Adventures Through Asian Cinema
By Adventures Through Asian Cinema
Adventures Through Asian Cinema Apr 05, 2023
The Emperor's Naked Army Marches On (1987)
On this episode of Adventures Through Asian Cinema Ben and Jack talk about the stark and brutal documentary The Emperor's Naked Army Marches On, directed by Kazuo Hara. Centred around a 62 year old WWII veteran Kenzo Okuzaki, this documentary follows him as he searches for answers about the unexplained deaths of two of his fellow soldiers. This is a radical and politically charged work with confrontational and tense execution, a must see for fans of boundary pushing documentaries.
You can find Ben on Twitter and Letterboxd, and you can find Jack just about everywhere.
Have a question or comment? A film suggestion perhaps? Drop us a line at @AsianCinemaPod on Twitter, and adventuresthroughasiancinema@gmail.com
Eega (2012)
On this episode of Adventures Through Asian Cinema, your hosts Ben & Jack talk about the 2012 film Eega, directed by S.S. Rajamouli (RRR, Baahubali).
Nani is a flower decorator, madly in love with his neighbour Bindhu. He gets killed by the baddie, Sudeep, a powerful businessman. Nani comes back as a housefly to get his revenge. That's it. That's the movie!
If you watch one film about a fly's revenge, make it Eega! Listen as we discuss the character dynamics, Rajamouli's wider filmography, and the appeal of this type of film.
As always, we urge you to check out Ben's JAPANUARY 2023 challenge, come watch some Japanese movies.
You can find Ben on Twitter and Letterboxd, and you can find Jack just about everywhere.
Have a question or comment? A film suggestion perhaps? Drop us a line at @AsianCinemaPod on Twitter, and adventuresthroughasiancinema@gmail.com
Mermaid Legend (1984)
On this revival episode of Adventures Through Asian Cinema, your hosts Ben & Jack talk about Toshiharu Ikeda's 1984 cult classic - Mermaid Legend.
After a woman is framed for the murder of her fisherman husband, she seeks out a bloody revenge on the corrupt businessmen responsible!
Listen as we discuss the lead actor Mari Shirato's powerful performance, the restraint and confidence the director shows, and my word - what a final act!
As always, we urge you to check out Ben's JAPANUARY 2023 challenge, come watch some Japanese movies.
You can find Ben on Twitter and Letterboxd, and you can find Jack just about everywhere.
Have a question or comment? A film suggestion perhaps? Drop us a line at @AsianCinemaPod on Twitter, and adventuresthroughasiancinema@gmail.com
Eastern Condors (1987) & Cure (1997)
In an act of self-celebration, Jack and Ben talk about two movies that they adore. We've recently joined the wonderful folk over at The Twin Geeks and wanted to celebrate by flexing our knowledge about areas of Asian Cinema we adore. For Jack, it's the Hong Kong action masterpiece Eastern Condors, and a deep dive into the career of legendary stuntman and director Sammo Hung. For Ben, it's a look at one of the masters of contemporary Japanese Cinema, Kiyoshi Kurosawa, and his haunting 1997 film Cure.
Be sure to follow the podcast on Twitter and Instagram - @AsianCinemaPod
We also welcome any and all emails and feedback about our show - adventuresthroughasiancinema@gmail.com
Follow Jack and Ben on Letterboxd for more reviews, lists, and general musings on all sort of cinema!
Hell's Ground (2007) & The Cave of The Yellow Dog (2005)
On this episode we visit Pakistan and Mongolia! Join us for slasher talk, as we discuss Pakistan's first ever X rated slasher movie - Hell's Ground! Then we move over to Mongolia for a nomadic tale of childish naivety and animal friendship in The Cave of The Yellow Dog.
Be sure to follow the podcast on Twitter and Instagram - @AsianCinemaPod
We also welcome any and all emails and feedback about our show - adventuresthroughasiancinema@gmail.com
Follow Jack and Ben on Letterboxd for more reviews, lists, and general musings on all sort of cinema!
A Moment of Innocence (1996) & After the Curfew (1954)
Jack and Ben are back! On this episode we discuss films from Iran and Indonesia. One, an intriguing blend of docu-fiction and slice of life storytelling, the other a rather sombre neorealist retaliation.
Be sure to follow the podcast on Twitter and Instagram - @AsianCinemaPod
We also welcome any and all emails and feedback about our show - adventuresthroughasiancinema@gmail.com
Follow Jack and Ben on Letterboxd for more reviews, lists, and general musings on all sort of cinema!
The Face of Another (1966) & An Actor's Revenge (1963)
On the second episode of Adventures Through Asian Cinema, Ben and Jack take a look at two more stone cold classics of Japanese cinema. Dipping into the Japanese New Wave of the 1960s, we talk about Teshigahara's existentialist masterpiece The Face of Another, before Ben does a deep dive on the life and career of Kon Ichikawa and we talk about An Actor's Revenge.
Be sure to follow the podcast on Twitter and Instagram - @AsianCinemaPod
We also welcome any and all emails and feedback about our show - adventuresthroughasiancinema@gmail.com
Follow Jack and Ben on Letterboxd for more reviews, lists, and general musings on all sort of cinema!
Tokyo Drifter (1966) & August In The Water (1995)
Hello and welcome to the first episode of Adventures Through Asian Cinema; a podcast dedicated to exploring films from different Asian countries. Join us as we tackle different country's cinematic outputs, from Hong Kong to Iran, Japan to Thailand, Egypt to Russia, we're excited to watch and talk about all sorts of world cinema. Seeing as it is currently Japanuary (a month long event dedicated to watching and discussing Japanese cinema) we're covering two incredibly important Japanese films - 'Tokyo Drifter' and 'August In The Water'. Join your hosts Ben and Jack as they journey through the exciting world of Asian cinema, two films at a time.
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