Also, if you can, how do you think others can appreciate it and may be some recommendations to get started with.
It used to be very popular, so I don’t know if this qualifies, but I watch a lot of noir and neo-noir. Specifically, I like the ones told from the criminal’s perspective. Films like Double Indemnity, Body Heat and The Postman Always Rings Twice are great places to start.
I’ve always been fascinated with the '80s Sword & Sorcery genre; e.g. Willow, Conan the Barbarian (the Schwarzenegger versions), Deathstalker 1-4, Labyrinth, The Beastmaster, Red Sonja, The Neverending Story trilogy, Dragonslayer, Masters of the Universe, Ladyhawke, etc. Just to name a few.
I dunno why they fascinate me so much. I’m a very outdoorsy kind of person and I guess I like the simplicity of the medieval settings and lifestyle. Living freely off the land, going on grand adventures in undiscovered realms, fighting against evil forces who want to rule the world, and a hint of magic to make it that much more interesting.
Plus, the sets and costume design were pretty simple back then. I feel like I could probably make my own Sword & Sorcery films in my forested backyard and they’d turn out just about the same quality. I actually enjoy going to Renaissance fairs every summer, just because it feels like I stepped into one of those old classic films.
When I was living in Europe for a few years, I joined the SCA (Society for Creative Anachronism), which is a global organization that reenacts pre-17th century lifestyles. Since I was in Europe at the time, we would actually rent out castles and would spend weekends living like medieval peasants and/or nobles, and learning all sorts of primitive trades like blacksmithing and tailoring. It was a ton of fun! Sword & Sorcery films just take that a step further, with action/adventure and fantasy elements mixed in.
I love Xena! It’s technically a '90s show, but it fits with the '80s Sword & Sorcery theme pretty well.
I used to love these movies where they send people from a fantasy world into our world as a kid. I always thought it’s so funny and genius. Later i realised that that was just a money saver and out of laziness, and usually happened in the sequel. I do need to rewatch masters of the universe tho.
I don’t know if they are that less popular, but I like a good “Mindfuck” film.
Like: Cube (1997), Cthulhu (2007), In The Mouth Of Madness (1994), Naked Lunch (1991).
I don’t know if the movies listed are the best representations, but they were some of the first that popped into mind.
I like “old” social or societal Japanese movies.
Why ?
Because they bring other ways of thinking and many issues that are ultimately universal.
They encourage us to meditate on the different associations that push our societies to become what they become, and force us to rethink the other, otherness.
Could recommend many but let’s say for example…
Suicide Club Totally Weird (not for children )
Hana-bi Intense
Okuribito Deep
Nobody Knows sad 😭
It may seem strange to you, but I have learnt a lot from these types of films.
Oh, this is awesome!
I’ve gotten exposed to some of these elements of Japanese society through years of anime, manga, and video games, and there’s so many things I’ve done more learning on after finding out about them, but I’ve never thought about looking for movies about them. Ikiru is the only one I can think of that I’ve seen.
All the ones you mentioned sound great, and I’ve just searched for movies about Koreans living in Japan, based on some of the plot points from the Yakuza games that had me interested in their history in Japanese society.
Thank you for opening up a new rabbit hole for me to explore!
Ouch. Just finished Nobody Knows.
I thought having watched Kotaro Lives Alone had me prepared for a more serious take on the subject, but that only lasted the first 2/3. Once that foreshadowing scene happened, I got a pit in my stomach that just got bigger until it was finally over.
Afterwards, I read the plot summary on Wikipedia, which I normally do with foreign movies to get clued in in cultural things I wouldn’t get otherwise and saw this was based on a specific real life case. Surprisingly, the real story seemed even worse, especially considering the mom got custody back after everything.
Amazingly powerful film. Added the others to my watchlist as well.
Historical Chinese drama, especially the palace intreague ones. The better ones are high budget productions with the most beautiful aestethics and well thought out stories. Instead of seasons with set episodes they just have shows of 4 to 100 episodes. Due to that each issue can take the time it needs to be told, without the need of season finals and such, making the pacing very natural. The better ones are also not always predictable and keep you hooked. Most western dramas can’t compare, exceptions like Julian Fellowes’ shows asside.
I would suggest watching 延禧攻略/Story of Yanxi Palace (not the spin-off on Netflix!) if you want to give it a try. It’s not too old, has a good story, and is quite fast-paced despite it’s length, making it a great one for starters. It’s also easily available with good subtitles, you can find it on Viki for example.
