Films and TV - What are you watching?

[sanctum]

On the menu for tonight is Keita Amemiya's 'Lady Battle Cop', an unabashed clone of RoboCop, one of my personal favourite movies.

 

[flowersofnight]

Keita Amemiya

Have you already seen "Zeiram"?

... Well if you haven't, don't, and just watch the anime instead XD
(But if you simply must, there are new blu-rays out)

 

[sanctum]

... Well if you haven't, don't, and just watch the anime instead XD

I loved the ZEIRAM movie. I haven't got around to watching the sequel yet. The anime was cool too.

 

[Hampo]

Noticed a nasty trend recently. I'll buy a film on DVD or bluray and just month or so later the same film is released on 4K with a bunch of extras. Goddamn.

You guys mentioned Zeiram and that reminded me of another annoying thing. All Japanese genre films like that released on DVD are so expensive. Some dude is selling Dragon Blue on DVD, but it's just the DVD without a case and he's asking for over $15 on it. Insane.
Sometimes you can get a good deal on Ebay, but then the shipping is, for some ungodly reason, closer to $30! Argh.

 

[sanctum]

All Japanese genre films like that released on DVD are so expensive.

DVDs cost a fortune here. I'm not even sure where Japanese people buy them as the only place I ever see them for sale (or even available outside of rental stores) is the in used goods stores and even used, they're still expensive.

 

[Hampo]

So it's not even worth learning Japanese well enough to be able to watch Japanese films without subtitles because you can't even find Japanese films in Japan itself? Oh great.

I guess I have to give in and start streaming films.

 

[flowersofnight]

They were playing the new Dragon Ball Z movie in theaters here in Japanese with subtitles. Ordinarily I'm still not in the habit of going to movies because of the whole plague thing, but I correctly figured that no one would show up to this. I was right, there must have been about 4 other people in the theater It was like having my own private showing.

Movie was fun, although the main villain was kind of lame.

 

[flowersofnight]

Watched Spartan X (a.k.a. "Wheels on Meals") starring Jackie Chan. It was fun enough but I don't see why this was a gigantic megahit in Japan compared to, I dunno, any other kung-fu flick in particular.
One of the final fights is supposed to be one of the best ever filmed, but I didn't really see that either. So.... I dunno.

 

[sanctum]

I did a screening of a Jackie Chan movie for some of my boys recently and while it held their interest, they didn't really get excited about it.
Growing up entirely on CGI'd Marvel films means that practical effects and stunts do absolutely nothing to impress.

 

[flowersofnight]

Growing up entirely on CGI'd Marvel films

I'm sort of surprised at that, I was always under the impression that American superhero stuff was not very popular in Japan. I mean yeah, I know, global multi-billion-dollar franchise and all that, but I sort of figured homegrown fare still predominated there.

Speaking of what Kids These Days like, I was also surprised to be informed by Miss Matilda that schoolboys her age are all crazy for Star Wars. To me that's the ultimate boomer franchise for graybeards hunting MOC action figures to relive Christmas 1978.

 

[sanctum]

I'm sort of surprised at that

Iron Man came out in 2008, so they would have been just born around that time.

I was always under the impression that American superhero stuff was not very popular in Japan.

It's huge, the kids all have pencil cases with marvel logos and UNIQLO is always doing collaboration lines.
Anything Disney or Marvel and the kids are crazy about it. My girlfriend is much younger than me and she goes and sees pretty much every movie as soon as they come out, apart from the most recent ones according to her have been getting lousier after the most recent Avengers came out.

Kids are still into pretty cure and kamen rider etc., but once they hit the teens the American stuff becomes cooler.

Manga seems to be more popular then anime, but they only really seem to follow the big trending series.

Korean TV-dramas and Kpop are enormously popular, but a lot of students still like Japanese music too.

When it comes to games they're all glued to their smartphones and are totally hooked on Gacha games. Especially fate and Genshin.
One of my old students said that she spends about $300 a month playing one of them.
Pokemon of course is still enormously popular. I did a quiz game with a class recently and asked them to tell me what colours a pikachu is and some of them didn't know what a pikachu looked like. Also one student said blue... he should probably get his eyes checked.

Most don't play any games on console, if they do it is on the switch or sometimes they have something at home from when their parents were younger, like a Nintendo 64 or a PS2 (which does double duty as the family DVD player). I've noticed that PC games have been getting pretty popular over the last few years, particularly Minecraft, Fortnite and Apex.

 

[flowersofnight]

My girlfriend is much younger than me and she goes and sees pretty much every movie as soon as they come out

Good for you for not caving in and going with her XD
Not that it's any business of mine, but I'm curious what someone much younger thinks of you listening to music for old spinsters and printer's devils XD

 

[sanctum]

While we're on the topic, I just remembered something else, Spongebob, of all things, is currently going through a boom right now.

Not that it's any business of mine, but I'm curious what someone much younger thinks of you listening to music for old spinsters and printer's devils XD

Are we talking about Malice Mizer here or my Pink Lady vinyls?

 

[flowersofnight]

Spongebob, of all things, is currently going through a boom right now.

If anything I find that even more unexpected. Action is at least the universal language, but humor is a much harder sell.
Personally I never saw the appeal even being an American myself

Are we talking about Malice Mizer here or my Pink Lady vinyls?

Yes

 

[sanctum]

I think it is more the character than the show that is popular.
I guess the character's big eyes and the fact that he looks a little bit like the ぴえん emoji are the reasons why teenage girls have hooked onto it.

Personally I never saw the appeal even being an American myself

Don't worry, I'm sure they too will move on soon enough.

 

[~Z e n c h o u~]

are we looking forward to the Hellraiser reboot or nah?

 

[lady_toast]

I saw Pacifiction recently and hated every minute of it. Great cinematography, but sitting through the film for almost three hours was just made me angry.

On the other hand, Triangle of Sadness was a much better viewing experience. Great acting, absurd, really funny, great writing etc.

 

[flowersofnight]

Pacifiction

Triangle of Sadness

Are you on the film festival circuit? XD

I was going to go see "Queens of the Qing Dynasty" but it only plays at massively inconvenient times and locations. Public transit never came back after the plague.

 

[lady_toast]

Kind of lol, I get to know a lot of films in my work!

Queens of Qing Dynasty! That one looked interesting too but didn’t get to watch, there’s so many films playing like all the time lol

I got to see Smoking Causes Coughing and that was absofuckinglutely absurd and hilarious. I would watch it again, though it’s not for the weak-hearted.

 

[sanctum]

Is anyone actually excited for the release of Avatar 2? There is so much advertising for it here, and even the tiny cinema in my country town is going to be showing it. Yet, everyone I’ve spoken to is either

1. Didn’t know it was coming out
2. Didn’t realise they were making a sequel
3. Forgot that the movie existed
4. Doesn’t think they should have made a sequel
5. Doesn’t know what Avatar is