An Asian Cinema Podcast
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Hello everyone, In the latest episode of Heroic Purgatory: An Asian Cinema Podcast, John and Jason explore the slow cinema of Taiwanese filmmaker Tsai Ming-liang's debut feature, Rebels of the Neon God. Is this Tsai's most accessible and "least" slow movie? What do the characters represent, and what is the filmmaker trying to say about modern life in Taipei? Hear our opinions on these questions.…
Hello everyone, In the latest episode of Heroic Purgatory: An Asian Cinema Podcast, John and Jason wonder if they've ever met in a past life, and so they watch Past Lives, Celine Song's debut film about a Korean immigrant reconnecting with an old love. Is this film about immigration or romance? What does it have to say about either topic? Listen to find out. Enjoy! Follow us: Follow Heroic…
Hello everyone, In the latest episode of Heroic Purgatory: An Asian Cinema Podcast, John and Jason put their tin-foil hats on and lock themselves in basement to talk about Save the Green Planet, Jang Joon-hwan's 2003 South Korean film that somehow never got the credit it deserves. A truly idiosyncratic film, Save the Green Planet features incredible acting, art direction, and just enough melodrama…
Hello everyone, In the latest episode of Heroic Purgatory: An Asian Cinema Podcast, John and Jason spice up their man-feelings for A Better Tomorrow, discussing John Woo's 1986 film that sparked the heroic bloodshed genre. Enjoy! Follow us: Follow Heroic Purgatory on BlueSky Follow John Atom on BlueSky Follow Jason Maher on BlueSky Follow Jason's blog Read John Atom's reviews on VCinema Read Jason…
Hello everyone, In the latest episode of Heroic Purgatory: An Asian Cinema Podcast, John and Jason move to the countryside for a friendly chat with magical owls and bus-sized orange cats. That's right, we are covering My Neighbor Totoro, the 1988 Hayao Miyazaki film who's titular character became the logo for the newly minted Studio Ghibli. Though often viewed as a "children" film, Totoro is not…
Hello everyone, In the latest episode of Heroic Purgatory: An Asian Cinema Podcast, John and Jason get sassy in South Korea with the 2001 romantic comedy, My Sassy Girl. A critical darling of the early 21st century, the film has been somewhat forgotten or relegated to a relic of a different era in Korean cinema . Does it still hold up? We discuss how the film's comedy and romance may or may not…
Hello everyone, In this episode of Heroic Purgatory: An Asian Cinema Podcast, John and Jason talk about arguably the best Taiwanese film ever made, Edward Yang's Yi Yi. While tackling existential alienation of in the face of modernity, the film explores the complex dynamics of a 21st century family, their screw ups, past regrets, and above all, their need for connection. We hope you enjoy! Follow…
Hello everyone, In this episode of Heroic Purgatory: An Asian Cinema Podcast, John and Jason revisit the heroic bloodshed genre with arguably the second (and far less melodramatic) entry into the category: Ringo Lam's City on Fire (1987). While male friendship is central to the film, Lam injects a fair amount of social criticism into his film, making him a unique and often underappreciate voice…
Hello everyone, In this episode of Heroic Purgatory: An Asian Cinema Podcast, John and Jason talk about Park Chan-wook's first(-ish) feature film, Joint Security Area (2000). In the midst of our discussion, a daring proposition emerges: is this the director's best film. Listen to our thoughts about the film's themes of Korean separation, isolation, male friendship, and the role of gender in…
Hello everyone, A new season, and old theme. For season 6, the Heroic Purgatory team revisits the topic of gateway films, i.e. popular or accessible works of cinema that serve is a gateway to the wider world of asian cinema. In the first episode of the season, John and Jason discuss Akira Kurosawa's 1954 classic, Seven Samurai. Heralded as one of the best movies ever made, Seven Samurai is not…
