Il Mare Review 2000 South Korea 시월애

Il Mare 시월애
Year: 2000
Director: Lee Hyun-seung
Writer: Yeo Ji-na, Kim Eun-jung, Kim Mi-yeong, Won Tae-yeon
Starring: Jun Ji-hyun, Lee Jung-jae
Running Time: 96 mins
Country: South Korea

Il Mare is the Italian translation for "The Sea" which is the name of a beautiful house which both protagonists live in but tragically they are separated by two years in time.

Eun-joo (Jun Ji-hyun) moves out of her house "Il Mare" on the lead up to Christmas in 1999. She leaves a Christmas card in her mailbox for the future owner, asking them to forward any of her mail to her new address in the city. Sung-hyun (Lee Jung-jae) is the original owner of "Il Mare", he moves into the house in 1997 and discovers the Christmas card in his mailbox from Eun-joo, it is signed with the date 1999, Believing it to be a joke, Sung-hyun writes her back telling her so and reminds her that it's actually 1997. The two eventually realise that they live in the same house but are separated by two years of time, after discovering that they can communicate through the mailbox, they start to bond through the letters they send each other.

Jun Ji-hyun has superstar written all over her in this performance but she actually didn't become a megastar until a year later with the release of My Sassy Girl. Il Mare surprisingly did poorly at the box office but later developed a big following among Korean film fans after the home release and Jun Ji-hyun's popularity explosion. It's now regarded as a bit of a classic! Lee Jung-jae and Jun have great chemistry even though they hardly spend any screen-time together. You really believe in both characters and root for them to overcome their obstacles to meet and be together.

Il Mare is a stunning film with exceptional cinematography and stunning locations. The beach and the house sets are breathtaking and inspiring. It really makes you want to live in a location similar to this. The locations for the film were Ganghwa Island's Sukmodo and Jeju Island's Udo, I'm not sure if these are popular locations for movie-fans to visit, but if they aren't then they should be.

The beach setting and calm pacing, topped with a beautifully relaxing piano musical score give the film a tranquil feeling and peaceful vibe. The story and subplots also develop organically at a slower pace which allows viewers the time to piece together clues and absorb every little detail. That being said, the story involving two different timelines can be puzzling at times and a second watch really does the plot justice!

For fans of modern Korean dramas, there is plenty to keep you entertained and plenty of familiarities. The story has many dramatic moments and tears will be shed. Il Mare has similar beats, ideas, acting and pacing. It also has an engaging plot from beginning to end which will keep you emotionally invested.

In 2006 Hollywood attempted a remake of Il Mare titled The Lake House starring Keanu Reeves and Sandra Bullock. It really doesn't come close to the original, especially by simplifying the ending. Avoid it and seek out the far superior original!

8/10

A Better Tomorrow 2012 Review South Korea 무적자

A Better Tomorrow 무적자
Year: 2010
Director: Song Hae-sung
Writers:Kim Hyo-seok, Lee Taek-gyeong, Choi Geun-mo, Kim Hae-gon
Cast: Joo Jin-mo, Song Seung-heon, Kim Kang-woo, Jo Han-sun
Running Time: 124 minutes
Country: South Korea

This South Korean remake of the original Hong Kong classic is a dramatic action thriller which sadly lacks the charm of the John Woo original.

A Better Tomorrow tells the story of Hyuk (Jin-mo), who lives the fast life as a high-ranking mobster in Busan, South Korea with his closest pal, fellow mobster Lee Young-Chun (Seung-heon). Hyuk is haunted by the memory of leaving behind his younger brother Chul (Kang-woo) and mother as they attempted to flee into South Korea from North Korea. In a set-up, Hyuk by the police and jailed. Three years later, he is released and travels back to Busan to find his younger brother Chul now a high-ranking police officer. Hyuk tries to earn back the trust of his brother, but rejection and betrayal are hard to forget. Things come to a head when Young-Chun pulls Hyuk into doing one last gig. It happen to be the case that Officer Chul is in charge of, and the three brothers meet again one final time.

