KFCC Awards movie review listing page 1

(88 min)

2004 - Drama, Romance, Thriller - South Korea

Young Tae-Suk wanders through the apartments of people on vacation: for a while he enjoys their homes, doing small repair jobs and then leaving quietly, not stealing anything. His ghost-like hauntings of these homes are matched when he encounters a battered woman sulking in a lush, apparently empty house. They become attracted to one another, but there are many obstacles for their unconvential affair: an angry husband, police, murder charges, golf balls...

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Director : Kim Ki-Duk

Cast : Seung-yeon Lee, Hyun-kyoon Lee, Hyuk-ho Kwon, Jin-mo Ju

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36th Chamber of Shaolin

(111 min)

1978 - Kung Fu - China

During the Qing dynasty, a young student named Liu Yu-De feels hopeless because of the oppressive Manchu forces. His school teacher motivates him to join the rebel causes and a patriotic feeling overwhelms him as he can now do something to help his people. Unfortunately for them, the Manchu forces did not take long to discover that something underground was happening in the small town. In the attempt by the Manchu to capture the rebels, Lius fathers and his teacher get killed. Liu barely manages to escape the raid, but now his only goal is to avenge the death of his father. To attain this goal he decides to go learn kung fu in a Shaolin Temple. But his training is much harder than he expected. The rules of Shaolin are very strict and Liu Yu-De will have to pass through all the 35 chambers, in order, before he can finally complete his training. Each chamber is specially designed to challenge an aspect of the human endurance. However, Liu will also discover that not only physical traini

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Director : Chia Liang Liu, Tang Wei Chen

Cast : Gordon Liu, Lau Kar Wing, Lo Lieh, Wilson Tong, Wong Yu, Simon Yuen

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9 Souls

(120 min)

2003 - Drama - Japan

Nine inmates begin a small detour towards the inevitable after escaping from prison. Each individual, incarcerated for a different crime, takes their chance at life outside of the box and take the initiative to find happiness once again.

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Director : Toshiaki Toyoda

Cast : Ryuhei Matsuda, Yoshio Harada, Koji Chihara, Mame Yamada, Itsuji Itao, Kee

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A War Named Desire

(89 min)

2000 - Action, Drama - Hong Kong

Chun packs his bags and gets ready to go to Thailand; he is planing to track down his brother so that he can collect the money that he stole from the family. Chun's girlfriend decides to join him, once in Thailand they find one of the men that work for his brother, after a chain of strange event Chun finally meets his brother who is an important man in the Thailandese Triad. His brother gives him the money and tells him to get the hell out of Thailand. At the bus stop Chun changes his mind he puts his girlfriend on the bus and decides to stay behind in Thailand.

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Director : Siu-Fai Mak

Cast : Daniel Chan, Sam Lee, Sheung-Man Lei, Gigi Leung, Francis Ng, Pui-Chi Ng

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All About Lily Chou Chou

(150 min)

2001 - Drama - Japan

The story revolves around the adolescent lives of Yuichi Hasumi and his friends, chronicling their lives from age 13 to 15. Yuichi is a huge fan of pop idol Lily Chou Chou, and frequents her fansite "Lily Philia" under the handle "Philia". As the story progresses, many of his closest friends undergo changes in personality and everything gets turned completely upside down as some of the most berserk and effed up moments emblazened on cinema are thrown at the viewer in rapid succession.

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Director : Shunji Iwai

Cast : Hayato Ichihara, Takao Osawa, Shugo Oshinari, Miwako Ichikawa, Yu Aoi, Izumi Inamori

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Atragon

(96 min)

1963 - Kaiju, Science Fiction - Japan

The Mu Empire, an ancient civilization located deep beneath the sea, wishes to reclaim their rule over all. Enter Captain Jinguji, a man with the power to stop them in the form of his super submarine. His reluctance to help is dashed once his daughter is kidnapped, and the great battle of our time is finally underway as the powerhouse sub Goten-go goes headfirst in an assault against the Muans.

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Director : Ishiro Honda

Cast : Yoko Fujiyama, Tadao Takashima, Yu Fujiki, Kenji Sahara

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Attack The Gas Station

(120 min)

1999 - Comedy - South Korea

Four guys are siting around in a convenience store eating some ramen soup. Looking for something to do, one of them says " Lets Attack the Gas Station again ". The 4 guys rush a corner gas station, which they robbed weeks before; they find the cash register nearly empty. While holding the staff out of sight a customer comes to the gas station, after getting paid for the gas they decide to take the whole gas station hostage and pump gas for personal profit. The night is only starting and there is a lot in store for our would-be gas station attendants.

