"Heed my warning or we're all doomed!"
South Korea brought back their 1967 kaiju in Yonggary 1998. This time Yonggary is a fossil discovered by an unscrupulous professor. His mentor tries to warn him and the government that a global disaster is at hand. Per usual, the dire warnings go unheeded until an alien spaceship arrives and reanimates Yonggary!Professor Campbell discovers a fossilized dinosaur fifty times bigger than a T-Rex. As it is excavated crew members beginning dying horrific deaths. His assistant, Helen, quits over the cover-ups. She is approached my Professor Hughes, Campbell’s ex-mentor. Hughes tells Helen that with Yongarry being disturbed, aliens will soon arrive and bring Yonggary back to life. She is skeptical, but almost immediately his prophecies come true. The government calls them in to help find a way to defeat not only the massive kaiju but the aliens in orbit controlling him.
The first thing that has to be said is that this may have been a Korean production, but there weren’t any Korean actors in it. The cast was predominantly white. I had to stop the film and make sure I was watching the correct movie.
This film was made for 7 million USD/10 billion won and I have no idea where the money went. The CGI was laughably bad. It truly would have been better if they had guys in rubber suits stomping through town. The acting wasn’t much better and the dialogue was awful. There were lines lifted from other films such as Independence Day. I laughed all the way through it, especially every time Capt. Cue Card had trouble reading his lines! I took off a ½ point for one guy calling Godzilla a p*ssy. Seriously, we do not denigrate Big G. The military war room was hysterically funny. There were tall living room lamps for lighting and posters on the wall, even a stuffed animal displayed. One general smoked a cigar through all the hand-wringing and planning causing everyone else to have to hotbox his stinky smoke. Definitely, not a designated smoking area.
Despite the extremely low quality, Yonggary aka Reptilian had one thing going for it—there was a lot of kaiju action. It might not have been good CGI but planes, helicopters, and people in jet packs battled Yonggary and later another kaiju, Cycor, appeared to throw down as well. I laughed in all the wrong places which was its own kind of entertainment. Even for fans of kaiju flicks, this one might be a giant footprint too far. Best to watch the original from 1967 rather than this terrible effort.
17 October 2025
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Love and Fear
I'll try to make this an unbiased review.The story is about Shima, who's been hurt by a previous relationship in which the other guy denied him and his identity out of fear and a bit of internalized homophobia. It's also about Togawa, who's never been with a man before, but can't help finding everything about Shima cute. Shima might talk a lot of bullshit but he's an insecure overthinker, while Togawa just goes with the flow and lives in the moment.
There are a lot of moments in the movie that don't seem like much, but they mean a lot to our characters and have impacted their actions, and I really appreciate that. It's not always fun trying to guess what the characters are thinking, but a lot of the times actions speak louder than words, and I just had a great time with that.
The issue I personally have, is the lack of sound in this movie. Specifically, music and background noise. It was too silent. And that gave it a weird awkward feeling that affected the performance of the actors. Some scenes that were supposed to be powerful came out a little bland.
Otherwise, it was an enjoyable watch. There were a lot of "read beteen the lines" moments which kept me interested enough to pay attention. I felt emotionally connected to the characters the more I found out about them, and it felt real. The interactions and the conflicts are all understandable issues, and maybe that's what I find the most appealing about this movie.
I highly recommend reading the manga. I am a huge fan of the author, Yoneda Kou. It's an amazing work and definitely better than the movie.
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When fantasy meets comedy!
This movie is GREAT.It's hilarious, touching, funny, aesthetically pleasing, cute and again....very cringy in the bestest way. I loved every seconds of it and it had been a while since I genuinely laughed like that. I'm definitely the target audience to such quirky jpn comedic show (+ it's about vampires and i'm kinda a connoisseur when it comes to that) so babanbabanban vampire is to me, the perfect match between fantastic ghotic horror and comedy.