The first thing you'll notice about this film is how great it looks. The remake is very aesthetically pleasing, with stunning cinematography and exciting locations. In terms of Korean budgets, it looks very well accomplished and a big step up from the original which was produced with a very tight budget.

While it's not a direct shot-for-shot remake, the story still focuses on the themes of loyalty and brotherhood. The theme of 'heroic bloodshed' is still there. But as it's Korean there is a lot more emphasis on the dramatics, even during the wild action scenes. There is actually too much emphasis on the drama without any of the fun and laughs of the original, which helped balance out a violent and somber tale.

To keep the storyline feeling fresh, the writers have changed some elements and plot points and also added in many Korean traits. Most of which works in it's favour. The brothers now have an origin of being North Korean defectors who fled to South Korea for a better life, and in turn, got wrapped up in the world of gangsters. Another plot point which helped the story progress was rather than being counterfeiters like in the original, they now work as arm traffickers. While this doesn't make the characters any more likeable or relatable, it does explain why they have easy access to guns for the shoot outs... and believe me, there are an abundance of guns to go around.

The shoot-outs are all filmed extremely well and the choreography is great. The action is fast paced and relentless. And the hits are violent and bloody. It's everything you really want, only with a bit too much drama sometimes placed in the middle of them, especially in the lead up to the finale when it crosses over in to melodrama territory. 

Each of the main actors did a fine job in their roles. But a big issue is that none of them really stood out or seemed that different from each other. They were all a bit samey. Except of course, Lee Young-choon. He really is a bad-ass character and comes across as tough as nails. Easily the coolest character in the film, but unfortunately he doesn't have the charisma of Chow Yun-fat's Brother Mark. There is a plenty of exposition and character development throughout but you really don't start to care for characters until around the final third of the film, and by then, it's almost too late. But what a bloody exciting finale!

In it's own right, A Better Tomorrow 2010 is a decent enough film. It doesn't ever feel like a waste of time watching it. But the problem is, there are better Korean action films already out there, like The Man From Nowhere and A Bittersweet Life. And, it doesn't have to compete with just them, it also has to match up to the original. Which is ultimately fails at equaling. 

6.5/10

Teaser Trailer for Kiki's Delivery Service Live Action

I came across the Japanese teaser trailer for the live action adaption of Kiki's Delivery Service. From what I have read, this is an adaption of the the children's novel by Eiko Kadono. I have never read the book, I have only seen the Studio Ghibli film, and I loved it. We will see how this turns out.

Synopsis
A young girl named Kiki (Fuka Koshiba) must leave her home for a year to begin training in witchcraft. She leaves on her broom, but first says goodbye to her friends and family. Kiki then begins her new life with her trusted cat Jiji.

Kiki's Delivery Service is due for release in Japan on March the 1st 2014.

Lady Vengeance and Oldboy Remake

Is Hollywood remaking Park Chan Wook's Vengeance Trilogy?


Oldboy

Oldboy has been getting the Hollywood treatment for a long long time. But it is now finally in production, after a slew of line up changes. And now, before Brolin has even graced our cinema screens wielding a hammer.... Lady Vengeance has went into pre-production.

If you haven't heard about the Oldboy remake, the film has been in limbo since 2008. Brief History: Justin Lin was attached as director, then Universal and DreamWorks decided they were getting the rights with Spielberg directing and Will Smith(shudder) starring. Smith then announced Spielberg wasn't remaking the film, he would be adapting the original manga(eh?). In June 2009 a lawsuit was launched against the Korean film producers by the original comic publisher for giving the film rights to Steven Spielberg without their permission. In november Speilberg, Smith and DreamWorks pulled out of the remake. The project was announced dead.

Fast forward to July 2011 when Mandate Pictures issued a press release with the intriguing information that Spike Lee would direct and Josh Brolin would star in the remake! Also attached to the project are Samuel L. Jackson, James Ransone and the brilliant young Elizabeth Olsen. The villain has been cast as Sharlto Copley, who played Murdock in the A Team reboot.

