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David Duchovny recommended Oldboy (2003) in Movies (curated)
Awix (3310 KP) rated A Hill in Korea (Hell in Korea) (1956) in Movies
Feb 8, 2019
Gritty, old-school British war film, where keeping a stiff upper lip is at least as important as seeing off the enemy. During the Korean War, a patrol runs into trouble and must take shelter on a hill-top with no way down; the enemy close in. Sort of a bit like Zulu, I suppose, it certainly has the same sort of cast (many well-known faces on the way up) and feeling of sweaty heroism in extremis.
Good performances and well-staged, authentic-feeling action; Portugal stands in for Korea, not especially convincingly. Most likely a bit problematic by modern standards: cast consists entirely of white dudes, one of whom is unconvincingly made up to be the patrol's Korean guide. But it was the 1950s, after all.
Good performances and well-staged, authentic-feeling action; Portugal stands in for Korea, not especially convincingly. Most likely a bit problematic by modern standards: cast consists entirely of white dudes, one of whom is unconvincingly made up to be the patrol's Korean guide. But it was the 1950s, after all.
Pinkpunk (4 KP) rated Train to Busan (2016) in Movies
Jan 20, 2018
Incredible
Contains spoilers, click to show
Train to Busan is a Korean zombie horror film, I wasn't sure what to except when I when into this but wow! The actors are exceptional ,the story is intense and there wasn't just gore for the sake of it. There were various scares but not obvious ones, I did actually forget halfway through that I was watching a subtitled film. Amazing
Awix (3310 KP) rated Memories of Murder (Salinui chueok) (2003) in Movies
Oct 8, 2020
Korean crime drama; an early film from Bong Joon-ho. When a serial killer appears to be at work in a small South Korean town, a rough local cop and a cerebral detective from the big city are forced to work together to catch the murderer.
Some people apparently think this is one of the greatest movies ever made; I can't agree, but it is an extremely solid and thoughtful crime drama. Very dark and gritty (possibly more than some viewers will be comfortable with), but two very strong lead performances and a streak of black humour keep it watchable. After a relatively conventional first few acts, the end of the film takes a sharp turn in an unexpected direction, which may frustrate and disappoint some viewers, but the shift away from genre movie to drama is well handled. Entertaining, gripping and thought-provoking.
Some people apparently think this is one of the greatest movies ever made; I can't agree, but it is an extremely solid and thoughtful crime drama. Very dark and gritty (possibly more than some viewers will be comfortable with), but two very strong lead performances and a streak of black humour keep it watchable. After a relatively conventional first few acts, the end of the film takes a sharp turn in an unexpected direction, which may frustrate and disappoint some viewers, but the shift away from genre movie to drama is well handled. Entertaining, gripping and thought-provoking.
Carmen Dupre (14 KP) rated Wings by BTS in Music
Feb 2, 2020
A brilliant album by the Korean supergroup, BTS. There's an added personal touch in the form of a solo song from each of the 7 members, from the heart wrenching ballad 'Awake' to the upbeat 'Mama'. The album's title track 'Blood, Sweat and Tears' is synthy dance pop with a music video worth watching. All in all, a lot is offered in this album to enjoy.
Zola Jesus recommended Eraserhead (1977) in Movies (curated)
Suswatibasu (1701 KP) rated The Accusation: Forbidden Stories from Inside North Korea in Books
Nov 15, 2017 (Updated Nov 15, 2017)
Unflinching tales from North Korea
The Accusation shines a light on the dark half of the Korean peninsula with stories that are as readable as they are important. Written by a North Korean dissident still living in the country, the book is extremely unique - the manuscript having been smuggled out of the country by a fleeing relative.
Bandi, (not his real name) focuses on the period between 1989 and 1995 when Kim il-Sung and Kim Jong-il were in power. Seven short stories, each pointing an accusing finger at the ruling regime, shine a light on North Korea's truly fathomless darkness. While most of the stories are fictional, they are based on real events, but names have been changed to protect identities. It is almost Orwellian in nature, it's unbelievable that there is a place in the world where 1984 is a reality.
