PrettyCarEye

You're so on the money about that insecurity they feel. Many Norwegians feel threatened by better qualified foreigners, esp if you're American. I've met so many other expats - Americans, Australians, Canadians - who've encountered the same BS. That's how I know my experiences weren't unique. But I've been here so long that it no longer fazes me & not everyone's journey is as strait. BF's been having it good since he landed here. Great, well paying job & a good mixed bag of colleagues, but he works in oil & gas which is very international. In that environment you'll meet Norwegians who think their own culture is weird bcuz they've spent time abroad & see how 'normal' people behave. Hehe.

Anyway, yeah, definitely check out Always! You'll love it. Also check out Love 911 while you're at. It's another cute, romantic dramedy with a VERY hot firefighter male lead! ;-)

Technically, no since 'pink' film refers to Japanese movies. And like I said if you really want to see an authentic 'pink' film watch some of the older ones from the '60s & the '70s. If you can find it I can recommend Castle Orgies. It's one of my favs ... and it's not as wild as the name sounds. :-)

Nikkatsu is the name of the production company that commissioned the films. They are, or were (I think they've gone out of business), the largest producer of pink films in Japan. Pink film is a Japanese term used to describe Japanese films with sexually explicit content. But yeah, I guess you could call SSL a 'pink' film.

Older Nikkatsu pink films were just like any other films. You find them in every genre & character, story & plot are the driving forces of the film (not sex), BUT they must have at least 3 sex scenes. The sex shouldn't be pornographic, but they should be fairly explicit, like what you saw in Sweet Sex and Love. I don't really like the pink films that are being made nowadays because most of them watch like porn. The stories are horrible, the characters aren't well developed & the production values are pretty tacky. So I tend to watch only older Nikkatsu pink films. They're pretty hard to find online though.

Actually I'm pretty sure the Chinese are just as kinky! LOL ;) I've seen a couple C-movies with some pretty explicit content, I just can't remember what they're called because I watched them long ago before the birth of my Asian obsession.

I have not seen that many Japanese movies with mature content outside of 'pink' films (movies with a set number of sex scenes). Realms being the only exception.

What I like about Asian mature films is that it's never just about the sex in most cases. There's always a fairly good story at the heart of the film.

I understand your jealousy. I don't really like BF talking to other women either, esp his exes. Speaking of him, he's so angry with me today. He hasn't accepted any of my calls all day & I'm pretty sure he's sleeping at his house tonight. lol ... sigh ...

Oh my god! I particularly hated her in AGD! lol
Had I known she was the female lead I probably would have skipped that drama. Good thing I didn't know, because in spite of her I did like the show. I would have loved it more if the female lead was someone else other than her. I see in her a couple of other roles & her fate is sealed for me. She and HJW is the same to me: majorly overrated. Probably because I don't like her acting I've never taken notice of her fashion sense! :)

Hey I see you're watching Dong Yi, how is it so far? Is it any good? And is it romantic?

Hmm, that incident where you got wasted sounds interesting! Do tell! Last night came completely out of left field. We were only gonna have one beer & catch up with each other, but we ended up having dinner & a bottle of wine. Then the guy started buying beers in 3s! So before I knew it I drunk 6 beers & a half bottle of wine! I NEVER drink that much!

Hehe I'm really corrupting you with all these sexy shows, aren't I? LOL Given that I was brought up in a decidedly less conservative environment, no, it wasn't so much the public sex that shocked me, but just the fact that the couple is Asian. I'm fascinated by Asian sexuality. I've never really looked at Asians in a sexualized context b4. I always thought Asians came across rather self-possessed & conservative. I never would have guessed they'd be such freaks in the bedroom if the couple in this film is representative in any way! :-)

Anyway, as for what I'm watching now ... nope, nothing good. I'm watching Taiwanese drama, Devil Beside You & it's a complete wack. It's like watching a bad live action manga. LOL But somehow I can't bring myself to drop it.

