You're going to go and bid on a bunch of stuff, right?

This was a period of serious film-geekitude for me, so the list clearly reflects my interests at the time.

So, here's one sentence (or fragment) on each of those films. I'm trying to do this without much editing or research so expect to see some weirdness follow I linked to full reviews of the films where applicable if you want to follow up and see how my original appraisal and my later recollections match up.

Who Am I?

A great finale and some memorable stunt-work make this one of Jackie's last good films.

Tokyo Drifter

One of my favorite movies of all time by one of cinema's great, lurid stylists, Seijin Suzuki

Blade of Fury

I remember some blurry, super-powered kung fu hi-jinks at the end, but little else.

Duel to the Death

The finale of this film, featuring two combatants fighting it out while falling for several minutes, is one of the most glorious exhibitions of wuxia flavored, super-powered kung fu in the history of the genre.

Dark City

This Alex Proyas directed film is underrated, if you ask me.

Mr. Nice Guy

Not Jackie's most memorable film.

Volcano

I can't believe that, in the middle of all this Hong Kong flavored awesomeness, I found time to watch this piece of doo-doo.

I Know What You Did Last Summer

I know what I did when I watched this movie…

Sphere

I distinctly remember that this was a piece of crap.

Deep Rising

I remember absolutely nothing about this movie.

Mercury Rising

This title is absolutely meaningless to me, must have been a real winner.

Invincible Armor

Great fight film featuring super-kickers Hwang Jiang-Lee and John Liu.

Branded to Kill

While I don't agree and prefer Tokyo Drifter, many people think this is Seijun Suzuki's masterpiece.

A Chinese Ghost Story III

I burned neurons at a furious pace trying to come up with something about this film and I came away with nothing.

Dead Alive

I want to sit behind fans of the Lord of the Rings movies who just stumble upon this particular horror/comedy gem.

The Jackal

Bruce Willis?

The Producers

One of the funniest movies I've ever seen.

Hush

I actually saw this!?

Jesus Christ Superstar

I'm never going to get over how bad of a singer the guy who plays Jesus is in this version.

The Chinese Feast

Tsui Hark made the best kung fu movie ever that featured no kung fu (just cooking!)

Star Wars

I'm old, do I really need to call it "A New Hope?"

Babycart at the River Styx

The movies are good, but the manga is the best sequential art ever, in the history of the world.

Kickboxer's Tears

I'm pretty sure this was a crappy movie.

Half Baked

A funny pot movie.

Nightwatch

I remember nothing about this movie other than the fact it starred Ewan McGregor

High and Low

While most of Kurosawa's films are worthy "film studies" films, the structure of High and Low makes it particularly ripe for picking apart with a critical eye.

Once Upon a Time in China V

I think this is the one that's basically a Lion Dancing movie?

Once Upon a time in China III

Sadly, I don't remember any specifics of this entry in the excellent OUATIC series.

Sonatine

TAKESHI KITANO, suckers.

Butcher Boy

I have an unhealthy fascination with this movie.

Suicide Kings

No clue.

Species 2

I ask, why on Earth did I watch this movie?

Wutang Master

I'd have to research what this movie actually is, so I'm not prepared to comment.

Crazy Shaolin Disciples

A bad film from the the end of the "classic" kung fu era.

Hell's Windstaff

You can never go wrong with Hwang Jiang Lee.

Millionaire's Express

Yuen Biao jumps off of a 3 story building in this movie.

Laputa

It's tough to choose a "favorite" anything from Myazaki, since he's a complete genius, but if I were to pick a favorite character design from all of his films I might pick the robot from this movie.

Totoro

Then again, I might just have to pick Totoro.

Mononoke Hime

One of my favorite movies of all time.

Crystal Hunt

Donnie Yen kicks a lot of ass in this movie.

Shaolin Drunken Monk

I remember this being an abomination, but I could be wrong.

Rashomon

Rashomon is a brilliant and wildly important film.

Yojimbo

Is there anything more fun in cinema than watching Toshiro Mifune in this "bodyguard" role?

