Author Archives: kaist455

Kiki’s Delivery Service (1989) ☆☆☆(3/4): This plucky delivery girl 

Posted on April 18, 2026 by kaist455

Hayao Miyazaki’s 1989 animation film “Kiki’s Delivery Service”, which is being shown at selected theaters in South Korea, flies on a substantial amount of charm and beauty to be savored. Although it is relatively less engaging compared to Miyazaki’s more … Continue reading →

Posted in Movies | Tagged , , , | Leave a comment

Dear Juhee (2025) ☆☆1/2(2.5/4): Uneven but sincere anyway

Posted on April 18, 2026 by kaist455

South Korean independent documentary film “Dear Juhee” sincerely attempts to juggle a number of different subjects together, and I appreciate that to some degree. Although its result is a bit too uneven and unfocused at times, it has several genuinely … Continue reading →

Posted in Movies | Tagged , , , , | Leave a comment

Hayao Miyazaki and the Heron (2024) ☆☆1/2(2.5/4): Miyazaki’s long return

Posted on April 16, 2026 by kaist455

Documentary film “Hayao Miyazaki and the Heron” closely follows Miyazaki’s rather long process behind his recent Oscar-winning animation film “The Boy and the Heron” (2023). While I came to admire more of all those painstaking efforts behind that acclaimed comeback … Continue reading →

Posted in Movies | Tagged , , , | Leave a comment

Noah Kahan: Out of Body (2026) ☆☆☆(3/4): What’s next for him?

Posted on April 16, 2026 by kaist455

Netflix documentary film “Noah Kahan: Out of Body”, which was released on this Monday, is the earnest presentation of one famous musician trying to find whatever may be next for him after his sudden big breakthrough. As he sincerely and … Continue reading →

Posted in Movies | Tagged , , , | Leave a comment

Salmokji: Whispering Water (2026) ☆☆☆: A reservoir of horror

Posted on April 14, 2026 by kaist455

South Korean horror film “Salmokji: Whispering Water” is ready to unnerve and then scare you from the very beginning, and it did its job as well as intended. While this is a very typical horror movie about your average haunted … Continue reading →

Posted in Movies | Tagged , , , | Leave a comment

We Live in Time (2024) ☆☆☆(3/4): Scenes from their romance

Posted on April 13, 2026 by kaist455

“We Live in Time”, which belatedly arrived in South Korean theaters in last week, looks around the ups and downs in the relationship between its two main characters. While we get the overall picture of their relationship in advance via … Continue reading →

Posted in Movies | Tagged , | Leave a comment

Orlando (1992) ☆☆☆1/2(3.5/4): As a man and then a woman…

Posted on April 12, 2026 by kaist455

Sally Porter’s 1992 film “Orlando”, whose 4k remastered version recently came to South Korean theaters, is a distinctively poetic work on gender identity and individuality. Based on the 1928 novel of the same name by Virginia Woolf, the movie freely … Continue reading →

Posted in Movies | Tagged , | Leave a comment

Crime 101 (2026) ☆☆☆(3/4): Heist 101

Posted on April 12, 2026 by kaist455

“Crime 101” attempts to bring some personality and substance to its familiar crime thriller plot. Although the overall result does not surpass its countless seniors such as, yes, Michael Mann’s “Heat” (1995), the movie has a number of solid individual … Continue reading →

Posted in Movies | Tagged , , , , | Leave a comment

Paris, Texas (1984) ☆☆☆☆(4/4): A haunting road movie by Wenders

Posted on April 8, 2026 by kaist455

Wim Wenders’ 1984 film “Paris, Texas”, which was shown along with his several other works at selected South Korean theaters during last two weeks, initially drew my attention with all those haunting shots distinctively American in my humble opinion. We … Continue reading →

Posted in Movies | Tagged , , | Leave a comment

Kill Bill: The Whole Bloody Affair (2004) ☆☆☆1/2(3.5/4): The wholesale fun from Tarantino

Posted on April 7, 2026 by kaist455

Quentin Tarantino’s “Kill Bill: The Whole Bloody Affair” gives us the complete version of what he envisioned from the very beginning. While both “Kill Bill: Volume 1” (2003) and “Kill Bill: Volume 2” (2004) are quite fun to watch individually, … Continue reading →

Posted in Movies | Tagged , , | Leave a comment