Author Archives: kaist455

One Child Nation (2019) ☆☆☆1/2(3.5/4): Memories of Policy

Posted on November 16, 2019 by kaist455

Documentary film “One Child Nation”, which won the Grand Jury Prize when it was shown at the Sundance Film Festival early in this year, is often powerful and heart-wrenching in its sobering but intimate presentation of one brutal family policy … Continue reading →

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Adopt a Highway (2019) ☆☆1/2(2.5/4): As he struggles to adjust

Posted on November 16, 2019 by kaist455

As watching “Adopt a Highway” at last night, I often become a bit reflective on the long, illustrious acting career of Ethan Hawke. At the time of “Dead Poets Society” (1989) and “Reality Bites” (1994), he initially drew our attention … Continue reading →

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The Dead Center (2018) ☆☆1/2(2.5/4): In the Mouth of Death

Posted on November 16, 2019 by kaist455

“The Dead Center” intrigued me at first and then came to frustrate me later. While it initially comes to us as an interesting mix of H.P. Lovecraft and Bill S. Ballinger, the movie unfortunately begins to trudge during its trite … Continue reading →

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Zombieland: Double Tap (2019) ☆☆1/2(2.5/4): More zombies with less fun

Posted on November 14, 2019 by kaist455

I laughed often while watching the first half of “Zombieland: Double Tap”, but those funny moments in the film only reminded me that I laughed more and harder when I watched its 2009 predecessor ten years ago. Although it has … Continue reading →

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Jackie Brown (1997) ☆☆☆(3/4): Tarantino in leisure

Posted on November 12, 2019 by kaist455

“Jackie Brown” occupies a rather odd place in Quentin Tarantino’s filmmaking career. Sandwiched between “Pulp Fiction” (1994) and “Kill Bill: Vol. 1” (2003), the movie may look mild and conventional in comparison, but it is still an enjoyable work equipped … Continue reading →

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Tickled (2016) ☆☆☆1/2(3.5/4): It will tickle you – and then it will disturb you

Posted on November 12, 2019 by kaist455

Documentary film “Tickled” will tickle you at first and then will disturb you a lot. While it is initially quite funny and amusing as examining an absurd but curious type of sexual fetish, the documentary subsequently delves into a very … Continue reading →

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Scary Stories to Tell in the Dark (2019) ☆☆☆(3/4): Stories that hurt

Posted on November 10, 2019 by kaist455

“Scary Stories to Tell in the Dark” is a little creepy horror flick which serves us a number of good scary moments within our expectation. As a sort of hybrid between “Final Destination” (2000) and “Goosebumps” (2015), the movie does … Continue reading →

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Taipei Story (1985) ☆☆☆1/2(3.5/4): Lost in Taipei

Posted on November 10, 2019 by kaist455

Edward Yang’s “Taipei Story”, which was released in South Korean theaters a few days ago, is a melancholic urban drama about loneliness and disconnection. Although it initially requires considerable patience from us due mainly to its slow narrative pacing and … Continue reading →

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Maurice (1987) ☆☆☆(3/4): A sumptuous queer period drama

Posted on November 9, 2019 by kaist455

James Ivory’s 1987 film “Maurice”, which happens to be released in South Korean in this week, is a sumptuous queer period drama to be admired and appreciated. Based on the novel of the same name by E. M. Forster, the … Continue reading →

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Doctor Sleep (2019) ☆☆☆(3/4): An eclectic sequel between King and Kubrick

Posted on November 8, 2019 by kaist455

Mike Flanagan’s new film “Doctor Sleep” is an eclectic sequel sandwiched between two contrasting sources of inspiration: Stephen King and Stanley Kubrick. While officially based on King’s novel of the same name which is a sequel to his famous horror … Continue reading →

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