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'.
The Ghost ( aka Dead Friends ) (2004)
7.1/10
Director: Tae-gyun Kim
Starring: Ha-Nuel Kim, Nam Sang-mi, Bin , Yi Shin
Ji-won (Kim Ha-Neul) is a bright young student with a promising future, but her past is a blank beyond a mysterious incident from some time ago. Hard... Read more
15 (2003)
6.2/10
Director: Royston Tan
Starring: Melvin Chen, Melvin Lee, Erick Chun, Vynn Soh, Shaun Tan
Singapore too squeaky clean for street kids? Director Royston Tan would disagree, as would his cast of real-life delinquents, many of whom are now mi... Read more
Oldboy (2003)
8.4/10
Director: Chan-wook Park
Starring: Min-sik Choi, Hye-jeong Kang, Ji-tae Yu
Oh Dae-su (Choi Min-sik) has been imprisoned in a room for 15 years with no explanation when, barely sane, he is released. Thrown back into the world... Read more
One Missed Call (2003)
6.2/10
Director: Takashi Miike
Starring: Kou Shibasaki, Renji Ishibashi, Shinichi Tsutsumi, Kazue Fukiishi
From cult Japanese director Takashi Miike comes this typically stylish idiosyncratic horror-thriller. Yumi's friend has a missed call on her cell-pho... Read more
One Missed Call (blu-ray) (2003)
6.2/10
Director: Takashi Miike
Starring: Kou Shibasaki, Renji Ishibashi, Shinichi Tsutsumi, Kazue Fukiishi
From cult Japanese director Takashi Miike comes this typically stylish idiosyncratic horror-thriller. Yumi's friend has a missed call on her cell-pho... Read more
Natural City (2003)
5.8/10
Director: Byung-chun Min
Starring: Ji-tae Yu, Jae-un Lee, Rin Seo, Chan Yoon
Post-apocalypse 2080. Cyborgs with artificial intelligence, great strength and emotion exist but they live just a few short years. Cue star-crossed... Read more
Ong Bak (2003)
7.2/10
Director: Prachya Pinkaew
Starring: Tony Jaa, Petchthai Wongkamlao, Chattapong Pantanaunkul
When the head of sacred a Buddha statue, Ong Bak, is stolen, country boy Ting (Tony Jaa) is sent to Bangkok to retrieve it. Raised by a monk and train... Read more
A Tale of Two Sisters (2003)
7.2/10
Director: Kim Jee-Woon
Starring: Su-jeong Lim, Geun-yeong Mun, Jung-ah Yum, Kap-su Kim
The Asian pop culture crossover continues with this eerie South Korean horror, with more than a shiver of recognition from the modern Japanese classic... Read more
Zatoichi (2003)
7.6/10
Director: Takeshi Kitano
Starring: Takeshi Kitano, Tadanobu Asano, Michiyo Ogusu, Yui Natsukawa
Aka "The Blind Swordsman: Zatoichi". The sightless Zatoichi - hero of over two dozen films from 1962 to 1989 - is revived by scripter/director/star Ta... Read more
Battle Royale II: Requiem (2003)
4.7/10
Director: Kinji Fukasaku, Kenta Fukasaku
Starring: Sonny Chiba, Masahiko Tsugawa, Yoshiko Mita, Takeshi Kitano, Aki Maeda
It's three years after the events of the original Battle Royale, and Shuya Nanahara is now an internationally-known terrorist determined to bring down... Read more