Peking Opera Blues 1986

One of my top 10 movies. Brigitte Lin, gender bending, Tsui Hark directing, music by James Wong. It's almost perfect.

The first time I saw this movie was on German tv. Everybody speaking German. Not exactly great. When I got a DVD-player this was the first disc I bought. Followed some years later by a restored version with accurate sub-titles.

I'm sure the translators had a lot of fun sub-titling at the time. I don't believe for a moment that these were mistakes.

9.5

Brigitte Lin Ching Hsia

Signed photograph of Brigitte Lin.

I hope it actually is her autograph....

Love by Post 1976

Romantic comedy of mistaken identities. Rather silly but pleasant enough. I watch these old Brigitte Lin films mainly for her beautiful, expressive face. A good story is just a bonus.

By the way, these are the dimensions of the movie on VCD. I could have shopped them into a less vertical shape but this shows what you get when buying this VCD.

6.5

Brigitte Lin

Photograph bought out of the inventory of a defunct Mexican magazine.

Widow Warriors 1989

One of a stack of Michiko Nishiwaki DVDs I ordered in China a couple of years back. Her movies are very difficult to find. These were all copies from VCD and VHS. 

Man, this is a ferocious movie. It takes a while to get going but than it's wild!

Here is a review. An old site I used to visit when looking for cool Asian movies.

8

A Clockwork Orange 1971

That's quite a collection of caricatures! The story of a young man who isn't bothered by any inhibitions or empathy. There is a part of me that would like to live like this for a while. But of course I'd feel guilt and compassion for the victims. It's a shame.

The story is a strong satire on violence, medicine and politics. Malcolm McDowell is very good. The directing is sometimes irritating. Most of the characters are completely over the top.

8.5

Eat the Schoolgirl 1997

  1 hour of extreme Japanese mayhem. Murder, rape, psychosis. All shown in bloody detail. There also seems to be a story about lost innocence in the mix but I could be wrong. Only recommended to people with a strong stomach and a curiosity to see into darker fantasies. I was fascinated by it all. And yes, I'm happy that stuff like this is being produced. 

Of course, this being a Japanese movie, you won't see any genitals or actual sex. We all have our taboos. 

Here is a review of the DVD
And here is another one. 

 8