There is a main plot that starts the entire movie and until the end of it, the goal remains the same. However, the focus isn't really on that aim that much but rather on how to maintain the possibility of it becoming reality and here comes all the horrendous situations, the peak comical misunderstandings, the touching deeper moments, the slice of life, the family, the friends, the past knocking back against the surface. This is the movie, all of these scenes and dialogues and of course, it is SUPER funny and unserious but there are mutliple scenes that hits deeper, that brings up more significant topics whereas it's about the humans or the vampires. In that, there is some sort of balance, like you will be able to catch up some instances that definitely makes the characters way more 4D, although 90% of the movie is still pure good vibes and funny moments. It reminded me of a series I watched in the past named "what we do in the shadows", definitely has the same energy!
It's easy to watch, the acting is superb, also super interesting to learn about the vampire lore they chose or not to use, that was a treat to me hehe. Either way, this film is very good and I highly recommend it if you search for a good easy time. Also, I've got to say, I absolutely LOVED the music bits, like what a way to introduce your character and life in a quirky, fun and memorable manner. I was obsessed with those songs bits ngl.... Genuinely such a nice and unique idea!
Babanbabanban vampire! Go for it 🧛
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This review may contain spoilers
Life
I watched this movie for the first time 2 years ago and t has been my favorite movie ever since. I am so sad that the movie isnt that famous internationally as it shows such an important moment of history. It shows the struggles of teenagers, the excitement of youth, love, fear and so much more. I cant even put into words how much this movie means to me and has affected my life. I think everybody should watch the movie atleats once in their lifetime.The music alone is so beautiful it pulls you in instantly and makes you feel nostalgic and emotional. The cinematography itself gives you a feeling that you experinced everything that happens yourself.
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Im Yoon-ah delivers one of her most versatile performances, masterfully balancing the contrast between the sweet and lovable daytime Seon-ji and her wild, unhinged nighttime counterpart.
Ahn Bo-hyun perfectly complements her as Gil-goo, bringing unexpected warmth and tenderness while dealing with the absurdity of his job. The chemistry between them drives the movie, making their unlikely romance feel genuine.
Pretty Crazy is a charming film for those who enjoy romantic comedies with a touch of fantasy and the supernatural. It’s not perfect, but it offers memorable moments, a curious premise, and the ability to surprise you when you least expect it. If you’re open to a mix of drama, absurd humor, and a bit of suspense, this movie will give you laughter, tenderness, and a delightful chill in the night.
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All right, I thought, time travel, man out of time, comedy -- we all know how his one will go, right?
Wrong.
Well, at least I was wrong. The story continually surprised me with how it developed, to the point that I had no idea how it would end until the last five minutes or so.
If a film with a widely used trope like "time travel" can do that, then it is an automatic recommendation from me.
I don't want to spoil the actual plot for you either, but let me just say this: This might have been labelled as a comedy on JFF Theater, but it is not only that. I found more than a few thoughts about other, more profound themes in there, I was breathless during the "last scene", and I shed some tears in between.
This film is both a spoof of and a hommage to Samurai films and Jidaigeki TV shows (Samurai series). It both honors an image of the noble samurai and points out the horrors of killing and war. And, as a lot of Japanese productions do, it shows people's dedication to their craft, whichever it might be. (Also, food appreciation. Where Thai media has ghosts, Japanese media will always have people loving their food.)
The main character is so loveable, I wanted to give him a hug more than a few times -- and all of the other recurring characters are very likeable too. Watching them help and respect each other was a joy -- even the relationship between the main character and his (perceived) antagonist is full of respect.
There was some slight romance, but nothing explicit, and open-ended; it was one of many sub plots, and certainly one of the less important ones.
What makes the film even more outstanding is the performances. The fight scenes, "choreographed" and "not", look very good to my untrained eye, which is as it should be, given the two main topics here, and the actors balance comedy and darker emotions very well.
I am sure that aficionados of Samurai genre will see even more love in the film, but it was already brimming with love for filming, Samurai movies and history for me.
I don't even need to pose my three question here; it was excellent, I loved it, and everybody should give this film a try!
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Ah Chi’s opera troupe has been hired to play for a few days by Uncle Ma. Ma invites his nephew, Dick, to watch the opera. He’s hoping Dick and Ah Chi will marry and break the curse her grandfather placed on the Ma family at the time of his death years before. What Uncle Ma doesn’t know is that the real danger lies in a company of soldiers who died due to the bad medicine Ma’s elder had created that killed the soldiers and others in the town.
