at times, thrilling in a few spots, funny when it wants to be, but all-around eccentric. It makes for a worthwhile and satisfying storytelling experience.
Entertainment: Good | Story: Very Good | Film: Good | Resonance: Average
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71: The Restless (Demon Empire) (Joong-Cheon)
South Korea
With the unique setting of a kingdom in the afterlife, this film utilizes some really gorgeous and exquisite imagery to create some beautiful, flowing fight scenes and some awe-inspiring spectacle. Beneath its wonderfully-rendered fights, however, the film focuses primarily on a touching otherworldly romance. It slows things down quite a bit, but it does give the film an endearing touch, and it pulls everything together in a quality package.
Entertainment: Very Good | Story: Pretty Good | Film: Good | Resonance: Pretty High
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70: Kill Zone (Saat Po Long)
China
This was one of the first crime thrillers I had seen from Hong Kong. Maybe not the greatest story of the lot, but it definitely entertained. It has some very cool fight scenes, which in themselves make the film worth watching. The film overall is very slick and stylish. It has a decent cast and some wonderful cinematography. This one comes recommended to fans of Hong Kong crime films.
Entertainment: Good | Story: Good | Film: Good | Resonance: Pretty High
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69: The Killer (Dip Huet Seung Hung)
China
Coming from director John Woo, you just know that this film will be full of flash and style. Thankfully not as overblown as his US works, but
The Killer does have its share of slick slow-motion photography, explosive action, and real macho characters. It has a decent story, full of quality characters and heart, and it makes for one thrilling ride.
Entertainment: Very Good | Story: Pretty Good | Film: Good | Resonance: Pretty Good
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68: Girl Who Leapt Through Time (Toki o Kakeru Shojo)
Japan
The title says it all: this quaint and charming anime film features a school girl who literally jumps through time. The film’s funnest moments occur when she indulges in her time-travelling powers to toy around with everything. It gets a bit serious when she’s forced to reckon with the consequences of her actions. Overall, it’s a fun and thoughtful flick with quality animation and likable characters.
Entertainment: Good | Story: Very Good | Film: Good | Resonance: Pretty Good
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67: Redline
Japan
Dang, what a cool film! It’s a film about cars – some of the coolest-looking cars ever drawn – racing on otherworldly tracks with often lethal results. The racing is fast, intense, and really gripping. The animation quality overall is slick, stylish, and every bit as intense as the actual races. There’s plenty of action, and even some nudity and sex appeal, to entice. The story is a bit thin, but as cool and stylish as the whole thing is, it’s hard not to love it.
Entertainment: Very Good | Story: Good | Film: Good | Resonance: Pretty High
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66: Tetsuo II: Body Hammer
Japan
Following
Tetsuo: The Iron Man, this full-color sequel channels the same manic insanity as its predecessor. Both films are really crazy, almost to the point of being nerve-wracking, but this sequel at least has a little more narrative structure to it. It has enough weird and crazy scenes of its own to stand apart from the first film, and it does make for one wild experience. If you like these types of films, then this is worth seeing.
Experience: Good | Content: Good | Film: Good | Resonance: Good
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65: Come Drink With Me (Da Zui Xia)
China
Considered to be the progenitor of all modern wuxia and wire-fu films,
Come Drink With Me is an oldie but goodie. It’s pretty stark and violent at times, but it also has spirited moments. Fight scenes are a blast. Above all, it has compelling characters with genuine heart and spirit. The film is a bit on the cheap side, but with striking performances by Pei-Pei Cheng, it hardly matters.
Entertainment: Good | Story: Good | Film: Good | Resonance: High
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64: War of the Arrows (Choi-Jong-Byeong-Gi Hwal)
China
Despite being a little jittery with the camera work,
War of the Arrows does have its fair share of decent fighting and action. What really matters, however, is that it’s firmly established with a quality story that really shows a lot of heart and strong character development. Even with some roughness in the protagonist and the film style, the film is endearing.
Entertainment: Good | Story: Good | Film: Good | Resonance: High
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63: 36th Chamber of Shaolin (Shao Lin San Shi Liu Fang)
China
Considered a classic kung-fu picture, this film follows the growth and training of a young monk through the 35 chambers of Shaolin (you’ll have to see the film to understand what the 36th chamber is), all for the sake of vengeance. The film’s most interesting moments will be in watching this kid training and fighting, but the film does have a strong spiritual and philosophical core, which gives the familiar story much-needed depth and power.
Entertainment: Good | Story: Good | Film: Good | Resonance: High
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62: Rashomon
Japan
Despite being a little slow, this film is short, and really interesting. It’s a simple enough story, but deeply layered. It starts off with just a few dudes hanging in a ruined archway, but they soon tell a story about a crime, which then goes through three different versions based on three different testimonies from three different characters. As you can guess, each version is different, and it’s hard to tell which one is true and which one isn’t. With quality acting and cinematography, this classic film digs up some interesting philosophical truths.
Entertainment: Pretty Good | Story: Good | Film: Very Good | Resonance: High
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61: Summer Wars (Sama Wozu)
Japan
Some of this film’s most endearing moments will be in the charming family reunion scenes. Some of this film’s most thrilling moments will be in the drastic global takeover by an artificial intelligence gone wild. Pretty weird mix, isn’t it? And yet, this film ties it all together into an epic experience, which is funny, scary, and exciting all at once. Quality characters and very vivid artwork makes this a charming and endearing experience.
Entertainment: Good | Story: Good | Film: Good | Resonance: High
To be continued...
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