Nausicaa

It's early in Myazaki's cinematic career, but that doesn't stop Nausicaa from being an unqualified masterpiece.

Enter the Fat Dragon

The single best Bruce Lee impersonation in the history of imitators is this humorous one by Sammo Hung.

No Regrets For Our Youth

In most cases, early Kurosawa is still good Kurosawa and this is one that lands in the positive column.

Do' Des' Ka' Den

A mind-boggling film (in a bad way.)

Godzilla

I want to apologize to civilized society for having seen this movie.

Dersu Uzala

A movie full of unmatched beauty.

Red Beard

It's sad to think that this film, of all the films they worked on together, would be the one to split Kurosawa and Mifune.

Boogie Nights

I wasn't the fan of this movie many of you were.

Sword of Doom

Kihachi Okamoto's Sword of Doom is a high point of 1960s Samurai cinema.

The Magnificent Butcher

Sammo Hung made a damn fine movie about Lam Sai ("Butcher") Wing, student of the famous Wong Fei Hung, and patriarch of a strong, Hung Gar lineage that continues to this day.

Men Who Tread on the Tiger's Tail

A short, formal film from Kurosawa that features some camerawork that evokes his later Forest work in films like Rashomon.

Dragon Inn

I have a feeling this was the later remake, n which case it's pretty good and notable for being riffed on in The Phantom Menace.

King of Beggars

Stephen Chow is the mack.

High Risk

A whole movie centered around dissing Jackie Chan.

Shaolin and Wutang

One of the greatest examples of the 1970s style kung fu movie intro.

The Lower Depths

I remember this being a bit too much Gorky and not enough Kurosawa, if that makes any sense.

Kiki's Delivery Service

Just the thought of this movie brings a smile to my face.

Rushmore

I don't care what you think, I love Wes Anderson's movies.

Pi

Aronofsky is way too smart for American Cinema.

Too Many Ways to Be no. 1

The film that made me a lifelong fan of Lau Ching Wan.

Task Force

If I remember correctly, Task Force features a great performance by Eric Tsang.

The Storm Riders

The Storm riders is one of my favorite Hong Kong movies of all time and simply don't care what anyone thinks about that little fact.

The Odd One Dies

The Odd One Dies, a moody classic, is one more piece of evidence towards the argument that the Milkyway Image Group has the strongest run in the history of Hong Kong cinema.

Crippled Avengers

This is a classic, impossibly lurid Shaw Brothers film.

Royal Warriors

Michelle Yeoh is one of the greatest screen fighters of all time and this film is ample evidence of that.

Project S

"Iron Monkey" Yu rong Guang is in this which is alll you need to know about this particular film.

47 Ronin Part 1

This Kenji Mizoguchi film is the better of the two tellings of the story of the 47 Ronin that I've seen.

Return to Paradise

I have no idea whatsoever what this movie is about, who's in it or even what country it's from, but it wouldn't surprise me if it's a disaster.

Out of Sight

I have a strange affection for this movie.

There's Something About Mary

Undeniably funny.

Sanjuro

If you want to talk about the origin of the blood geyser in Japanese Cinema, you start with Sanjuro.

Organized Crime Triad Bureau

I remember this being a very typical move of the time period.

47 Ronin Part II

The excellent conclusion.

Story of a Prostitute

Have I mentioned that Seijun Suzuki is a mad man (in a good way?)

Fighting Elegy

All I remember is fights, fights fights.

Doctor Mack

A surprising and sweet movie that I had no expectations for whatsoever.

From Beijing With Love

Not my favorite of Stephen Chow's films.

Tai Chi II

This was okay.

Gates of Flesh

What a lurid title.

Shaolin Temple III

Even watching one of the worst quality transfers I've ever seen couldn't stop this movie from having a real impact on me.

Thundering Mantis

Another memorable, powerhouse kung fu movie from the 1970s.

the Magnificent Ambersons

The greatest tragedy in the history of American Cinema is the sad fact that Welles fell so far from grace that no one blinked when he turned into a fat bastard shilling wine.

Chinese Ghost Story

A Chinese Ghost Story is one of the great triumphs of Hong Kong cinema.

