Asia Extreme
For the uninitiated, the most ground-breaking, unpredictable and inventive films are being made in the Far East. Alice opens Pandora's Box unleashing an astonishing world of cinema from Korea, Thailand, Hong Kong and Japan; introducing cinema-watchers to the stylish and often violent world of Miike Takashi, Hideo Nakata, Takeshi 'Beat' Kitano and the Pang Brothers amongst others. While films such as 'Battle Royale', 'Ring', 'The Eye', 'Dark Water' and 'Audition' continue to satisfy the ever increasing hunger for astounding cinematic style and outrageous shock moments, Alice is committed to the development of the most exciting and unique of all contemporary genres. Stay tuned...
Right: The hills are alive with the sound of screaming in Miike Takashi's 'The Happiness of the Katakuris'.
Shaolin Prince (1982)
7.1/10
Director: Chia Tang
Starring: Ti Lung, Derek Yee, Chan Kwok Kwan, Jason Pai Piao
AKA 'Iron Fingers of Death'. A traitorous Lord usurps the Emperor's throne and his young sons are sent into hiding. One learns the art of the sword... Read more
Smuggler (2011)
6.4/10
Director: Katsuhito Ishii
Starring: Masatoshi Nagase, Masanobu Ando, Satoshi Tsumabuki, Yasuko Matsuyuki, Hikari Mit...
Down on his luck actor Kinuta (Satoshi Tsumabuki) is gambling himself into debt when the mobster casino owners make an offer he can't refuse: become a... Read more
Sonatine (1993)
7.6/10
Director: Takeshi Kitano
Starring: Aya Kokumai, Takeshi Kitano, Tetsu Watanabe
'Beat' Takeshi Kitano stars in this very original tale of the last days of a Tokyo gangster. Hard action combines brilliantly with haunting stillness. Read more
Suicide Club (2002)
6.6/10
Director: Sion Sono
Starring: Ryo Ishibashi, Masatoshi Nagase
A Japanese detective investigating the mass deaths of 54 female high school students who threw themselves in front of a speeding train uncovers a seri... Read more
Sympathy For Mr Vengeance (2002)
7.7/10
Director: Chan-wook Park
Starring: Kang-ho Song, Ha-kyun Shin, Bae Doo-na, Ji-Eun Lim, Bo-bae Han
The first part of Chan-wook Park's revenge trilogy, precursor to the incredible 'Old Boy', centres around a young deaf man, Ryu and his dying sister.... Read more
Tears of the Black Tiger (2000)
7/10
Director: Wisit Sasanatieng
Starring: Chartchai Ngamsan, Stella Malucchi, Supakorn Kitsuwon, Arawat Ruangvuth
One of the most elaborate productions ever mounted in Thailand, this is a candy-coloured Western made in the high-energy style that characterizes much... Read more
Tetsuo II: Body Hammer (1991)
6.4/10
Director: Shinya Tsukamoto
Starring: Tomoroh Taguchi, Nobu Kanaoka, Shinya Tsukamoto
More of a companion piece to "Tetsuo: The Iron Man" than a sequel, "Tetsuo II: Body Hammer" sees director Shinya Tsukamoto's disturbing vision of a wo... Read more
Tetsuo: The Iron Man (1989)
7/10
Director: Shinya Tsukamoto
Starring: Kei Fujiwara, Shinya Tsukamoto, Tomoroh Taguchi
Compared to the work of Lynch and Cronenberg, telling the strange tale of a man's gradual metamorphosis into a synergy of flesh and metal. Tomoroh Tag... Read more
The Bride with White Hair (1992)
7.1/10
Director: Ronny Yu
Starring: Leslie Cheung, Brigitte Lin
Hong Kong fantasy at its most amazing is on display in this tale of a woman raised in the mountains by wolves and in the service of an evil cult led b... Read more
The Chaser (2008)
7.9/10
Director: Hong-jin Na
Starring: Yun-seok Kim, Jung-woo Ha, Yeong-hie Seo, In-gi Jung, Hyo-ju Park
Jung-ho is a former cop turned pimp. He is a foul-tempered, hard-talking man driven by the pursuit of easy money. So when some of his girls start goin... Read more