KFCC Awards movie review listing page 5

(96 min)

1998 - Horror - Japan

In Japan there is a rumor circulating about a cursed video cassette. It is said that those who see this tape get a phone call who tell them that they will die in one week. A reporter for a local news paper has to do a story on this rumor, she soon finds out that this is more than a rumor as her niece is found mysteriously dead. Eventually she find a copy of the cassette and watches it, her worst fears become reality as she now has one week left to live. She gets help from her ex-husband to try to find a way to get rid of the curse.

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Director : Hideo Nakata

Cast : Matsushima Nanako, Nakatani Miki, Sanada Hiroyuki

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Save the Green Planet

(117 min)

2003 - Thriller, Black Comedy, Science Fiction - South Korea

Byung-Gu believes that Aliens live among human beings and that these extra-terrestrial life forms are the main reason behind society’s many problems as well as the misfortune in his personal life. Being the only one aware of the problem that humanity is facing, the situation puts the fate of all human lives in his hand. The only way to stop the aliens is to speak with the Alien Prince of Andromeda before the next lunar eclipse. However, finding the Aliens is quite a task since they look just like human beings. The most logical suspect at the moment is Kang Man-Shik, the president and CEO of a big chemical company. With the help of his beloved girlfriend, Byung-Gu they will kidnap the business man and try to make him confess that he is, in fact, an alien and then will try to convince him to let him contact the Prince. Meanwhile, a police inspector is on the case of Mr. Kang’s kidnapping and is becoming closer and closer to finding out what really happened to Kang. Will Byung-Gu have ti

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Director : Jang Jun-Hwan

Cast : Shin Ha-Gyun, Baek Yun-Sik, Hwang Jeong-min

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Seven Samurai

(203 min)

1954 - Swordplay - Japan

A small village in the country side always gets raided by bandits after the harvest. The scared villagers decide to hire some samurai to defend the village. Unfortunately the villagers are so poor the only thing they can offer is 3 square meals a day. Four farmers travel to a major city looking for samurai to hire but they are met with failure every time. One day they come across a samurai that saves a child from a thief for free, they manage to convince him to help. Kambei helps the farmers hire other samurai to help defend the village, after a few days they have the fighting force that they need and travel to the village. The samurai prepare the village and the farmers for the upcoming battle with the bandits.

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Director : Kurosawa Akira

Cast : Shimura Takashi, Mifune Toshiro, Inaba Yoshio, Miyaguchi Seiji, Chiaki Minoru, Kato Daisuke

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Shaolin Soccer (Uncut Version)

(112 min)

2001 - Comedy - Hong Kong

After soccer superstar "Golden Leg" Fung (Ng Man Tat) decides to take a "dishonor" check to lose an important soccer match, his career goes down the drain as the crowd rushes the field and beats and cripples Fung for his missed goal. Twenty years later, Fung is a lackey for evil soccer furor, Hung (Patrick Tse), who happens to not only used to be the teammate Fung picked on, but now a soccer legend and the chairman of the National Soccer League. Depressed and broken for his reversalof fortune and the particular truths he finds out about his accident, Fung walks the streets finding reasons to live. Fortunately, Fung stumbles upon Sing (Stephen Chow), a martial artists trying to find ways to bring Kung Fu into the mainstream. Aftermuch preparation and soul searching, Fung gathers Sing and his Shaolin brothers together to form a team like no other: a Kung Fu based soccer team. While Sing trains and battles it out Shaolin style in the soccer ring, he attempts to woo Mei (Vicki Zhao Wei's),

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Director : Stephen Chow

Cast : Stephen Chow, Vicki Zhao Wei, Ng Man Tat, Patrick Tse Yin, Wong Yat Fei, Tin Kai Man

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Shiri

(125 min)

1999 - Action - South Korea

The South Korean intelligence service uncovers a plot of North Korean agents that are trying to acquire a new liquid bomb called CTX. It is feared that this weapon will be used to various acts of terrorism as this explosive is undetectable. During the course of the investigation, the North Koreans always have the upper hand because an information leak is suspected. The two lead agents on this case start to suspect each other of being the information leak. They must find the source of the leak and what is the real target of the North Koreans before it is too late.