The seven stories aptly convey the hardships and constant trauma that people face in a country cut off from the rest of the world. Written with deep emotion and elegance. A sensational read.
Bandi, (not his real name) focuses on the period between 1989 and 1995 when Kim il-Sung and Kim Jong-il were in power. Seven short stories, each pointing an accusing finger at the ruling regime, shine a light on North Korea's truly fathomless darkness. While most of the stories are fictional, they are based on real events, but names have been changed to protect identities. It is almost Orwellian in nature, it's unbelievable that there is a place in the world where 1984 is a reality.
The seven stories aptly convey the hardships and constant trauma that people face in a country cut off from the rest of the world. Written with deep emotion and elegance. A sensational read.
Suswatibasu (1701 KP) rated Human Acts in Books
Sep 13, 2017
A sombre and beautifully written outlook on a South Korean massacre
Once again Han Kang has written a haunting piece of literature very different from her award-winning debut novel The Vegetarian.
The intricate meshing of narratives of several stories across generations explains the disturbing effects of the Gwangju uprising - South Korea's Tiananmen Square massacre. There are elements of spirits attempting to reach friends and family members after being killed by government forces. The language is melancholic and beautiful, and entire story is an absolute tragedy.
The intricate meshing of narratives of several stories across generations explains the disturbing effects of the Gwangju uprising - South Korea's Tiananmen Square massacre. There are elements of spirits attempting to reach friends and family members after being killed by government forces. The language is melancholic and beautiful, and entire story is an absolute tragedy.
Suswatibasu (1701 KP) rated A River in Darkness: One Man's Escape from North Korea in Books
Jan 17, 2018
An utterly bleak story of an invisible man
Masaji Ishikawa's story is truly soul-crushing, the level of trauma is beyond comprehension, therefore read it with caution.
Ishikawa describes his life under the North Korean regime as gruelling, horrifically terrifying, and there are some completely hopeless moments where you think why even bother anymore.
His journey begins in Japan, the child of a Japanese mother and Korean father, he was forced at a young age to move to North Korea under the pretence of "returning" to his motherland, though he never believed so. His father, an originally extremely violent man became pacified as he realised the perilous situation he bought his family into. But they soon face the truth and brutality of their circumstances.
The narrator defects at a much later stage in life, living around 30 years under the dictatorship, but leaving his family behind. He questions whether he made the right decision in the end as the consequences are revealed and the reader is left writhing in agony at his pain.
It is not an easy read, but it is important to understand the level of complexity and the reality of the situation. An absolute must read.
Ishikawa describes his life under the North Korean regime as gruelling, horrifically terrifying, and there are some completely hopeless moments where you think why even bother anymore.
His journey begins in Japan, the child of a Japanese mother and Korean father, he was forced at a young age to move to North Korea under the pretence of "returning" to his motherland, though he never believed so. His father, an originally extremely violent man became pacified as he realised the perilous situation he bought his family into. But they soon face the truth and brutality of their circumstances.
The narrator defects at a much later stage in life, living around 30 years under the dictatorship, but leaving his family behind. He questions whether he made the right decision in the end as the consequences are revealed and the reader is left writhing in agony at his pain.
It is not an easy read, but it is important to understand the level of complexity and the reality of the situation. An absolute must read.
Sheknows1self (20 KP) rated The Masked Singer in TV
Jan 24, 2019
A celebrity singing competition that features top-secret celebrities facing off against one another while shrouded from head to toe in elaborate costumes, complete with a full facemask to conceal identity. With each performance, the host, panelists, audience, viewers and even the other contestants are left guessing who is singing behind the mask. One singer is eliminated by the audience and judges each week and reveals his or her true identity to the stunned panelists and audience. The American version of the Korean game show "King of the Masked Singer".