This film combined low brow comedy, one of the ghosts was named Cat Sh*t, and half haphazard drama. Several characters were possessed and killed by the ghosts, but no one seemed to care. The story wasn’t terribly cohesive and the acting and staging often had the quality of a 6th grade school play. My viewing experience was hampered by a faded copy of the film with almost invisible white subtitles at times. I’m used to old kung fu flicks having this quality and did not grade off for it. In fact, I took the poor quality into consideration and bumped my score up just in case it was affecting my judgement.
If you enjoy old Hong Kong ghost comedies and Cantonese opera to boot, this might be a film to try. Otherwise, it’s skippable.
15 October 2025
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Down the Drain: The Missed Opportunities of Manhole
The cat and mouse game between a serial killer and his prey is nothing new in the horror and thriller genre. This film offers an creative take on this common trope; using the sewers as a lair and the manholes as a means for the killer to snatch his victims. Creating horror out of something most people walk by everyday is an effective way to capture the viewer's attention and plant a seed of uneasiness from the start.This initial tension lingers throughout the story as suspense is continuously built through the claustrophobic feeling induced by the underground setting and deadly pursuit through what feels like an endless labyrinth.
Despite an intriguing premise and thrilling chase sequences, Manhole's narrative is ultimately unsatisfying due to several unresolved plot points that leave the viewer with more questions than answers.
Overall: 2.5/5
Quality: 2/5
Enjoyment: 3/5
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This is a story about an old man, who refuses to change.
This is a story about a father who loves his daughter.
This is a story about two survivors.
This is a story about gently supporting each other.
This is a story about expressing love.
This is a story about life.
This is a comedy. This is a simple slice-of-life story. This is a film that moved me to tears.
Expect a mostly slow-paced slice-of-life film, in the style that's typical for Japanese films of this genre. It has more than a few layers of story, see above, and those who get on with the style will surely find their own reading.
For me, what was most poignant, and maybe not easily accessible for the younger generation, was the way the two older people lived their life and how they looked back on it. They are, I think, almost exactly as old as my own father, and I found much of him in theses characters. All of them have lived through the horrors of war in their early childhood -- they saw the bomb falling on Hiroshima, my father lived through air raids in cellars; all of them have had to go on with life and rebuild a society they did not destroy, and even though there was no one to talk with about these experiences, this generation shares a silent kowledge about their traumatic childhoods and a quiet acceptance of what is that later generations don't. And in this film you can see exactly that -- and also how freeing it is for both to finally talk about it, to acknowledge the pain and to share their values with each other.
Other viewers might rather focus on the father-daughter-relationship or the tofu making process, or the scenery of Hiroshima, or maybe the two love stories -- it's all fine; I think this is what the writer wants us to do -- and this is what makes the film a great example of a good slice-of-life film.
The overall quality of the film is excellent, as it is usually the case with films shown on JFF Theater; the only thing I would have liked to be different is that Fumie's actress, while outstanding in her portrayal of the character, is about twenty years too young -- and because of that, I was unsure about the character's age for most of the film; even though that is an important fact to know about her, that she was a child in 1945.
Was it good?
Yes. Except for the one aspect I mentioned, it was well-written, and well-executed.
Did I like it?
I did. This is one of the kind of films I need to be in the right mood for, and I'm glad I found the time at the right moment for it.
Would I recommend it?
Definitely. Especially to those who like the Japanese style of slice-of-life films.
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Realistic portrayal of two flawed people and their relationship
This review is conclusion of both the S1, S2 and the movie and haven't read the novel.I remember watching S1 last year but I hated the series and thought Hira was very boring and a very unlikable character and hated him, and dropped the series. But suddenly I wanted to watch the series again after coming across good ratings for the series, and I now, I absolutely love HiraKiyoi.
The first 5 episodes of S1 are a bit unlikable mainly cuz Hira isn't such a likeable character and he might seem like a very creepy guy. Nd hein borderline is. But after you get to the 6th ep, you will begin to immerse yourself in the characters.