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Director : Kang Je-Kyu

Cast : Han Seok-Kyu, Song Kang-ho, Choi Min-Sik, Kim Yun-Jin, Yun Ju-Sang, Park Yong-Wu

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Shogun's Samurai: The Yagyu Clan Conspiracy

(130 min)

1978 - Chambara, Drama - Japan

SHOGUN'S SAMURAI follows an epic war between two brothers over their father Shogun Hidetada's death and who will rightfully claim the throne, a position he had desired for his eldest son. The intrigue runs deeper with the Yagyu clan and nobles pulling the strings in this conflict, each vying for the fruition of their own desires, such as the nobles' wish to restore power to the Emperor.

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Director : Kinji Fukasaku

Cast : Sonny Chiba, Hiroyuki Sanada, Tetsuro Tamba, Toshiro Mifune, Kinnosuke Yorozuya

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Slow Fade

(90 min)

1999 - Drama, Crime - Hong Kong

Slow Fade is one man's journey to his personal hell and back again. In a nameless city and an unspecified time, Fin (Ken Wong) hits an emotional low when his wife is killed in a car accident. He goes on a binge of self-destruction with heroin. He is salvaged by a young prostitute, Kim (Josie Ho), whom he meets at the detoxification clinic. Through Kim's eyes, we see Fin's efforts to leave the underworld for the sake of his wife before she died. His best friend Alex (Jimmy Wong), who got him into the crime circuit in the first place, won't let him go. Fin tries to find redemption by helping Kim leave his boss, Chan (Roy Cheung), which sets off a series of betrayals and double crosses that end tragically.

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Director : Daniel Chan

Cast : Ken Wong, Jimmy Wong, Josie Ho, Roy Cheung

Snowpiercer

(126 min)

2013 - Action, Science Fiction - South Korea

A runaway cooling effect chilled the earth after an attempt to geoengineer the climate went terribly wrong. Now the Earth is an uninhabitable ball of ice, the last refuge that remains for humans is a train called snowpiercer. With a network of rails that spans the globe and a nuclear powered locomotive, the train keeps ahead of the cold night. Carrying what remains of humanity, the train is the last safe place.
For those passengers confined in the tail end of the train life is bleak and hopeless. At most they are simply kept alive, victim to the whims of those who control the train. Facing impossible odds they choose to fight for their freedom and to take control of the train.

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Director : Bong Joon-ho

Cast : Chris Evans, Song Kang Ho, Go Ah-sung, Ed Harris, John Hurt, Tilda Swinton

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Stereo Future

(111 min)

2001 - Drama, Comedy - Japan

"Stereo Future" is four entangled stories about being young and living it up as best as you can. The forefront of the film is Keisuke, a fraught actor whose only parts seem to be in non speaking extras in samurai films. His ex-girlfriend, Eri Momosaki, has gone mute from the break-up and is struggling herself in finding meaning in her life after love. Along with her sister Koharu who feels all alone in spreading the word about world pollution and saving the planet, both the Momosaki sisters, Keisuke and the rest of the cast are drifting around trying to find the fun in their lives and meaning in their hearts. The most charming film I've seen all year comes in the form of Hiroyuki Nakano's "Stereo Future." This romantic comedy is a smoothie blend of adrenaline and sheer wit, foaming at the top, and spilling over in an almost Parker Posey like fashion. It's a unique ensemble driven comedy that plays off itself in interesting and creative ways and is motivated by a very Earthly, Pro-Envi

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Director : Hiroyuki Nakano

Cast : Masatoshi Nagase, Akiko Monou, Kumiko Aso, Tamaki Ogawa, Naota Takenaka, Daniel Ezralow

Storm Riders, The

(135 min)

1997 - Swordplay, Fantasy - Hong Kong

The leader of the conquer clan calls upon the prophet known as Mud Buddha to find out his destiny. Conquer seeks to be the master of the martial arts world, the prophet tells him that the next 10 years of his life will hold great fortune as long as he aquires two children. They are known as Cloud and Wind, also the prophet tells him that in 10 years the second half of the prophecy will be revealed. In accordance with the prophecy the conquer clan becomes the most powerful force in the martial arts world. After the 10 years Conquer sends Wind and Frost to find the Mud Buddha and Cloud to defeated the Unchallenged city and recover a sword of power. When the Mud Buddha is found he reveals that the 10 years of good fortune is over and soon the misfortune will begin, Conquer will try every method at his disposal to avoid his destiny.