Prodigal Son

I'm a sucker for Sammo Hung's movie and Prodigal Son is no exception.

Conspiracy Theory

I can't believe I really watched Conspiracy Theory.

Shall We Dance

A lovely, memorable film.

Raiders of Wu-Tang

I'm pretty sure this was a repackaged, re-edited piece of doo-doo.

Peking Opera Blues

Simply reading the name to write this one sentence has got me seriously jonesing to watch this film again.

Blade

In hindsight, this was where comic book movies started to be Good.

Fifrth Element

While I'm confused by the fact that this wasn't based on a Metal Hurlant story, this film sticks with me to the point I still can't help but say "Moooltipass" when I see signs for New York's EZ Pass.

Encounters of the Spooky Kind

Sammo Hung is the greatest single talent in the history of martial arts movies.

Spawn

Poop.

Ikiru

Just seeing stills from this film can wet my eyes.

Stray Dog

It's interesting that I write my one sentence about this film on a sweltering night here in Boston because the single clearest memory of this film is one of heat.

Hidden Fortress

Star Wars.

A Better tomorrow III

I think this Tsui Hark effort is an underrated entry in this seminal heroic bloodshed series.

Five Fingers of Death

A surprisingly good, early, Kung fu movie.

God of Gabmblers Returns

YEAH, Wong $##$@$@ Jing!!!!!!!!!1111!

Sanshiro Sugata

Like Athena, Kurosawa sprang fully formed onto the world stage.

Lazerman

I have no clue what this film is or why I might have seen it. .

Last Hurrah for Chivalry

It wouldn't be for another 30 years after this forgettable genre picture that John Woo would make a period piece worthy of his considerable talents.

Winners and Sinners

I'm an unabashed fan of the Lucky Stars movies.

My Lucky Stars

Take the cast of Winners and Sinners and add in the brilliant Eric Tsang and you've got yourself a winner.

Eastern Condors

A remarkable action film from the king of Hong Kong action, Sammo Hung.

East is Red

I wasn't quite as obsessed with Asia the invincible as some folks were so, while I enjoyed this film, I can't say it was a favorite.

Even Horizon

My god, I watched some crap in 1998.

My site is celebrating 10 glorious years on the internet and to honor that I'm going to be tossing out a few top ten lists over the next few months. This movie themed list hearkens back to the very origins of this site.

Ten years ago Drunkenfist.com was mostly a repository of my writing for Boston's late, lamented Shovel Magazine. At that point I'd been writing 1-2000 words a month on Hong Kong movies for a couple of years, so there was a lot of content to share. Since then, the site has transitioned from mostly film writing to mostly art, but at its heart the site still has a lot of cinema flowing through its veins.

Because of that, it's only right that I start with this list of ten films released over the past ten years that fit the Drunkenfist.com aesthetic to a tee. If I were still Mr. Movies the following 10 films would have been trotted out at every opportunity. For those of you who followed my writing back in the day, imagine the geeking out I did over Iron Monkey and you'll get a clear picture of how much I like the following films…

So, without further ado, here are 10 movies that have kicked my ass over the past ten years (in one way or another )

1. Infernal Affairs 無間道

   While I'm glad that Martin Scorcese finally has his Oscar™, I have to say The Departed isn't half the film Infernal Affairs is. Why couldn't they have given him one of the two awards he really deserved (Raging Bull and Goodfellas?)

   Must.Stay.Positive.

   No sidetracks!

   Yeah right….

   Back to Infernal Affairs. This time with my full attention.

   There are moments of perfection spread throughout Andrew Lau's masterpiece. From the first meeting of Andy Lau and Tony Leung Kar Wai in the "hi-fi shop scene" (possibly my favorite scene in all of cinema over the past ten years) to the tense and beautiful rooftop scenes that punctuate the films final, dramatic moments, Infernal Affairs in some ways represents the culmination of my obsession with Hong Kong cinema. It's not the most exuberant, the most thrilling or the most memorable, but it's got enough of everything that's special about Hong Kong cinema and is of such high quality it's just a jaw-dropper.

