Tag Archives: Military

The Desert of the Tartars (1976) ☆☆☆(3/4): Waiting for the barbarians

Posted on November 15, 2025 by kaist455

Valerio Zurlini’s 1976 film “The Desert of the Tartars”, which happens to be released in selected arthouse movie theaters in South Korea in this week, is interesting for its odd mix of bleak beauty and dark absurdity. While dryly and … Continue reading →

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An Officer and a Spy (2019) ☆☆☆(3/4): A solid historical drama by a problematic filmmaker

Posted on August 13, 2025 by kaist455

I must confess that it has been more than 10 years since the last time I watched and then reviewed a Roman Polanski film. At that time, I watched “Rosemary’s Baby” (1968) for writing an essay to be posted on … Continue reading →

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The Six Triple Eight (2024) ☆☆(2/4): These ladies deserve better than this…

Posted on February 10, 2025 by kaist455

The most interesting moment in Tyler Perry’s new film “The Six Triple Eight”, which was released on Netflix a few months ago, is its epilogue part, which briefly shows a series of interviews and archival records. Yes, there were really … Continue reading →

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Escape (2024) ☆☆1/2(2.5/4): An old-fashioned South Korean thriller

Posted on July 16, 2024 by kaist455

South Korean film “Escape” is something I might enjoy more around, say, 30 years ago. During that time, I was an avid consumer of those grim horror stories about North Korea, and I must say that the movie is curiously … Continue reading →

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The Blue Angels (2024) ☆☆1/2(2.5/4): A promotional film with lots of terrific stuffs

Posted on May 26, 2024 by kaist455

Documentary film “The Blue Angels”, which was released on Amazon Prime a few days ago after getting a limited theatrical release in US, is basically your typical promotional film with lots of terrific technical stuffs to admire. While I was … Continue reading →

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Noryang: Deadly Sea (2023) ☆☆☆(3/4): Driven into the last battle

Posted on December 21, 2023 by kaist455

South Korean film “Noryang: Deadly Sea”, the third and (definitely) final film of the trilogy after “The Admiral: Roaring Currents” (2014) and “Hansan: Rising Dragon” (2022), is often relentlessly epic and loud in what it is expected to present on … Continue reading →

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Napoleon (2023) ☆☆(2/4): Napoleon dully in love and war

Posted on December 9, 2023 by kaist455

Ridley Scott’s new film “Napoleon” is surprisingly flat and bland despite its ambitious intentions. While it tries to be an epic historical drama revolving around one of the most prominent figures in the 19th century Europe, the movie curiously lacks … Continue reading →

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12.12: The Day (2023) ☆☆☆(3/4): That infamous night in Seoul, 1979

Posted on November 22, 2023 by kaist455

South Korean film “12.12: The Day” is an intense fictionalized version of what happened at one terrible night of December 1979 in Seoul. Although I and many other South Korean audiences are well aware of how the story eventually ends, … Continue reading →

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Retrograde (2022) ☆☆☆(3/4): The final months of the Afghan War

Posted on May 5, 2023 by kaist455

It is a sad and bitter experience to observe what is so vividly presented in Matthew Heineman’s latest documentary film “Retrograde”, which is currently available on Disney+ in South Korea. Closely following what happened during the final months of the … Continue reading →

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The Inspection (2022) ☆☆☆(3/4): A gay marine trainee’s story

Posted on February 20, 2023 by kaist455

“The Inspection” is a fascinating coming-of-age drama which often swings back and forth between conventional and unconventional elements. As a queer film mainly set in the US Marine boot camp, the movie surely distinguishes itself to some degree in terms … Continue reading →

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