The writer of the novel did a great job in developing both of their characters. And If your open-minded, you would find the characters of both leads described in a very realistic way instead of identifying them with cliche character notions. The director and the actors too did a great job in portraying the characters with authenticity. It is not very easy to make a completely character based series.
Personally, it felt like both of them are real people and I was watching the portrayal of two real people and was travelling with them in the journey of their relationshipI would say their relationship both imperfect and perfect and bothe of them completely balance each other. Both of them are self aware as well as understand each other in and out. In the first season, it may seem like their relationship is toxic and both of the leads are toxic in their own way- Hira being obsessed with kiyou and Hira liking such a creepy person may seem unreasonable, and the way kiyoi was ordering around Hira might seem like bullying or taking advantage of Hira, but when you get to know Kiyoi's pov, everything made real sense.
I personally think Kiyoi doesn't understand Kiyoi as much as Kiyoi understands Hira, I would say Kiyou is a very mature guy, in the way he patiently handles Hira.
And as for Hira, one cannot judge a person based on his actions alone, if you are to understand Hira's pov and his wierd thought process, he actually does makes sense.
And I liked Hira's photography master, he understood about Hira apart from Kiyoi. He was a very sensible man.
Scenes I liked :
1. The confession scene in the 10th ep
2. And the last scene of S2, where kiyoi asks Hira about his hobbies to understand him better
3. The bathtub scene - Actually when Kiyoi tells Hira that he can kiss, I was expecting him to kiss on his lips, but the way kisses Kiyoi's hands made much sense and shows how hira values Kiyoi beyond his life. And the way Kiyoi turns away embarrassed, showed his emotional depth. The scene didn't seem like a normal kiss scene or a making out scene, it was much more than that, we get to see the deepest emotions of both the characters in this scene. I couldn't sense a bit of lust while watching all I could feel was deep emotional connect between the characters, vulnerability,love and desire to be there for eachother, cuz that was how perfect the execution was. Even though Hira just says Kiyoi is beautiful, it seems like he was telling Kiyoi much more than that which is hard to put into words. That scene was very beautifully executed, I could feel the emotions of both the characters. This is my favourite scene of all.
4. Their fight in the movie, when Hira tells his parents will never know if Kiyoi.
5. Anna's rain photoshoot
6. Kiyoi's photoshoot by Hira
I liked the opening and ending theme songs of S1.
Ps - Kiyoi is very handsome I would rewatch the series for him.
But apart from Kiyoi, I would definitely rewatch the series for their relationship growth, and character development. I might read the novel to understand their characters better
Actually, I am not that good in expression through words, but there's much more I feel for both of their characters. HiraKiyoi have grown in me as characters I would never forget.
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1Police officers Lam and 2237 are faced with a bizarre drug mule when they stake out a bar. The problem? She was dead and deadly dangerous. Uncle Feng, a cop stuck out in the sticks is called in to help on the case by Capt. Ma, an old friend and police comrade. Lam doesn’t believe the woman was dead before she was killed (again) and works overtime to drive Feng away. Feng is a supernaturally talented Taoist and supernaturally stubborn. Before long he has used his skills to track down an evil Japanese sorceress and drug trafficker who uses animated corpses to do her bidding.
Lam Ching Ying cannot be beaten as a Taoist ghost and vampire buster. Nearly any scene with Feng and his wild eyebrows was a winner, whether he was taking on a bodybuilder corpse, ticked-off ghost, kung fu bodyguard, or sorceress who was nearly impervious to any assault. Lam also proved in his fight against Billy Chow he could still hold his own with fists and kicks. Nishiwaki Michiko as the sorceress could have used more scenes but nailed her magically bonkers role. The second half of the film was action packed with almost non-stop fights both kung fu and magical.
Where this film let me down was the first half, especially when it centered on the two officers played by Wilson Lam and Michael Miu. I didn’t find their humor funny and Officer Lam’s sexist slapping women on the butt made me hope he’d get eaten. There always seem to be inept sidekicks in these films and these two bordered on grating. They weren’t as bothersome in the last 45 minutes. Feng’s niece was inexplicably thrown into the story as a female presence for the two cops to fight over. Ick. And also for Feng to rescue.
