favorite Japanese movie

[miyakoji]

Just curious, what's your favorite Japanese movie(s)?  It need not be railway-related.  I think I'll have to go with Ten-ten, known as Adrift in Tokyo in English.

[ToniBabelony]

Most def. The heart and spirit of the common Japanese. The intense love for food. Not an obsession, but a part of life, if not life itself. And it tastes hella good.

 

[bill937ca]

Never watched a Japanese movie.   :dontknow:

[JR 500系]

Nice topic!

 

Can drama or anime count? I've got a whole list of drama and anime loves...

 

For movie I think mine has to be The Bullet Train 1975. Here's a preview uploaded by myself on youtube:

 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UxlWGfo_UEc

 

Very classic movie, and of course, train related! I like how they plan the bombing, although it would have been 10 times better if a remake was done in HD haha ~

[miyakoji]

Never watched a Japanese movie.   :dontknow:

 

Never?  Well, if you've seen enough zenmen tenbou videos on YT, I think that counts.  It's like a 5:1 ratio or something

 

Nice topic!

 

Can drama or anime count? I've got a whole list of drama and anime loves...

 

For movie I think mine has to be The Bullet Train 1975. Here's a preview uploaded by myself on youtube:

 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UxlWGfo_UEc

 

Very classic movie, and of course, train related! I like how they plan the bombing, although it would have been 10 times better if a remake was done in HD haha ~

Wasn't the Sandra Bullock / Keanu Reeves movie based on that?

 

Sure, drama and anime are fine.  I think my favorite anime would be Akira.  It's a classic.

[1954G]

It's tough for me to pick a favorite film.  The original Godzilla contains some fine acting by Hirata Akihiko and has a wonderful soundtrack, but the special effects have not stood up very well to the test of time.

 

I'd have to go with Submersion of Japan (1973), which features a powerful performance by Tanba Tetsuro as a courageous politician.  It may be "just" a tokusatsu film, but its focus on the political implications of a major natural disaster make it a memorable movie for me. 

 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qvI1KBOwGQg

 

 

Nice topic!

 

Can drama or anime count? I've got a whole list of drama and anime loves...

 

For movie I think mine has to be The Bullet Train 1975. Here's a preview uploaded by myself on youtube:

 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UxlWGfo_UEc

 

Very classic movie, and of course, train related! I like how they plan the bombing, although it would have been 10 times better if a remake was done in HD haha ~

 

I'll obtain a copy of that film as soon as I can.  I've been watching quite a lot of 1970s Japanese sci-fi films lately (mostly Toho stuff); it will be nice to watch something that doesn't involve a giant monster or a spaceship for a change.  By the way, which anime have caught your attention?

Edited May 26, 2014 by 1954G

[cteno4]

Gotta be seven samurai, the lighting and use of black and white is just amazing layering (see the remastered version)

 

but tampopo is up there as well! Mmmphmlphmmm drool.

 

Jeff

[the_weird_one]

Live action its probably got to be Battle Royale, though I do also enjoy the Godzilla movies and Seven Samurai is a classic.. actually its not so easy picking one favourite.

 

Anime wise, Mononoke Hime wins for Ghibli, though Kiki's delivery service comes a close second. Then for scifi, the original Ghost in the Shell with the two Macross movies as runners up. Then for everything else I can't recommend Patama Inverted highly enough or Summer Wars.

[Krackel Hopper]

For live action movies.. One of our favorite movies is Train_Man (Densha Otoko)

 

After seeing the Tomytec poster, I'm interested in this new movie Wood Job! No clue how it relates to trains, but being a state certified arborist a movie about tree operations interests me..

 

In the world of anime movies.. Voices of a Distant Star stands out, as does Summer Wars.. of course there's also Evangelion movies and Miyazaki films..

[JR 500系]

I'll obtain a copy of that film as soon as I can.  I've been watching quite a lot of 1970s Japanese sci-fi films lately (mostly Toho stuff); it will be nice to watch something that doesn't involve a giant monster or a spaceship for a change.  By the way, which anime have caught your attention?

 

You have to watch the Bullet Train 1975. It's way way better than the Sundra Bullock version, cause it's a bullet train!

 

Anime? Oh no, that's way too many. I'm a mecha fan before, so Gundam and such are definitely in. I love Super Robot wars too so all the Mechas look cool to me! If I were to choose the best Gunda series ever, i'll choose Gundam Seed. Not too political, not too heavily armoured crazy looking robots, but just the right amount of basic and weapons ~  

 

Initial D was one of my favourite too, then that's Kindai-ichi, very interesting inspection type drama...

 

Too many to list!

[Martijn Meerts]

Hmm.. Seven Samurai, Ran, Twilight Samurai, Ringu, Dark Water.

 

As for anime, for movies it's Nausicaa, Totoro, Paprika, Ghost in the Shell, Appleseed Ex Machina.. For series, Escaflowne, Kimi ga Nozomu Eien, Gundam SEED/SEED Destiny.. Pretty sure there's plenty more there.. I can't even remember what I've seen :)

Edited May 26, 2014 by Martijn Meerts

[Claude_Dreyfus]

Okay, it is not Japanese (or even a film), but set in Japan, and using many Japanese actors...

 

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sh%C5%8Dgun_(TV_miniseries)

[E6系]

Okay, it is not Japanese (or even a film), but set in Japan, and using many Japanese actors...

 

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sh%C5%8Dgun_(TV_miniseries)

 

I had the good fortune of reading the novel before seeing the series.  Things are better explained in the book, I believe.

[Mudkip Orange]

You Only Live Twice

[shiawase raichou]

Haven't seen ten-ten, but I'll accept your recommendation, Miyakoji.

 

Tastes vary in our household, but Totoro gets a unanimous vote.

 

For such a small movie it generated a vast following. I see Totoro school bags, Totoro stamps, even Totoro snowmen in parks in winter. Like Fawlty Towers, it was a one-off that just hit the mark.

[ozstig]

Also Totoro but plenty of other Ghibli offerings too. Howls Moving Castle, Spirited Away, Ponyo, Porco Rosso, From Up On Poppy Hill all get plenty of plays as well.

Not a Japanese movie but one shot on location, Lost in Translation is an all time favourite.

[miyakoji]

Haven't seen ten-ten, but I'll accept your recommendation, Miyakoji.

:)  Unfortunately I don't have the opportunity to watch very many.  I guess Ten-ten would be a favorite recent movie, somewhat quirky in character.  I like some of the Nikkatsu movies from the 60s too, but those are entirely different.

[dabsan]

Any movie by Seijun Suzuki esp. Branded To Kill, Tokyo Drifter.

Edited May 28, 2014 by dabsan