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Category Archives: Korean
Showdown | aka Duel: Final Round (2016) Review
Director: Sin Dong-yeop Writer: Min Kyeong-geun Cast: Lee Joo-Seung, Oh Ji-Ho, Lee Jung-Jin, in Jung-Keun, Eun-Seo, Joo Suk-Tae, Kang Shin-Chul, Im Chang-Jung, Ahn Sol-Bin, Lee Se-rang, Cherrish Ramirez Running Time: 97 min. By Paul Bramhall There can be no denying that the classic kung fu movie trope of a martial arts master challenging fellow martial artists has been around for a long time. In the 70’s there was the black caped Kwan … Continue reading
36 Chambers of Shaolin: The Final Confrontation | aka The Shaolin Drunken Monk (1981) Review
AKA: Drunk 8 Blows, Crazy 8 Blows Director:Lee Yeong Co-director: Ulysses Au-Yeung Jun Cast: Gordon Liu Chia-Hui, Chin Yuet-Sang, Eagle Han Ying, Wong Yat-Cho, Kwon Il-Soo, Hyeon Kil-Su, Choi Jeong-Il, Chang Mi-Hee, Kim Jeong-Jung, Kim Wuk, Kim Ki-Ju, Park Seong-sik, Kim Il-chung Running Time: 75/84 min. By Paul Bramhall Call me a masochist, but nothing beats trying to untangle the mystery of an obscure Korean kung fu movie. I’d like … Continue reading
Taxi Driver, A (2017) Review
Director: Jang Hoon Cast: Song Kang-Ho, Thomas Kretschmann, Yu Hae-Jin, Ryoo Joon-Yeol, Park Hyuk-Kwon, Choi Gwi-Hwa, Um Tae-Goo, Jeon Hye-Jin, Ko Chang-Seok, Kim Na-In Running Time: 137 min. By Paul Bramhall An interesting element of Korean cinema has always been how much the film industries output reflects the political climate of the time. When the nationalistic Park Geun-hye was elected in 2013, a slew of patriotic themed movies filled the theaters, … Continue reading
Buddhist Fist and Tiger Claws | aka Yong-ho’s Cousins (1981) Review
AKA: Yong-ho’s Cousins Director: Lee Hyeok-Su Cast: Charles Han Yong-Cheol, Hwang Jang-Lee, Nam Chung-Yat, Park Ae-Kyung, Han Kyung Running Time: 95 min. By Paul Bramhall Buddhist Fist and Tiger Claws is about as perfect an example of Godfrey Ho tampering that you’re likely to come across. A 1981 Korean production titled Yong-ho’s Cousins, directed by Lee Hyeok-su, it became one of the many Korean kung fu flicks that were picked … Continue reading
Bluebeard (2017) Review
Director: Lee So-Youn Producer: Choi Jae-Won Cast: Cho Jin-Woong, Shin Goo Kim, Dae-Myung, Lee Chung-Ah, Song Young-Chang, Yoon Se-Ah Running Time: 117 min. By Kyle Warner In recent years, serial killer thrillers have fallen out of favor in Hollywood. The reason, I think, is that movies like The Silence of the Lambs and Se7en gave filmmakers a solid blueprint to follow, and many screenwriters followed it too closely. There’s a reason why fictionalized wannabe … Continue reading
Villainess, The (2017) Review
Director: Jeong Byeong-gil Cast: Kim Ok-bin, Shin Ha-kyun, Sung Joon, Kim Seo-hyung, Jo Eun-ji, Lee Seung-joo, Son Min-ji Running Time: 129 min. By Martin Sandison Some action movies come along that define a generation, or represent the cream of the crop when it comes to their respective Nation’s output at the time. Titles such as John Woo’s indescribable adrenalin rush of a movie Hard Boiled and Tony Jaa’s era-defining Ong … Continue reading
Confidential Assignment (2016) Review
Director: Kim Sung-Hoon Writer: Yoon Hyun-Ho Cast: Hyun-Bin, Yu Hae-Jin, Kim Ju-Hyeok, Jang Young-Nam, Yoona, Park Min-Ha, Lee Hae-Young Running Time: 125 min. By Paul Bramhall It’s been interesting to watch the portrayal of North Korean characters develop since the beginning of the Korean wave in the late 90’s. Back then, while still commercially appealing in their nature, movies like Shiri and J.S.A. portrayed the South’s north of the border … Continue reading
Hide and Seek (2013) Review
Director: Huh Jung Cast: Son Hyun-Joo, Jeon Mi-Sun, Moon Jeong-Hee, Jung Joon-Won, Kim Soo-Ahn, Kim Ji-Young, Kim Won-Hae Running Time: 107 min. By Paul Bramhall It’s always refreshing when an Asian horror movie is released that doesn’t revolve around long haired black ghosts or tormented spirits, so when director and screenwriter Huh Jung made his debut with 2013’s Hide and Seek, it came as a welcome addition to the genre. … Continue reading
