Kmovie - I Saw The Devil (2010)

Synopsis - IMDB
Kyung-chul (Choi Min-sik) is a dangerous psychopath who kills for pleasure. He has committed infernal serial murders in diabolic ways that one cannot even imagine and his victims range from young women to even children. The police have chased him for a long time, but were unable to catch him. One day, Joo-yeon, daughter of a retired police chief becomes his prey and is found dead in a horrific state. Her fiance Soo-hyun (Lee Byung-hun), a top secret agent, decides to track down the murderer himself. He promises himself that he will do everything in his power to take bloody vengeance against the killer, even if it means that he must become a monster himself to get this monstrous and inhumane killer.



I love me some thriller movie. I was so stoked and excited to watch I Saw The Devil on Netflix instant viewing. Lee Byung Hun is my favorite Korean actor, plus he's a hottie, so good to look at!



*heart*
When he acts, he speaks so much just by his eyes! I love it. It's so intense. His smile just melts me away.

I've heard so many great things about the movie.

Lemme start off by saying that the film is very fast paced and gives you a thrill...but I am just not into the storyline. I felt that it was not explained very well, to me.

For example, I do not  understand why Kyung-chul (Choi Min-sik) had a fasination with killing these beautiful young women. I just "assume" that it was because of his lost wife?? It clearly showed his son but never really why. And his friend...who helped with the killing. Did he actually eat his victims? That one scene where he says, "there are no more guts" and then goes and get a girl, ready to kill her.

I was confused. Someone enlighten me. I don't really understand the purpose of the killing, not that I condone any of it, I want to know the mind of the psycho-paths. They are just plain sick and nasty, I know but that's what the movie was lacking for me. If that part was fulfilled, then I would've enjoyed the movie a bit more.

Movie is really gory and bloody but that doesn't stop me from enjoying it. I love the Saw series. Gory but had a storyline to it that makes sense, to me.

I love how it took a different turn to the cat-mouse game and how Soo-hyun (Lee Byung-hun) just wanted to punish the them, not giving them a quick, painless death.

Rating 7 out of 10

Kmovie - The Man from Nowhere (2010)

Synopsis - IMDB
Photos - Mannowhere.com

An ex-special agent CHA Tae-shik's only connection to the rest of the world is a little girl, So-mi, who lives nearby. Her mother, Hyo-jeong smuggles drugs from a drug trafficking organization and entrusts Tae-shik with the product, without letting him know. The traffickers find out about her smuggling and kidnap both Hyo-jeong and So-mi. The gang promises to release them if Tae-shik makes a delivery for them, however it actually is a larger plot to eliminate a rival drug ring leader. When Hyo-jeon's disemboweled body is discovered, Tae-shik realizes that So-mi's life may also be in danger. Tae-shik becomes enraged at the prospect that So-mi may already be dead and prepares for a battle, putting his own life at risk



That's what I'm talking about! An entertaining movie from beginning to end!

It is straight up action and keeps me wanting to see what is happening. Storyline is different to me.

I enjoyed watching the cat-mouse chase.



I was stoked to see it because Won Bin is my favorite Korean actor. He is diverse and doesn't stick to romantic roles.

When he got back from the military, I was eagerly waiting for him to return back to acting! He's the best.

Kmovie - Typhoon (2005)

Synopsis - IMDB
Photos - MovieXclusive

Myung-sin, who has become a pirate, lives with hatred in his heart and endures the hardships, seeks revenge on the two nations, North and South Korea, using nuclear waste that has the devastating power of plutonium. Se-jong, a South Korean naval officer departs with his team of elite forces to prevent Sin's master plan of Nuclear Typhoon. Born under the same skies of the same race, but of a completely different nation... Living a life so different, the two point their guns at each other's heart...



I really liked the movie! It was a breath of fresh air for me. I haven't seen a Korean movie in a while and this one did it for me. I love how both leads live different lives but were able to understand each other's pain through experience and finding the truth.

The climax scene seemed like it was taken from a Hollywood movie! Many shots were unrealistic but beautifully shot!

Many people will say that the storyline is nothing new but it doesn't matter, as long as it's a well-made movie, then it's good to go!

Definitely worth a watch. I really really am starting to like Jang Dong Gun. I've seen him in other films but dang! He's getting better and better!

Korean horror films

Late in posting, I know!!!! I watched a string of Asian horror films and haven't blogged about it!!
I think I watched way too many and I'm not scared at all!

Right now, I'm just listing the Korean horrors I've seen and will post the other languages at another time.


