GO Club Movie Night Recommendations

goTony · #1

Our Club recently watched "The GO Master" the biopic of GO Seigen. It was the first for all of us. I warned people it was a little slow. But none of us were prepared for how incomprehensible it would be. Most of us agreed it that we really did not know or understand the great master better after the movie. Luckily we had eggrolls and Saki.

I have heard of "An Unfinished Chess Game." (Actually about GO players with a game interrupted by the war:
http://www.amazon.com/Unfinished-Chess- ... 7880861947)

Has anyone seen it? Is it a movie that would appeal to a variety of people and not just art film critics.

Are there any other movies that feature GO in them that you would recommend?

We like to start an occasional GO Club movie night featuring GO, Samurai flicks, Chinese/Japanese history perhaps a Beautiful Mind, Searching for Bobby Fischer etc...

Any other suggestions? Thanks ahead of time.

emeraldemon · #2

Hikaru no Go obviously.

xed_over · #3

goTony wrote:

I have heard of "An Unfinished Chess Game."

Also known as "The Go Masters" (not to be confused with "The Go Master" -- note the "s" or lack thereof).
Its also good, if not a little slow as well, but more focused on the game. It sort of parallels Go Seigen's life story to some degree, but was not necessarily intended to, as its not about him -- just similar circumstances and time periods.

Have you seen this page?
http://senseis.xmp.net/?Movies

EdLee · #4

goTony wrote:

I have heard of "An Unfinished Chess Game."
Has anyone seen it?

Hi Tony, I saw it, and I think it was clearly based on important and unique events in Go Seigen's life, but they changed all the names,
and added some (bizarre?) sequences for dramatization.

Also, check out Tokyo Newcomer (2013).

goTony · #5

emeraldemon wrote:

Hikaru no Go obviously.

LOl really I did!... Thank you Emeraldemon, yes how could I not mention the quintessential GO Series?! Well the truth is we did talk about it and may show the first few episodes one night and let people finish it on their own. Of course some of the guys are rather frightened of anime, as I was till I actually watched this excellent series.

goTony · #6

xed_over wrote:

goTony wrote:

I have heard of "An Unfinished Chess Game."

Also known as "The Go Masters" (not to be confused with "The Go Master" -- note the "s" or lack thereof).
Its also good, if not a little slow as well, but more focused on the game. It sort of parallels Go Seigen's life story to some degree, but was not necessarily intended to, as its not about him -- just similar circumstances and time periods.

Have you seen this page?
http://senseis.xmp.net/?Movies

Thanks for the info. We were all disappointed there was so little GO in the GO master. We understand a GO film is not a Samurai flick so slow and artsy we can handle to a reasonable degree. : )

goTony · #7

EdLee wrote:

goTony wrote:

I have heard of "An Unfinished Chess Game."
Has anyone seen it?

Hi Tony, I saw it, and I think it was clearly based on important and unique events in Go Seigen's life, but they changed all the names,
and added some (bizarre?) sequences for dramatization.

Also, check out Tokyo Newcomer (2013).

Looks like an excellent recommendation, GO, fight scenes, Japanese culture, a lovely- Love interest, I found a preview here: Now just have to find subtitles in English... Thanks for the tip.

http://asianwiki.com/Tokyo_Newcomer

xed_over · #8

goTony wrote:

We were all disappointed there was so little GO in the GO master.

A lot of go players were disappointed in it, but I really liked it. Remember, its not really about go the game per se, but about Go the person, who even though he is The Go Master, there's more to him than just go.

Monadology · #9

It doesn't involve Go, but for board game themed films that the club might relate to I recommend Computer Chess.

It's a kind of odd and offbeat film, but not inaccessible or overly weird.

msgreg · **#10**

xed_over wrote:

Have you seen this page?
http://senseis.xmp.net/?Movies

Film section on AGA website

Four links for more references.

Pi, A Beautiful Mind, and Restless are among the few modern(-ish) films that include go as a plot point. (Apparently, a Beautiful Mind includes more go scenes in the extras, so be sure to watch those, too).

There are currently 19 titles with imdb's tag game of go.

goTony · **#11**

Monadology wrote:

It doesn't involve Go, but for board game themed films that the club might relate to I recommend Computer Chess.

It's a kind of odd and offbeat film, but not inaccessible or overly weird.

I will look it up sounds like it may be an interesting movie. Thanks!

goTony · **#12**

msgreg wrote:

xed_over wrote:

Have you seen this page?
http://senseis.xmp.net/?Movies

Film section on AGA website

Four links for more references.

Pi, A Beautiful Mind, and Restless are among the few modern(-ish) films that include go as a plot point. (Apparently, a Beautiful Mind includes more go scenes in the extras, so be sure to watch those, too).

There are currently 19 titles with imdb's tag game of go.

Thanks for the info Greg, Restless I have not heard about. How is your club going? Ever done a movie night?

Monadology · **#13**

goTony wrote:

Monadology wrote:

It doesn't involve Go, but for board game themed films that the club might relate to I recommend Computer Chess.