Okja (2017) Review
Director: Bong Joon-ho Cast: Tilda Swinton, Paul Dano, Ahn Seo-hyun, Byun Hee-bong, Steven Yeun, Lily Collins, Yoon Je-moon, Shirley Henderson, Daniel Henshall, Devon Bostick, Choi Woo-shik, Giancarlo Esposito, Jake Gyllenhaal Running Time: 120 min. By Kelly Warner “Here, you’ve got to try this,” is something I think we’ve all heard from somebody in the presence of food. And maybe we’ve even been secretly waiting for such an invitation to sample … Continue reading
Posted in All, Asian Related, Korean, News, Reviews
Tagged Ahn Seo-hyun, Bong Joon-ho, Choi Woo-Sik, Jake Gyllenhaal, Steven Yeun, Tilda Swinton
Reset | aka Fatality Rate: Reset (2017) Review
Director: Yoon Hong-seung Producer: Jackie Chan Cast: Yang Mi, Wallace Huo, King Shih-Chieh, Liu Chang, Hummer Zhang, Anita Wang Running Time: 106 min. By Paul Bramhall While Mainland Chinese blockbusters continue to grow in budget and scope, the actual talent behind them frequently proves to be poorly prepared to create a coherent piece of filmmaking. In perhaps as close as a sign of acknowledging this problem as we’ll get, Korean … Continue reading
Fabricated City (2017) Review
Director: Park Kwang-Hyun Cast: Ji Chang-Wook, Shim Eun-Kyung, Oh Jung-Se, Ahn Jae-Hong, Kim Sang-Ho, Kim Ki-Cheon, Kim Min-Kyo, Lee Honey, Lee Soon-Won Running Time: 126 min. By Paul Bramhall While on the surface it may seem like Fabricated City and Mission: Impossible – Rogue Nation have little in common, both share at least one similarity – their marketing campaigns revolved around a bombastic opening action scene that has nothing to … Continue reading
South Shaolin vs. North Shaolin (1983) Review
Director: Wu Chia Chun Co-director: Casanova Wong Cast: Casanova Wong, Eagle Han Ying, Ma Chin Ku, Wang Kuan Hsiung, Chiang Cheng Running Time: 87 min. By Paul Bramhall In 1982, a year prior to the release of South Shaolin vs. North Shaolin, the movie that launched Jet Li into stardom, and triggered a wave of wushu influenced Shaolin movies, captured the imagination of Asian audiences in the form of Shaolin Temple. Made … Continue reading
Posted in All, Chinese, Korean, News, Ninja, Reviews
Tagged Casanova Wong (Ka Sa Fa), Eagle Han Ying, Wu Chia Chun
Missing You (2016) Review
Director: Mo Hong-jin Producer: Kim Dae-Geun Cast: Shim Eun-Kyung, Yoon Je-Moon, Kim Sung-Oh, Ahn Jae-Hong, Kim Won-Hae, Kim Hong-Fa Running Time: 108 min. By Paul Bramhall There can be no doubt that 2016 was a big year for Korean cinema, with several of the industry’s most prominent talents returning to the screen. After their ventures into Hollywood, directors Park Chan-wook and Kim Ji-woon returned to home soil, releasing The Handmaiden and Age … Continue reading
Suddenly in the Dark (1981) Review
AKA: Suddenly in Dark Night Director: Go Yeong-nam Producer: Suh Byung-gi Cast: Kim Young-ae, Yoon Il-bong, Lee Gi-seon Running Time: 100 min. By Paul Bramhall While just like Shiri put Korean action movies on the map in 1999, a year prior the high school ghost tale Whispering Corridors did the same for the Korean horror movie. However both genres had been around for long before the titles that gained them international recognition, with horror … Continue reading
Prison, The (2017) Review
Director: Nah Hyeon Cast: Kim Rae-won, Han Seok-kyu, Han Suk-Kyu, Kim Rae-Won, Jung Woong-In, Kim Sung-Kyun, Shin Sung-Rok, Han Sung-Yong, Lee Geung-young, Cha Yup Running Time: 125 min. By Paul Bramhall In years to come, when people look back on the 2015 – 2016 era of the Korean film industry, it may well look like all it took for a movie to get green lit is for it be about figures in authority … Continue reading
Posted in All, Korean, News, Reviews
Tagged Han Seok-Kyu, Kim Rae-won, Nah Hyeon
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