Author Archives: kaist455

Laapataa Ladies (2023) ☆☆☆(3/4): Two switched brides

Posted on May 12, 2024 by kaist455

Indian film “Laapataa Ladies”, which was recently shown at the Jeonju International Film Festival in South Korea, is an entertaining mix of comedy, drama, and a bit of wholesome feminist message. Starting from one absurd comic situation involved with mistaken … Continue reading →

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The Hand (2023) ☆1/2(1.5/4): Stuck with an evil hand in the toilet

Posted on May 11, 2024 by kaist455

South Korean film “The Hand”, which is incidentally the last movie I happened to watch as a judge for one certain minor category of the upcoming Wildflower Film Awards ceremony of this year, starts with a supposedly intriguing horror story … Continue reading →

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Jango: Uncharged (2023) ☆☆(2/4): A merely goofy B-spoof

Posted on May 11, 2024 by kaist455

South Korean “Jango: Uncharged” is a merely goofy B-spoof which mildly amused me from time to time. While it is thoroughly silly and outrageous from the beginning to the end, the movie eventually goes nowhere as showing its many limits … Continue reading →

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Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes (2024) ☆☆☆(3/4): Another story begins…

Posted on May 9, 2024 by kaist455

The recent three movies from the Planet of the Apes franchise were remarkable for a number of good reasons. Besides the first-rate special effects which vividly presented a bunch of various ape characters on the screen, these movies made us … Continue reading →

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The Fall Guy (2024) ☆☆☆(3/4): The adventure of one stuntman

Posted on May 2, 2024 by kaist455

“The Fall Guy”, which is incidentally released as “The Stuntman” in South Korean theaters (I hope that local audiences will not mistake it for the remake of Richard Rush’s “The Stunt Man” (1979), by the way), has a lot of … Continue reading →

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Squaring the Circle: The Story of Hipgnosis (2022) ☆☆☆(3/4): The story of one album art design studio

Posted on May 1, 2024 by kaist455

Documentary film “Squaring the Circle: The Story of Hipgnonsis” presents the story of one British album art design studio which gave us some of the most iconic album covers of all time. Although I do not know that much about … Continue reading →

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Tchaikovsky’s Wife (2022) ☆☆(2/4): The Passion of Tchaikovsky’s Wife

Posted on May 1, 2024 by kaist455

They say misery loves company, but, after watching Kirill Serebrennikov’s “Tchaikovsky’s Wife”, I am wondering whether Russians love misery more than it wants. Here is a relentlessly grim, solemn, and miserable film which does not have much sense of human … Continue reading →

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Wicked Little Letters (2023) ☆☆☆(3/4): A little problem in their town

Posted on April 30, 2024 by kaist455

“Wicked Little Letters” is a lightweight comedy film coupled with a bit of mystery. While it is not that difficult for us to guess the answer to the mystery inside the story even before its half point, the movie remains … Continue reading →

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Petrov’s Flu (2021) ☆☆1/2(2.5/4): A baffling Russian flu fantasia

Posted on April 29, 2024 by kaist455

Kirill Serebrennikov’s “Petrov’s Flu” is a boldly self-indulgent mess you may admire for good reasons. Mainly revolving around one plain hero who happens to have a serious case of flu, the movie freely and whimsically goes back and forth between … Continue reading →

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Challengers (2024) ☆☆☆1/2(3.5/4): Are they ready to serve?

Posted on April 28, 2024 by kaist455

Luca Guadagnino’s new film “Challengers” is quick, deft, and passionate in its every serve, and I like that a lot. Electrifyingly and humorously bouncing along one very complicated situation among its three main characters, the movie alternatively amuses and thrills … Continue reading →

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