This review may contain spoilers
Unconvincing
I like the cast but the evil prosecutor got too much screen time. some things were over the top : when you hit someone with a 2x4 board, full force, on the shins- repeatedly, legs will get broken, so walking away from that gets less interesting for me. When the whole reason for revenge is to avenge your father, who died because he did crooked things for crooked people, it's hard to feel all in sympathy/empathy. I didn't feel like they did a good job showing how lead con man convinced others to be on his side.Was this review helpful to you?
"Gaja! Gaja!"
Aimless Bullet aka Obaltan was a relentlessly bleak look at an impoverished family in post-war Korea. While the film didn’t touch on politics, showing the hopelessness of the characters and the devastated economy got the film banned for a bit, before the censors relented and let it be released in South Korea.Song Cheol Ho leads a family that includes his pregnant wife and young daughter, his traumatized and bedridden mother who cries out, “Let’s go! Let’s go!” repeatedly, Yeong Ho-his handsome brother who cannot find a job and spends his days drinking, a younger brother who dropped out of school to sell newspapers, and a sister who has been shunned by her fiancé. Yeong can usually be found with his buddies from the military. Most of them were wounded during the war and have had no luck finding jobs two years after the war. Cheol works a dead-end job as an accountant. He barely makes enough money to feed and shelter his family. His wisdom teeth cause him constant agonizing pain but he refuses to spend money at the dentist’s when he can’t even afford shoes for his daughter. As tragedy after tragedy hits, family members begin to seek alternate forms of income that have serious consequences.
The film utilizes broken glass throughout. With the exception of the daughter, most of the characters were like broken glass with little hope of putting them back together. Cheol took a deep breath every day as he shuffled into his hovel in worn out shoes, believing he was failing his family. Yeong received opportunities and blew them, found and lost love, and eventually used up all his chances. Tragedy after tragedy struck Cheol until he was like an aimless bullet, disoriented and not knowing where to go.
Just about every problem associated with the economy was shown, even in blink and you’ll miss them moments. The sheer financial hopelessness weighed on the characters like ominous millstones around their necks. After WWII most countries were able to begin rebuilding, Korea ended up torn in two by a calamitous war further devastating their country and economy. Men who had sacrificed so much for their country came home without job possibilities. Gut wrenching loneliness compounded by PTSD and infirmities only led to further isolation and emotional desolation.
Aimless Bullet occasionally gave the characters a brief glimpse of a better future only to burn it to the ground. This film was an aggrieved cry, “Gaja! Gaja!”, “Let’s go! Let’s go!” But go where? For some characters there was only one path that led to release from their suffering, others wandered in circles, aimless bullets searching for a direction that led to sunrise instead of the eternal night.
17 June 2025
Trigger warning: suicides both alluded to and shown
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This review may contain spoilers
not much of a romance & 1/3 of the movie is not translated into the English subtitles
I watched this because I liked Jang Keun-suk so much in You're Beautiful, but this left me flat and rating is higher than it really deserves . First problem: About 1/3 of the movie is not translated into the English subtitles. 2nd Problem: Female lead is combatative ,hard to get along with,rude & not affectionate. She inflicts all sorts of abuse on Jang Keun-suk, whose long shaggy orangey mane of hair really detracts from his looks. A happy ending is hinted at, but What we are given is an awkward Not sweet or nice ending. To feel good about this series you need to STOP at the the music video that is 3/4 of the way through (at a wedding scene) where they should have ended the movie.Was this review helpful to you?
Romans 8:31-39
The title of this movie comes from one of my favourite texts from the Bible: Romans 8:31–39. In this passage, Saint Paul explains how great the love of God is for us through Jesus Christ. I had trouble understanding how this applies to the movie, but it truly gives us something to reflect upon once the movie is over. There are also many Bible verses included in the film, but they appear and disappear in the blink of an eye, and I couldn't really connect them to the story. The director probably wants us to do a kind of workshop or reflection on the state of our service in the Church. The overall theme of the movie is about sinful people who work in the Church. Since I am a priest, I feel I am the intended audience—and I can say it truly made me examine my conscience.From an outsider’s perspective, some people might interpret this film as a denunciation of the Church, revealing the corruption that exists among pastors who become false idols. It's true that many could find reasons to stop believing or attending Church because of the bad behaviour of religious leaders. But for me, this challenging movie is a testimony to us weak and sinful people that God is always beyond us. We can trust in his Love but we must be humble.