ACACIA (20003)
Source

Unable to have children of their own, married couple Mi-sook and Do-il adopt a young boy named Lee Jin-seong. His name soon gets changed to Kim Jin-seong when he moves with Mi-sook and Do-il. The boy is drawn to an acacia tree in his new home’s backyard, believing it to be his mother, and it soon becomes the focal point for an increasing number of strange occurrences when Jin-seong appears to have run away.

Jin-seong befriends an older girl named Min-jee. She tells Jin-seong that she cannot go to school as she has lost a lot of blood. After she kisses Jin-seong, he becomes even more aggressive and violent. He turns even worse as Mi-sook becomes pregnant and has a new baby named Hae-sung. Jin-seong, experiencing many emotional difficulties, becomes more withdrawn and confused. He starts to develop an anger towards his adopted family, so much so that he tries to smother the new baby. Mi-sook gets so frustrated with Jin-Seong’s actions and obsession towards the acacia tree that she decides to chop the tree down, which results in Jin-Seong allegedly running away.

After Jin-Seong runs away, the previously dying tree starts to bloom with spectacular life. Min-jee starts changing as well, becoming more obsessed with the acacia tree. She starts claiming to hear Jin-Seong’s voice coming from inside the tree, witnessing paranormal experiences occurring around the tree, flowers and ants attacking the people in Jin-Seong’s family.

My thoughts
Overall, I think it was a good movie with great direction and gorgeous cinematography. I love the suspense of what is going to happen next and what I predicted, I was totally wrong! The movie was more on the thriller side than horror but I love how everything unfolds itself.


FACE (2004)
Source

Hyun-min works for the police, reconstructing faces by examining and interpreting their skulls. His daughter undergoes a heart transplant, and as her condition deteriorates, he loses his interest in his job. Hyun-min suspects that his daughter's illness after the operation is caused by the heart, although her doctor, Dr. Yoon, tell him that his daughter is experiencing only minor complications.

Distraught, Hyun-min quits his job to care for his daughter full time. Meanwhile, the police are dealing with a series of bizarre murder cases, where the victim has had all their flesh dissolved away with acid, leaving only the bones behind. Sun-young (Song Yoon-ah) brings the skull of the fourth victim to Hyun-min, hoping that he'll be able to reconstruct the face. With the skull in their house, his daughter begins to experience visions of a distraught woman in a white robe.

Hyun-min reconstructs the face of the victim, and it soon transpires that they all suffered from a (fictitious) affliction known as 'beta-allergy'. Tests reveal that Hyun-min's daughter has the condition, meaning that she has received the heart of someone who did. Romance blossoms between Hynu-min and Sun-young, and as they investigate, they uncover an organ transplant conspiracy: The murder victims were killed for their body parts, and it becomes apparent that Dr. Yoon knows more than he's letting on.

My thoughts
Overall, the movie was entertaining. Not only with the ghost thrills, but also the story was very interesting. I love watching crime tv shows and this movie had it all for me, which made me curious about the job portrayed by the main character of Shin Hyeon Jun.


Hidden Floor (2006)
Source

Min-young moves onto the fifth floor of a new studio apartment with her six-year-old daughter, Joo-hee. She’s concerned when her downstairs neighbor, HAN Chang-soo, says that he cannot tolerate the noise above him, even though the two women live tranquilly. Furthermore, she is anxious about other residents’ strange behaviors – never mind the mysterious deaths. Min-young hardens herself mentally after the move into the new house, largely because of her daughter’s unprecedented odd behavior and continual run-ins with a bizarre woman. Convinced that Joo-hee has fallen sick and perturbed by the mysterious events around the studio apartment, Min-young looks to disclose the truth by herself…

My thoughtsThe movie is a mixture of the two Japanese movies - The Grudge & Deep Water. I'm not a huge fan of Japanese horrors. I know in the USA, Japanese horrors are popular and being remade. But with that sad, I enjoyed Hidden Floor a lot. I like the direction used in Korean movies. It still kept me entertain and the uses of flashbacks were well-done.

Kmovie - The Good The Bad The Weird (2008)

Source - Yahoo
Photos - Google


Set in the 1930s Manchurian desert where lawlessness rules and many different ethnic groups clash, three Korean men fatefully meet each other on a train. The train's diverse passengers and imminent danger with guns and knives everywhere serves as a microcosm of the turbulent times. Do-won is a bounty hunter who tracks down any criminals with rewards on their heads. Chang-yi is the leader of a group of tough-as-nails bandits. He cannot stand to be the second best. Tae-goo is a train robber with nine lives. The three strangers engage in a chase across Manchuria to take possession of a map Tae-goo discovers while robbing the train. Also on the hunt for the mysterious map are the Japanese army and Asian bandits. In this unpredictable, escalating battle for the map, who will stand in the end as the winner?



