Berserk Golden Age Arc II: The Battle for Doldrey (Japan, 2012)

Band of the Hawk, Midlands strongest army led by Griffith, are quickly gaining recognition due to their success on the battlefield. They have defeated every army that once stood in their way, and now the king commands them to overthrow the supposed impenetrable castle of Doldrey.  

The Battle for Doldrey is the second (out of three, the first one being The Egg of the King) Berserk film and it excels over the first one in many ways. It's a violent medieval story with countless of beheadings and incredibly drawn battle scenes, made by the studio behind Tekkonkinkreet (2006). The Battle for Doldrey contains much less of the horrible CG that was scattered over most scenes in The Egg of the King, and thank God for that. This film series is a great way to discover the Berserk universe, both its many manga volumes and also the 25-episode anime series from 1997. It's crazy good.

Genre: Animation/Action/Fantasy

Red Beard (Japan, 1965)

In 1820, young Noboru Yasumoto completes his medical education in Nagasaki and returns to his native Edo hoping both to marry the daughter of a wealthy man and to achieve affluence himself through his medical practice. He happens to visit the famed Koishikawa clinic for the indigent, which is run by the autocratic Dr. Kyojo Niide, better known as Red Beard. To his intense displeasure, he soon finds himself assigned to the clinic for his internship. 

An epic exercise in both humanism and existentialism, Red Beard became one of director Akira Kurosawa's deepest and most emotional films ever, yet it's often overlooked when compared to other Kurosawa classics such as Seven Samurai (1954). It also was the last collaboration between Kurosawa and actor Toshiro Mifune, who starred in 16 of his movies. So this powerful film serves as the duos last bang and as an ending comment, I recommend watching as much as you can of Akira Kurosawa's films.

Genre: Drama

964 Pinocchio (Japan, 1991)

Pinocchio 964, lobotomised cyborg sex slave, is thrown out onto the street by his owners because of his inability to maintain an erection. He is befriended by a criminally insane, memory-wiped, homeless girl. Meanwhile, the corporate entity who manufactured and sold him plots to kill him because of his malfunction.

An insane and surreal journey with some really crazy characters. The camera-work is reminiscent of the cult classic Tetsuo: The Iron Man (1989) and makes it even more of a mad experience. It's considered to be one of the most important works in the genre of Japanese cyberpunk. 

Genre: Sci-fi/Horror