Now the Oldboy remake sounds a lot more promising than we all originally thought.

In South Korea, born and raised. With this hammer is how I spent most of my days...

The cast are all well suited especially Brolin as the lead who has always impressed! And Spike Lee as director is an interesting choice, he is definitely more about the art of film and not about a quick cash in, which can only be a good thing!

There will still be people who hate the remake no matter what. But for more assurance read this very interesting interview with the excellent Josh Brolin at Collider.com were he talks in detail about how much he respects the original Oldboy and Park Chan Wook's work as a director.

Oldboy has a US release date of  October 11, 2013.

Lady Vengeance

It was a shock to most when the Lady Vengeance remake was announced. Charlize Theron's production company Denver & Delilah Films actually purchased the rights to the Lady Vengeance remake 4 years ago! And now Charlize has been confirmed to play the lead role. The script writing duties is going to William Monahan who did a fantastic job adapting the Hong Kong Thriller Infernal Affairs into the Academy Award winning The Departed.

This remake news has made fans of the original Vengeance trilogy a little happier than they are with Oldboy. Charlize Theron can definitely act, and she can go to that dark place like she did in Monster. As for Monahan, his script for The Departed was spot on, and it pleased the majority of fans of the original Infernal Affairs flicks. In an interview Monahan said  "This will be very American ­ and very unexpected. Park is a genius; it's the Everest of adaptations and I've got blood in my teeth to do it."

Sounds convincing to me! Watch this space for more news as it surfaces!

What? No love for Sympathy For Mr Vengeance?

The Top 10 Asian Horror Films

Happy Halloween!

I do LOVE a good horror flick, and the best time to watch them is Halloween! So if like me you want to kick back on All Hallows' Eve with some good horrors, then here is some recommendations.
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------


10)The Doll Master (2004/South Korea)

The Doll Master... The scariest doll since Chucky!

The story follows a group of students who are invited to a museum in the middle of nowhere for a private doll gallery and the promise of dolls to be made in their image. You guessed it. The dolls start killing people!

Brought to life by a vengeful spirit the doll starts killing off the guests one by one, as they try to figure out what is going on and how to stop it!

There is a lot more to this film with clever twists and turns! All is not as simple as it seems. And if you wait patiently through the slow burning story you are in for a treat. Great story and ending. Well worth the wait.


-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

9)R-Point (2004/South Korea)

R-Point stands out from a lot of other Asian horrors because of the fact it's a horror/war film.

Set during the Vietnam War. After a platoon of South Koreans go missing in Romeo Point, Lieutenant Choi takes a platoon to search for them. Upon arriving on the island and finding a grave site and abandoned building, they discover that one of the men in their platoon is actually one of the missing men they are trying to find... Brilliant! The film is full of shocking twists like this which make it more of a psychological and atmospheric horror!

Now queue all the soldiers distrust for each other and we end up with a classic Asian horror!

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

8)Noroi (2005/Japan)
Japan does "found footage" horror. And does it very, very well!

The film is 2 hours long, slow paced and can take a while for you to really get where it's going. But if you have the patience to sit through it then you will be rewarded!

Noroi is filmed as a documentary and it really feels like you are watching a real documentary at times. A very creepy documentary with some subtle yet terrifying images that will be stuck in your head.

The story is pasted together with found footage, documentary, home video and video clips from TV game shows. This keeps it fresh and interesting and helps it flow better and takes away limitations you would have from other found footage films.

This is one to watch without knowing too much about, so i'll leave it at that. Check it out especially if you are a fan of handheld films, or were before the over saturation.

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

7)One Missed Call (2003/Japan)

The first film on the list to be directed by Takasahi Miike! And the first film on the list to have an American remake. Avoid the remake and stick to the original!

Part Horror, part Mystery. People are recieving missed phone calls from an unknown number, the voice mail is oddly made from two days in the future... And is from yourself screaming in terror and agony. Two days later... you die!

Of course the message then gets passed on to your contact list so all your friends are next! It takes one girl and guy to team up to investigate where these phone calls are coming from and try and stop it, while they race against time before they recieve the call!

