Reviews

So good!

I have been watching Godzilla movies as long as I can remember. Most are enjoyable and enteretaining except the 1998 American made one. It's one of the worse movies I have ever seen.

This movie has no right to be as good as it is! But it is good. Very good and a great movie to celebrate the 70th anniversay of the most well known kaiju in the world. Must be seen on the big screen.

I didn't know a Godzilla movie could pack an emotional punch the way this film did. It's a testament to the writing and acting in this film. Kamiki Ryunosuke, Hamabe Minami, Yamada Yuki, Aoki Munetaka, Yoshioka Hidetaka, Ando Sakura and Sasaki Kuranosuke. I'm listing all the actotrs here b/c everyone played their roles well. I also, must shout out the little girl actress. I don't know her name b/c she's not listed in MDL for this film but she was magnificent and I think she was only 3 or 4 years old. I can't give much away but the film explores survivors guilt, shame and forgiveness.

12/3/23

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Unexpected quirky

I keep complaining about news articles on MDL homepage and how redundant they are but today one such article led me here! I saw that the main actress recently starred in a romcom movie and while scrolling down the movie page I came upon the link and the rest is, as they say, history! This was just what I needed one cold autumn sunday evening!

I am not particularly fan of either stars of the movie but I actually enjoyed their chemistry and comic timing here.

The story is nothing new! Two young people from completely opposite walks of life, meet, fall in love, get married and then start hating each other with a vengeance until they file for divorce. On the way from courthouse they get into accident and, first surprise, end up with amnesia. Both of them! In order to get their memories back, they start living together again chaperoned by her sister who has to do everything in her power to keep them apart. To no awail: they fall in love again!

The movie is fast, funny (though not hilarious in my book: too much slapstick!). Some events are a "must" in a romcom but they managed to find a novel way in presenting the outcome: rich parents vs. poor son-in-law; airport confession etc. Both main characters have quirky and supportive friends. While his parents, especially the mother, is a cliché chip-on-the-shoulder type, her parents are colourful and funny. Her sister is the quirkiest of the lot, dead pan funny. Last but not least, my favourite support character was the hospital shrink using dramas to explain the amnesia.

The only complaint I have is about the editing: the constant going back and forth, past and present, flashbacks out of timeline...that was a bit tiring to follow. Not impossible of course but confusing sometimes!

This is the kind of movie one can watch over and over again, it is light, not too serious, it's a high quality romcom and it delivers the goods!

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Experience the Bone-Chilling Terror of ‘Death Forest’: A Haunting Journey Into Darkness

“Death Forest” is a bone-chilling Japanese movie that takes you on a suspenseful and eerie journey through a haunted forest. Directed by a master of horror, this film skillfully combines stunning cinematography, haunting sound design, and a gripping storyline to create a truly unsettling experience that will keep you on the edge of your seat.

The story revolves around a group of close friends who bravely venture into the infamous Aokigahara Forest. This forest has gained a dark reputation as a site for suicides, and our characters are soon confronted with inexplicable phenomena and malevolent spirits that shake their sanity to the core.

One of the things that makes “Death Forest” so effective is its ability to create an overwhelming sense of fear and tension. The dense foliage, the deafening silence interrupted only by eerie sounds, and the constant anticipation of what lurks behind each tree combine to create an oppressive atmosphere that seeps into your bones. As the encounters with the supernatural escalate, the movie steadily builds suspense, leading to terrifying moments that will have you jumping out of your seat.

The actors’ performances in this film are remarkable, as they expertly convey both the fear and vulnerability their characters experience in the face of the unknown. You can feel their desperation and watch as their minds unravel in the face of such terror.

If you’re a fan of horror movies and are up for a thrilling and spine-chilling experience, “Death Forest” is a must-watch. With its haunting visuals, captivating storyline, and unforgettable scares, this Japanese movie will leave you with a sense of unease long after the credits roll.

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Enjoyed the slice-of-life aspect and nostalgia throwback, romance could have been better

This movie follows the life of two high school students in the early 1980's: one being the female leader of a brutal gang of girls and harboring a crush for the second who is the goofy playboy of the school. I liked the slice-of-life tone of this film, mixed with some teen angst / gang wars elements but I found the pacing of the scenario quite sluggish and the romance aspect relatively lacking. I found the ending enjoyable but quite rushed compared to the introduction which took really a long time to set up the story.

The cast was pretty great. Lee Jong Suk is totally credible as the quite lame but attractive playboy and Park Bo Young is charismatic as the main female protagonist (even though given her size, it is not that believable that she would be the strongest fighter among the other students). Kim Young Kwang as the male antagonist was very badass and cool, I will be looking forward watching him in other roles.

