Asian Cinema Film Club
201 episodes - English - Latest episode: about 12 hours ago - ★★★★ - 4 ratingsA bi-weekly podcast which aims to provide an introduction to the exciting world of Asian cinema.
Each episode sees Elwood and Stephen highlighting a diffrent film worth discovering aswell as discussing a wide variety of topics relating from Actor / director profiles through to exploring the more random aspects of this facinating field.
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Episodes
A.C Film Club #49 - A Bittersweet Life
May 26, 2020 06:58 - 1 hour - 105 MBOn this episode we check out Kim Jee-woon's revenge thriller "A Bittersweet life" as Kim Sun-woo (Lee Byung-hun) goes after his former boss when his refusal to do a job lands him with dire concequences. Also check out our new sponser Yes Please Vintage for a great selection of hand picked and highly curated vintage, second-hand and upcycled housewares & clothing.
A.C. Film Club #48 - Once Upon A Time In China 2
May 04, 2020 07:04 - 1 hour - 71.3 MBOn this episode we are joined by Jeanette Ward (The Mundane Adventures of a Fangirl) to discuss the martial arts classic "Once Upon A Time In China 2" as Jet Li returns as Wong Fei-hung who this time joins forces with a nationalistic militia to overthrow the colonialist powers intent on taking over China. Best remembered for the showdown between Jet Li and Donnie Yen here making his first leading role appearence a fight that we would have to wait until "Hero" to finally see the rematch betw...
A.C. Film Club #47 - God of Gamblers
April 22, 2020 15:07 - 1 hour - 94.5 MBElwood and Stephen check out a Hong Kong cinema classic as Chow Yun Fat stars as Ko Chun the titular God of Gamblers, a high stakes gambler with a fondness for chocolate and jade pinky rings, who after being knocked unconcious suffers amnesia while being gets taken in by Andy Lau's mediocre gambler Little Knife who sees an oppotunity to exploit Ko Chun's abilities. We also look at the film making legacy of Wong Jing and the numerous spin offs the film inspired, attend a virtual Babymetal c...
A.C. Film Club #46 - A Touch of Sin
April 06, 2020 23:22 - 1 hour - 105 MBOn this episode we check out Jia Zhangke's 2013 A Touch of Sin as he draws from the headlines to craft four tales about the division between the rich and poor against the backdrop of a rapidly changing China often with bloody results.
A.C. Film Club #45 - Tetsuo The Iron Man / Tetsuo 2: Body Hammer
March 23, 2020 06:34 - 1 hour - 104 MBOn this episode we check out a double feature from one of our most requested directors Shinya Tsukamoto as we look at look at the cult favourites Tetsuo The Iron Man in which after running over a metal fetishist a saleryman finds himself cursed with a disease which is slowly turning his skin metal. We also look at it's big budget sequel Tetsuo 2: Body Hammer which this time sees a saleryman trying to get his son back from a gang of skinhead while his body becomes a living weapon. We also l...
A.C. Film Club #44 - Mother
March 01, 2020 23:00 - 1 hour - 93.7 MBFresh off his historic win at the Oscars on this episode we look at one of the more overlooked titles in Bong Joon-Ho's filmography "Mother" in which Kim Hye-ja play the widowed mother who sets out to clear her mentally handicaped son's name when he is arrested for the murder of a young girl. We also look at what his Oscar win could potentially mean for Asian cinema, look at the upcoming Godzilla Monopoly and Gamera Boxset plus much more!!
A.C. Film Club #43 - Tokyo Drifter
February 16, 2020 03:10 - 1 hour - 92.9 MBOn this episode we look at the cinema of cool with Seijun Suzuki's "Tokyo Drifter" which along with "Branded to Kill" saw him blacklisted by the Nikkatsu as he set out to create somthing alot more diffrent than the typical Yakuza fare he'd previously been associated with as here enforcer Tetsuya "Phoenix Tetsu" Hondo is forced to become a drifter when his boss disolves the gang and a real estate scam orchestred by thier rivals sees him soon having to evade the hitman "Viper" Tatsuzo in a yak...