There is also a very young girl in the movie. She barely appears, but her subplot about cookies is so strong and provocative. That little subplot is simple, but theologically it’s quite powerful. What to do with love that hurts someone?
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A Tale of Two Stories
The title of this movie is aptly named. Aichaku literally means in Japanese ‘attachment’. But an attachment to an object that is more like a feeling of affinity – what the object means. It takes on an emotional attachment. And this movie is certainly that. It is a movie filled with a lot of emotional bonds. This is a story about dreams where destiny seemed inevitable. Yet, destiny is not a given and it may not happen at all, no matter how hard one believes. Then the synergy of two men who happen to meet, fall in love, brought strengths with them to make each of their dreams a reality. While the first half was slow-moving, the second half carried the story to fruition. It became relatable, less centrist to one or the other character, and together combined to make dreams happen with a result being a new beginning for both men. Overall, the movie ended up being a very moving and poignant story with periods of humor and touching interactions. Read the full review of this rather entertaining movie at BLBliss.com.Was this review helpful to you?
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Seoul Mates
The first time I watched it, I stopped around the 15-minute mark—I got distracted and went to do something else. But then it suddenly hit me that I had just watched Your Name Engraved Herein a couple of days earlier, and I was really craving a girl/girl story, whether romantic or platonic. I had high hopes for this one, but honestly, the messy pacing kind of ruined it for me.I see a lot of people blaming the guy for ruining everything, but in my opinion, while he did play a part (unintentionally), the best friend also sabotaged the relationship herself. Why is no one talking about the dinner scene where her stunts pushed Ha-eun to storm off back to her room—and then the best friend just left? That was wild.
There were so many moments that could’ve been resolved with a bit of communication. Ha-eun also misunderstood things twice: first during the kiss scene, where she probably thought her best friend and boyfriend were in love, and then again when the boyfriend brought her drunk best friend to his place after the lover’s suicide.
Let’s talk about the boyfriend—he literally decided to marry Ha-eun while still being in love with Mi-so. He apologized and said he would make up for all his sins by staying with Ha-eun for the rest of his life. But honestly, I didn’t feel any chemistry between them. Did he really love her, or did he just settle for her because he couldn’t have her best friend?
And then there’s Ha-eun, who realizes on her wedding day that she loves her best friend more than her future husband. And instead of confronting anyone about it, she just... leaves. Another case of running away. Guess they're truly soulmates, because both of them are pros at avoiding things rather than facing them.
Aside from all the unnecessary worry they caused others, I had mixed feelings about the movie. There were moments I loved and others I hated. And what was with the strange blending of future and present timelines with no clear transition? One minute Mi-so has long hair, the next she’s getting it cut—and I couldn’t even tell what was real, what had already happened, or what was just imagined.
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"I don't scare easy" Well, I do sister
Tetsuo: The Iron Man is one of those movies I started without fully realizing what I was getting into. I am not a body horror fan so this film was not at all my jam. This review is for anyone thinking about watching it who also might have concerns about this sort of film. For fans of the genre, they will most likely find many things to enjoy about it.A metal fetishist who has driven metal into his body runs out in front of a car and is hit. The couple take his body out to the woods to dispose of. The victim takes his revenge on the salaryman by causing metal to begin growing out of his body. That's the simplest explanation.
This film felt like the efforts of someone who had been on a psychedelics bender and brought his horrific hallucinations to life. There were numerous scenes that made it hard to tell if something was really happening and if it was, why it was happening. Was it just a delusion? Much of the action was fast forwarded or stop action which was nausea inducing.
Tsukamoto Shinya who wrote, directed and starred in this film had a penis obsession. Whether mechanical or real, the object of ecstasy or torture, phallic symbols abounded.
Tetsuo is the type of film that is more about the experience than the “plot.” For me, it was not a great experience. A curiosity, yes. Entertaining, not particularly. Again, if you enjoy this horror subgenre, it’s older, but might be one to try. Every time I think I've seen the weirdest movie, there's someone to say, "Hold my motor oil."
16 June 2025
Trigger warnings: Basically, if you have triggers, it would be best to avoid this film. Bugs. Gore. Violence. Sex. Nudity. Penis gore. Sexual assault.