Sounds like a typical J-Horror, nothing too original here, but very fun and scary! Also has a really creepy ring tone that I used for a while on my own phone. Eeek!


-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

6)Three Extremes(2004/Hong Kong/South Korea/Japan)

3 short stories told by 3 brilliant directors from across Asia! These are very versatile and intriguing horror films which go from weird, to weirder to weirdest.

Dumplings directed by Fruit Chan is a slow burning, sick and twisted film. Not scary but disturbing.

Cut directed by Park Chan-Wook is a confusing and sophisticated  torture flick. Very well made!

The Box directed by Takashi Miike is the scariest out of the bunch. Weird imagery and dream sequences with lots of what the hell moments.

A good 3 movies in 1 horror film which has something to please everyone.

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

5)Ju-On(The Grudge)(2002/Japan)

The curse of one who dies in the grip of a powerful rage.

One of the best films I have ever witnessed for creating an unsettling atmosphere.

A home-care worker goes to work in a house occupised by an old lady who is bed-ridden and terrified of something in the house. After exploring the house the home-care worker discovers a door shut with duct tape... In which hides a little boy and his cat.

Queue some of the creepiest and scariest scenes ever recorded for film. It's great at suspense and building up the scares, it will have you jumping all over the places and hiding your face. But, it also has a great story which is told very well.



-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

4)Audition(1999/Japan)

Kiri Kiri Kiri

This is Takashi Miike's masterpiece! A widower takes an offer to screen girls at a special movie audition, arranged for him by a friend to secretly find him a new wife. The one he fancies is not who she appears to be after all.

Over an hour of this film is essentially a drama. It has a long, dramatic and interesting build up to the horror you are about to see! And boy is there a lot of! The last half hour is outstanding and really makes the film come together.

Audition also helped inspire the American film Hostel... But don't hold that against it! Check it out.

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

3)Tale Of Two Sisters(2003/South Korea)

This has had the Hollywood remake treatment. I forgot the name of it, but avoid it and watch this very intelligent, very frighting original!

Two sisters return home to stay with their father and cruel stepmother.. after spending time in a mental institution! Once there, in addition to dealing with their stepmother's obsessive and unbalanced ways, they are haunted by the tragedies of deaths from within the family.

This is very well told. There are some very good scares in this one. But it's the story and characters that really grab your attention. It's a rollercoaster full of twists and turns! And one that as soon as it ends, you will want to rewatch it again. Awesome mind blowing ending!

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------


2)Ringu(1998/Japan)

What?! The Ring isn't number 1?

The fight for first and second place was a tough one! Very tough. Thought about it for a long time but I just honestly feel that number 1 on the list scared me more! Don't get me wrong though, Ringu is a masterpiece.

The story centres around a videotape. If you watch it you die in seven days! A TV journalist teams with her ex-husband and investigates the death of two teenage girls. She discovers a lot more than she bargined for.... Sadako!

The image and look of Sadako is very well known by now. It's been used it countless other films and even spoofed in comedies. But most people will know her from the US remake... Which was actually a pretty decent remake!

This film terrified me when I first seen it, and the brilliant ending was planted in my brain and made me scared of my own TV for a long time. It's that good!

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

1)Pulse(2001/Japan)

Would you like to meet a ghost?

Yes.You guessed the number 1 film on the list... well probably not actually.

Japanese university students investigate a series of suicides linked to an Internet Webcam that promises visitors the chance to interact with the dead.

Nothing to unfamiliar for a J-Horror, almost like the Ring in a way. Set on the internet it's something we can all relate to, otherwise how are you reading this blog? The internet can be a scary unfamiliar place as we see in this nearly incomprehensible horror tale.

Pulse has a very lonely dark setting and atmosphere. It's a gore free chilling film which will leave you thinking long after the credits have finished. Don't worry if it takes you a few watches to know what's going on as it can be truly baffling. A real horror masterpiece in the genre which must be seen by everyone!


