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Recently started with South Korean movies. Watched Oldboy when it was released and one of the Vengeance movies around that time as well, nothing else. Started with Welcome to Dongmakgol, The Host, Man from Nowhere and I Saw the Devil last week. War of the Arrows this morning. I enjoyed most of them, but Dongmakgol got a bit too Disney for my tastes about halfway through, really playing up the desire for unification of the two Koreas and showing us how they weren't so different not too long ago, etc. It wasn't bad, just a bit overdone. The Host seemed all over the place, never finding its comfort zone. It definitely had good moments, but it never really came together. Man from Nowhere was brutal and the pretty unique shots of the POV knifefight but mostly the cameraman jumping out of the window were very cool. I Saw the Devil was draining, but so good. It really felt like it lasted forever and just wouldn't let up, which makes me never want to see it again but still remember it as a very worthwhile ride. War of the Arrows was disappointing. At no point did I ever really care about what was going on and my mind wandered most of the time. It definitely wasn't bad, it just felt like I saw this movie a hundred times before and it did nothing to change that. Still have half a dozen others left, so I might be back soon. BioTech fucked around with this message at 13:20 on Jan 27, 2013 |
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Jan 19, 2013 11:27
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| # ¿ May 14, 2024 15:15 |
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Pretty sure it was Lady Vengeance. I remember someone getting beaten with a hammer on a chair, with plastic surrounding them to catch the bloodsplatters. Also a fat woman in jail, drowning other women and forcing them to eat her out. Have to be honest and say I don't remember much else, it was an arthouse showing not longer after release, so I'm guessing almost 10 years ago. Might have to watch it again soon. Both Memories of Murder and the Chaser are on my list, together with Pieta, Thirst, Brotherhood of War and Attack the Gas Station. Might be a while before I see all of those though, upcoming schedule is a lot busier than last week.
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Jan 20, 2013 04:44
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I had time for the Thieves, the Chaser and Memories of Murder this weekend. The Thieves was very enjoyable. Qbert said it before, but it's a combination of Ocean's Eleven and Mission Impossible. I think the biggest thing I like about South Korean films so far is they are not bound by Hollywood rules and have the freedom to change formulas. Often this means that the ending won't necessarily be a happy one, but in case of the Thieves I was surprised by the violence. This isn't a violent movie at all, especially not compared to the other ones I've watched, but when I read the comparison to Ocean's Eleven I just never figured there would be deaths, gunfights, etc. You expect charming thieves, you get things going wrong. I guess it can take some people out of the story, not getting what you expect, but for me it was very refreshing. The Chaser was amazing. It felt like a light version of I Saw the Devil, but only in regards to the gore/violence, which was cringeworthy in IStD sometimes anyway. It has the same driven or even obsessed characters and strong tension. Memories of Murder didn't really do it for me. There were many small things that I liked, but it never really came together. It is hard to explain, I just felt the parts didn't work together that well despite there being great ideas, some good laughs and an interesting premise. That said, I really liked how the cop with his old-fashioned style, country wisdom and unofficial techniques didn't save the day when the by-the-rules citycop couldn't close the case. He failed and never redeemed himself. Also, credit for not being buddy cop movie where they both learn from each other in the end and bla bla bla. Guess this ties into the bit about refreshing movies.
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Jan 27, 2013 13:29
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Had time for another two movies today. The Good, the Bad, the Weird was a very enjoyable ride. Most of it played out like an adventure film though, not a Western. I can't really put my finger on it but it felt kind of like an Indiana Jones movie when it came to action and humor. There were some really funny sequences in there and it was entertaining from start to finish. The ending was pure Western and a bit more grim than the rest, but nothing that threw me off. Thirst was amazing, I think it might be my favorite so far though The Chaser and I Saw the Devil come really close. I am a sucker for vampire movies and this one looked at all the things that make them interesting. No sparkles or superpowers, but guilt, unnatural urges and dealing with what you became. However, it did all of this without turning into an angsty teen's fanfiction and a boring pile of "woe me" crap. I really enjoyed how they set up the characters and then showed which direction they both went instead of selecting one stereotype and sticking with it. BioTech fucked around with this message at 21:44 on Jan 28, 2013 |
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Jan 28, 2013 21:41
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Saw the Yellow Sea yesterday and agree with what most people here are seeing. The Chaser was amazing, the Yellow Sea kind of average. It was a real letdown because I expected so much. There were some very nice scenes, but it takes too long to get going and the whole build-up has a pay-off that just isn't worth the wait. Afterwards I kept thinking about the great parts such as the axefight/chase through the ship, but it is easy to remember that and forget the rest.
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Feb 20, 2013 09:06
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| # ¿ May 14, 2024 15:15 |
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Been away from Korean films for a while, but I sat down for a bunch this week. The Terror Live didn't do much for me. It starts off great, but when you start with tension barely a few minutes in it is hard to keep momentum. They kept escalating the situation, but it just didn't stay as exciting. Some things worked great, others fell flat. The building toppling over really brought me back in for a bit, but too little, too late. I understand the praise here about the themes, but for me those were overshadowed by too many twists desperately trying to one-up what happened before and not really succeeding. My lack of interest by then is probably the reason I didn't get something at the end, maybe someone can help me with it. Why did the police shoot at Yoon after Park was shot and killed? He wasn't guilty of anything but a bribery scandal, hardly worth killing him over it seems. The lady on the walkie said "shoot on sight", but no reason. My buddy kept saying it was to cover up how the government wouldn't even give in to such small demands as an apology, but that was shown on national TV so it doesn't really work, right? I also saw New World and that was amazing. I have a hard time deciding if I like The Chaser or I Saw the Devil best out of the Korean films I've seen, but now I have three to choose from. It started off beautifully slow, just weaving the story until things went out of control. The scene in the elevator was horrifying and even when you kind of see the ending coming before it happens, it still feels like the incredibly final decision that it was. When I explained a friend the story about a syndicate run by an old man, who suddenly dies and how the individual gangs start scheming for control he immediately compared it to Game of Thrones, so at least I might get some people interested in a Korean movie using that. Also watched A Company Man, which I enjoyed as well. Much like Man from Nowhere this movie tells a story you've seen dozens of times before, but is filmed beautifully, isn't afraid to take it slow, has good acting, nice fights and just plays out so fluently that it feels refreshing. The walk into the office and the conversation that followed before the final shootout were incredibly uncomfortable to watch. The tension in that scene was amazing.
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Jan 21, 2014 23:03
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