Korean cowboy style! That's what I thought when I first saw previews. I'm not a Western cowboys type of movie person. I passed when I first heard about it.

So what made me change my mind???



Exactly!

That man is so gorgeous!. Total hotness.



Lee Byun Hun is my fave Korean actor. He can act and is sooo irresitably hot as the villian. He was a badass, don't-mess-with-me pain but so good at it.



Even though I looooooooved LBH in the movie, it was Song Kang Ho all the way. The movie should've been titled, "The Weird The Bad The Good." I love his silliness!!



Jung Woo Sung does well in his part but is a little underappreciated because of LBH & SKH. He was more of the cool, calm guy.



Must see, just for Lee Byun Hun. The action scenes were good. However, I like more physical contact. It's hard for me to explain but in a lot of Korean movies, the action are done very well, especially the gun shooting scenes.

But when it comes to the physical fight scenes, those are not done well. It's almost cartoonish. For example, the hero and villian will be fighting, you see the hero pull out a sword to stab the villian. You won't actually see the sword go through the villian. Instead you will see hero with the sword, then the villian with the sword wound. I want to see it all!

I know, that's just my pet peeve. Otherwise, the movie is pure fun!

Kmovie - Romantic Island (2008)

Synopsis - AsianMediaWiki
Photos - Google

A poor but vivacious lady, Soo-Jin (Lee Su-Kyeong) takes a vacation to an exotic island for the first time, totally free from work and her family. A rich but cold-hearted gentleman, Jae-Hyuk (Lee Seon-Gyun), secretly visits the island for his estranged fathers funeral. Jae-Hyuk bumps into Soo-Jin at a hotel and attracted by her lively spirit, Jae-Hyuk asks her to be his tour guide during his stay on the island.


A famous idol star, Ga-Young (Eugene), is stressed out from her hard schedules and takes an impulsive vacation. A hopeless clerk, Jung-Hwan (Min-gi Lee), gets a free ticket to the island from his friend. Spoiled, Ga-Young sees Jung-Hwan standing alone at the airport and asks him to carry her bag and to take her to the hotel. Mr. nice guy, Jung-Hwan cant turn her down and he becomes her companion to the island.


A father and husband, Joong-Sik and his wife, Yoon-Suk, take their very first trip abroad to the island. In the romantic island, Joong-Sik tries to make his wife the perfect vacation, presenting an unforgettable memory with him for the last time.




One of my friends gave me this movie thinking I will enjoy it...and yes, I did. I love how all three of the stories were told. None of them connected with the other but each story unfolded in the "romantic island."

Korean films I've seen lately

Even though I watch Asian films, I don't write detailed reviews about them. There are plenty of sites for that.

I am just going to list a few from the top of my head that I've seen.


Addicted (2002)
Film started off slow but it picked up. Well worth it for Lee Hyun Bun alone. The storyline had interesting twists.


Face (2004)
More gory and bloddy than scary. Not one of the best but worth it watching only once.


Ghost (2004)
Pretty good twist. Huge fan of Kim Ha Neul & Nam Sang Mi and was not disappointed.


Voices (2009)
Worth watching if you're a horror fan. A film about being cursed.


Whispering Corridors (1998)
Honestly, I was very disappointed in this film since it's a horror classic. Too slow, too boring. Maybe the other sequeals are more my taste?

Kmovie - Lady Vengeance (2005)

Synopsis - IMDB
Photos - Google

After thirteen and half years in prison for kidnapping and murdering the boy Park Won-mo, Geum-ja Lee is released and tries to fix her life. She finds a job in a bakery; she orders the manufacturing of a special weapon; she reunites with her daughter, who was adopted by an Australian family; and she plots revenge against the real killer of Won-mo, the English teacher Mr. Baek. With the support of former inmates from prison, Geum-ja seeks an unattained redemption with her vengeance.



Also known as Sympathy for Lady Vengeance, Lady Vengeance is the final movie for director, Park Chan-wook, for his trilogy with Sympathy for Mr. Vengeance and Oldboy.



I haven't seen Sympathy for Mr. Vengeance but have seen Oldboy. For me, both movies have similiarities. A bit "weird." What do I mean by that? The style of the storytelling can be confusing. The use of the goriness could be a bit much for others.



I've never seen any movies with Lee Young Ae before. Playing the character, Geum Ja, she impressed me a lot. With her pretty, naive look, she carried the movie well disguising herself. Instead she held a hatred torture for those who get mistreated.



I love the use of the blood-colored red as her eyeshow.



Choi Min Sik plays Mr. Beuk and does a great job at it. Mr. Beuk is just heartless, disturbing, and selfish.



