Category Archives: Movies

Ultraman Rising (2024) ☆☆☆(3/4): Bringing up baby

Posted on July 6, 2024 by kaist455

Netflix animation film “Ultraman Rising”, which was released a few weeks ago, is as silly and serious as it can be. Based on a famous Japanese superhero franchise, the film tries a cheerful mix of comedy, action, and drama, and … Continue reading →

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Kill Room (2023) ☆☆☆(3/4): A killing art business

Posted on July 4, 2024 by kaist455

I still remember when I looked around the Contemporary Art section of the Art Institute of Chicago in April 2010. Many of those artworks in that section looked pretty valuable as far as I could see, but I often wondered … Continue reading →

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Handsome Guys (2024) ☆☆1/2(2.5/4): Jae-Pil & Sang-goo vs. Evil

Posted on July 4, 2024 by kaist455

South Korean film “Handsome Guys”, a remake of “Tucker and Dale vs. Evil” (2010), attempts to transplant American horror elements to a new local background, and it succeeds to some degree in my inconsequential opinion. While mostly faithful to the … Continue reading →

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Mean Girls (2024) ☆☆1/2(2.5/4): It’s a musical this time…

Posted on July 1, 2024 by kaist455

2024 film “Mean Girls” has a rather complex history just like the recent movie version of “The Color Purple” (1985). It is the movie adaptation of the acclaimed Broadway musical of the same name, which is inspired by the 2004 … Continue reading →

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A Quiet Place: Day One (2024) ☆☆☆(3/4): The First Days of the End

Posted on June 29, 2024 by kaist455

“A Quiet Place: Day One” is inherently redundant, but it is mostly competent enough to hold our attention at least. As the prequel to John Krasinski’s “A Quiet Place” (2018) and the following 2020 sequel, it does not have anything … Continue reading →

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Tucker & Dale vs. Evil (2010) ☆☆☆(3/4): Bloody hilarious

Posted on June 27, 2024 by kaist455

To be frank with you, I should have been a little more generous to “Tucker & Dale vs. Evil”, which is still a hilarious mix of horror and comedy although more than 10 years passed since it came out. When … Continue reading →

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Hijacking 1971 (2024) ☆☆☆(3/4): An intense South Korean hijacking drama

Posted on June 27, 2024 by kaist455

South Korean film “Hijacking 1971” almost made me forget that it is actually the heavily fictionalized version of one real-life incident. While I and many other audiences knew where it will eventually land, we all were gripped by its dramatic … Continue reading →

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The Taste of Things (2023) ☆☆☆1/2(3.5/4): A gourmet and his cook

Posted on June 22, 2024 by kaist455

 Trần Anh Hùng’s latest film “The Taste of Things”, which was submitted as the French submission to Best International Film Oscar in last year instead of Justine Triet’s “Anatomy of a Fall” (2023), is as lovely and tasty as you … Continue reading →

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Sanctuary (2024) ☆☆☆(3/4): A sanctuary for wildlife animals

Posted on June 17, 2024 by kaist455

South Korean documentary film “Sanctuary” focuses on the activists of a bunch of people dedicated to providing a sanctuary for wildlife animals in South Korea. While they care a lot about saving and taking care of those unfortunate animals out … Continue reading →

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Under Paris (2024) ☆☆1/2(2.5/4): The Shark in Paris (no kidding)

Posted on June 13, 2024 by kaist455

French Netflix film “Under Paris” attempts to have and eat its cake, and that is sort of amusing to me. On one hand, it wants to be a serious shark flick like Steven Spielberg’s “Jaws” (1975), whose greatness still makes … Continue reading →

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