Reviews

I thought this would be really funny but I only found one or two scenes funny. Instead of laughing, I was pissed off while watching this because of all the terrible treatment of women that was excused as funny with no consequences. I don't blame the characters because they probably didn't know much better, and it is a realistic portrayal of men, so I don't think they should be changed to be perfect gentlemen. But the way the movie treated it was so bad. Imagine a guy gets you drunk just for sex and his friends were watching you in a closet. That is so fking scary. Some women may be strong enough to just slap him and forget about it, but not all women are that strong. With all the violence towards women in this world, it's hard for a woman to see that they just wanted to learn how to have sex and not think that they were about to do something terrible to her. And there were so many other instances like that that just get dismissed. They did portray him as a jerk when he did all of that, but that's not enough. At the same time I don't want this to become some serious depressing movie by portraying the reality of that kind of treatment of women because this is supposed to be a lighthearted funny movie so idk. Also, I don't mean to say this was a bad movie because it had good quality and acting and all of that. And if so many other people found it funny and enjoyed it, then it must be good. This was just one small aspect of the movie. I'm just so sick of seeing movies with that aspect.

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After rewatching it, I had to revise my first impression

The first time I watched the movie it felt a little lengthy and the acting a little stiff.

Nevertheless I have watched the second part (see my review there) and thought, I should rewatch the first one because I felt so much closer to the actors in the second movie.
And I am glad I did so. Because now, with the feelings from the second movie, the acting in this movie makes more sense to me. The english parts are still a bit bumpy, but Tonawanik Adisorn plays the "being torn because of having had sex with a man" really good, the confusion is literally writen all over his face. He is a quiet character and I misread that the first time, so you have to watch his face closely. And his heartbreak brought me to tears (again).
The character of Oat is even when rewatching a bit plain, no changes there. But Yumi is great, I loved her from the beginning.

Another thing I love about the movie: the soundtrack. There is not much music, but the song when they kiss is terrific and adds to the scene extremly well. And the scenery is awesome, for example the picture when they stand on the mountain and watch the land below is like a painting, beautifull.

My conclusion: I like the movie *insertsmileyhere*

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Nice action scenes and nice comedy, both in balance

Honestly, I went into this movie just based on its tags: action, comedy and it delivered what it said it will. I laughed, and I got a good deal of action scenes. There are some plot twists here and there which was nice. Overall, if you want to watch a movie to relax and enjoy and feel good, this is the perfect choice.
I didn't really liked Kim Young Kwang in the only drama I've seen from him (my secret secretary) (completely personal, his acting was good and I liked the show. but I just didn't like the character he played that much) and I think this goofy action type is a better match for him.
I really want to see a second movie with this cast and I think the storyline has the potential for the second movie. And I hope in the second movie we see Lee Sun Bin having a more active role. I feel like her role was a little bit inferior to Kim Young Kwang, and it wasn't very clear whatever she was a rookie or a skilled agent.

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Wow..

This Movie honestly left me so shocked at the end! I've never watched a BL like this before and honestly I kinda liked it. I will say it there is definitely a big twist! It was very interesting how things ended up (:. Music wise , there wasn't even really any music to rate except for when Hao Wen sings. I will say his vocals were great. The acting was pretty decent in my opinion. Even though this movie was different and I enjoyed watching it, I do not see myself personally rewatching it. I will say I'm okay with the way it ended, even though there were parts of the movie that made me question the ending and if I actually liked it.

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This is a classic coming of age story, but with a few different elements. Both mains, Onise Taiga & Kogure Nao are "normal" high school students who have been impacted a lot due to their close relationship with their parents. On one side, we have Onise who was raised by his mother and shared a close bond with her where whenever she would get close to another man, he felt like he was being cheated on/abandoned and started to act out and get into trouble where everyone labeled him as the "bad guy" at school. Kogure on the other hand, after a tragic accident that killed her parents, is raised by her uncle and somehow developed a love for him that she misplaces as being romantic love.

This is a classic coming to age story about two teenagers who find one another and decide they want to grow and not be label by their past selves - Onise doesn't want to be labeled as this bad guy who feels lonely and gets into meaningless fights, but instead a guy who protects the people he loves and cares for everyone. Kagure wants to be happy and strong and passionate, and not the "scaredy-cat" shy girl who lost her parents when she was young and is now scared of....tunnels (for example).

