Time for a confession; Battle Royale (aka Batoru rowaiaru) was the movie that really provoked my interest in Asian cinema. While I had watched many various Kung Fu/Samurai flicks it wasn’t until watching Battle Royale that I started appreciating all of the amazing cinematic art coming from Asia. I was trying to come up with a quick and easy summary of the story of Battle Royale, but it is best told by the movies website: “(Battle Royale) tells the story of a dystopic future in which each year, a randomly-selected 9th grade class is kidnapped and sent to a deserted island where they are equipped with weapons and are forced to kill each other until one survivor is left”. I have watched this movie at least a dozen times and I can’t express just how much I love this movie. It has been around a while (it premiered in December 2000) and there is even a Battle Royale 2.

The official movie website is available at http://www.battleroyalefilm.net/

Where to find Battle Royale online:

Ip Man was released by Mandarin Films in 2008. The movie is about the legendary Wing Chun Grand Master Ip Man (aka Yip Man). Ip Man is famous as being one of Bruce Lee’s Grand Masters as well as training many others. The movie takes place during the second Sino-Japanese War. If you are a fan of a well told story and good martial arts you’ll love this film!

The official movie website is available at http://www.ipman-movie.com

Where to find Ip Man online: