Asian Pop Cinema: Bombay to Tokyo [Paperback]

Lee Server (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: December 1, 1998

Asian Pop Cinema is the first full-color guide to the wide-ranging films of Japan, Korea, China, Taiwan, the Philippines, Hong Kong, Southeast Asia, and India, served up with dozens of spectacular photographs, film stills, and movie posters. Outlandish animated science fiction, musical shoot 'em ups, sword epics, ghost stories, and erotic tales (sometimes all in one!)-the floodgates of Asian cinema are open and Western audiences are hungry for the dazzling thrills. Presenting the major films, the people behind them, the key elements of each genre, and interviews with John Woo and others, Lee Server brings a unique breadth of knowledge and inimitable wit to every page. From subversive camp to high-adrenaline crime thrillers, Asian Pop Cinema is a great read and exciting resource for both seasoned and uninitiated viewers.

Editorial Reviews

Amazon.com Review

This visually explosive, engaging volume covers its topic with amazing facility. Moving from Hong Kong to China, Taiwan, Japan, Korea, the Philippines, Southeast Asia, and India, author Lee Server explores the most thrilling popular films of these regions. No genre is left untouched. While Server is clearly well rounded in cinematic history, he focuses on the action, horror, fantasy, erotic, gangster, and animated films that have emerged most recently. Packing the pages with full-color photographs and writing with wonderful enthusiasm for the medium, Server reveals the diversity with which each country and its respective directors approach their material. He also includes interviews with movie masters like José Lacaba, Eddie Romero, Tomoaki Hosoyama, and of course, John Woo, whose immigration to America in the 1990s led to the creation of Face/Off and the sequel to Mission: Impossible. Asian Pop Cinema is a delicious treat for fans of Eastern cinema, and a splendid introduction for novices in search of enlightenment. --Raphael Shargel

Review

Lee Server's 'Asian Pop Cinema: Bombay to Tokyo' survey[s] the region's exhilaratingly diverse motion picture fare, from slick anime to Indian musicals to Chinese historical epics and everything in between. The book is gorgeously designed, with judicious use of full-color stills and posters which evoke Asia's vibrant cinema without overwhelming the eye. Server devotes sections to Hong Kong, China, Taiwan, Japan, Korea, the Philippines, Southeast Asia and India; individual chapter topics include examinations of anime and sword epics as well as interviews with Woo and a few other notable directors. -- Cinescape

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Product Details

• Paperback: 132 pages
• Publisher: Chronicle Books (December 1, 1998)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0811821196
• ISBN-13: 978-0811821193
• Product Dimensions: 9.9 x 7.4 x 0.2 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 3.9 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (7 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #2,443,458 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars First class guided tour of Asian movies, November 6, 1999

By A Customer

This review is from: Asian Pop Cinema: Bombay to Tokyo (Paperback)

A fast, fact-filled tour of Asian movies from the well known spots like Hong Kong and Japan to the more obscure like the Phil. and Thailand. Lots of interesting information, nice illustrations and good writing style.

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars Slick, well-organized overview of contempo Asian cinema, March 18, 1999

By 

[e-mail] (Baltimore) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Asian Pop Cinema: Bombay to Tokyo (Paperback)

The author obviously has a feel for what's hip in pop culture, given his past works (including several books on Film Noir and Pulp Fiction PB Covers) and this Asian cinema primer is no exception. He touches all the correct bases as far as action & sexploitation Hong Kong Cinema (John Woo, Tsui Hark, Ringo Lam, Naked Killer, Sex & Zen), Bollywood (insane musical numbers and over-the-top HK-style action co-exist with incredibly ham-fisted acting and prudish "no-kissing" sexual mores) and Japanese cinema (current flaves of the month: Beat Takeshi Kitano of Fireworks & Sonatine fame and Seijan Suzuki of 60s yakuza art films). But this is just the frosting on the critical cake, scratching the surface of topics that deserve, nay require, more in-depth analysis and reporting. Still, the pix are great and chapters on Korean and Thai and Phillipines cinema are interesting. Fans whose interest is stirred will want to explore more in-depth analyses of the subject matter in Pete Tombs' MONDO MACABRO and Bey Logan's HONG KONG BABYLON.

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars excellent survey of modern Asian cinema, January 22, 2000

By A Customer

This review is from: Asian Pop Cinema: Bombay to Tokyo (Paperback)

I'm the author of "Celluloid Mavericks: A History of American Independent Film." I've never met Mr. Server, but I can highly recommend his book. He covers all the COOL STUFF from samurai films to soft-core porn to outrageous pop animation. This is all illustrated with a wealth of truly gorgeous full-color photos. In the past two decades much of the most exciting cinema in the world has come from the East. Let this book be your guide to these amazingly entertaining films.