A.C. Film Club #42 - Peppermint Candy
February 03, 2020 06:14 - 1 hour - 92.1 MBon this episode we look at Lee Chang-Dong's second film "Peppermint Candy" in which we open to our lead Yong-ho commiting suicide on the train tracks during a reunion with his student group. What follows is a series of flashback which slowly reveal how he came to end his life on the train tracks. On this episode we also question the need for a Noir "Parasite" aswell as questioning it's chances of actually claiming the best film prize, Karmen Rider re-releases and more!!
A.C. Film Club #41 - Antique Bakery
January 16, 2020 22:51 - 1 hour - 88.1 MBKicking off a brand new year with the Korean comedy "Antique Bakery" based on the popular Manga by Fumi Yoshinaga in which Jin-hyuk who has wealth, good looks and charm sets up a bakery in order to meet the love of his life while being joined by his quirky team as they attempt to make the buisness a sucess. We also talk about merchandise, Funko Pops, boxset releases aswell as laying out the plan for the year ahead plus much more!! Shoutouts: Zobo With A Shotgun, Exploding Helicopter Podcas...
Kaiju Christmas #3 - Mothra
December 24, 2019 06:58 - 1 hour - 79.9 MBThe festive season is upon us once again which can only mean the return of "Kaiju Christmas" were once more Stephen and Elwood put thier viewing fates in the hands of thier listeners to pick which Kaiju movie they will be watching. So join us now as we look at "Mothra" (1961) a King Kong style adventure with more than a few similarities to "Gorgo" released the same year we also look back over the highs and lows of the year aswell as revealing our favourite episodes of the year.
A.C. Film Club #39 - Naked Weapon
December 20, 2019 00:49 - 1 hour - 97.9 MBElwood and Stephen look at the sexy action thriller "Naked Weapon" starring Maggie Q as an Assassin trained as a child to kill while being pursued by CIA Agent Jack (Daniel Wu) who is determined to take down the ring headed up by the mysterious Madam M We also look at the career of producer Wong Jing, Region 2 releases and the winner of Kaiju Christmas 3 is revealed plus more!!
A.C. Film Club #38 - Tokyo Godfathers
December 03, 2019 07:03 - 1 hour - 60.7 MBWith the festive season quickly decending upon us what better time to look at Satoshi Kon's suprisingly festive Tokyo Godfathers as a homeless trio find an abandoned baby and set out on a quest to find the child's family. On this episode we also question why Region 2 is so frequently overlooked for certain titles, Elwood shares his thoughts on Girls Und Panzer the Movie and more!!
A.C. Film Club #37 - The World of Kananko
November 21, 2019 06:41 - 1 hour - 75.1 MBOn this episode we have a big ole dose of family entertainment as we check out Tetsuya Nakashima's thriller which plays like "Bad Lieutenant" meets "Taken" as a former police detective goes in search of his missing daughter only to uncover the much darker world she was part of. Featuring graphic violence, drugs, sex, the yazkua, wound stomping and a whole host of very bad behaviour!! Elwood also looks at Ang Lee's "Father Knows Best Trilogy" ahead of the launch of Movies and Tea season #4 ...
A.C. Film Club #36 - A Tale of Two Sisters
November 01, 2019 00:39 - 1 hour - 71.5 MBHalloween is here once again so needless to say we choose to look at somthing suitably spooky while giving Elwood a chance to cross this off his Cinema Shame list in an episode which you should be warned is heavy on spoilers. Inspired by a Joseon Dynasty era folktale entitled Janghwa Hongryeon jeon which has over the years been adapted several times already as here director Kim Jee-Woon crafts a deceptive tale with the teenage girl, Su-mi (Im Soo-jung) returning home after recently being co...
A.C. Film Club #35 - The Forest of Love / Violence Voyager
October 16, 2019 22:20 - 1 hour - 74.1 MBElwood and Stephen check out Sion Sono's Netflix exclusive "The Forest of Love" in which a trio of film makers set out to make a film about a suspected serial killer only to soon find themselves drawn into his elabourate schemes. We also have an advance screening of the uniquly animated "Violence Voyager", question the current state of asian horror, listener mail and the countdown to Halloween plus much more!!
