Our Chapter by Chapter breakdown of Battle Royale this time sees our ill fated class waking up on the island as they are reunited with Kitano and introduced to two new members of thier class Shogo Kawada and Kazuo Kiriyama.

On this episode we explore the backstory of these two students aswell as how they differ from how they were potrayed in the novel and manga. We also look alittle deeper at Kitano and question his own motivation for joining the BR program and the possible hand he had in the class being chosen. 

On this episode we check out one of Meiko Kaji's most memorable characters in the first of the female prisoner scorpion movies as she plays a former police spy on a mission of revenge against her ex-boyfriend while trying to survive the gangs and corrupt guards inside the prison in a film possibly best described as art-house sleaze. 

Continuing our chapter by chapter analysis of Battle Royale as on this episode we look at the ill fated school trip which will soon land the class on the island.

We discuss the characters of Noriko and how she might actually be the only innocent in the game aswell as Shuya's best friend and human grenade nobu let alone a batch of all important cookies and further comparisions to the manga and novel plus much more!!

Welcome to a brand new bonus show as Elwood and Stephen start thier chapter by chapter analysis of the cult classic "Battle  Royale" not only looking at the film and the impact it had on Asian  cinema ushering in alongside Audition and The Ring a revived intrest in Asian Cinema, but also comparing the film to the original novel and  manga adaptation as they set out on the mother of all deep dives.

On this episode we look at Shuya Nanahara, the Battle Royale act and  the youth uprising it was designed to squash plus much more!

It's a change of pace on this episode as we look at Bong Joon-Ho's english language  debut "Snowpiercer" as we look at it's problematic distribution to the  UK, the clashes with Harvey Weinstein and the deeper themes when we deep  dive into the film with Em from Verbal Diorama

25 episodes ago Elwood and Stephen shared thier top 50 Asian Cinema and now having just celebrated episode #50 they reveal what thier next 50 would be on the list as they make it a full 100 in this weighty chunk of podcast goodness.

On 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 between these two legends.

On 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. 

On 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 look at Takashi Miike's First Love, Mary and the Witches Flower, Stephen gets nostaligic for British fast food and the we question who are the enfant terrible's of cinema plus much more!!

On 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 yakuza movie quite unlike anything which came before and certainly after it.