Did you know that Hollywood plans a remake with Charlize Theron? I love Charlize but not sure if she's the right choice for it.

Overall, it's a good movie.

Kmovie - A Tale of Two Sisters (2003)

Synopis - kfccinema
Photos - google

Su-mi and Su-yeon have always been very close as sisters. Su-mi, being the elder of the two, is very protective over her young sister Su-yeon. Since the death of their mother, the stepmother has ruled the house with an iron fist. Su-mi has always managed to confront her stepmother, but Su-yeon, being a very calm and fragile girl, could not defend herself against the psychological and physical abuse of her evil stepmother. Su-mi has tried many times to explain the situation to her father, but his relationship with the stepmother and his disbelief has insured no result.

Su-mi and Su-yeon are now back from a mysterious absence and being back home doesn’t seem to please the two sisters very much. Having to live under the same roof as the stepmother is a nightmare for them. However, during the following days, strange incidents will occur. Another presence can be feel within the house, is it the step mother trying to scare the girls, or a spirit trying to take revenge?



Lots of caps on this page, may contain spoilers.

Hollywood has remade A Tale of Two Sisters as, The Uninvited, taking some inspiration from it. I have seen the trailers to The Uninvited and never did I think it was like A Tale of Two Sisters, again, it's just the inspiration, with probably the main plot taken. Nope, I haven't seen The Uninvited yet and not sure if I want to.



A few nights ago, I re-watched it because a friend's daughter wanted to watch a Korean horror so I put this one in the dvd. I saw the movie a few years ago and it gave me a haunting feeling.

Unlike Hollywood horror movies, Asian horrors don't have those jumpy scenes. Instead you could see a ghost or ghastly figure at the door or edge of the bed in the dark. Very much subtle.



What I also love about Korean horror movies is you when you watch the movie, you always assume or think about what is happening. Either the movie directing tricks you into thinking a certain way or you will later find out the truth.

80% of the movie is filmed inside the house. You are always left guessing if the house is haunted. Or if it's the evil stepmother.



The acting on the two rising actresses, Im Soo Jung and Moon Geun Young, are amazing. More props to Im Soo Jung. I've seen her a few of her movies, such as ...ing and I'm a Cyborg But That's Okay.



Moon Geung Yong is very well known now. I've also seen her in a few of her movies, such as My Little Bride and Innocent Steps.



A Tale of Two Sisters is definitely a must-see Asian horror classic. Just don't group it with Japanese horrors. I actually prefer Korean horrors over Japanese horrors.

Kmovie - Please Teach Me English (2003)

Synopsis - Sensasian
Photos - Google Images

Please Teach Me English is a romantic comedy poking fun at the national obsession with learning English. Young Ju, a young civil servant obligaed to learn the pesky language; and all because not a single official could understand the foreigner who charged into the local authority to complain about being over-charged in English. However, as Young Ju takes a shine to Moon Su at the language school she enrolls in, shame then that Moon Su has only eyes for the Aussie teacher, Jatherine. The fun begins as the pupil desire to learn English from her teacher turns into a desire to beat her at love....



It's been a while since I"ve seen Please Teach Me English. I re-watched it today because my daughter's friend just recently gotten into anything K0rean. While I was flipping through my Korean dvd collection, I knew that she would like Please Me English. I was correct. But while re-watching it, I remembered how much I adored the movie.



Although I am going to point out what made me cringe about the movie is the poor English by both leads. Now, now, I understand that both are trying to learn English. It just sounded a bit funny. I mainly cringed cause I felt really bad for them. I guess I should be quiet since they probably laugh at me if they heard me try to speak some Korean.



What made me enjoy the movie a lot is the humor! I love the video gaming feel, which got me laughing non-stop!



I've mentioned it before but I love Kmovies for letting the girl or guy be themselves without having a transformation for the other person to fall for them. I love how they stay real throughout the movie.



Young Ju is a dorky girl who falls for a good-looking guy who thinks of her as "plain" or "normal." Looking beneath those spectacles, nerdy outfits, and pigtails, you will see a beautiful girl.



OMG! This is the actress Lee Na Young who plays Young Ju. Now, she's a hottie!!!



I ain't gonna lie. I didn't think Moon Su was all that! He was decent. Not a guy who I would take a second glance. Admittedly, I never thought of Jang Hyuk as good-looking.



But boy, was I wrong!! After seeing him in recent photos, I had to take a double look and change my opinion on him!



I've concentrated on both of their looks and failed to talk about their acting. Both are great. It's sad but I've only seen Lee Na Young in this movie, nothing else yet. As for Jang Hyuk, I've seen him in Windstruck, So Close, S Diary, and Volcano High.



If you want a good laugh, then Please Teach Me English is for you.