Asian Christmas Films

Ho! Ho! Ho! Merry Christmas!

A popular question I often see on message boards and forums is "Are there any Asian Christmas films?". Well there are... Some. Not a lot that I have found, but I have found some over the years. Here are my favourites.

聖誕快樂
Merry Christmas (1984) (Hong Kong)
Genre: Comedy
Director: Clifton Ko Chi-Sum
Writers: Clifton Ko Chi-Sum, Raymond Fung Sai-Hung
Producer: Nansun Shi Nan-Sheng
Cast: Karl Maka, Paula Tsui Siu-Fung, Danny Chan Bak-Keung, Rachel Lee Lai-Chun, Leslie Cheung Kwok-Wing and Cyrus Wong Ka-Ming

This is arguably my favourite Asian Christmas Film. It's just so damn entertaining. It's a light hearted comedy that you can't help but laugh at. The jokes are so simple and visual that they translate to any language, and I'm actually quite shocked it never made a bigger impact in other countries.

The film is about a family, the dad Baldy(Karl Maka) and his 3 children. Baldy lost his wife years ago but has fallen for literally the girl next door Paula(Paula Tsui). His children see this as a chance to fix his dads happiness by setting them up. The oldest son Danny(Danny Chan) offers him plenty of advice to help him get the girl, even while he is having his own girl troubles with a young lady who is smitten with him going by the nickname Jaws. His daughter Jane(Rachel Lee/Loletta Lee) has met a guy John(Played by the late great Leslie Cheung) who wants to take her out but after a hilarious meeting earlier between John and her father, Baldy really doesn't approve of his daughters new love interest. And just to mix it all up, there is also a hell-raising baby called Baldy Junior(Cyrus Wong) who Paula often babysits. Now with Paula thinking of immigrating and with another man fighting for her affection, Baldy and his family must act quickly to try and win his true love.

This is a great comedy filled with many jokes which everyone will laugh at, no matter your age. It's also got some seriously good pranks, the scene with Baldy and his family trying to make Paula's other love interest look like a pervert and get photographic evidence is comedy gold!

Baldy and Baldy Junior with their 1980s 3D specs!

But the star of the show is the baby, Baldy Junior. I can't believe how good this kid is when he is only 2. His facial expressions and movements are hilarious, I'll never know how they managed to get him to do some of they scenes. You'll never believe he is only 2 years old.

My favourite film on the list! But ironically, it's possibly the least Christmassy of the films. It does feature Christmas music, Trees, festive knitwear. But it seems to just blow past Christmas and go up to New Year. With that being said, this is a classic, and will put a smile on your face from ear to ear.

7.5/10

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해피 에로 크리스마스
Happy Ero Christmas (2003)(South Korea)
Genre: Comedy
Director: Lee Geon-dong
Producer: Kim Seung-beom
Cast: Cha Tae-hyun, Kim Sun-a, Park Yeong-gyu Hong Kyung-in

Happy Ero Christmas is somewhat of a bizarre Christmas Movie, but then the name probably gives that away?

A village patrolman Byung-ki(Cha Tae-hyun) spends his day doing meaningless work such as dressing up as mascots and handing out leaflets. He meets a girl Min-kyong(Kim Sun-ah) who works at the local neighbourhood bowling alley. Byung-ki falls in love with her at first sight. But in a desperate attempt to woo her he ends up trying to fight off competition for her affection from the local gang boss Sang-doo.

If this was all the plot was, the film might flow much better. But there are also extra characters and sub-plots added to the film which seem unnecessary. One being the bowling alley attendant's friend who is desperate to win a beauty pageant. Another being 2 teenage boys who are desperate to get girls. And I can't fail to mention the film crew who are attempting to make a Christmas themed porno film titled Happy Sexmas. Ha!

Although, these sub-plots do offer a few good laughs, the Beauty Pageant contestant's trick with the egg, and the 2 Teenage boys talking about Fisherman easing their sexual frustration at Sea made me laugh out loud. As did Byung-Ki spying on a scene being filmed for the erotic Xmas film. But I think Happy Ero Christmas could have probably done without these scenes and would have been at a more appropriate length at 90 minutes rather than 110.

A lovely winter scene with Cha-Tae-Hyun and Kim Sun-ah

Even with those little problems, this is still a very fun film. The main love story and rival for Min-kyongs affection are told and acted very well. Cha Tae-Hyun plays his character brilliantly, although it is extremely similar to the character he played in My Sassy Girl... But hey, if it's not broke, don't fix it.

Happy Ero Christmas does offer the festive cheer and comes across as a Christmas flick. It also has some great comedy, and likeable characters. And it's pretty original, can you name another Christmas film that combines the holiday with adult film making? And it's also better than a lot of the Christmas Movies we get on TV.