A.C. Film Club #34 - The Terrorizers
October 10, 2019 22:49 - 1 hour - 54 MBOn this episode Stephen introduces Elwood to New Taiwan Cinema with Edward Yang's "The Terrorizers" following three groups of people living in Taipei echoing Michelangelo Antonioni's Blowup.
A.C. Film Club #33 - The Castle of Cagliostro
September 20, 2019 22:03 - 1 hour - 73.8 MBIt's an episode packed with legends from a legendary animator to a legendary manga artist and his equally legendary creation Lupin The 3rd whose second feature length adventure "The Castle of Cagliostro" see's the master thief attempting to rescue a princess from an evil count who plans to use her to unlock the legendary treasure of Cagliostro. We also look into the legacy of Lupin, Hong Kong Censorship and so truly random kung fu plus much more!!
A.C. Film Club #32 - Antiporno
September 05, 2019 14:23 - 1 hour - 90.6 MBElwood and Stephen check out Sion Sono's contribution to Nikkatsu's reboot of thier Roman Porno series in a film while not only bends reality but also the audiences perception of what they are watching. On this episode we also take a look at the history of Roman Porno and the Pink film, Censorship in Japan, the Criterion Godzilla collection and Elwood reveals his contender for worst movie of the year!!
A.C. Film Club #31 - Eastern Condors
August 21, 2019 22:53 - 1 hour - 74.6 MBElwood and Stephen look at "Eastern Condors" as Sammo Hung and Yuen Biao team up with the an all-star cast as a squad of convicts are sent to Vietnam to destroy a secret ammo dump, while Sammo gets to tap into his inner Rambo! Also on this episode Batman Ninja, The story behind the Korean Godzilla and Yuen Biao's boy band hair and more!!
A.C. Film Club #30 - Lone Wolf and Cub: Sword of Vengeance
August 09, 2019 12:24 - 1 hour - 50.7 MBElwood and Stephen are joined by Author / Podcaster (The Bonus Material Podcast) aswell as three-time International Horror Guild Award Nominee Thom Carnell to discuss the first film in the long running Lone Wolf and Cub series as Ogami Ittō, a disgraced executioner turned wandering assassin for hire and his young son, Daigoro journey through the land they call hell. A key inspiration for Quentin Tarantino's "Kill Bill" aswell as John Carpenter's "Big Trouble In Little China) we look at t...
A.C. Film Club #29 - Dead or Alive
July 14, 2019 22:32 - 1 hour - 94.9 MBElwood and Stephen revisit Takashi Miike's outlaw period aswell as the uttlerly bonkers "Dead or Alive" which not only feature one of the most shocking openings ever but an equally bonkers finale as Riki Takeuchi's crime boss and Show Aikawa's dirty cop face off in the first film of the trilogy which many have refered to a the asian version of "Heat". We also look at Miike's outlaw period and highlight some of our favourites, discuss our favourite genre critics and much more!!
A.C. Film Club #28 - Thirst
July 03, 2019 07:14 - 1 hour - 90.7 MBElwood and Stephen look at Park Chan-Wook's take on the vampire mythos when a priest finds himself inheriting vampire abilities aswell as cravings from a blood transfusion. Plus: Old school anime collecting, Detective Pikachu, Neon Genesis Evangelion and the changing face of fandom plus much more
Top 50 Asian Cinema - Part 2
July 03, 2019 06:03 - 1 hour - 33.7 MBElwood and Stephen countdown thier top 50 Asian Cinema in this bonus episode they reveal the films which have had the biggest impact on them. Stephen wraps up the list revealing his top picks for the list.
Top 50 Asian Cinema - Part 1
July 03, 2019 05:53 - 1 hour - 37.3 MBElwood and Stephen countdown thier top 50 Asian Cinema in this bonus episode they reveal the films which have had the biggest impact on them. In part 1 Elwood reveals his 25 picks for the list
A.C. Film Club #27 - The Bride With White Hair
July 03, 2019 05:43 - 1 hour - 88.6 MBElwood and Stephen check out Ronny Yu’s Wuxia take on “Romeo and Juliet” in The Bride With White Hair as Brigitte Lin and Leslie Cheung star as swordsman and star crossed lovers from rival clans who are threaten to be torn apart by the war waging between thier respective clans. Elwood also provides the further watching ideas for Godzilla: King of the Monsters, Stephen has another tale from the Dark Side of Asian Cinema, plus we reveal what we’ve been watching including Snowpiercer and Th...
