2016 Asian Horror films you MUST see! (Halloween Edition)

Happy (Almost) Halloween everyone! 

With this exciting and spooky holiday upon us, we have decided to compile a list of a few of the scary, the strange and the creepiest Asian horror films to have been released this year so far! Grab your friends and check out some of our haunted favorites below!

The Ring リング 1998- Japan I BOOK VS. MOVIE

Welcome to one of Lights, Camera, Asia's newest content! Having been mentioned through out our site, today we bring you our FIRST movie vs. book review! If this review receives a lot of positive feedback, we will try to do these more often! So sit back and enjoy our review on the 1998 Japanese horror flick The Ring (リング ) versus the novel of the same name by Koji Suzuki. 

Paprika パプリカ 2006- Japan

Paprika (パプリカ) is a 2006, Japanese film directed by Satoshi Kon. Based off of the 1993 novel by Yasutaka Tsutsui, Paprika premiered at the Venice Film Festival, before making its rounds at the New York Film Festival, Tokyo International Film Festival, and many more. In 2010, Director Wolfgang Peterson had announced he was in the works of a live-action adaption, however, that same year the American blockbuster hit that features a similar storyline, Inception was released. It has been quoted that Inception's director, Christopher Nolan, took inspiration from this film. I would have LOVED to see a live action of Paprika though. 

Dragon Ball Z : Resurrection F ドラゴンボールＺ 復活の「Ｆ」2015- Japan

Dragon Ball Z : Resurrection F (ドラゴンボールＺ　復活の「Ｆ」) is the 19th feature length film from the Dragon Ball Z universe. The film, released in 2015 at # 1 in the Japanese box office, even had a limited release in North American theatres thanks to Funimation. This was also the first Japanese film to ever be screened in IMAX 3D and 4DX theatres! As the second film released to set up viewers for the new series, Dragon Ball Super, in my opinion this film was much better than Dragon Ball Z: Battle of the Gods.

The Boy & The Beast バケモノの子 2015- Japan [VIDEO REVIEW]

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East Asian films streaming on Netflix!

Check out our list of East Asian films streaming on Netflix NOW!
Check them out before they are gone!!

**The lists are not in order of popularity**

**Plot descriptions from IMDB**

Battle Royale バトル・ロワイアル 2000- Japan [VIDEO REVIEW]

 If you have yet to do so...find Lights, Camera, Asia on YOUTUBE. 

Let us know what you thought about the video review in the comments below!

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Top 10 East Asian Films to watch this Valentine's Day! [Video]

HAPPY ALMOST VALENTINE'S DAY! What are your plans for Valentine's Day? If you plan to watch a film from our list, which one did you choose and why? Let us know in the comments below!

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❥W

Like Father, Like Son そして父になる 2013 - Japan

Like Father, Like Son (そして父になる) is the 2013 Japanese drama, directed by Hirokazu Kareeda. This was an extremely favorable film at it's time of release. It was nominated for the Palme d'Or at the 2013 Cannes Film Festival, where it won Jury Prize. It won both Roger's People's Choice Award at the 2013 Vancouver International Film Festival and the Wuaki TV Audience Award at the 2013 San Sebastian International Film Festival. The film also has caught the eye of Director, Stephen Spielberg, and supposably Dreamworks has bought the film rights for a remake!

Like Father, Like Son is a thought-provoking film about the Nonomiya family, made up of Ryota (Masaharu Fukuyama), the successful businessmen who focuses more on work than family, Midori, his wife, and their adorable 6 year old son, Keita. Ryota is strong-willed and wants his son to follow in his foot steps, that is until the hospital calls the family with news that their son was switch at birth.They must make a life changing decision to either keep the boy they have been raising as their own, or switch the child for their biological son. 

The Nonomiya family is soon introduce to the Saiki family, a family of five, including their son, Ryusei. Compared to the Nonomiyas, the Saiki family are small town folks, with much less money. However, they seem to understand relationships with their children far better than Ryota does. 

Most Anticipated East Asian Films of 2016!!

Most Anticipated East Asian Films of 2016

It is surprising that January has already come to an end. With 2016 just beginning, Lights, Camera, Asia wanted to share some of the up and coming films from Korea, Japan, Hong Kong and China to be on the look out for this year!  Let's Begin!

**The lists are not in order of popularity**

Plot descriptions from Asian Wiki & IMDB

10 Facts about Studio Ghibli films you do NOT know!

Last Day of Miyazaki Week! 

As the last day of Miyazaki week comes to a close, I wanted to end this last blog post with 10 interesting fun facts about Studio Ghibli that you might not know. So let's begin!

Girl Power (女力) - The Female Protagonists in Ghibli Films

Day 4 of Miyazaki Week

Studio Ghibli and Hayao Miyazaki have been creating films for 30 years, and since the Studio's creation in 1985, audiences have been given films from the magical, heart warming stories to the more serious films following reoccurring themes of coming of age, environmentalism, and anti-war. Through out the years, Ghibli has also created a cast with a majority of strong female protagonists, and it has been a breath of fresh air for viewers. 