Together, Onise and Kogure learn what being in love is like and what it is like to support themselves as well as one another.

I really liked his drama as well because the love that Onise and Kogure had for one another was very innocent even though they went through some very adult situations. They enjoyed living and loving in the present, but also learned to understand what loving one another in the future would mean especially with their pasts.

This was exactly what expected this to be, and I am really happy about it. It was very well done and I really did love the depth of Onise's character. Plus, their side friends were also really cute as well.

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The 8 Diagram Pole Fighter or Does Anyone Know a Good Dentist?

Famously known as the film Alexander Fu Sheng died while filming, in a car accident off set. The script had to be re-worked leaving him out of the final fight scenes.

The themes of loyalty, family, honor and betrayal are woven throughout the movie. Out of seven sons, only two survived a betrayal by a family friend and ambush. One was driven mad and the other hid in a Buddhist temple and refined his pole fighting skills. The mood is bleak and dark throughout the film as the surviving family members seek justice and revenge.

I look forward to movies directed and choreographed by Lau Kar Leung. His fights are always fast and creative. Brutal, too. Gordon Liu is a gifted fighter and with every film of his I see I am more and more impressed. The pole sparring session between Liu and Phillip Ko Fei is not to be missed. Not to be outdone, Kara Hui shines as the sister who has to fight through her own ambushes and entrapment on her way to find her brother. The final fight is a bit gruesome as the monks practice their non-lethal moves that extract an opponent’s teeth. The action is almost non-stop from the opening credits to the end.

The story didn’t move me as much as I hoped it would. The fight scenes were, however, spectacular and worth watching this movie for.

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Truly Lovely

Atmospheric study in rural Japan meets complex family dynamics built on a romance framework of city boy meets country boy, as a grumpy/sunshine pairing. It’s beautiful, compelling, and kind of icy sweet. Slow moving in places but ultimately worth the patience. It's low heat, low angst, and very pretty.

I highly recommend it, I thought is was something rather special. Make yourself a lovely hot beverage, cuddle up in a fuzzy blanket, and enjoy. You won’t regret an evening spent with these two.

BL Tropes Include
Hair touch
Touch my lips and think of kissing
There’s only one bed. Gasp!

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Vendetta, tremenda vendetta!

You m0natt0m3re@!#! killed my sister and niece, see what I do to you! ... and so started a bloody onslaught.
The plot is logical, as if written by Georg Wilhelm Friedrich Hegel: thesis, antithesis and synthesis, which becomes the new thesis facing a new antithesis until it is resolved in a new synthesis, und so weiter.
The crescendo seems (seems, SEEMS) to be the killing of poor TaeGu, who turns out have been duped into partaking in the carnage.
Then the girl (Jeon YoBin, the FL in "Vincenzo" for those watching the series) shows up. She enters and locks the door ...
The movie's Ulyssa "... sprang on to the broad pavement ... shed the arrows on to the ground ... 'Dogs, did you think that I should not come back ... and now you shall die.'" (Please see the scene in Franco Rossi's Odyssey).

PS I wish the movie had ended just going to a black screen without hearing the shot, leaving the audience ponder whether the bullet or the cancer caused the black out.

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What a roller coaster of a ride!

I’ve been waiting for this movie since I saw the trailer when it came out and I had high expectations for it. The movie didn’t disappoint AT ALL. Just a warning though, this movie is NOT for the faint hearted and may trigger viewers.

Acting:
I want to seriously give a big salute to the actors in this movie. All of them did an amazing job. Their acting was so breathtaking and they captured all the emotions of their respective characters beautifully. Uhm Tae Goo deep voice really suites this movie so much.

Production:
The cinematography was mind-blowing. They really showed Jeju Island nature very nicely. Moreover, the director really knows how to capture their viewers. They have us sitting on the edge of our seats just waiting to see what happens.

Rewatch value 10/10!