A.C. Film Club #26 - The Eye
July 02, 2019 09:25 - 1 hour - 68.8 MBElwood and Stephen look at the Pang Brothers Horror “The Eye” in which a blind woman finds that her newly returned sight also enables her to see the dead. Stephen has another tale from the dark side of asian cinema, plus what we’ve been watching and a rather spontanious discussion about “Carrie” plus more!!
A.C. Film Club #25 - Battle Royale
July 02, 2019 09:00 - 1 hour - 32.3 MBWe are joined by Emily Intravia (The Deadly Doll’s House of Horror Nonsense / The Feminine Critique ) to talk about all things “Battle Royale”. A film which alongside “Ringu” and “Audition” helped usher in a new intrest in Asian cinema while going on to become both a cult favourite in it’s own right. We compare the film to the source novel aswell as revealing the films which have been holding our intrest, Elwood’s “Dragonball Z” recap and Stephen has another tale from the dark side of A...
A.C. Film Club #24 - The Bullet Vanishes
July 02, 2019 08:44 - 54 minutes - 46.1 MBOn this episode are joined by Kim ( Tranquil Dreams / Movies and Tea ) for a Sherlock Holmes style mystery as a pair of Detectives team up to solve a series of unusual murders at a Bullet factory in 1930s Tiancheng County, China. We also look at the many talents of Nicolas Tse, Elwood takes on Dragonball Z and we talk celebrity scandals plus much more!!
A.C. Film Club #23 - The Twins Effect
July 02, 2019 08:34 - 1 hour - 70.1 MBElwood and Stephen kick off 2019 looking at “The Twins Effect” a wonderfully random mash up of vampires, romantic comedy and special friendly appeareances? On this episode they dive into this star studded movie vehicle for Cantopop duo “Twins” while also looking at the many scandels which rocked the various cast members. Stephen has another tale from the dark side of Asian cinema this time looking at the actress Bai Jing, plus podcast recommendations, 2019 releases much more!!
A.C. Film Club #22 - Gamera 3: The Revenge of Iris
July 02, 2019 07:49 - 1 hour - 60.3 MBIt’s the happiest time of the year which of course means that it’s time to once more celebrate a Kaiju Christmas as this year we check out the final part of the 90’s Gamera trilogy. We also reveal our top episodes aswell as the lows for 2018, while Stephen also discusses the films which made the easternkicks.com yearly best of
A.C. Film Club #21 - The Night Comes For Us
July 02, 2019 07:17 - 1 hour - 68 MBOn this episode we knuckle up for one of the most brutal martial arts movies of the year we check out Timo Tjahjanto’s “The Night Comes For Us” which recently got picked up by Netflix and is already being heralded as the spiritual sucessor to “The Raid”. We also question if violence in action cinema has gone too far, what happened to the Thai cinema boom aswell as reveal the anime eqivilant of “Game of Thrones” plus much more!!
A.C. Film Club #20 - The Wailing
July 02, 2019 07:05 - 49 minutes - 52.2 MBElwood and Stephen are joined once more by the Dutchess of Dark Cinema Zoe (Zobo With A Shotgun) to discuss the winner of the Halloween listener vote “The Wailing”. A film acclaimed by both audiences and critics alike, aswell as EasternKicks film of the year but does it really live up to the hype? Join us for this suitably spooky Halloween special for a film quite unlike anything that we have seen before.
A.C. Film Club #19 - Perfect Number
July 02, 2019 06:26 - 56 minutes - 65.5 MBThis episode it’s all in the numbers on this episode as Elwood and Stephen look at the South Korean adaptation of The Devotion of Suspect X as the brilliant mathematician Kim Seok-go helps his neighbour Baek Hwa-sun cover up the murder of her abusive ex-husband. Also Stephen shares his thoughts on the original series plus we look at the upcoming Lone Wolf and Cub book from Tom Mes, listener mail and much more!!
