Author Archives: kaist455

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 →

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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 →

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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 →

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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 →

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Nuremberg (2025) ☆☆☆(3/4): The relevant dramatization of a historical trial

Posted on April 5, 2026 by kaist455

“Nuremberg” reminds me that the Nuremberg trials after the World War II were not merely perfunctory at all. This was absolutely necessary for illuminating one of the greatest atrocities ever committed against the humanity of all time, and the dramatization … Continue reading →

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Two Prosecutors (2025) ☆☆☆1/2(3.5/4): A historical drama of chilling inevitability

Posted on April 5, 2026 by kaist455

I found myself overwhelmed by the gradual sense of grim inevitability in “Two Prosecutors”, a moody but undeniably captivating historical drama film from Ukrainian filmmaker Sergei Loznitsa. Once its idealistic hero crosses the line at one point, we can instantly … Continue reading →

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Ryuichi Sakamoto: Diaries (2025) ☆☆☆(3/4): His last few years

Posted on April 4, 2026 by kaist455

Documentary film “Ryuichi Sakamoto: Dairies” presents the last few years of Ryuichi Sakamoto, a prominent Japanese composer/musician who died on March 28th, 2023. Considering the two other recent documentaries “Ryuichi Sakamoto: Coda” (2017) and “Ryuichi Sakamoto: Opus” (2023), the documentary … Continue reading →

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Christy (2025) ☆☆1/2(2.5/4): One messy real-life female boxer

Posted on April 3, 2026 by kaist455

What a messy life Christy Salters had before being true to herself. As trying to distinguish herself as a female professional boxer, she also tried to distance herself from her homosexuality, and then she only ended up being stuck with … Continue reading →

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Mike & Nick & Nick & Alice (2026) ☆☆☆(3/4): A bumpy night for all of them…

Posted on March 31, 2026 by kaist455

“Mike & Nick & Nick & Alice”, which was released on Disney+ in South Korea on last Friday, is a fairly entertaining mix of comedy, action, and a bit of time travel. While its science fiction element turns out to … Continue reading →

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The Rise of the Red Hot Chili Peppers: Our Brother, Hillel (2026) ☆☆☆(3/4): The early years of the Red Hot Chili Peppers

Posted on March 31, 2026 by kaist455

Netflix documentary “The Rise of the Red Hot Chilli Peppers: Our Brother, Hillel”, which was released a few weeks ago, focuses on the early years of the Red Hot Chili Peppers. Because I only know a bit about the Red … Continue reading →

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