It's a kind of odd and offbeat film, but not inaccessible or overly weird.

I will look it up sounds like it may be an interesting movie. Thanks!

Sure. I should mention that I would only show it if your audience are all adults (or near adults). There's nothing explicit, but there's a subplot involving a swinger's convention (well, not exactly, it's more like a weird new age self-help group that seems to involve wife swapping but it's never made clear, but there is a scene where a couple from said group propositions one of the chess people) and there's some drug use as well (though the drug use isn't very prominent).

EDIT: Boy I'm making this movie sound pretty bizarre. It's tamer than it sounds, trust me.

Bonobo · **#14**

Monadology wrote:

[..]

EDIT: Boy I'm making this movie sound pretty bizarre. It's tamer than it sounds, trust me.

Now you’re making it sound boring again :twisted:

Grtz, Tom

msgreg · **#15**

goTony wrote:

msgreg wrote:

xed_over wrote:

Have you seen this page?
http://senseis.xmp.net/?Movies

Film section on AGA website

Four links for more references.

Pi, A Beautiful Mind, and Restless are among the few modern(-ish) films that include go as a plot point. (Apparently, a Beautiful Mind includes more go scenes in the extras, so be sure to watch those, too).

There are currently 19 titles with imdb's tag game of go.

Thanks for the info Greg, Restless I have not heard about. How is your club going? Ever done a movie night?

Just about to start. I'm involved in a go group, several gaming groups and a film group and I just introduced the idea of watching The Go Masters (The Unfinished Chess Game) to the gaming group so I'll probably start with that in the next month or so. The Go Masters is available at Yellow Mountain Imports or Amazon and Uber Goober (imdb), a movie examining "several different groups including historical miniature gamers, role-players, and those known simply as “LARPers” (Live Action Role Players)", is available direct or on Amazon. There are more about RPG and LARP groups I think because they are just more filmable (see also Thaco, The Dungeon Masters, Zero Charisma). While not in the same Genus or Species, we're clearly in the same Order or Family.

And I can't wait for The Surrounding Game to be available.

goTony · **#16**

Monadology wrote:

goTony wrote:

Monadology wrote:

It doesn't involve Go, but for board game themed films that the club might relate to I recommend Computer Chess.

It's a kind of odd and offbeat film, but not inaccessible or overly weird.

I will look it up sounds like it may be an interesting movie. Thanks!

Sure. I should mention that I would only show it if your audience are all adults (or near adults). There's nothing explicit, but there's a subplot involving a swinger's convention (well, not exactly, it's more like a weird new age self-help group that seems to involve wife swapping but it's never made clear, but there is a scene where a couple from said group propositions one of the chess people) and there's some drug use as well (though the drug use isn't very prominent).

EDIT: Boy I'm making this movie sound pretty bizarre. It's tamer than it sounds, trust me.

Lol what a description, lets just hope we dont get the Hikaru no GO night and this one confused. It might prove interesting to switch the films and see the parents and the kids reactions! Thanks for the warning.

goTony · **#17**

[
Pi, A Beautiful Mind, and Restless are among the few modern(-ish) films that include go as a plot point. (Apparently, a Beautiful Mind includes more go scenes in the extras, so be sure to watch those, too).

There are currently 19 titles with imdb's tag game of go.[/quote]

Thanks for the info Greg, Restless I have not heard about. How is your club going? Ever done a movie night?[/quote]
Just about to start. I'm involved in a go group, several gaming groups and a film group and I just introduced the idea of watching The Go Masters (The Unfinished Chess Game) to the gaming group so I'll probably start with that in the next month or so. The Go Masters is available at Yellow Mountain Imports or Amazon and Uber Goober (imdb), a movie examining "several different groups including historical miniature gamers, role-players, and those known simply as “LARPers” (Live Action Role Players)", is available direct or on Amazon. There are more about RPG and LARP groups I think because they are just more filmable (see also Thaco, The Dungeon Masters, Zero Charisma). While not in the same Genus or Species, we're clearly in the same Order or Family.

And I can't wait for The Surrounding Game to be available.[/quote]

Let me know if the group likes the movie The GO Masters/Unfinished Chess Game. Wow you have some unusual movies lined up.

oren · **#18**

It's not a movie, but I think many Go players could appreciate watching this English documentary about Fujisawa Shuko.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jv01aMbudiQ

CnP · **#19**

Pi (my first encounter with Go) - it'd be a bit of an uncomfortble film to watch for me, now that I'm not 18 anymore - just seems a bit daft. If you can laugh at it, why not though.

+1 for Tokyo Newcomer, I really enjoyed it.

And "The Stone" looks like it'd be really good (also on the SL list).

p.s. I though the Go Master was very good, but I felt you needed to know the basic background before watching it.

For films that include Go as a side element, I like Sanjuro (especially since I like Kurosawa films). Tron legacy 2010 includes some Go and is fun to watch anyway - i.e. you've got an excuse to put it on.

Fedya · **#20**

Faster, Pussycat! Kill! Kill! has go-go dancers. Does that count? :twisted:

GO Club Movie Night Recommendations

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