Once the action, magical mirrors, and ropes took hold of the film, it was much more entertaining. The special effects were especially low budget, completely expected and part of the fun. I should be bored of the LCY formula, but I line up to watch him fight the undead every time. I just wish there had been some jiangshi/hopping vampires for him to tackle in this film. As always, rated on a curve against others in the genre/time period.
14 October 2025
Trigger warnings: There was a gross supernatural character for anyone squeamish. I hope there wasn’t but it sure looked like animal abuse of a cat. Officer Lam’s sexist swatting of women was never acceptable, but certainly not in 1990.
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Mad Max in Seoul: A Straightforward and Entertaining Ride
Badland Hunters is reminiscent of post-apocalyptic films we have come to love like Mad Max: Fury Road.The film quickly sets the scene, providing key information about the world so it can swiftly move on to comedic interactions and action scenes.
Being centered around the importance of community, this film would benefit from further character development, as only surface-level information on the main characters is presented. While the action and thriller aspects are well executed, the narrative is tonally inconsistent; appearing uncertain whether leaning towards a comedy or a drama. A more focused approach to its overall tone would have improved the film's effectiveness.
Nevertheless, the various combat scenes sprinkled throughout the narrative and the sympathetic main characters helps to maintain the viewers' engagement. While the action and fight choreography take priority over character and world-building, diminishing its long-term appeal, this film still provides and interesting portrayal of a dystopian future, making for an entertaining watch.
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Mixed review
Flash review--So apparently if you are a fan of the source material you have to hate this. But if you aren't then you may have fun.
THE GOOD
Pretty fun action
Some interesting setting/story stuff. Some very creative things, and calling it "scifi" or "superhero" doesn't seem to encompass that aspect well enough. Perhaps pushing into creating a new subgenre or at least some new ideas for scifi
Some of the emotional moments landed well. This actually is the big difference for me between it being bad and having been worth a watch.
THE BAD
Way too much CGI, and the CGI looks cheap. Regularly stuff doesn't even look like it belongs in the scene, it is more like its just animated on its own and laid on top of a background.
A lot of the action doesn't even make sense. Just punching stuff because its cool to watch bricks flying, without considering if the character has a reason to punch that. Maybe this aspect is "fun and cartoony" if you are just eating popcorn
Way too rushed. This is clearly an episodic plotline, with separate plot arcs that happen in each location, that should have been an 8 episode series, but just forced into a 2 hour runtime. We could have actually cared about these side characters a lot, but there isn't space to flesh them out enough
That forced pace was also costly when this includes a lot of unique setting things, and its all just kinda forced at you or mentioned in a gestural way without actually establishing anything. Without clarity about the "rules" of the setting, it is hard to feel like overcoming any conflict is "earned"
Yet another kdrama that thinks a bullying plotline is the greatest way to build a hero. But of course it doesn't even handle it well.
Oh and the final fight is corny as hell, empty calories of CGI fighting
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ARASHI Anniversary Tour 5×20 FILM “Record of Memories”
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A must-watch concert movie if you are a fan of Arashi !
I truly enjoyed my time watching this concert of Arashi. Being a fan, the nostalgia factor was very strong and it moved me quite a bit ! They played most of their iconic songs and it was a real pleasure to see the japanese public singing along with the idols.If the songs were great, the atmosphere and the view of this huge audience really impressive, I must admit that both costumes and dancing could be better. Most of the dance routine felt relatively easy and similar. It absolutely did not diminish my enthusiasm but I surprised myself several time watching the concert thinking that the moves were a bit repetitive. For costumes, I admit that it is much better than years and years ago, they are not doing as much bulky/box costumes with many layers...But still, some felt a bit plain or simply lacking a wow factor.
What remains a constant in the group and ultra visible through the screen is the friendship between the members, their charisma and their happiness to be there, performing all together. The way they adress the public : they still have the same manner and it made me slightly tear up to see how much fun they had. If dancing did not blow me away, singing was really good. Listening to Ohno and Nino singing, Jun and Aiba specific tones and Sho rap was great and brought me up many good memories.
I would obviously recommend this to people that are fan of Arashi. If you have seen some of their past concerts, you will for sure experience nostalgic and happy feelings, remembering the past. A really uplifting watch !
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