Daughter of the Nile (Taiwan, 1987)

The eldest daughter of a broken and troubled family works to keep the family together and look after her younger siblings, who are slipping into a life of crime.

Watching a film by Hou Hsiao-hsien (Café Lumière, The Assassin) is like opening a bottle of Taiwan's finest movie magic. His restrained and subtle way of shooting scenes feels like a must-have in our contemporary cinematic hell of exaggerated editing, simplified storytelling and dumbed down characters for the masses. Daughter of the Nile spoils us with a beautiful portrayal of life in 1980's Taipei's neon-soaked street-corners and crowded bars. We get to see just how close the danger lies even to those who should be far from it. 

Hou is a big name in Asian film circles, but I'm certain that if he would have been a western filmmaker his films would make a much larger splash and be acclaimed by a much larger audience. Now they sort of lives on as an old reminder of how Taiwan made films in ways critics praise directors for in modern times.

Genre: Crime/Drama

Digital Devil Story (Japan, 1987)

A programming student utilizes occult magic and computer technology to summon a demon into the physical world.

In the mood for some cheesy/awesome anime? Digital Devil Story should satisfy your need for that morning cartoon-show, cool and stylish but also Sailor Moon-silliness. I read somewhere that the makers were inspired by how computers were getting more and more popular and they feared a time when technology would more or less topple mankind. I guess you could say they had legit reasons to be afraid, though it seems slightly excessive to have the Norse God Loki stepping out of your computer screen wanting to slaughter everyone.

As I've stated, the film almost has the feel of a cheesy morning cartoon with an M-rating, but sometimes that's exactly how I like my 80's anime.

Genre: Animation/Action/Fantasy

Demon City Shinjuku (Japan, 1987)

Kyoya's father was a great warrior, killed at the hands of the diabolical psychic, Rebi Ra, who has now opened a portal to hell in the city of Shinjuku. It falls to Kyoya to finish what his father started and battle his way through demons, while protecting a young woman from harm. The only problem is that he's not exactly your classic hero type, and his powers are still latent.

Shinjuku can be a dangerous place. Especially if a demon lord hellbent on the destruction of mankind has opened up a portal to hell in the middle of the city where nightmarish creatures are spilling out like blood from an evil wound. Demon City Shinjuku is directed by Yoshiaki Kawajiri whose previous works includes Vampire Hunter D: Bloodlust (2000) and Ninja Scroll (1993), and Demon City is very similar to those movies in terms of plot and graphic violence. 

Genre: Animation/Fantasy/Horror

Wicked City (Japan, 1987)

There has been peace between the worlds of the mortals and the supernatural for centuries, but the balance is now being threatened. The Radical elements from the Supernatural world are crossing over into the mortal universe for the purpose of destroying the peace forever.

They really don't make 'em like they used to. I hope you're ready for some R-rated demon slaughter, because Wicked City is some serious sh*t. Full frontal nudity, explicit sex scenes, bodies which get blasted apart with laser revolvers and love songs under the Tokyo night sky, all put together with that distinctive 80's animation style á la Vampire Hunter (1985). It's also very reminiscent of Blade Runner (1982), but with demons instead of robots and a noir drenched Tokyo instead of dystopian Los Angeles. Super stylish and ultra violent, this film should not be missed by anyone.

Genre: Animation/Fantasy/Horror

A Chinese Ghost Story (Hong Kong, 1987)

Ning Tsai-Shen, a humble tax collector, arrives in a small town to carry out his work. Unsurprisingly, no-one is willing to give him shelter for the night, so he ends up spending the night in the haunted Lan Ro temple. There, he meets Taoist Swordsman Yen Che-Hsia, who warns him to stay out of trouble, and the beautiful Nieh Hsiao-Tsing, with whom he falls in love. Unfortunately, Hsiao-Tsing is a ghost, bound for all eternity by a hideous tree spirit.

Welcome to Lan Ro temple, don't mind the ghosts and demons, we have comfortable beds!

Or something. A Chinese Ghost Story is a haunted mansion comedy with Hong Kong action and some almost Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon like fights. Maybe that's not so weird due to the fact that the director also made Hero (2002), a huge favorite of mine. All in all, a fun and action heavy ghost flick with some cool monsters done with practical effects. Good stuff.

Genre: Action/Comedy/Fantasy

Royal Space Force: The Wings of Honneamise (Japan, 1987)

On a far-off planet, a Kingdom tries to launch the planet's first manned spacecraft. This ten year old project not only faces funding and technical problem, but also is subject to political conspiracy and the neighboring Republic's aggression. It's all up to Shiro, the first spaceman to be, his friends and their faith to make the space program a success.

It's almost always fun to watch Japanese animated movies which had enormous budgets. Every scene in The Wings of Honneamise sparkles with incredible quality and everything is drawn to perfection. It's no wonder that Honneamise, during its production, held the record for largest budget ($8 million), until Akira (1988) was produced at a budget of $10 million. 

Despite being such an advanced and huge film, Honneamise failed to impress the everyday anime viewer. Maybe because it focuses heavily on dialogue rather than action, and not a whole lot is actually happening for the better half of the movie. Much like 2001: A Space Odyssey (1968), it's a film you either fall completely in love with or sleep through. 

Genre: Animation/Drama/Sci-Fi

Red Sorghum (China, 1987)

In 1930s China a young woman is sent by her father to marry the leprous owner of a winery. In the nearby red sorghum fields she falls for one of his servants. When the master dies she finds herself inheriting the isolated business. 

Red Sorghum is based on a novel by Chinese Nobel prize winner Mo Yan, and was directed by Zhang Yimou, whom you might recognize as the man behind incredible films such as Raise the Red Lantern (1991) and Hero (2002). With Red Sorghum he portrays a woman's struggle to run a winery, but encounters hardships around every corner. I like how the color red is dominant throughout the film; the liquor, the  cloths, the paintings, the blood. 

Genre: Drama

A Taxing Woman (Japan, 1987)

A female tax investigator, Ryoka Itakura, inspects the accounts of various Japanese companies, uncovering hidden incomes and recovering unpaid taxes. One day she persuades her boss to let her investigate the owner of a string of love hotels who seem to be avoiding tax.

Another great comedy from the mind of Juzo Itami (Tampopo, Minbo), and once again his wife, Nobuko Miyamato, plays the lead role with excellence. It seems that Itami comes up with his films while experiencing everyday problems, he wrote A Taxing Woman when he was to may more tax due to his previous film The Funeral (1984). It may feel a bit long near the end, but that's a minor complaint because it's so entertaining otherwise. I've always felt sorry because of Itami's suicide, if there's anything his movies has shown it's that he was a true master film-maker.

Genre: Comedy/Drama