6/10

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7 gatsu 24 ka dori no Kurisumasu
7月24日通りのクリスマス
Christmas on July 24th Avenue(2006)(Japan)
Genre: Romance/Comedy
Director: Shosuke Murakami
Writer: Shuichi Yoshida (novel), Arisa Kaneko (screenplay)
Cast: Miki Nakatani, Takao Osawa, Ryuta Sato, Juri Ueno

If you don't know that July 24th Avenue is a place(I didn't) then this movie might have a very strange yet unique name. But it's a real place, in Lisbon. So I guess it's a clever pun on "Miracle on 34th Street" and 'It Happened on 5th Avenue"... Right?

Sayuri Honda(Miki Nakatani) stars as the loveable loser. She lives in her own imaginary world based on a Manga she read and fell in love with. She often pictures her town of Nagasaki as Lisbon, and desperately wants to stroll down July 24th Avenue. During Christmas, after an encounter with her only one true love Satoshi Okuda(Takao Osawa), she decides to chase the man on her dreams and try to get her Christmas miracle.

This is a great Christmas drama, although a little predictable and not as much comedy as I was promised. There is a few good laughs though! It is a great story of love and Christmas set over 2 stunning locations of Nagaski and Lisbon, which really help and fit with the romance in the film.

Sayuri is your typical geek in this film, and right away, as soon as you see her, you know she is actually hot. Those big glasses, and that bad hair cut doesn't really disguise that fact. You are eagerly sitting waiting for her to get her "makeover" when she tries to win the guy.

Miki Nakatani being ugly... I guess.

 

Miki and Takao do have really good on screen chemistry. And you are cheering them on and hoping they can work it all out. But, for me the character I felt for was Yoshio Moriyama(Played by Ryuta Sato). Yoshio is the good friend and (I think) 4th choice for her. But he was my favourite. He had my 2 favourite moments with his Merry Christmas line and the flick animation cartoon he drew in a book for Sayuri.

Plenty of Christmas cheer in this one with lots of good Christmas music and even a Christmas countdown, which was actually done very well and in original unique ways. It tended to be a weekly countdown which built up the big event, but also helps you keep track of how much time was passing by between scenes.

6.5/10

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So there you have it. There is some Asian Christmas films to watch this year if you are tired of re-watching the same films each year.
If I've missed any good ones out then let me know, either leave a comment on this post or email me.
I will be doing a Christmas Anime post as well ;)

Take care. And Happy Holidays!

Here is Godzilla as a Christmas Tree.... Just because it's Japan

Japan Holiday Video

I travelled to Japan last year with 2 of my good friends. We went from Tokyo to Osaka to Hiroshima to Kyoto. It might not be about Asian films or Anime, but it's Japan, and we seen a lot relating to them both!

We seen many sights and sounds from the neon lights of Tokyo, to the Studio Ghibli museum, to Hello Kitty Land, to the temples and castles of Kyoto and Osaka, to the Atomic Bomb Memorial in Hiroshima.


I edited together all of our video footage into a highlight video. So check it out!


I will also add some photos of our journey which I think they readers will enjoy!

Enjoy, let me know what you think! And if you liked it, give it the thumbs up on facebook.

Arigato!

Eden of the East Music Video

This is my second anime music video. I used the brilliant anime Eden of the East.

Let me know what you think or give it a thumbs up on the youtube page! Thanks.

Eden of the East is available at Manga UK

Hentai Kamen trailer - A New Crazy Japanese Film

Every now and then an extremely crazy Japanese film becomes popular worldwide, such as Big Tits Zombie, Robo-geisha or Vampire Girl Vs Frankenstein Girl. Well, my bet is on HK Hentai Kamen to be the next one!

The trailer has hit the internet for 'Hentai Kamen', a new Japanese flick directed by Yuichi Fukuda about a Super Hero. Based on ""Kyukyoku!! Hentai Kamen" (Ultimate!! Pervert Mask)" a manga by Keishu Ando. The film follows a high school student who gains super powers by putting a pair of women's panties on his head and taking off his clothes. This transforms him into Hentai Kamen which he uses to fight crime!

Synopsis
Kyosuke Shikijo is a high school student skilled in kenpo but slightly incompetent with girls, to the point that his interaction with them makes him get into painful situations. One day, he saves a girl named Aiko Himeno from bullies, whom he's immediately smitten with. When she is taken hostage as part of a bank robbery by a group of criminals, Kyosuke is forced to take a disguise in order to save her without being recognised by the crooks. But when he accidentally puts a pair of panties over his head instead of a normal mask, he undergoes a transformation: due to the perverted genetics of his mother (an S&M worker), he is able to awaken the full 100% latent potential of his body! Running out with nothing but the panties and a pair of underwear on a near nude body, Kyōsuke, now christening his masked self as Hentai Kamen, uses his power and perversion to defeat the criminals and save Aiko. However, his troubles have only begun...