The production was very good overall: it has a real old school / nostalgia vibe, totally fitting with the thematic of the film. The soundtrack is pretty nice and suits well the vibe of the story. There are some really cool fight sequences that are not repetitive and that keep you on your toes regarding the well-being of the protagonists.

I would recommend this to people looking for a coming-of-age story set up in a South Korean high school in the early 1980's. It has a strong slice-of-life tone, romance being more secondary than the main focus of the script which is more about the growth of teenagers living through high and low of high school in the countryside.

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Take the film very very unseriously

My goodness, where to start? Hermaphrodite plot? Vampire guest star? Really poor production of this film?

Plot: This is a fairytale, and the plot is about the seahorse royalty being attacked by an evil uncle who wants to take over the crown. The queen saves her child and sacrifices herself, freezing the entire palace. Her son ends up on earth, in a magical academy along with an Egyptian mummy and an European vampire, learning spells to save his kingdom and his mother.

Now here's where the things get interesting: the prince is actually a hermaphrodite, so we can say F*ck you to the Chinese censorship of the same sex relationships and the prince can marry his beloved class mate from the academy in the end, as a female version of himself.

Of course, good conquers evil, love conquers everything, so the bad uncle gets cast away and all ends well.

Production value: very very poor production, you can see the wig line on the cast members, CGI is done horribly, the plot has some holes, and it all could have done better. The set looks like made out of carton boxes too.

Cast: they're trying to take themselves a bit too seriously to be fair, unless that's what the director told them to do. The script is nasty, so they don't have much space to show their talents. Few eye candies, so that helps.

Music: typical for this type of films, your regular mix of guzheng, string arrangements, and ballads here or there.

Overall: if you have nothing better to do with your time, or you are a fan of camp, as long as you're willing to overlook the stupidity of this, you might actually not hate it.

5/10

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too good to miss

i watched the movie again

Thanks to the director who is also the film scriptwriter, the brilliant screenplay has interesting & touching twist and turns and great (sometimes even humourous) dialogue/movie lines.

it is really a great film about joe, the ingenious screenplay gradually reveal how the ordinary but sunny character guy is loved and missed by his friends and deeply by Bokeh around him

The main characters are all acting great. Tithiya shines in her acting as lovely Bokeh in the movie who has deep and subtle feeling for Joe.

Also tributes to the other supporting cast: the movie team, ohm, liew, moms of pae and joe, and the principal in the movie.

The film touches our heart as it entails puppy love and teenage/youthful times in school setting we all experience and treasure, other loving memory, things we yearn or pursue and hope for but missed, forgiveness, acceptance and other subtle feelings, even some philosophical issue like how we value a friend's worth

Lovely Bokeh learns to greet Pae with apology at the end of movie, i do not want to regret withholding my feeling for liking this great film and make apology later

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Full blown rom-com

this caught my attentiom obviously because of bright in Indian attire and gotta say it was sooo fun. I went in expecting a super cringe rom-com but it actually had it's moments.

Some people were disappointed with the minimal screen time for bright, but I felt that was accurate for the story and the setting. The female lead really carried the movie well.

As an Indian, I loved the accurate cultural representation and the on-spot casting. I hope we get to see more of these inter-cultural stories in the future.

overall, don't watch this if you want some mind-blowing story with some out-of-the-box drama. watch it if you just wanna have a good time.

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The feeling of winning for the country

Based on a real story, Boston 1947 follows the inspiring journey of Korean athletes who proudly wore the Taeguk symbol for the first time in an international marathon since Korea’s liberation and brought home the prestigious medal with them.

The movie tells a great story in a somewhat old-fashioned or even tacky way. It presents the real events of the 1947 Boston International Marathon using 2004 filmmaking techniques. The one who breathes life into the film is Yim Si Wan, who plays the role of Suh Yun Bok. He adds his own momentum to the character and propels the story forward. The highlight of this movie is the latter part of the marathon race. The film captures the vividness of the scene and makes the viewer feel like they are right there. It also accurately represents the distinctive characteristics of a marathon race, where athletes depend entirely on their physical abilities without the help of any specialized equipment.

My Rating : 7.5/10

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Not my cup of tea despite interesting premise

This queer movie follows the story of one North Korean deserter as he escapes to South Korea and settles there, facing quite a lot of difficulties. The premise of this picture was very interesting but unfortunately I had some trouble appreciating the scenario overall. I usually like love triangle, but it missed the mark for me here because I was not able to empathize with the characters and found some of their actions not sensible.

It is a very raw, brutal as well as surprisingly graphic movie. I think the shock factor was privileged by the director and screenwriter rather than the likeability (or at least just building) of the characters. It was not a boring watch at all but I would have preferred the plot to focus more on characterization as well as making the protagonists' choices be more reasonable and understandable for the viewer.

