From: tzung@cbnewsf.cb.att.com (tzung-i.lin)
Subject: Good Japanese movie titles (was Re: Japanese films)
Organization: AT&T
Date: Tue, 25 Aug 1992 17:11:57 GMT

In article <BtH019.7Bt@alsvid.une.edu.au> rbyrnes@alsvid.une.edu.au (Rod Byrnes) writes:
>Hi there. I'm wondering if anyone would be able to point me to a place
>where I can find information about Japanese films. This includes 
>animated films. Info that would be helpful would be titles, scripts,
>or just about anything. I know this is rather vague, but I am just
>starting an assignment, the topic being Japanese films. If anyone
>has anything they want to say about the topic, please do so! Arigatou.
>
>	Rod.
>-- 
>Rod Byrnes  Internet:  rbyrnes@alsvid.une.edu.au   Phone:  +61 66 891067
>    University of New England, Northern Rivers (Lismore) NSW Australia

I'll translate their original titles into English as best as I can,
you have to use your imaginations ...

Drama:

	Station		:Cop story, won Asia-Pacific Film Festival best film
	Reincarnation from Hell : Ghost story with samuri background,
				  the best in this genre.
	Yu-Mountain Story : story about poor farm people in Hocaido, 
			    northern Japan. also Asia-pacific award.
	Night-Fork	: a former mobster member retired in a quiet 
			  fishing villages, but trouble follows as
			  his identity was accidentally revealed.
			  Beautiful cinematography! By the director of Station.
	Box of Sand	: The most famous detective movie which started
			  a bounch of imitators.  A serial murder case
			  which linked back to post WW II Japanese society.
			  Sight & Sound in MA can import LD for you.
	Sky-Castle MT. Murder Mysterey : Another successful mysterey movie,
			  also produced/directed by the same director of
			  Box of Sand
	Tampopo		: Movie about Food and noodles, great fun
	A Taxing Woman I, II : same director of Tampopo, fun, fun, fun.
			  These three films has been released in US videos.
	Old Capital	: based on Nobel Prize winning novel, story
			  about twin sisters separate at birth, set at
			  the background of Kyoto.
	Snow Country	: another Nobel Prize Winning novel.  Can't remember,
			  seems like Kyoto as well.
	Ah-Han		: Ah-Han is a leading actress's name in the movie.
			  Story about her life, love and fate.

enought for your research, I hope.

As for animation, here is my top ten list:

	Naussica : Valley of the Wind : I agree with one critic : 
			  "If you only want to see one Japanese animation,
			  this is it", a fantasy/advanture epic.
	Laputa : Castle in the Sky : best action/advanture, from director
			  of Naussica 
	Akira		: Supernatural battle, absolute power leads to
			  absolute corruption, a first rate animation.
			  US has subbed video and LD (to be released 
			  by Criterion Collection)
	Wings of Honnesmise : Japanese counterpart of "The Right Stuff"
			  about the first time space launch, a very
			  poetic and philosophical film.
	Manie, Manie	: three short stories by three famous anime directors.
	Gundam : Char's Counterattack : The best giant robot movie. 
			  Not just robot, it's a movie about war, friendship
			  and conflict of ideas.
	Oldman Z	: A very original, hilarious look at politics,
			  ordinary people and the elderly health care system.
	Dagger of Kamui : Best samuri anime.
	Fire Bird I,II,III : three short stories animated.
	Urusei Yastura 2 : Beautiful Dreamer : drama/comedy about
			  absolute time/space and dream-like do-loop.

Tzung-I
Newsgroups: soc.culture.japan