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Director : Andrew Lau

Cast : Lawrence Cheng, Ekin Cheng, Yue-Tong Cheung, Roy Cheung, Alex Fong, Jason Chu

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Story of Ricky

(88 min)

1992 - Horror, Martial Arts, Gore, Cat. III - Hong Kong

In the not too distant future the corporations will control prisons where they use the inmates as cheap labor. Ricky is sentenced to a maximum-security prison after he killed a triad boss who was responsible for the death for his girl friend. Ricky soon finds out the terrible nature of these corporate prisons, prisoners are kept in line with various terror tactics and gangs control certain aspects of prison life. It is not long before Ricky gets in trouble for standing up for the innocent both gang leaders and prison staff will try to break Ricky.

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Director : Lai-Choi Nam

Cast : Siu-Wong, Fan Frankie Chan, Kwok-Bong Chan, Lam Chua, Mei-Sheng Fan, Siu-Wong Fan

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Suna no Onna

(147 min)

1964 - Drama - Japan

Jumpei Niki, a salary man and hobby entomologist, enjoys the solitary contemplation of his collecting and also holds onto the hope of discovering a new bug and having his name recorded for posterity in the books. One weekend he leaves for a collecting trip near the ocean out in the sand dunes. After traipsing around the beach all day, he runs into some local men and inquires about busses or lodgings back near the highway. The townspeople tell him that it is too late to make it back to the highway, but offer to have him put up in the town for the night - and lead him to a woman 's house which is sunk into a pit below the dunes and is only accessible by rope ladder lowered from above. Initially grateful for the interesting place to stay, he soon realizes that he has been tricked by the townspeople and is expected to stay indefinitely in the pit, condemned to shovelling the ever-encroaching sand in a daily struggle to preserve the house and by extension, the town.

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Director : Hiroshi Teshigahara

Cast : Eiji Okada, Kyoko Kishida, Hiroko Ito, Koji Mitsui, Sen Yano, Kinzo Sekiguchi

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Survive Style 5+

(120 min)

2004 - Comedy, Experimental - Japan

Survive Style 5 is a collage of multiple sub plots that intersect over the course of the movie. There is a man who kills and buries his wife only to repeat the process multiple times. A typical Japanese nuclear family get tickets to see the show of a famous hypnotist. A trio of young hooligans go around robbing houses. Yoko a commercial executive imagines silly and comical commercials based on events in her day. A British hitman takes a business trip to Japan to perform premium hit jobs.

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Director : Gen Sekiguchi

Cast : Tadanobu Asano, Reika Hashimoto, Kyōko Koizumi, Hiroshi Abe, Ittoku Kishibe, Yumi Asou

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Tale of Two Sisters, A

(101 min)

2003 - Thriller, Horror - South Korea

Su-mi and Su-yeon have always been very close as sisters. Su-mi, being the elder of the two, is very protective over her young sister Su-yeon. Since the death of their mother, the stepmother has ruled the house with an iron fist. Su-mi has always managed to confront her stepmother, but Su-yeon, being a very calm and fragile girl, could not defend herself against the psychological and physical abuse of her evil stepmother. Su-mi has tried many times to explain the situation to her father, but his relationship with the stepmother and his disbelief has insured no result. Su-mi and Su-yeon are now back from a mysterious absence and being back home doesn’t seem to please the two sisters very much. Having to live under the same roof as the stepmother is a nightmare for them. However, during the following days, strange incidents will occur. Another presence can be feel within the house, is it the step mother trying to scare the girls, or a spirit trying to take revenge?