   Here's the hi fi scene (it cuts off just at the end, but this is the best I could do on YouTube.)

   Taken by itself, I quite like it. In context? It's two of the biggest stars in Hong Kong over the last 25 years, at the height of their powers in a well crafted, understated scene that both parallels and sets the stage for the remainder of the film. If I were the kind of person to do such a thing, I could write a paper about that scene. I would enthuse.

   And it really doesn't let up from there

   Can you tell I love this movie?

   I do.

   Do I really have nine more movies to work through? I better get a snack.

2. City of God (Cidade de Deus)

   Another film that slapped me right in the face and reminded me how much I love movies.

   I went back to look at my earlier capsule review. It's entirely devoid of detail but perfectly captures the flavor of my reaction to this stunning movie:

   Where to begin with this one? It's brilliant. I'll start there. It's an absolute explosion of a film, bursting at the seams with raw energy. Beyond that… it's INFUCKINGSANE. Not just violent (although it's incredibly violent) the situations in this movie are BONKERS- jaw-dropping, 100% crazy-go-nuts insanity. Check it out if you've got a mind for that sort of thing.

   That about sums it up. Beautiful and intense, City of God is easily one of the best films of the decade.

   Watching it was a truly visceral, memorable experience. The most special films for me are those that reinvigorate my love of movies. I walk away form them and I'm halfway to writing a screenplay. This is one such movie.

3. Lost in Translation

   Maybe not the most expected entry in this list? Or maybe it is? Either way, I absolutely adored Sofia Coppola's surprising masterpiece. Thinking back on it, I can't imagine a more charming film.

   Having Bill Murray and Scarlett Johansson along for the ride helped matters, of course. Murray was brilliant (in his second career mode- "indy" actor extraordinaire) and Scarlett Johansson was Scarlett Johansson.

   Which is all I have to say about that Rambling on about Scarlett Johansson gets us nowhere.

   

   I will say a little bit more of a the film in general. I especially liked the way it balanced the "wow, Japanese people are so funky" ogling that western audiences are so fond of with a healthy dose of lovingly shot scenes of Tokyo at its coolest. Bravo for that. I mean, yes, Japanese culture is fascinating to me, that doesn't mean I want every glimpse of it to be the typical carnival lens people in the States use. This was a nice blend.

   And…

   Scarlett Johansson!

4. Ip Man ( 葉問 )

   I recently reviewed this here on the blog and I praised it with great praise.

   I still feel the same way

   For me, a guy whose primary cinematic focus for the better part of a decade was martial arts movies, seeing a pure marital arts movie of this caliber was a real joy. There have been some good, old-fashioned kung fu flicks over the past few years, but this one had the best old school flavor and that served as a welcome balance to the wuxia trend of the past decade.

   Don't get me wrong, as the next entrant in this list will attest I love the poetic, wuxia flavored films that have dominated the post-Crouching Tiger landscape as much than the next guy. It's just the part of me that's obsessed over the career of Lau Kar Leung appreciates the hell out of a film that owes more to the 70s-90s than it does to anything produced this decade.

   Especially when it features such a triumphant performance by local hero Donnie Yen.

   If you want to see where the core genre pioneered by Bruce Lee, the Shaw Brothers Studio and Jackie Chan has ended up after all these years Ip Man is a damn fine place to start.

5. House of Flying Daggers ( 十面埋伏 )

   It's difficult to choose just one of these wuxia-pian to focus on for this list. Something about House of Flying Daggers just appeals to me.

   I wonder what that could be…

   Maybe Zhang Ziyi?

   No way. Never!

   There's more to it than that, of course, it's a beautifully shot, poetic film, with fun action scenes, but I'd be lying to you if I said that Zhang Ziyi didn't help matters

   I guess I should point out that this is probably one of the lighter films in this wuxia cycle. It's not as deep as some of the other entries. But, you know what? That's not big deal. Not everything needs to be a mile deep. Some surface beauty is okay from time to time. Such is the case here.