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This review may contain spoilers
Disclaimer: I actually watched the movie version in 2022 and series version 2023 but never did a review for them. Well, better late than never. I placed spoilers at the end of this review.
The series/movie: This was a great series. It had a very charming storyline and incredible script. I like how they were able to successfully connect multiple elements and characters together. It also did a great job of giving you just the right amount of information of the characters backstories. The cast did an incredible job with their characters. The acting between the main leads was good with the usual exception often seen in Korean BL series/movies. The cinematograph and music was good.
The movie: They did a great job editing the episodes into one cohesive movie. There were no new scenes added, some scenes were edited differently, and a few scenes were deleted with content editing. The good news is all of the changes did not impact the quality of the movie. They did edit out the opening credits which is usually with the movie versions.
Random Notes:
Although the changes did not impact the movie, I preferred the series version. I like the English subtitles and content editing better.
There is a second season that I DO NOT recommend watching. Yes, this is just my opinion but it basically ruined all the best parts of the first season.
******Spoiler Alert******
Although it was not that bad, the actors still looked very awkward during the kissing scenes.
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Have been positively surprised
Absolutely worth seeing film with clearly homosexual content (which is actually amazing with such stupid censorship restrictions).Very subtle camera work, good script and a pleasing acting performance!
On the whole, an enjoyable film with many small details, discreetly hinted gay scenes and yet a courageously open treatment of the actual problem: homosexuality
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I should have watched it since long time ago...
I heard people around me talking about this movie, but I didn't really take any interest because I thought it was going to be a slow-paced and boring movie. But turns out this movie is ... wholesome ... I love that there is no big unnecessary drama and we have a happy ending for everyone ... if I have to describe it with words, this movie is a "healing, fresh, warmth, and sweet" story.Was this review helpful to you?
1How to be a bad parent - simple guide.
The way all the adults in this movie were truly awful and selfish - I failed to feel touched by any scenes, I was just fueled with frustration. No, I did not come out of this movie with a thought of how vulnerable deaf people are in society and how they need assistance (which alone is honestly borderline offensive), but rather - deaf people can be selfish and dumb too.By all means Xiao Ma was a victim of his own demise. How many times can a person make the same extremely bad choice before we can stop feeling bad for them and accept they failed themselves? It's one thing when you once get scammed after trusting the wrong people. But to willingly do it over and over again, put yourself and your child in danger? Wild. He was just a bad parent. Not one choice he made was done for his daughter, but for his own selfish need to keep her next to him, not caring if it's beneficial for her or not.
The mother is not better. I do not care what was decided when the child was born - yeeting yourself out of their existence to randomly come back is never right. The way she did not try to slowly build a relationship with her daughter, gain her trust. Poor Mu Mu was forced into an extremely bad situation by both of her parents.
This movie left me with exactly zero positive emotions and thoughts. Every new development made me more angry.
That said, one thing Mumu delivers is the acting. What a performance from both Lay and Li Luo An. I am not going to pretend like I know sign language, but just from a visual standpoint, the characters did feel natural and fluent while using it - it never felt awkward. The emotions felt real and raw. If only the plot was better and the characters sucked less, I would probably cry alone just because of the emotional performances.
Visually speaking also no complaints. It's not outstanding, I cannot think of any memorable scenes in terms of shots and aesthetics, but I also cannot think of any bad aspects in that area of production. Directing and editing wise, I truly loved the "fighting, but pretending to party" scene in the beginning of the movie. It was adorable and it made me smile a little bit.
Overall, I'm just disappointed. The whole movie gives you the idea that deaf people are inherently victims to be made, naive and vulnerable and they need protection and support. When the truth is the majority of the issues male lead faced had nothing to do with him being deaf, but with him being dumb and selfish.
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Turn on the light ⇢ How production can ruin a movie.
It took me a month to finish Nokturno. I watched a few minutes here, a few minutes there, but it never grabbed my attention enough for me to dedicate more than 20 minutes in one sitting. Why?How was the movie? I don't really know. I was mostly watching my reflection on screen because the film was so freaking dark. How can I feel invested in the story, when I literally do not see what is happening? Scared? Of what, when the scares I hidden in the black hole of the lighting department. It was simply frustrating. I was putting my laptop right in front of my face trying to catch a glimpse of that's going on. I honestly considered getting into the wardrobe with hope a pitch black could help.
I get it, horrors are usually not supposed to be all bright and well lit (though, some of the best titles do use light setting for their advantage), but we still need to see something. Anything.