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Director : Kim Sang-Jin

Cast : Lee Seong-Jae, Yoo Ooh-Seong, Kang Seong-Jin, Yoo Ji-Tae, Park Young-Kyoo, Chung Joon

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Audition

(116 min)

1999 - Horror - Japan

Shigeharu Aoyama (Ryo Ishibashi) is simple widower living a lonely life with his son, Shigehiko (Tetsu Sawaki). Going off an idea from his producer friend, Yasuhisa Yoshikawa (Jun Kinimura), Aoyama decides to participate in a fake audition in order to find a suitable woman to remarry. Though innocent in execution, Aoyama is successful in the mock audition and finds a beautiful girl by the name of Asami Yamazaki (Eihi Shiina), who seems more than what she portrays herself to be. Filmed with unbridled ferocity and unrestrained intensity, Takashi Miike presents his horror magnum opus, "Audition."

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Director : Takashi Miike

Cast : Ryo Ishibashi, Eihi Shiina, Tetsu Sawaki, Jun Kunimura, Renji Ishibashi, Miyuki Matsuda

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Azumi

(142 min)

2003 - Swordplay, Drama - Japan

A warrior, who's son was slain during a pointless battle, is assigned a private mission by a high priest. It is up to him to try and stop the madness of wars that wreak havoc upon feudal Japan. To compose a team of assassins, he goes and recruits young children who's parents were murdered. Retreating into a secret location in the mountains, he trains these children to become skilled and deadly assassins. When the children became young adults, their master announces that they are ready to engage in their "mission." For the first time ever, these assassins, who knew nothing but the way of the sword, are let out into the real world. Together, they must assassinate three warlords who threaten the land of Japan with the agenda of war. With numerous obstacles standing between them and their mission's success, it is up to their instincts and dexterity to complete what could very well be the peace-bringing mission to mend together a nation on the brink of war.

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Director : Ryuhei Kitamura

Cast : Aya Ueto, Yoshio Harada, Masato Ibu, Aya Okamoto, Joe Odagiri, Naoto Takenaka

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Bayside Shakedown

(120 min)

1998 - Comedy, Drama, Crime - Japan

It starts off as a regular day at the Bayside Precinct shortley after a mysterious body is found floating in the river. Later in the day they realize that a whole bunch of things is stolen from the police station and finally they find out that the Commissioner has been kidnapped. The Metropolitan Police Department(MPD) set up an HQ at the Bayside Precinct to investigate the kidnapping but unfortunately the cops from Bayside are left in the dark concerning this case. Investigator Aoshima will try to get involved in the kidnapping case much to the disapproval of MPD. The next three days will easily be the worst days that the Bayside Precinct will ever see.

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Director : Katsuyuki Motohiro

Cast : Yuji Oda, Toshiro Yanagiba, Eri Fukatsu, Miki Mizuno, Kyoko Koizumi, Chosuke Ikariya

Beast Cops

(110 min)

1998 - Drama, Crime, Gangster - Hong Kong

Brother Tung is a borderline cop and triad brother whose best friend, is a triad elder, named Big Brother is on the run after an assassination that he set up. Upon his departure his right hand man, called Pushy-Pin, assumes the role of power to lead the gang. At the same time Brother/officer Tung is given a new commanding officer named Cheung. The group of cops and triads end up unwillingly participating in violent conflicts between them.

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Director : Dante Lam

Cast : Anthony Wong, Michael Wong, Roy Cheung, Kathy Chau, Sam Lee, Tam Yiu Man

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Bittersweet Life, A

(114 min)

2005 - Action, Drama, Gangster - South Korea

Sunwoo is the very trusted right hand man of underworld boss Kang. When Kang plans to goes away for three days he asks Sunwoo to keep an eye on his young girlfriend whom he suspects may be cheating on him. Sunwoo keeps an eye on the girl who begins to intrigue him, while keeping things under control at his boss’s hotel. Sunwoo is a man who likes to remain in control at all times – using whatever means are necessary. One day he makes an uncharacteristically merciful decision, the result of which changes his life completely.

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Director : Kim Jee-Woon

Cast : Kim Young-Chul, Lee Byung-Hun, Shin Mina

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Black Test Car

(95 min)

1962 - Drama, Thriller - Japan

When two rival car companies attempt to release the same type of vehicle, a new stylish sports car, all hell breaks loose. What ensues is one great big giant mess of a feud filled with double crossing, blackmail, and even murder. Yasuzo Masumura’s highly successful masterpiece takes the viewer on one hell of a ride with this 1962 venture, BLACK TEST CAR. Imagine a Hitchcockian story written by Ian Fleming involving industrial spies and you may be somewhere in the ballpark for what you are about to witness.

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Director : Yasuzo Masumura

Cast : Jiro Tamiya, Junko Kano, Eiji Funkakoshi, Hideo Takamatsu, Ichirô Sugai

Blind Beast

(84 min)

1969 - Horror - Japan

Michio, a blind sculptor, takes interest in a young model named Aki when he hears of her stunning body and inspects an art exhibit featuring photographs and a sculpture of the beauty. Disguised as her masseuse, he enters her apartment and kidnaps her with help from his mother. Aki is then dropped into a hell of art and lust while locked in his studio as his ultimate model, facing new depths of human behavior.

