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Awix (3310 KP) rated The Vampire Lovers (1970) in Movies

Feb 17, 2018 (Updated Feb 17, 2018)  
The Vampire Lovers (1970)
The Vampire Lovers (1970)
1970 | Classics, Drama, Horror
6
6.3 (3 Ratings)
Movie Rating
Provocative-at-the-time Hammer exploitation movie; Ingrid Pitt's first starring role for the company. Voluptuous vampire Carmilla (Pitt) preys upon aristocratic young women in fairy-tale Mitteleuropa.

Much stronger on gratuitous nudity and heavily implied lesbianism than on narrative coherency; good supporting cast of British character actors is very much put in the shade by a powerful, charismatic performance from Ingrid Pitt. All feels a bit tame by modern standards, but good enough production values and acting to keep it credible and mildly interesting.
  
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ClareR (5849 KP) rated The Trunk in Books

Jan 29, 2025  
The Trunk
The Trunk
Kim Ryeo-Ryeong | 2024 | Contemporary, Fiction & Poetry
8
8.0 (1 Ratings)
Book Rating
Well, I didn’t know how much I needed to read Korean literature until I read The Trunk!

Inji works for a secret branch of a well-known matchmaking agency. Men who would like a wife without the long term commitment, hire a Field Wife. She fulfils their every wish, be it domestic or sexual. Inji’s current husband is a repeat contract. He’s not very good at being a husband, and reinforces Inji’s opinions on marriage: unnecessary and unfulfilling. And then there’s the possibility of domestic violence and exploitation.

To be fair, this doesn’t paint a great picture of marriage in (this case) Korea. Inji doesn’t even refer to her husband by name. He’s just “husband”, which makes him almost incidental to the story.

There’s a lot going on in this novel: family dynamics, exploitation, modern slavery, death (by suicide?), prostitution.

And what is the trunk in the title? I personally think it’s Inji’s personal baggage: the emotions, feelings and responsibilities that she carries around with her all the time. This trunk goes with her between field husband, her family and her flat. She’s never without it.

Is it the thriller that it’s sold as? I don’t think so, but it is a very interesting glance into life in Korea, and I really enjoyed it.
  
Sin City (2005)
Sin City (2005)
2005 | Action, Drama, Mystery
Amazing all star cast - Elijah Wood is surprisingly creepy (0 more)
Suspends belief (0 more)
Slick cinematography, dark tales
This film's graphic novel style cinematography is original, effective and beautiful to behold. The black and white effect with certain colours highlighted reminded me of looking at old style comics. The multiple stories that mesh together are all extremely dark, from serial murders to molestation and exploitation, it's Rated R for a very good reason. And while the Tarantino style gore can be surprisingly easy on the eye especially in black and white, it seemed extreme at times, filmed for the sake of being violent.