Author Archives: kaist455

Three (2020) ☆☆1/2 (2.5/4): A dryly chilling serial killing story from Kazakhstan

Posted on May 12, 2023 by kaist455

Not long after “Borat: Cultural Learnings of America for Make Benefit Glorious Nation of Kazakhstan” (2006) was released, there came “Tulpan” (2008), a little overlooked comic gem from Kazakhstan which shows a lot about that country which was hilariously misrepresented … Continue reading →

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Return to Seoul (2022) ☆☆☆1/2(3.5/4): A manic pixie adoptee girl returning to South Korea

Posted on May 10, 2023 by kaist455

“Return to Seoul”, which was the official submission of Cambodia for Best International Film Oscar in last year (It was later included in the shortlist, by the way), is an interesting work to observe and admire for good reasons. As … Continue reading →

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The Pope’s Exorcist (2023) ☆☆1/2(2.5/4): A usual demonic stuff

Posted on May 9, 2023 by kaist455

Maybe because I am your average seasoned moviegoer, “The Pope’s Exorcist” mildly amuses me without scaring me that much on the whole. As I probably said before, I have seen heaps of movies about demonic possessions since I watched “The … Continue reading →

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Master Gardener (2022) ☆☆1/2(2.5/4): The Gardener in the Room

Posted on May 7, 2023 by kaist455

Paul Schrader’s latest film “Master Gardener”, which was recently shown at the Jeonju International Film Festival in South Korea, is another typical drama of his which sadly does not work as well as intended for several glaring bad reasons. Again, … Continue reading →

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Infinity Pool (2023) ☆☆☆(3/4): Brendon Cronenberg strikes again

Posted on May 6, 2023 by kaist455

Brendon Cronenberg’s new film “Infinity Pool” is his another striking piece of work which is not only perversely provocative but also gruesomely violent. Like his previous film “Possessor” (2020), it often unsettles us a lot via a series of very … Continue reading →

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Crimes of the Future (2022) ☆☆☆(3/4): Cronenberg still has it…

Posted on May 6, 2023 by kaist455

David Cronenberg’s latest film “Crimes of the Future” is akin to a compilation album filled with his old hits. As usual, human bodies function as carnal theaters of horror to be sliced and then explored to the extreme degrees, and … Continue reading →

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Judy Blume Forever (2023) ☆☆☆1/2(3.5/4): She still tells all

Posted on May 5, 2023 by kaist455

Documentary film “Judy Blume Forever”, which was released on Amazon Prime a few weeks ago, is a delightful tribute to Judy Blume, a famous American writer with whom I was regrettably not so familiar before hearing about the recent movie … Continue reading →

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Retrograde (2022) ☆☆☆(3/4): The final months of the Afghan War

Posted on May 5, 2023 by kaist455

It is a sad and bitter experience to observe what is so vividly presented in Matthew Heineman’s latest documentary film “Retrograde”, which is currently available on Disney+ in South Korea. Closely following what happened during the final months of the … Continue reading →

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Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 (2023) ☆☆☆(3/4): Save the Racoon

Posted on May 4, 2023 by kaist455

“Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3” is more or less than the extension of what we saw from the two previous films. This is another familiar product from Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU), but it has some colorful style, personality, and … Continue reading →

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2001: A Space Odyssey (1968) ☆☆☆☆(4/4): A monumental masterpiece by Kubrick

Posted on May 2, 2023 by kaist455

It is fascinating to see how Stanley Kubrick’s “2001: A Space Odyssey” has remained a timeless masterpiece which dared to explore and present our endless sense of awe and curiosity toward the space out there. Although it has been nearly … Continue reading →

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