-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
There you have it! My top 10! It was a very tough job narrowing it down to 10 and putting it into order. Still a few films I might have got in the wrong order but i'll leave it at that.

I hope you all have a good Halloween and watch some good horrors! These are some suggestions that shouldn't leave anyone disappointed. Did I miss anything out? Let me know!

Trick or Treat?!

:)

A 'Young And Dangerous' Remake In The Works! Young And Dangerous Reloaded

I'm back with a bang!

Young And Dangerous: Reloaded

Shocking (and exciting?) news! Wong Jing is doing a reboot of the popular 90's Triad movie franchise! Except no Andrew Lau directing this time.

For those not up to scratch. In 1995 Andrew Lau directed, and Wong Jing produced a film called Young and Dangerous. Y&D follows a group of young gangsters in the Triad Society in Hong Kong through their adventures, success and dangers. This film made many stars including Ekin Cheng who played the main character Chan Ho Nam, and Jordan Chan who played his best friend Chicken. It also starred many Hong Kong house hold names such as Francis Ng and Simon Yam.

This proved to be very popular in Hong Kong. So much so that it generated a long line of sequels, prequels and spin offs. To my count, 6 main films and 7 spin offs... although some are just obvious cash ins... And don't have a lot to do with the series. These films were among the ones I first started watching when I got into Asian Cinema and they really inspired my love for Triad flicks.

Original... and best?

If you haven't seen these films I would highly recommend it! The main films are all worth while, ranging from good to great, and can be picked up in a complete box set on websites like ebay for about £20-£30.

Anyway... On to the reboot! Wong Jing looks like he has cast Triads who go to the gym more often than the originals. I don't know which one is more realistic for modern Triads, but the original looks more like what I imagine. Or what I see hanging around China Town looking a bit dodgy! In Reloaded, Him Law is portraying Ekin Chen's role of Chan Ho Nam, and Jordan Chan's role of Chicken with be potryated by Oscar Leung. Wong Jing has also promised audiences that he will provide more sex and violence to give the audience what they want. This looks more obviously true now after Oscar Leung shot a bed scene with 2 hot models... on the first day of filming! Wow, fast mover.

Chicken back on the streets in Hong Kong... Lock up your daughters

News and videos have already started coming out from the set and filming locations. On October the 13th a night time fight scene was filmed in Mongkok, HK. Chicken(Oscar Leung) was fighting with a rival gangster Philip Ng for one of the scenes in which he takes a bit of a beating, including getting hit with his own trouser suspenders 20 times! Ouch! Which left him visibly bruised and red.

Sounds pretty badass to me! Check out the video below for some of the filming and action...

Personally I think this looks promising!

Well this is definitely one to keep your eye on! I will post more news and updates as I hear/see them.
But in the mean time check out the original series! You won't be disappointed!

Another - Live Action Remake - Trailer and Stills

Looks like Another is the latest anime to get the live action treatment. For those not familiar with the anime, I reviewed it while it was airing, link.

Synopsis

 In 1972, a very popular honor student named Misaki died partway through the school year in Yomiyama Middle School’s class 3-3. His peers, devastated by the unexpected loss, decided to carry on as if the student were still alive, going so far as to keep the desk in place and bringing it to the graduation ceremony. Yet no one could explain why the dead classmate was present on the graduation photo.
In spring 1998, 15-year-old student Kōichi Sakakibara arrives from Tokyo in Yomiyama, to stay with his grandparents while his father works in India. He transfers into class 3-3 but misses the first few weeks as a pneumothorax keeps him hospitalised. While in the hospital, he receives a visit from his classmates and meets a mysterious girl wearing his school’s uniform called Mei Misaki, who seems to be visiting the morgue.
Once recovered, Kōichi goes to school and tries to adapt. His aunt, a teacher at Yomiyama North, gives him a few pointers but, like his peers, remains evasive when it comes to their behaviour towards Mei, who is treated by all as if she did not exist. Kōichi is further confounded by the air of mystery around class 3-3 and the fact that it is isolated from other classes, even practising P.E. separately.
Things go from bad to worse when a classmate, Yukari Sakuragi, slips while running down the stairs and dies, impaled on the sharp end of her umbrella. This is one of many deaths related to Class 3-3 which have Kōichi and his friends Mei, Naoya Teshigawara, Tomohiko Kazami, and Yūya Mochizuki, trying to unravel the mystery of 1972’s Misaki and the “calamity” that has struck Class 3-3 ever since.

Cosplay Island?

I'm looking forward to this going by what I have seen from the trailer. Also, knowing Japan is brilliant with horror and suspense, this could work out very well! On the other hand, Live Action adaptions of anime are usually hit or miss, with the majority being miss!

Another gets a theatrical release across Japan on August 4th 2012. No news of an international release yet, so watch the trailer below over and over to keep you going! Or watch the anime!

 

 

Hara-Kiri coming to UK DVD, Blu-Ray and.... Cinema??

The latest film from one of the hardest working directors in Japan, Takashi Miike, is getting a limited UK cinema release of the 4th May and will be available to purchase on DVD and Blu-Ray on the 7th May. The film is entitled Hara-Kiri: Death Of A Samurai and is a remake of Misaki Kobayashi's classic from 1962.

Synopsis
Poverty stricken samurai Hanshiro Tsukumo (Ebizo Ichikawa) requests to commit ritual suicide at the House of Ii, run by obstinate Lord - Kageyu Saito (Koji Yakusho), in a desperate attempt for a honourable end. In an effort to persuade Hanshiro to rethink his request, Kageyu tells the tragic story of a similar plea from young ronin Motome (Eita). Hanshiro is stunned by the horrifying details of Motome's fate, but insists on dying with honour. With his final breath, Hanshiro makes a last request which results in the shocking revelation of a bittersweet tale of vengeance against the house of a feudal lord.

You want me to do WHAT with the sword?!

Hara-Kiri was highly talked about because it was the first 3D film to be shown at Canne film festival. Bearing in mind, Miike's earlier gory films, one would expect blood and guts to be flying out the screen in 3D. But Hara-Kiri is more of a well made, slow paced, period drama. And the 3D is used more subtly to show scenery, sets and costumes like thread on kimonos, trees with autumn leaves and snow flakes falling. However, there is enough sword play to keep Miike's fans and Samurai film fans happy! The movie has received pretty positive reviews and is sitting with a 7.1 on iMDB and 80% on Rotten Tomatoes.

Hara-Kiri is getting a limited release so check your local cinema listings to see if you are getting it. Unfortunately, it doesn't look like Glasgow is! Unless GFT gives it a small run. DVDs and Blu-Ray are available to pre-order from the usual places like Amazon and Play. And if you need something to keep you going until then, I highly recommend his last Samurai epic "13 Assassins" which was one of my favourite films of 2011.

American Lone Wolf And Cub?

After numerous films(by my count 8?), a television series and numerous TV movies, Lone Wolf and Cub is getting another film, this time will be an American effort.

This haircut could be the next American trend

Lone Wolf and Cub is a Japanese manga from 1970 which has been highly influential. The rights have been acquired by a New York film company Kamala Films which produced the film Anamorph. Set to direct the film is Justin Lin who directed Better Luck Tomorrow and The Fast And Furious films from Tokyo Drift onwards. David and Janet Peoples(Blade Runner, Twelve Monkeys) will handle the script. Lin said "I've long admired the Peoples and their enduring body of work. They're a wonderful match for LONE WOLF AND CUB and I'm really looking forward to collaborating with them on this powerful, epic tale."

Vin Diesel approves the choice of Lin

Lone Wolf And Cub tells the story of Ogami Ittō, the Shogun's chief executioner, who after being falsely accused of a crime by the Yagyū clan, becomes an assassin for hire. Ittō and his young son are known together as 'Lone Wolf and Cub'.

How will America tackle this story? Will it be like their adaption of Blood The Last Vampire or more like Kill Bill? We will need to wait and see.