Do you want a movie rec? I find taking a break from dramas & watching movies gets me out of my slumps. What you in the mood for? Romance? Historical? Crime? Mystery/Suspence? Drama?

When I 1st came here they told me that I won't ever get a job if I don't learn Norsk. So I did. Then they said that Norway doesn't recognized my US edu so I went & took a Norwegian BA. Then they told me that nobody hires ppl with only Bachelors anymore, you have to have Masters too. So I got the masters & I still couldn't get a job that fits my qualifications. Then they started to criticize my CV, how I write my applications & just me ... my way of being. At that point I knew it wasn't me, it's them & I just stopped. I've always wanted to work w/film so I started a prod comp & told bf if it doesn't work then I'm sorry, I won't stay here under these conditions! He agreed we'd move back if I wasn't happy, but thankfully I'm making strides in my film career & I'm my own boss. I only have to put up with BS from the gov funding agencies I apply to for grants, but I can live with that.

I love Japanese movies, yes! I think they're in a class by themselves. They have a way of making films that are so relatable. I love that they make films about ordinary everyday people you can easily come across in your own life. I did start Love Letter, but I've had it on hold for a while now because the pace of the story was soooo slow. I loved it up to the point where I've seen it so I'm going to go back and finish it one day soon!

Do you have any other favourite Japanese movies you can recommend?

I have never watched Hyun Bin in anything & if it wasn't for her I would've watched Secret Garden because I really want to 'meet' him. I avoid watching Kings 2 Heart because of her too. I've only ever seen her in one thing in which I didn't hate her, Closer to Heaven. In that movie she toned down the over the top behaviour and just acted from a more organic place. It's not that I liked her any better (I didn't), it's just that I wasn't distracted by her exaggerated mannerisms and facial expressions so I was able to focus on the story which was really good. I liked the movie even though it was horribly tragic. Being this picky about an actor probably makes me miss out on a lot of good shows but I don't care. I have to like an actor to enjoy their work. Ha is just not as good an actor as people make her out to be. I also can't stand Kim Na Heul. What do you think about?

He he he ... now that I think about it wasn't it you who rec'ed Love 911 to me? So how come I'm now rec'ing it to you? LOL! I'm old before I'm young! hehe

Anyway, what's wrong with the ending? I thought it was really sweet & romantic the way he lifted her up & kissed her. Awww...how can you not like that, LD?

Or are you referring to how he just walked out of a building collapsing on top of him without a scratch? I thought that was pretty f'ed up! lol

You're right about the story. I definitely think they could have been more creative with it & they should have developed the relationship more. It was only okay when it had the potential to be good or great. That said, I'm just happy to have a dramedy that ends happily. They are far too rare in Korean cinema.

Yes, ma'am you should! While both films are based on the same folklore and thus have same core characters their stories are different. The Servant puts a more mature spin on the original story, and it solicits a deeper emotional investment from the viewer. I absolutely loved it, and I think you'll like it too.

As far what I'm watching, slowly making my way through Devil Beside You. After that I'll probably go back to watching Salaryman before watching It Started with a Kiss. Tonbi is a drama I want to see. Be sure to let me know how it turns out for you.

Today I'm stuck at home unable to do much because of a rash decision to go drinking with a friend of mine last night. Since I'm unable to concentrate on work, I tried watching a few new episodes, but the flashing images make my hangover worse. Really getting too old for this sh--, but I never seem to learn...ugh

Wins, so glad you enjoyed Chunhyang! It's a romance lover's playground. It was a surprise & a pleasure to discover it! And yes, the way in which it's narrated was so unexpected & creative! I loved it. It was a real cultural experience for me. As for Cho Seung Woo, omo, when I saw the kid I was really blown away by his beauty! Can't wait to see more of him!

Sweet Sex & Love surprised me. Didn't expect to like it as much as I did. It's arguable whether the film needed to be that explicit to convey the director's pov (imo, yes), but it was a great case study on the importance of communication in relationships.

