1999
Recommendations
Fant-Asia had another great
line-up this year, and a lot more Japanese and horror films than
ever. There was an unfortunate lack of sword-and-magic and
martial-arts Hong Kong films this year (with the exception of
John Woo's early film The Last Hurrah for Chivalry, and a few others) mostly due to
the fact that Hong Kong productions have drifted away from that
genre, but the sheer quantity of other good titles made up for
it.
Here's the short (and long) list
of movies that I recommended, either because I'd seen them, seen
other movies by the same creative team, or because there was good
word-of-mouth by critics and/or audiences. You can also see how
they fared by checking the review.
Short List:
- Cure JAP 1997 - crime thriller won the
1997 Japanese Film Critic's award
- Doctor Lamb HK 1992 -
unsettling crime drama going into the mind of a serial
killer.
- Expect the Unexpected HK 1998 - well-received Johnnie To
film.
- Gamera 3: the Awakening of
Isis JAP
1999 - until the new Godzilla 2000 comes out, this is
still your best bet for giant monster chaos!
- Giant Robo JAP 1995 (7-OVA series) - one of
the best anime series of recent years: great script,
great art, and great fun
- Inframan HK
1975 - a great, low-budget spoof on Japanese
science-fiction monster films, it's since become a cult
classic
- Island of Greed HK 1998 - by the makers of To Be
Number One, viewed by many as a '90s classic
- Jin-Roh JAP 1998 - cool-looking anime
- Last Hurrah for Chivalry HK 1978 - the best of director
John Woo's (few) sword movies, reveals his trademark
cinematic and action touches
- Lifeline HK
1997 - Backdraft, Hong Kong style! The beginning is a bit
of a soap-opera, but the 40-minute finale is
breath-taking. Another Johnnie To film.
- Midori: the Girl in
the Freak Show JAP 1992 - a Japanese animation
short-feature that sounds too bizarre to pass up!
- Quiet Family, The KOR 1998 - a black comedy
- Resurrection USA 1999 - for fans of director
Rusell Mulcahy's efforts, with Christophe Lambert,
rejoining the team from Highlander 1 and 2
- RING & RING 2 JAP 1998 & 1999 - new horror
series was a huge hit in Japan
- Spriggan JAP 1998 - marks the return of
animator/story-teller Katsuhiro Otomo, best known here
for Akira and Roujin Z
- Stir of Echoes USA 1999 - thriller based on a
novel by Richard Matheson, starring Kevin Bacon
- Swiri KOR 1999 - Korea's answer to the
Hollywood blockbuster thriller promises to be great
entertainment
- Tenchi Muyo in Love 2
JAP 1999 - the final adieu of the much loved Tenchi Muyo
anime series
- Young And Dangerous
HK 1996 - stylish Triad story by the director of Storm
Riders
Long List (includes the
titles above):
- Bullet Ballet
JAP 1998 - from director Shinya Tsukamoto, whose
disturbing Tetsuo made him a cult phenomena
- Crazy Safari
HK 1991 - said to be a zany mix of Mr. Vampire and The
Gods Must be Crazy
- Cure JAP 1997 - crime thriller won the
1997 Japanese Film Critic's award
- Doctor Lamb HK 1992 - unsettling crime drama
going into the mind of a serial killer.
- Dreadnaught HK 1981 90 - people will probably
want to see this for director Yuen WooPing, who helped
choreograph the action scenes in the Matrix. I'm catching
it for star Yuen Biao.
- Expect the Unexpected HK 1998 - well-received Johnnie To
film.
- Final Option (The) HK 1994 - from the director of
Beast Cops
- Gamera 3: the Awakening of
Isis
JAP 1999 - until the new Godzilla 2000 comes
out, this is still your best bet for giant monster chaos!
- Giant Robo JAP 1995 anime (7-OVA series) -
one of the best anime series of recent years: great
script, great art, and great fun
- Godzilla vs.
MechaGodzilla JAP 1993 - Godzilla! Need we say
more?
- Goldorak JAP
1975 - has been surpassed by many other anime OVA and
films, but for a trip down memory lane this one can't be
beat (French version, as seen in Quebec 20 years ago!)
- Hero Never Dies (A) HK 1998 - another
Johnnie To film
- Inframan HK
1975 - a great, low-budget spoof on Japanese
science-fiction monster films, it's since become a cult
classic
- Iron Giant (The) USA 1999 WB - reviewers have been
praising this Warner Brothers animation feature, saying
it's smart enough to be enjoyed by adults
- Island of Fire
HK 1990 - a rare chance to see Jackie Chan playing a
somewhat more serious role
- Island of Greed HK 1998 - by the makers of To Be
Number One, viewed by many as a '90s classic
- Jin-Roh JAP 1998 - cool looking anime
- Kids from Shaolin CHINA 1984 - early Jet Li martial
arts actioner
- Last Hurrah for Chivalry HK 1978 - the best of director
John Woo's (few) sword movies, reveals his trademark
cinematic and action touches
- Lifeline HK
1997 - Backdraft, Hong Kong style! The beginning is a bit
of a soap-opera, but the 40-minute finale is
breath-taking. Another Johnnie To film.
- Midori: the Girl in
the Freak Show JAP 1992 - a Japanese animation
short-feature that sounds too bizarre to pass up!
- Mighty Peking Man
(The) HK - fun rip-off of Hollywood's 1976
version of King Kong
- Millionaires Express HK 1986 - called
a "kung-fu western" directed and starring Sammo
Hung
- Once Upon a Time in Triad
Society 2
HK 1996 - a comedy-drama set in the world of the
Triad crime gangs
- Out of Mind: The
Stories of H.P. Lovecraft CAN 1998 - this
one-hour short seems to be an homage to the great horror
writer of the 20's
- Phantom of the Opera
(The) ITA 1999 - for fans of Italian
horror-meister Dario Argento
- Quiet Family, The KOR 1998 - a black comedy
- Resurrection USA 1999 - for fans of director
Rusell Mulcahy's efforts, with Christophe Lambert,
rejoining the team from Highlander 1 and 2
- RING & RING 2 JAP 1998 - new horror series was a
huge hit in Japan
- Ring Virus (The)
KOR 1999 - the Korean version of the Ring novel
- Spriggan JAP 1998 - marks the return of
animator/story-teller Katsuhiro Otomo, best known here
for Akira and Roujin Z
- Stir of Echoes USA 1999 -
thriller based on a novel by Richard Matheson, starring
Kevin Bacon
- Swiri KOR 1999 - Korea's answer to the
Hollywood blockbuster thriller promises to be great
entertainment
- Tenchi Muyo in Love 2
JAP 1999 - the final adieu of the much loved Tenchi Muyo
series
- X: The Movie JAP
1997 - very stylish-looking anime
- Young And Dangerous
HK 1996 - stylish Triad story by the director of Storm
Riders
If you're interested in other
great Hong Kong flicks, try the Top 20 Hong Kong Films list.
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