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Director : Kim Ji-wun

Cast : Im Su-Jeong, Mun Geun-Yeong, Yeom Jeong-A, Kim Gap-Su, Park Mi-Hyeon, Wu Gi-Hong

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Tampopo

(122 min)

1986 - Comedy - Japan

Goro (Tsutomo Yamazaki) and Gun are truck drivers passing through town when they meet Tampopo (Nobuki Miiyamoto) who runs a small noodle shop called Lai Lai. Business isn't so hot, so Goro gets together a group of specialists and they all do everything they can to help devise the perfect bowl of noodles, and make her shop the leading Ramen den in town.

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Director : Juzo Itami

Cast : Tsutomu Yamazaki, Nobuki Miiyamoto

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Taste Of Tea, The

(143 min)

2003 - Drama, Comedy - Japan

Honestly, where do you begin with this one? The story of one hell of a peculiar family with each member always living life like a dream; a mother and her aspirations of becoming an artist again; a son moving from one high school crush to another; a daughter who just wants to cast aside the larger than life version of her self; an uncle experiencing simplicity as a sound mixer still searching for a bit of closure in his life; a father who just wants to see his wife succeed; a grandfather who is in a world of his own. Together they make up one of the quirkiest households every created on film. But really lets be honest; this film is nearly indescribable.

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Director : Katsushito Ishii

Cast : Tadanobu Asano, Maya Banno, Takahiro Sato, Tatsuya Gashuin, Satomi Tezuka, Anna Tsuchiya

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Tears of the Black Tiger

(97 min)

2000 - Action, Drama - Thailand

Dum joins an infamous gang of bandits, and gains a reputation as "The Black Tiger" when his family is slaughtered by a rival clan. The bandits are constantly at war with the local law enforcement, but what Dum doesn't know is that the police Captain is engaged to marry Dum's childhood sweetheart, Rumpoey. Stuck between two opposing forces, he wishes for peace, but is betrayed at every turn.

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Director : Wisit Sartsanatieng

Cast : Chartchai Ngamsan, Stella Malucchi, Supakorn Kitsuwon, Arawat Ruangvuth, Sombat Metanee, Pairoj Jaisingha

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Tetsuo the Iron Man

(67 min)

1988 - Action, Science Fiction, Experimental - Japan

A young man and his girlfriend accidentally run over a metal fetishist and from this moment, the man starts to discover metal parts growing out of his body. After many horrific events, the young man faces off with the metal fetishist in a "climetalic" showdown.

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Director : Shinya Tsukamoto

Cast : Taguchi Tomoroh, Fujiwara Kei, Ishibashi Renji, Kanaoko Nobu, Tsukamoto Shinya

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The Eye

(88 min)

2001 - Horror, Supernatural - Hong Kong, Thailand

At the age of two, Wong Kar Mann lost her vision. Since that time she has lived with that handicap but now, reaching the age of 20, she has the possibility to regain her vision with a risky corneal transplant operation. After the successfully operation, Mann's vision is starting to get better and little by little she can almost see perfectly. After getting used to her new situation, Mann has started to notice some really strange effects. It seems that she cans see people that no one else can notice. Are they really ghosts? And who are those strange shadows that sometime come around the living people. With the help of her new psychiatric guide, she will try to solve that problem, which will lead her to a small village in Thailand were the original corneal owner lived before she died. Will Mann be able to find out what happened to the previous dead owner and finally get rid of her curse and live a normal life again?

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Director : Pang Brothers

Cast : Angelica Lee, Lawrence Chou, Edmund Chen, Pierre ng, Candy Lo

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The Happiness Of The Katakuris

(113 min)

2001 - Comedy, Music, Experimental - Japan

After being laid off from his job, a father gathers his family from obscurity to a small, quaint guesthouse by an active mountain in order to operate it as a tourist lodging. While some members of the family have obvious relation problems, the father attempts to see it through as the guests who begin staying at their bed and breakfast resort start dropping dead in ridiculous ways. In order to stay rational in all this insanity, they “sing like no one is listening, dance like no one is watching” in this musical epic landmark by anarchist director, Takashi Miike.

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Director : Takashi Miike

Cast : Kiyoshiro Imawano, Keiko Matsuzaka, Naomi Matsuzaka, Teturo Tamba, Kenji Sawada, Shinji Takeda

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