The acting was overall okay. The actors had really intense sex scenes and gave it their best. As the relationships evolve and get more intertwingled, as well as the situation the characters live through gets more difficult, the acting remains all along pretty strong with good portray of the most emotional scenes. I think where it was lacking was mostly relating to the chemistry : I felt the passion and rage, but I had trouble believing in the love and romance...I think it might be again more due to a directing/screenwriter choices but I would have preferred the film to take another approach.

I would not recommend this to people because I cannot say that I enjoyed the movie. As it is quite short and has an interesting and original premise, so you might want to give it a go if you are looking for a pretty raw BL. It leans strongly into the melodramatic genre which I would have appreciated more with a better characterization and storylines. Be aware that this movie can be very triggering: it is graphic, violent and depicts very toxic relationships.

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interesting premise undercut by misogynistic narrative

I have not interacted with any of the source material, so this is purely based on the film as its own artistic work.

This movie was cute and had some fun ideas, but ultimately felt very hollow. I wish women weren't accessories in the film, and the characters had some sort of nuance. Miyo has no discernable traits and is a clear self-insert for the audience. This movie is a poster child for the Madonna-Whore complex, where women are either virginal, naive, and moral or selfish, vapid, and evil. Miyo's entire characterization is based on things that happen to her instead of any sort of internal journey. At the beginning of the film, she has no confidence and is willing to give all of herself to the point of self-harm. At the end of the film, she is slightly more confident (not because of any intrinsic motivation, but because a man loves her) and is still willing to give all of herself to the point of self-harm.

Kiyoka says that looks and gifts don't mean anything to him, but the audience will never know if that is true because Miyo is both beautiful and gifted. I wonder what would happen if, once she healed from her abuse, she began to act more morally grey. Would he still love her if he couldn't project perfect morality onto her? I have no clue why Kiyoka loves Miyo. Not because she doesn't deserve to be loved, but because we, as the audience, know nothing about who she is or her values.

Miyo is by far the most interesting character in the film, yet her character is not explored at all. All we know about her is that her mother died, as we are reminded every five minutes with a "We Bought A Zoo" - level flashback to her perfect, beautiful mother who is entirely moral and could never do wrong. Does she seriously hold 0 resentments for her family? Does Miyo seriously not care about how her partner treats her? Their love story is cute, but seeing as she is deeply traumatized, the fact that Kiyoka keeps their dynamic so ambiguous feels almost cruel. In addition, the fact that Kiyoka is the one who is interested in her gifts instead of her felt ridiculous. Why was she not asking questions about her past? Why did she get 0 say in where she would be living? Kiyoka gets manipulated by her cousin, but also this 100% would not have happened had he just asked her what she wanted and communicated effectively. Kiyoka has 0 incentive to be toxic towards her after she has made it abundantly clear she has no power and no ulterior motives.

What's really sad is the plot of this film can not happen without the subjugation of women. I was somewhat alarmed at the lack of female soldiers and villains (other than the stepmom and sister, who are otherwise useless to the main plot). However, I realized there could never be large amounts of women fighting with men because that would mean that women were treated as equals with any sense of autonomy. Given that the catalyst for this story is Miyo being sold off to marry a stranger, it is clear that women are pressed in this universe. The narrative never says that this is wrong. In fact, Kiyoka is a hero for caring for her even though she has no autonomy in his household. He hurls abuse towards innocent women who are sent to marry him, likely with similar levels of autonomy to Miyo, but it's treated as some quirk of his. I don't think we ever find out why he is so awful to those women. Kiyoka controls how Miyo is introduced to her gifts, and even after realising something is wrong, he doesn't bother to tell her he thinks she has powers. The whole movie is filled with Kiyoka actively participating in patriarchal behaviours, and he is treated as a hero for it.

Overall, the premise is kind of interesting, but the film shoots itself in the foot for bad character writing, particularly regarding its female characters. I wish Miyo drove the plot, instead of being used as a plot device to move Kiyoka. She's literally the main character.

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Totally silly for fun, comedy, Asian, so indigestible for some. But under the cloak of "crime" and love, something much stronger is hidden. This will be understood by any viewer (and appreciated even more by those who belong to the LGBT community) who watch until the end ...


Naprostá blbinka na pobavení, komedie, asijská, takže pro někoho nestravitelná. Ale pod pláštíkem "zločinu" a lásky se skrývá něco daleko silnějšího. To pochopí každý divák (a ocení ještě více ten, kdo patří do komunity LGBT), kdo se dodívá až do konce ...

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