A.C. Film Club #18 - Pefect Blue
July 02, 2019 06:14 - 1 hour - 50.8 MBOn this episode we revisit a true Anime classic from the legendary Satoshi Kon “Perfect Blue”. A tense psychological thriller as Mima a former Pop idol decides to quite music to pursue a career as an actress only to soon find herself being targeted and an alternative life for her being played out on the internet. The film would prove a major influence for Darren Aronosky’s “Black Swan”. Stephen also brings us a tale from the Asian Cinema darkside as he looks at the life and career of A...
A.C. Film Club #17 - The Classic
July 02, 2019 05:47 - 1 hour - 68.3 MBOn this episode we are joined by That Moment In.com‘s very own Dutchess of Dark Cinema Zoe (Zobo With A Shotgun) so of course it made perfect sense that we would be looking at a Korean Romantic Melodrama. Stephen provides also provides an introduction guide to the genre while Elwood opens the anime vault to look back at “Urotsukidoji: Legend of the Overfiend“. We also talk cursed jewellry, impressing women with your blood type aswell as asking if toothpaste is a good way to counter tear ga...
A.C. Film Club #16 - The Killer
July 02, 2019 05:03 - 57 minutes - 35.2 MBElwood and Stephen take thier first jaunt into the world of Heroic Gunplay as they look at the John Woo classic “The Killer” which along with its director has been cited as an influence for the Quentin Tarantino, Robert Rodriguez and Johnny To. So grab your best white suit and join us for a bullet riddled romp through this exciting area of Hong Kong cinema.
A.C. Film Club #15 - The Place Promised In Our Early Days
July 02, 2019 04:55 - 43 minutes - 16.5 MBIt’s May so what better time to look at some Anime. This time we look at possibly the most divisive film pick to date with Makoto Shinkai‘s The Place Promised In Our Early Days, especially with Shinkai currently responsible for knocking Spirited Away off the top spot for highest-grossing animated film with his latest film Your Name. We also look at the designs for Mecha-Godzilla in the upcoming second Godzilla Anime, Sion Sono making his English language debut with Nicholas Cage and much mo...
A.C. Film Club #14 - Turtles Are Suprisingly Fast Swimmers
July 01, 2019 23:01 - 1 hour - 26.3 MBElwood and Stephen check out “Turtles Are Suprisingly Fast Swimmers” a rather unique Japanese comedy (of sorts) as a mild mannered housewife finds herself being recruited to be spy. Stephen gives us an overview of the career of the films leading lady Juri Ueno, while we also name our favourite titles from the “Third Window Films” catalogue. All this plus our favourite Asian authors, Elwood finally watches “Shin Godzilla” and much more!!
A.C. Film Club #13 - Come Drink With Me
July 01, 2019 22:24 - 54 minutes - 42.8 MBThis time Elwood and Stephen look at the influencial Shaw Brothers favourite “Come Drink With Me” and the influence it would have on martial arts cinema as Pei-pei Cheng stars as the Golden Swallow. We also look at the “My Wife Is A Gangster” trilogy, Elwood reveals why Game of Thrones fans should watch “Attack on Titan and Stephen discusses the career of Brigitte Lin plus much more!! Sorry about the audio issues for this episode due to us having some problems with the recorder which...
A.C. Film Club #12 Pedicab Driver
July 01, 2019 16:15 - 1 hour - 45.9 MBCelebrating year one of the podcast Elwood and Stephen check out the Sammo Hung classic “Pedicab Driver” which despite starting out as a light hearted kung-fu comedy hides a darker second half while also showcasing some truly memorable martial artistry from the legendry Sammo Hung. All this plus Godzilla (Anime) and Devilman Crybaby landing on Netflix, Stephen delves into the much over looked sub-genre of romantic Asian cinema and Elwood names his alternative top couples in Asian cine...
A.C. Film Club #11 - The God of Cookery
July 01, 2019 16:07 - 1 hour - 57.7 MBElwood and Stephen are joined by Kim Lo (Tranquil Dreams / Game Warp) to kick off another year of Asian cinema obsession starting with Stephen Chow’s madcap comedy “The God of Cookery” while taking a look at his filmography. Plus the future of Legendary’s Monsterverse, Journey to the West Adaptations, Sion Sono’s diversive “Antiporno” and much more
A.C. Film Club #10 - Destroy All Monsters
July 01, 2019 10:43 - 1 hour - 27.9 MBElwood and Stephen celebrate the festive season with thier first ever “Kaiju Christmas” as they watch “Destroy All Monsters” as voted for by you the listeners. We also look back at the top releases of 2017, Takashi Miike’s “Dead of Alive” Trilogy and much more!!