That said, it's not like the poor lighting was the only issue. The plot itself was just mediocre at best. The idea behind the creatures? Interesting - that's the movie I want to watch. Or at least get a better, more elaborate explanation of the background. The way they did not flesh out the supernatural elements, the human one was underdeveloped too - the relationships between the characters, their motivations, reasoning for their choices. Everything was always summed up in one liner.
Nokturno feels like a cheap version of The Ring with The Nun aesthetics. It just felt extremely sloppy. Decent performances meant truly nothing when everything else was distractivelly bad.
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This review may contain spoilers
Curtain Call
Curtain Call (1984) ⭐️ 8/10The story follows Miho as she pursues her dream in the musical world while also searching for her biological parents. Every year on her birthday, she receives flowers from someone she calls "Daddy-Long-Legs," whom she believes to be her father. It turns out the sender was using a random name, but along the way, Miho meets someone who truly feels like a father figure to her.
As we follow Miho’s journey, viewers are treated to beautiful scenery in every scene! Plus, since this is a semi-musical, there are plenty of songs and some really cool ballet choreography.
I really liked the heroine! She’s not only beautiful, but her acting and dancing are amazing 🥹🫶🏻 And guess what? She later played the mother of the heroine in Asadora Ohisama and the mother of the male lead in Hanbun Aoi! When I watched those dramas, I remember thinking how stunning she was, no wonder, she was already so talented and gorgeous at a young age! Harada Tomoyo plays Miho so well, especially in the ballet scenes and during her musical audition practice 💯.
And what I loved the most was the ending! It was so sweet how her mother and Takuji grew close because of Miho. In a way, Miho not only found a father figure for herself, but also helped her mother who had given up her youth to raise her find love again. It’s like her mother finally got to enjoy her youth too. So heartwarming!
Overall, I recommend Curtain Call (1984)! The main character is likable, she works hard to achieve her dreams, the visuals are beautiful, and it leaves you with a warm feeling thanks to its touching family themes.
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"A Sweet, Nostalgic Romance Carried by Irresistible Chemistry"
I watched Just For Meeting You because the lead actors are currently starring in The Seven Relics of Omen, where their chemistry is absolutely captivating—and it definitely carried over here. The film delivers a soft, nostalgic look at first love, with playful banter and a light enemies-to-lovers dynamic. While the storyline is predictable and the character development—especially for the female lead—could go deeper, the visual warmth and genuine connection between the leads make it a pleasant and emotionally satisfying watch. It may not break new ground, but as a fan of their current drama, it was a sweet bonus to see their chemistry unfold in a different setting.Was this review helpful to you?
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Somehow this might make you cry
I am a fan of the director and find most of his works veer into utter insanity. There's always a mix of humor, sadness and general chills. It's one of the better attributes of this director. You know you are about to watch something silly as hell when you watch his movies.I found that the overall story in this was like 3 different parts. One was a haunted house horror movie, then a Shonen protagonist training montage and then family drama. I was in awe of how it transitioned. It definitely will be for a very niche crowd as it has tons of faults. However, if you just allow yourself to walk into this script you may find it has some good points.
The overall acting is kinda terrible. There were only a few good moments, which when they hit, they were strong. The quickness and dispatching of characters is crazy. It will surprise a lot of people. It is gory but not over the top. What will really set you off however is the reveal of why Sayuri is the way she is. Heavy warning and spoilers but there is SA of a minor in this story. It will be hard to watch even though this movie up until that point was somewhat hysterical.
This is why I said it might make you cry because the ending actually somehow made me tear up because of the wrong doings to Sayuri. The tonal whiplash is also a signature of this director. You may also come to the conclusion that he may not be that grounded himself but that's sort of why I adore his movies.
Which was surprising but understandable. But just like prior movies like OCCULT and SHIROME they tend to force you into all sorts of absurd emotions.
The music also was somewhat hilarious, swinging from Horror to Battle Anime to Sad depression. The ending theme really got me after everything was said and done. The final few scenes are actually really sweet and well shot. I thought overall the movie was well shot. It had just a little bit of everything for trickery to make you feel tense. I particularly enjoyed the flickering light sequences. There's some really pretty golden time shots in this movie. It seemed to be it's signature oddly enough.
I say give it a chance but only if you can get pass the SA and overall sporadic nature of the movie.
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