Hayao Miyazaki once said, "Many of my movies have strong female leads - brave, self-sufficient girls that don't think twice about fighting for what they believe in with all their heart. They'll need a friend, or a supporter, but never a savior. Any woman is just as capable of being a hero as any man." 

With these words, he summarizes exactly what these leading ladies are. Aside from portraying woman as a heroine and not a damsel in distress, Ghibli films also have a way of making the female antagonists or villain-like characters charming and tough in their own may. More on that later. Lets look at some of strong leading protagonists of Ghibli cinema. 

Spirited Away (千と千尋の神隠し)(2001) – a brothel in disguise & other theories

Day 3 of Miyazaki Week


Today, I bring you another interesting fan theory about Studio Ghibli’s most well known film – Spirited Away (千と千尋の神隠し) (2001). But first, let me begin with a summary of the film, for viewers who have not seen it. The film is the highest grossing movie in Japan to date, which overthrew Titanic (1997),which had previously held the title in the Japanese box office. Spirited Away was also the winner for Best Animated Feature at the 75th Academy Awards, and it isn’t hard to see why. 

Sprited Away is a magical, fantasy film about a girl named Chihiro, who find herself and her family trapped in an abandoned theme park taken over by the spirit world. It all begins when the family is on the way to their new house, they take a wrong turn and end up at an abandoned train station that ultimately leads them to the amusement park. It doesn’t take long for things to happen, as Chihiro’s parents turn into pigs as they feast upon food they find. Within moments the lights of the park turn on, spirits manifest and the once empty river surrounding the park is now filled to the brim, welcoming ghosts off large boats. Chihiro, in a panic meets a young and mysterious boy named Haku, who ends up helping her get a job at the bath house, and this is where the theory comes into play. 

My Neighbor Totoro-The God of Death (死神)?

Day 2 of Miyazaki Week

First off, I would like to start this post with a Happy Birthday to Hayao Miyazaki!!

In honor of Miyazaki's birthday today, I have decided to talk about my favorite Ghibli film of all time- My Neighbor Totoro (となりのトトロ)(1988) ! If you have never seen this beloved film, let me give you a quick run down of it. In My Neighbor Totoro, a professor and his two daughters, Satsuki and Mei, move to the countryside to be closer to their ill-mother and the hospital she resides at. Soon after they move in, the youngest daughter, Mei, meets Totoro. Instead of just talking about the film, I want to share a dark theory I once heard about this film. 

BACKGROUND STORY
Many audiences know of Totoro as the big, cute, fluffy forest spirt, that can fly through the sky on a spinning top, and hands out little gift bags of various kinda of seeds and nuts to children. However, there may be a more than meets the eye when it comes to this beloved creature.  First, lets begin with a background story that will help explain where this theory is going. 

A History of Studio Ghibli (スタジオジブリ)

Day 1 of Miyazaki Week

Studio Ghibli has been captivating the hearts of audiences around the world for many decades, making it by far the most popular Japanese animation and film studio in the world. Today, I will share a brief history of how Studio Ghibli came to be and what makes it so special to so many audiences around the world. 

THE BEGINNING

Before Studio Ghibli, Directors Hayao Miyazaki and Isao Takahata had already had long-standing careers in animation, including their work on the 1972 children's animation film, Panda! Go, Panda! (パンダ・コパンダ). This is a wonderful short movie that follows a young girl named Mimiko and her adventures with two Pandas that show up on her doorstep. The film was a great success, partially due to the panda craze in Japan at the time that was initiated by the Japanese government announcing the loan of two giant pandas from China to the Ueno Zoo. Following the achievement of the film, Miyazaki and Takahata went on to create a sequel in the 1973 film, Panda! Go, Panda!: The Rainy-Day Circus (パンダ・コパンダ 雨降りサー スの巻). 

Miyazaki Week begins TOMORROW!

Check back tomorrow for my first of five posts about Hayao Miyazaki's films!

Happy New Year! 

W

House ハウス 1977 - Japan

****I will not ruin the ending of the film for any reader's who might feel compelled to watch it afterwards****

I have decided to write my first post about one of my personal favorite films, and a movie I believe everyone should watch at least once in their life... and that is HOUSE (ハウス), a 1977 Japanese horror film directed by Nobuhiko Obayashi. 

Despite sub par acting and elementary imagery, this film delivers plenty of creepy fun. The story follows a young girl, Gorgeous (Kimiko Ikegami) and her six classmates, Kung Fu, Prof, Fantasy, Mac, Melody and Sweet, as they visit her aunt's house for summer vacation. Things start to go wrong almost immediately as, one by one, the girls begin to disappear...each one being devoured by the house itself! Add into the mix the most unusual evil aunt to ever grace a screen - and her sidekick witch cat - and you get a horror flick that is anything but ordinary.