A.C. Film Club #9 - The Man From Nowhere
July 01, 2019 10:36 - 1 hour - 63.7 MBNine episodes in and Elwood and Stephen finally take thier first look at Korean cinema with the critically praised “The Man From Nowhere” but does it live up to the hype. Elwood reveal the new option online disc rentals, hidden gems and Stephen gives his thoughts on “The Villianess” plus much more!
A.C. Film Club #8 – Horror Draft
July 01, 2019 10:18 - 1 hour - 95.7 MBIt’s Halloween so what better way to celebrate than sharing our favourite Asian Horror movies as we pit our selections against special guest Zoe (Zobo With A Shotgun)!! We also look at the origin of the long haired ghosts, diffrences between Asian and Western horror and genre hopping plus much more!! You can find a full list of all the films covered on this episode on Letterboxd
A.C. Film Club #7 - Exte: Hair Extensions
July 01, 2019 09:52 - 1 hour - 64.2 MBOn this episode Stephen and Elwood look at the killer hair extensions movie “Exte” aswell the weird yet fantastic cinema of Sion Sono a director who many see as picking up were Takashi Miike’s outlaw period ended. We look at Sono’s career, Takashi Miike’s 100th film aswell as discussing the death of physical media rentals plus much more
A.C. Film Club #6 - Death Note
July 01, 2019 09:29 - 1 hour - 102 MBWith the Netflix remake of “Death Note” on the horizon, Elwood and Stephen check out the original which along with it’s anime / manga has spawned an incredible cult following since its release. They also share their favourite live action adaptions, the influence of anime on western animation aswell as looking at the films of Hitoshi Matsumoto
A.C. Film Club #5 - Peking Opera Blues
July 01, 2019 08:59 - 59 minutes - 55.1 MBElwood and Stephen check out Tsui Hark’s “Peking Opera Blues”an amazing piñata of a movie that combines more genres and Hong Kong-specific themes than one could possibly imagine. A historical and political intrigue, acrobatic action, screwball comedy, and heroic gunplay elements are thrown together in an intoxicating mix. They also look at the key leading ladies of Asian cinema, Viceland’s new Anime block and Takashi Miike’s “Dead of Alive” trilogy plus much more!!
A.C. Film Club #4 - Chungking Express
July 01, 2019 08:34 - 1 hour - 57.5 MBElwood and Stephen take a look at Wong Kai-War’s Chungking Express, a film comprised of two rather untraditional love stories as Takeshi Kaneshiro plays a cop who finds himself caught up Brigitte Lin’s mysterious drug smuggler. At the same time Tony Leung (also playing a cop) who in attempting to get over the loss of his girlfriend (Valerie Chow) attracts the interest of the quirky snack bar worker Faye (Faye Wong) who has become determined to improve his situation They also share thi...
A.C Film Club #3 - Tears of the Black Tiger
July 01, 2019 07:34 - 53 minutes - 49.1 MBElwood and Stephen head to Thailand for the latest instalment of their introduction to Asian cinema as they look at possibly the most fabulous western ever “Tears of the Black Tiger”. An Eastern Western which combines elements of romantic melodrama with John Woo style heroic gunplay and a Sam Peckinpah western to create something truly original
A.C. Film Club # 2 - King Kong Escapes
July 01, 2019 07:09 - 1 hour - 65.4 MBElwood and Stephen set sail for Mondo island in this second attempt by Toho studios at a King Kong movie as they team up with Rankin / Bass for this follow up to “King Kong Vs. Godzilla”. So get prepared for giant ape madness as Kong battles his robot clone “Mechani-Kong” in a battle for ape supremacy!! We also look at the the legacy of Gundam Wing, Stephen also shares his thoughts on the live action “Ghost In The Shell”, the use of blackface in cinema and why Attack on Titan is so es...