Yeah, Kim Ki-duk is an inspiration to me. My current short film is heavily influenced by him. I hear though much of his earlier works are quite controversial. So far I've loved most of what I've seen from him. You should check out Spring, Summer, Autumn, Winter ... and Spring.

Yeah, I know about those articles. They are what made me come here in the first place. I was pretty sure the roads were paved with gold! LOL

But no, same problems like back home. Their world famous health care system is a bit of a hoax bcuz when you contract certain types of chronic illness forget about coverage. The Health Dep is shamed almost on a daily basis by the newspapers covering stories of dying children who are refused coverage. Also a shocking number Norwegian doctors are incompetent! And don't get me started on getting a job. It's an additional nightmare if you're not in bed with someone. Forget about applying, it just doesn't happen. So yeah, it's not as rosy as Americans (& Norwegians themselves) think! lol

Anyway, back at yah if ever you're back this way! :-)
I do come to Seattle on ocassion. I have cousin who lives there. I was there in 2007 to attend his wedding.

Yes, I know how embarrassing it is when someone says hello to you & you have no idea who they are! That happens to me all the time! LOL

What I normally do in such situations is keep talking to them as if nothing's out of the ordinary & eventually they'll say something that jogs my memory. It works, but not always! Haha

Yes, give Chunhyang a chance. If you're a bonafide romance fan I'm fairly sure you'll like it. I also recommended Love 911 & Always to Allyson. She mentioned you guys normally watch movies together so I'd definitely recommend you add those to your queue! You might have already seen Always since it's really popular here on the site. The female lead is the same in both movies & her co - stars are both smokin' hot man candies. Give 'em a go! :-)

He he ... that's just me when it comes to sad endings, but you can watch whatever you like! If you love crying, cry away ... but I hate crying! The only tears I like to shed are tears of joy. lol

Rom-com is not a favourite genre of mine. I like watching a rom-com every once in a while just to have a laugh or see something cheesy & cute, but otherwise I prefer romantic drama films. I also prefer if they end happily or with an uplifting ending. I hate when the characters end up dead or dying.

Yeah, I know Ha Ji Won is a fav of many, but she annoys me with her weird facial expressions and mannerisms. I just don't like her. Sorry.

Yup! Very annoying! These days I avoid ALL her dramas & movies, even if she's playing against a favourite of mine. Thankfully that hasn't happened yet though & I hope it never does. I would have loved to watch Secret Garden, but I blacklisted it because I just know she's bound to piss me off somehow! :-)

Yes, add it to your queue! And if y'all haven't seen Always (a classic ... very popular here on the site) that's a good one too. A tad darker than Love 911, but still good with a very nice happy ending. I wish Korea would do more romantic drama films like these! The ones they do tend to make are almost always about cheating spouses & they NEVER end well. Otherwise they do a lot of romcoms which are nice every once in a blue moon, but not my favourite genre overall.

Let me tell you, it's a good thing I didn't discover dramas when I was a student! I would have surely flunked every course on the curriculum. Without a doubt! He he he

Even now I wish I had time to watch more dramas. Guilt free!

Oh he did?! Man, that sucks. I hope they're able to hold out until he gets out! Damn this mandatory draft thingy (I do understand it given that they have a bully like North Korea breathing down their necks). But still, it's inconvenient...

I tend to watch more movies than dramas bcuz they just fit my schedule better. I'm the worst marathoner on MDL. Once I start a drama I just have to keep watching til the end. There are exceptions of course (like my currently watching drama Devil Beside You which I can only take in small doses). But I'm way too busy to marathon stuff right now.

Anyway, if you're up for a romantic dramedy with some hot chemistry between the leads (lead guy is smokin' btw!), check out Love 911. The story had a somewhat American feel to it with a few Korean staples thrown in. It also reminded me somewhat of Always - which you've probably seen? I loved both!