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Director : Yasuzo Masumura

Cast : Eiji Funakoshi, Mako Midori, Noriko Sengoku

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Blind Shaft

(92 min)

2003 - Drama - China

Two workers attempt to draw a young boy into a mining job with the intention of killing him, claiming him as a relative and collecting the money, a plan which was previously executed successfully, the pay off each time being $30,000.

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Director : Li Yang

Cast : Li Yixiang, Wang Shuangbao, Wang Baoqiang, An Jing

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Blue Spring

(83 min)

2001 - Drama - Japan

Graduation looms overhead as a group of seniors at Asa High live out the dangerous yakuza-style life on a miniature high school scale. Kujo leads the pack, but the playing field gets distorted when his authority is questioned and duly challenged by his closest friend Aoki.

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Director : Toshiaki Toyoda

Cast : Ryuhei Matsuda, Hirofumi Arai, Sousuke Takaoka, Yusuke Oshiba

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Branded To Kill

(98 min)

1967 - Drama, Gangster - Japan

Hanada (Number 3 Killer) lives his life day by day being a yakuza assassin. He and his wife live in their high-class, trendy apartment. One day, a mysterious woman by the name of Misako confronts him with a kill or be killed contract offer. Hanada pursues her and desperately wants to make love to her in his small bedroom, littered with dead butterflies pinned to the wall. Hanada takes her contract, but when the crucial moment comes up, (ironically) a butterfly messes everything up for him. An innocent victim has been killed and according to the yakuza way, he must pay for his mistake with his life. With a story filled with violent gun battles, back stabs, and deceit, Hanada ultimately confronts the ultimate killer, Number 1. In one of the most intimidating and intriguing stand offs ever, Seijun Suzuki's Branded to Kill is not easily forgotten.

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Director : Seijun Suzuki

Cast : Jo Shishido, Mariko Ogawa, Mari Annu, Koji Nambara, Isao Tamagawa, Hiroshi Minami

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Brother

(114 min)

2000 - Drama, Gangster - Japan

Anaki Yamamoto was a high ranking member of a Yakuza family but during the midst of a war with another Yakuza family, the leader was killed and Anaki's family fell into chaos. The defeated family joined up with the victorious family but Anaki did not wish to know anything about it. He decided to go to America and track down his younger brother who had gone to study there. He managed to tracked down his brother but he was surprised to see his brother had become a local drug dealer, within a few day Anaki gets involved and he is back to his old Yakuza ways and starts to rebuild his family.

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Director : Takeshi Kitano

Cast : Takeshi Kitano, Omar Epps, Kuroudo Maki, Masaya Kato, Ren Osugi, Susumu Terajima

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Chinese Odyssey 2002

(97 min)

2002 - Comedy, Romance - Hong Kong

The Emperor and his sister the Princess plan to flee the palace but as usual the Queen Mother discovers their attempt and takes action. The princess managed to escape while the guards went after the emperor. The Princess (who is dressed like a man) gets robbed by a pick-pocket but by a chance encounter she meets Ah Long who invites him/her to dinner. Ah Long has a reputation for being the town bully and thus no one wishes to marry his sister, Ah Long's ulterior purpose of inviting this gentleman to dinner is to find his sister a husband. Ah Long's sister is quickly charmed by this stranger and seeks to have him as her husband. The Emperor receives permission from the Queen Mother to go look for his sister. He encounters Ah Long's sister while Ah Long and the Princess is on their way to the Palace. The Emperor falls in love with Ah Long's sister and decides to live with her at the inn she runs. And thus this is how a complicated love triangle begins.

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Director : Jeff Lau

Cast : Tony Leung, Faye Wong, Vicki Zhao, Chang Chen, Rebecca Pang, Athena Chu Yu

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Devils On The Door Step

(139 min)

2000 - Comedy, Drama - China

A small village is under Japanese occupation during World War II. A humble peasant named Dasan has the whole village talking with rumors of a mistress. During a night of surreptitious love-making, a package is delivered to his door: two Japanese POWs. One is a Japanese soldier and the other is a Chinese Translator for the Japanese. The two men beg for death but Dasan can’t and refuses to commit such an inhumane act. Rather, he opts to engage in a nerve-racking hide-and-seek game with the prisoners and the Japanese military. But with the constant anxiety of being caught and the pressure from the other villagers to kill the prisoners, Dasan’s mind is about to explode. No matter which path he chooses, it just doesn’t seem to be the right one!

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Director : Wen Jiang

Cast : Wen Jiang, Hongbo Jian, Teruyuki Kagawa, Ding Yuan, Zhijun Cong, Zi Xi

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