6. Ong Bak ( องค์บาก; )

   Easily the worst "film" on this list. The parts that aren't action scenes are craptastic to the nth degree. The thing is- who cares? Tony Jaa is the mack. What a talented screen fighter…

   I could write something, but… why bother? Youtube is here for me:

7. Shaolin Soccer ( 少林足球 )

   My favorite Stephen Chow film, by a landslide. Much funnier, to me, than Kung Fu Hustle, the immensely popular follow-up. Shaolin Soccer is a comedy masterpiece- a funny, surreal romp that blends soccer, outrageous slapstick humor and the super powered hi-jinks typical of a wuxia-pian.

   As evidence of how much I loved it, this is the one film this decade that I most often forced upon people. I have to have shown it to about 10 people in separate groups.

   "Have you seen Shaolin Soccer?"

   "No?"

   "Oh, well, I've got to remedy that! Want a beer?"

   And so it went, over and over again… And every one of those people is still my friend!

8. Battle Royale ( バトル・ロワイアル )

   Oh, Battle Royale, how much do I love thee?

   Enough to have seen the movie, the inferior sequel, read the book and read the manga?

   Yeah, that much.

   Controversial, dark, and violent, the film is truly one of the highlights of the decade for me. It's just so… nuts. I mean, it's a good movie and all, especially blessed by the presence of "Beat" Takeshi, but the real appeal is the set-up (a high school class dopped onto an island and told to kill or be killed until there's only one survivor) and the action-packed execution. You spend half your time watching the film struggling to wrap your head around the concept and the other half gripping your chair waiting for the next screwed up moment.

   Brilliant stuff, really.

9. District B13 ( Banlieue 13 )

   I wrote a full-length review of this a few years ago. I loved it. Here are a couple of words fromt hat review:

   It's an exhilarating stunt-fest that almost begs for repeated viewings. In other words, it's my kind of movie.

   It really is. I'm fascinated by Parkour and this Parkour-based actioner is a phenomenal showcase for the art- notable for featuring the urban discipline's founder David Belle. The opening chase scene is one of the top action pieces of the decade- without question. If it doesn't get your pulse racing you're not an action movie fan. And you might be actually dead. It's jaw-dropping stunt work comparable to anything done by anyone, anywhere.

   I should give a shout-out to Cyril Raffaelli, by the way. While the style of the fights aren't exactly my cup of tea, he's an extremely talented martial artist and stuntman and he was almost as fun to watch as Bell. High praise, indeed. I'd love to see him work in some HK style choreography

10. Children of Men

    Alfonso Cuarón + Clive Owen + bleak, distopian sci-fi? Of course I loved this movie.

    Seriously, while many of the movies on this list were basically crafted with me (or at least someone like me) in mind, this one had a lot going for it going in and it delivered on all fronts.

    One front I have to call out right now? Michael Caine. For real. As I previously wrote:

    Caine's turn in this is one of those roles that reminds the viewer that he does actually know what he's doing. For every "paycheck" role he's ever taken, there's one of these waiting in the wings to make up for it.

    Caine kicks so much ass in this movie it's not even funny. He's just so damned good, I was raving about him for a couple of days afterward.

    Toss in an incredible story, yet another great turn by Clive Owen and some well-crafted "shock" moments (that really do startle and in doing so they burrow into your brain, dragging you even deeper into the film) and it's no wonder why I'm such a fan.

And there you have it, hopefully it was half as fun for you as it was for me. Memory lane can be fun

Keep your eyes peeled, there's more celebration to come, including one more film article outlining my ten favorite films of all time.

Yes.

Mindlessly gratifying, the video game structure of the film creates a dizzying pace and the creativity in the choreography and the skill of the stuntmen and actors fills that pace with 100% 70s Shaw style action.

Did I mention that the first half hour, the part with the "plot", is filled with fights between Lau Kar-Fai and his Japanese wife? And that the fights generally drive the plot? Well, it is and they do.

This is the kind of movie that keeps me up until 3:00 AM watching DVDs.

Kung fu porn.

(and I can't wait to get people landing on this review after having googled "Kung fu porn." That's going to be awesome for them.)

Here's the trailer. Memorize it.

More please.

Oh well.

And now? Here's the trailer: