Author Archives: kaist455

Mel Brooks: The 99 Year Old Man! (2026) ☆☆☆1/2(3.5/4): His life and career full of ups and downs

Posted on June 10, 2026 by kaist455

HBO documentary film “Mel Brooks: The 99 Year Old Man!” is alternatively funny and touching as looking into many ups and downs in the life and career of Mel Brooks, a legendary American entertainer who will soon be 100 years … Continue reading →

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Pee-Wee as Himself (2025) ☆☆☆1/2(3.5/4): Reubens behind Pee-Wee

Posted on June 9, 2026 by kaist455

HBO documentary film “Pee-Wee as Himself” examines the life and career of Paul Reubens, an American comedian who has mostly been known for his famous comic character Pee-Wee Herman. Although he was a very talented comedian to say the least, … Continue reading →

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Afternoons of Solitude (2024) ☆☆☆1/2(3.5/4): The clinical but disturbing presentation of bullfighting

Posted on June 7, 2026 by kaist455

Albert Serra’s 2024 documentary film “Afternoons of Solitude”, which happens to be released in South Korean theaters a few days ago, deeply unsettles and captivates me for good reasons. Here is an austerely clinical but undeniably visceral presentation of bullfighting, … Continue reading →

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Masters of the Universe (2026) ☆☆1/2(2.5/4): Mildly goofy and serious

Posted on June 7, 2026 by kaist455

“Masters of the Universe” attempts to do two different things together, and the result is a rather mixed bag on the whole. While it is sometimes as earnest and serious as its hero, the movie is also deliberately goofy and … Continue reading →

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Star Wars: The Mandalorian and Grogu (2026) ☆☆(2/4): A mediocre special episode

Posted on June 3, 2026 by kaist455

I must say this right now: “Star Wars: The Mandalorian and Grogu” is the most tepid Star Wars flick since “Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker” (2019). Thoroughly uninspired and mediocre from the beginning to the end, the movie simply … Continue reading →

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Pilgrims (2025) ☆☆1/2(2.5/4): Why do they never return?

Posted on June 3, 2026 by kaist455

South Korean independent animation film “Pilgrims” presents a little science fiction tale which could do more in my trivial opinion. While it is fairly competent in technical aspects, the movie feels rather flat and colorless in terms of story and … Continue reading →

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Backrooms (2026) ☆☆☆(3/4): A creepy labyrinth of backrooms

Posted on June 2, 2026 by kaist455

“Backrooms” is a modest but effective horror flick mainly driven by mood and idea, and I like that enough. While the movie is inherently a bit too simple in terms of story and characters, it is still interesting to observe … Continue reading →

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Romería (2025) ☆☆☆(3/4): Getting to know about her dead parents

Posted on June 1, 2026 by kaist455

Spanish filmmaker Carla Simón‘s latest film “Romería” is about an adolescent girl getting to know more about her dead parents right before entering her adult life. While it initially looks like a typical mix between family drama and coming-of-age tale, … Continue reading →

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Pillion (2025) ☆☆☆1/2(3.5/4): Learning about his sexuality

Posted on June 1, 2026 by kaist455

“Pillion”, which won the Best Screenplay award when it was shown in the Un Certain Regard section of the Cannes Film Festival early in last year, is an alternatively amusing and fascinating drama about sexual maturity. Following a plain lad … Continue reading →

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Eureka (2000) ☆☆☆(3/4): After an incident

Posted on May 31, 2026 by kaist455

I must confess that Shinji Aoyama’s 2000 film “Eureka”, which happens to be released in South Korean theaters a few days ago, tested my patience more than once. This is one of those dry, slow, and distant movies demanding a … Continue reading →

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