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An unabashed portrayal of man's descent into madness

Who defines madness and who are we to do so really? Till where does one establish a line and say that, this and onwards is deemed crazy? Aren't we all crazy then? This film is a clever depiction of such vague themes and raises questions that are usually avoided and left unanswered due to said or unsaid societal norms...The premise is dark and rather melancholic, with a doctor who moves to the countryside and works at a fairly small clinic, after a failed practice and marriage in Gangnam... He stays rather aloof and usually just keeps to the clinic and home, on doing a colonoscopy once he comes across his landlord's father speaking under the influence of anaesthesia, describing what sounds like a well planned murder coming from someone with experience. From then on there isn't any clear distinction between reality and imagination, and much of it is left to the audience's conscience to decide for what had actually happened...
The pace is slow allowing the tension to build steadily...the direction is clever and tries to impart meaning to a lot of its setting and the surroundings, it is a delight for a keen and intuitive audience...I would also like to give credit for the ingenious selection, the title of the film is...from what I understand, it is in reference to the French folklore Bluebeard wherein the antagonist would test his numerous wives on their obedience with the penalty being death...
Overall it was rather twisted and didn't show the best in humans but made me sympathize with the one who slowly lost his sanity in the company of all those around him...It is a subtle commentary on the dog eat dog world we live in where people go beyond limits to safeguard their own interests...

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What a gripping movie

Now I saw that someone had given this a rating of 5 and all that I can say is that they must have watched the entire movie through a blindfold. There is no way this could have deserved such an insulting rating especially when I spent so much of my time on the edge of my seat because I knew something was going to happen but I didn’t know just how bad the next few minutes were going to be. Just a word of warning at this point. This is not one for the faint hearted but then again within minutes you realise that this is going to be one bumpy ride. In saying that though don’t be put off because it’s one of the best movies that I’ve seen for quite some time and I have a lot of respect for all those who managed to craft such an amazing tale where not one iota of the story could have been left out without damaging the integrity of the movie.
Excellent work and I have to commend the cast and crew for creating such a fascinating tale. Anyone whose hesitating about watching this just do yourself a favour and do it. You won’t be sorry.

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Do you remember what kind of things you were so busy about at 17?

Yu Gwan Sun, at age 17, was busy taking part in the liberation of her country. At 18, she died fighting for her country and its freedom. A Resistance tells her inspiring, yet tragic, story.

As a nation with same colonized past, we share the same scars and celebrate the often UNSUNG martyrs and heroes that bravely fought for the freedom we have today. Stories like these should be retold from time to time, passed down from one generation to another --- never letting time fade away the stories of battles the one before us had endured and won. We should NEVER forget.

Go Ah Sung delivered an excellent portrayal of her character. You cannot question the talent in her, she obviously knows what she's doing and how to do it. Her performance alone single-handedly compensated for the weaknesses in narrative this film had. Go Ah Sung would simply take your breath away.

Overall, this film has very good actors, a very solid material (the real-life story of Gwan Sun alone is a very good and powerful plot) but weak writing. It's good, but could have been better. It's not perfect but still very worth your time to watch.

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Burst City representing arguably the definitive record of the spirit and energy of the movement.

Filmed documents of the Japanese punk scene of the late 1970s and early 80s are rare items indeed. What exists is nearly all the product of the illustrious Sogo Ishii, who made several handfuls of short films, features and concert films during the period, many of which are populated by the country's various punk rock exponents, with 1982's astonishing Burst City representing arguably the definitive record of the spirit and energy of the movement.

Of the many bands that took part in Ishii's cinematic celebration of punk rebellion, The Rockers were among the most spotlighted, their frontman Takanori Jinnai playing one of Burst City's main characters. Pale-faced and goblin-like, Jinnai's vivacious performance was only the start of an extensive career as an actor and media personality, one that properly kicked into gear when The Rockers split up not long after filming was completed.