'HK Hentai Kamen opens across Japan on the 13th April, 2013.

Akira Music Video

I still like to do a bit of video editing every now and again. And this is my first attempt at an Anime Music Video.

The Anime used is Akira which is one of the first Anime films I ever watched, and to this day, is still one of the best. The song is Stronger by Kanye West. I used this because of the similarities in his music video which is a homage to Akira.

Anyway, check out the Music Video. And if you like it, check out my Youtube page and subscribe.

http://www.youtube.com/user/Jackjeckel

Lady Vengeance and Oldboy Remake

Is Hollywood remaking Park Chan Wook's Vengeance Trilogy?


Oldboy

Oldboy has been getting the Hollywood treatment for a long long time. But it is now finally in production, after a slew of line up changes. And now, before Brolin has even graced our cinema screens wielding a hammer.... Lady Vengeance has went into pre-production.

If you haven't heard about the Oldboy remake, the film has been in limbo since 2008. Brief History: Justin Lin was attached as director, then Universal and DreamWorks decided they were getting the rights with Spielberg directing and Will Smith(shudder) starring. Smith then announced Spielberg wasn't remaking the film, he would be adapting the original manga(eh?). In June 2009 a lawsuit was launched against the Korean film producers by the original comic publisher for giving the film rights to Steven Spielberg without their permission. In november Speilberg, Smith and DreamWorks pulled out of the remake. The project was announced dead.

Fast forward to July 2011 when Mandate Pictures issued a press release with the intriguing information that Spike Lee would direct and Josh Brolin would star in the remake! Also attached to the project are Samuel L. Jackson, James Ransone and the brilliant young Elizabeth Olsen. The villain has been cast as Sharlto Copley, who played Murdock in the A Team reboot.

Now the Oldboy remake sounds a lot more promising than we all originally thought.

In South Korea, born and raised. With this hammer is how I spent most of my days...

The cast are all well suited especially Brolin as the lead who has always impressed! And Spike Lee as director is an interesting choice, he is definitely more about the art of film and not about a quick cash in, which can only be a good thing!

There will still be people who hate the remake no matter what. But for more assurance read this very interesting interview with the excellent Josh Brolin at Collider.com were he talks in detail about how much he respects the original Oldboy and Park Chan Wook's work as a director.

Oldboy has a US release date of  October 11, 2013.

Lady Vengeance

It was a shock to most when the Lady Vengeance remake was announced. Charlize Theron's production company Denver & Delilah Films actually purchased the rights to the Lady Vengeance remake 4 years ago! And now Charlize has been confirmed to play the lead role. The script writing duties is going to William Monahan who did a fantastic job adapting the Hong Kong Thriller Infernal Affairs into the Academy Award winning The Departed.

This remake news has made fans of the original Vengeance trilogy a little happier than they are with Oldboy. Charlize Theron can definitely act, and she can go to that dark place like she did in Monster. As for Monahan, his script for The Departed was spot on, and it pleased the majority of fans of the original Infernal Affairs flicks. In an interview Monahan said  "This will be very American ­ and very unexpected. Park is a genius; it's the Everest of adaptations and I've got blood in my teeth to do it."

Sounds convincing to me! Watch this space for more news as it surfaces!

What? No love for Sympathy For Mr Vengeance?

American Lone Wolf And Cub?

After numerous films(by my count 8?), a television series and numerous TV movies, Lone Wolf and Cub is getting another film, this time will be an American effort.

This haircut could be the next American trend

Lone Wolf and Cub is a Japanese manga from 1970 which has been highly influential. The rights have been acquired by a New York film company Kamala Films which produced the film Anamorph. Set to direct the film is Justin Lin who directed Better Luck Tomorrow and The Fast And Furious films from Tokyo Drift onwards. David and Janet Peoples(Blade Runner, Twelve Monkeys) will handle the script. Lin said "I've long admired the Peoples and their enduring body of work. They're a wonderful match for LONE WOLF AND CUB and I'm really looking forward to collaborating with them on this powerful, epic tale."

Vin Diesel approves the choice of Lin

Lone Wolf And Cub tells the story of Ogami Ittō, the Shogun's chief executioner, who after being falsely accused of a crime by the Yagyū clan, becomes an assassin for hire. Ittō and his young son are known together as 'Lone Wolf and Cub'.

How will America tackle this story? Will it be like their adaption of Blood The Last Vampire or more like Kill Bill? We will need to wait and see.