Formed in 1977 in Hakata, North Kyushu (also home of the bands The Roosters and ARB, the latter fronted by Ryo Ishibashi of Audition fame), The Rockers followed the life cycle so typical of punk bands of any nationality, lighting up like a flare before quickly bursting apart. The five-piece band recorded three albums between 1980 and 1982 ('Who', 'Come On', and 'Shakin'') before hanging up their guitars and their leathers, and moving on to a variety of fates. Jinnai's two-decade acting career saw him appearing in the likes of Satoshi Isaka's The Frame (Hasen no Marisu, 1999) and Hiroyuki Nakano's Red Shadow (Akakage, 2001), and winning Best Actor accolades at the Japanese Academy Awards on no less than two occasions. He made his directorial debut in 2001, helming the Running Free segment of the omnibus film Tokyo Zance, produced by fellow musician Tsunku.

Although moving on to directing a feature would seem a logical next step in this process, when you realise Jinnai's debut film is in fact a heavily fictionalised version of the story of his own band The Rockers, the affair gains an extra dimension; it's probably a world first that the singer of a rock band should direct a fiction film about his own group, twenty years after the fact. They may have consciously lived through the times, but Alex Cox wasn't a member of The Sex Pistols and Oliver Stone was certainly never a part of The Doors. Aside from the question if they would even be capable of it, would actual band members even have enough distance from their own past to direct an effective adaptation of their own life stories?

Distance is certainly not something we need to worry about when it comes to Rockers. Rather than trying to be as precise as possible, Jinnai went in the opposite direction; as the absence of an article in the title suggests, this is not a factual retelling of the life and career of The Rockers. The director / frontman threw authenticity out the window and decided to capture the spirit and atmosphere of the band's early days before record companies came calling. Except that this is not the same band and these are not the same early days. Don't expect period detail; this film is to all intents and purposes set in the present, and the word 'punk' is noticeable only for its complete absence.

So, should we be disappointed then? Is this Jinnai's attempt at whitewashing his own history or perhaps even a simple case of total misfire? None of the above, I'm happy to report. What we have here is a director taking heaps of inspiration from his own past to deliver a most satisfying commercial comedy, one filled with gleeful amounts of self-mockery. Jinnai pokes fun at himself and his fellow Rockers, portraying the band as a quartet of losers and nerds whose stage act wouldn't fill a backroom, let alone an entire club. Jin, the director's own effigy played by Nakamura, still lives at his parents' house where he lip-synchs to rock 'n' roll records. Guitarist Ko-chan (Tsukamoto, representing bleached-haired Rockers stringman Hitomi Tsurukawa) is a mess of sexual repression after a childhood at the mercy of two older sisters eager to use him as a guinea pig for their make-up skills. Bassist Gaku-chan (Ryuta Sato, representing original four-stringer Jinkichi Anai) keeps a bucket ready in the wings for whenever his nerves get the better of him, and drummer Momo-chan (Okada in the role of Yoichi Funakoshi - and note all the cute and decidedly un-rock-like nicknames) is doomed to forever carrying the botched childhood attempts at self-tattooing.

It's not until this foursome is forced to look for an additional guitar player after Jin's dad burns his Stratocaster (followed by a vision of Jimi Hendrix at Monterey), that attitude and musical ability enter into the equation. Leather-clad, shade-wearing Tani (Tamaki), inseparable from his black Les Paul, is introduced as the king of R'n'R cool and Jinnai keeps him firmly seated on his throne throughout the film, retroactively proclaiming the guitarist, rather than himself, as the band's true hero (not coincidentally, he is the only band member referred to by his real name).

Freed from the need to be factual, Rockers leaves the audience free to judge it entirely on its merits as a film. With a tried and true rags-to-riches plot containing more than its share of idiosyncrasies, Rockers is a film that will please even the most uninitiated of viewers, its excellent expressive and energetic performances (the band's entire rhythm section consists of actors from the not dissimilarly spirited Kisarazu Cat's Eye TV series, penned by GO, Ping Pong, and Zebraman scribe Kankuro Kudo) making it a rewarding experience even for unsubtitled gaijin viewing (you won't be alone in this either, since most Japanese probably won't catch a good part of the dialogue due to the thick Hakata accents employed throughout).

It may not offer any insights into the history of the Japanese punk music scene and even similarities with the band that inspired it are superficial at best, but Rockers transcends that admittedly narrow focus to become a film of with a more universal appeal. With his debut film, Takanori Jinnai has delivered, quite simply, one of the year's pleasant surprises.

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